Clinicomycological study of candidiasis.

Opportunistic pathogens like candida are responsible for a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the chronically debilitated and the immunocompromised patient. The clinical data of 100 patients from whom candida species were repeatedly isolated were analysed. Most of the patients (40%) were above 51 years. Postoperative patients (34%) and patients with diabetes mellitus (30%) had a high incidence of candidiasis. All these patients had either long standing indwelling catheters or were on prolonged antibiotics, steroids or cytotoxic drugs as a part of the management for the underlying cause. Candida albicans (38.9%) and Candida stellatoidea (37.1%) were the most common species isolated. Maximum isolation was from urine (140) mostly obtained from patients with indwelling urinary catheters for more than a week or so. None received antifungal therapy except four, two of them died in spite of appropriate antifungal therapy.

Serodiagnosis of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Thirty three young patients (23 males and 10 females), between 3-20 years of age, with a clinical suspicion of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) were evaluated over a period of 4 years. A past history of measles was obtained in 42.4% of the cases. One child was immunised against measles. Measles specific antibodies (IgG) were demonstrated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 30 (90.9%) of the 33 patients by ELISA. In the remaining three cases the antibodies were detected only in the serum. Serodiagnosis of SSPE by ELISA had a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 93.3% and a positive predictive value of 100%.

Serum adenosine deaminase activity in bacillary or paucibacillary pulmonary tuberculosis.

Serum Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) enzyme levels were estimated in 61 patients with symptoms and signs suggestive of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and correlated with "Gold standards" such as smear positivity of sputum for Acid Fast bacilli, Tuberculin skin testing and Radiological evidence. The mean ADA levels in smear and Tuberculin negative patients was 13.13 +/- 5.97 u/L, while in those with smear and/or strongly positive Tuberculin reaction, the mean levels of ADA were 33.52 +/- 15.22 u/L. The mean serum ADA levels in 25 healthy voluntary donors with no evidence of active or old Tuberculous lesion, were found to be 16.5 +/- 3.18 u/L. The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the test was found to be 87%, 71%, 90% and 66.5% respectively. The results conclude that the serum ADA value is sufficiently useful in identifying those patients in whom the diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis should be actively considered.

Hepatitis B surface antigen--3 years experience.

Epidemiological surveillance of Hepatitis B surface antigen in the city of Hyderabad at our Institute shows that the incidence of HBsAg is considerably high among the general population. In a comparative evaluation of the two techniques used, RPHA and ELISA, the latter emerged as a reliable one with high specificity and sensitivity. Screening of all blood samples by ELISA is imperative for uniform reporting of the incidence. Non risk groups like voluntary blood donors, cardiac patients serve as potential reservoirs of HBV infection.