Tropidolaemus wagleri and Cryptelytrops purpureomaculatus are venomous pit viper species commonly found in Malaysia. Tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the crude venoms has detected different proteins in T. wagleri and C. purpureomaculatus. They were classified into 13 venom protein families consisting of enzymatic and nonenzymatic proteins. Enzymatic families detected in T. wagleri and C. purpureomaculatus venom were snake venom metalloproteinase, phospholipase A₂, ʟ-amino acid oxidase, serine proteases, 5'-nucleotidase, phosphodiesterase, and phospholipase B. In addition, glutaminyl cyclotransferase was detected in C. purpureomaculatus. C-type lectin-like proteins were common nonenzymatic components in both species. Waglerin was present and unique to T. wagleri-it was not in C. purpureomaculatus venom. In contrast, cysteine-rich secretory protein, bradykinin-potentiating peptide, and C-type natriuretic peptide were present in C. purpureomaculatus venom. Composition of the venom proteome of T. wagleri and C. purpureomaculatus provides useful information to guide production of effective antivenom and identification of proteins with potential therapeutic applications.
Catheter knotting is a rare complication of bladder catheterisation. Retention of catheter parts resulting in calculus formation is even rarer. We report a case of a vesical calculus formed over a broken and retained supra-pubic catheter which to the best of our knowledge has yet to be reported, along with three other cases of bladder catheter knotting.
This is a retrospective study of the annual mortality that occurred in the Department of Surgery, Alor Setar Hospital, for the years 1995 to 1997. This study looks at the number of admissions to the surgical wards and categorizes the causes of death. The annual mortality rates were 2.60, 2.89 and 3.25 per hundred admissions for the year 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively. Head injury was the leading cause of death whilst sepsis and advanced malignancies second and third commonest causes. We hope that with the publication of these figures, we can initiate more studies to analyse similar local data.
Ten patients (5 males and 5 females) with gastroschisis were treated in Alor Setar Hospital from January 1989 to December 1993. Two patients had associated congenital anomalies. Primary closure was possible in 9 patient while the other patient had stage closure. All patients received prophylactic antibiotics, 9 patients were ventilated electively in the post-operative period and 7 patients received parenteral nutrition. There were 9 survivors. Complications especially wound infection and breakdown were seen in 7 patients. The average hospital stay was 36 days.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide. The incidence of breast cancer in Malaysia is lower compared to international statistics, with peak occurrence in the age group between 50 to 59 years of age and mortality rates of 18.6%. Despite current diagnostic and prognostic methods, the outcome for individual subjects remain poor. This is in part due to breast cancers' wide genetic heterogeneity. Various platforms for genetics studies are now employed to determine the identity of these genetic abnormalities, including microarray methods like high density single-nucleotide-polymorphism (SNP) oligonucleotide arrays which combine the power of chromosomal comparative genomic hybridization (cCGH) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the offering of higher-resolution mappings. These platforms and their applications in highlighting the genomic alteration frameworks manifested in breast carcinoma will be discussed.
ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreaticography) was introduced in this hospital in late 1995. Since then, a lot of improvement have been achieved in the management of biliary tract diseases. Various general surgeons posted to this hospital have been trained in this procedure. A study was done to include all patients admitted for ERCP from August 1998 to July 1999. A total of 322 new patients with a mean of 26.9 cases a month had underwent this procedure. The duration of cannulation varied from 2 minutes to 45 minutes with a mean of 12 minutes. Cannulation rate by various surgeons differed. Overall success rate was 80%. Mortality was 0.6 % and morbidity was 0.9%. ERCP is safe and it takes at least 6 months of regular duodenoscopy before one can master the technique. Achieving 80% cannulation rate, has definitely reduced unnecessary common bile duct (CBD) explorations. During this study we have trained various surgeons in this procedure and at least 2 surgeons could be credentialled according to the guidelines provided by the Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. During this study we have identified various reasons for the failure of cannulation which are useful for future training of endoscopists.
Six hundred and one intravenous Urograms (IVU) done at the General Hospital, Kuala Trengganu from 1981 to 1985 were reviewed retrospectively for Renal Papillary Necrosis (RPN). It was found that 1.3% of IVUs had RPN. There was a higher incidence of RPN amongst males as compared to females. RPN occurred more commonly in the younger age groups.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the peptidyl-propyl-cis/trans isomerase 1 (PIN1) -842(G > C) and -667(T > C) polymorphic variants and breast cancer risk among Malaysian ethnic groups namely the Malays, Chinese and Indians, as well as clinico-pathological characteristics of the patients.
The plants of the Bougainvillea genus are widely explored regarding nutritive and medicinal purposes. In this study, dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) extracts of Bougainvillea glabra (Choisy.) aerial and flower parts were analyzed for high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-PDA), ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) phytochemical composition, and enzyme inhibition potential against key enzymes involved in diabetes (α-amylase), skin problems (tyrosinase), and inflammatory disorders (lipoxygenase (LOX)). HPLC-PDA quantification revealed the identification of nine different polyphenolics, amongst which both flower extracts were richest. The flower MeOH extract contained the highest amount of catechin (6.31 μg/g), gallic acid (2.39 μg/g), and rutin (1.26 μg/g). However, none of the quantified compounds were detected in the aerial DCM extract. UHPLC-MS analysis of DCM extracts revealed the tentative identification of 27 secondary metabolites, where the most common belonged to terpenoid, alkaloid, and phenolic derivatives. Similarly, for enzyme inhibition, all the extracts presented moderate activity against tyrosinase and α-amylases, whereas, for LOX, both methanolic extracts showed higher percentage inhibition compared with DCM extracts. Based on our findings, B. glabra could be regarded as a perspective starting material for designing novel pharmaceuticals.
Yardlong bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) is extensively cultivated in Indonesia for consumption as a green vegetable. During the 2008 season, a severe outbreak of a virus-like disease occurred in yardlong beans grown in farmers' fields in Bogor, Bekasi, Subang, Indramayu, and Cirebon of West Java, Tanggerang of Banten, and Pekalongan and Muntilan of Central Java. Leaves of infected plants showed severe mosaic to bright yellow mosaic and vein-clearing symptoms, and pods were deformed and also showed mosaic symptoms on the surface. In cv. 777, vein-clearing was observed, resulting in a netting pattern on symptomatic leaves followed by death of the plants as the season advanced. Disease incidence in the Bogor region was approximately 80%, resulting in 100% yield loss. Symptomatic leaf samples from five representative plants tested positive in antigen-coated plate-ELISA with potyvirus group-specific antibodies (AS-573/1; DSMZ, German Resource Center for Biological Material, Braunschweig, Germany) and antibodies to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV; AS-0929). To confirm these results, viral nucleic acids eluted from FTA classic cards (FTA Classic Card, Whatman International Ltd., Maidstone, UK) were subjected to reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using potyvirus degenerate primers (CIFor: 5'-GGIVVIGTIGGIWSIGGIAARTCIAC-3' and CIRev: 5'-ACICCRTTYTCDATDATRTTIGTIGC-3') (3) and degenerate primers (CMV-1F: 5'-ACCGCGGGTCTTATTATGGT-3' and CMV-1R: 5' ACGGATTCAAACTGGGAGCA-3') specific for CMV subgroup I (1). A single DNA product of approximately 683 base pairs (bp) with the potyvirus-specific primers and a 382-bp fragment with the CMV-specific primers were amplified from ELISA-positive samples. These results indicated the presence of a potyvirus and CMV as mixed infections in all five samples. The amplified fragments specific to potyvirus (four samples) and CMV (three samples) were cloned separately into pCR2.1 (Invitrogen Corp., Carlsbad, CA). Two independent clones per amplicon were sequenced from both orientations. Pairwise comparison of these sequences showed 93 to 100% identity among the cloned amplicons produced using the potyvirus-specific primers (GenBank Accessions Nos. FJ653916, FJ653917, FJ653918, FJ653919, FJ653920, FJ653921, FJ653922, FJ653923, FJ653924, FJ653925, and FJ653926) and 92 to 97% with a corresponding nucleotide sequence of Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) from Taiwan (No. AY575773) and 88 to 90% with BCMV sequences from China (No. AJ312438) and the United States (No. AY863025). The sequence analysis indicated that BCMV isolates from yardlong bean are more closely related to an isolate from Taiwan than with isolates from China and the United States. The CMV isolates (GenBank No. FJ687054) each were 100% identical and 96% identical with corresponding sequences of CMV subgroup I isolates from Thailand (No. AJ810264) and Malaysia (No. DQ195082). Both BCMV and CMV have been documented in soybean, mungbean, and peanut in East Java of Indonesia (2). Previously, BCMV, but not CMV, was documented on yardlong beans in Guam (4). To our knowledge, this study represents the first confirmed report of CMV in yardlong bean in Indonesia and is further evidence that BCMV is becoming established in Indonesia. References: (1) J. Aramburu et al. J. Phytopathol. 155:513, 2007. (2) S. K. Green et al. Plant Dis. 72:994, 1988. (3) C. Ha et al. Arch. Virol. 153:25, 2008. (4) G. C. Wall et al. Micronesica 29:101, 1996.
Interindividual variability in drug response and the emergence of adverse drug effects are the main causes of treatment failure in cancer therapy. Functional membrane drug transporters play important roles in altering pharmacokinetic profile, resistance to treatment, toxicity and patient survival. Pharmacogenetic studies of these transporters are expected to provide new approaches for optimizing therapy. Taxanes are approved for the treatment of various cancers. Circulating taxanes are taken up by SLCO1B3 into hepatocytes. The CYP450 enzymes CYP3A4, CYP3A5 and CYP2C8 are responsible for the conversion of taxanes into their metabolites. Ultimately, ABCB1 and ABCC2 will dispose the metabolites into bile canaliculi. Polymorphisms of genes encoding for proteins involved in the transport and clearance of taxanes reduce excretion of the drugs, leading to development of toxicity in patients. This review addresses current knowledge on genetic variations of transporters affecting taxanes pharmacokinetics and toxicity, and provides insights into future direction for personalized medicine.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the Glyoxalase I (GLOI) Ala111Glu polymorphism and breast cancer risk among the major Malaysian ethnic groups, the Malays, Chinese and Indians, as well as clinico-pathological characteristics of these patients. Genotyping of GLOI gene was performed on blood samples obtained from 387 patients and 252 normal healthy women who had no history of any malignancy using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The genotype and allele frequencies of GLOI polymorphism were not significantly different between the patients and normal individuals among the Malays (P= 0.721, 0.402), Chinese (P= 0.208, 0.079) and Indians (P= 0.612, 0.349), respectively. The Malay, Chinese and Indian women who were Glu/Glu homozygotes (P= 0.419, 0.093, 0.367), Ala/Glu heterozygotes (P= 0.648, 0.182, 0.402) and carriers of Glu allele (P= 0.402, 0.079, 0.349), respectively, were not associated with breast cancer risk. The Glu allele genotype was significantly associated with absence of progesterone receptor (P= 0.036). Thus, the polymorphic variant of the GLOI gene might not be a useful genetic marker to identify Malaysian Malay, Chinese or Indian women who could be at greater risk of developing breast cancer.
Study site: Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
The present study aimed to evaluate the association between the E-Selectin Ser128Arg polymorphism and breast cancer risk and clinicopathological characteristics of the patients.
The genotype analysis of the Gly and Arg allele at codon 388 of fibroblast growth factor receptor-4 (FGFR4) gene was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method in a hospital-based Malaysian population. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 387 breast cancer patients and 252 normal and healthy women who had no history of any malignancy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the FGFR4 Gly388Arg polymorphism and breast cancer risk as well as clinicopathological parameters of the patients. The Gly/Gly, Gly/Arg, Arg/Arg, and Arg allele genotypes were detected in 46.3%, 44.4%, 9.3%, and 53.7% of breast cancer cases, respectively. The distribution of genotype (p = 0.204) and allele (p = 0.086) frequencies of FGFR4 polymorphism were not significantly different between the breast cancer cases and normal individuals. Women who were Arg/ Arg homozygotes (OR = 1.714, 95% CI 0.896-3.278), Gly/Arg heterozygotes (OR = 1.205, 95% CI 0.863-1.683), carriers of Arg allele genotype (OR = 1.269, 95% CI 0.921-1.750), or Arg allele (OR = 1.246, 95% CI 0.970-1.602) were not associated with breast cancer risk. The Arg allele genotype was significantly associated with lymph node metastases (p = 0.001) but not with other clinicopathological parameters. Our findings suggest that the polymorphic variant at codon 388 of FGFR4 gene does not confer increased risk to breast cancer development but it may be a potential genetic marker for tumor prognosis.
Overexpression and amplification of cyclin D1 were investigated by immunohistochemistry and differential polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) in 440 formalin-fixed primary breast carcinoma tissues. Overexpression of cyclin D1 was detected in 60% (263/440) and amplification of cyclin D1 was noted in 27% (119/440) of the primary breast carcinomas. Molecular analysis demonstrated that cyclin D1 was amplified in 30% (7/23) of the comedo DCIS, 22% (9/41) of the comedo DCIS and 32% (13/41) of the adjacent invasive ductal carcinomas, 30% (82/270) of the invasive ductal carcinomas, 27% (9/33) of the invasive lobular carcinomas, 19% (4/21) of the colloid carcinomas and 13% (2/15) of the medullary carcinomas. Cyclin D1 was amplified in 11% (2/19) of the invasive ductal carcinomas but not in the adjacent non-comedo DCIS lesions. Our observation showed that cyclin D1 was strongly positive in 61% (14/23) of the comedo subtype, 61% (11/18) of the non-comedo subtype, 59% (24/41) of the comedo DCIS and 63% (26/41) of the adjacent invasive ductal carcinomas, 53% (10/19) of the non-comedo DCIS and 58% (11/19) of the adjacent invasive lesions, 58% (157/270) of the invasive ductal carcinomas, 73% (24/33) of the invasive lobular carcinomas, 52% (11/21) of the colloid carcinomas and 27% (4/15) of the medullary carcinomas. A significant association was observed between in situ components and adjacent invasive lesions for cyclin D1 expression (p<0.05) and amplification (p<0.05). A significant relationship was noted between amplification of cyclin D1 and lymph node metastases (p<0.05) but not with histological grade (p>0.05), estrogen receptor status (p>0.05) and proliferation index (Ki-67 and PCNA) (p>0.05). However, overexpression of cyclin D1 was statistically associated with well differentiated tumors (p<0.05) and estrogen receptor positivity (p<0.05). No relationship was seen with nodal status (p>0.05) and proliferation index (Ki-67 and PCNA) (p>0.05). These observations suggest that tumors positive for cyclin D1 protein may have features of good prognosis but amplification of cyclin D1 gene could be an indicator of tumors with poor prognostic features. Although majority of the Malaysian patients belong to younger age group (<50 years old), amplification and expression of cyclin D1 was not statistically associated with patient age (p>0.05). These observations indicate that amplification and up-regulation of cyclin D1 may be independent of patient age. Moreover, overexpression and amplification of cyclin D1 in preinvasive, preinvasive and adjacent invasive lesions, and invasive carcinomas suggest that the gene may play an important role in early and late stages of breast carcinogenesis.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant brain tumor and accounts for most adult brain tumors. Current available treatment options for GBM are multimodal, which include surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy. Despite the significant advances in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, GBM remains largely resistant to treatment, with a poor median survival rate between 12 and 18 months. With increasing drug resistance, the introduction of phytochemicals into current GBM treatment has become a potential strategy to combat GBM. Phytochemicals possess multifarious bioactivities with multitarget sites and comparatively marginal toxicity. Among them, curcumin is the most studied compound described as a potential anticancer agent due to its multi-targeted signaling/molecular pathways properties. Curcumin possesses the ability to modulate the core pathways involved in GBM cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy, paraptosis, oxidative stress, and tumor cell motility. This review discusses curcumin's anticancer mechanism through modulation of Rb, p53, MAPK, P13K/Akt, JAK/STAT, Shh, and NF-κB pathways, which are commonly involved and dysregulated in preclinical and clinical GBM models. In addition, limitation issues such as bioavailability, pharmacokinetics perspectives strategies, and clinical trials were discussed.
Prostate cancer (PCa) is a heterogeneous disease and ranked as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in males worldwide. The global burden of PCa keeps rising regardless of the emerging cutting-edge technologies for treatment and drug designation. There are a number of treatment options which are effectively treating localised and androgen-dependent PCa (ADPC) through hormonal and surgery treatments. However, over time, these cancerous cells progress to androgen-independent PCa (AIPC) which continuously grow despite hormone depletion. At this particular stage, androgen depletion therapy (ADT) is no longer effective as these cancerous cells are rendered hormone-insensitive and capable of growing in the absence of androgen. AIPC is a lethal type of disease which leads to poor prognosis and is a major contributor to PCa death rates. A natural product-derived compound, curcumin has been identified as a pleiotropic compound which capable of influencing and modulating a diverse range of molecular targets and signalling pathways in order to exhibit its medicinal properties. Due to such multi-targeted behaviour, its benefits are paramount in combating a wide range of diseases including inflammation and cancer disease. Curcumin exhibits anti-cancer properties by suppressing cancer cells growth and survival, inflammation, invasion, cell proliferation as well as possesses the ability to induce apoptosis in malignant cells. In this review, we investigate the mechanism of curcumin by modulating multiple signalling pathways such as androgen receptor (AR) signalling, activating protein-1 (AP-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases/the serine/threonine kinase (PI3K/Akt/mTOR), wingless (Wnt)/ß-catenin signalling, and molecular targets including nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and cyclin D1 which are implicated in the development and progression of both types of PCa, ADPC and AIPC. In addition, the role of microRNAs and clinical trials on the anti-cancer effects of curcumin in PCa patients were also reviewed.
Lung cancer is among the most common cancers with a high mortality rate worldwide. Despite the significant advances in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, lung cancer prognoses and survival rates remain poor due to late diagnosis, drug resistance, and adverse effects. Therefore, new intervention therapies, such as the use of natural compounds with decreased toxicities, have been considered in lung cancer therapy. Curcumin, a natural occurring polyphenol derived from turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been studied extensively in recent years for its therapeutic effects. It has been shown that curcumin demonstrates anti-cancer effects in lung cancer through various mechanisms, including inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, induction of apoptosis, epigenetic alterations, and regulation of microRNA expression. Several invitro and invivo studies have shown that these mechanisms are modulated by multiple molecular targets such as STAT3, EGFR, FOXO3a, TGF-β, eIF2α, COX-2, Bcl-2, PI3KAkt/mTOR, ROS, Fas/FasL, Cdc42, E-cadherin, MMPs, and adiponectin. In addition, limitations, strategies to overcome curcumin bioavailability, and potential side effects as well as clinical trials were also reviewed.
The C1772T, G1790A and C111A polymorphisms of Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) gene were analyzed in a hospital-based Malaysian population using PCR-RFLP method. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood samples collected from 410 breast cancer patients and 275 normal and healthy women. We investigated the association between HIF-1alpha polymorphisms and breast cancer risk, and clinico-pathological parameters in the population. The genotype and allele frequencies of C1772T (P=0.0093 vs P=0.0024) polymorphism were significantly different between the breast cancer cases and normal subjects but similar association was not observed for G1790A (P>0.05) and C111A (P>0.05) polymorphisms, respectively. Women who were CT heterozygotes (OR=1.51; 95% CI, 1.01-2.25), TT homozygotes (OR=4.03; 95% CI, 1.09-17.60) and carriers of T allele genotype (OR=1.65; 95% CI, 1.13-2.43) were significantly associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Significant relationship was observed also between T allele and breast cancer risk (OR=1.69; 95% CI, 1.20-2.40). Clinico-pathological analysis showed that 1772T allele genotype was significantly associated with nodal metastases (P=0.0478) but independent of ER status, tumor grade and patients' age (P>0.05). Our observations suggest that the polymorphic allele of C1772T may be associated with increased risk of developing breast cancer, and presence of 1772T allele may be a useful genetic marker for tumor prognosis.