Health of people working/living in the vicinity of an oil-polluted beach near Karachi, Pakistan

A short-term study was conducted after the oil spillage from the tanker Tasman Spirit to analyse seawater and sand samples taken from Karachi beach for hydrocarbon/organic contents. Blood samples were collected from people who were working or living in the vicinity of the beach. Lymphocyte and eosinophil levels were slightly increased. About 11 people had raised serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, but this was not significant. Such steps are vital to ensure that there are no long-term hazardous effects of oil on human health

HCV infected patients; assessment of major genotypes and subtypes of hepatitis C virus

To assess the prevalence of different hepatitis C virus [HCV] major genotypes and subtypes in HCV infected patients. A cohort prospective study. At Shalamar Hospital Lahore, From Dec2002 to Dec 2005. 1652 patients, 697 females and 955 males infected with hepatitis C virus confirmed by ELISA were included in the present study for the analysis of HCV genotypes. Infection was reconfirmed by HCVRNA detection with qualitative PCR. Genotyping was done with multiplex PCR using type specific primers. Among 1652 genotyping was done with multiplex 3 was seen most common 1220 [73.85%]. Second and third common genotypes were 2 and 1, 154 [9.33%] and 80 [4.84%] respectively followed by genotype 4 which was 41 [2.84%]. In this study 106 [6.42%] cases remained unclassified and mentioned as untypable. In 52[3.09%] cases more than one genotype was seen which reported as mixed genotypes. Patients with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis C virus infection in this part of Pakistan had predominantly HCV genotype 3 but the presence of genotype 1 and 4 could not be excluded. So before therapy genotyping must be taken under consideration

Sensitivity of fine needle aspiration cytology in cervical lymph nodes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

To see the sensitivity of fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC] in cervical lymph nodes in patients of nasopharyngeal carcinoma [NPC]. Prospective study. Departments of Pathology and Ear Nose and Throat [ENT], Peoples Medical College, Nawabshah. January 2002 to December 2003. 32 patients having cervical lymphadenopathy were selected and divided in two groups A and B. Group A includes 23 patients which were undiagnosed cases of NPC, out of these 19 patients have ENT symptoms and 04 patients having only cervical lymphadenopathy without any ENT symptom. Group B includes 09 post -irradiated patients of NPC having detectable cervical lymphadenopathy. Fine needle aspiration [FNA] was performed with 22 gauge needle attached with 10 ml syringe and 128 smears were prepared [04per patient], stained with haemotoxylen and eosin [H and E] stain. Small surgical tissue biopsies were also taken to correlate the histological findings with cytological findings of the smear of same patient. Close resemblance was found between H and E stained cytological smears and tissue sections by observing under light microscope. The commonest pattern observed was undifferentiated carcinoma. FNAC of cervical lymph nodes is an important tool in the diagnosis of NPC, especially in those patients who have no ENT symptom. FNAC is also helpful in the follow up of post-irradiated patients

pattern of diseases in a surgical unit at a tertiary care public hospital of Karachi

Objective: To study the pattern of diseases in patients admitted in a surgical unit of tertiary care public hospital in Karachi

Design: Descriptive retrospective analysis of patients admitted from January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2004

Setting: Surgical Unit IV, Civil Hospital, Karachi

Results: A total of 501 patients, 284 [56.7%] males and 217 [43.3%] females were admitted during a six months period in Surgical Unit IV of Civil Hospital, Karachi. Out of these 296 [59.1%] patients were admitted through OPD, 190 [37.9%] came from emergency and 15 [3%] from other units. The majority of patients i.e. 114 [22.8%] had gastrointestinal related diseases followed by hernia 94 [18.8%], hepatobiliary diseases 69 [13.8%], ano-rectal diseases 37 [7.4%], abscesses 35 [7%], trauma 28 [5.6%], thyroid diseases 20 [4%], testicular and scrotal related problems 19 [3.7%], breast diseases 17 [3.4%] and tetanus patients 10 [2%]. Diabetes mellitus was the commonest associated disease seen in 60 [12%] patients. Four hundred forty-one [88%] patients were discharged after successful treatment while 10 [2.2%] expired during the study period

Conclusion: This study revealed that the commonest cause of admission was gastrointestinal related problems including acute abdomen, followed by hernias and hepato-biliary diseases, while diabetes mellitus was the most common associated disease

Hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-cholesterol are the major lipid abnormalities in normal Pakistani adults: are these contributing to the high rates of coronary artery disease in this population?

Objective: Lipid abnormalities are related to enhanced risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The objective of the study was to investigate variability in lipid profile in Pakistani normal adults [from the personnel of 4 tertiary care hospitals] by age, gender, body mass index [BMI] and smoking, and to determine the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, low HDL-cholesterol and isolated low HDL-cholesterol in this population

Method: Serum samples from 323 normal healthy subjects [236 males and 87 females, age 30-70 years] from the personnel of the Aga Khan University, Civil Hospital, Karachi, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and Military Hospital, Rawalpindi were analyzed for total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides using kit methods. LDL-cholesterol was determined using the Friedewald formula

Results: Mean +/- SD concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were found to be 165+/-37 mg/dl, 37+/-11.5 mg/dl, 98+/-34 mg/dl and 155 +/- 88 mg/dl, respectively. Mean levels of total cholesterol were found to be significantly higher in hypertriglyceridemia [>200mg/dl] than normotriglyceridemia [181+/-30 mg/dl vs 160+/-38 mg/dl; p=0.001]. Mean concentration of HDL-cholesterol in the younger age group [50 years] group [39.6+/-11.7 mg/dl vs 33.4+/-9.7 mg/dl; p=0.001]. Similarly, mean concentration of HDL-cholesterol in females was significantly higher compared to males [44.3+/-14 mg/dl vs 34.9+/-9.1 mg/dl; p=0.001]. In hypertriglyceridemia [>200 mg/dl], mean HDL-concentration was significantly lower compared to normotriglyceridemia [33.4+/-8.3 mg/dl vs 38.9+/-12 mg/dl; p=0.001]. The combined effect of age, gender and triglyceridemia was found to be significantly associated with HDL-cholesterol concentration [p25], triglyceride levels were significantly higher compared to those with BMI<25 [180+/-107 mg/dl vs 144+/-71 mg/dl; p=0.001]. Levels of triglycerides were, therefore, significantly associated with gender and BMI [p<0.001; R2 =0.076]. LDL-cholesterol levels were not found to be significant by age, gender, smoking, BMI and triglyceridemia. Smoking had no significant effect on lipid levels of male healthy subjects. Frequencies of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol and isolated low HDL-cholesterol were found to be 17.6%, 26.9%, 45.8% and 29.4%, respectively. High prevalence values of low HDL-cholesterol and isolated low HDL-cholesterol are reported for the first time in Pakistani normal adults and require further studies at the community level

Conclusion: High levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL-cholesterol are the most prominent abnormalities in Pakistani adults working in tertiary health care centers