Assessment of Tear Secretions in Healthy Indian Volunteers.

Dry eye syndrome is currently seen with increasing frequency throughout the world including India. An evaluation of tear physiology in the form of tear secretion and tear film stability is the most important aspect of dry eye diagnosis. The aim of this study is to investigate the age and gender related changes in the result of these tear function tests (Schirmers Test and Tear Break up time) in normal Indian population. This crosssectional observational study included 120 normal subjects (60 Male and 60 females) with no ocular symptoms or ocular surface disorders. Schirmer and tear film break-up time tests were assessed in both eyes of each subject. The study subjects were divided into 4 groups according to their ages (< 20y, 20-40y, 41-60y and > 60y) each group was composed of 60 eyes of 30 subjects (15 male and 15 female subjects). The One way ANOVA test and the Statagraphic software was used for statistical analysis. We detected a statistically significant decline in both the tear function tests with increasing age. Tear function tests did not show statistically significant difference according to sex. This study suggests that the age of subjects should be taken into consideration in the evaluation of tear function test results. It is also revealed that Indian population values are different from Caucasian and Chinese values. We propose age specific cut off values of tear function tests in Indian population to aid in the diagnosis of dry eye in Indian conditions.

Hepatic tuberculosis mimicking carcinoma gall bladder.

We report a 50-year-old man with tuberculosis of the liver with calculous cholecystitis. The diagnosis was made when the patient underwent cholecystectomy. He responded to antitubercular therapy.

True aneurysm of popliteal artery due to trauma: a case report.

Incidence of true aneurysm of popliteal artery due to trauma is extremely rare and not yet known. Medlar search failed to reveal any report. This case is presented due to its rarity and atypical clinical manifestations. An awareness of this can help in preventing unnecessary amputations.

Teratomas in infancy and childhood.

A 10-year-experience with 42 cases of teratomas in paediatric age group is presented. The commonest type of teratoma was sacrococcygeal followed by ovarian and retroperitoneal teratomas. An analysis of clinical profile, malignant potential, management, prognostic factors and follow up is discussed with review of literature.

Intrauterine intussusception--a cause for ileal atresia.

A case of ileal atresia consequent to intrauterine intussusception is reported. The baby presented with features of neonatal intestinal obstruction but signs of peritonitis were absent. The intussusception was discovered on gross examination of distal atretic ileal segment. The case was managed successfully by resection and end to back anastomosis. This case is reported to highlight intrauterine intussusception as one of the causes of ileal atresia.

Choledochal cyst: a 10-year experience.

A retrospective study of 11 cases of choledochal cyst over a period of 10 years is presented. There were 8 females and 3 males in a ratio of 2.67:1. The classical triad of jaundice, mass and abdominal pain was seen in none of our patients. Ultrasonography was diagnostic in 9 out of 11 (80%) patients. Surgical procedures performed were, complete excision of the cyst with Roux en Y hepaticojejunostomy (nine cases), internal drainage of the cyst (one case) and excision of the extrahepatic cyst with Roux en Y hepaticojejunostomy in one case of Type IV choledochal cyst. One patient died in the immediate postoperative period. Others have remained well upto 10 years follow-up. We recommend total cyst excision with hepaticojejunostomy as the treatment of choice.

Molecular signaling in pathogenicity and host recognition in smut fungi taking Karnal bunt as a model system.

Karnal bunt of wheat, incited by a phytopathogen Tilletia indica (Syn. Neovossia indica) is a floret infecting disease. In the floral tissues fungus proliferates and produces massive amount of black spores. In smut fungi, belonging to order Ustilaginales, communication between cells is necessary to regulate growth, differentiation and monokaryotic to dikaryotic transition during pathogenic and sexual development. Neighbouring cells are able to communicate with each other by direct cell to cell contact through plasma membrane bound signaling molecules or through formation of gap junctions and alternatively through secretion of chemical signals if cells are some distance away. Current research efforts toward understanding of pathogenic and sexual development in phytopathogenic fungi, offer a number of opportunities. These include the analysis of molecular signal(s) for direct contribution of sexual interactions to ability of smut and bunt pathogens to cause disease. These efforts will provide not only to explore the mechanisms of pathogenesis, but also to enhance knowledge of basic cellular biology of an economically important group of fungi.

Community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcsus aureus: a new threat for hospital outbreaks?

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major nosocomial pathogen. Recently, there have been reports of increasing prevalence of MRSA in the community. We here report an outbreak of post operative wound sepsis by MRSA in the surgical ward of LN hospital. A surveillance study for MRSA was undertaken in the corresponding surgical ward, operation theater and OPD and the source of this outbreak was traced to an outdoor patient with community acquired MRSA infection. A total of 320 clinical and environmental samples were screened for MRSA. Seventy (21.8%) S. aureus were obtained, of which 12.8% were resistant to methicillin. 14% of the MRSA infections were from the community. Nasal carriage rates of MRSA in the screened hospital staff and admitted patients were 5.8% and 4.3% respectively. None of the environmental sites sampled yielded MRSA. A study of antibiogram revealed that all the MRSA were uniformly resistant to penicillin, erythromycin, gentamicin, tobramycin and tetracycline and sensitive to vancomycin. All isolates belonged to the same biotype and were nontypable by the standard set of phages.

Acute effects of neurogenic stress on urinary electrolyte excretion.

Plasma Cortisol and urinary excretion of water, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium have been studied in the rat after application of 2 types of neurogenic stress:--(a) tight rubber band tourniquet and (b) electric shock. Plasma cortisol levels increased significantly after application of either type of stress. During both type of stress, there was statistically significant increase in the urinary excretion of water, sodium and calcium but not of potassium and magnesium. Urinary calcium/magnesium ratio was also significantly elevated. The results suggest that stress may be one of the factors involved in the genesis of urolithiasis.

Modification of aflatoxin B1-induced changes in certain mitochondrial enzymes and lipids by medroxyprogesterone acetate.

The effect of a single dose of 5 mg/kg body weight of aflatoxin B1 on rat liver mitochondrial enzymes, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and Mg++ adenosine triphosphatase (Mg++-ATPase) and on certain lipids were studies at various intervals of time from 3 to 24 hours. A significant decrease in the specific activity of SDH was observed after 6, 12, 18 and 24 hr treatment. The Mg++-ATPase activity remained unaffected up to 12 hr but appreciably decreased after, 18 and 24 hr of the treatment. The level of phospholipids and cholesterol were not altered after 3, 6 and 12 hr treatment, thereafter (18 and 24 hr) an increase was observed in both the lipids following the aflatoxin treatment. Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) did not cause any alteration in the specific activities of these enzymes as well as levels of cholesterol and phospholipids. The treatment with MPA caused significant increase in contents of cytochromes P-450, b5 and activities of Arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), UDP-glucuronyl transferase (UDP-GT) and NADPH-cytochrome C-reductase of hepatic microsomes. It was observed that pretreatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) could significantly minimuze the depression caused in mitochondrial SDH and Mg++-ATPase activities by aflatoxin B1.

Effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate on hepatic lipid profile of female rats under various states of nutrition.

The effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) treatment on hepatic lipid profile was studied in female rats kept on protein-deficient diet, on normal restricted diet and on normal, ad libitum diet. A significant decline in total and free cholesterol levels was observed in rats kept on protein-deficient diet and on normal, restricted diet. However, protein-deficient animals exhibited a significant rise in the liver triglyceride level. In rats on normal, ad libitum diet only, MPA treatment resulted in elevated levels of triglycerides and increased esterification of cholesterol. This was mostly due to increased incorporation of acetate into esterified cholesterol and triglyceride as evident from studies using the labelled precursor. Total phospholipid content was found to be unaffected by MPA in all the groups suggesting that the drug and dietary protein level have no effect on hepatic phospholipid content.