The Association of Reported Respiratory Symptoms among Children in Malaysia with Particulate Matter Exposure in Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

@#Background: Prolonged exposure of heavy metals in the respirable particulate matter (PM10) from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills may affect children health. Objective: To investigate the association of reported respiratory symptom with heavy metals in PM10, with heavy metals in fingernails among children residing close to MSW landfills. Methods: Two groups of children age 7 to 12 years old were involved in this cross-sectional study. Those residing within 3 km radius from a landfill were the exposed group and those residing more than 3 km radius as the unexposed group. Questionnaires adapted from American Thoracic Society were applied in the survey. Fingernails were used as biomarker. Ten heavy metals elements in PM and fingernail samples were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: The cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel and lead concentrations in PM around the MSW landfills and residential areas exceeded the Canada and USEPA standard permissible limit. Heavy metals in fingernails (p<0.001) of exposed group were significantly higher than the unexposed group. Children with no pets have less reported respiratory symptoms. Elevated level of heavy metals in PM and fingernails were associated with high risk of reported respiratory symptoms. Conclusion: Heavy metals in PM10 and fingernails were associated with potential risk factor of respiratory health in children.

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Helminths from Fingernails of “Almajiris” in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasitic helminth eggs in the fingernails of “Almajiris” in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area in Jigawa State, Nigeria and to determine the source of the infection as an indicator of the overall hygienic standard of “Almajiris” from such areas. Study Design: Cross-sectional Survey. Place and Duration of Study: The study area was Birnin Kudu Local Government Area in Jigawa State, Nigeria. However, the research was conducted in the Faculty of Science and Science Education, Department of Biology, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Nigeria between January 2014 and April 2014. Methodology: The study was conducted among Qur’anic school pupils (Almajiris) attending three different Qur’anic schools in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa state. Simple random sampling technique was employed in selecting the 383 “Almajiris” (age ranges from 7 years to 30 years) recruited for this study. Swab samples from the fingernails were subjected to Salt Floatation Technique and the nail clippings were analyzed using concentration method and eggs of parasites were identified by characteristic egg morphology using standard procedures. Results: The prevalence of intestinal parasitic helminthes among the overall population studied was 54.8% (210 of 383). The parasites isolated from the fingernails of the Almajiris are: 29.5% Ascaris lumbricoides, 24.3% Hookworm, 19.0% Enterobius vermicularis, 8.1% Trichuris trichuria as well as mixed infections involving Ascaris lumbricoides and Hookworm, 6.7%; Hookwom and T. trichuira, 5.7%; Ascaris lumbricoides and Enterobius vermicularis, 4.2% and that between Ascaris lumbricoides, Enterobius vermicularis and Trichuris trichuria, 2.3%. The difference between the intestinal helminths was not significant (P-value = 1.00). There were significant variation in relation to the infection among the three qur’anic schools (P-value=.001). Age group between 11-15 years had the highest infection of 60.2% but this was not significant (P-value = 1.00). Conclusion: The study revealed high prevalence of intestinal helminth parasites in the fingernails of “Almajiris” and if not controlled, it may cause colossal health challenges to the community. This underscores the importance of teaching hand washing and personal hygiene to “Almajiris” and their teachers, otherwise known as “Malams” as well as inculcating the habit of periodic deworming exercise.

Using recipient free edge fingernails for chimerism analysis following allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplants / 中华检验医学杂志

ObjectiveTo examine whether DNA extracted from free edge fingernails specimens from patient after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) could be used for short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping and chimerism analyzing,and to observe the chimerism status in fingernails after allo-HSCT.MethodsPeripheral blood,bone marrow,oral mucosa and free edge fingernail specimens were collected from 25 patients which allo-HSCT were performed in Beijing Dao-pei Hospital during Jul.2009 to Sep.2011 and their donor.Genomic DNA was extracted and 15 STR loci genotyping and chimerism analysis were performed.For the first group which including 12 patients,pairs of fingernail and oral mucosa specimens were collected within one month after allo-HSCT and were comparative analyzed.For the second group which including 13 patients,chimerism status in fingernail samples were analyzed 3 months or longer after allo-HSCT,and 3 patients underwent repeated testing at different times.ResultsFor the first group,4 oral mucosa specimens showed donor chimerism with varying degrees,but no donor chimerism was detected.in all of 12 fingernail specimens.For the second group,6.7％ to 82.6％ donor chimerism was detected in fingernail specimens in 5 out of 13 patients.For the 3 patients underwent repeated testing,donor chimerism was continued negative in one cases,but continued positive in the other 2 cases.ConclusionsFree edge fingernail samples of patients within one month after allo-HSCT can be used for STR typing and chimerism analysis,and it is better than oral mucosa samples.There are cells in allo-HSCT donor graft can differentiate into skin cells,donor derived skin cells chimerism can be formed and persist in some patients.Med,2012,35:23-26)

Fingernail Onychomycosis Due to Aspergillus niger

Onychomycosis is usually caused by dermatophytes, but some species of nondermatophytic molds and yeasts are also associated with nail invasion. Aspergillus niger is a nondermatophytic mold which exists as an opportunistic filamentous fungus in all environments. Here, we report a case of onychomycosis caused by A. niger in a 66-year-old female. The patient presented with a black discoloration and a milky white base and onycholysis on the proximal portion of the right thumb nail. Direct microscopic examination of scrapings after potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation revealed dichotomous septate hyphae. Repeated cultures on Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) without cycloheximide produced the same black velvety colonies. No colony growth occurred on SDA with cycloheximide slants. Biseriate phialides covering the entire vesicle with radiate conidial heads were observed on the slide culture. The DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region of the clinical sample was a 100% match to that of A. niger strain ATCC 16888 (GenBank accession number AY373852). A. niger was confirmed by KOH mount, colony identification, light microscopic morphology, and DNA sequence analysis. The patient was treated orally with 250 mg terbinafine daily and topical amorolfine 5% nail lacquer for 3 months. As a result, the patient was completely cured clinically and mycologically.

Application of victims' fingernails in Forensic DNA analysis.

DNA extracted from the victims’ fingernails may assist in the identification of the aggressor. Fingernails were collected from 8 victims, and were subjected to DNA extraction using the Kit « Tissue and Hair Extraction Kit (Promega) ». All samples were typed for 15 autosomal short tandem repeats and for amelogenin using the Kit « Powerplex TM16 system (Promega) » and the ABI Prism 310 DNA sequencer. The profiles obtained were compared with those achieved by similar typing of victims’ and suspects’ blood. In two Forensic investigations, mixed genotypes were detected in DNA extracted from the nails: Alleles originating from the victim were coamplified with other alleles that matched the suspect’s genotypic profile. This indicated that victims’ fingernails contained biological material (blood, epithelial cells) originating from the suspect. Our results confirmed the usefulness of the nails as a specimen for forensic identification of the aggressor.

A Case of Excess Granulation Tissue Response during Etretinate Therapy / 대한피부과학회지

We experienced a case of granulation tissue occuring in lateral sulci of the right thumb, index, middle and left thumb, middle finger nails in 71-year-old psoriatic male patient taking 5pmg daily(0.6mg/kg/day) during 4th week of etretinate therapy. The excision of the granulation lesion and partial nail ablation was performed and his doses was lowered to 25mg daily (0. 3mg/kg/day). The condition were resolved with no recurrence 4 weeks later after the operation.