MyMedR

The primary objective of this project was to study the life cycle and ecology of Plasmodium pitheci, a malaria parasite of the orang-utan. The field work was based on the orang-utan rehabilitation centre in the Sepilok Forest Reserve of eastern Sabah. Two visits were made to Sepilok, the first in February and March, 1972, and the second (by W.P.) in January 1974. On the first visit two species of "surrogate host" were taken to Sabah, i.e. chimpanzees and Aotus monkeys for experimental work. The arboreal habitat of the orang-utan in the dipterocarp forests of eastern Sabah is described. In the Sepilok Forest Reserve dwell gibbons and leaf-monkeys, in addition to a small population of semi-domesticated and wild, free-ranging orang-utans of various ages. Although numerous species of anopheline mosquitoes have been collected in eastern Sabah, longitudinal studies are not available. Anopheles balabacensis was caught both attracted to orang-utans and to man at Sepilok. This species which is the main vector of human malaria in the north of Borneo, is suspected also of transmitting orang-utan malaria in this part of Sabah. Repeated blood examinations have been made on a number of orang-utans in the centre since 1966 and a high prevalence of infection was recorded with Plasmodium pitheci. In 1966 10 out of 19 animals had demonstrable parasitaemia. Detailed case histories are presented to show the course of parasitaemia in several orang-utans. Infections of P. pitheci were found to run a very chronic course. During the 1972 expedition a second, previously undescribed malaria parasite of the orang-utan was discovered, and was named P. silvaticum. The new parasite was successfully transmitted both by blood inoculation and, later, by sporozoite inoculation, into splenectomized chimpanzees. Although both species of malaria parasite may cause transitory signs of illness, orang-utans in general appear to be little discomforted by the infection. The animals do however suffer from other infectious diseases such as amoebic and balantidial dysentery, and melioidosis is a serious natural hazard which may have accounted for several deaths of wild orang-utans. An unidentified, intraerythrocytic structure that appeared in the blood of one chimpanzee, which had been inoculated with blood from an orang-utan, may have contributed to its death. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of P. pitheci and P. silvaticum are given. All stages of the life cycle of P. silvaticum are known (the tissue stages having been described in the liver of a "surrogate host", the chimpanzee) but only the blood and sporogonic stages of P. pitheci have been seen. This species was not infective to a chimpanzee, although there is an earlier report of a transient infection in this host by other workers. In the blood both parasites showed a tertian periodicity. From the appearance of the tissue schizonts on the seventh day it was estimated that the complete pre-erythrocytic cycle of P. silvaticum in the chimpanzee would occupy 8 days. P...

Matched MeSH terms: Plasmodium/isolation & purification

Mammals and scrub typhus ecology in peninsular Malaysia

Muul I, Liat LB, Walker JS

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 1975;69(1):121-30.

PMID: 806995

The overall comparisons of habitats are given in (Table III). The habitats are arranged in order of extent of alterations by man, with the least disturbed at the top. The highest average blood isolation rates came from the least disturbed areas. The highest monthly maximal rickettsial isolation rates from blood and maximal prevalence rates of antibody per month were also obtained at Bukit Lanjan, the habitat least altered by activities of man. The lowest average blood isolation rate (6%) and the lowest monthly maximal rickettsial isolation and antibody prevalence rates were obtained at Bukit Mandol, the habitat most extensively and intensively altered by man. The intermediate habitats had intermediate rates. We caution anyone interpreting these observations, however, in terms of human disease, which seem to be associated with hyperendemic foci. Here we are not dealing with hyperendemicity from the standpoint of human disease, but present evidence of widespread endemicity from which hyperendemic foci may derive. Also, we have not yet identified the prevalent strains and do not know their infectivity to man.

Matched MeSH terms: Orientia tsutsugamushi/isolation & purification*

Vibrio parahaemolyticus gastroenteritis in Malaysia

Puthucheary SD

Med J Malaysia, 1973 Sep;28(1):44-6.

PMID: 4273784

Matched MeSH terms: Vibrio/isolation & purification

Coccidia of Malaysian mammals: new host records and descriptions of three new species of Eimeria

Mullin SW, Colley FC, Stevens GS

J. Protozool., 1972 May;19(2):260-3.

PMID: 5032224

Matched MeSH terms: Eimeria/isolation & purification

The antibiogram and the distribution of Proteus organisms isolated from urinary tracts

Chai KH, Soo-Hoo TS

Med J Malaya, 1970 Sep;25(1):43-5.

PMID: 4249494

Matched MeSH terms: Proteus/isolation & purification*

Perspectives in dermatology: Malaysia

Petit JH

Int J Dermatol, 1976 Sep;15(7):505-12.

PMID: 965135

Matched MeSH terms: Mycobacterium/isolation & purification

Melioidosis antibodies in Commonwealth soldiers

Thin RN

Lancet, 1976 Jan 3;1(7949):31-3.

PMID: 54528 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)92922-6

Titres of melioidosis haemagglutinating antibodies of 1/40 or more were found in 18 of 905 British, Australian, and New Zealand soldiers serving in West Malaysia. Previous mild unsuspected melioidosis seemed to be responsible for these positive titres, which were more common in men exposed to surface water at work and during recreation. This accords with the current view that soil and surface water is the normal habitat of Pseudomonas pseudomallei, the causal organism. Pyrexia of unknown origin after arriving in Malaysia was significantly more common in men with titres of 1/40 or more than in the remainder. It is suggested that mild melioidosis may present as pyrexia of unknown origin. Pyrexias of unknown origin should be investigated vigorously in patients who are in or who have visited endemic areas.

Matched MeSH terms: Antibodies, Bacterial/isolation & purification*

[Results of examining wild monkeys for the presence of smallpox antibodies and smallpox group viruses]

Marennikova SS, Shelukhina EM, Shenkman LS, Mal'tseva NN, Matsevich GR

Vopr. Virusol., 1975 May-Jun.

PMID: 169629

The results of examinations of sera, blood and organs of different species of monkeys from some Asian and African countries for the presence of antibody to smallpox and viruses of the smallpox group. Significant titers of smallpox antibodies (antihemagglutinins virus-neutralizing and, in some cases, precipitating antibody) were found in a considerable number of monkeys shot near foci with human cases (Equatorial province of Zair Republic). In the same monkeys kidney tissues yielded 3 isolates of smallpox virus group two of which were indistinguishable in the laboratory tests from variola virus. On the basis of these data it is concluded that smallpox viruses circulate among wildlife monkeys in some areas of Equatorial Africa. Further studies along these lines are necessary.

Matched MeSH terms: Variola virus/isolation & purification

Beta haemolytic streptococcal carriers among normal schoolchildren

Chen ST, Dugdale AE, Puthucheary SD

Trop Geogr Med, 1972 Sep;24(3):257-64.

PMID: 4636100

Matched MeSH terms: Streptococcus/isolation & purification

In vivo and in vitro studies of chloroquine-resistant malaria in West Malaysia

Andre RG, Cadigan FC, Fredericks HJ, Fong YL

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 1972;66(4):644-52.

PMID: 4561008

Matched MeSH terms: Plasmodium falciparum/isolation & purification

A shellfish-borne cholera outbreak in Malaysia

Dutt AK, Alwi S, Velauthan T

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 1971;65(6):815-8.

PMID: 5157442

Matched MeSH terms: Vibrio/isolation & purification

Ascaris lumbricides eggs in liver and lungs of 2-year-old boy at necropsy. Confirmation by experimental inoculations of animals

Chao TC, Ewert A, Zaman V

Med J Malaya, 1966 Jun;20(4):340-1.

PMID: 4224354

Matched MeSH terms: Ascaris/isolation & purification*

Scrub typhus infection in rats in four habitats in Peninsular Malaysia

Muul I, Lim BL, Walker JS

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 1977;71(6):493-7.

PMID: 415390

Rickettsia tsutsugamushi isolations were attempted from blood samples obtained from rats captured in four adjacent habitats near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Antibody surveys were also made. Rickettsial infections were most frequent in rats captured in the forest and in lalang grass (Imperata cylindrica) and least frequent in the most extensively disturbed habitat, an Orang Asli (aborigine) village. Forest rats such as Rattus sabanus (31%), as well as rats in the subgenus R. (Rattus), i.e. R. tiomanicus (26%) and R. argentiventer (35%) had frequent active infections. The house rat R. exulans had less frequent infections (15%). Frequency of antibody occurrence followed a similar pattern. No marked seasonal differences in the frequency of infections could be detected during the 18-month study.

Matched MeSH terms: Orientia tsutsugamushi/isolation & purification

Purification and characterization of a novel GH1 beta-glucosidase from Jeotgalibacillus malaysiensis

Liew KJ, Lim L, Woo HY, Chan KG, Shamsir MS, Goh KM

Int J Biol Macromol, 2018 Aug;115:1094-1102.

PMID: 29723622 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.04.156

Beta-glucosidase (BGL) is an important industrial enzyme for food, waste and biofuel processing. Jeotgalibacillus is an understudied halophilic genus, and no beta-glucosidase from this genus has been reported. A novel beta-glucosidase gene (1344 bp) from J. malaysiensis DSM 28777T was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The recombinant protein, referred to as BglD5, consists of a total 447 amino acids. BglD5 purified using a Ni-NTA column has an apparent molecular mass of 52 kDa. It achieved the highest activity at pH 7 and 65 °C. The activity and stability were increased when CaCl2 was supplemented to the enzyme. The enzyme efficiently hydrolyzed salicin and (1 → 4)-beta-glycosidic linkages such as in cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, cellopentose, and cellohexanose. Similar to many BGLs, BglD5 was not active towards polysaccharides such as Avicel, carboxymethyl cellulose, Sigmacell cellulose 101, alpha-cellulose and xylan. When BglD5 blended with Cellic® Ctec2, the total sugars saccharified from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) was enhanced by 4.5%. Based on sequence signatures and tree analyses, BglD5 belongs to the Glycoside Hydrolase family 1. This enzyme is a novel beta-glucosidase attributable to its relatively low sequence similarity with currently known beta-glucosidases, where the closest characterized enzyme is the DT-Bgl from Anoxybacillus sp. DT3-1.

Matched MeSH terms: beta-Glucosidase/isolation & purification*

Esophageal squamous cell carcinomas in a Malaysian cohort show a lack of association with human papillomavirus

Cheah PL, Koh CC, Khang TF, Goh KL, Lau PC, Chin KF, et al.

J Dig Dis, 2018 May;19(5):272-278.

PMID: 29722130 DOI: 10.1111/1751-2980.12605

OBJECTIVE: With an age-standardized incidence rate of 2 per 100 000, esophageal cancer is not common among Malaysians, but they are nevertheless important due to its poor prognosis. The study is to clarify whether the human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with esophageal cancer in Malaysians as there has been no report to date on this in Malaysians and other South East Asians.

METHODS: Altogether 67 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas histologically diagnosed between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2014 at the Department of Pathology, University of Malaya Medical Center, Malaysia were considered for HPV analysis using two commercially available methods, polymerase chain reaction with flow-through hybridization (21 HPV GenoArray Diagnostic Kit) and multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (Anyplex II HPV28 Detection). The DNA amplifiability of the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor was checked by amplification of a 268 bp segment of the human β-globin gene (GH20/PC04) prior to HPV detection.

RESULTS: HPV detection was finally carried out in 51 patients. HPV16 was detected in the moderately differentiated, stage IV lower esophageal tumor of a 32-year-old Malaysian-born Chinese woman by both methods. Except for a predilection for Indians, the clinical characteristics of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas in this Malaysian cohort were generally similar to those of other populations.

CONCLUSION: It appears that HPV is rare and an unlikely oncovirus in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas of Malaysians.

Matched MeSH terms: Papillomaviridae/isolation & purification*

Fulltext Antioxidative Potential of a Streptomyces sp. MUM292 Isolated from Mangrove Soil

Tan LT, Chan KG, Chan CK, Khan TM, Lee LH, Goh BH

Biomed Res Int, 2018;2018:4823126.

PMID: 29805975 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4823126

Mangrove derived microorganisms constitute a rich bioresource for bioprospecting of bioactive natural products. This study explored the antioxidant potentials of Streptomyces bacteria derived from mangrove soil. Based on 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis, strain MUM292 was identified as the genus Streptomyces. Strain MUM292 showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 99.54% with S. griseoruber NBRC12873T. Furthermore, strain MUM292 was also characterized and showed phenotypic characteristics consistent with Streptomyces bacteria. Fermentation and extraction were performed to obtain the MUM292 extract containing the secondary metabolites of strain MUM292. The extract displayed promising antioxidant activities, including DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide radical scavenging and also metal-chelating activities. The process of lipid peroxidation in lipid-rich product was also retarded by MUM292 extract and resulted in reduced MDA production. The potential bioactive constituents of MUM292 extract were investigated using GC-MS and preliminary detection showed the presence of pyrazine, pyrrole, cyclic dipeptides, and phenolic compound in MUM292 extract. This work demonstrates that Streptomyces MUM292 can be a potential antioxidant resource for food and pharmaceutical industries.

Matched MeSH terms: Streptomyces/isolation & purification

Preliminary assessment of the diagnostic performances of a new rapid diagnostic test for the serodiagnosis of human cystic echinococcosis

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.

Matched MeSH terms: Echinococcus/isolation & purification

Displaying publications 2341 - 2360 of 4701 in total