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M Vijayakumar

Publications and source records attributed to M Vijayakumar.

49 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Malnutrition and childhood tuberculosis.

Cell-mediated immune status (CMI) of sixty-five children suffering from various clinical forms of tuberculosis and thirty age- and sex-matched healthy children aged between 1 and 5 years was investigated to understand the role of malnutrition in tuberculosis. A significant association between severe malnutrition and severe forms of infection was observed. Data on CMI showed immunosuppressive effect of tuberculosis per se in all children. Well nourished children had similar CMI status irrespective of the severity of the disease while malnourished children with severe forms of disease showed lowest CMI response. These data suggest not only the synergistic interactions of malnutrition and tuberculosis, but the contributory role of malnutrition in causing more severe immuno suppression. The results point out the importance of better nutritional status of the child in preventing the severe forms of the disease.

Child, Preschool↗

Use of insertional inactivation to facilitate studies of biological properties of pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA).

PspA is a cell surface protein of Streptococcus pneumoniae that is present on a number of clinical isolates as well as the nonencapsulated laboratory strain Rx1. In a previous report we have shown that mAbs directed against PspA can protect mice from at least some of the pneumococcal strains bearing this protein. In our present report we have produced insertional inactivation mutants that lack PspA and have used these mutants to demonstrate that PspA can play a role in pneumococcal virulence and that anti-PspA immunity can lead to protection against pneumococcal infection. PspA- mutants were obtained using derivatives of plasmid pVA891 carrying chromosomal fragments from Rx1. From one of the mutants, we cloned a 550 bp fragment of the pneumococcal gene into pVA891 and transferred this chimeric plasmid, designated pKSD300, into Escherichia coli. After transformation of pKSD300 into Rx1, PspA production is not detected. In colony hybridization experiments, the 550 bp fragment hybridizes specifically to pneumococcal isolates in a pattern consistent with the hypothesis that the fragment is a portion of the pspA structural gene that is different from the portions coding for the antigenic determinants detected by mAbs Xi64 or Xi126. When X-linked immunodeficient (xid) CBA/N mice were immunized with wild-type Rx1, they were resistant to challenge with type 3 strain WU2. However, when these mice were immunized with a PspA- mutant of Rx1, they failed to survive the subsequent challenge, indicating that immunity to PspA can contribute to the resistance to pneumococcal infection. Using pKSD300 we insertionally inactivated pspA in D39, a virulent strain of S. pneumoniae. When injected intravenously there was a 10-fold greater reduction of the mutant pneumococci in the blood, as compared to the wild-type D39.

Animals↗

Resolution of genetic and uterine environmental effects in a family study of new dermatoglyphic measure: sole pattern ridge counts.

The heritability of sole pattern ridge counts was examined in two family studies of endogamous castes from peninsular India. The phenotypes included ridge counts for each of the eight configurational areas separately, all areas combined, and only distal areas combined. Differences in heritability estimates were found between populations as well as among the individual configurational areas. Although some ridge counts do not show familial resemblance, others appear to be moderately heritable. Estimates of h2 range from 0.36 to 0.63 in one family series and from 0.22 to 0.51 in the other. In addition, significant uterine environmental effects were detected in one family series but not in the other.

Dermatoglyphics↗

PGM1 subtype polymorphism in 14 endogamous Dravidian-speaking populations of South India.

Red cell hemolysates from 1,004 persons belonging to 14 population groups drawn from four South Indian states, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala, were tested for PGM1 subtypes. The groups are characterized by a high frequency of phenotype 1+1+ (range 36.98-71.64%) and the allele 1+ (range 60-79%). The groups exhibit marked heterogeneity for PGM1 locus. The results show a clear demarcation between tribes and Brahmin groups.

Alleles↗

A family study of dermatoglyphic traits in India: resolution of genetic and uterine environmental effects for palmar pattern ridge counts.

The inheritance of palmar pattern ridge counts for individual palmar areas, combined distal areas, and all ten areas combined was investigated in families belonging to two strictly endogamous Brahmin castes of peninsular India. Ridge count phenotypes were obtained by the method proposed by Malhotra et al. (1981a), however, zero observations (indicating patterns not circumscribed by triradii) were excluded from analysis. Path analytic methods were applied in order to determine the relative influences of polygenes, intrauterine environment, and residual environment. The proportion of genetic variation was, in general, consistently greater in one population than the other, and significant intrauterine environmental effects were detected for the population with lower heritabilities. The results of this investigation suggest that a simple polygenic model may not be sufficient to explain the inheritance of ridge counts in the interdigital IV configurational area. Distal pattern ridge counts do not appear to be influenced by more or less uterine environmental effects than all areas considered together. The proportion of genetic variation for the total palmar pattern ridge count was 52% in both populations.

Consanguinity↗

Digital dermatoglyphics in some tribal populations of Andhra Pradesh, India.

An analysis of digital pattern types, ridge counts and pattern intensity index was made on samples from six tribal populations viz. Koya, Kolam, Rajgond, Chenchu, Pardhan and sugali. Bimanual, sexwise and inter-tribal comparisons were made for all the six tribes. Males in Koya, Kolam and Sugali and females in Sugali showed significant bimanual difference (chi 2 values 10.44, 10.09, 9.74 and 10.71 respectively). Sex difference was significant in Rajgond, Chenchu and Pardhan (chi 2 values 19.26, 33.46 and 24.64 respectively) for frequency of digital patterns. Inter-tribal comparisons showed Koya resembling with Kolam and Pardhan and Rajgond with Pardhan. For Total Finger Ridge Count, Kolam showed similarity with Rajgond, Pardhan and Sugali, Rajgond with Sugali and Chenchu also with Sugali. Pattern intensity index did not differ significantly among these populations.

Adolescent↗

Genetic studies on some tribes of the Telangana region, Andhra, Pradesh, India.

Phenotype distributions and gene frequencies of nine red cell enzyme systems and haemoglobin are presented for six tribal populations from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. AEO, MN and Rh blood group data are presented for four of these tribes. The results have been compared with these from other Andhra Pradesh tribal Populations. The Yerukula tribe are notable for the presence of PGM7 1 at polymorphic frequency, the occurrence of a single example of PGM10 2 and the absence of Hbs.

Blood Group Antigens↗

Genetic studies on the Chenchu Tribe of Andhra Pradesh, India.

A total of almost 200 members of a tribal group, the Chenchu from the Mahabubnagar and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh, have been tested for electrophoretic variation in a number of red cell enzyme systems. The former population has also been tested for ABO, MN and Rh blood group systems and for the serum proteins Hp, Tf and albumin. The most significant findings were the presence of the gene ry, and the occurrence of a polymorphism in PHI with the variant gene PHI5 having a gene frequency of 4%.

Blood Group Antigens↗