Computational Insight in the Identification of Non-Synonymous Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Affecting the Structure and Function of Interleukin-4.

Background: IL4 is a versatile cytokine essentially known for differentiation, proliferation and cell death in cells. Its dysregulation has been found to be associated with the development of inflammatory disorders.

Objective: The goal of the current investigation is to identify and select non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) in the IL-4 gene by employing computational methods which may have a potential functional impact on the occurrence of disease.

Machine learning-based ensemble approach in prediction of lung cancer predisposition using XRCC1 gene polymorphism.

The employment of machine learning approaches has shown promising results in predicting cancer. In the current study, polymorphisms data of five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of DNA repair gene XRCC1 (XRCC1 399, XRCC1 194, XRCC1 206, XRCC1 632, XRCC1 280) of the north Indian population along with four smoking status data is considered as an input to the proposed ensemble model to predict the risk of individual susceptibility to the lung cancer. The prediction accuracy of the proposed ensemble model for cancer predisposition was found to be 85%.

Genetic characterization of HIV-1 from semen and blood from clade C-infected subjects from India and effect of therapy in these body compartments.

Biologic and genetic differences between HIV-1 clade C in India and clade B in US suggest that the effect of anti-viral therapy in various body compartments may differ between these two clades. We examined the effect of therapy on viral loads in semen and blood of HIV-1-clade C infected subjects from India and evaluated whether HIV-1 in the semen is different from that in blood in these subjects. HIV-1 RNA was detected in semen and blood at all stages of the disease.

Estimation of the predictive role of plasma viral load on CD4 decline in HIV-1 subtype C-infected subjects in India.

Background: Plasma viral load has been shown to be a meaningful prognostic marker for disease progression in untreated, HIV-1 subtype B-infected subjects in United States and Western Europe and therefore used as a prognostic marker for disease progression. Because of high expenses of commercially available viral load assays, the role of viral load in disease progression has not been evaluated in HIV-1 subtype C-infected patients in India.

Methods: We developed an inexpensive real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay to quantify viral load in plasma of HIV-1 subtype C-infected subjects from India and used it in a longitudinal analysis of viral load and CD4 cell number in HIV-infected subjects from Calcutta, India.

Construction and characterization of an infectious molecular clone of HIV-1 subtype A of Indian origin.

India has the second highest number of HIV-1 infected people next to South Africa. The predominant proportion of HIV-1 circulating in India is of subtype C origin, with a small fraction made up of subtypes A and B. In this report, we describe the construction and characterization of the first full-length infectious molecular clone p1579A-1 HIV-1, from an HIV-1 subtype A infected person from India, using long PCR and successive ligation of the amplimers.

High incidence and prevalence of HIV-1 infection in high risk population in Calcutta, India.

HIV-1 infection in India has been increasing steadily over the last decade. In the absence of potent antiviral therapy, estimates of HIV infection are needed to monitor the epidemic, institute prevention strategies in target populations and determine the suitable populations for vaccine studies. In this report we present the HIV-1 seroprevalence and annual estimates of seroincidence in a high risk population from Calcutta, the most populous city in the eastern part of India.