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Biomedical subjects

S P Agarwal

Publications and source records attributed to S P Agarwal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Nipah/Hendra virus outbreak in Siliguri, West Bengal, India in 2001.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The viral encephalitides caused by animal or human viruses are characterized by sudden outbreaks of neurological disease in both tropical and temperate regions. An outbreak of acute encephalitis occurred in Siliguri (West Bengal) town of India between January 31 and February 23, 2001. This outbreak was investigated by a team of scientists from four major institutions, and the findings are presented here. METHODS: Detailed information about the outbreak was collected with the help of local health authorities. Limited entomological investigations were also done. Samples collected from cases and contacts were sent for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 66 probable cases and 45 deaths were reported. Epidemiological linkages between cases point towards person-to-person transmission and incubation period of around 10 days. There was neither any concurrent illness in animals nor was there any exposure of cases to animals. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA concluded on the basis of tests carried out on serum specimen from four cases and two contacts that the causative pathogen appears to be Nipah/ Hendra or closely related virus. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: This outbreak highlights the importance and urgency of establishing a strong surveillance system supported by a network of state-of-the-art laboratories equipped to handle and diagnose new pathogens and including patient isolation techniques, use of personal protective equipment, barrier nursing and safe disposal of potentially infected material in the prevention and control measures for Nipah/Hendra virus infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Annual risk of tuberculous infection in four defined zones of India: a comparative picture.

SETTING: Twenty-six selected districts in India. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the average annual risk of tuberculous infection (ARTI) in four defined zones in the country. STUDY DESIGN: A tuberculin survey was conducted in selected clusters of 26 districts in four defined zones of India. Children 1-9 years of age were subjected to tuberculin testing with ITU PPD RT23 with Tween 80, and the maximum transverse diameter of induration was measured 72 h later. Prevalence of infection was estimated using the cut-off point method (Method I) and the mirror-image technique (Method II) among children without bacille Calmette-Guérin scar. Results from individual zones have been reported earlier, and the results from all four zones are presented here as a consolidated summary. RESULTS: The ARTI computed from estimated prevalence was found to be lowest in the southern zone (Method I: 1.1%, Method II: 1.0%). It was higher in the eastern zone (1.3% by both methods) and highest in the western (Method I: 1.8%, Method II: 1.6%) and northern zones (1.9% by both methods). The proportion of infected children was found to be significantly higher in urban than in rural areas in all zones. CONCLUSION: The intensified tuberculosis control efforts need to be sustained for many years.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Health sector in India--progress, challenges and the way forward.

Health is a priority goal in its own right and a central input into economic development and poverty reduction. Significant achievements have been made in a number of areas which include health parameters, legislation, research and technology and disease control. The life expectancy has gone up by 17% since 1981. In disease control significant achievements are in sight. Some new programmes have been introduced with the changes in disease profile. Significant progress can be seen in leprosy control, blindness control, TB control and iodine deficiency disorder control. Some legislations were also enacted to protect life and personal liberty as the constitution holds the right to healthcare as a fundamental one. Immediate medical relief and preventing major outbreak following disasters is another area to fight with. There are some challenges to face with like propulation stabilisation, to reduce infant and maternal matality, mobilisationof funds on health, to increase manpower, to increase female literacy and so on. Control of some diseases like HIV/AIDS, vector borne ones, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, trauma related injuries, mental disorders is another point to improve healthcare delivery. To meet challenges to the health system the way forward has to be multipronged, focusing on finance, manpower, research and social factors like sanitation, drainking water availability, female literacy, etc.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed2004

Quick control of bubonic plague outbreak in Uttar Kashi, India.

A localized outbreak of bubonic plague occurred in village Dangud (population 332), district Uttar Kashi, Uttaranchal, India in the second week of October 2004. 8 cases were considered outbreak associated based on their clinical and epidemiological characteristics; 3 (27.3%) of them died within 48 hours of developing illness. All the 3 fatal cases and five surviving cases had enlargement of inguinal lymph nodes. None of them had pneumonia. The age of the cases ranged from 23-70 years and both sexes were affected. No such illness was reported from adjoining villages. The outbreak was fully contained within two weeks of its onset by supervised comprehensive chemoprophylaxis using tetracycline. A total of approximately 1250 persons were given chemoprophylaxis in three villages. There was no clear history of rat fall in the village. No flea was found on rodents or animals. 16 animal serum samples were found to be negative for antibodies against F-1 antigen of Y. pestis. However, Y. pestis was isolated from two rodents (Rattus rattus and Mus musculus) trapped in the village. One case and three animal sera showed borderline sero-positivity against rickettsial infection. The diagnosis of plague was confirmed by detection of four fold rise of antibody titre against F-1 antigen of Yersinia pestis in paired sera of three cases (one of the WHO approved criteria of diagnosis of confirmed plague). This outbreak and the occurrence of earlier outbreaks of plague in Surat (Gujarat) and Beed (Maharashtra) in 1994 and in district Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) in 2002 confirm that plague infection continue to exist in sylvatic foci in many parts of India which is transmitted to humans occasionally. Thus, there is a strong need for the States to monitor the plague activity in known sylvatic foci regularly and have a system of surveillance to facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment of cases to control the disease. This investigation highlights that with high index of suspicion the disease can be diagnosed early and mounting of supervised comprehensive response can prevent the disease to proceed to pneumonic stage where man to man transmission gets established and outbreak assumes larger dimensions.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Oxidant, vitamin A and angiogenic markers in laryngeal cancer patients.

In this study the status of oxidant stress, vitamin A and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) levels were evaluated in cases of laryngeal carcinoma patients from Northern India. In control subjects the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), vitamin A and ACE were 0.23 +/- 0.07 nmole/ml, 2515 +/- 84 IU, and 1.4 +/- 0.8 U/ml respectively. Thirty laryngeal cancer patients were divided into three groups according to the TNM classification (American Joint Committee on Cancers). In laryngeal cancer patients according to tumour size, MDA and ACE levels increased to 0.32 +/- 0.04 nmole/ml and 4.7 +/- 0.5 U/ml respectively and the effect was statistically significant (p<0.01). The correlation coefficient between different subgroups was also highly significant (r=0.96, p<0.01). However, serum vitamin A levels decreased to 621 +/- 20 IU and the effect was statistically significant (p<0.01). In another two groups of laryngeal cancer patients, a similar pattern of various markers was obtained. Thirty patients with laryngeal carcinoma were divided into four different groups according to nodal involvement and it was observed that in laryngeal cancer patients with no nodal involvement, ACE levels were low 3.6 +/- 1.4 U/ml while patients with maximum nodal involvement had the highest levels of ACE 7.1 +/- 0.18 U/ml. The correlation coefficient between different groups is highly statistically significant (r=0.95, p<0.01). In patients with laryngeal cancer the serum MDA and vitamin A levels correlation coefficient between different groups was not significant. It is thus concluded that serum ACE might be a specific test marker for laryngeal cancer disease burden. The use of this marker enzyme for therapeutics is being planned.

Female↗
PubMed2003

Development of an ophthalmic formulation containing ciprofloxacin-hydroxypropyl-b-cyclodextrin complex.

Ophthalmic formulations of ciprofloxacin were formulated using inclusion complexes of ciprofloxacin HCl (CFLX HCl) and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD). The complexes were prepared by the method of freeze drying and evaluated by phase solubility studies, differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffractiometry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The ophthalmic solutions formulated using the complexed drug exhibited better stability, biological activity and ocular tolerance in comparison to another ophthalmic solution formulated using uncomplexed drug and also in comparison to a marketed preparation.

2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin↗
PubMed2003

Modified release bi-layered tablet of melatonin using beta-cyclodextrin.

A modified release bi-layered tablet of melatonin incorporating a fast release fraction consisting of melatonin-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex and a slow release fraction containing melatonin in HPMC K15M and Carbopol 971 P matrices was prepared. The formulation developed showed an initial burst followed by a near zero order release pattern for a period of 8 h. The drug content, physical characteristics and the release profile were unaffected after 3 months of an accelerated stability study at 40 degrees C and 75% relative humidity.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1998

Evaluation of hydrogel-based controlled-release niacin tablets.

Matrix-based controlled-release niacin tablets were formulated using guar gum. The effect on the in vitro dissolution profile was examined using variable guar gum content in the formulation. It was observed that the dissolution profile declined with the increase in the guar gum content in the tablet. The in vitro dissolution profile was also observed under different pH conditions and there was no marked change. The moisture content of granules also did not cause any considerable change in dissolution profile. Three different strength Niacin controlled-release tablets, including 500 mg, were prepared and it was found that applying the same variables of different guar gum content and moisture content of granules resulted in a very insignificant change in the in vitro dissolution profile. The experimental formulation compared well with commercial products and met the proposed standards for controlled-release products.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗
PubMed1998

Evaluation of guar gum in the preparation of sustained-release matrix tablets.

Polymeric hydrophilic matrices are widely used for controlled-release preparations. The process of drug release is controlled by matrix swelling or polymer dissolution. It has been shown that the swelling of guar gum is affected by concentration of drug and viscosity grade of the polymer. This study examines the mechanism of behavior of guar gum in a polymer-drug matrix. The swelling action of guar gum, in turn, is controlled by the rate of water uptake into the matrices. An inverse relationship exists between the drug concentration in the gel and matrix swelling. This implies that guar gum swelling is one of the factors affecting drug release. The swelling behavior of guar gum is therefore useful in predicting drug release.

Biopharmaceutics↗
PubMed1993

Clinical sequelae of Japanese encephalitis in children.

Over a five and a half year period, virological investigations for Japanese encephalitis (JE) were conducted in children admitted with acute encephalitis like illness to a large city hospital. The diagnosis of Japanese encephalitis was made by viral isolation from cerebrospinal fluid and/or a four-fold or higher rise in haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies in paired sera followed by demonstration of specific IgM antibodies by HI test after treatment with 2-mercapto ethanol. All children surviving the illness were contacted by post and followed up for sequelae. A total of 55 children could be followed up after 12-18 months and 22 of these even after 2 yr. A high rate of major sequelae (45.5%) in the form of frank motor deficits (32.7%), mental retardation (21.8%) and/or convulsions (18.2%) was observed. Neurological deficits were of diverse types and improved even after 2 yr of the illness. Fourteen patients (25.4%) had only minor deficits in the form of scholastic backwardness, behavioural problems and/or subtle neurological signs. Only 16 (29.2%) patients were completely normal on follow up. JE may therefore be an important cause of neurological handicap in this area. Sequelae of the disease were more severe if the initial illness was prolonged (P < 0.001, CI 2.45, 12.64), or associated with focal neurological deficits (P < 0.001, CI 1.97, 7.02).

Child↗
PubMed1992

Hormonal studies in postpartum female camels and their neonates.

The expulsion of the fetus from the mother at parturition necessitates reorganization of the endocrine status in both individuals. In this study, the patterns of hormonal changes were investigated in postpartum Dromedary camels and their neonates. Blood samples were recovered within a few hours after calving from 10 female Dromedary camels and their calves, and sampling was continued at varying intervals upto Day 21 post partum. Sera were assayed for progesterone, cortisol and thyroid hormone concentrations by specific radioimmunoassays. Progesterone concentrations in the dams varied between 0.5 and 2.0 ng/ml on the day of calving and declined steadily thereafter to become undetectable by Day 9; progesterone remained undetectable in the neonates. Cortisol concentrations were high (25 to 30 ng/ml) at parturition in both the dams and their calves. They declined to 6 to 7 ng/ml in the dams, but became undetectable in the neonates by Day 14 post partum. The thyroid hormones were low in the dams (T4=70; T3=1.6 ng/ml) on Day 1 post partum but then increased gradually to Day 21 (T4=110; T3=2.2 ng/ml). In contrast, thyroid hormone concentrations in the neonates were 4 to 5 times higher than those of their mothers at birth. They declined thereafter but nevertheless remained at almost double the concentrations found in the dams.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Solitary spinal osteochondroma causing neural syndromes.

Three cases of solitary osteochondroma of the spine are reported. Two presented with cervical myelopathy and one with radiculopathy. Plain radiography or tomography is adequate for the diagnosis in the majority of cases; nevertheless, a CT scan or MRI is of immense help in planning surgical treatment. The radiological features of spinal exostoses are reviewed.

Adolescent↗