Incidence of bacterial enteropathogens among hospitalized diarrhea patients from Orissa, India

Bacteriological analysis of 1,551 stool/rectal swabs from all age groups of diarrhea patients of different hospitals of Orissa from January 2004 to December 2006 was carried out using standard procedures. Among all enteropathogens isolated in 886 culture-positive samples, Escherichia coli constituted 75.5%, including 13.2% pathogenic E. coli; Vibrio cholerae O1 constituted 17.3%; V. cholerae O139, 1%; Shigella spp., 4.5% (Shigella flexneri type 6, 2.9%, S. dysenteriae type I, 0.7%, S. sonnei, 0.6%, and S. boydii, 0.3%); Salmonella spp., 0.7%; and Aeromonas spp., only 2.0%. The isolation of bacterial enteropathogens was highest during July, 2005, followed by September, 2006. The prevalence of shigellosis in this region was relatively low. Cholera cases were more frequent during the rainy seasons. The dominance of V. cholerae O1 Inaba over Ogawa serotypes was observed in 2005, whereas this trend was reversed in 2006. The resistance profile of V. cholerae O1 was co-trimoxazole (Co), furazolidone (Fr), and nalidixic acid (Na); for Aeromonas spp., it was ampicillin (A), Fr, ciprofloxacin (Cf), Na, norfloxacin (Nx), and Co. Pathogenic E. coli strains were resistant to A, Fr, Co, streptomycin (S), Cf, Na, Nx, and neomycin (N); Shigella spp. were resistant to Fr, Na, Co, and S; and Salmonella spp. were resistant to A and Fr. Active surveillance should be continued among diarrhea patients to look for different enteropathogens and to define the shifting antibiogram patterns in this region.     

Intercomparison of prevalence and severity of dental caries using two recording systems

Dental caries was recorded using WHO index (1983) and Moller's index (1966) in 1265 children in the age group of 5, 8, 11 and 15 years to determine the conversion and correlation figures, so as to facilitate cross comparison and quick appraisal where either of the systems have been used in epidemiological studies. The results revealed that dental caries was recorded higher with Moller's index as compared to the WHO index; on an average the difference was fourteen percent in point prevalence, one deft + DMFT and one and a half defs + DMFS.     

应用简明健康测量量表评估美沙酮维持治疗患者生活质量

目的:对比接受与未接近美沙酮维持治疗的海洛因依赖者健康相关生活质量。方法:①选择2004-04/05在云南省个旧市美沙酮维持治疗门诊接受美沙酮维持治疗的海洛因依赖者作为治疗组(95例)。纳入标准:符合美国精神障碍诊断与统计手册第4版中海洛因依赖诊断标准;至2004-11时尚未脱失;采用滚雪球方法,于2004-11在该市社区内寻找从未接受过美沙酮维持治疗的海洛因依赖者作为对照组(37例),均符合美国精神障碍诊断与统计手册第4版中海洛因依赖诊断标准。纳入对象均对调查项目知情同意。②根据患者的日常海洛因使用量、使用方式、末次使用量决定美沙酮首次剂量,一般<40mg;导入期则根据患者的戒断症状控制情况逐渐加量。维持期的剂量差异较大,5～160mg/d,多超过60mg/d。同时根据治疗组患者的需求,每月定期开展心理干预小组活动。对照组患者未接受美沙酮维持治疗或任何戒毒措施、干预活动,评估期间时仍然在使用海洛因。③治疗组于治疗刚开始及治疗8个月后,对照组于治疗组治疗8个月后同期采用简明健康测量量表对两组对象进行健康相关生活质量评估。该量表包括躯体功能、躯体角色、肌体疼痛、总健康状况、生命力、社会功能、情绪角色及心理健康8个维度,评分越高表明生活质量越好。④计量和计数资料差异比较分别采用t检验和χ2检验。结果:治疗组95例和对照组37例均进入结果分析。参加美沙酮维持治疗8个月后,治疗组简明健康测量量表中6个维度躯体角色、总健康状况、生命力、社会功能、情绪角色及心理健康的评分分别为(6.59±1.48),(15.54±3.97),(16.20±3.91),(8.39±2.29),(4.72±1.17),(20.19±2.68)分,高于治疗刚开始时和对照组[(5.54±1.51),(13.37±3.58),(13.19±3.81),(7.17±2.21),(3.94±1.11),(17.05±4.24)分;(5.43±1.29),(11.83±3.84),(12.89±3.79),(6.71±2.12),(4.06±1.08),(15.77±4.45)分,t=3.02～7.03,P<0.01];躯体功能得分也较治疗前有了明显提高[(27.16±3.24),(26.48±3.34)分,t=1.96,P<0.05],但与对照组比较,差异不明显[(26.31±2.78)分,P>0.05]。治疗组肌体疼痛评分与治疗刚开始时和对照组相近(P>0.05)。结论:美沙酮维持治疗可有效提高海洛因依赖者的健康相关生活质量,但短期的维持治疗对肌体疼痛改善不明显。     

Atypicality in presentation of neuroleptic malignant syndrome caused by olanzapine

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is the most serious of acute neurological side effects produced by antipsychotic medication, characterized by hyperthermia, rigidity, altered consciousness and autonomic dysfunction, the prevalence of which varies from 0.4-1.4%. NMS is usually seen in treatment with high potency typical antipsychotics and very rarely with atypical antipsychotics. However, NMS cases have been reported with risperidone, clozapine, olanzapine and quetiapine. The presentations of NMS have often varied and we report another atypicality in presentation of NMS due to olanzapine use.     

Identification of novel deletions of 15q11q13 in Angelman syndrome by array-CGH: molecular characterization and genotype-phenotype correlations

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by mental retardation, absent speech, ataxia, and a happy disposition. Deletions of the 15q11q13 region are found in approximately 70% of AS patients. The deletions are sub-classified into class I and class II based on their sizes of approximately 6.8 and approximately 6.0, respectively, with two different proximal breakpoints and a common distal breakpoint. Utilizing a chromosome 15-specific comparative genomic hybridization genomic microarray (array-CGH), we have identified, determined the deletion sizes, and mapped the breakpoints in a cohort of 44 cases, to relate those breakpoints to the genomic architecture and derive more precise genotype-phenotype correlations. Interestingly four patients of the 44 studied (9.1%) had novel and unusually large deletions, and are reported here. This is the first report of very large deletions of 15q11q13 resulting in AS; the largest deletion being >10.6 Mb. These novel deletions involve three different distal breakpoints, two of which have been earlier shown to be involved in the generation of isodicentric 15q chromosomes (idic15). Additionally, precise determination of the deletion breakpoints reveals the presence of directly oriented low-copy repeats (LCRs) flanking the recurrent and novel breakpoints. The LCRs are adequate in size, orientation, and homology to enable abnormal recombination events leading to deletions and duplications. This genomic organization provides evidence for a common mechanism for the generation of both common and rare deletion types. Larger deletions result in a loss of several genes outside the common Angelman syndrome-Prader-Willi syndrome (AS-PWS) critical interval, and a more severe phenotype.     

Squamous cell carcinoma in grey mullet, Mugil cephalus L. (Perciformes: Mugilidae)

A case of epithelial tissue tumour on the body of an adult grey mullet Mugil cephalus L. is reported. The gross morphology revealed reddish white polyp-like tumorous growth on right side attached to the muscles of the caudal peduncle region. Histologically, the tumourous growth was characterised by highly anaplastic epitheloid cells intermingled with fibroblasts, blood vessels and few necrotic cells, probably originating from skin tissue. There was no internal metastasis as observed from histology of other tissues. The tumour was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma with unknown etiology.     

In Vitro Conservation of Nine Medicinally and Economically Important Species of Zingiberaceae from Eastern India

Due to over increasing demand, huge collection and habitat destruction wild gingers having future medicinal potential are on way to extinction. Conservation of germplasm in clonal repositories by conventional methods is very difficult due to greater susceptibility to rhizome-rot disease. In vitro conservation strategy has so far been made for a few species. Thus the present study aiming at in vitro conservation of nine species and subsequent stability assessment of plantlets using efficient molecular markers assumes significance. Murashige and Skoog media with different growth regulators were standardized for conservation. Conservation period without sub culturing for all species was in a range of 8–12 months. Survival was more than 80 % up to three years. On the basis of 25 random amplified polymorphic DNA and ten Inter simple sequence repeat primers no significant variation was observed among the in vitro conserved and control plants. The micropropagated plants are morphologically and genetically uniform when compared to their field grown mother plants. Thus, the report has immense potential towards the conservation of genetic resources for future breeding and improvement programme by continuous supply of genetically uniform plantlets.