Dietary Immunomodulators - An Organic Boom in the Management of Chronic Diseases

Immunology involves all the defence mechanisms occurring in the body after the invasion of any infectious agent and the ability to resist this infection. The micronutrients like essential proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins (A, B6, B12, C, D, E and folic acid), fatty acids, minerals (iron, selenium, zinc and copper) and certain phytochemicals are of prime importance towards healthy immune system. In addition to these nutritional components, intestinal microflora and certain bacteria (probiotic bacteria) also play an important role in the modulation of healthy immune system. There is an ongoing trend of usage of immunomodulators to combat various chronic diseases like viral diseases, cancers, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. This review focuses on various immunomodulators available in daily dietary meals, its positive and negative effects on immune system and its role in management of chronic illness as an adjunct to other modalities to achieve positive health benefits with minimal side effects.

Combined Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis and Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia: A Rare Co-occurrence

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) are common lung diseases presenting with peripheral blood eosinophilia. Although these have been widely reported both from India and outside, simultaneous co-occurrence of the two diseases has not been reported so far. We hereby present a case of an elderly male, a known case of asthma, who was diagnosed to have concurrent ABPA and TPE. Partial clinical response as well as the persistence of eosinophilia after ABPA treatment raised the suspicion that subsequently led to the diagnosis of TPE. The concurrent treatment of both conditions led to satisfactory clinical and serological improvement.

Paediatric Urinary Tract Infection: Microbiologic Profile and Antibiotics Sensitivity in Children Presenting with UTI

Background: This study was designed to determine the microbiologic profile and Antibiotics Sensitivity in Children presenting with UTI. Materials & Methods: This hospital based prospective study was conducted in 28 patients Patients from 2 months to 12 years were admitted to the pediatric ward and visited in outpatient department (OPD) with diagnosis of UTI based on history with routine and microscopic examination of urine were considered for this study. The UTI investigation protocol recommended ultrasound, voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), and DMSA scan. Clinical and laboratory parameters at the index infection, including highest measured temperature, highest C-reactive protein (CRP), bacterial findings, and the number of febrile recurrences, were recorded. Results: Fever was the most common symptom accounting for 76.4% of patients with nausea and vomiting (42.8%), dysuria (53.6%), abdominal pain (57.1%) and anorexia (46.4%). Urine analysis was done in all suspected cases of UTI. Among all urine samples 60.7% had WBC >10/hpf, followed by 87 (28.6%) which had WBC between 6-10/hpf. Only 6 (10.7%) had WBC 5 or less. Among all urine analyses 68 (57.1%) Conclusion: E. coli (82%) was the most common organism found followed by Klebsiella pneumonia (12%), Proteus mirabilis (5%)and 1% were other pathogens like Enterococcus species (Table 4, Fig 1). All isolated E. coli was sensitive to Imipenem, Nalidixic acid, Netilmicin and Vancomycin. E. coli were 80-90% sensitive to Amikacin, Ceftriaxone, Cefuroxime, Ofloxacin, Gentamicin and Nitrofurantoin.

Effect of trichloroethylene (TCE) inhalation on biotransformation enzymes of rat lung and liver.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is widely used as an industrial solvent and cleaning fluid. In the present study the toxic effects of TCE inhalation on pulmonary and hepatic biotransformation enzymes in rats have been investigated by assay of aniline hydroxylase (AH), aminopyrine-N-demethylase (APD), benzo-a-pyrene hydroxylase (BH) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activities and glutathione (GSH) contents in liver as well as lungs of exposed animals. In both organs phase I and phase II drug metabolizing enzymes have been found to be increased along with decrease in GSH contents following TCE inhalation. Pulmonary as well as hepatic MFO's seem to be activated by inhaled TCE probably in an attempt for its rapid detoxification and reduced glutathione is used during its biotransformation.

Risk factors of acute respiratory infections in underfives of urban slum community.

To ascertain the risk factors of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) in children, a prospective study was conducted for a period of one year among 112 underfives in urban slum community of Calcutta. Incidence of ARI was found significantly higher in undernourished children of poor socio-economic class. Parental smoking habit and solid fuel use for cooking were recognised as important risk factors of ARI.

Community perception about disaster preparedness and response programme in four states of India.

It is well felt that community participation, local planning, development of self reliance and manpower resource within the community itself can strengthen the effort of disaster preparedness and response. The present study was intended to bring out the salient features about perception and opinion of community leaders and community members about existing preparedness programme and appropriateness of mitigatory exercise against flood disaster in four eastern states of India viz. West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Orissa. Many snags at the implementation level, in terms of co-ordination, directives, logistics and knowledge gap were noted, which should be dealt with due care for successful disaster preparedness programme.

Histobiochemical changes in lung of protein deficient rats following repeated exposures of MIC vapour.

Adult male albino rats, maintained on normal or protein deficient diets from weanling, were exposed to repeated doses of MIC vapour (0.32 mg/L for 8 min for 5 consecutive days) under static conditions. Histopathology and the activities of alkaline and acid phosphatases and GSH content of lung were studied upto day 14 after exposure. Mild but repeated exposures of MIC vapour caused severe pulmonary lesions like denudation of bronchiolar epithelial lining tissue, cellular infiltration, edema, emphysema followed by hyperplasia, hypertrophy, fibrosis and intraluminal fibroplasia. The activities of alkaline and acid phosphatases were increased at earlier intervals while GSH content decreased significantly and remained low throughout the experimental duration. Protein deficiency was found to aggravate the toxic potentials of MIC in present condition.

Histomorphological changes in lung of rats following exposure to wood smoke.

Rats were exposed to repeated, intermittent exposure to smoke generated from combustion of 1g wood/15 min, total period for 75 min daily under dynamic exposure conditions, over a period of 15, 30 and 45 days. First 15 days exposure caused mild bronchiolitis, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of bronchiolar epithelial lining cells, some necrosed lining cells desquamated into lumens, congestion of parenchymatous blood vessels, oedema, hyperplasia of lymphoid follicles, peribronchiolar and perivascular infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells, and mild emphysema. These lesions progressed further during 30 and 45 days of exposure, though emphysematous changes remain constant. By 30 days and 45 days, hyperplastic and hypertrophic changes of bronchioles become quite marked, with mononuclear cells infiltration and alveolar septa thickening. Hematological studies show marginal alterations in hemoglobin levels, ESR, PCV and TLCS during 15 days, where as significant changes in eosinophil were observed during 30 and 45 days, and ESR during 45 days only. The results indicate progressive pathomorphological pulmonary lesions with subsequent exposure to wood smoke in controlled conditions.

Stage specific effect during one seminiferous epithelial cycle following ethylene glycol monomethyl ether exposure in rats.

Stage specific effect of single oral dose (500 mg/kg body wt) of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) was characterised during one cycle of seminiferous epithelium in rats. Maximum peritubular membrane damage and germinal epithelial distortion were observed at stages IX-XII. Cell death occurred during conversion of zygotene to pachytene spermatocytes (stage XIII) and between dividing spermatocytes and step I spermatids (stage late XIII-XIV). Profound effect was noted during first meiotic division than during second meiotic division. Presence of multinucleated secondary spermatocytes indicated cytokinesis arrest. The spermatogenesis was delayed and consequently frequency of tubules at stages I-VIII was reduced by day 10. Many of the tubules were devoid of round spermatids on day 12. Possibly, EGME (or it's metabolite) distorted the barrier system at stages IX-XIV and damaged the cells mostly at stages XII-early XIV.

Smokeless tobacco and premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral cavity.

The paper compares the prevalence of oral carcinoma and dysplasia in smokeless tobacco users and non users. A total of 3205 subjects were studied. Of the smokeless tobacco users, 1.96 percent had oral carcinoma compared with 0.36 percent of non-users. The prevalence of oral dysplasia in the users' group was 14.4 percent as compared with 6.85 percent in the group of non-users.

Field evaluation of measles vaccine efficacy in New Seemapuri, Shahdara Zone-Delhi during 1990.

A field evaluation of measles vaccine efficacy was undertaken in resettlement colonies in New Seemapuri, Shahdara Zone, Delhi, having an estimated population of 20,500 by case-reference method. The standard 30 cluster sampling technique was adopted and 261 measles vaccinated children were matched with 545 measles non-vaccinated children. The attack rate of measles was found to be 4.2 and 30.3 per cent in measles vaccinated and non-vaccinated children respectively, which is statistically highly significant (P less than 0.001). The relative risk of developing measles in non-vaccinated child is seven times more as compared to a vaccinated child. Vaccine efficacy (V.E.) evaluated by different epidemiological and laboratory methods was found to be 86.1 per cent +/- 11 at P = 0.05. Further, a large scale study on measles V.E. is recommended in different parts of the country by case-reference method, as it is found to be simple, reproducible and easy to undertake in a field situation.

Cervical cytology screening in Calcutta and adjoining areas with special reference to carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

A total of 1232 female subjects including 100 prostitutes from Calcutta and adjoining areas in the age group of 21-70 years were screened for cervical pathology according to the method of Papanicolaou. Of 1232 examined, 815 were found to have smears with normal cellular cytology (66.15%). The others were grouped into dysplasia (18.4%) and inflammatory (15.4%) according to the cytomorphological characteristics of the exfoliated cells. The findings though revealed more cases of cervical dysplasia in women with early marriage, early childbirth, high parity and multiple sexual partners, it failed to support the smegma theory of cervical carcinoma. This study also showed a number of inflammatory cervical smears in women coming from low socio-economic group.

Clinico-epidemiological profiles of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in Varanasi.

Twenty-seven cases of Post Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (P. K. D. L.) were detected in an endemic focus of Kala-azar in Sujabad village in Varanasi Distt. Male-Female ratio of cases was 4.4:1. Majority (66.6 per cent) of cases had macular lesions. Histopathology of one case showed Leishmania donovani (L. D.) bodies. Densities of sand fly were more in pockets where P. K. D. L. cases were detected. All the 13 cases, which were treated with sodium antimony gluconate, responded well to therapy.

Bacteriological study of drinking water during epidemic of cholera in Delhi.

Sixty drinking water samples collected from various sources in different areas of Delhi during epidemic of cholera and gastroenteritis were analysed for bacteriological standards. Only 27 (45 per cent) samples were found to be satisfactory for human consumption. Remaining thirty-three (55 per cent) samples showed presence of coliform organisms with MPN value ranging from 10 to 1800+ per 100 ml. Among these positive samples, 31 (93.9 per cent) samples contained faecal coli. Twenty out of thirty (66.6 per cent) Hand pump, 9 out of 21 (42.8 per cent) Taps 2 out of 4 (50 per cent) Tube well and 2 out of 5 (40 per cent) of miscellaneous sources showed contamination with coliform organisms.