Evaluation of Race by Cranial Index of Adult Human Skull in Maharastra Population

Biologists and physical anthropologists attempted to classify human being into races according to phenotypic variations. The latter are based either on one or two phenotypic characters therefore the outcome is unable to givq clear distinction among different races. Cranial index seems to be an important,tool, which may be used to identify the races in different geographical regions. 75 dried skulls collected from different part of Maharashtra were measured to determine the cranial index. Skulls were classified by the method of Montagu (1960)2 Average maximum cranial length and breadth were found to be 17.11 cm and 12.98 cm respectively and maximum & minimum cranial lengths were observed to be 18.50 and 16.60 cm and cranial breadths were noted to be 14.50 and 12.10 cm respectively. Average cranial index (mean ± SD) was 75.49 ± 3.95. In our study most of the skulls were grouped under the Mesocranial (46.66%) and Dolichocranial (42.66%) categorises when based on Montagu and Dolichocranial categorises when 56% based Comas'. As per the conclusion Maharashtrian population belongs to Indo-Dravidian race.     

Diamond-Blackfan anemia: promotion of marrow erythropoiesis in vitro by recombinant interleukin-3

To clarify the defective erythropoiesis in eight patients with Diamond- Blackfan anemia, we studied their bone marrow response in vitro to recombinant human interleukin-3 (IL-3) and recombinant granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). In an erythropoietin- containing assay system, specimens from six of the eight patients yielded low numbers of erythroid colonies compared to control values, and in five of these no erythropoietin dose-response could be elicited. Addition of IL-3, GM-CSF or both to cultures from the six patients had no effect on CFU-E-derived colonies. In contrast, IL-3 but not GM-CSF induced a marked increase in the number (183%) and size of the BFU-E- derived colonies in five of the six cases and partially corrected the impaired dose-response to erythropoietin in four. Bone marrow from the other two patients yielded numbers of CFU-E and BFU-E colonies comparable to controls and manifested similar increments in colonies with increasing concentrations of erythropoietin. When IL-3 was added to these cultures, further increments were observed in the number and size of BFU-E colonies. We conclude that IL-3 enhanced the marrow erythropoiesis in most of the patients and exerted a corrective effect on the aberrant colony formation in the presence of erythropoietin. The data raise the possibility of IL-3 as a therapeutic agent in Diamond- Blackfan anemia.     

Restricted expression of a new acute myelogenous leukemia-associated antigen (NHL-30.5) on normal hemopoietic progenitor cells

We have previously reported the isolation of a monoclonal antibody (NHL- 30.5) that reacts with an antigen expressed on a substantial proportion of marrow and blood cells of most patients with newly diagnosed or relapsing acute myeloid leukemia. This antigen is also found on several cell lines derived from myeloid malignancies of human origin. It is not present on mature hemopoietic cells or on the majority of differentiating bone marrow cells. In order to determine whether the NHL-30.5 antigen may, nevertheless, be expressed on low-frequency primitive normal hemopoietic cells, not detected in standard antibody screening procedures, its expression was studied on clonogenic erythropoietic and granulopoietic cells. Light-density (less than 1.077 g/mL) suspensions of normal or chronic myelogenous leukemia bone marrow and peripheral blood cells were stained with NHL-30.5 and fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled second antibody and then sorted into two fractions using the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The first contained the top 5% of cells with the highest fluorescence intensity. The remainder were collected in the second fraction. Colony assays of both fractions showed the first to be enriched in CFU-E, BFU-E, and CFU- C content (fourfold to 17-fold). The second fraction was correspondingly depleted of these progenitors. These findings reveal NHL-30.5 antigen expression to be a transient event during normal hemopoiesis that characterizes primitive hemopoietic cells on several pathways. Subsequent experiments showed that the presence of up to 10 micrograms/mL of purified NHL-30.5 antibody in colony assay cultures neither inhibited nor stimulated colony formation. Marrow fibroblasts (subcultured marrow adherent cells) were NHL-30.5 negative. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that the antigen detected by NHL- 30.5 is clearly distinct from that identified by My-10, another monoclonal antibody that has previously shown some similarities to NHL- 30.5. It thus appears that the NHL-30.5 antibody reacts with a new myeloid differentiation antigen of as yet unidentified function that is normally restricted in its expression to early stages of hemopoiesis.     

Improved red blood cell preservation correlates with decreased loss of bands 3, 4.1, acetylcholinestrase, and lipids in microvesicles

In earlier studies we have shown that a final concentration of 0.69% glycerol in blood mixed with an experimental additive solution, EAS 25, improves the in vitro quality and in vivo survival of red blood cells (RBCs). The objective of this study was to determine if the better preservation of RBCs in EAS 25 is correlated with the improved maintenance of membrane lipids and proteins and decreased vesiculation. Split units of RBCs were stored in Adsol or EAS 25 (mmol/L: adenine 2/2, dextrose 122/110, mannitol 42/55, glycerol 0/150, NaCl 154/50). After 12 weeks storage, RBC and microvesicle membranes were analyzed for cholesterol, phospholipid, diphenyl hexatriene fluorescence anisotropy, and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity. Bands 3 and 4.1 were identified in the microvesicle membranes by immunoblotting. The RBC membrane cholesterol, phospholipids, and AchE remained higher in EAS 25 than in Adsol (P < .001). Vesicle membrane lipids and AchE in EAS 25 were significantly less than in Adsol (P < .001). The fluidity of stored cells in both the solutions was greater than the prestorage samples. Immunoblotting analyses showed that bands 3 and 4.1 were greatly reduced in the microvesicle membranes shed by the RBCs stored in EAS 25 compared with those formed in Adsol.     

Risk factors for coronary artery disease in Indians

Background: A case control study was carried out to study the emerging risk factors for coronary artery disease in Indians.