Western Indian Population Research Articles

A Computerized Tomography-Based Analysis of Spinal Canal Diameter to Study Its Implication on Cervical Spine Stenosis in Western Indian Population: A Retrospective Study

Abstract Background The cervical spine is prone to various conditions necessitating early detection. Morphometric analysis through computed tomography (CT) scans plays a pivotal role in diagnosing and preventing severe diseases. This study focuses on understanding the morphometric details of the cervical canal in the West Indian population, addressing a geographical gap in existing literature. The primary objective of this study was to perform a morphometric analysis of the cervical spine to study the implications it can have on cervical canal stenosis in the West Indian population. Materials and Methods This study utilizes imaging data from the CT database of 100 individuals (73 men and 27 women). Measurements such as transverse canal diameter, sagittal canal diameter, cross-sectional canal surface area (CSA), and vertebral body diameter (VBD) were collected and the Pavlov-Torg ratio (PTR) was calculated from C2 to C7. Results Notable findings include significant differences in CSA and VBD between genders, while PTR indicated cervical damage in 40% of participants. Multinomial regression was applied which signified an association between weakness and PTR. Conclusion This study can be used to highlight the CT scan's importance in studying bony structures and the call for more region-specific morphometric studies. The variations in morphometric parameters could provide insights into understanding the vulnerabilities of a population belonging to a particular geographic area, in our case, the West Indian population.

Genetic Characterization of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) and Metallo-Beta-Lactamase (MBL) Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae from Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU)

ABSTRACT Background: Antibiotic resistance in common pathogenic bacteria is linked with the genetic makeup. The genetic basis of antibiotic resistance may vary in different species or pathophysiological conditions. Objectives: We studied the antibiotic resistance in Klebsiella pneumonia isolates from DFU in the western Indian population. We also studied the presence of ESBL and MBL mechanisms of antibiotic resistance along with the prevalence of the genes involved in ESBL (TEM ESBL , SHV ESBL , and CTX-M ESBL ) and MBL (NDM-1 bla , KPC bla , OXA-48 bla , and VIM bla ) production. Results: A total of 161 K. pneumoniae isolates were analyzed; among which 50.93% were positive for ESBL and 45.96% were positive for MBL production. Most of the isolates were resistant to antibiotics used in the present study and partially resistant to Imipenem and Amikacin. There was no relation between the antibiotic resistance of the isolates and the production of ESBL or MBL mechanism of antibiotic resistance. Further, TEM ESBL was the most prevalent gene in K. pneumoniae isolates followed by CTX-M ESBL , NDM-1 bla , SHV ESBL , and KPC bla . VIM bla was the least prevalent gene found in K. pneumoniae isolates. There was no difference in the prevalence of the genes with respect to the presence or absence of ESBL and MBL mechanism of resistance. Further, there was no relation between the prevalence of the genes and antibiotic resistance in K. pneumoniae isolates. Conclusion: These results along with the literature review suggest that the prevalence of the genes involved in antibiotic resistance mechanisms are widespread in India and their distribution varies in different studies.

Cone Beam Computed Tomography Evaluation of Median Mandibular Lingual Canal in a Western Indian Subpopulation: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The Mandibular Lingual Canals (MLC), which carry the sublingual artery, are present in the mandible near the genial tubercle. Identification of these canals is important before any dental surgical procedures. Aim: To identify and evaluate the mandibular lingual canal in Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) of the Western Indian Population. Materials and Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, Vadodara, Gujarat, India between October 2022 and June 2023. A total of 100 CBCT volumes showing the mandibular anterior region were evaluated for the presence or absence of a mandibular lingual canal. The canals were further evaluated for their number, diameter, length, thickness of the buccal cortical plate, and the remaining bone above and below the canal. The evaluation was done by two separate investigators. The data were entered into Microsoft Excel and subjected to statistical analysis. Data collected were tested statistically using the Chi-square test. Results: A total of 59 males and 41 females’ mandibular CBCT volumes were evaluated, out of which 93 CBCT volumes showed the mandibular lingual canal. The maximum number (n=57) of individuals showed three canals, followed by two canals (n=26) and one canal (n=10). There was no statistical significance between genders regarding canal number, diameter, length, thickness of the buccal cortical plate, and the remaining bone above and below the canal. Conclusion: Three-canal morphology was the most common anatomical form of MLC found in the Western Indian population.

Assessment of risk factors in patients undergoing difficult cholecystectomy: a cross-sectional study at a tertiary care hospital in Central India

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the operation of choice in the treatment of symptomatic gallstone disease. Most of the time, the levels of difficulties are hard to assume. The risk factors for difficult LC have not been adequately evaluated in Indian population, especially with respect to western Indian population. Thus, the present study was undertaken to assess the risk factors in patients undergoing difficult cholecystectomy. Method: The study involved 100 adult patients with cholelithiasis admitted in the department of surgery for cholecystectomy over a period of 2 years from Nov 2020 to Dec 2022. Preoperatively, patients were evaluated for risk factors including age, gender, BMI, history of sickle cell disease, previous abdominal surgery, presence of pericholecystic collection, gall bladder thickness, impacted calculi, adhesions in triangle of Calot‘s, and previous hospitalization for acute cholecystitis and acute pancreatitis. These factors were assessed to predict difficult LC. Results: Majority of laparoscopic procedures were easy (65%), while remaining were difficult (35%). Difficult cholecystectomy was significantly associated with age ≥50 years (p=0.016), male gender (p=0.031), BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (p<0.0001), sickle cell disease (p=0.030), previous abdominal surgery (p=0.004), pericholecystic collection (p=0.017), gall bladder thickness ≥4 mm (p=0.007), adhesion in triangle of Calot‘s (p<0.0001), impacted calculi (p=0.036), previous hospitalization for acute cholecystitis and acute pancreatitis (p<0.0001) and diabetes mellitus (p<0.0001). The conversion rate was 2%. Conclusions: An awareness about reliable predictors for difficult LC would be helpful for an appropriate treatment plan and application of the resources to anticipate difficult LC. However, further studies with larger sample size are required to confirm the findings.

TO STUDY OCCURRENCE OF PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE IN YOUNG PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE USING ANKLE BRACHIAL INDEX -A SMS HOSPITAL BASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) both are manifestations of systemic atherosclerosis. Many patients with CAD have associated PAD however, many patients are asymptomatic and thus remain underdiagnosed. Currently, little is known about the actual incidence and clinical implications of asymptomatic PAD in young patients less than 50-year-old undergoing coronary angiography in Indian population, so we will conduct this study to assess the prevalence of previously unrecognized PAD among patients with suspected ischemic heart disease undergoing coronary angiography, and to determine the relationship among PAD, severity of coronary angiographic stenosis, and major cardiovascular risk factors, in western Indian population. Method: This is an observational study conducted at a tertiary referral hospital. A total of 395 patients referred for coronary angiography without a prior diagnosis of PAD, between January 2023 to June 23 who fulfilling eligibility criteria of study, were included. Patients were evaluated through detailed medical history taking, a questionnaire survey to assess symptoms and functional status, ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurement, and coronary angiography. PAD was considered present if the ABI was< 0.90 in either leg. Result: In all patients, the prevalence of previously unrecognized PAD was 5.8%. There was significant difference between men and women (7.2% vs 1.1%, P=0.027). Abnormal angiographic results were seen in 63% (249 of 395). The prevalence of PAD was 7.2% in patients with abnormal coronary angiographic result, higher than that in patients with normal results but not statistically significant (3.2%, P=0.119). Patients with PAD were significantly older, and had higher rates of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, current smoking, history of CAD than patients without PAD demonstrating high occurrence of PAD strongly associated with conventional risk factor for CAD. The occurrence of asymptomatic PAD was more among stable ischemic heart disease group(p=0.04). In our analysis, patients with PAD had a more severe form of CAD manifested by a higher frequency of multivessel coronary disease(p=0.002). Conclusion: The high occurrence of asymptomatic PAD in young patients with CAD confirms the importance of active screening for PAD by using ABI even in young patients. Routine determination of ABI in the clinical evaluation of all patients with CAD may helpful inidentifyhigh-risk patients.

Assessment of the mineralisation stages of third molars and validation of Mincer et al.'s age estimation method: A retrospective, cross-sectional study in Western India population.

Age estimation is one of the prime requisites in forensic human identification cases and the criminal justice system. There are several age estimation methods using dental parameters. A method proposed by Mincer et al. which uses the mineralization stages of third molars based on Demirjian's developmental stages is less tested in the Indian population. The present study aimed to assess the developmental status of the third molars and to apply and validate Mincer et al.'s method on the Western India population. A total of 306 orthopantomograms (OPGs) from 128 males and 178 females with a mean age of 16.89 years ± 3.68 were analysed. Demirjian's A-H staging was applied to record the developmental stages of 1100 third molars. Mincer et al.'s mean age of attainment was applied based on the American Whites (Caucasian) population for males and females separately using stages of #18 and #38. There was a slight overestimation of the chronological age (CA) in both #18 and #38. The females showed more accurate estimated age (EA) than males. Mincer et al.'s method is a convenient age estimation method using the third molar's developmental stage. The mean age of attainment mentioned in the original Mincer et al.'s study can be used in the Western Indian population, with a residual value ranging from 0.21 to 0.25 years.

Association of inhibitory NKG2A and activating NKG2D natural killer cell receptor genes with resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection in a western Indian population.

We have evaluated the association of polymorphisms in the intronic variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) regions of the human NKG2D, NKG2A, and IL-1RN genes with resistance and/or susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in a total of 209 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (125 asymptomatic patients and 84 symptomatic patients with mild symptoms) and 355 healthy controls, using the PCR-RFLP method. The genotypic and allelic frequency distributions for an IL-1RN (VNTR) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were found to be comparable among the patient groups. Overall, in SARS-CoV-2 patients, NKG2A (rs2734440) showed a protective association in the codominant [(A/A vs. A/G): (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.34-0.83, p = 0.006)], recessive [(A/A vs. A/G+G/G): (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.39-0.92, p = 0.02)] and over-dominant [(A/A+G/G vs. A/G): (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.38-0.84, p = 0.005)] models. Similarly, NKG2D (rs7980470) showed a protective association in the codominant [(A/A vs. A/G): (OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.3-0.7, p = 0.0003), codominant (A/A vs. G/G): (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.31-0.71, p = 0.027)], recessive [(A/A vs. A/G+G/G): (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.32-0.7, p = 0.0001) and over-dominant [(A/A+G/G vs. A/G): (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.38-0.82, p = 0.003)] models. At the allelic level, there was a higher frequency of the "G" allele of NKG2D (rs7980470) in healthy controls than in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting that individuals with the "G" allele in the intronic region of NKG2D are likely to be protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, our data suggest that polymorphisms in the host NKG2D and NKG2A genes have a protective role in SARS-CoV-2 infection, although the functional impact of these polymorphisms on control of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unknown.

Retrospective Study of Prognostics Factors in Operated Breast Cancer Patients in the Western Indian Population

Retrospective Study of Prognostics Factors in Operated Breast Cancer Patients in the Western Indian Population

The paris system for urine cytology: A 2 years' experience from Western Indian population

The paris system for urine cytology: A 2 years' experience from Western Indian population

Forensic tool for sex prediction- hand dimensions.

Determination of sex from mutilated body fragments can perform vital role for identification of departed soul. Forensic authority pacts with human identification from the hand measurements which is of prodigious assessment during tragedies, terror attacks and in criminality. Present study explored the analytical role of the anthropometric measurements of hand dimensions, find demarking points for male and female, check percentage exactitude of sex determination in Western Indian population. The study was piloted on a sample of 504 individuals. All the measurements were taken by standard procedure. Discriminant analysis and demarking points were created for all hand measurements. Males have a significantly higher values of all measurements than females. The left-hand length measurement unveiled a noteworthy sexual dimorphism index (110.80). The higher value of the demarking point labelled as males. The best sexually dimorphic hand dimensions showed the utmost precision left hand length (95% in the male), followed by right hand length (76.1%). All hand measurements like length, breadth and index are displaying sexual dimorphism, hence they can be used for determination of sex when isolated hand is found.

OBESITY AND GYNECOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES: A MULTI-CENTRIC CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Introduction: Obesity is a growing problem and has signicant implications for a variety of diseases, including human cancers. Obesity has now become an epidemic so is the increase of gynecological malignancies in this era. So we review the association of obesity and gynecological malignancies like breast, endometrial, cervical, ovarian, tubal and Vulvo-vaginal carcinoma as an independent etiological risk factor. ToAims and objectives: estimate the prevalence of overweight and obese female in western Indian population. To nd the association of different gynecological malignancies and obesity. To evaluate the effect of obesity on different gynecological malignancies in accordance with age, reproductive life and socioeconomic status A cross sectional study in western. Materials and methods: Indian states Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan from January 2019 to December 2021, 10245 sample size and with overweight and obese post menarchal women up to 70 years of age with BMI >25 kg/m2 were compared to matched controls. All the consented subjects were initially screened by questionnaire by eld worker and examined for routine and advanced screening and examinations like Manual Palpation of breast, per abdomen, per speculum per vaginal examination and Pap smear by certied professionals according to standard protocols. Investigation was performed when required like mammography, Ultrasonography and laboratory investigations. Positive association of breast and endometrialResults: carcinoma especially in postmenopausal women and cervical carcinoma. Weak positive association for ovarian carcinoma only in premenopausal woman (not statistically signicant). We do not nd enough cases to conclude anything for vulvo vaginal and tubal carcinoma. Growing epidemic of obesity can be statistically correlated with increasingConclusion: incidence of gynecological malignancies like breast, endometrial, ovarian and cervical. Large scale studies further needed for evaluation of correlation of vulvo vaginal and tubal carcinomas.

First report on genome wide association study in western Indian population reveals host genetic factors for COVID-19 severity and outcome

Different human races across the globe responded in a different way to the SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to different disease severity. Therefore, it is anticipated that host genetic factors have a straight association with the COVID-19. We identified a total 6, 7, and 6 genomic loci for deceased-recovered, asymptomatic-recovered, and deceased-asymptomatic group comparison, respectively. Unfavourable alleles of the markers nearby the genes which are associated with lung and heart diseases such as Tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF4&18), showed noteworthy association with the disease severity and outcome for the COVID-19 patients in the western Indian population. The markers found with significant association with disease prognosis or recovery are of value in determining the individual's response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and can be used for the risk prediction in COVID-19. Besides, GWAS study in other populations from India may help to strengthen the outcome of this study.

Prevalence of dens invaginatus and its association with periapical lesions in a Western Indian population-a study using cone-beam computed tomography.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of dens invaginatus (DI) and its association with periapical lesions (PLs) in a Western Indian population by means of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT volumes of 5201 subjects were evaluated. Associations among gender, tooth type, DI type (Oehler's classification), and presence of PL were investigated. PL was codified using Estrela's Cone Beam Computed Tomography Periapical Index (CBCTPAI). Chi-square tests and descriptive statistics were used at p = 0.05. Overall, 7048 CBCTs were assessed, containing 19,798 maxillary and mandibular anteriors, of which 77 maxillary teeth demonstrated DI (0.39% of all anteriors). Of all 5201 subjects, 57 had DI (1.1%). Bilateral DI was more common in females than in males (p = 0.046). DI type distribution was as follows: type I (22.1%), type II (61.03%), type IIIa (10.4%), and type IIIb (6.5%), which was significantly different (p < 0.001). Maxillary lateral incisors were the most associated with PL (p < 0.001). Type I was frequently associated with CBCTPAI scores 1 and 2 (absence of PL), whereas types II, IIIa, and IIIb were associated with CBCTPAI scores 3, 4, and 5 (presence of PL). A prevalence of 1.1% identifies DI as a common developmental tooth anomaly in a Western Indian subpopulation. The percentage of maxillary anteriors affected by DI and associated PLs should be considered before diagnosis and treatment planning. Knowledge about the prevalence of DI and its subtypes, and their association with/without periapical pathosis may aid clinicians in treatment planning and execution to improve patient outcomes.

Prevalence of risk alleles in the lysyl oxidase-like 1 gene in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma patients in India.

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to genotype two previously identified SNPs (rs1048661:R141L, and rs3825942:G153D) in the lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) gene and determine their association with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (XFG) in patients from Pune, India.Methods:All subjects underwent detailed phenotyping, and DNA extraction was performed on blood samples by using standardized techniques. Exon 1 of the LOXL1 gene containing the SNPs (rs3825942:G153D; rs1048661:R141L) were Sanger sequenced, and the results were analyzed using sequence analysis software SeqScape 2.1.1.Results:Data were analyzed from 71 patients with XFG and 81 disease-negative, age-matched controls. There was a strong association between the G allele of rs3825942 and XFG with an odds ratio of 10.2 (CI: 3.92–26.6; P < 0.001). The G allele of rs1048661 also showed an increase in risk relative to the T allele (OR = 1.49; CI: 0.88–2.51; P = 0.13), but this was not significant. Haplotype combination frequencies were estimated for rs1048661 and rs3825942; the GG haplotype was associated with a significant increase in risk (OR = 3.91; CI: 2.27–6.73; P < 0.001). Both the GA and TG haplotypes were associated with decreased XFG risk, although the latter was not significant (GA: OR = 0.08; CI: 0.03–0.21; P < 0.001; TG: OR = 0.67; CI: 0.40–1.13; P = 0.13).Conclusion:The risk G allele in rs3852942 (G153D) is strongly associated with the development of XFG in the Western Indian population. Genetic screening strategies to identify LOXL1 risk alleles in the population can assist in case definition and early diagnosis, targeting precious resources to high-risk patients.

Impact of celiace disease on reproductive performance of women

Celiac disease is an incurable disease caused by a failure of the human body in digesting ingested gluten causing immunological mediated provocative impairment of small- intestinal mucosa. As against classical presentation for diarrhea and abnormal absorption of nutrients from digestive tract, which were earlier more evident, now a spike is noticed in the atypical and silent presentations. The disease prevails to the account of 0.5% to 1% in the western Indian population and Arabic population. The bona fide learnedness about different signs and exposures is essential to give rise to prognosis. Only treatment of Celiac disease is lifelong avoidance of gluten from the diet. The disease is reported to affect women during their productive period and often malabsorption interferes with embryogenesis and foetal nutritional status, growth and development. The celiac disorder has also been associated with various gynaecological and obstetric disorders like late menarche, early age menopause, infertility, intrauterine growth retardation, repetitive miscarriage as well as stillbirth in the recent past. In this narrative review, factors leading to the reproductive function of women with celiac disease can be vividly identified. This review gives valuable insight into the association between celiac disease, nutritional deficiency and reproductive performance of women.

Taxonomic Composition of the Oligodon arnensis (Shaw 1802) Species Complex (Squamata: Colubridae) with the Description of a New Species from India

We review the taxonomic status of Oligodon arnensis (Shaw 1802) after examining all the name-bearing types of its synonyms, and evaluating morphological and biogeographic evidence. Oligodon arnensis sensu lato is widely distributed throughout Peninsular India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. We demonstrate that southern, eastern, and western populations in India represent three distinct species. Oligodon arnensis sensu stricto described from Arnee (now Arani), Tamil Nadu, southern India, is distributed in southern India up to 1500 m above sea level. Oligodon albiventer Günther 1864 and Simotes russellii var. ceylonensis Müller 1887 described from Sri Lanka closely match O. arnensis sensu stricto, and hence we treat them as junior synonyms. We resurrect Coluber russelius Daudin 1803 from the synonymy of O. arnensis, designate a lectotype, and restrict its type locality to Vizagapatam (now Visakhapatnam), Andhra Pradesh, eastern Peninsular India. Based on morphological differences we describe a new species from Kurduvadi, in the Deccan plateau of western India representing the western Indian population of O. arnensis sensu lato. We provide redescriptions for O. arnensis sensu stricto and O. russelius comb. nov. based on museum specimens, as both were named based on illustrations (iconotypes). Based on our update of the currently confirmed localities for O. arnensis, O. russelius comb. nov. and the new species, we discuss their biogeography and conservation status.

Age Estimation in Children by the Measurement of Open Apices in Teeth: A Study in the Western Indian Population.

In forensic sphere and clinical dentistry, age estimation is a topic of utmost importance. Various techniques are employed in children to determine age; however, dental development has proven to be an appropriate method because of its low variability. Cameriere's method is a widely accepted method of age estimation in children, which is carried out by measuring the projections of open apices and also the heights of developing permanent teeth seen on panoramic radiographs. The aim of this study is to establish a new formula for age estimation in the Western Indian population by measuring the open apices of mandibular teeth using Cameriere's European formula. For this study, we included 311 panoramic radiographs of healthy children living in Western India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa) aged 4–15 years which were analysed by two independent researchers. Seven left permanent mandibular teeth were assessed for length and width of open apices. Dental maturity was evaluated using measurements of the left seven permanent mandibular teeth (xi = Ai/Li, i = 1,…, 7), the sum of the normalized open apices (s), and the number (N0) of teeth with complete root formation. A linear relationship between open apices, N0, age, and other factors was evaluated with the aid of a stepwise multiple regression model. A stepwise linear regression showed that all parameters, gender, s, N0, and x5, were significantly associated with age (R = 85%). No statistically significant difference was found between the predicted and actual chronological age of children in the age group of 4–13 years using the regression equation for the Western Indian population. The present research suggests that the new regression formula developed will be more accurate for age assessment in the Western Indian population.

Evaluation of genetic polymorphism of CYP3A5 in normal healthy participants from western India - A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND:CYP3A5 enzymes belong to the phase I Group of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which are involved in the metabolism of 50% of the drugs. Participants with CYP3A5 genotype: CYP3A5 *1/*1 are fast metabolizers of drugs and hence will require higher dosing. Whereas those with CYP3A5 * 3/*3 are poor metabolizers of drugs and will require a lower dose to achieve target drug concentration in the blood and those with CYP3A5 * 1/*3 have intermediate drug metabolizing activity. Pharmacogenetic evaluation may improve disease outcomes by maximizing the efficacy and minimizing the toxicity of drugs in patients.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This is a single-center cross-sectional study conducted in the year 2018–2019 to study the population prevalence of genetic polymorphisms of CYP3A5 in healthy participants from western India. Eligible participants willing to give written, informed consent were enrolled in the study. Subsequently, 2 ml venous blood was collected the deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted and then stored at ‒20°C. Genotyping was done by a polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.RESULTS:A total of 400 participants with a median age of 22 years (range: 18–58 years) were included. Among them, the genotype prevalence for CYP3A5 * 1/*1 was 17% (n = 67/400); CYP3A5 * 1/*3 was 37% (n = 149/400) and that of CYP3A5 * 3/*3 was 46% (184/400). Out of the total 400 healthy participants analyzed, the allele frequency for CYP3A5 * 1 was 35% (142/400) and that of CYP3A5*3 was 65% (259/400).CONCLUSION:The genotype prevalence for CYP3A5 * 3*3 (46%) and the allele frequency for CYP3A5 * 3 (65%) respectively were the highest among the western Indian population.

Age estimation in Western Indian population by Cameriere's and Drusini's methods.

Objectives:The aim of the present study is to determine applicability of Cameriere's and Drusini's methods in Western Indian population.Methodology:Panoramic radiographs of total 300 Gujarati individuals, equally divided into four study groups were studied by two investigators. The pulp/tooth area ratio (AR) were calculated for maxillary and mandibular canines and tooth coronal indexes (TCI) i.e., the ratio between coronal pulp cavity height and crown height were calculated for mandibular premolars and first and second molars. The acquired data were subjected to correlation and regression analysis and also inter and intraobserver reliability was obtained for both the investigators.Results:The ARs and TCIs for all the respective teeth were significantly correlated with the age of the individuals. The individual regression formulae were derived for all the teeth and were then used separately to calculate the age. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean chronological age and mean calculated age for all the teeth.(P > 0.05). The mean absolute errors for all the teeth were <10 years.Conclusion:The findings of this study prove the applicability of Cameriere's and Drusini's age estimation methods for Western Indian population. However, the weak correlation coefficients suggest the need for further studies to get more accurate results.

Molecular Diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy Patients in Western Indian Population: A Comprehensive Mutation Analysis Using Amplicon Sequencing.

Muscular Dystrophies (MDs) are a group of inherited diseases and heterogeneous in nature. To date, 40 different genes have been reported for the occurrence and/or progression of MDs. This study was conducted to demonstrate the application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in developing a time-saving and cost-effective diagnostic method to detect single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variants (CNVs) in a single test. A total of 123 cases clinically suspected of MD were enrolled in this study. Amplicon panel-based diagnosis was carried out for 102 (DMD/BMD) cases and the results were further screened using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Whilst in the case of LGMD (N = 19) and UMD (N = 2), only NGS panel-based analysis was carried out. We identified the large deletions in 74.50% (76/102) of the cases screened with query DMD or BMD. Further, the large deletion in CAPN3 gene (N = 3) and known SNV mutations (N = 4) were identified in LGMD patients. Together, the total diagnosis rate for this amplicon panel was 70.73% (87/123) which demonstrated the utility of panel-based diagnosis for high throughput, affordable, and time-saving diagnostic strategy. Collectively, present study demonstrates that the panel based NGS sequencing could be superior over to MLPA.