HIV related stigma and perceived social support of people living with HIV: In South India.

Objective: The aim of the study was to identify factors that are associated with high level of HIV related stigma and perceived social support of People Living With HIV using HIV Stigma Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Methods: The study was conducted among 200 PLHIV attending a tertiary care hospital and three Non-Governmental Organizations in Puducherry, South India, from November 2005 to May 2007. The information collected using the standard assessment scales were analyzed utilizing backward step-wise multiple linear regression. Results and Conclusion: Factors associated with high level of stigma were short time since diagnosis, non-disclosure, poor social support, younger age and male. PLHIV with lesser stigma and PLHIV whose income was maintained perceived better social support.

Spontaneous tumour lysis syndrome associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma--a case report.

Spontaneous tumour lysis syndrome is characterized by hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, metabolic acidosis and hypocalcemia, that occur even prior to the treatment of a neoplasm. This rare occurrence was encountered in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), of follicular cell type. Conservative but intensive treatment led to complete resolution. Subsequent chemotherapy was well tolerated.

Co-infection with hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus among patients with sexually transmitted diseases in Pondicherry, South India.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is usually transmitted by blood and blood products is emerging as an important agent in the list of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The present study was undertaken to document the burden of HCV infection in individuals with STDs in this tertiary care hospital in South India. One hundred serum samples collected from individuals with STDs were tested for antibodies to HCV by a third generation ELISA. All the samples were also screened for HIV infection. Six out of 100 individuals were found to possess antibodies against HCV (95% confidence interval [CI=1.3-10.7%). Fourteen out of 100 samples were positive for HIV (95% CI=7-20.9%). The seroprevalence of HCV in HIV positive individuals was 21.4% (3/14) whereas the corresponding figure for HIV negative individuals was only 3.5% (3/86). The difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.01).

Seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus in a hospital based general population in South India.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) among hospital based general population was determined using a third generation ELISA. The study population comprised of 661 individuals (including 36 health care workers) attending a tertiary care hospital in Pondicherry, south India. The overall seroprevalence was found to be 4.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]=3.2-6.4%). The seroprevalence in males and females was 5.9% (95% CI=3.5-8.3%) and 3.3% (95% CI= 1.2-5.4%) respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of individuals who were positive in case of males and females (p>0.05). None of the health care workers tested positive for antibodies to HCV.

Acanthameba meningoencephalitis: a case report.

A 45 year old lady presented with history of recent surgery for uterovaginal prolapse and retained vaginal tampons following which she developed chronic meningitis due to acanthameba infection. Patient responded to a regimen containing albendazole. She was left with hydrocephalus as a sequelae.

Chorea due to nonketotic hyperglycemia.

A 62 year old diabetic and hypertensive male presented with sudden onset generalized chorea. Investigations revealed uncontrolled diabetes with absent ketones and normal serum osmolality. Achievement of euglycemia with insulin therapy abolished the involuntary movements completely within a day. The direct effect of hyperglycemia causing striatal neuronal dysfunction could be the pathogenesis of the chorea in our patient.

Amoebic liver abscess in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

A thirty two years man, heterosexually promiscuous presented with amoebic liver abscess, proven by ultrasonography, aspiration and culture of organism. He was human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive and had low CD4+ lymphocyte count. He responded to anti-amoebic treatment.

Dapsone in treatment of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in adults.

BACKGROUND: When a patient is steroid-dependant, a currently available strategy in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is to follow a trial and error approach with any of the known drugs which has been found effective in the condition. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the response of chronic ITP to dapsone, an inexpensive drug now reported to be effective in the disease. DESIGN : A controlled trial of abstinence and rechallenge type. SUBJECTS: Eight subjects with chronic ITP. INTERVENTIONS: Phase I - Intake of 100 mg of dapsone daily until response (in form of rise of platelet count in blood), Phase II - Above followed by drug abstinence, minimum for four weeks, and then rechallenge with the drug. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Platelet counts during various phases viz during drug intake, withdrawal and rechallenge. RESULTS: Four (50%) patients responded to treatment. The mean pre-dapsone and post-dapsone platelet counts of blood were 29.6 x 10(9)/l and 142.5 x 10(9)/l respectively during the first phase of trial. The rechallenge was done in five patients following withdrawal of drug and the mean values of platelet count before and after rechallenge were 32.2 x 10(9)/l and 83 x 10(9)/l respectively. There was a remarkable response in two patients; one is now off the drug and the other on a maintenance dose of 50 mg of dapsone daily. CONCLUSION: Dapsone caused significant rise of platelet count in some patients of chronic ITP. It can be tried as an alternative to other second-line drugs in chronic ITP.

Clinical and laboratory profile of sixty patients with AIDS: a South Indian study.

Sixty patients who fulfilled the WHO case definition of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were admitted and treated between January 1993 and June 1995 in JIPMER Hospital, Pondicherry, South India. Their mean age was 30.3 +/- 6.4 years. Male: female ratio was 5 : 1. The heterosexual route was the major mode of transmission (96.7%). Fever was the commonest presentation (98.3%), followed by weight loss (85%) and cough (36.7%). The commonest opportunistic infection seen was tuberculosis (pulmonary, extrapulmonary - single or in combination) followed by esophageal candidiasis. Cryptococcal meningitis, intestinal crytosporidiosis, CNS toxoplasmosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia and group B Salmonella septicemia were the other infections encountered. Ten out of the 38 patients with tuberculosis were followed up on antituberculous treatment for 6 months. Seven out of 18 patients with esophageal candidiasis were treated with ketoconazole.

Thrombocytopenia--a manifestation of HIV-1 infection in a heterosexual male.

A 28 years old male with multiple heterosexual contacts presented with bleeding manifestations. Investigations revealed a picture of AIDS-related Thrombocytopenia with primary syphilis.

Short term anti-tubercular drug therapy and hepatic microsomal enzyme activity. Antipyrine metabolism as an index.

The effect of short course chemotherapy on the drug metabolising capacity of the liver was studied in 7 newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients, using antipyrine as a model drug. Antipyrine elimination half-life and plasma clearance rate were not significantly altered by 3 weeks of therapy. It is concluded that short course chemotherapy does not affect antipyrine metabolising enzyme activity.