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Biomedical subjects

S Phadke

Publications and source records attributed to S Phadke.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Quality of life and gender role behavior in disorders of sexual differentiation in India.

OBJECTIVE: Culture-specific tools to assess longterm psychosocial outcomes for patients with disorders of sexual differentiation are scant. We conducted a study to develop tools for evaluating gender role behavior and health related quality of life for Indian adolescent patients with intersex disorders. We also studied factors important to parents while deciding sex of rearing for their baby. METHODS: A 29-item gender role behavior questionnaire and an 18-item health related quality-of-life questionnaire were administered to 82 healthy controls, 13 patients with intersex disorders and 18 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Internal consistency was checked by Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability using intra-class correlation coefficient. Responses of 28 parents to a questionnaire on factors affecting the decision of sex of rearing were recorded on a 5-point Likert scale in order of importance. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha was 0.92 and 0.75, and intra-class correlation coefficient 0.76 and 0.75, for the gender role behavior and quality-of-life questionnaires respectively, indicating a high degree of internal consistency and stability. The mean composite scores for healthy girls on the gender role behavior questionnaire (82.5 +/- 8.7) differed significantly from that for healthy boys (53.2 +/- 7.1, p <0.001). Factors important to parents while making decisions for sex of rearing were appearance of the genitalia, medical advice, ability to bear children and economic independence. CONCLUSIONS: We have created valid tools to study gender role behavior and quality of life in adolescent patients with intersex disorders in India. We have also identified in a quantitative way the factors of greatest importance to parents while deciding sex of rearing. These results have direct utility in the management of patients with intersex disorders in India and other similar cultures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Oxidative stress is the master operator of drug and chemically-induced programmed and unprogrammed cell death: Implications of natural antioxidants in vivo.

ROS, RNS, BRIs and ROS-RNS hybrids are produced during drug or chemical metabolism in vivo. These reactive species are instrumental to the culmination of cellular oxidative stress (OS). OS, once turned on, does not spare any vital intracellular macromolecule, such as glutathione, DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, lipids and ATP. Since concentration gradients of such components are very delicately balanced for normal cellular functioning, a gross perturbation leads to cell injury and cell death. Abundant evidence now suggests that intracellular antioxidants keep OS in check and maintain homeostasis. Our laboratory has focused on the role of OS in orchestrating various forms of cell death during drug and chemically-induced target organ toxicity and their counteraction by various natural or synthetic antioxidants in in vivo models. Despite complexity of the in vivo models, results show that metabolism of xenobiotics are invariably associated with different degrees of OS and natural antioxidants such as grape seed extract, bitter melon extract (Momordica charantia) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) which were very effective in counteracting organ toxicities by minimizing events linked to OS (lipid peroxidation and total glutathione), and CAD-mediated DNA fragmentation. Phytoextract exposure rescued cells from toxic assaults, protected genomic integrity, and minimized apoptotic, necrotic and apocrotic (oncotic necrosis) cell deaths. Pre-exposure mode was more effective than post-exposure route. Overall scenario suggests that OS may have been the prime modulator of death and/or survival programs, whereas, antioxidants may have imparted a dual role in either erasing death signals or reviving survival signals, and a combination of antioxidants may be more beneficial than a single entity to influence a number of intracellular events operating simultaneously to neutralize chaotic toxicological consequences.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed2003

Pneumococcal antigen detection in cerebrospinal fluid: a comparative study on counter immunoelectrophoresis, latex agglutination and coagglutination.

The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and predictive values of counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIE), latex agglutination (LA) and coagglutination (CoAg) tests were compared for detection of pneumococcal antigen in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients suspected of meningitis. A total of 95 CSF samples comprising 15 culture proven, 47 clinically suspected but culture negative cases of meningitis and 33 controls were screened by above tests. Among three tests, LA was found to have high sensitivity and moderately high negative predictive value than CIE and CoAg tests. However, CIE had slightly better specificity than LA and CoAg tests. Accuracywise CIE and LA tests were comparable than CoAg test. CIE and LA tests had high positive predictive value than CoAg test.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed2003

High frequency of hepatitis B virus infection in patients with beta-thalassemia receiving multiple transfusions.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) may occasionally be transmitted through transfusion of blood units that are hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative but HBV DNA positive. Children with beta-thalassemia are particularly susceptible to HBV because they receive multiple blood transfusions. These children have high infection rates despite vaccination against HBV. Post-vaccination infections may be a result of viruses harbouring surface (S)-gene mutations (e.g. G587A) in a region critical for reactivity to antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs). The true prevalence of HBV in individuals with beta-thalassemia has not been studied previously. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy patients with beta-thalassemia (median age 6 years; range 8 months to 22 years; 49 male), who had received seven to 623 (median 61) units of blood each and three doses (10/20 micro g) of HBV vaccine (Engerix B) before presentation to us, were included in the study; 50 of the 70 patients had received transfusions prior to vaccination. Enzyme-linked immunoassay for serological markers [HBsAg, antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and quantitative anti-HBs] and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Southern hybridization for molecular detection of hepatitis B, was performed on all samples. The PCR-amplified product was cloned, sequenced and the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences for the HBV S and polymerase (P) genes were analysed for mutations. RESULTS: Four of 70 (5.7%) individuals with beta-thalassemia were HBsAg positive and 14 (20%) were anti-HBc positive. The prevalence of serological markers increased with number of transfusions (P < 0.01). Of 70 patients, 53 (75.7%) had an anti-HBs titre of > 10 IU/l following vaccination and 17 (24.3%) were non-responders (< 10 IU/l); 22 (31.4%) of the 70 were DNA positive. The frequency of HBV infection in beta-thalassemia was similar in vaccine responders and non-responders. The virus was of subtype ayw (genotype D) in the five DNA-positive samples in which a 388-nucleotide region of the S gene was sequenced. Mutations occurred at 13 positions in the S gene and at 10 positions in the P gene. Hydrophobicity plots revealed differences in amino acid regions 117-165 and 195-211. Some of these amino acid substitutions coincided with the putative cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes of both S and P proteins. CONCLUSIONS: A high frequency of HBV infection was seen using molecular methods in thalassemic patients. The frequency of infection was similar in vaccine responders and non-responders. A number of mutations were observed in the S gene, which could have implications for viral replication as well as virus-host cell interaction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Molecular screening of FRAXA and FRAXE in Indian patients with unexplained mental retardation.

Fragile-X mental retardation is the commonest form of inherited mental retardation. We have studied 146 Indian patients (174 X chromosomes) with unexplained mental retardation by molecular methods. All study subjects were unrelated. Three of the 118 males were found to have the FMR1 full mutation. None of the patients tested were positive for the FMR2 full mutation. The Fragile X prevalence was 2.5% among males, which is lower than previously reported in Indian mentally retarded patients. Screening for Fragile X among patients with nonspecific mental retardation is important, even if there is no family history of mental retardation or typical behavioral or physical features associated with the Fragile-X phenotype. Identification of positive cases is also very important for the families, because of the high recurrence risk of the disease. Large multicenter screening programs with uniform criteria would be worthwhile to determine the prevalence of Fragile-X mental retardation in the Indian population.

Female↗
PubMed2001

Transfusion transmitted diseases.

Transfusion transmitted disease (TTD) is a major challenge to the transfusion services all over the world. The problem of TTD is directly proportionate to the prevalence of the infection in the blood donor community. In India, hepatitis B/C, HIV, malaria, syphilis, cytomegalo virus, parvo-virus B-19 and bacterial infections are important causes of concern. Hepatitis B and C infections are prevalent in India and carrier rate is about 1-5% and 1%, respectively. Post transfusion hepatitis B/C is a major problem in India (about 10%) because of low viraemia and mutant strain undetectable by routine ELISA. HIV prevalence among blood donors is different in various parts of the country. It may not be so alarming as projected by some agencies. In one study from north India, confirmed HIV positivity was found in 0.2/1000 blood donor. Post transfusion CMV is difficult to prevent but use of leukocyte filters may help to reduce it significantly. Parvo virus B-19 infection in blood donors is 39.9% which may increase morbidity in multitransfused or immunocompromised patients. Current symphilis tests may not be sensitive but it should be continued to exclude high-risk donors. Malaria is a real problem for India due to the lack of a simple and sensitive screening test. Incidence of bacterial contamination is greatly reduced due to improved collection/preservation techniques and use of antibiotics in patients. However, proper vigilance and quality control is needed to prevent this problem. Total dependence of altruistic repeat voluntary donors and use of sensitive laboratory tests may help Indian blood transfusion services to reduce incidences of TTDs.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1992

Overlap between Majewski and hydrolethalus syndromes: a report of two cases.

We present 2 unrelated fetuses with manifestations of both the hydrolethalus syndrome and the short rib-polydactyly syndrome, type Majewski. It is proposed that cases of hydrolethalus syndrome with short limbs constitute a separate type of lethal osteochondrodysplasia mimicking short rib-polydactyly syndromes.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Salmonella newport isolations from a general hospital in Pune.

Salmonella newport had not been reported from the Pune (Maharashtra) area till 1983. After the first isolate in 1984, the isolation rate showed a significant increase. A total of 64 isolates todate (two isolates in 1984, six in 1985 and 56 in 1986) have been encountered at Sassoon General Hospital, Pune. It has been commonly isolated from adults (54.7 per cent). Most of the strains were multi-drug resistant.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatal diagnosis in beta-thalassemia: an Indian experience.

OBJECTIVES: Thalassemia is the most common single gene disorder and is widely distributed in Asian Indians with an average prevalence rate of 4%, with a high prevalence among Sindhis, Punjabis, Gujratis and Bengalis. Prevention and control of beta-thalassemia disease require the accurate diagnosis of carriers and proper genetic counseling. METHOD: Prenatal diagnosis can be performed in the first or second trimester of pregnancy by DNA analysis using polymerase chain reaction. Since there are 17 mutations as well as rare ones causing beta-thalassemia in Asian Indians, the point mutation detection by reverse dot blot (RDB) allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization for common mutations along with the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) technique was developed for prenatal diagnosis. Maternal contamination of fetal DNA was ruled out by the variable number of tandem repeat analysis using apolipoprotein B site. RESULTS: Using both techniques (RDB and ARMS) we were able to offer complete diagnosis in 53 pregnancies. On molecular analysis 23% were found to be normal, 48.0% were carriers, and 29.0% were affected with beta-thalassemia. Parents were counseled to continue the pregnancy when the fetuses were either normal or had traits whereas in the case of an affected fetus, the parents opted for termination of the pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Prenatal diagnosis of beta-thalassemia by the RDB or ARMS technique can prevent the birth of an affected child in developing countries in which beta-thalassemia is quite prevalent.

DNA Mutational Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Intracellular distribution of lysozyme in rat alveolar type II epithelial cells.

This study investigated the intracellular distribution of lysozyme, a protein that is synthesized and secreted by rat alveolar type II epithelial (ATII) cells and alveolar macrophages, using a polyclonal antibody generated against purified rat lysozyme. Lysozyme was immunoprecipitated with this antibody from Triton X-100 lysates of ATII cells cultured on a basement membrane derived from Englebreth-Holme-Swarm mouse sarcoma (EHS) and radiolabeled with 35S-methionine. ATII cells cultured on EHS basement membrane for several days were fixed and labeled with antibodies to surfactant apoprotein A (SP-A) and lgp-120 (a lysosomal glycoprotein), or lysozyme and lgp-120, and studied by confocal microscopy. Organelles were identified that stained positively for either anti-lysozyme or anti-lgp-120; a second population of organelles contained both markers. Similarly, two populations of SP-A-containing organelles were identified; one contained the lysosomal glycoprotein lgp-120. In addition, confocal images demonstrated that both SP-A and lysozyme were secreted by ATII cells, as evidenced by the accumulation of secretory products within the lumen of the cyst-like aggregates. When the subcellular localization of SP-A and lysozyme was studied by analytical cell fractionation, two populations of organelles were identified that contained SP-A or lysozyme. The lighter population accounted for approximately 32% of SP-A and 33% of total intracellular lysozyme and was recovered in the same region of the gradient as secretory lamellar bodies. The more dense population co-localized with lysosomes and accounted for approximately 67% of both SP-A and lysozyme recovered. Western blots of cell fractions revealed intact lysozyme in all the cell fractions. The results of these experiments suggest that lysozyme has a similar intracellular distribution as surfactant apoprotein A in ATII cells. Lysozyme is found in fractions containing lamellar bodies where it is packaged for secretion, and in lysosomal fractions where it may undergo degradation.

Animals↗