A cohort study on the association of MDM2 SNP309 with lung cancer risk in Bangladeshi population

Background/Aims@#Bangladesh is a densely populated country with an increased incidence of lung cancer, mostly due to smoking. Therefore, elucidating the association of mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 309 (rs2279744) with lung cancer risk from smoking in Bangladeshi population has become necessary. @*Methods@#DNA was extracted from blood samples of 126 lung cancer patient and 133 healthy controls. The MDM2 SNP309 was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), using the restriction enzymes MspA1I. Logistic regression was then carried out to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to estimate the risk of lung cancer. A meta-analysis of SNP309 was also carried out on 12,758 control subjects and 11,638 patient subjects. @*Results@#In multivariate logistic regression, significantly increased risk of lung cancer was observed for MDM2 SNP309 in the dominant model (TG + GG vs. TT: OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.29 to 3.53). Stratification analysis revealed that age, sex, obesity, and smoking also increases the risk of lung cancer when carrying the MDM2 SNP309. Our meta-analysis revealed that MDM2 SNP309 was considerably associated with lung cancer in Asian populations (TG + GG vs. TT: OR, 1.32; 95% CI , 1.12 to 1.56; p = 0.019 for heterogeneity). @*Conclusions@#The MDM2 SNP309 was associated with high risk of lung cancer in Bangladeshi and Asian population, particularly with increased age, smoking, and body mass index.

Health need status: an assessment of community health status, needs and services

Objective: the purpose of this study is to assess health status, needs and available services of the community

Material and Methods: it was a cross sectional study of 50 participants, studying medical/public health in various institutes, belonging to different areas of Punjab. In addition to collecting basic demographic details, questions were asked to assess the health. Needs [in their particular community area]. All the data were noted down on a short structured questionnaire. Categorical data were presented as percentages and in form of graphs while descriptive and frequency distribution was used for quantitative analyses

Results: there were an equal proportion of males and females in our respondents. The mean age of our respondent was 23+/-2 years. Out of total 50 respondents only 40 had access to health facility within 5 km range. Only 25 [50%] participants responded a satisfactory health status of their family. 43 participants responded to their family disease status as chronic diseases and 07 responded as infectious diseases. Allopathic treatment was the most preferred one. 55% of the participants responded that they had sufficient access to health facilities in their areas. With respect to improvement in health needs 85% participants responded that they need improvement in health facilities in their communities

Conclusions: a significant proportion of the participants responded to their family disease status as chronic diseases which may be due to changing patterns and exposure to certain risk factors. Awareness regarding health needs was demonstrated by only 40% of the participants in their respective communities. This information demonstrates that family health is still an important indicator of health need assessment and needs to be evaluated

Medicinal importance of lavandula stoechas in unani system of medicine: a review

Lavandula stoechas also called Arabian or French Lavender, Ustukhuddus, or Jaroob-e-dimagh, belongs to the Family Lamiaceae/Labiatae. It is a fragrant herb 0.6 to 0.9 m high, native of Mediterranean region, reported to be imported in Bombay and grown in gardens of India. Nowadays it is also cultivated in other tropical areas of the world. In Unani system of medicine, whole herb or its flowers alone are used medicinally as described in ancient Unani literature. The plant is claimed to remove obstructions, strengthen brain activity, expel brain crudities and improve the intellect. It is regarded as a good stimulant, aromatic, general carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant, antispasmodic and emmenagogue. The oil from the flower is considered useful in colic and chest affections and to relieve biliousness and nervous headache. It is also used as moth repellant. Its flowers are used in medicated pillows or cushions, herb sachets, and medicated powders. This medicinal plant is used in various Unani preparations

Antidiarrhoeal effect of belgiri [aegle marmelos] in Unani medicine

Diarrhoea is the most important disease of India as well as the world. It is responsible for the death of one million children under the age of 5 years particularly in India every year. Diarrhoea is serious and acute infection of gastrointestinal tract [GIT] caused by bacterial infection or a gastrointestinal disease such as ulcerative colitis.In allopathysystem, potent remedy against diarrhoea is well practiced but there is a great risk of side effects which cannot be overlooked. Several synthetic anti-microbial drugs for the allergic patients have been proved to be the killer drugs. Besides, synthetic drugs have been much costly and are beyond the reach of poor people.From days immemorial plant materials have been used for the treatment of several ailments including malignant diseases with little side effects.Belgiri [unripe fruit of Aegle marmelos], a botanical source drug is used as herbal drug since many centuries. This drug is recommended in the treatment of diarrhoea and various other GIT disorders.In our present study, Belgiri [Aegle marmelos]unripe fruit was evaluated for the gastrointestinal motility, antidiarrhoeal, and anti-microbial activities under the system of Unani Medicine.The Belgiri [unripe fruit] is dried and crushed. The crushed dried fruit was extracted with Chloroform Extraction of Belgiri [CEB], Methanol Extraction of Belgiri [MEB], and Aqueous Extract of Belgiri [AEB] methods in Soxhlet apparatus and processed properly. The drugs were tested in rats at different doses for certain duration.The tested drug isolated through AEB is found to be effective for the inhibition of gastrointestinal motility and reduced diarrhoea in rats. These properties of drugs may explain the rationale for the extensive andeffective use of the drug as an antidiarrhoeal agent in Unani Medicine system

Evaluation of acute and chronic hepatotoxic effect of CMF in breast cancer patients

CMF regimen contains Cyclophosphamide. Methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil which was developed in "Istituto Nazionale Tumori in Milan and has found to be effective in both pie-menopausal and post-menopausal breast cancer patients. Since it contains some hepatotoxic drug components so we tried to evaluate the cumulative hepatotoxicity of this combination, both in acute and chronic phases. In case of acute toxicity the regimen is found to be safe. However in case of chronic toxicity, it is found to produce mild effects in patients receiving less than three cycles and moderate effects in patients receiving more than three cycles. This represents that benefit versus risk should be assessed before giving CMF regimen to the patients, especially when other drugs like analgesics or antidepressants are prescribed with it

Pharmacotherapy of opiate addiction in Unani medicine

Drug addiction has now become a serious worldwide socio-medical problem. The uses of drugs are more common in our society. Despite massive media campaigns designed to educate the public about the danger of drug addiction, the absolute number of opiate-addicts are increasing day by day. The solution of drug addiction in Unani medicine takes into account the religious, spiritual, moral and social factors, while the Western medicine did not recognize it as a holistic disorder. Therefore, the Western medicine has failed to see it as a coherent phenomenon and hence does not possess any specific and comprehensive pharmaco therapy. The present paper describes the pharmaco therapy of opiate addiction and literature survey on single and compound drugs of Unani medicine employed to cure opiate addiction

Pattern of antibiotic use in a medical unit of teaching hospital

Antibiotic use was analyzed in a Medical Unit of a teaching hospital [Government based]. Data show that 73.33% of patients were prescribed one or more antibiotics. 73.13% of patients used the prescribed drug[s], 25% of patients used antibiotics without any indication [as given in drug information leaflet] and 60% of patients were given multiple antibiotics.Penicillins, Metronidazole, Quinolones, Aminoglycosides, Cephalosporins, Chloramphenicol and sulphonamides is descending order of different antibiotics according to their use. More than half of the patients receive these drugs for 3 days. It is concluded that the antibiotic use in our hospital looks to be quite irrational and may lead to higher toxicity and emergence of resistant organisms

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus and its serotypes in Bahawalpur divison

To find the prevalence of hepatitis C virus serotypes in Bahawalpur division Design: It was a prospective study to asses the frequency of HCV serotyping Settings All the patients coming for the treatment of liver disease from Jan 2000-Dec 2002 in the departments of medicine and consultants in BVH Bahawalpur Subjects and Methods 125 patients of chronic liver disease, with persistently raised SGPT and positive anti HCV and HCV RNA, were included in this study. All these sera were serotyped using Murex Serotyping 1-6 assay system. Of 125 patients sera 105 [84%] were typable and 20 were [16%] untypable, no multiple serotypes were seen. Serotype 3 were 69.6% and serotype 1 [6%]. Serotype 2,4,6 were also detected 4.8%, 2.4% and 0.8 respectively, No serotype 6 was seen. The disease state was compared to different HCV serotypes by and more cirrhosis was observed in serotype 1 as compared to serotype 3. Cirrhosis was also observed in non-typable cases. Risk factors identified from data were transfusions [29%], parentral therapy [20%], Health workers 25[20%], sharing blades, Homosexuality 10 patients [08%], Intravenous drug abusers [04%], previous surgery [6.8%], dentists [7.2%]. No vertical group was seen in this study. Few other miscellaneous risk factors were pricking for ears and noses tattooing [in female groups]. One patient returned from USA, developed cirrhosis due to serotype 1 gave the history of out of family sex contact. No significant difference was noted in different groups of serotypes for HCV. HCV serotypes 3 were more common and serotype 1 was related to more sever disease. Risk factors are more important to control the spread of HCV

Uveo meningeal syndrome [Hadara] disease

A case of bilateral exudative retinal detachment in a young girl of 13 years is reported. She had fever, Headache and vomitting prior to ocular symptoms. On examination she had premature greying of hair and ophthalmoscopy showed bilateral hazy vitreous, swollen optic discs and exudative retinal detachment. Therefore, a diagnosis of Harada disease was made. She was treated with high doses of steroids to which she responded very well