Relationship between smoking and pulmonary tuberculosis based on positive sputum smears.

Introduction: Smoking and tuberculosis are the two major, global health problems. Not only active smokers but also passive smokers are at risk of becoming infected with tuberculosis. Through many mechanisms, smoking decreases immunity and predisposes to numerous infections.

Nocturnal Enuresis in India: Are We Diagnosing and Managing Correctly?

Nocturnal enuresis is a common problem affecting school-aged children worldwide. Although it has significant impact on child's psychology, it is always under-recognized in India and considered as a condition which will outgrow with advancing age. Nocturnal enuresis classified as primary or secondary and monosymptomatic or nonmonosymptomatic.

Topical lincomycin gel in acne vulgaris: a multicentric placebo controlled study.

Introduction: Acne vulgaris is commonly treated with topical antibacterials. We evaluated lincomycin gel, a new topical formulation for mild to moderate acne.

Material And Methods: A multicentric, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, clinical trial was conducted with lincomycin hydrochloride in 2% gel form in 200 patients with grade II and grade III acne.

Significance of histopathological classification in leprosy.

A retrospective blind study was carried out on 2640 patients of leprosy to correlate the histopathological and clinical classification of leprosy using the criteria laid down by Ridley and Jopling. There was complete agreement between histopathological and clinical classification in 81.8% of the cases, with one step deviation in 5.

Cysteine 42 is important for maintaining an integral active site for O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase resulting in the stabilization of the alpha-aminoacrylate intermediate.

O-Acetylserine sulfhydrylase-A (OASS-A) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzyme from Salmonella typhimurium that catalyzes the beta-replacement of acetate in O-acetyl-L-serine (OAS) by sulfide to give L-cysteine. The reaction occurs via a ping-pong kinetic mechanism in which alpha-aminoacrylate in Schiff base with the active site PLP is an intermediate [Cook, P. F.

Phase I trial of weekly paclitaxel in advanced lung cancer.

Purpose: We conducted a phase I study in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of paclitaxel using an extended weekly schedule.

Patients And Methods: Patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC were treated with paclitaxel administered weekly over 3 hours for 6 weeks of an 8-week cycle. Doses were modified for granulocyte counts less than 1,800/microL or neurotoxicity greater than grade I.

Weekly paclitaxel in patients with advanced lung cancer: preliminary data from a phase II trial.

We conducted a phase II trial in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer to determine the efficacy of paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) delivered at a maximum tolerated dose of 175 mg/m2 on an extended weekly schedule. Patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer were eligible if they had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2, had received no previous chemotherapy, demonstrated normal hematologic and hepatic function, and could provide informed consent. Paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 was administered as an intravenous infusion weekly over 3 hours with standard premedication, for 6 weeks of an 8-week cycle.

Treament of bechcet's disease.

A case of Behcet's disease treated initially wiht corticosteroids to which dapsone was added subsequently and being kept in remission with dapsone alone is presented. High maintenance dose of corticosteroids necessitated the substitution with dapsone.

A change in the internal aldimine lysine (K42) in O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase to alanine indicates its importance in transimination and as a general base catalyst.

O-Acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate dependent enzyme that catalyzes a beta-replacement reaction forming L-cysteine and acetate from O-acetyl-L-serine (OAS) and sulfide. The pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is bound at the active site in Schiff base linkage with a lysine. In the present study, the Schiff base lysine was identified as lysine 42, and its role in the OASS reaction was determined by changing it to alanine using site-directed mutagenesis.

Treatment of reiter's disease.

Two classical cases of Reiter's disease, one successfully treated with methotrexate and the other with sulphasalazine are reported.

A randomized phase II study of ifosfamide/mesna/cisplatin plus G-CSF or etoposide/cisplatin plus G-CSF in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a Cancer and Leukemia Group B study.

This Phase II study was designed to determine the efficacy of two chemotherapy regimens with G-CSF support for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One-hundred and one patients with Stage IIIB or IV NSCLC and performance status 0-1 were randomized to receive ifosfamide 2.0 g/m2 days 1-3, mesna 400 mg/m2 at 0, 4, 6 h days 1-3, cisplatin 33 mg/m2 days 1-3 or etoposide 200 mg/m2 days 1-3, cisplatin 35 mg/m2 days 1-3.

Comparison of Kodak Amerlite FT4 and TSH-30 with T4 and TSH as first-line thyroid function tests.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of test automation and a change in strategy for thyroid function tests (TFT) on personnel needs and turn-around time. The first-line TFT were changed from T4 and TSH to FT4 and TSH-30.

Design And Methods: Samples received for TFT from 357 randomly selected patients were analyzed by RIA for T4, and by IRMA for TSH as first-line tests.

Treatment of Reiter's disease.

Two classical cases of Reiter's disease, one successfully treated with methotrexate and the other with sulphasalazine are reported.

Phenytoin therapy in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

A case of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa in a 17-year-old boy is described. The diagnosis was based on clinical and histophathological findings. The patient is being treated with 200-300 mg of phenytoin sodium per day maintaining a blood level of 13-15 mg/litre and is under remission for 1 year.

Thyroid antoantibodies and the response to thyrotropin releasing hormone in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of the thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) test and estimation of thyroid autoantibody concentrations in patients with borderline raised thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).

Methods: The records of 34 consecutive patients with persistent borderline increased TSH (4.4-9.

Phase I trial of outpatient weekly paclitaxel and concurrent radiation therapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicities of paclitaxel administered weekly on an outpatient basis with concurrent thoracic radiation to patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: In this phase I clinical trial, paclitaxel was administered as a 3-hour intravenous (IV) infusion, repeated every week for 6 weeks. The starting dose of paclitaxel was 10 mg/m2.

Dapsone syndrome in Goa.

Daspone syndrome was noted within six weeks of starting treatment in 1.3% of about 700 leprosy patients on MDT reporting to the skin department of Goa Medical College. Skin rash, photosensitivity, fever, lymphadenopathy, sore throat, hepatosplenomegaly, abnormal liver function tests and raised reticulocyte count were consistent features in all the patients.

Osteomyelitis presenting as genital sore: a case report.

A female attending the skin outpatient department presented with a genital sore which was treated as chancroid. On further investigation it proved to be the opening of a sinus secondary to chronic osteomyelitis of the pubic symphysis.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by surgery in stage IIIA non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung: report of a Cancer and Leukemia Group B phase II study.

Purpose: This phase II trial was designed to evaluate the feasibility, toxicity, response rates, and survival for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) followed by surgical resection in newly diagnosed patients with surgically staged IIIA non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Previously untreated patients with NSCLC underwent bronchoscopy, chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT), bone scan, and surgical staging of the mediastinum. Neoadjuvant treatment consisted of concurrent chemotherapy and RT.

Chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin or 5-FU, cisplatin, and vinblastine for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. A randomized phase II study of the cancer and leukemia group B.

Two hundred forty-seven patients with previously untreated nonresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were entered in a prospective, randomized Phase II trial. Response assessment was possible in 232 patients, and 237 patients were evaluable for survival. Thirteen partial responses (11%) and 5 regressions (4%) of evaluable disease were obtained for the 116 patients treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (C) (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.

Intussusception in infancy and childhood: evaluation of a prognostic scoring pattern.

This is a retrospective analysis of 82 patients of intussusception in infancy and childhood. Males were more than females in the ratio 2.4 : 1, the ages varied from 2 months to 12 years.