Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among doctors in a tertiary care centre in north India

Background: Vitamin D is unique among vitamins as it can be synthesized from the action of ultra-violet radiation (UVR) upon the skin of human beings. This study was done to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among health care professionals.Methods: This was institution based study conducted over a period of two years at Govt. Medical College Hospital. The study was conducted on 200 healthy doctors working in different departments of Govt. Medical College and Associated Hospitals, Jammu for a period of two years. Data regarding demographic characteristics, lifestyle assessment, exposure to sunshine on workdays and weekends, type of clothing, use of sunscreen, subjective general health, dietary assessment and use of calcium or vitamin D supplements was collected using a structured questionnaire.Results: Mean value of age of study subjects was 26.18±2.09 years. Results showed that 50% were male and 50% were females. In this study, 65.50% of the study subjects were Hindu and 30% of study subjects were Muslim. Majority of the study subjects had exposure to sunlight for less than 20 minutes and only 10 out of 200 study subjects had exposure to sunlight for more than 30 minutes. In this study, 97% of the study subjects were vitamin D deficient and only 3% were vitamin D sufficient. Among 196 study subjects with vitamin D deficiency, severe deficiency was present in 30.41% (59 out of 194) of study subjects, moderate deficiency was present in 60.82% (118 out of 194) of study subjects and very few study subjects had mild vitamin D deficiency.Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among healthy medical college students. Lack of awareness regarding importance of vitamin D requirement, inadequate exposure to sunlight, changes in lifestyle and food habits contribute to low vitamin D levels in young population.

Study of pandrug and heavy metal resistance among E. coli from anthropogenically influenced Delhi stretch of river Yamuna

Abstract Escalating burden of antibiotic resistance that has reached new heights present a grave concern to mankind. As the problem is no longer confined to clinics, we hereby report identification of a pandrug resistant Escherichia coli isolate from heavily polluted Delhi stretch of river Yamuna, India. E. coli MRC11 was found sensitive only to tobramycin against 21 antibiotics tested, with minimum inhibitory concentration values >256 µg/mL for amoxicillin, carbenicillin, aztreonam, ceftazidime and cefotaxime. Addition of certain heavy metals at higher concentrations were ineffective in increasing susceptibility of E. coli MRC11 to antibiotics. Withstanding sub-optimal concentration of cefotaxime (10 µg/mL) and mercuric chloride (2 µg/mL), and also resistance to their combinatorial use, indicates better adaptability in heavily polluted environment through clustering and expression of resistance genes. Interestingly, E. coli MRC11 harbours two different variants of blaTEM (blaTEM-116 and blaTEM-1 with and without extended-spectrum activity, respectively), in addition to mer operon (merB, merP and merT) genes. Studies employing conjugation, confirmed localization of blaTEM-116, merP and merT genes on the conjugative plasmid. Understanding potentialities of such isolates will help in determining risk factors attributing pandrug resistance and strengthening strategic development of new and effective antimicrobial agents.

Implications of aging and the endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response on the molecular modality of breast cancer

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important subcellular organelle that is involved in numerous activities required to achieve and maintain functional proteins in addition to its role in the biosynthesis of lipids and as a repository of intracellular Ca²⁺. The inability of the ER to cope with protein folding beyond its capacity causes disturbances that evoke ER stress. Cells possess molecular mechanisms aimed at clearing unwanted cargo from the ER lumen as an adaptive response, but failing to do so navigates the system towards cell death. This systemic approach is called the unfolded protein response. Aging insults cells through various perturbations in homeostasis that involve curtailing ER function by mitigating the expression of its resident chaperones and enzymes. Here the unfolded protein response (UPR) cannot protect the cell due to the weakening of its protective arm, which exacerbates imbalanced homeostasis. Aging predisposed breast malignancy activates the UPR, but tumor cells maneuver the mechanistic details of the UPR, favoring tumorigenesis and thereby eliciting a treacherous condition. Tumor cells exploit UPR pathways via crosstalk involving various signaling cascades that usher tumor cells to immortality. This review aims to present a collection of data that can delineate the missing links of molecular signatures between aging and breast cancer.

Analysis for the presence of determinants involved in the transport of mercury across bacterial membrane from polluted water bodies of India

Abstract Mercury, which is ubiquitous and recalcitrant to biodegradation processes, threatens human health by escaping to the environment via various natural and anthropogenic activities. Non-biodegradability of mercury pollutants has necessitated the development and implementation of economic alternatives with promising potential to remove metals from the environment. Enhancement of microbial based remediation strategies through genetic engineering approaches provides one such alternative with a promising future. In this study, bacterial isolates inhabiting polluted sites were screened for tolerance to varying concentrations of mercuric chloride. Following identification, several Pseudomonas and Klebsiella species were found to exhibit the highest tolerance to both organic and inorganic mercury. Screened bacterial isolates were examined for their genetic make-up in terms of the presence of genes (merP and merT) involved in the transport of mercury across the membrane either alone or in combination to deal with the toxic mercury. Gene sequence analysis revealed that the merP gene showed 86–99% homology, while the merT gene showed >98% homology with previously reported sequences. By exploring the genes involved in imparting metal resistance to bacteria, this study will serve to highlight the credentials that are particularly advantageous for their practical application to remediation of mercury from the environment.