An immunofluorescence test (IFT) using platelet suspensions was used to detect the presence of serum anti-platelet antibodies (APA) in the sera of Malaysian patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Of the 28 patients tested, 19 (or 68%) had detectable APA with percentage platelet fluorescence ranging from 34% - 80% (mean 51% +/- 10). Normal sera gave fluorescence values of 6 - 15% (mean 9% +/- 5). Sera from patients with SLE, thyrotoxicosis and dengue haemorrhagic fever gave mean values of 29%, 8% and 9% respectively. Additionally, no apparent correlation was observed between percentage platelet fluorescence and the severity of thrombocytopenia. The importance and significance of these findings are discussed.
The effect of oxytocin on testicular function was examined in the adult male long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). The monkeys were either infused with increasing concentrations of synthetic oxytocin (16-128 m.i.u./min for 3 h) or injected daily for a week with the same hormone (20 i.u., i.v.) and the plasma testosterone levels measured. The results of the present study show that acute infusion or chronic injection of oxytocin does not significantly affect the plasma testosterone levels, suggesting that systemic control of testicular endocrine function by oxytocin may be unimportant.
Hepatocystis bainae n. sp., parasite on the Microchiropteran bat, Hipposideros galeritus is described and differentiated from Hepatocystis rodhaini; it is characterized by the type of the microgametocytes ("diffuse"), the small size of the hepatic schizonts and the repartition of the colloide.
Faecal egg counts and serum prolactin concentrations in 13 pregnant and five non-pregnant Angora goats were monitored over a period of 20 weeks. The mean weekly egg counts of pregnant goats were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than those of non-pregnant goats. In pregnant goats the mean egg counts in the 6 week post-partum period were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than those of 6 weeks prepartum. The mean prolactin concentration of pregnant goats during the 6 week post-partum period was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than that of 6 weeks pre-partum. During the 6 to 3 weeks before parturition, the prolactin values generally remained low (below 100 ng ml-1). The rise in prolactin concentration started between 3 weeks and 1 week before parturition. Only in pregnant goats was there a positive linear regression between prolactin levels and faecal egg counts.
The IgM-globulin levels were determined for 5,167 cord-sera of apparently normal infants and 281 sera of defective infants aged 4 months and younger. The significant level for IgM-globulin in neonates was found to be 20 mgm/dl (2 SD above mean of the normal) above which the level was regarded as abnormally raised. Significant levels of IgM-globulin were found in 0.2% (11/5, 167) ofnormal neonates and in 40.6% (114/281) of defective infants which is more than 200 times the normal value. Combining the normal and abnormal rates, an overall figure of 23 intrauterine infections per 1,000 live births were obtained for Malaysia. The advantages and disadvantages of the use of serum IgM-globulin elevations for the diagnosis of intrauterine infections were discussed.
Therapies with magnetic/electromagnetic field are employed to relieve pains or, to accelerate flow of blood-particles, particularly during the surgery. In this paper, a theoretical study of the blood flow along with particles suspension through capillary was made by the electro-magneto-hydrodynamic approach. Analytical solutions to the non-dimensional blood velocity and non-dimensional particles velocity are obtained by means of the Laplace transform with respect to the time variable and the finite Hankel transform with respect to the radial coordinate. The study of thermally transfer characteristics is based on the energy equation for two-phase thermal transport of blood and particles suspension with viscous dissipation, the volumetric heat generation due to Joule heating effect and electromagnetic couple effect. The solution of the nonlinear heat transfer problem is derived by using the velocity field and the integral transform method. The influence of dimensionless system parameters like the electrokinetic width, the Hartman number, Prandtl number, the coefficient of heat generation due to Joule heating and Eckert number on the velocity and temperature fields was studied using the Mathcad software. Results are presented by graphical illustrations.
Anaemia is a common condition in Malaysia, and is mostly due to iron deficiency. In many cases, allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) is administered unnecessarily to treat anaemia. Patient blood management (PBM) is a concept whereby a patient becomes his or her "own blood bank", instead of receiving ABT. The concept encompasses three pillars namely optimising erythropoiesis, minimising blood loss and harnessing human physiological reserve. We present a safe and fruitful outcome of managing severe anaemia without utilising any ABT, made possible with the PBM approach including administration of intravenous iron.
We report a case of factitious dermatitis in a 17 year female student who presented with recurrent pain .swelling and subcutaneous crepitations of the forearm. A thorough investigation was done. Full blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate was normal. Plain radiographs revealed the presence of subcutaneous emphysema. MRI showed similar findings and revealed normal muscles. Colonoscopy and OGDS were normal. except for a small polyp at the gastro-esophageal junction. Based on the clinical findings and lack of correlation with the investigations a diagnosis of factitious subcutaneous emphysema was made.
Peripheral blood (PB) CD34+ cells enumeration is currently the most reliable method to guide the timing of stem cell harvest. However, its usage is restricted by being technically challenging, costly, and time-consuming. Immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) determination, which is simpler and cheaper and has a faster turn-around time, has been proposed for a similar purpose. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of IRF in guiding stem cell harvest and examine the correlation between IRF and PB CD34+ cells count. Daily pre-harvest tests, i.e. PB CD34+ cells and IRF from 21 patients scheduled for autologous PBSC transplant were assessed. Stem cells harvests were commenced when the PB CD34+ cell count were more than 10 cell/ul. A total of 205 pre-harvest tests were analysed. Following stem cell mobilisations, both the IRF and PB CD 34+ cell counts rose with a variable pattern. In this study, we observed that the IRF peaks preceded the PB CD34+ count by 2 days. On the day of stem cell harvest, all the peak IRF values were >0.3. The PB CD34+ cell counts correlated with the harvested stem cell yield, whereby r2 = 0.77, p < 0.021. In autologous stem cell mobilisation, we believe that IRF is a useful screening tool to predict the rise of the PB CD34+ cell counts as it is a simple, fast and less costly. An IRF of > 0.3 may be used as a cut-off value for the initiation of PB CD34+ quantification prior to stem cell harvest.
The chance of excluding from paternity a falsely accused Chinese man and a falsely accused Malay man by using a number of blood genetic marker systems have been calculated using the ABO, Rhesus and MNSs systems, the combined chances are. 46.4% for a Chinese and 50.2% for a MaIay. When serum protein and red cell enzyme systems are included, the chances increase to approximately 76%. The chances may be increased by testing for haemoglobin variants, by red cell typing for the Diego (Di^a)
antigen, and by testing for phenotypes other than Gm(a) in the Gm system. The Kell system may in some circumstances provide evidence in favour of paternity.