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Biomedical subjects

M Kaur

Publications and source records attributed to M Kaur.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

In vitro effects of anthelmintics on the histochemistry of Haemonchus contortus and Trichuris globulosa.

In vitro incubation of Haemonchus contortus (RUD., 1803) and Trichuris globulosa (v. LINSTOW, 1901) were proformed for 10-12 h in Tyrode's solution and 10 and 50 micrograms/ml concentrations each of albendazole (ABZ), fenbendazole (FBZ), thiophenate (TP), dl-tetramisole and oxyclozanide (TO), dl-tetramisole HCI (TMS) and levamisole HCI (LMS) to study morphological and histochemical alterations. The major structural changes observed after treatment with all the drugs were vacuolation in the intestine of H. contortus except with TP treatment and disruption of the epithelium in T. globulosa except with TMS treatment. The other major alteration in T. globulosa was the loss of muscle striations after TP, TO, TMS and LMS treatments. All the six anthelmintics reduced the quantity of neutral mucopolysaccharides in the intestine of H. contortus and T. globulosa except with TMS and LMS treatments in the latter. Acidic mucopolysaccharides detected in the microvilli of the intestine of H. contortus were lost after TO and ABZ treatments. The loss of lipids from the intestine was evident after TO, ABZ, FBZ and TP treatments in H. contortus and by all the drugs in T. globulosa. LMS treatment caused accumulation of very large lipid droplets in the intestine of H. contortus.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Evaluation of the efficacy of albendazole against the larvae of Taenia solium in experimentally infected pigs, and kinetics of the immune response.

Cysticercosis, a disease of economic and public health importance, is caused by Cysticercus cellulosae, the metacestode stage of Taenia solium. Experimental induction of cysticercosis was achieved in young pigs by feeding an optimum dose of 20,000 T. solium (Indian strain) eggs after immunosuppression, to assess the effect of albendazole and development of the immune response to cysticercus antigens before and after treatment. Histopathological studies revealed the presence of cysticerei in liver, lungs and muscles. Treatment with albendazole at 15 mg kg-1 body weight daily for 30 days starting from day 0 or 15 days post-infection resulted in 100% cure rates. Increases in antibody titre to crude soluble extract and a Sephadek G-200 purified antigenic fraction of Cysticercus cellulosae were found on days 25, 40 and 55 post-infection in untreated pigs and those in which treatment started on day 15 post-infection, whereas no increase in antibody response was observed in pigs in which treatment started on day 0.

Albendazole↗
PubMed1995

Neonatal haematology in Zimbabwe. II: The red cell and white cell parameters.

Red cell and white cell parameters were determined in 600 (310 male and 290 female) normal Black Zimbabwean neonates with a mean +/- sd birth weight of 3.0 +/- 0.4 (range 2.04 to 4.50, median 3.0) kg using a Coulter Counter Model S Plus. Cord anaemia (cord Hb < 13.5 gdl-1) was detected in 60 (10 pc) of the neonates. Although the male babies were significantly heavier than the females (p = 0.004), there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the red cell and white cell indices between the two sexes. When the haematological parameters of the 540 (90 pc) non-anaemic (cord Hb > or = 13.5 gdl-1) neonates were analysed, the mean +/- sd values which may serve as local reference standards were: Hb 15.2 +/- 1.8 (range 13.5 to 19.4) gdl-1, Hct 47.3 4.9 (range 38.6 to 60.3) pc, MCV 107.8 +/- 9.4 (range 88.8 to 134.3) fl, MCH 31.9 +/- 3.4 (range 25.2 to 45.2) pg, MCHC 32.9 +/- 1.3 (range 30.0 to 38.3) gdl-1, nucleated red blood cells 6.1 +/- 5.9 (range 0 to 55) per 100 white blood cells, reticulocyte count 5.0 +/- 1.9 (range 0 to 24.0) pc, total leucocyte count 13.8 +/- 4.4 (range 4.6 to 132.8) x 10(9)l-1; differential count: neutrophils 7.30 +/- 2.90 (range 1.72 to 18.02) x 10(9) l-1, lymphocytes 5.67 +/- 2.47 (range 0.98 to 16.14) x 10(9) l-1, monocytes 0.81 +/- 0.83 (range 0 to 5.58) x 10(9) l-1, 1 and eosinophils 0.08 +/- 0.13 (range 0 to 0.72) x 10(9)l-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Africa↗
PubMed1995

Reproductive health behaviour of rural women.

The extent and nature of reproductive health problems, and the actions taken for prevention/management of these problems were studied in rural area of district Ambala, Haryana. Maternal mortality rate was found to be 230/100,000 live births. Only 31% had died in hospitals; 64% cases were not referred. Main reason for non referral was ignorance about the nature of the complication in 54%. In another study done in 4 villages, 61.2% (367/600) married women of 15-44 years reported to be suffering from symptoms suggestive of gynecological disorders. Out of the 228 who had delivered in past 2 years, 103 (45.2%) reported to have suffered from illnesses in the maternity period, 19.3% had a major maternity complication. Government doctors were consulted in 29.2%, private doctors in 43.1%, health auxiliaries in 16% and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in 11.8% of the episodes. Average cost of treatment was Rs 211 per episode. For management of maternity related complication, 65.8% could identify a proper hospital. For conducting the delivery, 10% preferred doctors, 60.2% nurse-midwife, and 29.3% TBAs. Although 93.8% of the respondents knew about the places where pregnancy can be terminated, but only 13.8% knew that doctors conduct abortion. In view of the lack of proper understanding about the reproductive health problems, health education campaign should be launched so that maternity care facilities being upgraded in the country are utilised. Programmes for prevention and treatment of gynecological morbidity should also be initiated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Clinical and biochemical studies in homocystinuria.

Homocystinuria was diagnosed in 15 (0.59%) cases on screening 2560 children for aminoacidopathies. The commonest presenting features were ectopia lentis (95%) and mental retardation (86%). Other features included, dental anomalies (40%), osteoporosis (40%), behavioral problems (33%) and arachnodactyly (13%). Diagnosis was confirmed by iodoplatinate staining of one dimensional paper chromatography of urine. All the 15 cases of homocystinuria were first treated with high dose oral pyridoxine. Only one case responded to pyridoxine therapy. All the other patients were started on a low methionine, High cysteine diet with folate supplementation. Only one patient showed a complete response to dietary therapy. Nonavailability and high cost of the commercially available methionine-free, cysteine-supplemented diet and late diagnosis were responsible for the poor response in the majority of our patients.

Child↗
PubMed1994

Inborn errors of amino acid metabolism in north India.

We screened 2560 referred cases for inborn errors of amino acid metabolism by chemical tests and thin-layer chromatography of urine/plasma. In 62(2.4%) cases, eleven inherited Mendelian disorders of amino acids were identified. The four commonest disorders were homocystinuria, alcaptonuria, maple syrup urine disease and nonketotic hyperglycinaemia. Ornithinaemia was detected in two cases (0.08%), and phenylketonuria and cystinuria in two cases each (0.08%). Generalized hyperaminoacidurias were found in 90 (3.52%) subjects. The frequency pattern of the various amino acid disorders in North India was found to be remarkably different from that observed in the West.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗
PubMed1994

Twenty-four hour ambulatory monitoring of tremor, sweating, skin temperature and locomotor activity in the alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

An ambulatory monitor has been used to determine the characteristic patterns of tremor, sweating, skin temperature and locomotor activity in subjects undergoing alcohol withdrawal. Twenty-four hour records were obtained from six male subjects who had been consuming an average of 345 g of alcohol per day prior to cessation and from a group of age-matched controls. Consistent with earlier research and clinical observation, tremor, sweating and locomotor activity were elevated in withdrawal subjects. Sweating was greatest in the period from approximately 00.00 h to 06.00 h, as was skin temperature. Tremor and activity levels decreased during this period, but were considerably higher in withdrawal subjects. The data suggest that 24-h monitoring of alcohol withdrawal using objective methods provides a more sensitive assessment technique than the standard clinical approaches. The technique may be of value in other dysautonomic states.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Expression of hepatitis E virus putative structural proteins in recombinant vaccinia viruses.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a polyadenylated, positive-stranded RNA virus which is a major cause of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis in many developing countries. The viral genome contains three different open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1, which is believed to encode nonstructural proteins, and ORF2 and ORF3, which are believed to encode structural proteins. The full-length putative structural proteins encoded by ORF2 and ORF3 of HEV have been cloned and expressed in recombinant vaccinia virus. Proteins encoded by ORF2 and ORF3 when expressed in vaccinia virus are recognized by pooled sera obtained from individuals with acute hepatitis E. Vaccinia-expressed viral gene products of HEV will have utility in characterizing the cell-mediated immune response to HEV.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Neonatal haematology in Zimbabwe. I: The platelet parameters.

Platelet parameters were determined in 600 full term healthy Zimbabwean neonates using a Coulter Counter Model S Plus. The mean +/- s.d. values obtained with ranges were: Platelet count 235 +/- 67 (range 100-410) x 10(9) l-1; Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) 9.5 +/- 1.0 (range 7.1-13.9) fl; Plateletcrit (PCT) 0.269 +/- 0.058 (range 0.142-0.524) and Platelet Distribution Width (PDW) 16.8 +/- 1.0 (range 12.2-19.8). Although platelet counts in this study were comparable to those established by others in both Black and Caucasian infants, the female Zimbabwean neonates had significantly higher counts than the males (p < 0.001). An inverse relationship between the number of circulating platelets and their MPV was also observed. Further studies are needed to delineate the range of normality of these platelet measurements in the African neonate so that abnormal cases can be adequately screened, investigated and appropriately treated.

Black People↗
PubMed1993

Entamoeba histolytica cyst passers. Clinical profile and spontaneous eradication of infection.

The present study was carried out to examine whether Entamoeba histolytica cyst passers suffer from any parasite-related bowel symptoms and to assess the frequency of spontaneous eradication of this infection. The study was carried out in two parts. In part I, stool samples were collected at random from 3536 individuals living in rural communities around Delhi. E. histolytica was isolated by the culture technique in 345 (9.7%) subjects. There was no increase in the prevalence rate of bowel symptoms in the culture-positive compared to the culture-negative subjects. One hundred twenty-four (36%) of the culture-positive subjects agreed to take part in a longitudinal study; the subjects were left untreated and clinical assessment and stool examinations were carried out at three-month intervals. One hundred eighteen (95.2%) subjects had eradicated their parasite spontaneously at the end of one year; none developed any features of invasive amebiasis. Part II of the study was carried out on 625 patients attending our Gastroenterology Clinic. Positive cultures of E. histolytica were obtained from 99 (15.2%) patients. Again, there was no increase in the prevalence rate of bowel complaints in the culture-positive compared to the culture-negative subjects. Moreover, histological appearances of the rectal biopsy specimens were not significantly different between the two groups. Twenty-eight (28.2%) patients agreed to the longitudinal study and all eradicated the parasite spontaneously within five months; none developed any evidence of invasive amebiasis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Human linear B-cell epitopes encoded by the hepatitis E virus include determinants in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

Hepatitis E virus is responsible for both sporadic and epidemic hepatitis in developing countries. The nonenveloped virus is 27-34 nm in diameter and has been shown to contain a single-strand, positive-sense, polyadenylylated RNA genome of approximately 7.5 kilobases. The nucleotide sequence of the Burma strain of hepatitis E virus has been reported and three open reading frames (ORFs) have been identified. The deduced amino acid sequence from each of these ORFs was used to synthesize overlapping peptides (decamers overlapping at every fourth amino acid) on a solid phase. These peptides were then tested in an ELISA with pooled acute-phase sera from known cases of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis collected in the Sudan. Linear B-cell epitopes were identified in all three ORFs. Epitopes were identified throughout the polyprotein encoded by ORF1, but they appeared to be particularly concentrated in the region of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Distinct epitopes were identified in the presumed structural protein encoded by ORF2, and one epitope was identified close to the carboxyl terminus of the protein encoded by ORF3. These data precisely pinpoint linear B-cell epitopes recognized by antibodies from patients with acute hepatitis E and identify an antibody response directed against the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Acute sporadic hepatitis E in children living in Cairo, Egypt.

Seventy-three pediatric patients with acute hepatitis and 19 control patients without liver disease living in Cairo, Egypt, were evaluated with a newly developed Western blot assay for IgM antibody to hepatitis E virus (IgM anti-HEV). The mean age of acute hepatitis patients was 6.4 years (range, 1-13 years); 56% were male. Among the 73 acute cases, hepatitis A was diagnosed in 30 (41%), possible acute hepatitis B in three (4%), hepatitis E in nine (12%), and by exclusion, non-A, non-B hepatitis in 29 (40%). Two additional acute cases were positive for both IgM anti-HAV and IgM anti-HEV. None of the 19 control subjects had IgM anti-HEV. Parenteral risk factors were associated with cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis but were not associated with acute hepatitis E. Contact with a family member with jaundice was associated with acute hepatitis A. In contrast to prior epidemics of enterically-transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis, HEV was found to be a common cause of acute hepatitis in a pediatric population. This study provides additional evidence that HEV may be a frequent cause of acute sporadic hepatitis among children living in some developing countries.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Acute sporadic hepatitis E in Sudanese children: analysis based on a new western blot assay.

A newly developed Western blot assay for antibody to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) was used to evaluate 39 cases of acute pediatric hepatitis and 39 control patients in Khartoum, Sudan. The mean age of cases was 6.5 years (range, 2-14); 64% were male. Acute hepatitis A (IgM anti-HAV-positive) was diagnosed in 13 cases, acute hepatitis B (IgM anti-HBc-positive) in 1, and acute hepatitis E (positive for IgM anti-HEV) in 23 (59%). None of the cases with IgM anti-HAV or IgM anti-HBc had IgM anti-HEV; 3 controls had IgM anti-HEV. Acute hepatitis E was associated with recent contact with a family member or acquaintance with jaundice and the presence of indoor plumbing. The newly developed hepatitis E assay appeared to be specific for the diagnosis of acute icteric non-A, non-B hepatitis. Hepatitis E was found to be the most common cause of acute sporadic hepatitis in children living in an urban area of Africa.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Characterization of shared antigens of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Fusobacterium necrophorum.

Fusobacterium nucleatum and Fusobacterium necrophorum are gram-negative, non-spore-forming anaerobic rods, frequently isolated from the normal flora and diseased lesions of the human oral cavity, gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. F. necrophorum is also known to be an animal pathogen. Studies were undertaken with rabbit anti-F. nucleatum sera and with human adult periodontitis (AP) sera that demonstrated the sharing of antigens between the two species. Immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis studies of Fusobacterium species with rabbit anti-F. nucleatum sera demonstrated the presence of shared antigen(s) between F. nucleatum and F. necrophorum. Adsorption studies of AP sera in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated the presence of antibodies reacting with the shared antigens of the two species. Immunoblot (IB) analysis of a soluble protein preparation of the two species of Fusobacterium, when allowed to react with rabbit anti-F. nucleatum 10197 serum, demonstrated 53 kDa and 30 kDa bands present in members of the two species. Further, IB analysis of protein preparations of the two species with AP sera indicated the presence of antibodies reacting with the shared 53 kDa band and in some cases the 30 kDa band. During serological testing with antisera or host immune studies with human sera to these species, the presence of shared antigens must be considered.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

In vitro effect of albendazole and fenbendazole on the histochemical localization of some enzymes of Trichuris globulosa (Nematoda: Trichuridae).

Trichuris globulosa (Nematoda: Trichuridae) incubated in 10 micrograms/ml and 50 micrograms/ml concentrations of albendazole and fenbendazole in Tyrode's solution were stained for histoenzymic demonstration of various phosphatases and oxidoreductases. The intestine, muscles and bacillary band showed major alterations after the drug treatment. The strong reaction of the various mitochondrial enzymes and ATPase suggests a possible respiratory role of the bacillary band in this species. The most noticeable effect of these two drugs especially the higher concentrations on the intestine was the disruption of its epithelium with the release and scattering of the enzymic activity of the various enzymes such as SDH, GDH (only fenbendazole treatment), NADPH-D and NADH-D. The functional significance of these enzymes has been fully discussed.

Albendazole↗
PubMed1992

Histoenzymic effects of thiophenate and fenbendazole on the absorptive surfaces of Haemonchus contortus.

In vitro alterations induced by a 10 micrograms/ml and 50 micrograms/ml dose each of thiophenate and fenbendazole on the absorptive surfaces of Haemonchus contortus (Nematoda: Trichostrongylidae) were studied. The most significant changes were induced in the gut epithelium. Alkaline phosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase activities were decreased, succinic dehydrogenase activity was increased, while acid phosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase were completely lost from the intestinal epithelium after treatment with either of the drugs. A stimulatory effect of these two anthelmintics was observe on lactic dehydrogenase and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide diaphorase distribution. Thiophenate caused an increase in the activities of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) and nonspecific esterases and a decrease in reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-D) activity. Fenbendazole treatment led to the inhibition of GDH, while G-6-PD, NADPH-D, cytochrome oxidase, monoamine oxidase and nonspecific esterase activity remained unaltered in the epithelium.

Absorption↗