Palm pilot dementia.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Sethi.
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BACKGROUND: Basilar invagination can be difficult to diagnose with plain radiography in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Although numerous radiographic criteria have been described, few studies have addressed the reliability of these parameters in the rheumatoid population. The purpose of the present study was to validate and compare the most widely accepted plain radiographic criteria for basilar invagination in this patient population. METHODS: Cervical radiographs of 131 rheumatoid patients were examined. Of these patients, sixty-seven (twenty-nine with basilar invagination and thirty-eight without it) were also evaluated with tomograms, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or sagittally reconstructed computed tomography scans to detect the presence of basilar invagination. Three observers who were blinded with regard to the diagnosis independently scored each radiograph as positive, negative, or indeterminate according to the established criteria for invagination proposed by Clark et al., McRae and Barnum, Chamberlain, McGregor, Redlund-Johnell and Pettersson, Ranawat et al., Fischgold and Metzger, and Wackenheim. Interobserver and intraobserver variability, sensitivity, specificity, total percentage of correct results, and negative and positive predictive values were determined for each criterion as well as for various combinations of the criteria. RESULTS: No single test had a sensitivity and a negative predictive value of greater than 90% as well as a reasonable specificity and a reasonable positive predictive value. The combination of the Clark station, the Redlund-Johnell criterion, and the Ranawat criterion, scored as positive for basilar invagination if any of the three were positive, proved to be better than any single criterion; the sensitivity of the combined criteria was 94%, and the negative predictive value was 91%. CONCLUSIONS: A screening test for basilar invagination should have a high sensitivity and a high negative predictive value, so that the disease will not be missed, and yet be specific, so that the disease will not be overdiagnosed. Our data suggest that none of the widely utilized plain radiographic criteria meet these goals. We recommend that measurements be made according to the methods described by Clark et al., Redlund-Johnell et al., and Ranawat et al. and, if any of these suggests basilar invagination, tomography or magnetic resonance imaging should be performed. Since approximately 6% of the cases of basilar invagination in rheumatoid patients would still be missed with this approach, tomography or magnetic resonance imaging should be performed on a rheumatoid patient whenever plain radiographs leave any doubt about the diagnosis of basilar invagination.
PURPOSE: To compare and assess the efficacy of eye ointment and adhesive tape for protection of eyes under general anaesthesia. METHODS: One hundred and fifty patients (300 eyes) undergoing general anaesthesia for > 90 min for non-ophthalmic procedures were divided randomly into three groups (C, T & O). Eyes in group C were left as control, in group T hypoallergen tape was applied and in group O chloromycetin ointment was used. In all eyes basal tear production and visual acuity was assessed and corneal examination was carried out after fluorescein staining both before and after surgery. All the patients were subjected to a conventional general anaesthesia technique. RESULTS: General anaesthesia reduced basal tear production irrespective of the method of eye protection used (P < 0.0001). The overall incidence of corneal epithelial defects was 10%, of which 90% occurred in the control group, 6.6% in the tape and 3.3% in the ointment group. There was no difference between pre and post operative visual acuity (P : NS). Corneal injuries were more common in the dependent eye in the lateral position and the incidence of corneal epithelial defects did not alter with increase in duration of surgery. CONCLUSION: During general anaesthesia eyes need protection either by tape or ointment as incidence of corneal injuries is greater in unprotected eyes.
We used a genetic assay to monitor the behavior of sister chromatids during the cell cycle. We show that the ability to induce sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) with ionizing radiation is maximal in budded cells with undivided nuclei and then decreases prior to nuclear division. SCE can be induced in cells arrested in G2 using either nocodazole or cdc mutants. These data show that sister chromatids have two different states prior to nuclear division. We suggest that the sister chromatids of cir. III, a circular derivative of chromosome III, separate (anaphase A) prior to spindle elongation (anaphase B). Other interpretations are also discussed. SCE can be induced in cdc mutants that arrest in G2 and in nocodazole-treated cells, suggesting that mitotic checkpoints arrest cells prior to sister chromatid separation.
STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of clinical data was conducted. OBJECTIVES: To determine the characteristics of infantile scoliosis in Marfan syndrome and the response to treatment of patients with this condition. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: No previous study has reported the features of this condition nor the effect of treatment on patients with this syndrome. METHODS: The data on all patients seen at one institution who had Marfan syndrome and scoliosis by age three were reviewed. Fourteen of the 600 patients from the group examined who had Marfan syndrome fit the above criteria. Skeletal and general features were studied. RESULTS: Thirteen of the 14 patients had no family history of Marfan syndrome, a finding which does not fit the usual autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. All 14 patients had exaggeration of the Marfan. All but one patient had cardiac valvular insufficiency that required repair by age 11. Thirteen patients had thoracic aortic aneurysm, 10 had lens dislocation, and eight had sternal deformity. Three patients had hip dislocations, two had pyloric stenosis, and two had dural ectasia. Motor delay was evidenced by onset of walking past 18 months in nine patients; three of these patients were never able to walk independently. One patient each died at ages 1, 3, 4, and 8 years; all others have survived to present (mean age, 13 years). The mean curve of the patients' spines at presentation was 38 degrees. Eleven curves were double major, two were thoracolumbar, and one was double thoracic. Brace wear did not halt curve progression in any of the nine patients for whom it was used. Instrumentation without fusion was used in three patients for a mean of 3 years, with best results in one nonkyphotic curve. Nine patients underwent instrumented fusion at a mean age of 6.6 years (range, 3-13 years). Mean curve correction was 51% (from 72 degrees to 34 degrees). Final mean curve was 54 degrees for a mean correction of 20% at the 5-year (average, 5.4 years) follow-up examination. Acute complications occurred in three patients, and five patients needed a second surgery for late complications. Causes for curve increase after surgery included growth and loss of fixation. CONCLUSIONS: In this most severe form of Marfan syndrome, bracing has a limited role and is only to be used if the curve is less than 40 degrees. Surgery should not be performed on a patient younger than four years of age because many patients with large curves before this age will succumb spontaneously to cardiac complications. Instrumentation without fusion should be considered only for patients with no significant kyphosis. Results of fusion are better for patients who are older than five years of age.
Bovine beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta-1,4-GT; EC 2.4.1.90) belongs to the glycosyltransferase family and as such shares a general topology: an N-terminal cytoplasmic tail, a signal anchor followed by a stem region and a catalytic domain at the C-terminal end of the protein. cDNA constructs of the N-terminal deleted forms of beta-1,4-GT were prepared in pGEX-2T vector and expressed in E. coli as glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins. Recombinant proteins accumulated within inclusion bodies as insoluble aggregates that were solubilized in 5 M guanidine HCl and required an 'oxido-shuffling' reagent for regeneration of the enzyme activity. The recombinant beta-1,4-GT, devoid of the GST domain, has 30-85% of the sp. act. of bovine milk beta-1,4-GT with apparent Kms for N-acetylglucosamine and UDP-galactose similar to those of milk enzyme. Deletion analyses show that both beta-1,4-GT and lactose synthetase activities remain intact even in the absence of the first 129 residues (pGT-d129). The activities are lost when either deletions extend up to residue 142 (pGT-d142) or Cys134 is mutated to Ser (pGT-d129C134S). These results suggest that the formation of a disulfide bond involving Cys134 holds the protein in a conformation that is required for enzymatic activity.
Sister chromatic exchanges (SCE) and chromosome aberrations (CA) in mice after in vivo exposure of Green S were carried out following single acute treatment. Except for the lowest dose (25 mg/kg body weight) a significant increase in the SCEs were observed in all the other doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) tested. In CA study two higher doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) showed a significant increase in CA when compared with control. The minimum effective dose which induced SCE and CA was 50 and 200 mg/kg of body weight, respectively. The trend tests for the evidence of dose response effects were also significant for both SCE and CA. No significant differences were observed in cell replication kinetic (RI) analysis. A significant increase in the mitotic index (MI) was also observed in the highest dose (400 mg/kg) tested when compared with control. Thus the present study indicates that Green S can induce both SCE and CA in vivo in bone marrow cells of mice.
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A survey programme was organised in Lucknow and Farrukhabad, two towns of Uttar Pradesh, from March 1987 to July 1987. During the survey, the common folk medicine plants used by women were recorded and Ayurvedic and Unani drug encyclopedias were consulted for the antireproductive potential of these plants. Aqueous or 90% ethanol extracts of the plants of interest were studied in rats orally dosed for 10 days after insemination with special reference to effects on foetal development. Leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera and Adhatoda vasica were 100% abortive at doses equivalent to 175 mg/kg of starting dry material. Only the flowers of Acacia arabica and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis appeared to lack teratologic potential at the doses tested.
Centbucridine, a new local anaesthetic, was tested in in vivo genotoxicity assays. Three different endpoints were selected for this purpose. Chromosome aberrations (CA) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) were analysed in bone marrow cells and DNA-strand breaks (SB) were measured in liver cells of mice following a single acute exposure. No significant differences were observed in the CA, SCE and SB studies, when compared with respective controls. An increase in the mitotic indices (MI) was observed only with the lowest dose tested in the CA study. No significant differences in the MI were observed with the two higher doses tested when compared with solvent controls. Trend tests for linear dose response were negative in all the parameters examined including MI. The overall results of the three endpoints tested indicated that centbucridine was not genotoxic in the mouse.
Described are the susceptibility of the Indian langur (Presbytis entellus) to Leishmania donovani and the consequent haematological and serum biochemical changes. The host response to antileishmanial chemotherapy and the immunological profile were also examined. Each langur was inoculated intravenously with 1 x 10(8) amastigotes; a spleen biopsy carried out on day 35 post-infection (p.i.) revealed 10-13 L. donovani bodies per 500 cell nuclei, which reached a maximum of 130-195 at death (day 105-110 p.i.). The infected monkeys lost body weight, developed severe anaemia, lymphocytosis, hyperproteinaemia, hypergammaglobulinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and an increase in the level of alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase (AAT). Treatment with sodium stibogluconate (60 mg Sb5+ per kg body weight intramuscularly for 10 days) reduced the number of spleen parasites (0-1 amastigotes per 500 cell nuclei) but after the therapy the parasites appeared in the skin, which had previously been free of infection. Relapse occurred on day 30 post-treatment (10-24 amastigotes per 500 cell nuclei) and the parasites were resistant to repeat intensive therapy (120 mg Sb5+ per kg per day x 30 days). The stibogluconate treatment caused a proportionate reduction in the haematological and biochemical parameters to normal values except for alkaline phosphatase and AAT, which remained elevated. The level of IgG antibodies, which rose during the infection, rapidly fell to the pretreatment value following the first therapeutic schedule and then increased a second time coinciding with relapse. Our findings suggest that langurs could serve as acceptable models for human visceral leishmaniasis.
Hyperimmune sera (HIS), raised against crude giardia antigen, on in vitro interaction, caused more agglutination of Giardia lamblia trophozoites. Heat inactivated HIS possessed a comparable agglutinating activity as the non-inactivated controls. Non-inactivated normal (unimmunized) serum caused immobilization of Giardia trophozoite, which was checked on heat inactivation. Antibodies in immune sera are mainly responsible for agglutination, whereas the heat labile non-immune components control the mobility of the intestinal parasite.
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Previous analysis of cdc20 mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggests that the CDC20 gene product (Cdc20p) is required for two microtubule-dependent processes, nuclear movements prior to anaphase and chromosome separation. Here we report that cdc20 mutants are defective for a third microtubule-mediated event, nuclear fusion during mating of G1 cells, but appear normal for a fourth microtubule-dependent process, nuclear migration after DNA replication. Therefore, Cdc20p is required for a subset of microtubule-dependent processes and functions at multiple stages in the life cycle. Consistent with this interpretation, we find that cdc20 cells arrested by alpha-factor or at the restrictive temperature accumulate anomalous microtubule structures, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence. The anomalous microtubule staining patterns are due to cdc20 because intragenic revertants that revert the temperature sensitivity have normal microtubule morphologies. cdc20 mutants have a sevenfold increase in the intensity of antitubulin fluorescence in intranuclear spindles compared with spindles from wild-type cells, yet the total amount of tubulin is indistinguishable by Western immunoblot analysis. This result suggests that Cdc20p modulates microtubule structure in wild-type cells either by promoting microtubule disassembly or by altering the surface of the microtubules. Finally, we cloned and sequenced CDC20 and show that it encodes a member of a family of proteins that share homology to the beta subunit of transducin.
Glaxo Laboratories, Bombay, have prepared a potent tetanus vaccine of 250 Lf as a substitute of the previous 5 Lf tetanus vaccine. The safety evaluation of the vaccine has been reported, but the teratogenic potential was not studied. In the experiment reported herein we have studied the teratogenic action of the vaccine in the progeny of rabbits. No congenital anomalies were observed.
Polymer styrene maleic anhydride dissolved in dimethyl sulphoxide was injected intravasally to rhesus monkeys at the dose levels of 100 mg, 250 mg, and 500 mg in each vas deferens in low, high, and highest dose groups respectively, while control group received 0.5 ml DMSO in each vas deferens. The systemic toxicity study of the implant was carried out for 90 d. There had been no alteration in any of the toxicity parameters, ie, body weight, haematological, biochemical or histopathological, in the test animals as compared to control animals. Hence, it is concluded that the polymer SMA injected at above doses appears to be safe in our experiment.
A newly developed male contraceptive, styrene maleic anhydride (SMA), was injected in the vas deferens of male rhesus monkeys for safety evaluation at the dose of 100 mg (contraceptive dose, CD), 250 mg (CD x 2.5) and 500 mg (CD x 5.0), and the monkeys were kept under observation for one year. The observed behavioural, haematological, biochemical and histopathological parameters in treated monkeys were comparable to controls. The results suggest the polymer SMA to be safe up to 5 times CD in monkeys.