A Comparitive Study of Anticardiolipin Antibodies among Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients from Western and Eastern India

INTRODUCTION

Anti-phospholipid antibodies (APA) like anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) are important cause of venous and arterial thrombosis and other occlusive vascular diseases. Prevalence of these antibodies in SLE patients at the time of diagnosis is not known in Indian SLE patients. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of ACA in SLE patients from Eastern and Western India and to correlate them with disease activity.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Seventy SLE patients from Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Assam and 85 SLE patients from Rheumatology Department, KEM Hospital, Mumbai were studied. SLE disease activity was evaluated by SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score at the time of evaluation. All patients studied were in an active stage of disease.

RESULTS

Demographic data showed significant variations in the clinical manifestations of SLE between two regions. Renal manifestations were higher (42.9%) among SLE patients from Eastern region as compared with 37.6% patients from Western region. These patients were categorized as Lupus Nephritis (LN) and patients that did not show any renal manifestations were categories as non-LN. ACA to IgG and IgM subclasses were tested by ELISA. IgGACA positivity was 20%, 12.9% and IgM-ACA positivity was 18.6%, 12.9% where asIgG + IgM ACA positivity as found in 12.9%, 3.5% patients respectively among SLE patients from Eastern and Western India.

CONCLUSIONS

ACA positivity was higher among LN patients from Eastern India whereas the same was higher among non-LN patients from Western India. Hence detection of ACA alongwith associated clinical manifestations were helpful to evaluate their possible association with disease severity in SLE patients. A long term follow up of patients having ACA antibodies without thrombotic event is needed to detect their possible thrombotic event in future along with their clinical presentation from these two different geographic regions from India.

Control of post-harvest pericarp browning of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn)

Pericarp browning is the major post-harvest problem of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn) fruit, resulting in reduced commercial value of the fruit. Control of post-harvest pericarp browning of fruit using 9 different post-harvest treatments were studied. The treated fruits were packed in transparent perforated (0.2% ventilation) low density polythene bags (100 gauge). On storage, pericarp browning increased irrespective of treatments with the decrease in pericarp specific activity, total pericarp phenol and total anthocyanin. Anthocyanin degradation index and polymeric colour increased during storage. Pre-cooled (10°C) fruits treated with 0.6% sodium metabisulphite solution for 10 min, air dried followed by dipping in 2% HCl for 5 min and packing in perforated LDPE bags recorded the lowest polyphenol oxidase specific activity (2.2 units/mg protein) with maximum retention of total anthocyanin (47.3 mg/100g) leading to the lowest pericarp browning after 9 days of storage with attractive red colour, freshness and enhanced shelf life of 9 days at ambient conditions (27.7 ± 1.2°C, RH 78 ± 4%).

Ocular thelaziasis in Assam: a report of two cases

Small, white, thread-like, motile worms were recovered from the conjunctival sac of a 13-year-old girl and a 50-year-old woman from Dibrugarh district, Assam, India. They were identified as thelazia species. These two cases have been reported due to their rarity in India and elsewhere.