Metagenomic data of microbiota in mangrove soil from Lukut River, Malaysia.

The mangrove ecosystem contains sediment microorganisms that play a crucial part in the decomposition of organic matter and the cycling of water and nutrients in the mangrove. Here we present the metagenomics whole genome shotgun (mWGS) sequence data analysis from three soil samples that were collected at the freshwater riverine mangrove at Lukut River, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Data analysis shows different distributions of bacteria of the genera Bradyrhizobium, Methyloceanibacter and Desulfobacteaceae were detected in soil samples collected at freshwater riverine mangrove. In the data analysis, we report the existence of a large number of Carbohydrate-Active genes in metagenomes collected from mangrove soil. An in-depth exploration of functional annotation analysis based on the KEGG database also showed that the most abundant genes found in these three soils are those that function in carbon fixation pathways, followed by methane, nitrogen, sulfur metabolisms, atrazine and dioxin degradations.

Management of acute chest syndrome in patients with sickle cell disease: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION: Acute chest syndrome (ACS) accounts for the highest mortality in Sickle cell disease patients. Early diagnosis and timely management of ACS results in better outcomes. However, the effectiveness of most treatment modalities for ACS management has not been established. AREAS COVERED: To review the treatment modalities management protocols and highlight the effectiveness of each option a literature search was done. Randomized controlled trials that assessed the efficacy of different treatment modalities in ACS management in SCD patients were chosen and reviewed. EXPERT OPINION: 11 randomized controlled trials were found that evaluated the efficacy of incentive spirometry, positive expiratory pressure device, intravenous dexamethasone, oral vs. intravenous morphine, inhaled nitric oxide, unfractionated heparin, and blood transfusion in the prevention or treatment of ACS. Although there are guidelines for ACS treatment, the available evidence is very limited to delineating the effectiveness of various interventions in ACS management. More high-quality studies and trials with a larger patient population can benefit this area to support the recommendations with stronger evidence.

Immunoglobulin D Multiple Myeloma: A Rare Variant.

Immunoglobulin D multiple myeloma (IgD MM) is a rare isotype of multiple myeloma (MM), comprising less than 2% of all cases. It is often associated with advanced disease at the time of diagnosis, an aggressive clinical course, and shorter overall survival (OS) than other subtypes of MM. There is an increased frequency of undetectable or small monoclonal (M-) protein levels on electrophoresis, hypercalcemia, anemia, lytic bony lesions, and renal failure. However, given the rarity of the disease, there are few cases of IgD MM described in the literature. Given the very small amount of IgD immunoglobulins, they may form very small or undetectable M spike on electrophoresis, making the diagnostic error in diagnosing this specific subgroup very easy. Treatment for MM has seen significant advancement, especially over the last decade, with the advent of medications such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory agents, and monoclonal antibodies. It is important to understand how IgD MM responds to these newer agents and why this disease continues to be associated with poor outcomes despite advancements in treatment. Small clinical studies on patients with IgD MM show better outcomes following a combination of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) compared to standard chemotherapy. Given the rarity of the disease, there are no large studies done to see the effectiveness of these treatments, and most of the data are derived from small case series. We report a case of IgD kappa MM that was incidentally discovered following a traumatic bicycle accident. The patient started treatment with bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) as an inpatient while he was in the rehabilitation unit and was later switched to bortezomib, dexamethasone, and lenalidomide (VRd) as an outpatient. He has now completed seven cycles and successfully underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia presenting as recurrent venous and arterial thrombotic events: a case report and review of the literature.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a distinct subtype of acute myeloid leukemia characterized by a translocation of chromosomes 15 and 17, creating an alternation in the retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha) gene. This leads to excessive medullary production of promyelocytic blasts, which are frequently associated with the hemorrhagic complications seen in APL. In contrast, APL-associated thrombosis occurs much less frequently and is an underappreciated life-threatening manifestation of the disease. Most thrombotic events occur during induction chemotherapy with all-transretinoic acid and are rarely seen as the initial presentation on APL. Here we report an exceedingly rare case of a patient with recurrent venous and arterial thrombotic events, including deep vein thrombosis, bilateral segmental pulmonary embolism, an ischemic stroke, splenic infarcts, and renal infarcts, later found to have APL. We aim to discuss the most recent understanding of the pathogenesis of APL-associated thrombosis and to summarize the literature of this rare presentation of APL.

Rapid Response of Breast Cancer Cutaneous Metastasis to Single-Agent Palbociclib: A Case Report.

Palbociclib is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor. Palbociclib combined with endocrine therapy has shown promising results in hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-negative (HER-2-) breast cancer progression. We present a case of a woman with a history of infiltrating lobular cancer of the left breast, status post modified radical mastectomy 6 years prior, presenting with nodular erythematous lesions on the left arm and back. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of recurrent metastatic breast adenocarcinoma. She had complete resolution of cutaneous metastasis with 1 cycle of Palbociclib. We believe our case is unique as the resolution of cutaneous metastasis with 1 cycle of single-agent Palbociclib is rare. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of considering cutaneous metastasis as a possibility in patients with prior history of primary internal malignancy.

Life Threatening haemoptysis in primary lung cancer-signet ring cell carcinoma.

Primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the lung is a rare non-small cell carcinoma of the lung with extremely aggressive features and poor prognosis. The diagnosis mainly required tissue biopsy with immunohistochemical analysis and gene mutation studies. We describe a unique case of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the lung presenting with life threatening haemoptysis along with literature review of prognosis and management of this rare clinical entity.

ALK-Negative Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Presenting as Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Potentially Fatal Presentation.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening disorder that can be familial in etiology or a result of infections, malignancy, and autoimmune or inflammatory disorders. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is common in patients admitted to intensive care units and can confound and delay the diagnosis of HLH. We present a case of a 69-year-old female who presented with dyspnea and malaise. Her condition declined rapidly with laboratory parameters consistent with DIC. In addition, she had a ferritin of 32,522 ng/mL, low haptoglobin, and elevated LDH, and bone marrow biopsy showed hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytes. She was started on HLH-directed therapy, and later, a diagnosis of ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma was made on an excisional inguinal lymph node biopsy specimen. Our case emphasizes the importance of prompt recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of HLH while workup for a primary disorder is still being pursued.

Apparent Epigenetic Meiotic Double-Strand-Break Disparity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: A Meta-Analysis.

Previously published, and some unpublished, tetrad data from budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) are analyzed for disparity in gene conversion, in which one allele is more often favored than the other (conversion disparity). One such disparity, characteristic of a bias in the frequencies of meiotic double-strand DNA breaks at the hotspot near the His4 locus, is found in diploids that undergo meiosis soon after their formation, but not in diploids that have been cloned and frozen. Altered meiotic DNA breakability associated with altered metabolism-related chromatin states has been previously reported. However, the above observations imply that such differing parental chromatin states can persist through at least one chromosome replication, and probably more, in a common environment. This conclusion may have implications for interpreting changes in allele frequencies in populations.

Morphological and Molecular Identification of Holothuria (Merthensiothuria) leucospilota and Stichopus horrens from Pangkor Island, Malaysia.

This preliminary study aimed to identify a commercial gamat species, Stichopus horrens Selenka, 1867, and a timun laut species, Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota (Brandt, 1835), from Pangkor Island, Perak, Malaysia, employing morphological techniques based on the shape of the ossicles and molecular techniques based on the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene. In Malaysia, a gamat is defined as a sea cucumber species of the family Stichopodidae with medicinal value, and timun laut refers to non-gamat species. S. horrens is very popular on Pangkor Island as a main ingredient in the traditional production of air gamat and minyak gamat, while H. leucospilota is the most abundant species in Malaysia. In contrast to previous studies, internal body parts (the respiratory tree and gastrointestine) were examined in this study to obtain better inferences based on morphology. The results showed that there were no ossicles present in the gastrointestine of H. leucospilota, and this characteristic is suggested as a unique diagnostic marker for the timun laut species. In addition, the presence of Y-shaped rods in the respiratory tree of S. horrens subsequently supported the potential to use internal body parts to identify the gamat species. Phylogenetic analysis of the COI mtDNA gene of the sea cucumber specimens using the neighbour-joining method and maximum likelihood methods further confirmed the species status of H. leucospilota and S. horrens from Pangkor Island, Perak, Malaysia. The COI mtDNA gene sequences were registered with GenBank, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), US National Library of Medicine (GenBank accession no.: KC405565-KC405568). Although additional specimens from various localities will be required to produce more conclusive results, the current findings provide better insight into the importance of complementary approaches involving morphological and molecular techniques in the identification of the two Malaysian sea cucumber species.