Browse publications by year: 2004

WHO/WPRO/SEARO meeting on DengueNet implementation in south-east Asia and the western Pacific, Kuala Lumpur, 11-13 December 2004

Wkly. Epidemiol. Rec., 2004 Feb 06;79(6):57-62.
PMID: 14986570
MeSH terms: Asia/epidemiology; Dengue/epidemiology*; Dengue/prevention & control*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Population Surveillance; World Health Organization
Antineoplastic agents. 522. Hernandia peltata (Malaysia) and Hernandia nymphaeifolia (Republic of Maldives)

Pettit GR, Meng Y, Gearing RP, Herald DL, Pettit RK, Doubek DL, et al.

J Nat Prod, 2004 Feb;67(2):214-20.
PMID: 14987061

Bioassay (P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line and human tumor cell lines)-guided separation of the extracts prepared from the tropical and coastal trees Hernandia peltata (Malaysia) and Hernandianymphaeifolia (Republic of Maldives) led to the isolation of a new lignan designated as hernanol (1) and 12 previously known lignans: (-)-deoxypodophyllotoxin (2), deoxypicropodophyllin (3), (+)-epiaschantin (4), (+)-epieudesmin (5), praderin (6), 5'-methoxyyatein (7), podorhizol (8), deoxypodorhizone (9), bursehernin (10), kusunokinol (11), clusin (12), and (-)-maculatin (13). The oxidative cyclization (with VOF(3)) of lignans 8, 9, and 10 resulted in a new and unusual benzopyran (14), isostegane (15), and a new dibenzocyclooctadiene lactone (16), respectively. The structure and relative stereochemistry of hernanol (1) and lignans 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 were determined by 1D and 2DNMR and HRMS analyses. The structures and absolute stereochemistry of structures 2, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, and 16 were unequivocally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Evaluation against the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line and human tumor cell lines showed podophyllotoxin derivatives 2 and 3 to be strong cancer cell line growth inhibitors and substances 4, 5, 8, and 15 to have marginal cancer cell line inhibitory activities. Seven of the lignans and one of the synthetic modifications (14) inhibited growth of the pathogenic bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

MeSH terms: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification*; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Humans; Indian Ocean Islands; Leukemia P388; Malaysia; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Conformation; Neisseria gonorrhoeae/drug effects; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*; Trees/chemistry*; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Molecular Structure; Lignans/isolation & purification*; Lignans/pharmacology; Lignans/chemistry; Crystallography, X-Ray; Mice
Expression of Bcl-2 family members and presence of Epstein-Barr virus in the regulation of cell growth and death in classical Hodgkin's lymphoma

Kim LH, Nadarajah VS, Peh SC, Poppema S

Histopathology, 2004 Mar;44(3):257-67.
PMID: 14987230 DOI: 10.1111/j.0309-0167.2004.01829.x

AIMS: To examine the expression of the Bcl-2 family of proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Bcl-xL and Bax) in classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) and to correlate the expression of these proteins with proliferation, apoptosis and the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

METHODS AND RESULTS: Expression of the Bcl-2 family of proteins was detected by immunohistochemistry, proliferation was determined by Ki67 labelling and apoptosis by TUNEL in-situ hybridization. EBV was detected by Epstein-Barr virus early RNA (EBER) in-situ hybridization. Expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Bcl-xL and Bax was detected in the Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg (H/RS) cells in 43.7% (27/62), 87.5% (56/64), 67.2% (41/61) and 74.6% (47/63) of the cHL cases, respectively. EBER was detected in 53% (35/66) of the cases, whereas Ki67 was observed in 86.7% (52/60) of the cases. Apoptotic H/RS cells were observed infrequently, and only 43.2% (11/26) of the cases showed an apoptotic index of > or = 10% in the H/RS cells. A statistically significant inverse relationship was observed between the expression of Bcl-2 and the presence of EBV (P = 0.003). Bcl-xL showed an inverse correlation with apoptosis in the H/RS cells (P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS: The higher Bcl-xL expression (67.2%) compared with Bcl-2 expression (43.5%) observed in cHL as well as the statistically significant inverse relationship between Bcl-xL and apoptosis suggests that Bcl-xL plays an important role in the survival of H/RS cells. Expression of Bax may be neutralized by other anti-apoptotic members of the family such as Bcl-2 and/or Bcl-xL.

MeSH terms: Cell Division; Herpesvirus 4, Human/isolation & purification*; Hodgkin Disease/metabolism; Hodgkin Disease/pathology; Hodgkin Disease/virology*; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Proto-Oncogene Proteins/biosynthesis; Ribosomal Proteins/biosynthesis; Tumor Virus Infections/metabolism; Tumor Virus Infections/pathology*; Antigens, CD/biosynthesis; Immunophenotyping; Reed-Sternberg Cells/metabolism; Reed-Sternberg Cells/pathology; Reed-Sternberg Cells/virology*; RNA-Binding Proteins/biosynthesis; Cell Death; Apoptosis; In Situ Hybridization; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/biosynthesis*; Ki-67 Antigen/metabolism; In Situ Nick-End Labeling; bcl-X Protein; bcl-2-Associated X Protein
Comparison on pore development of activated carbon produced from palm shell and coconut shell

Daud WM, Ali WS

Bioresour Technol, 2004 May;93(1):63-9.
PMID: 14987722

A series of experiments were conducted to compare the pore development in palm-shell and coconut-shell-based activated carbons produced under identical experimental conditions. Carbonization and activation processes were carried out at 850 degrees C using a fluidized bed reactor. Within the range of burn-off studied, at any burn-off, the micropore and mesopore volumes created in palm-shell-based activated carbon were always higher than those of coconut-shell-based activated carbon. On macropore volume, for palm-shell-based activated carbon, the volume increased with increase in burn-off up to 30% and then decreased. However, for coconut-shell-based activated carbon, the change in macropore volume with burn-off was almost negligible but the absolute macropore volume decreased with burn-off.

MeSH terms: Adsorption; Carbon Dioxide/chemistry; Cellulose/metabolism; Charcoal/chemistry*; Cocos*; Fruit/chemistry*; Hot Temperature*; Lignin/metabolism; Time Factors; Arecaceae*
Fulltext Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in a rural community in mukim dengkil, selangor

Yunus AM, Mohd Sidik S, Nor Afiah M, Rampal L, Tiew Kh

Malays J Nutr, 2004 Mar;10(1):5-11.
PMID: 22691743 MyJurnal

Hypertension and obesity are established and independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. There are important inter-relationships between these two factors that may explain the aetiology of coronary heart disease. To determine the prevalence of hypertension and obesity in a rural community setting in Malaysia, and to identify their associated factors, a cross-sectional study was conducted among residents aged 15 years and above in Mukim Dengkil, Selangor from June to October 1999. Sample size was 570, giving a response rate of 86.7%. Prevalence of hypertension was 26.8%, with the highest prevalence among those aged 60 years and above (57.3%), and 50 to 59 years old (53.3%). Factors found to be significantly associated with hypertension were male (χ²=4.71, df=1, p<0.05) and age (t=10.7, df=568, p<0.01). Prevalence of obesity was 11.4%, with the highest prevalence among those aged 40 to 49 years (22.7%) and 30 to 39 years (14.4%). The factors associated with obesity were age (p<0.01), female (χ²=12.45, df=1, p<0.05) and ethnicity (Fisher's Exact probability, p<0.05) with Chinese and Malays having a higher prevalence compared to other ethnic groups. However, there was no significant association between hypertension and obesity (OR=1.14, 95% CI=0.65, 2.02). The prevalence of hypertension and obesity in this study is high. There is a need for prevention programs for these risk factors in rural communities in Malaysia.
Fulltext Childhood obesity: contributing factors, consequences and intervention

Mohd Sidik S, Ahmad R

Malays J Nutr, 2004 Mar;10(1):13-22.
PMID: 22691744

Childhood obesity has been growing at an alarming rate and is the most common nutritional problem among children in developed as well as in developing countries. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, including cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine and psychosocial morbidities. This unhealthy trend will progress to adulthood and is expected to lead to huge economic costs in health and social security systems. Among the many factors which contribute to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity include environment and genetic factors. This paper discusses the aetiology, consequences and necessary interventions for this problem.

MeSH terms: Child*; Humans; Nutrition Disorders; Obesity*
Fulltext Health perspective of pesticide exposure and dietary management

Xavier R, Rekha K, Bairy K

Malays J Nutr, 2004 Mar;10(1):39-51.
PMID: 22691747

Among the chemicals, pesticides which are mainly used in agriculture pose major health problems to human beings. Indiscriminate use of pesticides belonging to the class organophosphate, organochlorine, carbomate, and pyrethroid leads to various health problems affecting the nervous, endocrine, reproductive and immune systems. The toxicity of pesticide in human beings is influenced by various factors such as age, gender and health status of the individual in addition to the intensity and frequency of pesticide used. Comparatively, children are at greater risk than the adults. The human detoxification system plays a vital role in reducing the harmful effects of the pesticides. However, when the toxic level is increased beyond the capacity of the detoxification system, health condition deteriorates. Human diet plays a crucial role in maintaining the overall health of a person. Vitamins such as Vitamin C and E are effective in preventing DNA damage because of their antioxidant properties. Intake of fruits and vegetables improves the antioxidants level in the blood. Phenolic substances present in certain spices possess potent anticarcinogenic activities. Organic farming may be a viable solution to reduce the toxic effects of chemicals.
Pathotyping of Newcastle disease virus with a filamentous bacteriophage

Ramanujam P, Tan WS, Nathan S, Yusoff K

Biotechniques, 2004 Feb;36(2):296-300, 302.
PMID: 14989094

A filamentous phage bearing the peptide sequence TLTTKLY was isolated from a heptapeptide phage display library against a velogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV). In order to investigate the potential of this specific phage as an immunological reagent in virus pathotyping, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based method was developed. This method can differentiate the velogenic strains from the mesogenic and lentogenic strains. An equilibrium-binding assay in solution showed that the interactions between the phage and all the NDV strains gave rise to two widely differing dissociation constants (Kdrel). Based upon the first Kdrel values, NDV strains can be classified into two groups; the first comprises the velogenic strains, and the second consists of the mesogenic and lentogenic strains. These results indicate a high degree of correlation between the binding affinities and pathotyping of NDV strains using the TLTTKLY phage.

MeSH terms: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods; Newcastle Disease/virology; Newcastle disease virus/genetics*; Newcastle disease virus/isolation & purification*; Newcastle disease virus/pathogenicity; Peptide Fragments/genetics; Protein Binding/genetics; Inovirus/genetics*; Peptide Library
Clinical course and determination of brainstem death in a children's hospital

Goh AY, Mok Q

Acta Paediatr, 2004 Jan;93(1):47-52.
PMID: 14989439

AIM: To study the aetiology and clinical course of children with brainstem death in a paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) and to determine whether current the practices that are used to declare brainstem death conform to accepted criteria.
METHODS: A retrospective review chart of all patients with brainstem death (n = 31) admitted to the paediatric ICU between January 1995 and December 1998 was drawn up.
RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 51.9 +/- 54.5 mo with the main diagnoses being head trauma in 11 children, anoxic encephalopathy in 7, brain tumour in 5, drowning in 4, CNS haemorrhage in 3 and CNS infection in 1 child; 32.3% of the children were given pre-ICU admission cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The average time from insult to suspected brainstem death was 27 h and suspected brainstem death to confirmation was 25 h, with an average of 1.6 examinations performed. EEG was done in 14 patients, with electrocerebral silence in 8 after the first examination and in a further 5 after repeat testing. Cerebral blood-flow scans were done in 3 children and evoked potentials in 1 child.
CONCLUSIONS: Trauma remains the most common primary diagnosis leading to brainstem death. Intensivists in this large hospital for children mainly conform to accepted guidelines for determination of brainstem death although there is a wider use of ancillary tests to aid diagnosis. The study also showed a low rate of < 10% of organ procurement for transplantation.

Study site: Paediatric ICU, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Brain Death/physiopathology*; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Craniocerebral Trauma/physiopathology*; Craniocerebral Trauma/therapy; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Retrospective Studies; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Hospital Mortality*; Age Distribution
Pattern of Epstein-Barr virus association in childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: experience of university of malaya medical center

Peh SC, Nadarajah VS, Tai YC, Kim LH, Abdullah WA

Pathol. Int., 2004 Mar;54(3):151-7.
PMID: 14989737

The pattern of childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) usually differs in adults. The most common subtypes are lymphoblastic, Burkitt's and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Recent data indicate that a higher risk of developing lymphoma is associated in children of certain ethnic origins. The difference is probably related to the underlying etiological factors of these diseases, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a strong candidate. The present study aims to determine the disease pattern of childhood lymphomas in the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur, for a direct comparison to the reported data of adults from the same medical center. A total of 69 and 34 childhood NHL and Hodgkin's lymphomas, respectively, were retrieved. The most common subtypes were lymphoblastic (23 cases), Burkitt's (25 cases) and anaplastic large cell lymphomas (9 cases). Epstein-Barr virus association was more prevalent in B-cell (23%) than T-cell (12%) lymphomas. The most common EBV-associated tumor was Burkitt's lymphoma, and there was an increased risk of EBV association for Burkitt's lymphoma in Chinese patients. In conclusion, the pattern of childhood lymphoma in Malaysia is relatively similar to children elsewhere in the world. The EBV association of B- and T-NHL differs between children and adults from the same medical center because of differences in the subtype composition in these two age groups.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Child; Child, Preschool; Herpesvirus 4, Human; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Infant; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/epidemiology; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/pathology; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/virology*; Malaysia; Male; In Situ Hybridization; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/epidemiology*; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/pathology
High frequency of EBV association and 30-bp deletion in the LMP-1 gene in CD56 lymphomas of the upper aerodigestive tract

Tai YC, Kim LH, Peh SC

Pathol. Int., 2004 Mar;54(3):158-66.
PMID: 14989738

Natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas are frequently associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and usually lack TCR gene rearrangement. Studies from Asia have reported frequent deletion in the LMP-1 gene in EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The present study aims to investigate LMP-1 and TCRgamma gene status in upper aerodigestive tract lymphomas. A total of 43 cases were classified into T-, B-, and NK/T-cell tumors based on the phenotype expressions of CD3(+)/CD20(-)/CD56(-), CD3(-)/CD20(+)/CD56(-), and CD3(+)/CD20(-)/CD56(+), respectively. The presence of EBV in the tumor was confirmed by EBV early RNA-in situ hybridization. LMP-1 gene deletion and TCR gamma gene rearrangement were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction on paraffin-embedded tissues. There were 20 NK/T-, eight T-, and 15 B-cell phenotype lymphomas in the present series, and EBV was detected in 19 (95%), two (25%), and three (20%) cases in the respective groups. All EBV+ cases carried 30-bp deletion in the LMP-1 gene, and two of the NK/T-cell cases were infected by both the wild type and deleted strains. Five (25%) of the NK/T-cell phenotype lymphomas showed rearranged TCR gamma gene. The present study revealed a high frequency of EBV association, and a high frequency of 30-bp deletion in the LMP-1 gene in the virus in the present series of lymphoma. The NK/T-phenotype lymphomas are comprised of both NK-cell and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-derived tumors.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Base Sequence; Child; Child, Preschool; Herpesvirus 4, Human; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Killer Cells, Natural/pathology; Lymphoma/genetics*; Lymphoma/virology*; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Sequence Data; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/genetics*; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/virology*; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/pathology; Viral Matrix Proteins/genetics*; Gene Rearrangement, gamma-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; Immunophenotyping; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Gene Deletion; Sequence Homology; In Situ Hybridization; Antigens, CD56/metabolism; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/genetics*
Habitat heterogeneity and niche structure of trees in two tropical rain forests

Potts MD, Davies SJ, Bossert WH, Tan S, Nur Supardi MN

Oecologia, 2004 May;139(3):446-53.
PMID: 14997378

Dispersal-assembly theories of species coexistence posit that environmental factors play no role in explaining community diversity and structure. Dispersal-assembly theories shed light on some aspects of community structure such as species-area and species-abundance relationships. However, species' environmental associations also affect these measures of community structure. Measurements of species' niche breadth and overlap address this influence. Using a new continuous measure of niche and a dispersal-assembly null model that maintains species' niche breadth and aggregation, we tested two hypotheses assessing the effects of habitat heterogeneity on the ability of dispersal-assembly theories to explain community niche structure. We found that in both homogenous and heterogeneous environments dispersal-assembly theories cannot fully explain observed niche structure. The performance of the dispersal-assembly null models was particularly poor in heterogeneous environments. These results indicate that non-dispersal based mechanisms are in part responsible for observed community structure and measures of community structure which include species' environmental associations should be used to test theories of species diversity.

MeSH terms: Altitude; Demography; Environment*; Malaysia; Models, Theoretical*; Trees*; Tropical Climate; Ecosystem*
US and biologists wary of strict biotech rules

Cyranoski D

Nature, 2004 Mar 4;428(6978):6.
PMID: 14999250
MeSH terms: Biotechnology/legislation & jurisprudence*; Biotechnology/standards; Commerce/legislation & jurisprudence; Congresses as Topic*; Food Labeling/legislation & jurisprudence; International Cooperation; Malaysia; United States; Risk Assessment; Food, Genetically Modified/standards*
Alkaloids from Alstonia angustifolia

Kam TS, Choo YM

Phytochemistry, 2004 Mar;65(5):603-8.
PMID: 15003424

Six new alkaloids, viz., alstolactone, affinisine oxindole, lagumicine, N(4)-demethylalstonerine, N(4)-demethylalstonerinal, and 10-methoxycathafoline N(4)-oxide, in addition to 36 other known alkaloids, were obtained from the leaf extract of Alstonia angustifolia var. latifolia. The structures of the new alkaloids were determined using NMR and MS analysis.

MeSH terms: Alkaloids/isolation & purification; Alkaloids/chemistry*; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Molecular Structure; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Alstonia/chemistry*
Fulltext Iron status and dietary iron intake of adolescents from a rural community in Sabah, Malaysia

Foo LH, Khor GL, Tee ES, Prabakaran D

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2004;13(1):48-55.
PMID: 15003914

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency in the world affecting the general health and wellbeing of millions. In Malaysia, moderately high prevalences of anaemia have been reported amongst infants, young children and women of childbearing age. Data is scant for the adolescents. This study was undertaken to assess the iron status and dietary intake of 165 adolescents, comprising 74 male and 91 female subjects, aged 12 to 19 years, from the rural communities in Tuaran District of Sabah, Malaysia. Convenience sampling was used for the selection of study subjects. Multiple iron status indicators namely, serum ferritin (SF), transferrin saturation (TS), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) were determined for the study. The mean age of the subjects was 15.2 +/-2.1 years. While the majority of the subjects (77.6%) had normal body mass index (BMI) values, 17.6% were underweight and 4.8% overweight. About 35% to 40% of the subjects showed deficient values for haematocrit, serum ferritin, serum iron, mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and transferrin saturation (TS), and 20% were anaemic (Hb <12 g/L). Using the multiple criteria of iron status indicators, the prevalence of iron depletion, iron deficiency and IDA in the male and female adolescents were 5.4% vs. 6.6%, 18.9% vs. 26.4% and 5.4% vs. 26.4%, respectively. Iron deficiency anaemia (85.0%) contributed largely to the prevalence of anaemia. The dietary iron intake of the adolescents was unsatisfactory, with approximately 98% of subjects failing to meet the Malaysian RDA level. Almost all the female subjects (91%) had dietary iron intake below two-thirds of the RDA level compared with a much smaller proportion for the male adolescents (68%). The prevalence of IDA in the present study population, especially in the female adolescents, appears to be a significant public health problem. Priority should therefore be given to the eradication of iron deficiency in adolescents from low-income areas by dietary modification and micronutrient supplementation amongst female adolescents.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Erythrocyte Indices; Female; Ferritins/blood; Hemoglobins/analysis; Humans; Iron/blood*; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Nutritional Status; Rural Health*; Socioeconomic Factors; Transferrin/analysis; Body Mass Index; Prevalence; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/epidemiology*; Iron, Dietary/administration & dosage*
Lipase-catalyzed esterification of palm-based 9,10-dihydroxystearic acid and 1-octanol in hexane--a kinetic study

Awang R, Basri M, Ahmad S, Salleh AB

Biotechnol Lett, 2004 Jan;26(1):11-4.
PMID: 15005144

The esterification of palm-based 9,10-dihydroxystearic acid (DHSA) and 1-octanol in hexane as catalyzed by lipase from Rhizomucor meihei (Lipozyme IM) followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The esterification reaction follows a Ping-Pong, Bi-Bi mechanism. The maximum rate was estimated to be 1 micromol min(-1) mg(-1) catalyst in hexane at 50 degrees C, and the Michaelis-Menten constants for DHSA and 1-octanol were 1.3 M and 0.7 M, respectively.

MeSH terms: Octanols/chemistry*; Catalysis; Enzyme Activation; Esterification; Esters; Hexanes/chemistry*; Kinetics; Lipase/chemistry*; Models, Chemical*; Plant Oils/chemistry*; Stearic Acids/chemistry*
High incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in native people of Sarawak, Borneo Island

Devi BC, Pisani P, Tang TS, Parkin DM

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2004 Mar;13(3):482-6.
PMID: 15006927

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is generally a rare malignancy with a few well-known exceptions, notably South-East China. In this article, we describe evidence of a high risk of NPC in the population of Sarawak State, Malaysia, and particularly in one native ethnic group. Sarawak State is one of the two provinces of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. The native population (71.6%) includes the Iban, Malay, Bidayuh, Melanau, and diverse smaller ethnic groups. The Chinese are the largest nonindigenous group (27.5%). We identified 392 newly diagnosed cases (292 males and 100 females) of NPC in 1996-1998 in Malaysian citizens, permanent residents of Sarawak. Age-standardized rates by sex and ethnic group were compared with the highest rates in the world. The age-adjusted rate (ASR) in Sarawak residents was 13.5/100,000 [95% confidence interval (CI) 12.2-15.0] and 6.2/100,000 (95% CI 5.7-6.7) in males and females, respectively. The risk in the Bidayuh people was 2.3-fold (M) and 1.9-fold (F) higher than the Sarawak average, and about 50% higher than that in Hong Kong-the highest recorded by any population-based registry for the same period. Local dietary habits, environmental exposures, and genetic susceptibility deserve investigation in this population.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma/ethnology*; Carcinoma/epidemiology*; Child; Diet; Environment; Ethnic Groups*; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/ethnology*; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/epidemiology*; Risk Factors; Incidence; Epidemiologic Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Five-year surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis in Malaysia

Hussain IH, Ali S, Sinniah M, Kurup D, Khoo TB, Thomas TG, et al.

J Paediatr Child Health, 2004 Mar;40(3):127-30.
PMID: 15009577

OBJECTIVE: The nation-wide surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) was implemented in Malaysia in 1995 and further intensified in 1996 as part of the World Health Organization's (WHO) certification process for polio eradication in the Western Pacific Region. Clinical data on AFP cases during a 5-year surveillance period from 1997 to 2001 were compiled and analysed.
RESULTS: Based on 517 cases of AFP reported during this 5-year period, the overall rate of AFP was 1.2 per 100 000 children below 15 years old. The major clinical diagnosis associated with AFP were Guillain-Barre syndrome (30.2%), central nervous system infection (16.2%), transverse myelitis (10.6%) non-polio enterovirus infection (6.2%), and hypokalaemic paralysis (5.2%). This unusual pattern with an excess of CNS infection and non-polio enterovirus infection was attributed to the outbreak of enterovirus 71 infection nation-wide in 1997. According to the WHO virological classification, there was no case of poliomyelitis due to wild poliovirus. Three cases were 'polio compatible', there were no cases of vaccine-associated paralytic polio (VAPP), while 62 cases (12.0%) were merely classified as 'non-polio AFP'.
CONCLUSION: Overall, these data suggest the absence of circulation of wild poliovirus in Malaysia from 1997 to 2001. The pattern of AFP in this study is different from other published reports.

MeSH terms: Acute Disease; Child; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Paraplegia/epidemiology*; Population Surveillance; World Health Organization
Gadolinium: named after Finland's most famous chemist

Wastie ML, Latief KH

Br J Radiol, 2004 Feb;77(914):146-7.
PMID: 15010388
MeSH terms: Chemistry/history*; Finland; Gadolinium/history*; Humans; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century
Ethnic disparity in the prevalence of partial villous atrophy and post-infective tropical malabsorption

Rajendra S, Baharain SR, Karim N, Ho JJ, Kutty K

J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2004 Apr;19(4):472-4.
PMID: 15012793
MeSH terms: Adult; Atrophy; Duodenum/pathology*; Female; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Microvilli/pathology; Middle Aged; Sprue, Tropical/ethnology*; Sprue, Tropical/pathology*; Prevalence; Asian Continental Ancestry Group*

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