ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Deficiency of vitamin B12 (B12) and folate (FA) leads to a wide spectrum of disorders that affect all age groups. However, reports on B12 and FA status in healthy adults in India are limited. Hence, we determined the plasma levels and dietary intake of B12 and FA in the adult population. METHODS: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in an urban setup among 630 apparently healthy adults distributed into 3 age groups: 21-40, 41-60 and >60 years. Plasma concentrations of B12 and FA were analyzed by radio immunoassay and dietary intake by 24-hour recall method. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of FA deficiency was 12%, but there was no significant difference in plasma FA concentrations among the groups. While the overall prevalence of B12 deficiency was 35%, it was significantly higher in the 21-40 (44%) and 41-60 age groups (40%) when compared with the >60 group (30%). B12 deficiency was higher in vegetarians (54%) compared to those consuming mixed diet (31%), and the reverse was the case with FA. However, the dietary intakes of FA and B12 were not significantly different among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate a higher prevalence of B12 deficiency in apparently healthy adults in an urban setup.
Subject(s)
Folic Acid/metabolism , Nutritional Status , Vitamin B 12/metabolism , Vitamins/metabolism , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Anthropometry , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diet , Diet, Vegetarian , Female , Folic Acid Deficiency/epidemiology , Humans , India/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Nutrition Assessment , Prevalence , Urban Population , Vitamin B 12 Deficiency/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Abstract Identification of Mycobacterium leprae, which causes leprosy, is done by Ziehl Neelsen Carbol Fuchsin (ZNCF) stained slit skin smear microscopy that aids in the diagnosis and quantification of approximate bacterial load carried by the patient. We attempted M. leprae DNA extraction from 46 stained slit skin smear negative slides, using Proteinase K and SDS lysis, followed by ethanol precipitation. M. leprae specific primers (16SrRNA) were used for PCR-based amplification of DNA. We could detect M. leprae DNA in 15 (32.6%) samples. The method can be useful in the diagnosis of apparently slit skin smear negative leprosy cases.