Socioeconomic status and prevalence of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy.

Two hundred and thirty-six women with previous bad obstetric history (BOH), belonging to different socio-economic groups were investigated for the presence of Toxoplasma specific antibodies (IgG/IgM) using commercial diagnostic kits. The study showed a higher percentage of IgG seropositivity in women of low socioeconomic group (LSG) compared to those of high socioeconomic group (HSG). Specific IgM positivity indicative of possible acute infection, was higher in women of HSG, emphasizing the need for educating pregnant mothers on preventive measures. However, there is a need to undertake in-depth studies to understand the significance of the presence of IgM in women with BOH.

Fibrinogen and homocysteine levels in coronary artery disease.

Conventional risk factors like high serum cholesterol, smoking and hypertension do not explain all the mortality and morbidity due to coronary artery disease in Indian population. Novel factors like plasma fibrinogen and homocysteine have been currently recognised as independent risk factors for coronary artery disease. A case-control study was carried out to examine the role of plasma fibrinogen, homocysteine, lipid profile and anthropometric parameters in angiographically established coronary artery disease patients. The relationship between the biochemical and anthropometric parameters was also examined. Fifty-eight male patients in the age range of 35-60 years with angiographically established coronary artery disease and equal number of matched-controls were the subjects of this study. Cases with coronary artery disease had significantly higher waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-thigh ratio, plasma fibrinogen and total cholesterol. Mean plasma total homocysteine levels were not significantly different between cases and controls. In Indian population, elevated plasma fibrinogen and abdominal obesity appear to be significantly associated with coronary artery disease.

A case control study of selenium in cancer.

As selenium has been shown to be a risk modifier of cancer at several sites in a case-control approach, selenium nutriture was studied in oral and oesophageal cancer patients. The mean selenium level in oral cancer patients was 102.6 ng/ml and in oesophageal cancer 103.3 ng/ml, while in the matched controls it was 117.5 and 116.2 ng/ml respectively. Relative risk estimates were 3.16 (P < 0.02) and 16.0 (P < 0.01) in oral and oesophageal cancer patients respectively. The risk appears to increase with selenium levels lower than 115 ng/ml.