Treatment of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis with alendronate sodium

Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis [PAM] is a rare disorder with only about 200 cases having been BEEN reporting worldwide. No effective treatment has been evolved as yet and the disease is fatal. Allendronate Sodium has been reported to he effective in some cases. However each dosage, duration of treatment and clinical parameters in evaluating the patient response are not specifically given in available literature. Aims and objectives of the current study were to see the effect of allendronate sodium on the treatment of PAM This is a prospective interventional study. Cases reporting to Medical OPD with symptoms of PAM were selected for study. Patients with shortness of breath, blue discoloration of lips and failure to thrive since childhood were included in the study. Twelve cases were initially short-listed with the suspician of PAM based on history, clinical examination and preliminary investigations including X-Ray chest. They were subjected to lung biopsy, CT scan and pulmonary function tests. Cases finally diagnosed as pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis were subjected to one year treatment with Allendronate Sodium. They had significant improvement clinically as well as in pulmonary function tests. However, there is no improvement in X-Ray of the chest

Diagnostic significance of serum protein electrophoresis

Serum protein electrophoresis is a simple, reliable and specific method of separating different protein fractions. A study was carried out in 1556 symptomatic cases reported to Department of Chemical Pathology, Army Medical College fbr serum protein electrophoresis. Aims and objectives were to see the diagnostic significance of protein electrophoresis especially in comparison to other related investigations like serum protein estimation and albumin: globulin [A: G] ratio etc. Deluxe electrophoresis chamber and sample applicator were used. Gelman DCD-16 digital computing densitometer was used for quantification. Results revealed that protein electrophoresis was essential for diseases like paraproteinaemia, immunodeficiencies and a-antitrypsin deficiency. It is helpful along with other investigations in liver disease, nephrotic syndrome, collagen disease and malignancy. Three hundred and sixty five cases had subacute/ chronic infection, 340 had normal electrophoretic pattern, 250 cases were of congestive cardiac failure, 152 cases of nephrotic syndrome, 90 cases of hepatic cirrhosis, 53 cases of chronic renal failure and 25 cases of paraproteinaemia were identified Its sensitivity and specificity were more than serum protein estimation by dye methods. It is recommended that full use of this diagnostic technique should be made for better diagnostic sensitivity and specificity