Indian J Med Res
-
Ocular hypertelorism constitutes an important component of many clinical syndromes. It is typically recommended to use inter-pupillary distance (IPD) for objective evaluation of ocular hypo/hypertelorism. Barring infancy, there is a scarcity of data on this anthropometric parameter relating to the ocular apparatus. This study aims to study auxological dynamics of IPD in children of Indian origin. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that the patients having IPD less than the 3rd percentile should be treated as cases of hypotelorism while, those exceeding 97th percentile as cases of hypertelorism. The use of percentile grids presented for IPD may be used to detect ocular hypotelorism and hypertelorism in male and female children to corroborate diagnosis of different syndromes.
-
Several studies have been conducted globally to assess the impact of usage of mobile phones on quality and duration of sleep as also on day time sleepiness. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of mobile phone usage on the quality and composition of sleep in a sample from Indian population. ⋯ This study focused on the maladaptive changes brought on by mobile phone usage on sleep. More studies with larger sample sizes need to be done that may serve to confirm the hypothesis generating findings of our study.
-
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease, causing permanent disability. The disease is debilitating and widespread, leading to tremendous productivity and economic loss. The Government of India (GOI) prioritized the elimination of LF through the annual mass drug administration (MDA) programme in 2004 and continued with a single dose of diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC), 6 mg/kg of body weight, plus albendazole annually over a period of 5-6 years. ⋯ This existing robust programme can be leveraged to launch DEC-fortified salt for the community. If implemented appropriately, this strategy will ensure the complete cessation of LF transmission within two years from its introduction. If the said strategy is implemented in 2022, it is expected that India will be able to achieve the LF elimination by 2024, much before the global target of 2030.
-
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory disease prevalent worldwide which can affect both olfaction and quality of life (QoL). The objective of the present study was to assess olfaction and QoL changes in patients with AR before and after medical therapy. ⋯ Both olfaction and QoL showed significant improvement after medical therapy in Indian adults with AR. In those patients who do not improve, other causes must be sought for the persistent symptoms.
-
The utilization of the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as therapeutic agents is one of the most favourable fields in immunotherapy. The immunogenicity of mAbs is one of the major parameters that may restrict their therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Rituximab, a chimeric mAb against CD20, is attached to the B-cell membrane-linked CD20 and is used to treat some B-cell-related malignancies, a number of autoantibody-mediated autoimmune disorders and improvement of graft survival. ⋯ In autoimmune diseases, ARA positivity may have no significant impact on either the drug level or its efficacy, (i.e.), it may reduce drug levels without influencing drug efficacy and, vice versa, or may reduce both drug level as well as its efficacy. The characterization of the parameters affecting the production of ARA can be used to design strategies to reduce the immunogenicity of mAb and promote its efficacy in humans. In this review, the host and therapeutic programme-related parameters affecting the development of the ARA have been discussed to suggest novel insights to reduce ARA-associated adverse events and enhance the drug efficacy.