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Introduction: Biomarkers of prognostic and predictive relevance are needed for the practical management of COVID-19. Objective: The authors aimed to assess a battery of inflammatory cytokines in patients with SARS-CoV-2 to determine the cytokines of prognostic and predictive relevance in COVID-19. Methods: In a cohort of 100 patients with SARS-CoV-2 (RT-PCR confirmed), hospitalised in Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital associated to Government Medical College Srinagar, India, the level of a battery of cytokines, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), TNF-α, and ferritin were estimated by ELISA on a multimode microplate reader. Results: The deranged levels of these cytokines were mostly found in patients >60 years of age, with cough and pneumonia as the most common symptoms. A significant association was found between IL-6 and IL-8, disease severity (p=0.002; p=0.007), and poor disease outcome (p=0.040; p=0.009), respectively. A significant association was also found between decreased levels of VEGF and poor disease outcome (p=0.020). Further receiver operating characteristic analysis, univariant and multivariant (after adjusting for age, gender, and other inflammatory markers), revealed increased IL-10 (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.72) and IL-6 (AUC: 0.70) as independent markers of both disease severity (p=0.02; p=0.01) and disease outcome (P=0.03; p=0.02), respectively, and decreased VEGF (AUC: 0.69) as an independent marker of disease outcome (p=0.03). A significant association between cough and IL-8 (p=0.01) and IL-10 levels (p=0.03), and of diabetes and raised ferritin levels (p=0.01), with very high ferritin levels (>1500 ng/mL), was found in those who are likely to develop hyperinflammatory phenotype. Conclusion: The authors conclude that ‘IL-6, IL10, VEGF, and IL-8’ are the signature inflammatory cytokine panel/profile in COVID-19, particularly in patients from Kashmir. Increased IL-10 and IL-6 levels proved to be equally significant independent prognosticators of COVID-19 severity and outcome, and decreased VEGF levels were independent predictors of poor disease outcome in patients with SARS-CoV-2. Testing of the signature inflammatory cytokine panel is, therefore, recommended for optimal clinical decision-making in patients with COVID-19 from Kashmir, India.

Background: The complete blood count (CBC) profile has been found extremely useful in monitoring the growth of SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, predictive CBC parameters that could be used in the management of the disease may vary in different populations. Methods: This study comparatively analyzed the CBC profile of SARS-CoV-2 patients (N = 75; confirmed positive by real-time polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) and healthy individuals (confirmed negative by real-time PCR) from Kashmir (north India). Results: Compared with healthy individuals, most of the CBC parameters (hemoglobin levels [13.43 vs 10.9 g/dL; P = 0.0001], lymphocytes [16.04% vs 30.8%; P = 0.00001], monocytes [5.53% vs 7.53%; P = 0.009], and platelet count [150 vs 186 ×103 µL; P = 0.037]) were significantly low in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, while neutrophilia was more common in infected patients (76.77% vs 59.26%). Among derived parameters, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR; 7.31 vs 2.04; P = 0.001) and derived NLR (d-NLR; 4.43 vs 1.5; P = 0.0002) were significantly high in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Further correlation analysis revealed a significant association of neutrophilia with the severity of the disease in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of derived CBC parameters (NLR, d-NLR, and platelet‐to-lymphocyte ratio [PLR] with disease severity and disease outcome) revealed d-NLR as better predictive marker of disease severity (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.658) and disease outcome (AUC = 0.766) compared to PLR with disease severity (AUC = 0.645) and disease outcome (AUC = 0.693). Conclusion: We therefore conclude, of the CBC parameters neutrophilia as the marker of disease severity and among derived parameters, d-NLR as an early predictive biomarker of both disease severity and poor disease outcome in SARS-CoV-2 patients.

Background: Recurrent miscarriage (RM) represents the spontaneous termination of two or more successive pregnancies. TNFα is a proinflammatory cytokine that is often considered harmful for embryonic development when expressed beyond normal levels. Aim: The study was conducted to assess the association between TNFα-308 polymorphism and RM pathogenesis. Methods: Samples of blood were obtained from patients and controls through venipuncture. The levels of TNFα in serum were measured by ELISA. TNFα gene promoter-associated single-nucleotide polymorphism was investigated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques with precise primers and the restriction endonuclease, NcoI. Results: Serum TNFα levels in patients were considerably high (p 0.9999) models, respectively. Further, the TNFα-308G/A genotype frequencies were in concord with HWE both in the controls (χ2 = 3.235; p = 0.1985) and the patients (χ2 = 0.0117; p = 0.9942). Conclusion: The serum TNFα levels were significantly higher in the patients than the controls. The genotyping analysis also demonstrated that TNFα-308G/A SNP significantly increases the overall risk of RM, suggesting that the SNP modulates the TNFα gene expression and thereby increases serum TNFα levels that adversely affect the pregnancy outcome.

Purpose: There has been growing evidence that inflammatory markers play a role in the development as well as severity of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study has been designed to decipher the involvement of C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNFα), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the etiopathogenesis of T2DM. Basic procedures: A total of 480 T2DM cases and 540 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected from each study subject to measure the serum levels of CRP, TNFα, IL-6 and IL-10. Main findings: We found that serum levels of CRP in mg/dl (4.2 ± 0.9), TNFα in pg/ml (34.5 ± 8.8), IL-6 in pg/ml (19.2 ± 7.2) in T2DM patients were significantly high as compared to control participants (CRP; 1.4 ± 0.6, TNFα; 12.7 ± 3.4, IL-6; 3.1 ± 1.4; P < 0.0001). The serum levels of IL-10 in pg/ml were lower in T2DM cases compared to controls (4.35 ± 1.2 vs. 9.6 ± 1.2). In addition, we observed a significant association of CRP levels with insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidemia. Increased TNFα levels were strongly associated with female gender, Poor glycemic control and strong family history of diabetes. Poor glycemic control was significantly associated with elevated IL-6 levels. Moreover, significantly reduced IL-10 levels were found in T2DM patients with sedentary lifestyle; low educational and rural background. Conclusions: This study showed a strong relationship between TNFα, IL-6, CRP, IL-10 and T2DM patients of Kashmiri ethnicity, treated at SMHS Hospital. Thus, supporting other studies and showing that cytokines may be good markers for T2DM development.

BackgroundWithin Kashmir, which is one of the topographically distinct areas in the Himalayan belt of India, a total of 2,236 cumulative deaths occurred by the end of the second wave. We aimed to conduct this population-based study in the age group of 7 years and above to estimate the seropositivity and its attributes in Kashmir valley.MethodsWe conducted a community-based household-level cross-sectional study, with a multistage, population-stratified, probability-proportionate-to-size, cluster sampling method to select 400 participants from each of the 10 districts of Kashmir. We also selected a quota of healthcare workers, police personnel, and antenatal women from each of the districts. Households were selected from each cluster and all family members with age 7 years or more were invited to participate. Information was collected through a standardized questionnaire and entered into Epicollect 5 software. Trained healthcare personnel were assigned for collecting venous blood samples from each of the participants which were transferred and processed for immunological testing. Testing was done for the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific anti-spike IgM, IgG antibodies, and anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies. Weighted seropositivity was estimated along with the adjustment done for the sensitivity and specificity of the test used.FindingsThe data were collected from a total of 4,229 participants from the general population within the 10 districts of Kashmir. Our results showed that 84.84% (95% CI 84.51–85.18%) of the participants were seropositive in the weighted imputed data among the general population. In multiple logistic regression, the variables significantly affecting the seroprevalence were the age group 45–59 years (odds ratio of 0.73; 95% CI 0.67–0.78), self-reported history of comorbidity (odds ratio of 1.47; 95% CI 1.33–1.61), and positive vaccination history (odds ratio of 0.85; 95% CI 0.79–0.90) for anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies. The entire assessed variables showed a significant role during multiple logistic regression analysis for affecting IgM anti-spike antibodies with an odds ratio of 1.45 (95% CI 1.32–1.57) for age more than 60 years, 1.21 (95% CI 1.15–1.27) for the female gender, 0.87 (95% CI 0.82–0.92) for urban residents, 0.86 (95% CI 0.76–0.92) for self-reported comorbidity, and an odds ratio of 1.16 (95% CI 1.08–1.24) for a positive history of vaccination. The estimated infection fatality ratio was 0.033% (95% CI: 0.034–0.032%) between 22 May and 31 July 2021 against the seropositivity for IgM antibodies.InterpretationDuring the second wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, 84.84% (95% CI 84.51–85.18%) of participants from this population-based cross-sectional sample were seropositive against SARS-CoV-2. Despite a comparatively lower number of cases reported and lower vaccination coverage in the region, our study found such high seropositivity across all age groups, which indicates the higher number of subclinical and less severe unnoticed caseload in the community.

Introduction: The surge in novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection leading to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has overwhelmed the health system. To help health-care workers and policy makers prioritize treatment and to decrease the burden on health systems caused by COVID-19, clinical severity along with various clinico-biochemical parameters was evaluated by designing a cross-sectional study comprising 236 SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals from Kashmir Valley, India. Methods: Briefly, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used for the confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The principles of spectrophotometry and chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) were employed to estimate the levels of glucose, TSH, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels in serum of infected patients. Results: A total of 236 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 were taken for this cross-sectional study. Patients with COVID-19 had a male predominance (72.9 vs. 27.1%) and a higher prevalence of 25-hydroxy vitamin D deficiency (72.0 vs. 28.0%) with a mean 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels of 24.0 ± 13.9 in ng/mL. We observed a varied clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection with 36.4%, 23.7%, and 29.7% patients having mild, moderate, and severe disease, respectively. We observed that severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly associated with older age group, hypertension, low TSH levels, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion: We conclude that not only old age but also hypertension and low levels of TSH and 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels could significantly lead to clinical severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study is to study association between testosterone and diabetes in Kashmiri males. Subjects and methods: A total of 300 males with Type 2 diabetes visited an outpatient and inpatient clinic at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital, Srinagar, J&K India. The blood sugar and HbA1c, which are the markers of diabetes, and sérum testosterone levels were measured. The blood samples from both the cases and controls were collected. Results: Out of 300 subjects, 42% had a testosterone deficiency. A relationship between type 2 diabetic males and healthy males was observed, and testosterone levels were determined to be significantly lower among diabetic males (p < 0.001) when compared to healthy males. Then, we compared diabetic markers among testosterone deficient and normal testosterone level groups; the mean fasting plasma glucose (p = 0.0019) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c; p = 0.0449) levels were significantly higher in the testosterone deficient group than in the control group. To elucidate the relationship between the serum total testosterone level and fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c values, Pearson's correlation test was performed. Fasting plasma glucose levels (r = −0.252, p = 0.001) and HbA1c values (r = −0.697, p = 0.001) showed a significant negative correlation with serum testosterone levels among diabetic males. Conclusions: This study shows that diabetes causes low testosterone levels among males, and lower testosterone levels can act as a marker for diabetes. Thus, with timely intervention, mortality and co-morbidity associated with diabetes can be prevented.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrinopathy present with variety of phenotypes with broad spectrum of clinical symptoms. Hyperandrogenism characterized with the presence of hirsutism remains an important feature of PCOS. Aim: The present study was conducted to assess difference in the clinical, biochemical and hormone profile in hirsute and non-hirsute females with PCOS. Methods: Detailed physical and clinical history was taken in all subjects. Hormonal and biochemical assays were performed by ECLIA. Results: 105 normoglycemic cases were enrolled for this study. The mean age of patients was 22.19 ±4.4 years and the mean age of menarche was 13.3±1.4 years. Acne was present in more than 50% of our cases. 81% cases were hirsute and only 19% were non-hirsute. Mean fasting blood glucose and triglycerides were found to be statistically significant between the two groups. A positive trend of hirsutism was found to be associated with irregular cycles and family history of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Conclusion: The mean blood glucose and triglycerides was elevated in hirsute PCOS, while as BMI, weight and waist circumference was slightly elevated in non-hirsute PCOS females.

Objectives We designed a population-based survey in Kashmir to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies in the general population aged 18 years and above.Setting The survey was conducted among 110 villages and urban wards across 10 districts in Kashmir from 17 October 2020 to 4 November 2020.Participants Individuals aged 18 years and above were eligible to be included in the survey. Serum samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay.Primary and secondary outcome measures We labelled assay results equal to or above the cut-off index value of 1.4 as positive for SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies. Seroprevalence estimates were adjusted for the sampling design and assay characteristics.Results Out of 6397 eligible individuals enumerated, 6315 (98.7%) agreed to participate. The final analysis was done on 6230 participants. Seroprevalence adjusted for the sampling design and assay characteristics was 36.7% (95% CI 34.3% to 39.2%). Seroprevalence was higher among the older population. Among seropositive individuals, 10.2% (247/2415) reported a history of COVID-19-like symptoms. Out of 474 symptomatic individuals, 233 (49.2%) reported having been tested. We estimated an infection fatality rate of 0.034%.Conclusions During the first 7 months of the COVID-19 epidemic in Kashmir Valley, approximately 37% of individuals were infected. The reported number of COVID-19 cases was only a small fraction of the estimated number of infections. A more efficient surveillance system with strengthened reporting of COVID-19 cases and deaths is warranted.

Marine natural products have as of now been acknowledged as the most important source of bioactive substances and drug leads. Marine flora and fauna, such as algae, bacteria, sponges, fungi, seaweeds, corals, diatoms, ascidian etc. are important resources from oceans, accounting for more than 90% of the total oceanic biomass. They are taxonomically different with huge productive and are pharmacologically active novel chemical signatures and bid a tremendous opportunity for discovery of new anti-cancer molecules. The water bodies a rich source of potent molecules which improve existence suitability and serve as chemical shield against microbes and little or huge creatures. These molecules have exhibited a range of biological properties antioxidant, antibacterial, antitumour etc. In spite of huge resources enriched with exciting chemicals, the marine floras and faunas are largely unexplored for their anticancer properties. In recent past, numerous marine anticancer compounds have been isolated, characterized, identified and are under trials for human use. In this write up we have tried to compile about marine-derived compounds anticancer biological activities of diverse flora and fauna and their underlying mechanisms and the generous raise in these compounds examined for malignant growth treatment in the course of the most recent quite a long while. Keywords: Marine, Anti-cancer, Natural products, Corals, Marine herbs, Seaweeds

Carcinoma of the stomach is one of the major prevalent and principal causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Current advancement in technology has improved the understanding of the pathogenesis and pathology of gastric cancers (GC). But, high mortality rates, unfavorable prognosis and lack of clinical predictive biomarkers provide an impetus to investigate novel early diagnostic/prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for GC, which are sufficiently sensitive to GC. Current biomedical investigations have explored several budding GC biomarker by utilizing serum proteins, natural oncogenic genes during improvement in molecular technologies as microarray, and RNA/DNA-Seq. Recently, small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) are becoming vital regulators in oncogenesis pathways and can act as handy clinical biomarkers. The newly introduced class of biomarkers is rising as new molecules for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. For better understanding of the gastric carcinogenesis, miRNAs may help to elucidate the mechanisms of tumor growth and can help to discover novel untimely potent markers for early detection of GC. Here in this review, we summarize the recent research studies supporting the utility of miRNAs as novel early diagnostic/prognostic tools and therapeutic targets. Thus, here we introduce potential future treatment strategies for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, which indicate the practicality and clinical applications of miRNAs in GC.

Nanobiosensors based on aptamer are extensively being studied as potent analytical tools in clinical analysis. These biosensors provide high sensitivity, fast response, specificity and desired portability in addition to simplicity and decreased cost compared to conventional methods. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide readers with an overview of current advances about electrochemical, electrochemiluminescent and photoelectrochemical aptasensors from the sea of available literature. These are mainly used for determination of protein-based biomarkers, especially for cancer diagnosis. Here in we have given special emphasis on nanosize-based aptasensors which have been reported to show considerable improvement in the analytical performance. Keywords: Nanobiosenors, Aptasensors, Electrochemical, Electrochemiluminescent, Photoelectrochemical, Nanomaterial

Lung cancer is the dominant emerging factor in cancer-related mortality around the globe. Therapeutic interventions for lung cancer are not up to par, mainly due to reoccurrence/relapse, chemoresistance, and late diagnosis. People are currently interested in miRNAs, which are small double-stranded (20–24 ribonucleotides) structures that regulate molecular targets (tumor suppressors, oncogenes) involved in tumorigeneses such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and angiogenesis via post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA. Many studies suggest the emerging role of miRNAs in lung cancer diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics. Therefore, it is necessary to intensely explore the miRNOME expression of lung tumors and the development of anti-cancer strategies. The current review focuses on the therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic potential of numerous miRNAs in lung cancer.

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has greatly affected healthcare workers because of the high risk of getting infected. The present cross-sectional study measured SARS-CoV-2 antibody in healthcare workers of Kashmir, India.MethodsSerological testing to detect antibodies against nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 was performed in 2003 healthcare workers who voluntarily participated in the study.ResultsWe report relatively high seropositivity of 26.8% (95% CI 24.8-28.8) for SARS-CoV-2in healthcare workers, nine months after the first case was detected in Kashmir. Most of the healthcare workers (71.7%) attributed infection to the workplace environment. Among healthcare workers who neither reported any prior symptom nor were they ever tested for infection by nasopharyngeal swab test, 25.5% were seropositive.ConclusionWe advocate interval testing by nasopharyngeal swab test of all healthcare workers regardless of symptoms to limit the transmission of infection within healthcare settings.

Background: Vitamin D has stimulatory and protective effects on melanocytes and acts through its nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) on target cells. Various single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VDR genes have been described. Aims: The aim was to study and compare the association of SNP of BsmI/Apa-I/TaqI/FokI/Cdx2 in VDR gene as well as the plasma vitamin D levels in vitiligo patients and healthy controls. Methods: This was a case-control study, in which 100 patients of vitiligo and an equal number of healthy individuals were studied. The VDR polymorphisms of Bsm I, Apa-I, TaqI, fok I, and cdx2 were investigated, after extraction of genomic DNA by rapid capillary polymerase chain reaction with melting curve analysis, and 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels were measured in cases and controls. Results: The frequency of genotypes (SNP FokI and cdx2) was higher in the patient group versus controls (P = 0.002). The genotype frequency (TaqI and Apa-I) was higher in the patients than the controls for the Tt genotype, but not significantly higher (48% vs. 39%, P= 0.1431). The difference between the groups in frequency of the genotype Aa(TaqI and Apa-I) was statistically significant (P = 0.0001 and P= 0.033). Statistically significant difference was also observed in Apa-I-evaluated alleles in cases when compared to controls (P = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in serum vitamin D levels between various genotypes among cases and controls. Out of 100 cases, 10 were found to have vitamin D levels of >30 ng/ml, 15 had levels between 20 and 30 ng/ml, 52 had ≤20 ng/ml, and 23 ≤ 10 ng/ml, respectively. Limitations: Since the skin biopsies were not taken from the lesions of vitiligo, the correlation of serum levels with tissue levels of VDR gene was not possible and the role of vitamin D supplementation was not evaluated. Conclusion: The single nucleotide gene polymorphisms of various VDR genes as found in the cases might lead to vitamin D deficiency, due to VDR dysfunction, which in turn could increase the susceptibility to develop vitiligo.

Breast cancer causes severe mental stress on the affected woman during investigation, diagnosis and treatment as breast is regarded as a symbol of beauty, sexuality and motherhood. Over and above the primary function of feeding infant, breast symbolizes womanhood and serves as sexual object. Current biomedical research investigations have explored several potential breast cancer (BC) biomarker by utilizing serum proteins, natural oncogenic genes during improvement in molecular technologies as microarray and RNA/DNASeq. Recently smallest noncoding microRNAs are becoming the essential regulators in the oncogenesis pathways and they can act as handy noninvasive clinical diagnostic biomarkers. This newly introduced class of noninvasive biomarkers is rising as a new molecule for the cancer diagnosis and prognosis. A better understanding is the involvement of miRNAs in breast carcinogenesis can make available insights into the mechanisms of tumor development and could help to discover novel early potent noninvasive markers for early detection of breast Cancer. In recent clinical research the discovery of miRNAs in body fluids, such as serum and plasma opens the possibility of using them as noninvasive biomarkers of disease including breast cancer. Here in this review, we summarize the recent research studies supporting the utility of miRNAs as novel early diagnostic and prognostic tool. Thus, here we bring in potential future early stage detection strategies for breast cancer, which indicate the practicality and clinical applications of miRNAs in breast cancer.

BackgroundPrevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 infection provides essential information for deciding disease prevention and mitigation measures. We estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies in District Srinagar.Methods2906 persons >18 years of age selected from hospital visitors across District Srinagar participated in the study. We tested samples for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-based serologic test.ResultsAge- and gender-standardized seroprevalence was 3.6% (95% CI 2.9% to 4.3%). Age 30-69 years, a recent history of symptoms of an influenza-like-illness, and a history of being placed under quarantine were significantly related to higher odds of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies. The estimated number of SARS-CoV-2 infections during the two weeks preceding the study, adjusted for test performance, was 32602 with an estimated (median) infection-to-known-case ratio of 46 (95% CI 36 to 57).ConclusionsThe seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies is low in the District. A large proportion of the population is still susceptible to the infection. A sizeable number of infections remain undetected, and a substantial proportion of people with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 are not tested.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a group of metabolic disorder and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and dyslipidaemia. Patients with T2DM have dyslipidaemia at wavering degrees, characterised by increased levels of triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. In the present study, we evaluated glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) as a marker of circulating lipids in patients with T2DM. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-nine patients with T2DM were enrolled for the study. A detailed biochemical and lipid profile was done for all patients. Results: Of 239 cases, 96 (40%) were male and 143 (60%) were female. Of 239 patients, 53 (22%) patients with T2DM had controlled glycaemia (HbA1c

Lung cancer is a well-known malignant tumor of the respiratory tract, which has caused a significant level of damage to human health in the 21st century. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are tiny, non-coding RNA stem-loop structures with a length of roughly 20–25 nucleotides that function as powerful modulators of mRNA and protein products of a gene. miRNAs may modulate many biological processes involving growth, differentiation, proliferation, and cell death and play a key role in the pathogenesis of various types of malignancies. Several accumulating pieces of evidence have proven that miRNA, especially miR-146a, are crucial modulators of innate immune response sequences. A novel and exciting cancer research field has involved miRNA for the detection and suppression of cancer. However, the actual mechanism which is adopted by these miRNA is still unclear. miRNAs have been used as a cancer-associated biomarker in several studies, suggesting their altered expression in various cancers compared to the normal cells. The amount of expression of miRNA can also be used to determine the stage of the disease, aiding in early detection. In breast, pancreatic, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and gastric cancer, cancer cell proliferation and metastasis has been suppressed by miR-146a. Changes in miR-146a expression levels have biomarker importance and possess a high potential as a therapeutic target in lung cancer. It retards epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promotes the therapeutic action of anticancer agents in lung cancer. Studies have also suggested that miR-146a affects gene expression through different signaling pathways viz. TNF-α, NF-κB and MEK-1/2, and JNK-1/2. Further research is required for understanding the molecular mechanisms of miR-146a in lung cancer. The potential role of miR-146a as a diagnostic marker of lung cancer must also be analyzed. This review summarizes the tumor-suppressing, anti-inflammatory, and antichemoresistive nature of miR-146a in lung cancer.

Background: Iodine-rich diet is necessary for proper thyroid gland function. Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is associated with serious complications. Substantial numbers of patients have risk of SCH getting converted into primary hypothyroidism. Objectives: The objectives of the present study are to survey dietary iodine intake pattern in ethnic population of Kashmir and to study the prevalence of SCH. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional referral hospital study was conducted. Sample size comprised of 2550 patients who were referred to Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical college, Srinagar diagnostic laboratory from OPD and IPD of associated SMHS hospital. Assessment of thyroid function over a period of one year from March 2010 to March 2011 in the serum has been performed by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay method on "ECLIA 2010" fully automatic analyzer. Interview cum questionnaire methods were used to record the patient history and dietary iodine intake pattern. Iodine status of these patients was assessed by measuring urinary iodine excretion. Results: Total patients were 2550 comprising of 44.6% males and 56.4% females. Subjects with elevated and normal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in the serum were 30.51 and 69.4% respectively. About 550 patients (21.56%) had subclinical hypothyroidism which includes both males and females. Prevalence of SCH was more in females (81.8%) than in males (18.2%). Most of the patients presenting with SCH were in the age group of 20-65 years. Conclusion: The percentage of SCH amongst the study sample patients was 21.56%, which is much higher as compared to other parts of the world. The highest percentage of SCH was found in females (81.8%) as compared to males (18.2%). On the basis of the present study, we suggest that routine screening of selected populations, especially women between 20 and 65 years of age, may be advocated. Further community level awareness programs need to be organized wherein people in mountainous valley of Kashmir are motivated to take salt in iodized form and diet rich in iodine to ensure proper thyroid gland functioning.

Abstract Backgrounds: Thyroid hormones play an important physiological role in human metabolism. Erythrocyte abnormalities are frequently associated with thyroid disorder. However, they are rarely investigated and related to the subclinical and primary hypothyroidism in Kashmiri Patients. In this study an attempt was made to study hematological parameters in untreated and treated subclinical hypothyroidism and primary hypothyroidism patients. Methods: This retrospective study included 600 subjects, among which were untreated subclinical hypothyroid (n=110), treated subclinical hypothyroid (n=110), untreated primary hypothyroid (n=100), treated primary hypothyroid (n=100) and euthyroid (n=180). This study was carried out at Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College Srinagar. The hematological parameters and thyroid profile of the subjects were assessed by the Sysmex (Italy) and ECLIA (Germany) 2010 automatic analyzer. Mean, standard deviation (SD), analysis of variance (Two-way ANOVA), and multiple comparisons were used to report our results, with p

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic hyperproliferative inflammatory disease of the skin, genetic predisposition to which is well-established. The late cornified envelope genes LCE3B and LCE3C are involved in maintaining the integrity of skin barrier especially following skin barrier disruption. The deletion of these genes would lead to an impaired epidermal response following damage to the skin barrier thus predisposing to psoriatic lesions. This study aimed to evaluate the common deletion of late cornified envelope genes (LCE 3B/3C) in psoriasis patients of Kashmiri ethnic population of North India. Materials and Methods: It was a hospital-based, case-control study which included 100 psoriasis cases and an equal number of controls. Blood samples were obtained, and DNA was extracted from all the samples by a kit-based method. To determine the LCE3C_LCE3B-del genotype, a three-primer polymerase chain reaction assay was performed. Results: The genotype for the common LCE3C_LCE3B deletion in 100 psoriasis patients and 100 controls was determined. Among the cases, 17 cases were homozygous for insertion genotype (I/I), 40 cases were heterozygous for insertion/deletion genotype (I/D) and 43 cases were homozygous for deletion genotype (D/D), compared to controls where 20 cases were homozygous for insertion genotype (I/I), 45 cases were heterozygous for insertion/deletion genotype (I/D), and 35 cases were homozygous for deletion genotype (D/D). The del/del frequency was higher among psoriatic patients compared to controls (43% vs. 35%) although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.507). Conclusion: We hereby infer that LCE3C_LCE3B deletion does not appear to be associated with the risk of psoriasis in our population.