Localization of IgG Antigenic Sites in Goat Testicular Tissue.

Testis is the tissue with immune privilege which is maintained by blood-testis barrier to protect autoimmunogenic components of testis. IgG have binding affinity for CD16, CD32 and CD64 receptors present on various immune cells. Present study was conducted to investigate the IgG antigenic sites in the testicular tissue of goat. The paraffin embedded histological sections were processed for immunohistochemistry protocol using Anti Mouse IgG FITC conjugate antibodies and observed under fluorescence microscope. Strong reaction was observed in epithelial lining of seminiferous tubule and moderate reaction was observed in lumen of seminiferous tubules and interstitial space. Present studies indicate that the most of IgG antigenic components i.e. CD16, CD32 and CD64 receptors were located in these sites. Current work will help in understanding of immune privilege and provide a baseline on which further studies can be conducted.

Barium carbonate poisoning mimicking Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Areflexic quadriplegia due to barium carbonate (rat poison) poisoning is described in two young patients. These cases very closely resembled Guillain-Barre syndrome. The various effects of barium carbonate along with the pathogenesis of hypokalaemic paralysis are highlighted.

Amphotericin B lipid complex in the management of antimony unresponsive Indian visceral leishmaniasis.

Fifty-eight Indian patients with visceral leishmaniasis who did not respond or relapsed after 30 days of consecutive sodium stibogluconate therapy were randomised to treatment with amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC) using a total dose of 7.5 or 10 mg/kg. Treatment induced a prompt clinical response in all patients with resolution of fever and regression in spleen size. Fever and chills developed during ABLC infusion, but it diminished with successive infusions. Fourteen days after treatment, 26 of 28 (93%) patients in the 7.5 mg/kg group and all 30 (100%) in the 10 mg/kg group had splenic aspirate parasite density scores of 0 and were considered apparent clinical and parasitologic responders. Four and three patients in the 7.5 and 10 mg/kg groups respectively relapsed during six months of followup; thus, overall 22 of 28 (79%) patients treated with 7.5 mg/kg and 27 of 30 (90%) treated with 10 mg/kg were definitive cures. All initial non-responders and relapses were retreated successfully with higher dose of ABLC. These results confirm the efficacy of short-course ABLC therapy for antimony-unresponsive Indian patients with visceral leishmaniasis. Since treatment with a total dose of 7.5 mg/kg did not appear to increase efficacy (79% vs. 84% induced by 5 mg/kg in a prior study), initial treatment with a total dose of 5 mg/kg followed by retreatment of any non-responders represents a potentially less costly approach in patients who fail antimony therapy. Though high cure rates are achieved with > or = 10 mg/kg total dose of ABLC, treatment using lower doses with retreatment of non-responders or relapses with higher dose can result in considerable savings.

Upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage in portal hypertension. Is an emergency endoscopy necessarily required?

Early fibre-optic oesophago-gastroduodenoscopy was performed in 23 portal hypertensive patients with acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage to evaluate the source of bleeding. Oesophageal varices grade II or more were documented in all patients. None of the patients showed a source of bleeding other than the ruptured oesophageal varices, probably because, unlike western countries, the alcoholic cirrhosis as a source of portal hypertension is rather uncommon in India. Hence, we could presume that most of the emergency endoscopies are unnecessary in bleeding patients with portal hypertension.

Can sonography replace splenoportovenography in evaluation of patients with portal hypertension?

Real-time sonography and splenoportovenography were compared in 17 patients with portal hypertension for their relative efficacy and limitations with respect to diameters of portal vessels, visualization of collaterals and demonstration of portal vein occlusion. Sonography was able to diagnose portal vein thrombosis and to differentiate an occluded portal vessel from a patent portal vessel non-visualized due to hepatofugal blood flow in the presence of intrahepatic obstruction. However, sonography had limitations in demonstrating venous structures in the presence of excessive bowel gas or fat, and did not provide the flow patterns and the complete picture of the portal vasculature in a single setting. We conclude that the two procedures are complementary to each other, and if combined in patients with portal hypertension, the portal venous system can be evaluated more thoroughly for surgical treatment.

Differential diagnosis of ascitic fluid: evaluation and comparison of various biochemical criteria with a special reference to serum ascites albumin concentration gradient and its relation to portal pressure.

Among various biochemical indices measured in 93 patients with ascites, ascitic LDH estimation was proved to be indiscreminatory, while ascites/serum LDH ratio has shown a diagnostic accuracy of 85 per cent. Ascitic total protein levels and ascites/serum total protein ratio (accuracy rates of 72 and 77% respectively) were limited, especially in differentiating the ascites due to heart failure. Serum ascites albumin gradient, showed a strong correlation to portal pressure (r, + 0.83 + 0.88), and was found to be the best diagnostic index (with an overall accuracy of 97 per cent) in distinguishing the 'transudative' from 'exudative' ascites. However, no index could discreminate the 'mixed' cases and provide the etiological diagnosis of the ascites.