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Objectives:Although celiac disease (CeD) affects 1% of people in the northern part of India, it is believed to be uncommon in the southern and northeastern parts because of significant differences in dietary pattern and ethnicity. We estimated the prevalence of CeD in these three populations. In a subset, we also investigated differences in the prevalence of HLA-DQ 2/8 allelotype and dietary grain consumption.Methods:A total of 23,331 healthy adults were sampled from three regions of India—northern (n=6207), northeastern (n=8149), and southern (n=8973)—and screened for CeD using IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody. Positive tests were reconfirmed using a second ELISA. CeD was diagnosed if the second test was positive and these participants were further investigated. A subsample of participants was tested for HLA-DQ2/-DQ8 and underwent detailed dietary evaluation.Results:Age-adjusted prevalence of celiac autoantibodies was 1.23% in northern, 0.87% in northeastern, and 0.10% in southern India (P<0.0001). Prevalence of CeD and latent CeD, respectively, was 8.53/1,000 and 3.70/1,000 in northern, 4.66/1,000 and 3.92/1,000 in northeastern, and 0.11/1,000 and 1.22/1,000 in the southern part. The population prevalence of genes determining HLA-DQ2 and/or -DQ8 expression was 38.1% in northern, 31.4% in northeastern, and 36.4% in southern India. Mean daily wheat intake was highest in northern (455 g) compared with northeastern (37 g) or southern part (25 g), whereas daily rice intake showed an inverse pattern.Conclusions:CeD and latent CeD were most prevalent in northern India and were the least in southern India. The prevalence correlated with wheat intake and did not reflect differences in the genetic background.

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.Gallbladder specimens of patients with gallstones were examined for preneoplastic lesions and loss of heterozygosity for various microsatellite markers in the preneoplastic lesions. Gallstone patients had a high frequency of preneoplastic lesions and accumulation of loss of heterozygosity at various tumor suppressor genes, suggesting a possible causal association of gallstones with gallbladder cancer.

The aim of the present study was to study microscopic colitis (MC) in children with special reference to its role in chronic diarrhea and changes in mucosal biopsies.

The aim of the present study was to study microscopic colitis (MC) in children with special reference to its role in chronic diarrhea and changes in mucosal biopsies. A total of 100 consecutive children ages 3 to 12 years, with nonbloody diarrhea (passage of =3 loose stools per day) of >12 weeks' duration were screened and 26 were enrolled in the study in which no specific etiology could be found and colonoscopy did not reveal any mucosal abnormality. Colonic biopsies were evaluated for the presence of lymphocytic colitis or collagenous colitis and those with the characteristic changes were defined to have MC (group A). Colonic biopsies from patients with MC were compared with biopsies from patients with chronic diarrhea but no evidence of MC (group B). One hundred children ages 3 to 12 years with bleeding per rectum were screened and colonic biopsies from 45 patients (group C) who had colonic mucosal changes but no vascular or polyp lesion were compared with patients with MC. Of the 26 patients with chronic diarrhea, MC was found in 5 (3 lymphocytic colitis and 2 collagenous colitis). Significantly higher polymorphonuclear infiltration was seen in group A as compared with group B (13.8 [5.4–20.6] vs 7.2 [0–19.6]; P= 0.03) or group C (13.8 [5.4–20.6] vs 4 [0–13.4]; P= 0.007). Intraepithelial lymphocytes (12 [4–32] vs 4 [0–24]; P= 0.008) and basement membrane thickening (3.5 [2.9–10.6] vs 2.5 [1.6–5.86]; P= 0.008) were also significantly higher in group A as compared with group C. MC was found to be present in children with nonbloody chronic diarrhea in children. Further multicentric studies may provide adequate data on its prevalence.

Breast cancer is fast emerging as the leading cancer amongst females, especially in young females in metropolitan cities in India. The epigenetic alterations involved in the onset and progression of breast cancer may serve as biomarkers for early detection and prognosis of the disease. Furthermore, using body fluids such as serum offers a non-invasive method to procure multiple samples for such analyses. In this study, we examined methylation status of two normally unmethylated but biologically significant cancer genes, RAS association domain family protein 1A (RASSF1A) and Retionic acid receptor ? (RAR?) by Methylation Specific PCR (MSP) in invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast and paired serum DNA. RASSF1A was found to be methylated in 17 of 20 (85%) breast tumors; while sera from 15 of 20 (75%) of the patients showed concordant methylated RASSF1A, with a sensitivity of 88%. RAR? was methylated in 2/20 (10%) breast tumors. A gene unmethylated in the tumor DNA was always found to be unmethylated in the matched serum DNA for both RASSF1A and RAR? genes; hence specificity was 100%. Immunohistochemical analysis of RAR? protein in 15 breast carcinoma patients harboring unmethylated RAR? in tumors and serum DNA showed the expression of RAR? protein in tumors and paired normal breast tissues, confirming the MSP findings, suggesting that RAR? promoter is functional in these cases. This study underscores the potential utility of DNA methylation based screening of serum, a readily accessible body fluid, as a surrogate marker for early detection of breast cancer.

Recent studies have shown that quantification of silver-stained nucleolar organizer region associated proteins (AgNORs) is correlated with ploidy and proliferative activity in several neoplasms. The prognostic value of this marker, however, has not been well defined in epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs). We studied 84 cases of EOCs in an attempt to assess the potential prognostic significance of AgNORs and to compare the results with other prognostic factors in EOCs. Clinical, operative and treatment details, and follow-up data were recorded for each case. In univariate analysis, a highly significant correlation of AgNOR count with clinical stage (p < 0.01), histologic grade (p < 0.05), response to chemotherapy (p < 0.05), and biologic behavior (p < 0.01) was found. High AgNOR counts were observed in late stage (III and IV) tumors, grade 3 carcinomas, tumors in patients with partial response to chemotherapy, progressive disease, recurrence, or death from tumor. In multivariate analysis, AgNOR count at cut off 3.5 was found to be the third prognostic variable after response to therapy and stage. These observations suggest that AgNOR count holds promise for prediction of tumor aggressiveness in EOCs. However, its role as an independent prognostic variable of patient survival remains questionable.

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