PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Bal

Publications and source records attributed to A Bal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Comparison of serum IL-1 beta, sIL-2R, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels with disease activity parameters in ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, inflammatory, rheumatological disease affecting primarily the sacroiliac joint and vertebral column, with an etiology that remains obscure. Cytokines are soluble proteins that have specific roles in inflammatory response, arranging the interaction between cells of the immune system both in natural and specific immune reactions. This study was planned to evaluate the relation between the level of cytokines and the clinical and laboratory findings of patients with AS compared to healthy subjects. In this study, we demonstrated increased serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients with AS compared with healthy subjects. Only IL-1 beta levels were not increased in AS patients. We found a correlation between C-reactive protein and IL-6 levels and between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and sIL-2R, IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels. Only the sIL-2R level was correlated with Bath AS Metrology Index and Bath AS Functional Index. We suggest that sIL-2R, IL-6, and TNF-alpha may have a role in the pathogenesis of AS and that their serum levels can be used as disease activity parameters and tools for diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Target tracking in infrared imagery using weighted composite reference function-based decision fusion.

In this paper, we propose a novel decision fusion algorithm for target tracking in forward-looking infrared image sequences recorded from an airborne platform. An important part of this study is identifying the failure modes in this type of imagery. Our strategy is to prevent these failure modes from developing into tracking failures. The results furnished by competing ego-motion compensation and tracking algorithms are evaluated based on their similarity to a target model constructed using the weighted composite reference function.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

Spectrum of clinico-pathological changes in Barrett oesophagus.

OBJECTIVES: Barrett oesophagus is replacement of squamous epithelium to specialised intestinal metaplasia. It is associated with an increased risk for adenocarcinoma which develops through dysplasia. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the relative age of occurrence and incidence of dysplasia in this part of our country. METHODS: Between January 1999 and June 2002 we diagnosed 13 cases of Barrett oesophagus. Sections were stained with routine H and E and special stain alcian blue (AB)--PAS at pH 2.5. RESULTS: Out of 55 patients with symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, 13 cases were diagnosed as Barrett oesophagus. There were 8 males and 5 females. Majority of the patients (77%) were between 20-40 years of age. At endoscopy, in 84.6% patients, lesions were in the form of islands of red mucosa. On histology examination, in 6 cases, squamous epithelium was replaced by intestinal epithelium containing goblet cells and in 7 cases it was replaced by gastric epithelium. Associated dysplasia was not seen in any of the case, while one case showed associated adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: Barrett oesophagus is seen in a younger population amongst Indians. A male predominance is noted, but is not as high as reported in Western literature. There is a paucity of patients with pure dysplasia in Barrett metaplasia. Despite the fact that there are a number of patients presenting with Barrett esophagus and carcinoma, very few patients present with dysplasia, indicating that Barrett oesophagus is a silent disease presenting later as a carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Dynamic postural balance in ankylosing spondylitis patients.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, our objectives were to investigate whether patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have a poorer dynamic balance than normal subjects, and to study the relationship between balance and posture. METHODS: Seventy patients (57 men, 13 women) with AS and 35 (31 men, 4 women) controls matched for age, weight, height and body mass index were tested using the Biodex Stability System. Anteroposterior (AP), mediolateral (ML) and overall (OA) indices were obtained with bilateral stance at platform stabilities of 8 and 4. Subjects were tested with 'eyes open' at all times. Correlation analyses were performed between stability indices (OA, AP, ML) and disease duration, cervical rotation (CR), tragus to wall distance (TWD), lumbar side flexion (LSF), lumbar flexion (LF), intermalleolar distance (IMD) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) total score. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the AS patients and healthy subjects with respect to all three stability indices at levels 4 and 8. A positive correlation was found only between ML stability index and TWD at level 8 (r, 0.249; P = 0.038). No other positive correlation was detected between stability indices and CR, TWD, LSF, LF, IMD, total BASMI score and disease duration. CONCLUSIONS: AS has no negative effect on postural stability. The only clinically significant association was found between dynamic postural balance and TWD.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of bone lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in combination with radiological examination has recently gained clinical recognition for evaluating skeletal lesions. We evaluated our experience with the use of FNA in diagnosing bone lesions with emphasis on areas of difficulty and limitations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a period of 5 years FNA was performed in 66 cases of bone lesions. Aspirations were done by cytopathologists using 22-gauge needle. Out of 66 cases unsatisfactory aspirate was obtained in 12 cases. Cytohistological correlation was available in 19 cases. RESULTS: Adequate aspirates were categorized into neoplastic (27 cases) and non-neoplastic (27 cases) lesions. Of the 27 neoplastic aspirates, 20 were malignant (12 primary, 8 metastatic deposits) and 7 were benign. In the malignant group osteosarcoma was correctly diagnosed in 3 cases while other 3 were labeled as sarcoma NOS because of lack of osteoid. Metastatic deposits were sub-typed in 6 cases; from renal cell carcinoma (3 cases), proststic adenocarcinoma, follicular carcinoma thyroid, and squamous cell carcinoma. Neoplastic group comprised of 6 cases of cysts and 21 cases of chronic osteomyelitis. Thirteen cases were diagnosed as tuberculous osteomyelitis. CONCLUSIONS: FNA is a frequent indication in metastases in the bone where distinct cytologic features can even identify an unknown primary. However, diagnosis of primary tumours of the bone is limited by precise subtyping of the tumours. FNA has emerged as a cost effective tool for initial diagnosis of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions of the bone.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Heteroassociative multiple-target tracking by fringe-adjusted joint transform correlation.

A heteroassociative joint transform correlation (JTC) technique is proposed for recognizing and tracking multiple heteroassociative or dissimilar targets from gray-level image sequences by use of the concept of fringe-adjusted JTC and a multiple-target-detection algorithm. A fringe-adjusted JTC technique is used to ensure quantification of the similarities among several input images while it satisfies the equal-correlation-peak criterion. Tracking is accomplished by retrieval of the target motion information estimated from multiple consecutive image frames. An enhanced version of the fringe-adjusted filter is incorporated into the heteroassociative multiple-target-detection process to optimize the correlation performance. The feasibility of the proposed technique is tested by computer simulation with real infrared image data.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in evaluation of paediatric lymphadenopathy.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in children has been slow to gain acceptance as compared with its use in adults. The aim of this retrospective study is to determine the utility of FNAC in diagnosing paediatric lymphadenopathy. Six hundred and ninety-two paediatric lymph nodes were aspirated during the period from January 1996 to June 2001. Aspirated material in 32 cases (4.6%) was deemed inadequate for cytological diagnosis. In the remaining cases, 62.2% were reactive lymphadenopathy, 25.2% tuberculous lymphadenitis, 6.3% acute suppurative lymphadenitis, nine cases revealed malignancy (seven lymphoma, two metastatic deposits) and one case had Langerhan's cell histiocytosis. No significant complications were encountered in any of the cases. FNAC emerged as a safe and reliable diagnostic procedure in paediatric age group obviating the need for excision biopsy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Diabetic foot infections: a study of microorganisms associated with the different Wagner grades.

Patients with diabetes foot infections were evaluated over a two year period to assess the bacteriological spectrum in the different Wagner's grades of foot wounds. Most of the diabetic foot wounds were found to be polymicrobic in nature with an average of 3.07 organisms isolated per case studied. Amongst a total of 775 clinical isolates, 71.09% were aerobic; whereas 28.91% were anaerobic pathogens. Gram-positive organisms like Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. formed almost 50% of the clinical isolates in the first two grades and were reduced to less one-fourth of the total organisms in the last two grades. These was a significant increase in the gram-negative organisms and anaerobes in the last two grades.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Serum levels of immunoglobulins in thermal burns.

Thermal injury is known to induce alterations in the immune system. Sixty-four patients of thermal burns have been studied for serum immunoglobulins. Concentrations of IgG, IgA and IgM were decreased immediately after injury and gradually increased up to normal limits on the 30th postburn day.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Evaluation of an interactive multimedia application to learn interpersonal skills.

A multidisciplinary team from Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto collaborated to produce an interactive multimedia application to teach interpersonal communication skills. The purpose of this educational prototype was to provide a module to accompany an introductory course in communication skills. Though it is based on a scenario specific to a group of health care professionals, it is hoped that the application would be useful to a variety of learners.

Communication↗
PubMed1994

Evidence for dopamine D2 receptor mRNA expression by striatal astrocytes in culture: in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction studies.

The expression of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA in cultured rat striatal and cerebellar astrocytes was examined by in situ hybridization (ISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Cells double-labelled for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immuno-histochemistry and dopamine D2 receptor mRNA (ISH) provide evidence that striatal but not cerebellar astrocytes express the dopamine D2 gene in vitro. These results were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction studies. As judged by GFAP immunostaining and morphology of the cells, this gene is almost exclusively expressed by astrocytes type 1. The expression of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA by striatal astrocytes in vitro, as found in this study, brings thus evidences for the existence of dopamine D2 receptors in such glial cells. This had been previously suggested from ligand binding studies but the typical dopaminergic nature of the binding to striatal astrocytes was left questionable. Our results with molecular biological techniques thus suggest that striatal dopamine might modulate the functions of striatal astrocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Transplantation of fetal nigral cells reverses the increase of preproenkephalin mRNA levels in the rat striatum caused by 6-OHDA lesion of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway: a quantitative in situ hybridization study.

Unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced lesion of the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) pathway causes a significant increase of preproenkephalin (PPE) messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in the DA-depleted striatum in rat brain. Using an in situ hybridization (ISH) technique and computer-assisted microdensitometry, we quantified the changes in PPE mRNA levels in the striatum. Seven months after lesion, levels of PPE mRNA were 75% higher in the DA-depleted striatum than in the contralateral control striatum of the same animal or in the striatum of sham control animals. The implantation of embryonic dopaminergic neurons into the denervated striatum led to a complete reversal of this increase and, in grafted animals, levels of PPE mRNA were at control values. Moreover, this reversal extended beyond the areas reinnervated by the grafted dopaminergic neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Changes in filipin-sterol binding in the rat cingulate cortex after the administration of antidepressant drugs. A freeze-fracture study.

The amount of cholesterol in cell membranes of cingulate cortex nerve cells from rats treated with Imipramine (tricyclic antidepressant drug) or mianserin (non-tricyclic antidepressant) was investigated using filipin-sterol binding and freeze-fracture. The number of filipin-sterol complexes decreased within membranes of neurons from cingulate cortex chronically treated with imipramine or mianserin. These results suggest that the decreased content of cholesterol causes the cell membrane to become more fluid. This increased fluidity of the cell membrane may play an important role in regulating the interaction of transmitters and drugs with their membrane receptors.

Animals↗