METHODS: A cohort of 85 consenting MDR-TB patients receiving treatment with second-line antituberculosis drugs had their blood samples amplified for the IL8 (rs4073) gene and genotyped. All patients were clinically screened for evidence of treatment toxicity and categorized accordingly. Crude and adjusted associations were assessed.
RESULTS: The chief complaints fell into the following categories: CNS toxicity; gastrointestinal toxicity; skin toxicity; and eye and ear toxicities. Symptoms of gastrointestinal toxicity were reported by 59% of the patients, and symptoms of CNS toxicity were reported by 42.7%. With regard to the genotypes of IL8 (rs4073), the following were identified: AA, in 64 of the study participants; AT, in 7; and TT, in 11. A significant association was found between the dominant model of inheritance and CNS toxicity for the crude model (p = 0.024; OR = 3.57; 95% CI, 1.18-10.76) and the adjusted model (p = 0.031; OR = 3.92; 95% CI, 1.13-13.58). The AT+TT genotype of IL8 (rs4073) showed a 3.92 times increased risk of CNS toxicity when compared with the AA genotype.
CONCLUSIONS: The AT+TT genotype has a tendency to be associated with an increased risk of adverse clinical features during MDR-TB treatment.
METHODS: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) were used. Twenty-four animals were adrenalectomized and received intramuscular injection of dexamethasone (120 μg/kg/day). They were simultaneously administered with either Piper sarmentosum water extract (125 mg/kg/day), GCA (120 mg/kg/day) or distilled water as vehicle by oral gavage for two months. Eight animals were sham-operated and given vehicle daily, i.e. intramuscular olive oil and oral distilled water.
RESULTS: Following two months treatment, dexamethasone-treated adrenalectomized rats had significantly lower 11β-HSD1 dehydrogenase activity and higher 11β-HSD1 expression in the femoral bones compared to the sham-operated and baseline group. The rats supplemented with Piper sarmentosum water extract had significantly higher 11β-HSD1 dehydrogenase activity and lower 11β-HSD1 expression in the bones.
CONCLUSION: The results showed that Piper sarmentosum water extract had the ability to prevent glucocorcoticoid excess in the bones of glucocorticoid-treated adrenalectomized rats through the local modulation of 11β-HSD1 expression and activity, and may be used as prophylaxis for osteoporosis in patients on long-term glucocorticoid treatment.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study via online questionnaire survey was conducted among students from a pre-university college on the East Coast of Malaysia. Convenience sampling was used to recruit the participants. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: i) sociodemographic data, ii) the Parental Authority Questionnaire and Depression, and iii) the Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). An online invitation to answer the questionnaire was done via the Student Representative Council (SRC). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square test.
RESULTS: A total of 431 participants responded to the online survey. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 49.0% (n = 210), 68.0% (n = 293) and 37.6% (n = 162), respectively. In addition, father's educational level (χ2 = 10.332, P = 0.001) and the authoritarian parenting style (χ2 = 10.099, P = 0.006) were significantly associated with mental health disorders among adolescents.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of mental disorders among pre-university students is relatively high. Pre-university admission mental health screening is vital for early detection and intervention of mental disorders among this vulnerable group. Further research is imperative to establish a comprehensive plan of action that targets parental involvement in managing adolescent mental health disorders.
CASE REPORT: We report a case of 'kissing carotid artery' in a 65-year-old lady who presented with a foreign body sensation felt in the throat for one week. A finding of flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy (FNPLS) showed a bilateral paramedian retropharyngeal pulsating mass. Radiological examinations, including Computed Tomography (CT) of the neck and an angiogram, revealed an aberrant course of bilateral carotid arteries. In view of no malignancy and vascular malformations, there was no further intervention done, and the patient was subjected to yearly surveillance.
CONCLUSION: Retropharyngeal carotid arteries are clinically significant anatomic variants. Such anomalies are potentially life-threatening and a risk factor for a severe hemorrhage during the simplest and commonly performed transoral surgeries. Thus, thorough perioperative assessment with accurate imaging techniques and studies are required to evaluate these anomalies and may avoid any disastrous complications.
METHODS: Thirty-six male rabbits of New Zealand strain were randomly assigned to six groups. Rabbits were fed either a standard pellet (group NC) or a high-cholesterol diet (groups HC, PC, WF, SK and PL). Groups WF, SK and PL were also given 1 ml/kg/day B. angulata WF, SK and PL juices, respectively.
RESULTS: Baccaurea angulata had high antioxidant activities. The administration of the various juices significantly reduced (p