METHOD: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2020 to February 2021 using secondary data from the National Diabetic Registry (NDR), Malaysia, and reviewed patients' diabetic records for the year 2020. All T2DM patients aged >18 years who were registered with the NDR in 2020 and fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26.0. A total of 343 samples were included in this study for the determination of the proportion of microalbuminuria and its associated factors.
RESULTS: Of 343 respondents, 34.4% had microalbuminuria. HbAlc >7.0% (AdjOR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.35, 3.55, p=0.001), HDL <1.04 mmol/L (AdjOR 2.44, 95% CI: 1.323, 4.52, p=0.004), dyslipidaemia (AdjOR 1.90, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.48, p=0.039), and peripheral neuropathy (AdjOR 3.01, 95% CI: 1.02, 8.93, p=0.047) were significantly associated with microalbuminuria. Conclusion: Microalbuminuria is a modifiable risk factor in preventing the progression of ESRF among T2DM patients. Therefore, identification of factors associated with microalbuminuria among this high-risk group is important to facilitate early screening and prompt treatment to prevent progression of diabetic kidney disease to ESRF.
METHOD: In this scoping review, eligible studies from six databases (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Springer Link, Science Direct and Google Scholar) were identified. The keywords used in the search strategies were as follows: health education, health promotion, patient education, diabetes care, QoL, diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Two reviewers independently screened all references and full-text articles retrieved to identify articles eligible for inclusion.
RESULTS: A total of 203 articles were identified in the initial search. Of them, 166 were excluded after screening the titles and abstracts. Further full-text screening led to the subsequent removal of 22 articles, leaving 15 articles eligible for data extraction.
CONCLUSION: There is a broad array of methods of patient education for improving the QoL of patients with T2DM. Self-management education with supplementary supervision and monitoring effectively improves QoL. Future studies must emphasise the application of holistic education covering psychological distress, diet plan, and physical health.
METHOD: This retrospective descriptive study investigated 1,671 patients with psoriasis with scalp involvement registered with the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry (MPR) from January 2007 to December 2018.
RESULTS: A total of 21,859 patients with psoriasis were registered with the MPR during the study period; among them, scalp involvement was seen in 7.6% (n= 1,671). Female sex preponderance (61%) was observed in the majority of Malay patients (58.5%), followed by the Chinese (16.9%), Indian (17.1%) and other ethnic patients (7.5%). A positive family history of psoriasis was identified in 22.7% (n=380). Approximately 34.8% (n=581) and 11% (n=172) of the patients had nail changes and psoriatic arthropathy, respectively. The mainstay treatment modality was topical treatment (93.6%), followed by systemic therapy (10%) and phototherapy (0.5%). The comorbidities found among the patients with scalp psoriasis included hypertension (27.9%), obesity (26%), dyslipidaemia (21%), diabetes mellitus (18.4%), ischaemic heart disease (5.4%) and cerebrovascular disease (1.3%). Approximately 23% reported a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) of >10, which indicated moderate-to-severe impairment.
CONCLUSION: The proportion of patients with psoriasis with scalp involvement in our study (7.6%) is much lower than previous reports. Scalp psoriasis markedly negatively impacts the DLQI.
METHOD: A retrospective review of anteroposterior lumbosacral plain radiographs was conducted between 1 January and 31 December 2017. Patients were recruited via systematic randomised sampling and were then interviewed and examined. The severity of BS was measured objectively using the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) and Oswestry disability questionnaire (ODQ). Data were analysed using IBM SPSS for Windows version 22.
RESULTS: The prevalence of BS was 9.6% (16/166). Age significantly affected the severity of BS. The older and younger groups had a mean ODQ score of 42.86% and 24.08%, respectively (P=0.006). There was no significant relationship found between the prevalence of BS and age (P=0.126). Only one patient was diagnosed with BS during medical consultation. The mean NPRS score was 5.5. The majority of the BS cases were of moderate severity (43.8%), followed by those of minimal severity (31.2%) and severe disability (25%).
CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of BS and orthopaedic referral are crucial to halt its progression. BS should be considered in patients presenting with LBP during assessments of lumbosacral radiographs.
METHOD: Endolysin and VAPGH genes were cloned and expressed in L. lactis NZ9000 after fusion with the SPK1 signal peptide for secretion. The recombinant proteins were expressed and purified, then analyzed for antimicrobial activity using plate assay and turbidity reduction assay. In addition, the spent media of the recombinant lactococcal culture was analyzed for its ability to inhibit the growth of the S. aureus PS 88.
RESULTS: Extracellular recombinant endolysin (Endo88) and VAPGH (VAH88) was successfully expressed and secreted from L. lactis which was able to inhibit S. aureus PS 88, as shown by halozone formation on plate assays as well as inhibition of growth in the turbidity reduction assay. Moreover, it was observed that the spent media from L. lactis NZ9000 expressing Endo88 and VAH88 reduced the viability of PS 88 by up to 3.5-log reduction with Endo88 being more efficacious than VAH88. In addition, Endo88 was able to lyse all MRSA strains tested and Staphylococcus epidermidis but not the other bacteria while VAH88 could only lyse S. aureus PS 88.
CONCLUSION: Recombinant L. lactisNZ9000 expressing phage 88 endolysin may be potentially developed into a new antimicrobial agent for the treatment of MDRSA infection.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence and prevalence of psoriasis over 11 years in multiethnic Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
METHODS: A population-based cohort study was made using the Teleprimary Care database between January 2010 and December 2020. Cases of psoriasis, identified by ICD-10 diagnostic codes, were validated by dermatologists. Annual prevalence and incidence were estimated and stratified by age, sex and ethnicity.
RESULTS: We identified 3932 people with dermatologist-confirmed psoriasis, including 1830 incident cases, among 1 164 724 Malaysians, yielding an 11-year prevalence of 0·34% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·33-0·35] and incidence of 34·2 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI 32·6-35·8). Rates were higher in Indian patients; the prevalences were 0·54% (0·50-0·58) in Indian, 0·38% (0·36-0·40) in Chinese and 0·29% (0·28-0·30) in Malay patients, and the respective incidences per 100 000 person-years were 52·5 (47·3-57·7), 38·0 (34·1-41·8) and 30·0 (28·2-31·8). Rates were higher in males; the prevalence was 0·39% (0·37-0·41) in males and 0·29% (0·27-0·30) in females, and the respective incidences per 100 000 person-years were 40·7 (38·2-43·2) and 28·3 (26·4-30·3). Between 2010 and 2020, annual psoriasis prevalence and incidence increased steadily from 0·27% to 0·51% and from 27·8 to 60·9 per 100 000 person-years, respectively. Annual rates were consistently higher in male and Indian patients. Overall, psoriasis was significantly more common in males than females [odds ratio (OR) 1·37, 95% CI 1·29-1·46] and in Indian and Chinese patients vs. Malay (OR 1·85, 1·71-2·01 and OR 1·30, 1·20-1·41, respectively). Prevalence increased with age, with the highest rates in the groups aged 50-59 and 60-69 years at 0·67% and 0·66%, respectively. A modest bimodal trend in age of psoriasis onset was observed, with first and second peaks at 20-29 and 50-59 years. Disease onset was significantly earlier in females than males [mean (SD) 36·8 (17·3) vs. 42·0 (17·2) years, P
METHOD: Several research methodologies were incorporated into the current study, and a review was carried out using PRISMA as a guide. The publications for this study were chosen from two prominent databases, Scopus and Web of Science. All of the studies were assessed, reviewed, and evaluated independently by two reviewers. The meta-analysis tool, Review Manager (RevMan Copenhagen Version 5.4.1), was used to record the extracted data for the meta-analysis. Moran's I 2 and a funnel plot were utilized to measure heterogeneity, and publication bias was investigated. A 95% confidence interval (CI) and overall risk difference (RD) were estimated using a random-effects model.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION: As a consequence of the search efforts, a total of 46 articles were selected for inclusion in the systematic review and meta-analysis. This review was divided into five major themes, based on a thematic analysis: (i) hatching rate, (ii) development time, (iii) longevity, (iv) survival rate, and (v) wing morphology. In addition, the development time, survival rate, and wing morphology revealed significantly higher risk differences between the maximum and minimum temperatures (RD: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.36; p = < 0.00001; RD: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.14; p < 0.0001; and RD: 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.12; p = 0.006, respectively). This study makes several substantial contributions to the body of knowledge and to practical applications. Finally, a number of recommendations are made at the conclusion of this research for the future reference of researchers.