An immunological study of vitiligo

Estimation of peripheral T lymphocytes T3, T4, T8 and NK cells was carried out in 30 cases of different clinical types of vitiligo by direct immunofluorescence technique. The cases were divided into two broad groups (1) Localised; and (2) Generalised. These cases were again divided into 3 groups as per duration of disease. Thirty healthy subjects served as control. Decrease in T3 and T4 and increase in T8 with decrease of T4/T8 ratio was seen in both localised and generalised variety. But the T4/T8 ratio was decreased to a greater extent in generalised variety. The NK cells showed significant increase in the generalised variety. As per disease T4/T8 ratio was reduced maximally in patients with disease duration less than one year. Of the generalised category NK cells were increased more in patients having disease duration more than 1 year.

Erythrophagocytosis and its relation to band 3 clustering in chronic myelogenous leukemia

Band 3, a major erythrocyte membrane glycoprotein, undergoes topographic redistribution leading to enhanced clustering, in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). This is probably due to the binding of heme compounds to the CML erythrocyte membrane resulting from depletion of cellular levels of reduced glutathione (GSH). Band 3 clustering appears to be one of the factors associated with increased erythrophagocytosis in CML.

Effect of up-regulation of NMDA receptors on cerebral O2 consumption and blood flow in rat

We tested the hypothesis that cerebrocortical blood flow and O2 consumption would be proportional to an up-regulated number of functional N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Previous work had shown a relationship between cerebral metabolism and NMDA receptor activity. We increased the specific binding to NMDA receptors in the cerebral cortex, from 2.2 +/- 0.9 to 4.5 +/- 0.8 (density units) in male Long-Evans rats by daily giving two intraperiotoneal injections (30 mg/kg) of CGS-19755, an NMDA receptor inhibitor, for 7 consecutive days (discontinued for 20 h before experiment). Twelve up-regulated (CGS treated) and 12 control rats were used in this study. Under isoflurane anesthesia and after topical stimulation of the right cerebral cortex with 10(-2) M NMDA, the blood flow (14C-iodoantipyrine method) increased from 98 +/- 11 ml/min/100 g in the unstimulated cortex of the control rats to 161 +/- 37 ml/min/100 g in the stimulated cortex. The unstimulated value for blood flow (95 +/- 7 ml/min/100 g) did not change in the upregulated group but it doubled (194 +/- 69 ml/min/100 g) in the stimulated, upregulated cortex. Similarly, O2 consumption (cryomicrospectrophotometrically determined) in normal rats increased 46%, from 9.3 +/- 1 ml/min/100 g to 13.6 +/- 4 after NMDA stimulation. While in the upregulated animals, O2 consumption increased 103% from 7.9 +/- 0.6 to 16 +/- 6.5 after NMDA stimulation. In conclusion, NMDA receptor upregulation does not alter basal cerebrocortical blood flow or O2 consumption but in the NMDA-stimulated cortex, the blood flow and O2 consumption increase is dependent on the number of NMDA receptors present.

Antibody response to outer membrane proteins in Shigella dysenteriae type 1 infection with special reference to appearance of murine antibodies

In shigellosis, the protective immune mechanism is not well established. The bacterial outer membrane proteins (OMPs) may have a role in the induction of immunity due to their outwardly location. The serum antibody response of S. dysenteriae type 1 infected patients against OMPs was assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A striking elevation of serum IgG response was noted during the convalescent phase. Murine antiserum directed against S. dysenteriae 1 OMPs was found to be highly cross reactive with the OMPs isolated from heterologous species. A major antigenic OMP was partially purified and showed distinct immunodominance in ELISA. These observations suggest that the specific component may have some immunoprophylactic potential.

Pulmonary capillary pressure during exercise in horses

The object of this study was to relate pulmonary capillary pressure to arterial and wedge pressures during exercise. Pulmonary vascular pressures were measured in six standardbred horses exercising at speeds equivalent to 75, 90, and 100% of maximal heart rate. Vascular pressures were measured with transducer-tip catheters and expressed relative to esophageal pressure. Pulmonary capillary pressure was estimated by the arterial-occlusion technique modified for exercise. Mean pulmonary arterial, capillary and wedge pressures increased from 30.5 +/- 6.3, 17.8 +/- 4.3, and 13.4 +/- 1.6 mmHg, respectively, at rest, to 70.5 +/- 5.2, 42.1 +/- 5.3, and 38.4 +/- 5.6 mmHg, respectively, at maximal exercise. The largest part of the increase occurred during the first level of exertion. With exercise, the pressure across the lung barely doubled at a time when the cardiac output would have increased at least fivefold. Thus the absolute resistance in both pre- and postcapillary segments must have decreased. The capillary and wedge pressures rose similarly, whereas the difference between them did not change with exertion. The fractional resistance of the precapillary segment increased with exercise. The postcapillary resistance, initially 28% of the total pulmonary vascular resistance, fell to 9% at maximal exercise. The rise (to approximately 45 mmHg) in pulmonary capillary pressure with exertion is consistent with an increase in transvascular filtration.

Intestinal infarction in systemic lupus erythematosus--report of a case with an unusual obliterative vascular lesion

Intestinal infarction is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A 26-year-old Papua New Guinean female who developed such a complication and underwent emergency laparotomy is described. The pathological changes in the mesenteric vessels and possible pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed. The relevant literature is briefly reviewed.

Loss of high-affinity prostacyclin receptors in platelets and the lack of prostaglandin-induced inhibition of platelet-stimulated thrombin generation in subjects with spinal cord injury

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of death in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). However, platelets of those with SCI (n = 30) showed neither increased aggregation nor resistance to the antiaggregatory effects of prostacyclin when compared with normal controls (n = 30). Prostanoid-induced cAMP synthesis was similar in both groups. In contrast, prostacyclin, which completely inhibited the platelet-stimulated thrombin generation in normal controls, failed to do so in those with SCI. Scatchard analysis of the binding of [3H]prostaglandin E1, used as a prostacyclin receptor probe, showed the presence of one high-affinity (Kd1 = 8.11 +/- 2.80 nM; n1 = 172 +/- 32 sites per cell) and one low-affinity (Kd2 = 1.01 +/- 0.3 microM; n2 = 1772 +/- 226 sites per cell) prostacyclin receptor in normal platelets. In contrast, the same analysis in subjects with SCI showed significant loss (P < 0.001) of high-affinity receptor sites (Kd1 = 6.34 +/- 1.91 nM; n1 = 43 +/- 10 sites per cell) with no significant change in the low affinity-receptors (Kd2 = 1.22 +/- 0.23; n2 = 1820 +/- 421). Treatment of these platelets with insulin, which has been demonstrated to restore both of the high- and low-affinity prostaglandin receptor numbers to within normal ranges in coronary artery disease, increased high-affinity receptor numbers and restored the prostacyclin effect on thrombin generation. These results demonstrate that the loss of the inhibitory effect of prostacyclin on the stimulation of thrombin generation was due to the loss of platelet high-affinity prostanoid receptors, which may contribute to atherogenesis in individuals with chronic SCI.

Anticlastogenicity of vitamin C in vivo against the cytogenetic toxicity of muriate of potash in murine bone marrow cells

The potential in vivo anticlastogenicity of vitamin C was evaluated in murine bone marrow cells against the cytogenetic toxicity of muriate of potash, a synthetic fertilizer. The animals were treated orally once daily for 7 days with muriate of potash (5g/kg) and/or vitamin C (10mg/kg). Metaphase chromosome analyses revealed that muriate of potash induced chromosomal abnormalities were significantly decreased, though still remained higher to control, when vitamin C was administered concurrently. The possible role of vitamin C in mitigating the muriate of potash induced cytogenetic toxicity is discussed.

Effect of cryoprotectants on release of various enzymes from buck spermatozoa during freezing

Semen samples from 12 bucks Were extended with 10 different extenders containing glycerol, DMSO, glycerol + DMSO, and glycerol + lactose in varying concentrations as cryoprotective agents. The activities of acrosin, hyaluronidase, alkaline phosphatase (AKP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were assayed in equilibrated (Prefreeze) and frozen thawed (Postfreeze) semen samples. Significantly (P < 0.01) higher intracellular activity of acrosin was recorded in semen samples extended with lactose than with the other extenders, with the maximum being with Tris yolk glycerol lactose (TYGL(180)). Effects of extenders on acrosin activity were significant (P < 0.01) at both of the pre-and postfreeze stages. However, extracellular activities of hyaluronidase, alkaline phosphatase, transaminases (AST and ALT), and lactic dehydrogenase were significantly higher in extenders containing DMSO than lactose. Leakage of these enzymes was found to increase from the prefreeze to the post freeze stage.

Severe motorcycle injury in Mersey region and North Wales

Ninety-three patients were involved in serious motorcycle accidents (death or Injury Severity Score more than 15) during a 1-year period among a total of 554 victims of serious road traffic accidents studied at 16 district general and teaching hospitals. There were 91 males and two females. The average age was 29 years (range 15-81 years). Of these, 32 per cent died at the scene of the accident or in transit; 68 per cent arrived alive at the above hospitals. Of the latter, 30 per cent died in hospital. The commonest cause of death was multiple injuries. The Injury Severity Score of patients admitted to hospital was a mean of 32.1. The Glasgow Coma Score was below 9 in 33.8 per cent. Of those admitted to hospital, the average length of stay was 38.7 days. 67 per cent were admitted to intensive therapy unit of whom 41.3 per cent had to be ventilated for an average of 3.55 days. There were four preventable deaths among the patients who died after being admitted to hospital. Many body areas are frequently injured in motorcycle accidents which occur usually in fit males. Careful assessment along with vigorous and aggressive treatment is particularly important for this group. Access to a specialized trauma centre would be beneficial.

Effect of methylxanthines on motility and fertility of frozen-thawed goat semen

We studied the effects of 2 methylxanthines (caffeine and theophylline) at different concentrations on goat sperm motility and live spermatozoa and on the percentage of acrosomal damage and fertility. Altogether, 144 semen samples collected from 12 bucks (3 each from Black Bengal and Beetal, and 6 from cross-breds) were diluted in TRIS extender, divided into 5 equal fractions; then caffeine and theophylline were added at 2 concentrations (2 and 5 mM) in different fractions. These samples were frozen in liquid nitrogen vapor, thawed at 37 degrees C for 15 sec, and evaluated for motility and other semen attributes. Addition of caffeine and theophylline had a stimulatory effect on goat spermatozoa. It was further observed that the effect of these agents was concentration-dependent, with 2 mM caffeine and 5 mM theophylline yielding the best results in respect to the percentage of motility in all 3 breeds of goats tested. Among the two methylxanthines used, caffeine was found to be the more effective in Improving motility than theophylline. There was no significant effect on the percentages of live spermatozoa and acrosomal damage due to the addition of these 2 methylxanthines to the extender. Fertility rates with Tris + 2 mM caffeine (60.20 %) and with Tris + 5 mM theophylline (58.88 %) extended semen were apparently higher than those with the Tris-diluted semen (50.0 %), although these differences were not significant.

Role of outer membrane proteins on the adherence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus to rabbit intestinal epithelial cell in vitro

Antiserum against outer membrane preparation of a Kanagawa phenomenon-positive strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus were raised in rabbits and absorbed with their lipopolysaccharide. The anti-outer membrane protein serum and its Fab (IgG) fragment inhibited the adherence of Kanagawa-positive strains to rabbit intestinal epithelial cells in vitro. Preincubation of rabbit intestinal epithelial cells with outer membrane preparation also inhibited the adherence of these bacteria. Anti-lipopolysaccharide serum or its Fab (IgG) fragment did not inhibit adherence of V. parahaemolyticus. Moreover, pre-treatment of rabbit intestinal epithelial cells with lipopolysaccharide did not inhibit adherence of these strains. These results suggest that outer membrane proteins of V. parahaemolyticus play an important role in the adherence of Kanagawa-positive strains to rabbit intestinal epithelial cells.

Special features of coronary heart disease in people of the Indian sub-continent

Contrary to the popular belief, coronary heart disease (CHD) is indeed common in the Indian sub-continent. Expatriate Indians in their newly adopted countries have 3 to 5 times more chance of developing CHD than the native population or the other immigrant groups. The well-known risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and smoking do not appear to play a major role, while the syndrome of insulin resistance seems to be an important risk factor for CHD in people of this sub-continent. Abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, and low plasma HDL cholesterol are the markers of this syndrome. Increased plasma insulin levels or even better, the C-peptide measurement may help in identifying the abnormality early. As CHD among Indians has been found to be severe and more diffuse with serious complications and increased mortality at a younger age, preventive measures need to be instituted early. Low fat and complex carbohydrate diet along with regular aerobic exercise may help reduce abdominal obesity, improve insulin sensitivity and HDL cholesterol levels. Hypertriglyceridemia uncontrolled by above measures may require pharmacotherapy with agents such as gemfibrozil. Smoking must be stopped to help reduce insulin resistance and improve HDL levels and endothelial function. Those with hypertension should be considered for therapy with ACE inhibitors, which may improve insulin sensitivity. In patients with insulin resistance, therapy with metformin or troglitazone may be helpful.

Effect of cryoprotectants on certain seminal attributes and on the fertility of buck spermatozoa

Semen samples were obtained from 12 bucks (3 Beetal, 3 Black Bengal and 6 Beetal x Black Bengal) and 10 different extenders were constituted with varying concentrations of glycerol, DMSO, glycerol + DMSO and glycerol + lactose as the sperm cryoprotective agents. After the collection of semen samples, they were assessed for quality, diluted in different extenders after removal of seminal plasma, packaged in ministraws and frozen after equilibration (5'C) for 5 h. The samples were evaluated immediately after equilibration and again 24 h after freezing for progressive motility, percentage of live spermatozoa and acrosome, head and tail abnormalities. Both motility and the percentage of live spermatozoa were most affected by extenders containing only DMSO and these values improved in glycerol + DMSO extenders as the concentration of glycerol was increased while DMSO was decreased. However, these values were significantly higher in extenders containing glycerol + lactose as the cryoprotective agents, and were found to increase with increased concentration of lactose, being highest in TYGL (180). Acrosomal and tail abnormalities tended to increase between post equilibration and post thawing stage, and were higher in extenders containing the higher levels of DMSO. Significantly (P < 0.01) lower percentages of abnormalities were recorded in the glycerol + lactose extenders. The fertility results showed nonsignificant effect of extenders on the conception rate of does.

Assessment of long-term glycaemic control in diabetic patients attending Port Moresby General Hospital

Good glycaemic control is important in preventing the acute and long-term complications of diabetes mellitus. We assessed long-term glycaemic control using glycosylated haemoglobins in 83 diabetic patients, of mean age 47 years and of mean known duration 4.5 years, attending Port Moresby General Hospital over a one-year period. Significant improvement in glycaemic control was observed in only 11 (13%) of the patients. Glycaemic control worsened in 13 (16%) and no change was observed in the remainder (71%). Mean glycosylated haemoglobin and fasting plasma glucose levels were similar at the beginning and end of the study period. Over a one-year period 53 patients (64%) exhibited poor control with mean glycosylated haemoglobin levels exceeding 10%. Among the 19 newly diagnosed diabetic patients (23% of the total) glycaemic control improved in only 2 (11%). Glycaemic control was not influenced by sex, treatment, obesity or duration of diabetes. The demonstration of poor metabolic control in the majority of patients suggests that urgent measures are needed to reevaluate the management of diabetic patients, particularly with respect to education and diet. This may improve the poor survival rates reported in diabetic patients from Papua New Guinea.

Effect of cigarette smoking on lipid profile in the young

In view of the controversies existing regarding the atherogenic potential of smoking, this study was conducted in 40 healthy young male Cigarette smokers and 40 age and weight matched male non smokers, to find out the difference in the serum lipid profiles of both the groups. Subjects in both the groups were in the age range of 25 and 35 years having no history of alcohol abuse or diseases like diabetes mellitus or obesity. The mean serum total cholesterol (177.3 +/- 32.5 mg/dL) and LDL cholesterol (100.2 +/- 31.0 mg/dL) were significantly higher in smokers (p < 0.05) whereas mean serum HDL- Cholesterol was (43.2 +/- 5.8 mg/dL) was significantly lower (P < 0.05). Mean triglyceride (170.8 +/- 59.7 mg/dL) was significantly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (p < 0.01). In the fed state the total serum cholesterol level and triglyceride level was increased by 10.4 mg/dL and 51.1 mg/dL respectively in smokers whereas the increase was 4.8 mg/dL and 24.3 mg/dL respectively in nonsmokers. There was less rise of HDL cholesterol (1.9 mg/dL) in smokers as compared to that in nonsmokers (3.4 mg/dL) and in LDL-cholesterol (1.8 mg/dL) in smokers compared to nonsmokers (3.4 mg/dL) in fed state.

Electrophysiological studies in children with paralytic poliomyelitis

H-reflex latency (H-RL) and H/M ratio were measured in normal children and children with paralytic poliomyelitis of 1-3 years of age. The H-RL was considerably increased in both the involved and uninvolved limbs of the patients, whereas the H/M ratio did not differ. The Mmax value in the involved limb was very low, and therefore, a corrected H/M ratio was calculated for that side only. The corrected H/M ratio was significantly less than the H/M ratio observed in the uninvolved and control limbs. The distal motor latency was also increased in the involved side.

Insulin-induced release of plasminogen activator from human blood platelets

Incubation of washed platelets in Tyrode buffer, pH 7.5, with insulin (200 microU/ml) and CaCl2 (1.2 mM) at 37 degrees C for 3 h resulted in a threefold increase of plasminogen activator activity in the supernatant over the basal level as determined by both the amidolytic assay and the proteolysis of alpha-casein through the formation of plasmin from plasminogen. This plasminogen activator showed no plasmin-like activity and was inhibited by anti-tissue plasminogen activator antibody as well as by type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor. The substrate specificity and the inhibition of the enzymic activity by various inhibitors indicated that the platelet plasminogen activator (pPA) was related to tissue-type plasminogen activator of relative molecular weight 56,000. Fibrinolytic activity of pPA and its insulin-dependent release were demonstrated by the shortening of euglobulin lysis time and by the clot lysis time of platelet-rich plasma from normal and type I diabetes mellitus patients. Treatment of platelet membranes with insulin also increased the release of pPA. Increased levels of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in platelets by incubation with various agents completely inhibited the insulin-induced release of the activator. On the other hand, inhibition of platelet aggregation by aspirin had no effect on the release of pPA, indicating that the effect of cAMP was not due to the inhibition of platelet aggregation by the nucleotide.