Malaria and ABO blood groups.

Subjects from Muria gond tribal community (n = 258) as well as from Delhi (n = 100) were classified according to ABO blood groups, and were also assayed for malarial antibodies by ELISA technique. The distribution of ABO blood groups did not differ significantly in Muria gonds and Delhi subjects. Within Muria gonds the observed frequency of ABO blood groups did not differ significantly from the expected values. No significant difference was observed in the rate of seropositivity for malarial antibodies among subjects with different blood groups. Malarial parasitaemia, although observed more in individuals with blood group A, did not differ significantly as compared with other blood groups. We conclude that ABO blood groups do not show differential susceptibility to malaria.     

Protection against 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced tumour initiation by protein A in mouse skin.

Protein A is an immunostimulating glycoprotein obtained from Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I. Its antitumour activity is proven in various tumour models. Its ability to provide protection against tumour initiation by the chemical carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) has been investigated in the present study using a mouse skin model of two-stage carcinogenesis. Protein A was administered intraperitoneally (1 microgram/animal 20 g body wt.) twice a week for 2 weeks, prior to initiation by DMBA. The promotion was performed by twice weekly applications of 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (3 or 5 micrograms/animal in 100 microliters acetone). Protein A provided significant protection to animals from DMBA-induced tumour initiation as was observed by the decrease in cumulative number of tumours, percent of animals developing tumours, number of tumours per animal and rate of tumour growth. Our data indicate that protein A has anticarcinogenic properties.     

Detection of hydatid antigen in urine by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis.

Hydatid antigen was demonstrated for the first time in the urine of patients with hydatid disease by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP). The antigen was detected in the concentrated urine of 7 of 16 (43.75% positive) patients with surgically confirmed hydatid disease, 4 of 10 (40% positive) patients with ultrasound-proven hydatid disease (daughter cysts or prominent septation and hydatid sands demonstrated by ultrasound), and 8 of 14 (57.14% positive) patients with clinically diagnosed (presumptive) hydatid disease. No antigen was detected in the concentrated urine from 24 patients with parasitic diseases other than hydatid disease. However, antigen was detected in 2 (8% false positive) of 25 concentrated urine samples collected from healthy control subjects (blood donors and students). These result suggest that the detection of hydatid antigen in the urine by CIEP is a simple, rapid, and noninvasive method of diagnosis of hydatid disease.     

New dysmorphic features in Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome.

We report a new case of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome with a hypoplastic right kidney, persistent pulmonary hypertension, and mitral valve regurgitation. Other pertinent features included broad thumbs, broad big toes, syndactyly of the third and fourth fingers bilaterally, beaked nose, broad columella of the nose, patent ductus arteriosus, and motor and mental retardation. The testes were descended. The 3 month old patient had delayed motor and mental development corresponding to a 1 month old infant.     

Idiopathic hypertrophic cranial pachymeningitis: a case report

Hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a rare fibrosing inflamatory process involving dura mater and tentorium. In this report we are presenting contrast enhanced MRI findings of an unusual case of pachymeningitis which presented with a periorbital mass due to dural sinuses occlusion and retrograde filling of periorbital veins through superior sagittal sinus.     

Preoperative assessment of parapharyngeal tumour

Due to deep seated location and presence of vital structures, the tumours of the parapharyngeal space poses difficulty in its early diagnosis, histological nature and surgical extirpation. Modes of radiological assessment in pre-computed tomography (GT) scan era were sialography of the parotid gland to see whether the tumour is of salivary origin and angiography to note the vascularity of the tumour. Post CT scan era has changed the assessment protocol. In this article, the authors have tried to make a comparative evalua?tion between non-contrast GT, GT with systemic contrast and GT sialogram in 14 cases of parapharyngeal tumours. Angiography was done only when the tumours showed marked enhancement with systemic contrast. Subsequently, 13 patients underwent surgery for removal of the mass. Application of high-resolution GT helped in not only to see the extent of the tumour but also to pinpoint the probable histologic nature.