Diseases Commons^™

Ccl2 Responses To Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Are Associated With Disease Severity In Tuberculosis, Zahra Hasan, Jacqueline M. Cliff, Hazel M. Dockrell, Bushra Jamil, Muhammad Irfan, Mussarat Ashraf, Rabia Hussain

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Background

Leucocyte activating chemokines such as CCL2, CCL3, and CXCL8 together with proinflammatory IFNγ, TNFα and downmodulatory IL10 play a central role in the restriction of M. tuberculosis infections, but is unclear whether these markers are indicative of tuberculosis disease severity.

Methodology

We investigated live M. tuberculosis- and M. bovis BCG- induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell responses in patients with tuberculosis (TB) and healthy endemic controls (ECs, n = 36). TB patients comprised pulmonary (PTB, n = 34) and extrapulmonary groups, subdivided into those with less severe localized extrapulmonary TB (L-ETB, n = 16) or severe disseminated ETB (D-ETB, …

Wegener's Granulomatosis: A Diagnostic Challenge, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi, Hammad Bin Liaquat, Shahid Javed Husain, Kulsoom Fatima

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG) is a necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis that primarily involves small vessels in the body. Patient usually presents in the fourth to fifth decade. The clinical presentation is variable; however, majority of patients (90%) seek medical attention for nasal and sinus symptoms with or without lower respiratory symptoms of cough, dyspnoea and haemoptysis. The typical form of WG tends to involve the triad of upper and lower respiratory tract and the kidneys; while involvement of other organs like ocular, cutaneous, rheumatological, neural, gastrointestinal and lower genito-urinary tract is occasionally seen. A "limited" form with clinical findings isolated to the …

Treatment Outcome Of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis In A Tertiary Care Hospital In Karachi, Nisar Ahmed Rao, Zeeshan Mahfooz, Muhammad Irfan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Objective: To assess the outcomes of pulmonary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients treated at Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (OICD), a reference hospital for TB in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: Clinical study for the period 1996-2006, with follow-up until June 2007 was performed. All the culture and sensitivity proven cases of MDR pulmonary TB were initially admitted for 3-6 months till the sputum converted negative. Treatment regimen was decided on individual basis, and included 4-6 drugs. Supervised treatment was given to all patients during the hospitalization. After discharge from the hospital, patients were followed at monthly interval at the outpatient department of …

Tuberculous And Cryptococcal Meningitis In A Setting With High Tb And Low Hiv Prevalence, Afrasyab Khan, Bushra Jamil, Rahmat Ali, Sana Sultan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences in presentation and outcome of patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and cryptococcal meningitis (CCM).

STUDY DESIGN: Case series.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from December 1995 to December 2005.

METHODOLOGY: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of TBM or CCM were included in this study. The signs and symptoms, laboratory findings and other variables of patients were entered and analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Software version 14.

RESULTS: We compared 16 patients of TBM with 11 of CCM. None of the patients with TBM were Human Immunodeficiency …

Community Acquired Pneumonia: Risk Factors Associated With Mortality In A Tertiary Care Hospitalized Patients, Muhammad Irfan, Syed Fayyaz Hussain, Khubaib Mapara, Shafia Memon, Mohammed Mogri, Muniza Bana, Amna Malik, Sara Khan, Nadia A Khan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk factors associated with mortality in patients hospitalized with CommunityAcquired Pneumonia (CAP) from a developing country.

METHODS: An observational study was conducted on adult patients admitted with a diagnosis of CAP from January 2002 to August 2003 at Aga Khan University hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Clinical records were reviewed for demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory features, hospital course, and risk factors associated with mortality.

RESULTS: A total of 329 patients (187 males) were admitted with CAP. Two-third of patients had underlying co-morbid medical illnesses. Complications developed in 15.7% cases and the overall mortality rate was 11%. Risk factors …

Assessment Of Asthma Control Using The Asthma Control Test At A Tertiary Care Centre In Karachi, Pakistan, Sana Shoukat, Saqib Ali Gowani, Ameer Ali Khowaja, Javaid Khan

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

The aim of our study was to assess asthma control among asthmatics at a tertiary care setting in Karachi using ACT questionnaire. The ACT questionnaire was filled by known asthmatics in January 2007. A total of 150 questionnaires were filled of which, 61 (40%) were males and 89 (60%) females. Mean ACT score was 17.71 +/- 4.41. Association between sex and asthma control was not statistically significant. Significant association was seen with asthma control and Ipratropium bromide inhaler. Asthma control among patients at a tertiary care centre is moderate. ACT can be used to follow patients in the hospital.