Inheritance of six anthropometric traits in Vaidyas of West Bengal, India

BACKGROUND: Anthropometric traits are important quantitative traits used by biological anthropologists. Surprisingly little is known about their pattern of inter-generational transmission, probably due to lack of use of developed statistical analysis in previous studies. AIM: The present study is an attempt to approach the problem of the inheritance of anthropometric traits through advanced statistical applications. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Measurements of 824 individuals from 200 families including two generations were collected from Barasat, West Bengal. The study includes age correction by regression, familial correlation, heritability estimation and segregation analyses. RESULTS: Results showed that there is strong involvement of the familial component in variation of anthropometric traits. The magnitude of heritability (h2= 57-83%) also supports their strong genetic basis. The results indicated that additive genes are not the only contributing factor; the effect of environment is considerable and that of dominant genes not negligible. Due to genetic interaction with the local environment (specific for each trait), heritabilities vary from one trait to another. Length measurements have higher heritability than breadth measurements. Segregation analysis revealed that either the additive or dominant major gene (MG) is responsible for this effect, which follows simple Mendelian transmission. Beside this, the possibility of the existence of an additional minor gene cannot be discarded. CONCLUSION: Anthropometric traits have a genetic basis but their mode of inheritance is quite complex in nature. There is evidence of major gene effect (along with polygenes) with Mendelian transmission.     

Prevalence of anaemia among rural pre-school children of West Bengal,India

Background: Micronutrient malnutrition is a major public health nutritional problem in India, and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) continues to be a major nutritional problem of public health significance, affecting all physiological groups, of which rural pre-school children are the most vulnerable.

Aim: The main aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of anaemia among rural pre-school children.

Subjects and methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in rural areas of West Bengal State during 2002–2003. A total of 437 pre-school children were covered for the estimation of blood haemoglobin levels.

Results: A majority (81%) of the rural children of West Bengal were anaemic, and the prevalence was significantly (p<0.001) higher among 1–3-year-old (91%) as compared to 4–5-year-old (74.6%) children. A significantly (p<0.01) higher proportion of 1+ (OR=7.7; 95% CI: 2.6–22.4) and 2+ year children (OR=3.0; 95% CI: 1.5–6.0) and those belonging to lower socio-economic Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities were at risk for anaemia (OR=2.3; 95% CI 1.3–3.9).

Conclusions: The prevalence of anaemia is a severe nutritional problem of public health significance. Therefore, iron supplementation and health and nutrition education programmes should be strengthened. The community needs to be encouraged to diversify their diets by consuming iron-fortified and iron-rich foods.     

Chikungunya virus infection in West Bengal,India

Background: Chikungunya virus has recently re-emerged in India. Objectives: Assess prevalence of Chikungunya. Materials and Methods: Study conducted from April 2011 to September 2011. Two hundred and six patients (206) of both sexes (100 males and 106 females) of all age groups studied. Serum separated and CHIKV MAC IgM ELISA and Hemagglutination inhibition assay done. Results: 76 cases (36.89%) sero-positive by both the methods. Conclusion: Re-emergence and resurgence of the Chikungunya virus requires continuous monitoring.     

Variation in adult body dimensions in relation to economic condition among the Mahishyas of Howrah district, West Bengal, India

The body dimensions of adults in three economic subgroups of the Mahishya caste population of Chakpota village, Howrah district, West Bengal, India, were studied. In both sexes, with the decline in economic condition values of body size measurements, skinfold thickness, body fat and anthropometric indices decrease, with the exception of the ponderal index, the value of which increases. The sex difference in height increases with increasing economic status. The correlation between weight and height is highest in the low economic subgroups.     

A decade-long temporal analyses of human group-A rotavirus among children with gastroenteritis: Prevaccination scenario in West Bengal,eastern India

Despite the significant reduction in the global infantile death toll due to rotaviral diarrhea, India still contributes substantially to rotavirus-related hospitalization as well as mortality rates. The rotavirus surveillance study conducted from 2008 through 2017 among children (≤5 years) with moderate to severe gastroenteritis seeking healthcare facilities at two hospitals in eastern India, revealed a change in the proportion of rotavirus positivity, seasonality, and age-group specificity along with the cycling of different usual and unusual genotypes in this endemic setting. G1 strains predominated during 2008-2010, while G2 and G9 genotypes eventually upsurged during 2011-2013. G1 strains re-established their lead during 2013-2015, while G3 emerged for the first time in eastern India in 2015 and rooted itself as the cardinal strain 2016 onwards. Evolutionary analyses of all the predominant genotypes (G1, G2, G3, and G9) revealed that they were mostly phylogenetically distant to the rotavirus vaccine strains as depicted in the phylogenetic dendrogram. These decade-long epidemiological studies during the pre-vaccination period in West Bengal (eastern India) underscore the cocirculation of multiple rotavirus genotypes in addition to sporadic occurrence of zoonotic strains like G10P[6] and G11P[25].     

Fertility, mortality and maternal anaemic status in a village population of West Bengal, India

The present study was conducted on a Mahishya agricultural caste population of Chakpota village, Howrah district, West Bengal, India to enquire into the possible relations of anaemia, and fertility and mortality. The results confirm that negative relations exist between heamoglobin level of the mother, on the one hand, and fertility and offspring mortality, on the other.     

Heritability variations of morphometric traits in West Bengal (India) children aged 4-19 years: a mixed-longitudinal growth study

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal and semi-longitudinal growth studies on siblings reflecting heritability changes during growth are very scarce. Moreover, studies of variables other than height, weight and BMI are virtually non-existent. AIM: The study compared changes in the heritability of six body lengths, four body breadths, and three indices between ages 4 and 19 years on the basis of a mixed-longitudinal sample of siblings, and examined whether heritability estimates change during the growth period. The data consisted of 238 brothers and 214 sisters from 134 middle-class nuclear families living in Kolkata (India). The analysis of sibling correlation was performed by maximum likelihood. The age-related patterns of heritabilities of the various traits were described by a cubic spline. RESULTS: The heritability was very high and significant in most traits, and at all considered ages. Mean heritability in the 10 morphometric traits was 69.3%, which was higher than the heritability values for the three indices. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirmed the existence of age-related trends in heritability of the considered morphometric traits. The sharp decline of the heritabilities at adolescence in most of the morphometric traits, and the acromio-iliac index in particular, may be due to the large inter-individual variation in the age at which the adolescent growth spurt is reached in both sexes.     

Menstrual characteristics: A study of the adolescents of rural and urban West Bengal,India

Abstract

Background: It has been observed that menstrual characteristics are generally influenced by lifestyle, socio-cultural and biological factors.

Aim: The present study examines: (a) variation in menstrual characteristics between rural and urban adolescents; and (b) whether these characteristics can be predicted from various socio-economic variables related to place of residence.

Subjects and methods: The sample of the present study constituted 715 adolescent girls from rural (325) and urban (390) areas of West Bengal, a State of India. These girls belong to a Bengali-speaking Hindu ethnic group. Data on socio-economic variables and menstrual characteristics were collected using pretested questionnaires.

Results: Rural and urban adolescents differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with respect to age at menarche, skipped and irregular cycles, premenstrual syndrome, duration of menstrual discharge, mean number of days of peak discharge and problems related to menstrual discharge. Place of residence was found to be a significant predictor of age at menarche (β = 0.27, p < 0.01). Significant association was observed between some of the socio-economic variables and various menstrual characteristics among the study participants.

Conclusions: Menstrual characteristics differ significantly between rural and urban adolescents. Moreover, various socio-economic variables pertaining to place of residence significantly affect the menstrual characteristics among adolescents.     

Population ecology of Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera: Psychodidae) in West Bengal, India.

The population abundance of Phlebotomus argentipes Annandale & Brunetti was studied between January 1986 and December 1987 at 2 sites in West Bengal, India, in relation to 8 ecological parameters (air temperature, rainfall, windspeed, relative humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil pH, and soil organic carbon). Sand flies were present throughout the year with minimum abundance in winter months and maximum during monsoon and postmonsoon months. Correlation analysis examined pairwise relationships among the 8 ecological parameters and P. argentipes abundance. Multiple linear regression of sand fly abundance on the 8 parameters showed that average soil temperature and soil moisture, both recorded 1 mo earlier, were associated positively with sand fly abundance. These findings have important implications for Indian kala-azar disease control and prevention. Effective vector management programs are needed most when weather conditions favor increased sand fly abundance, given that greater sand fly abundance increases the likelihood of host-vector contact and the transmission of Leishmania.     

The influence of sex chromosomes on finger dermatoglyphic patterns

Finger pattern frequencies for patients exhibiting various sex chromosome aneuploidies were obtained from literature sources. The sample consisted of 141 XO, 500 XX, 68 XXX, 9 XXXX, 500 XY, 93 XYY, 30 XXYY and 6 XXXXY. Pattern frequencies were converted to radial and ulnar loop frequencies, and these in turn were used to construct four variables; pattern intensity; radial-ulnar difference; radial loop asymmetry; and ulnar loop asymmetry. The relationship between the dermatoglyphic variables on to the sex chromosomes was examined by regressing the dermatoglyphic variables on to the number of X and Y chromosomes. Radial-ulnar difference and radial loop asymmetry showed the strongest relationship with the number of X and Y chromosomes. The X and Y chromosomes had about equal influence on radial-ulnar difference, but the Y had a stronger effect on radial loop asymmetry. It is postulated that sex chromosomes influence dermatoglyphic development by controlling tissue sensitivity to fetal sex steroids.     

Immunoglobulin (Gm and Km) allotypes in nine endogamous groups of West Bengal, India

Blood samples from 898 individuals of nine endogamous groups of West Bengal, India were typed for determining the haplotypic structure in the gamma-light chain (Gm) and kappa-light chain (Km) of immunoglobulin (IgG). The Gm haplotype frequencies detected by Glm (1), Glm (2) and G3m (5) markers suggest that in this eastern state of India there is considerable variation of frequencies of the typical Mongoloid haplotype Gm1,5, which shows a high incidence in Rajbanshi, Rabha, Garo and Lodha groups. On the contrary, this haplotype is probably absent in the high caste groups, Rarhi Brahmin and Vaidya, and is relatively infrequent in Jalia Kaibarta, a scheduled caste of the south-western part of the state. The Km1 allele is also high in frequency among Rajbanshi, Rabha, Garo and Munda in comparison with Rarhi Brahmin and Vaidya, suggesting the former four groups' strong Mongoloid affiliation. This survey signifies that there is considerable variation in the extent of Mongoloid admixture in Bengali populations. Such admixture is not restricted in specific social class either. It further demonstrates that heterogeneity of the genetic structure of Bengali populations do not correspond to the present social ranking on the basis of caste hierarchy.     

On a new species of Aplectana (Nematoda,Cosmocercidae) from Kulti,Burdwan, West Bengal,India

During routine survey for amphibian nematodes from coalfield areas of West Bengal, India 7 male and 12 female nematodes were recovered from the rectum of one out of three Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1899) examined for helminth infection from Kulti, Burdwan. On examination the recovered nematodes were found to belong to a new species of the genus Aplectana (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae) and the name Aplectana duttaphryni sp. nov. is proposed for them. This species is most similar to those species which possess gubernaculum but differs from all by distribution pattern of caudal papillae. Aplectana duttaphryni sp. nov. represents 49^th species assigned to the genus, but only the 4^th species reported from Oriental realm and second from India.     

Genetic studies on total finger ridge count among Telaganya Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh,India

Investigations carried out in many populations on the genetics of total ridge count of fingers have shown that the trait is determined mainly by additive genes. However, the phenotypic variance differs among the populations. In the present investigation, the genetics of total finger ridge count in the Telaganya Brahmin population of Andhra Pradesh, India, has been studied in detail and compared with the earlier results.     

Comparative study of physiological and anthropometric characteristics of high and low productivity workers in northern West Bengal,India

Lung functiion, selected hematological traits, blood pressures, and anthropometric dimensions were measured on adult Oraon tea garden laborers of both sexes from two tea gardens of Jaipaiguri district, northern West Bengal, India. The laborers were classified into two groups on the basis of work output or productivity, measured in terms of the quantity of green leaves plucked per day. The groups were similar in income, dietary pattern, and self-reported morbidity. Relationships between the measured variables and productivity were evaluated. The results show several significant relationships, but do not conclusively demonstrate that the independent variables under study have any effects on work output. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Virulence genes and neutral DNA markers of Helicobacter pylori isolates from different ethnic communities of West Bengal,India

Virulence-associated genes and neutral DNA markers of Helicobacter pylori strains from the Santhal and Oroan ethnic minorities of West Bengal, India, were studied. These people have traditionally been quite separate from other Indians and differ culturally, genetically, and linguistically from mainstream Bengalis, whose H. pylori strains have been characterized previously. H. pylori was found in each of 49 study participants, although none had peptic ulcer disease, and was cultured from 31 of them. All strains carried the cag pathogenicity island and potentially toxigenic s1 alleles of vacuolating cytotoxin gene (vacA) and were resistant to at least 8 micro g of metronidazole per ml. DNA sequence motifs in vacA mid-region m1 alleles, cagA, and an informative insertion or deletion motif next to cagA from these strains were similar to those of strains from ethnic Bengalis. Three mobile elements, IS605, IS607, and ISHp608, were present in 29, 19, and 10%, respectively, of Santhal and Oroan strains, which is similar to their prevalence in Bengali H. pylori. Thus, there is no evidence that the gene pools of H. pylori of these ethnic minorities differ from those of Bengalis from the same region. This relatedness of strains from persons of different ethnicities bears on our understanding of H. pylori transmission between communities and genome evolution.