Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 39 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Yunus MH, Siang KC, Hashim NI, Zhi NP, Zamani NF, Sabri PP, et al.
    Tissue Cell, 2014 Aug;46(4):233-40.
    PMID: 24973262 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2014.05.003
    The culture of human airway epithelial cells has played an important role in advancing our understanding of the metabolic and molecular mechanisms underlying normal function and disease pathology of airway epithelial cells. The present study focused on investigating the effects of human serum (HS) on the qualitative and quantitative properties of the human respiratory epithelium compared to the fetal bovine serum (FBS), as a supplement in culture. Respiratory epithelial (RE) cells derived from human nasal turbinate were co-cultured with fibroblasts, subsequently separated at 80-90% confluency by differential trypsinization. RE cells were then sub-cultured into 2 different plates containing 5% allogenic HS and FBS supplemented media respectively up to passage 1 (P1). Cell morphology, growth rate, cell viability and population doubling time were assessed under light microscope, and levels of gene expression were measured via real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RE cells appeared as polygonal shape and expanded when cultured in HS whereas RE cells in FBS were observed to be easily matured thus limit the RE cells expansion. Proliferation rate of RE cells in HS supplemented media (7673.18 ± 1207.15) was 3 times higher compared to RE in FBS supplemented media (2357.68 ± 186.85). Furthermore, RE cells cultured in HS-supplemented media required fewer days (9.15 ± 1.10) to double in numbers compared to cells cultured in FBS-supplemented media (13.66 ± 0.81). Both the differences were significant (p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the viability of RE cells in both groups (p=0.105). qRT-PCR showed comparable expressions of gene Cytokeratin-14 (CK-14), Cytokeratin-18 (CK-18) and Mucin-5 subtype B (MUC5B) in RE cells cultured in both groups (p>0.05). In conclusion, HS is a comparatively better choice of media supplement in accelerating growth kinetics of RE cells in vitro thus producing a better quality of respiratory epithelium for future tracheal reconstruction.
  2. Mohamed Haflah NH, Ng MH, Mohd Yunus MH, Naicker AS, Htwe O, Fahmi M, et al.
    Int J Low Extrem Wounds, 2017 Sep;16(3):212-216.
    PMID: 28862056 DOI: 10.1177/1534734617724974
    Open fracture Gustilo-Anderson grade IIIC is associated with higher risk of infection and problems with soft tissue coverage. Various methods have been used for soft tissue coverage in open fractures with large skin defect. We report a case of a patient who had grade IIIC open fracture of the tibia with posterior tibial artery injury. The patient underwent external fixation and reduction. Because of potential compartment syndrome after vascular repair, fasciotomy of the posterior compartment was performed. This wound, however, became infected and because of further debridement, gave rise to a large skin defect. A tissue engineered skin construct, MyDermTM was employed to cover this large defect. Complete wound closure was achieved 35 days postimplantation. The patient then underwent plating of the tibia for nonunion with no adverse effect to the grafted site. The tibia eventually healed 5 months postplating, and the cosmetic appearance of the newly formed skin was satisfactory.
  3. Ahmad Hariza AM, Mohd Yunus MH, Fauzi MB, Murthy JK, Tabata Y, Hiraoka Y
    Polymers (Basel), 2023 Feb 03;15(3).
    PMID: 36772084 DOI: 10.3390/polym15030779
    Gelatin usage in scaffold fabrication is limited due to its lack of enzymatic and thermal resistance, as well as its mechanical weakness. Hence, gelatin requires crosslinking and reinforcement with other materials. This study aimed to fabricate and characterise composite scaffolds composed of gelatin, elastin, and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and crosslinked with genipin. The scaffolds were fabricated using the freeze-drying method. The composite scaffolds were composed of different concentrations of CNC, whereas scaffolds made of pure gelatin and a gelatin-elastin mixture served as controls. The physicochemical and mechanical properties of the scaffolds, and their cellular biocompatibility with human dermal fibroblasts (HDF), were evaluated. The composite scaffolds demonstrated higher porosity and swelling capacity and improved enzymatic resistance compared to the controls. Although the group with 0.5% (w/v) CNC recorded the highest pore size homogeneity, the diameters of most of the pores in the composite scaffolds ranged from 100 to 200 μm, which is sufficient for cell migration. Tensile strength analysis revealed that increasing the CNC concentration reduced the scaffolds' stiffness. Chemical analyses revealed that despite chemical and structural alterations, both elastin and CNC were integrated into the gelatin scaffold. HDF cultured on the scaffolds expressed collagen type I and α-SMA proteins, indicating the scaffolds' biocompatibility with HDF. Overall, the addition of elastin and CNC improved the properties of gelatin-based scaffolds. The composite scaffolds are promising candidates for an acellular skin substitute.
  4. Batarfi WA, Mohd Yunus MH, Hamid AA
    Molecules, 2023 Mar 15;28(6).
    PMID: 36985625 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062652
    Skin wound healing is a multiphase physiological process that involves the activation of numerous types of cells and is characterized by four phases, namely haemostasis, inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling. However, on some occasions this healing becomes pathological, resulting in fibrosis. Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important process in which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal fibroblast-like characteristics. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a phenolic compound extracted from olive oil and has been proven to have several health benefits. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of HT in type II EMT in human skin wound healing via cell viability, proliferation, migration, and proteins expression. Human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) isolated from skin samples were cultured in different concentrations of HT and EMT model, induced by adding 5 ng/mL of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) to the cells. HT concentrations were determined via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cells' migrations were evaluated using scratch and transwell migration assay. Protein expressions were evaluated via immunocytochemistry. The result showed that HT at 0.2% and 0.4% significantly increased the proliferation rate of HDF (p < 0.05) compared to control. Scratch assay after 24 h showed increased cell migration in cells treated with 0.4% HT (p < 0.05) compared to the other groups. After 48 h, both concentrations of HT showed increased cell migration (p < 0.05) compared to the TGF-β group. Transwell migration revealed that HT enhanced the migration capacity of cells significantly (p < 0.05) as compared to TGF-β and the control group. In addition, HT supplemented cells upregulate the expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin while downregulating the expression of mesenchymal marker vimentin in comparison to TGF-β group and control group. This study showed that HT has the ability to inhibit EMT, which has potential in the inhibition of fibrosis and persistent inflammation related to skin wound healing.
  5. Aminuddin A, Lazim MRMLM, Hamid AA, Hui CK, Mohd Yunus MH, Kumar J, et al.
    Mediators Inflamm, 2020;2020:4732987.
    PMID: 32908450 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4732987
    Dyslipidemia is associated with increased arterial stiffness (AS) which may lead to hypertension. Among the methods to assess AS are carotid-femoral and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. Dyslipidemia is also known to trigger inflammation. C-reactive protein (CRP) is one of the commonest inflammatory markers measured in the clinical setting. However, the association between inflammation and pulse wave velocity (PWV) in people with dyslipidemia is less studied. Therefore, this review investigated the association between inflammation (as measured by CRP) and PWV in dyslipidemia patients. The search of the literature was conducted via PubMed and Scopus database. The keywords used were "aortic stiffness" OR "arterial stiffness" OR "pulse wave velocity" OR "vascular stiffness" OR "carotid femoral pulse wave velocity" OR "pulse wave analysis" AND "inflammation" OR "c reactive protein" OR "c-reactive protein" OR "high sensitivity c reactive protein" AND "dyslipidemia" OR "hyperlipidemia" OR "hypercholesterolemia" OR "hyperlipoproteinemia" OR "hypertriglyceridemia". The following criteria were used: (1) only full-length original articles published in English language, (2) articles that reported the association between arterial stiffness measured as carotid-femoral PWV (cfPWV) or brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) and CRP or high-sensitivity CRP, and (3) study involving human subjects. The search identified 957 articles published between 1980 and February 2020. Only eight articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were used for data extraction. Five of the studies were cross-sectional studies while another three studies were interventional studies. Seven out of eight papers found a significant positive association between AS and CRP, and the correlation ranged from mild to moderate association (Pearson r = 0.33 to r = 0.624). In conclusion, inflammation is associated with increased PWV in patients with dyslipidemia. This supports the involvement of inflammation in the development of AS in dyslipidemia.
  6. Chua KH, Mohamed IN, Mohd Yunus MH, Shafinaz Md Nor N, Kamil K, Ugusman A, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2021;12:633292.
    PMID: 34025406 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.633292
    Edible bird's nest (BN) is a Chinese traditional medicine with innumerable health benefits, including anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory effects. A small number of studies have reported the anti-viral effects of EBN against influenza infections using in vitro and in vivo models, highlighting the importance of sialic acid and thymol derivatives in their therapeutic effects. At present, studies have reported that EBN suppresses the replicated virus from exiting the host cells, reduces the viral replication, endosomal trafficking of the virus, intracellular viral autophagy process, secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, reorient the actin cytoskeleton of the infected cells, and increase the lysosomal degradation of viral materials. In other models of disease, EBN attenuates oxidative stress-induced cellular apoptosis, enhances proliferation and activation of B-cells and their antibody secretion. Given the sum of its therapeutic actions, EBN appears to be a candidate that is worth further exploring for its protective effects against diseases transmitted through air droplets. At present, anti-viral drugs are employed as the first-line defense against respiratory viral infections, unless vaccines are available for the specific pathogens. In patients with severe symptoms due to exacerbated cytokine secretion, anti-inflammatory agents are applied. Treatment efficacy varies across the patients, and in times of a pandemic like COVID-19, many of the drugs are still at the experimental stage. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects of EBN, chemical constituents from various EBN preparation techniques, and drugs currently used to treat influenza and novel coronavirus infections. We also aim to review the pathogenesis of influenza A and coronavirus, and the potential of EBN in their clinical application. We also describe the current literature in human consumption of EBN, known allergenic or contaminant presence, and the focus of future direction on how these can be addressed to further improve EBN for potential clinical application.
  7. Shamsuddin SA, Chan AML, Ng MH, Yazid MD, Law JX, Hj Idrus RB, et al.
    Am J Transl Res, 2021;13(11):12217-12227.
    PMID: 34956448
    Recent explorations on mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) have reported a promising future for cell-based therapies. MSCs are widely sourced from various tissues and express unique properties of regenerative potential and immunomodulation. Currently, there is a growing interest in utilizing MSC for treatment of chronic diseases to overcome the drawbacks of chemical drugs. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is described as a cluster of metabolic abnormalities categorized as abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperglycaemia. Patients diagnosed with MetS have a high predisposition for developing cardiovascular complications, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, bone loss, cancer, and mortality. Hence, research on MSC as therapy for MetS and related diseases, is greatly valued and are advantaged by the low immunogenicity with high regenerative capacity. However, there are many obstacles to be addressed such as the safety, efficacy, and consistency of different MSC sources. Additionally, factors such as effective dose level and delivery method are equally important to achieve uniform therapeutic outcomes. This systematic review discusses the potential roles of MSC in managing the multiple clusters of MetS. Research articles during the past 20 years were systematically searched and filtered to update the progress in the field of MSC therapy in managing various components of MetS. The different sources of MSC, dosage, method of delivery and outcome measures for the stem cell therapies were compiled from the systematically selected research articles. It can be concluded from the review of the selected articles that MSCs can improve the various disorders of MetS such as abdominal obesity, hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension, and represent a promising alternative to conventional therapy of the MetS cluster.
  8. Noordin R, Mohd Zain SN, Yunus MH, Sahimin N
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2017 08 01;111(8):370-372.
    PMID: 29206992 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trx062
    Background: Malaysia aims to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) by the year 2020, thus the potential threat of LF from migrant workers needs to be investigated.

    Methods: Brugian and bancroftian filariasis among 484 migrant workers from six countries were investigated using rapid tests based on detection of specific IgG4 antibodies against BmR1 (Brugia Rapid) and BmSXP recombinant antigens.

    Results: The seroprevalence of brugian filariasis was very low; however, bancroftian filariasis was notable among workers from India, Nepal and Myanmar.

    Conclusion: Malaysia is not endemic for Wuchereria bancrofti, but harbors the vectors for the parasite, thus the results showed that migrant workers should be monitored for this infection.

  9. Khan AH, Khanbabaie S, Yunus MH, Mohd Zain SN, Mohd Baharudeen Z, Sahimin N, et al.
    J Immigr Minor Health, 2020 Oct;22(5):1105-1108.
    PMID: 32445161 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-020-01029-y
    Hydatid disease is not endemic in Malaysia; however, its migrant workers originate from neighboring countries where the disease is prevalent. Thus, this study was aimed at investigating the seroprevalence of hydatid disease among the workers. A total of 479 migrant workers were screened for hydatid disease. The sociodemographic information was collected, and serum samples were tested with a rapid dipstick test for hydatid disease called Hyd Rapid™. The present study showed that 13.6% of the migrant workers were found to be seropositive for hydatid disease. The highest seroprevalence was seen among Indian workers (29.41%), followed by Myanmarese (21.43%), Bangladeshis (14.92%), Nepalese (10.68%), and Indonesian (10.66%). This is the first study that highlights the likely presence of hydatid disease among the migrant workers in Malaysia, which may be of interest to the health authorities.
  10. Noordin R, Yunus MH, Tan Farrizam SN, Arifin N
    Adv Parasitol, 2020;109:131-152.
    PMID: 32381194 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2020.01.003
    Toxocariasis is a human infection primarily caused by larvae of Toxocara canis from dogs, and also by T. cati from cats. Children have a more significant risk of acquiring the infection due to their closer contact with pets, and greater chances of ingesting soil. Diagnosis of toxocariasis is based on clinical, epidemiological, and serological data. Indirect IgG ELISA is a widely used serodiagnostic method for toxocariasis, with native T. canis TES most commonly used as the antigen. Western blots, using the same antigen, can be used to confirm positive ELISA findings to reduce false-positive results. Improvements in Toxocara serodiagnosis include the use of recombinant TES antigens, simpler and more rapid assay formats, and IgG4 subclass detection. Also, incorporation of recombinant T. cati TES protein increases the diagnostic sensitivity. Development of antigen detection tests using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, nanobodies, or aptamers can complement the antibody detection assays, and enhance the effectiveness of the serodiagnosis.
  11. Chan AML, Ng AMH, Mohd Yunus MH, Idrus RBH, Law JX, Yazid MD, et al.
    Nutrients, 2021 Jul 22;13(8).
    PMID: 34444658 DOI: 10.3390/nu13082497
    Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is the physiological clustering of hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. The MetS-related chronic illnesses encompass obesity, the cardiovascular system, renal operation, hepatic function, oncology, and mortality. To perform pre-clinical research, it is imperative that these symptoms be successfully induced and optimized in lower taxonomy. Therefore, novel and future applications for a disease model, if proven valid, can be extrapolated to humans. MetS model establishment is evaluated based on the significance of selected test parameters, paradigm shifts from new discoveries, and the accessibility of the latest technology or advanced methodologies. Ultimately, the outcome of animal studies should be advantageous for human clinical trials and solidify their position in advanced medicine for clinicians to treat and adapt to serious or specific medical situations. Rodents (Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus) have been ideal models for mammalian studies since the 18th century and have been mapped extensively. This review compiles and compares studies published in the past five years between the multitude of rodent comparative models. The response factors, niche parameters, and replicability of diet protocols are also compiled and analyzed to offer insight into MetS-related disease-specific modelling.
  12. Saidin S, Yunus MH, Zakaria ND, Razak KA, Huat LB, Othman N, et al.
    BMC Infect Dis, 2014 Apr 04;14:182.
    PMID: 24708664 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-182
    BACKGROUND: Amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is the most common clinical manifestation of extraintestinal amoebiasis especially in developing countries, causing up to 100 000 fatal cases annually. Accurate and early diagnosis is important to prevent the disease complications, however its diagnosis still poses many challenges due to the limitations of the available detection tools. Pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK), an excretory-secretory protein of E. histolytica, has been reported as a potential diagnostic marker for ALA, hence it may be exploited in the development of a new test for ALA.

    METHODS: Recombinant PPDK (rPPDK) was expressed, purified and evaluated by Western blot. In parallel, recombinant galactose-and-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine inhibitable lectin (Gal/GalNAc lectin) was produced and tested similarly. The protein identity was confirmed by analysis using MALDI-TOF/TOF. A lateral flow dipstick (LFD) test using rPPDK was subsequently developed (rPPDK-LFD) and evaluated for serodiagnosis of ALA.

    RESULTS: rPPDK was expressed as soluble protein after 4 hours of induction with 1 mM isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) at 30°C. Purification using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) resin yielded 1.5 mg of rPPDK from 1 L of culture with estimated molecular mass of 98 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Western blots using sera from patients with ALA, healthy individuals and other diseases probed with anti-human IgG4-HRP showed the highest sensitivity (93.3%) and specificity (100%); as compared to blots using IgG and IgG1 as secondary antibodies. Moreover, rPPDK showed better specificity when compared to rGal/GalNAc lectin. In the development of the LFD test, the optimum amount of rPPDK was 0.625 μg per dipstick and the optimum working concentration of colloidal gold conjugated anti-human IgG4 was optical density (OD) 5 (1.7 μg of anti-human IgG4). Evaluation of rPPDK-LFD using ALA patients and controls serum samples showed 87% diagnostic sensitivity and 100% specificity.

    CONCLUSION: The developed rPPDK-LFD showed good potential for rapid diagnosis of ALA, and merit further multicentre validation using larger number of serum samples.

  13. Zahabiun F, Sadjjadi SM, Yunus MH, Rahumatullah A, Moghaddam MH, Saidin S, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2015 Aug;93(2):319-25.
    PMID: 26033026 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0190
    Toxocariasis is a cosmopolitan zoonotic disease caused by the infective larvae of Toxocara canis and T. cati. Diagnosis in humans is usually based on clinical symptoms and serology. Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits using T. canis excretory-secretory (TES) larval antigens are commonly used for serodiagnosis. Differences in the antigens of the two Toxocara species may influence the diagnostic sensitivity of the test. In this study, T. cati recombinant TES-120 (rTES-120) was cloned, expressed, and compared with its T. canis homolog in an IgG4-western blot. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of T. cati rTES-120 were 70% (33/47) and 100% (39/39), respectively. T. canis rTES-120 showed 57.4% sensitivity and 94.4% specificity. When the results of assays using rTES-120 of both species were considered, the diagnostic sensitivity was 76%. This study shows that using antigens from both Toxocara species may improve the serodiagnosis of toxocariasis.
  14. Vola A, Tamarozzi F, Noordin R, Yunus MH, Khanbabaie S, De Silvestri A, et al.
    Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2018 Sep;92(1):31-33.
    PMID: 29776711 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2018.04.007
    Rapid diagnostic tests for cystic echinococcosis (CE) are convenient to support ultrasound diagnosis in uncertain cases, especially in resource-limited settings. We found comparable diagnostic performances of the experimental Hyd Rapid Test and the commercial VIRapid HYDATIDOSIS Test, used in our diagnostic laboratory, using samples from well-characterized hepatic CE cases.
  15. Ooi KS, Haszman S, Wong YN, Soidin E, Hesham N, Mior MAA, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2020 Sep 30;13(19).
    PMID: 33007893 DOI: 10.3390/ma13194352
    The eminent aim for advance wound management is to provide a great impact on the quality of life. Therefore, an excellent strategy for an ideal wound dressing is being developed that eliminates certain drawbacks while promoting tissue regeneration for the prevention of bacterial invasion. The aim of this study is to develop a bilayer hybrid biomatrix of natural origin for wound dressing. The bilayer hybrid bioscaffold was fabricated by the combination of ovine tendon collagen type I and palm tree-based nanocellulose. The fabricated biomatrix was then post-cross-linked with 0.1% (w/v) genipin (GNP). The physical characteristics were evaluated based on the microstructure, pore size, porosity, and water uptake capacity followed by degradation behaviour and mechanical strength. Chemical analysis was performed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results demonstrated a uniform interconnected porous structure with optimal pore size ranging between 90 and 140 μm, acceptable porosity (>70%), and highwater uptake capacity (>1500%). The biodegradation rate of the fabricated biomatrix was extended to 22 days. Further analysis with EDX identified the main elements of the bioscaffold, which contains carbon (C) 50.28%, nitrogen (N) 18.78%, and oxygen (O) 30.94% based on the atomic percentage. FTIR reported the functional groups of collagen type I (amide A: 3302 cm-1, amide B: 2926 cm-1, amide I: 1631 cm-1, amide II: 1547 cm-1, and amide III: 1237 cm-1) and nanocellulose (pyranose ring), thus confirming the presence of collagen and nanocellulose in the bilayer hybrid scaffold. The XRD demonstrated a smooth wavy wavelength that is consistent with the amorphous material and less crystallinity. The combination of nanocellulose with collagen demonstrated a positive effect with an increase of Young's modulus. In conclusion, the fabricated bilayer hybrid bioscaffold demonstrated optimum physicochemical and mechanical properties that are suitable for skin wound dressing.
  16. Noordin R, Yunus MH, Saidin S, Mohamed Z, Fuentes Corripio I, Rubio JM, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2020 12;103(6):2233-2238.
    PMID: 32996457 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0348
    Independent evaluations of XEh Rapid®, an IgG4-based rapid dipstick test, were performed to assess its diagnostic performance to detect amebic liver abscess (ALA) using 405 samples at seven laboratories in four countries. The test showed high diagnostic specificity (97-100%) when tested with samples from healthy individuals (n = 100) and patients with other diseases (n = 151). The diagnostic sensitivity was tested with a total of 154 samples, and the results were variable. It was high in three laboratories (89-94%), and moderate (72%) and low (38%) in two other laboratories. Challenges and issues faced in the evaluation process are discussed. Nevertheless, XEh Rapid is promising to be developed into a point-of-care test in particular for resource-limited settings, and thus merits further confirmation of its diagnostic sensitivity.
  17. Mohamed Haflah NH, Ng MH, Mohd Yunus MH, Naicker AS, Htwe O, Abdul Razak KA, et al.
    JBJS Case Connect, 2018 6 15;8(2):e38.
    PMID: 29901479 DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.17.00250
    CASE: A 22-year-old man sustained a laceration that measured 180 cm, after debridement, over the anterolateral aspect of the right leg following a road traffic accident. The wound was treated with MyDerm (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), a cell-based, bilayered, bioengineered dermal substitute that contains no animal-derived components and is fully autologous. For its construction, only a small area of skin was harvested from the left groin, which was closed primarily with absorbable sutures.

    CONCLUSION: MyDerm is an alternative option for the treatment of a massive skin defect in patients who desire removal of only a negligible amount of skin from the donor site and when use of an autograft is insufficient.

  18. Chang CH, Riazi M, Yunus MH, Osman S, Noordin R
    Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2014 Dec;80(4):278-81.
    PMID: 25241641 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2014.08.012
    This study evaluated 2 rapid leptospirosis serological tests, Leptorapide® (Linnodee, Northern Ireland) and VISITECT®-LEPTO (Omega Diagnostics, Scotland, UK), which are commonly used in Malaysia. A total of 183 samples comprised 113 sera from leptospirosis patients, and 70 sera from other infections and healthy controls were used. The leptospirosis sera were grouped into 2 serum panels, i.e., Group I (MAT+, PCR+) and Group II (MAT+). When inconclusive results were interpreted as positives, both tests showed lower diagnostic sensitivities (≤ 34%) with Group I sera, as compared to Group II sera (Leptorapide®, 93%; VISITECT®-LEPTO, 40%). When inconclusive results were interpreted as negatives, the 2 tests showed ~20% sensitivity with both serum panels. The diagnostic specificity of VISITECT®-LEPTO (94%) was superior to Leptorapide® (69%). Since both tests had misdiagnosed a large proportion of Group I patients and showed many inconclusive results among Group II patients, they have limited diagnostic value in detecting acute leptospirosis.
  19. Khalilpour A, Sadjjadi SM, Moghadam ZK, Yunus MH, Zakaria ND, Osman S, et al.
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2014 Nov;91(5):994-9.
    PMID: 25200268 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0170
    Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by infection with Echinococcus granulosus is of major concern for humans in many parts of the world. Antigen B was prepared from E. granulosus hydatid fluid, and Western blots confirmed eight batches showing a band corresponding to the 8-/12-kDa subunit with positive serum and no low-molecular mass band (< 15 kDa) with negative serum. The batches were pooled and used to prepare lateral flow immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) and IgG dipsticks. Diagnostic sensitivity was determined using serum samples from 21 hydatidosis patients, and diagnostic specificity was established using sera from 17 individuals infected with other parasites and 15 healthy people. IgG4 dipstick had a diagnostic sensitivity of 95% (20 of 21) and a specificity of 100% (32 of 32). The IgG dipstick had a sensitivity of 100% (21 of 21) and a specificity of 87.5% (28 of 32). Thus, both IgG and IgG4 dipsticks had high sensitivities, but IgG4 had greater specificity for the diagnosis of human CE.
  20. Khanbabaie S, Riazi M, Chang CH, Yunus MH, Noordin R
    Acta Trop, 2019 Feb;190:171-176.
    PMID: 30458123 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.11.018
    Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution and is a major public health problem in some areas. Diagnosis of CE is mainly based on clinical symptoms, imaging and serological testing, however, improvement in serodiagnosis is still needed. This study was aimed at detecting circulating Echinococcus antigen in CE patients using a lateral flow dipstick (LFD) assay. Three types of hydatid antigens i.e. hydatid cyst fluid (HCF), native antigen B (nAgB) and recombinant antigen B (rAgB) were prepared and polyclonal rabbit antiserum was raised against each antigen. Purified IgG fractions were prepared and a portion was conjugated to gold nanoparticles. After a series of optimizations, a final antigen detection LFD assay was developed using a combination of anti-nAgB-IgG and gold-conjugated anti-HCF-IgG. Evaluation of the assay showed that 27 out of 35 (77%) serum samples from CE patients gave positive results. Meanwhile, the test showed a diagnostic specificity of 82% when tested with sera from 38 healthy individuals and 13 patients with other parasitic diseases. In conclusion, the antigen detection LFD assay seemed to be useful for diagnosis of CE and possibly for post-treatment follow-up, and merit further evaluation studies. We foresee that it may improve serodiagnosis of CE when used in tandem with an antibody detection test.
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links