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Displaying publications 2441 - 2460 of 5421 in total

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Sudden cardiac death in a young adult man due to spontaneous coronary artery dissection

Subramaniam K, Siew SF, Mahmood MS

Malays J Pathol, 2019 Apr;41(1):51-54.
PMID: 31025638

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare event and commonly associated with pregnancy and female gender. This condition can reduce or completely obstruct the blood flow to the heart, causing a myocardial ischaemia, abnormalities in heart rhythm or sudden death. We present a case of a 28-year-old Indian male with no previous medical illness who complained sudden onset of chest pain prior to his death. Autopsy revealed a left anterior descending coronary artery dissection associated with plaque rupture. The anterior wall of left ventricle showed contraction band necrosis. There was also atheroma present in the right coronary artery which was insignificant. Histologically, dissection was associated with atherosclerosis. There was no evidence of vasculitis. The cause of death was given as coronary artery dissection due to coronary artery atherosclerosis.

Matched MeSH terms: Coronary Artery Disease
Fulltext Occupationally Acquired Plasmodium knowlesi Malaria in Brunei Darussalam

Koh GJ, Ismail PK, Koh D

Saf Health Work, 2019 Mar;10(1):122-124.
PMID: 30949391 DOI: 10.1016/j.shaw.2018.09.002

Simian malaria is a zoonotic disease caused by Plasmodium knowlesi infection. The common natural reservoir of the parasite is the macaque monkey and the vector is the Anopheles mosquito. Human cases of P. knowlesi infection has been reported in all South East Asian countries in the last decade, and it is currently the most common type of malaria seen in Malaysia and Brunei. Between 2007-2017, 73 cases of P. knowlesi infection were notified and confirmed to the Ministry of Health in Brunei. Of these, 15 cases (21%) were documented as work-related, and 28 other cases (38%) were classified as probably related to work (due to incomplete history). The occupations of those with probable and confirmed work related infections were border patrol officers, Armed Forces and security personnel, Department of Forestry officers, boatmen and researchers. The remaining cases classified as most likely not related to work were possibly acquired via peri-domestic transmission. The risk of this zoonotic infection extends to tourists and overseas visitors who have to travel to the jungle in the course of their work. It can be minimised with the recommended use of prophylaxis for those going on duty into the jungles, application of mosquito/insect repellants, and use of repellant impregnated uniforms and bed nets in jungle camp sites.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Vectors
Who is biting you? DNA barcodes reveal cryptic diversity in human-biting black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Jomkumsing P, Tangkawanit U, Wongpakam K, Pramual P

Acta Trop, 2019 Aug;196:22-29.
PMID: 31059708 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.05.001

Black flies (Simuliidae) are important biting insects and vectors of diseases agents of humans and livestock. Thus, understanding the taxonomy and biodiversity of these insects is crucial for control and management of these diseases. In this study, we used mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I sequences to examine genetic diversity of three human-biting and possible vector black fly taxa; the Simulium asakoae species-complex, S. chamlongi and S. nigrogilvum. High levels of genetic diversity (>3.5% intraspecific genetic divergence) were found in all three taxa. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the S. asakoae complex can be divided into seven groups with the largest group consisting of specimens from Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar. This group most likely represents true S. asakoae. The remaining haplotypes formed groups with conspecific haplotypes or with other closely related species. Among these groups, one including S. monglaense and another including S. myanmarense suggest that certain specimens identified as S. asakoae most likely belong to those species. Therefore, they constitute new locality records for Thailand and also represent new records of anthropophily. Members of S. chamlongi are not monophyletic as its clade also included S. hackeri. A median joining network revealed strong geographic associations of the haplotypes of S. nigrogilvum suggesting limitation of gene flow. Because this species occurs mainly in high elevation habitats, low land areas could present a barrier to gene flow.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Vectors
Fulltext Prevention of brain hypoperfusion-induced neurodegeneration in rat’s hippocampus by black cumin fixed oil treatment

Marwan Saad Azzubaidi, Al-Ani, Imad Matloub, Anil Kumar Saxena, Ghasak Ghazi Faisal

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2018;17(1):103-112.
MyJurnal

Introduction: The oil extract of black cumin seeds Nigella sativa (NSO) demonstrated considerable
preservation of spatial cognitive functions in rats subjected to chronic brain hypoperfusion (CBH). The hippocampal CA1 region pyramidal cells are the earliest neurons suffering neurodegeneration following CBH. Objective: The current study was devoted to assess the protective effects of Nigella sativa (NSO) treatment on CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells of rats subjected to chronic brain hypoperfusion (CBH) that was achieved through permanent two vessel occlusion (2VO) procedure. Methods: Twenty four rats were equally divided into three groups; sham control, untreated 2VO and NSO treated group (2VO with daily oral NSO treatment. After the 10th postoperative week coronal sections of the hippocampus were collected for histopathological and electron microscopical examinations. Results: The number of viable pyramidal cells within CA1 hippocampal region in sham control and NSO treated groups was significantly higher than that of untreated 2VO group, while the difference was not significant when comparing the viable pyramidal cells number of sham control with NSO treated groups. Furthermore, 2VO group showed marked intracellular ultrastructural distortions that were less pronounced in NSO treated group. Conclusion: NSO displayed a robust potential to protect hippocampal pyramidal cells from CBH induced neurodegeneration putting forward its prospective neuroprotective activity against age related cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Matched MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease
Fulltext Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical Practices during Lockdown: A pan India Survey of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Jain VK, Upadhyaya GK, Iyengar KP, Patralekh MK, Lal H, Vaishya R

Malays Orthop J, 2021 Mar;15(1):55-62.
PMID: 33880149 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2103.009

Introduction: The social lockdown measures imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, have had profound effects on the healthcare systems across the world and India has been no exception to it. The study was aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on orthopaedic practice in India during the lockdown period and assess the preparedness of orthopaedic surgeons for resuming clinical practice after the initial lockdown was lifted.
Materials and Methods: An online survey of 35 questions was conducted to evaluate impact on (i) general orthopaedic practice (ii) hospital protocols (iii) out-patient practice (iv) surgical practice (v) personal protective equipment (PPE) use and (vi) post-lockdown preparedness.
Results: A total number of 588 practising orthopaedic surgeons from India completed the survey. Majority (88.3%) found severe impact (>50%) on trauma surgery and non-trauma surgery with significant reduction in out -patient attendance compared to corresponding time in 2019. There were significant changes made in individual hospital protocols (91.7 %). Appropriate required PPE was available in majority of the hospitals (74.3%). No remodelling or upgrading of the existing operating theatre infrastructure was done by most surgeons (89.5%).
Conclusion: This pan India survey of orthopaedic surgeons has indicated that COVID-19 has had a profound impact on their outpatient and surgical trauma and non-trauma practice, due to the lockdown and resulted in significant changes to hospital protocols. Preparedness to resume clinical and surgical practice was associated with anxiety in two-thirds of the respondents. Majority of the orthopaedic practitioners felt that they would continue to conduct pre-operative COVID-19 screening and use PPE even after the lockdown is over.

Matched MeSH terms: Communicable Disease Control
Fulltext Incarcerated Cannulated Cancellous Screw Removal during Total Hip Arthroplasty with a Novel Trick: A Case Report

Tomar L, Govil G, Dhawan P

Malays Orthop J, 2021 Mar;15(1):128-131.
PMID: 33880160 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2103.020

Salvage total hip arthroplasty (THA) may be required to manage femoral neck fracture implant failures, avascular necrosis and secondary hip arthritis. Cannulated cancellous screws can become stripped or incarcerated during the initial implantation and pose hardware removal issues. We present a novel technique for safe screw removal in a 62-year-old female patient with a painful right hip. She had undergone cancellous screw fixation for a fracture of the neck of femur ten years ago. There was avascular necrosis with screw cut out leading to secondary hip arthritis necessitating THA. Intra-operatively cannulated cancellous screw along the inferior femoral neck region was incarcerated. After posterior dislocation of the head, the neck was osteotomised, and the screw threads were exposed for possible extraction. However, the thickened femoral neck region with solid cortical bone prevented the screw disengagement in either direction. The screw along the femoral trochanter region was cut with a Harrington cutter and the remaining screw disengaged with careful removal of bony spicules and controlled anticlockwise rotations, to remove the screw in around fifteen minutes. Arthroplasty could be completed uneventfully thereafter. We could remove the screw while avoiding an iatrogenic fracture along the calcar region and excessive bone loss along the screw track. The femoral canal remained uncompromised. The anticipation of a difficult implant removal with a thorough understanding of the devices and techniques, is an invaluable asset to the operating surgeon. With a simple tool and novel technique in a difficult situation, we can save on operating time and minimise complications.

Matched MeSH terms: Iatrogenic Disease
Fibrinogen isoforms as potential blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease using a proteomics approach

Rehiman SH, Lim SM, Lim FT, Chin AV, Tan MP, Kamaruzzaman SB, et al.

Int J Neurosci, 2020 Dec 15.
PMID: 33280461 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1860038

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the commonest form of dementia which is characterized by progressive decline in cognitive function, can only be definitively diagnosed after death. Although biomarkers may aid diagnosis, currently available AD biomarkers, which are predominantly based on cerebrospinal fluid and neuroimaging facilities, are either invasive or costly. Blood-based biomarkers for AD diagnosis are highly sought after due to its practicality at the clinic. This study was undertaken to determine the differential protein expression in plasma amongst Malaysian AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and non-AD individuals. Methods: A proteomic approach which utilized two-dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis (2 D DIGE) was performed for blood samples from 15 AD, 14 MCI and 15 non-AD individuals. Results: Mass spectrometry (MS)-based protein identification via MALDI ToF/ToF showed that fibrinogen-β-chain (spot 64) and fibrinogen-γ-chain (spot 91) with differential expression ratio >1.5 were significantly upregulated (p

Matched MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease
Fulltext Type 2 diabetes remission: How does it work?

Ahmad Fuat MS, Mohd Zin F, Mat Yudin Z

Malays Fam Physician, 2021 Mar 25;16(1):124-128.
PMID: 33948152 DOI: 10.51866/cr1026

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM) is a chronic disease which rise is closely linked to the obesity epidemic and which requires long-term medical attention to limit the development of its wide-ranged complications. Many of these complications arise from the combination of resistance to insulin action, inadequate insulin secretion, and excessive or inappropriate glucagon secretion. The increasing evidence of its remission state has been discussed in the literature. Here we report on a patient with metabolic syndrome who underwent a structured therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) therapy which eventually led to remission of Type 2 DM.

Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
Fulltext Recurrent chalazia secondary to bortezomib

Fatin Hanisah, F., Rona Asnida, N., Jemaima, C.H.

Medicine & Health, 2018;13(2):217-222.
MyJurnal

Few cases of chalazia secondary to bortezomib are reported in literature. However, it is not a recognized ocular adverse effect. We hereby report a case of recurrent chalazia secondary to bortezomib. A 40-year-old male with light chain myeloma on ten weeks of chemotherapy with bortezomib was treated for left eye inflamed chalazion with bilateral meibominitis. Severe chalazia persisted despite treatment, which necessitated cessation of chemotherapy. The patient’s condition improved on oral doxycycline and chemotherapy was recommenced but his chalazia recurred, necessitating incision and curretage. His chalazia responded to oral azithromycin without further cessation of chemotherapy. Bortezomib’s association with chalazia has been characterized as a possible adverse drug reaction according to the World Health organization classification, and its recognization as an established adverse reaction to will allow earlier identification and appropriate co-management of the patient.

Matched MeSH terms: Iatrogenic Disease
Fulltext Extensive Genetic Variation at the Sr22 Wheat Stem Rust Resistance Gene Locus in the Grasses Revealed Through Evolutionary Genomics and Functional Analyses

Md Hatta MA, Ghosh S, Athiyannan N, Richardson T, Steuernagel B, Yu G, et al.

Mol Plant Microbe Interact, 2020 Nov;33(11):1286-1298.
PMID: 32779520 DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-01-20-0018-R

In the last 20 years, severe wheat stem rust outbreaks have been recorded in Africa, Europe, and Central Asia. This previously well controlled disease, caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, has reemerged as a major threat to wheat cultivation. The stem rust (Sr) resistance gene Sr22 encodes a nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat receptor which confers resistance to the highly virulent African stem rust isolate Ug99. Here, we show that the Sr22 gene is conserved among grasses in the Triticeae and Poeae lineages. Triticeae species contain syntenic loci with single-copy orthologs of Sr22 on chromosome 7, except Hordeum vulgare, which has experienced major expansions and rearrangements at the locus. We also describe 14 Sr22 sequence variants obtained from both Triticum boeoticum and the domesticated form of this species, T. monococcum, which have been postulated to encode both functional and nonfunctional Sr22 alleles. The nucleotide sequence analysis of these alleles identified historical sequence exchange resulting from recombination or gene conversion, including breakpoints within codons, which expanded the coding potential at these positions by introduction of nonsynonymous substitutions. Three Sr22 alleles were transformed into wheat cultivar Fielder and two postulated resistant alleles from Schomburgk (hexaploid wheat introgressed with T. boeoticum segment carrying Sr22) and T. monococcum accession PI190945, respectively, conferred resistance to P. graminis f. sp. tritici race TTKSK, thereby unequivocally confirming Sr22 effectiveness against Ug99. The third allele from accession PI573523, previously believed to confer susceptibility, was confirmed as nonfunctional against Australian P. graminis f. sp. tritici race 98-1,2,3,5,6.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Diagnostic and Prognostic Indications of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

E A R ENS, Irekeola AA, Yean Yean C

Diagnostics (Basel), 2020 Aug 19;10(9).
PMID: 32825179 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10090611

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a disease that is highly associated with the latent infection of Epstein-Barr virus. The absence of obvious clinical signs at the early stage of the disease has made early diagnosis practically impossible, thereby promoting the establishment and progression of the disease. To enhance the stride for a reliable and less invasive tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of NPC, we synopsize biomarkers belonging to the two most implicated biological domains (oncogenes and tumor suppressors) in NPC disease. Since no single biomarker is sufficient for diagnosis and prognosis, coupled with the fact that the known established methods such as methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), multiplex methylation-specific PCR, microarray assays, etc., can only accommodate a few biomarkers, we propose a 10-biomarker panel (KIT, LMP1, PIKC3A, miR-141, and miR-18a/b (oncogenic) and p16, RASSF1A, DAP-kinase, miR-9, and miR-26a (tumor suppressors)) based on their diagnostic and prognostic values. This marker set could be explored in a multilevel or single unified assay for the diagnosis and prognosis of NPC. If carefully harnessed and standardized, it is hoped that the proposed marker set would help transform the diagnostic and prognostic realm of NPC, and ultimately, help prevent the life-threatening late-stage NPC disease.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Progression
Fulltext Seasonal Filarial Infections and Their Black Fly Vectors in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand

Aupalee K, Saeung A, Srisuka W, Fukuda M, Streit A, Takaoka H

Pathogens, 2020 Jun 25;9(6).
PMID: 32630410 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9060512

The transmission of zoonotic filarial parasites by black flies has so far been reported in the Chiang Mai and Tak provinces, Thailand, and the bites of these infected black flies can cause a rare disease-human zoonotic onchocerciasis. However, species identification of the filarial parasites and their black fly vectors in the Chiang Mai province were previously only based on a morphotaxonomic analysis. In this study, a combined approach of morphotaxonomic and molecular analyses (mitochondrial cox1, 12S rRNA, and nuclear 18S rRNA (SSU HVR-I) genes) was used to clarify the natural filarial infections in female black flies collected by using human and swine baits from two study areas (Ban Lek and Ban Pang Dang) in the Chiang Mai province from March 2018 to January 2019. A total of 805 and 4597 adult females, belonging to seven and nine black fly taxa, were collected from Ban Lek and Ban Pang Dang, respectively. At Ban Lek, four of the 309 adult females of Simulium nigrogilvum were positive for Onchocerca species type I in the hot and rainy seasons. At Ban Pang Dang, five unknown filarial larvae (belonging to the same new species) were detected in Simulium sp. in the S. varicorne species-group and in three species in the S. asakoae species-group in all seasons, and three non-filarial larvae of three different taxa were also found in three females of the S. asakoae species-group. This study is the first to molecularly identify new filarial species and their vector black fly species in Thailand.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Vectors
Fulltext Knowledge, attitude and practice on bats-borne diseases among village residents: a pilot study

Nurul Azmawati, M., Hariz, M.S., Mohd Dzulkhairi, M.R., Shalinawati, R., Ilina, I.

Medicine & Health, 2018;13(2):48-57.
MyJurnal

Ebola virus disease (EVD), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), rabies and Nipah infections were examples of diseases that were related to bats and shook the world with a series of outbreak and epidemic. Through the understanding of bats as potential public health risk, awareness had become vital to prevent another outbreak. This pilot study was done to evaluate the appropriateness of the questionnaires and to determine preliminary data on knowledge, attitude and practices of bats-related infections. Residents of a village were recruited by randomly choosing houses from a list obtained from the local head village. Knowledge, attitude and practice were assessed using a 56-items questionnaire. The study recruited 100 respondents. The questionnaire’s Cronbach Alpha score was 0.817. Majority of the respondents were found to have good knowledge (71%), attitude (99%) and practice (64%) relating to bat-related infection. There was a weak positive correlation between knowledge and practice towards bat-related infections among residents of the study population. Majority (80%) of respondents did not aware that bats can cause rabies, and 84% did not know about rabies vaccination. The result of this pilot study provides a limited but valuable insight into bat-related infection. Overall, respondents had good knowledge, attitude and practice scores towards bats-related infection. However, more awareness is needed to key areas lacking such as in educating awareness about rabies in bats.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Systemic Solutions for Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Ganju A, Goulart AC, Ray A, Majumdar A, Jeffers BW, Llamosa G, et al.

J Multidiscip Healthc, 2020;13:693-707.
PMID: 32801732 DOI: 10.2147/JMDH.S252300

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been on the rise in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over the last few decades and represent a significant healthcare concern. Over 85% of "premature" deaths worldwide due to NCDs occur in the LMICs. NCDs are an economic burden on these countries, increasing their healthcare expenditure. However, targeting NCDs in LMICs is challenging due to evolving health systems and an emphasis on acute illness. The major issues include limitations with universal health coverage, regulations, funding, distribution and availability of the healthcare workforce, and availability of health data. Experts from across the health sector in LMICs formed a Think Tank to understand and examine the issues, and to offer potential opportunities that may address the rising burden of NCDs in these countries. This review presents the evidence and posits pragmatic solutions to combat NCDs.

Matched MeSH terms: Acute Disease
Fulltext Metagenomic data of soil microbial community in relation to basal stem rot disease

Lo RKS, Chong KP

Data Brief, 2020 Aug;31:106030.
PMID: 32743032 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106030

The oil palm industry, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia is being threatened by Basal Stem Rot (BSR) disease caused by Ganoderma boninense. There is no conclusive remedy in handling this disease effectively. In this study, metagenomics analysis of soil were analyzed for a better understanding of the microbial diversity in relation to BSR disease. Study was conducted in three plantation sites of Sabah, Malaysia which incorporated different disease management and agronomic practices. The estates are located at Sandakan (Kam Cheong Plantation), Lahad Datu (FGV Ladang Sahabat) and Tawau (Warisan Gagah). Soil samples were collected from disease free, high and low BSR incidence plots. Illumina MiSeq metagenomic analysis using V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene was employed to study the microbial diversity. Bacteria (97.4%) and Archaea (0.2%) were found majority in kingdom taxonomy level. The most abundant phyla were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia. Higher alpha diversity of all species was observed among all tested soil from each estates. Beta analysis was analyzed using non phylogenetic UnifRac matrix and visualized using Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA). The tested soil samples in Kam Cheong Plantation were found to have similar bacterial communities. The data provided is useful as an indicator in developing biology controls against Ganoderma boninense.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Management
Validity and reliability of the Patient Assessment on Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) questionnaire among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Malaysia: English version

Azam AF, Lai P, Abdullah A, Haidi Hanafi NS

Malays Fam Physician, 2020;15(2):10-18.
PMID: 32843940

Introduction: The Patient Assessment on Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) was developed to assess patients' perspectives on the alignment of primary care to the chronic care model. The Malay PACIC has been validated; however, Malaysia is a multicultural society, and English is spoken by many Malaysians and expatriates. We sought to validate the English version of the PACIC among patients with diabetes mellitus in Malaysia, as Malaysians may interpret a questionnaire that was originally developed for Americans in a different way.
Method: This study was conducted between November and December 2016 at two primary care clinics that offered integrated diabetes care at the time. These sites were selected to assess the discriminative validity of the PACIC. Site 1 is a Malaysian Ministry of Health-run primary care clinic while site 2 is a university-run hospital-based primary care clinic. Only site 1 annually monitors patient performance and encourages them to achieve their HbA1c targets using a standard checklist. Patients with diabetes mellitus who understood English were recruited. Participants were asked to fill out the PACIC at baseline and two weeks later.
Results: A total of 200 out of the 212 invited agreed to participate (response rate=94.3%). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 5-factor structure of the PACIC. The overall PACIC score and the score in two of the five domains were significantly higher at site 1 than at site 2. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.924. At test-retest, intra-class correlation coefficient values ranged from 0.641 to 0.882.
Conclusion: The English version of the PACIC was found to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess the quality of care among patients with diabetes mellitus in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
Fulltext The expression of microrna-744 (Mir-744) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a preliminary study

Noor Syamila Othman, Wan Ishlah Leman, Kahairi Abdullah, Siti Aesah @ Naznin Muhammad, Mohd Arifin Kaderi

International Journal of Allied Health Sciences, 2018;2(1):191-203.
MyJurnal

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of miR-744 expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumour tissue and to provide initial clue on its potential as biomarkers for early detection of NPC in a preliminary analysis. Total miRNAs was extracted from NPC tissue as well as normal nasopharynx tissue taken from Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Kuantan and converted into cDNA. The level of miR-744 expression in the cDNA was quantified using quantitative reverse transcription polymserase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) technique. The expression level of SNORD48 was measured simultaneously for each sample, which served as endogenous control. The difference in the expression of miR-744 in NPC and normal nasopharynx tissue were analysed using relative quantification, 2-ΔΔCT. In this preliminary analysis, this study found that miR-744 was upregulated in NPC as compared to normal nasopharynx tissue by 2.5 fold changes, respectively suggesting it may involve in progression of tumour. However, the finding is not significant and may not accurately reflect the overall population, due to small sample size involved in the study. Findings from the current study suggest the potential of miR-744 to serve as useful diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in NPC.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Progression
Fulltext The relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and Helicobacter pylori across East Asian, European and Mediterranean countries: a meta-analysis

Imawana RA, Smith DR, Goodson ML

Ann Gastroenterol, 2020 06 06;33(5):485-494.
PMID: 32879595 DOI: 10.20524/aog.2020.0507

Background: The current literature suggests a protective benefit of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here we assessed whether this effect varied by IBD subtype-Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC)-and geographic region: East Asia, Europe (non-Mediterranean) or Mediterranean region.
Methods: A database search was performed up to July 2019 inclusive for all studies that compared H. pylori infection in IBD patients vs. non-IBD controls. The relative risk (RR) was used to quantify the association between IBD and H. pylori, and the effects were combined across studies using a mixed-effects meta-regression model, which included IBD subtype and geographic region as categorical moderator variables.
Results: Our meta-regression model exhibited moderate heterogeneity (I2=48.74%). Pooled RR depended on both region (P=0.02) and subtype (P<0.001). Pooled RRs were <1 for all subtype and region combinations, indicative of a protective effect of H. pylori against IBD. The pooled RR was 28% (9%, 50%; P=0.001) greater for UC vs. CD and 43% (4%, 96%; P=0.02) greater for Mediterranean countries vs. East Asia. The pooled RR was 18% (-13%, 60%; P=0.48) greater for Europe vs. East Asia and 21% (-13%, 68%; P=0.42) greater for Mediterranean vs. Europe, though these differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: The protective effect of H. pylori on IBD varied by both subtype (more protection against CD vs. UC) and region (East Asia more protected than Mediterranean regions). Variation due to these effects could provide insight into IBD etiology.

Matched MeSH terms: Crohn Disease
A Review on the Potential Use of Medicinal Plants From Asteraceae and Lamiaceae Plant Family in Cardiovascular Diseases

Michel J, Abd Rani NZ, Husain K

Front Pharmacol, 2020;11:852.
PMID: 32581807 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00852

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, and its rate of mortality is rising annually. In accordance with the current condition, studies on medicinal plants upon their activity on cardiovascular diseases are often being encouraged to be used in cardiovascular disease management, due to the availability of medicinal values in certain dedicated plants. This review was conducted based on two plant families, which are Asteraceae and Lamiaceae, to study on their action in cardiovascular disease relieving activities, to review the relationship between the phytochemistry of Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families and their effect on cardiovascular diseases, and to study their toxicology. The medicinal plants from these plant family groups are collected based on their effects on the mechanisms that affect the cardiovascular-related disease which are an antioxidant activity, anti-hyperlipidemic or hypocholesterolemia, vasorelaxant effect, antithrombotic action, and diuresis effect. In reference to various studies, the journals that conducted in vivo or in vitro experiments, which were used to prove the specific mechanisms, are included in this review. This is to ensure that the scientific value and the phytochemicals of the involved plants can be seen based on their activity. As a result, various plant species from both Asteraceae and Lamiaceae plant family have been identified and collected based on their study that has proven their effectiveness and uses in cardiovascular diseases. Most of the plants have an antioxidant effect, followed by anti-hyperlipidemia, vasorelaxant, antithrombotic, and diuretic effect from the most available to least available studies, respectively. These are the mechanisms that contribute to various cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, coronary heart disease, and hypertension. Further studies can be conducted on these plant species by identifying their ability and capability to be developed into a new drug or to be used as a medicinal plant in treating various cardiovascular diseases.

Matched MeSH terms: Coronary Disease
Large-Scale Expansion of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Hassan MNFB, Yazid MD, Yunus MHM, Chowdhury SR, Lokanathan Y, Idrus RBH, et al.

Stem Cells Int, 2020;2020:9529465.
PMID: 32733574 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9529465

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells with strong immunosuppressive property that renders them an attractive source of cells for cell therapy. MSCs have been studied in multiple clinical trials to treat liver diseases, peripheral nerve damage, graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune diseases, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular damage. Millions to hundred millions of MSCs are required per patient depending on the disease, route of administration, frequency of administration, and patient body weight. Multiple large-scale cell expansion strategies have been described in the literature to fetch the cell quantity required for the therapy. In this review, bioprocessing strategies for large-scale expansion of MSCs were systematically reviewed and discussed. The literature search in Medline and Scopus databases identified 26 articles that met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. These articles described the large-scale expansion of 7 different sources of MSCs using 4 different bioprocessing strategies, i.e., bioreactor, spinner flask, roller bottle, and multilayered flask. The bioreactor, spinner flask, and multilayered flask were more commonly used to upscale the MSCs compared to the roller bottle. Generally, a higher expansion ratio was achieved with the bioreactor and multilayered flask. Importantly, regardless of the bioprocessing strategies, the expanded MSCs were able to maintain its phenotype and potency. In summary, the bioreactor, spinner flask, roller bottle, and multilayered flask can be used for large-scale expansion of MSCs without compromising the cell quality.

Matched MeSH terms: Graft vs Host Disease

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