Hepatitis E virus: epidemiological, clinical and serological studies of north Indian epidemic.

BACKGROUND: A large waterborne epidemic of viral hepatitis occurred in the city of Karnal (Haryana) from February to April 1987. An attempt was made to study the epidemic clinically, serologically and etiologically. METHODS: A house-to-house search of the city was conducted for the detection of acute hepatitis cases. Patients willing to give blood samples for liver function tests were studied. RESULTS: A total of 1273 persons (0.79% of persons surveyed) were affected by viral hepatitis. Of the 477 clinically and biochemically documented cases, more than 75% were adults, while only 11% were less than 10 years old. Children below 15 years of age and females had a significantly higher incidence of anicteric hepatitis. Serological markers for acute hepatitis A and B viruses were absent in 85% of patients. Antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) were detected in 84% of acute phase sera studied by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Liver biopsy showed characteristic features of cholangitic hepatitis. Three of 19 pregnant females who developed hepatitis died. No residual clinical or biochemical abnormality was detected in any of the patients followed up for 8 months. This epidemic correlated with the timing of unsupervised digging of lanes to provide new tap water connections to houses in the congested area of the city. This resulted in damage to the sewerage system and leakages which contaminated drinking water supply. CONCLUSION: HEV was transmitted by contaminated drinking water in this epidemic. Most affected individuals were adults, and recovered without sequelae. Affected pregnant women had a worse outcome.

Primary hepatic lymphoma mimicking fulminant hepatic failure.

A patient with clinical presentation mimicking fulminant hepatic failure was found to have primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of liver on autopsy. He had tender nodular hepatomegaly, elevated liver enzymes and appearance of a diffuse infiltrative disorder on sonography. Extensive diffuse infiltration may be the dominant factor for the rapid hepatocellular failure in this case.

Wegener's granulomatosis: clinical experience with eighteen patients.

Wegener's granulomatosis is being recognised with increasing frequency in India. Our 18, histologically confirmed, patients had a clinical profile similar to that described from developed countries. Delayed diagnosis led to the death of nine patients, usually within days of hospital admission, due to extensive vasculitis and renal failure. Tuberculosis was the most frequently considered diagnosis and 12 patients had been treated for it in spite of progressive clinical deterioration. Those who could be adequately treated with low dose daily cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids did well. Six of seven such patients are alive and well 1-8 years later. We believe that if prompt lung biopsy and ANCA determination are resorted to in patients with "resistant tuberculosis", it will greatly expedite case detection, diagnosis and optimum treatment of this remediable disease.

Prevention of malaria-induced foetal abnormalities following immunization of mice with Plasmodium berghei merozoite antigen.

Pre-pregnancy immunization of Swiss albino mice with merozoite antigen of P. berghei entrapped in multilamellar phosphatidyl choline liposomes resulted in (i) increased prepatent period, (ii) either no or low parasitaemic levels, (iii) reduced mortality, and (iv) normal foetal and placental development, upon challenge with P. berghei on 13th gestational day. The unimmunized animals which received either phosphate buffered saline or empty multilamellar phosphatidyl choline liposomes before pregnancy developed high parasitaemic and 30-40 per cent animals died before parturition while 60-70 per cent unimmunized animals revealed foetal abnormalities such as low body weight and larger spleen size. Placentae of unprotected animals had hyperplasia of trophoblastic membrane and plugging of placental sinusoids with parasitized erythrocytes and malarial pigments. The data suggest that prior immunization of animals with merozoite antigen entrapped in multilamellar phosphatidyl choline liposomes could abrogate the ill effects induced by malaria infection under the stress of pregnancy.

Effect of silica treatment on histopathology of intestinal & hepatic amoebiasis in murine model.

Histopathological changes in intestinal and hepatic amoebiasis were studied in Swiss albine mice with and without silica pretreatment. The intestinal infection rate was higher in silica treated mice (83%) as compared to non-silica treated mice (33%). Histologically all the silica treated mice had caecal ulceration which tended to spread across the muscularis propria into the serosal layer. The hepatic lesions were observed grossly in 100 and 60 per cent mice with and without silica treatment, respectively. However, the liver lesions in the silica treated mice were more severe, leading to satellite abscesses and in some cases the capsule ruptured leading to adhesions to the diaphragm and peritoneum. Histologically, the blockade of histiocytes with silica resulted in mainly a neutrophilic damage which was extensive and widespread. It also destroyed the amoeba and led to abundant fibrosis. In the non-silica group the damage was slow and devoid of neutrophils with quicker healing and lack of fibrosis resembling human hepatic lesions.

Ureteral involvement in stage I xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis--(a case report).

A case of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (Stage-I: Nephric) with ureteral involvement is described. The patient had undergone right nephrectomy with the working diagnosis of calculus pyonephrosis and non-functioning kidney. Histopathological examination of the nephrectomy specimen revealed xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis confined to the kidney and non-contiguous involvement of ureter. Post-operative recovery was uneventful and there had been no evidence of disease recurrence till one year's follow-up.