Displaying all 18 publications

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  1. How SH, Kuan YC, Ng TH, Razali MR, Fauzi AR
    Malays J Pathol, 2014 Aug;36(2):91-6.
    PMID: 25194531 MyJurnal
    Monitoring treatment response to anti-tuberculous therapy remains unsatisfactory in resource-limited countries where sophisticated and expensive tests are not readily available. Sputum culture for mycobacterium is desirable, but not obtainable in many developing countries. Sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear alone can be misinterpreted in the presence of unviable bacilli or non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Hence the search for a cheaper but reliable monitoring tool, or a combination of several tools, continues. Interesting reports from studies in third world nations have considered weight gain/loss as one such monitoring tool. Since pulmonary tuberculosis is endemic in this country, we take the opportunity to evaluate weight gain and chest radiograph, compared to sputum AFB smear in monitoring patient's response.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology*
  2. Norlijah O, Intan HI, Feizel AM, Kasim MS, Noh LM
    PMID: 17333739
    Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health problem in Malaysia. We describe three atypical cases of serious tuberculosis in children. The potential diagnostic pitfall in these cases is highlighted by its unusual presentation in a setting of culture-negative infection. A positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in each case assists in gauging the diagnosis in concordance with appropriate clinical findings.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  3. Amila A, Acosta A, Sarmiento ME, Suraiya S, Zafarina Z, Panneerchelvam S, et al.
    Int J Mycobacteriol, 2015 Dec;4(4):341-6.
    PMID: 26964819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmyco.2015.06.009
    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in diseases development. Therefore, human miRNAs may be able to inhibit the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the human host by targeting critical genes of the pathogen. Mutations within miRNAs can alter their target selection, thereby preventing them from inhibiting Mtb genes, thus increasing host susceptibility to the disease.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  4. Jalleh RD, Kuppusamy I, Soshila R, Aziah AM, Faridza MY
    Med J Malaysia, 1993 Jun;48(2):113-6.
    PMID: 8350784
    Eight hundred and fifty-six strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from previously untreated patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from various states in West Malaysia were studied during the period 1984 to 1987. All the strains were tested for in vitro susceptibility to the anti-tuberculosis drugs isoniazid (INH), streptomycin (SM), rifampicin (RMP) and ethambutol (ETB). One hundred and twenty-one of the isolates (14.18%) were resistant to 1 drug while 17 (1.97%) were resistant to 2 drugs. No strain was found to be resistant to more than 2 drugs. The prevalence of primary resistance to INH was 4.20%, SM was 7.59%, RMP was 0.95% and ETB was 1.44%. In 1.86% of isolates, resistance was noted to both INH and SM, while 0.11% were resistant to both RMP and ETB. There was no significant difference in distribution of resistant bacilli between the sexes (p > 0.01).
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology*
  5. Lim VK
    Med J Malaysia, 1993 Jun;48(2):97-8.
    PMID: 8350810
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology*
  6. Liam CK, Chen YC, Yap SF, Srinivas P, Poi PJ
    Respirology, 1998 Jun;3(2):125-9.
    PMID: 9692522
    The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens of patients suspected of having active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) but who were sputum smear-negative. Patients undergoing investigation for suspected pulmonary TB at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, and who were sputum smear-negative underwent fibreoptic bronchoscopy and BAL. One portion of each lavage specimen was submitted for smear examination for acid-fast bacilli and mycobacterial culture and the other portion assayed by PCR for the presence of a 562-base pair DNA segment belonging to the insertion sequence IS986, unique to the M. tuberculosis complex. As controls, lavage specimens from patients with other lung lesions were also similarly tested. The PCR assay gave a positivity rate of 80.9% (55 of 68) compared with 8.8% of smear examination and 7.4% of culture for detecting M. tuberculosis in BAL specimens. The assay was positive in two of 45 BAL specimens from 35 control subjects. The PCR assay was more sensitive than smear and culture in detecting M. tuberculosis in BAL specimens of patients with sputum smear-negative pulmonary TB.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology*
  7. Lai FM, Liam CK, Paramsothy M, George J
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 1997 Dec;1(6):563-9.
    PMID: 9487455
    University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  8. Semail N, Suraiya S, Calero R, Mirabal M, Carrillo H, Ezzeddin Kamil MH, et al.
    Tuberculosis (Edinb), 2020 09;124:101965.
    PMID: 32692651 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2020.101965
    The purpose of this study was to investigate the composition of throat microbiota in pulmonary tuberculosis patients (PTB) in comparison to healthy tuberculin skin test positive (TSTp) and negative (TSTn) individuals. Throat swabs samples were collected, and the microbiota was characterized. Richer operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were present in PTB group, compared to TSTp and TSTn. Regarding alpha diversity analysis there was a higher community diversity in TSTn compared to TSTp. Beta diversity analysis showed different species composition in TSTp compared to TSTn and PTB. There was higher presence of Firmicutes in PTB and TSTn compared to TSTp group at phylum level. At the genus level, Leuconostoc and Enterococcus were higher in TSTn compared to TSTp and Pediococcus, Chryseobacterium, Bifidobacterium, Butyrivibrio, and Bulleidia were higher in PTB compared to TSTn. Streptococcus was higher in TSTn compared to PTB and Lactobacillus in PTB compared to TSTp. At species level, Streptococcus sobrinus and Bulleidia moorei were higher in PTB compared to TSTn individuals, while Lactobacillus salivarius was higher in PTB compared to TSTp. The differences in the microbiome composition could influence the resistance/susceptibility to Mtb infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology*
  9. Tan KT, Kannan SK, Rajahram GS
    Med J Malaysia, 2019 12;74(6):547-548.
    PMID: 31929486
    Tuberculosis is a nimble chameleon. It can manifest itself in various ways with atypical clinical and radiographic findings. In this report we discuss the importance of radiographic findings (nodular or mass-like forms) requiring a correlation with microbiological and histopathological results to differentiate lung cancer from TB.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  10. Sreeramareddy CT, Qin ZZ, Satyanarayana S, Subbaraman R, Pai M
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2014 Mar;18(3):255-66.
    PMID: 24670558 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.13.0585
    OBJECTIVE: To systematically review Indian literature on delays in tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment.
    METHODS: We searched multiple sources for studies on delays in patients with pulmonary TB and those with chest symptoms. Studies were included if numeric data on any delay were reported. Patient delay was defined as the interval between onset of symptoms and the patient's first contact with a health care provider. Diagnostic delay was defined as the interval between the first consultation with a health care provider and diagnosis. Treatment delay was defined as the interval between diagnosis and initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment. Total delay was defined as time interval from the onset of symptoms until treatment initiation.
    RESULTS: Among 541 potential citations identified, 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. Included studies used a variety of definitions for onset of symptoms and delays. Median estimates of patient, diagnostic and treatment delay were respectively 18.4 (IQR 14.3-27.0), 31.0 (IQR 24.5-35.4) and 2.5 days (IQR 1.9-3.6) for patients with TB and those with chest symptoms combined. The median total delay was 55.3 days (IQR 46.5-61.5). About 48% of all patients first consulted private providers; an average of 2.7 health care providers were consulted before diagnosis. Number and type of provider first consulted were the most important risk factors for delay.
    CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the need to develop novel strategies for reducing patient and diagnostic delays and engaging first-contact health care providers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  11. Khajotia R, Manthari K
    Can Fam Physician, 2011 Mar;57(3):311-3.
    PMID: 21402968
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  12. Fadzilah MN, Ng KP, Ngeow YF
    Malays J Pathol, 2009 Dec;31(2):93-7.
    PMID: 20514851
    A prospective study was conducted on 510 respiratory specimens for the presence of M. tuberculosis detected by direct acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear examination, culture in the Manual Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (BBL MGIT, Becton-Dickinson) and culture on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium. From positive BBL MGIT tubes, Ziehl-Neelsen and Gram stains were performed and subcultures were put up on LJ medium. A total of 101 (19.8%) specimens were positive by the BBL MGIT, 60 (11.8%) by primary LJ medium culture, 31 (6.1%) by direct smear examination and 29 (5.7%) by all three methods. Using primary LJ culture as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the BBL MGIT were 90% and 89.6% respectively but the sensitivity of AFB smear microscopy was only 48.3%. About half (51.1%) of the BBL MGIT false positives were due to contamination by non-AFB bacteria. The remaining false positives comprised specimens that were AFB microscopy positive but LJ culture negative. Of the AFB isolates obtained on LJ primary and sub-cultures, almost all (93.3%) were identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The mean time-to-detection was significantly shorter (p < 0.0001) for the BBL MGIT than for LJ culture. For the former, positive results were available within 14 days for both AFB smear-positive and AFB smear-negative specimens. On the average, positive results were obtained 1.8 days earlier for direct AFB smear-positive samples than for AFB smear-negative samples. On the other hand, positive growth on LJ medium appeared after at least 33 days of incubation. These findings suggest that the BBL MGIT system will be a suitable alternative to LJ culture for the routine diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, but a combination of liquid and solid cultures is still required for the highest diagnostic accuracy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  13. García Mde L, Borrero R, Lanio ME, Tirado Y, Alvarez N, Puig A, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:273129.
    PMID: 25548767 DOI: 10.1155/2014/273129
    A more effective vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) is urgently needed. Based on its high genetic homology with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the nonpathogenic mycobacteria, Mycobacterium smegmatis (Ms), could be an attractive source of potential antigens to be included in such a vaccine. We evaluated the capability of lipid-based preparations obtained from Ms to provide a protective response in Balb/c mice after challenge with Mtb H37Rv strain. The intratracheal model of progressive pulmonary TB was used to assess the level of protection in terms of bacterial load as well as the pathological changes in the lungs of immunized Balb/c mice following challenge with Mtb. Mice immunized with the lipid-based preparation from Ms either adjuvanted with Alum (LMs-AL) or nonadjuvanted (LMs) showed significant reductions in bacterial load (P < 0.01) compared to the negative control group (animals immunized with phosphate buffered saline (PBS)). Both lipid formulations showed the same level of protection as Bacille Calmette and Guerin (BCG). Regarding the pathologic changes in the lungs, mice immunized with both lipid formulations showed less pneumonic area when compared with the PBS group (P < 0.01) and showed similar results compared with the BCG group. These findings suggest the potential of LMs as a promising vaccine candidate against TB.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  14. Loh LC, Codati A, Jamil M, Noor ZM, Vijayasingham P
    Med J Malaysia, 2005 Aug;60(3):314-9.
    PMID: 16379186
    Delay in commencing treatment in patients diagnosed with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) may promote the spread of PTB in the community. Socio-demographic and clinical data from 169 patients (119 retrospectively and 50 prospectively collected) treated for smear-positive PTB in our hospital Chest Clinic from June 2002 to February 2003 were analysed. One hundred and fifty eight (93.5%) patients were started on treatment in less than 7 days from the time when the report first became available while 11 (6.5%) patients had their treatment started > or = 7 days. The median 'discovery to treatment' window was 1 day (range, 0 to 24 days). Of the factors studied, longevity of symptoms, absence of fever or night sweats and having sought traditional medicine were associated with delay in treatment commencement. The urgency and importance of anti-TB treatment should be emphasized especially to patients who are inclined towards treatment with traditional medicine.
    Keywords: Smear positive, pulmonary tuberculosis, treatment delay, traditional medicine, Malaysia, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  15. Shariff NM, Safian N
    Int J Mycobacteriol, 2015 Dec;4(4):323-9.
    PMID: 26964816 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmyco.2015.09.003
    OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Many studies have suggested that sputum smear conversion after 2 months of antituberculosis treatment is an important determinant of treatment success and can be a predictor for relapse. The objective of this study is to determine the factors that influence sputum smear conversion after 2 months of treatment among pulmonary tuberculosis patients receiving treatment in the Institute of Respiratory Medicine in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
    METHODS: A total of 75 cases and 75 controls were interviewed, and their medical records were retrieved in order to extract the information needed. All analyses were conducted using SPSS version 17, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of sputum smear nonconversion.
    RESULTS: Results showed that the following factors were associated with sputum smear positivity after 2 months of intensive treatment: diabetes mellitus (p=.013, odds ratio [OR]=2.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27-5.33), underweight body mass index (p=.025, OR=1.67, 95% CI 0.80-3.49), nonadherent to tuberculosis treatment (p=.024, OR=2.85, 95% CI 1.21-6.74), and previous history of tuberculosis (p=.043, OR=2.53, 95% CI 1.09-5.83). Multivariable analysis identified diabetes mellitus (p=.003, OR=4.01, 95% CI 1.61-9.96) as being independently associated with the risk of persistent sputum smear positivity after 2 months of intensive treatment.
    CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, identification of these factors is valuable in strengthening the management and treatment of tuberculosis in Malaysia in the future. This study emphasizes the importance of diabetes screening and integration of diabetic controls among tuberculosis patients in achieving better treatment outcome.
    KEYWORDS: Risk factors; Sputum smear nonconversion; Tuberculosis
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  16. Ding CH, Ismail Z, Sulong A, Wahab AA, Gan B, Mustakim S, et al.
    Malays J Pathol, 2020 Dec;42(3):401-407.
    PMID: 33361721
    INTRODUCTION: Rifampicin is a key first-line antimycobacterial agent employed for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This study sought to obtain prevalence data on rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis among smear-positive PTB patients in the Klang District of Malaysia.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 103 patients from the Chest Clinic of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah with sputum smears positive for acid-fast bacilli were included in this cross-sectional study. All sputa were tested using Xpert MTB/RIF to confirm the presence of M. tuberculosis complex and detect rifampicin resistance. Sputa were also sent to a respiratory medicine institute for mycobacterial culture. Positive cultures were then submitted to a reference laboratory, where isolates identified as M. tuberculosis complex underwent drug susceptibility testing (DST).

    RESULTS: A total of 58 (56.3%) patients were newly diagnosed and 45 (43.7%) patients were previously treated. Xpert MTB/RIF was able to detect rifampicin resistance with a sensitivity and specificity of 87.5% and 98.9%, respectively. Assuming that a single resistant result from Xpert MTB/RIF or any DST method was sufficient to denote resistance, a total of 8/103 patients had rifampicinresistant M. tuberculosis. All eight patients were previously treated for PTB (p<0.05). The overall prevalence of rifampicin resistance among smear-positive PTB patients was 7.8%, although it was 17.8% among the previously treated ones.

    CONCLUSION: The local prevalence of rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis was particularly high among previously treated patients. Xpert MTB/RIF can be employed in urban district health facilities not only to diagnose PTB in smear-positive patients, but also to detect rifampicin resistance with good sensitivity and specificity.

    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology*
  17. Tirado Y, Puig A, Alvarez N, Borrero R, Aguilar A, Camacho F, et al.
    Tuberculosis (Edinb), 2016 12;101:44-48.
    PMID: 27865396 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2016.07.017
    Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity. The TB vaccine, BCG, is not fully protective against the adult form of the disease and is unable to prevent its transmission although it is still useful against severe childhood TB. Hence, the search for new vaccines is of great interest. In a previous study, we have shown that proteoliposomes obtained from Mycobacterium smegmatis (PLMs) induced cross reactive humoral and cellular response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens. With the objective to evaluate the protective capability of PLMs, a murine model of progressive pulmonary TB was used. Animals immunized with PLMs with and without alum (PLMs/PLMsAL respectively) showed protection compared to non-immunized animals. Mice immunized with PLMsAL induced similar protection as that of BCG. Animals immunized with BCG, PLMs and PLMsAL showed a significant decrease in tissue damage (percentage of pneumonic area/lung) compared to non-immunized animals, with a more prominent effect in BCG vaccinated mice. The protective effect of the administration of PLMs in mice supports its future evaluation as experimental vaccine candidate against Mtb.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
  18. Javaid A, Hasan R, Zafar A, Chaudry MA, Qayyum S, Qadeer E, et al.
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2017 03 01;21(3):303-308.
    PMID: 28225340 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.16.0444
    BACKGROUND: Drug resistance in general, and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in particular, threatens global tuberculosis (TB) control efforts. Population-based estimates of drug resistance are needed to develop strategies for controlling drug-resistant TB in Pakistan.

    OBJECTIVE: To obtain population-based data on Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance in Pakistan.

    METHODS: To obtain drug resistance data, we conducted a population-based study of TB cases in all provinces of Pakistan. We performed culture and drug susceptibility testing on M. tuberculosis isolates from patients with a prior history of anti-tuberculosis treatment (retreatment cases) from all over the country.

    RESULTS: Of 544 isolates from previously treated cases, 289 (53.1%) were susceptible to all first-line drugs, 255 (46.9%) were resistant to at least one anti-tuberculosis drug and 132 (24.3%) were MDR-TB. Among MDR-TB isolates, 47.0% were ofloxacin (OFX) resistant. Extensively drug-resistant TB was found in two (0.4%) isolates.

    CONCLUSION: Prevalence of drug resistance in retreatment isolates was high. The alarmingly high prevalence of OFX resistance among MDR-TB isolates may threaten the success of efforts to control and treat MDR-TB.

    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/microbiology
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