Role of vitamin E in rheumatic chorea.

Rheumatic chorea is the sole neurologic manifestation of rheumatic fever. It is a debilitating illness lasting for weeks to months. Drugs like diazepam, haloperidol, chlorpromazine take four to six weeks for functional improvement and can cause serious side effects. The authors investigated the role of Vitamin E in reducing rheumatic chorea. A case series of patients of rheumatic chorea were administered Vitamin E in the dose 50 IU daily for fifteen days. The various clinical signs of rheumatic chorea were scored with MAIMS score (Modified Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale score) which is used for tardive dyskinesia. No other drug for abnormal movements was used. In all the 4 patients who received vitamin E, there was remarkable change by 7th day and almost complete functional improvement by 14th day. Vitamin E is safer than the conventional drugs used for chorea in children. It was found effective in this case series. Its role needs further evaluation by a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Hyperfractionation in advanced head and neck cancer.

This preliminary study was undertaken to observe tumour response and normal tissue tolerance to hyperfractionation. This study showed encouraging locoregional control rate in advanced head and neck cancer. Responses T4 tumors are poor and are prone to recur. This indicates that probably greater dose is needed to control T4 disease. We used 7920 cGy for T4 and late T3 status tumour. This dose is well tolerated by patients. Control of T4 tumours may further be increased by increasing total dose, but in view of inadequate clear cut numerical data of tissue tolerance derived by L-Q = Linear Quadratic formula which is still under clinical trial, further increase in total dose cannot be overemphasized. Longer follow up is necessary to assess the long term control rate and late tissue reaction. There is a need of randomized controlled clinical trial to compare hyperfractionation and conventional fractionation. In next phase we are undertaking randomized study of twice daily, daily and weekly fractionation in advanced head and neck cancer.

ELISA for diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Antigen A 60 of Mycobacterium bovis is a cell wall antigen with almost complete cross reactivity with antigen A 60 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This antigen was used for the ELISA technique for 100 cases suspected of childhood tuberculosis to evaluate the usefulness of the method in the diagnosis. The positivity rate in pulmonary tuberculosis was 65.1%, in central nervous system tuberculosis 50.0% and in the miscellaneous group 76.4%. The overall positivity was 61.0%, proving the utility of the method for diagnosis.

Pulmonary function tests in school children.

Pulmonary Function tests were measured in 261 healthy boys and 254 healthy girls in the age group of 6 to 15 years with standard Benidects Roth type recording spirometer and Wrights Peak Flow Meter. The values of Pulmonary Functions were found to be increased with increase in age. For vital capacity this relation was curvilinear. All values were higher in boys than girls. There was significant positive correlation between pulmonary Function Tests Vital Capacity, (VC), Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MV), peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) and anthropometric parameters like height, weight and body surface area. Equations were formed for prediction of V.C., M.V.V. and PEFR values in relation to the height. The values of Pulmonary Functions were lower when compared with Western Standards, but were comparable with different Indian Studies.