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The Effects of Telemedicine on Asthma Control and Patients' Quality of Life in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Chongmelaxme B, Lee S, Dhippayom T, Saokaew S, Chaiyakunapruk N, Dilokthornsakul P

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract, 2019 01;7(1):199-216.e11.
PMID: 30055283 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2018.07.015

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine is increasingly used to improve health outcomes in asthma. However, it is still inconclusive which telemedicine works effectively.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effects of telemedicine on asthma control and the quality of life in adults.
METHODS: An electronic search was performed from the inception to March 2018 on the following databases: Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, EMBASE, PubMed, and Scopus. Randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of telemedicine in adults with asthma were included in this analysis, and the outcomes of interest were levels of asthma control and quality of life. Random-effects model meta-analyses were performed.
RESULTS: A total of 22 studies (10,281 participants) were included. Each of 11 studies investigated the effects of single-telemedicine and combined-telemedicine (combinations of telemedicine approaches), and the meta-analyses showed that combined tele-case management could significantly improve asthma control compared with usual care (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56, 1.01). Combined tele-case management and tele-consultation (SMD = 0.52 [95% CI: 0.13, 0.91]) and combined tele-consultation (SMD = 0.28 [95% CI: 0.13, 0.44]) also significantly improved asthma outcomes, but to a lesser degree. In addition, combined tele-case management (SMD = 0.59 [95% CI: 0.31, 0.88]) was the most effective telemedicine for improving quality of life, followed by combined tele-case management and tele-consultation (SMD = 0.31 [95% CI: 0.03, 0.59]), tele-case management (SMD = 0.30 [95% CI: 0.05, 0.55]), and combined tele-consultation (SMD = 0.27 [95% CI: 0.11, 0.43]), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Combined-telemedicine involving tele-case management or tele-consultation appear to be effective telemedicine interventions to improve asthma control and quality of life in adults. Our findings are expected to provide health care professionals with current evidence of the effects of telemedicine on asthma control and patients' quality of life.
Comparative evaluation of dietary probiotics Bacillus subtilis WB60 and Lactobacillus plantarum KCTC3928 on the growth performance, immunological parameters, gut morphology and disease resistance in Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica

Lee S, Katya K, Park Y, Won S, Seong M, Hamidoghli A, et al.

Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2017 Feb;61:201-210.
PMID: 28034835 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2016.12.035

The current experiment was conducted to evaluate and compare the efficacy of two different probiotics Bacillus subtilis WB60 and Lactobacillus plantarum KCTC3928 in diet of Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Seven experimental diets were formulated to contain no probiotics (CON), three graded levels of B. subtilis at 106 (BS1), 107 (BS2), 108 (BS3) and L. plantarum at 106 (LP1), 107 (LP2), 108 (LP3) CFU/g diet. Twenty fish averaging 8.29 ± 0.06 g were distributed in to 21 aquaria and were randomly assigned to one of the experimental diets in triplicate groups. Average weight gain (WG), feed efficiency (FE), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) of fish fed B. subtilis at 107 (BS2) and 108 (BS3) CFU/g diet were significantly higher than those of fish fed other experimental diets (P
Synergistic effects of dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis WB60 and mannanoligosaccharide (MOS) on growth performance, immunity and disease resistance in Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica

Lee S, Katya K, Hamidoghli A, Hong J, Kim DJ, Bai SC

Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2018 Dec;83:283-291.
PMID: 30217508 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2018.09.031

This study evaluated the synergistic effects of dietary Bacillus subtilis WB60 and mannanoligosaccharide (MOS) in juvenile Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Seven treatment diets were formulated to contain three different levels of B. subtilis (0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 × 107 CFU/g diet denoted as BS0, BS0.5, and BS1, respectively) with two MOS levels (0 and 5 g/kg diet denoted as M0 and M5, respectively), and one diet with oxytetracycline (OTC) at 5 g/kg diet. Each diet (BS0M0 (CON), BS0M5, BS0.5M0, BS0.5M5, BS1M0, BS1M5, and OTC) was fed to triplicate groups of 20 fish averaging 9.00 ± 0.11 g (mean ± SD) for eight weeks. Average weight gain, feed efficiency, specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio of fish fed the BS0.5M5 and BS1M5 diets were significantly higher than those of fish fed CON, BS0.5M0 and OTC diets (P  0.05). Therefore, the results for growth performance, non-specific immune responses, intestinal morphology, and disease resistance demonstrated that supplementation of B. subtilis at 0.5 × 107 CFU/g diet and mannanoligosaccharide at 5 g/kg diet could have beneficial synergistic effects in Japanese eel. The isolated probiotic from eel and the selected prebiotic could lead to the development of a specific and potential synbiotic in Japanese eel aquaculture.
Modelling gully-erosion susceptibility in a semi-arid region, Iran: Investigation of applicability of certainty factor and maximum entropy models

Azareh A, Rahmati O, Rafiei-Sardooi E, Sankey JB, Lee S, Shahabi H, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2019 Mar 10;655:684-696.
PMID: 30476849 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.235

Gully erosion susceptibility mapping is a fundamental tool for land-use planning aimed at mitigating land degradation. However, the capabilities of some state-of-the-art data-mining models for developing accurate maps of gully erosion susceptibility have not yet been fully investigated. This study assessed and compared the performance of two different types of data-mining models for accurately mapping gully erosion susceptibility at a regional scale in Chavar, Ilam, Iran. The two methods evaluated were: Certainty Factor (CF), a bivariate statistical model; and Maximum Entropy (ME), an advanced machine learning model. Several geographic and environmental factors that can contribute to gully erosion were considered as predictor variables of gully erosion susceptibility. Based on an existing differential GPS survey inventory of gully erosion, a total of 63 eroded gullies were spatially randomly split in a 70:30 ratio for use in model calibration and validation, respectively. Accuracy assessments completed with the receiver operating characteristic curve method showed that the ME-based regional gully susceptibility map has an area under the curve (AUC) value of 88.6% whereas the CF-based map has an AUC of 81.8%. According to jackknife tests that were used to investigate the relative importance of predictor variables, aspect, distance to river, lithology and land use are the most influential factors for the spatial distribution of gully erosion susceptibility in this region of Iran. The gully erosion susceptibility maps produced in this study could be useful tools for land managers and engineers tasked with road development, urbanization and other future development.
Bacteria flora and heavy metals in cultivated oysters Crassostrea iredalei of Setiu Wetland, East Coast Peninsular Malaysia

Najiah M, Nadirah M, Lee KL, Lee SW, Wendy W, Ruhil HH, et al.

Vet Res Commun, 2008 Jun;32(5):377-81.
PMID: 18369732 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-008-9045-y

Slipper oyster Crassostrea iredalei is a species of good demand for its sweet flavor and white coloured flesh. The filter feeding nature predisposes oysters to accumulation of pathogenic and heavy metals in waters impacted by sewage pollutions and may thus render the oysters unfit for human consumption. A study was undertaken to investigate the presence of bacteria flora and heavy metal concentrations in cultivated oysters Crassostrea iredalei at Setiu Wetland, Terengganu, the only source of cultivated oysters in East Coast of Malaysia. A total of 200 slipper oyster samples were analyzed. The bacteria were isolated using non selective agar such as TSA agar and selective agars before they were then identified using conventional methods in combination with BBL Crystal identification kit. Heavy metals such as zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results showed that the oysters harbor predominantly Shewanella putrifaciens followed by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio cholerae, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli and Chromobacterium violaceum. They also contain high concentration of Zn (785.68 +/- 285.88 microg/g) with the lowest heavy metal was Pb (0.17 +/- 0.15 microg/g), whilst the concentrations of other heavy metals were Cu (38.9 +/- 13.2 microg/g) and Cd (1.60 +/- 0.28 microg/g). The study is very useful to evaluate the type of bacteria and heavy metal present in oyster meat for human consumption.
Reliability and validity of the English and Malay versions of the Driving and Riding Questionnaire: a pilot study amongst older car drivers and motorcycle riders

Ang BH, Chen WS, Ngin CK, Oxley JA, Lee SWH

Public Health, 2018 Feb;155:8-16.
PMID: 29274898 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2017.11.003

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the English and Malay versions of the Driving and Riding Questionnaire.

STUDY DESIGN: An observational study with a mix-method approach by utilising both questionnaire and short debriefing interviews.

METHODS: Forward and backward translations of the original questionnaire were performed. The translated questionnaire was assessed for clarity by a multidisciplinary research team, translators, and several Malay native speakers. A total of 24 subjects participated in the pilot study. Reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and validity (content validity) of the original and translated questionnaires were examined.

RESULTS: The English and Malay versions of the Driving and Riding Questionnaire were found to be reliable tools in measuring driving behaviours amongst older drivers and riders, with Cronbach's alpha of 0.9158 and 0.8919, respectively. For content validity, the questionnaires were critically reviewed in terms of relevance, clarity, simplicity, and ambiguity. The feedback obtained from participants addressed various aspects of the questionnaire related to the improvement of wordings used and inclusion of visual guide to enhance the understanding of the items in the questionnaire. This feedback was incorporated into the final versions of the English and Malay questionnaires.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrated both the English and Malay versions of the Driving and Riding Questionnaire to be valid and reliable.
Fulltext Assessment of Safety, Effects, and Muscle-Specific Accumulation of Dietary Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) in Paralichthys olivaceus

Lee S, Kim MG, Hur SW, Katya K, Kim KW, Lee BJ

Aquac Nutr, 2023;2023:1381923.
PMID: 36860975 DOI: 10.1155/2023/1381923

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a commonly used antioxidant added to animal/fish feed to limit lipid autoxidation and peroxidation. Although there have been reviews and reports of BHT toxicity in animals, limited information is available with respect to the toxic effects and accumulation of BHT due to oral exposure in aquaculture species. Therefore, 120 days of feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary BHT on the marine fish olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. Graded levels of BHT were added to the basal diet in increments of 0, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg BHT/kg, corresponding to 0 (BHT0), 11 (BHT11), 19 (BHT19), 35 (BHT35), 85 (BHT85), and 121 (BHT121) mg BHT/kg diets, respectively. Fish with an average weight of 77.5 ± 0.3 g (mean ± SD) were fed one of the six experimental diets in triplicate groups. Growth performance, feed utilization, and survival rate were not significantly affected by the dietary BHT levels among all experimental groups, whereas BHT concentration in the muscle tissue was found to increase in a dose-dependent manner up to 60 days of the experimental period. Thereafter, BHT accumulation in muscle tissue showed a declining trend among all treatment groups. Furthermore, the whole-body proximate composition, nonspecific immune responses, and hematological parameters (except triglycerides) were not significantly influenced by the dietary levels of BHT. Blood triglyceride content was significantly higher in fish fed the BHT-free diet compared to all other treatment groups. Thus, this study demonstrates that dietary BHT (up to 121 mg/kg) is a safe and effective antioxidant without exhibiting any adverse effects on the growth performance, body composition, and immune responses in the marine fish olive flounder, P. olivaceus.
A knowledge interaction learning for multi-echo MRI motion artifact correction towards better enhancement of SWI

Al-Masni MA, Lee S, Al-Shamiri AK, Gho SM, Choi YH, Kim DH

Comput Biol Med, 2023 Feb;153:106553.
PMID: 36641933 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106553

Patient movement during Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan can cause severe degradation of image quality. In Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI), several echoes are typically measured during a single repetition period, where the earliest echoes show less contrast between various tissues, while the later echoes are more susceptible to artifacts and signal dropout. In this paper, we propose a knowledge interaction paradigm that jointly learns feature details from multiple distorted echoes by sharing their knowledge with unified training parameters, thereby simultaneously reducing motion artifacts of all echoes. This is accomplished by developing a new scheme that boosts a Single Encoder with Multiple Decoders (SEMD), which assures that the generated features not only get fused but also learned together. We called the proposed method Knowledge Interaction Learning between Multi-Echo data (KIL-ME-based SEMD). The proposed KIL-ME-based SEMD allows to share information and gain an understanding of the correlations between the multiple echoes. The main purpose of this work is to correct the motion artifacts and maintain image quality and structure details of all motion-corrupted echoes towards generating high-resolution susceptibility enhanced contrast images, i.e., SWI, using a weighted average of multi-echo motion-corrected acquisitions. We also compare various potential strategies that might be used to address the problem of reducing artifacts in multi-echoes data. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, reducing the severity of motion artifacts and improving the overall clinical image quality of all echoes with their associated SWI maps. Significant improvement of image quality is observed using both motion-simulated test data and actual volunteer data with various motion severity strengths. Eventually, by enhancing the overall image quality, the proposed network can increase the effectiveness of the physicians' capability to evaluate and correctly diagnose brain MR images.
Relapsing GABA(A) Receptor Encephalitis After Stem Cell Transplant for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Ooi JCE, Pillai P, Lee S, Ong SAM, Koh KL, Chia YK

Can J Neurol Sci, 2023 Jul 12.
PMID: 37434473 DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2023.252
Fulltext Investigation on the antimicrobial activities of gingers (Etlingera coccinea (Blume) S.Sakai & Nagam and Etlingera sessilanthera R.M.Sm.) endemic to Borneo

Daniel-Jambun D, Dwiyanto J, Lim YY, Tan JBL, Muhamad A, Yap SW, et al.

J Appl Microbiol, 2017 Oct;123(4):810-818.
PMID: 28708293 DOI: 10.1111/jam.13536

AIMS: To investigate the antimicrobial properties of Etlingera coccinea and Etlingera sessilanthera and to isolate and identify the antimicrobial compounds.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Extracts were obtained via sequential solvent extraction method using hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water. Antimicrobial activity testing was done using broth microdilution assay against 17 strains of bacteria. The leaf hexane extract of E. coccinea and rhizome hexane extract of E. sessilanthera showed best antimicrobial activities, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0·016 to 1 mg ml-1 against Gram-positive bacteria. From these active extracts, two antimicrobials were isolated and identified as trans-2-dodecenal and 8(17),12-labdadiene-15,16-dial with MIC values ranging from 4 to 8 μg ml-1 against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus.
CONCLUSION: Etlingera coccinea and E. sessilanthera demonstrated good antimicrobial activities against clinically relevant bacteria strains. The antimicrobial compounds isolated showed low MIC values, hence suggesting their potential use as antimicrobial agents.
SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study is the first to identify the potent antimicrobials from these gingers. The antimicrobials isolated could potentially be developed further for use in treatment of bacterial infections. Also, this study warrants further research into other Etlingera species in search for more antimicrobial compounds.
Bactericidal and cytotoxic activity of a diarylheptanoid (etlingerin) isolated from a ginger (Etlingera pubescens) endemic to Borneo

Daniel-Jambun D, Ong KS, Lim YY, Tan JBL, Yap SW, Lee SM

J Appl Microbiol, 2019 Jul;127(1):59-67.
PMID: 31006174 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14287

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activities of Etlingera pubescens, and to isolate and identify the antimicrobial compound.
METHODS AND RESULTS: The crude extracts of E. pubescens were obtained through methanol extraction, and evaluated for antimicrobial activities. From this extract, 1,7-bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)heptan-3-yl acetate (etlingerin) was isolated. When compared to curcumin (a compound with a similar chemical structure), etlingerin showed twofold lower minimum inhibitory concentration values while also being bactericidal. Through time kill assay, etlingerin showed rapid killing effects (as fast as 60 min) against the Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 8188). Further assessment revealed that etlingerin caused leakage of intracellular materials, therefore suggesting alteration in membrane permeability as its antimicrobial mechanism. Cytotoxicity study demonstrated that etlingerin exhibited approximately 5- to 12-fold higher IC50 values against several cell lines, as compared to curcumin.
CONCLUSIONS: Etlingerin isolated from E. pubescens showed better antibacterial and cytotoxic activities when compared to curcumin. Etlingerin could be safe for human use, though further cytotoxicity study using animal models is needed.
SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Etlingerin has a potential to be used in treating bacterial infections due to its good antimicrobial activity, while having potentially low cytotoxicity.
Morphological re-description of Cochlochila bullita (Stål) (Heteroptera: Tingidae), a potential pest of Orthosiphon aristatus Blume Miq. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) in Malaysia

Peng TL, Sajap AS, Jeen LH, Lee SH, Lum WC

Pak J Biol Sci, 2013 Dec 01;16(23):1786-90.
PMID: 24506049

One species of lace bug Cochlochila bullita Stål (Heteroptera: Tingidae) was found heavily infested Orthosiphon aristatus Blume Miq., an important medicinal plant in Malaysia. A morphological re-description of C. bullita was done in order to facilitate the identification of this oligophagous insect pest. Five variables, body length and width, antenna length, tibia length and head width were measured from 15 samples from each stage. Among these variables, body length and width were used to construct the ratio for species identification; while body lengths with the other three variables were used to distinguish the nymphs from each developmental stage. The measurements of four traits except the antenna length showed significant differences between the development stages. And thus suggest the body width, tibia length and head width were suitable parameters used to distinguish the nymphal stages. However, the result on the growth factor showed only the sizes of the head followed a more constant growth rate with growth ratios (1.21-1.39) lie between the Dyar's ratio. Body length and width ratio for the adult female and male was 1.51 +/- 0.00 and 1.59 +/- 0.01, respectively. These data are pertinent for identifying developmental stages and to distinguish the species of the lace bug.
Obesity is a determinant of arterial stiffness independent of traditional risk factors in Asians with young-onset type 2 diabetes

Liu JJ, Sum CF, Tavintharan S, Yeoh LY, Ng XW, Moh AM, et al.

Atherosclerosis, 2014 Oct;236(2):286-91.
PMID: 25112799 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2014.07.017

OBJECTIVE: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among the young population has become a serious concern globally, presumably due to the rising trend of obesity. Compared to other forms of diabetes, young-onset T2DM experiences more cardiovascular events and other vascular complications although the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Increased arterial stiffness is a hallmark of vasculopathy. We aim to study the clinical and metabolic determinants of arterial stiffness in a cohort of multi-ethnic Asians with young-onset T2DM.
METHODS: 179 subjects with T2DM onset age below 30 years old were selected in this cross sectional study. Arterial stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).
RESULTS: PWV was correlated with age, duration of diabetes, systolic blood pressure, alanine aminotransferase, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) and eGFR in bivariate correlation analysis. However, PWV was only significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, urinary ACR and eGFR after adjustment for age. Overweight individuals with young-onset T2DM had significantly higher PWV levels compared to their lean counterparts (7.3 ± 2.4 m/s vs 6.4 ± 2.3 m/s, p = 0.072 and p < 0.0001 without and with adjustment for age, respectively). Multivariable regression models revealed that age, BMI, eGFR and usage of insulin were independently associated with PWV. These 4 variables explained 35.5% variance in PWV levels.
CONCLUSION: Age, BMI, renal function and insulin usage are the main determinants of PWV levels in Asians with young-onset T2DM. Notably, obesity is a modifiable determinant of arterial stiffness independent of high blood pressure, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia in this population.
Surface phonon polariton characteristics of In(0.04)Al(0.06)Ga(0.90)N/AlN/Al(2)O(3) heterostructure

Ng SS, Lee SC, Bakhori SK, Hassan Z, Abu Hassan H, Yakovlev VA, et al.

Opt Express, 2010 May 10;18(10):10354-9.
PMID: 20588890 DOI: 10.1364/OE.18.010354

Surface phonon polariton (SPP) characteristics of In(0.04)Al(0.06)Ga(0.90)N/AlN/Al(2)O(3) heterostructure are investigated by means of p-polarized infrared (IR) attenuated total reflection spectroscopy. Two absorption dips corresponding to In(0.04)Al(0.06)Ga(0.90)N SPP modes are observed. In addition, two prominent dips and one relatively weak and broad dip corresponding to the Al(2)O(3) SPP mode, In(0.04)Al(0.06)Ga(0.90)N/Al(2)O(3) interface mode, and Al(2)O(3) bulk polariton mode, respectively, are clearly seen. No surface mode feature originating from the AlN layer is observed because it is too thin. Overall, the observations are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Analysis of lolB gene sequence and its use in the development of a PCR assay for the detection of Vibrio cholerae

Lalitha P, Siti Suraiya MN, Lim KL, Lee SY, Nur Haslindawaty AR, Chan YY, et al.

J Microbiol Methods, 2008 Sep;75(1):142-4.
PMID: 18579241 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2008.05.001

A PCR assay has been developed based on a lolB (hemM) gene, which was found to be highly conserved among the Vibrio cholerae species but non-conserved among the other enteric bacteria. The lolB PCR detected all O1, O139 and non-O1/non-O139 serogroup and biotypes of V. cholerae. The analytical specificity of this assay was 100% while the analytical sensitivity was 10 pg/microL and 10(3) CFU/mL at DNA and bacterial level respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 98.5% and 100% respectively.
Evaluation of live renal donors with three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in comparison to catheter angiography

Tan SP, Bux SI, Kumar G, Razack AH, Chua CB, Lee SH, et al.

Transplant Proc, 2004 Sep;36(7):1914-6.
PMID: 15518697

Catheter angiography is traditionally used to determine renal arterial anatomy in live renal donors. Three-dimensional (3D) contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRA) has been suggested as a noninvasive replacement. We assessed the possibility of using MRA in live renal donors in Malaysia.
Fulltext The cost reduction in hospitalization associated with paliperidone palmitate in the People's Republic of China, Korea, and Malaysia

Chiou CF, Wang BC, Caldwell R, Furnback W, Lee JS, Kothandaraman N, et al.

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat, 2015;11:1989-94.
PMID: 26346330 DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S86722

Schizophrenia results in substantial health care utilization costs. Much of these costs can be attributed to health care use resulting from nonadherence to treatment, relapse, and hospitalization.
BRCA1 c.2845insA is a recurring mutation with a founder effect in Singapore Malay women with early onset breast/ovarian cancer

Sng JH, Ali AB, Lee SC, Zahar D, Wong JE, Blake V, et al.

J Med Genet, 2003 Oct;40(10):e117.
PMID: 14569140
Identification of germline alterations in breast cancer predisposition genes among Malaysian breast cancer patients using panel testing

Ng PS, Wen WX, Fadlullah MZ, Yoon SY, Lee SY, Thong MK, et al.

Clin Genet, 2016 10;90(4):315-23.
PMID: 26757417 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12735

Although an association between protein-truncating variants and breast cancer risk has been established for 11 genes, only alterations in BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53 and PALB2 have been reported in Asian populations. Given that the age of onset of breast cancer is lower in Asians, it is estimated that inherited predisposition to breast cancer may be more significant. To determine the potential utility of panel testing, we investigated the prevalence of germline alterations in 11 established and 4 likely breast cancer genes in a cross-sectional hospital-based cohort of 108 moderate to high-risk breast cancer patients using targeted next generation sequencing. Twenty patients (19%) were identified to carry deleterious mutations, of whom 13 (12%) were in the BRCA1 or BRCA2, 6 (6%) were in five other known breast cancer predisposition genes and 1 patient had a mutation in both BRCA2 and BARD1. Our study shows that BRCA1 and BRCA2 account for the majority of genetic predisposition to breast cancer in our cohort of Asian women. Although mutations in other known breast cancer genes are found, the functional significance and breast cancer risk have not yet been determined, thus limiting the clinical utility of panel testing in Asian populations.
Fulltext Dairy Cattle, a Potential Reservoir of Human Campylobacteriosis: Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni From Cattle Farms

An JU, Ho H, Kim J, Kim WH, Kim J, Lee S, et al.

Front Microbiol, 2018;9:3136.
PMID: 30619204 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03136

Campylobacter jejuni is a major foodborne pathogen that is increasingly found worldwide and that is transmitted to humans through meat or dairy products. A detailed understanding of the prevalence and characteristics of C. jejuni in dairy cattle farms, which are likely to become sources of contamination, is imperative and is currently lacking. In this study, a total of 295 dairy cattle farm samples from 15 farms (24 visits) in Korea were collected. C. jejuni prevalence at the farm level was 60% (9/15) and at the animal level was 23.8% (68/266). Using the multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) model based on farm-environmental factors, we estimated that a high density of cattle and average environmental temperature (7 days prior to sampling) below 24°C affects the presence and survival of C. jejuni in the farm environment. Cattle isolates, together with C. jejuni from other sources (chicken and human), were genetically characterized based on analysis of 10 virulence and survival genes. A total of 19 virulence profile types were identified, with type 01 carrying eight genes (all except hcp and virB11) being the most prevalent. The prevalence of virB11 and hcp was significantly higher in isolates from cattle than in those from other sources (p < 0.05). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of C. jejuni isolates from three different sources mainly clustered in the CC-21 and CC-48. Within the CC-21 and CC-48 clusters, cattle isolates shared an indistinguishable pattern with human isolates according to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and flaA-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing. This suggests that CC-21 and CC-48 C. jejuni from dairy cattle are genetically related to clinical campylobacteriosis isolates. In conclusion, the farm environment influences the presence and survival of C. jejuni, which may play an important role in cycles of cattle re-infection, and dairy cattle represent potential reservoirs of human campylobacteriosis. Thus, environmental management practices could be implemented on cattle farms to reduce the shedding of C. jejuni from cattle, subsequently reducing the potential risk of the spread of cattle-derived C. jejuni to humans through the food chain.

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