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Mycology of Onychomycosis: A 5-year retrospective review (2011 - 2015) in Hospital Kuala Lumpur

Ramalingam R, Kunalan S, Tang MM

Med J Malaysia, 2017 06;72(3):190-192.
PMID: 28733568 MyJurnal

Onychomycosis is a common nail disease with numerous etiological pathogens. In order to determine and trend the local mycological pattern of culture-positive diseased nail samples sent from the Department of Dermatology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, a five-year retrospective audit was carried out, which revealed that non-dermatophyte molds were the predominant fungi isolated, followed by yeasts and dermatophytes. This is similar to two previous studies in Malaysia, but varies greatly from other studies around the world which showed a dermatophyte-predominant prevalence. This could be due to the nature of the environment our patients encountered.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology
Fulltext Candidaemia and antifungal susceptibility testing in a teaching hospital

Tzar MN, Shamim AS

Med J Malaysia, 2009 Mar;64(1):61-4.
PMID: 19852325 MyJurnal

We reviewed cases of candidaemia at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre from 1st January 2005 to 30th June 2006. All blood cultures positive for Candida species or its teleomorphs within the study period were identified and antifungal susceptibility testing was performed. Out of 50 blood isolates, 20 (40%) were identified as Candida albicans, 16 (32%) C. tropicalis, five (10%) C. parapsilosis, three (6%) C. famata, two (4%) C. glabrata, two (4%) Pichia ohmeri, one (2%) C. krusei and one (2%) P. etchell/carsonii. Susceptibility to amphotericin B was 100%, fluconazole 90%, itraconazole 40%, ketoconazole 88%, 5-flucytosine 98% and voriconazole 98%.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology*
Molecular subtyping of clinical isolates of Candida albicans and identification of Candida dubliniensis Malaysia

Tay ST, Chai HC, Na SL, Ng KP

Mycopathologia, 2005 Apr;159(3):325-9.
PMID: 15883714

The genotypes of 221 recent isolates of Candida albicans from various clinical specimens of 213 patients admitted to the University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia was determined based on the amplification of a transposable intron region in the 25 S rRNA gene. The analyses of 178 C. albicans isolated from nonsterile clinical specimens showed that they could be classified into three genotypes: genotype A (138 isolates), genotype B (38 isolates) and genotype C (2 isolates). The genotyping of 43 clinical isolates from sterile specimens showed that they belonged to genotype A (29 isolates), genotype B (10 isolates), genotype C (2 isolates) and genotype D (2 isolates). The overall distribution of C. albicans genotypes in sterile and nonsterile specimens appeared similar, with genotype A being the most predominant type. This study reported the identification of C. dubliniensis (genotype D) in 2 HIV-negative patients with systemic candidiasis, which were missed by the routine mycological procedure. The study demonstrated the genetic diversity of clinical isolates of C. albicans in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology*
Evidence for a general-purpose genotype in Candida albicans, highly prevalent in multiple geographical regions, patient types and types of infection

Schmid J, Herd S, Hunter PR, Cannon RD, Yasin MSM, Samad S, et al.

Microbiology (Reading), 1999 Sep;145 ( Pt 9):2405-2413.
PMID: 10517593 DOI: 10.1099/00221287-145-9-2405

Epidemiological studies, using the probe Ca3, have shown that in a given patient population a single cluster of genetically related Candida albicans isolates usually predominates. The authors have investigated whether these local clusters are part of a single group, geographically widespread and highly prevalent as an aetiological agent of various types of candidiasis. An unrooted neighbour-joining tree of 266 infection-causing C. albicans isolates (each from a different individual) from 12 geographical regions in 6 countries was created, based on genetic distances generated by Ca3 fingerprinting. Thirty-seven per cent of all isolates formed a single genetically homogeneous cluster (cluster A). The remainder of isolates were genetically diverse. Using the maximum branch length within cluster A as a cut-off, they could be divided into 37 groups, whose prevalence ranged between 0.3% and 9%. Strains from cluster A were highly prevalent in all but one geographical region, with a mean prevalence across all regions of 41%. When isolates were separated into groups based on patient characteristics or type of infection, strains from cluster A had a prevalence exceeding 27% in each group, and their mean prevalence was 43% across all patient characteristics. These data provide evidence that cluster A constitutes a general-purpose genotype, which is geographically widespread and acts as a predominant aetiological agent of all forms of candidiasis in all categories of patients surveyed.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology*
Prevalence of albicans and non-albicans candiduria in a Malaysian medical centre

Ding CH, Wahab AA, Muttaqillah NA, Tzar MN

J Pak Med Assoc, 2014 Dec;64(12):1375-9.
PMID: 25842581

To determine the proportion of albicans and non-albicans candiduria in a hospital setting and to ascertain if fluconazole is still suitable as empirical antifungal therapy based on antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida species.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology
Purification and comparison of intracellular proteinase A in Candida spp. isolates from Malaysian and Iranian patients and infected mice

Amri Saroukolaei S, Pei Pei C, Shokri H, Asadi F

J Mycol Med, 2012 Jun;22(2):149-59.
PMID: 23518017 DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2012.01.002

To compare the specific intracellular proteinase A activity in clinical isolates of Candida species isolated from Iranian and Malaysian patients, the blood and kidneys of mice infected by Candida cells isolated from these human patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology
Onychomycosis in Malaysia

Ng KP, Saw TL, Madasamy M, Soo Hoo T

Mycopathologia, 1999;147(1):29-32.
PMID: 10872513

The common etiological agents of onychomycosis are dermatophytes, molds and yeasts. A mycological nail investigation of onychomycosis using direct microscopy and culture was conducted by the Mycology Unit, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Malaya from March 1996 to November 1998. The study involved 878 nail clippings or subungal scrapings from subjects with onychomycosis. On direct microscopy examination, 50% of the specimens were negative for fungal elements. On culture, 373 specimens had no growth; bacteria were isolated from 15 nail specimens. Among the 490 specimens with positive fungal cultures, 177 (36.1%) were dermatophytes, 173 (35.5%) were molds and 130 (26.5%) were Candida. There were 2% (10/490) mixed infections of molds, yeasts and dermatophytes. Trichophyton rubrum (115/177) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (59/177) were the main dermatophytes isolated. The molds isolated were predominantly Aspergillus niger (61/173), Aspergillus nidulans (30/173), Hendersonula toruloidea (26/173) and Fusarium species (16/173). 96.9% of the Candida species identified were Candida albicans.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology
Severe infections in systemic lupus erythematosus: disease pattern and predictors of infection-related mortality

Teh CL, Wan SA, Ling GR

Clin Rheumatol, 2018 Aug;37(8):2081-2086.
PMID: 29667100 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-018-4102-6

Infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To describe the pattern of serious infections in patients with SLE and to identify the predictors of infection-related mortality among SLE patients with serious infections, we prospectively studied all SLE patients who were hospitalized with infections in Sarawak General Hospital during 2011-2015. Demographic data, clinical features, and outcomes were collected. Cox regression analysis was carried out to determine the independent predictors of infection-related mortality. There were a total of 125 patients with 187 episodes of serious infections. Our patients were of multiethnic origins with female predominance (89.6%). Their mean age was 33.4 ± 14.2 years. The patients had a mean disease duration of 66.8 ± 74.0 months. The most common site of infection was pulmonary (37.9%), followed by septicemia (22.5%). Gram-negative organisms (38.2%) were the predominant isolates within the cohort. There were 21 deaths (11.2%) during the study period. Independent predictors of infection-related mortality among our cohort of SLE patients were flare of SLE (HR 3.98, CI 1.30-12.21) and the presence of bacteremia (HR 2.54, CI 0.98-6.59). Hydroxychloroquine was protective of mortality from serious infections (HR 9.26, CI 3.40-25.64). Pneumonia and Gram-negative organisms were the predominant pattern of infection in our SLE cohort. The presence of flare of SLE and bacteremia were independent prognostic predictors of infection-related mortality, whereas hydroxychloroquine was protective of infection-related mortality among SLE patients with serious infections.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology*
Migration in malaysian aborigines: clinical observations in pregnancy

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1975 Sep;6(3).
PMID: 1221499

This study presents clinical observations in pregnancy made on aborigines of the deep jungle and "outside" populations. Migration out of the jungle results in lowered nutritional status as a result of low socio-economic status in the "outside" aborigine. This, together with food habits, increased family size and higher incidence of helminthic infestations, results in lower mean values of Hb, PVC and MCHC and a higher prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy in the migrant aborigine. A higher population density in the "outside" population resulting in frequent intermingling and increased chances of cross-contamination probably explains the increased vaginal bacterial growth in the "outside" Aborigine women. A higher prevalence of vaginal candidiasis in the "outside" aborigine woman is probably related to exposure to oral contraceptives and broad-spectrum antibiotics. On the other hand, better medical and obstetrical services become more readily available to the "outside" aborigine and this results in a favourable influence on perinatal health.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology
Causative Pathogens of Febrile Neutropaenia in Children Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia

Lam JC, Chai JY, Wong YL, Tan NW, Ha CT, Chan MY, et al.

Ann Acad Med Singap, 2015 Nov;44(11):530-4.
PMID: 27089960

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) using intensive chemotherapy has resulted in high cure rates but also substantial morbidity. Infective complications represent a significant proportion of treatment-related toxicity. The objective of this study was to describe the microbiological aetiology and clinical outcome of episodes of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropaenia in a cohort of children treated for ALL at our institution.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with ALL were treated with either the HKSGALL93 or the Malaysia-Singapore (Ma-Spore) 2003 chemotherapy protocols. The records of 197 patients who completed the intensive phase of treatment, defined as the period of treatment from induction, central nervous system (CNS)-directed therapy to reinduction from June 2000 to January 2010 were retrospectively reviewed.
RESULTS: There were a total of 587 episodes of febrile neutropaenia in 197 patients, translating to an overall rate of 2.98 episodes per patient. A causative pathogen was isolated in 22.7% of episodes. An equal proportion of Gram-positive bacteria (36.4%) and Gram-negative bacteria (36.4%) were most frequently isolated followed by viral pathogens (17.4%), fungal pathogens (8.4%) and other bacteria (1.2%). Fungal organisms accounted for a higher proportion of clinically severe episodes of febrile neutropaenia requiring admission to the high-dependency or intensive care unit (23.1%). The overall mortality rate from all episodes was 1.5%.
CONCLUSION: Febrile neutropaenia continues to be of concern in ALL patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy. The majority of episodes will not have an identifiable causative organism. Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria were the most common causative pathogens identified. With appropriate antimicrobial therapy and supportive management, the overall risk of mortality from febrile neutropaenia is extremely low.

Matched MeSH terms: Candidiasis/epidemiology