Circulating immune complexes as an immunological marker in premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral cavity

Circulating immune complexes and their immunoglobulin contents were estimated in the sera of 50 patients with oral leukoplakia, 50 patients with oral submucous fibrosis and 50 oral cancer patients. The values were compared with that of 50 normal controls. The circulating immune complexes and their immunoglobulin contents were found to be elevated significantly both in oral submucous fibrosis and oral cancer. This study seems to be of help in monitoring the malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis to oral cancer.     

Anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperlipidemic effect of Semecarpus anacardium in a High fat diet: STZ-induced Type 2 diabetic rat model

Introduction

Semecarpus anacardium, known as marking nut, has been used in indigenous system of medicine against various ailments.

Aim

To evaluate the antilipidemic and anti-inflammatory effect of S. anacardium Linn. nut milk extract (SA) in Type 2 diabetic rats.

Materials and methods

Diabetes was induced in rats by feeding them with a high fat diet followed by i.p. of 35 mg/kg body weight of streptozotocin. Diabetic rats were treated with the drugs, SA (200 mg/kg body weight) and metformin (500 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days. Antilipidemic effect of the drug was established by studying the lipoprotein alterations and also the alterations in the lipid profile and lipid metabolizing enzymes in the experimental group of rats. The effect of the drug on the expression of PPAR γ was also studied. To determine the anti-inflammatory effect of the drug, the levels of inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6 and also C-reactive protein were determined.

Results and discussion

Semecarpus anacardium nut milk extract at a dosage of 200 mg/kg orally significantly (p < 0.05) reduced and normalized the alterations in the lipid metabolism in diabetic rats effectively than metformin. SA treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased the mRNA expression of PPAR γ, thereby establishing the antilipidemic effect of the drug. The increase in the levels of inflammatory cytokines were significantly (p < 0.05) brought down to near normal levels on treatment with the drug SA.

Conclusion

The present study thereby establishes the antilipidemic and anti-inflammatory effect of the drug. Thus, by decreasing the alterations in the lipid metabolism and inflammatory status, the drug can effectively improve the insulin sensitivity in rats and can serve as an excellent drug in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.     

Identification of monoclonal antibodies capable of differentiating antigenic varieties of eastern equine encephalitis viruses

We have isolated and characterized 3 monoclonal antibody (Mab) reagents useful in the serological identification of varieties of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) viruses. These antibodies were specific for the E1 glycoprotein of their homologous viruses. One Mab, 1B5C-3, reacted specifically with all North American (NA) EEE viruses isolated over a 50 year period. This antigenic stability of NA isolates was genetically confirmed by oligonucleotide fingerprinting. Evolutionary stability is a unique feature among alphaviruses. The Mab, 1C1J-4 reacted specifically with 1 South American isolate of EEE virus. A third Mab, 1B1C-4, was EEE virus complex reactive. While none of these antibodies had virus neutralizing activity, the identified reactivities could be demonstrated in the more rapid serological tests of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescence.     

The influence of open-heart surgery on survival of patients with co-existent surgically amenable lung cancer (stages I and II)

Objective: The evaluation of the influence of open-heart surgery on the survival of patients with co-existent surgically amenable lung cancer stages I and II. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary centre for cardiothoracic surgery. From 1988 to 1995, 121 consecutive patients underwent pulmonary resection for stages I–II primary non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma. Eighty seven of them had merely a lung carcinoma necessitating resection, 34 had in addition defined coronary-artery disease and consequently were also subjected to open-heart surgery. Results were statistically computed. Results: Follow-up was complete in 117/121 patients, 96.7% (83/87, 95.4% and 34/34, 100% in respective groups). Both groups were matched with regard to preoperative features possibly influencing survival. Median long term survival time was 4.3 years overall, 5.8 years for patients merely undergoing lung resection and 4.2 years for them undergoing open-heart surgery as well; this difference was not statistically significant (log-rank test: χ² 0.92, df=1, P=0.34), indicating no or limited influence of open-heart surgery on survival of patients with surgically amenable co-existent lung carcinoma. No relationship was found between survival and age, tumour stage, and histopathology. However, metastatic disease as cause of death was significantly increased in patients undergoing open-heart surgery (5/8 vs. 10/33, P=0.0898), indicating a possible promotion of metastatic spread of co-existent lung carcinoma by this procedure. Overall perioperative mortality rate was 10/121, 8.3%, for the greater part the result of a relatively high mortality rate in the group of patients undergoing heart as well as lung surgery (6/34, 17.6%), underscoring the great risks involved in these patients, the mortality rate for lung resection alone being comparably low 4/87, 4.6% (P=0.0191). Conclusion: Open-heart surgery for defined coronary-artery disease in patients with surgically amenable lung carcinoma carries a substantially higher perioperative risk, but has no influence on long term results. Metastatic spread is possibly promoted by open-heart surgery. Optimal treatment, consisting of complete revascularization and appropriate lung resection, is therefore sufficiently justified by these results.