Evaluation of various modalities for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in body fluids.

Diagnosis of tuberculosis in body fluids remains an enigma. This study is an attempt to evaluate various modalities like smear, culture & PCR for the same. Out of 110 samples of body fluids, 68(61.8%) were negative by all the modalities, 11(10%) could be diagnosed by all modalities. 25(22.72%) were diagnosed by PCR alone. 3(2.7%) showed a growth on culture alone while 3 cases (2.7%) could be demonstrated only on smear.

Expression of cell surface glycoprotein CD44 and integrins in breast cancers among Indian women.

Parsis, the sole surviving group of followers of Zoroaster who are settled in Bombay, have a fourfold higher incidence of breast cancer than the general population of Greater Bombay. CD44 expression was studied by immunohistochemistry in breast cancers of 50 non-Parsi and 35 Parsi women, 10 normal breast tissues, 10 proliferative lesions and 49 tissues adjoining a tumor mass. Alpha2 and beta1 integrins could be studied in only 42 malignant cases and five normal tissues. The immunohistochemistry results were correlated with other parameters including tumor grade and size, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, lymph node involvement and mitotic index. CD44 was not expressed in normal areas. Benign areas and tissues adjacent to tumor masses showed increased staining. Both Parsi and non-Parsi women showed significantly high CD44 expression. All Parsi ILCs were strongly positive for CD44. In both groups ER negativity was associated with strong CD44 positivity, while mitotic counts correlated with decreased CD44 expression in Parsis but not in non-Parsis. Alpha2 and beta1 integrins were strongly expressed on the basolateral surface of normal epithelium. However, they were downregulated in tumors. In general breast tumor tissues from Parsi and non-Parsi patients did not differ significantly with respect to most parameters. However, among Parsis lymph node involvement and CD44 correlated weakly whereas the mitotic index was inversely correlated with CD44. The reverse was true for non-Parsis. The deviation from the general pattern needs further study based on a large number of samples and appropriate use of splice variants.

Cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin and cellular proliferation marker AgNOR in bladder lesions--usefulness and limitations.

The objective of this study on bladder lesions was to assess the relationship of (a) the proliferative activity measured by AgNOR counts, and (b) the loss of cell adhesion leading to acquisition of invasive properties as assessed by E-Cadherin expression. Paraffin embedded tissue biopsies from normal urothelium and malignant urothelial lesions were randomly selected from our surgical pathology files. AgNORs were analysed by the silver staining method and E_cadherin expression by immunohistochemistry. An increase in M&P AgNOR counts was observed from normal through benign to malignant tumors. A corresponding decrease in E Cadherin expression was noticed from normal through different grades of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). A correlation was found between a high P AgNOR and decreased E_cadherin expression with stromal and muscle invasive tumors. It is deduced that when low grade tumors show a high P AgNOR and loss of E_cadherin expression, it is a significant indicator of the possible aggressive behavior in terms of stromal or muscle invasion and progression to a higher grade in future.

Detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in precancerous and cancerous lesions of cervix in Indian women: a preliminary report.

One hundred cervical tissues including 72 malignancies (68 squamous cell carcinomas, 3 adenocarcinomas, 1 neuro-endocrine carcinoma), 24 cases of CIN of various grades and 4 normals were examined for the presence of Human Papilloma virus (HPV) types by non isotopic in-situ hybridisation. Biotinylated probes to HPV types 16 and 18 were used in all the cases and 31 and 33 in 15 squamous Carcinomas. HPV DNA sequences were detected in 55/72 (76.4%) of the malignant lesions, of which among squamous Carcinomas. HPV 16 alone was present in 12 of 68 cases (17.64%) and type 18 in 15 of 68 cases (22.0%). 20/68 (29.4%) showed both types 16 and 18. Of the 15 cases examined for types 31 and 33.5 cases showed presence of both types. All three adenocarcinomas were negative for HPV 16, but positive for HPV 18. The solitary case of Neuroendocrine Carcinoma showed only HPV 18. Of the 24 CINS, type 16 was detected in 7/24 cases (29.1%) type 18 in 2/24 (8.3%) cases and both types in 1/24 (4.1%). None of the normal cases showed positive signals for HPV. The overall results show a slight preponderance of HPV 18 in this group of carcinoma of cervix studied and correlate with poor differentiation and greater aggressive behaviour of cervical cancer which is the most common type of cancer among women in this country.

Mutagenicity of urine of bidi and cigarette smokers and tobacco chewers.

Mutagenicity of urine concentrates from smokers, chewers and non-smokers prepared by the XAD-2 method were first tested in the Ames Salmonella assay with TA 1538 as the indicator organism. Aroclor 1254 induced rat liver supernatant (S9 mix) was used for metabolic activation. Those samples which were positive in Ames test were pooled and were tested in two other test systems, namely, the micronucleus test in mouse bone marrow cells and the induction of 8-azaguanine resistance in V79 Chinese hamster cells. The data presented here show that cigarette and bidi smokers' urine is mutagenic while non-smokers' urine is devoid of mutagenic effects. Urine of tobacco chewers showed variation in its mutagenic potential. Amongst the three tobacco habits bidi smokers' urine showed maximum activity.

Mutagenicity of smoke condensate of bidi--an indigenous cigarette of India.

The possible mutagenicity of bidi smoke condensate (BSC), an indigenous form of an Indian cigarette has been studied using three short-term test systems. It was seen that BSC caused frame-shift mutations in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 98 and TA 1538 and required metabolic activation. In the mammalian test systems, BSC induced 8 azaguanine resistant mutations in V79 Chinese hamster cells in the presence of S9 mixture and induced elevated frequencies of micronucleated erythrocytes in the bone marrow of Swiss mice.

Mutagenicity of betel quid and its ingredients using mammalian test systems.

The mutagenic potential of betel quid and its ingredients (known colloquially as PAN) were tested in two short term mutagenicity assays, the micronucleus test and a mammalian gene mutation test. Betel quid with tobacco, tobacco, betel nut and one of its alkaloids arecoline were positive in both tests. Extracts of betel quid and arecaidine (a metabolite of arecoline present in Betel nut) were negative. The data presented correlate well with our previous tumorigenicity data on these compounds.

Transplacental passage of isoniazid (INH) and its interaction with fetal tissues of mice.

When INH was administered orally or intraperitoneally to pregnant female mice, the concentrations of acetyl INH and acetyl hydrazines did not vary significantly in circulating blood and in amniotic fluid. However, the concentration of INH in the amniotic fluid was significantly higher than that observed in the serum. Autoradiographic studies using 14C-labelled INH revealed that INH crosses the placental barrier and grains can be observed in lung and liver tissues of the fetus. Studies on interaction of 14C-labelled INH with nucleic acids clearly demonstrated that significant amounts of radioactivity were present in all the macromolecules of the whole embryo as well as in those isolated from fetal lung and liver tissues.

Perinatal carcinogenicity of isoniazid (INH) in Swiss mice.

Tumorigenicity of isoniazid (INH) and hydrazine sulfate (HS) was studied in male and virgin Swiss mice. The INH and HS induced 50% und 84% lung tumors in males and 67% and 72% in females, respectively. Both chemicals induced lung tumors in animals of the F1 generation that were exposed to INH or HS during intrauterine life, lactation, and in the postweaning period. Surprisingly, the F2 generation from these F1 animals, which were exposed to INH only during gestation and lactation, showed earlier and much higher tumor incidence than the parent generation.

Correlation of mutagenicity and tumorigenicity of betel quid and its ingredients.

The mutagenic activity of betel quid and its ingredients was determined using Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA 100, TA 1535, TA 98, and TA 1538, both in the presence and absence of S9 mixture. Aqueous extracts of betel quid (BQ), betel quid with tobacco (BQT), and betel nut (BN) were mutagenic in strain TA 100. Aqueous extract of betel leaf (BL) was not mutagenic in any of the four strains. Arecoline and arecaidine, which are major alkaloids present in BN, were mutagenic in all four tester strains. Tumorigenicity studies in Swiss mice given the above constituents showed that BN and BQ induced lung tumors (47% and 26%, respectively). However, when BN was fed with BL, tumorigenicity was lowered to 38%. BL alone was not tumorigenic. Thus, the mutagenicity of betel quid and its ingredients is correlated with tumorigenicity.

Properties of an intense 40-kV neutral beam injector.

The properties of an intense neutral beam injector, the modified duoPIGatron ion source, are discussed and compared with other injectors. For this source (a) beam composition for hydrogen is approximately (85+/-5) % monatomic, (b) nucleon gas efficiency is 50%, (c) the electrical efficiency of ion generation is 1.1 A/kW, and (d) up to 52% of the input power is delivered in the ion and neutral beam to a target subtending a half angle of 1.8 degrees x1.4 degrees .

Experimental study of ion beam optics in a two-stage accelerator.

Hydrogen ion beam optics in a two-stage linear acceleration system is studied by examining the beam divergence as a function of the voltage and gap distribution, the beam perveance, the background gas pressure, the aspect ratio, and the total accelerating energy (60-110 keV). The system consists of four electrodes with single, cylindrical, straight-bore apertures acting as an extraction-accel-decel column. An optimum relation between the field ratio and the extraction perveance is obtained from measurements for the minimum beam divergence condition. The HWHM divergence angle is <0.3 degrees under optimum conditions. Qualitative agreement between the measurements and a previous theoretical study is noticed. A potential application of the results to high energy neutral beam injectors for fusion research is also discussed.

Ion beamlet steering by aperture displacement for a tetrode accelerating structure.

Steering of a single beamlet of ions in a tetrode accelerating structure as a function of both aperture displacement and the ratio of acceleration to extraction voltage (Gamma) has been measured, and the results are compared to the steering predicted by a modified linear theory. Although the data contain the predicted features of (1) null steering for a particular value of Gamma and (2) a directional change in steering through this point, the steering was also observed to be nonlinear in nature. A conjecture as to the cause of this nonlinearity is given, and the implications of these findings to beamlet steering in a multibeamlet source are discussed.