Prediction and analysis of cis-regulatory elements in Dorsal and Ventral patterning genes of Tribolium castaneum and its comparison with Drosophila melanogaster.

Insect embryonic development and morphology are characterized by their anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral (DV) patterning. In Drosophila embryos, DV patterning is mediated by a dorsal protein gradient which activates twist and snail proteins, the important regulators of DV patterning. To activate or repress gene expression, some regulatory proteins bind in clusters to their target gene at sites known as cis-regulatory elements or enhancers. To understand how variations in gene expression in different lineages might lead to different phenotypes, it is necessary to understand enhancers and their evolution. Drosophila melanogaster has been widely studied to understand the interactions between transcription factors and the transcription factor binding sites. Tribolium castaneum is an upcoming model animal which is catching the interest of biologists and the research on the enhancer mechanisms in the insect's axes patterning is still in infancy. Therefore, the current study was designed to compare the enhancers of DV patterning in the two insect species. The sequences of ten proteins involved in DV patterning of D. melanogaster were obtained from Flybase. The protein sequences of T. castaneum orthologous to those obtained from D. melanogaster were acquired from NCBI BLAST, and these were then converted to DNA sequences which were modified by adding 20 kb sequences both upstream and downstream to the gene. These modified sequences were used for further analysis. Bioinformatics tools (Cluster-Buster and MCAST) were used to search for clusters of binding sites (enhancers) in the modified DV genes. The results obtained showed that the transcription factors in Drosophila melanogaster and Tribolium castaneum are nearly identical; however, the number of binding sites varies between the two species, indicating transcription factor binding site evolution, as predicted by two different computational tools. It was observed that dorsal, twist, snail, zelda, and Supressor of Hairless are the transcription factors responsible for the regulation of DV patterning in the two insect species.

Comparative analysis of the antibacterial efficacy and bioactive components of Thuja occidentalis obtained from four different geographical sites.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there were significant differences in the antibacterial potential of Thuja occidentalis collected from four distinct geographical sites, namely Chamba (Himachal Pradesh, India), Jalandhar (Punjab, India), Aurangabad (Bihar, India) and Kakching (Manipur, India). The plant extracts were prepared in three different solvents: ethanol, methanol, and acetone. The antibacterial potential of the plant extracts was tested against five different bacterial species using well diffusion test. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of the plant sample exhibiting maximum zone of inhibition against different bacterial strains were calculated. Further, the total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant efficacy (using DPPH assay) were also analysed biochemically. The activity of different antioxidant enzymes including SOD, CAT and APX were also recorded as these enzymes protect the cells from free radical damage. GC-MS analysis was also performed on all plant extracts to identify the bioactive components. The results showed that the T. occidentalis collected from the Kakching, Manipur, East side of India showed the highest zone of inhibition against all the bacterial strains, followed by Chamba, Jalandhar, and lastly Aurangabad. To analyse the impact of phytochemicals on the antibacterial efficacy, a correlation was drawn between the biochemical parameters and zone of inhibition using Karl Pearson's method. Most bacterial species demonstrated a positive correlation between antibacterial effectiveness (zone of inhibition) and biochemical markers. The GC-MS study revealed positive correlation between zone of inhibition and peak area percentages of α-Pinene, ß-caryophyllene, Germacrene-D, and Humulene in all bacterial species indicating that these chemicals may play a key role in the bactericidal potential of T. occidentalis. Based on the results of this investigation, it is evident that the antibacterial effectiveness of T. occidentalis varies with its geographical location which may be attributed to the differences in the phytochemical makeup.

Human monkeypox: epidemiology, transmission, pathogenesis, immunology, diagnosis and therapeutics.

"Zoonoses" describe diseases that may be acquired by humans from animals. Due to the constant contact between humans and other animals, many infectious diseases are disseminated. This may happen via direct contact, such as bites or scratches, or by indirect contact, such as when eating bush meat or using contaminated animal parts. Monkeypox disease is one such zoonotic infection which is now emerging as a disease of global concern, and the World Health Organization has already labelled it a public health emergency. The virus is related to other orthopox viruses and may be further classified into two genetically separate clades, the West African and the Central African. The latter is far more pathogenic than the former. Utilizing virotransducer and virostealth proteins, the virus is able to control the host's T-cell-mediated responses and impede the release of cytokines and chemokines.Monkeypox may be treated with tecovirimat, cidofovir, or brincidofovir, and prevention with the vaccination JYNNEOS is recommended. The disease's fast global expansion warrants concern despite the fact that it is less fatal than that caused by the variola virus. Before the sickness reaches catastrophic proportions, we must draw on our prior experiences and act prudently. This article serves as an introduction to the monkeypox virus and its associated pathology, treatments, diagnostics, and preventative measures.

Analysis of transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP) genes polymorphisms with HIV-1 infection.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules of the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play an important role in modulating immune response. HLA class I molecules present antigenic peptides to CD8+ T cells and thereby play a role in the immune surveillance of cells infected with viruses. TAP1 and TAP2 are MHC-II-encoded genes necessary for the generation of a cellular immune response and polymorphism of these genes can influence the specificity of peptides preferentially presented by the MHC class I molecules and the outcome of the immune response. Several studies implicated genetic variation in TAP genes to various immune-mediated and infectious diseases. To determine the correlation between HIV-1 infection and the TAP1 and TAP2 genes polymorphisms, we performed PCR-RFLP assay of these genes in 500 HIV-1 seropositives and the matched seronegative individuals. Statistical analysis of the data disclosed no correlation between TAP1 (C/T intron 7) gene polymorphism and HIV-1/AIDS disease. However, the current results demonstrated that the heterozygous A/G [OR (95% CI) 1.39 (1.06-1.83), P = 0.0171] and homozygous G/G [OR (95% CI) 3.38(1.56-7.46), P = 0.0010] variants of TAP2 (A/G exon 11) (T665A) gene are positively associated with an increased risk of HIV-1/AIDS infection. This case-control analysis might suggest a possible role of TAP2 (A/G exon 11) (T665A) gene in the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and disease outcome among North Indian patients.

HGF promotes HTR-8/SVneo cell migration through activation of MAPK/PKA signaling leading to up-regulation of WNT ligands and integrins that target ß-catenin.

Inadequate migration and invasion of the trophoblast cells during embryo implantation is one of the reasons for pregnancy-related complications such as intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia. In the present study, relevance of WNT ligands and integrins associated with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-mediated migration of HTR-8/SVneo trophoblastic cells has been investigated. Treatment of HTR-8/SVneo cells with HGF led to a dose-dependent increase in their migration. RT-PCR studies revealed a significant increase in the transcripts of WNT4, WNT11, ITGA2, and ITGAV, which was further confirmed at protein level by Western blotting. HGF treatment also led to increased expression of integrin α2ß1 and αVß5 in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Silencing of WNT4, WNT11, ITGA2, and ITGAV by siRNA led to a significant decrease in HGF-mediated migration of cells. Treatment of cells with HGF led to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathways. Inhibition of MAPK/PKA, by selective inhibitors, led to decrease in the expression of above WNT ligands and integrins. Silencing of WNT4/WNT11 led to concomitant decrease in the expression of ITGA2 and ITGAV and vice versa. HGF treatment also led to significant increase in ß-catenin expression, a downstream target of both WNT ligands and integrins. Silencing of ß-catenin led to decrease in HGF-mediated migration. ß-catenin expression was also down-regulated in WNT4/WNT11/ITGA2/ITGAV silenced cells suggesting a possible cross-communication of WNT ligands and integrins via ß-catenin. These studies have established the significance of WNT4/WNT11 as well as ITGA2/ITGAV during HGF-mediated migration of HTR-8/SVneo trophoblastic cells.

High risk association of IL-4 VNTR polymorphism with asthma in a North Indian population.

BACKGROUND: A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the role of IL-4 VNTR polymorphism in asthma that has been associated with various inflammatory diseases worldwide. This is the first case-control study conducted in India, investigating the role of IL-4 VNTR polymorphism in asthma pathogenesis. METHODS: A case-control study was performed with a total of 824 adult subjects, inducting 410 asthma patients and 414 healthy controls from North India. The genotypes were identified by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Statistical analysis for the IL-4 VNTR polymorphism revealed that the Rp1 allele was significantly associated with asthma with OR=1.47, 95% CI (1.11-1.94) and p=0.005. The Rp1/Rp1 homozygous mutant genotype posed a high risk towards asthma with OR=2.39, 95% CI (0.96-6.14) and p=0.040. The Rp2/Rp1 heterozygous genotype also posed a risk towards asthma with OR=1.39, 95% CI (1.00-1.94) and p=0.040. Most of the phenotypic traits were significantly associated with the disease. CONCLUSIONS: IL-4 VNTR polymorphism is a high risk factor for asthma in the studied North Indian population.

Phylogenetic position of Indian termites (Isoptera: Termitidae) with their respective genera inferred from DNA sequence analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene subunit I compared to subunit II.

The present work was aimed to investigate the phylogenetic analysis of different species of Indian termites belonging to the family termitidae based on mitochondrial genes COI and COII. The sequences so obtained from public database revealed grouping of termites according to their ecological distribution. The sequences of the species under investigation were characterized on the basis of frequencies of nucleotide bases and in most of the species, a significantly high percentage of A+T base composition was observed. Phylogenetic tree revealed positioning of species according to the analysis of their cytochrome oxidase subunits.

Aberrant promoter hypermethylation of p21 (WAF1/CIP1) gene and its impact on expression and role of polymorphism in the risk of breast cancer.

p21 (Waf-1) is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that plays essential roles in cell growth arrest, terminal differentiation, and apoptosis. Statistically significant difference in the level of methylation of p21/CIP1 (p < 0. 05) between the patients with breast cancer and the healthy controls was observed. Risk of breast cancer was increased in patients with hypermethylated p21/CIP1 promoter by 2.31-fold (OR = 2.31, 95 % CI 1.95-2.74). The downregulation of p21/CIP1 mRNA expression was statistically significant in patients with methylated promoter (p < 0.00) in comparison to patients with unmethylated genes. Downregulation of mRNA expression of p21/CIP1 was up to 79% due to promoter hypermethylation. We examined several p21/CIP1 genotypes in the patients with breast cancer and found that there is no significant association of these p21/CIP1 genotypes with the risk of developing breast cancer. However, a significant 2.21-fold increase in the chance of developing breast cancer was observed in the candidates carrying at least one allele Arg mutant in p21/CIP1 genotype (i.e., Ser/Arg + Arg/Arg) with age >50 (OR = 2.21; 95 % CI 1.03-4.79).

Promoter hypermethylation of tumour suppressor genes (p14/ARF and p16/INK4a): case-control study in North Indian population.

The epigenetic modifications have been reported to be key factors in breast carcinogenesis. In the current study, it has been tried to determine the methylation status of two tumour suppressor genes p14/ARF and p16/INK4a in 150 breast cancer patients as well as 150 controls by using MSP-PCR. There was, highly significant difference in methylation of p14/ARF and p16/INK4a (P=0.000) between patients and controls. Methylation of both the genes together significantly increased the risk of breast cancer by 12.31 folds. The present study concludes that hypermethylation of p14/ARF and p16/INK4a promoters demonstrate significant association with the risk of breast cancer, hence indicating these as important tumour suppressor genes involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer in North Indian population (i.e. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh as well as Union Territory of Chandigarh).

In-silico identification and comparison of transcription factor binding sites cluster in anterior-posterior patterning genes in Drosophila melanogaster and Tribolium castaneum.

The cis-regulatory data that help in transcriptional regulation is arranged into modular pieces of a few hundred base pairs called CRMs (cis-regulatory modules) and numerous binding sites for multiple transcription factors are prominent characteristics of these cis-regulatory modules. The present study was designed to localize transcription factor binding site (TFBS) clusters on twelve Anterior-posterior (A-P) genes in Tribolium castaneum and compare them to their orthologous gene enhancers in Drosophila melanogaster. Out of the twelve A-P patterning genes, six were gap genes (Kruppel, Knirps, Tailless, Hunchback, Giant, and Caudal) and six were pair rule genes (Hairy, Runt, Even-skipped, Fushi-tarazu, Paired, and Odd-skipped). The genes along with 20 kb upstream and downstream regions were scanned for TFBS clusters using the Motif Cluster Alignment Search Tool (MCAST), a bioinformatics tool that looks for set of nucleotide sequences for statistically significant clusters of non-overlapping occurrence of a given set of motifs. The motifs used in the current study were Hunchback, Caudal, Giant, Kruppel, Knirps, and Even-skipped. The results of the MCAST analysis revealed the maximum number of TFBS for Hunchback, Knirps, Caudal, and Kruppel in both D. melanogaster and T. castaneum, while Bicoid TFBS clusters were found only in D. melanogaster. The size of all the predicted TFBS clusters was less than 1kb in both insect species. These sequences revealed more transversional sites (Tv) than transitional sites (Ti) and the average Ti/Tv ratio was 0.75.

Risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes with tumor necrosis factor-α 308G/A gene polymorphism in metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease subjects.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and obesity. The increased expression of TNF-α in adipose tissue is known to induce insulin resistance, and a polymorphism at position -308 in the promoter region of TNF-α gene may lead to its increased transcription in adipocytes. The objective of this work was to determine the role of TNFα-308G/A gene polymorphism in metabolic syndrome (MetS) and coronary artery disease (CAD) with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 250 MetS and 224 CAD patients and 214 controls were studied. TNFα-308G/A polymorphism was detected from the whole blood genomic DNA using PCR-amplification refractory mutation system. The 2 × 2 contingency tables and multiple regression analysis were used for determining the association of genotypes with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in MetS and CAD subjects. In CAD subjects with T2DM, the AG genotypes showed a very strong association (P < 0.0001; OR 0.194, 95%CI 0.103-0.365). In CAD subjects with obesity, the AA (P = 0.049; OR 2.449) and AG genotypes showed a strong association (P < 0.0001; OR 0.206). In both males and females, AG genotype and G allele (P < 0.0001) showed a strong association with T2DM. In MetS subjects with T2DM, there was a strong association with AG (P = 0.002; OR 4.483) as well as AA+AG genotypes (P = 0.002; OR 4.255). The AA and AG genotype (P = 0.001; OR 5.497) in males showed a strong 4.6- and 5.4-fold risks, respectively, with obesity. In females, only AG genotype showed a strong 4.5-fold risk with obesity (P = 0.001). In MetS subjects with obesity, the AA genotype (P = 0.043; OR 3.352) as well as AG showed a very strong association (P = 0.001; OR 5.011). The AG genotypes showed a high 3.5-fold risk with T2DM in females (P = 0.011). In CAD subjects, AG genotype showed a protective effect in both obese males and females (P < 0.0001). Heterozygous TNFα-308G/A gene variant may be an important risk factor for MetS with T2DM and obesity in both males and females, but may have a protective role in CAD subjects with obesity and T2DM. A allele may be an important risk factor for MetS and CAD with obesity as well as CAD subjects with T2DM.

Impact of XPD gene polymorphism on risk of prostate cancer on north Indian population.

Prostate cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in men next to skin cancer in the developed world. Risk of disease varies most prominently with age, ethnicity, family history, and diet. Genetic polymorphism of some genes has been implicated in increasing the risk. The XPD (Xeroderma pigmentosum group D) gene codes for a DNA helicase involved in transcription and nucleotide excision repair. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of XPD 751 Lys/Gln polymorphism on risk of prostate cancer on north Indian patients. Blood sample from 150 prostate cancer patients, 150 from Prostate Hyper Plasia and equal number of samples from healthy control groups was collected from North India. The polymerase chain reaction and restrictive fragment length polymorphism techniques were implemented. Statistically non-significant increase risk of prostate cancer was observed with patients having Gln/Gln genotype (OR 1.62, 95% CI).

Genetic variants of EGFR (142285G>A) and ESR1 (2014G>A) gene polymorphisms and risk of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. The estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been known to play a vital role in development and progression of breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship, if any, between genetic polymorphism in (ESR1) 2014G>A (T594T) and (EGFR) 142285G>A (R521K) with risk of breast cancer and the prognosis in a heterogeneous North Indian population that is known for its diverse ethnicity. A case-control study in a total of 300 individuals comprising of 150 breast cancer patients and 150 normal controls was performed. PCR-RFLP was employed for genotyping. The G/A heterozygous genotype EGFR R521K, was slightly higher in cases (56.7 %) than in controls (48.3 %) (P = 0.20). The results indicated that EGFR polymorphism does not show any significant association with breast cancer in this population. On the other hand, the mutant A/A genotype ESR1 codon 594, showed a 6.4-folds risk for breast cancer and this association was highly significant (P = 0.00) as compared to wild GG genotype, the heterozygous G/A genotype also showed a significant association with disease (P = 0.00, OR = 2.03). In addition, the frequency of A allele was also higher in cases (36 %) than in controls (19 %) and a highly significant difference was observed with wild G allele (63.3 % in cases and 6.6 % in controls). This clearly indicates that there appears to be an influence of ESR1 codon 594 genotypes on genetic susceptibility to breast cancer. Further a significantly higher risk was observed in individuals who had diabetes {OR = 3.04 (1.68-5.50), P = 0.00} and females with ESR polymorphism in pre-menopause patients that had undergone menopause above the age of 50 years {OR = 3.58 (1.86-6.90), P < 0.05}. The different ethnic backgrounds and geographical locations have complimented the present genotypic analysis and have highlighted the influence of ethnicity, race and geographic location in genetic predisposition to breast cancer.

Identification and expression analysis of CjLTI, a novel low temperature responsive gene from Caragana jubata.

Using rapid amplification of cDNA ends, a full length cDNA (CjLTI) was cloned from apical buds of Caragana jubata, a plant species that grows under extreme cold. The cDNA obtained was 573 bp long consisting of an open reading frame of 351 bp encoding 116 amino acids. Homology analysis did not exhibit significant similarity with any sequence at NCBI database, therefore it was deduced as a novel gene. Secondary structure analysis suggested that the deduced CjLTI contained 25.86% α-helices, 4.31% ß-turns, 6.90% extended strands, and 62.93% random coils. The hydropathy profile suggested CjLTI to be a hydrophobic protein having characteristic features of signal peptides at N-terminus. The gene exhibited down-regulation at 5 min of exposure to low temperature (LT, 4 ± 3 °C) followed by a strong up-regulation after 15 min and onwards. Methyl jasmonate (MJ) lead to up-regulation of CjLTI starting at 5 min onwards. The gene exhibited up- and down-regulation of expression pattern in response to abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA). Mild drought stress slightly up-regulated gene expression and at severe drought (up to 115% reduction in leaf water potential) slight down-regulation of gene expression was observed. These results suggested CjLTI to be a LT responsive gene wherein MJ, ABA and SA pathways might be involved in regulating the gene expression.

Impact of ERCC2 gene polymorphism on HIV-1 disease progression to AIDS among North Indian HIV patients.

HIV/AIDS remains to be one of the killing diseases of mankind. Host genetic response is one of the factor which determine susceptibility to HIV and disease progression to AIDS. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of ERCC2 Lyc ( 751 ) Gln (excision repair cross complementing rodent repair deficiency, complementation group 2) polymorphism on HIV-1 susceptibility and disease progression to AIDS, as this gene has been reported to intervene in degrading retroviral cDNA before it integrates with the host DNA. This case control study included 300 HIV seropositive cases and an equal number of HIV seronegative controls. DNA was isolated from the blood samples of study subjects and genotyping of ERCC2 was conducted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. The Gln/Gln genotype showed a significant variation between cases and controls (P = 0.047, OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.00-2.93), indicating a possible role of susceptibility in reference to controls and disease progression when compared within cases.

Overexpression of IL-13 in patients with bladder cancer.

In this case-control study, expression pattern of IL-13 as a possible anti-inflammatory cytokine in patients with bladder carcinoma was investigated by using RT-PCR and ELISA. Highly significant difference in mRNA and protein expression of IL-13 between patients with bladder cancer and controls was observed (p = .000). The increased upexpression was mostly observed in lower stages (Ta+T1) of cancer than in higher (64.1% in lower vs 48.7% in higher stages). To address whether age, smoking, and alcohol drinking have any effect in IL-13 expression, it was seen that in spite of lower mean average of mRNA and protein expression in the old, smokers, and alcohol drinkers, no significant effect of these factors on expression of IL-13 was observed. The overexpression of IL-13 as a potent immunosuppressive cytokine was found in patients with bladder cancer and may be playing a role as an anti-inflammatory mediator in carcinoma of bladder. IL-13 may help to restore the disturbed T(H)1/T(H)2 balance in patients with bladder carcinoma, and can be considered as therapeutic agent in this disease.

Polymorphisms of IL-6 174 G/C, IL-10 -592 C/A and risk of HIV/AIDS among North Indian population.

A growing body of evidence suggests that host genetic factors play an important role both in susceptibility to HIV infection and progression to AIDS. The present study aimed at evaluating the role of IL-6 and IL-10 gene polymorphisms on the risk of HIV susceptibility and disease progression among North Indian patients. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques were applied to genotype IL-6 and IL-10. 300 seropositive and an equal number of age- and sex-matched seronegative control subjects were recruited for this study. There was statistically no significant variation in the frequencies of IL-6 and IL-10 genotypes among cases and controls. However, statistically non-significant association for risk of rapid disease progression was observed due to the combined effect of the IL-6 homozygous CC genotype and CC of IL-10, OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 0.38-6.91. Therefore, combined effects of the CC of IL-6 and CC of IL-10 might reduce the hosts ability to hinder viral replication after infection.

Hypermethylation-mediated partial transcriptional silencing of DAP-kinase gene in bladder cancer.

Death-associated protein kinase (DAP-kinase) is a novel serine/threonine kinase whose expression is required for interferon-gamma-induced apoptosis. This study evaluated the methylation pattern and its impact on the expression of the DAP-kinase gene in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder as hypermethylation is one of the earliest and most frequent alterations leading to cancer. The frequency of hypermethylation of the gene promoter was 37.8%. On correlation with clinicopathological features, methylation was seen mostly in superficial tumours in the group aged > 60 years (42.9 vs 33.3% of those 60 years and with a smoking habit showed increased downregulation of mRNA compared with non-smokers of this age group (similar pattern of methylation). Hypermethylation can decrease the expression of DAP-kinase and may be one of the reasons for conversion of normal cells to malignant cells, as the frequency of methylation at the early stage (superficial) of tumours was elevated. Methylation of DAP-kinase can be considered as one of the prognosis indicators for progression and development of bladder cancer.

Association and impact of XPG Asp 1104 His gene polymorphism in HIV 1 disease progression to AIDS among north Indian HIV seropositive individuals.

Various efforts made to stop the deadly epidemic of HIV since its discovery in 1983 remain unsuccessful and this virus still continues to claim the lives of millions of individuals every year. The viral effect in the cell is complicated and the overall disease outcome is the result of interaction between a few viral proteins and complex host immune response. Because it has been reported that XPG (Xeroderma pigementesum group G) gene does play a role in reducing UV induced apoptosis and participate in Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) process of DNA damage, it was hypothesized that polymorphism in this gene may have a role in HIV 1 disease progression to AIDS. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to find out the association between XPG gene polymorphism and its effect on the rate of HIV 1 disease progression to AIDS. 300 HIV seropositive cases and an equal number of age and sex matched controls were recruited for the study from north Indian population. The PCR-RFLP method was utilized to genotype 600 study subject for the XPG Asp (1104) His gene polymorphism. There was significant difference in the frequency of the His/His variant genotype (OR 1.95, 95% CI = 1.93-3.63, P = 0.04) between cases and controls indicating a probable role of this gene in host viral interactions.

Association between IL6 gene polymorphism and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the north Indian population.

Interleukin-6 (IL6) is encoded by the IL6 gene in human and acts as pro-inflammatory cytokine and an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Recent studies established that IL6 substantially contribute in the diagnosed of systemic inflammation for the patients suffering from lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thereof, this work aimed to investigate the protagonist of IL6 (-174 G/C) genotypes as an essential risk factor for COPD in north Indian population. In the study, a total of 200 clinically diagnosed patients with COPD were selected against 200 patients. Statistical analysis reveleaed that there was no significant association between the IL6 -174 G/C genetic polymorphism and the risk of COPD (P>0.05).