METHODS: Acanthamoeba triangularis isolates were obtained from environmental water samples and identified by PCR. They were exposed to ethyl acetate, water and butanol fractions of L. japonica Thunb. at concentrations ranging from 0.5 mg/mL to 1.5 mg/mL. The extracts were evaluated for growth inhibition at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. Chlorogenic acid at a concentration of 1 mg/mL was examined for inhibition of encystment.

RESULTS: Ethyl acetate fraction at a concentration of 1.5 mg/mL evoked a significant reduction of trophozoite viability by 48.9% after 24 h, 49.2% after 48 h and 33.7% after 72 h chlorogenic acid, the major active constituent of L. japonica Thunb. at the concentration of 1 mg/mL reduced the cysts/trophozoite ratio by 100% after 24 h, 84.0% after 48 h and 72.3% after 72 h. This phenolic compound at concentration of 1 mg/mL concurrent with 0.6% hydrogen peroxide inhibited hydrogen peroxide-induced encystment by 92.8% at 72 h.

METHODS: Hospitalized patients with dengue were enrolled and followed-up daily until discharge. Blood investigations included daily full blood counts and IPF measured using a haematology analyser.

RESULTS: In total, 287 patients with confirmed dengue were enrolled in this study, 25 of whom had severe dengue. All patients had a decreasing trend in platelet count in the first week of illness, concomitant with an increasing trend in the percentage of immature platelets to total platelets (IPF%) for more than 3 days prior to platelet recovery. IPF% was significantly increased in patients with severe dengue compared with patients with non-severe dengue on days 3-5 after the onset of fever. Reticulocyte count increased significantly in patients with severe dengue on day 5.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in a teaching hospital involving HM patients, admitted for chemotherapy or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Each admission for either chemotherapy or HSCT was considered as a separate event. Patients were followed up for development of IFI from the time of each admission to time of discharge or time of death. Outcomes of patients with IFI upon discharge were recorded. Clinical and mycological data during each admission were collected and analysed.

RESULTS: Eighty-three patients with mean age of 58.8±15.5 years were recruited. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was the most common diagnosis (45.8%). A total of 132 admissions were analysed from these 83 patients. Antifungal prophylaxes were prescribed in 94.7% of admissions with fluconazole being the most common agent used (88.6%). The incidence of proven and probable IFI was 7.6%. Candida tropicalis was the most common fungi isolated from these patients (22.7%), followed by Candida krusei (13.6%). The mortality rate due to IFI was 17.6%. Patients with AML and those with concomitant bacteraemia were associated with higher risk of IFI (odds ratio [OR] 3.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-11.71, p=0.029 and OR 4.17, 95% CI 1.37-12.66, p=0.009, respectively), while the use of antifungal prophylaxis was associated with lower IFI risk (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03-0.83, p=0.045). After multivariate analysis, the use of antifungal prophylaxis remains significantly associated with lower risk of IFI (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.01-0.62, p=0.019).