Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 167 in total

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  1. Fulltext The Use of Fecal Microbiome Transplant in Treating Human Diseases: Too Early for Poop?
    Ser HL, Letchumanan V, Goh BH, Wong SH, Lee LH
    Front Microbiol, 2021;12:519836.
    PMID: 34054740 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.519836
    Fecal microbiome transplant (FMT) has gained popularity over the past few years, given its success in treating several gastrointestinal diseases. At the same time, microbial populations in the gut have been shown to have more physiological effects than we expected as "habitants" of the gut. The imbalance in the gut microbiome or dysbiosis, particularly when there are excessive harmful pathogens, can trigger not just infections but can also result in the development of common diseases, such as cancer and cardiometabolic diseases. By using FMT technology, the dysbiosis of the gut microbiome in patients can be resolved by administering fecal materials from a healthy donor. The current review summarizes the history and current uses of FMT before suggesting potential ideas for its high-quality application in clinical settings.
  2. Fructose promotes pyoluteorin biosynthesis via the CbrAB-CrcZ-Hfq/Crc pathway in the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas PA1201
    Cui Y, Song K, Jin ZJ, Lee LH, Thawai C, He YW
    Synth Syst Biotechnol, 2023 Dec;8(4):618-628.
    PMID: 37823038 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.09.004
    Biocontrol strain Pseudomonas PA1201 produces pyoluteorin (Plt), which is an antimicrobial secondary metabolite. Plt represents a promising candidate pesticide due to its broad-spectrum antifungal and antibacterial activity. Although PA1201 contains a complete genetic cluster for Plt biosynthesis, it fails to produce detectable level of Plt when grown in media typically used for Pseudomonas strains. In this study, minimum medium (MM) was found to favor Plt biosynthesis. Using the medium M, which contains all the salts of MM medium except for mannitol, as a basal medium, we compared 10 carbon sources for their ability to promote Plt biosynthesis. Fructose, mannitol, and glycerol promoted Plt biosynthesis, with fructose being the most effective carbon source. Glucose or succinic acid had no significant effect on Plt biosynthesis, but effectively antagonized fructose-dependent synthesis of Plt. Promoter-lacZ fusion reporter strains demonstrated that fructose acted through activation of the pltLABCDEFG (pltL) operon but had no effect on other genes of plt gene cluster; glucose or succinic acid antagonized fructose-dependent pltL induction. Mechanistically, fructose-mediated Plt synthesis involved carbon catabolism repression. The two-component system CbrA/CbrB and small RNA catabolite repression control Z (crcZ) were essential for fructose-induced Plt synthesis. The small RNA binding protein Hfq and Crc negatively regulated fructose-induced Plt. Taken together, this study provides a new model of fructose-dependent Plt production in PA1201 that can help improve Plt yield by biosynthetic approaches.
  3. Fulltext Anticancer Activities of Surfactin and Potential Application of Nanotechnology Assisted Surfactin Delivery
    Wu YS, Ngai SC, Goh BH, Chan KG, Lee LH, Chuah LH
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:761.
    PMID: 29123482 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00761
    Surfactin, a cyclic lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by various strains of Bacillus genus, has been shown to induce cytotoxicity against many cancer types, such as Ehrlich ascites, breast and colon cancers, leukemia and hepatoma. Surfactin treatment can inhibit cancer progression by growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and metastasis arrest. Owing to the potent effect of surfactin on cancer cells, numerous studies have recently investigated the mechanisms that underlie its anticancer activity. The amphiphilic nature of surfactin allows its easy incorporation nano-formulations, such as polymeric nanoparticles, micelles, microemulsions, liposomes, to name a few. The use of nano-formulations offers the advantage of optimizing surfactin delivery for an improved anticancer therapy. This review focuses on the current knowledge of surfactin properties and biosynthesis; anticancer activity against different cancer models and the underlying mechanisms involved; as well as the potential application of nano-formulations for optimal surfactin delivery.
  4. Fulltext Single Cell Transcriptome in Colorectal Cancer-Current Updates on Its Application in Metastasis, Chemoresistance and the Roles of Circulating Tumor Cells
    Tieng FYF, Baharudin R, Abu N, Mohd Yunos RI, Lee LH, Ab Mutalib NS
    Front Pharmacol, 2020;11:135.
    PMID: 32174835 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00135
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common cancer worldwide, a challenge for research, and a model for studying the molecular mechanisms involved in its development. Previously, bulk transcriptomics analyses were utilized to classify CRC based on its distinct molecular and clinicopathological features for prognosis and diagnosis of patients. The introduction of single-cell transcriptomics completely turned the table by enabling the examination of the expression levels of individual cancer cell within a single tumor. In this review, we highlighted the importance of these single-cell transcriptomics analyses as well as suggesting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as the main focus of single-cell RNA sequencing. Characterization of these cells might reveal the intratumoral heterogeneity present in CRC while providing critical insights into cancer metastasis. To summarize, we believed the analysis of gene expression patterns of CTC from CRC at single-cell resolution holds the potential to provide key information for identification of prognostic and diagnostic markers as well as the development of precise and personalized cancer treatment.
  5. Fulltext Antibacterial, Anticancer and Neuroprotective Activities of Rare Actinobacteria from Mangrove Forest Soils
    Azman AS, Othman I, Fang CM, Chan KG, Goh BH, Lee LH
    Indian J Microbiol, 2017 Jun;57(2):177-187.
    PMID: 28611495 DOI: 10.1007/s12088-016-0627-z
    Mangrove is a complex ecosystem that contains diverse microbial communities, including rare actinobacteria with great potential to produce bioactive compounds. To date, bioactive compounds extracted from mangrove rare actinobacteria have demonstrated diverse biological activities. The discovery of three novel rare actinobacteria by polyphasic approach, namely Microbacterium mangrovi MUSC 115T, Sinomonas humi MUSC 117T and Monashia flava MUSC 78T from mangrove soils at Tanjung Lumpur, Peninsular Malaysia have led to the screening on antibacterial, anticancer and neuroprotective activities. A total of ten different panels of bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300, ATCC 70069, Pseudomonas aeruginosa NRBC 112582 and others were selected for antibacterial screening. Three different neuroprotective models (hypoxia, oxidative stress, dementia) were done using SHSY5Y neuronal cells while two human cancer cells lines, namely human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29) and human cervical carcinoma cell lines (Ca Ski) were utilized for anticancer activity. The result revealed that all extracts exhibited bacteriostatic effects on the bacteria tested. On the other hand, the neuroprotective studies demonstrated M. mangrovi MUSC 115T extract exhibited significant neuroprotective properties in oxidative stress and dementia model while the extract of strain M. flava MUSC 78T was able to protect the SHSY5Y neuronal cells in hypoxia model. Furthermore, the extracts of M. mangrovi MUSC 115T and M. flava MUSC 78T exhibited anticancer effect against Ca Ski cell line. The chemical analysis of the extracts through GC-MS revealed that the majority of the compounds present in all extracts are heterocyclic organic compound that could explain for the observed bioactivities. Therefore, the results obtained in this study suggested that rare actinobacteria discovered from mangrove environment could be potential sources of antibacterial, anticancer and neuroprotective agents.
  6. Fulltext Burkholderia paludis sp. nov., an Antibiotic-Siderophore Producing Novel Burkholderia cepacia Complex Species, Isolated from Malaysian Tropical Peat Swamp Soil
    Ong KS, Aw YK, Lee LH, Yule CM, Cheow YL, Lee SM
    Front Microbiol, 2016;7:2046.
    PMID: 28066367 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02046
    A novel Gram negative rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain MSh1T, was isolated from Southeast Pahang tropical peat swamp forest soil in Malaysia and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. The predominant cellular fatty acids (>10.0%) were C16:0 (31.7%), C17:0 cyclo (26.6%), and C19:0 cyclo ω8c (16.1%). The polar lipids detected were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and diphosphatidylglycerol. The predominant ubiquinone was Q-8. This revealed that strain MSh1T belongs to the genus Burkholderia. The type strain MSh1T can be differentiated from other Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) species by phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence, multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA), average nucleotide identity (ANI) and biochemical tests. DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain MSh1T and closely related type strains were below the 70% threshold value. Based on this polyphasic study of MSh1T, it can be concluded that this strain represents a novel species within the Bcc, for which the name Burkholderia paludis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MSh1T (= DSM 100703T = MCCC 1K01245T). The dichloromethane extract of MSh1T exhibited antimicrobial activity against four Gram positive bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, E. faecalis ATCC 700802, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, S. aureus ATCC 700699) and a Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922). Further purification work has led to the isolation of Compound 1, pyochelin. Pyochelin demonstrated antimicrobial activity against four S. aureus strains and three E. faecalis strains with MIC-values of 3.13 μg/ml and 6.26 μg/ml, respectively. SEM analysis showed that the cellular morphology of E. faecalis ATCC 700802 was not affected by pyochelin; suggesting that it might target the intracellular components. Pyochelin, a siderophore with antimicrobial activity might be useful in treating bacterial infections caused by S. aureus and E. faecalis, however further work has to be done.
  7. Protective and stochastic correlation between infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders
    Aboulaghras S, Bouyahya A, El Kadri K, Khalid A, Abdalla AN, Hassani R, et al.
    Microb Pathog, 2024 Sep 06;196:106919.
    PMID: 39245422 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106919
    A priori, early exposure to a wide range of bacteria, viruses, and parasites appears to fortify and regulate the immune system, potentially reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases. However, improving hygiene conditions in numerous societies has led to a reduction in these microbial exposures, which, according to certain theories, could contribute to an increase in autoimmune diseases. Indeed, molecular mimicry is a key factor triggering immune system reactions; while it seeks pathogens, it can bind to self-molecules, leading to autoimmune diseases associated with microbial infections. On the other hand, a hygiene-based approach aimed at reducing the load of infectious agents through better personal hygiene can be beneficial for such pathologies. This review sheds light on how the evolution of the innate immune system, following the evolution of molecular patterns associated with microbes, contributes to our protection but may also trigger autoimmune diseases linked to microbes. Furthermore, it addresses how hygiene conditions shield us against autoimmune diseases related to microbes but may lead to autoimmune pathologies not associated with microbes.
  8. Fulltext Potential Roles of Selectins in Periodontal Diseases and Associated Systemic Diseases: Could They Be Targets for Immunotherapy?
    Zhong M, Huang J, Wu Z, Chan KG, Wang L, Li J, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2022 Nov 18;23(22).
    PMID: 36430760 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214280
    Periodontal diseases are predisposing factors to the development of many systemic disorders, which is often initiated via leukocyte infiltration and vascular inflammation. These diseases could significantly affect human health and quality of life. Hence, it is vital to explore effective therapies to prevent disease progression. Periodontitis, which is characterized by gingival bleeding, disruption of the gingival capillary's integrity, and irreversible destruction of the periodontal supporting bone, appears to be caused by overexpression of selectins in periodontal tissues. Selectins (P-, L-, and E-selectins) are vital members of adhesion molecules regulating inflammatory and immune responses. They are mainly located in platelets, leukocytes, and endothelial cells. Furthermore, selectins are involved in the immunopathogenesis of vascular inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers, and so on, by mediating leukocyte recruitment, platelet activation, and alteration of endothelial barrier permeability. Therefore, selectins could be new immunotherapeutic targets for periodontal disorders and their associated systemic diseases since they play a crucial role in immune regulation and endothelium dysfunction. However, the research on selectins and their association with periodontal and systemic diseases remains limited. This review aims to discuss the critical roles of selectins in periodontitis and associated systemic disorders and highlights the potential of selectins as therapeutic targets.
  9. Fulltext Rapid methods for the detection of foodborne bacterial pathogens: principles, applications, advantages and limitations
    Law JW, Ab Mutalib NS, Chan KG, Lee LH
    Front Microbiol, 2014;5:770.
    PMID: 25628612 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00770
    The incidence of foodborne diseases has increased over the years and resulted in major public health problem globally. Foodborne pathogens can be found in various foods and it is important to detect foodborne pathogens to provide safe food supply and to prevent foodborne diseases. The conventional methods used to detect foodborne pathogen are time consuming and laborious. Hence, a variety of methods have been developed for rapid detection of foodborne pathogens as it is required in many food analyses. Rapid detection methods can be categorized into nucleic acid-based, biosensor-based and immunological-based methods. This review emphasizes on the principles and application of recent rapid methods for the detection of foodborne bacterial pathogens. Detection methods included are simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR), multiplex PCR, real-time PCR, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and oligonucleotide DNA microarray which classified as nucleic acid-based methods; optical, electrochemical and mass-based biosensors which classified as biosensor-based methods; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and lateral flow immunoassay which classified as immunological-based methods. In general, rapid detection methods are generally time-efficient, sensitive, specific and labor-saving. The developments of rapid detection methods are vital in prevention and treatment of foodborne diseases.
  10. Fulltext The effect of colchicine on mortality outcome and duration of hospital stay in patients with COVID-19: A meta-analysis of randomized trials
    Kow CS, Lee LH, Ramachandram DS, Hasan SS, Ming LC, Goh HP
    Immun Inflamm Dis, 2022 Feb;10(2):255-264.
    PMID: 34970856 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.562
    BACKGROUND: Overactivation of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome can lead to severe illness in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The NLRP3 inhibitor, colchicine, therefore, appears to be promising for the treatment of COVID-19.

    AIMS: We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of randomized trials investigating the effect of colchicine in patients with COVID-19.

    MATERIALS & METHODS: We systematically searched electronic databases and clinical trial registries (up to October 17, 2021) for eligible studies. The outcomes of interest were all-cause mortality and duration of hospital stay. Meta-analysis with the random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) of mortality and 95% confidence interval (CI). The pooled standardized mean difference of duration of hospital stay with 95% CI between colchicine users and non-colchicine users was estimated using Cohen's d index.

    RESULTS: The meta-analyses revealed no significant difference in the odds of mortality (pooled OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.53-1.07), but a significant reduction in the duration of hospital stay with the use of colchicine (pooled standardized mean difference = -0.59; 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.13).

    DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The ability of colchicine to reduce the length of stay in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is consistent with its potential to prevent clinical deterioration via inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome. Nevertheless, such beneficial effects of colchicine did not translate into mortality benefits in patients with COVID-19.

  11. Fulltext Discovery on Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Selangor Reveals Carbapenemase Producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Marine and Freshwater Fish
    Lee LH, Ab Mutalib NS, Law JW, Wong SH, Letchumanan V
    Front Microbiol, 2018;9:2513.
    PMID: 30410472 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02513
    Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a Gram-negative halophilic bacterium is often associated with fish and fishery products, thus causing gastroenteritis in humans upon ingestion of contaminated food. V. parahaemolyticus has become a globally well-known pathogen with yearly reported cases in many countries. This study aimed to discover the antibiotic resistance patterns of V. parahaemolyticus as well as detect Carbapenem resistant isolates from marine and freshwater fish in Selangor. A total of 240 freshwater and marine fish samples collected from wet market and supermarket in Selangor were tested for the presence of V. parahaemolyticus. All the fish samples were determined positive for V. parahaemolyticus using conventional microbiological culture-based method. The toxR gene were detected via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 165/240 (69%) isolates. The two-virulence factor of V. parahaemolyticus, thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh) and TDH-related hemolysin (trh) was screened via PCR. As such, four isolates were trh+and none were tdh+. Majority of the isolates presented high resistance to ampicillin (88%), amikacin (64%), and kanamycin (50%). In addition, this study identified 19-imipenem resistant isolates isolated from freshwater and marine fish samples. Further analysis of these 19-imipenem resistant isolates revealed that the resistance toward imipenem was plasmid mediated after plasmid curing assay. The multiple antibiotics resistance index was >0.2 for 70% of the isolates. In summary, the results confirm the presence of V. parahaemolyticus in freshwater and marine fish samples in Selangor, Malaysia. To our best knowledge, this is the first report discovering the antibiotic resistant patterns and Carbapenem-resistant isolates of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from marine and freshwater fish samples in Selangor.
  12. Activated protein C resistance: a study among 60 thromboembolic patients in the Singapore population
    Lim LC, Tan HH, Lee LH, Tien SL, Abdul Ghafar A
    Ann Acad Med Singap, 1999 Mar;28(2):252-5.
    PMID: 10497677
    Resistance to activated protein C (APC-R) is the commonest inherited cause of thrombosis among Caucasians. Few studies have been carried out on its prevalence in Asians. We conducted a prospective study on 60 patients with thromboembolism to determine its prevalence in our local population. The Factor V Leiden (VaQ506) mutation associated with this condition was detected by amplification of the Factor V gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and digestion of the fragment with Mnl I. Three patients were found to be heterozygous for this mutation. None of the 3 patients had other concomitant hypercoagulable states. In addition, we studied the prevalence of this condition in Malays which was found to be 0.5%. Our study suggests that the incidence of APC-R is much lower here compared to the West.
  13. Fulltext Diversity and antimicrobial activities of actinobacteria isolated from tropical mangrove sediments in Malaysia
    Lee LH, Zainal N, Azman AS, Eng SK, Goh BH, Yin WF, et al.
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:698178.
    PMID: 25162061 DOI: 10.1155/2014/698178
    The aim of this study was to isolate and identify Actinobacteria from Malaysia mangrove forest and screen them for production of antimicrobial secondary metabolites. Eighty-seven isolates were isolated from soil samples collected at 4 different sites. This is the first report to describe the isolation of Streptomyces, Mycobacterium, Leifsonia, Microbacterium, Sinomonas, Nocardia, Terrabacter, Streptacidiphilus, Micromonospora, Gordonia, and Nocardioides from mangrove in east coast of Malaysia. Of 87 isolates, at least 5 isolates are considered as putative novel taxa. Nine Streptomyces sp. isolates were producing potent antimicrobial secondary metabolites, indicating that Streptomyces isolates are providing high quality metabolites for drug discovery purposes. The discovery of a novel species, Streptomyces pluripotens sp. nov. MUSC 135(T) that produced potent secondary metabolites inhibiting the growth of MRSA, had provided promising metabolites for drug discovery research. The biosynthetic potential of 87 isolates was investigated by the detection of polyketide synthetase (PKS) and nonribosomal polyketide synthetase (NRPS) genes, the hallmarks of secondary metabolites production. Results showed that many isolates were positive for PKS-I (19.5%), PKS-II (42.5%), and NRPS (5.7%) genes, indicating that mangrove Actinobacteria have significant biosynthetic potential. Our results highlighted that mangrove environment represented a rich reservoir for isolation of Actinobacteria, which are potential sources for discovery of antimicrobial secondary metabolites.
  14. Barrientosiimonas humi gen. nov., sp. nov., an actinobacterium of the family Dermacoccaceae
    Lee LH, Cheah YK, Sidik SM, Xie QY, Tang YL, Lin HP, et al.
    Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2013 Jan;63(Pt 1):241-248.
    PMID: 22389286 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.038232-0
    Three novel actinobacteria, strains 39(T), 40 and 41, were isolated from soil collected from Barrientos Island in the Antarctic. The taxonomic status of these strains was determined using a polyphasic approach. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 39(T) represented a novel lineage within the family Dermacoccaceae and was most closely related to members of the genera Demetria (96.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Branchiibius (95.7 %), Dermacoccus (94.4-95.3 %), Calidifontibacter (94.6 %), Luteipulveratus (94.3 %), Yimella (94.2 %) and Kytococcus (93.1 %). Cells were irregular cocci and short rods. The peptidoglycan type was A4α with an L-Lys-L-Ser-D-Asp interpeptide bridge. The cell-wall sugars were galactose and glucose. The major menaquinone was MK-8(H(4)). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphoglycolipid, two glycolipids and one unknown phospholipid. The acyl type of the cell-wall polysaccharide was N-acetyl. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C(17 : 0) (41.97 %), anteiso-C(17 : 1)ω9c (32.16 %) and iso-C(16 : 0) (7.68 %). The DNA G+C content of strain 39(T) was 68.4 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic differences from other genera of the family Dermacoccaceae, a novel genus and species, Barrientosiimonas humi gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed; the type strain of the type species is 39(T) (=CGMCC 4.6864(T) = DSM 24617(T)).
  15. Molecular characterization of Antarctic actinobacteria and screening for antimicrobial metabolite production
    Lee LH, Cheah YK, Mohd Sidik S, Ab Mutalib NS, Tang YL, Lin HP, et al.
    World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2012 May;28(5):2125-37.
    PMID: 22806035 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-012-1018-1
    The present study aimed to isolate actinobacteria from soil samples and characterized them using molecular tools and screened their secondary metabolites for antimicrobial activities. Thirty-nine strains from four different location of Barrientos Island, Antarctica using 12 types of isolation media was isolated. The isolates were preceded to screening of secondary metabolites for antimicrobial and antifungal activities. Using high-throughput screening methods, 38% (15/39) of isolates produced bioactive metabolites. Approximately 18% (7/39), 18% (7/39), 10% (4/39) and 2.5% (1/39) of isolates inhibited growth of Candida albicans ATCC 10231(T), Staphylococcus aurues ATCC 51650(T), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aurues (MRSA) ATCC BAA-44(T) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145(T), respectively. Molecular characterization techniques like 16S rRNA analysis, Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR), Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and composite analyses were used to characterize the actinobacteria strains. Analysis of 16S rRNA sequences is still one of the most powerful methods to determine higher taxonomic relationships of Actinobacteria. Both RAPD and ERIC-PCR fingerprinting have shown good discriminatory capability but RAPD proved to be better in discriminatory power than ERIC-PCR. Our results demonstrated that composite analysis of both fingerprinting generally increased the discrimination ability and generated best clustering for actinobacteria strains in this study.
  16. Virulotyping of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica isolated from indigenous vegetables and poultry meat in Malaysia using multiplex-PCR
    Khoo CH, Cheah YK, Lee LH, Sim JH, Salleh NA, Sidik SM, et al.
    Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 2009 Nov;96(4):441-57.
    PMID: 19565351 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-009-9358-z
    The increased occurrence of Salmonella occurrence in local indigenous vegetables and poultry meat can be a potential health hazards. This study is aimed to detect the prevalence of twenty different virulence factors among Salmonella enterica strains isolated from poultry and local indigenous vegetables in Malaysia via an optimized, rapid and specific multiplex PCR assay. The assay encompasses a total of 19 Salmonella pathogenicity islands genes and a quorum sensing gene (sdiA) in three multiplex reaction sets. A total of 114 Salmonella enterica isolates belonging to 38 different serovars were tested. Each isolate in under this study was found to possess up to 70% of the virulence genes tested and exhibited variable pathogenicity gene patterns. Reproducibility of the multiplex PCR assay was found to be 100% and the detection limit of the optimized multiplex PCR was tested with lowest detectable concentration of DNA 0.8 pg microl(-1). This study demonstrated various Salmonella pathogenicity island virulence gene patterns even within the same serovar. This sets of multiplex PCR system provide a fast and reliable typing approach based on Salmonella pathogenicity islands, thus enabling an effective monitoring of emerging pathogenic Salmonella strains as an additional tool in Salmonella surveillance studies.
  17. Genome sequence of Streptomyces pluripotens MUSC 135(T) exhibiting antibacterial and antioxidant activity
    Ser HL, Tan WS, Ab Mutalib NS, Cheng HJ, Yin WF, Chan KG, et al.
    Mar Genomics, 2015 Dec;24 Pt 3:281-3.
    PMID: 26452302 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2015.09.010
    Isolated from intertidal soil, Streptomyces pluripotens MUSC 135(T) produces a broad-spectrum bacteriocin against the pathogens methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC BAA-44(T), Salmonella typhi ATCC 19430(T) and Aeromonas hydrophila ATCC 7966(T). Along with antibacterial activity, fermentation studies on strain MUSC 135(T) revealed production of antioxidant(s). The high quality draft genome of MUSC 135(T) comprises 7,480,269 bp with G+C content of 70.00%. Through bioinformatics analysis, 72 gene clusters identified in the genome were associated with the production of secondary metabolites, which may shed light on the identity of these bioactive compounds.
  18. Fulltext Diversity of Streptomyces spp. from mangrove forest of Sarawak (Malaysia) and screening of their antioxidant and cytotoxic activities
    Law JW, Chan KG, He YW, Khan TM, Ab Mutalib NS, Goh BH, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2019 12 03;9(1):15262.
    PMID: 31792235 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51622-x
    Streptomycetes have been the center of attraction within scientific community owing to their capability to produce various bioactive compounds, for instance, with different antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. The search for novel Streptomyces spp. from underexplored area such as mangrove environment has been gaining attention since these microorganisms could produce pharmaceutically important metabolites. The aim of this study is to discover the diversity of Streptomyces spp. from mangrove in Sarawak and their bioactive potentials - in relation to antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. A total of 88 Streptomyces isolates were successfully recovered from the mangrove soil in Kuching, state of Sarawak, Malaysia. Phylogenetic analysis of all the isolates and their closely related type strains using 16S rRNA gene sequences resulted in 7 major clades in the phylogenetic tree reconstructed based on neighbour-joining algorithm. Of the 88 isolates, 18 isolates could be considered as potentially novel species according to the 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic analyses. Preliminary bioactivity screening conducted on the potential novel Streptomyces isolates revealed significant antioxidant activity and notable cytotoxic effect against tested colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116, HT-29, Caco-2, and SW480), with greater cytotoxicity towards SW480 and HT-29 cells. This study highlighted that the Sarawak mangrove environment is a rich reservoir containing streptomycetes that could produce novel secondary metabolites with antioxidant and cytotoxic activities.
  19. Fulltext A randomized controlled trial for effectiveness of zolpidem versus acupressure on sleep in hemodialysis patients having chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus
    Rehman IU, Wu DB, Ahmed R, Khan NA, Rahman AU, Munib S, et al.
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2018 08;97(31):e10764.
    PMID: 30075491 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000010764
    BACKGROUND: Pruritus adds to the complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient and a well-recognized complication among the CKD patients. Majority of the patients on hemodialysis experience a generalized pruritus and patients reported being moderately to extremely disturbed by at least one of the sleep-related condition. This study aim to investigate the effectiveness of zolpidem 10 mg and acupressure therapy on foot acupoints to improve the sleep quality and overall quality of life among hemodialysis patients suffering from CKD-associated pruritus.

    METHODS: A multicentered, open-label, parallel group, prospective randomized controlled trial among patients suffering from CKD-associated pruritus with sleep disturbance, after randomization into control, and intervention group to be held at North West General Hospital and Research Center Peshawar, Pakistan and Institute of Kidney Diseases Peshawar, Pakistan.

    RESULTS: The primary outcome is to investigate the effectiveness of zolpidem 10 mg and acupressure therapy on foot acupoints to improve the sleep quality and overall quality of life among hemodialysis patients suffering from CKD-associated pruritus. After baseline assessment by Urdu version of 5D itch scale and Urdu version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Urdu EQ-5D 3L, the intervention group will be given zolpidem 10 mg oral tablets and control group with acupressure on both foots on KI-1 acupoints for total of 6 minutes. Assessment will be done at weeks 4 and 8 from baseline by using Urdu version of 5D itch scale and Urdu version of PSQI and Urdu EQ-5D 3L, whereas safety profiling of zolpidem 10 mg tablet at week 6 from baseline and acupressure acceptability at week 6 from baseline. Analysis of covariance will be used to examine the differences in treatment effects between the intervention and control groups.

    CONCLUSION: Improvement of sleep quality and quality of life among patients with CKD-associated pruritus requires great importance. This study aims to improve the quality of sleep and quality of life among patients with hemodialysis suffering from CKD-associated pruritus.

  20. Fulltext Safety and Efficacy of Pneumococcal Vaccination in Pediatric Nephrotic Syndrome
    Goonewardene ST, Tang C, Tan LT, Chan KG, Lingham P, Lee LH, et al.
    Front Pediatr, 2019;7:339.
    PMID: 31456997 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00339
    Nephrotic syndrome affects both children and adults. Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is reported to be one of the most frequent renal pathologies in childhood. Nephrotic children are at high risk for severe pneumococcal infections as one of the life-threatening complications of nephrotic syndrome due to involvement of the immunosuppressive regimen and the acquired immune deficiency induced by nephrotic syndrome including decreased plasma IgG and low complement system components. Aiming to prevent pneumococcal infection is of paramount importance especially in this era of ever-increasing pneumococcal resistance to penicillins and cephalosporins. The pneumococcal vaccines currently available are inactivated vaccines-the two main forms in use are polysaccharide vaccines and conjugated vaccines. However, the data supporting the use of these vaccines and to guide the timing and dosage recommendations is still limited for nephrotic children. Thus, this review discusses the evidences of immunogenicity and safety profile of both vaccinations on nephrotic patients as well as the effect of nephrotic syndrome treatment on vaccine seroresponses.
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