Sanjay Dahal

Prevalence of Bronchial Asthma in Indian Children

Background: The prevalence of childhood bronchial asthma and allergic disease has increased in developed countries. Studies have identified asthma among Indian children. Still, there is paucity of information on the overall prevalence of childhood asthma in India. Objective: To assess time trends and the overall prevalence rate of bronchial asthma among Indian children. Materials and Methods: Literature search for data sources was done through an extensive search in indexed literatures and website-based population survey reports. Fifteen epidemiological studies were identified on the development of asthma in Indian children from 300 potentially relevant articles. A broad criterion to define both allergic and non-allergic descriptions of asthma in Indian children was formed. Moreover, in the absence of universally accepted criteria by reporting of prevalence by researchers, weighted average data was considered during calculations of prevalence rates, irrespective of the criteria for diagnosis. Statistical analyses used were mean and median. Results: Wide differences in samples, primary outcome variables, lack of consistency in age category, rural–urban variation, criteria for positive diagnosis, and study instruments confounded the outcome variables. The mean prevalence was 7.24 ± SD 5.42. The median prevalence was 4.75% [with IQR = 2.65 − 12.35%]. Overall weighted mean prevalence was found to be 2.74. Childhood asthma among children 13 – 14 years of age was lower than the younger children (6 – 7 years of age). Urban and male predominance with wide inter-regional variation in prevalence was observed. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the burden of bronchial asthma in Indian children is higher than was previously understood.

Serum nitric oxide status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Sikkim

Background: Serum nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as a fundamental signal associated with the endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. Aims: To compare serum nitric oxide level among type 2 diabetic patients along with other biochemical parameters and to compare it with that of normal population in Sikkim. Settings and Design: This prospective study was carried out in the Biochemistry Department in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Sikkim on 50 type 2 diabetics compared to 100 non-diabetics. Materials and Methods: The un-hemolyzed blood sample was collected for estimation of biochemical parameters. Griess reaction was used for indirect assay of stable decomposition products in serum(serum nitrite and nitrate levels) as an index of NO generation. The comparison of different parameters between cases and control was done by using Students t-test. Results: There was significant difference when age- and sex-matched cases and controls were compared in regard to waist circumference and body mass index. The values of fasting and postprandial serum glucose, and lipid profile between study group and control group differed significantly. The mean serum level of NO in the study and control group was 43.83 ± 11.3 μmoles/L and 58.85 ± 12.8 μmoles/L respectively, and this difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: To sum up, serum NO was observed significantly low in diabetic participants as compared to control, along with difference in other biochemical parameters.

Breathe Biomarkers in health and disease

Pulmonary system is the joint for countless multifaceted metabolic and respiratory end products transforming the total exhaled breath into a complex and dynamic mixture of a spectrum ranging from simple elements like hydrogen to exceedingly complex organic metabolic end products together with oxidative stress in health and disease. Over last five decades the researches in the field of exhaled breathe have developed and innovatively applied poles apart technologies. These have provided insight with ample evidenced based substantiation that analysis of components of the exhaled breath has the potential to become a valuable device for non-invasive assessment. In the futuristic research models the search for these biomarkers will be the pathfinder in the diagnosis, interventions and prognosis of different communicable as well as non-communicable emerging and re-emerging diseases.