Browse publications by year: 2016

  1. Ranjbari A, Azarbayjani MA, Yusof A, Halim Mokhtar A, Akbarzadeh S, Ibrahim MY, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2016 Mar 15;16:101.
    PMID: 26980377 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1064-6
    BACKGROUND: Urtica dioica (UD) has been identified as a traditional herbal medicine. This study aimed to investigate the effect of UD extract and swimming activity on diabetic parameters through in vivo and in vitro experiments.

    METHODS: Adult WKY male rats were randomly distributed in nine groups: intact control, diabetic control, diabetic + 625 mg/kg, 1.25 g/kg UD, diabetic + 100 mg/kg Metformin, diabetic + swimming, diabetic + swimming 625 mg/kg, 1.25 g/kg UD, and diabetic +100 mg/kg Metformin + swimming. The hearts of the animals were punctured, and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis. The entire pancreas was exposed for histologic examination. The effect of UD on insulin secretion by RIN-5F cells in 6.25 or 12.5 mM glucose dose was examined. Glucose uptake by cultured L6 myotubes was determined.

    RESULTS: The serum glucose concentration decreased, the insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity significantly increased in treated groups. These changes were more pronounced in the group that received UD extract and swimming training. Regeneration and less beta cell damage of Langerhans islets were observed in the treated groups. UD treatment increased insulin secretion in the RIN-5F cells and glucose uptake in the L6 myotubes cells.

    CONCLUSIONS: Swimming exercises accompanied by consuming UD aqueous extracts effectively improved diabetic parameters, repaired pancreatic tissues in streptozotocin-induced diabetics in vivo, and increased glucose uptake or insulin in UD-treated cells in vitro.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Cell Line; Combined Modality Therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/therapy*; Glucose/metabolism; Insulin/metabolism; Male; Phytotherapy*; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use*; Rats, Inbred WKY; Swimming*; Urtica dioica*; Rats
  2. Kuan CS, Yew SM, Chan CL, Toh YF, Lee KW, Cheong WH, et al.
    Database (Oxford), 2016;2016.
    PMID: 26980516 DOI: 10.1093/database/baw008
    Many species of dematiaceous fungi are associated with allergic reactions and potentially fatal diseases in human, especially in tropical climates. Over the past 10 years, we have isolated more than 400 dematiaceous fungi from various clinical samples. In this study, DemaDb, an integrated database was designed to support the integration and analysis of dematiaceous fungal genomes. A total of 92 072 putative genes and 6527 pathways that identified in eight dematiaceous fungi (Bipolaris papendorfii UM 226, Daldinia eschscholtzii UM 1400, D. eschscholtzii UM 1020, Pyrenochaeta unguis-hominis UM 256, Ochroconis mirabilis UM 578, Cladosporium sphaerospermum UM 843, Herpotrichiellaceae sp. UM 238 and Pleosporales sp. UM 1110) were deposited in DemaDb. DemaDb includes functional annotations for all predicted gene models in all genomes, such as Gene Ontology, EuKaryotic Orthologous Groups, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Pfam and InterProScan. All predicted protein models were further functionally annotated to Carbohydrate-Active enzymes, peptidases, secondary metabolites and virulence factors. DemaDb Genome Browser enables users to browse and visualize entire genomes with annotation data including gene prediction, structure, orientation and custom feature tracks. The Pathway Browser based on the KEGG pathway database allows users to look into molecular interaction and reaction networks for all KEGG annotated genes. The availability of downloadable files containing assembly, nucleic acid, as well as protein data allows the direct retrieval for further downstream works. DemaDb is a useful resource for fungal research community especially those involved in genome-scale analysis, functional genomics, genetics and disease studies of dematiaceous fungi. Database URL: http://fungaldb.um.edu.my.
    MeSH terms: Genes, Fungal; Humans; Models, Genetic; Genome, Fungal*; Internet; Databases, Genetic*; Molecular Sequence Annotation
  3. Sutton PL, Luo Z, Divis PCS, Friedrich VK, Conway DJ, Singh B, et al.
    Infect Genet Evol, 2016 06;40:243-252.
    PMID: 26980604 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.03.009
    Plasmodium cynomolgi is a malaria parasite that typically infects Asian macaque monkeys, and humans on rare occasions. P. cynomolgi serves as a model system for the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax, with which it shares such important biological characteristics as formation of a dormant liver stage and a preference to invade reticulocytes. While genomes of three P. cynomolgi strains have been sequenced, genetic diversity of P. cynomolgi has not been widely investigated. To address this we developed the first panel of P. cynomolgi microsatellite markers to genotype eleven P. cynomolgi laboratory strains and 18 field isolates from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. We found diverse genotypes among most of the laboratory strains, though two nominally different strains were found to be genetically identical. We also investigated sequence polymorphism in two erythrocyte invasion gene families, the reticulocyte binding protein and Duffy binding protein genes, in these strains. We also observed copy number variation in rbp genes.
    MeSH terms: Alleles; Animals; Genetics, Population; Genotype; Geography; Malaria/veterinary*; Monkey Diseases/parasitology*; Phylogeny; Genetic Variation*; Plasmodium cynomolgi/classification*; Plasmodium cynomolgi/genetics*; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Microsatellite Repeats
  4. Zakiah MJ, Nidzwani M, Hanizah N, Affirul CA
    Clin Ter, 2016;167(1):e1-5.
    PMID: 26980635 DOI: 10.7417/T.2016.1911
    The training of emergency medical officers has always been informal. Only recently, the presence of emergency physician may have a positive influence in their training and development. This study aims to determine the effect of Emergency Physician (EP) presence on the training exposure and confidence level of medical officers in their practice.
    MeSH terms: Health Personnel; Physicians
  5. Ghanghoria R, Tekade RK, Mishra AK, Chuttani K, Jain NK
    Nanomedicine (Lond), 2016 Apr;11(7):797-816.
    PMID: 26980704 DOI: 10.2217/nnm.16.19
    Paclitaxel (PTX) is an effective anticancer agent used in the therapy of a wide variety of cancers. However, the drug is difficult to formulate due to its low solubility, and therefore, it is administered under slow infusion with castor oil/ethanol solution as surfactant that causes serious side effects. This investigation investigates leutinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH)-tethered nanparticulate system as modality for cancer-specific delivery of PTX and therefore minimizing the adverse effects.
  6. Dashti MG, Abdeshahian P
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):172-80.
    PMID: 26980997 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.02.006
    This research was performed based on a comparative study on fungal lipid production by a locally isolated strain Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1 in batch culture and repeated-batch culture using a nitrogen-limited medium. Lipid production in the batch culture was conducted to study the effect of different agitation rates on the simultaneous consumption of ammonium tartrate and glucose sources. Lipid production in the repeated-batch culture was studied by considering the effect of harvesting time and harvesting volume of the culture broth on the lipid accumulation. The batch cultivation was carried out in a 500 ml Erlenmeyer flask containing 200 ml of the fresh nitrogen-limited medium. Microbial culture was incubated at 30 °C under different agitation rates of 120, 180 and 250 rpm for 120 h. The repeated-batch culture was performed at three harvesting times of 12, 24 and 48 h using four harvesting cultures of 60%, 70%, 80% and 90%. Experimental results revealed that nitrogen source (ammonium tartrate) was fully utilized by C. bainieri 2A1 within 24 h in all agitation rates tested. It was also observed that a high amount of glucose in culture medium was consumed by C. bainieri 2A1 at 250 rpm agitation speed during the batch fermentation. Similar results showed that the highest lipid concentration of 2.96 g/L was obtained at an agitation rate of 250 rpm at 120 h cultivation time with the maximum lipid productivity of 7.0 × 10(-2) mg/ml/h. On the other hand, experimental results showed that the highest lipid concentration produced in the repeated-batch culture was 3.30 g/L at the first cycle of 48 h harvesting time using 70% harvesting volume, while 0.23 g/L gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) was produced at the last cycle of 48 h harvesting time using 80% harvesting volume.
    MeSH terms: Culture Media; Fermentation; Glucose; Lipids; Nitrogen; Tartrates; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Cunninghamella; Batch Cell Culture Techniques
  7. He S, Zhao K, Ma L, Yang J, Chang Y, Ashraf MA
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):198-204.
    PMID: 26981000 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.10.007
    To discuss the cold resistance performance of different Herba Rhodiolae and successfully transplant Herba Rhodiolae to the Gansu plateau area for nursing, domestication and planting, this paper systematically studies six physiological and biochemical features of Rhodiola kirilowii, Rhodiola algida, Rhodiola crenulata and Herba Rhodiolae that are closely associated with cold resistance features and concludes with the cold resistance capability of Rhodiola kirilowii. In the selected six main indexes of the Herba Rhodiolae, the POD, SOD and CAT activity and MDA and Pro content in the leaf are the main physiological and biochemical indexes to indicate the cold resistance performance of four Herba Rhodiolae seedlings and can be regarded as the preliminary indexes to assess the winter performance of Herba Rhodiolae. The research work will provide the theoretical basis for the wild variants of Herba Rhodiolae and GAPJ base construction.
    MeSH terms: Seasons; Superoxide Dismutase; Plant Leaves; Transplants; Rhodiola; Seedlings; Domestication
  8. Azra MN, Ikhwanuddin M
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):257-67.
    PMID: 26981008 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.03.011
    Study of broodstock maturation diets is important in order to increase the quality of berried females, which indirectly improve the larval quantity in the hatchery production of cultured species. This paper reviewed the studies on the maturation diets for mud crab broodstock, genus Scylla and compared independently to identify their effect on reproductive performance and larval quality. The broodstock is usually caught from the wild and held in the spawning or maturation tank for further use of hatchery seed production. Mud crab broodstock was fed either natural diet, artificial diet or mixed diet. Trash fishes were commonly used as a natural feed for mud crab broodstock; meanwhile artificial diets are from formulated fish meal and various kinds of feed. The results indicated that mud crab broodstock has a high dietary requirement for lipids, fatty acids and protein which are to be used during the maturation and breeding processes. However, the natural diet produce better larval quality compared to the artificial diet. The mixed diet is the better diet which resulted in better reproductive performances such as growth, survival, fecundity and maturation processes. This review also discusses the problems in the previous studies for the potential future research to develop very high quality and cost-effective formulated diet for the enhancement of broodstock and seed production technology. Information from this review can be useful in developing a better quality of crustacean broodstock's diet for commercial hatchery production.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Breeding; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Brachyura; Diet; Fatty Acids; Female; Fertility; Fishes; Larva; Lipids; Nutritional Requirements; Reproduction; Motor Vehicles
  9. Khor HL, Liew SC, Zain JM
    Int J Biomed Imaging, 2016;2016:9583727.
    PMID: 26981111 DOI: 10.1155/2016/9583727
    With the advancement of technology in communication network, it facilitated digital medical images transmitted to healthcare professionals via internal network or public network (e.g., Internet), but it also exposes the transmitted digital medical images to the security threats, such as images tampering or inserting false data in the images, which may cause an inaccurate diagnosis and treatment. Medical image distortion is not to be tolerated for diagnosis purposes; thus a digital watermarking on medical image is introduced. So far most of the watermarking research has been done on single frame medical image which is impractical in the real environment. In this paper, a digital watermarking on multiframes medical images is proposed. In order to speed up multiframes watermarking processing time, a parallel watermarking processing on medical images processing by utilizing multicores technology is introduced. An experiment result has shown that elapsed time on parallel watermarking processing is much shorter than sequential watermarking processing.
    MeSH terms: Communication; Humans; Technology; Internet
  10. Teow SY, Nordin AC, Ali SA, Khoo AS
    Adv Virol, 2016;2016:9852494.
    PMID: 26981123 DOI: 10.1155/2016/9852494
    Nanometre-sized vesicles, also known as exosomes, are derived from endosomes of diverse cell types and present in multiple biological fluids. Depending on their cellular origins, the membrane-bound exosomes packed a variety of functional proteins and RNA species. These microvesicles are secreted into the extracellular space to facilitate intercellular communication. Collective findings demonstrated that exosomes from HIV-infected subjects share many commonalities with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I (HIV-1) particles in terms of proteomics and lipid profiles. These observations postulated that HIV-resembled exosomes may contribute to HIV pathogenesis. Interestingly, recent reports illustrated that exosomes from body fluids could inhibit HIV infection, which then bring up a new paradigm for HIV/AIDS therapy. Accumulative findings suggested that the cellular origin of exosomes may define their effects towards HIV-1. This review summarizes the two distinctive roles of exosomes in regulating HIV pathogenesis. We also highlighted several additional factors that govern the exosomal functions. Deeper understanding on how exosomes promote or abate HIV infection can significantly contribute to the development of new and potent antiviral therapeutic strategy and vaccine designs.
  11. Loke KK, Rahnamaie-Tajadod R, Yeoh CC, Goh HH, Mohamed-Hussein ZA, Mohd Noor N, et al.
    Genom Data, 2016 Mar;7:12-3.
    PMID: 26981350 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.11.003
    Polygonum minus plant is rich in secondary metabolites, especially terpenoids and flavonoids. Present study generates transcriptome resource for P. minus to decipher its secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways. Raw reads and the transcriptome assembly project have been deposited at GenBank under the accessions SRX313492 (root) and SRX669305 (leaf) respectively.
  12. Wan Zakaria WN, Loke KK, Goh HH, Mohd Noor N
    Genom Data, 2016 Mar;7:18-9.
    PMID: 26981352 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.11.007
    Carnivorous plants have the ability to capture and digest insects for nutrients, which allows them to survive in land deprived of nitrogenous nutrients. Nepenthes spp. are one of the carnivorous plants, which uniquely produce pitcher from the tip of an elongated leaf. This study provides the first transcriptome resource from pitcher of a Nepenthes ventricosa × Nepenthes alata hybrid, Nepenthes × ventrata to understand carnivory mechanism in Nepenthes spp., as well as in other carnivorous species. Raw reads and the transcriptome assembly project have been deposited to SRA database with the accession numbers SRX1389337 (day 0 control), SRX1389392 (day 3 longevity), and SRX1389395 (day 3 chitin-treated).
  13. Abu Bakar S, Sampathrajan S, Loke KK, Goh HH, Mohd Noor N
    Genom Data, 2016 Mar;7:62-3.
    PMID: 26981362 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.11.018
    Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana Linn.) is a tropical tree mainly found in South East Asia and considered as "the queen of fruits". The asexually produced fruit is dark purple or reddish in color, with white flesh which is slightly acidic with sweet flavor and a pleasant aroma. The purple pericarp tissue is rich in xanthones which are useful for medical purposes. We performed the first genome sequencing of this commercially important fruit tree to study its genome composition and attempted draft genome assembly. Raw reads of the DNA sequencing project have been deposited to SRA database with the accession number SRX1426419.
  14. Chan KG, Yin WF, Chan XY
    Genom Data, 2016 Mar;7:105-6.
    PMID: 26981378 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.008
    Klebsiella pneumoniae T2-1-1 was isolated from the human tongue debris and subjected to whole genome sequencing on HiSeq platform and annotated on RAST. The nucleotide sequence of this genome was deposited into DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession JAQL00000000.
  15. Jaafar MM, Halim MZ, Ismail MI, Shien LL, Kek TL, Fong NY, et al.
    Genom Data, 2016 Mar;7:119-20.
    PMID: 26981383 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.030
    Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an acid fast bacterial species in the family Mycobacteriaceae and is the causative agent of most cases of tuberculosis. Here, we report the genomic features of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a patient diagnosed with both pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The isolated strain was identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis PR08 (MTB PR08). Genomic DNA of the MTB PR08 strain was extracted and subjected to whole genome sequencing using MiSeq (Illumina, CA,USA). The draft genome size of MTB PR08 strain is 4,292,364 bp with a G + C content of 65.2%. This strain was annotated to have 4723 genes and 48 RNAs. This whole genome shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession number CP010895.
  16. Yu CY, Ang GY, Cheng HJ, Cheong YM, Yin WF, Chan KG
    Genom Data, 2016 Mar;7:185-6.
    PMID: 26981402 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.024
    Chryseobacterium indologenes is an emerging pathogen which poses a threat in clinical healthcare setting due to its multidrug-resistant phenotype and its common association with nosocomial infections. Here, we report the draft genome of a multidrug-resistant C. indologenes CI_885 isolated in 2014 from Malaysia. The 908,704-kb genome harbors a repertoire of putative antibiotic resistance determinants which may elucidate the molecular basis and underlying mechanisms of its resistant to various classes of antibiotics. The genome sequence has been deposited in DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession number LJOD00000000.
  17. Halim MZ, Jaafar MM, Teh LK, Ismail MI, Lee LS, Ngeow YF, et al.
    Genom Data, 2016 Mar;7:245-6.
    PMID: 26981419 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2016.01.002
    Here, we report the draft genome sequence and annotation of a multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain PR10 (MDR-TB PR10) isolated from a patient diagnosed with tuberculosis. The size of the draft genome MDR-TB PR10 is 4.34 Mbp with 65.6% of G + C content and consists of 4637 predicted genes. The determinants were categorized by RAST into 400 subsystems with 4286 coding sequences and 50 RNAs. The whole genome shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession number CP010968.
  18. Chanasit W, Hodgson B, Sudesh K, Umsakul K
    Biosci Biotechnol Biochem, 2016 Jul;80(7):1440-50.
    PMID: 26981955 DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2016.1158628
    Conditions for the optimal production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) by Pseudomonas mendocina PSU using a biodiesel liquid waste (BLW) were determined by response surface methodology. These were an initial carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) of 40 (mole/mole), an initial pH of 7.0, and a temperature of 35 °C. A biomass and PHA concentration of 3.65 g/L and about 2.6 g/L (77% DCW), respectively, were achieved in a growth associated process using 20 g/L glycerol in the BLW after 36 h of exponential growth. The PHA monomer compositions were 3HB (3-hydroxybutyrate), a short-chain-length-PHA, and the medium-chain-length-PHA e.g. 3-hydroxyoctanoate and 3-hydroxydecanoate. Both the phbC and phaC genes were characterized. The phbC enzyme had not been previously detected in a Pseudomonas mendocina species. A 2.15 g/L of an exopolysaccharide, alginate, was also produced with a similar composition to that of other Pseudomonas species.
    MeSH terms: Alginates; Caprylates; Carbon; Glycerol; Hexuronic Acids; Nitrogen; Pseudomonas; Temperature; Biomass; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; Glucuronic Acid; Pseudomonas mendocina; Polyhydroxyalkanoates; Biofuels
  19. Akram Z, Al-Shareef SA, Daood U, Asiri FY, Shah AH, AlQahtani MA, et al.
    Photomed Laser Surg, 2016 Apr;34(4):137-49.
    PMID: 26982216 DOI: 10.1089/pho.2015.4076
    The aim of this study was to assess the bactericidal efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic dynamic therapy (aPDT) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) against periodontal pathogens.
    MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage*; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use; Humans; Periodontal Diseases/drug therapy; Periodontal Diseases/microbiology*; Periodontal Diseases/therapy*; Photochemotherapy/methods*; Dental Scaling; Root Planing; Photosensitizing Agents/administration & dosage*; Photosensitizing Agents/therapeutic use
  20. Lai NM, Chaiyakunapruk N, Lai NA, O'Riordan E, Pau WS, Saint S
    Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2016 Mar 16;3(3):CD007878.
    PMID: 26982376 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007878.pub3
    BACKGROUND: The central venous catheter (CVC) is essential in managing acutely ill patients in hospitals. Bloodstream infection is a major complication in patients with a CVC. Several infection control measures have been developed to reduce bloodstream infections, one of which is impregnation of CVCs with various forms of antimicrobials (either with an antiseptic or with antibiotics). This review was originally published in June 2013 and updated in 2016.

    OBJECTIVES: Our main objective was to assess the effectiveness of antimicrobial impregnation, coating or bonding on CVCs in reducing clinically-diagnosed sepsis, catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI), all-cause mortality, catheter colonization and other catheter-related infections in adult participants who required central venous catheterization, along with their safety and cost effectiveness where data were available. We undertook the following comparisons: 1) catheters with antimicrobial modifications in the form of antimicrobial impregnation, coating or bonding, against catheters without antimicrobial modifications and 2) catheters with one type of antimicrobial impregnation against catheters with another type of antimicrobial impregnation. We planned to analyse the comparison of catheters with any type of antimicrobial impregnation against catheters with other antimicrobial modifications, e.g. antiseptic dressings, hubs, tunnelling, needleless connectors or antiseptic lock solutions, but did not find any relevant studies. Additionally, we planned to conduct subgroup analyses based on the length of catheter use, settings or levels of care (e.g. intensive care unit, standard ward and oncology unit), baseline risks, definition of sepsis, presence or absence of co-interventions and cost-effectiveness in different currencies.

    SEARCH METHODS: We used the standard search strategy of the Cochrane Anaesthesia, Critical and Emergency Care Review Group (ACE). In the updated review, we searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2015, Issue 3), MEDLINE (OVID SP; 1950 to March 2015), EMBASE (1980 to March 2015), CINAHL (1982 to March 2015), and other Internet resources using a combination of keywords and MeSH headings. The original search was run in March 2012.

    SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed any type of impregnated catheter against either non-impregnated catheters or catheters with another type of impregnation in adult patients cared for in the hospital setting who required CVCs. We planned to include quasi-RCT and cluster-RCTs, but we identified none. We excluded cross-over studies.

    DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We extracted data using the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Two authors independently assessed the relevance and risk of bias of the retrieved records. We expressed our results using risk ratio (RR), absolute risk reduction (ARR) and number need to treat to benefit (NNTB) for categorical data and mean difference (MD) for continuous data, where appropriate, with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

    MAIN RESULTS: We included one new study (338 participants/catheters) in this update, which brought the total included to 57 studies with 16,784 catheters and 11 types of impregnations. The total number of participants enrolled was unclear, as some studies did not provide this information. Most studies enrolled participants from the age of 18, including patients in intensive care units (ICU), oncology units and patients receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition. There were low or unclear risks of bias in the included studies, except for blinding, which was impossible in most studies due to the catheters that were being assessed having different appearances. Overall, catheter impregnation significantly reduced catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI), with an ARR of 2% (95% CI 3% to 1%), RR of 0.62 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.74) and NNTB of 50 (high-quality evidence). Catheter impregnation also reduced catheter colonization, with an ARR of 9% (95% CI 12% to 7%), RR of 0.67 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.76) and NNTB of 11 (moderate-quality evidence, downgraded due to substantial heterogeneity). However, catheter impregnation made no significant difference to the rates of clinically diagnosed sepsis (RR 1.0, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.13; moderate-quality evidence, downgraded due to a suspicion of publication bias), all-cause mortality (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.07; high-quality evidence) and catheter-related local infections (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.07; 2688 catheters, moderate quality evidence, downgraded due to wide 95% CI).In our subgroup analyses, we found that the magnitudes of benefits for impregnated CVCs varied between studies that enrolled different types of participants. For the outcome of catheter colonization, catheter impregnation conferred significant benefit in studies conducted in ICUs (RR 0.70;95% CI 0.61 to 0.80) but not in studies conducted in haematological and oncological units (RR 0.75; 95% CI 0.51 to 1.11) or studies that assessed predominantly patients who required CVCs for long-term total parenteral nutrition (RR 0.99; 95% CI 0.74 to 1.34). However, there was no such variation for the outcome of CRBSI. The magnitude of the effects was also not affected by the participants' baseline risks.There were no significant differences between the impregnated and non-impregnated groups in the rates of adverse effects, including thrombosis/thrombophlebitis, bleeding, erythema and/or tenderness at the insertion site.

    AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This review confirms the effectiveness of antimicrobial CVCs in reducing rates of CRBSI and catheter colonization. However, the magnitude of benefits regarding catheter colonization varied according to setting, with significant benefits only in studies conducted in ICUs. A comparatively smaller body of evidence suggests that antimicrobial CVCs do not appear to reduce clinically diagnosed sepsis or mortality significantly. Our findings call for caution in routinely recommending the use of antimicrobial-impregnated CVCs across all settings. Further randomized controlled trials assessing antimicrobial CVCs should include important clinical outcomes like the overall rates of sepsis and mortality.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Anti-Infective Agents/administration & dosage*; Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Catheter-Related Infections/prevention & control*; Central Venous Catheters/adverse effects*
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