MATERIALS AND METHODS: The well-diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) techniques were employed to investigate the putative antibacterial activity of Malaysian monofloral honey from Koompassia excelsa (Becc.) Taub (Tualang), Melaleuca cajuputi Powell (Gelam) and Durio zibethinus Murr. (Durian). Honey samples were tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6518 and ATCC25923, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC12228, Enterococcus faecium LMG16192, Enterococcus faecalis LMG16216 and ATCC29212, Escherichia coli ATCC25922, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC14028 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC13883.
RESULTS: Marked variations were observed in the antibacterial activity of these honey samples. Durian honey failed to produce substantial antibacterial activity, whereas Tualang and Gelam honey showed a spectrum of antibacterial activity with their growth inhibitory effects against all of the tested bacterial species including vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).
CONCLUSION: Present findings suggested Gelam honey possesses highest antibacterial effect among the tested Malaysian honey samples.
METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search was carried out in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS and Embase for RCTs that investigated the impact of vitamin D intake on circulating IGF-1 levels from inception until June 2019. Weighted mean difference (WMD) with the 95 % CI were applied for estimating combined effect size. Subgroup analysis was performed to specify the source of heterogeneity among studies.
RESULTS: Pooled results from eight studies demonstrated an overall non-significant increase in IGF-1 following vitamin D supplementation (WMD: 4 ng/ml, 95 % CI: -4 to 11). However, a significant degree of heterogeneity among studies was observed (I2 = 66 %). The subgroup analyses showed that vitamin D dosage of ≤1000 IU/day (WMD: 10 ng/ml) significantly increased IGF-1 compared to the vitamin D dosage of <1000 IU/day (WMD: -1 ng/ml). Moreover, intervention duration ≤12 weeks (WMD: 11 ng/ml) significantly increased IGF-1 compared to intervention duration <12 weeks (WMD: -3 ng/ml). In the epidemiological cohort study, participants under 60 years of age with a higher dietary vitamin D intake had significantly higher IGF-1 levels when compared to those with lower dietary vitamin D intake in second categories.
CONCLUSION: The main results indicate a non-significant increase in IGF-1 following vitamin D supplementation. Additionally, vitamin D dosages of <1000 IU/day and intervention durations of <12 weeks significantly raised IGF-1 levels.
METHODS: One hundred and one formalin-fixed and paraffin-processed triple-negative breast cancer cases from the University of Malaya Medical Centre were tested immunohistochemically for cytokeratins 5/6 and 14, PTEN, and IGFBP2. The resulting slides were scored for proportion and intensity of staining.
RESULTS: Loss of tumor nuclear and cytoplasmic staining for PTEN occurred in 48.3% of cases and was significantly associated with younger age at diagnosis (47 years compared with 57 years in those without PTEN loss; P = .005). Independent predictors of PTEN loss were late stage at presentation (P = .026), cytokeratin 5/6 positivity (P = .028), and IGFBP2 expression (P = .042). High levels of IGFBP2 expression were seen in 32% of cases; an independent predictor of high levels was cytokeratin 14 negativity (P = .005). PTEN loss and high levels of IGFBP2 expression were associated with poorer survival, but neither of these trends was significant.
CONCLUSIONS: PTEN loss is a frequent event in triple-negative breast cancers and is significantly associated with younger age at onset of breast cancer, late stage, and IGFBP2 expression.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of known causal risk factors for stillbirth, and to identify those that have a large proportion of their risk mediated through small for gestational age birth.
STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study used data from all births in the state of Queensland, Australia between 2000 and 2018. The total effects of exposures on the odds of stillbirth were determined using multivariable, clustered logistic regression models. Mediation analysis was performed using a counterfactual approach to determine the indirect effect and percentage of effect mediated through small for gestational age. For risk factors significantly mediated through small for gestational age, the relative risks of stillbirth were compared between small for gestational age and appropriate for gestational age infants. We also investigated the proportion of risk mediated via small for gestational age for late stillbirths (≥28 weeks).
RESULTS: The initial data set consisted of 1,105,612 births. After exclusions, the final study cohort constituted 925,053 births. Small for gestational age births occurred in 9.9% (91,859/925,053) of the study cohort. Stillbirths occurred in 0.5% of all births (4234/925,053) and 1.5% of small for gestational age births (1414/91,859). Births at ≥28 weeks occurred in 99.4% (919,650/925,053) of the study cohort and in 98.9% (90,804/91,859) of all small for gestational age births. Of the ≥28-week births, stillbirths occurred in 0.2% (2156/919,650) of all births and 0.8% (677/90,804) of the small for gestational age births. Overall, increased odds of stillbirth were significantly mediated through small for gestational age for age <20 years, low socioeconomic status, Indigenous ethnicity, birth in sub-Saharan and North Africa or the Middle East, smoking, nulliparity, multiple pregnancy, assisted conception, previous stillbirth, preeclampsia, and renal disease. Preeclampsia had the largest proportion mediated through small for gestational age (66.7%), followed by nulliparity (61.6%), smoking (29.4%), North-African or Middle Eastern ethnicity (27.6%), multiple pregnancy (26.3%), low socioeconomic status (25.8%), and Indigenous status (18.7%). Sensitivity analysis showed that for late stillbirths, the portions mediated through small for gestational age remained very similar for many of the risk factors.
CONCLUSION: Although small for gestational age is an important mediator between many pregnancy risk factors and stillbirth, mitigating the risk of small for gestational age is likely to be of value only when it is a major contributor in the pathway to fetal demise.