Medicine
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This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
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Item Age-related changes in adaptation to severe anemia in childhood in developing countries(National Academy of Sciences, 2007) O Donnell, A.; Premawardhena, A.; Arambepola, M.; Allen, S.J.; Peto, T.E.; Fisher, C.A.; Rees, D.C.; Olivieri, N.F.; Weatherall, D.J.Severe forms of anemia in children in the developing countries may be characterized by different clinical manifestations at particular stages of development. Whether this reflects developmental changes in adaptation to anemia or other mechanisms is not clear. The pattern of adaptation to anemia has been assessed in 110 individuals with hemoglobin (Hb) E beta-thalassemia, one of the commonest forms of inherited anemia in Asia. It has been found that age and Hb levels are independent variables with respect to erythropoietin response and that there is a decline in the latter at a similar degree of anemia during development. To determine whether this finding is applicable to anemia due to other causes, a similar study has been carried out on 279 children with severe anemia due to Plasmodium falciparum malaria; the results were similar to those in the patients with thalassemia. These observations may have important implications both for the better understanding of the pathophysiology of profound anemia in early life and for its more logical and cost-effective management.Item Sensitive and inexpensive molecular test for falciparum malaria: detecting Plasmodium falciparum DNA directly from heat-treated blood by loop-mediated isothermal amplification(American Association For Clinical Chemistry, 2006) Poon, L.; Wong, B.W.; Ma, E.H.; Chan, K.H.; Chow, L.M.; Abeyewickreme, W.; Tangpukdee, N.; Yuen, K.Y.; Guan, Y.; Looareesuwan, S.; Peiris, J.S.BACKGROUND: Malaria is one of the most important parasitic infections in humans. A sensitive diagnostic test for malaria that could be applied at the community level could be useful in programs to control the disease. The aim of the present work was to develop a simple, inexpensive moleculartest for Plasmodium falciparum. METHODS: Blood was collected from controls (n = 100) and from patients diagnosed with falciparum malaria infection (n = 102), who were recruited to the study. Heat-treated blood samples were tested by a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for P. falciparum. Results were interpreted by a turbidity meter in real time or visually at the end of the assay. To evaluate the assay, DNA from these samples was purified and tested by PCR. Results from the LAMP and PCR assays were compared. RESULTS: The LAMP assay detected P. falciparum directly from heat-treated blood. The quantitative data from the assay correlated to the parasite counts obtained by blood-film microscopic analyses. When we used the PCR assay as the comparison method, the sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP assay were 95% and 99%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike PCR, the LAMP assay does not require purified DNA for efficient DNA amplification, thereby reducing the cost and turnaround time for P. falciparum diagnosis. The assay requires only basic instruments, and assay positivity can be verified by visual inspectionItem A Safety and efficacy trial of artesunate, sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine and primaquine in P falciparum malaria(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2002) Weerasinghe, K.L.; Galappaththi, G.; Fernando, W.P.; Wickremasinghe, D.R.; Faizal, H.M.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.OBJECTIVE: To determine effectiveness and safety of the combination of artesunate, sulphadoxine + pyrimethamine and primaquine in the treatment of P falciparum malaria. DESIGN: A hospital based prospective study. SETTING: Base Hospital, Moneragala. METHODS: In 30 P falciparum infected patients admitted to the hospital, blood was taken for estimation of haemoglobin, white cell counts, and serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin and creatinine. They were administered artesunate, sulphadoxine + pyrimethamine (S + P) and primaquine on day 0 (artesunate 4 mg/kg, sulphadoxine 25 mg/kg, pyrimethamine 1.25 mg/kg and primaquine 0.75 mg/kg), and only artesunate on days 1 and 2 (artesunate 4 mg/kg each day). Blood was examined for malarial parasites, and patients were assessed on days 1, 2, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Patients assessed the severity of selected symptoms. Biochemical analyses were done on day 0 and repeated on days 7 and 28. RESULTS: Eight patients presented with fever which resolved in 7 patients in 48 hours. Asexual parasites were cleared in 80% of the 30 patients within 24 hours of treatment and in all 30 by day 7. Gametocytaemia cleared in all patients by day 14. There were no adverse effects experienced by the patients. The white cell and differential counts, liver enzymes and creatinine levels were within normal limits on all follow up days. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of artesunate, S + P and primaquine was found to be effective and safe in the treatment of uncomplicated Pfalciparum malaria.Item Delayed cerebellar ataxia complication falciparum malaria - a clinical study of 74 patients(Springer-Verlag, 1994) Senanayake, N.; de Silva, H.J.We report the clinical features of 74 patients with delayed cerebellar ataxia (DCA) following falciparum malaria, who were prospectively followed up at two centres. This unusual complication has an acute onset, with signs suggesting a predominantly midline cerebellar lesion without any evidence of cerebral involvement. There was a delay of a median 13 days between the onset of fever and the onset of ataxia. DCA has a good prognosis, with spontaneous and complete recovery within 3 months. In our opinion, it is an example of a post-infective neurological syndrome possibly mediated via an immune mechanism.Item Unusual meuromuscular complications falciparum malaria(CAB International, 1994) de Silva, H.J.; de Silva, N.R.The involvement of the nervous system in Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a complex problem, and several mechanisms including mechanical obstruction of the microcirculation and immune mediated damage probably play a role in the pathogenesis. This review focuses attention on some of the more unusual neurological complications of falciparum malaria. Several neuropsychiatric manifestations have been reported during attacks of malaria and following use of antimalarial drugs.Item Absence of anti-Purkinje cell antibodies in patients with cerebellar ataxia following falciparum malaria(SEAMEO Regional Tropical Medicine and Public Health Project, 1994) de Silva, H.J.; Senanayake, N.Immunological mechanisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of delayed cerebellar ataxia following falciparum malaria (DCA). We tested serum and CSF samples obtained from 39 Sri Lankan patients with DCA for the presence of antibodies (Ab) directed against cerebellar Purkinje cells by an immunofluorescence (IF) technique and Western blot analysis. For the IF test 7 mu thick frozen sections of histologically normal cerebellum obtained at post mortem were used. Proteins obtained from crude preparations of Purkinje cells isolated from the cerebellum were used for Western blot analysis. Sera obtained from patients known to have antineuronal antibodies associated with cerebellar degenerations and paraneoplastic disorders (anti-Hu and anti-Yo Ab) and sera from normal blood donors served as positive and negative controls, respectively. All serum and CSF samples obtained from patients with DCA were negative for Ab directed against cerebellar Purkinje cells. Humoral mechanisms are, therefore, unlikely to be important in the pathogenesis of this delayed complication of falciparum malaria.Item Cerebellar involvement in falciparum malaria : investigation of an epidemic(Ceylon College of Physicians, 1993) de Silva, H.J.