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Introduction: Dyslipidemia and mental illnesses are significant contributors to the global noncommunicable disease burden and studies suggest an association between them. Aim: Using data from a noncommunicable disease risk factor survey conducted in Haryana, India, we undertook a secondary data analysis to examine the association between lipids and depressive symptoms. Methods: The survey involved 5,078 participants and followed the World Health Organisation STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance approach. Biochemical assessments were undertaken in a subset of participants. Lipid markers were measured using wet chemistry methods. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire--9. Descriptive statistics were presented for all variables; logistic regression was used for association analyses. Results: The mean age of the study population was 38 years and 55% of them were females. A majority of the participants belonged to a rural background. The mean total cholesterol was 176 mg/dL and approximately 5% of the participants were found to have moderate to severe depression. The association of total cholesterol (odds ratio [OR] 0.99, P = 0.84), LDL-cholesterol (OR = 1.00, P = 0.19), HDL-cholesterol (OR = 0.99, P = .76), and triglycerides (OR 1.00, P = .12) with depressive symptoms was not significant. Conclusion: This study did not find any association between lipids and depressive symptoms. However, further investigations using prospective designs are warranted to understand this relationship and complex interactions with other mediating factors better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) show increased mortality after 1st year of undergoing renal transplantation. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of mortality in these patients. Oxidative stress (OS), inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction (ED) represent a key triad for the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. The present study was undertaken to assess OS, inflammatory biomarkers, and ED as a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis in stable RTRs. Materials and Methods: Thirty stable post-RTRs along with 30 healthy individuals as controls were included in the study conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in south India. Lipid profile; OS markers; malondialdehyde (MDA), ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP); inflammatory marker high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 (IL-6); ED markers nitric oxide (NO) and P-selectin were estimated using standard methods. Lipid indices were calculated. Carotid intima-media thickness, two-dimensional echocardiogram, and renal Doppler scans were done. Results: No difference in lipid profile was observed between the RTRs and the control groups. RTRs had significantly higher oxidant markers (MDA and IMA), inflammatory marker (IL-6), marker of ED (NO), and lower antioxidant marker (FRAP) (P < 0.05) compared to the control group. RTRs had significantly more number of carotid plaques compared to the control group. A positive correlation was observed between number of carotid plaque and OS, ED, and inflammatory markers. Conclusion: RTRs have increased CVD risk despite undergoing renal replacement therapy. This can be attributed to the increased OS and inflammation which is seen in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Over the last few years, the importance of leptin in energy metabolism has been extensively studied in both animal models and in humans. Very few results are available on the association between human leptin gene (LEP) variants and obesity traits in India. We designed this study to analyse the polymorphisms in human leptin gene and the association of sequence variants with obesity among the population in Kerala, South India. Methods. In this case-control design of 148 study participants, data were collected on socioeconomic aspects and anthropometric measurements. Plasma glucose, insulin, leptin, and lipid profile were measured. Genotyping was done by automated DNA sequencing. Results. The common Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) of 5′-UTR of LEP − 2548G/A was found to be present in the study population with "A" variant as dominant allele. A novel synonymous mutation Thr5Thr of exon 2 of LEP was identified in heterozygous form in one subject with morbid obesity with hyperleptinemia. A novel missense mutation Phe17Leu was observed in two subjects with obesity in heterozygous condition. A novel missense mutation Lys36Arg in exon 2 of LEP was observed in one subject with abdominal obesity and decreased serum leptin level. Conclusion. LEP − 2548G/A at 5′-untranslated region was found to be common with the mutant "A" variant in the study population. SNPs of exons in LEP were found to be rare but associated with morbid obesity and altered levels of serum leptin in the study population in Kerala, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) were found to be more depressed compared to individuals without diabetes, but the reason remains unclear. An objective marker for the screening and management of depression could reduce the subjective variation commonly observed with existing questionnaire-based screening. No study has been conducted to observe the impact of lipid ratios on depression in T2D individuals. Hence, this study aimed at investigating the best association between depression with lipid ratios, an important indicator of cardiovascular status, and its cut off value for identifying the presence of depression. Subject and method: Depression was assessed among 50 consenting healthy individuals and 50 T2D patients in Uttarakhand using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The association between PHQ-9 score, lipid ratios and markers of insulin resistance and cut off value were analysed using regression analysis and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Result: A negative correlation between insulin sensitivity and depression was noted among total participants (p value < 0.001). Lipid ratios and depression were positively associated, both among total participants and those with diabetes (p value <0.001) which persisted even after adjustment with age. Among all the ratios, triglycerides (TG)/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was found to have the best association with depression (rho = 0.8 and AUC = 0.8, p < 0.001). A TG/HDL-C value of 1.90 was identified as a cut-off point for the presence of depression (PHQ-9 score > 10), with a sensitivity of 95.3% and specificity of 80.4%. Conclusion: The ease and wide accessibility of the TG/HDL-C ratio make it ideal for use as a screening tool for depression in individuals with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: To evaluate the reproducibility and construct validity of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation FFQ (MDRF-FFQ) with biomarkers for its use in epidemiological settings in India.Methods and Study Design: The MDRF-FFQ was administered to 500 participants representing rural and urban areas of 10 Indian states, twice at an interval of 12 months. Reproducibility was assessed using intra cluster correlation coefficients (ICC). Construct validity of carbohydrate and fat intake was assessed using baseline serum lipids by regression analysis.Results: Reproducibility as measured by ICC was 0.50-0.77 for saturated fatty acids (SFA) and energy in urban and 0.61-0.72 for protein and SFA in rural areas. The ICC for food groups was 0.53-0.77 for whole grains, fruits and vegetables in urban and 0.50-0.89 for animal foods and whole grains in rural areas. After adjusting for potential confounders, carbohydrate intake was positively associated with serum triglycerides (TG) (β [SE]: +2.3 [0.72] mg/dL; p=0.002) and inversely with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) (β [SE]:-0.48 [0.12], p<0.001), while dietary fat and SFA (% Energy) were positively associated with HDL, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol and inversely with TG.Conclusions: The MDRF-FFQ can be considered as a reliable and valid tool to measure the long-term dietary exposure in respect of macronutrient intakes in Indian populations despite diverse dietary practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conventional serum markers are routinely recommended to assess heart health. However, many new biochemical markers like lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has been studied as an efficient cardiac risk marker. Aims and Objective: The current study was designed to link the correlation between traditional lipid markers and Lp-PLA2 in a pan-India cohort. Materials and Methods: The study cohort included a total of 10347 pan-Indians including 5945 males and 4402 females respectively. The serum lipid parameters estimated include triglycerides, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol as well as total cholesterol by the technology of photometry. Results: The frequency of high Lp-PLA2 detected in our study was 6.4% and the frequency between males at 9.3% and females at 2.5% was detected to be significant at p<0.0001. Linear regression analysis detected significant positive association of high Lp-PLA2 with LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol at p<0.05, while the trend with HDL-cholesterol was also significant. However, Lp-PLA2 as an independent marker was not detected to be significant in relation to the lipid indices studied. Conclusion: Lp-PLA2 has been associated with risk factor for acute coronary crisis; its clinical value remains controversial. Our report though detected significant association of Lp-PLA2 with various lipid parameters, independent value remains questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health problem. India has the highest cases in the world and accounts for nearly one fifth of global cases. TB is a chronic disease and in long term leads to malnutrition. Lipids are important constituents in the body that determine the nutritional status and immune function. Aim: To study lipid profile as a nutritional status marker in pulmonary TB. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients of pulmonary TB and fifty healthy subjects in age group of 18-60 years were included for study. The lipid profile was analysed to assess the nutritional status of the patients. Unpaired t-test was used to study the significance of study parameters in cases and controls group. The p-value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Out of 100 subjects 63% were males 37% were females. Significant decreased levels of total cholesterol, Triglycerides, High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL), Very Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (VLDL), Low Density Lipoprotein- Cholesterol (LDL) were seen in cases as compared to controls. Conclusion: In this study, it was observed that lipid profile could play a significant role as a biochemical marker of nutritional status in pulmonary TB patients. Thus, knowledge of these levels can help in providing a proper balanced diet to these patients which can ultimately help in better quality treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study was undertaken to estimate and compare the levels of plasma total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglycerides in patients with oral precancerous lesions/conditions, oral cancer and normal subjects. Materials and Methods: The study comprised of 60 patients with oral precancerous lesions/ conditions, 60 patients with oral cancer and a control group of 60 healthy individuals. The diagnosis of oral precancerous lesions/conditions and oral cancer was confirmed histopathologically. Under aseptic condition 5 ml venous blood of overnight fasting patient was withdrawn from each individual. Serum was separated by centrifugation and plasma levels of TC, LDL, HDL, VLDL and triglycerides were estimated. Descriptive statistical analysis has been carried out in the present study. Analysis of variance has been used to find the significance of study parameters between three or more groups of patients, Post-hoc test as Tukey has been used to fi nd the pair wise significance. Significance is assessed at 5% level of significance. Results: Statistically significant decrease in levels of plasma TC, LDL, HDL, VLDL and triglycerides was observed in the precancerous and cancerous groups as compared to the control group. On comparison between precancerous and cancerous groups, significant decrease was observed in cancerous group. Conclusion: The change in lipid levels may have an early diagnostic or prognostic role in the oral premalignant lesions/conditions and oral cancer. The presence of decreased plasma lipid profile should increase the suspicion of these lesions to be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sources of organic matter in three typical mangrove systems of Cochin estuary were assessed for the first time with help of sediment bulk parameters and fatty acid biomarkers. The C/N and δ13C analysis showed intermediate values to that of autochthonous and terrestrial inputs of organic matter, signaling to a mixed origin. The biochemical composition of sedimentary organic matter revealed a dominance of lipids over proteins and carbohydrates, indicating the nutritive or energetic value as well as the freshness of organic matter in all the systems. Fatty acids ranging from C8 to C24 were identified in the study. C20:5n-3 was one of the major fatty acids at station 1, indicating significant benthic phytoplankton contribution. The zooplankton biomarkers C20:1 and C24:1 were also present in appreciable levels, suggesting the tidal influx. Principal fatty acids at station 2 were the zooplankton biomarkers C20:1 and C24:1 implying significant estuarine contribution through tidal influx. The major fatty acids at station 3 were diatom marker C20:5n-3 and the higher plant marker C24:0. Dominant fatty acids in mangrove leaves; C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3 were also present at station 3. The low contributions of C20:1 and C24:1 confirms the limited tidal exchange at this station. Presence of significant amount polyunsaturated fatty acids in the mangrove sediments confirms the freshness of organic matter. Thus, fatty acid biomarker study of the three mangrove systems of Cochin estuary could substantiate the bulk parameter approaches effectively; distinguishing the multiple sources of the organic matter and the observed spatial variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: The identification of metabolic syndrome (MS) among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is of great importance, since those with MS carry a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. This study evaluates suitable criteria with high efficiency in diagnosing MS and to identify the strongest predictors of MS in newly detected type 2 diabetes individuals. Methods: Newly detected type 2 diabetes (<6 months) patients were assessed. The MS was assessed by WHO, National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III), modified NCEP-ATP-III and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves of serum triglycerides, HDL, and waist circumference were created for the prediction of MS and the area under the corresponding curves (AUC) were used to evaluate the predictive efficiency of each MS parameter. Different cut points in the selected variables and the corresponding sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were estimated. Results: Among the 563 newly detected T2DM individuals, the presence of MS ranged from 57 to 68 per cent according to the different criteria. The higher percentage of MS was observed in modified NCEP-ATP III criteria. In comparison to men, presence of MS was higher in women in all the four criteria [198 (67%) vs. 165 (62%); 209 (70%) vs. 111 (42%); 231 (78%) vs. 151 (57%); 222 (75%) vs. 129 (49%)] by modified WHO, NCEP-ATP III, modified NCEP-ATP III, and IDF, respectively. The predictive ability to diagnose MS was highest with modified NCEP-ATP III and lowest with IDF criteria. The optimal cut-off of waist circumference in men and women were 90 and 88 cm respectively. Serum triglyceride in men effectively indicated the presence of MS in newly detected T2DM individuals, whereas, in women the HDL-C was the stronger predictor of MS. Interpretation & conclusions: The study results show that modified NCEP-ATP III criteria predict highest occurrence of MS in newly detected T2DM patients. Elevated serum triglyceride for men and decreased serum HDL-C in women were the strongest single predictors, effectively indicating presence of MS in newly detected T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]