AIM: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of ethyl acetate extract of fungus comb (EAEFC) on the inflammatory reaction in the spleen of mice induced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
METHODS: An experimental study was conducted using a post-test-only control group design with male BALB/C mice (n = 24). The mice were divided randomly into four groups, each comprising six mice, and administered substances via gavage. Groups I and III were administered a solution of 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in distilled water, while Groups II and IV were given 500 mg/kg BW EAEFC dissolved in 5% DMSO. On the fifteenth day, Groups I and II received intraperitoneal injections of 5 ml/kg BW saline, while Groups III and IV were injected with 10 mg/kg BW LPS dissolved in saline. After three hours, the mice were euthanized and splenic immunohistology was examined under a light microscope. The results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, while the group differences were assessed statistically.
RESULTS: The expression of interleukin (IL)-1, furin, and activated NK cell was significantly higher in the inflamed model after EAEFC supplementation, while the extract suppressed IL-10.
CONCLUSION: EAEFC was found to alter cytokine expression in the spleen in response to inflammation.
METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review of articles published until May 2022 that reported HZ epidemiology, clinical management, and health economic data in six Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Literature searches were conducted in Medline, Scopus, Embase, and gray literature. Articles written in English or local languages were considered for inclusion.
RESULTS: In total, 72 publications were included in the study; 22 were case studies and over 60% originated in Singapore and Thailand. Only two studies (data from Thailand) reported incidence of HZ. The proportion of patients reported with HZ was 0.68-0.7% among dermatology clinics, 0.14% at one emergency department (5.3% of dermatology cases) in Singapore, and 3% of admissions at another hospital in Singapore. Pain was the most common symptom associated with HZ, reported in 74.21-100% of patients. HZ complications were reported in 10.2-21.2% of patients, and the proportions with postherpetic neuralgia and HZ ophthalmicus were 6.3-50% and 4.98-28.57%, respectively. Additionally, there is a lack of comprehensive, up-to-date HZ economic data, with only six studies identified for the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there are limited data reporting incidence and prevalence of HZ in Southeast Asia at a national level. High rates of complications, symptoms, and abundance of case reports suggest substantial healthcare resource utilization for patients with HZ and highlight the need for further research in Southeast Asia assessing the societal impact.