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BACKGROUND: Cancer data from Rajasthan are limited. Only two studies, one from Western Rajasthan, and the other from Eastern Rajasthan have been published by Sharma et al. in 1992 and 1996. AIMS: To put the cancer profile from this region in proper perspective, we conducted the present study on the patterns of various malignancies in Jaipur region, i.e., Eastern Rajasthan. SETTING AND DESIGN AND MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study spans over one and half decade (1990-2004) and is based on a retrospective six-year sample analysis of approximately 200,000 histopathological and cytological reports for the years 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2004. RESULTS: A total of 21,868 cancers were recorded in the six sample years. There were 59.11% (12,926) males and 40.89% (8942) females, with the male to female ratio being 1.45:1. Organ wise, lung (8.45%), prostate (7.12%), brain (6.04%), urinary bladder (5.31%), esophagus (4.67%) and tongue (4.60%) are most common sites involved in males with regard to frequency, whereas breast (20.44%), cervix (14.99%), ovary (4.35%), brain (3.80%), esophagus (3.67%), uterus (3.01%) and rectum (2.80%) are common sites for malignancies in females. CONCLUSIONS: Significant findings were a higher frequency of cancers of the prostate, urinary bladder, and brain in males along with gall bladder cancers in females. Our figures have been compared with the national data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis is one of the most consumed illicit drugs and the potency of cannabis products is of note due to health-related concerns. Hand-rubbed hashish is the ancient technique of extracting psychoactive resin from cannabis plants and is practiced in the Indian Himalayas. This study establishes the cannabinoid profile and potency of hand-rubbed hashish collected from 20 regions of the northwest Himalayas. Fifty-eight hashish samples were analyzed using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method. Ten cannabinoids were quantified including acidic (THCA & CBDA), and neutral compounds (CBDV, THCV, CBD, CBG, CBN, Δ 9 -THC, Δ 8 -THC, and CBC). The mean concentration (w/w%) of Δ 9 -THC is 26%; THCA is 15% and THC Total is 40% is observed in the studied hashish samples. The majority (70%) of the hashish samples were categorized in chemotype I with the THC:CBD:CBN ratio of 91:3:4, and the remaining 30% were categorized under chemotype II with the ratio of 76:15:8. Diverse qualities of hashish are produced in the studied regions as per the seed, plant selection, and skills of manual rubbing, which results in potency variations. The average difference between the least and highest potent hand-rubbed hashish of a region is 27 w/w% (THC Total ). The other studied non-psychoactive cannabinoids have a mean w/w% of <5%, followed by 6% of CBDA. It is concluded that the cultivated and wild cannabis fields in the northwest Himalayas belong to the drug-type cannabis subspecies. Hand-rubbed hashish holds traditional significance and impacts the current policies of legislation., (© 2024 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)

Six metagenome-assembled genomes (JB008 Ts , JB007, JB015, JB003, JB004, and JB002) belonging to the order Spirochaetales were generated from seaweed samples collected from the Gulf of Mannar, India. The binned genomes JB008 Ts and JB007 shared highest 16S rRNA gene identity of 94.9 % and 92.2-93.4 %, respectively with uncultivated Spirochaetaceae family members, and < 90 % identity with Marispirochaeta aestuari JC444 T . While, the bin JB015 showed 99.1 % identity with Pleomorphochaeta naphthae SEBR 4209 T . The phylogenomic and 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis of the binned genomes JB007 and JB008 Ts confirmed that these members belong to the family Spirochaetaceae and bins JB015, JB002, JB003, and JB004 belong to the genus Pleomorphochaeta within the family Sphaerochaetaceae. The AAI values of the binned genomes JB007 and JB008 Ts compared to other members of the Spirochaetaceae family were between 53.9- 56.8 % and 53.8-57.1 %, respectively. Furthermore, the comparison of ANI, dDDH, and POCP metrics of the binned genomes JB007 and JB008 Ts , both among themselves and with the members of Spirochaetaceae, was also below the suggested thresholds for genera delineation. Consequently, the binned genome JB008 Ts is proposed as a new genus according to the guidelines of code of nomenclature of prokaryotes described from sequence data (SeqCode) with the name Thalassospirochaeta sargassi gen. nov. sp. nov., in the family Spirochaetaceae while the bin JB007 could not be proposed as novel taxa due to low-quality estimates. The bin JB015 and its additional genomes form a distinct clade, but their taxonomic status remains ambiguous due to the absence of genomic evidence from other Pleomorphochaeta members., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background & Objectives: Genetic polymorphism of CYP2C19 is known to occur with a frequency of 12 per cent in north Indian population. But no study correlated CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism with eradication of Helicobacter pylori in north Indian gastritis patients positive for H. pylori and hence this study., Methods: Ninety one consecutive patients positive for H. pylori fulfilling the study criteria were phenotyped and genotyped for CYP2C19. They were given 20 mg omeprazole (OPZ), 750 mg amoxicillin (AMC) and 500 mg tinidazole (TNZ) (bid) for 7 days followed by 20 mg OPZ (qd) for 21 days. Non eradicated extensive metabolizers (EMs) were retreated with 40 mg OPZ (bid) and 500 mg AMC (qid) for 14 days., Results: EMs and poor metabolizers (PMs) excreted 4.26 +/- 0.34 (95% CI 3.59-4.92) and 0.73 +/- 0.05 (95% CI 0.63-0.82) micromol 5-OH-OPZ in 8 h, respectively. After initial therapy, EMs demonstrated 37 per cent (95% CI: 24.5-49.5) and PMs 92 per cent (95% CI: 77-107) eradication of H. pylori. Non eradicated EMs after retreatment demonstrated 90 per cent (95% CI: 79-101) eradication., Interpretation & Conclusions: This study demonstrated a direct correlation between CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism and H. pylori eradication in north Indian patients with gastritis. Knowing the CYP2C19 phenotype of a patient may help in prescribing optimum dose of proton pump inhibitor to achieve better therapeutic outcome.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are extensively metabolized in the liver by CYP2C19, that demonstrates genetic polymorphism with 21 mutant alleles. The subjects can be divided into 2 groups with respect to CYP2C19 phenotypes viz., extensive metabolizers (EMs) and poor metabolizers (PMs) of PPIs. This division results in marked interindividual variations in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of PPIs in the population. Intragastric pH values and the plasma concentration of PPIs after oral ingestion were significantly lower in EMs namely normal homozygotes (CYP2C19*1/*1) and heterozygotes (CYP2C19*1/*X) compared to PMs namely mutant homozygotes (CYP2C19*X/*X) where 'X' represents the mutant allele. Hence, association has been found between the genetic polymorphism of CYP2C19 and therapeutic response to PPIs. CYP2C19 polymorphism affected eradication of Helicobacter pylori using diferent PPI based eradication therapies as PM patients demonstrated significantly higher eradication rates compared to EMs. CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism also affects the therapeutic outcome of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), reflux oesophagitis and duodenal ulcers. For optimal therapeutic response with PPIs, CYP2C19 pharmacogenetics should be taken into consideration. This shall help in the prescription of optimal doses of PPIs, thus paving the way for personalized medication.

Protozoal infections of the gastrointestinal tract occur worldwide and have substantial morbidity and mortality. Prevalence is higher in the economically deprived regions of the world, especially the developing countries. Infections like amoebiasis and giardiasis have a worldwide distribution, being endemic in India. Apart from producing GI symptoms, growth and development of children is also impaired. It is seen that protozoa multiply rapidly in their hosts and as there is a lack of effective vaccines, chemotherapy has been the only practiced way to treat individuals and reduce transmission. The current treatment modalities for protozoal diarrhoea include 5-nitrosoimidazoles, iodoquinol, diloxanide furoate, paromomycin, chloroquine, and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole.

One hundred unrelated healthy North Indian subjects were phenotyped with respect to their ability to metabolize omeprazole to 5-hydroxyomeprazole. Each volunteer was requested to ingest 20 mg (57.9 mumol) omeprazole. Urine was collected for a period of 8 hours and the amount of 5-hydroxyomeprazole excreted was estimated by HPLC. Histogram, probit, and normal test variable plots showed the antimode value for the log hydroxylation index of omeprazole to be 1.7. Of 100 North Indian subjects, 11 demonstrated log hydroxylation index values more than 1.7. Thus it is inferred that the frequency of occurrence of poor metabolizers of omeprazole in North Indian subjects is 11% (95% confidence interval, 5% to 17%). From the Hardy-Weinberg Law it was computed that the frequency of occurrence of the mutant allele of hepatic CYP2C19 in the North Indian subjects was 0.33.

210 prescriptions selected by students from Sucheta Kriplani and R.M.L. Hospitals were subjected to audit prescription in a group discussion with faculty members in the Department of Pharmacology of Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. It was observed that inadequate treatment was prescribed to the patients suffering from common diseases like amoebiasis, tuberculosis and typhoid fever. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics, antihistaminics, NSAID, vitamins and haematinics was a common observation.