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Biomedical subjects

N Aggarwal

Publications and source records attributed to N Aggarwal.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Metastatic placental site trophoblastic tumor: a case report.

Placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) is very rare. It is an unusual variant of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia usually confined to the uterus, although 10% of patients have metastases. The clinical behaviour of PSTT varies and despite knowledge of its histology, diagnosis of this rare form of trophoblastic disease and prediction of its biological behaviour remains difficult due to only a few cases reported in literature.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Immunization with DNA, adenovirus or both in biodegradable alginate microspheres: effect of route of inoculation on immune response.

To determine the potential for biodegradable alginate microspheres to be used as a delivery vehicle for DNA based vaccines, we constructed a plasmid, pMNe-gal-SV40, containing the bacterial beta-galactosidase (LacZ) gene under the control of the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) immediate-early promoter and the simian virus 40 (SV40) polyadenylation signal. The effect of the route of administration and co-administration of adenovirus on systemic and mucosal immune responses were investigated. Mice were inoculated orally, intranasally (i.n.), intramuscularly (i.m.), subcutaneously (s.c.) or intraperitoneally (i.p.) on days 0, 14 and 28 with microspheres containing plasmid DNA, bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAd3) or plasmid DNA + BAd3. Systemic routes of immunization (i.m., s.c. and i.p.) resulted in higher LacZ- or BAd3-specific IgG ELISA titers compared to those obtained by mucosal routes of inoculation (oral and i.n.). Mucosal immunization led to slightly higher titers of LacZ- or BAd3-specific IgA at mucosal sites compared to those obtained by the various systemic routes. All the routes of immunization induced LacZ-specific lymphoproliferation. Co-administration of BAd3 enhanced the LacZ-specific IgG response irrespective of the route of administration.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2000

Production and characterisation of two monoclonal antibodies recognising equine IgG Fc receptors.

Despite the importance of IgG Fc receptors in the regulation of various immunological mechanisms, these receptors have not been well characterised in the domesticated animals including equines. This paper describes the production of two monoclonal antibodies (CVS 59 and CVS 61) that recognise equine IgG Fc receptors. Fusions were conducted using BALB/c mice hyperimmunised with equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Hybridoma supernatants were screened on the basis of their ability to inhibit the rosetting of equine antibody coated sheep erythrocytes with equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The mAbs were then characterised for cellular distribution of the antigen by flow cytometry. Using immunoprecipitation, it was shown that both under reducing and non-reducing conditions, CVS 59 and CVS 61 precipitated a 80 and 40 kD protein, respectively. From the functional study coupled with cellular distribution and molecular weight of the antigen recognised by these mAbs, it would appear that CVS 59 and CVS 61 recognise an epitope on equine equivalent of human and murine FcgammaRIII and FcgammaRII, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Chlamydia trachomatis and human papillomavirus infection in Indian women with sexually transmitted diseases and cervical precancerous and cancerous lesions.

OBJECTIVES: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and anogenital cancers are the major health problems in Indian women but no reliable estimate of the prevalence of either genital chlamydial infection or human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in STD patients is available. The aim of this study was to detect the frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis and the most prevalent high-risk HPV type 16 (HPV 16) infection in Indian women, with STDs and precancerous and cancerous lesions of the uterine cervix by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and their comparison with those of conventional serology and antigen tests used for C. trachomatis detection. METHODS: Endocervical swabs or scrapes were collected from 50 women with STDs and 30 normal healthy women attending the STD clinics of Smt. Sucheta Kripalani Hospital, New Delhi. Scraped cervical cell specimens were also collected from 50 women with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the uterine cervix. Detection of C. trachomatis and HPV was carried out by PCR using chlamydia and HPV genome-specific oligonucleotide primers. The detection of chlamydial antigen and IgG-specific antibodies was carried out by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. RESULTS: A chlamydia plasmid-based PCR assay detected 50% (25 of 50) positivity of C. trachomatis in STD patients and HPV 16 DNA was found in 30% (15 of 50) of these cases which are significantly higher than those found in healthy controls. The PCR estimate of chlamydia was found to be higher than its reported frequency by tissue culture. The EIA could detect chlamydial antigen in only 13 cases (26%) while serological ELISA revealed evidence of chlamydia IgG-specific antibodies in 26 (52%) cases. Interestingly, in women with precancerous and cancerous lesions, the rate of HPV 16 infection was very high (52% and 72%, respectively), whereas the frequency of chlamydia infection was found to be 12-22% only. Occurrence of other sexually transmitted agents was also evaluated in the women. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first PCR estimate of genital chlamydial (50%) and HPV 16 (30%) infection in STD patients and women with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the uterine cervix in India. The PCR method seems to be a good alternative to tissue culture.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Maternal mortality associated with eclampsia and severe preeclampsia of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse factors associated with maternal mortality in eclampsia and preeclampsia. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of 69 maternal deaths due to (eclampsia-61; severe preeclampsia-8) was carried out during a period of 17 years (1982-1998). Maternal condition on admission, associated complications and principal cause of death was analysed in each case. RESULTS: Mean time interval between hospitalization and maternal death was 49.56 +/- 62.01 hrs (1-240 hrs). Twenty (28.9%) women died undelivered. Twenty-three (37.7%) women were in grade IV coma and 52.4% of eclampsia patients had recurrent convulsions (> 10) prior to admission. Associated complications in form of hemorrhage, cerebrovascular accidents, acute renal failure, jaundice, aspiration pneumonia and pulmonary oedema were 30.4, 31.8, 34.8, 18.8, 17.8, and 5.8%, respectively. Maternal mortality in eclampsia was significantly low in time period B (4.1%) when magnesium sulphate was used as an anticonvulsant. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal condition on admission and associated complications are the major determinant of maternal outcome. Use of magnesium sulphate is associated with significant reduction of maternal mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Sequence analysis of porcine adenovirus type 3 E1 region, pIX and pIVa2 genes, and two novel open reading frames.

The porcine adenovirus type 3 (PAd3) genome between map units 0 and 13.7 was sequenced and compared with similar regions of other adenoviruses. This region consists of the left inverted terminal repeat sequences involved in DNA packaging, the entire early region 1 (E1) and the protein IX (pIX) transcription unit. The lower strand contains the C-terminal end of IVa2 of the E2A transcriptional unit and two novel open reading frames (ORFs). The E1 transcription unit consists of ORFs for proteins homologous to the E1A, E1B-17k and E1B-55k of both human adenovirus type 5 (HAd5) and bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAd3). The predicted PAd3 pIX demonstrated homology with the N-terminal portion of the pIXs of HAd5 and BAd3. On the lower strand, immediately after the putative IVa2 ORF, there are two unique ORFs of 208 and 203 amino acid residues that showed homology with Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigens and other cellular transcription factors.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗
PubMed1999

Characterisation of equine T helper cells: demonstration of Th1- and Th2-like cells in long-term equine T-cell cultures.

The aim of this study was to characterise CD4+T-cells in equines, as these cells are pivotal in establishing immune responses or regulating established ones. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a pony immunised with ovalbumin were cultured in vitro in the presence of the specific antigen and autologous antigen presenting cells. During the antigen starvation phase, cells were maintained on recombinant equine IL-2. After 35 days of culture, most of the cells were CD4+, CD8-and sIg-. Cells proliferated specifically in the presence of antigen, as tested on day 42 of culture. These cells were analysed by in-situ hybridisation to detect m RNA for IL-2 and IL-4, the presence of which suggested the existence of of Th1- and Th2-like cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Pregnancy and cirrhosis of the liver.

Pregnancy in patients with cirrhosis of the liver is uncommon. We reviewed 9 pregnancies in 7 patients with cirrhosis. One patient conceived within 1 month of diagnosis and in another the disease was diagnosed during the index pregnancy. Four patients has associated portal hypertension and 1 of them conceived after lienorenal shunt. Complications associated with these pregnancies were jaundice (1) jaundice plus ascites (2) and gastrointestinal bleeding (1). In 2 patients endoscopic sclerotherapy was done during the index pregnancy. The incidence of preterm delivery was 50% (4 of 8) and the majority (75%) occurred in pregnancies where associated complications were present. There was 1 maternal death in the postpartum period due to fulminant hepatic failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We reviewed the obstetrical performance and outcome of 15 pregnancies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (study group) and compared them with 45 age and parity-matched normal pregnancies (control group). Eleven women (73.8%) were in remission phase and 4 (26.7%) had active disease at the time of conception. The time interval between disease diagnosis and the index pregnancy was 4.2 +/- 2.5 years. Two patients with renal involvement had lupus flare-up during the antenatal period. There was no case of lupus flare-up in the postpartum period. Gestational age at delivery was significantly lower in SLE patients (35.9 +/- 2.5 weeks) compared to the control group (37.4 +/- 2.2 weeks). The incidence of intrauterine growth retardation was significantly higher in the SLE patients (40%). There was no case of neonatal lupus or congenital heart block.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of semicarbazones for anticonvulsant and sedative-hypnotic properties.

A series of semicarbazones and thiosemicarbazones were synthesized and evaluated for anti-convulsant activity. Some compounds provided significant protection against Maximal Electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous strychnine induced seizures. Compound 1 was the most active in the series with activity in a dose of 30 mg/kg in the strychnine seizure pattern test and an ED50 of 10 mg/kg in the MES test. Hence it could serve as a prototype molecule for future development. Also compounds with a p-nitrophenyl substitution in place of the amino hydrogen of semicarbazone moiety showed activity in a dose of 30 mg/kg and an ED50 of 83 mg/kg in the MES test.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Biodegradable alginate microspheres as a delivery system for naked DNA.

Sodium alginate is a naturally occurring polysaccharide that can easily be polymerized into a solid matrix to form microspheres. These biodegradable microspheres were used to encapsulate plasmid DNA containing the bacterial beta-galactosidase (LacZ) gene under the control of either the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate-early promoter or the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) early promoter. Mice inoculated orally with microspheres containing plasmid DNA expressed LacZ in the intestine, spleen and liver. Inoculation of mice with microspheres containing both the plasmid DNA and bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAd3) resulted in a significant increase in LacZ expression compared to those inoculated with microspheres containing only the plasmid DNA. Our results suggest that adenoviruses are capable of augumenting transgene expression by plasmid DNA both in vitro and in vivo.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1997

The penumbra zone of a traumatic cortical lesion: a microdialysis study of excitatory amino acid release.

A cortical tissue necrosis from focal trauma expands to 150% of its initial volume within 24 hrs. It is currently unknown, whether this phenomenon is part of the primary traumatic lesion or if it involves secondary mechanisms such as the release of excitatory amino acids into the traumatic penumbra zone. A microdialysis probe was inserted for that purpose in an oblique angle into the cortex of Sprague-Dawley rats, approximately 2 mm below the brain surface. One day later a highly standardized cortical freezing lesion was induced at the brain cortex above the microdialysis probe. Dialysate was collected prior to, during, and after trauma in 10 min intervals. In each animal, it was confirmed histologically, that the tip of the microdialysis probe was localized in the grey matter in close vicinity to the primary lesion. Following induction of the trauma a statistically significant increase of the dialysate level of aspartate, glutamate, glycine, and serine was observed, whereas that of alanine was not altered throughout the experiment. The posttraumatic increase of the excitatory neurotransmitters aspartate and glutamate indicates that these amino acids are involved in the secondary lesion growth after trauma. Confirmation of this hypothesis would require that specific antagonization of these excitotoxic amino acids is inhibiting growth of the lesion.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Micronized flavonoid therapy in internal hemorrhoids of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety, efficacy and acceptability of a micronized flavonoid formulation in the treatment of internal hemorrhoids of pregnancy. METHODS: In an open study on hospital outpatients, we studied therapy with micronized diosmin 90% and hesperidin 10% for a median of 8 weeks before delivery and 4 weeks after delivery, in 50 women with acute hemorrhoids. The outcome measures were symptoms and signs of hemorrhoids; adverse effects; and acceptability of treatment. RESULT: On intention to treat analysis, 66% (95% confidence interval, range 79.1-52.9) had relief from acute symptoms by the 4th day; 53.6% (95% confidence interval, range 70-37.1, P < 0.001) fewer patients had relapse in the antenatal period. Treatment was well accepted, and did not affect pregnancy, fetal development, birth weight, infant growth and feeding. CONCLUSION: In the short term, micronized diosmin 90% and hesperidin 10% is safe, acceptable, and effective in the treatment of hemorrhoids of pregnancy.

Acute Disease↗