Toxicogenomics, Toxicoproteomics, Identification of Biomarkers for industrial chemical exposed population, Identification of SNP disease association, Pharmacogenomics, Air pollution related its health effects. Heavy metal and its effects.
The present study focused on lead exposure surveillance in children and pregnant women in seven districts of Tamil Nadu. The study included 727 children aged 13 to 72 months and 78 pregnant mothers. Participants were randomly selected using R software and surveyed at the home level. One-day camps were held strategically to address logistical issues and limited home capacity.
All study participants provided written informed permission in the presence of family members. The field staff is trained to provide informed consent in the local language (Tamil). The procedure for collecting capillary blood from pregnant women and their children involves finger pricking and heel prick based on our previous experience with other studies in this investigation, we collected capillary blood by pricking the non-dominant hand’s ring finger. When the baby’s weight is low for their age, a heel prick is used to collect capillary blood. We followed WHO rules while dealing with heel pricks. Capillary blood samples are placed into a Lead Care II kit within 30 seconds of being processed and analyzed using the LeadCare II instrument, which displays results in 3 minutes.
Status: Surveilla
Home-based assessments mainly aim to identify sources of lead and pathways of exposure, particularly among children. When a child with an elevated level of lead in their blood (typically >5 μg/dL) is identified, it is important to understand what factors contribute to the burden of lead in their body. Investigating the contributing sources is needed to design an effective intervention for that specific child and his or her family, but it also allows for the identification of trends to inform larger interventions at the community, regional, or even national level. A home-based assessment (HBA) is typically carried out after the blood lead level (BLL) of a child has been analyzed and it is necessary to assess and quantify different sources of exposure. In the process, investigators analyze aspects of the home environment, including soil, paint, indoor dust, water, foods, toys, and other consumer products. It should be noted that this assessment focuses specifically on the child’s primary place of residence. Children may be exposed to lead in other locations that they frequent, including playgrounds, daycare or school facilities, or relatives’ homes. Workers in a wide range of industries such as lead recyclers, Brassware artisans, lead battery manufacturers etc come in contact with lead. Moreover, take-home lead exposure among children with relatives employed in occupationally lead exposed industries is a major public health concern. Take-home can happen through clothing, shoes etc.
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a general marker of systemic inflammation and cardiovascular
disease. High CRP levels are known to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk
factors, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke. The genetic
contribution to differences in CRP levels remains to be explained, especially in non-
European populations. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using
SNPs from 8,529 Korean individuals (7,626 for stage 1 and 903 for stage 2). We have
demonstrated an association between a SNP in arginase 1 and CRP levels in Korean
population.
(Vinayagamoorthy et al, PLOS one,April,2014).
(Vinayagamoorthy et al, Journal of Human Genetics, 2015)
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an antimalarial drug that is proven to be a safe and effective
treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) 1. Despite its wide application, only a
few studies have previously measured blood HCQ levels in patients taking the drug in the
long term. Interestingly, blood HCQ levels vary widely between patients, even those taking
the same dose at the same frequency. We have shown an association between
CYP2D6*10 gene polymorphism and blood levels of HCQ in lupus patients (Lee JY,
Vinayagamoorthy N, et al,. Arthritis Rheumatol, 2015)
Identification of genetic variants in the Industrial chemical exposed and control subjects
and correlating the risk associated with exposure. Identifying the proteomic biomarker
using 2D-Gel electrophoresis. Biomonitoring for industrially exposed population to toxic
chemicals.