Satbir Kaur

Evaluation of DNA damage in agricultural workers exposed to pesticides using single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay.

BACKGROUND: Pesticides are used in agriculture to protect crops, but they pose a potential risk to farmers and environment. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relation between the occupational exposure to various pesticides and the presence of DNA damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples of 210 exposed workers (after a day of intense spraying) and 50 control subjects belonging to various districts of Punjab (India) were evaluated using Comet assay. Sixty workers who showed DNA damage were selected for follow up at 5-6 months after the first sampling during a low or null spraying period. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in DNA damage between freshly exposed workers and controls and freshly exposed and followed up cases. There was significant increase in the comet parameters viz. mean comet tail length and frequency of cells showing migration in exposed workers as compared to controls (72.22 ± 20.76 vs. 46.92 ± 8.17, P<0.001; 31.79 vs. 5.77, P<0.001). In the second samples, followed up cases showed significant decrease in frequency of damaged cells as compared to freshly exposed workers of first sampling (P<0.05). The confounding factors such as variable duration of pesticide exposure, age, smoking, drinking and dietary habits etc which were expected to modulate the damage, were instead found to have no significant effect on DNA fragmentation. CONCLUSION: The evidence of a genetic hazard related to exposure resulting from the intensive use of pesticides stresses the need for educational programs for agricultural workers to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture.

Graphene Oxide based Label Free Ultrasensitive Immunosensor for Lung Cancer Biomarker, hTERT

We report the fabrication of ultrasensitive Graphene Oxide (GO) based electrochemical immunosensor to detect human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), a lung cancer biomarker. The immuno-electrode-has been fabricated by covalent immobilization of rabbit anti-hTERT antibodies (Ab) onto GO films on ITO coated glass. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies confirms the presence of diverse organic functional groups (-COOH, -CHO, -OH) of GO, and the binding (anti-hTERT) onto GO/ITO electrode. Interestingly, Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM) also reveals clear visual surface modification of the GO film by anti-hTERT antibodies and hTERT antigen (Ag). The electrochemical Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) results show that the GO based immunosensor exhibits specificity and low detection upto 10 ag mL-1 (10×10-18 g mL-1) in wide detection range (10 ag mL-1-50 ng mL-1) for hTERT. The immunosensor showed ability to detect hTERT in spiked sputum samples upto 100 fg mL-1 in dynamic detection range of 100 fg mL-1-10 ng mL-1. The enhanced performance of Ab/GO/ITO is attributed to fast electron transfer and efficient loading of Ab on large surface area provided by GO network. The low level detection of hTERT warrants the realization of point-of-care device for early detection of lung/oral cancer through oral fluids

Buccal Mucosal X-chromatin Frequency in Breast and Cervix Cancer

Abstract Buccal mucosal X-chromatin frequency was studied in 50 breast and cervix cancer patients to ascertain reactivation of X-chromosome in buccal mucosa. Two groups of menstruating and menopausal women acted as controls. Frequency of X-chromatin was significantly higher in menopausal cancer patients as compared to menopausal normal controls, but the difference between the menstruating normal women and breast cancer patients was not statistically significant.