Antibody testing in Indian children with celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: We prospectively evaluated the usefulness of IgA tissue transglutaminase antibodies (IgA tTG) in the initial diagnosis of celiac disease (CD) and compared its diagnostic potential with that of IgA anti-endomysial antibodies (IgA EMA) and anti-IgA and IgG gliadin antibodies (AGA and AGG, respectively). METHODS: Sera of 23 untreated children fulfilling the revised ESPGHAN criteria for diagnosis of CD (Group I; mean age 10.8 y); 19 disease controls (Group II; mean age 8.5 y) presenting with chronic diarrhea, short stature or both; and 22 healthy children (Group III; mean age 8.8 y) were studied. These were tested in a blinded manner for AGA, AGG, IgA tTG (guinea pig as antigen) and IgA EMA. RESULTS: In Group I, IgA EMA was positive in 19, IgA tTG in 17, AGA in 14 and AGG in 17 patients. In Group II, these tests were positive in 1, 0, 2 and 14 patients, respectively and in Group III, in 0, 0, 0 and 1 child, respectively. Analyzing data from Group I and II, IgA EMA, IgA tTG, AGA and AGG had sensitivity rates of 83%, 74%, 61% and 74%, respectively; the specificity rates were 95%, 100%, 89% and 26%; positive predictive values were 95%, 100%, 88% and 55% and negative predictive values were 82%, 74%, 65% and 45%, respectively. CONCLUSION: IgA tTG is useful for the diagnosis of CD, with sensitivity and specificity rates comparable to those of EMA and this test is well suited for use in tropical countries like India.     

Dengue fever presenting with acute colitis.

Gastrointestinal manifestations of dengue fever are mainly in the form of bleeding or liver function abnormalities. Dengue fever presenting as acute colitis-like picture is not reported to date. We report a 50-year-old man with dengue fever presenting with lower gastrointestinal bleeding and colonoscopic features of acute inflammatory colitis.     

Preemptive Retransplantation for BK Virus Nephropathy: Successful Outcome Despite Active Viremia

BK virus nephropathy (BKVN) is now recognized as a major cause of renal allograft loss. Recent reports suggest that retransplantation in patients with graft loss due to BKVN is safe after return to dialysis. Since early transplantation is associated with improved outcomes, it would be advantageous if this procedure could be performed prior to ultimate graft loss. However, little data are available regarding the safety of this approach during active viremia. In this report, we describe successful preemptive retransplantation with simultaneous allograft nephrectomy in two patients with active BKVN and viremia at the time of surgery. With 21- and 12-month follow-up, respectively, both patients have stable allograft function and no evidence for active viral replication. We conclude that preemptive retransplantation can be considered in patients with failing allografts due to BKVN.     

An unusual presentation of a recurrent neurofibroma in the hand

Neurofibromas in the hand are uncommon and constitute less than 5% of all hand tumours. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate management are important because malignant transformation has been reported, especially in Von Recklinghausen’s neurofibromatosis. We report a case of a large neurofibroma in the right hand of an 18-year-old girl of Afro-Caribbean origin. She was symptomatic with complaints of pain and weakness of grip. General examination revealed multiple café-au-lait spots on the trunk and one nodular swelling in the forearm. The swelling was excised through a palmar approach and histology proved it to be a neurofibroma. The case is being reported for its rarity and it emphasizes the importance of general examination. Histopathological examination is vital in excluding malignant transformation.     

Use of fluorometry in assessing the efficacy of a cation-sensitive gel as an ophthalmic vehicle: comparison with scintigraphy.

Gelrite, a heteropolysaccharide that forms a gel in the presence of cations, was tested in humans for its efficacy as an ophthalmic vehicle by a nonivasive fluorometric technique. Fluorescein was used as the tracer, and its concentration in the anterior chamber was used as the principal measure of bioavailability. The gel afforded a twofold increase in penetration of fluorescein compared with an isotonic buffer solution; this increase is slightly more than can be obtained with simple viscous vehicles. The increase in penetration caused by Gelrite was confirmed by measurements of the contact time of fluorescein in the tear film with the cornea. Earlier experiments with scintigraphy suggested a considerably greater contact time of fluorescein with the cornea when Gelrite was used. However, this increased contact time may be because the technique also measures radioactive tracer that had dried out on the lid margins. Accordingly, significant quantities of fluorescein could be eluted from the lids after the penetration experiments were completed.     

Mechanism of platelet effects of cardiotoxins from Naja nigricollis crawshawii (spitting cobra) snake venom

Four cardiotoxins isolated from Naja nigricollis crawshawii venom show inhibition of platelet aggregation when tested on whole blood aggregation in an electronic aggregometer. A similar inhibitory effect is observed by adding hemolyzed erythrocytes to whole blood before initiation of aggregation with collagen. Qualitatively, ADP-induced aggregation in whole blood appears to be different from collagen-induced aggregation in that the change in impedance is smaller than that induced by collagen. Thus, addition of ADP apparently "inhibits" collagen-induced aggregation as measured by the electronic aggregometer. Inclusion of apyrase in the aggregation cuvet stimulates the rate of aggregation initiated by collagen. The cardiotoxins lyse blood cells and release their cellular contents including ADP, AMP and other inhibitory substances, which reduce the impedance changes associated with collagen-induced aggregation. The cardiotoxins also lyse platelets coated onto the electrodes and reduce the impedance after aggregation is completed. Thus the lytic effects of these polypeptides cause an apparent inhibition of platelet aggregation in whole blood by both release of inhibitory components and removal of platelets from the electrodes. The lytic ability of these cardiotoxins can also explain the apparent "potentiation" and "aggregation" observed by previous workers using turbidometric aggregometers. Under these conditions, the cardiotoxins from N. nigricollis appear to both potentiate ADP-initiated aggregation and initiate aggregation themselves, but lysis is responsible, as shown by the release of cytoplasmic lactate dehydrogenase. Neurotoxin II from N. naja oxiana venom, although structurally homologous with cardiotoxins, does not lyse cells, nor did it show any effects on platelets.