Publications by authors named "Nihal Thomas"

Background: Non-laboratory-based cardiovascular risk prediction tools are feasible alternatives to laboratory-based tools in low- and middle-income countries. However, their effectiveness compared to their laboratory-based counterparts has not been adequately tested.

Aim: We compared estimates from laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based risk prediction tools in a low- and middle-income country setting.

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In this study, we analysed the mutation spectrum in subjects with suspected lipodystrophy using a targeted Next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach. Subjects with suspected lipodystrophy were for screened six genes (AGPAT2, BSCL2, LMNA, PPARG, ZMPSTE24, INSR) and the variants identified were confirmed through Sanger sequencing. The clinical and biochemical parameters were compared among the mutation positive and negative subjects.

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Understanding the health culture of tribal community is important as health problems among tribal communities and their care is influenced by sociocultural factors, which will help in the implementation of health services. The conventional way of improving the access for the general populations may not suit the tribal populations owing to their distinct culture and owing to health systems factors as well. A stepwise process was followed for the development of a protocol to study to strengthen the implementation of National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases.

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Objective: Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is a rare manifestation of thyrotoxicosis. Here, we describe the clinical and biochemical features and treatment outcomes of this disorder.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care centre in southern India.

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  • * The study reviewed five patients with untreated hypothyroidism who showed complications like multicystic ovaries and delayed bone age, with some experiencing severe symptoms like menorrhagia and ovarian torsion.
  • * Early detection and a collaborative approach between gynecology and endocrinology are crucial for managing spontaneous OHSS, which can be life-threatening but is easy to treat with proper care.
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Objectives: Whole exome sequencing (WES) has emerged as the preferred method for diagnosing a range of Mendelian disorders. Nonetheless, the applicability of WES in genetic diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) remains uncertain due to the intricacies involved in molecular analysis of the CYP21A2 gene.

Methods: In this case series, authors report the outcomes of couples or families who underwent WES followed by focused sequential strategy (FSS) targeting CYP21A2 gene hotspot mutations and targeted sequencing of genes associated with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH).

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Background/objective: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) may be asymptomatic or present with renal calculi, secondary osteoporosis, fractures and neuropsychiatric manifestations. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) and parkinsonism are atypical manifestations that may be rarely associated with PHPT. We report two patients who presented with the conditions mentioned above.

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  • Literature on pregnancy outcomes for individuals with a solitary kidney is limited and mainly derived from renal donors.
  • Unilateral renal agenesis, a condition affecting 1 in 1500 people, can lead to complications like resistant hypertension during pregnancy.
  • The case presented discusses the use of Eplerenone, an aldosterone blocker, to manage resistant hypertension in a pregnant patient with secondary hyperaldosteronism linked to renal agenesis.*
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  • Thyroid storm is a rare but serious condition resulting from excessive thyroid hormones, with a mortality rate of 10%, and the study focused on understanding its characteristics among inpatients in India from 2004 to 2020.
  • Out of 35 patients studied, a majority were women, the most common cause was Graves' disease, and many presented with cardiovascular and gastrointestinal issues, while only about 42% showed central nervous system symptoms.
  • Nearly half of the patients had no prior diagnosis of thyroid issues, and the study suggested that the Japanese Thyroid Association's diagnostic criteria might differ from the Burch-Wartofsky score due to the lack of CNS symptoms in Indian patients.
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Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) comprises a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive disorders impairing adrenal steroidogenesis. Most cases are caused by mutations in the gene resulting in 21-hydroxylase (21-OH) deficiency (21-OHD). The genetics of 21-OH CAH is complexed by a highly homologous pseudogene imposing several limitations in the molecular analysis.

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Background: Type 2 diabetes is common in relatively lean individuals in sub-Saharan Africa. It is unclear whether phenotypic differences exist between underweight and normal-weight African patients with type 2 diabetes. This study compared specific characteristics between underweight (body mass index <18.

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Objectives: To evaluate the clinical, hormonal and genetic characteristics of 46XY disorders of sexual development (DSD) patients from South India.

Methods: 46XY DSD patients with a provisional diagnosis of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 (17BHSD3) deficiency, 5 alpha-reductase type 2 deficiency (5ARD2) or partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) based on clinical and hormonal analysis were included in this study. All the patients underwent detailed clinical and hormonal evaluations.

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  • Diabetes-related foot ulcers (DFU) in the Asian Indian population lead to high rates of amputation (43.4%) and recurrence (42.4%), with many recurrences occurring on the same side as the initial ulcer.
  • Among 200 patients studied, key findings include a median age of 62, a median duration of diabetes of 15 years, and differing mortality rates based on healing versus amputation status, with higher mortality in amputees over a 10-year follow-up.
  • The study highlights that the risk of subsequent amputations is significantly higher for patients with a history of prior amputations, emphasizing the need for better long-term care and management of DFU in
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  • Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare genetic skin disorder caused by mutations in the EVER1 and EVER2 genes, and this study focuses on the genetic characteristics in Indian patients for the first time.* -
  • Researchers analyzed a family with EV, using PCR techniques to identify a significant 2078 bp deletion in the EVER1 gene that causes a frameshift and results in severe symptoms in affected individuals.* -
  • The study’s findings aid in genetic counseling and early diagnosis, although more extensive research and functional tests are needed to explore genetic variation in the Indian EV population.*
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Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 significantly elevate the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Limited data exists regarding the prevalence of BRCA mutations, and optimal, cost-effective testing strategies in developing countries like India. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) panel for BRCA1/2 mutation testing among women diagnosed with, or at risk of developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.

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The increased detection of thyroid nodules in the human population has led to an increase in the number of thyroid surgeries without an improvement in survival outcomes. Though the choice for surgery is straightforward in malignant thyroid nodules, the decision is far more complex in those nodules that get categorized into indeterminate thyroid nodules (ITN) by fine needle aspiration. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop a tool that will aid in decision-making among the ITN.

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Purpose: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) is one of the highly prevalent autosomal recessive endocrine disorders. The majority of CAH cases result from mutations in the CYP21A2 gene, leading to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. However, with the pseudogene-associated challenges in CYP21A2 gene analysis, routine genetic diagnostics and carrier screening in CAH are not a part of the first-tier investigations in a clinical setting.

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Objective: We prospectively determined incident cardiovascular events and their association with risk factors in rural India.

Methods: We followed up with 7935 adults from the Rishi Valley Prospective Cohort Study to identify incident cardiovascular events. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for associations between potential risk factors and cardiovascular events.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among tribal populations in India, revealing a lower rate (4.77% based on RBG and 6.80% based on FBG) compared to the national average of 7.3% for the general population.
  • - Significant risk factors associated with higher diabetes prevalence include age, smokeless tobacco use, hypertension, and obesity.
  • - The research suggests that changes in dietary and lifestyle behaviors may lead to increased rates of hypertension and obesity in these communities, thereby raising diabetes prevalence, indicating a need for targeted healthcare interventions.
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Aims: The widely used dynamic disposition index, derived from oral glucose tolerance testing, is an integrative measure of the homeostatic performance of the insulin-glucose feedback control. Its collection is, however, time consuming and expensive. We, therefore, pursued the question if such a measure can be calculated at baseline/fasting conditions using plasma concentrations of insulin and glucose.

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Aims: We compared the performance of cardiovascular risk prediction tools in rural India.

Methods And Results: We applied the World Health Organization Risk Score (WHO-RS) tools, Australian Risk Score (ARS), and Global risk (Globorisk) prediction tools to participants aged 40-74 years, without prior cardiovascular disease, in the Rishi Valley Prospective Cohort Study, Andhra Pradesh, India. Cardiovascular events during the 5-year follow-up period were identified by verbal autopsy (fatal events) or self-report (non-fatal events).

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The majority of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) present with a deficiency of 21-hydroxylase or 11-beta-hydroxylase, which account for 90% and 7% of cases, respectively. However, CAH due to 17α-hydroxylase deficiency (17OHD) is an extremely rare form of CAH (<1% of all CAH cases) that leads to a deficiency of cortisol and sex steroids, along with features of aldosterone excess. This is a case of a 51-year-old single female who was referred to us for the evaluation of new-onset hypertension and hypokalaemia of one-year duration.

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  • This study investigates bone health in Indian men with Parkinson's disease (PD), focusing on parameters such as bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular bone score (TBS), and hip structural analysis (HSA) in comparison to matched controls.* -
  • Results indicate that while BMD is similar between both groups, TBS is significantly lower in men with PD and buckling ratios are higher in their femoral neck and inter-trochanteric regions, suggesting increased fracture risk.* -
  • The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive bone health assessments beyond just BMD in evaluating fracture risk for Indian men with PD due to prevalent vitamin D deficiency and high bone turnover markers.*
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We aimed to evaluate the predictive accuracy of InsuTAG index against M value of the hyperinsulinaemic-Euglycaemic clamp (HEC) procedure and fasting surrogate indices of insulin sensitivity/resistance in young, normoglycaemic, Asian Indian males. HEC studies were done in young (mean age 19.7 ± 1 years), non-obese (mean BMI 19.

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Objective: Non-cirrhotic intrahepatic portal hypertension (NCIPH), a portal microangiopathy affecting small portal vein radicles, is a disease of Indian sub-continent. NCIPH appears to be a complex disease with interactions between inherited and acquired factors, though the exact pathophysiological mechanism is unknown. We aimed at investigating the genetic variants that might contribute to susceptibility to NCIPH.

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