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Biomedical subjects

D N Patel

Publications and source records attributed to D N Patel.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Ethnic differences in bone density in female South African nurses.

In the United States, the higher prevalence of osteoporosis and the higher incidence of fractures in whites than in blacks may be attributed to the finding of lower bone density (BD) in both white children and adults. In South Africa, osteoporosis and fractures also occur more frequently in whites than in blacks. Appendicular BD has been found to be similar in black and white children in South Africa, but there is little information available on BD of adults in South Africa. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess changes in BD with age in adult females in South Africa and to assess possible differences in peak BD and in the rate of postmenopausal bone loss between blacks and whites. Data for 180 black and 184 white female nurses aged 20-64 years were analyzed. The distal radius bone density (RBD) was measured by single photon absorptiometry. The lumbar spine bone density (SBD) and the femur bone density (FBD) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Blacks were shorter than whites (p = 0.0001), and blacks' weight, body mass index, and skinfold thickness increased with age. Peak SBD and RBD were similar in blacks and whites, but peak FBD was higher in blacks (p = 0.0001). This ethnic difference in peak FBD became apparent in the fourth decade. Peak FBD was similar in black and white subjects with normal body mass indices (p = 0.09), but in overweight subjects peak FBD was higher in blacks than in whites (p = 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1993

The effect of ethnicity on appendicular bone mass in white, coloured and Indian schoolchildren.

Ethnic differences in the incidence and prevalence of osteoporosis have been shown throughout the world. In South Africa the prevalence of osteoporosis is much higher in whites than in blacks. This is surprising, since factors that might predispose to reduce bone mass are more preponderant in black communities. The present research was undertaken to determine whether differences in bone mass during the period of bone accretion could explain the difference in the incidence of osteoporosis. In this paper we report on differences in appendicular bone mass between white, coloured and Indian children and teenagers (6-18 years) from Johannesburg. The effects of weight, height, puberty and skinfold thickness on bone mass were also assessed. The bone width (BW) of white boys was greater than that of Indian boys, while the bone mineral content (BMC) and BMC/BW were greater in white boys than in both Indian and coloured boys. After adjustment for differences in weight and height, the BW of coloured boys was significantly greater than that of white boys, while all differences in BMC and BMC/BW became non-significant. For girls there were no significant differences in bone mass measurements, but after adjustment for height and weight coloured girls had significantly greater BMC and BMC/BW than either white or Indian girls. This greater weight- and height-adjusted bone mass in coloured girls is consistent with the impression of a lower incidence of osteoporosis in coloured women than in white women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The effect of ethnic group on appendicular bone mass in children.

The prevalence of senile and postmenopausal osteoporotic fractures is considerably higher in white than black women. Although the reasons for the genetic difference have not been elucidated, it has been suggested that ethnic differences in peak bone mass may be partially responsible. The present study examined appendicular bone mass (single-photon absorptiometry, SPA) in black and white children between the ages of 6 and 20 years. The sample was stratified for ethnic group, age, and sex. The effect of weight, height, puberty, and skinfold thickness on bone mass was also assessed. The bone width (BW) and bone mineral content (BMC) of males were significantly higher than those of females (p less than 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences in bone mineral content normalized for bone width (BMC/BW) between the sexes (p = 0.1743 for whites and p = 0.5456 for blacks). The bone mass parameters of black girls were generally lower than those of white girls. After adjusting for height, BMC and BMC/BW of black girls tended to be greater than those of white girls (unadjusted p = 0.0258 for BMC and p = 0.0340 for BMC/BW). White boys tended to have greater bone mass parameters than black boys. After adjusting for height the trends disappeared. Thus, unlike the studies of bone mass in adults from the United States, we were unable to show that age-matched black children have higher bone mass than whites. After adjusting for height, however, the bone mass of black children (especially black girls) was marginally, but not significantly, greater than that of white girls.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Effect of pregnancy plasma, neuraminidase and sialic acid on phytohemagglutinin-induced human lymphocyte response.

The effect of human pregnancy plasma on phytohemagglutinin-(PHA-)induced blastogenesis of lymphocytes from unrelated donors was studied in relation to the sialic acid (N-acetyl-neuraminic acid) content of the plasma. The total sialic acid levels in plasma were found to be elevated during pregnancy as compared with plasma from non-pregnant, normally menstruating control groups (p less than 0.001) and to increase with advancing gestation, reaching peak values in the post-partum period (1-14 days). On the other hand, pregnancy plasma at a concentration of 15% caused a significant suppression of lymphocyte proliferation (p less than 0.05 to p less than 0.001, depending on the stage of gestation). The maximum effect was observed with plasma obtained during the third trimester of pregnancy. The immunosuppressive activity was not detectable after parturition. It was further observed that desialation of both pregnancy and control plasma with neuraminidase diminished lymphocyte response to PHA (p less than 0.05). Addition of free sialic acid (0.1-1.0 mumol/ml) or treatment of the cells with neuraminidase (0.06-1.0 IU/ml) had no effect on lymphocyte transformation under assay conditions. These findings support the hypothesis that an immunosuppressive environment provided by pregnancy plasma could be one of the mechanisms protecting the antigenically alien fetus from maternal immunologic attack. The sialic acid content of maternal plasma did not appear to play a role in the immunosuppressive property of maternal plasma. On the contrary, the presence of plasma-bound sialic acid in the culture medium was found to be necessary for normal lymphocyte reactivity.

Blood Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed1984

Robert's syndrome.

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Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1983

Fertility after chemotherapy for testicular cancer.

Sixty-nine patients with disseminated testicular cancer and no prior retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy treated with cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin with or without doxorubicin were evaluated for semen analysis, serum gonadotropins, and testosterone. Since 1979, 41 men have been prospectively studied. Before treatment 77% were oligospermic, 17% were azoospermic, and only 6.6% could meet requirements for sperm banking. After 2 mo of therapy, 96% were azoospermic. A group of 28 patients treated between 1975 and 1979 were retrospectively evaluated. Normal sperm counts were found in 46% of those studied. Only 17% were azoospermic. Thirty-two percent have impregnated their wives, resulting in 5 healthy babies, 1 spontaneous abortion, and 3 ongoing pregnancies. These results show that (1) significant impairment of spermatogenesis exists before therapy, precluding the possibility of sperm banking in most patients, (2) combination chemotherapy in testicular cancer has substantial effects on gonadal function, rendering almost all patients azoospermic, and (3) a high degree of recovery of spermatogenesis occurs sometime after 2-3 yr from the initiation of treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of mesterolone on sperm count in idiopathic oligospermia.

Forty subfertile men with idiopathic oligospermia were randomly treated with mesterolone or with placebo for more than 4 months. Seminal analysis was performed thrice before treatment, and twice after 16 weeks of treatment. There was a significant increase of semen volume (P less than .05), mean sperm concentration (P less than .01), and mean total sperm count per ejaculate (P less than .01) with mesterolone therapy. Sperm motility and morphological characteristics were not modified by mesterolone therapy. Mesterolone was found to be effective in improving the sperm concentration in mild and moderate rather than in severe idiopathic oligospermia.

Adult↗