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Biomedical subjects

V Suri

Publications and source records attributed to V Suri.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

CYCLE is a second bHLH-PAS clock protein essential for circadian rhythmicity and transcription of Drosophila period and timeless.

We report the identification, characterization, and cloning of another novel Drosophila clock gene, cycle (cyc). Homozygous cyc flies are completely arrhythmic. Heterozygous cyc/+ flies are rhythmic but have altered periods, indicating that the cyc locus has a dosage effect on period. The molecular circadian phenotype of homozygous cyc flies is like homozygous Clk flies presented in the accompanying paper: mutant flies have little or no transcription of the per and tim genes. Cloning of the gene indicates that it also encodes a bHLH-PAS transcription factor and is a Drosophila homolog of the human protein BMAL1. cyc is a nonsense mutation, consistent with its strong loss-of-function phenotype. We propose that the CYC:CLK heterodimer binds to per and tim E boxes and makes a major contribution to the circadian transcription of Drosophila clock genes.

ARNTL Transcription Factors↗

Evidence that the TIM light response is relevant to light-induced phase shifts in Drosophila melanogaster.

Light is a major environmental signal for the entrainment of circadian rhythms. In Drosophila melanogaster, recent experiments suggest that photic information is transduced to the clock through the timeless gene product, TIM. We provide genetic and spectral evidence supporting the relevance of TIM light responses to clock resetting. A missense mutant TIM, TIM-SL, exhibits greater sensitivity to light in both TIM protein disappearance and locomotor activity phase shifting assays. We show that the wavelength dependence of light-induced decreases in TIM levels and that of light-mediated phase shifting are virtually identical. Analysis of dose response of TIM disappearance in a variety of mutant genotypes suggests cell-autonomous light responses that are largely independent of the canonical visual transduction pathway.

Animals↗

Pregnancy and congenital heart disease--maternal and fetal outcome.

Two hundred and seventy five pregnancies in patients with congenital heart disease during 1980-1996 were analyzed retrospectively. Maternal and perinatal outcome was compared in 251 pregnancies of women with acyanotic and 24 pregnancies of women with cyanotic heart disease. Congenital heart disease was diagnosed during the index pregnancy in 26.1% of patients and the majority (88.4%) were in NYHA classes 1 and 2. Atrial septal defect (27.7%) was the most common lesion in women with acyanotic heart disease and the majority with cyanotic heart disease had Eisenmenger syndrome, 13 of 21 (61.9%). Sixty pregnancies occurred in patients with surgically corrected lesions (acyanotic, 56; cyanotic, 4). The incidences of abortions (8.3%), stillbirths (13.6%) and small for gestational age (SGA) (36.4%) were higher in cyanotic heart disease compared to acyanotic heart disease (stillbirth, 0.8%; SGA, 6.9%). There was a statistically significant difference in mean maternal age, mean gestational age and mean birth-weight in the surgically corrected and noncorrected lesions in both acyanotic and cyanotic heart disease. There was 1 maternal death in a woman with Eisenmenger syndrome.

Adult↗

Pregnancy with epilepsy--a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To study the course of epilepsy in pregnancy and to assess the perinatal outcome. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 219 pregnant patients with epilepsy. The type of epilepsy, drug therapy and seizure frequency were documented. The perinatal outcome of 157 pregnancies with epilepsy was analyzed and compared with that of 471 normal gravidas of similar age and parity. RESULTS: Generalized seizures occurred in 203 patients, partial seizures in 13 patients and complex partial seizures in three patients. One hundred fifty-two patients (69.41%) were on monotherapy. Carbamazepine was the most common drug (56.58%) used. Ninety-five patients (43.38%) had seizures in the current pregnancy, five of whom had status epilepticus. There was no maternal mortality in status epilepticus. There was no difference in perinatal outcome between the study and control groups. The incidence of congenital malformations was higher in the control group (5/476, 1.05%) than in the study group (1/160, 0.63%). The incidence of low-birth-weight babies was higher in the study group in patients with gestational seizures. CONCLUSION: The course of pregnancy and perinatal outcome was not altered by epilepsy. There was no increase in the incidence of congenital malformations with the use of monotherapy.

Adult↗

Guillain-Barré syndrome following meningococcal meningitis.

A case of Guillain-Barré syndrome following meningococcal meningitis is reported. The diagnosis was made on clinical grounds and the results of electrophysiological studies. The patient recovered spontaneously. Guillain-Barré syndrome following meningococcal infection has not to our knowledge been reported previously.

Child↗

Mucolipidosis type IV: accumulation of phospholipids and gangliosides in cultured amniotic cells. A tool for prenatal diagnosis.

Cultured amniotic fluid cells from two mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV)-affected fetuses demonstrated accumulation of phospholipids and gangliosides when compared with normal controls. Like cultured skin fibroblasts from MLIV patients, cultured amniotic cells from the affected fetuses accumulated primarily lyso phospholipids and this could be demonstrated by radioactive labelling with appropriate precursors, either inorganic phosphate or oleic acid. Furthermore, like cultured skin fibroblasts, there was significant retention of exogenously supplied GD1A ganglioside in the affected amniotic cells. This storage was previously demonstrated to be unique to MLIV and thus can be used at present as a specific procedure for prenatal diagnosis of MLIV.

Amniocentesis↗

Prevalence of high--risk human papillomavirus infections in women with benign cervical cytology: a hospital based study from North India.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is the commonest cancer among Indian women. High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) detection holds the potential to be used as a tool to identify women, at risk for subsequent development of cervical cancer. There is a pressing need for identifying prevalence of asymptomatic cervical HPV infection in the local population. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of high-risk HPV DNA in women with benign cervical cytology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women visiting the gynecology outpatient with varied complaints were subjected to Pap smear. Four hundred and seventy two samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction, using consensus primers for low and high-risk HPV (types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 and 33). The samples that were positive for HPV DNA were subsequently assessed for high-risk consensus primers, types 16, 18, 31 and 33 as well as for HPV type 16 and 18. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy four (36.8%) women tested positive for HPV DNA. Thirty nine (8.2%) of the entire cohort tested positive for high-risk HPV. Fifteen samples were positive for type 16, 22 for type 18 and two for both types 16 and 18. A statistically higher prevalence of high-risk HPV was observed in poorly educated and rural groups. No association of HPV prevalence was noted with age, parity and age at marriage. CONCLUSION: The study generates epidemiological data of prevalence of sub-clinical HPV in the women visiting a tertiary care institute as well as peripheral health centres. The data generated will be useful for laying guidelines for mass screening of HPV, treatment and prophylaxis in the local population.

Adult↗

Malarial hepatopathy.

Jaundice is a common clinical presentation in severe malaria, seen in approximately 2.5% patients with falciparum infection but hepatitis is unusual. Although hepatic dysfunction is unusual and hepatic encephalopathy is almost never seen in malaria, yet, cases of hepatic dysfunction are being increasingly reported in patients with P.falciparum infection, from different parts of world. The extent of hepatocellular dysfunction varies from mild abnormalities in liver function tests to hepatic failure. Patients with hepatocellular dysfunction in malaria are more prone to develop complications, but have a favorable outcome if hepatic involvement is recognized early and managed properly. It is important to meticulously look for hepatic dysfunction in patients with severe malaria, distinguish it from fulminant hepatic failure and manage it aggressively.

Humans↗