A molecular approach (multiplex polymerase chain reaction) for diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis

A New multiplex PCR have been developed in our laboratory using primer sets, aiming amplification of both D.N.A target fragments obtained in 18S RNA of commonly encountered fungi in human being and in Rhinosporidium seeberi using F1-fw/F2-rev (500 bp target) and Rhino-fw/ Rhino-rev (.177 bp target). This multiplex PCR has been found to be able to delect R. seeberi from clinical samples and differentiate it from other fungi. Furthermore, by this multiplex PCR, R. seeberi, phylogenitically appears to belong to a member of so called DRIPs clade of fish parasite not a cyanobacterium as claimed previously, by some workers.     

Hemiagenesis of the thyroid associated with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis

The authors report a case of hemiagenesis of the left thyroid lobe indicated on Tc-99m pertechnetate scan and later confirmed on ultrasonography. The patient was clinically hypothyroid with a right-sided goiter. The cytopathologic diagnosis was made by fine-needle aspiration cytologic analysis, which indicated chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis in the right lobe of the thyroid gland. Later the patient's condition was stabilized with thyroxine replacement therapy. The association of hemiagenesis of the thyroid with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis has not been reported in the literature.     

Occult foreign bodies in the aero digestive tracts in infancy

Foreign body impaction in aero digestive tract in infancy is difficult to diagnose sometimes. In this review of five unusual cases of occult foreign body impaction in aero digestive tract has been presented and their management discussed     

Exchange transfusion in neutropenic septicemic neonates: effect on granulocyte functions

Depletion neutropenia caused by overwhelming bacterial infection is associated with fatal outcome and is an objective indicator of the severity of sepsis. Studies on controlled evaluation of exchange transfusion in the management of severe neonatal sepsis have not considered neutropenia as an inclusion critcrion, and randomized, controlled trials on evaluation of ncutrophil functions after exchange transfusion are scarce. This prompted us to carry out the present study. Septicemic neonates were enrolled if they had neutropenia and were randomized to undergo exchange transfusion (study group, n = 20) or not (controls, n= 10). Granulocyte functions were assessed using the nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test and the staphylococcicidal index. Blood was drawn for granulocyte function tests once from controls and donors, and before, immediately after and 6 h after exchange transfusion in the study group. Mortality was 35% in the study group and 70% in controls. Gram-negative organisms accounted for 80%, in the study group and 90% in controls. Mean total leukocyte count and neutrophil count increased significantly immediately after exchange transfusion and 6 h later. Absolute band count decreased significantly immediately after exchange transfusion and incrcased 6 h later. NBT reduction in septicemic neonates in the study group, as wclras in controls. was significantly decreascd as compared to donor cells. NBT reduction improved significantly immediately after exchange transfusion and 6 h later. The valucs of the perccntage of viable staphylococci recovered from neutrophils also improved significantly immediately after exchange transfusion and 6 h later. We conclude that exchange transfusion with fresh whole blood in severe neonatal septicemia with neutropenia improves survival, increases the neutrophil count and cnhances neutrophil function.     

Intraperitoneal fluid therapy in cholera and non-cholera diarrhoea: with special emphasis on the treatment of infants and children

Because of the relative difficulty in maintaining continuous intravenous infusions in small children suffering from cholera, a simpler method of maintenance fluid therapy would be useful. With this in mind, the role of intraperitoneal fluid administration was evaluated in 8 adults and 26 children (aged 6 years or less) having moderate to severe cholera or cholera-like diarrhoeal disease.     

Morbid obesity treated by gastroplasty: radionuclide gastric emptying studies

Mechanisms by which gastroplasty for morbid obesity causes weight loss are poorly understood. We studied the role of altered gastric emptying in 50 patients before surgery, 1-4 weeks after surgery, and 2-24 months after surgery using technetium-99m pentetate in water for liquid meals and a Tc-99m styrene divinylbenzene copolymer resin in oatmeal for semisolid meals. We determined the emptying half-times of the stomach before and after surgery in the proximal and distal compartments. The proximal compartment emptied promptly in the early and late postoperative periods. The distal compartment emptied liquids at rates similar to those before surgery, while the late postoperative emptying of semisolids was significantly faster. The stoma connecting the two compartments thus permits rapid transit of liquids and semisolids without delay of distal compartment emptying. No correlation was seen between the emptying half-times or changes thereof and eventual weight loss. Delayed gastric emptying is therefore not the mechanism for satiety and weight loss after gastroplasty has been performed.     

Bioequivalence study of rabeprazole sodium on healthy human volunteers

The newly developed proton pump inhibitor rabeprazole sodium is expected to have beneficial effects in the treatment of peptic ulcer. The pharmacokinetic parameters (C(max), AUC(o-t), t(max)) of this drug have been evaluated to compare the single dose (20 mg) bioavailability of rabeprazole sodium with the standard reference. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with UV detector set at 280 nm has been used to determine plasma concentration of 12 human volunteers as per Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) guidelines. The method has been validated over a linear range of 20-480 ng/ml from plasma. The minimum quantifiable concentration was set at 10 ng/ml [co-efficient of variance (CV) < 10%]. By comparing AUC(o-t) the relative bioavailability of test preparation has been found to be 100.88% of that of reference preparation.     

Peripheral plasma FSH concentration in relation to expression of estrus in Sahiwal cattle (Bos indicus)

An experiment was conducted to investigate the changes in peripheral plasma FSH concentrations in relation to expression of estrus in Sahiwal cows. Out of total five estrus, three were accompanied by overt signs whereas rest two were silent estrus. In cows with overt estrus, plasma FSH concentrations during periestrus, early luteal, midluteal and late luteal phase were 1.65+/-0.34, 1.67+/-0.21, 1.58+/-0.18 and 1.69+/-0.31 ng/ml, respectively and the corresponding values in cows with silent estrus being 0.68+/-0.39, 0.50+/-0.12, 0.75+/-0.13 and 0.46+/-0.12 ng/ml, respectively. The overall plasma FSH levels in cows that exhibited overt estrus was 1.63+/-0.82 ng/ml as against 0.64+/-0.55 ng/ml in silent estrus. It was concluded that FSH levels were higher (P<0.01) in cows that exhibited overt estrus compared to silent estrus.