Vector competence of (Bigot) mosquitoes from India for Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, Chandipura and Chittoor viruses.

Background & Objectives: Aedes vittatus (Bigot), an anthropophilic mosquito, plays an important role in the maintenance and transmission of yellow fever (YF), dengue (DEN), chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIK) viruses in Africa. In India, though natural isolation of none of these viruses was reported from the mosquito, experimental studies have shown vector competence to DEN and CHIK viruses. Despite wide prevalence in India, their potential in transmitting viruses of public health importance viz.

Vector competence of certain Culex and Aedes mosquitoes for the Chittoor virus, the Indian variant of the Batai virus.

Chittoor virus (CHITV), a mosquito-borne bunyavirus (Orthobunyavirus: Bunyaviridae) isolated in India, has been found to be antigenically close to the Batai virus (BATV), which has a wide distribution across Asia, Europe, and Africa. The latter virus causes influenza-like illness in humans and mild illness in sheep and goats. BATV has been involved in genetic reassortment with other bunyaviruses, generating novel genome combinations and causing severe clinical manifestations including hemorrhagic fever.

Bagaza virus inhibits Japanese encephalitis & West Nile virus replication in Culex tritaeniorhynchus & Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.

Background & Objectives: Studies have shown that certain flaviviruses influence susceptibility of mosquitoes by inhibiting/enhancing replication of important flaviviruses. Hence, a study was designed to determine whether Bagaza virus (BAGV), a flavivirus isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes in India, alters susceptibility of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus and Cx.

Vector competence of two Indian populations of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes to three West Nile virus strains.

Background & Objectives: Culex quinquefasciatus is one of the principal vectors of West Nile virus (WNV). The mosquito also acts as a bridge vector as it feeds on both birds and humans. In the background of the recent reports of WNV activity in Kerala and Assam with fatalities, a study was initiated to determine the growth kinetics and transmission mechanisms of three strains of WNV in two populations of Cx.

Vectorial capacity of Culex gelidus (Theobald) mosquitoes to certain viruses of public health importance in India.

Background & Objectives: Culex gelidus, a widely prevalent mosquito in India and Southeast Asia region, is an important vector of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Experimental studies have shown its potential to transmit West Nile, Kunjin, Murray Valley encephalitis and Ross River viruses. An attempt was therefore made to study its susceptibility and vector competence to some of the arboviruses of public health importance in India.

Replication potential and different modes of transmission of West Nile virus in an Indian strain of Culex gelidus Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes.

Background & Objectives: Culex gelidus mosquito, an important vector of Japanese encephalitis virus, has shown to transmit West Nile virus (WNV), Kunjin and Murray Valley encephalitis viruses experimentally. An attempt was, therefore, made to study the replication kinetics and vector competence of an Indian strain of Cx. gelidus to WNV.

microRNA-34a is associated with expression of key hepatic transcription factors and cytochromes P450.

microRNA (miRNA) mediated regulation of gene expression has emerged as a significant mechanism contributing to variation in gene expression. In this study, we evaluated the potential role of miRNAs in regulating expression of hepatic cytochromes P450 and their transcriptional regulatory genes. We screened the Targetscan database for high scoring miRNA binding site predictions in selected hepatic DMEs and transcription factors.

Preliminary findings on Bagaza virus (Flavivirus: Flaviviridae) growth kinetics, transmission potential & transovarial transmission in three species of mosquitoes.

Background & Objectives: Bagaza virus (BAGV), a flavivirus synonymous with Israel turkey meningoencephalitis virus, has been found to circulate in India. BAGV has recently been held responsible for inducing febrile illness in humans and causing unusually high mortality to wild birds in Spain. A study was therefore, undertaken to determine its replication kinetics in certain mosquitoes and to determine vector competence and potential of the mosquitoes to transmit BAGV experimentally.

Using PharmGKB to train text mining approaches for identifying potential gene targets for pharmacogenomic studies.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using PharmGKB, a pharmacogenomic database, as a source of training data in combination with text of MEDLINE abstracts for a text mining approach to identification of potential gene targets for pathway-driven pharmacogenomics research. We used the manually curated relations between drugs and genes in PharmGKB database to train a support vector machine predictive model and applied this model prospectively to MEDLINE abstracts. The gene targets suggested by this approach were subsequently manually reviewed.

Persistence of viral RNA in chikungunya virus-infected Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes after prolonged storage at 28°C.

Experiments were conducted to determine the persistence of chikungunya viral (CHIKV) RNA in experimentally infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes stored for prolonged periods at 28°C. Intra-thoracically inoculated mosquitoes with confirmed positivity were killed by quick freezing at -80°C, applied to sticky tape, and stored at 28°C with 80 ± 5% relative humidity (RH). At weekly intervals, five mosquitoes were removed from the tape randomly and assayed individually for detection of viral RNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Genetic variants in cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase II are associated with its expression and cytarabine sensitivity in HapMap cell lines and in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase II (NT5C2) is involved in the development of 1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) resistance and has been associated with clinical outcome in patients receiving ara-C-based chemotherapy. NT5C2 inactivates ara-C by dephosphorylating ara-C monophosphate to ara-C. In this study, we sequenced NT5C2 in genomic DNA samples from International HapMap project panels with European [Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEU); n = 90] or African [Yoruba people in Ibadan, Nigeria (YRI); n = 90] ancestry.

Profiling single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across intracellular folate metabolic pathway in healthy Indians.

Background & Objectives: Many pharmacologically-relevant polymorphisms show variability among different populations. Though limited, data from Caucasian subjects have reported several single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in folate biosynthetic pathway. These SNPs may be subjected to racial and ethnic differences.

Depression among elderly persons in a primary health centre area in Ahmednagar, Maharastra.

Elderly people are prone to psychiatric disorders through vicissitudes such as social isolation, malnutrition, economic and emotional depression. A cross sectional study was conducted in a Primary Health Centre Area in Ahmednagar district of Maharastra during 2003-2005 to assess prevalence of depression among elderly persons & to study social factors influencing depression. Goldberg and Bridges' scale was used to diagnose depression among 494 randomly selected study subjects.

Traditional medicine and genomics.

'Omics' developments in the form of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics have increased the impetus of traditional medicine research. Studies exploring the genomic, proteomic and metabolomic basis of human constitutional types based on Ayurveda and other systems of oriental medicine are becoming popular. Such studies remain important to developing better understanding of human variations and individual differences.

Traditional Medicine to Modern Pharmacogenomics: Ayurveda Prakriti Type and CYP2C19 Gene Polymorphism Associated with the Metabolic Variability.

Traditional Indian medicine-Ayurveda-classifies the human population into three major constituents or Prakriti known as Vata, Pitta and Kapha types. Earlier, we have demonstrated a proof of concept to support genetic basis for Prakriti. The descriptions in Ayurveda indicate that individuals with Pitta Prakriti are fast metabolizers while those of Kapha Prakriti are slow metabolizers.

Are Thymidylate synthase and Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase genes linked with methotrexate response (efficacy, toxicity) in Indian (Asian) rheumatoid arthritis patients?

Methotrexate (MTX) is among the best-tolerated disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA); major drawbacks of MTX therapy are the large interpatient variability in clinical response and the unpredictable appearance of a large spectrum of side effects. Several studies have demonstrated gene polymorphism that may regulate intracellular methotrexate metabolic pathway enzymes linked to drug efficacy and safety, but the evidence available is not yet conclusive. We decided to run a pilot study to determine the incidence of Methylene tetrahydrofolate (MTHFR; C677T, A1298C) and Thymidylate synthase (TS; 5' UTR repeat, 3' UTR deletion) gene polymorphism in rheumatoid arthritis patients in our community (Indian Asian) and further explore its association with MTX response (efficacy, toxicity).

Genetic polymorphism of CYP2C19 in Maharashtrian population.

Inter-individual variability in drug response is well known. Genetic polymorphism in genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes results in variation in drug metabolism and in turn drug response. The cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP) play a central role in the metabolism of many therapeutic agents.

Experimental transmission of Chandipura virus by Phlebotomus argentipes (diptera: psychodidae).

Experiments were carried out to demonstrate the susceptibity and transmission potential of Phlebotomus argentipes (Annandale & Brunetti) for Chandipura virus (CHPV). In India, P. argentipes is one of the predominant species found in many areas endemic for CHPV.

Venereal transmission of Chandipura virus by Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli).

Experiments were conducted in the laboratory on Phlebotomus papatasi to determine the possible role of males in maintaining or sustaining the Chandipura virus (CHPV) activity in nature. This study indicated that infected males are capable of passing on the virus to female sand flies while mating. The infection rate was found to be 12.

Vertical and venereal transmission of Chandipura virus (Rhabdoviridae) by Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Experiments in the laboratory documented vertical and venereal transmission of Chandipura virus (CHPV) in Aedes aegypti (L.). The minimum filial infection rate among the progeny of infected females was 1.

HLA and disease.

Association of HLA and diseases is well known. Several population studies are available suggesting evidence of association of HLAs in more than 40 diseases. HLA found across various populations vary widely.

Isolation of Ganjam virus from ticks collected off domestic animals around Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Studies on viruses of zoonotic importance in certain villages around Pune were undertaken between December 2000 and January 2002. A total of 1,138 adult ticks belonging to six different species were collected off domestic animals and processed for virus isolation. Six virus isolates were obtained.