HIV and cancer registry linkage identifies a substantial burden of cancers in persons with HIV in India.

We utilized computerized record-linkage methods to link HIV and cancer databases with limited unique identifiers in Pune, India, to determine feasibility of linkage and obtain preliminary estimates of cancer risk in persons living with HIV (PLHIV) as compared with the general population.Records of 32,575 PLHIV were linked to 31,754 Pune Cancer Registry records (1996-2008) using a probabilistic-matching algorithm. Cancer risk was estimated by calculating standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) in the early (4-27 months after HIV registration), late (28-60 months), and overall (4-60 months) incidence periods. Cancers diagnosed prior to or within 3 months of HIV registration were considered prevalent.Of 613 linked cancers to PLHIV, 188 were prevalent, 106 early incident, and 319 late incident. Incident cancers comprised 11.5% AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs), including cervical cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but not Kaposi sarcoma (KS), and 88.5% non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs). Risk for any incident cancer diagnosis in early, late, and combined periods was significantly elevated among PLHIV (SIRs: 5.6 [95% CI 4.6-6.8], 17.7 [95% CI 15.8-19.8], and 11.5 [95% CI 10-12.6], respectively). Cervical cancer risk was elevated in both incidence periods (SIRs: 9.6 [95% CI 4.8-17.2] and 22.6 [95% CI 14.3-33.9], respectively), while NHL risk was elevated only in the late incidence period (SIR: 18.0 [95% CI 9.8-30.20]). Risks for NADCs were dramatically elevated (SIR > 100) for eye-orbit, substantially (SIR > 20) for all-mouth, esophagus, breast, unspecified-leukemia, colon-rectum-anus, and other/unspecified cancers; moderately elevated (SIR > 10) for salivary gland, penis, nasopharynx, and brain-nervous system, and mildly elevated (SIR > 5) for stomach. Risks for 6 NADCs (small intestine, testis, lymphocytic leukemia, prostate, ovary, and melanoma) were not elevated and 5 cancers, including multiple myeloma not seen.Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using probabilistic record-linkage to study cancer/other comorbidities among PLHIV in India and provides preliminary population-based estimates of cancer risks in PLHIV in India. Our results, suggesting a potentially substantial burden and slightly different spectrum of cancers among PLHIV in India, support efforts to conduct multicenter linkage studies to obtain precise estimates and to monitor cancer risk in PLHIV in India

Reconstruction of major maternal and paternal lineages of the Cape Muslim population

The earliest Cape Muslims were brought to the Cape (Cape Town - South Africa) from Africa and Asia from 1652 to 1834. They were part of an involuntary migration of slaves, political prisoners and convicts, and they contributed to the ethnic diversity of the present Cape Muslim population of South Africa. The history of the Cape Muslims has been well documented and researched however no in-depth genetic studies have been undertaken. The aim of the present study was to determine the respective African, Asian and European contributions to the mtDNA (maternal) and Y-chromosomal (paternal) gene pool of the Cape Muslim population, by analyzing DNA samples of 100 unrelated Muslim males born in the Cape Metropolitan area. A panel of six mtDNA and eight Y-chromosome SNP markers were screened using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP). Overall admixture estimates for the maternal line indicated Asian (0.4168) and African mtDNA (0.4005) as the main contributors. The admixture estimates for the paternal line, however, showed a predominance of the Asian contribution (0.7852). The findings are in accordance with historical data on the origins of the early Cape Muslims.Web of Scienc

Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants against oral flora

The present study was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical and antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants against five microbial strains causing oral infections. The phytochemical analysis carried out revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, saponins, reducing sugar and steroids in most of the medicinal plants. The antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of medicinal plants were evaluated using well diffusion method against Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus ,Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. Ethanolic extracts of Aloe barbadensis,Cinnamum zeylanicum and Tinospora coridfolia, were not effective against Streptococcus mutansand Enterococcus faecalis respectively. However, Azadirachta indica, Centella asiatica, Zingiber officinale were showing week and the extract of Allium sativum, Curcuma longa, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Ocimum sanctum, Piper nigrum, displaying strong antimicrobial activity against most of the test species. The ethanol extract of Syzygium aromaticum showing strong antimicrobial activity against all test species. The results provide justification for the use of the medicinal plants to treat various oral infections. 

Haplotype diversity and linkage disequilibrium at the DRD2 locus among the tribes of western and southern regions of India

Background: Dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) is an important gene having functional significance in the fields of neuropsychiatry and pharmacology and also has importance in evolutionary studies. Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken to find out the haplotype distribution and linkage disequilibrium (LD) pattern for the three TaqI sites (TaqI \u2032A\u2032, TaqI \u2032B\u2032 and TaqI \u2032D\u2032) in the DRD2 gene in 232 unrelated individuals from five ethno-linguistically distinct endogamous tribal populations; Siddis and Gonds of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka; Varli and Kolgha of Valsad district, Gujarat; and Dangi Konkana of Dang district, Gujarat. The genotype data obtained after molecular analysis of the three DRD2 sites was subjected to statistical analysis such as calculation of allele frequencies, haplotype frequencies among others. Subsequently, a neighbor-joining tree was also constructed from the data obtained. Results: The three DRD2 sites were found to be polymorphic in all the populations. All the populations showed high levels of heterozygosities. Out of the eight possible haplotypes, most populations shared seven haplotypes. Of all the populations, Siddis showed the highest frequency of the ancestral haplotype B2D2A1 (11.4%). Significant LD was found to exist for TaqI \u2032A\u2032 and TaqI \u2032B\u2032 sites in both the populations. Conclusion: The findings are in concurrence with those from other Indian studies, especially from Dravidian-speaking South Indian populations. Similar pattern of diversity observed for ethnically and linguistically diverse populations in the present study is indicative of complex structure of Indian populations

Genetic Affinities of the Siddis of South India: An Emigrant Population of East Africa

Historical records indicate that the Portuguese brought the African moved into the interior regions of the state of Karnataka, India, and have remained there ever since. Over time the Siddis have experienced considerable cultural changes because of their proximity to neighboring population groups. To understand the biological consequences of these changes, we studied the Siddis to determine the extent of genetic variation and the contributions from the African, European, and Indian ancestral populations. In the present study we typed the Siddis for 20 polymorphic serological, red cell, and Alu insertion-deletion loci. The overall pattern of phenotype (and genotype) distribution is in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Considering the ethnohistorical records and the availability of secondary-source genetic data, we used two data sets in the analysis: one comprising eight serological and red cell enzyme markers with eight population groups and another comprising six Alu insertion-deletion markers with seven tribal groups of South India. The dendrograms generated from these two data sets on the basis of genetic distance analysis between the selected populations of African, European, and Indian descent reveals that the Siddis are closer to the Africans than they are to the South Indian populations. Genetic admixture analysis using a dihybri model (19 loci) and a trihybrid model (10 loci and 8 loci) shows that the predominant influence comes from the Africans, a lesser contribution from the South Indians, and a slight contribution from the Portuguese. Thus the original composition of the African genes among the Siddis has been diluted to some extent by the contribution from southern Indian population groups. There is no nonrandom association of alleles among a set of 10 genetic marker system considered in the present study. The demonstration of genetic homogeneity of the Siddis, despite their admixed origin, suggests the utility of this population for genetic and epidemiological studies

An investigation of the diastereoselectivity of nucleophilic additions to 6-methyl-1-oxa-4-thiaspiro[4.5]dec-6-ene-7-carbaldehyde. Hybridization of the nucleophile alters the diastereoselectivity

6-Methyl-1-oxa-4-thiaspiro[4.5]dec-6-ene-7-carbaldehyde was treated with a variety of nucleophiles under varying conditions. Whereas the 1,4-diastereoselectivity observed with sp<SUP>3</SUP> nucleophiles was more or less 1.0:1.1 in favor of attack anti to sulfur, sp<SUP>2</SUP> and sp nucleophiles exhibited relatively much improved but reversed π-selection under the same conditions. The highest selectivity observed was 3.5:1.0 in favor of attack syn to sulfur in reaction with PhMgBr in Et<SUB>2</SUB>O at −80 °C. This selectivity was reduced to 1.6:1.0 when the reaction was conducted in a 9:1 mixture of Et<SUB>2</SUB>O and HMPA but enhanced to 7.2:1.0 when the polarity of the reaction medium was reduced by conducting the reaction in a 1:1 mixture of Et<SUB>2</SUB>O and n-hexane. Neither the anti to S nor the syn to S diastereoselectivity obeyed the dipole model reported by Wipf and Kim. The syn to S selectivity in reactions with sp<SUP>2</SUP> and sp nucleophiles may be a result of significant and yet specific electrostatic attraction of S for these nucleophilic species which have their negative charges concentrated largely on the carbon for their known significant polar characters

DBU-catalyzed deconjugation of 7-substituted 3,4-didehydro-2-oxepanones. Deuterium incorporation, significance of the imine double bond, and application to the synthesis of a key pharmacophore

7-Substituted 3,4-didehydro-2-oxepanones are conveniently deconjugated to the 4,5-didehydro derivatives by DBU. The isomerization of 7-benzyl-substituted 2-oxepanones proceeds to the extent of 90% over the initial 3 h; the concentration falls gradually thereafter to achieve, in 25 h, a 3:2 equilibrium in favor of deconjugation. Such an equilibrium does not exist for the 7-methyl and the 7-(2-phenethyl) derivatives. The significance of the imine double bond in DBU has been explored. The isomerization in CDCl<SUB>3</SUB> causes deuterium incorporation at positions 3 and 5 of the 2-oxepanones examined and at position 6 of DBU. The mechanistic rationales for these deuterium incorporations are advanced. The transformation of 7-benzyl-3,4-didehydro-2-oxepanone into a bicyclo[3.3.0] skeleton that is present in a diverse class of biologically active natural products is described as a possible potential use of the present deconjugation methodology

Haplotype diversity and linkage disequilibrium at the DRD2 locus among the tribes of western and southern regions of India

Background: Dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) is an important gene having functional significance in the fields of neuropsychiatry and pharmacology and also has importance in evolutionary studies. Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken to find out the haplotype distribution and linkage disequilibrium (LD) pattern for the three TaqI sites (TaqI ′A′, TaqI ′B′ and TaqI ′D′) in the DRD2 gene in 232 unrelated individuals from five ethno-linguistically distinct endogamous tribal populations; Siddis and Gonds of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka; Varli and Kolgha of Valsad district, Gujarat; and Dangi Konkana of Dang district, Gujarat. The genotype data obtained after molecular analysis of the three DRD2 sites was subjected to statistical analysis such as calculation of allele frequencies, haplotype frequencies among others. Subsequently, a neighbor-joining tree was also constructed from the data obtained. Results: The three DRD2 sites were found to be polymorphic in all the populations. All the populations showed high levels of heterozygosities. Out of the eight possible haplotypes, most populations shared seven haplotypes. Of all the populations, Siddis showed the highest frequency of the ancestral haplotype B2D2A1 (11.4%). Significant LD was found to exist for TaqI ′A′ and TaqI ′B′ sites in both the populations. Conclusion: The findings are in concurrence with those from other Indian studies, especially from Dravidian-speaking South Indian populations. Similar pattern of diversity observed for ethnically and linguistically diverse populations in the present study is indicative of complex structure of Indian populations