International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences

International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN: 2167-0404 Vol. 3 (1), pp. 332-338, January, 2013 © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper          

Ethno-botanical survey of medicinal plants used for the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery

Johnsy G.*, Beena S. and Kaviyarasan V.

Center for Advanced studies in Botany, University of Madras, Maraimalai campus, Chennai – 600 0025,

Tamil nadu, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Received 30 August, 2012; Accepted 04 January, 2013

Abstract

Traditional uses of medicinal plants in healthcare practices are providing clues to new areas of research; hence their importance is now well recognized. However, information on the uses of indigenous plants for medicine is not well documented from many rural areas of Tamil Nadu including Kanyakumari District. The study aimed to look into the diversity of plant resources that are used by local people for curing diarrhea and dysentery. Questionnaire surveys, participatory observations and field visits were planned to elicit information on the uses of various plants. It was found that 50 plants species are commonly used by the local people for curing diseases. In most of the cases (27.57%) leaves were used. The knowledge on the total number of medicinal plants available in that area and used by the interviewees was positively correlated with people’s age, indicating that this ancient knowledge tends to disappear in the younger generation.

Key words: Indigenous plants, traditional uses, questionnaire, diarrhea, dysentery.

International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN: 2167-0404 Vol. 3 (1), pp. 317-320, January, 2013 © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Plain radiographic pattern of chronic sinusitis in Port Harcourt: our recent experience

Maduforo C. O.¹, Ibinaiye P. ² and Onotai L. O.*³

¹Department of Radiology, College of Health Sciences, University Of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

²Department of Radiology, College of Health Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. 

³Department of Ear Nose and Throat Surgery, University Of   Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author.E-mail: [email protected]   

Received 08 January, 2012; Accepted 26 January, 2013.

Abstract

Chronic sinusitis is a globally common disease found in otolaryngology practice. Whereas, provisional diagnosis could be on the basis of clinical history and physical examination, radiology and sinus endoscopy are necessary in making definitive diagnosis and management protocol. Plain radiography is the mainstay of radiological diagnosis in most developing countries because it is cheap, simple and widely available. This study therefore established plain radiographic pattern of chronic sinusitis and highlighted our recent experience with these radiographs in the management of chronic sinusitis in our setting. A prospective study of radiographs of 120 patients with chronic sinusitis was carried out between May 2011 to March 2012 in Ear, Nose and Throat clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). The patients’ bio-data (age, gender), clinical features and plain radiographic findings were collected and entered into a proforma. The data was entered into the version 16 of the Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS16). Simple descriptive statistics in the form of mean, frequency distribution tables and percentages were used to illustrate the data. Out of the 120 patients, 70 (58%) were males and 50 (41.7%) were females giving a male to female ratio of 1.4:1. Age range was 1-75 years with average age of 39.1 years. The radiographic abnormalities are haziness or cloudiness, complete opacification, air-fluid level and muco-periosteal thickening. Eighty radiographs (66.7%) demonstrated abnormality in one or both maxillary sinuses; 41 (34.2%) in the ethmoid; 15 (12.5%) in the frontal and 2 (1.7%) in the sphenoidal sinus. The maxillary sinus was mostly involved in the disease process of chronic sinusitis. Besides, chronic sinusitis was found to be commoner in the young adults. However, plain radiographs of the paranasal sinuses are still useful in the management of chronic sinusitis despite its shortcomings in our setting.

Key words: Plain radiography, pattern, chronic sinusitis, Paranasal sinuses, Port Harcourt.

International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN: 2167-0404 Vol. 3 (1), pp. 307-316, January, 2013 © International Scholars Journals

Review

Biomolecular basis of the role of chronic psychological stress in the susceptibility of HIV infection and progression of AIDS

Mahbub E. Sobhani¹, Bipradas Roy¹, Tauhidur R. N¹, Shirin Pervin¹  and Md Mahmudul Hasan²

¹Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.

² Biotechnology, Claflin University, 400 Magnolia Street, Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA-29115

*Corresponding author.  E-mail: [email protected]

Received 02 December, 2012; Accepted 14 January, 2013

Abtract

Chronic Psychological stress (CPS) has several adverse effects both on HIV people and on HIV⁺ patient. HIV^- people with CPS are more susceptible to HIV infection than the HIV^- people without CPS. T-cells have CXCR4 receptor and Macrophages have CCR5 receptor which can bind with both glucocorticoid and catecholamine hormone. HIV has GP120 residue which is able to bind with both CD4 and CXCR4/CCR5 receptor for its entry into the host cells. CPS increases glucocorticoid and catecholamine concentration in blood and thereby activates cAMP signaling pathway through binding the CXCR4/CCR5 receptors expressed on T cells and macrophages. This signal transduction pathway leads to the synthesis of more CXCR4 and CCR5 receptors by those cells, and in turn the cells become more susceptible to HIV infection. On HIV⁺ patient stress hormones arrest the infected cell in G2 phase which is favorable for HIV replication. At the same time T-cells and macrophage are more susceptible to HIV, so HIV can infects a lot of immune cells and thereby makes the immune system weak. Stress also inhibits Th2 when the cell produces INF-γ as a response to viral attack. So that other cells remain vulnerable to viral infection. When T-cell count is decreased in the blood, the body cannot protect itself from other opportunistic infectious pathogens. As a result progression of AIDS increases rapidly.

Key words:  HIV, chronic stress, IFN, CCR5, CNS, glucocorticoid.

International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN: 2167-0404 Vol. 3 (1), pp. 321-372, January, 2013 © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Severity index by gender in adult patients with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)

Irene Aurora Espinosa de Santillana¹*, Maricruz Adauta García², Verónica Anuette Mayoral García² and Teresita Romero Ogawa³

¹Maxillofacial Surgery Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla,  Mexico

Research Scholar Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences University at Buffalo, USA

 ²Faculty of Stomatology, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, México.

³Department of Genetics Research: Behavioral Sciences Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, México.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 12 September, 2012; Accepted 06 January, 2013

Abstract

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) are conditions characterized by pain or dysfunction of the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) and masticatory muscles. Females have been identified as the group most at risk of developing this pathology and the data indicate that females more frequently present grave symptoms, with greater tendencies to chronicity. The objective of this study is to determine the severity of TMD by gender in a group of outpatients of the clinic at the Faculty of Dentistry of Puebla. Observational study design, with 75 patients included (65% female). The severity of TMD, was evaluated with the Temporomandibular index (TMI) with three domains (function, articular, muscular), using the standardization of the researcher (kappa=0.96). Percentages and the mean of percentages of severity of TMD were calculated.  The outcomes of TMI were compared by gender. Total of severity index between gender shows that the means of the three sub-indices and the total index were higher in women, but only the muscle index showed significant differences (p=0.022). The total of severity Index showed marginal differences between the gender (p=0.074). The women reported more grave signs and symptoms of TMD, specifically in the perception of pain.

Key words: Temporomandibular disorders, gender, orofacial pain, severity of illness index, temporomandibular index, research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD). 

International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN: 2167-0404 Vol. 2 (12) pp. 296-300, December, 2012.  © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Elevated circulating plasma adiponectin in normal weight male patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Zhao Jian Jun, Song Yu Ming, Wang Jing, Zhao Feng Qin, Tan Ping and Yang Lei*

Respiratory Department, China-Japan Union Hospital of Ji Lin University, Changchun 130033.

Ji Lin Province, China.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 26 September, 2012; Accepted 19 December, 2012

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is recognized as a multi-component disease these days. There is growing evidence that persistent low-grade systemic inflammation present in COPD may contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Adiponectin (APN) is a secretory protein synthesized by adipocytes and has important anti-inflammatory as well as anti-atherosclerotic and anti-obesity effects，while little is known before regarding the importance of APN in pulmonary inflammation of human or animal subjects and to determine whether hyperadiponectinemia could be an underlying mechanism for COPD and whether there is a relationship between plasma adiponectin level and pulmonary function. Plasma samples were obtained from 68 normal weight male patients with stable COPD and 36 healthy control subjects. Plasma concentrations of APN were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pulmonary function testing and body mass index (BMI) were performed in all patients and control subjects. We found that plasma adiponectin levels in patients with stable COPD were significantly higher than that in control subjects (18.6 ± 2.4 μg/mL vs. 4.2 ± 0.8 μg/mL, P＜0.01). There was no correlation between adiponectin and FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC in COPD patients. Our data indicate that COPD patients exhibited higher plasma APN levels compared with healthy control subjects, suggesting a peculiar role for this protein in COPD pathogenesis.

Key words: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), pulmonary function, adiponectin, plasma

International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences ISSN: 2167-0404 Vol. 2 (12), pp. 301-306, December, 2012. © International Scholars Journals 

Full Length Research Paper

The burden of maternal mortality in a semi urban Nigerian town: Five year experience

Ibrahim Isa A.¹*, Owoeye Gani I. O.² and Obilahi Abhulimen¹

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University,    Amassoma,

Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

²Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University, Amassoma,

Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 15 July, 2012; Accepted 23 December, 2012

Abstract

Pregnancy is one of the most important periods in the life of a woman, but it can unpredictably at times be affected by obstetrics complications thereby leading to the death of women either directly or indirectly during antenatal period, labour or in the puerperium. This study aims to determine the magnitude and causes of maternal deaths in a tertiary hospital. This is a five-year retrospective descriptive analysis of all cases of pregnancy related maternal deaths at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital Okolobiri, Bayelsa State, in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. There were 13 maternal deaths and a total of 1812 live births during the study period giving a maternal mortality ratio of 717.4 per 100,000 live births. Major causes of deaths were sepsis 6 (50.0%) and pre-eclampsia/ eclampsia 4 (33.3%). Maternal death was more likely to  occur  in the unbooked (p ; 0.001; 95% CI ; 0.02 to 0.51), between ages 19 to 23 years (p; 0.035; 95% CI ,0.918 to 11.615), in women of high parity (p ; 0.000; 95% CI ; 0.00 to 0.08)and in the unemployed(x² = 28.198; df = 5; p = 0.000). There is an urgent need to address and improve on the quality of care given to unbooked emergencies in our institution. In addition other preventable social causes need to be tackled.

Key words: Maternal mortality, causes, Niger Delta, Nigeria.