Understanding of HIV/AIDS in the international border area, Manipur: Northeast India.

Manipur, an international border region has the highest incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection in India. Nevertheless, there have been no analytical reviews of research article published within this region. In this review, the authors aim to draw the attention of policy makers, medical practitioners and researchers in adopting new strategies to limit the expansion of HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) not only in Manipur but also in other international border areas. A systematic search for published literature in last decade was performed based on the keywords 'Manipur' and 'HIV' using the PubMed. Twenty-six articles were selected and reviewed. There were high incidence of drug resistance (53%), emergence of recombinant virus (32%) and increased incidence of co-infection with hepatitis C virus. The prime cause of the HIV is due to the uses of 'heroin' smuggled from the 'South Asia Golden Triangle' and complex patterns of cross-border movement for trade and commerce. The drug abuse, social stigma, geographical location and resource limitation and socio-political problem of the region have contributed strongly on spreading and failure of preventively programme of HIV/AIDS. This review will provide vital knowledge for the policy makers and clinicians for sentinel surveillance of AIDS pandemic in Manipur and other international border regions.

Breast cancer-associated missense mutants of the PALB2 WD40 domain, which directly binds RAD51C, RAD51 and BRCA2, disrupt DNA repair.

Heterozygous carriers of germ-line mutations in the BRCA2/FANCD1, PALB2/FANCN and RAD51C/FANCO DNA repair genes have an increased lifetime risk of developing breast, ovarian and other cancers; bi-allelic mutations in these genes clinically manifest as Fanconi anemia (FA). Here, we demonstrate that RAD51C is part of a novel protein complex that contains PALB2 and BRCA2. Further, the PALB2 WD40 domain can directly and independently bind RAD51C and BRCA2. To understand the role of these homologous recombination (HR) proteins in DNA repair, we functionally characterize effects of missense mutants of the PALB2 WD40 domain that have been reported in breast cancer patients. In contrast to large truncations of PALB2, which display a complete loss of interaction, the L939W, T1030I and L1143P missense mutants/variants of the PALB2 WD40 domain are associated with altered patterns of direct binding to the RAD51C, RAD51 and BRCA2 HR proteins in biochemical assays. Further, the T1030I missense mutant is unstable, whereas the L939W and L1143P proteins are stable but partially disrupt the PALB2-RAD51C-BRCA2 complex in cells. Functionally, the L939W and L1143P mutants display a decreased capacity for DNA double-strand break-induced HR and an increased cellular sensitivity to ionizing radiation. As further evidence for the functional importance of the HR complex, RAD51C mutants that are associated with cancer susceptibility and FA also display decreased complex formation with PALB2. Together, our results suggest that three different cancer susceptibility and FA proteins function in a DNA repair pathway based upon the PALB2 WD40 domain binding to RAD51C and BRCA2.

Effect of inhalation of salbutamol, beclomethasone dipropionate & ipratropium bromide on mucociliary clearance in some patients with chronic stable bronchial asthma.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Asthma is now regarded as an inflammatory disease and bronchial inflammation may disrupt mucociliary function. Inhaled drugs may act by improving mucociliary function. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of salbutamol, ipratropium bromide and beclomethasone on mucociliary clearance in patients with chronic stable asthma and to compare the efficacy of these drugs on mucociliary clearance. METHODS: Ten patients with chronic stable asthma were enrolled in the study, but two patients did not complete the study. Patients with bronchial asthma were chosen on clinical grounds. (99m)Tc phytate radioaerosol generated through a nebulizer, was given to each patient on four days. After each administration the radioactivity over the thorax was constantly measured in sequential frame mode for 120 min. Radioactivity in the thorax was also measured after 24 h. A base-line pulmonary function test with reversibility was obtained. Salbutamol, ipratropium bromide, beclomethasone dipropionate and placebo inhalation were given randomly to each patient on four days. RESULTS: The mean age of patients (n = 8) was 36 +/- 9.3 yr and mean duration of symptoms was 5 +/- 6.6 yr. There was no visual impression that mucociliary clearance was enhanced with any of the drugs. The time activity curves did not show any visually recognisable change in slope. In only one patient the curve tended to show a steeper slope with ipratropium inhalation. In the rest of the patients the curves showed no difference at all with medication when compared with placebo. All the quantitative indices analyzed by two-way ANOVA at the end of one and two hours were comparable for the three test drugs and placebo. None of the three test drugs demonstrated statistically significant mucociliary clearance effect compared with placebo. However, the temporal difference in airways clearance efficiency (ACE) was significant with beclomethasone and ipratropium bromide. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Inhalation of any of the three drugs tested did not produce any immediate improvement in mucociliary clearance as compared to placebo in patients with stable bronchial asthma suggesting the need for further studies using higher doses of drugs for longer duration in a large sample.

Methaemoglobinaemia in nitrobenzene poisoning--a case report.

A 24-year-old female of nitrobenzene poisoning presented with features of methaemoglobinaemia. She was treated with oral methylene blue and intravenous ascorbic acid and responded favourably from 3rd day onwards. The case is reported in details.

Methaemoglobinemia in nitrobenzene poisoning.

A young girl with nitrobenzene induced methaemoglobinaemia was saved by the timely use of mechanical ventilator, administration of oral methylene blue and parenteral ascorbic acid. Though parenteral methylene blue is the antidote of choice, due to its non-availability, the laboratory preparation of methylene blue have been utilized orally. The rare occurrence of such cases, and the efficacy of oral methylene blue and other supportive measures in evading death due to Nitrobenzene poisoning have been highlighted.

Evaluation of audiovestibular status in leprosy.

One hundred twenty five cases of lepromatous leprosy and 25 cases of tuberculoid leprosy were investigated for audiovestibular status. Impaired hearing was detected in 52 percent and vestibular hypofuction in 7.2 per cent of lepromatous cases. Conductive deafness was due to eustachian tube catarrh secondary to atrophic rhinitis associated with the disease. The perceptive deafness and vestibular hypofuction were due to end organ lesion probably due to E.N.L. reaction. The vestibulococlear nerve involvement was considered to be unlikely. In tuberculoid leprosy derangement in hearing was not observed in any cases.

Acceptance of family planning practice among rural women clientele.

PIP: An attempt was made to examine the factors affecting the acceptance of family planning practices among rural women clientele in India. The study was conducted in 4 randomly selected villages, i.e., Pattan, Mirzapur, Nyana, Raipur of Hissar 1 and 2 blocks of Haryana State. The respondents were classified into low, medium, and high socioeconomic strata with the help of weighted cumulative frequency method of which 2/3 of the respondents were drawn by proportionate stratified random sampling which constituted the sample of 100 rural women. Adoption of family planning practices was considered the dependent variable and 14 sociopersonal, economic, psychological, and communication variables were considered independent variables for the purpose of analysis. The adoption of family planning practice was measured by the adoption index of Singh (1975). The socioeconomic status scale was used to quantify the variables such as education, family size, family type, caste, farm size, occupation, and social participation. The majority of the respondents had medium and low levels of adoption of family planning (45% each), and only 10% had a high level of adoption of family planning. The relationship of independent variables and variability caused by these in the adoption behavior of rural women was established by using correlation and multiple regression analysis techniques. The rural women's education, occupation, household material possession, information source utilization, knowledge and attitude towards the family planning practices were found to be positively and significantly related to the level of adoption of family planning practices. Age, caste, family size, social participation, urban contact, land holding, family type and agricultural material possession were found to be nonsignificant. Respondents with low formal education, involved in labor occupation, low household material possession, and low level of knowledge adopted family planning to a lesser extent, but rural women with a favorable attitude showed an upward trend of adoption of family planning.^ieng