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Background: Incidence of endometrial cancer in India is increasing due to lifestyle changes and obesity. As 5 year survival rate of cancer confined to uterus is good, there is need for serum tumor marker for early diagnosis. This study was designed to identify a tumor marker which differentiate endometrial carcinoma and abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) because common presentation of endometrial carcinoma is AUB., Objectives: To estimate and compare serum prolactin, Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125), Cancer Antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), and Carcino embryonic antigen (CEA) levels in patients with endometrial cancer and abnormal uterine bleeding; To evaluate the role of these markers in diagnosing endometrial cancer., Methodology: Thirty eight patients with endometrial cancer and 40 patients with AUB were recruited in this study. Serum prolactin, CA 125, CEA, and CA 15-3 levels were estimated in both groups., Results: The levels of CA 15-3, CA 125, CEA, and prolactin were increased in endometrial carcinoma patients, on comparison with AUB patients. CA 125 alone was found to be a better marker to detect endometrial cancer with 52.63% sensitivity, 80.00% specificity., Conclusion: As individual tumor marker, serum CA 125 has the ability to detect endometrial cancer in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding.

Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet drug. It is used for the treatment as well as for the prophylaxis of coronary artery disease. Clopidogrel resistance is an emerging problem in clinical settings. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of CYP3A5*3 genetic polymorphism on clopidogrel resistance. One hundred and forty-seven patients from outpatient Department of Cardiology on 75 mg/day of clopidogrel as maintenance dose were recruited from April 2010 to July 2011. All subjects gave written informed consent to participate in the study. DNA extraction was performed using phenol chloroform extraction procedure and genotyping by standard Taqman based RT-PCR method. Platelet aggregation was done at the end of 7th and 14th day by using chronolog lumi Aggregometer which is expressed as impedance in ohms. Impedance values of >5 ohms at the end of 6 min were considered as clopidogrel resistance. Subjects (N = 147) were analysed for CYP3A5*3 polymorphism, of which 49 (33%) were found to be clopidogrel resistant. Homomutants of CYP3A5*3 gene had 2.78 (0.97-7.98; p < 0.05) fold risk and heteromutants had 2.4 (0.93-6.46; p < 0.05) fold risk of developing clopidogrel resistance. Carriers of defective allele G of CYP3A5*3 had higher propensity to cause clopidogrel resistance with an odds ratio of 1.63. Variant alleles and genotypes of CYP3A5*3 polymorphism contributed significantly to clopidogrel resistance with a higher odds ratio. Thus, pharmacogenomics paves way for the emergence of stratified medicine in clopidogrel therapy and personalised pharmacotherapy in ischaemic heart disease.

Background: India has the highest burden of acute coronary syndromes worldwide. Apart from certain lipid alterations that have been established to be definite risk factors, low level of adiponectin, high levels of resistin, and IL-6 have been shown to be risk factors for cardiovascular events. Insulin resistance is also a significant predictor of poor outcome in patients admitted with ACS., Methods: 69 male patients with ACS and 70 age-matched healthy males were recruited in the study. Insulin, total adiponectin, resistin, and IL-6 levels were assayed in all study subjects. Indices of insulin resistance and novel adipokine indices were calculated using standard formulae. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done to find out the best predictor of ACS., Results: Resistin, IL-6, insulin resistance indices, AR index, and IRAR index were found to be significantly higher, while insulin sensitivity indices and total adiponectin were found to be lower in cases, as compared with controls (p < 0.001). Insulin resistance was found to be higher in the admission sample, when compared to the fasting sample in patients with ACS (p = 0.01). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, HOMA-IR and AR index were found to be significantly associated with ACS. AR index was the best independent predictor of ACS, with the highest odds ratio (AR index: adjusted OR 17.528, p < 0.0001 versus HOMA-IR: adjusted OR 1.146, p = 0.001)., Conclusions: The present results implicate that adipokines are significantly associated with pathogenesis of ACS, warranting adequate and early appropriate treatment to reverse this metabolic dysregulation. In our study, AR index was the best predictor of ACS. Hence, the novel AR index might be useful in routine clinical practice for screening persons with increased risk of future development of ACS.

Background: Glycation and lipid peroxidation are spontaneous reactions believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of many clinical disorders. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the levels of lipid peroxides and glycated proteins in normotensive, non-diabetic obese Indian subjects and to assess possible associations between them., Methods: A total of 28 obese male subjects and 20 non-obese subjects were included in the present study. Whole blood glycated hemoglobin, plasma lipid peroxides and fructosamine levels were estimated in both groups., Results: Lipid peroxides, glycated hemoglobin and fructosamine levels were significantly higher in obese subjects in comparison with non-obese subjects. We also found a significant association between malondialdehyde and body mass index (r=0.424, p=0.025). Partial correlation analysis revealed that malondialdehyde was significantly correlated with glycated hemoglobin (r=0.590, p=0.01) and fructosamine (r=0.442, p=0.021) after controlling for glucose., Conclusions: Increased glycation of proteins was found in normotensive, non-diabetic obese Indian subjects. These data also support the premise that lipid peroxides per se play a role in the glycation of hemoglobin and plasma proteins.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is reaching epidemic proportions in India, in the absence of traditional risk factors. Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) concentrations are related to both atherogenesis and thrombogenesis and may be a key link between lipid and CAD. We studied the role of Lp(a) and comprehensive lipid tetrad index as markers for CAD in South Indian patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)., Methods: Lp(a) concentrations and lipid profile were estimated in 53 NIDDM patients with CAD (Group 1), 53 NIDDM patients without CAD (Group 2), and 52 control subjects (Group 3). Comprehensive lipid tetrad index was calculated in all patients and controls., Results: Lp(a) concentrations were significantly higher in Group 1 patients, when compared with Groups 2 and 3. In NIDDM patients with CAD, only total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol concentrations correlated significantly positively with lipoprotein (a) concentrations (r=0.184, p=0.03 and r=0.168, p=0.02). Mean comprehensive lipid tetrad index was 45,487+/-2747 in Group 1, 10,866+/-1163 in Group 2 and 4582+/-348 in Group 3 subjects., Conclusion: Based on the foregoing data, high Lp(a) concentrations show strong correlation with CAD in NIDDM patients of South India. High concentrations of Lp(a) and comprehensive lipid tetrad index, along with high prevalence of NIDDM, may render Indians particularly vulnerable to malignant atherosclerosis at a young age. As NIDDM is increasing in prevalence in India, the above observations have ominous dimensions in terms of total burden of CAD in India.