AB0 blood groups,inv serum groups,and serum proteins in leprosy patients from West Bengal (India)

Summary The associations between ABO blood groups and prevalence as well as type and severity of the leprosy infection were examined in 1034 Indians from West Bengal (leprosy patients and normal controls). There are no associations in the present series; combined analysis of 41 series from the literature (ours included) gives a slightly, but significantly higher frequency of groups A and AB as compared to B and 0 in leprosy patients. Groups A, B, and AB are also somewhat more frequent in lepromatous as compared with nonlepromatous leprosy.A lower level of ₂-globulins in the serum of leprosy patients of groups A and AB as compared with patients of groups B and 0, which had been described earlier in 683 leprosy patients from Thailand, was confirmed in the present series.In the Thai series of patients, a significant association between the AB0 blood groups and the Inv serum groups was observed: Persons having blood group A and AB as well as the Inv (1) type were significantly more frequent than expected. This association, however, was not confirmed in the Indian material.

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Zusammenfassung Die Beziehungen zwischen AB0-Blutgruppen sowie Häufigkeit, Typ und Verlauf der Lepraerkrankung wurden an 1034 Indern aus West-Bengalen (Lepra-Patienten und normalen Kontrollen) untersucht. In dieser Serie fanden sich keine Beziehungen. Eine kombinierte Analyse von 41 Serien aus der Literatur (unsere eingeschlossen) gibt eine gering, aber signifikant erhöhte Häufigkeit der Gruppen A und AB im Vergleich zu B und 0 bei Lepra-Patienten. Die Gruppen A, B und AB sind im Gesamtmaterial ebenfalls etwas häufiger bei lepromatöser im Vergleich zu nichtlepromatöser Lepra.Bei 683 Lepra-Patienten aus Thailand hatten wir zuvor eine Verminderung der ₂-globuline bei Gruppen A und AB im Vergleich zu B und 0 beschrieben. Dieser Befund wurde an dem indischen Material bestätigt.Bei den thailändischen Patienten fanden sich auch Hinweise für eine Beziehung zwischen AB0- und Serum Inv-Gruppen: Personen, die sowohl A oder AB als auch den Typ Inv (1) aufwiesen, waren signifikant häufiger als erwartet. Dieser Befund konnte jedoch in dem indischen Material nicht bestätigt werden.

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This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Venous thromboembolism and AB0 blood groups in a Brazilian population

Summary The AB0 blood groups were determined in 125 patients suffering from venous thrombosis in a Brazilian population. There is a clear effect of the sex on the disease incidence, women being more frequently affected, but the mean age was not different regarding the sex. No differences were found in the disease incidence when Caucasians and Negroids were compared. An excess of blood group A and a decrease of blood group 0 was observed among the patients. The analysis of the combined data from ten different published series shows a A/0 relative incidence significantly higher than unity, but the heterogeneity was also significant in the series.     

Interaction between haptoglobin subtypes and AB0 blood groups in a Bengalee population

Blood samples from 621 individuals of a Caste Hindu Population from West Bengal (India) were investigated in an attempt to find out an association between the AB0 blood groups and Haptoglobin (HP) subtypes. AB0 blood grouping was done on the basis of the agglutination test with standard anti-sera. Haptoglobin subtyping only for the HP*1 allele was done by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (PAGE). A significant association was found with a significantly lower HP*1S allele frequency in blood group 0 versus other AB0 blood groups. A comparatively higher allele frequency of HP*1S was found in this population sample. An inverse relationship between HP*1S and HP*2 has been revealed in each blood group. It appears that the major portion of HP*1 alleles in the A, B, and AB blood groups belongs to the HP*1S allele compared to that of the 0 blood group.     

Reproductive behaviour of free-ranging rural dogs in West Bengal,India

Reproductive behaviour of free-ranging dogsCanis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758 was studied in a village in the state of West Bengal, India. Increased synchronized breeding was the most striking feature of this study. October (late monsoon) represented the peak period of mating for the feral dogs. Of all courting males, only 41% were observed to mount and copulate. On average, each male mounted 5.47 ± 2.49 (mean ± SD) times per hour. Of all mountings, only 10% were successful matings, ie copulatory ties. There was a negative correlation between the number of courting males and the number of successful copulations. The average duration of copulatory tie was 15.73 ± 7.75 min. Several factors interrupting the duration of copulatory ties were identified. December was the peak period of pup rearing. Mean litter size was 5.70 ± 2.03 with a male-biased sex ratio 1.41:1. Only a single annual breeding cycle recorded here differed from the previous studies on European and American dogs. Mothers spent most of the time with their pups at the dens during the early stage of rearing. The duration of time spent at dens by mothers was minimum when the pups were highly mobile at the age of 10 weeks. The lactating mothers were observed to be more aggressive immediately following litter production. Typically, an old adult male remained near the den as a ‘guard’.     

Asymmetry and diversity of dermatoglyphic traits: population comparison in five endogamous groups of West Bengal, India

Five different endogamous populations encompassing the main social ranks in the caste hierarchy of West Bengal, India were analyzed. To compare variability in populations with contrasting ethnohistorical backgrounds, analysis of variance, Scheffe's test and cluster analysis were performed, as based on dermatoglyphic variables, namely, 22 quantitative traits and 36 indices of diversity and asymmetry. The present study reveals that: 1. Overall disparities among the 5 populations are expressed only in finger ridge counts on the Ist and Vth digits and PII, in a-b ridge counts, in endings of main lines A and D, and in MLI on the palms; 2. Heterogeneity is greater in fluctuating asymmetry than in directional asymmetry; 3. There is a greater heterogeneity in the 22 quantitative traits than in the 36 indices of diversity and asymmetry, with females contributing more than the males; 4. The highest contribution to population variation is by Lodha among five populations; 5. Inter-group variations are homogeneous in most of the variables, which does not correspond with the relationships to caste hierarchy of these populations; 6. The dendrograms based on dermatoglyphic variables demonstrate that the traditional grouping of Indian populations, based on caste hierarchy, may not be a reflection of their genetic origin, in that the pattern of clustering corresponded best with the known ethnohistorical records of the studied populations; 7. Hence, dermatoglyphic affinities may prove quite useful in tracing the ethnohistorical background of populations.     

Genetic distances in respect of AB0 blood groups among four castes of Assam,India

Summary An attempt has been made to measure the genetic distances in respect of AB0 blood group genes among four castes, namely, Brahmin, Kalita, Baisya and Kaibarta, in Assam, India. The results reveal that the Kaibarta are distinct from the other three castes, who show no significant differences.

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Zusammenfassung Die genetischen Abst?nde bezüglich der AB0-Blutgruppen wurden zwischen vier Kasten (Brahmin; Kalita; Baisya; Kaibarta) in Assam, Indien, berechnet. Die Kaibarta weichen von den üblichen Kasten signifikant ab; diese zeigen ?hnlichkeiten miteinander.

     

Population genetic study in ten endogamous groups of West Bengal, India

Ten endogamous population groups of West Bengal (India)--Rabhas, Garos, Mechs, Rajbanshis, Jalia Kaibartas, Bagdis, Lodhas, Mundas, Brahmins, Vaidyas--have been typed for twelve polymorphic systems: ABO, Gm, Km, Hp, Cp, Tf, Alb, Hb, aP, EsD, AK and PGM1. The results are compared with those obtained on other Indian populations. Serological and anthropometric data, which have been included into population comparisons, reveal a considerable genetic variability of the groups under study. This variability is obviously connected with the population history of West Bengal.     

Gene differentiation among ten endogamous groups of West Bengal, India

Ten endogamous populations of West Bengal, India have been surveyed for genetic variation in 12 systems. These populations encompass all social ranks in the caste hierarchy and cover almost the entire geographic area of the state. Gene diversity analysis suggests that these groups exhibit significant allele frequency variation at all but three loci. The overall genetic difference is not, however, in accord with the classification based on caste. Two low-ranking scheduled caste groups are, in fact, in close proximity with the high-caste ones, suggesting evidence of past generations of gene flow among them. Three different clusters of groups emerge from the present data, providing support for the anthropologic assertion that in Bengal Proto-Australoid, Caucasoid, and Mongoloid racial elements generally coexist. However, these three components are not uniformly present in all groups. Geographic separation of the groups is a strong determinant of the gene differentiation that exists among these populations.     

Trends of consanguineous marriages in a Sunni Muslim population of West Bengal, India

The Muslim population of the Chaltaberia village in the district of South 24 Parganas in West Bengal is divided into several wards (paras) inhabited by people of specific surnames. The frequency of endogamous marriages within surnames is greater than randomly expected ones. An incomplete reproductive isolation is observed among the five dominant surnames. Consanguineous marriages occur more often outside the village than inside. Leaving out marriages between long distances, a small median distance of 6.36 km is recorded. The neighborhood area works up to be 552.2 km2, which is rather small. There is an underlying process of breeding isolation by distance. A generation length of 21 years has been used for examining the temporal change in consanguineous marriages and inbreeding, which generally appears to increase. There is a general trend of decline in consanguineous marriages towards the southern part of West Bengal and eastern part of Assam among the Bengalee Muslims. The frequency of consanguineous marriages is 7.3% out of all marriages (N=1153) that have taken place in six generations in the population. The first cousin marriage is nearly 50% of all marriages. Patrilineal marriages are common in marriages between second and third cousins. An increase of consanguineous marriages in the younger generation was observed, but the total frequency agrees with a general trend of a decline in the frequency of consanguineous marriages among the Muslims in this part of India.     

Incidence of allergenically significant fungal aerosol in a rural bakery of West Bengal,India

The frequency of fungal spores in the air of three different sections of a rural bakery was analyzed using a Burkard personal slide sampler and Andersen two stage viable sampler. In average concentration of spores (No./m³) was 228–26770/m³ and concentration of viable colony forming units (CFU/m³) was 65-2061 CFU/m³. Dominant fungus species both culturable and nonculturable, were species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, Cladosporiumsp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium citrinum and Alternaria alternata. Seasonal variations in the spore concentrations were clearly observed in case of some fungi. Total culturable mould concentration of different bakery sections sometimes exceeded the acceptable limit for a healthy indoor environment. Antigenic extracts prepared from some dominant culturable fungi showed high level of allergenicity in skin prick tests indicating that they could be responsible for allergic respiratory dysfunction of bakery workers.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Body Indices of Garole Sheep Reared in West Bengal (India)

The study was conducted to assess some morphometrical traits and calculate structural indices of Garole rams and ewes reared at some selected villages of Joynagar, Mandirbazar and Mahishadal blocks of West Bengal (India). The results of the study indicated that the Garole sheep is reared under semi intensive condition sustaining by grazing on unimproved and degraded pasture, inundated lands or just besides the road sides. The results indicated variation across the studied locations for most of the traits studied, the variation was observed among both the rams and ewes. The observations of the structural indices indicated that most of the traits varied (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05), across the sex, age groups and studied locations, the results also pointed out that if selected Garole has a potential as a mutton breed. Therefore, immediate conservation and selection efforts need to be initiated to arrest the genetic dilution of the breed. The results of the cluster analysis indicated that the sheep from Mandirbazar and Mahishadal blocks have similar morphometrical traits which may be because the two locations are near to each other separated by the river Hooghly.     

Study of blood groups and haemoglobin variants among the Santal tribe in Midnapore District of West Bengal, India

Blood specimens of the Santals in Midnapore District of West Bengal, India were tested for the antigens A, B, C, D, E, c and e, when the incidence of B gene was found to be 26.8%. Another feature of the Santals was the high frequency (74.6%) of CDe chromosome with complete absence of cde. Trace of sickle-cell trait was also noticed among the Santals as is known to occur in some of the aboriginal tribes of the Nilgiri Hills, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Western India. HbS was the only haemoglobin variant detected among them.     

Study of blood groups, ABH secretors and hemoglobin variants in three upper castes of West Bengal, India

In a serological survey it is found that the Brahmins, Kayasthas and Vaidyas, the three upper castes of Bengalis in West Bengal, cannot be differentiated satisfactorily with respect to ABO blood groups. The Brahmins and Kayasthas differ only slightly in the chromosome frequencies of RH blood groups. The difference in allele frequency for the secretor gene between the Brahmins and Kayasthas is negligible, but there is a marked decrease in frequency in the Vaidyas. In general, incidence of abnormal HbE among Bengalis is very low.     

House-dust mite sensitivity among rural and urban asthmatics of West Bengal, India: a comparison

House-dust mite allergy is a fairly common problem in West Bengal among individuals sensitive to dust inhalation. House-dust mites belonging to the genusDermatophagoides are abundant in the homes of asthmatic patients residing in urban as well as rural areas of West Bengal. The frequency of positive skin reaction to different dust-related allergens tested was higher (χ²=5.4777, df = 1;P < 0.05) among patients of urban areas compared with that among the patients of rural areas. Urban patients showed more frequent skin reaction towards cockroach allergen, while rural patients are more sensitive to hay-dust allergen and these are very much related to their local environmental conditions. Analysis of radioallergosorbent test (RAST) results against house dust (HD) and mites reveal that 73 and 90% patients of both urban and rural areas responded positively towardsDermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) andDermatophagoides farinae (DF) antigens, respectively. The present study indicates no significant difference in house-dust mite sensitivity and mite levels in homes among the rural and urban asthmatics of West Bengal, India as evidenced from the results of analysis of dust samples, allergy skin test and detection of mite-specific IgE antibodies by RAST.     

AB0 blood subgroup allele frequencies in the Turkish population

We determined the AB0 blood group system with a PCR based technique termed APLP (Amplified Product Length Polymorphism) in the Turkish population. The method includes ten different allele specific primers and permits identification of the major AB0 genotypes and its suballeles (A1-A2-B-0A-02-0G-AG). The suballeles were amplified in a single tube reaction. We have determined AB0 phenotypes in 129 Turkish individuals. No significant deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed.