Metabolomics for characterization of gender differences in patients infected with dengue virus

Objective: To determine the metabolic response associate with dengue infection based on human gender metabolic differences by means of 1H NMR-spectrometry. Methods: The mid-stream urine collected from both male and female patients diagnosed with dengue fever at Penang General Hospital and fourty-three healthy individuals were analyzed with 1H NMR spectroscopy, followed by chemometric multivariate analysis. NMR signals which highlighted in the OPLS-DA S-plot were further selected and identified using Human Metabolome Database, Chenomx Profiler. Results: The results pointed out that NMR urine profiling was able to capture human gender metabolic differences that are important for the distinction of classes of individuals of similar physiological conditions; infected with dengue. Distinct differences between dengue infected patients versus healthy individuals and subtle differences in male versus female infected with dengue were found to be related to the metabolism of amino acid and tricarboxylic acid intermediates cycle. Conclusions: The 1H NMR metabolomic investigation combined with appropriate algorithms and pattern recognition procedures, gave an evidence for the existence of distinct metabolic differentiation of individuals, according to their gender, modulates with the infection risk.

Metabolomics for characterization of gender differences in patients infected with dengue virus

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the metabolic response associate with dengue infection based on human gender metabolic differences by means of (1)H NMR-spectrometry.@*METHODS@#The mid-stream urine collected from both male and female patients diagnosed with dengue fever at Penang General Hospital and fourty-three healthy individuals were analyzed with (1)H NMR spectroscopy, followed by chemometric multivariate analysis. NMR signals which highlighted in the OPLS-DA S-plot were further selected and identified using Human Metabolome Database, Chenomx Profiler.@*RESULTS@#The results pointed out that NMR urine profiling was able to capture human gender metabolic differences that are important for the distinction of classes of individuals of similar physiological conditions; infected with dengue. Distinct differences between dengue infected patients versus healthy individuals and subtle differences in male versus female infected with dengue were found to be related to the metabolism of amino acid and tricarboxylic acid intermediates cycle.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The (1)H NMR metabolomic investigation combined with appropriate algorithms and pattern recognition procedures, gave an evidence for the existence of distinct metabolic differentiation of individuals, according to their gender, modulates with the infection risk.

Scanning electron micrographs of medically important dust mite, Suidasia pontifica (Acari: Astigmata: Saproglyphidae) in Malaysia

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of dust mites, Suidasia pontifica, is presented to provide an improved visualization of the taxonomic characters of these mites. Suidasia pontifica can easily be identified by its scale-like cuticle, presence of external vertical setae (ve), longer external scapular setae (sce) compared to internal scapular setae (sci) and 3 ventral spines on apex of tarsus I. The differences in morphology of male and female S. pontifica are also discussed.

Radiotherapy complications and preventive measures in oral cancer

Oral complications of radiotherapy are the result of the deleterious effects of radiation in the head and neck region. The clinical consequences of radiotherapy include mucositis, hyposalivation, taste loss, osteoradionecrosis, radiation caries, and trismus. Mucositis and taste loss are reversible consequences and usually subside early post-irradiation, while hyposalivation is normally irreversible. Furthermore, the risk of developing radiation caries and osteoradionecrosis is a life-long threat. All these consequences form a heavy burden for the patients and have a tremendous impact on their quality of life during and after radiotherapy. In this review, the radiation-induced changes in healthy oral tissues and preventive measures for the resulting clinical consequences are discussed to give understanding of health care givers for better well being of oral cancer patients

Identification of a genetic marker associated with the resistance to Schistosoma mansoni infection using random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis

In schistosomiasis, the host/parasite interaction remains not completely understood. Many questions related to the susceptibility of snails to infection by respective trematode still remain unanswered. The control of schistosomiasis requires a good understanding of the host/parasite association. In this work, the susceptibility/resistance to Schistosoma mansoni infection within Biomphalaria alexandrina snails were studied starting one month post infection and continuing thereafter weekly up to 10 weeks after miracidia exposure. Genetic variations between susceptible and resistant strains to Schistosoma infection within B. alexandrina snails using random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis technique were also carried out. The results showed that 39.8 percent of the examined field snails were resistant, while 60.2 percent of these snails showed high infection rates.In the resistant genotype snails, OPA-02 primer produced a major low molecular weight marker 430 bp. Among the two snail strains there were interpopulational variations, while the individual specimens from the same snail strain, either susceptible or resistant, record semi-identical genetic bands. Also, the resistant character was ascendant in contrast to a decline in the susceptibility of snails from one generation to the next.

Biological studies on fresh water snails target to Schistosoma mansoni infection

In this study ,upon exposure of laboratory Egyptian B. alexandrina and B. glabrata snails to its homologus strain of S. mansoni, two different phenotype strains " susceptible and resistant " were distinguished . The aim of this study is to investigate the biological differences between the two types of Biomphalaria snails either susceptible or resistant at different ages. The investigated parameters included mortality, survival, percentage of susceptibility / resistance to parasitic infection and fecundity. The results of the preliminary exposure experiment revealed that parental snail stock was not completely susceptible and tend to be partially refractory to infection. The results also showed a strong association between the levels of egg production and susceptibility to parasite infection. Where breeding experiment revealed that, total egg number, E/M and EM values produced by resistant phenotype of both snail species were more than those produced by susceptible progeny snails. Also, it was noticed that, egg production is associated inversely proportion with snail age