Harmful effects of chemical pesticides: Guntur farmers report gene defects

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad:  Farmers in the State run the risk of “gene
poisoning” (genotoxicity) thanks to heavy use of chemical pesticides.
Some of them now suffer from chromosomal aberrations leading to
certain genetic problems.

Researchers from Osmania University, Mahavir Medical Research Centre,
National Institute of Nutrition and Kamineni Hospitals have found that
chromosomal aberrations were significantly higher in farmers exposed
to chemical pesticides. “About 2.8 per cent of farmers, who use
chemical pesticides, in Guntur district showed genotoxicity. This is
against just 0.72 per cent of farmers, who do not use pesticides,
suffering from the genetic issues,” they pointed out.

As part of the study, the city teams selected about 150 cotton
farmers. Since cotton is prone to severe pests, farmers use chemical
sprays indiscriminately on the crop. The use of pesticides had not
come down even after introduction of Bt cotton, which is supposed to
be pest resistant.

Andhra Pradesh has the dubious distinction of consuming the highest
quantity of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and only a couple of
years, the State government banned about 30 harmful pesticides. Over
the years, the soil texture has undergone a sea change due to use of
chemicals. Soils in many places have turned either saline or alkaline
necessitating scientific intervention to restore the natural texture.
The city researchers have shown that chemical pesticides not only
affect the soil texture, but also cause chromosomal aberrations.

They also found a correlation between chromosomal aberration frequency
and exposure to certain pesticides. The higher their exposure to the
pesticide residue the greater the genetic damage in farmers.
Chromosomal aberrations in adults often pass on to the next
generation, affecting the offspring.

The city researchers collected blood samples from the cotton farmers
and conducted chromosomal aberration and micronucleus tests.
Chromosomal aberrations were higher in farmers exposed to pesticide
residues. However, there was little damage to the micronucleus.

Hepatitis E Virus in rats no threat to humans

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: As researchers discover the presence of hepatitis E
virus (HEV) in rats, city doctors assure that since India is endemic
to HEV there may not be any major problem for people here. Rats are
capable of spreading a number of diseases to humans, and the recent
suspected cases of Hantavirus transmitted through rat droppings,
created a medical scare.

In India hepatitis E virus is mostly transmitted by faeco-oral route
through contaminated water, though there have been sporadic cases of
transmission from person to person, and to humans from animals
particularly through pig droppings and ill-cooked wild boar meat. The
discovery of HEV in rats means rodents may pose a health risk given
the poor sanitation standards in the country.

“HEV can be a major concern for pregnant women particularly if they
are in the second or third trimester. It generally does not infect
children. Most of the cases are cured, but 20 per cent of patients may
develop severe jaundice and other liver issues. India is endemic to
HEV and thus it would not cause much problem here,” said senior
gastroenterologist Dr Manisha Bangar of Care Hospitals.

The rat HEV is capable of infecting monkeys. It is feared that any
change in its genetic design may make rat HEV a major health problem
for human beings. A number of viruses that were originally in animals
have gained genetic strength to infect human beings, the latest being
novel human influenza virus and bird flu.

“There is no problem at this point of time. Presence of virus in
animals does not mean it will infect humans. The rat HEV is a
different strain from the ones found in human beings,” said Dr
Suneetha Narreddy, infectious diseases expert from Apollo Hospitals.

Rats may be a potential source of human infections because they have a
high sero-prevalence of antibodies against HEV and are in close
contact with people in many places.

Chronic asthmatics spend more than they should on medicare thanks to improper treatment modalities

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad:  Chronic asthmatics are spending an extra Rs 22,000
each per year, thanks to doctors and patients not following the
government guidelines on treatment of this major health issue. An
asthmatic need to spend just Rs 4253 per year on medicines and related
costs as per current prices, but on an average the patient now spends
Rs 26,087. This amount is likely to shoot up to Rs 31,045 in the next
five years with each asthmatic spending Rs 26,000 more than what he
should.

Research by a leading charitable hospital in the city for the World
Health Organisation (WHO) showed that adoption of the official
guidelines for asthma management by health providers would result in a
drastic reduction of health care expenditure by families of asthma
patients. It would also help in reducing morbidity levels in a short
span of time and improve the quality of life of asthma patients.
Strict adherence to guidelines will bring down the over all economic
burden of the disease on the country by about five times.

“The problem of asthma can be easily managed when it is in the mild
stage. In fact, 90 per cent of these cases are mild and can be
successfully handled at primary health care centres. This will reduce
the financial burden on patients,” pointed out the WHO document based
on a research survey in Hyderabad and surrounding areas.

The annual economic burden of chronic asthma in the country is
estimated at Rs 10,312 crore and this is likely to increase to Rs
13,525 crore by 2016. Children attending schools located in areas with
high and low traffic zones showed different levels of asthma
prevalence with 19.34 per cent of affluent students and 31.11 per cent
of less affluent students in heavy traffic zones showing asthma. Only
11.15 per cent of affluent students in low traffic zones suffer from
the problem.

It also revealed that the incidence of asthma was 18.79 per cent if
one of the parents had asthma, 1.65 per cent if one of the siblings
had asthma, and 4.12 per cent, if the grandparents had the disease.
About one-fifth of the children seem to suffer from food-related
asthma. The most blamed offenders are grapes (57 per cent), bananas
(53 per cent), guavas (51 per cent), citrus fruits (28 per cent), ice
cream (21.5 per cent), fried foods (19 per cent) and tomatoes (12.5
per cent).

Hope for haemophilia patients: Breakthrough injection could solve this major health problem

Just one injection could be enough to mean people with haemophilia B no longer need medication, according to an early study in the UK and the US.

Six patients were given a virus that infects the body with the blueprints needed to produce blood-clotting proteins. Four of them could then stop taking their drugs, says a BBC report.

Doctors said the gene therapy was "potentially life-changing".

Other researchers have described it as a "truly a landmark study."

People with haemophilia B have an error in their genetic code, which means they cannot produce a protein called factor IX, which is critical for blood-clotting.

Patients are currently treated with factor IX injections, sometimes multiple times per week, but the manufacturing process is expensive.

Researchers at University College London and St Jude Children's Research Hospital in the US were looking for a more permanent solution.

Virus modification

They took a virus which infects people without symptoms - adeno-associated virus eight. It was then modified to infect liver cells with the genetic material for factor IX. The gene should then persist in the liver cells, telling the cells to manufacture the protein.

Six people were injected with the modified virus at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Two were given a low dose, two a middle dose and two a high level.

An adeno-associated virus was modified to infect cells with the correct gene

Results published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed levels of factor IX could be increased.

Normally, patients will have factor IX levels less than 1% of those found in people without haemophilia.

After injection, levels of factor IX ranged from 2% to 12%. The first patient treated has maintained levels of 2% for more than 16 months. One of the patients receiving the highest dose maintained levels which fluctuated between 8% and 12% for 20 weeks.

Carl Walker, aged 26 and from Berkshire, showed the greatest improvement. He said: "I have not needed any of my normal treatment, either preventative or on-demand as a result of an injury. Previously, I used to infuse at home three times a week.

"I play football, run and take part in triathlons - and previously I might have had to infuse both before I took part and possibly after as well. Not having to do that has been absolutely brilliant."

Dr Amit Nathwani from University College London told the BBC that patients with 12% of normal factor IX production would no longer be seen in the clinic.

"They would be able to go about their normal daily lives without any problems. The only time that they would have a problem is if they were involved in a road traffic accident or had a big fall from a building site. In the absence of severe major trauma these individuals would not know that they have haemophilia."

He said the aim of the research was to take patients from a severe form of haemophilia to a mild one.

'Fantastic start'

"All the patients have actually benefited from this gene transfer approach, even the patients who have not been able to stop protein concentrate infusion [normal therapy]."

He said these people needed fewer injections of factor IX.

The trial was designed to test the safety of the procedure. Trials in more patients will be needed to fully determine its effectiveness and patients will need to be followed for longer periods of time to see how long the effect lasts.

There was an immune response against the infected liver cells around seven to nine weeks after the virus was injected. In the trial it was controlled with steroids, but doctors will also want to see if they can avoid it happening.

Dr Katherine Ponder, from the Washington University School of Medicine, said this was "truly a landmark study, since it is the first to achieve long-term expression of a blood protein at therapeutically relevant levels".

She added: "If further studies determine that this approach is safe, it may replace the cumbersome and expensive protein therapy currently used for patients."

Chris James, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: "The society is delighted to see world-class research in the UK which may ultimately provide therapies to improve the life of those with haemophilia showing such positive results at this stage.

"These are early days and all medical and scientific developments need to go through extensive testing for efficacy and side effects. As such we would not wish to raise false hopes at this stage. However, we hope that this research will eventually result in the removal of the need for regular injections and significantly reduce painful bleeds and debilitating joint damage for those living with haemophilia."

Unfolding the mystery of human civilisation: How several tribes turned into caste groups

By Syed Akbar

India, with its dozens of populations, presents a veritable museum of
humanity. It is the land of tribals and caste groups, not to speak of the 
numerous religious populations. A little peep into the past and analysis 
of the genetic data of different Indian populations shows that many 
groups, which were originally tribal in nature, have now become caste 
populations. And this transformation from "tribal" to "caste" groups 
may outwardly appear to be a simple sociological phenomenon, but a 
recent study reveals that it has genetic structure too.
The Hyderabad-based anthropology unit of the Indian Statistical 
Institute in its study on north-east Indian populations has established 
the effect of the sociological process of a Tribe-Caste continuum on 
genetic structure.
In north-eastern States of India there are two clusters of populations, 
Caucasoid caste populations on one side and Mongoloid tribal groups 
on the other. In between are the populations which were originally 
tribes but now have become semi-Hinduised caste groups, viz., 
Rajbanshi, Ghutiya, and Ahom. These groups have currently assumed 
caste status and speak Indo-European languages.
According to Dr B Mohan Reddy and Vikrant Kumar of Indian 
Statistical Institute, these tribes over a period of time assumed the 
characteristics and status of castes and this transformation of a tribe 
into a caste results in a Tribe-Caste continuum. A few such cases are 
Bhumij, Kharia, Bauris and Raj Gonds.
"This sociological concept of a Tribe-Caste continuum postulates that 
one end of the continuum is formed by caste populations, while the 
tribal populations constitute the other end. In between are the 
populations who were once tribes but gradually adopted the attributes 
of the caste population and ultimately became absorbed as an integral 
part of a caste system, albeit at the lowest rung of caste hierarchy," they 
point out.
One of the best examples is that of Rajbanshi, which claims to be 
Kshatriya, although a majority of them are Koch. Similar processes 
were reported from other groups such as the Dimasa of Tripura, Jantia 
of Jaintipur and Koch of Cooch Behar. The dwindling of Kachari 
groups from a large number of about 30 to 10 at present is said to be a 
result of this process, they said.  
As part of the study the scientific group examined the gene frequency 
data for 11 genetic markers commonly available in the literature for 22 
populations of north-eastern India in the light of their geographic, 
linguistic, and ethnic affiliations. The markers investigated were blood 
groups, serum proteins and enzyme systems.
The neighbour-joining tree and multidimensional scaling of the 
distance matrix suggest relatively high genetic differentiation among 
the Mongoloid groups, with probably diverse origins when compared 
to the Caucasoid Indo-European populations, which had probably come 
from relatively more homogeneous backgrounds. Broadly speaking, the 
pattern of population affinities conforms to the ethno-historic, 
linguistic, and geographic backgrounds, Dr Mohan Reddy and Vikrant 
Kumar observed. 
The north-eastern part of India is inhabited by numerous endogamous 
tribes and castes that have their own distinct social, linguistic and 
biological identity. It has been hypothesised that a plethora of 
migrations, particularly through the north-east Indian corridor, has 
contributed to the present-day population of north-eastern India. 
Ethnically speaking, most of the tribal groups are Mongoloids, whereas 
caste groups are either Caucasoid or show a mosaic of features of both 
the ethnic groups. The Mongoloids/Indo-Mongoloids have come to 
India from different directions at different times and perhaps earlier 
than the Caucasoid.
While the Mongoloids have migrated from eastern, south-eastern and 
central Asian regions, the Caucasoid may have entered from western 
and northern boundaries of this region. While a majority of the 
Mongoloids are tribes affiliated with the Tibeto-Chinese linguistic 
family, excepting Khasi, most of the Caucasoid are caste groups and 
speak Indo-European languages. Although these groups have been 
broadly classified on the basis of language and ethnicity, they show 
considerable variations within these broad categories, they said.
Both the Mongoloid and Caucasoid groups show a certain degree of 
differentiation within themselves in cultural and biological traits such 
as anthropometry, genetic markers, and dermatoglyphics.
The study also confirms the hypotheses that Mongoloids have entered 
north-eastern India at different points of time by different routes and 
therefore might represent different parental stocks. On the other hand, 
the Caucasoid populations except for the Brahmins and Chetri of 
Sikkim, have migrated from the western route of north-eastern India. 
As far as the Brahmins and Chetri of Sikkim are concerned, they came 
from Northern India to Nepal and then to north-eastern India around 
the 19th century.

Nuclear medicine hazard: Many hospitals do not follow AERB norms

Syed Akbar

Hyerabad: Nuclear medicine hazard looms large in hospitals in the state with many of them not following the safety code of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The “safety code for nuclear medicine facilities” deals with handling of nuclear radio isotopes for diagnostic facilities and treatment of certain diseases like cancers, as well as safe disposal of the bodies of patients, who die while on radiation therapy.

Though most hospitals have followed the building code for housing the nuclear medicine department, many of them flout the rules with regard to the management of cadavers containing radionuclides. Many hospitals do not have local safety committees to ensure that the code is followed.

Even senior doctors admit that they are not aware of the AERB code on safe nuclear medicine and the procedure of handling bodies of patients under radiation therapy. In some cases, patients die during radiation therapy. Doctors just hand over the bodies to the relatives without ensuring that the quantum of radionuclides in the body is within the permissible limits.

According to AERB guidelines, the maximum permissible level of iodine131 radioisotope for a body meant for postmortem is 10 megabecquerel and 400 for burial and cremation. In case of yttrium90 isotope, it is 200, 2000 and 70 MBq for postmortem, burial and cremation respectively. The corresponding figures for Au198 (isotope of gold) is 400, 400 and 100; for phosphorous32 is 100, 2000 and 30; and for strontium89 is 50, 2000 and 20 MBq. Doctors should ensure to keep radiation doses and contamination risks “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALRA).

Senior oncologist Dr P. Raghu Ram said radiological monitoring should be followed before doctors and others leave the scene in case of mishap in nuclear medicine unit. “Assume that all materials, equipment and personnel have been contaminated if they were in the immediate area of the incident. There should be strict isolation precautions,” he added.

In case the body is meant for cremation, prior authorisation, and specific precautions to be observed during cremation, should be obtained from the radiation safety officer concerned. In case of burial, relatives should be prevented from coming into contact with the body and people must not stay near the coffin.

The body should be handled with disposable gloves and kept on plastic sheets to control spread of contamination. Autopsy on contaminated cadavers should be performed only in a special autopsy room, which many hospitals in the State do not have.