Clinical and Immunological Profile of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Pediatric onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is not uncommon and female to male ratio varies. Pediatric SLE patients have more severe disease at onset, higher rates of organ involvement and more aggressive clinical course than adults. We compared the clinical and immunological parameters among pediatric SLE and adult SLE from Western India. Twenty five children and 60 adult patients fulfilling American College of Rheumatology SLE criteria were included. Anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-dsDNA and complement (C3, C4) levels were tested. Of 25 pediatric SLE patients studied, 24% showed CNS involvement vs. 8.3% in adults SLE (P=0.0499). Lupus nephritis was seen in 75% adult patients vs. 52% among children. Hepatosplenomegaly was noted more among adult SLE 26.8% vs 12% among children. Alopecia was an exclusive features among adult SLE.

Paget's disease from Western India.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To prospectively study prevalence of Paget's disease from Western India. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Seventeen consecutive cases from Western India from 1998 to 2005 are analysed for the clinical, biochemical, skeletal profile. Seventeen cases (15 males & 2 females) with mean age of 62 were diagnosed RESULTS: The Western Indian cohort of Paget's disease has male preponderance with a mean age of 62 years at onset. Its clinical features are pain, fracture and typical skeletal involvement. It is a non-familial, polyostotic disease with pelvis, skull, spine and femur being the commonly affected bone sites. Elevated alkaline phosphatase is typical which responds well to bisphosphonate therapy in 6 months. Most cases do well with low dose alendronate (10-20mg/day). CONCLUSIONS: Paget's disease in western India is rare with classical clinical, radiological and biochemical features and responds well to low dose alendronate therapy. In eight years, seventeen cases of Paget's disease were seen from Western India indicating though still rare is present in this population of Western India.

To assess effect of noise on hearing ability of bus drivers by audiometry.

The present study was planned to assess the noise levels to which the drivers from State Transport Sangli Depot., are exposed during their duty hours and to explore the effects of high intensity noise of their hearing ability by audiometric examination. The study was done both in study and control group. Noise levels were measured in the driver's cabin and in the working place of the controls which ranged from 89 to 106 dB and 50 to 62 dB respectively. Audiometric examinations were performed in the study and control groups. 89% of the drivers and 19% from the control group showed abnormal audiograms.

Lipid profile of cultured cells of apple (Malus sylvestris) and apple tissue.

The potentiality of apple cell cultures to synthesize not only higher quantities of lipids than apple fruit but also different classes of lipids is noted. Total lipid was 15-fold higher in apple callus than in the original tissue. On callusing, linoleic acid decreased from 66% to 14%, while linolenic acid showed a very large increase from 0·9% to 44%. Stearic and oleic acids also increased in callus. The relative amounts of sterol/hydrocarbon and diglyceride fractions were higher in callus cultures, while apple tissue showed higher levels of triglycerides and sterol. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol seemed to be newly synthesized during callusing while other phospholipids such as lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid decreased. There was much higher glycolipid in apple callus than in the original tissue. The ratio of neutral lipid to polar lipid was higher in apple than in apple callus.

Anti-inflammatory property of ranitidine, a specific H2-receptor antagonist.

The effects of ranitidine (2 mg/kg, po) and phenylbutazone (100 mg/kg po) have been studied in different models of acute and chronic inflammation in rats. Ranitidine showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in the four models used. This observation supports the concept that histamine has a pro-inflammatory role that is mediated via stimulation of H2-receptors.

Lipofuscin like compound in mango.

Thin layer chromatographic separation of chloroform-methanol extracts of mango on silica gel revealed a fluorescent substance in mango peel and pulp. The compound had fluorescence spectrum similar to that of lipofuscin, the age pigment of animal tissues and was found to be water insoluble and stable to ultraviolet irradiation. The fluorescent material appeared to be a lipoprotein.

Purification and properties of polyphenoloxidase of mango peel (Mangifera indica).

Polyphenoloxidase from mango (Mangifera indica) peel was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate fractionation, chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex and gel filtration of Sephadex G-200. The enzyme had an apparent molecular weight of 136,000. Its pH and temperature optimum were 5.4 and 50°C, respectively. The enzyme possessed catecholase activity and was specific to o-dihydroxy phenols. The enzyme also exhibited peroxidase activity. Some non-oxidizable phenolic compounds inhibited the enzyme competitively. High inhibitory effects were also shown by some metal chelators and reducing agents, Mango peel polyphenol oxidase when immobilized onto DEAE Sephadex showed slightly higher Km for catechol and lower pH and temperature optima.