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Biomedical subjects

J Mathai

Publications and source records attributed to J Mathai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Normal human plasma anti-beta-glucoside antibody has markedly elevated IgA content and binds fungal and yeast polysaccharides.

Normal human plasma antibody that recognizes beta-linked glucoside moiety was purified by affinity chromatography on cellulose. The anti-beta-glucoside antibody had three times higher IgA to IgG ratio and substantially higher polymeric IgA content than total serum immunoglobulins. Cellobiose and other beta-glucosides were best inhibitors of its binding to polystyrene microwell-coated polysaccharides. In synthetic glycoproteins made by conjugating disaccharides to hemoglobin or bovine serum albumin, cellobiose, unlike lactose or maltose, was sugar-specifically recognized by the antibody. It also recognized polystyrene well-coated beta1-->3 linked glycans of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans and of barley in decreasing order of affinity. Its sugar-binding site could thus accommodate beta-glucoside with or without substitution at C4 and C3. High IgA content along with the capacity to bind common microbial and dietary antigens pointed to the immune inflammatory potential of the antibody.

Antibodies↗
PubMed2006

Y-duplication of the male urethra: use of anterior anorectal wall for posterior urethral lengthening.

We have approached two patients with Y-duplication of the male urethra by a new two-staged technique to provide better results. A strip of anterior anorectal wall in continuity with the posterior urethra was used for posterior urethral lengthening and a tubed pedicled prepucial flap was used to reconstruct the anterior urethra without using the native urethra. This was done under a covering colostomy. After a gap of 6 months to allow for healing of the anorectum and to ensure adequate functioning of the perineal neourethra, second stage reconstruction was done using buried scrotal tube for the mid urethra along with colostomy closure. On follow-up at 8 and 12 months, respectively, both children were well with no stricture or fistula. There was normal anal continence and no stenosis. This technique tackles the problem in Y-duplication of the male urethra of lengthening the posterior urethral channel, which is often difficult to bring to the anterior half of the perineum especially if the opening is high up in the anorectum (case 2).

Child↗
PubMed2001

Children with persistent conduct problems who dropout of treatment.

Dropout of treatment is one of the key issues in outcome in a child and adolescent mental health service. We report two studies focusing on the treatment process and the dropout rate of children with persistent conduct problems presenting to a community mental health service, using a prospective design. The first study included 32 children and used a randomised controlled treatment design comparing a CBT approach with conjoint family therapy and an eclectic approach. The overall dropout rate was 36%. Dropout occurred significantly less frequently in the CBT group. The dropout group was associated with mothers who were younger and less educated, a poorer rating by the clinicians at the last meeting, parental dissatisfaction with the treatment service and perception that the treatment was less organised and having less behavioural tasks. In the second study we used a naturalistic follow-up design. Forty-six children were included. The overall dropout rate was 48%. Again, the children who defaulted were rated by clinicians as less likely to have improved and dropout was also significantly associated with parental perception of a less organised treatment. In both studies dropout usually occurred after assessment and at the early phase of treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Hepatotoxicity due to troglitazone: report of two cases and review of adverse events reported to the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Two patients (a 48-year-old woman and a 62-year-old man) developed clinical and laboratory signs of hepatotoxicity due to troglitazone (Rezulin), a thiazolidinedione used in treatment of diabetes mellitus. There was no clear clinical evidence of drug allergy, although the woman experienced colitis before the onset of recognized hepatotoxicity. Liver biopsies showed bridging necrosis and fibrosis in the woman and hepatitis with granuloma formation in the man. The abnormalities in liver chemistries resolved promptly upon cessation of the drug. Cases involving 46 patients reported to the United States Food and Drug Administration are also reviewed. Troglitazone is a useful new oral antihyperglycemic agent, but in about 1.9% of patients hepatotoxicity has occurred, which may be severe and even fatal. Frequent monitoring of serum liver chemistries in patients taking the drug is essential.

Chromans↗
PubMed2000

Glutaraldehyde cross-linking of lectins to marker enzymes: protection of binding site by specific sugars.

The role of bound specific sugars in protecting the sugar binding activity of several galactose binding proteins during their covalent conjugation to horse radish peroxidase by glutaraldehyde-mediated cross-linking was examined by: a) affinity matrix binding of the conjugate, b) enzyme linked lectin assay and c) hemagglutination assay. During conjugation using 1% glutaraldehyde, protection of jack fruit (Artocarpus integrifolia) lectin (jacalin) activity depended on concentration of specific sugar present during conjugation; optimum protection was offered by 50 mM galactose. This indicated the presence of one or more primary groups at the binding site of jacalin, which is (are) essential for sugar binding. On the other hand, such essential amino group(s) was not indicated at the sugar binding site of the peanut lectin, bovine heart galectin or of the human serum anti alpha-galactoside antibody, since exclusion of sugar during their conjugation to HRP did not diminish sugar binding activity. The differential behavior is discussed in the light of reported differences in sugar specificities. Results indicated that sugar mediated blocking of active site may be used in characterization of the latter in lectins.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Children who are cruel to animals: a revisit.

OBJECTIVE: There is a paucity of research regarding children who are cruel to animals (CTA). Previous studies have suggested that being CTA is linked with recurrent aggression in adulthood. In this report, children with persistent conduct problems who are CTA are examined. METHOD: A clinic-referred sample of 141 children and a community sample of 36 children between the ages of 5-12 were assessed using a test battery of questionnaires for parents, teachers and the child on mental health symptoms, self-perception, demographics and psychosocial factors. Forty of the clinic-referred children and one of the community group were rated by their parents as sometimes or definitely cruel to animals. The CTA, non-CTA and community samples were compared. RESULTS: The CTA group had more conduct symptoms compared with the non-CTA group. However, the older CTA group unexpectedly reported a higher self-esteem compared with the non-CTA group. There was no significant difference between the two clinic-referred groups in gender, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and internalising symptoms, and psychosocial factors. CONCLUSION: Being CTA is possibly a marker of a subgroup of conduct disorder which has a poor prognosis.

Aggression↗
PubMed1999

IFN-alpha receptor mRNA expression in a United States sample with predominantly genotype 1a/I chronic hepatitis C liver biopsies correlates with response to IFN therapy.

Our aim was to assess whether, in the United States, with the predominant hepatitis C viral (HCV) genotypes 1a/I and 1b/II, hepatic interferon-alpha receptor (IFNAR) mRNA expression correlated with response to IFN therapy, levels of HCV RNA, or histologic activity index (HAI). Nine of 24 patients (38%) had an initial response to IFN treatment, 5 of whom (21%) had a sustained response. The corrected hepatic IFNAR mRNA expression (measured by RT-PCR) for the sustained responder group (mean +/- SE, 0.16 +/- 0.06, n = 5) was significantly higher than for the nonresponding group (0.059 +/- 0.01, n = 15) (p < 0.02). Patients who relapsed had an intermediate value (0.092 +/- 0.029, n = 4). Higher IFNAR expression was inversely correlated with a lower serum HCV RNA titer (p < 0.01), and responders to IFN treatment tended to have a lower titer of HCV RNA (p = 0.056). We found no significant correlation between the amounts of IFNAR with (1) the total HAI (low HAI < or = 7, IFNAR 0.076 +/- 0.013, n = 10; high HAI > or = 8, IFNAR 0.092 +/- 0.027, n = 14, ns) or (2) individual inflammation, necrosis, or fibrosis components of the HAI. As with Japanese HCV patients with genotypes 1b/II-2b/IV, higher hepatic IFNAR mRNA expression in the United States with predominant genotypes 1a/I and 1b/II appears to correlate with response to IFN therapy and a low HCV RNA titer but not with the total HAI or its components.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

CXCR4 mRNA expression in colon, esophageal and gastric cancers and hepatitis C infected liver.

We have recently demonstrated by Northern blot and RT-PCR that the mRNA expression of the alpha-chemokine hIRH/SDF-1alpha is reduced in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), several digestive tract cancers and premalignant colon adenomas, and that its receptor CXCR4 mRNA expression is reduced in HCC. Here we investigate the expression of CXCR4 mRNA expression in several digestive tract cancers and hepatitis C viral (HCV) infected liver, a premalignant condition. There was no difference in the CXCR4 mRNA expression in colon, esophageal or gastric cancers compared to non-cancerous tissues. This is significantly different from the reduced expression we have seen with hepatocellular carcinoma (p<0.05). To better refine regional tumor or hepatic cytokine mRNA analysis within a biopsy sample we describe a micro-isolation technique for RNA extraction from portal and triad areas of liver biopsies or other small malignant or non-malignant biopsy samples suitable for use in RT-PCR and differential display reactions. In HCV liver biopsies, the expression of hIRH and its receptor CXCR4 mRNA, corrected for G3PDH, was not significantly different from that of control non-HCV (steatosis) biopsies. CXCR4 is expressed on leukocytes and its expression was predicted to correlate with hepatic inflammation. CXCR4 receptor mRNA expression did correlate significantly with that of its ligand hIRH/SDF-1alpha (p=0.001), and with the severity of fibrosis (p<0.05), but not with portal inflammation (p<0.10), piecemeal necrosis (p<0.10), lobular inflammation (p>0.10), the presence of lymphoid aggregates (p>0.10), or the total histological activity index (p=0.07). There was no difference in expression of hIRH or CXCR4 between responders and non-responders to interferon (IFN) treatment, while as a control, the responder group of patients did show a higher expression of IFNalpha receptor than the non-responder group (p=0.05).

Biopsy↗
PubMed1998

Diffuse pancreatic fibrosis: an uncommon feature of multifocal idiopathic fibrosclerosis.

Multifocal idiopathic fibrosclerosis (MIF) is a rare syndrome characterized by exuberant fibrosis involving diverse organ systems. MIF is manifest by varying combinations of the following conditions: mediastinal fibrosis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, orbital pseudotumor, Riedel's thyroiditis, and sclerosing cholangitis. Less common features of MIF include Dupuytren's contractures, lymphoid hyperplasia, Peyronie's disease, vasculitis, testicular fibrosis, and pachymeningitis. Fibrosis arising from the pancreas has been previously described in two patients with MIF. We report a 58-yr-old white man with MIF manifest as orbital pseudotumor, sclerosing cholangitis, lymph node hyperplasia, and diffuse pancreatic fibrosis.

Cholangitis, Sclerosing↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of treatments of persistent conduct problems in primary school children: a preliminary evaluation of a modified cognitive-behavioural approach.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment for persistent conduct problems in primary school children was developed using a modification of cognitive-behavioural therapy (MCBT). Its effectiveness was evaluated by comparing it with conjoint family therapy (FT) and eclectic therapy (ET). METHOD: Children with persistent conduct problems were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. They were assessed prior to treatment and then 6 months after. Measures included symptoms of the child; parents' mental health; stress of parenting; family functioning; and parental relationship. In addition, parents' and children's perception of the therapy were assessed and a treatment record was developed to track the treatment process. RESULTS: Thirty-two children were recruited for the study. No statistically significant differences were found in terms of effectiveness between the three groups. In terms of parents' perception of the therapy, there was no difference on the perception of the qualities of the therapists, but on the perception of therapy MCBT was considered to be higher in cognitive-behavioural orientation. CONCLUSION: Further research using a larger sample is required to evaluate MCBT. The study supports the idea that controlled treatment studies can be carried out within busy mental health services.

Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorder↗
PubMed1998

Compatibility problems after intravenous immunoglobulin--a case report.

Serious incompatibility was noted in a patient diagnosed as acute Guillain Barre syndrome treated with intravenous immunoglobulin. Patient had positive direct and indirect antiglobulin test and the auto control was negative. There was no clinical signs of hemolysis. Patient's blood group was O D positive and cross matched several units of ABO compatible D positive and D negative blood. Only one unit was compatible. These findings suggest that the particular intravenous immunoglobulin contained a mixture of saline and immune antibodies having different specificity. As the number of patients getting treated with intravenous immunoglobulin is on the rise more and more compatibility problems should be anticipated and should be borne in mind during serological testing and evaluation.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Morphological & ultrastructural changes of platelet concentrates stored in PVC bags.

To assess the effect of storage bags on platelets, we studied the morphological and ultrastructural changes of samples drawn from platelet concentrates (PC) prepared and stored in triple, poly vinyl chloride (PVC) bags, manufactured in India. Using the scanning electron microscopy, we demonstrate formation of long pseudopods, and interaction through these to form aggregates. When platelets were stored at 23 +/- 2 degrees C, morphological changes were severe compared to the deleterious effects when kept at 22 +/- 0.5 degrees C. Ultrastructural analysis also showed that maintenance of discoid shape and prevention of granule secretion could be improved by storing the platelets at 22 +/- 0.5 degrees C. Significant degree of platelet fragmentation took place when the storage temperature was high. The morphology score done for platelets stored at both 22 +/- 0.5 degrees C and 23 +/- 2 degrees C showed that preservation of discoid shape was better with the former.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1997

Biochemical lesions of platelets stored as concentrates in PVC bags.

Acid-base status of platelet suspension during storage is a measure of the gas permeability of the bag material. To assess the efficacy of the bags available in our market to store platelets, we compared biochemical lesions of platelets stored in an Indian polyvinyl chloride (PVC) triple bag against a Japanese PVC bag standardized for 5 days platelet storage. Platelet concentrates prepared in both control and test PVC bags were stored for 72 h. Two ml samples were drawn 1 h after preparation, and then at 24 h intervals, for analysis. Our data show that the mean pH value in the test bags was maintained above 6.5. However, the CO2 tension was high and O2 tension was low. We also analyzed malondialdehyde (MDA) formation which is a measure of arachidonic acid metabolism, and seemed to be unaffected in stored platelets. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was not released into the plasma excessively and hence significant platelet lysis was absent during storage. Hypotonic shock response (HSR) of platelets stored in both test and control bags was comparable, indicating the possibility of satisfactory post-transfusion recovery.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1997

Effect of temperature on functional response of platelet concentrates stored in PVC bags.

Haemostatic efficacy of platelet concentrates prepared and stored in locally available PVC triple bags was compared against a Japanese bag. In vitro functional parameters studied included shape change, aggregation and secretion in response to ADP. We have observed remarkable difference in the aggregatory response of platelets stored at slightly varying temperatures. The stimulatory responses of platelets stored with constant agitation at 70 strokes per min and 23 +/- 2 degrees C, deteriorated drastically by the time platelets were stored for 48 h. Both the rate and the extent of aggregation were affected showing no response to ADP at 72 h. However, when platelets were stored in a BOD incubator, thermostated at 22 +/- 0.5 degrees C, with continuous horizontal agitation at 70 strokes per min, 50 per cent functional response was retained till 72 h. We also demonstrated fragmentation of platelet membrane during storage. The membrane fragments collected by high speed centrifugation, expressed PF3 activity. Shedding of microvesicles indicates alterations at the membrane level that possibly cause functional lesion during storage. Our data suggest the significance of controlling the storage temperature steadily, to get maximum post transfusion efficacy.

Blood Donors↗
PubMed1997

Para Bombay phenotype--a case report.

Bombay phenotype is peculiar in that red cells are not agglutinated by antisera A, B or H; while serum contains anti A, B and H. Existence of modifying genes at independent loci with variable expression of ABO genes is postulated. We report here a case of partial suppression where antigens could be detected by elution tests and unlike classical Bombay type, normal amount of appropriate blood group substances were present in saliva. This case of para Bombay phenotype was detected as a result of discrepancy in cell and serum group ng. This highlights the importance of both forward and reverse grouping in ABO testing.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1993

Immune complex levels and plasmapheresis in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Circulating IC levels were assayed serially in 12 G.B.S. patients treated with PE and an attempt was made to predict the outcome of treatment, from the levels of circulating IC. It was found that there was no significant correlation between the levels of circulating IC and the outcome of treatment with PE, in G.B.S. patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Staff perceptions of adolescent behaviour problems.

Staff in three residential units completed a 25 item behaviour problem questionnaire. From analysis of questionnaires a rank order of behaviours according to rated severity was made for each Unit. Comparisons of ranking were made between the Units and, from factor analysis, perceptions of these items of behaviour by staff in the three Units were studied. We were able to establish three hypotheses regarding the severity of problem behaviours and their perceptions by staff. We suggest that staff support has a major function in influencing them.

Adolescent↗