Indian J Med Res
-
Information available on HIV-2 and dual infection (HIV-1/2) is limited. This study was carried out among HIV positive individuals in an urban referral clinic in Khar, Mumbai, India, to report on relative proportions of HIV-1, HIV-2 and HIV-1/2 and baseline characteristics, response to and outcomes on antiretroviral treatment (ART). ⋯ In an urban HIV clinic in Mumbai, India, HIV-2 and dual infections are not uncommon. Adaptation of the current national diagnostic and management protocols to include discriminatory testing for HIV types and providing access to appropriate and effective ART regimens will prevent the development of viral resistance and preserve future therapeutic options.
-
Neonatologists often prefer fresh blood (<7 days) for neonatal transfusions. The main concerns for stored RBCs are ex vivo storage lesions that undermine red cell functions and may affect metabolic status of neonatal recipients. This study was designed to evaluate serial in vitro changes of biochemical parameters in different RBC preparations during storage to consider for neonatal transfusions even after storage beyond one week. ⋯ All the three red cell preparations tested revealed biochemical changes within acceptable limits of safety till 21 days of storage. CPDA-1 RBCs had the highest degree of these changes.
-
Prevalence of metabolic syndrome is high among Asians including Indians. Scarce information is available about the magnitude of metabolic syndrome in rural areas and hence present study in rural area of Wardha district, central India. ⋯ The magnitude of metabolic syndrome was low among rural adults of Wardha as compared to reported values in urban areas. BMI of 23.32 kg/m 2 and higher was found to predict significant risk of metabolic syndrome in these study subjects. However, studies with larger sample need to be conducted to confirm these findings.
-
Botulinum neurotoxins, causative agents of botulism in humans, are produced by Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic spore-former Gram positive bacillus. Botulinum neurotoxin poses a major bioweapon threat because of its extreme potency and lethality; its ease of production, transport, and misuse; and the need for prolonged intensive care among affected persons. A single gram of crystalline toxin, evenly dispersed and inhaled, can kill more than one million people. ⋯ It is the first biological toxin which is licensed for treatment of human diseases. In the late 1980s, Canada approved use of the toxin to treat strabismus, in 2001 in the removal of facial wrinkles and in 2002, the FDA in the United States followed suit. The present review focuses on both warfare potential and medical uses of botulinum neurotoxin.