Recent advances in diagnosis and management of pulmonary hypertension in chronic lung disease

Pulmonary hypertension with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance is a common cardiovascular complication associated with increased morbidity and mortality in preterm infants with chronic lung disease. Injury to the developing pulmonary circulation results in structural and functional abnormalities of the pulmonary vasculature. Animal studies have demonstrated that disruption of angiogenesis may contribute to the failure of normal alveolarisation in chronic lung disease. Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid are lower in infants with chronic lung disease compared to preterm controls. Supplemental oxygen is commonly used to prevent and treat pulmonary hypertension, although optimal arterial oxygen saturation levels remain uncertain. Other vasodilators such as inhaled nitric oxide appear promising, but as yet have not been evaluated in the form of randomised controlled trials. Further studies are required to investigate the long-term effectiveness of pulmonary vasodilator therapy.     

Relationship of Quality of Life with Disability Grade in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Dysthymic Disorder

Background:

There is paucity of information on the relationship of quality of life (QOL) in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and dysthymic disorder (DD) with disability grade in India.

Aim:

To assess the relation of QOL with disability level in OCD and DD.

Materials and Methods:

This hospital based study was conducted in a medical institution in Davanagere, Karnataka, India. Data was collected by using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV Text Revision (DSM IV TR) criteria, WHO QOL BREF and IDEAS. Relationship between disability grade and QOL was assessed by independent sample t test.

Results:

Mild disabled OCD patients had a significantly better QOL in the Q1 domain i.e. perception on quality of life as compared to moderately disabled patients (P < 0.05), while in other domains of QOL, there was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). But, QOL score in physical domain showed significant difference across disability grades (56.00, SD = 6.89; 48.50, SD = 12.28) in DD, but not in other domains.

Conclusion:

Perception of QOL is better in those with mild disability in OCD, but in DD, physical domain of QOL score is more in mild disability compared to moderate disability.     

Toward hyperpolarized molecular imaging of HIV: synthesis and longitudinal relaxation properties of 15N‐Azidothymidine

Previously unreported ¹⁵N labeled Azidothymidine (AZT) was prepared as an equimolar mixture of two isotopomers: 1‐¹⁵N‐AZT and 3‐¹⁵N‐AZT. Polarization decay of ¹⁵N NMR signal was studied in high (9.4 T) and low (~50 mT) magnetic fields. ¹⁵N T₁ values were 45 ± 5 s (1‐¹⁵N‐AZT) and 37 ± 2 s (3‐¹⁵N‐AZT) at 9.4 T, and 140 ± 16 s (3‐¹⁵N‐AZT) at 50 mT. ¹⁵N‐AZT can be potentially ¹⁵N hyperpolarized by several methods. These sufficiently long ¹⁵N‐AZT T₁ values potentially enable hyperpolarized in vivo imaging of ¹⁵N‐AZT, because of the known favorable efficient (i.e., of the time scale shorter than the longest reported here ¹⁵N T₁) kinetics of uptake of injected AZT. Therefore, 3‐¹⁵N‐AZT can be potentially used for HIV molecular imaging using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging.     

Analysis of N-ras gene mutation and p53 gene expression in human hepatocellular carcinomas

AIM:To study the relationship between N-ras gene mutation and p53 gene expression in the carcinogenesis and the development of human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC).METHODS:The N-ras gene mutation and the p53 gene expression were analyzed in 29 cases of HCC by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and immunohistochemistry.RESULTS:Thirteen cases of HCCs were p53 positive (44.8%), which showed a rather high Cpercen-tage of p53 gene mutation in Guangxi. The aberrations at N-ras codon 2-37 were found in 79.31% of HCCs and 80.77% of adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues. More than 2 point mutations of N-ras gene were observed in 22 cases (75.86%). Twelve cases (41.37%) of HCCs showed both N-ras gene mutation and p53 gene expression.CONCLUSION:N-ras gene and p53 gene may be involved in the carcinogenesis and the development of HCC.That 38% of HCCs with N-ras gene mutation did not express p53 protein indicates that some other genes or factors may participate in the carcinogenesis and the development of HCC.     

Current problems of coordination and interaction in public health management

Coordination and interaction in public health management are analyzed. It is concluded that it is necessary to develop an effective interdepartmental coordination system regulated by federal legal and normative order documents.     

Endoscopic application of surgical lasers in persistent obstructions in laryngopharynx, larynx and trachea in children

CO2, YAG-Nd and copper lasers were applied for elimination of persistent obstruction of the laryngopharynx, larynx and trachea in 331 patients aged 23 days to 15 years. Scar stenosis, vascular tumors, cysts, nonspecific granulemas were diagnosed in 271, 29, 8 and 23 patients, respectively. Current and newly-developed techniques reducing thermal damage to the adjacent to laser-exposed tissues and principles of laser treatment choice for different obstructions are analysed.