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M R Pakianathan

Publications and source records attributed to M R Pakianathan.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Polymyositis masquerading as mitochondrial toxicity.

A 66 year old HIV infected male heavy smoker presented with arthralgia, myalgia, and weight loss which was originally ascribed to nucleoside induced mitochondrial toxicity. Despite withdrawal of antiretroviral therapy a proximal myopathy developed. Further investigation excluded malignancy. Polymyositis was diagnosed on muscle biopsy. The patient recovered completely with oral prednisolone. This case highlights the importance of muscle biopsy in HIV infected patients whose myopathy persists despite withdrawal of antiretroviral therapy and the need for thorough investigation of non-specific symptoms in HIV infected patients who are receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Intestinal protozoa in homosexual men in Edinburgh.

Our objective was to determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoa in homosexual men attending a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic, to compare it with the prevalence in a previous study from the same clinic, and to examine the relationship, if any, between the presence of protozoa and sexual practices. Men who consecutively attended the clinic and who gave a history of having had recent sexual contact with another male were invited to provide a stool sample for protozoological examination. Diarrhoeal samples were examined by direct microscopy for trophozoites and cysts and, after staining, for Cryptosporidium spp. In all cases, a modified formol-ether method was used to concentrate protozoal cysts before microscopy. One hundred and seventy-five of the 257 men invited to participate in the study provided a stool sample. At least one species of protozoan was found in 99 (57%) men. Giardia intestinalis was identified in only 5 (3%) men. Blastocystis hominis was found in 46 (26%) men, but the presence of this protozoan was not associated with diarrhoea. Other than the prevalence of Entamoeba dispar/histolytica and G. intestinalis, which remained unchanged, the proportion of men who harboured the non-pathogenic protozoa was significantly increased from 1981/82. A correlation between oral-anal sex or peno-insertive or peno-receptive anal intercourse and the prevalence of protozoa was not found. There was also no correlation between the number of species of protozoa carried and these sexual practices. The presence of protozoa was not associated with a history of foreign travel or sexual contact with a man who had recently travelled outside the UK. The study showed that, although the prevalence of infection is low, giardiasis is still transmissible amongst homosexual men. A correlation between individual sexual practices and the prevalence of intestinal protozoa was not found.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Characterizing patients with multiple sexually acquired infections: a multivariate analysis.

It has long been recognized that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may occur concurrently hence necessitating screening in individuals attending Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinics. However there are few data on individuals with more than one concurrent STD. Individuals attending the GUM Department in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh between 1990 and 1994 with the diagnosis of HIV infection, genital warts, genital herpes, non-specific genital infection (NSGI), gonorrhoea and syphilis were included in the study. A multivariate comparison was made between those presenting with multiple concurrent STDs and a control group comprising individuals with a solitary STD with respect to year of attendance, social class, location of acquisition of infection, sex, sexual orientation and age using a logistic regression model. A total of 680 of 9265 patients in the study period had more than one concurrent STD. Individuals in lower socio-economic class were at higher risk and older individuals at lower risk of multiple concurrent STDs. Multiple sexually acquired infections are common in individuals who attend GUM clinics. Age and socio-economic class were the only significant variables. Identification of populations at highest risk for multiple infection can direct interventions against all STDs.

Adult↗