Non-polio enteroviruses among healthy children in the Philippines

Abstract Background Enteroviruses are most commonly associated with either mild or asymptomatic infections, however, the presence of silent carriers in the community has been proven to play a crucial role in the spread of diseases such as HFMD that records high incidence in Asia Pacific region. In the Philippines, limited information is available on the etiology and prevalence of enterovirus outside the Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance. Methods Duplicate stool sampleswere collected from 360 healthy children. Virus isolation and polymerase chain reaction were performed to identify enteroviruses present in the samples. To determine if the results of the study are comparable to the AFP surveillance data, the results of the study were compared to the prevalence and isolation rate among AFP cases of the similar cases collected the same year. Results Prevalence of enteroviruses among healthy children was found to be at 24.7%. Comparing the NPEV rates from the study and AFP surveillance of similar age and the same year of collection, there was no significant difference in NPEV case prevalence.The study identified a total of 19 different enterovirus serotypes with majority belonging to species Enterovirus B (EV-B). Conclusion The study was able to establish a baseline NPEV case prevalence of 24.7% among healthy children aged under 6 years old in three major urban sites in the Philippines. The high isolation of NPEV among healthy children signifies continuous fecal-oral transmission of enteroviruses in the community. Surveillance of other diseases caused by EVs, such as HFMD and meningitis is necessary in order to complete the picture of EV circulation in the Philippines.

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Prevalence of GSTT1, GSTM1 and NQO1 (609C>T) in Filipino children with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia)1

Bioscience Reports ◽

10.1042/bsr20070010 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 117-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Marilyn G. Rimando ◽

Mary N. Chua ◽

Ernesto d'J. Yuson ◽

Gloria de Castro-Bernas ◽

Takashi Okamoto

Keyword(s):

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukaemia ◽

Glutathione Transferase ◽

The Philippines ◽

Control Group ◽

Childhood Leukaemia ◽

Wild Type ◽

Significant Difference ◽

High Incidence ◽

Filipino Children

In the present paper, we examined the incidence of polymorphic genes involved with the detoxification of exogenous chemicals, including carcinogens, namely GSTT1 (glutathione transferase θ1), GSTM1 (glutathione transferase μ1) and NQO1 (NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1) in 60 Filipino children with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia). We found a significantly high incidence of the GSTM1 null genotype in ALL children (71.7%) compared with 51.7% in the control group of children (P<0.05). The GSTT1 null genotype was observed in 35.0% and 33.3% of the ALL cases and the control subjects respectively, with no significant difference. Screening for NQO1 (609C>T) mutant alleles showed a high incidence of the NQO1 C/C genotype (NQO1 homozygous wild-type allele genotype) in 60.0% of ALL cases and was significantly higher than in the control group (23.3%) (P<0.01). These GSTM1 null and NQO1 wild-type genotypes are independently associated with the risk of ALL in Filipino patients. When these two genotypes, GSTM1 null and NQO1 C/C, were combined, the hazard rate for childhood leukaemia was significantly increased (P<0.001). We also noticed that the incidences of GSTM1 null mutations and the NQO1 C/C genotype were significantly higher among Filipinos. These findings suggest a possible role of the GSTM1 null and NQO1 C/C genotypes in the susceptibility of paediatric ALL cases in the Philippines.

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Non-polio enteroviruses among healthy children aged zero to five (0-5) years old in the Philippines

10.21203/rs.2.13624/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Melissa Ann Jiao ◽

Lea Necitas Necitas Apostol ◽

Maricel de Quiroz-Castro ◽

Youngmee Jee ◽

Vito Roque ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Communities ◽

Foot And Mouth Disease ◽

The Philippines ◽

P Value ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Isolation Rate ◽

Wild Poliovirus ◽

Sample Management ◽

Afp Surveillance ◽

Stool Samples

Abstract Background One of the indicators of a properly functioning Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance is the proportion of stool samples in which non-polio enteroviruses (NPEV) are detected. Typically, this proportion is expected to be above 10% in tropical countries, however, the Philippines only averages 6.5% NPEV isolation rate. With continued threat of possible importation of wild poliovirus, the current NPEV rate prompted concerns about the quality of the AFP surveillance, in particular, stool sample management and transportation being performed in the field. To know whether the low NPEV rates gathered from AFP cases is a reflection of the true prevalence in the Philippines, a stool survey of healthy children 0-5 years old from three urban communities was conducted in 2015.Methods Two stool samples were collected from three hundred sixty healthy children. Virus isolation and Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed to identify enteroviruses in the samples. The results were compared to the prevalence and isolation rate among AFP cases the same year.Results Results show a prevalence of 24.7% which is higher than 12.4% prevalence rate among AFP cases the similar year. However, analysis of AFP cases between 0-5 years old showed prevalence of 20.8% (p-value 0.33) which is not significantly different when compared to the study.Conclusion This study supports the idea that the observed low NPEV rate in the country may be due to low number of NPEV prevalence. However, further investigations on all possible data sources for NPEV such as among hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), and aseptic meningitis cases, may be necessary to fully understand the occurrence of NPEVs in the country.

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The Governance Performance of Selected Barangays in Highly Urbanized City

Philippine Social Science Journal ◽

10.52006/main.v3i2.211 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 149-150

Author(s):

Michelle D. Monocay ◽

Maria Nove A. Mejica

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Social Services ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Potable Water ◽

Solid Waste Management ◽

The Philippines ◽

Environment Management ◽

Significant Difference ◽

High Incidence ◽

Different Levels

The Philippines has enacted several policies to continually elevate the performance of its governance. As such, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) designed a campaign to improve the delivery of services of the different levels of local government units (LGU). A highly urbanized city in the Province of Negros Occidental is a recipient of several recognitions. However, lingering issues such as high incidence of malnutrition, lack of access to potable water, excessive flooding due to drainage and sewerage problems, and several concerns in solid waste management implementation triggered questions on the eligibility of these awards. Thus, this study investigated the level of governance performance of selected barangays in the areas of social services, peace and order, disaster management, and environment management when taken as a whole and grouped according to income and population. Also, it sought to find out if a significant difference exists in the level of governance performance of the barangay councils when they are grouped mentioned demographics.

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Liver Elastography in Healthy Children Using Three Different Systems – How Many Measurements Are Necessary?

Ultraschall in der Medizin - European Journal of Ultrasound ◽

10.1055/a-1283-5906 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anders Batman Mjelle ◽

Anesa Mulabecirovic ◽

Roald Flesland Havre ◽

Edda Jonina Olafsdottir ◽

Odd Helge Gilja ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Shear Wave ◽

Transient Elastography ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Age Groups ◽

Liver Stiffness ◽

Shear Wave Elastography ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Pediatric Liver Disease ◽

Liver Elastography

Abstract Purpose Liver elastography is increasingly being applied in screening for and follow-up of pediatric liver disease, and has been shown to correlate well with fibrosis staging through liver biopsy. Because time is of the essence when examining children, we wanted to evaluate if a reliable result can be achieved with fewer acquisitions. Materials and Methods 243 healthy children aged 4–17 years were examined after three hours of fasting. Participants were divided into four age groups: 4–7 years; 8–11 years; 12–14 years and 15–17 years. Both two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE; GE Logiq E9) and point shear wave elastography (pSWE; Samsung RS80A with Prestige) were performed in all participants, while transient elastography (TE, Fibroscan) was performed in a subset of 87 children aged 8–17 years. Median liver stiffness measurement (LSM) values of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 acquisitions were compared with the median value of 10 acquisitions (reference standard). Comparison was performed for all participants together as well as within every specific age group. We investigated both the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with absolute agreement and all outliers more than 10 %, 20 % or ≥ 0.5 or 1.0 kPa from the median of 10 acquisitions. Results For all three systems there was no significant difference between three and ten acquisitions, with ICCs ≥ 0.97. All systems needed 4 acquisitions to achieve no LSM deviating ≥ 1.0 kPa of a median of ten. To achieve no LSM deviating ≥ 20 % of a median of ten acquisitions, pSWE and TE needed 4 acquisitions, while 2D-SWE required 6 acquisitions. Conclusion Our results contradict recommendations of 10 acquisitions for pSWE and TE and only 3 for 2D-SWE.

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Comparison of leucocyte profiles between healthy children and those with asymptomatic and symptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections

Malaria Journal ◽

10.1186/s12936-020-03435-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Diana Ahu Prah ◽

Linda Eva Amoah ◽

Matthew P. Gibbins ◽

Yaw Bediako ◽

Aubrey J. Cunnington ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Plasmodium Falciparum ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Parasite Load ◽

Study Groups ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Peripheral Cell ◽

Peripheral Blood Leucocyte ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Background The immune mechanisms that determine whether a Plasmodium falciparum infection would be symptomatic or asymptomatic are not fully understood. Several studies have been carried out to characterize the associations between disease outcomes and leucocyte numbers. However, the majority of these studies have been conducted in adults with acute uncomplicated malaria, despite children being the most vulnerable group. Methods Peripheral blood leucocyte subpopulations were characterized in children with acute uncomplicated (symptomatic; n = 25) or asymptomatic (n = 67) P. falciparum malaria, as well as malaria-free (uninfected) children (n = 16) from Obom, a sub-district of Accra, Ghana. Leucocyte subpopulations were enumerated by flow cytometry and correlated with two measures of parasite load: (a) plasma levels of P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) as a proxy for parasite biomass and (b) peripheral blood parasite densities determined by microscopy. Results In children with symptomatic P. falciparum infections, the proportions and absolute cell counts of total (CD3 +) T cells, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, CD19 + B cells and CD11c + dendritic cells (DCs) were significantly lower as compared to asymptomatic P. falciparum-infected and uninfected children. Notably, CD15 + neutrophil proportions and cell counts were significantly increased in symptomatic children. There was no significant difference in the proportions and absolute counts of CD14 + monocytes amongst the three study groups. As expected, measures of parasite load were significantly higher in symptomatic cases. Remarkably, PfHRP2 levels and parasite densities negatively correlated with both the proportions and absolute numbers of peripheral leucocyte subsets: CD3 + T, CD4 + T, CD8 + T, CD19 + B, CD56 + NK, γδ + T and CD11c + cells. In contrast, both PfHRP2 levels and parasite densities positively correlated with the proportions and absolute numbers of CD15 + cells. Conclusions Symptomatic P. falciparum infection is correlated with an increase in the levels of peripheral blood neutrophils, indicating a role for this cell type in disease pathogenesis. Parasite load is a key determinant of peripheral cell numbers during malaria infections.

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Investigation of TAGAP gene polymorphism (rs1738074) in Turkish pediatric celiac patients

Turkish Journal of Biochemistry ◽

10.1515/tjb-2020-0419 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Melek Pehlivan ◽

Tülay K. Ayna ◽

Maşallah Baran ◽

Mustafa Soyöz ◽

Aslı Ö. Koçyiğit ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pediatric Patients ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction Method ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Allele Specific ◽

And Control

Abstract Objectives There are several hypotheses on the effects of the rs1738074 T/C single nucleotide polymorphism in the TAGAP gene; however, there has been no study on Turkish pediatric patients. We aimed to investigate the association of celiac disease (CD) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) comorbidity with the polymorphism in the TAGAP gene of Turkish pediatric patients. Methods Totally, 127 pediatric CD patients and 100 healthy children were included. We determined the polymorphism by the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction method. We used IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0 and Arlequin 3.5.2 for the statistical analyses. The authors have no conflict of interest. Results It was determined that 72% (n=154) of only CD patients had C allele, whereas 28% (n=60) had T allele. Of the patients with celiac and T1DM, 42.5% (n=17) and 57.5% (n=23) had T and C alleles, respectively. Of the individuals in control group, 67% (n=134) had C allele, whereas 33% (n=66) had T allele. Conclusions There was no significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies between the patient and control groups (p>0.05). There was no significant association between the disease risk and the polymorphism in our study group.

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Does Diabetes Affect the Surgical Outcomes in Cases With Cervical Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament? A Multicenter Study From Asia Pacific Spine Study Group

Global Spine Journal ◽

10.1177/2192568221996300 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 219256822199630

Author(s):

Narihito Nagoshi ◽

Kota Watanabe ◽

Masaya Nakamura ◽

Morio Matsumoto ◽

Nan Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multicenter Study ◽

Surgical Outcomes ◽

Hemoglobin A1c ◽

Perioperative Complications ◽

Japanese Orthopaedic Association ◽

Posterior Longitudinal Ligament ◽

Asia Pacific ◽

C5 Palsy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

Study Design: Retrospective multicenter study. Objectives: To evaluate the surgical outcomes of cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Methods: Approximately 253 cervical OPLL patients who underwent surgical decompression with or without fixation were registered at 4 institutions in 3 Asian countries. They were followed up for at least 2 years. Demographics, imaging, and surgical information were collected, and cervical Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores and the visual analog scale (VAS) for the neck were used for evaluation. Results: Forty-seven patients had DM, showing higher hypertension and cardiovascular disease prevalence. Although they presented worse preoperative JOA scores than non-DM patients (10.5 ± 3.1 vs. 11.8 ± 3.2; P = 0.01), the former showed comparable neurologic recovery at the final follow-up (13.9 ± 2.9 vs. 14.2 ± 2.6; P = 0.41). No correlation was noted between the hemoglobin A1c level in the DM group and the pre- and postoperative JOA scores. No significant difference was noted in VAS scores between the groups at pre- and postsurgery. Regarding perioperative complications, DM patients presented a higher C5 palsy frequency (14.9% vs. 5.8%; P = 0.04). A similar trend was observed when surgical procedure was limited to laminoplasty. Conclusions: This is the first multicenter Asian study to evaluate the impact of DM on cervical OPLL patients. Surgical results were favorable even in DM cases, regardless of preoperative hemoglobin A1c levels or operative procedures. However, caution is warranted for the occurrence of C5 palsy after surgery.

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Thyroid Functions in Children on Levetiracetam or Valproic Acid Therapy

Journal of Pediatric Epilepsy ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1716916 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Elif Karatoprak ◽

Samet Paksoy

Keyword(s):

Valproic Acid ◽

Subclinical Hypothyroidism ◽

Control Group ◽

Thyroid Function Tests ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Control Groups ◽

Acid Therapy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Control ◽

Tsh Levels

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the thyroid functions in children receiving levetiracetam or valproate monotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed the records of children with controlled epilepsy receiving valproic acid (VPA group) or levetiracetam monotherapy (LEV group) for at least 6 months. Free thyroxine 4 levels (fT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were compared between VPA group, LEV group, and age- and gender-matched healthy children (control group). A total of 190 children were included in the study: 63 were in the VPA, 60 in the LEV, and 67 in the control group. Although there was no significant difference regarding average fT4 levels, higher TSH levels were found in the VPA group when compared with the LEV and control groups (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in terms of fT4 and TSH values in the LEV group when compared with the control group (p = 0.56 and p = 0.61, respectively). Subclinical hypothyroidism (defined as a TSH level above 5 uIU/mL with a normal fT4 level was detected in 16% of patients in the VPA group, none in the LEV and control groups. Our study found that VPA therapy is associated with an increased risk of subclinical hypothyroidism while LEV had no effect on thyroid function tests.

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Significance of nucleic acid positive anal swab in COVID-19 patients

Open Medicine ◽

10.1515/med-2021-0236 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 332-337

Author(s):

Xiaoli Li ◽

Lei Rong ◽

Peiyan Zhang ◽

Jian Xu ◽

Yan Rong

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Influence Factors ◽

Recovery Phase ◽

Negative Group ◽

Pharyngeal Swab ◽

Positive Group ◽

Oral Transmission ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Anal Swab

Abstract Aim We compared the clinical characteristics of patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive and negative anal swabs during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recovery and investigated the clinical significance and influence factors of anal swab detection. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed 23 moderate COVID-19 patients in the recovery phase. They were divided into anal swab positive group (n = 13) (negative for pharyngeal swabs but positive for anal swabs) and anal swab negative group (n = 10) (negative for pharyngeal and anal swabs). The epidemiology, clinical symptoms, time of pharyngeal swabs turning negative, and laboratory results were compared. Results The time of pharyngeal swabs turning negative in the anal swab positive group was 6 (5–8.5) days, significantly longer than that in the anal swab negative group (1 (1–4.25) days), P = 0.0002). The platelet count of the anal swab positive group was significantly lower than that of the anal swab negative group (198 (135–235) × 109/L vs 240.5 (227–264.75) × 109/L, P = 0.0248). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in other variables. Conclusions The time of pharyngeal swab turning negative in anal swab positive patients is longer than that in anal swab negative patients. The platelet count can be used as an indicator for viral infection evaluation. For patients with a longer time of pharyngeal swabs turning negative, the combined testing of the anal swab and platelet counts may help to avoid pharyngeal swab false negatives, premature discharge, and the possibility of fecal-oral transmission.

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Comparison of irinotecan and oxaliplatin as the first-line therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

BMC Cancer ◽

10.1186/s12885-021-07823-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sadayuki Kawai ◽

Nozomi Takeshima ◽

Yu Hayasaka ◽

Akifumi Notsu ◽

Mutsumi Yamazaki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Significant Heterogeneity ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

First Line ◽

Anti Vegf ◽

Significant Difference ◽

High Incidence

Abstract Background Irinotecan (IRI) and oxaliplatin (Ox) are standard therapeutic agents of the first-line treatments for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Previous meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed that treatment with Ox-based compared with IRI-based regimens was associated with better overall survival (OS). However, these reports did not include trials of molecular targeting agents and did not take methods for the administration of concomitant drugs, such as bolus or continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil, into account. A systematic literature review was performed to compare the efficacy and toxicity profiles between IRI- and Ox-based regimens as the first-line treatments for mCRC. Methods This meta-analysis used data from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and SCOPUS. The primary endpoint was OS, and the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events (AEs). Results Nineteen trials involving 4571 patients were included in the analysis. No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of OS, PFS, and ORR. There was no significant heterogeneity. Regarding ≥ grade 3 AEs, IRI-based regimens were associated with a high incidence of leukopenia, febrile neutropenia, and diarrhea. Moreover, there was a high incidence of thrombocytopenia and peripheral sensory neuropathy in patients who received Ox-based regimens. In a subgroup analysis, IRI combined with bevacizumab was correlated with a better PFS (HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.82–0.98, P = 0.02), but not with OS (pooled HR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.80–1.03, P = 0.15). Conclusion Although the safety profiles of IRI- and Ox-based regimens varied, their efficacy did not significantly differ. The combination of anti-VEGF antibody and IRI was associated with better PFS compared with anti-VEGF antibody and Ox. Both regimens could be used as the first-line treatments for mCRC with consideration of the patients’ condition or toxicity profiles.

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