Population Of Normal Individuals Research Articles

Assessment of accuracy of mercury sphygmomanometer and automated oscillometric device of blood pressure measurement in population of normal individuals

Background: Blood pressure (BP) measurement is the most common investigation performed nearly on all patients’ for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Accuracy of the measurement device is crucial for timely diagnosis.However, sphygmomanometer requires medical expertise whereas automated oscillometric device needs only careful observations in measuring BP.Aims and Objectives: The objective of the present study is to determinethe comparative accuracy of mercury sphygmomanometer and automated oscillometric device of measuring BP and the limit of agreement between the two devices.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study designed and carried out at MGM Medical College, Indore among 438 normal individuals. Age, weight, height, body mass index, history and BP were recorded. An average of three recording of BP measurement by both the devices was used.Results: Out of a total, 52.3% were male and 47.7% were female. Average SBP (130.78±17.31 mmHg) and DBP (86.96±10.26 mmHg) measured by automated instrument were significantly elevated than SBP (126.32±13.47 mmHg) and DBP (81.70±8.63 mmHg) by mercury sphygmomanometer while the mean differences in SBP and DBP (5.16±4.40 and 5.57±3.30 mmHg) were statistically significant (p=0.000). Hypertension reported in more patients with automated (79.0%) compared to sphygmomanometer (76.0%). Bland-Altman plots indicated a positive linear trend for BP readings between two instruments. Differences were more in SBP reading than DBP within three categories. Measurement of agreement indicated strong statistically significant (p=0.000) mutual agreement between the rate of judging hypertension by two apparatuses. The coefficient of determination for SBP (R2=0.95) and DBP (R2=0.87) were very high when manual readings compared to automated.Conclusion: Present research suggests that BP readings obtained by automated and sphygmomanometer is comparable however as compared to mercury sphygmomanometer ocillometric device gives slightly higher readings of SBP. Looking towards the simplicity of measurement and freedom from environmental toxicity automated ocillometricdevice may be recommended as a primary tool for early detection and management of high BP.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.9(5) 2018 17-24

The Morphology of Left Atrial Appendage Lobes: A Novel Characteristic Naming Scheme Derived through Three-Dimensional Cardiac Computed Tomography

Objectives: This study used cardiac CT to identify and name the different shapes of individual left atrial appendage (LAA) lobes and identified correlations between the size and shape of the LAA ostium and the volume of the LAA in a population of normal individuals. Background: The anatomy of the LAA appendage has become the subject of current research, because appendage occlusion devices have emerged for patients with atrial fibrillation. The development of cardiac computed tomography (CT) allows researchers to identify and observe cardiac anatomy, including various shapes of the LAA lobes. Methods: This study was a retrospective review of 102 consecutive patients from March 2009 to November 2010 who underwent cardiac CT using the GE 64-slice Light Speed VCT CT scanner. For each patient, the LAA ostium was measured, and the shape of the ostium was observed and described. After the LAAs were reconstructed 3-dimensionally, each LAA was categorized by its shape and number of lobes. Results: No significant difference was observed between the average LAA volume between males and females. LAA appendages with circular ostium (n = 61) were observed to have a larger mean volume than those with elliptical ostium (n = 39). Predictors of LAA volume were identified. The most common number of lobes was 2 (n = 61), followed by 1 (n = 27), 3 (n = 10), and 4 (n = 2). Eight unique LAA morphologies were identified and a name was assigned to each morphology. Based on the shape and number of lobes observed, the most common LAA lobe shape was hook (n = 55), followed by wing, arrowhead, flame, double wing, finger, sea horse, double hook, knob, spiral, and double knob. Conclusion: This study used 3D cardiac CT to identify and name the morphology of individual LAA lobes as one of eight different types. The Beutler-Loli naming system formulates a basis to improve understanding of the complex structure of LAA anatomy and to facilitate a system for researchers and clinicians to communicate more precisely about the LAA.

MEASUREMENT OF ACUITY OF BALANCE IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS AND PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

Some quantitative aspects of balance in erect posture and a method for their estimation are discussed. Data concerning the reliability and validity of the test procedure are also presented and discussed. Data from a population of normal individuals as well as some groups of patients with disorders of balance are presented together with some statistical results.

MS‐based phenotypic characterization of a human blood protein from urinary waste products

The urine proteome (urineome) has become an ideal biological fluid for biomarker study and detection due to its rich protein content as well as its ease and abundance in collection. Protein variation in human plasma has been linked to the presence of disease states in humans; however, it stands to reason that the same is true of the equally complex urineome. In this manuscript we present the combination of two proteomics technologies, mass spectrometric immunoassay and a bioreactive probe, for the detection and characterization of the protein variants of transthyretin (TTR) found in human urine. Coupling these two technologies we could precisely identify protein variants within a population of normal individuals. This is the first report of the detailed characterization of urinary TTR using this combination of proteomic analytical techniques, and demonstrates a novel non-invasive methodology for the routine analysis of this clinically significant urine protein target.

A profile of acute-phase proteins after severe burns

Transport proteins and acute-phase proteins, including complement factors C3 and C4, immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgM, albumin (ALB), prealbumin (PAB), transferrin (TRF), ceruloplasmin (CER), haptoglobin (HAG), and alpha antitrypsin (AAT), were examined in 29 patients with severe burns with a total burn surface area (TBSA) ranging from 30% to 97% (mean, 50.03%±21.16%). Samples from each patient were obtained at days 2, 7, 14, and 21 postburn and were analyzed using a 3M 300 special automatic analyzing system (Sanofi, France). A population of normal individuals served as controls. Statistical analyses were performed using multivariate and regression analyses. The postburn values of C3, C4, PAB, ALB, TRF, and CER were significantly lower compared to controls (P>0.01). Slow postburn recovery was observed for C3 and C4, which was negatively correlated with burn severity. TAF, TAB, and ALB values decreased significantly within the first week postburn (P<0.01); TAF, PAB, and ALB values demonstrated a steady recovery between days 14 and 21 postburn. The recovery was negatively correlated to the severity of the burns. IgA and IgM markedly decreased after 2 days postburn (P<0.01). After the initial decrease, the levels of IgM slowly increased, whereas the levels of IgA remained depressed for the first postburn week. The levels of AAT rose significantly throughout the entire study period and were positively correlated with the severity of the burns (P<0.01). This study demonstrates a pattern of certain reactive/acute-phase proteins in the postburn period. It can be concluded that severe burns directly affect the production of serum levels of acute-phase proteins, thereby impairing important physiological functions such as the immune system, protein transportation, metabolism, and repair processes.

Bone gla protein (osteocalcin) assay standardization report

The major conclusion of this study is that the different laboratory assays for serum BGP give a reasonably consistent picture of bone metabolism in the metabolic bone diseases examined only if the results are expressed as a percentage of serum BGP levels in normal individuals. This requires that all laboratories establish a mean control serum BGP value in an appropriate population of normal individuals. Since BGP levels determined by different laboratories on the same serum sample can vary by more than fourfold, the absolute serum BGP levels determined in one laboratory cannot be compared directly with the serum BGP levels determined in another. Although we cannot comment on the efficacy of different laboratory assays for serum BGP as measures of bone metabolism in disease states that were not examined, such as osteoporosis, it is clear that the large differences between laboratory assays make it imperative that all interlaboratory comparisons be based on values expressed as a percentage of serum BGP in an appropriate population of normal individuals.

Autoantibodies and circulating immune complexes in subjects infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

We wish to report the results of a retrospective study of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC) as well as a group of asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals, in whom we examined markers of systemic autoimmune disease including anti-cell antibodies, immunoglobulin (Ig) and complement (C3 and C4) profiles as well as circulating immune complexes (CIC). Antibodies to cytoplasmic (but not nuclear) antigens were significantly elevated in the AIDS and ARC groups when compared with a population of normal individuals (for AIDS, P = 0.0002 vs. control; for ARC, P = 0.0004 vs. control). The non-AIDS/ARC, HIV+ group did not demonstrate significance (P = 0.054). Each of the three study groups also demonstrated increased Ig (P less than 0.05 for each immunoglobulin class). CIC, as determined by a Clq-binding enzyme immunoassay, were higher in all three study groups (P less than 0.05) when compared with controls. C3 and C4 were not significantly lower than control subjects (P greater than 0.05), but C4 did demonstrate a significant (P = 0.01) inverse correlation with CIC. These findings strengthen the hypothesized autoimmune aspect of AIDS and ARC, and extend this concept to include HIV-infected individuals without frank disease.

Sister Chromatid Exchange in Chromosomes of Cattle (Bos taurus)

Lymphocytes from clinically healthy Holstein animals (8 males and 23 females) were cultured in media containing 5-bromodeoxyuridine (10μg/ml) for two cycles of deoxyribonucleic acid replication (48h). The exchange of sister chromatids per cell varied from 1 to 16 with a mean of 5.4 and a standard deviation of 2.1 in 603 differentially stained metaphase chromosome spreads. The major fraction of exchanges in the X chromosome were located in the region of the subcentromeric G negative bands ql and q2. When the cells were pulse labeled with tritium labeled thymidine (1μCi/ml) for the last 6h of the cell cycle, the rate of exchange was higher in the late replicating X chromosome (facultative hetero-chromatin) in comparison to its homologue (active X). This study characterizes the yield of sister chromatid exchange in lymphocytes exposed to a given amount of 5-bromodeoxyuridine in a population of normal individuals so that it may be used as a standard for 1) a diagnostic tool in pathological conditions and 2) as an assay of chromosome stability in relation to environmental hazards.