Displaying all 12 publications

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  1. Noor Haslina MN, Marini R, Rosnah B, Shafini MY, Wan Haslindawani WM, Mohd Nazri H, et al.
    West Indian Med J, 2013 Nov;62(8):701-4.
    PMID: 25014854 DOI: 10.7727/wimj.2013.253
    OBJECTIVE: Clonality detection through amplifying immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene rearrangements by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a useful tool in diagnosis of various B-lymphoid malignancies. Immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement can be an optimal target for clonality detection in B-lymphoid malignancies. In the present study, we evaluated the presence of IGH gene rearrangement in non B-cell haemato-oncology patients including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL), acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) and biphenotypic leukaemia.

    MEHTODS: We studied 18 cases of haematological malignancies which comprised five patients with T-ALL, 12 patients with AML and one with biphenotypic leukaemia.

    RESULTS: We found that the incidence of IGH gene rearrangement in T-ALL and AML were three (60%) and two (16.7%), respectively. The patient with biphenotypic leukaemia was negative for IGH gene rearrangement.

    CONCLUSION: Immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, which occurs in almost all haematological malignancies of B-cell lineage, also presents in a very small proportion of T-cell or myeloid malignancies.

  2. Kuppusamy UR, Tan JA
    West Indian Med J, 2011 Jan;60(1):3-8.
    PMID: 21809703
    Beta-thalassaemia major causes severe anaemia and patients with it may be transfusion-dependent for life. Regular blood transfusions cause iron-overload that leads to oxidative damage which can hasten mortality. The objective of this research was to study the oxidant-antioxidant indices in beta-thalassaemia major patients at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) who were on desferrioxamine-chelation or without chelation therapy. Blood was collected from 39 Chinese patients and 20 controls. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell lysates (PBMC) were extracted and biochemical tests to evaluate oxidative stress were performed. Oxidative stress was evident in these patients as advanced oxidized protein products (AOPP) and lipid hydroperoxides were elevated, whereas glutathione peroxidase activity and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were reduced. The catalase activity in the patients' PBMC was elevated, possibly as a compensatory mechanism for the reduced glutathione peroxidase activity in both red blood cells and PBMC. The lower FRAP and higher AOPP levels in the non-chelated patients compared with the chelated patients were indicative of a lower oxidative stress level in the chelated patients. The ferritin levels in the chelated and non-chelated patients were high and the mean levels of liver enzyme activities in the majority of patients were elevated regardless of chelation therapy. In conclusion, this study indicates that desferrioxamine chelation therapy does not normalize ferritin level but attenuates oxidative damage and improves total antioxidant level in Malaysian Chinese beta-thalassaemia major patients.
  3. Indran M, Mahmood AA, Kuppusamy UR
    West Indian Med J, 2008 Sep;57(4):323-6.
    PMID: 19566009
    The effects of Carica papaya leaf (CPL) aqueous extract on alcohol induced acute gastric damage and the immediate blood oxidative stress level were studied in rats. The results showed that gastric ulcer index was significantly reduced in rats pretreated with CPL extract as compared with alcohol treated controls. The in vitro studies using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picryl-Hydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed strong antioxidant nature of CPL extract. Biochemical analysis indicated that the acute alcohol induced damage is reflected in the alterations of blood oxidative indices and CPL extract offered some protection with reduction in plasma lipid peroxidation level and increased erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity. Carica papaya leaf may potentially serve as a good therapeutic agent for protection against gastric ulcer and oxidative stress.
  4. Poh R, Tan JA, Deva JP, Poo D, Yong Y, Arjunan S
    West Indian Med J, 2012 Sep;61(6):569-73.
    PMID: 23441349
    To determine the activity of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) in keratoconus in a Malaysian population in comparison with non-keratoconic subjects.
  5. Figueroa JP, Baris E, Chandiwana S, Kvaale E
    West Indian Med J, 2002 Jun;51(2):97-101.
    PMID: 12232950
    A survey of Essential National Health Research (ENHR) was conducted between December 1997 and November 1998 in nine developing countries. A total of 27 respondents from seven South East Asian and two Caribbean countries completed questionnaires. Respondents included 14 men and 13 women with a median age of 48 years (range 25-69 years); 15 were researchers, seven were health providers, three policy makers and one a community representative (one no response). ENHR was formally adopted in five countries mainly through public policy statements. Seven countries had a mechanism in place for promotion of ENHR and national meetings were held in five countries in the year prior to the survey. A special activity was conducted in order to define health research priorities in eight countries and a list of these priorities was available in seven countries. The level of ENHR activity was ranked as low or moderate in most countries except India and Malaysia which were rated as moderate to high. Three countries reported that the process resulted in new or additional funds being made available for research, while India reported available funds being reallocated to meet the priorities defined. The respondents of six countries said that ENHR networking had led to tangible results, including improved collaboration among researchers and research institutions and the sharing of resources among different organizations (five countries). The ENHR process had resulted in research findings being used to formulate or change health policy in five countries. Most countries had not produced any new research protocols through the ENHR process. However, there were 250 new research protocols in India and 68 in Pakistan, of which 20 and between 25 and 35, respectively, were funded and 15 peer reviewed articles had been published from India. This survey does suggest that the ENHR process may be promoting health research on priority health problems and the use of results to formulate policy in selected countries. However, it is too early to assess the contribution of ENHR to health and development and a variety of different studies would be needed to conduct this assessment.
  6. Luo J, Wang X, Yang Y, Lan T, Ashraf MA, Mao Q
    West Indian Med J, 2015 12;64(5):540-542.
    PMID: 27399315 DOI: 10.7727/wimj.2016.059
    We report a case of a patient with AIDS and a brain abscess caused by aspergillus, who underwent neurosurgical excision of the lesion and received subsequent therapy with voriconazole. The patient suffered from intracranial hypertension and visual disorders.
  7. Khan AH, Israr M, Mateen O, Hadi MA, Aftab RA
    West Indian Med J, 2015 Dec 15.
    PMID: 27399217 DOI: 10.7727/wimj.2014.234
    Gender differences among tuberculosis (TB) patients are notable; however, studies evaluating the impact of gender on treatment outcomes have reported inconsistent results.
  8. Sarfraz M, Ashraf Y, Sajid S, Ashraf MA
    West Indian Med J, 2015 12;64(5):487-494.
    PMID: 27399795 DOI: 10.7727/wimj.2016.060
    Background: The use of chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer began at the start of the 20(th) century in an attempt to narrow the universe of chemicals that affect the disease. Metastatic testicular cancer has always been sensitive to chemotherapy.

    Subjects and Method: A retrospective and prospective study was performed of patients who had undergone testicular cancer from 2011-2013. The overall age of the testicular cancer patients at the time of diagnosis, their marital status, stage of disease and treatment strategies, testosterone level etc were analysed using linear regression and t-test.

    Results: Most of the patients had seminoma tumour. A greater number of patients were diagnosed in the later stages of the disease. Before chemotherapy, testosterone level was normal and decreased during chemotherapy but after completion, it returned to normal level.

    Conclusion: There is an early onset of testicular cancer in the Pakistani population. There is no effect of chemotherapy on testosterone production in late survivors.

  9. Zhao L, Ashraf MA
    West Indian Med J, 2015 12;64(5):506-513.
    PMID: 27400164 DOI: 10.7727/wimj.2016.179
    Background: The main reason for biomaterial related refractory infections is biofilm formation caused by bacterial adhesion on the surface of materials. Silver-hydroxyapatite (Ag/HA) nanocomposite coating can inhibit the formation of biofilm, but its mechanism is not clear.

    Material and method: In order to clarify the mechanism, the amounts of biofilm on the Ag/HA composite coating and HA coating were determined, the release rates of silver nanoparticles in simulated body fluid (SBF) were detected by atomic absorption spectrometry, and the expression values of atlE, fbe, sap, iapB genes of Staphylococcus aureus were studied when they grew on Ag/HA composite coating and HA coating.

    Results: The amount of the biofilm on the Ag/HA composite coating was significantly less than that on the HA coating, and the bacterial adhesion was decreased. The silver nanoparticles were released continuously in SBF and the release rate decreased gradually with time. The expression values of atlE, fbe and sap were high in the initial stage of adhesion and the expression value of iapB was high in the colonies-gathering stage in the control group, but they were all significantly inhibited in the presence of Ag.

    Conclusion: These results indicated that the main antibacterial effect of Ag/HA composite coating was achieved by the release of silver nanoparticles. The addition of Ag inhibited the expression of genes related to biofilm formation, which in turn inhibited the formation of biofilms. This provided theoretical support for the clinical application of Ag/HA composite coating.

  10. Iftkhar A, Hasan IJ, Sarfraz M, Jafri L, Ashraf MA
    West Indian Med J, 2015 12;64(5):462-467.
    PMID: 27398602 DOI: 10.7727/wimj.2016.052
    Background: The present study was designed to evaluate the nephroprotective effect of the leaves of Aloe barbadensis against toxicity induced by diclofenac sodium in albino rabbits.

    Subjects and Method: Thirty-six healthy albino rabbits were randomly divided into six groups each with six animals. Group 1 served as the untreated control, group 2 was treated only with diclofenac sodium, group 3 with the nephroprotective drug silymarin and groups 4, 5, and 6 were treated with different doses of Aloe barbadensis,ie 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg, respectively after being treated with diclofenac sodium. Blood samples were collected after every five days up to fifteen days. Haematological and histopathological parameters were determined by using diagnostic kits.

    Results: Results of haematological studies showed that use of the powder of Aloe barbadensis normalized the level of different factors eg, white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), platelet count, packed cell volume (PCV), mean cell volume (MCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) values. Histopathological studies showed that Aloe barbadensis ameliorated pyknotic nuclei in the renal epithelial cells and reduced oxidative stress by increasing the level of catalase and decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) level.

    Conclusion: These results have shown that Aloe barbadensis can normalize oxidative stress and can be used as an effective nephroprotective agent against drug-induced nephrotoxicity.

  11. Khaliq T, Sarfraz M, Ashraf MA
    West Indian Med J, 2015 Dec;64(5):527-532.
    PMID: 27399905 DOI: 10.7727/wimj.2016.176
    BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is an important human disease afflicting many from various walks of life in different countries. Even though modern medicines contribute a variety of effective treatment options, they can have several unfavourable effects. The intention of this review is to organize and discuss various studies that have been previously conducted on the effectiveness of these herbal plants in diabetes.

    METHOD: By using various electronic search databases, a comprehensive English literature search was conducted. Different search terms were used by combining all the search fields in titles, abstracts and keywords.

    RESULTS: Curcuma longa,a spice, is commonly known as turmeric and belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. Piper nigrumis also a spice, commonly called black pepper, and belongs to the family Piperaceae. Phoenix dactylifera, commonly known as date fruit, belongs to the family Arecaceae. From ancient times, they have been traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases. Among various activities, regulation of hyperglycaemia is considered one of their important effects. One of the aetiological factors implicated in the development of diabetes and its complications is the damage induced by free radicals. Antioxidant properties of antidiabetic compounds would be more beneficial. Extracts of these plants have shown hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects by the involvement of several mechanisms. In the future, further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms involved in their hypoglycaemic potential and their active constituents as synthetic analogues.

    CONCLUSIONS: This review focusses on some medicinal plants that have antidiabetic effect, thus contributing to the reduction of risk factors associated with diabetes, and related beneficial effects are compiled.

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