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Biomedical subjects

D S Akram

Publications and source records attributed to D S Akram.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Detection of west Nile and Japanese encephalitis viral genome sequences in cerebrospinal fluid from acute encephalitis cases in Karachi, Pakistan.

Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on 24 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens collected between February and August 1992 detected genome sequence of West Nile (WN) virus in 8 specimens and Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus in a single specimen. The results, combined with the data by IgM-ELISA on CSF indicated that a significant proportion of acute encephalitis cases in Karachi, Pakistan, were caused by WN virus infection, while JE virus caused a small fraction.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Intrathecal immune response and virus-specific immunoglobulin M antibodies in laboratory diagnosis of acute poliomyelitis.

The intrathecal immune response in 114 patients with clinically diagnosed acute poliomyelitis was studied by measuring poliovirus-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by a mu-capture immunoassay and by assessing the ratio between levels of poliovirus-neutralizing antibodies in serum and CSF. Fecal specimens were used for attempts to isolate the causative agents. Eighty-five percent of CSF specimens collected during the first 15 days of disease contained virus-specific IgM antibodies. Forty-five of 48 tested children (94%) also showed virus-specific IgM responses in their sera. Later on, the antibody levels decreased, and positive results after 30 days of onset of paralytic symptoms were rare. If the presence of poliovirus-specific IgM antibodies in the CSF was considered diagnostic, more cases were confirmed by this test than by virus isolation. A relative increase in poliovirus-neutralizing antibodies in the CSF was observed in about one-third of the cases; in all but three cases the increase was observed together with the presence of virus-specific IgM antibodies. A systemic virus-specific response can be seen and poliovirus can be isolated from a subclinically infected individual suffering from a concomitant poliomyelitis-like disease, while positive results by the two methods demonstrating an intrathecal immune response are likely to indicate a true causal relationship between infection and disease. Demonstration of poliovirus-specific IgM antibodies in the CSF thus appears to be a sensitive and specific method for laboratory confirmation of clinically diagnosed poliomyelitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

A model for health intervention.

A Primary Health Care Programme was initiated in a squatter settlement of Karachi with the aim of increasing the awareness regarding the importance of hygiene, immunization, oral rehydration (ORS), nutrition, and so on. A minimum of four resource personnel were able to reach 700 individuals by means of a 'snow-balling' effect. Primary Health Care Workers from the area were required to provide health education to mothers in the Community. A post-intervention survey revealed health education (intervention) was successful in modifying the approach of home-management of diarrhoea, fever and respiratory tract infections. Literacy also influenced home-management of diarrhoea and fever. Thus, health education not only changed the awareness and knowledge of the Community, but also successfully altered health practices which is reflected in reduced incidence of these diseases.

Health Education↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatitis A, B and C seroprevalence in Pakistan.

A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis A, B, and C virus in healthy Pakistani children. HAV IgG antibody was assayed in 258 subjects and it was found that 94% children by 5 years of age had HAV IgG-antibody. The overall seroprevalence of HAV IgG antibody was 55.8% and IgM 5.3%. HBVsAb levels assayed in 236 healthy children showed a seroprevalence of 2.97%. Similarly, HCV antibody seroprevalence was found to be a low 0.44% in healthy children. HAV is a major cause of Hepatitis, as compared to HBV and HCV which are of low endemicity.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nerve conduction studies and its importance in diagnosis of acute poliomyelitis.

Motor nerve conduction velocities was performed on 50 subjects in the pediatric age group. Thirty two patients with acute poliomyelitis and 18 controls. The MNCV was studied in the median nerve in the upper limb and the posterior tibial in the lower limb. The motor nerve conduction velocity in polio patients matched well with the controls, as well as within the accepted standards for normal. The MNCV of the median nerve ranged from 41.8 +/- 2.76 m/sec in under 1 year to 44 +/- 2.1 m/sec in 3-8 years, in polio patients, while the range in controls varied from 37 to 53 m/sec. Similarly, for the posterior tibial nerve, in polio patients the value of MNCV varied from 38.7 +/- 4.9 m/sec to 42.5 +/- 3.1 m/sec. In the controls, also the MNCV ranged from 38.5 +/- 6.3 m/sec to 48.4 +/- 3.42 m/sec. Thus, no delay on the motor nerve conduction velocity was seen. Poliomyelitis is a major problem in developing countries like Pakistan and India, where serological diagnosis is a luxury. The determination of motor nerve conduction velocity provides a quick and easy method of distinguishing poliomyelitis from other motor nerve disorders esp. Guillain Barre syndrome.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Growth parameters of Pakistani children.

A longitudinal study to determine anthropometric measurements was done in 1100 Pakistani children. They were selectively chosen from a high socioeconomic back-ground to eliminate factors of malnutrition and poor environmental sanitation. Measurements were compared with NCHS standards. Results indicate weight and length curves of the study group duplicating NCHS standards at all centiles. However the OFC measurements show a slight deviation whereby both the 50th and 90th centile are above NCHS standards. These results emphasise that differences between South Asian and Western standards of growth which are usually cited, are due to malnutrition, repeated infections etc. Once these biases are removed, South Asian children grow as well as their Western counterparts.

Anthropometry↗