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Biomedical subjects

K C Sharma

Publications and source records attributed to K C Sharma.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Effects of high-dose inhaled fluticasone propionate via spacer on cell-mediated immunity in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Systemic corticosteroids are known to alter cell-mediated immunity (CMI). However, the effects of inhaled steroids on CMI are unclear. We therefore sought to assess CMI following high-dose inhaled steroids in healthy subjects. METHODS: Ten healthy nonasthmatic subjects self-administered fluticasone propionate (FP), 440 microg bid, with a spacer device. CMI was assessed by delayed hypersensitivity skin testing to multiple antigens and in vitro by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Percentages of CD3(+), CD4(+), and CD3(+)CD8(+) cells expressing CD69(+) were determined by three-color flow cytometry. Studies were conducted before and after 4 weeks of FP treatment. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of FP treatment, two of nine subjects became anergic, whereas six of nine subjects had reduced skin responses (one subject was excluded). Mean total skin test score fell from 18.4+/-10.9 to 9.1 +/-7.2 mm (p = 0.02). There was a decline in tuberculin responses in all four subjects who were positive prior to FP treatment. Following FP treatment, the percentage of unstimulated (from control subjects receiving saline solution) CD3(+)CD4(+)CD69(+) cells declined from 14.8+/-4.2% to 8. 5+/-4.6% (p = 0.02) and the CD3(+)CD8(+)CD69(+) cells decreased from 29.7+/-12.7% to 17.1 +/-5.0% (p = 0.007). PHA stimulation produced significant increases in the percentage of CD3(+)CD4(+)CD69(+) cells before and after FP treatment (67.0+/-9.1%, p<0.02 before FP; 55.4+/-17.0%, p<0.02 after FP), and in the percentage of CD3(+)CD8(+)CD69(+) cells before and after treatment (79.7+/-9.3%, p<0.03 before FP; 71.2+/-11.4%, p = 0. 008 after FP). CONCLUSIONS: High doses of FP suppress the proportion of activated circulating T cells but do not affect the ability of T cells to respond to direct stimulation with PHA. However, depression of skin test responses to antigens following treatment with FP suggests an impairment of in vivo clinical manifestations of T-cell activation by a mechanism that requires further investigation.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Evaluation of a hospital based cytology screening programme for reduction in life time risk of cervical cancer.

Hospital based cytology screening is one of the suggested alternative strategies for the developing countries. The present communication attempts to estimate the reduction in lifetime risk of cervical cancer initiated through a hospital based single lifetime screening programme. The percent reduction in cumulative incidence of cervical cancer during lifetime in different age groups of women was calculated after estimating the number of incident cases in the absence as well as presence of screening. Our analysis revealed that by introducing the single life time cytology screening in the group of hospital attending population, an overall reduction in the cumulative incidence of cervical cancer during lifetime was found to be 10.2%. It was further estimated that the reduction was much less in the early age groups (2.4-10.2% in 20-34 years) as compared to later age groups (11.2-55.6% in 35+ years).

Adult↗

Efficacy of a hospital based cytology screening program.

From 1976 to 1986, a total of 117,471 women attending gynecologic outpatient departments of six hospitals in Delhi, India, were screened cytologically. The cytodiagnosis revealed 30,399 (25.9%) normal finding, 84,889 (72.3%) inflammatory changes, 1910 (1.6%) dysplasia of various grades and 213 (0.2%) malignant lesions. Of the 213 cases detected as malignant, clinical suspicion of cervical cancer was not present in 125 women (58.7%). Histologically malignancy was confirmed in 192 women (90.1%) of the 213 cytologically diagnosed malignant cases. The diagnosis revealed 94 (49.0%) as carcinoma in situ and the rest of the cases were invasive lesions. This was in contrast to only 5.2% (10/194) of cases with carcinoma in situ seen at the cancer clinic during 1983-1986 in one of the major collaborating hospitals of Delhi. The analysis of data according to age revealed that median age at detection of mild/moderate, severe dysplasia, carcinoma in situ (CIS) and invasive cancers was 34.0, 37.9, 38.6, and 47.8 years, respectively, indicating a latency period of one and a half decade from the onset of precursor lesions to invasive disease. Mass population screening in our country is not feasible in the near future and this may be true also for other developing countries. In its absence cytological screening of patients attending hospitals and maternity homes can give a large yield of early cervical cancers, which are curable.

Adult↗

Radon estimation in some Indian tobacco, tea and tooth powder using CR-39 nuclear track detector.

Radon contents in some samples of tobacco, tea and tooth powder have been estimated using CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors. The Radon content in tobacco has been found to vary from 14.06 +/- 1.4 to 89.91 +/- 3.3 mBq/l. The Radon content in tea and tooth powder has been found to vary from 27.38 +/- 1.8 to 41.81 +/- 2.2 mBq/l and 26.27 +/- 1.4 to 413 +/- 6.0 mBq/l respectively. The present investigations are useful from the health hazards point of view.

Dentifrices↗

Laparoscopic surgery and its potential for medical complications.

Laparoscopic surgery is very popular among physicians and patients because this technique is associated with safety, shorter hospital stay, early return to normal activity, and cosmetic acceptance of the operative scar. Although the procedure involves minimal invasion and tissue damage, it has potentially serious complications, including cardiopulmonary effects that result mainly from hypercarbia and raised intraabdominal pressure caused by pneumoperitoneum. Absorbed carbon dioxide from the peritoneal cavity tends to cause acidosis. Leakage of the gas into tissue spaces may induce subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium. Cardiac effects include arrhythmias, hypotension, cardiac arrest, gas embolism, pulmonary edema, and myocardial ischemia or infarction. Some of these effects, though rare, are serious and potentially fatal. Physicians should anticipate these problems in their patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures. This review discusses the technique of and physiologic considerations in laparoscopic surgery as well as its potential complications.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗