CeD and latent CeD were most prevalent in northern India and were the least in southern India. The prevalence correlated with wheat intake and did not reflect differences in the genetic background.

One hundred ninety patients underwent 197 HLA-matched related allogeneic stem cell transplantation for a diagnosis of beta thalassemia major at our center. The median age (+/-SD) was 7+/-4.1 years, and there were 129 (68%) males. Age and liver size as continuous variables were significantly associated with an adverse outcome. Using a receiver operator characteristics curve plot analysis, cutoff values of 7 years and 5 cm for age and liver size, respectively, were associated with the highest likelihood ratio of an adverse impact. On a multivariate analysis age>or=7 years and liver size>or=5 cm had a significant impact on event free survival (EFS) (relative risk 2.2 and 2.7, P values .014 and .000, respectively). Using these 2 variables, patients were categorized as high risk if they were >or=7 years and had a liver size>or=5 cm (n=41; all belonged to Class III). The 5-year EFS and overall survival (OS) in this high-risk group was 23.93+/-6.88 and 39.01+/-7.96, whereas in the remaining Class III patients (n=64) it was 70.3+/-6.06 and 78.3+/-5.5, respectively. This risk stratification identifies a significant subset (39%) of patients among those in Class III who have a poor outcome with a conventional myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Patients in this high-risk group would probably benefit from novel therapeutic approaches.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes differ in their potential for causing disease. Consecutive patients with chronic HBV infection (CHBV) (n=122) and blood donors (n=67) positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and HBV DNA were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism. The ratio of male to female subjects was significantly higher in the blood donor group than in the group of patients with CHBV (P=.0004). Among patients with CHBV, genotype D was detected in 57.3%, genotype A was detected in 18%, and genotype C was detected in 11.5%. Only genotypes D and A were detected in blood donors. The difference between the detection rate of genotype C in patients with CHBV and in blood donors was significant (11.5% vs. 0%; P=.009). Patients with CHBV who had genotype C had higher alanine transaminase (ALT) levels than those who had genotype A (P=.044) or genotype D (P=.014). Detection of genotype C in patients with CHBV and the association of genotype C with higher ALT levels may predict that this genotype has a greater potential for causing disease than other genotypes.

India with a population of 1.2 billion has a renal transplantation rate of 3.25 per million population. The major cause of chronic kidney disease is hypertension and diabetes. The crude and age-adjusted incidence rates of end-stage renal disease are estimated to be 151 and 232 per million population, respectively, in India. There was a remarkable lack of knowledge in the public about deceased organ donation until a decade ago. However, the role played by the media and nongovernmental organizations in partnership with the government has emphasized and implemented deceased donor transplantation in certain states in India-to mention particularly, the Tamil Nadu model. In the last 2 years, deceased organ donation has reached 1.3 per million population in Tamil Nadu, thereby effectively eliminating commercial transplantation. There is no religious bar for organ donation. A central transplant coordinator appointed by the government oversees legitimate and transparent allocation of deceased organs both in the public and private facilities as per the transplant waiting list. This model also takes care of the poor sections of society by conducting donation and transplantation through government-run public facilities free of cost. In the last 2 years, deceased donor transplantation has been performed through this network procuring organs such as the heart, heart valves, lung, liver, kidneys, cornea, and skin. The infrastructural lack of immunological surveillance-including donor-specific antibody monitoring, human leukocyte antigen typing, and panel reactive antibody except in a few tertiary care centers-prevents allocation according to the immunological status of the recipient. This private-public partnership promoting deceased donor transplantation has effectively eliminated commercialization in transplantation in the state of Tamil Nadu with a population of 72 million which is a model for other regions of South Asia and developing countries.

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