Effect of Maternal Socio-demographic Factors and Child Feeding Practice on Wasting Among Under Five Years Children in Slum Area of Rupandehi District in Nepal.

Introduction: Childhood wasting although well studied elsewhere, it has not been well understood about in slum area of Nepal. This study aimed to assess effect of socio-demographic factors and child feeding practice in the determination of wasting among the children under five years of age in slum area of Nepal.

Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was performed among 150 children under five years of age from the slum area of Nepal between 1st January and 28th February 2013 using simple random sampling techniques.

A comparison of the change in clinical severity scale score and a retrospective physician assessment of neurological outcome in individuals with leprosy associated nerve function impairment after treatment with corticosteroids.

Objectives: To determine whether the measured change in score of a validated clinical severity scale reflected physician assessed improvement in individuals who had received corticosteroid therapy for leprosy associated nerve damage.

Design: Patients with nerve function impairment who participated in a randomised controlled trial of corticosteroids were classified into two groups using a retrospectively determined physician assessment of improvement. One group consisted of patients who had recovered or improved the other of patients who were unchanged or had deteriorated.

The effect of systemic corticosteroid therapy on the expression of toll-like receptor 2 and toll-like receptor 4 in the cutaneous lesions of leprosy Type 1 reactions.

Background: Leprosy is complicated by immunological reactions which can occur before, during and after successful completion of multidrug therapy. Genetic studies have suggested that polymorphisms in toll-like receptors (TLRs) may affect the susceptibility of an individual with leprosy to developing Type 1 reactions.

Objectives: To examine the gene and protein expression of TLRs in the cutaneous lesions of leprosy Type 1 reactions at the onset of reaction and during systemic corticosteroid therapy.

A phase two randomised controlled double blind trial of high dose intravenous methylprednisolone and oral prednisolone versus intravenous normal saline and oral prednisolone in individuals with leprosy type 1 reactions and/or nerve function impairment.

Background: Leprosy Type 1 reactions are a major cause of nerve damage and the preventable disability that results. Type 1 reactions are treated with oral corticosteroids and there are few data to support the optimal dose and duration of treatment. Type 1 reactions have a Th1 immune profile: cells in cutaneous and neural lesions expressing interferon-γ and interleukin-12.