Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in hospital inpatients: a descriptive study in a tertiary care centre in South India

Background: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality among the patients in medical wards as well as in the intensive care unit contributing to substantial morbidity and mortality. The most common cause of hyponatraemia in hospital inpatients is Syndrome of Inappropriate Anti Diuretic Hormone secretion (SIADH). This prospective observational study was designed to assess the clinical profile of SIADH. Aim: To assess the clinical profile of SIADH in medically ill patients. Methods: This was an observational study for 24 months conducted in a tertiary care hospital. Patients were assessed clinically to study the volume status, effects of hyponatremia on nervous system and find out various etiologies for SIADH. All patients underwent routine hemogram, blood biochemistry, serum electrolytes, thyroid function tests, morning serum cortisol estimation, plasma and urinary osmolality determination as well as urinary sodium estimation. Patients were diagnosed to have Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone secretion (SIADH) if they satisfied the Bartter and Schwartz criteria.  Results: Among the eighty patients with euvolemic, hypoosmolal hyponatremia who were screened for SIADH, seven patients were excluded due to various reasons (hypothyroidism, Sheehan’s syndrome, Addison’s disease). The mean age of the patients was 64 ± 13 years. Among 73 patients included there were 33 (45.2%) male patients and 40 (54.8%) female patients. Severe hyponatremia (Na <110 meq/l) was detected in 33 patients (45%). Pulmonary causes were the most common cause of SIADH in this study seen in 25 (34.2%). The other causes were idiopathic in 20 (27.4%), neurological in 17 (23.3%), drug induced in 2 (2.7%), positive pressure ventilation in 5 (6.8%) and other infections in 4 (5.5%).The average rate of correction was 5 meq ± 1.5 in the first 24 hours. The overall mortality was found to be 7%.Conclusion: Hyponatremia due to SIADH is common among elderly patients with preponderance for female population. Majority of the patients in the present study were noticed to have an underlying respiratory cause as the etiology. Mortality in SIADH patients was related to the underlying cause rather than the severity of hyponatremia.

Urinary tract infection in type 2 diabetic patients: risk factors and antimicrobial pattern

Background: Diabetes increases the risk of infection and the commonest amongst them are the ones involving the genitourinary tract. Diabetic patients are found to have an increase in the risk of developing urinary tract infection (UTI) by 60%. The study aimed to determine the causative pathogens and their antimicrobial pattern, identify risk factors associated in type 2 diabetic subjects having UTI. Methods: This was an observational study conducted in the medicine unit of a tertiary care hospital over a period of 8 months. A total of 619 (M:F 289:330) type 2 diabetic subjects were studied. History, clinical examinations, and the duration of diabetes were recorded in all patients at admission. Diabetes was diagnosed based on the WHO criteria. An immunoturbidimetric method was used to estimate glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C%). Diagnosis of UTI was made from midstream urine samples of patients if the urine cultures has >103 to >105 colony forming units (CFUs)/mL of a pathogen.Results: Among the 619 diabetic patients 220 patients had pus cells in urine but 72 patients had insignificant colony count. 90 (60.8%) patients were more than 60 years old, 48 (32.4%) were in the age group of 40-60 years and 10 (6.7%) were less than 40 years old. Among the 148 patients studied 52 (35.1%) were males and 96 (64.9%) were females. 116 (78.4%) had diabetes for more than 15 years and the rest had a duration lesser than 15 years. The HbA1C of patients with and without UTI were 10.2 ± 1.6 and 8.4 ± 1.3 respectively. Gram negative bacilli were isolated from 129 (87.2%) patients which included E. coli in 75 (50.7%), Klebsiella in 30 (20.3%), Pseudomonas species in 12 (8.1%) and Citrobacter in 12 (8.1%). Gram positive cocci were responsible for UTI in 15(10.1%) of subjects including Enterococcus in 13 (8.9%) and Staphylococcus in 2 (1.3%). Gram negative bacilli including E. coli, the Klebsiella species, pseudomonas and Citrobacter had good response to piperacillin-tazobactum, cefoperazone sulbactum, imipenam and amikacin. Gram positive cocci (Enterococcus and Staphylococcus) responsible for UTI showed good susceptibility to vancomycin (81 and 94% respectively) but a high resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracyclines (68 and 57% respectively).Conclusions: Female gender, age and duration of diabetes were found to have increased risk factors for developing UTI in diabetes. Escherichia coli was the commonest organism causing UTI in diabetes which showed good response to piperacillin/tazobactum, cefoperazone-sulbactum, imipenam and amikacin.

Varicella-zoster virus transverse myelitis in an immunocompetent patient

Transverse myelitis is one of the rare neurological complications of Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) infection in immuno-competent. We report a 26-year-old immuno-competent gentleman who developed virologically confirmed myelopathy caused by VZV which improved with steroids and acyclovir leaving no residual neurological deficits

MURCS association with absent hand and unusual vertebral anomaly

Mullerian duct aplasia, Renal aplasia and Cervicothoracic Somite dysplasia (MURCS association) is a developmental field defect, diagnosed if both aplasia/hypoplasia of the Mullerian duct, renal agenesis/ectopy and anomalies of the cervicothoracic somites are present. We report a case of MURCS Association with the above features, absent hand, T12 Hemi vertebra and an exophytic bony outgrowth from C5 vertebra. An exophytic bony projection from the spinous process of C5 vertebra, presenting as a swelling over the neck has not been described previously as a skeletal malformation in MURCS Association. Absent hand as a skeletal malformation in MURCS association was not seen in the earlier literature. This case is reported since it adds to the wide spectrum of anomalies associated with MURCS association and helps in distinguishing MURCS association from the syndromes which may show overlap.

Novel derivative of aminobenzenesulfonamide (3c) induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells through ROS generation and inhibits cell migration

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common type of cancer worldwide. New anti-cancer agents are needed for treating late stage colorectal cancer as most of the deaths occur due to cancer metastasis. A recently developed compound, 3c has shown to have potent antitumor effect; however the mechanism underlying the antitumor effect remains unknown. Methods: 3c-induced inhibition of proliferation was measured in the absence and presence NAC using MTT in HT-29 and SW620 cells and xCELLigence RTCA DP instrument. 3c-induced apoptotic studies were performed using flow cytometry. 3c-induced redox alterations were measured by ROS production using fluorescence plate reader and flow cytometry and mitochondrial membrane potential by flow cytometry; NADPH and GSH levels were determined by colorimetric assays. Bcl2 family protein expression and cytochrome c release and PARP activation was done by western blotting. Caspase activation was measured by ELISA. Cell migration assay was done using the real time xCELLigence RTCA DP system in SW620 cells and wound healing assay in HT-29. Results: Many anticancer therapeutics exert their effects by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we demonstrate that 3c-induced inhibition of cell proliferation is reversed by the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, suggesting that 3c acts via increased production of ROS in HT-29 cells. This was confirmed by the direct measurement of ROS in 3c-treated colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, treatment with 3c resulted in decreased NADPH and glutathione levels in HT-29 cells. Further, investigation of the apoptotic pathway showed increased release of cytochrome c resulting in the activation of caspase-9, which in turn activated caspase-3 and −6. 3c also (i) increased p53 and Bax expression, (ii) decreased Bcl2 and BclxL expression and (iii) induced PARP cleavage in human colorectal cancer cells. Confirming our observations, NAC significantly inhibited induction of apoptosis, ROS production, cytochrome c release and PARP cleavage. The results further demonstrate that 3c inhibits cell migration by modulating EMT markers and inhibiting TGFβ-induced phosphorylation of Smad2 and Samd3. Conclusions: Our findings thus demonstrate that 3c disrupts redox balance in colorectal cancer cells and support the notion that this agent may be effective for the treatment of colorectal cancer

Adrenocortical carcinoma presenting as reversible dilated cardiomyopathy

We present a 32-year-old woman with no morbidities who was admitted with a dilated cardiomyopathy and cardiac failure due to adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) which improved completely with surgical resection. Awareness regarding such rare presentations can avoid undue delay in diagnosis and management

Isolated lytic bone lesion in tuberculosis

Causes of lytic bone lesions include benign, malignant, and infectious processes. Lytic lesions due to tuberculosis (TB) may closely mimic those due to tumors such as bone cyst, osteoblastoma, osteosarcoma, and metastatic bone disease radiologically. Histopathology and culture help in definitive diagnosis and prompt management. We describe an immunocompetent patient with isolated lytic bone lesion in the distal part of ulna due to TB to make the readers aware of such unusual presentations of TB