Important Herbs in Treatment of Cancer.

Cancer is a major public health burden in bath developed and developing countries. Plant derived agents are being used for the treatment of cancer. Reservoir of bioactive compounds exists in many species of plants of Earth, only a small percentage of which have been examined and continued to be an important source of anticancer agents. Worldwide effects are ongoing to identify new anticancer compounds from plants. With the current decline in the number of new molecular entities from the pharmaceutical industry, novel anticancer agents are being sought from traditional medicines. In recent years owing to the fear of side effects people prefer more and more use of natural plant products for cancer. This article reveals a detailed review of important herbs in cancer from Indian medicinal plants which will be useful to treat various types of cancer. It will be helpful to explore the medicinal value of the plants and for the new drug discovery from them for the researchers and scientists around the globe.

Spectrum and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates from conjunctival swabs.

Conjunctivitis is the most common disease of conjunctiva which occurs by exogenous or endogenous source. Bacterial conjunctivitis is the most common type of this infection for which emperical treatment is started without knowing the etiological agents because prior cultures are generally not taken. We conducted this survey to study the etiological agents of conjunctivitis in a total of 6763 swabs obtained over a period of four years (2001 to 2004). The prevalence of bacterial conjunctivitis was found to be 20.4% with a predominance of Staphylococcus aureus (87.2%) followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (4.7%) and gram negative rods (E.coli + Klebsiella spp. + Pseudomonas spp.) in 8.1% swabs. For S. aureus, amikacin showed maximum sensitivity (73.2%) while for S. pneumoniae, cefotaxime (90.6%) and cefazolin (89%) were found to be highly sensitive drugs. For gram negative rods, ceftazidime (74.1%) and cefotaxime (67%) were found to be preferred options. Thus it is concluded that bacterial conjunctivitis in our hospital is predominated by S. aureus. The bacterial isolates obtained from conjunctiva have not yet attained a high level of antibiotic resistance and hence averts the need to unnecessarily start new/latest generations of antibiotic eyedrops or antibiotic combination which may lead to acquisition of resistance by these bacteria.

Phacoemulsification after penetrating keratoplasty with autologous limbal transplant and amniotic membrane transplant in chemical burns.

We report a patient who had earlier penetrating keratoplasty with amniotic membrane transplant and autologous limbal cell transplant for chemical injury who underwent cataract surgery by phacoaspiration. A posterior limbal incision with corneal valve was made superotemporally with extreme caution to avoid damage to the limbal graft. Aspiration flow rates and vacuum were kept low to avoid any turbulence during surgery. A 6.0 mm optic diameter acrylic foldable intraocular lens was inserted in the bag. The patient achieved a best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 at 10 months' follow-up with a clear corneal graft. We conclude that caution during wound construction and phacoaspiration can help preserve corneal and limbal graft integrity in patients undergoing cataract surgery after corneal graft and limbal transplantation.

Seroepidemiology of ocular toxoplasmosis-profile of an urban population.

200 uveitis cases and 100 controls were serologically analysed for Toxoplasma antibodies (Ab) using indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT-IgG, Igm) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA IgG, IgM). Ophthalmologically cases were segregated into 4 groups anterior uveitis, posterior uveitis, pan uveitis and varied presentation uveitis. Toxoplasma seropositivity of 32% in cases and 4% in controls was established. IHA, IFAT, ELISA detected 20%, 18% and 32% cases as seropositive respectively, IFAT being most specific (100%) and ELISA most sensitive (41.37%). Insignificant change in Ab titre was observed in sequential samples of seropositive cases. Posterior Uveitis cases had the maximum seropositivity (41.7%). Highest seropositivity was in 16-25 years age group with no sex preponderance. Dietary habits and occupational history had no bearing on Toxoplasma infection. Results indicate that serology in mandatory for diagnosing Toxoplasma as a cause of uveitis, 2 or more tests on a single serum sample detecting IgG and Igm Ab are the best indicators of infection.

Pulmonary tuberculosis in Ahmedabad: epidemiology, diagnosis and short course chemotherapy.

Five hundred children below the age of 12 years suffering from lung tuberculosis viz., primary complex (PC) or progressive primary complex (PPC) were studied. Diagnosis was based on Kenneth Jones criteria; selected cases having score of 5 or more. One hundred and eighty cases of PC were given A-1 (6 RH) regimen, while 312 cases of PPC were given A-2 (2SHRZ/4 RH) or A-3 (2 SRH/4 RH) or A-4 (2 RHE/4 RH) regimen. Follow-up was done for 6 months after completing the treatment to observe the relapse rate. In cases of PC, 6 RH regimen appeared adequate and cheaper with no relapse rate. In cases of PPC with short course chemotherapy, compliance of patients had been very good. Relapse rate was up to 13% which is acceptable. Drug toxicity was very low.

Bilateral tubercular lid abscess--a case report.

Tuberculosis is a ubiquitous disease and a public health problem of major importance in almost all countries. The disease can involve any part of the body. Eye involvement to tuberculosis is also common. A case of bilateral tubercular lid abscess without any active systemic involvement is being reported because of its rare occurrence.

Un método simple para determinar la edad gestacional de los recién nacidos / a simple method to determine the gestational age in newborn infants

Se presenta un método sencillo para determinar la edad gestacional de los recién nacidos, basado solamente en cuatro características: la cápsula vascular anterior del cristalino, los surcos de la planta de los pies, el nódulo mamario y la firmeza del papellón auricular. La valoración crítica realizada mediante adecuados análisis estadísticos, demostró que se trata de un método útil de gran valor práctico, presentando unos límites de confianza del 95% correspondiente a 11 días. Dicho método es aplicable a todos los recién nacidos, incluso patológicos, en cualquier momento de los primeros 2 días de vida