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Human milk oligosaccharides are associated with maternal genetics and respiratory health of human milk-fed children

Ambalavanan A, Chang L, Choi J, Zhang Y, Stickley SA, Fang ZY, et al.

Nat Commun, 2024 Sep 04;15(1):7735.
PMID: 39232002 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51743-6

Breastfeeding provides many health benefits, but its impact on respiratory health remains unclear. This study addresses the complex and dynamic nature of the mother-milk-infant triad by investigating maternal genomic factors regulating human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), and their associations with respiratory health among human milk-fed infants. Nineteen HMOs are quantified from 980 mothers of the CHILD Cohort Study. Genome-wide association studies identify HMO-associated loci on chromosome 19p13.3 and 19q13.33 (lowest P = 2.4e-118), spanning several fucosyltransferase (FUT) genes. We identify novel associations on chromosome 3q27.3 for 6'-sialyllactose (P = 2.2e-9) in the sialyltransferase (ST6GAL1) gene. These, plus additional associations on chromosomes 7q21.32, 7q31.32 and 13q33.3, are replicated in the independent INSPIRE Cohort. Moreover, gene-environment interaction analyses suggest that fucosylated HMOs may modulate overall risk of recurrent wheeze among preschoolers with variable genetic risk scores (P

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
School dental screening programmes for oral health

Arora A, Khattri S, Ismail NM, Kumbargere Nagraj S, Eachempati P

Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2019 08 08;8:CD012595.
PMID: 31425627 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012595.pub3

BACKGROUND: School dental screening refers to visual inspection of children's oral cavity in a school setting followed by making parents aware of their child's current oral health status and treatment needs. Screening at school intends to identify children at an earlier stage than symptomatic disease presentation, hence prompting preventive and therapeutic oral health care for the children. This review evaluates the effectiveness of school dental screening in improving oral health status. It is an update of the original review, which was first published in December 2017.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of school dental screening programmes on overall oral health status and use of dental services.
SEARCH METHODS: Cochrane Oral Health's Information Specialist searched the following databases: Cochrane Oral Health's Trials Register (to 4 March 2019), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, the Cochrane Register of Studies, to 4 March 2019), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 4 March 2019), and Embase Ovid (15 September 2016 to 4 March 2019). The US National Institutes of Health Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for ongoing trials. No restrictions were placed on language or publication status when searching the electronic databases; however, the search of Embase was restricted to the last six months due to the Cochrane Centralised Search Project to identify all clinical trials and add them to CENTRAL.
SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (cluster or parallel) that evaluated school dental screening compared with no intervention or with one type of screening compared with another.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.
MAIN RESULTS: We included seven trials (five were cluster-RCTs) with 20,192 children who were 4 to 15 years of age. Trials assessed follow-up periods of three to eight months. Four trials were conducted in the UK, two were based in India and one in the USA. We assessed two trials to be at low risk of bias, two trials to be at high risk of bias and three trials to be at unclear risk of bias.None of the trials had long-term follow-up to ascertain the lasting effects of school dental screening.None of the trials reported the proportion of children with untreated caries or other oral diseases, cost effectiveness or adverse events.Four trials evaluated traditional screening versus no screening. We performed a meta-analysis for the outcome 'dental attendance' and found an inconclusive result with high heterogeneity. The heterogeneity was found to be, in part, due to study design (three cluster-RCTs and one individual-level RCT). Due to the inconsistency, we downgraded the evidence to 'very low certainty' and are unable to draw conclusions about this comparison.Two cluster-RCTs (both four-arm trials) evaluated criteria-based screening versus no screening and showed a pooled effect estimate of RR 1.07 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.16), suggesting a possible benefit for screening (low-certainty evidence). There was no evidence of a difference when criteria-based screening was compared to traditional screening (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.08) (very low-certainty evidence).In one trial, a specific (personalised) referral letter was compared to a non-specific one. Results favoured the specific referral letter with an effect estimate of RR 1.39 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.77) for attendance at general dentist services and effect estimate of RR 1.90 (95% CI 1.18 to 3.06) for attendance at specialist orthodontist services (low-certainty evidence).One trial compared screening supplemented with motivation to screening alone. Dental attendance was more likely after screening supplemented with motivation, with an effect estimate of RR 3.08 (95% CI 2.57 to 3.71) (low-certainty evidence).Only one trial reported the proportion of children with treated dental caries. This trial evaluated a post screening referral letter based on the common-sense model of self-regulation (a theoretical framework that explains how people understand and respond to threats to their health), with or without a dental information guide, compared to a standard referral letter. The findings were inconclusive. Due to high risk of bias, indirectness and imprecision, we assessed the evidence as very low certainty.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The trials included in this review evaluated short-term effects of screening. We found very low-certainty evidence that is insufficient to allow us to draw conclusions about whether there is a role for traditional school dental screening in improving dental attendance. For criteria-based screening, we found low-certainty evidence that it may improve dental attendance when compared to no screening. However, when compared to traditional screening, there is no evidence of a difference in dental attendance (very low-certainty evidence).We found low-certainty evidence to conclude that personalised or specific referral letters may improve dental attendance when compared to non-specific counterparts. We also found low-certainty evidence that screening supplemented with motivation (oral health education and offer of free treatment) may improve dental attendance in comparison to screening alone. For children requiring treatment, we found very-low certainty evidence that was inconclusive regarding whether or not a referral letter based on the 'common-sense model of self-regulation' was better than a standard referral letter.We did not find any trials addressing possible adverse effects of school dental screening or evaluating its effectiveness for improving oral health.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Prevalence of Dientamoeba fragilis among an Orang Asli population in rural Malaysia

Anuar TS, Hasim L, Moktar N, Salleh FM, Al-Mekhlafi HM

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2015 Sep;46(5):844-9.
PMID: 26863855

Dientamoeba fragilis is a trichomonad parasite that can infect the gastrointestinal tract of humans causing gastrointestinal disease. Little is known about its epidemiology. We evaluated the prevalence of D. fragilis by conducting a cross sectional study of an Orang Asli population in rural Malaysia. We examined stool samples from 150 participants for D. fragilis using Wheatley's trichrome stain and collected demographic data from each participant using a structured questionnaire. Five participants (3.3%) had D. fragilis in their stool; four of these were aged < 15 years; 3 were male and 2 were female. All participants with positive stool sample for D. fragilis were symptomatic; 3 had diarrhea and 2 had other gastrointestinal symptoms. D. fragilis is present in the study population. Further studies are needed to determine the virulence, pathogenicity and mode of transmission of D. fragilis in the study population.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Craniofacial deformities in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients in Malaysia: prevalence and effect of treatment

Toman HA, Hassan R, Hassan R, Nasir A

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2011 Sep;42(5):1233-40.
PMID: 22299450

This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in the pediatric daycare unit, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia to determine the prevalence of craniofacial deformities (CFD) and the association between these deformities and different clinical presentations among thalassemia patients. Patients were classified as either craniofacial deformity positive (CFD+) or craniofacial deformity negative (CFD-) by two examiners based on the presence or absence of deformity of the cheeks, frontal and/or maxillary bones. Fifteen clinical parameters were compared between the groups. Nineteen out of 43 patients (44.2%; confidence interval, 30.2-58.2%) had craniofacial deformities (CFD+). Both groups were comparable among the clinical parameters studied. Patients in the CFD+ group did not start their blood transfusions significantly earlier than the CFD- group (p = 0.50) and had a nonsignificantly lower mean pretransfusion hemoglobin level than the CFD- group (p = 0.71). Patients receiving regular monthly blood transfusions had a nonsignificantly smaller percentage of CFD than those transfused less often (p = 0.495). CFD+ patients had a splenectomy at a nonsignificantly younger age than CFD- patients (p = 0.36). HbE/beta thalassemia patients were not significantly less likely to develop CFD than other varieties (p = 0.50) and males had a nonsignificantly higher percentage of CFD than females (p = 0.29). This study shows CFD in thalassemia patients are still prevalent but no significant associated factors were found; however, a nonsignificantly higher prevalence of CFD was observed in patients with signs of severe disease and less efficient treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Prevalence and predictors of recent illness and injury among the Malaysian population

Paramesarvathy R, Amal NM, Gurpreet K, Tee GH, Karuthan C

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2012 May;43(3):773-84.
PMID: 23077858

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that injury will be the second leading cause of morbidity of disease burden worldwide by the year 2020. We conducted a community-based survey to determine the prevalence of recent illness and injury, in Malaysia. The survey was a cross sectional population-based household survey conducted using face to face interviews. The information was on self-reported recent illness and injury (SRRII) over the previous 2 weeks. This study was conducted during April - August 2006 and as a part of the third National Health and Morbidity Survey of Malaysia. A total of 56,710 respondents were interviewed with a response rate of 98.2% (55,660/56,710). The overall prevalence of combined SRRII was 23.6%; for injuries the prevalence was 3.1%. The groups with the highest SRRII were children 0-5 years old (31.2%), males (24.3%), Indians (26.9%), those with secondary education level (22.9%), those earning RM 1,000/ month (25.0%) and rural dwellers (25.5%). Age, sex, ethnicity, and locality were significantly associated with SRRII while monthly household income and educational level were marginally associated. On multivariate analysis, age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, income and locality were significantly associated with SRRII. The most common reported recent illness was related to the respiratory system (42.0%). The information obtained from this survey is useful to policy makers in the Ministry of Health to review and strengthen existing health programs.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2006)

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Health seeking behavior among Malaysians with acute diarrheal disease

Tee GH, Kaur G, Ramanathan P, Amal NM, Chinna K

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2011 Mar;42(2):424-35.
PMID: 21710867

About 1.8 million people die annually from acute diarrheal disease globally. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted via face-to-face interview with eligible subjects to determine the incidence and health seeking behavior of Malaysians with acute diarrheal disease (ADD). An acute diarrheal episode was defined as having three or more loose stools in any 24 hour period during the four weeks period prior to the interview. The exclusion criteria included pre-existing chronic diarrhea, such as with cancer of the bowel, ulcerative colitis or Chrohn's disease. Forty three point three percent of those with ADD (95% CI 41.3-45.4) sought treatment for the illness. Younger age groups (0-4 years, 67.7%; 95% CI 61.5-73.4; 5-9 years, 56.5%; 95% CI 48.6-64.1) were more likely to seek care for ADD. Seventy-one point eight percent of those seeking treatment, (95% CI 69.0-74.4) did so within 12 hours of the onset of symptoms. Most people with ADD sought treatment at private clinics. The main reasons given for not seeking treatment were the illness was mild and did not warrant treatment and the practice of self-medication (22.4%; 95% CI 20.0-24.9). These findings show self-medication is a major health seeking behavior among Malaysians with ADD. Self-medication of ADD deserves more in-depth study to ensure it is safe.
Keywords: NHMS-2006
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2006)

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae infection in Malaysian children admitted with community acquired pneumonia

Chan PW, Lum LC, Ngeow YF, Yasim MY

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2001 Jun;32(2):397-401.
PMID: 11556595

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is increasingly recognized as an important cause of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. We determined the importance of M. pneumoniae as a causative agent in 170 children aged 1 month to 15 years who were hospitalized with CAP over a 6-month period. The diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection was based on serological evidence obtained by a particle agglutination test (SERODIA-MYCO II). A positive serological diagnosis was made if the acute phase serum titer was more than 1:160 or paired samples taken 2-4 weeks apart showed a four-fold or greater rise in the serum titer. M. pneumoniae was identified as the causative agent in 40 (23.5%) children. Children with M. pneumoniae infection were more likely to be older than 3 years (OR 4.0 95%CI 1.8-9.1, p<0.001), Chinese (OR 4.3 95%CI 2.0-8.9, p<0.001), have a duration of illness longer than 7 days prior to admission (OR 6.0 95%CI 2.7-13.5, p<0.001) and have perihilar interstitial changes on chest X-ray (OR 4.6 95%CI 2.2-9.9, p<0.001). A significant number of hospital admissions for CAP in Malaysian children can be attributed to M. pneumoniae. It is important to identify these children so as to administer the most appropriate antibiotic treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Review on human toxoplasmosis in Malaysia: the past, present and prospective future

Nissapatorn V, Abdullah KA

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2004 Mar;35(1):24-30.
PMID: 15272740

We reviewed various studies regarding human toxoplasmosis in Malaysia. They showed a varying prevalence of specific Toxoplasma antibodies among the Malaysian population. The Malays have shown the highest seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis, by most studies, when compared to other races. Demographic profiles have shown that Toxoplasma seropositivity is higher in males than females, lower in people with higher incomes, higher in the unemployed and tends to increase with age. In general, the route of transmission, such as contact with a cat, consumption of undercooked meat and blood transfusion were shown to have no significant association with Toxoplasma seropositivity (p > 0.05). The immune status (CD4 cell count < 200 cell/mm3) was strongly associated with toxoplasmic encephalitis (p < 0.05).

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Japanese encephalitis virus is an important cause of encephalitis among children in Penang

Cardosa MJ, Hooi TP, Kaur P

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1995 Jun;26(2):272-5.
PMID: 8629059

This study was carried out to determine if Japanese encephalitis virus is an important causative agent of viral encephalitis among pediatric admissions in Penang, Malaysia. 195 children with CNS symptoms and 482 children with non-specific febrile illness admitted into the Pediatric Ward of Penang Hospital during a 16 month period were entered into the study. The presence in serum of cerebrospinal fluid (csf) of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) specific IgM was determined by an IgM capture ELISA and cytomegalovirus (CMV) specific IgM was determined using a commercially available kit (Behringwerke AG). It was determined that 5 of 13 children with a discharge diagnosis of viral encephalitis had JEV specific IgM in csf, indicating that 38.5% of the viral encephalitis cases was due to JEV. One of the non-JEV cases was found to have mumps virus specific IgM in csf, while no etiology was determined for the other cases. It was also determined that 4 of the 195 (2.1%) cases with CNS symptoms had IgM to CMV, suggesting CMV may be an agent of encephalopathy in children in Penang. Other viruses found to be associated with CNS symptoms in children admitted into our study were measles and herpes simplex virus. A viral etiology was confirmed for 13 or the 195 cases (6.7%). We also screened 482 non-specific febrile cases for IgM to JEV and to dengue viruses and found that 2 (0.4%) had IgM specific for JEV and 9 (1.9%) had IgM specific for dengue virus.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Efficacy of single dose albendazole on the prevalence and intensity of infection of soil-transmitted helminths in Orang Asli children in Malaysia

Norhayati M, Oothuman P, Azizi O, Fatmah MS

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1997 Sep;28(3):563-9.
PMID: 9561609

The efficacy of a single-dose 400 mg albendazole to treat Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworm infection was studied in Orang Asli community. Kato-Katz examination was performed on fecal samples which were collected before treatment, 1 and 4 months after treatment. A total of 123 children were involved in all three surveys. The cure rate of Ascaris infection was 97.4% and the egg reduction after treatment was 99.9%. The cure rate for hookworm infection was 93.1% with 96.6% egg reduction. Although the cure rate was low in Trichuris infection (5.5%), egg reduction was more evident (49.1%). The reinfection rate at 4 months after treatment was 54.5%, 3.6% and 10.3% for Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworm infection, respectively. Within 4 months after treatment almost one-fifth children with Ascaris and hookworm infection reached pre-treatment intensity infection. In Trichuris infection, however more than half of the children reached their pre-treatment intensity infection at 4 months after treatment. Findings suggest that 4-monthly targeted periodic treatment with 400 mg single-dose albendazole in highly endemic areas can have a significant impact on intensity infection of Ascaris and hookworm, but not on Trichuris infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Serological evidence of schistosomiasis among Orang Asli from three areas of Peninsular Malaysia

Greer GJ, Anuar H

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1984 Sep;15(3):303-12.
PMID: 6523170

Using ELISA and COPT diagnostic tests, serological evidence of Malaysian schistosomiasis was discovered among Orang Asli populations from three areas in Peninsular Malaysia. Serum samples collected in 1975 indicated an ELISA-positive prevalence of 25% and a COPT prevalence of 11% from Pos Iskandar, Pahang and an ELISA prevalence of 13% and a COPT of 4% from Bukit Lanjan, Selangor. Resurveys at these site in 1982-1984 showed a continued presence of serological positive individuals but prevalence rates were markedly lower: 7% and 1% for ELISA and 4% and 2% for COPT at Pos Iskandar and Bukit Lanjan respectively. Snail hosts were not found at either site. The source of infection for persons living in these lowland areas remains unknown. In a third area, Kuala Tahan, Pahang, located in the foothills of the central mountain range, foci of transmission have been found near to Orang Asli settlements. The serological prevalence rate among Negrito Orang Asli in that study area was 9% for ELISA and 4% for COPT. Thirty-three of 36 COPT-positive sera produced vacuolated bleb precipates and in 31 these were the only reactions seen. The high percentage of positives producing only these precipates suggests that among Orang Asli schistosomiasis patients such reactions are not an indication of recently acquired infection as has been reported for schistosomiasis patients in the Philippines.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Schistosomiasis transmission dynamics and control in Southeast Asia

Upatham ES

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1984 Dec;15(4):452-61.
PMID: 6535258
Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
A study on the prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in Singapore

Lim KC, Pillai R, Singh M

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1982 Dec;13(4):547-50.
PMID: 6763354

The indirect fluorescence antibody technique has been employed to study the prevalence of toxoplasma antibodies in Singapore. 42.5% of clinically suspected cases of toxoplasmosis showed antibody titres. Of these, 17.5% had titres greater than or equal to 1.64. Malays and Indians have higher positive rates compared to the main ethnic group, the Chinese. Antibody titres are found in both males and females and span through the various age groups. The possible mode of transmission is discussed and the importance of congenital toxoplasmosis is indicated.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Impact of a measles elimination strategy on measles incidence in Malaysia

Saraswathy TS, Zahrin HN, Norhashmimi H, Az-Ulhusna A, Zainah S, Rohani J

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2009 Jul;40(4):742-7.
PMID: 19842408

In Malaysia, the two dose measles - mumps - rubella (MMR) vaccine was introduced in the Expanded Program on Immunization in 2002. The Ministry of Health then initiated a measles elimination strategy which included enhanced case-based surveillance with laboratory testing of all suspected cases. The objective of our study was to analyse national measles laboratory data from 2004 to 2008 to study the impact of the nationwide strategy on measles case incidence. Blood samples collected from suspected measles cases during the acute stage of the illness were investigated for measles specific IgM. The estimated incidence of measles ranged from 22.3 cases (in 2004) to 2.27 cases (in 2006) per 100,000 population. During this time, the measles vaccination coverage was above 85%. Laboratory confirmed measles cases dropped from 42.2% in 2004, when sporadic outbreaks were reported, to 3.9% in 2007. Screening for measles IgG levels in 2008 showed that 82.8% of those > 7 years old had adequate immunity. The measles control strategy appears to have been successful in reducing the incidence of measles. Continuing high vaccination coverage rates and ongoing measles surveillance are necessary to achieve our goal of measles elimination.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext G6PD Viangchan and G6PD Mediterranean are the main variants in G6PD deficiency in the Malay population of Malaysia

Mohd Yusoff N, Shirakawa T, Nishiyama K, Choo KE, Isa MN, Matsuo M

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2003;34 Suppl 3:135-7.
PMID: 15906717

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked red blood cell enzymopathy common in malaria endemic areas. Individuals affected by this disease show a wide variety of clinical signs of acute hemolytic anemia. Mutations of the G6PD gene in the Malay population with G6PD deficiency in Kelantan, a state in North East Malaysia were studied. Ninety-three individuals with G6PD deficiency were subjected to mutation analysis of the G6PD gene using polymerase chain reaction based techniques of multiplex PCR. Of the ninety-three DNA samples studied, molecular defects were identified in 80 cases (86%). Variants were heterogeneous - 28.7% were found to have a G to A nucleotide change at nucleotide 871 of the G6PD gene (G871A), corresponding to G6PD Viangchan. The other major mutations were G6PD Mediterranean, G6PD Vanua Lava, G6PD Coimbra, G6PD Kaiping, G6PD Orissa, G6PD Mahidol, G6PD Canton and G6PD Chatham. These results showed that there are heterogeneous mutations of the G6PD gene associated with G6PD deficiency and that G6PD Viangchan and G6PD Mediterranean account for the main variants in G6PD deficiency among the Malay population in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Prevalence of snake bites in Kangar District Hospital, Perlis, west Malaysia: a retrospective study (January 1999-December 2000)

Jamaiah I, Rohela M, Roshalina R, Undan RC

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2004 Dec;35(4):962-5.
PMID: 15916099

The records of 284 snake bite cases presenting to the Kangar District Hospital, Perlis, west Malaysia, from January 1999 till December 2000 were carefully reviewed. Data on prevalence and types of snake bites, were recorded. The majority of the cases were among Malays (60.2%), followed by Chinese (16.9%), Indians (13%), and others which include Thai nationals, army personnel from Sabah and Sarawak, and foreign tourists (9.8%). A higher incidence was found in males (60.2%) and most cases were seen in the age group of 10-19 years (33%). Snake bites were more common between 2 PM and 9 PM (47.6%) and from 7 AM to 2 PM (33.4%). The snakes were positively identified in 68 cases, of which 50 were common cobras (Naja naja) (73%), 16 were Malayan pit vipers (Agkistrodon rhodostoma) (24%) and two were sea-snakes (3%).

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Fulltext Cryptococcal meningitis in an immunocompetent child: a case report and literature review

Othman N, Abdullah NA, Wahab ZA

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2004 Dec;35(4):930-4.
PMID: 15916093

An immunocompetent 5 year-old girl presented with pyrexia of unknown origin associated with headache. Initial investigations showed leukocytosis and an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. A Widal-Weil Felix test, blood film for malarial parasites, mycoplasma IgM antibody, cultures from blood and urine, full blood picture, Mantoux test, and chest x-ray were all negative. A lumbar puncture was done as part of a work-up for pyrexia of unknown origin. Cryptococcus neoformans was seen on India ink examination and confirmed on culture. She was treated with 10 weeks of intravenous amphotericin B and 8 weeks of fluconazole. Further immunological tests did not reveal any defect in the cell-mediated immune system. C. neoformans meningitis may present with non-specific symptoms and should be considered in a work-up for pyrexia of unknown origin.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Malignant glioma: the involvement of loss of allelic heterozygosity and PTEN mutations in a group of Malay patients

Zainuddin N, Jaafar H, Isa MN, Abdullah JM

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2005 May;36(3):748-56.
PMID: 16124450

Frequent loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and mutations of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted from chromosome 10) have been found in sporadic gliomas. The most documented regions of allelic losses include 9p21, 10q23-25 and 17p1 3 whereas PTEN aberrations are preferentially found in glioblastoma multiformes. This research aimed to detect the incidence of allelic losses on chromosomes 10q, 9p, 17p and 13q and mutations on exons 5, 6 and 8 of PTEN in malignant gliomas. Malignant glioma specimens obtained were classified histopathologically according to the WHO criteria. Each tumor was then subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-LOH analysis using microsatellite markers and single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Twelve of 23 (52%) malignant glioma cases showed allelic losses whereas 7 of 23 (30%) samples showed aberrant band patterns and mutations of PTEN. Four of these cases showed LOH in 10q23 and mutations of PTEN. The data on LOH indicated the involvement of different genes in the genesis of glioma whereas mutations of PTEN indicated the role of PTEN tumor suppressor gene in the progression of glioma in Malay population.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Isolation and polymerase chain reaction detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in Malaysian patients with respiratory tract infections

Tay ST, Habsah MY, Tan SC, Rohani MY

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2000 Dec;31(4):688-92.
PMID: 11414413

Isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae from respiratory tract specimens obtained from 200 adult and 200 pediatric patients. M. pneumoniae was isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of 1(0.5%) adult patient and 4(2.0%) tracheal aspirates of pediatric patients. PCR was positive for only one (0.5%) broncoalveolar lavage fluid of an adult patient and fifteen (7.5%) tracheal aspirates of pediatric patients. This study suggested that M. pneumoniae was more frequently detected in pediatric patients and PCR appears to have advantages over isolation, in terms of rapidity and sensitivity.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool
Low prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum in hospitalized children in Kota Bharu, Malaysia

Menon BS, Abdullah S, Mahamud F, Morgan UM, Malik AS, Choo KE, et al.

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2001 Jun;32(2):319-22.
PMID: 11556583

The aim of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum in hospitalized children in Kota Bharu, Malaysia. Over a 19 month study period, 258 stool samples were examined from 159 children; 109 with diarrhea and 50 controls without diarrhea. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay were used to detect C. parvum and the samples were also examined for the presence of other intestinal parasites. Only 1 of the 109 (0.9%) children with acute diarrhea was positive for C. parvum by microscopy and PCR. Thirty-one percent of children were infested with other intestinal parasites, the most common being Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura. In conclusion, we found C. parvum to be an uncommon infective agent in hospitalized children with or without diarrhea in Kota Bharu, Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Child, Preschool

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