Mercury (Hg) is a toxic heavy metal, and the reported effects of exposure on liver function continue to be inconsistent. The objective of our study was to identify correlations between high blood Hg levels and liver enzymes in a pan-India population including adults ≥19 years of age. This retrospective study analyzed the data from 95,398 individuals tested for blood Hg levels and liver enzymes in our national laboratory. Testing for blood Hg was done by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, while testing for liver enzymes—aspartate aminotransferase (AST/SGOT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT/SGPT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase—was done by automated photometry systems. Data from all the individuals inclusive of 52,497 males and 42,901 females were studied. The frequency of high blood Hg levels (>5 µg/L) was found to be 0.6%, and the difference between males and females was not found to be significant. Further correlation by linear regression analysis found no relationship between high blood Hg levels and liver enzymes among females. However, among males, there was a significant correlation between high blood Hg levels, and increased AST as well as ALT. Our report suggested that for males but not females, Hg exposure may be one of the differentials for elevated liver enzymes.

In COVID-19 the extent of the impact on exposure, symptoms, recovery remains minimally explored as the spectrum is challenging to study across geographies. The aim of our study report was to explore seroprevalence in a pan-India cohort of Asian Indians across different age groups. Covid-19 antibodies were tested from a total of 1,36,210 Asian Indians inclusive of 97,124 males and 39,086 females, respectively. Testing for covid-19 antibodies was done by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Analysis for seroprevalence found the frequency to be 19%. The percent positives were higher among females at 21%, compared to males at 19%, and the difference was found to be statistically significant at p < 0.0001. Further, age group-wise analysis found seroprevalence between age groups of 21 - 80 years to be significant at p < 0.0001. Our study found higher seroprevalence among females, which is in line with many small cohort studies published online.

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Aim: Vitamin D deficiency is a clinical condition prevalent world over and frequency studies estimate the same to be around 40% to 90%. Though diet and lifestyle have a major contribution towards blood levels of vitamin D, studying the deficiency prevalence demography-wise is important to chart specific remedial recommendations. Materials and Methods: Our study is aimed at presenting vitamin D status in a large cohort of over 10,000 Asian Indians. The study cohort consisted of a total of 10,379 Indians, inclusive of 4470 males and 5909 females. Serum vitamin D estimation was done using the analytical platform of Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). Levels of < 20 ng/mL was considered deficient while levels between 21 -30 ng/mL was reported to be insufficient. Result: The frequency of vitamin D deficiency was detected to be 54.5%. The prevalence was detected to be higher in males at 56.7% as compared to females at 52.8% and the difference was found to be statistically significant. Agewise analysis detected maximum frequency of deficiency in the 10 -25 years group at 69.7%. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is a public health concern in India and routine screening of this micronutrient is crucial among Indians wherein the prevalence has been detected to be high.

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