Modified Giemsa staining for rapid diagnosis of malaria infection

To develop and evaluate a rapid method for the diagnosis of malaria infection by microscopy of stained blood films. Subjects and Blood specimens were collected from randomly selected confirmed malaria cases [n = 75] and suspected malaria cases [n = 175]. The microscopy was done on each set of blood films stained by modified and the standard Giemsa staining methods. All the 75 previously diagnosed malaria cases were confirmed by the microscopy of blood films stained by both methods. Forty-nine [28%] of the 175 cases suspected for malaria infection showed malarial parasites on microscopy of blood films stained by both methods. However, due to homogeneous staining and clearer background of the blood films it was possible to determine the parasite species in 65% of the cases on microscopy of the thick films stained with the modified method compared to only 20% with the standard method. Further, the turnaround time for reporting the microscopy test result was 15-20 and 45-50 min with modified and standard staining methods, respectively. Our data showed that performance of the modified staining method in detecting malarial parasites was comparable to that of the standard staining method. Moreover, the modified staining method was rapid, easy to use, and reliable

Reduced enterohepatic recycling of estrogen in women with resected gut

Enterohepatic recycling of estrogen after oral administration of 1mg nonradioactive estriol [E3] was studied in two women who had undergone ileal resection and in fourteen healty women selected as the control subjects, during the early follicular phase of menstrual cycle. Urinary excretion of estriol - alpha - glucuronide [F3 - 16 alpha - G] and estriol - 3 - glucuronide [E3 - 3 - G] which are the main metabilities of E3 was monitored during 48 hours in order to assess the extent of enterohepatic recycling of estrogen. The urinary excretion profile of E3 metabilities and lower value of E3 - 3 - G output which could be regarded as good index of enterohepatic recycling of E3, indicate that ileal resection could lead to a marked reduction in the extent of enterohepatic recycling of estrogen and its derivatives

Microfilarial density in blood samples of finger-prick and venipuncture a comparative study in Kuwait

The microfilarial density of Wuchereria bancrofti was compared in finger-prick and venous blood samples at the Medical Centre for Expatriate Labour Examination. Blood samples were taken from laboratory diagnosed cases of filariasis. A significant difference in the microfilarial density determined in finger-prick and venipuncture samples was noted. The number of microfilariae in finger-prick blood was three times higher than that found in venipuncture blood [p <0.025] The findings suggest that there may possibly be an obstruction to the movement of microfilariae in capillary beds with the result that the the microfilariae are retained on the arteriolar side

Chloroquine-resistance in plasmodium vivax: the first case detected in Kuwait

A Sri Lankan female developed the typical signs and symptoms of malaria one month after her arrival in Kuwait. She was treated twice with chloroquine [25 mg/kg body weight] for five days followed by radical treatment with chloroquine and primaquine weekly for eight weeks. A true relapse with Plasmodium vivax was observed after these treatments. This shows an apparent case of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium vivax malaria detected in Kuwait in a Sri Lankan lady who had contracted the disease in her home country