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Biomedical subjects

M M Bapat

Publications and source records attributed to M M Bapat.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Parental history of allergy, maternal serum IgE & cord serum IgE.

BACKGROUND: Allergic reactions are responsible for much illness, irritation and disquiet in the life of the child. Recognition and management of allergy in childhood is of great importance to prevent major allergic syndromes. AIM: To correlate cord serum IgE with parental history of allergy and maternal serum IgE. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: In consultation with the attending gynecologist a survey of 950 pregnant women from different parts of Mumbai, visiting gynecology clinics was carried out. METHOD: 100 pregnant women were randomly recruited for the study. Allergic history of both the parents was collected. Blood samples of mothers and matched cord blood samples were collected. Total serum IgE levels were determined using solid-phase immunoradiometric assay. Total serum IgA from each cord blood sample was checked. OBSERVATION & RESULTS: (1) Positive correlation was observed between cord serum IgE and matched maternal serum IgE, with mothers having history of allergy. (2) There was no relation (P=0.99) between cord serum IgE and matched maternal serum IgE, where mothers had no history of allergy. (3) A significant elevation in cord serum IgE was found only with maternal but not with paternal history of allergy. (4) No elevation was found in cord serum IgE (0.5 IU/mL). (6) All cord serum samples had IgA< 0.06 IU/mL ruling out the possibility of contamination with maternal blood. CONCLUSION: The maternal history of allergic disease is associated with an elevated cord serum IgE among newborns. Cord serum IgE is a simple, non-invasive and convenient test, which can supplement the maternal history to provide more discriminative information about the allergic status of the newborn.

Female↗
PubMed2004

A comparative study of the subcellular distribution of native and deglycosylated gelonin in rat liver and kidney.

Intravenous injection of gelonin and deglycosylated gelonin led to rapid clearance from the blood. Both molecules distributed similarly in liver and kidney suggesting that they followed the same pathway. Deglycosylation reduced the uptake by a third in liver, but did not affect uptake by kidney. Studies with Triton WR1339 showed a classical lysosomal pathway for both molecules. The deglycosylated molecule was degraded to a greater extent than native gelonin as seen by the presence of acid soluble radioactivity. Cell separation showed that while endothelial cells mainly took up native gelonin, Kupffer cells took up the deglycosylated molecule.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Isolation and purification of an extracellular protease from a new strain of Bacillus subtilis, viz.NCIM 2711.

A new extracellular protease having a prospective application in the food industry was isolated from Bacillus sUbtilis NCIM 2711 by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation from the cell broth. It was purified using DEAE-Cellulose and CM-Sephadex C-50 ion-exchange chromatography. With casein as a substrate, the proteolytic activity of the purified protease was found to be optimal at pH 7.0 and temperature 55 degrees C with Km 1.06 mg/ml. The enzyme was stable over a pH range 6.5-8.0 at 30 degrees C for 1 hr in presence of CaCl2 x 2H2O. At 55 degrees C, the enzyme retained 60% activity up to 15 min in presence of CaCl2 x 2H2O. EDTA and o-phenanthroline (OP) completely inhibited the enzyme activity while DFP, PMSF and iodoacetamide were ineffective. The enzyme was completely inhibited by Hg2+ and partially by Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Pb2+ and Fe2+. The OP inhibited enzyme could be reactivated by Zn2+ and Co2+ up to 75% and 69% respectively. It is a neutral metalloprotease showing a single band of 43 kDa on SDS-PAGE.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed2002

Uptake and intracellular fate of gelonin, a ribosome-inactivating protein, in rat liver.

Gelonin, a type 1 ribosome-inactivating protein, has been used as toxin conjugate for several therapeutic purposes. We have investigated the endocytosis of gelonin by rat liver in vivo. Subcellular distribution of [125I]gelonin was established after differential and isopycnic centrifugation. Fractions were analyzed for acid-soluble and acid-precipitable radioactivity. Results show that gelonin is rapidly cleared from the blood and within 15min reaches a peak (25% of total injected) in the liver. With time, radioactivity associated with the liver markedly decreases. Two important observations are made: (a) Radioactivity associated with all fractions, at any time point, is greater than 80% acid precipitable. (b) Even at 5min, a significant amount of intact gelonin is present in the cytosolic fraction. Our work suggests that, though gelonin is rapidly cleared from the blood, there are still intact molecules that have entered the cytosol where they could exert their toxic effect.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Staphylococcus warneri BW 94--a new source of lipase.

Staphylococcus isolated from a common Indian sweet viz. basundi was tested for its ability to produce lipase. The colorless zone of hydrolysis around the colony grown on Baird Parker agar containing egg yolk produced extracellular lipase. Colony morphology, coagulase production, haemolysis, acid production in carbohydrate medium and enzyme activity studies showed that the organism was Staphylococcus warneri. Growth of S. warneri was obtained after 11 hr at 37 degrees C, pH 7.5, while the maximum production of lipase was obtained at 30 degrees C at pH 6.5 after 9 hr of incubation. Agitation did not increase lipase production. A sudden fall in the activity of lipase was noted after 11 hr. Addition of sucrose which is a growth stimulant for Staphylococcus, did not stimulate production of lipase by these organisms. Also, addition of oleic acid, Tween 80 or ethanol did not stimulate formation of lipase.

Ethanol↗
PubMed2001

Chickpea: a major food allergen in the Indian subcontinent and its clinical and immunochemical correlation.

BACKGROUND: The food allergy pattern of a country is influenced by the foods most commonly consumed. In India, the majority of the population consumes a vegetarian diet made up of pulse (legumes), cereals, and vegetables. In contrast to many western countries, chickpea preparations are consumed in large quantities in India. This study reports for the first time chickpea hypersensitivity reactions diagnosed with in vivo and in vitro tests. METHODS: One thousand four hundred patients visiting allergy clinics were randomly selected for the study. Those patients reporting an allergic reaction on every occasion after eating chickpea were considered history-positive. Modified prick tests were performed with chickpea and other members of the legume family on all these patients. The claims of the history-positive patients were verified with double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFCs). Proteins in chickpea extracts were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred on nitrocellulose paper. Serum specimens from history-positive patients were analyzed by immunoblot and ELISA. To verify the IgE specificity, an immunoblot inhibition assay was also performed. RESULTS: Of the 1,400 patients screened, 142 patients were history-positive to some food and 59 of these implicated chickpeas. Forty-one patients were skin test-positive and 31 were DBPCFC-positive for chickpea. The predominant symptoms after chickpea ingestion were respiratory. The ELISA results did not correlate well with the DBPCFC results; however, the skin test results correlated with DBPCFC in 75% of patients. Immunoblot analysis showed that 70, 64, 35, and 26 kD proteins were major allergens. CONCLUSIONS: Chickpea is an important source of allergen that can cause IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions ranging from rhinitis to anaphylaxis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Psocoptera spp. (book louse): a new major household allergen in Mumbai.

BACKGROUND: Exposure and sensitization to indoor allergens of house dust mites and insects is well established. However, there are no reports on the allergenicity of Psocoptera spp. (book louse). These insects are known to inhabit various terrestrial habitats such as tree bark (bark lice), old papers, books, stored food products, etc and gain entry into human dwellings through these modes. They have the potential to sensitize individuals with an occupational exposure to them. OBJECTIVE: Our objective is to use clinical and immunologic techniques to evaluate the extent of sensitization to Psocoptera in patients with nasobronchial allergy. We also have the objective to determine the extent of Psocoptera infestation in houses in Mumbai (Bombay). METHODS: An entomologic analysis of dust samples in houses in Mumbai was carried out and Psocoptera found in these samples was mass-cultured. Two hundred patients were checked for allergy to the Psocoptera extracts using skin test. Total IgE and specific IgE to Psocoptera in sera from Psocopotera-sensitive patients' sera were estimated by enzyme immunoassay. IgE-binding proteins of Psocoptera were determined by immunoblotting experiments. RESULTS: Among the 75 house dust samples from Mumbai analyzed for the presence of Psocoptera, 25% were found to be infested by Psocoptera. Strong skin sensitivity to Psocoptera was found in 20% of patients. Total IgE levels >150 IU/mL were found in these patients and high levels of specific IgE to Psocoptera were detected by ELISA. Immunoblot analysis revealed 67, 59, 43, and 27 kD proteins as major allergens of Psocoptera. CONCLUSIONS: Psocoptera is an important allergen in Mumbai as it causes IgE mediated responses in 20% of the allergic population studied.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2000

Apolipoprotein E polymorphism in non-insulin-dependent diabetics of Mumbai, India and its effect on plasma lipids and lipoproteins.

The role of apolipoproteinE (apoE) phenotypes in modulating the plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels was studied in a group of NIDDM patients and healthy individuals residing in Mumbai. The apoE phenotype frequencies were similar in the diabetic and healthy persons. The elevations in the lipid/lipoprotein levels were higher in diabetic subjects (53.3%) than in the controls (8%), showing the frequency of increase to be highest in the apoE4/4 group of diabetics, followed by apoE4/3 and apoE3/2 groups. In the controls as well, a similar trend was observed in different groups, indicating that the susceptibility to changes in lipid concentrations differs among apoE phenotypes. The apoE3/3 bearing individuals in both the categories showed close to normal lipid levels, suggesting it to be the wild type. The occurrence of apoE4 allele was higher than the apoE2 allele in diabetic individuals. Diabetic subjects with the apoE4 allele showed hypercholesterolemia, while those with apoE2 showed the presence of hypertriglyceridemia. One of the striking features of our work is a significant relationship between apoE4/3 phenotype in NIDDM persons and elevated levels of plasma triglyceride, thus suggesting a delayed catabolism of VLDL relative to production. In conclusion, the work suggests that the apoE2 and apoE4 alleles are associated with elevations in lipid levels and these changes are more pronounced in the diabetic individuals in whom most of the lipid levels were higher, indicating a gene environment/disease interaction.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Allergy to fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum).

BACKGROUND: Allergic reactions after consumption of spices are well-known. In Asia, fenugreek seeds are consumed as spices and also as medicines. Literature survey carried out does not reveal reports of allergic reactions to fenugreek. In our survey carried out on patients with food allergy, we found two cases of severe allergy to fenugreek. METHODS: We report here two cases of immediate allergy following ingestion, inhalation, and external application of fenugreek seed powder. In the first case, inhalation of the fenugreek seed powder resulted in rhinorrhea, wheezing, and fainting. The second case was of a patient with chronic asthma who developed numbness of head, facial angioedema, and wheezing after application of fenugreek paste to her scalp as a treatment for dandruff. Skin scratch test was performed with fenugreek and other members of the Leguminosae family as fenugreek also belongs to Leguminosae. Objective evidence of the reaction was obtained by conducting double-blind placebo-controlled challenges (DBPCFC). For detecting IgE binding by immunoblotting method, the proteins of the fenugreek extract were resolved using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Skin scratch tests for the patients revealed strong sensitivity to fenugreek and chickpeas. None of the controls showed such response with fenugreek extract. During DBPCFC, both patients showed > 20% drop in peak flow rate after consumption of fenugreek and chickpea. Immunoblots demonstrated binding of specific IgE from the patients' sera with the protein from extracts between 20 kD to 70 kD bands. CONCLUSION: This case report has enlarged the list of food allergens with the addition of fenugreek.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis in the immunodiagnosis of amoebiasis.

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) detection of antiamoebic antibodies in the patients' sera, has been carried out and correlated with the routine diagnostic microscopic examination of stool and pus samples. The clinically suspected amoebiasis cases were divided into two main groups, (i) proved positive for Entamoeba histolytica as detected by microscopic examination of samples, and (ii) negative for the parasite. A total 153 cases of intestinal amoebiasis were studied. CIE was positive in 27 of the 84 proved cases, and in 12 out of 69 unproved cases showing negative microscopy. A total of 59 cases of amoebic liver abscess (ALA) were studied, of which CIE was positive in 20 of the 30 proved cases of ALA and in 4 of the 29 unproved cases. Sera from patients with non-amoebic illness (n = 48) gave negative results with CIE. Similarly sera from normal healthy controls (NHC) (n = 100) and asymptomatic cyst passers (n = 75) were negative by CIE.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vitamin A status of socio-economically backward children.

A comprehensive survey was carried out to asses the Vitamin A status of pre-school (0-6 yrs). and school age (6-12 yrs.) children of socio-economically backward families from slums of Bombay and its suburbs. The Vitamin A, protein, calories and iron from the rice and dal based diet was found to be below recommended dietary allowances (RDA). Among the 1956 children surveyed 20% of the children showed low (< 20 micrograms/dl) serum vitamin A levels. 4.8% of the children were suffering from one or the other signs of Vitamin A deficiency. Rose Bengal stain test (RBST) and conjuctival impression cytology (CIC) indicted the signs of mild conjuctival xerosis and of early epithelial changes which were correlated with serum vitamin A levels. Serum iron, PCV, Hb and RBC levels were below normal. The anthropometric measurements of these children were below 50th percentile of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) standards. Due to lack of proper nutrition, the overall growth of children is either retarded or not upto the standard levels as was noted in majority of the children.

Age Distribution↗