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Biomedical subjects

N Kaur

Publications and source records attributed to N Kaur.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for the detection of anticarbohydrate antibodies in rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

Antibodies to group A streptococcal polysaccharide were estimated in the following groups of patients: (I) Patients with uncomplicated streptococcal pharyngitis: 10 patients, followed up for 3 months. (II) Patients with acute rheumatic fever: 8 patients with first attack followed up for one year. (III) Patients with reactivated rheumatic heart disease: 10 patients, followed up for one year. (IV) Patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease: followed up for one year. (V) normal controls without any history of sore throat/fever/vaccination/rheumatic disease: 10 patients followed up for one year. Group (I) patients did not show any significant elevation in anticarbohydrate antibodies by both ELISA and RIA. In the case of (III) and (IV), antibody levels were significantly higher as compared to group (V) and remained so till one year of follow up. In group (II) patients there was no significant rise in antibody levels. There was a good correlation between the ELISA and RIA used to detect the antibody levels. These findings suggest that the use of ELISA to detect anticarbohydrate antibody can be of help in diagnosing cases of rheumatic heart disease (both acute and chronic RHD).

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗

Acyl group distributions in tissue lipids of rats fed evening primrose oil (gamma -linolenic plus linoleic acid) or soybean oil (alpha-linolenic plus linoleic acid).

Three groups of rats were fed diets with either 10 weight percent (wt%) of evening primrose oil, safflower oil or soybean oil for 11 weeks. Diets contained 7.1 wt% linoleic acid + 0.8 wt% gamma-linolenic acid, 7.6 wt% linoleic acid, or 5.3 wt% linoleic acid + 0.7 wt% alpha-linolenic acid, respectively. In liver mitochondria as well as in heart, dietary gamma-linolenic acid did not affect the fatty acid profiles of phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) or cardiolipins (CL), whereas dietary alpha-linolenic acid caused an increased formation of (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The liver delta 6- and delta 5-desaturase activities determined in vitro were not affected by the dietary fats. In brain PE, which are rich in C22- and C20-(n-3) PUFA, as well as in testes PC and PE, which are rich in (n-6) PUFA, no effects were found from a partial replacement of dietary linoleic acid with gamma-linolenic acid or alpha-linolenic acid. In kidney PC, PE, phosphatidylinositol (PI) and CL, 20:3(n-6) was moderately elevated to ca. 1% following intake of gamma-linolenic acid, whereas partial replacement of linoleic acid with alpha-linolenic acid was followed by increased deposition of 22:6(n-3) in PC and PE of testes and kidney. Thus, no general effect of evening primrose oil on the content of (n-6) PUFA in rat tissue phospholipids was observed, whereas a significant incorporation of gamma-linolenic acid into liver and adipose tissue triglycerides was found.

Animals↗

Determination of marker constituents from Cissus quadrangularis Linn. and their quantitation by HPTLC and HPLC.

Four marker constituents, namely, onocer-7-ene-3 alpha, 21 beta-diol, delta-amyrin, delta-amyrone and 3,3',4,4'-tetrahydroxybiphenyl of an Ayurvedic crude drug Cissus quadrangularis Linn. are defined for standardisation purposes. 3,3',4,4'-Tetrahydroxybiphenyl has been isolated for the first time from this drug. The contents of the marker constituents were quantitatively determined by HPTLC and HPLC methods in samples collected from five different geographic zones of India.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Use of cold medications for upper respiratory tract infections in children.

Prescribing practices in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in children were studied, with particular emphasis on overuse of antibiotics, combination cold medications, and off-label use of medicines in children. Prescriptions with the diagnosis of URTI were studied over a period of 5 months in a general pediatric clinic. Out of 224 prescriptions scrutinized, a cold medication was prescribed in 88.4% of cases and 50.9% prescriptions contained a combination preparation. Antihistamines (50.9%), alpha-adrenoceptor agonist decongestants (50.0%) and opioid anti-tussives (24.5%) were the common ingredients of cold medications. Antihistamines (35.7%) were also used alone. Of the children 18.2% were receiving a drug contraindicated or not recommended in their age group. Antibiotics were prescribed in only 8.5% of cases, and for appropriate indications, reflecting a more restrained use of antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Review of a hospital experience of enterocutaneous fistula.

A retrospective analysis of records of 46 patients with enterocutaneous fistulas treated over a period of three and half years has been done. There were 28 males and 18 females, with 80% of patients being in age group of 25-35 years. Forty-five patients were postoperative and in one patient fistula occurred spontaneously. Tuberculosis was the most common underlying pathology, seen in 32.6% followed by enteric fever in 23.9%. The small intestine was the most common site for the origin of fistula, seen in 34 patients (73.9%). There were 22 patients with high output fistula and 24 with low output. For high output fistulas, enteric fever was the most common cause (45%) and ileum was the most site of origin (82%). Low output fistulas were mainly of tubercular aetiology (62%) and involved ileum in 62% of cases. Nineteen out of 22 patients of high output fistulae had sepsis. Fourteen of these had generalised peritonitis (63%) and 5 had localized intra-abdominal collections (27%). Spontaneous closure occurred in 45.6% of patients on conservative management and 37% patients underwent surgical intervention. The overall mortality was 30.4%. High output fistulae had mortality figure of 54.5% and low output fistulas 8.4%. Mortality in relation to sepsis was 63%. No patient with sepsis and without surgical intervention survived. Following surgical intervention mortality was 50% in patients who showed evidence of sepsis. Early and effective control of sepsis is the most important factor determining outcome in patients of enterocutaneous fistula.

Adolescent↗

Massive amebic liver abscess--an unusual presentation.

A 40-year-old woman presented with a huge lump in the right half of the abdomen and irregular menses. Ultrasonography showed a cystic lump with septations, extending from the upper abdomen to the pelvis; the right ovary was not seen. On exploration, there was a large cyst arising from the right lobe of the liver; the aspirate was bilious. Since the cyst wall was adherent to retroperitoneal structures, complete excision was not possible. A roux-en-Y loop of jejunum was anastomosed to the cyst wall. Biopsy of the wall showed inflammatory granulation tissue with trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica. She was treated with metronidazole, and recovered uneventfully.

Adult↗