Semi Quantitative Expression Analysis of Potential Cancer Biomarkers

A cancer biomarker refers to a substance or process that is indicative of the presence of cancer it may be a molecule secreted by a tumor or a specific response of the body to the presence of cancer. Background: The aim of the present study is to investigate the feasibility and potential of the molecules Cytokeratin 20, Cytokeratin 17, Cytokeratin 10 and Anillin as tumor specific markers to rapidly detect cancer. Materials and Methods: The expression of biomarkers was analyzed by preparing RNA and synthesized cDNA. Specific primers were synthesized for the biomarkers Cytokeratin 10, Cytokeratin 20 Cytokeratin 17 and Anillin and semi quantitative gene expression was carried out using mMLuv reverse transcriptase. Results: All the three biomarkers showed an enhanced expression compared with normal fibroblasts while the expression of cytokeratin 10 did not show much expression in HCT116 while Cytokeratin 20 and Anillin showed better expression in both cell lines. Conclusion: All the biomarkers showed comparatively good expression indicating the use of these genes as potential makers for detection of cancer

Validation of body fat measurement by skinfolds and two bioelectric impedance methods with DEXA - the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study [CURES-3]

Background and Objective: Although Asian Indians have been shown to have increased body fat compared to Europeans, there have been very few studies in Asian Indians validating the various methods available for body fat measurement. The aim of this study was to test the validity of body fat measured by two commercial impedance analyzers (leg-to-leg and hand-held) as well as by skinfolds with Dual Energy Xray Absorptiometry (DEXA) as the reference method in a population based study in southern India. Methods: Body fat percentage (BF%) was measured in 162 South Indian urban men (n=76) and women (n=86) randomly selected from the "Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study" (CURES), an ongoing population based study of a representative population of Chennai. The mean age of the subjects was 45.1 ± 9.0 years and the body mass index ranged from 16.4 - 34.4 kg/m2. Percentage body fat was measured using DEXA, segmental impedance (leg-to-leg: BF%IMP-LEG; and hand-held BF%IMP-HAND) using the manufacturer's software and skinfolds using the prediction equation from the literature (BF%SKFD). Results: Body fat (%) determined by the leg-to-leg method (BF%IMP-LEG 35.10 ± 7.26) and the skinfolds (BF%SKFD 35.77 ± 6.06) did not differ significantly from the reference method DEXA (BF%DEXA 35.82 ± 8.33), but the hand-held impedance method (BF%IMP-HAND 31.38 ±6.24) showed significant difference (p < 0.001). The bias for estimation of body fat (%) for the bioimpedance leg-to-leg, hand-held and skinfolds were 0.73 ± 5.70, 4.45 ± 4.83 and 0.06 ± 5.86 respectively. All the three methods showed a fairly good correlation with DEXA (BF%IMP-LEG : r = 0.741, p<0.001; BF%IMP-HAND : r = 0.817, p< 0.001; BF%SKFD : r = 0.710, p< 0.001). Conclusion: The study shows that in urban south Indians, measurement of body fat by the leg-to-leg impedance and the skinfold method have better agreement (lower bias) with DEXA than the hand-held impedance. However, all three methods (skinfolds, the leg-to-leg bioelectric impedance and hand-held impedance) show a fairly good correlation with DEXA

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Among Mothers of Infants Regarding Breastfeeding

Objective: This study aims at understanding the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of breastfeeding among mothers and the factors associated with good knowledge about breastfeeding. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study among 251 mothers of infants admitted in the pediatric wards of SAT Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram was conducted during November-December 2019. The mothers of infants born between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation and without major birth defects were included in the study. The data were entered into an MS Excel sheet and analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 26.0. Significance of association was tested using Chi-square test and multivariate analysis was done using binary logistic regression test. Results: The mean age of the participants was 26.25 (SD 4) years. On multivariable analysis, higher education and older age were found to be significantly associated with good knowledge. Independent sample T-Test results show that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean age of mothers with good knowledge (26.4(±4), 25.14(±3.7)), p-0.015 and statistically significant association was found between the mean attitude scores (34.07(5.58)) with current breastfeeding practices (p=0.002). Chi-square test shows that exclusive breastfeeding was significantly associated with the mother’s age (p=0.006); 64.2% of women practicing exclusive breastfeeding were less than 25 years of age. This study also demonstrated a significant association between the initiation of breastfeeding within an hour and exclusive breastfeeding (p=0.003). Conclusion: This study shows that mothers with higher age and higher educational qualifications were significantly associated with good knowledge about breastfeeding. Even though mothers have good knowledge, nearly half the mothers only exclusively breastfeed their infants for six months. Improving the educational qualification of women and increasing awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding among young women will promote breastfeeding practices

BRINE SHRIMP LETHALITY BIOASSAY OF BOUGAINVILLEA GLABRA

The crude methanolic extract of Bougainvillea glabra leaves has been investigated for the evaluation of the cytotoxic activity. All the extracts of the plant were screened for their cytotoxicity by using brine shrimp nauplii (Artemia salina) lethality bioassay. The toxicity was assessed in terms of LC50 (lethality concentration), 10 nauplii were taken into three replicates of each concentration of the methanolic leaf extract. Brine shrimps were checked for the mortality during 24 hrs period, surviving brine shrimps were counted and LC50 was evaluated. The results showed that all the extracts were showing potent toxicity to the nauplii. The LC50 values were compared to the standard potassium dichromate. It indicates that the extracts are toxic even at low doses. Further investigation is needed to study the acute and subacute toxicity of the extracts for its safe application to the humans. Keywords: Artemia salina, cytotoxicity, Bougainvillea glabra, mortalit

Unveiling the pathogenic mechanisms of NPR2 missense variants: insights into the genotype-associated severity in acromesomelic dysplasia and short stature

Introduction: Natriuretic peptide receptor 2 (NPR2 or NPR-B) plays a central role in growth development and bone morphogenesis and therefore loss-of-function variations in NPR2 gene have been reported to cause Acromesomelic Dysplasia, Maroteaux type 1 and short stature. While several hypotheses have been proposed to underlie the pathogenic mechanisms responsible for these conditions, the exact mechanisms, and functional characteristics of many of those variants and their correlations with the clinical manifestations have not been fully established.Methods: In this study, we examined eight NPR2 genetic missense variants (p.Leu51Pro, p.Gly123Val, p.Leu314Arg, p.Arg318Gly, p.Arg388Gln, p.Arg495Cys, p.Arg557His, and p.Arg932Cys) Acromesomelic Dysplasia, Maroteaux type 1 and short stature located on diverse domains and broadly classified as variants of uncertain significance. The evaluated variants are either reported in patients with acromesomelic dysplasia in the homozygous state or short stature in the heterozygous state. Our investigation included the evaluation of their expression, subcellular trafficking and localization, N-glycosylation profiles, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) production activity.Results and Discussion: Our results indicate that variants p.Leu51Pro, p.Gly123Val, p.Leu314Arg, p.Arg388Gln have defective cellular trafficking, being sequestered within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and consequently impaired cGMP production ability. Conversely, variants p.Arg318Gly, p.Arg495Cys, and p.Arg557His seem to display a non-statistically significant behavior that is slightly comparable to WT-NPR2. On the other hand, p.Arg932Cys which is located within the guanylyl cyclase active site displayed normal cellular trafficking profile albeit with defective cGMP. Collectively, our data highlights the genotype-phenotype relationship that might be responsible for the milder symptoms observed in short stature compared to acromesomelic dysplasia. This study enhances our understanding of the functional consequences of several NPR2 variants, shedding light on their mechanisms and roles in related genetic disorders which might also help in their pathogenicity re-classification

Transcultural Diabetes Nutrition Therapy Algorithm: The Asian Indian Application

India and other countries in Asia are experiencing rapidly escalating epidemics of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. The dramatic rise in the prevalence of these illnesses has been attributed to rapid changes in demographic, socioeconomic, and nutritional factors. The rapid transition in dietary patterns in India—coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and specific socioeconomic pressures—has led to an increase in obesity and other diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Studies have shown that nutritional interventions significantly enhance metabolic control and weight loss. Current clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are not portable to diverse cultures, constraining the applicability of this type of practical educational instrument. Therefore, a transcultural Diabetes Nutrition Algorithm (tDNA) was developed and then customized per regional variations in India. The resultant India-specific tDNA reflects differences in epidemiologic, physiologic, and nutritional aspects of disease, anthropometric cutoff points, and lifestyle interventions unique to this region of the world. Specific features of this transculturalization process for India include characteristics of a transitional economy with a persistently high poverty rate in a majority of people; higher percentage of body fat and lower muscle mass for a given body mass index; higher rate of sedentary lifestyle; elements of the thrifty phenotype; impact of festivals and holidays on adherence with clinic appointments; and the role of a systems or holistic approach to the problem that must involve politics, policy, and government. This Asian Indian tDNA promises to help guide physicians in the management of prediabetes and T2D in India in a more structured, systematic, and effective way compared with previous methods and currently available CPGs

Contributions of mean and shape of blood pressure distribution to worldwide trends and variations in raised blood pressure: A pooled analysis of 1018 population-based measurement studies with 88.6 million participants

© The Author(s) 2018. Background: Change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure could be due to both shifts in the entire distribution of blood pressure (representing the combined effects of public health interventions and secular trends) and changes in its high-blood-pressure tail (representing successful clinical interventions to control blood pressure in the hypertensive population). Our aim was to quantify the contributions of these two phenomena to the worldwide trends in the prevalence of raised blood pressure. Methods: We pooled 1018 population-based studies with blood pressure measurements on 88.6 million participants from 1985 to 2016. We first calculated mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and prevalence of raised blood pressure by sex and 10-year age group from 20-29 years to 70-79 years in each study, taking into account complex survey design and survey sample weights, where relevant. We used a linear mixed effect model to quantify the association between (probittransformed) prevalence of raised blood pressure and age-group- and sex-specific mean blood pressure. We calculated the contributions of change in mean SBP and DBP, and of change in the prevalence-mean association, to the change in prevalence of raised blood pressure. Results: In 2005-16, at the same level of population mean SBP and DBP, men and women in South Asia and in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa would have the highest prevalence of raised blood pressure, and men and women in the highincome Asia Pacific and high-income Western regions would have the lowest. In most region-sex-age groups where the prevalence of raised blood pressure declined, one half or more of the decline was due to the decline in mean blood pressure. Where prevalence of raised blood pressure has increased, the change was entirely driven by increasing mean blood pressure, offset partly by the change in the prevalence-mean association. Conclusions: Change in mean blood pressure is the main driver of the worldwide change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure, but change in the high-blood-pressure tail of the distribution has also contributed to the change in prevalence, especially in older age groups

Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in 128·9 million children, adolescents, and adults.

BACKGROUND: Underweight, overweight, and obesity in childhood and adolescence are associated with adverse health consequences throughout the life-course. Our aim was to estimate worldwide trends in mean body-mass index (BMI) and a comprehensive set of BMI categories that cover underweight to obesity in children and adolescents, and to compare trends with those of adults. METHODS: We pooled 2416 population-based studies with measurements of height and weight on 128·9 million participants aged 5 years and older, including 31·5 million aged 5-19 years. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1975 to 2016 in 200 countries for mean BMI and for prevalence of BMI in the following categories for children and adolescents aged 5-19 years: more than 2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference for children and adolescents (referred to as moderate and severe underweight hereafter), 2 SD to more than 1 SD below the median (mild underweight), 1 SD below the median to 1 SD above the median (healthy weight), more than 1 SD to 2 SD above the median (overweight but not obese), and more than 2 SD above the median (obesity). FINDINGS: Regional change in age-standardised mean BMI in girls from 1975 to 2016 ranged from virtually no change (-0·01 kg/m2 per decade; 95% credible interval -0·42 to 0·39, posterior probability [PP] of the observed decrease being a true decrease=0·5098) in eastern Europe to an increase of 1·00 kg/m2 per decade (0·69-1·35, PP>0·9999) in central Latin America and an increase of 0·95 kg/m2 per decade (0·64-1·25, PP>0·9999) in Polynesia and Micronesia. The range for boys was from a non-significant increase of 0·09 kg/m2 per decade (-0·33 to 0·49, PP=0·6926) in eastern Europe to an increase of 0·77 kg/m2 per decade (0·50-1·06, PP>0·9999) in Polynesia and Micronesia. Trends in mean BMI have recently flattened in northwestern Europe and the high-income English-speaking and Asia-Pacific regions for both sexes, southwestern Europe for boys, and central and Andean Latin America for girls. By contrast, the rise in BMI has accelerated in east and south Asia for both sexes, and southeast Asia for boys. Global age-standardised prevalence of obesity increased from 0·7% (0·4-1·2) in 1975 to 5·6% (4·8-6·5) in 2016 in girls, and from 0·9% (0·5-1·3) in 1975 to 7·8% (6·7-9·1) in 2016 in boys; the prevalence of moderate and severe underweight decreased from 9·2% (6·0-12·9) in 1975 to 8·4% (6·8-10·1) in 2016 in girls and from 14·8% (10·4-19·5) in 1975 to 12·4% (10·3-14·5) in 2016 in boys. Prevalence of moderate and severe underweight was highest in India, at 22·7% (16·7-29·6) among girls and 30·7% (23·5-38·0) among boys. Prevalence of obesity was more than 30% in girls in Nauru, the Cook Islands, and Palau; and boys in the Cook Islands, Nauru, Palau, Niue, and American Samoa in 2016. Prevalence of obesity was about 20% or more in several countries in Polynesia and Micronesia, the Middle East and north Africa, the Caribbean, and the USA. In 2016, 75 (44-117) million girls and 117 (70-178) million boys worldwide were moderately or severely underweight. In the same year, 50 (24-89) million girls and 74 (39-125) million boys worldwide were obese. INTERPRETATION: The rising trends in children's and adolescents' BMI have plateaued in many high-income countries, albeit at high levels, but have accelerated in parts of Asia, with trends no longer correlated with those of adults. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust, AstraZeneca Young Health Programme

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities(.)(1,2) This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity(3-6). Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55% of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017-and more than 80% in some low- and middle-income regions-was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing-and in some countries reversal-of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories.Peer reviewe