Heavy metal blood levels and hearing loss in children of West Bengal, India.

Introduction: Heavy metals are a major environmental threat in India and there are several health risks associated with it. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the blood levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury and a sensoneurial hearing loss in children aged one to ten years.

Method: Heavy metal blood levels were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, with appropriate quality control.

Increase in DNA damage in lymphocytes and micronucleus frequency in buccal cells in silica-exposed workers.

The alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) was applied to study the genotoxic properties of silica in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The study was designed to evaluate the DNA damage of lymphocytes and the end points like micronuclei from buccal smears in a group of 45 workers, occupationally exposed to silica, from small mines and stone quarries. The results were compared to 20 sex and age matched normal individuals.

Incidence of anemia and effect of nutritional supplementation on women in rural and tribal populations of eastern and northeastern India.

Screening of women of child bearing age among the tribal and rural population of different north eastern and eastern states of India was performed. More than 50% of women in some areas were found to have anemia. As part of the study nutritional supplementation was given to a proportion of the anemic population, comparing the effects of Spirulina, a compound containing vitamins and micronutrients and an iron-folic acid-B12 supplement.

Molecular and hematological characterization of hemoglobin H disease in the Bengali population of Kolkata, India.

This article reports the incidence of hemoglobin H (HbH) disease among the nontribe Bengali population living in South 24-Parganas of West Bengal. Among 105 patients with unexplained anemia with moderate hematological parameters referred to our laboratory over a period of 2 years, 17 cases (16.19%) were found to have HbH disease identified by hemoglobin electrophoresis.

Association of genotoxic effects of arsenic with haematological malignancy in West Bengal.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that has been associated with increased incidence of human cancers in certain highly exposed populations. This present work aimed to study whether arsenic plays any role in the increased incidence of blood cancer among residents of West Bengal, India, which is one of the worst arsenic-affected areas of the world. Our study group included both blood cancer patients and age-, sex-matched healthy controls.

Clastogenic effects of inorganic arsenic salts on human chromosomes in vitro.

Arsenic is well documented as a paradoxical human carcinogen. In West Bengal, several million people were found to be arsenic affected who were exposed to this metalloid principally through drinking water. The arsenic-contaminated drinking water contains both trivalent as well as pentavalent arsenic.

Anemia and hemoglobinopathies in tribal population of Eastern and North-eastern India.

It is estimated that out of approximately 31.4 million people living in North-eastern India, about 8.1 million are tribal people of the hills and plains.

Alpha-thalassemia among tribal populations of Eastern India.

Five hundred and thirteen unrelated subjects belonging to various tribes of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in Eastern India, were screened for the presence of alpha-thalassemia (thal) gene deletion(s) as a possible cause of unexplained anemia (Hb < 11 g/dL and/or MCH <28 pg, MCV < 78 fL). As reported earlier, beta-globin gene mutant alleles were found with a frequency of up to 20% in some tribes. In the present study, alpha-globin gene deletion alleles were found in 18% of subjects from West Bengal, 3.

Use of black tea in modulating clastogenic effects of arsenic in mice in vivo.

The concentration of arsenic in drinking water has far exceeded the permissible limit of 0.001 mg/L and has reached epidemic proportions, with a maximum of 3.7 mg/L in several districts of West Bengal and in the adjoining Bangladesh.

Black tea (Camellia sinensis) as a chemopreventive agent in oral precancerous lesions.

Oral carcinoma is the most common malignancy found in adult Indian men and the third most common in adult Indian women. About half of all cases are found to be associated with precancerous lesions, chiefly leukoplakia. We wanted to explore the possible benefits of black tea (Camellia sinensis) administered to patients with oral leukoplakia.

The activity of superoxide dismutase in hydroxyurea-treated E beta thalassemia.

Aim: To study the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the level of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in hydroxyurea (HU)-treated E beta thalassaemia.

Methods: We have measured SOD level, HbF, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb) of E beta thalassaemia treated with HU (dose 30 mg/kg/day) for consecutive 90 days.

Result: The increase of HbF synthesis without increase of Hb was observed in HU-treated patients.

Spectrum of beta-thalassemia mutations and their association with allelic sequence polymorphisms at the beta-globin gene cluster in an Eastern Indian population.

In this report, the spectrum of beta-thalassemia mutations and genotype-to-phenotype correlations were defined in large number of patients (beta-thalassemia carriers and major) with varying disease severity in an Eastern Indian population mainly from the state of West Bengal. The five most common beta-thalassemia mutations were detected, which included IVS1-5 (G-->C), codon 15 (G-->A), codon 26 (G-->A), codon 30 (G-->C), and codon 41/42 (-TCTT). These accounted for 85% in 80 beta-thalassemic alleles deciphered from 56 patients, including beta-thalassemia major and carriers, and 15% of alleles remained uncharacterized in these patients.

Study of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the palindromic sequence of hypersensitive site (HS)4 of the human beta-globin locus control region (LCR) in Indian population.

LCR, a genetic regulatory element, was examined in beta-thalassemia patients who do not show any mutation in the beta-globin genes. We sequenced LCR-HS2, HS3, and HS4 in samples from 16 such patients from the Indian population and found only one SNP A-G in the inverted repeat in HS4. A significant association was observed between the G allele and occurrence of beta-thalassemia by Fisher's exact test.

Interaction of different hemoglobinopathies in Eastern India with a view to establish genotype-phenotype correlation.

Analysis of the molecular basis of hemoglobinopathies provides an opportunity to define genotype-phenotype variations as well as establish the origin of mutation. The present study deals with a large cohort of 1,661 cases referred to the counseling unit and 889 individuals from random screening of the population of Tripura. Characterization of mutation in 291 cases (582 alleles) was performed by the PCR-ARMS method using genomic DNA.