BALAMURUGAN RAMADASS - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by BALAMURUGAN RAMADASS

Indian Journal of Community Health

Anemia is a major public health problem globally. Due to loss of 42.2 million disability-adjusted... more Anemia is a major public health problem globally. Due to loss of 42.2 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2011, Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) was ranked among the top three major causes of disability in the world (1,2). IDA is responsible for at least 50% of anemia and is highly prevalent in India especially among women, children below 5 years, and adolescent girls (3) perhaps due to increased needs, insufficient dietary supplies, poor intervention coverage etc (4). Anemic girls will grow up to anemic mothers and in turn give birth to anemic children. Childhood anemia can have long term consequences. IDA has been associated with developmental deficits, impaired memory and neurodevelopment, diminished physical function, depression, fatigue, loss of vitality, preterm delivery, and lower infant birth weight (5–10). These, effects attributable to anemia remain invisible but are substantial (11), as it has serious health and economic costs and may hinder nation’s development...

Exact etiology of Atrophic rhinitis (AtR) is yet unknown. Polygenic and polybacterial causes have... more Exact etiology of Atrophic rhinitis (AtR) is yet unknown. Polygenic and polybacterial causes have been implicated in the onset and progression of this disease. AtR doesn’t respond to any particular modality of treatment that targets specific etiology, this describes its multifactorial nature. In this study, we report on a non-randomized control trial on the use of a nasal spray of 10% Manuka honey in patients with AtR attending the out-patient unit of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery. In this study, we show significant observations: 1. Decreased fetid smell, 2. Thickening of the mucosa, 3. Decreased inflammation with healed mucosal ulcers, 4. Increased concentration of the mucosal glands, 5. Alteration in Nasal microbiome, and 6. Increased expression of SCFA receptors. These changes occurred in response to honey therapy, and are consequent to the resetting of the Nasal microbiome.

International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, 2021

Background Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the foremost cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which... more Background Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the foremost cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which may lead to end-stage renal disease. Due to the inconsistent modifications in urine albumin, the conventional immunoassays underestimate urine albumin, thereby delaying the diagnosis. This study was designed to find an alternative urinary marker for the early detection of DN. Methods Urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) was estimated along with routine tests. This cross-sectional study recruited 180 healthy controls (group I), 103 diabetics without microalbuminuria (group II), and 102 diabetics with microalbuminuria (group III). Results There was an increasing trend for urinary NGAL from group I to III in both the females and males ( p = 0.003, 0.004, respectively).With the urine NGAL cut-off of 70.87 ng/ml, there was 66.7% sensitivity and 66.8% specificity, and the odds of diabetic patients having nephropathy was 4.02. Combining the urine albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) and U NGAL, the AUC improved to 1.000 ( p = 0.000) for UACR and U NGAL had AUC of 0.992 ( p = 0.004). Conclusion As tubular damage occurs prior to glomerular damage in DN, we conclude that measurement of urinary NGAL predicts DN better than microalbumin alone.

Canadian Journal of Microbiology, 2021

The gut microbiome encompasses trillions of residing microbes, mainly bacteria, which play a cruc... more The gut microbiome encompasses trillions of residing microbes, mainly bacteria, which play a crucial role in maintaining the physiological and metabolic health of the host. The gut microbiome has been associated with several diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). A growing body of evidence suggests that an altered gut environment and gut-microbiome-derived metabolites are associated with CVD events. The gut microbiome communicates with host physiology through different mechanisms, including trimethylamine N-oxide generation, primary and secondary bile acid metabolism pathways, and short-chain fatty acids production. The main focus of this review is to understand the association of the gut microbiome with CVD and its implications on the interactions between the gut microbiome and the host. Manipulation of the gut microbiome through specific dietary intervention is a simple approach to identifying novel targets for therapy or better dietary recommendations, and new preventi...

Scientific Reports

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and chronic gastritis are prevalent in developing countries. The role ... more Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and chronic gastritis are prevalent in developing countries. The role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal mucosal disorders is well recognized. In PUD, the gastric mucosa and its associated microbiome are subject to diet and stress-induced oxidative perturbations. Tissue redox potential (ORP) measurement can quantify oxidative stress, reflecting the balance between prooxidants and antioxidants. This study hypothesizes that the oxidative stress quantified by tissue ORP will be associated with characteristic changes in the mucosa-associated microbiome in PUD and gastritis. In addition, we propose using relative microbial abundance as a quantitative marker of mucosal health. Endoscopy was performed to obtain gastric mucosal biopsies from ten PUD and ten non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) patients. The tissue ORP was measured directly with a microelectrode using a biopsy specimen. A second specimen from an adjacent site was subjected to 16s rRNA...

Prevalence and associations of gastro esophageal reflux disease: A community study in South India... more Prevalence and associations of gastro esophageal reflux disease: A community study in South India: P1289 Esophageal, Gastric and Duodenal Disorders SUDIPTA CHOWDHURY;GEMLYN GEORGE;KARTIK RAMAKRISHNA;BALAMURUGAN RAMADASS;SRINIVASAN PUGAZENDHI;JOHN MECHENRO;JEYASEELAN L.;BALAKRISHNANSIDDHARTHA RAMAKRISHNAN; Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2017

Iron deficiency is associated with stunting and poor performance in children. Oral iron supplemen... more Iron deficiency is associated with stunting and poor performance in children. Oral iron supplementation is widely promoted to correct iron deficiency. However, excess iron may be toxic to beneficial luminal gut bacteria and could support growth of pathobionts. The aim of this study is to analyze the fecal total iron concentration and fecal Lactobacillus levels in a cohort of stunted and normal children. The study was undertaken in two different locations. One of them is a rural area, and the other is a semi-urban-slum area; both areas are located in the Vellore district of Tamilnadu state. Twenty children (10 stunted and 10 normal growth) aged 2 to 5 years from each area were recruited. Both groups were nearly identical demographically. Fecal samples were collected. Fecal total iron was estimated, and fecal DNA was extracted and subjected to 16S rDNA-targeted real-time PCR to determine the relative predominance of Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli. The fecal total iron concentration in rural children (3656 μg/g wet wt. of feces) was significantly higher when compared with semi-urban-slum children (114.9 μg/g wet wt. of feces, P < 0.005). Inversely, fecal Lactobacillus in rural children (median 3.18 × 10 relative difference compared with total bacteria) was significantly lower when compared with semi-urban-slum children (median 59.33 × 10 , p < 0.005). There was no significant change observed between normal and stunted children. E. coli levels remained unaffected. The present study documents an inverse relationship between fecal iron concentration and fecal Lactobacillus concentration in children belonging to two different localities independent of their nutritional status.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

COVID-19 remains a matter of global public health concern. Previous research suggested the associ... more COVID-19 remains a matter of global public health concern. Previous research suggested the association between local environmental factors and viral transmission. We present a multivariate observational analysis of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the state of Odisha, India, hinting at a seasonal activity. We aim to investigate the demographic characteristics of COVID-19 in the Indian state of Odisha for two specific timelines in 2020 and 2021. For a comparative outlook, we chose similar datasets from the state of New York, USA. Further, we present a critical analysis pertaining to the effects of environmental factors and the emergence of variants on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and persistence. We assessed the datasets for confirmed cases, death, age, and gender for 29 February 2020 to 31 May 2020, and 1 March 2021 to 31 May 2021. We determined the case fatalities, crude death rates, sex ratio, and incidence rates for both states along with monthly average temperature analysis. A yearlong epi...

Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics

Indian Journal of Gastroenterology

The Indian journal of medical research, 2017

The relevance of the gut microbiota to human health is increasingly appreciated. The objective of... more The relevance of the gut microbiota to human health is increasingly appreciated. The objective of this study was to compare the gut microbiota of a group of adult tribals with that of healthy adult villagers in Tamil Nadu, India. Faeces were collected from 10 healthy tribal adults (TAs) in the Jawadhi hills and from 10 healthy villagers [rural adults (RAs)] in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. DNA was extracted, and 456 bp segments comprising hypervariable regions 3 and 4 of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified, barcoded and 454 sequenced. Totally 227,710 good-quality reads were analyzed. TAs consumed a millets-based diet, ate pork every day, and did not consume milk or milk products. RAs consumed a rice-based diet with meat intake once a week. In both groups, Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum, followed by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. The median Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio was 34.0 in TA and 92.9 in RA groups. Actinobacteria were significantly low in TA, pos...

PloS one, 2016

Stunting or reduced linear growth is very prevalent in low-income countries. Recent studies have ... more Stunting or reduced linear growth is very prevalent in low-income countries. Recent studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between alterations in the gut microbiome and moderate or severe acute malnutrition in children in these countries. However, there have been no primary longitudinal studies comparing the intestinal microbiota of persistently stunted children to that of non-stunted children in the same community. In this pilot study, we characterized gut microbial community composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota of 10 children with low birth weight and persistent stunting (cases) and 10 children with normal birth weight and no stunting (controls) from a birth cohort every 3 months up to 2 years of age in a slum community in south India. There was an increase in diversity indices (P <0.0001) with increasing age in all children. However, there were no differences in diversity indices or in the rates of their increase with increasing age between cases and cont...

Brief Exposure To Crude Red Kidney Beans Increases Intestinal Permeability. Patel YR, Aguero RL, ... more Brief Exposure To Crude Red Kidney Beans Increases Intestinal Permeability. Patel YR, Aguero RL, Ho WHS, Dixon SL, Lin HC. Gastroenterology Section, New Mexico VA Health Care System and the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. Background: Lectins are sugar-binding proteins that are present in many common foods. They exist in particularly high concentrations in legumes (e.g, red kidney beans) and nuts. Dietary lectins can be toxic when consumed without adequate cooking, occasionally leading to an acute gastroenteritis. This toxicity may be secondary to increased intestinal permeability, since lectins have been shown to decrease trans-epithelial resistance in cell cultures. However, the length of exposure to a diet rich in lectins required to produce a similar effect of increased intestinal permeability is unknown. Aim: Our aim was to test the hypothesis that even brief exposure to crude red kidney beans in whole animals may increase intestinal permeability and decrease animal w...

Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Glycation and lipid peroxidation are spontaneous reactions believed to contribute to the pathogen... more Glycation and lipid peroxidation are spontaneous reactions believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of nephrotic syndrome. Possible interrelations of glycated hemoglobin with reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde were evaluated in nephrotic syndrome patients. Eighteen nephrotic syndrome patients and 15 healthy controls were enrolled for this study. Glycated hemoglobin, reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde and fasting glucose were analyzed for their correlation in both the groups. In nephrotic syndrome patients, while glycated hemoglobin and malondialdehyde levels were found to be significantly increased, glutathione levels decreased significantly when compared with controls. Glycated hemoglobin was found to have a significant positive correlation with malondialdehyde and a negative correlation with glutathione. Erythrocytes depleted of glutathione, by pre-treatment with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenezene, were found to have higher glycated hemoglobin levels when compared with erythro...

The Indian journal of medical research, 2008

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease of unknown aetiology in which exacerbations are sometimes li... more Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease of unknown aetiology in which exacerbations are sometimes linked to intestinal colonization by toxin-producing Clostridium difficile. We undertook this study to detect and quantitatively assess C. difficile in the stool of patients with UC using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and to compare it with healthy individuals. A total of 37 consecutive patients with UC (26 male, mean age 41.3 yr) and 36 healthy adult volunteers (20 male, mean age 36.4), none of whom had received antibiotics within two months prior to faecal collection, were included in the study. Faecal DNA was extracted, quantitative PCR (qPCR) carried out using primers to amplify species-specific segments of 16S rDNA of C. difficile, and expressed as relative fold difference against amplification of highly conserved (universal) segments. Toxins A and B were assayed by ELISA. Quantitative PCR detected C. difficile sensitively, and spiking with increasing numbers of the or...

Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology

Crohn's disease is being increasingly diagnosed in the Indian subcontinent. Three apparently ... more Crohn's disease is being increasingly diagnosed in the Indian subcontinent. Three apparently common mutations in the NOD2 gene are found in up to 30% of sporadic patients with Crohn's disease in western countries. We examined whether such mutations are also found in Indian patients with Crohn's disease. Venous blood was collected from 82 patients (age range: 7-65 years, 53 men) with Crohn's disease and 149 control subjects; DNA was extracted and subjected to polymerase chain reaction using specific primers. The amplified fragments of size 185, 163 and 151 bp for R702W, G908R and 1007fs, respectively, were digested with MspI, HhaI and ApaI, and the restriction pattern noted after electrophoresis. Twenty-eight patients had ileocolonic disease, 26 ileal disease, 20 colonic disease and 8 had disease limited to proximal small bowel or stomach. None of the 82 patients showed any of the three NOD2 mutations. The control subjects (93 men) had a variety of chronic gastrointes...