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Biomedical subjects

W Ahmed

Publications and source records attributed to W Ahmed.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection.

Once considered uncommon, spontaneous dissection of the carotid artery is an increasingly recognized cause of stroke, headache, cranial nerve palsy, or ophthalmologic events, especially in young adults. Even in the presence of existing signs and symptoms, the diagnosis can be missed by experienced physicians of all specialties. We report a case of spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection in a 38-year-old woman with a cortical stroke and visual disturbances as initial symptoms. The diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging/angiography and by angiography. Prompt anticoagulation was instituted, and the patient had complete resolution of symptoms. Cervicocephalic arterial dissection should be included in the differential diagnosis of the causes of cerebrovascular events.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Attitudes to organ donation among South Asians in an English high street.

In the UK, people of South Asian origin are at more than twice the risk of end-stage renal failure encountered in the Caucasian population but are under-represented among organ donors. Difficulties with matching mean that few donated kidneys are suitable for transplantation to South Asian recipients. A survey of attitudes in 100 South Asian adults was conducted in the main street of Southall, Middlesex. 90 of those questioned were aware of organ transplantation and 69 had heard about donor cards. However, the 16% who carried a donor card was lower than the 28% reported in the general population. The main reason for the low organ donation rate by South Asians seemed to be lack of knowledge, and this could be remedied by more targeting of information in the Asian media.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Assaultive eye injury and enucleation.

An especially dangerous behavior observed in some forensic and security hospital populations is assaultive eye gouging. Although a number of case reports in the literature concern auto-enucleation, gouging out the eyes of another is virtually unmentioned. We present a case series of eye gougers (n = 10) gathered through clinical contributions from several forensic populations in the United States and Russia. Four subjects were psychotic during the eye-gouging episode, one was only mentally retarded, and five, who were neither psychotic nor retarded, deliberately injured victims' eyes during acts of extreme sexual violence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Comparison of five different treatment regimens for H. pylori eradication.

AIM: Treatment response to five different H. Pylori eradication regimens were evaluated to see which is the best regimen in our setup. METHODS: Patients presenting with upper GI symptoms of acid peptic disease underwent upper GI endoscopy and an antral CLO test. All those with a positive CLO test were included in the study. The study was carried out over a year and one trial was followed by another. The treatment regimens comprised of (1) Omeprazole 20 mg once a day, colloidal bismuth subcitrate 120 mg three times a day, Metronidazole 200 mg three times a day (18 cases). (2) Colloidal bismuth subcitrate three times a day, furazolidone 100 mg three times a day, metronidazole 200 mg three times a day (28 cases). (3) Omeprazole 20 mg once a day, Clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day (21 cases). (4) Lansoprazole 30 mg once a day, Amoxycillin 500 mg three times a day (21 cases). (5) Lansoprazole once a day, Amoxycillin 500 mg three times a day and Roxithromycin 150 mg twice a day (14 cases). Therapy for all 5 groups comprised of 14 days. Endoscopy and CLO test were done prior to the entry in the trial and at 28 days to see the response. RESULTS: Meta analysis was done for all the 5 regimens. For the purpose of analysis patients were divided into 2 groups, i.e., those with peptic ulcer and positive CLO (peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and those without peptic ulcer but positive CLO test (Non ulcer dyspepsia (NUD). PUD was seen in 14 of 18 cases in group 1, 18 of 28 cases in group 2, 16 of 21 cases in group 3, 6 of 21 cases in group 4 and 3 of 14 cases in group 5. In PUD after 14 days of therapy, lesions healed and CLO became negative in 50% cases each in group 1 and 2, 56% in group 3, 83% in group 4 and all in group 5, while in NUD, 25%, 60%, 80%, 47% and 82% respectively showed H. Pylori eradication. CONCLUSION: Of the different therapies one proton pump inhibitor with two antibiotics gave best results in ulcer healing and H. pylori eradication in ulcer and non ulcer dyspepsia.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1999

Aromatic drugs in Unani medicine with special reference to Kitabul-Mia-Lil-Masihi.

This is an established fact since time immemorial that, the aroma plays a vital role in the human beings and even in animals. The aromatic plants and aromatic chemicals contained in them has also significance in our day to day living. Process of distillation as adopted and described by Unani physicians confirms the claim that, they were aware of the importance of aromatic drugs and perfumes. There is a vast literature scattered in existing Unani medical books, which shows their intelligential towards the knowledge of herbal drugs including aromatic plants. 'Kitabul-Mia-Lil-Masihi is a book on Unani medicine. Its 17th Chapter consists of aromatic drugs exclusively. The drugs have been classified and presented here under different headings.

Aromatherapy↗
PubMed1998

Devic's neuromyelitis optica: a prospective study of seven patients treated with prednisone and azathioprine.

Seven newly diagnosed patients with Devic's neuromyelitis optica were treated with long-term prednisone and azathioprine, and were followed every 2 months for at least 18 months. Their Expanded Disability Status Scale score improved significantly (mean at baseline, 9; mean at 18 months, 3; p < 0.005), and no relapses occurred for more than 18 months. Multicenter controlled studies are needed to prove the efficacy of this therapeutic regimen.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Signaling pathway by which TGF-beta1 increases expression of latent TGF-beta binding protein-2 at the transcriptional level.

The cytokine transforming growth factor-beta has multiple effects on a wide variety of cell types. These effects include modulation of growth and regulation of gene transcription. In the present work, we demonstrate that TGF-beta1 increases transcription of the latent transforming growth factor-beta binding protein-2 ( LTBP-2) gene in cultured human fetal lung fibroblasts leading to a significant increase in LTBP-2 mRNA steady state level. The stability of LTBP-2 mRNA was not appreciably altered. A corresponding increase in production of LTBP-2 protein accompanied the increase in mRNA. Through the use of specific inhibitors, we demonstrate that a member of the Ras super family and a protein kinase C, probably of the atypical (non-diacylglycerol, non-Ca++ dependent) class are likely to be components in the signaling pathway. However, phospholipases, G proteins and extracellular-signal regulated kinases do not appear to be involved. These results combined with previous findings on elastin regulation by TGF-beta1 (Kucich et al. (1997). Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., 17: 10-16) demonstrate that TGF-beta1 can coordinately increase the steady state levels of mRNAs encoding components of the elastic fiber, but through diverse mechanisms. In contrast to LTBP-2, increased elastin expression is achieved by message stabilization. Furthermore, the TGF-beta1 signaling pathways differ and while the pathway leading to increased LTBP-2 transcription shares components with those modulating transcription of other genes, it is unlikely to be precisely congruent with any other previously described one.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1998

Esophageal variceal banding--the local experience.

Banding of esophageal varices was done in 29 patients suffering from acute variceal bleeding. In 13 patients this was the first bleed while in 16 it was recurrent. Five patients had large grade III (polypoid) varices while others had grade II varices. Banding was done using multi band ligator and 4-6 bands were fired per session. Repeat endoscopy at 3 weeks revealed persistence of varices requiring second session of banding in 11 cases and small varices (difficult to band) in 9 cases. Two patients expired due to persistent bleeding and 2 bled from esophageal ulcers. Both patients settled with conservative treatment. A third session of banding was required in 5 cases only. None of the cases developed any major complication. In our setting where expertise for sclerotherapy is scarce and cost of sclerosants is high; banding appears to be a cost effective modality for the management of variceal bleeding with a low complication rate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Cloning and sequencing of the mouse Gli2 gene: localization to the Dominant hemimelia critical region.

The GLI family of zinc finger genes has been implicated in both neoplastic and developmental disorders. We have cloned and sequenced the mouse homolog of the zinc finger gene Gli2 and demonstrated significant similarity to the human GLI3 gene. We have also localized Gli2 to mouse chromosome 1, in the vicinity of the morphogenetic mutation Dominant hemimelia (Dh), which is characterized by tibial hemimelia, poly/oligodactyly, and a number of visceral abnormalities, most strikingly absence of the spleen. Using a Gli2-associated microsatellite, we demonstrated no recombination between Dh and Gli2 in a Dh intraspecific backcross. Gli2 is expressed in Dh heterozygotes and homozygotes. However, using a combination of mismatch analysis and direct sequencing, we have failed to identify any mutations in the coding sequence of Gli2 from Dh. We have also demonstrated that it is unlikely that there are any Gli genes in the mouse genome in addition to the previously described Gli, Gli2, and Gli3.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Neuromyelitis optica (Devic's syndrome): no association with the primary mitochondrial DNA mutations found in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy.

Devic's neuromyelitis optica is a rare syndrome characterised by the combination of acute or subacute optic neuritis and transverse myelitis, in some cases considered to be a variant of multiple sclerosis. Mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) associated with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) have been identified in some patients with multiple sclerosis in whom optic neuritis is a prominent early feature. Using restriction enzyme digestion of mtDNA products amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, the primary LHON mtDNA mutations at positions 3460 bp, 11,778 bp, and 14,484 bp have been excluded in four women with Devic's neuromyelitis optica. A mutation at 4160 bp associated in some LHON families with more widespread neurological disease was also not detected. It is concluded that the primary mtDNA mutations currently associated with LHON are not responsible for the prominence of optic nerve disease in Devic's neuromyelitis optica.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Postdialysis fatigue.

To clarify the demographic and clinicolaboratory features of postdialysis fatigue (PDF), we enrolled 85 patients on maintenance hemodialysis in a cross-sectional study using validated questionnaires and chart review. Forty-three patients complained of fatigue after dialysis. On formal testing using the Kidney Disease Questionnaire, the PDF group had statistically greater severity of fatigue and somatic complaints than the group of patients without subjective fatigue (P = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). On a scale measuring intensity of fatigue (1 = least to 5 = worst), the PDF group average was 3.4 +/- 1.2. PDF subjects reported that 80% +/- 25% of dialysis treatments were followed by fatigue symptoms. In 28 (65%) of patients, the symptoms started with the first dialysis treatment. They reported needing an average of 4.8 hours of rest or sleep to overcome the fatigue symptoms (range, 0 to 24 hours). There were no significant differences between patients with and without PDF in the following parameters: age; sex; type of renal disease; presence of diabetes mellitus, heart disease (congestive, ischemic), or chronic obstructive lung disease; blood pressure response to dialysis; type or adequacy of dialysis regimen; hematocrit; electrolytes; blood urea nitrogen; creatinine; cholesterol; albumin; parathyroid hormone; ejection fraction; and use of antihistamines, benzodiazepines, and narcotics. In the fatigue group, there was significantly greater use of antihypertensive medications known to have fatigue as a side effect (P = 0.007). Depression was more common in the fatigue group by Beck Depression score (11.6 +/- 8.0 v 7.8 +/- 6.3; P = 0.02). We conclude that (1) postdialysis fatigue is a common, often incapacitating symptom in patients on chronic extracorporeal dialysis; (2) no routinely measured parameter of clinical or dialytic function appears to predict postdialysis fatigue; and (3) depression is highly associated with postdialysis fatigue, but the cause-effect relationship is unclear.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed1996

Endoscopic re-evaluation of Visick grading.

Correlation of Visick grading was done with serial endoscopies in 19 patients operated for duodenal ulceration. Deeper mucosal lesions like ulceration showed good association with Visick grading (100%), while superficial mucosal lesions were mostly asymptomatic and therefore, caused disparity in grading. Moreover, as symptoms and endoscopic findings changed with passage of time, it was concluded that in the light of endoscopic findings the grading need re-evaluation.

Adolescent↗