Rosai-Dorfman disease.

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, also known as Rosai-Dorfman disease, is a rare histiocytic proliferative disorder of unknown aetiology. The classic presentation of Rosai-Dorfman disease is massive, bilateral, painless cervical lymphadenopathy. Extranodal disease is also common, often with a particular predilection for the head and neck regions. We report a rare case of Rosai-Dorfman disease with nodal and multiple extranodal manifestations in a 13-year-old girl. The patient had cervical and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, multiple soft tissue swellings of the scalp, bilateral proptosis and goitre due to thyroid gland involvement. She responded to steroids, with remission of the swellings and symptoms. This case is being reported for its rarity, multiple extranodal manifestations and thyroid gland involvement. Thyroid gland involvement in Rosai-Dorfman disease has rarely been reported in the literature.

A simple chemical free arsenic removal method for community water supply--a case study from West Bengal, India.

This report describes a simple chemical free method that was successfully used by a team of European and Indian scientists (www.qub.ac.uk/tipot) to remove arsenic (As) from groundwater in a village in West Bengal, India. Six such plants are now in operation and are being used to supply water to the local population (www.insituarsenic.org). The study was conducted in Kasimpore, a village in North 24 Parganas District, approximately 25 km from Kolkata. In all cases, total As in treated water was less than the WHO guideline value of 10 microg L(-1). The plant produces no sludge and the operation cost is 1.0 US$ per day for producing 2000 L of potable water.

Study of laccase production by Pleurotus ostreatus in a 5 l bioreactor and application of the enzyme to determine the antioxidant concentration of human plasma.

AIMS: To achieve high laccase production from Pleurotus ostreatus in a bench top bioreactor and to utilize the enzyme for determination of the total antioxidant concentration (TAC) of human plasma. METHODS AND RESULTS: Laccase production by P. ostreatus studied in a benchtop bioreactor was as high as, 8740 U ml(-1) in presence of copper sulfate. The enzyme was used to replace metmyoglobin and hydrogen peroxide for the estimation of TAC in human plasma. The trolox equivalent antioxidant concentrations determined by the laccase-based method and metmyoglobin method ranged from 1.63 +/- 0.011 to 1.80 +/- 0.006 mmol l(-1) and from 1.41 +/- 0.004 to 1.51 +/- 0.008 mmol l(-1) plasma, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pleurotus ostreatus produced high amount of extracellular laccase in a benchtop bioreactor. The enzyme can be used to assay TAC of blood plasma without the interference encountered with the hydrogen peroxide and metmyoglobin mediated assay method. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Laccase production by P. ostreatus obtained in this study was the highest among all reported laccase producing white-rot fungi. Moreover, an accurate laccase-based assay method was developed for detection of TAC in human plasma.

Hepatorenal dysfunctions in lead pollution.

Environmental and occupational lead pollution is a common problem in both developing and industrialised countries. Both hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity are known to occur in persons with exposure to heavy metals. We studied both liver function and renal function and blood lead concentraton in random population sample of 372 men (age range, 24 to 55 years). In all the subjects we measured both liver and renal function tests and both blood lead and urinary concentration of lead. Raised blood and urinary lead concentrations were associated with moderate changes in liver function and abnormal renal function, reflected in decrease of albumin and increased levels of liver enzymes and raised urea and creatinine concentrations, and with a reduction in creatinine clearance rate as compared to apparently normal subjects. These findings emphasis the importance of measurement of blood lead concentrations in adults in the genereal population to combat the effects of lead toxicity before the clinical signs predominate.

Effect of dynamization in open interlocking nailing of femoral fractures. A prospective randomized comparative study of 50 cases with a 2-year follow-up.

This prospective randomized comparative study evaluated the role of dynamization of interlocking nails after open reduction and internal fixation of femoral shaft fractures. Fifty femoral shaft fractures were treated by open interlocking nailing and were statically locked. Twenty six of these 50 patients were randomly selected for dynamization and the other 24 were treated without dynamization. The patients were followed up for at least 2 years. The 26 cases which were dynamized went on to union between 13 and 28 weeks (average 19.2 weeks) with two poor results, including one nonunion. The cases that were not dynamized went on to union between 16 and 30 weeks (average 23.5 weeks) with two poor results, including one nail breakage. Though final results are comparable, the study suggests that dynamization after open interlocking nailing significantly shortens the mean time to union, though it does not significantly affect the union rate of the femoral shaft fractures.

Effect of different fractions of methanolic extract of the seeds of Dolichos biflorus on some microorganisms.

Extracts from different parts of plants (1) including seeds are reported to act upon pathogenic microorganisms. A few active principles were isolated. The present preliminary report shows significant role of the seeds of Dolichos biflorus (Linn), locally known as Kulthi, against some test organisms using different fractions of defatted seed extracts with methanol.

An approach for immunodiagnosis of clinical cases of filariasis.

In this communication an immunodiagnostic approach has been adopted for detection of antigen and antibody in amicrofilaeamic Mf(-) patients by countercurrent immuno electrophoresis (CCIE) and immunodiffusion (ID). Using Setaria cervi and Immune Complex (IC) antigens, out of fifteen clinical cases the number of positive patients in CCIE were twelve and ten respectively. Sixty percent of the Mf(-) cases were positive in antigen detection against both the homologous and heterologous antibody. In ID nine Mf(-) cases gave precipitin bands against S. cervi antigen while with IC antigens ten patients were positive. In similar experiments, it was found that out of fifteen Mf(-) cases nine and eleven patients were positive in antigen detection against microfilaraemic Mf(+) sera and S. cervi antibody respectively. All the Mf(+) cases were positive in both antibody and antigen detection. From the standpoint of immunodiagnosis the data were analysed by two-way analysis of variance study and a newly developed system using Binomial distribution. The sera from the control group were negative in all the immunodiagnostic tests.

Enteritis and green diarrhoea in experimental avian spirochaetosis.

Chickens infected with a virulent strain of Borrelia anserina showed acute enteritis, haemosiderosis in intestinal villi and green diarrhoea. Although spirochaetes in the intestine had begun to disintegrate 96 hours after infection, enteritis and green diarrhoea continued. It is suggested that the greenish discoloration may be a consequence of enteritis and haemosiderosis.

Observations on the pathology of experimental avian spirochaetosis.

In experimental infection of chickens with a virulent strain of Borrelia anserina, peak spirochaetaemia was recorded from 72 to 96 hours. Progressive enlargement of the spleen with mottling was the predominant gross finding. Spleen, liver and small intestine showed extensive erythrophagocytosis, which continued even after the disappearance of spirochaetes from blood and tissues. While haemosiderosis was mild in the lungs, it was absent from the heart, kidney and brain. Spirochaetes were demonstrable in the spleen, liver, intestine, kidney and to a lesser extent in the lungs, but absent from the heart and brain. Widespread erythrophagocytosis and extravascular haemolysis suggest involvement of an immune mechanism in the pathogenesis of splenomegaly.