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The main objective of this study was to determine whether a homemade rapid urease test was reliable when compared to histology in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Endoscopic antral biopsies from 15th August 2004 to 15th July 2005 were studied prospectively. Rapid urease test and histological examination were done on all specimens. Among 160 biopsies, 56 cases showed H. pylori in histological section and 59 cases were rapid urease test positive. Among 56 H. pylori infected patients, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, percentage of false positive, and percentage of false negative values of rapid urease test were 96.4%, 95.2%, 91.5%, 98.0%, 4.8% and 3.5% respectively. Rapid urease test is positive in significantly higher number (p0.001) in histological positive cases. In conclusion our homemade rapid urease test is a test with good sensitivity and specificity for detection of H. pylori infection.

Cancer is the combination of uncontrolled cellular proliferation and immortality. It is a multi-step disease with a multi-factorial etiology. The determinants of cancer are many and varied including genetic predisposition, environmental influences, infectious agents, nutritional factors, hormonal and reproductive factors, radiation etc. However, the extent of the genetic involvement and their interaction with environment in tumorigenesis is still elusive. The six essential alterations in cell are proposed which determines the transition from normal cell to malignant. It includes--self-sufficiency in growth signals, insensitivity to growth-inhibitory (antigrowth) signals, evasion of programmed cell death (apoptosis), limitless replicative potential, sustained angiogenesis, and tissue invasion and metastasis. Nevertheless, the last two decades have seen rapid improvements in understanding the complex molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis, yet the quest for unraveling the mystery is not over. Further study in this area is indispensable that could hold the promise of increasing our understanding of cancer etiology and possible preventive strategy.

The complications, therapy and prognosis are significantly determined by the exact location of occlusion site in left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery in anterior acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study assessed the role of Electrocardiogram (ECG) as a predictor of coronary artery occlusion site in anterior AMI. Sixty two patients of anterior AMI were divided into two groups according to the occlusion site in relation to first septal and first diagonal branches, proximal--group A and distal--group B. Their initial ECG were analyzed and interpreted. The number of patients having ST elevation in leads aVR and aVL (or = 0.5 mm) were significantly higher in proximal group compared to distal ones (42.3% vs 2.8% and 73.1% vs 22.2%; p0.001). Similarly the number of patients having ST depression in inferior leads, II (or = 1 mm), III (or = 1 mm) and aVF (or = 1 mm) were also significantly higher in proximal group (84.6% vs 22.2%, 88.5% vs 33.3% and 84.6% vs 22.2%; p0.001). The sensitivity of ST depression in inferior leads II (or = 1 mm), III (or = 1 mm) and aVF (or = 1 mm) to predict the proximal lesion were 85.0%, 88.0% and 85.0% respectively, whereas specificity were 78.0%, 67.0% and 78.0% respectively. The ST elevation in a VR had 42.0% sensitivity and 97.0% specificity to predict proximal lesion. Similarly ST elevation in aVL (or = 0.5 mm) had 73% sensitivity and 78% specificity. In anterior AMI, ST elevation in aVR, aVL and ST depression in inferior leads can predict the occlusion site in LAD proximal to first diagonal and first septal branch.