Effect of restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic on the antenatal care and pregnancy outcomes: a prospective observational study from rural North India.

Objectives: To assess the difficulties faced by the pregnant women in seeking appropriate antenatal care due to the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic; assess the difficulties encountered during delivery and postpartum period; the suitability of the teleconsultation services offered; effect of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy outcomes and the effect of restrictions on the nutrition profile of the pregnant women.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting And Participants: We included 1374 pregnant women from the rural areas of three districts of Punjab, India registered at government health centres before the implementation of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on 24 March 2020.

Assessment of fluoride levels during pregnancy and its association with early adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Background And Aim: There is sparse data available on human subjects regarding the affect of excessive fluoride exposures on pregnancy. The aim of this study was to examine the association between elevated urinary fluoride levels during early pregnancy and maternal anemia and adverse fetal outcome.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 600 pregnant patients with gestational age less than 20 weeks and with a high urinary fluoride levels(>1 mg/L).

Potential role of CXCL10 in the induction of cell injury and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Chemokines have been known to play a critical role in pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis and acinar cell death. However, the role played by one of the CXC chemokines: CXCL10 in regulation of acinar cell death has remained unexplored. Hence, this study was designed to assess the role of CXCL10 promoting apoptosis in ex vivo cultured acinar cells.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis of acinar cells in chronic pancreatitis.

Background: The mechanism of acinar cell death in human chronic pancreatitis (CP) remains largely unexplored. Previous studies have demonstrated the role played by apoptosis and necrosis in experimental pancreatitis; however, their relationship with the progression of CP remains unknown. The present study was carried out to elucidate the role and extent of apoptosis in CP tissues with different histopathological scores and to examine the possible apoptotic pathway involved.

Genotyping of group A streptococcus by various molecular methods.

Background & Objective: Group A streptococcus (GAS) causes a wide variety of life threatening diseases in developing countries like India. Characterization of GAS is therefore necessary for prevention and control of the disease. Genotypic analysis of GAS is largely lacking from India, therefore an attempt was made to study the genotype distribution of north Indian GAS isolates.

Primary culture of pancreatic (human) acinar cells.

The acinar cell culture plays a very important role in research of pancreatic pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to establish a long-term culture of human (foetal) pancreatic acinar cells in standardized nutrient media with supplements. Acinar cells were prepared from pancreatic tissues obtained from aborted foetus (> or =35 weeks) with no prior pancreatic complications by collagenase digestion and cultured using different media and supplements.

Genotoxicity of textile dyes evaluated with Ames test and rec-assay.

We evaluated for mutagenicity 14 commercial textile dyes used extensively in the northern part of India using both the Ames Salmonella typhimurium microsome reversion test as well as the recombination-repair (rec)-assay. The Ames test revealed that 57.14% of dyes were mutagenic and acting directly.