Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Ten patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were studied for changes in ultrastructure of the glomeruli, serum immunoglobulin and complement levels. The glomeruli showed proliferation in the mesangium in 90% patients and electron dense deposits in the mesangium in 30% patients. IgA and IgG were usually elevated whereas complements were usually depressed in most of these patients. It is suggested that repeated respiratory infections in these subjects may be responsible for mesangioproliferative type of glomerulonephritis, high IgA and IgG levels. The complements are activated and they take part in immune complex formation getting deposited in mesangium.

Electrocardiographic manifestations of healthy residents of a tribal Himalayan village.

Electrocardiograms of 984 healthy subjects residing in village Kalpa at the height of 9000 feet above sea level were studied. Right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) was observed in 9 (0.914%) subjects. Electrocardiographic evidence of ischaemic heart disease was found in 6 (0.609%) subjects.

Effective reduction of LDL cholesterol by indigenous plant product.

A herbal powder containing guar gum, methi, tundika and meshasringi was administered to 30 control and 30 type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus patients for a month. Total serum cholesterol and its fractions eg, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoproteins, very low density lipoproteins and serum triglyceride were determined before and after the trial period. Total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterols were reduced significantly after the therapy. There were no significant changes in high density lipoproteins (HDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) or triglyceride levels. Side-effects eg, mild flatulence and looseness of bowel were noticed in less than 40% cases.

Control of hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia by plant product.

A herbal powder consisting of Guargum, Methi, Tundika and Meshasringi was administered to thirty control and thirty NIDDM patients twice daily before principal meals for four weeks. Oral GTT showed improvement in both control and patient groups. Serum total and LDL cholesterol also fell significantly in both the groups after the trial period. Test meal of the herbal powder with D-Xylose excretion was otherwise normal. Follow up for upto two years did not reveal any long term side effect of the powder. This powder, therefore, can be effectively used to reduce postprandial blood glucose and LDL cholesterol in NIDDM patients as a long term measure.

Electrocardiographic changes during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in ambient hypoxia.

Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes were studied in 120 consecutive subjects during and after upper GI endoscopy done in ambient hypoxia (PO2-120 mmHg) at Shimla (2200 m). No premedication was given to any of the subjects. There were 75 men and 44 women. Fifty three subjects were aged 40 years or below (Group I) and 67 subjects were above 40 (Group II). There were 29 subjects with and 91 subjects without cardiac diseases. Increase in heart rate was seen in 96.6% of subjects. Maximum rise in heart rate was found in cardiac patients. ST depression was seen in 14.2%, T wave inversion in 13.3%, supraventricular tachycardia in 5.8% and ventricular ectopics in 1.6%. ST depression was more frequent in cardiac than in non cardiac patients (P less than 0.001) and T wave inversion was more frequent in women than in men (P less than 0.001). All the changes reverted to normal within 10 minutes. ECG changes notwithstanding, upper GI endoscopy without premedication in the presence of ambient hypoxia is a safe procedure.

Alterations in immunoglobulin & complement levels in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Thirty patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; all smokers) and an equal number of controls (15 smokers) were studied. The COPD patients were further divided into group A (predominantly emphysema) and group B (predominantly bronchitis) of 15 patients each. Serum and sputum IgG, IgA and IgM and serum C3 and C4 were estimated. IgG, IgA, IgM and C3 and C4 were similar in smoker and non-smoker controls. Mean (+/- SD) serum IgG (IU/ml) was significantly higher in COPD patients (207.78 +/- 62.73) than in control (177.25 +/- 43.5; P less than 0.05), serum IgA (IU/ml) was also significantly higher in COPD (205.04 +/- 46.56) than in control (108.21 +/- 33.3; P less than 0.01). IgM was similar in the 2 groups. Sputum IgA (IU/ml) was higher in COPD (4.68 +/- 3.51) than in control (2.25 +/- 1.03; P less than 0.05). IgG and IgM were similar in the 2 groups. Both serum C3 (IU) and C4 (IU) were lower in COPD patients (C3 = 95.9 +/- 33.11, C4 = 113.6 +/- 62.4) than in control (C3 = 167.3 +/- 25.42, C4 = 205 +/- 76.5; P less than 0.05). Serum IgA in type B COPD (212.25 +/- 50.06) was higher than in type A (197.52 +/- 43.3; P less than 0.05) IgG and IgM were similar in these 2 groups. In COPD patients, immunoglobulins were either normal or higher indicating that deficiency of immunoglobulin is not a predisposing factor in development of COPD. Similar immunoglobulin values in smoker and nonsmoker controls indicated that smoking was not the cause of rise of immunoglobulins in COPD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)