Twinning rates in Chennai, India - A cross-sectional study.

Context: The city of Chennai is one of the largest metropolitan cities in India where apart from a large traditional population, there has been a continuous migration from rural areas and growing sophistication in lifestyle. Twinning rates trend in the present world would be interesting to study.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to analyse the twinning rate in the city of Chennai, the distribution amongst various city zones and the present trends in the co-relation between the maternal age of the twins with the zygosity.

Change in the risk of tuberculous infection over an 8-year period among schoolchildren in Bangalore City.

Setting: Bangalore City, South India.

Objective: To estimate the trends in transmission of tuberculous infection.

Methods: Two tuberculin surveys were carried out among children attending grades 1 and 2 of 60 selected schools at an interval of 8.

Annual risk of tuberculous infection in four defined zones of India: a comparative picture.

Setting: Twenty-six selected districts in India.

Objectives: To estimate the average annual risk of tuberculous infection (ARTI) in four defined zones in the country.

Study Design: A tuberculin survey was conducted in selected clusters of 26 districts in four defined zones of India.

Tuberculin sensitivity among children vaccinated with BCG under universal immunization programme.

A tuberculin survey was conducted among 45988 children with BCG scar and 54227 children without BCG scar between 1-9 years of age and residing in selected rural areas of three defined zones of India. About 45-60% of the BCG-vaccinated children elicited reactions < 5 mm in size and about 70-80% had reactions < 10 mm. Therefore, in the majority of children (showing tuberculin reaction of < 10 mm), BCG-induced tuberculin sensitivity does not interfere with interpretation of tuberculin test.

The detection of HBV antigens and HBx-transcripts in an Indian fibrolamellar carcinoma patient: a case study.

Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) of the liver is a rare variant of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we report the case of a 12-year-old Indian male with typical FLC with no apparent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and a non-cirrhotic liver. The patient, though seronegative for HBsAg, showed expression of HBcAg in both the liver and tumour tissue.