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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the influence of tooth shade and skin tone on smile attractiveness among native South Indians. The primary research question was whether there is a significant relationship between these variables and perceived smile attractiveness., Materials and Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted with approval from the Institutional Review Board of (Thai Moogambigai Dental College and Hospital, Chennai). Standardized smile photographs of two South Indian models (one male and one female) were digitally modified to display four different tooth shades and four different skin tones, resulting in 32 images. These images were incorporated into a Google Form along with a questionnaire and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for attractiveness rating. The survey was distributed to 1200 participants, including both dental professionals and the general population, with 1000 valid responses recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, employing parametric tests to evaluate the data., Results: The study found that lighter tooth shades were consistently rated higher in attractiveness for both genders. Lighter tooth shades such as FS1T1 and FS2T1 scored means of 6.88 and 7.27 respectively for females, while darker shades like FS1T4 scored lower with a mean of 4.95. Similarly, males showed a preference for lighter tooth shades with MS1T1 and MS2T1 scoring means of 5.57 and 5.78 respectively compared to darker shades like MS1T4 with a mean of 3.63. Significant differences were noted across age groups and genders, with younger participants and females showing a stronger preference for lighter tooth shades., Conclusions: The study concludes that both tooth shade and skin tone significantly influence smile attractiveness, with a clear preference for lighter tooth shades among the surveyed population. These findings suggest the importance of considering these factors in aesthetic dental treatments to enhance patient satisfaction and achieve optimal results., Clinical Relevance: The results underscore the necessity for dental practitioners to take into account both tooth shade and skin tone when planning aesthetic dental treatments. This approach will help in achieving a more harmonious and natural appearance, ultimately improving patient satisfaction with the treatment outcomes. Future research should continue to explore the cultural and individual factors that contribute to these preferences in dental aesthetics., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction The pericardial fat pad, located anteriorly to the heart between the pericardium and myocardium, has garnered significant interest in cardiovascular research due to its potential role in the pathophysiology of various cardiac conditions. Despite its proximity to the myocardium, it is distinct from the epicardial fat depot found between the myocardium and the visceral layer of the pericardium. Studies have shown that excess pericardial fat is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. Non-contrast computed tomography (CT) is a reliable, non-invasive method for assessing pericardial fat pad thickness, offering less radiation exposure compared to other imaging modalities. Establishing standardized measurements for pericardial fat pad thickness is essential, particularly for the South Indian population, which may exhibit unique genetic, dietary, and lifestyle influences on these measurements. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 participants from South India, stratified into three age groups: 18-35, 36-50, and 51-70 years, with body weights ranging from 45 kg to 120 kg. Participants were recruited from outpatient departments and community outreach programs, ensuring equal representation from each age group. Non-contrast CT imaging was performed using a Siemens Somatom goTop 128 Slice CT scanner to measure pericardial fat pad thickness and correlate it with age, gender, body weight, and body mass index. Exclusion criteria included diagnosed cardiac or pericardial diseases, prior chest surgery or trauma, pregnancy, and contraindications to CT scans. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was collected from all participants. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, employing descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-tests, and Pearson's correlation. Results The study included 300 participants, with an equal gender distribution of 150 males and 150 females. Pericardial fat pad thickness increased with age, averaging 4.2 mm in the 18-35 age group, 5.1 mm in the 36-50 age group, and 6.4 mm in the 51-70 age group. Males exhibited a higher average thickness (5.6 mm) compared to females (5.0 mm). Body weight also showed a positive correlation with pericardial fat pad thickness, with mean values increasing from 4.5 mm in the 45-60 kg range to 6.7 mm in the 106-120 kg range. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences in pericardial fat pad thickness across age groups, genders, and weight categories, emphasizing the importance of these factors in assessing cardiovascular risk. Conclusion This study provides a benchmark for pericardial fat pad thickness in the Kancheepuram Population of South India, highlighting its correlation with age, gender, body weight, and body mass index. The findings underscore the significance of non-invasive CT imaging in evaluating cardiovascular risk factors. Further research should focus on longitudinal studies and advanced imaging techniques to enhance the diagnostic accuracy and clinical relevance of pericardial fat pad measurements. The established reference values can aid clinicians in identifying individuals at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, facilitating early intervention and management., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University issued approval SMCH/SIMATS/2023-CT04. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Ramakrishnan et al.)

Objective: To assess differences based on gender in nuclear area (NA), cytoplasmic area (CA), and nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio (N:C ratio) values for clinically normal buccal smears in apparently healthy subjects of a South Indian population, thereby providing definitive baseline cytomorphometric measurements for the South Indian population., Methods: Buccal smears were collected from 60 healthy subjects (30 males and 30 females) of a South Indian population above 18 years in age. Values of the NA and CA were measured, and the N:C ratio calculated, using ImageJ software. Statistical analysis of the data with independent t tests and 95% confidence intervals was done using SPSS version 21 (significance set at P < 0.05)., Results: The results showed that there were significant differences in the NA, CA, and N:C values between males and females irrespective of age (P = 0.01)., Conclusion: Definitive gender-specific baseline cytomorphometric data can be established using exfoliative cytology for the South Indian population, and this may be helpful in deciphering the occurrence of oral pre-malignant diseases and oral squamous cell carcinoma in this population, as the incidence of these conditions varies with gender and different ethnic groups., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease, involving strong genetic components with familial predisposition. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) found on the surface of NK cells have ligands of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I that are associated with T1D. The present study evaluates the influence of KIR genes and their HLA-ligands in the aetiology of T1D among the South Indian population., Methods: A total of 125 T1D patients, along with their parents ( n  = 126) and siblings ( n  = 52) were recruited. PCR-based genotyping was performed for KIR genes and HLA class I ligands. The gene frequencies were compared between patients and siblings/parents. Linkage-disequilibrium (LD) analysis was performed to assess the genetic association between KIR gene pairs., Results: The results show significant differences in HLA-ligands of KIR genes between patients and parents. The HLA-C1C1 homozygosity was found to be a predisposing risk factor, and HLA-C1C2 heterozygosity was protective towards T1D along with either the activating KIR2DS2 or inhibitory KIRs 2DL1, 2DL2, 2DL3. However, the frequency of inhibitory KIR3DL1 significantly increased in the presence of HLA-B Bw4 Ile80 in parents when compared to patients showing a protective effect on T1D. Two pairs of KIR genes, 2DS4-3DL1 and 2DS1-2DL5, showed strong LD in patients, siblings and parents., Conclusion: The KIR-HLA ligand combinations have a significant effect on T1D aetiology among the South Indian population. This study defines a pattern for family-based association studies with genotypic information about KIR genes and their HLA-ligands, providing the first evidence towards T1D among the South Indian population.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, overproduction of mucus, and expiratory airflow limitation, which affects >300 million people worldwide. It is triggered by the dynamic interplay of genetic factors and environmental exposure. Th17 cells are an emerging subset of CD4+ T cells, which secrete IL-17A. This proinflammatory cytokine has recently been associated with asthma, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory disorders. The present case-control study was focused on identifying the involvement of the IL-17A gene in asthma pathogenesis among 150 clinically diagnosed asthma patients and 150 healthy controls (HCs) of South Indian origin. To carry out the study, we aimed to screen the genetic variants of rs2275913G/A and rs8193036C/T and also estimated the serum cytokine levels of the IL-17A cytokine of recruited subjects. Further, we evaluated mRNA expression in selected subjects to correlate with the genetic variants. The results revealed that the mean IL-17A serum levels (161.6 ± 380.1 pg/ml vs. 86.75 ± 90.01 pg/ml) and IgE levels (257.7 ± 133.3 pg/ml vs. 311.2 ± 160.5 pg/ml) in asthma patients were significantly high as compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). The ROC curves were constructed to compare the cytokine levels of asthma patients and HC, and the area under the curve (AUC) for IL-17A cytokine was 0.64, indicating that the test was satisfactory and significant (95 % CI: 0.575-0.709; p < 0.001). Genotyping of rs2275913G/A polymorphism indicated a 1.6-fold risk (95 % CI-1.02-2.56; p = 0.04) for asthma patients compared to healthy controls, whereas no significant association was observed for rs8193036C/T polymorphism with asthma susceptibility. Under genetic models, GA and AA models showed a protective effect against the disease for rs2275913G/A. In contrast, no statistically significant result was observed among the models of rs8193036C/T when adjusted with age and sex. The mRNA expression levels of the gene were statistically high in patients compared to the HCs, with a 1.8-fold change (p < 0.0001). We conclude that the results indicate IL-17A rs2275913G/A is likely to contribute to protection against the disease, while IL-17A rs8193036C/T shows no association with the disease. However, no correlation was identified in serum cytokine levels concerning genotypes. This comprehensive information in the present study might contribute to developing novel therapeutic strategies for treating inflammatory diseases like asthma. Further studies are warranted to understand the diverse functions of IL-17A concerning its longitudinal stability and its response to clinical interventions with large sample sizes in various ethnicities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: SOUJANYA GANTA reports financial support was provided by Department of Science and Technology -Women Scientist B (DST-WOS- B) New Delhi, India. PRASANNA LATHA KOMARAVALLI reports financial support was provided by ICMR-DHR-Women Scientist-A. SUMAN LATHA GADDAM reports financial support was provided by Department of Science and Technology -PURSE., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chronic inflammation plays an important role in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a common endocrinological pro-inflammatory disorder associated with insulin resistance. The objective of the present study is to see individual and combined effect of TNF-α (rs361525, rs1800629) and IL-10 (rs1800872, rs1800896) genes on T2DM susceptibility The genotyping was carried out in 200 T2DM patients and 200 healthy controls by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using suitable primers. The results shown that TNF-α (GA of rs361525 & rs1800629) and IL-10 (AA of rs1800872 & GA of rs1800896) genes are significantly linked with T2DM development. The presence of AA-GA genotype combination for both TNF-α and IL-10 genes were elevating the risk of T2DM. Moreover, individuals bearing haplotypes AAAA, AACA and AAAG experience the increased risk of T2DM. Furthermore, gene-gene interaction analysis shown that TNF-α (GA of rs361525 & rs1800896) gene redundantly confer 3.4-fold elevated risk for T2DM. In gene-environment interaction, GA of TNF-α -1800896, W/H ratio and TG/HDL ratio were redundantly interacted each other and increase the risk of T2DM by 67-times. In conclusion, our results reveal that there is a significant association between foresaid TNF-α, IL-10 gene promoter polymorphisms and T2DM development. To the best of our knowledge this study is the first of its kind in the literature reporting the epistatic association of TNF-α (rs1800629G/A) gene with TG/HDL ratio and W/H ratio over IL-10 gene polymorphisms for T2DM susceptibility among south Indians., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors hereby declared that no conflicts of interest exist relevant to this article., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The aim of this study was to establish the most and least pleasing lip position and to evaluate esthetic preference in profile view among the South Indian population with diverse facial divergence., Materials and Methods: Photographs of 12 participants with an average lip position were taken, and original lip position (Image C) was altered by ± 2 mm and ± 4 mm from the original position of upper and lower lips using Adobe Photoshop 7.0 version. Image A and Image B comprised photographs with retrusive lips of 4 mm and 2 mm, respectively, and Image D and Image E comprised photographs with protrusive lips of 2 mm and 4 mm, respectively. The altered photographs were evaluated for pleasing lip positions by 300 examiners which comprised 102 orthodontists, 107 general dentists, and 91 laypersons., Results: A questionnaire was conducted through Google Forms, and the examiners favored Image C with an average lip position as the most desired lip position, whereas Image E with 4-mm lip protrusion and Image A with 4-mm lip retrusion were the least desired irrespective of gender or facial divergence., Conclusion: Importance to establish appropriate soft-tissue esthetics is the primary concern of an orthodontic treatment., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

South Indians are a heterogeneous population who speak different languages and differ in their life style and physical appearance. Major population movements, social structure and caste endogamy have influenced the genetic structure of Indian populations. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system of populations is highly informative because of the high level of polymorphisms. Knowledge of allele and haplotype frequencies of the HLA system is important in the search for unrelated bone marrow donors. We investigated the distribution of HLA A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 loci in five linguistic groups from South India. HLA-A*01:01:01~B*57:01:01:01~C*06:02:01~DRB1*07:01:01~DQB1*03:03:02 was the common haplotype with highest frequency in all the five populations studied. A few relevant haplotypes were identified as most common haplotypes in each linguistic group. Comparison of HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 allele distribution in these five linguistic groups with the other Asian population showed that the South Indian populations were closely related to Sri Lankan populations. A large South Indian donor registry might serve as good source of donors for patients from Sri Lanka and vice versa., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Forkhead Box Protein3 Transcription Factor (FOXP3) gene is an essential role player in the function and differentiation of regulatory T cells. Polymorphisms/mutations in FOXP3 gene cause Treg cell dysfunction, promote autoimmunity and inflammation. Based on this presumption, we screened 600 subjects from south India (equal number of diabetic (T2DM), diabetic nephropathy (T2DN) and healthy controls) for promoter and intronic (rs3761548C/A and rs2294021C/T) polymorphisms of FOXP3 gene. PCR-RFLP method used for genotyping, revealed an association of promoter SNP for both T2DM (OR = 2.41, 95% C.I = 1.67-3.49; p < 0.0001) and T2DN (OR = 2.16, 95% C.I = 1.45-3.24; p < 0.005). While intronic polymorphism with T2DN (OR = 1.91, 95% C.I = 1.28-2.84; p < 0.05). Further, in females rs3761548C/A showed 2.6 and 5.5-fold; rs2294021C/T showed 2.2- and 2.5-fold predisposition towards T2DM and T2DN respectively. Males exhibited a twofold risk (OR = 2.01, 95% C.I = 1.22-3.30; p < 0.05) towards T2DM with promoter and no association with intronic polymorphism. The combined genotypes in females with AA-CC; AA-TT predisposed and CA-CC; CA-CT protected heading towards T2DM and T2DN respectively, suggesting irrespective of type of allele at intronic locus AA and CA at promoter locus promote or protect the individual for diabetes and diabetic nephropathy, further confirmed by MLR. To our knowledge, the current study is the first of its kind that revealed an association of these polymorphisms of FOXP3 gene and gender influence on T2DM and T2DN among South Indians. Functional and cell-based studies on Treg cells are warranted to confirm our results that help to develop FOXP3/Treg based therapeutic interventions. Lack of data on Treg cells is the limitation of this study., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze root form and morphology of human maxillary first permanent premolars of an Indo-Dravidian population from southern India., Materials and Methods: Eight hundred and twenty-two maxillary first permanent premolars were cleansed and stored appropriately. Morphology and root form analysed, segregated into Groups (Gps): Gp I, Gp II, and Gp III, and later divided into subgroups (SGs) based on specific criteria. Gp I was divided into two SGs: SG A (minimal or absence of grooving in the root) ( n = 252) and SG B (clear and defined longitudinal groove in the root) ( n = 104), and Gp II was divided into SG C (roots dividing in coronal one-third) ( n = 154), SG D (roots dividing in the middle one-third) ( n = 158), and SG E (roots dividing in the apical one third) ( n = 138). Gp III consisted of only one SG F (teeth with three roots) ( n = 16). The groups were analyzed separately, their external root form and morphology were recorded. Root form was analyzed, and results were tabulated. This study was compared with other studies and statistically analyzed., Results: Gp II was common with an incidence of 54.74%. Gp I was the next most common with an incidence of 43.3%. Gp III was the least common with an incidence of 1.94%. The number and distribution of roots was also computed. Six types of root form were identified (Type [Ty] A = 30.65%, Ty B = 12.65%, Ty C = 18.73%, Ty D = 19.22%, Ty E = 16.78%, and Ty F = 1.94%)., Conclusion: Awareness and assessment of root form, number preoperatively with regard to specific populations before initiation will pave way for successful outcome of therapy., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Background: Changes in eruption pattern cause malocclusion and crowding, which lead to poor oral hygiene as well as periodontal disorders. Hence, it is important for the dentist to know the exact tooth eruption sequence to educate the parents. Tooth eruption sequence we follow is based on the Western population., Aim: As Indian population differs from the Western population in ethnicity, racially, and dietary habits, etc., an attempt was undertaken to compare eruption sequence of Indian children in accordance with the Western population and also to correlate whether body mass index (BMI) affects tooth eruption., Materials and Methods: Body mass index and eruption status of permanent mandibular central incisors and first molars were recorded among 529 schoolchildren in Chennai. Eruption status was examined with the help of mouth mirrors and illumination under natural light. The recorded data were entered into Microsoft Excel 2007 and were analyzed using Chi-square test, z test, and Spearman's correlation test. Level of significance was set as 0.05., Results: Eruption values attained from our study were not consistent with the eruption values reported by Logan and Kronfeld. The present study showed that girls have early tooth eruption than boys. Our findings showed negative correlation with respect to BMI and eruption sequence of 31 ( r = -0.133), 41 ( r = -0.140), 36 ( r = -0.08), and 46 ( r = -0.076)., Conclusion: Eruption values reported by Logan and Kronfeld are inappropriate for Indian population. It is also found that obese children had delayed tooth eruption when compared with underweight children who had early tooth eruption., How to Cite This Article: Anu V, Brindha JR, Carol PT, et al. Does Body Mass Index affect Tooth Eruption Sequence? A Study among 6-7 Years Old Schoolchildren in Chennai, India. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2020;13(3):261-263., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2020; Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd.)

Background: Stargardt disease 1 (STGD1; MIM 248200) is a monogenic form of autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by mutation in ABCA4 . This gene has a major role in hydrolyzing N-retinylidene-phosphatidylethanolamine to all-trans-retinal and phosphatidylethanolamine. The purpose of this study is to identify the frequency of putative disease-causing mutations associated with Stargardt disease in a South Indian population., Methods: A total of 28 clinically diagnosed Stargardt-like phenotype patients were recruited from south India. Ophthalmic examination of all patients was carefully carried out by a retina specialist based on the stages of fundus imaging and ERG grouping. Genetic analysis of ABCA4 was performed for all patients using Sanger sequencing and clinical exome sequencing., Results: This study identified disease-causing mutations in ABCA4 in 75% (21/28) of patients, 7% (2/28) exhibited benign variants and 18% (5/28) were negative for the disease-causing mutation., Conclusion: This is the first study describing the genetic association of ABCA4 disease-causing mutation in South Indian Stargardt 1 patients (STGD1). Our findings highlighted the presence of two novel missense mutations and an (in/del, single base pair deletion & splice variant) in ABCA4 . However, genetic heterogeneity in ABCA4 mutants requires a larger sample size to establish a true correlation with clinical phenotype., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s). 2020.)

Each functional gene illustrates the complexity of genetic predisposition to disease; however, it is difficult to bring out these traits with reference to autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes (T1D). To find out the genetic contribution of CTLA-4 + 49A/G, CTLA-4 -318C/T and CD28 + 17T/C polymorphisms toward T1D, the present study was performed with 124 T1D patients, 54 siblings and 125 parents including 39 trios in South Indian population. The association and linkage of CTLA-4 + 49A/G, CTLA-4 -318C/T and CD28 + 17T/C polymorphisms with T1D were analyzed and transmission disequilibrium test was performed. CTLA-4 G allele carrying genotypes (GG+AG) showed a higher risk association and can be considered as susceptible to develop T1D among patients with age at diagnosis from 0 to 10 years as compared to siblings (OR = 2.9; p c  = 0.047) and parents (OR = 2.7; p c  = 0.036). On the other hand, a strong protection against the disease (age at diagnosis; 0-10 years) was observed with CTLA-4 + 49AA genotype (OR = 0.37; p c  = 0.036) and combined AA/CC genotype (OR = 0.31; p c  = 0.034) of CTLA-4 + 49A/G and CTLA-4 -318C/T polymorphisms. However, a significant association was not observed between CTLA-4 -318C/T and CD28 + 17T/C polymorphisms and T1D. This family-based study reports a strong association between possible genotypes of CTLA-4 gene polymorphism and T1D in South Indian population, particularly in younger individuals.

Background and Aim: Insulin resistance plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, paraoxonase-1(PON1) is reported to have an ability to reduce insulin resistance by promoting glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4) expression in vitro. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in PON1 is associated with variability in enzyme activity and concentration. Based on this we aimed to investigate the association of PON1 (Q192R and L55M) polymorphisms with the risk of developing insulin resistance in adult South Indian population., Methods: Two hundred and eighty seven (287) Type 2 diabetes patients and 293 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All the study subjects were genotyped for PON1 (Q192R and L55M) missense polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCRRFLP) method. Fasting serum insulin level was measured by ELISA., Results: The distribution of QR/RR and LM/MM genotypes were significantly higher in type 2 diabetes patients compared with healthy controls. Moreover, the R and M alleles were significantly associated with type 2 diabetes with an Odds Ratio of 1.68 (P < 0.005) and 2.24 (P < 0.005) respectively. SNP 192 Q > R genotypes were found to be significantly associated with higher BMI, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, fasting serum insulin and HOMA-IR. Further, the mutant allele or genotypes of PON1 L55M were associated with higher BMI, triglycerides, VLDL, fasting serum insulin and HOMA-IR among adult type 2 diabetes patients., Conclusion: PON1 (Q192R and L55M) polymorphisms may play a crucial role in pathogenesis and susceptibility of insulin resistance thus leads to the development of type 2 diabetes in South Indian population., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Deliberate falsification of age was considered to be one of the main reasons for forensic age estimation of the living individuals. This posed to be a challenging task during criminal and legal proceedings, and ultimate care must be taken not to classify juveniles as adults. Third molars are the only developing teeth during late adolescence and early adulthood. Our study was designed to analyze the usefulness of the third molar maturity index (I 3M ) specific cut-off value (I 3M  < 0.08) to discriminate adults (≥18 years) and juveniles (<18 years) in South Indian children. 216 panoramic radiographs (114 females and 102 males) of living subjects aged between 14 and 21 years were analyzed. Our results demonstrated high sensitivity (83.3% and 90.2%) and specificity (98.3% and 95.1%) for females and males respectively. The positive likelihood ratios of being adult were 50.00 and 18.35 while the negative likelihood ratios were 0.17 and 0.10 in females and males respectively. The estimated posttest probability was 98.0% in females and 94.8% in males. The obtained results showed that the specific cut-off value of I 3M  < 0.08 may be a useful additional tool in discrimination of individuals who are around 18 years of age., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Periodical monitoring of renal function, specifically for subjects with history of diabetic or hypertension would prevent them from entering into chronic kidney disease (CKD) condition. The recent increase in numbers may be due to food habits or lack of physical exercise, necessitates a rapid kidney function monitoring system. Presently, it is determined by evaluating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) that is mainly dependent on serum creatinine value and demographic parameters and ethnic value. Attempted here is to develop ethnic parameter based on skin texture for every individual. This value when used in GFR computation, the results are much agreeable with GFR obtained through standard modification of diet in renal disease and CKD epidemiology collaboration equations. Once correlation between CKD and skin texture is established, classification tool using artificial neural network is built to categorise CKD level based on demographic values and parameter obtained through skin texture (without using creatinine). This network when tested gives almost at par results with the network that is trained with demographic and creatinine values. The results of this Letter demonstrate the possibility of non-invasively determining kidney function and hence for making a device that would readily assess the kidney function even at home.

Forensic anthropologists examine and identify skeletal, dismembered and commingled remains in a legal context to establish the biological profile of the deceased. Stature estimation is one of the important parameters in establishing the biological profile. The present study is planned to derive regression models for stature estimation from sternal measurements. Various factors are likely to affect stature estimation in forensic investigations. Since, none of the previous researchers have studied the effect of fusion status on stature estimation from sternum and its segments, the present study attempts to find if the fusion status of the sternum affect its reliability and accuracy in stature estimation. The sample of the present study consisted of 117 sterna that were obtained from autopsied bodies. Five measurements i.e. Length of manubrium (M), length of mesosternum (B), combined length of manusbrium and mesosternum and the (M + B), width at first sternabrae (S1) and width of 3rd sternabrae (S3) were taken on the autopsied sterna. The sterna were classified as fused (both manubriosternal and xiphisternal joints were fused), partly fused (only one of the manubriosternal or xiphisternal joints was fused) and not fused (both manubriosternal and xiphisternal joints were not fused). Regression models were derived using statistical methods. All the sternal measurements show a positive however, a weak correlation with stature. Thus, it can be concluded that the accuracy and reliability of stature estimation from sternum and its segments is quite low in practical situations. Among the sterna classified based on the fusion status, the length measurements of completely fused sterna show significant correlation with the stature. None of the other sternal measurements on the non-fused or partly fused sterna show statistically significant correlation with stature. The present study concludes that the fusion status of the sternum is likely to affect the reliability and accuracy in estimation of stature. The findings of this study however, should be considered 'preliminary' until they are corroborated by similar studies based on larger samples from different populations., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

The KIF6 719Arg allele is an interesting genomic variant widely screened in various populations and is reported to be associated with the risk of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and statin treatment outcome. Recent population based clinical studies and large-scale meta-analyses pondered over the role of 719Arg variant in CAD risk and treatment response. We screened the KIF6 Trp719Arg polymorphism (rs20455) in south Indian CAD patients in a case-control approach. A total of 1042 samples (510 CAD patients and 532 controls) were screened for the KIF6 Trp719Arg SNP by TaqMan SNP genotyping assay, followed by meta-analysis of the genotype data of non-Europeans reports. The 719Arg risk genotype (GG) was observed in 29.6% of CAD cases and in 30.1% of controls with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.07 (95% CI: 0.76-1.50), p value = 0.709. No significant difference in the genotype frequency was observed between CAD and controls in both dominant model (AG + GG vs AA) and allelic model (719Arg vs 719Trp) with an OR of 1.11 (p = 0.491) and 1.03 (p = 0.767), respectively. The covariate analysis indicated that smoking & alcohol consumption increased the risk for MI among CAD patients. Meta-analysis showed that the KIF6 719Arg allele is not associated with CAD risk in both fixed effect (p = 0.515, OR = 1.023, 95% CI = 0.956-1.094) and random effect (p = 0.547, OR = 1.022, 95% CI = 0.953-1.096). The symmetrical shape of the Egger's funnel plots revealed that there is no publication bias. These results suggest that there is no association of KIF6 719Arg allele with CAD risk in South Indian population and the meta-analysis confirms the same among non-European population.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate, the condyle-fossa relationship, in clinically asymptomatic orthodontically untreated south Indian female volunteers, by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)., Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 13 clinically symptom-free and orthodontically untreated angle's Class I female subjects with the mean age of 18 years (ranges from 17 years to 20 years). The normal disc position of the 13 subjects was confirmed by history, clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging scan. Then, the images of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)of the subjects were taken using CBCT to evaluate the optimal condylar position. Posterior joint space (PS), superior joint space (SS) and anterior joint space (AS) were measured, and the values were subjected to statistical analysis. Mean PS, SS and AS of right and left side TMJ ' and AS of right sid 's were calculated. Paired samples t-test were used for each measurement to evaluate the average differences between the right and left side for each element of the sample., Results: The mean value of PS, SS and AS of right side TMJ 's were 2.1385, 2.2769 and 1.7615, respectively. The mean value of PS, SS and AS of left side TMJ 's were 2.1385, 2.5308 and 1.8538, respectively. Statistical analysis with the t-test indicated no significant differences in the AS, SS, or PS values between the right and left side. TMJ 's mean PS, SS, and AS measurements were2.1 mm (standard deviation [SD] ±0.65 mm), 2.4 mm (SD ± 0.58 mm), and 1.8 mm (SD ± 0.52 mm), respectively. The ratios of SS and PS to AS, with AS set to 1.0, were 1.3 and 1.2, respectively., Conclusion: These data from optimal joints might serve as norms for the clinical assessment of condylar position obtained by CBCT.

Unlabelled: In recent years, it has become increasingly important to determine the age of living people for a variety of reasons, including identifying criminal and legal responsibility and for many other social events such as birth certificate, marriage, beginning a job, joining the army and retirement., Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the developmental stages of mandibular third molar for estimation of dental age (DA) in different age groups and to evaluate the possible correlation between DA and chronological age (CA) in South Indian population., Materials and Methods: Digital orthopantomography of 330 subjects (165 males, 165 females) who fit the study and the criteria were obtained. Assessment of mandibular third molar development was performed using Demirjian et al., modified method and DA was assessed using tooth specific stages., Results and Discussion: The present study showed a significant correlation between DA and CA in both males and females. Third molar development commenced around 9 years and root completion takes place around 18.9 years in males and in females 9 years and 18.6 years respectively. Demirjian modified method underestimated the mean age of males by 0.8 years and females by 0.5 years and also showed that females mature earlier than males in selected population., Conclusion: Digital radiographic assessment of mandibular third molar development can be used to generate mean DA using Demirjian modified method and also the estimated age range for an individual of unknown CA. Since the Demirjian method is based on French-Canadian population, to enhance the accuracy of forensic age estimates based on third molar development, the use of population-specific standards is recommended.

Objective: The study was designed to analyze the frequency and clinical features of multicystic ameloblastoma and its histological variants in South Indian sample population, as there is minute information available in the English literature., Methodology: The study source was the biopsy specimens retrieved from the archives of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, College of Dental Sciences, Davangere, Karnataka, India, during the past 13 years, from 2001 to 2013. Clinical data for the study were obtained from the case records of patients and the analyzed clinical variables were age, gender and anatomical location. Histologically, hematoxylin and eosin stained sections fitting the World Health Organization (2005) criteria for diagnosis of multicystic ameloblastoma were selectively included., Results: Of the 3026 biopsy reports analyzed, 103 cases were odontogenic tumors (3.4%) and 58 cases were ameloblastoma. 31 cases of multicystic ameloblastoma, including follicular ameloblastoma (54.8%), acanthomatous ameloblastoma (29%), plexiform ameloblastoma (6.5%), granular cell ameloblastoma (6.5%) and desmoplastic ameloblastoma (3.2%) were recorded. The age of the patients during the presentation of the lesion was ranging from 21 to 73 years, with a mean of 39.5 years. The most frequent clinical manifestation was swelling, followed by a combination of pain and swelling. In our study, ameloblastoma showed distinct anatomic predilections for occurrence in mandible (96.8%) rather than maxilla (3.2%). This study result also indicated that there is geographical variation in the frequency and distribution of ameloblastoma.

Introduction: Studies have reported an association between lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene and myocardial infarction in some populations. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the association of the HindIII polymorphism of the (LPL) gene with myocardial infarction and to explore its potential role in susceptibility in a South Indian population., Subjects and Methods: We included a total of 412 subjects (202 myocardial infarction patients and 210 age- and sex-matched controls). Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Lipid profiles were estimated. DNA was isolated and the LPL gene HindIII polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction., Results: Comparison of the lipid profiles between patients and controls showed that patients had statistically high significant values (p = 0.0001). The H(+) H(+) genotype of the LPL gene is associated with myocardial infarction. H(+) H(+) vs. H(-) H(-) was χ2 = 19.4, OR 3.1, CI 95% 1.8-5.2, p < 0.0001., Conclusion: Our study strongly suggests that the LPL gene HindIII Hþ Hþ genotype is an independent risk factor for first MI., (Copyright © 2013 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: To analyze the association between TLR-4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile gene polymorphisms and chronic periodontitis in a sample of south Indian population., Materials and Methods: Genomic DNA was obtained from peripheral blood of 60 patients with chronic periodontitis and 60 periodontally healthy subjects. TLR-4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile gene polymorphisms were genotyped by a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The data were analyzed by a χ(2)-test and by relative risk estimation., Results: Thr399Ile alleles were found in 4% of chronic periodontitis patients and in 1% of periodontally healthy subjects. The prevalence of a Thr399Ile heterozygote was found to be 5% in the chronic periodontitis group and 1.67% in the periodontally healthy group, respectively. Homozygosity for TLR-4 Thr399Ile was seen in chronic periodontitis patients only, which was 1.67%. The TLR-4 Asp299Gly gene polymorphism was not detected in either chronic periodontitis or periodontally healthy groups., Conclusion: There is no significant association between TLR-4 Thr399Ile polymorphism and chronic periodontitis in a sample of south Indian population.

Unlabelled: PRIMARY AIM: Variability is characteristic of different faces and facial types, and normative data based on one population group does not represent all. Hence, this study was undertaken to establish skeletal cephalometric norms for the South Indian (Karnataka) population utilizing the norms laid by Burstones's analysis for Caucasians., Methods: The sample comprised of lateral cephalograms taken in natural head position of 100 participants (50 men, 50 women). The cephalograms were traced, analyzed and interpreted using the landmarks and values given by Burstone's analysis (Cephalometric analysis for Orthognathic surgery). The student's t test, standard deviation and mean deviation were calculated to compare between two groups., Results: Statistically significant skeletal differences were found between men and women of the South Indian origin in comparison to Caucasian origin. Men had decreased facial divergence, anterior maxillary dental height and proclined upper incisors. Women had marginally increased cranial base, increased midfacial height and proclined upper incisors., Conclusion: Statistically significant differences were found between South Indian men and women when compared with Caucasians in certain key parameters. These differences need to be considered when analyzing the cephalogram for orthognathic surgeries. The values derived from this study may be considered to make the deformity assessment and plan surgery to get optimal results for people of south Indian origin conclusive results can be derived after conducting a study with an eager sample size.

The incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease is steadily increasing in South East Asian countries including Indian sub continent. Many lipids, apolipoproteins and Lp (a) except HDL-C and apo A-I, A-II are implicated as risk factors for coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease. There is great need to have national guidelines for each country like the ATP III guidelines recommended for U.S. population. For recommending appropriate medical decision limits, it is mandatory that each country establishes reference intervals pertaining to their population due to dietary, genetic and environmental diversity. In the present study, reference intervals for serum lipids, apolipoproteins and Lp (a) were established in a total of 1923 healthy Indian reference individuals comprising 1161 healthy men and 762 healthy women from Andhra Pradesh. For each analyte viz., serum total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, Lp (a), Apo A-I, Apo A-II, B, C-II, C-III and E, mean, two SD, median, confidence limits of mean, different percentile values are presented. The study also includes decade wise changes in each analyte and comparison of lipids, lipoproteins and Lp (a) among few populations covering U.S., India, Japan, Sweden, Finland and China. Reference Intervals for all lipid and lipoprotein parameters will immensely help in assessing associated risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in India. Additionally, the results will be beneficial in formulating our own guidelines pertaining to Indian population.

In an attempt to search for risk factors which can explain the increasing prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in Indian population, we conducted a case-control study to assess the association of Lipoprotein (a)(Lp(a)) with CHD. One hundred and fifty one consecutive patients with clinical and angiographic evidence of CHD and forty-nine healthy controls were drawn for the study. Triglycerides, very low density cholesterol (VLDL-C), total cholesterol (total-C)/high density cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio, low density cholesterol (LDL-C)/HDL cholesterol ratio and Lp(a) were found to be higher in patients than controls. In female sex and in those with family history of CHD, higher total and LDL cholesterol levels were observed to be associated with higher Lp(a) levels. Lp(a) levels were also found to be higher in triple vessel disease than other vessel disease patients. Significant difference in Lp(a) levels were observed between normal coronaries vs. single and triple vessel disease(P<0.05) and also between single vs. double and triple vessel disease (P<0.01).Lp(a) levels correlated positively with vessel severity(P<0.005). Lp(a) levels >25 mg/dl were associated with coronary heart disease (Odds ratio 1.98 P<0.05 95% CI 0.007-1.18). Our findings suggest a cut-off level of 25mg/dl for determination of risk of CHD. Studies from different areas involving larger sample size are needed to confirm the findings of the present study.