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Biomedical subjects

B Kumar

Publications and source records attributed to B Kumar.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Circulating and tissue immune complexes in leprosy.

Various immunological studies were conducted in lepromatous leprosy patients. There was a polyclonal rise of all the three major immunoglobulins. Serum IgD levels remained unaltered. Positive latex agglutination reactions (RA) and parietal cell antibodies were distinctly more frequent in patients. Eighty-five percent of patients showed a strongly positive complement deviation test, and the mean platelet aggregation titer was 1 in 81 in the patients compared to 1 in 3 in the controls, thus indicating the presence of circulating immune complexes in a large percentage of cases. Immunoglobulins and complement were observed in the dermal capillaries and small arterioles, but not in larger vessels, in 6 of 17 cases. Only one case showed staining of the dermoepidermal junction. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected in a single patient, and this patient also showed ANA in vivo.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1981

Pathologic changes in striated muscles in leprosy.

Eighteen muscle biopsies from male adult patients of lepromatous and borderline lepromatous leprosy were studied. BI in the biopsies ranged from 1 + to 3+. There was conspicuous absence of granuloma except for a collection of foamy histiocytes in intermysial region and on two occasions in the intermysial nerve endings in LL patients. At places solid staining bacilli were seen in normal looking muscles. None of the biopsies showed loss of muscle striations, fatty change, sarcolemmal changes, fibrosis and necrosis. Hyaline change was seen in two specimens only. Details of these are discussed in this paper.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

BCG induced immunity to Mycobacterium leprae in mice.

One to three BCG vaccinations were given to various groups of mice--25 to 2 days preceding challenge with Myco. leprae. Harvesting of Myco. leprae was done every month upto a period of 7 months. Lymph node enlargement was taken as an indicator of successful vaccination. An increasing degree of protection was noted in BCG immunised mice as observed by a reduced number of bacilli harvested. Protection afforded was proportional to the number of doses of BCG given.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Aspiration cytology of lymph nodes in leprosy.

Lymph node aspiration cytology smear patterns were analyzed in 60 cases of leprosy. A Type I smear pattern was found in 51.7%, Type II in 25%, Type III in 16.6%, and Type IV in 6.7% of the cases. Comparing with the histopathological diagnosis, Type I and Type II smears corresponded to LL lesions. Type III smears corresponded to BB lesions toward the lepromatous end of the spectrum, and Type IV smears corresponded to BB lesions toward the tuberculoid end of the spectrum. An increasing degree of lymphocytic cell admixture was noticed from Type I to Type IV smears with a changing appearance from classical foamy histiocytes in Type I and Type II smears to atypical histiocytes in Type III smears and epithelioid histiocytes in Type IV cases. These findings correlated with the better cell-mediated immune reactivity observed in these patients as the disease spectrum crosses from Type I and Type II smears to Type III and Type IV smears. A larger number of cases needs to be studied for definite assessment of these criteria.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1981

Leprosy and female reproductive organs.

Thirty-five adult female patients with bacillary positive leprosy were studied to determine its effect on menarche, menstrual cycle, fertility, and menopause. Endometrial biopsies studied in 26 patients showed no evidence of leprosy bacilli granuloma or tubercle bacilli on culture. Menstrual blood examined in six patients with bacillemia did not reveal leprosy bacilli. Products of conception examined from two patients were negative for granulomata or leprosy bacilli. Leprosy was found to have no direct effect on menarche, menstruation, fertility, and menopause.

Endometrium↗
PubMed1981

Myco. leprae infection in normal, thymectomised irradiated and thymus transplanted mice.

Normal mice and thymectomised, X-irradiated and thymic transplanted groups of mice were challenged with 10(3) Myco. leprae in the foot pad. Course of infection was studied for a period of seven months by sacrificing animals every month and counting the bacilli from the pooled tissues. In the thymectomised irradiated group the counts showed a plateau from 5th month onwards, whereas in control and thymus implant group the counts rose in 6th and 7th months.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Vascular changes in leprosy and its role in the pathogenesis of leprous neuritis.

The arteriographic pattern of left hand vessels was studied in 20 patients in leprosy by percutaneous brachial arteriography. Arteriographic abnormalities noted consisted of occlusion, narrowing, tortuosity, dilatation, irregularity and incomplete filling of the lumen by contrast medium. Such abnormal findings were seen in all the arteriograms studied and more than one vessel involvement was noted in over 50 percent cases. This study clearly demonstrated that arterial involvement in leprosy was frequent. No correlation was found between motor weakness and vascular abnormalities. There was no difference in arterial lesions between the patients with and without trophic changes. There was also no correlation between the severity of vascular changes and decline in motor nerve conduction. Degree of histopathological abnormalities in the sural nerve biopsy from these patients showed no features of micro angiopathic neuropathy. It is concluded that the observed vascular abnormalities do not contribute significantly in the genesis of neurological deficit in leprosy.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Acro-osteolysis (report of two cases and brief review of literature.

Two siblings suffering from acro-osteolysis, a rare disorder, are discussed. Although three distinct types of acro-osteolysis, namely familial, idiopathic, and due to vinyl-chloride, are clearly defined, these patients did not fit into any category. They had intact nails, preserved tactile and sensory system, plantar ulceration and so sensory deficit. Nerve conduction studies showed prolongation of motor distal latencies in median, ulnar, posterior tibial and lateral popliteal nerves. Nerve biopsies from both patients showed severe loss of myelinated fibres of all sizes, but more so of small ones.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Choice of skin slit smears for study of bacterial and morphological indices.

Skin slit smears of 46 patients of lepromatous leprosy (16 untreated, 30 long treated) were studied from ear lobules, fingers, elbows and knees. In untreated patients ear lobules gave highest BI, as compared to other sites. MI from ear lobules was higher than elbows and knees but slightly lower than that from fingers. In treated patients sites other than ear lobules yielded solid staining bacilli more frequently. Multiple sites and especially peripheral sites are recommended for study of skin slit smears to discover persistent bacilli.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Cutaneous responses to antigens and irritants in patients of leprosy.

Forty seven patients of various types of leprosy were skin tested with PPD, Dharmendra lepromin, DNCB, Coccidiodin, histamine and croton oil. Twenty five age matched normal controls were also included in the study. All types of leprosy patients reacted in smaller numbers and with decreased response to all antigens and irritants as compared to normal controls. Depression of response being minimum in tuberculoid and maximum in lepromatous group. None of the patients or controls reacted to coccidiodin. Details are given.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Serum lipids in leprosy.

Sera of 58 patients of various types of leprosy were tested for total fat, phospholipids, cholesterol and alpha and beta lipoproteins. Total fat and both fractions of lipoproteins were found to have values comparable to normals in all types of leprosy. Serum phospholipid levels were significantly reduced in LL type of leprosy as compared to normals and TT group of patients. Similarly cholesterol levels were found to have significantly no value in LL group compared to that of the controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Chronic airways obstruction in pulmonary sarcoidosis: its poor response to bronchodilators.

Emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis are often cited as examples of chronic airways obstruction, while sarcoidosis is typically restrictive. Approximately 15 percent of sarcoidosis patients, however, have airways obstruction clinically characterized by wheezing with granulomatous involvement of airways. Since the majority have Stage IV disease by chest radiograph, their lungs usually have honey-combining with pulmonary fibrosis, adhesions, cavities, and mediastinal distortion.Patients had a mixed ventilatory defect, but obstruction of large airways was present as shown by decreased specific airways conductances. Small airways obstruction was also present as shown by low instantaneous flows at the terminal portion of the maximum expiratory flow-volume curve and diminished helium response of this curve. The closing volume, however, was not very sensitive. Radioactive xenon washout from ventilation lung scans and N2 washout from the lungs were prolonged in patients with worse disease.The authors conclude that the obstructive type of physiologic pattern is more frequent than recognized in sarcoidosis, which like that of cystic fibrosis has some restrictive element and is characterized by poor reversibility to bronchodilators. A trial period of beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol was not helpful in two patients. Relief of this distressing airways obstruction continues to pose a challenging problem in management.

Adult↗