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Biomedical subjects

S K Bhattacharya

Publications and source records attributed to S K Bhattacharya.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Pre- & post-treatment evaluation of immunological features in Indian visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients with HIV co-infection.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection in patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar in endemic areas has posed a major challenge in control programmes. We undertook this study to identify the high risk groups vulnerable to Leishmania-HIV co-infection in VL endemic State of Bihar, India. Further, immunological responses were also evaluated in these patients before and after treatment for VL to see the immune impairment associated with CD4 T cell count. METHODS: A total of 1511 subjects attending Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre (VCTC) at Patna, Bihar were included in this study. VL was confirmed by splenic or bone marrow aspirates testing for parasite. HIV states was confirmed by two kits. Immunological parameters (CD4, CD8, IFN-gamma, IL-4) were studied in co-infection patients. RESULTS: Of the 280 (18.53%) HIV-positive individuals, eight were diagnosed serologically and pathologically as VL patients co-infected with HIV. The humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated in 18 Indian VL patients with (n = 8) or without HIV (n = 10) and 10 HIV seropositive subjects. Among the eight confirmed cases of VL, false negative direct agglutination test (DAT) result was observed in two who had HIV co-infection (sensitivity 80%), while none in 10 other VL cases who were HIV negative (sensitivity 100%). A very low CD4 cell count was observed in VL cases that had HIV co-infection compared to HIV negative VL or controls. All VL cases with or without HIV infection had lower Th1/Th2 ratio compared to controls. VL patients with or without HIV infection responded well to anti-leishmanial/anti-retroviral therapy with considerable degree of immunological reconstitution. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: A different immune response was noticed in patients with co-infection of HIV and Leishmania. Anti-leishmanial drug treatment led to improvement in immunological response in co-infected patients. Further studies need to be done to see the effect of combined therapy for VL and HIV on immunological parameters in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Childhood visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani and transmitted by the bite of infected sandfly Phlebotomus argentipes. Nearly half of the VL cases occur in children (childhood or paediatric VL). The clinical manifestations of childhood VL are more or less same as in the adults. Prolonged fever with anorexia and loss of appetite are the major presenting features. Marked enlargement of the spleen and liver (spleen larger than liver) with moderate to severe anaemia and changes in hair take place. Bacterial infection is a common coinfection and intestinal parasitic infestations are very common in children with VL. Liver function tests, blood, urine and stool may show abnormalities. Confirmation of diagnosis is made by demonstration of parasite by microscopic examination and culture of materials obtained by bone marrow aspiration or splenic puncture. Sodium antimony gluconate (stibogluconate) has been the drug of choice for over past 50 yr. Pentamidine isothionate, though effective is relatively toxic. Amphotericin B is the most effective drug for the treatment of VL. Miltefosine is the first-ever oral drug, is highly effective. Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in children poses a therapeutic challenge. In the absence of an ideal vaccine for VL, control measures would essentially include prevention of transmission through vector control and community awareness.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2006

Vector control in leishmaniasis.

Indoor residual spraying is a simple and cost effective method of controlling endophilic vectors and DDT remains the insecticide of choice for the control of leishmaniasis. However resistance to insecticide is likely to become more widespread in the population especially in those areas in which insecticide has been used for years. In this context use of slow release emulsified suspension (SRES) may be the best substitute. In this review spraying frequencies of DDT and new schedule of spray have been discussed. Role of biological control and environment management in the control of leishmaniasis has been emphasized. Allethrin (coil) 0.1 and 1.6 per cent prallethrin (liquid) have been found to be effective repellents against Phlebotomus argentipes, the vector of Indian kalaazar. Insecticide impregnated bednets is another area which requires further research on priority basis for the control of leishmaniasis. Role of satellite remote sensing for early prediction of disease by identifying the sandflygenic conditions cannot be undermined. In future synthetic pheromons can be exploited in the control of leishmaniasis.

Allethrins↗
PubMed2006

Acute diarrhoeal diseases--an approach to management.

Acute diarrhoeal diseases rank second amongst all infectious diseases as a killer in children below 5 years of age worldwide. Globally, 1.3 billion episodes occur annually, with an average of 2-3 episodes per child per year. The important aetiologic agents of diarrhoea and the guidelines for management are discussed. Management of acute diarrhoea is entirely based on clinical presentation of the cases. It includes assessment of the degree of dehydration clinically, rehydration therapy, feeding during diarrhoea, use of antibiotic(s) in selected cases, micronutrient supplementation and use of probiotics. Assessment of the degree of dehydration should be done following the WHO guidelines. Dehydration can be managed with oral rehydration salt (ORS) solution or intravenous fluids. Recently WHO has recommended a hypo-osmolar ORS solution for the treatment of all cases of acute diarrhoea including cholera. Feeding during and after diarrhoea (for at least 2-3 weeks) prevents malnutrition and growth retardation. Antibiotic therapy is not recommended for the treatmentof diarrhoea routinely. Only cases of severe cholera and bloody diarrhoea (presumably shigellosis) should be treated with a suitable antibiotic. Pilot studies in several countries have shown that zinc supplementation during diarrhoea reduces the severity and duration of the disease as well as antidiarrhoeal and antimicrobial use rate. Probiotics may offer a safe intervention in acute infectious diarrhoea to reduce the duration and severity of the illness.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Effect of fish oil on offensive and defensive factors in gastric ulceration in rats.

The effect of fish oil (FO) derived from Scomberoides commersonianus containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was studied on gastric ulcers and as well as on offensive and defensive factors in gastric mucosal damage, following experimental gastric ulceration. FO significantly reduced the severity of ulceration in gastric ulcers induced by aspirin, cold-restraint stress (CRS), alcohol, and pylorus ligation. The results also indicated the potentiality of FO in maintaining the integrity of gastric mucosa by virtue of its effect on both offensive and defensive gastric mucosal factors. It decreased the offensive acid-pepsin secretion and augmented the defensive factors like mucin secretion, cellular mucus and life span of mucosal cells following pylorus ligation. FO significantly increased activity of anti-oxidant enzymes (catalase and glutathione peroxidase) and decreased lipid peroxidation in gastric mucosa of CRS rats. The study indicates the beneficial role of FO in gastric ulceration by inhibition of offensive mucosal factors and oxidative stress, and augmentation of defensive mucosal factors.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar)--the Bihar (India) perspective.

From a hospital-based surveillance carried out in Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India, the socio-economic, demographic and treatment response information of 737 patients admitted with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) during January 2001-December 2003, were analysed. The disease was two times higher in males than in females because of several factors including clothing pattern, sleeping habits and occupation. In Bihar, the second poorest state in India, poverty plays a major role in perpetuation of the disease, contributing to malnutrition, illiteracy (60%), and poor housing (82%). Further, presences of peri-domestic animal shelters around houses (63%) and vegetations (77%) facilitate breeding of sand fly vector. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were similar in the age groups <12 years and >12 years. The increasing unresponsiveness of VL patients to conventional anti-leishmanial drugs, e.g. sodium antimony gluconate (SAG) and pentamidine, has definitely posed a major therapeutic challenge in combating the disease. Amphotericin B, though costly, is highly effective. Miltefosine is a highly promising new oral drug for VL.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Antipyretic activity of Alstonia macrophylla Wall ex A. DC: an ethnomedicine of Andaman Islands.

PURPOSE: Alstonia macrophylla Wall ex A. DC. Leaf, used in different ailments by the Onge tribes of Little Andaman Island, India, was investigated for its antipyretic potential. METHODS: The methanol extract and its fractions were tested on normal body temperature and yeast-induced pyrexia in Wistar Albino rats. RESULTS: The leaf extract at oral doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg, and the n-butanol fractions of the extract at 50 mg/kg showed significant reduction in normal body temperature and yeast-provoked elevated temperature in a dose-dependent manner comparable to that of standard antipyretic drug paracetamol. The antipyretic effect was started at 1 h and extended for at least 5 h after the drug administration. CONCLUSIONS: The antipyretic effect was more pronounced when the fraction A and B was administered together, indicating that both the fractions may contain antipyretic compounds which produce an additive effect in combination. Phytochemically these fractions contain beta-sitosterol and ursolic acid.

Alstonia↗
PubMed2005

Most Helicobacter pylori strains of Kolkata in India are resistant to metronidazole but susceptible to other drugs commonly used for eradication and ulcer therapy.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection is very common in India, as in other developing countries, but few data exist on the susceptibility of H. pylori to antimicrobial agents commonly used for eradication here. AIM: To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of H. pylori strains from Kolkata, in eastern India. METHODS: A total of 67 H. pylori strains isolated from gastritis and peptic ulcer patients of Kolkata were examined in the study. Minimum inhibitory concentration to the antibiotics was determined by the agar dilution method. RESULTS: Most of the strains (85%) were resistant to at least 8 microg/mL of metronidazole and 7.5% strains were resistant to tetracycline, which was high when compared with other reports in India. All Kolkata strains were highly sensitive to clarithromycin, furazolidone and amoxicillin. CONCLUSIONS: Our results differed significantly from the few available reports on drug sensitivity profile of H. pylori from other parts of India, namely, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Lucknow. This finding supports the need for rigorous susceptibility testing as a guide to empirical treatment and more generally, to define the resistance patterns of H. pylori in particular geographical areas.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The burden of cholera in the slums of Kolkata, India: data from a prospective, community based study.

AIMS: To conduct a prospective, community based study in an impoverished urban site in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in order to measure the burden of cholera, describe its epidemiology, and search for potential risk factors that could be addressed by public health strategies. METHODS: The study population was enumerated at the beginning and end of the study period. Surveillance through five field outposts and two referral hospitals for acute, watery, non-bloody diarrhoea was conducted from 1 May 2003 to 30 April 2004. Data and a stool sample for culture of Vibrio cholerae were collected from each patient. Treatment was provided in accordance with national guidelines. RESULTS: From 62 329 individuals under surveillance, 3284 diarrhoea episodes were detected, of which 3276 (99%) had a stool sample collected and 126 (4%) were culture confirmed cholera. Nineteen (15%) were children less than 2 years of age, 29 (23%) had severe dehydration, and 48 (38%) were hospitalised. Risk factors for cholera included a household member with cholera during the period of surveillance, young age, and lower educational level. CONCLUSIONS: There was a substantial burden of cholera in Kolkata with risk factors not easily amenable to intervention. Young children bear the brunt not only of diarrhoeal diseases in general, but of cholera as well. Mass vaccination could be a potentially useful tool to prevent and control seasonal cholera in this community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Polymorphism of HIV-1 gag (p17) gene from female sex workers in Calcutta, India.

HIV-1 subtype C is the major subtype in India as evidenced from the analysis of specific regions within envelope and gag gene. The matrix protein (p17) of HIV-1 which is involved in several functions like the viral RNA transport, nuclear localization, assembly of pre-integration complex into host nucleus has been used to study the strain diversity among female sexworkers in Calcutta. The gene encoding for the HIV-1 matrix protein, p17 was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from blood samples of HIV-1 seropositive female sex workers (FSW) in Calcutta, India. Genes of twenty-two samples were sequenced and the phylogenetic analysis with different global strains showed that the majority (seventeen) was clustered with Indian type C. A few samples were found to be close to other C subtypes isolated from South Africa, China and Myanmar. The comparison of Calcutta samples with the samples from other regions of India along with other non-asian subtype C sequences clearly revealed a different cluster of Indian sequences. The two samples, cal 242 and cal 709 was found to be the most divergent type and showed close relatedness with African C subtypes.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Leishmania donovani: effect of therapy on expression of CD2 antigen and secretion of macrophage migration inhibition factor by T-cells in patients with visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) commonly known as Kala-azar in India is one of the several clinically important infections, where Th1 sub-population of CD4+ T-cells, despite a pre-requisite, fails to express macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) and interferon-gamma which both activate the macrophage and coordinate the immune response to intra-cellular Leishmania sp. Expression of CD2 receptors before and after antileishmanial therapy on CD4+ T-cells of VL patients and their corresponding effect on MIF were examined. Before treatment the number of T-cells expressing CD2 was low which incorporated insignificant MIF response. The immunological reconstitution was, however, observed after treatment as manifested through upregulation of CD2+ T-cells with pronounced MIF generation response. The study, therefore, identifies a possible role of CD2 antigen in immunity to VL.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Molecular epidemiology of HCV infection among acute and chronic liver disease patients in Kolkata, India.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is gaining importance in Asian countries. Recent studies conducted in different parts of the world revealed that there is a genotypic correlation of disease severity and treatment outcome. OBJECTIVES: A detailed study was carried out to delineate the genotypic distribution of HCV among acute and chronic liver disease patients in Kolkata, a city in eastern India. STUDY DESIGN: Acute and chronic liver disease was diagnosed among patients attending hepatitis clinics in the city. Anti-HCV ELISA was performed on the blood samples of the cases and positive samples were tested for presence of HCV-RNA and genotyping of the samples were carried out by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing. RESULTS: Seroprevalence of HCV infection among acute (11.0%) and chronic (25.3%) hepatitis patients were high and among them 97 (75.8%) and 323 (86.1%) were HCV-RNA positive for acute and chronic hepatitis patients, respectively. Genotyping by PCR showed that the predominant genotype was 3b (42.3%) followed by 3a (28.9%) among acute hepatitis group whereas among chronic hepatitis group, the most prevalent genotypes were 3a (34.7%) and 3b (47.7%). Sequence analysis of the untypeable isolates revealed the presence of a rare subtype 6b. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed very high prevalence of HCV among acute and chronic hepatitis patients with predominance of genotype 3. Subtype 6b was commonly found in Thailand but not in India. The detection of this rare strain of Thai origin reveals the spread of HCV infection from Thailand to other parts of Asia. This observation necessitates further intensive surveillance of HCV infection in India to unravel the distribution of genotypes in the country and to correlate disease severity and treatment outcome to the genotype prevalence.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Periodic deworming with albendazole and its impact on growth status and diarrhoeal incidence among children in an urban slum of India.

This study was undertaken to measure the impact of periodic deworming with albendazole on growth status and incidence of diarrhoea in children aged 2-5 years in an urban setting in India and to assess the feasibility of local health workers implementing the procedures involved. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, community-based intervention trial with 702 children randomly allocated to receive either albendazole or placebo. The two study groups received two doses of albendazole (400 mg) or placebo six months apart. Mean weight increased significantly in the albendazole group compared to the control group at three months, six months and nine months following treatment (P<0.01, P<0.01 and P<0.001 respectively). The albendazole group also experienced fewer episodes of diarrhoea than their control counterparts (relative risk 1.3, 95% CI 1.07-1.53) with a 28% reduction. The health workers administered the correct dosage satisfactorily and there were no adverse effects. Thus, periodic mass deworming with albendazole would seem to be a safe and effective method that could be adopted at the community level or as an integral part of school health services and could be expected to improve growth and reduce the incidence of diarrhoea in children.

Albendazole↗
PubMed2005

Dairy farm investigation on Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Kolkata, India with emphasis on molecular characterization.

An investigation was conducted to determine the distribution, virulence gene profile and phenotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains within a dairy farm in Kolkata, India by characterizing the STEC strains isolated from healthy dairy cow and calf stool samples, raw milk and farm floor swabs from July 2001 to March 2002. Primary screening by multiplex-PCR detected stx1 and stx2, the common virulence genes of STEC, in 18.9% of cow faeces, 32.4% of calf stool samples, 21.6% of farm floor swabs and 4.5% of raw milk samples and viable STEC were recovered from 4.5, 9.9, 8.1 and 1.8% of the corresponding PCR-positive samples. Strains harbouring stx1 (63.3%) and hlyA (53.3%) were frequently detected compared to eae (13.3%). Most of the strains harboured similar sets of reported virulence genes common among isolates from diarrhoea patients. Most of the strains also exhibited multidrug resistance, sorbitol fermentation and produced enterohaemolysin. The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR (RAPD-PCR) profile of the STEC strains isolated from the farm milieu revealed diverse banding patterns and clonal analysis demonstrated that the strains from different sources were not identical but showed some genetic relatedness. The study demonstrates the potential of dairy farm for housing virulent STEC.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Species diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Shigella spp. isolated between 2001 and 2004 from hospitalized children with diarrhoea in Kolkata (Calcutta), India.

The incidence, phenotypic characteristics and antimicrobial resistance patterns of 193 Shigella strains isolated from 2489 hospitalized children with acute diarrhoea were studied during January 2001 to August 2004. S. flexneri (60%) was the most prevalent serogroup, followed by S. sonnei (23.8%), S. dysenteriae (9.8%) and S. boydii (5.7%). Since 2002, S. flexneri 2a was the most dominant serotype. Almost all S. flexneri strains exhibited resistance to ampicillin, co-trimoxazole, tetracycline, nalidixic acid and fluoroquinolones. After a lapse of almost 14 years, S. dysenteriae type 1 strains reemerged for the first time during 2002 and these strains were resistant to more than two antibiotics (multidrug resistance), including fluoroquinolones. An upsurge of similar resistance patterns was also noted among S. flexneri type 2a since December 2003. Resistance to fluoroquinolone increased year on year among S. dysenteriae type 1 and S. flexneri, but not in S. boydii or S. sonnei. Monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility through a surveillance programme is recommended to select appropriate antibiotics for the effective treatment of shigellosis in this region.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2005

Host preference of Phlebotomus argentipes and Phlebotomus papatasi in different biotopes of West Bengal, India.

Host preference Phlebotomus argentipes and Phlebotomus papatasi in different biotopes was investigated in two highly endemic Kala-azar districts of West Bengal, India for a better understanding of the transmission dynamics. Blood meals of 304 P. argentipes and 206 P. papatasi, collected from different biotopes from two Kala-azar affected districts in West Bengal, were tested against seven different antisera by modified Ouchterlony gel diffusion techniques. It appeared that host preference of P. argentipes varied widely in different biotopes, which is mainly zoophilic (62.80%), preferring to feed on man as the second choice (24.92%); however it is also a "chance feeder" according to biotopes. Multiple blood meals are also prevalent in P. argentipes at a much higher rate than that of P. papatasi. The implication in relation to epidemiological significance has been discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation of a dot-immunoblot assay for detecting leishmanial antigen in naturally infected Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera: Psychodidae).

A simple and highly reproducible dot-immunoblot assay was developed to detect leishmanial antigen in Phlebotomus argentipes that were naturally infected with Leishmania donovani. The test was sensitive to as little as 10 ng of antigenic protein (equivalent to the gut content of one laboratory-infected sandfly) and also appeared to be specific, in that it gave a positive result with some P. argentipes (the primary vector of L. donovani in India) and L. donovani but not with P. papatasi or other pathogens. When used to investigate a large number of sandflies collected from two areas of the Indian state of Bihar where visceral leishmaniasis is endemic, the assay appeared sufficiently sensitive and specific to detect the naturally infected insects. The simplicity, reproducibility, high sensitivity and high specificity of the assay should make it useful for field studies, particularly in determining the prevalence of sandfly infection, the local level of transmission, and the impact of vector-control programmes.

Animals↗