Serum Zinc Concentrations in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Bangladesh is a tuberculosis (TB) burden country. It is one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity and a major barrier of social and economic development. Zinc is a major trace element and an essential component of the body immune system. It's an important determinant of resistance to infection by maintaining cell mediated immunity. This analytical case control study was conducted in the Department of Internal Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh to see the association of serum zinc concentrations with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in adult population (18-60 years) from January 2015 to January 2016. Freshly diagnosed PTB patients before initiating anti-TB chemotherapy as cases (N=43) and TB negative subjects as controls (N=48) were included conveniently in this study with a rigid selection criteria. Serum zinc concentrations were estimated by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean±SD age and BMI of the case group and control group were 33.30±14.71 and 32.69±11.60 years, 19.88±2.31 and 22.08±2.80 kg/m2 respectively. The concentrations of serum zinc were significantly lower (P=0.01) in PTB group (840.9±230.0 μgm/l) compared with the control group (965.6±219.9 μgm/l). There was marked variation of mean±SD serum zinc concentrations between male (1008.95±246.16 μgm/l) and female (937.24±200.35 μgm/l) in control group (P=0.182) though the variation is minimal in PTB group (P=0.724). The serum zinc concentrations showed positive correlation with BMI (P=0.642) but negative correlation with age (P=0.023) in both case and control. The lower serum zinc concentrations (12.06%) in PTB patients indicate relative immune deficiency. Routine assessment of serum zinc concentration of PTB patients should be considered and further outcome should be assessed with zinc supplementation.

Effect of gender on antisperm antibodies in infertile couples in central India

The presence of antisperm antibodies in serum may impair sperm function leading to immunological infertility. The aim of study was to determine the presence of antisperm antibodies in the circulating blood of infertile couples. This cross sectional study included 109 couples suffering from infertility for more than one-year duration. Serum antisperm antibodies were determined by Varelisa Sperm Antibodies Enzyme Immunoassay kit. The percentage incidence of antisperm antibodies in infertile men was 30.27% was statistically not significant from the 33.03% incidence in infertile women (P Value > 0.05). In the nineteen (15.59%) couples both the husband as well as wife was positive for sperm antibodies. The presence of antisperm antibodies may impair fertilizing ability therefore its assessment should be consideredas an essential part of infertility management.

Neurophysiologic findings in children with spastic cerebral palsy

Context:

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a heterogeneous group of permanent, non-progressive motor disorders of movement and posture caused by chronic brain injuries. It is the most common cause of physical disability in childhood; spastic cerebral palsy being the most prevalent of its various forms. There is scanty information about the neurophysiologic investigations in children diagnosed as having spastic CP.

Aims:

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between abnormal VEP and BAEP findings with different clinical parameters in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Materials and Methods:

Fifteen children with spastic CP in the age range 4 months to 10 years participated in this study. Evaluation of VEPs, brainstem evoked potentials (BAEPs) were performed in all study patients as well as 35 healthy children as controls. The study was conducted after obtaining ethics committee approval and informed consent of parents.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Significance of difference in the mean values of different parameters in different groups was assessed by Student’s “t” test and the P value <0.05 was considered to be significant. All the values were expressed as mean ± 1 Std. Deviation.

Results:

A significant difference was found in the VEP latencies and amplitude between the subjects with CP and controls. Striking BAEP abnormalities in CP patients include prolongation of absolute latency of wave V, interpeak latencies of III-V and lowered I-V ratio. Abnormal VEPs and BAEPs in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy demonstrated a correlation with the presence of moderate to severe developmental delay.

Conclusions:

The differences in VEPs and BAEPs were determined between CP children and healthy children. The abnormalities found are probably linked to the neurological deficits present in cases of cerebral palsy.

Clinico-laboratory profile of 45 filarial arthritis cases

This prospective observational study was done during the period from January 2000 to December 2004 including 45 cases of lymphatic filariasis manifested with acute arthritis. Different investigations were carried out to exclude allergy, parasitic and infectious diseases, autoimmune disorder and malignancy. They were given standard treatment with oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Articular symptoms were not relived satisfactorily. Later they were given oral corticosteroids. During treatment slight relief of symptoms were noted, but all sign-symptoms reappear after withdrawal of corticosteroid drugs. Treatment with oral diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) (150 mg/day) for 3 weeks showed complete resolution of arthritis. No side effects or relapse were encountered. The basic mechanism of relief of pain remains unknown. It was assumed that during benign course of lymphatic filariasis, development of arthritis result most likely due to reaction against some occult agents in the joints.

Clinical profile of rheumatic fever in some hospitalised children of Bangladesh

Clinical profile of rheumatic fever (RF) in 100 hospitalised children of Bangladesh were studied. Peak age period of the incidence of the disease was found in the age group of 11-12 years (34 percent) and majority (83.5 percent) of the cases belonged to the middle and poor classes. There was slight preponderance of the male. Carditis was the commonest (64 percent) manifestation followed by poly-arthritis (51 percent). Chorea was present in 6 percent and subcutaneous nodules were in 7 percent cases. Erythema marginatum (EM) was conspicuous by its absence. Amongst the rheumatic heart diseases (RHD), mitral stenosis (MS) and mitral incompetence (MI) comprised the highest (35 percent) incidence and next to it was the MS (13 percent) and MI (9 percent).