Biomarker discovery and authentication of cold-slaughtered chicken through classical analytical procedures and mass spectrometry based proteomic approaches.

1. This study evaluated the suitability of routine analytical procedures and used mass spectrometry-based proteomic approaches to distinguish meat from dead chicken/ cold-slaughtered birds (CS), electrically stunned and slaughtered birds, as per standard protocols (ES), and birds slaughtered according to halal guidelines (HS).2. Meat from CS birds had lower (P < 0.05) pH, water-holding capacity and higher (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation, haem iron content, residual blood and total viable counts relative to ES and HS meat indicating poor quality.3. The results demonstrated the presence of unique protein bands on SDS-PAGE only in CS meat that can be used for routine screening.4. Protein analysis using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identified haemoglobin subunit alpha-A and alpha-D; Adenylate kinase isoenzyme 1 as reliable and stable marker proteins for authentication of dead chicken meat under raw and cooked conditions and halal slaughtered chicken, respectively.5. The methods used may be employed by the food safety and regulatory agencies for regular screening of meat quality and to authenticate CS or HS chicken.

Mucormycosis of the middle ear: a case report with review of literature.

Mucor is a saprophytic organism and commonly invades the nose and paranasal sinuses of immunocompromised and diabetic patients involvement of the middle ear and mastoid in a nondiabetic patients is very rare and this may be the first case report clinical presentation of ear pain with reference to the mastoid and upper neck may be the early symptoms unlike the foul smelling ear discharge as seen in atticoantral disease. Radical debridement in the form of M.R.M with or without the use of amphotericin B may suffice in non-diabetic patients this case is reported to highlight the point that mucormycosis can also involve middle ear and mastoid in nondiabetic patients.

Role of Le Fort type I osteotomy approach in juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

Le Fort type I osteotomy is a fracture that extends from the pyriform aperture to each of the pterygoid plates, resulting in the detachment of the upper jaw from the cranial base. A retrospective study was conducted on 12 patients with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) who underwent the Le Fort type I approach. Preoperatively, all cases were investigated with computed tomographic scans with contrast and angiography with embolisation. This paper highlights the surgical technique, results and treatment morbidity. The average age of the patients was 21 years, average duration of surgery was 3.2h and average blood loss was 550 ml. All cases had significant symptomatic improvement postoperatively. At 1 year follow up, the authors encountered dental malocclusion in one case and no recurrence of JNA. The Le Fort I osteotomy approach is an excellent approach for the excision of JNA because it allows good surgical exposure, better haemostasis, is cosmetically more acceptable and has a very low morbidity.

Leiomyoma of the nasal septum.

Leiomyoma of nasal cavity is an extremely rare and unusual benign mass that uncommonly arises from the nasal septum. These are vascular or nonvascular masses of myogenic origin. We present a rare case of leiomyoma arising from the nasal septum and discuss its management using KTP 532 laser.

Removal of iron from groundwater by ash: a systematic study of a traditional method.

A traditional method for removal of iron from ground water by using ash has been systematically investigated. Ashes from five different sources, viz., banana rind, banana pseudostem, banana leaf, rice husk and bamboo has been studied. The principle applied is enhanced precipitation of iron at high pH caused by ash. The study included laboratory analysis of some relevant chemical parameters of the ashes and the efficiency of the ashes in removing iron from prefabricated water with respect to quantity of ash and corresponding increase in pH of water. The ash of banana pseudostem has been found to be most suitable for removal of iron. A low-cost and easily made iron removal system for household use has been designed and tested in the laboratory. The ash of banana pseudostem has been found to remove iron to below 0.3ppm without increasing the pH above the acceptable limit. The optimum values of the different parameters for removal of iron are 200-300mgl(-1) ash, 1.0lh(-1) flow rate and 1h of contact time with ash for groundwater having [Fe] of about 2.20ppm. The amount of ash can be increased for groundwater having higher [Fe] and can be decreased gradually during continuous use of the system. Acceptability of the method has been examined based on chemical analysis of the treated water. Increase in the essential minerals such as Ca, K has been observed in the water after treatment. The designed iron removing system is expected to be suitable for household use.

Endoscopic KTP-532 laser assisted diverticulotomy for Zenker's diverticulum.

Zenker's diverticulum, though counnon in western countries is uncommon in India. This diverticuham is an extension of umcosa through Killian's dehiscence. Various surgical methods have been described for the treatment of this condition including the use of lasers but none in Indian Journals. In this paper we describe a case of Zenker's diverticulum where diverticulotomy using KTP532 laser was successfully performed. Its advantages over other techniques are mentioned.

Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy vs KTP 532 laser-assisted endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.

OBJECTIVES: Advances in endoscopy and lasers have improved surgical management of chronic nasolacrimal duct obstruction. This is a preliminary comparison between standard and laser assisted endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). STUDY DESIGN: Combined retrospective and prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight cases of chronic nasolacrimal duct obstruction underwent endoscopic DCR (26 standard and 12, laser-assisted) and were assessed at 3 and at 6 months postoperatively by nasal endoscopy. RESULTS: Three months postoperatively (n=38), total relief of epiphora among the nonlaser group was 80.76 vs 75% in the laser group (P=0.982). At 6 months (n=19), the laser group had recorded 100% symptomatic relief compared to 85.71% in the nonlaser group (P=0.964). The laser group suffered fewer complications (33.33 vs 46.15% for nonlaser group). CONCLUSION: Lasers show promise in long-term management of duct obstruction and are associated with fewer complications. A larger study is required before and generalization is made.

KTP Laser assisted microendoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy and web excision for dysphagia management.

Cricopharyngeal dysfunction is defined as the delayed or incomplete relaxation of the cricopharyngeal muscle during swallowing. This may cause dysphagia and aspiration, affecting the quality of life. For this condition, injection of botulinum toxin into the cricopharyngeus, dilatation of cricopharynx with bougies and external cricopharyngeal myotomy have been the treatment of choice with varying results. We present in this paper the treatment of this clinical condition by KTP 532 laser a recent advance in the field of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. Very few series have been reported in literature so far regarding the use of laser for cricopharyngeal myotomy. This is perhaps the first series of eight cases of KTP laser assisted microendoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy and web excision reporting the benefit of this treatment by an Indian author in an Indian Journal. KTP laser assisted cricopharyngeal myotomy avoids an external scar; aids precise incision at the cricopharynx by direct visualization, brings optimum results in deglutition and reduces postoperative morbidity and complications. The short hospital stay reduces the overall cost. The use of KTP 532 laser in the treatment of selected cases with cricopharyngeal dysfunction is therefore safe and effective.

Surgical access to parapharyngeal space tumours--the Manipal experience.

A few series of parapharyngeal space tumours have been reported earlier but recently not many series have been published in English literature. It is rare for any medical center, let alone an individual surgeon, to develop sufficient experience in evaluating these tumours. We present our experience in the treatment of 41 cases of parapharyngeal tumours from January 1992 to December 2001. FNAC, ultrasound and CT scan of the presenting mass was done in most of the patients as the main pre-operative work-up. The strategic location and extension of the tumour may occasionally alter the surgical approach for tumour excision.

Schwannoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses.

Sckhwannoma is a benign tumor arising from the Schwann cells of nerve sheath.Through they arise more commonly in the head and neck than other regions, a through search in the liturature including medline revealed only about 47 reported cases of schwannoma in the paranasal sinuses of which the maxillary sinus involvement is more common. We report three cases of schwannoma arising from unusual sites in the paranasal sinuses with different modes of presttation each requiring a specific approach for surgical excision Transnasal endoscopic approach in combination with vonventional approaches is of immense value in the surgical management of these benign lessions of the paranasal sinuses.

Fourth branchial pouch sinus: a case report.

The fourth branchial pouch sinus is a very rare developmental anomaly; it usually presents as a recurring abscess in the left side of the neck. A high index of suspicion, combined with Barium swallow and computed tomography scan, aids in diagnosis. A case of branchial pouch anomaly is reported here for its rarity and late presentation. Complete excision of the entire epithelial tract combined with ipsilateral thyroid lobectomy remains the mainstay of management.

Fas ligand expression by neoplastic T lymphocytes mediates elimination of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes in mycosis fungoides: a potential mechanism of tumor immune escape?

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and arises from the accumulation and clonal proliferation of epidermotropic, CD4+/CD45RO+ (helper/memory) T lymphocytes. Loss of CD8+ CTLs within MF lesions is associated with poor prognosis and disease progression. Because T-lymphocyte apoptosis is controlled mainly through the Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) pathway and tumor cells may escape immune surveillance by expressing FasL, triggering apoptosis of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes, we studied the role of this system in MF. T-cell subsets, Fas/FasL expression, and apoptosis were evaluated in normal and lesional skin biopsy specimens from 21 patients with all stages of MF and in cultured CTCL cell lines (MJ, HUT78, and HH) using immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and Western blotting. MF lesions and paired, clinically "normal," uninvolved skin showed increased numbers of both TUNEL-positive epidermal keratinocytes (n = 13; F = 31.146; P < 0.01, ANOVA) and dermal lymphocyte infiltrates (n = 13; F = 15.825, P < 0.01, ANOVA) compared with the normal control skin. FasL expression was highest in lesional epidermal keratinocytes, in CTCL tumor cell lines, and in dermal tumor lymphocytes in MF lesions compared with uninvolved skin. FasL colocalized with CD45RO+ cells. CD8+ cells in or adjacent to CD45RO+ cells were positively labeled by TUNEL for apoptosis. In addition, CD8+ cell numbers were decreased in areas in which FasL+ tumor cells were abundant (2.01 +/- 0.86%) compared with non-FasL expressing areas (13.53 +/- 3.54%; P < 0.02). These results suggest that a potential mechanism of tumor immune escape in MF is FasL-mediated apoptosis of infiltrating CD8+ CTLs.

Osteolipoma of the skull base.

Although lipomas are the most common benign tumours of the head and neck, the involvement of the skull base is rare and it is also very rare for a lipoma to undergo osseous metaplasia to become an ossifying lipoma or osteolipoma. We present a case of a solitary osteolipoma involving the skull base in a 17-year-old girl. A few cases of osteolipoma involving the head and neck have been reported, but this may be the first reported case of a solitary osteolipoma involving the skull base with extension to the infratemporal fossa and parapharyngeal space. The computed tomography (CT) scan helped to clinch the diagnosis and the histopathology confirmed it. The clinical presentation, role of CT scan, surgical approach used, histological features and the review of literature are discussed.

Congenital cervical bronchogenic cyst.

A bronchogenic cyst is a rare developmental aberration that occurs in the paediatric age group. Over 50 cases of bronchogenic cysts have been reported in the literature. There is still a possibility of clinically misdiagnosing this condition as a more common congenital neck cyst like a branchial cyst. We report here the case of a 12-year-old female presenting with a neck swelling since birth who was diagnosed to have a bronchogenic cyst based on characteristic clinical and histopathological findings.

Clear cell carcinoma of the larynx--a case report.

Clear cell carcinoma (CCC) of the larynx is extremely rare and to the best of our knowledge no such case has been reported in the paediatric age group. These tumours resemble the clear cell carcinoma of the major and minor salivary glands. We report such a lesion in a 15 years old boy presenting with hoarseness and an exophytic growth in the glottis. A frontolateral conservation laryngectomy with laryngoplasty was done and over 2 years follow-up has shown no evidence of loco-regional recurrence and he enjoys an acceptable voice.

Carcinoma of external auditory canal.

Tumors of external auditory canal are rare and malignant neoplasms of external auditory canal are uncommon. We report two cases of carcinoma of external auditory canal. Primary carcinomas of the external auditory canal are rare, the incidence being approximately two cases per one million per year. Incidence in females is more than males (1). The cases are usually diagnosed late because of the absence of significant presenting complaints.

Expression of a retinoid-inducible tumor suppressor, Tazarotene-inducible gene-3, is decreased in psoriasis and skin cancer.

Tazarotene-induced gene-3 (TIG-3), isolated from human keratinocytes treated with the retinoic acid receptor-selective retinoid Tazarotene, is homologous to H-rev, a class II tumor suppressor. TIG-3 gene localized to chromosome 11q23, a site of loss of heterozygosity in several malignancies. Retinoids influence epidermal differentiation and are used to treat and prevent skin cancer. Therefore, we studied TIG-3 mRNA expression in psoriasis and in basal and SCCs by in situ hybridization and a quantitative QT-RT-PCR assay. Psoriasis lesions had significantly lower staining (median, 3) than paired normal control skin (median, 4; P = 0.012). TIG-3 mRNA was significantly higher in normal control skin (P = 0.001), in paired adjacent skin (median, 3; P = 0.007), and in overlying epidermis (median, 3.0; P = 0.0001) than in 21 SCC specimens as a group (median, 1.5).

Rosai-Dorfman disease of the subglottis.

A case of subglottic narrowing caused by an extranodal deposit of sinus histiocytosis in a 29-year-old man is reported. The characteristic features of Rosai-Dorfman disease, such as massive painless cervical lymphadenopathy, fever, raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate and raised white cell count, were all found to be absent. However, typical histological features, such as diffuse lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, Russel bodies, foamy histiocytes and histiocytes with emperipoiesis, confirmed the diagnosis. Rosai-Dorfman disease is an uncommon disorder and its presentation with progressive subglottic narrowing is extremely rare. Our experience in the management of this condition is reported and the review of literature is discussed.

Results of KTP-532 laser and tendon preservation stapedotomy in otosclerosis-a preliminary report.

Tendon preservation stapedotomy with or without KTP-532 laser has been performed on 25 rases Jrom November 1998 to February 2000. A study of the symptoms, demographic profile, audiological impairment, surgical treatment and the resultant hearing improvement after 3 weeks and 6 weeks was done. KTP-532 laser assisted cruratamy and stapedotomy was found to be easier than the conventional method. Insertion of the prosthesis was also found to be much easier because of tendon preservation.