National Journal of Health Sciences
Not a member yet
374 research outputs found
Sort by
Differential Diagnostics of a Tonsillar Lymphoangiomatous Polyp
No full textAbstract: An overview of a rare clinical case of a tonsillar lymphoangiomatous polyp in a patient with a history of retinoblastoma. A sample of tonsillar tissue was taken for histological review and appropriate stainings applied to establish the aetiology of the condition and exclude certain malignancies
To Eat or Not to Eat. The Good and Bad of Eating Barley in Type 2 Diabetic Patients
No full textAbstract: In the previous several decades it has been noted that prevalence rate of Type 2 diabetes dramatically rising worldwide. The substantial increase in morbidity and mortality associated to type 2 diabetes along with the overhead cost for management of the disease render it onerous global health problem. This scenario required to do serious intervention to overcome its complications. The author focused on management of diabetes mellitus through intake of barley in the diet to highlight it’s importance whether it has any long term effect on the management and control of diabetes mellitus
Efficacy of Hematological Indices for ß Thalassemia Trait Screening in Pregnant Women
No full textAbstract: Background: ß thalassemia is one of commonest inherited disorder in Pakistan having a carrier rate of 5%. Pregnant women having ß thalassemia trait can have offspring having ß thalassemia major which is lifelong blood transfusion dependent state. Different screening programmes are being carried out in various parts of the world so that the birth of children having ß thalassemia major can be effectively reduced. Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of hematological parameters in identifying ? thalassemia trait in pregnant women keeping measurement of HgbA2 as gold standard. Methods: 108 pregnant women were enrolled during one year of the study period. Blood sample was taken and blood complete picture was obtained. By using variables of CP card Green & King index, Shine & Lal index and RDWI were calculated keeping hemoglobin electrophoresis as gold standard. Results: The age of patients ranged from 17 to 37 years with mean age of 24.65. Out of 108 pregnant women enrolled in study 40 were found to have ß thalassemia trait based on results of hemoglobin electrophoresis. Shine & Lal index showed 100% sensitivity, 0% specificity, 35% PPV and 0% NPV. Green & Kings index had sensitivity of 32%, specificity 100%, PPV of 100% and NPV of 71% while RDWI showed 50% sensitivity, 100% specificity, PPV of 100% and NPV of 77% in diagnosing ß thalassemia trait in pregnant women. Conclusion: Automated cell counters based formula including Green & King index, Shine &Lal index and RDWI provide rapid, reliable and cost effective method for screening of ß thalassemia trait especially in third world countries like Pakistan. However none of them have 100% sensitivity and specificity. So they should be collectively looked at in screening programmes
Regulatory T-cells in Acquired Aplastic Anaemia
No full textAbstract: Introduction: Acquired aplastic anaemia is characterized by destruction of haematopoietic stem cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Regulatory T-cells have been reported to be suppressed in aplastic anaemia like many other autoimmune disorders. Haematopoietic response and haematological recovery after successful immunosuppressive treatment provide the most powerful evidence for the immune mediated basis of this complex disorder. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the deficiency of CD4+ CD25+ T regulatory cells prior to ATG induction/therapy in patients of aplastic anaemia. Methods: The patients were enrolled in a dose finding study for ATG-Fresenius (Fresnious Biotec, Gernmany). Aplastic anaemia was diagnosed as per standard guidelines. Bone marrow trephine biopsy was done to assess disease severity and for classification according to Camitta classification. Flow cytometry was done using four colour flow cytometer FACSCaliber. Results: The median age of the patients was 23 years (range 7-63 years). Out of 18 patients, there were 12 (66%) males and 6 (34%) females. Of the 18 evaluable patients, the number of patients with NSAA, SAA, and VSA was 10, 5, and 3 respectively. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and B cells in peripheral blood were calculated. The pre-treatment average Treg frequencies in NSAA was 16.5 ± 18.8, SAA 29.1 ± 18.3 and VSAA was 12 ± 11.7 respectively. The median time from diagnosis up to the last follow-up was 1.1 years (range: 0.1 3.0). Conclusion: The study concluded that Tregs were decreased in all patients of acquired aplastic anaemia, as in other autoimmune diseases
COVID-19: What Do We Have Learnt So Far?
No full textoai:ojs2.ojs.njhsciences.com:article/4Coronaviruses (CoVs) are the largest group of viruses; order is Nidovirales while family is Coronaviridae. They are further subdivided into four groups, the alpha, beta, gamma and delta coronaviruses [1]. These viruses usually cause mild infections but two zoonotic epidemics of the betacoronaviruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) [2] and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) [3] have occurred in this century, mortality rates of 10% for SARS-CoV [4] while a very high i.e. 37% for MERS-CoV [5]
Response to a Research Article Entitled: Prevalence of Lactose Intolerance and its Association with Malnutrition in Children
No full textWith clearly outlined prospects for research, I congratulate Dr. Neel Kanth and colleagues for their interesting study on the “Prevalence of lactose intolerance and its association with malnutrition in children”, published in a recent issue of the National Journal of Health Sciences (NJHS, Volume 4, Issue 3, 2019) [1]. The high prevalence of lactose intolerance documented by the authors is confirmed by a recent meta-analysis, which found a lactose malabsorption among adults and children aged 10 years or older of 58% in Pakistan [2]. The 2018 Pakistan National Nutrition Survey also showed that 40.2% children were stunned, 28.9% were underweight, and 17.7% were wasted [3]. The authors rightly pointed out that further research is urgently needed to better understand the association of lactose intolerance and malnutrition in children [1]. However, in my opinion, here are two aspectsworth mentioning
Role of Discrimination Indices in Screening of Beta Thalassemia Trait in Low-Resourced Areas of Pakistan
No full textAbstract: Introduction: Thalassemia is a common inherited hemoglobinopathy in Pakistan. Despite various preventive measures taken, each year around 5000 new cases are diagnosed. The problem occurs due to undiagnosed beta Thalassemia carriers. This is because of lack of massive screening programs and unavailability of hemoglobin electrophoresis in different cities of Pakistan. The aim of this study is to assess the sensitivity of different discriminating indices in screening of beta Thalassemia trait. Material and Methods: The study was conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences from January 2018-July 2018. All patients whowere diagnosed as beta thalassemia trait through hemoglobin electrophoresis were included in the study. Seven discriminating indices were applied and sensitivity of each index was calculated. Results: The male to female ratio was 1:1. 88% of the cases had a positive family history of Thalassemia. Among the various indices used, Shine and Lal showed a sensitivity of 100%, followed by Ricerca (96.6%) and Ehsani (92.58%). The sensitivities of Mentzer, Srivasta, RDWI and MCHD were 92.56%, 91.70%, 79% and 70.9% respectively. The results of our study showed that Shine and Lal is the most sensitive index for screening beta Thalassemia trait.Conclusion: Shine and Lal index is useful to the clinicians as an initial screening tool of beta thalassemia trait. Such cases can then be referred to laboratories where hemoglobin electrophoresis facility is available
CHILD Syndrome
No full textAbstract: CHILD syndrome is a rare X-linked genetic disorder caused by mutation of NSDHL (NADPH steroid dehydrogenase-like protein) at Xq28 gene. The mutation causes the defective synthesis of cholesterol, which is an important constituent of viscera, hormones etc. The predominantly it affects the musculoskeletal with a tendency to involve the heart, brain etc. Strikingly the signs and symptoms of this syndrome involve only one half of the body. CHILD syndrome is commonly identified in the females. We report a case of 5-month-old female who presented to us at Pediatric outpatient department. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of CHILD syndrome in Pakistan. The exceptionally rare presentation prompted us to report this case
Thrombocytopenia in Pregnancy; A Pakistani Perspective
No full textAbstract: Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy is mostly taken as platelets less than normal lower limit. The normal limit of platelets in pregnancy is 106-120x109/l [1]. Thromocytopenia is the second important cause of haematologic disorders in pregnancy, first being anemia [1-3].Gestational thrombocytopenia is responsible for approximately 75% of all cases of thrombocytopenia seen mostly in pregnancy. Another important aspect is hypertension in pregnancy. It can result in thrombocytopenia as well. These disorders constitute about 20% and immune thrombocytopenia accounts for about 4% [4, 5]. Other causes of thrombocytopenia are quite uncommon in pregnancy. The aim of this review is to highlight different aspects of thrombocytopenia seen commonly in pregnancy, their impact on decisions made by physicians and obstetricians as well as causes of thrombocytopenia encountered in pregnant females in Pakistan and challenges faced by obstetricians and haematologists
Chylous Lymphatic Cyst in a Child-A Rare Variant of Mesenteric Cyst
No full textAbstract: Chylous lymphatic cysts are the rarest variety of the mesenteric cyst. These are the lymph containing cysts. The underlying pathology is benign proliferations of the lymph vessels due to obstruction in the lymphatic system. These have a variable clinical presentation. We are presenting here a case of a chylous mesenteric cyst in a 5 years old male child with acute intestinal obstruction