A study of 12 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS) using high dose infusion CT showed overall abnormality of 75% with an average of 2.5 lesions per patient. 75% of the patients showed abnormality of the cerebrum, mostly asymptomatic. The main changes were ventricular dilatation and asymmetry, isolated or generalized cerebral atrophy, areas of low attenuation mainly in the deeper parts of the cerebrum and the peri-ventricular area. 25% of the patients showed changes in the brainstem and none was seen in the cerebellum. The abnormality was more florid in patients with clinically disseminated forms of the disease. The study demonstrated that asymptomatic cerebral involvement is common among Asian patients with MS and CT is a useful tool in the overall assessment and diagnosis of Asian MS patients.
The mechanisms causing inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not yet clearly known. They may be associated with different types of inflammatory cells and probably numerous mediators (SHARMA and MOHSIN 1990). Nowadays, the platelet activating factor (PAF) is discussed as an important mediator in RA.
The clinical and histologic features of Kimura's disease are briefly outlined. A case presenting as a subcutaneous nodule in the region of the angle of the right mandible of a 20-year-old male is presented. The relationship of this disease to angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia is discussed.
Desmoid tumor of the mandible, or desmoplastic fibroma, is a rare disease with only a few cases reported in the literature. This paper presents the rare case of an elderly male with desmoplastic fibroma of the mandible with an uncommon accompanying proliferative myositis. The case is discussed with emphasis on the clinical presentation, differential diagnosis and treatment of this lesion.
A dot enzyme immunoassay (DEIA) for the detection of antibodies to dengue virus was tested for use as a tool in the presumptive diagnosis of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever. Paired sera from the following groups of patients were tested using the DEIA and the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test: those with primary dengue fever; those experiencing a second dengue infection; and febrile patients who did not have dengue. The data obtained show that the DEIA can be effectively used at a serum dilution of 1:1000 to confirm presumptive recent dengue in patients with a second dengue infection. However, demonstration of seroconversion proved necessary for patients with primary dengue. At a serum dilution of 1:1000 the DEIA has a specificity of 97.3%. The role of this simple and rapid test in improving the effectivity of programmes for the control of dengue virus infection is discussed.
1. Glutathione transferases from the liver, lung and kidney tissues of the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and the Kedah-Kelantan cattle (Bos indicus) were partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. 2. Liver tissue contains the highest enzyme activity when compared to the lung and kidney tissues. 3. The activity in cattle is higher than that in the buffalo. 4. Isoelectric focusing separates the activities into the acidic, near neutral and basic fractions. 5. The focused patterns are different for each of the tissues and in each of the species investigated.
1. The hemorrhagic, procoagulant, anticoagulant, phosphodiesterase, alkaline phosphomonoesterase, 5'-nucleotidase, hyaluronidase, arginine ester hydrolase, phospholipase A, L-amino acid oxidase and protease activities of 26 samples of venoms from 13 species of Bothrops were determined, and the Sephadex G-75 gel filtration patterns for some of the venoms also examined. 2. The results show that while there are considerable individual variations in the biological activities of many of the Bothrops venoms tested, there are some common characteristics at the genus and species levels. 3. The differences in the biological properties of the Bothrops venoms tested can be used for the differentiation of most Bothrops species examined.
Faecal samples of 56 common house crows (Corvus splendens Vieillot) were collected from the Petaling Jaya and Kelang districts of Selangor, peninsular Malaysia, and examined for coccidia. Intestinal tracts of 8 of the above crows wee histologically examined under light microscopy to determine the site of coccidial infection and the endogenous stages present. Fifty three (94.6%) crows had coccidial oocysts morphologically conforming to only one species of Isospora in their faeces at the time they were examined. The sporulated oocysts were found to be Isospora corviae (Ray et al. 1952) which has been emended to I. corvi. These oocysts are redescribed in greater detail. Corvus splendens is a new host record for I. corvi. Coccidial infection was observed in all the intestinal tracts and generally confined to the anterior two thirds of the intestine. The parasites occurred within intestinal epithelial cells, located usually above the host cell nucleus. Developmental stages of both the asexual and sexual phases were found in the epithelium, and are deemed to be the endogenous stages of I. corvi on the basis of the oocysts recovered from the same crows used for histological study. These stages are described here for the first time. The prevalence of I. corvi, its relationship with the host C. splendens, and its probable transmission from C. macrorhynchus are discussed.
An unusual presentation of rampant caries in a child was described. Lactose from bovine milk, bad feeding habits and poor oral hygiene appear to play a major role in its aetiology.
The effect of parity on the hematological response to supplemental hematinics and the relationship between birth weight and Hb concentration were examined in 67 pregnant rural Kelantanese Malay women recruited at 20-24 weeks of gestation. Among initially anemic women (Hb concentration at recruitment < 110 g/l), a significant supplementation effect was observed in the lower parae (3 or less children) but not in the higher parae. Among initially nonanemic women, a progressive decline in mean Hb concentration was observed in the higher parae; in the lower parae, however, an initial fall in mean Hb concentration was followed by a rise to almost the initial level. Birth weight was inversely related to initial Hb concentration. There was no association between birth weight and final measured Hb level, parity or any of the measured maternal characteristics. These observations suggest: a) women with initially lower Hb concentration might have experienced a greater acceleration of plasma volume expansion than those with initially higher Hb level; and b) hemopoiesis might be impaired in the higher multiparae.
The edema inducing activity of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes from snake venoms and porcine pancreas was investigated using mouse paw as experimental model. All ten PLA2 enzymes exhibited potent edema inducing activity. PLA2, however, is generally not the major edema inducing component of snake venom. Chemical modification studies indicated that enzymatic activity of PLA2 was required for its edema inducing activity. All PLA2 enzymes examined displayed a rapid onset edema which was suppressed by pretreatment of the mice with antihistamine. Dexamethasone pretreatment also inhibited edemas elicited by some PLA2 enzymes.
The University Science Malaysia, Penang, the third medical school in Malaysia, is following an integrated curriculum. In this curriculum, the students are taught the subject of otolaryngology from the second year of their course unlike the traditional schools where they are taught in the fourth or fifth year. This paper describes how otolaryngology is introduced in this integrated, problem-based curriculum.
Mouse macrophages pre-labeled with [3H]arachidonic acid (20:4) were shown to release metabolites generated by the lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygenase pathways following in vitro addition of heat-killed Salmonella typhi. These metabolites were maximally released after 60-90 min of incubation and consisted of prostaglandins (85%), leukotriene C (6%), di-HETEs, leukotrienes D and E (4%), mono-HETEs (2%) and other metabolites (3%). Of the metabolites generated by the cyclo-oxygenase pathway (prostaglandins), 6-keto PGF1 alpha and PGE2 were generated at a ratio of 1.2 to 1. The significance and importance of these results are discussed.
This paper examines the impact of cultural values and government policies on the content of AIDS educational literature prepared by public health agencies in Malaysia and the Philippines. The literature from these countries, which has been distributed to the public and is intended to inform them of the danger of AIDS, how the HIV is and is not transmitted, and how to avoid infection, is analyzed and evaluated for effectiveness and congruence with the dominant religious tenets and cultural practices in each country, and attitudes to sexual behavior. The paper also describes the response of these countries to the AIDS pandemic, and concludes with suggestions about how this form of AIDS education can be improved.
MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/etiology; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control*; Cultural Characteristics*; Health Education*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Mass Media; Pamphlets; Philippines/epidemiology; Religion and Medicine*; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior; Social Values; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/complications; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/epidemiology
This case report illustrates the successful management of a case of mutilated maxillary incisors in a 13 year old patient through a sequence of therapy designed to closely coordinate the various disciplines, endodontics, restorative dentistry and orthodontics, involved. Endodontics was directed towards the control of the infected pulp, restorative treatment was to reconstruct the broken down teeth in stages which were essential in the sequence of treatment, and orthodontics was involved in the achievement of functional occlusion and alignment. The comprehensive treatment approach combined to achieve satisfactory aesthetics and function.
Seven (6.1%) of 115 strains of Salmonella typhi isolated from Malaysian patients harbored a single large plasmid of 71 to 166 mD. Two of the seven plasmid-bearing strains were resistant to chloramphenicol (Cm) and tetracycline (Tc) and they transferred Cm and Tc resistance traits to Escherichia coli K12 at frequencies from 1.6 x 10(-7) to 1.9 x 10(-6). Agarose gel electrophoresis provided evidence that the resistance traits were cotransferred on a conjugative plasmid. The significance and importance of these results are discussed.
Two hundred Malaysian patients representing 227 ears with previously untreated cholesteatoma disease were analysed retrospectively in terms of i) type of disease, i.e. primary acquired attic defect or posterior superior retraction pocket and secondary acquired type cholesteatoma; ii) positive history of previous middle ear effusion, atelectasis or grommet insertion; and iii) likelihood of complications as initial presenting feature. The high 47.1% incidence of secondary acquired cholesteatoma disease in our patients contrasts with the predominance of primary acquired cholesteatoma in the Caucasian patient. Correlation of these two disease types with a positive history showed a significant positive association between the primary acquired group and a positive history; and conversely a significant negative association for the secondary acquired type. This supports a role for the retraction theory in primary acquired cholesteatoma but negates this theory in secondary acquired cholesteatoma. Secondary acquired cholesteatoma had a significantly higher (35.5%) complication rate against 15.8% in the primary acquired type (p = 0.001). This fact together with a 47.1% incidence of secondary acquired disease, low otolaryngologist population ratio and patient attitudes to disease account for the high total complication rate of 27.3%.
Nine thousand and six hundred infants delivered in a maternity hospital were examined for the prevalence of natal and neonatal teeth. The prevalence among this group was noted. The teeth were the normal primary incisors that had erupted prematurely. The crown was normal in shape and size with very little root formation. The histological features were that of an immature tooth.