Serological review of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana infection among Malaysian patients with unknown causes of febrile illnesses.

Limited information is available on human exposure to Bartonella infection, i.e., Bartonella henselae (causative agent of cat scratch disease) and Bartonella quintana (causative agent of trench fever) in West Malaysia. This study reports a review of serological findings obtained from patients attending to a teaching hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia. An indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was used to determine IgG and IgM antibody titers against B. henselae and B. quintana. In a pilot study conducted between 2013-2015, IgG antibodies against Bartonella spp. (either B. quintana and B. henselae) were detected in 14 (36.8%) of 38 patients who were clinically suspected of rickettsial infections, while IgM antibody was detected in 4 (10.5%) patients. This has prompted us to investigate the serologic responses of patients who were clinically suspected of other febrile causes besides rickettsial infection. Of the 59 serum samples analysed in a follow-up investigation, Bartonella IgG antibodies were detected from 7 (11.9%) patients, of which 5 (27.8%) and 2 (18.2%) patients were clinically suspected of rickettsial infection (n=18) and dengue (n=11), respectively. None of the sera obtained from the leptospirosis (n=10), legionellosis (n=10) and mycoplasma infection (n=10) groups were seropositive to Bartonella spp. The review of Bartonella serological findings in this study highlights that Bartonella infection is not uncommon and should be considered as one of the causes for febrile illness in Malaysia.

Serological review of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana infection among Malaysian patients with unknown causes of febrile illnesses

@#Limited information is available on human exposure to Bartonella infection, i.e., Bartonella henselae (causative agent of cat scratch disease) and Bartonella quintana (causative agent of trench fever) in West Malaysia. This study reports a review of serological findings obtained from patients attending to a teaching hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia. An indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was used to determine IgG and IgM antibody titers against B. henselae and B. quintana. In a pilot study conducted between 2013-2015, IgG antibodies against Bartonella spp. (either B. quintana and B. henselae) were detected in 14 (36.8%) of 38 patients who were clinically suspected of rickettsial infections, while IgM antibody was detected in 4 (10.5%) patients. This has prompted us to investigate the serologic responses of patients who were clinically suspected of other febrile causes besides rickettsial infection. Of the 59 serum samples analysed in a follow-up investigation, Bartonella IgG antibodies were detected from 7 (11.9%) patients, of which 5 (27.8%) and 2 (18.2%) patients were clinically suspected of rickettsial infection (n=18) and dengue (n=11), respectively. None of the sera obtained from the leptospirosis (n=10), legionellosis (n=10) and mycoplasma infection (n=10) groups were seropositive to Bartonella spp. The review of Bartonella serological findings in this study highlights that Bartonella infection is not uncommon and should be considered as one of the causes for febrile illness in Malaysia.

[Effect of autoflation on the prognosis of otitis media with effusion in children].

Objective: To investigate the effect of autoinflation on the prognosis of OME in children. Methods: Total of 325 pediatric patients, age ranged from 3 to 8 years, with OME(486 ears)diagnosed in our department from January 2019 to January 2020 were collected. Among them, 177 were males, 148 were females. Disease course ranged from 25 to 86 days. According to watchful waiting and autoinflation application during follow-up, these children were divided into two groups including 183 cases(271 ears) and 142 cases(215 ears), respectively. The average auditory threshold and tympanogram curve type in two groups were analyzed in the period of 3 months follow-up, and the recovery of OME was evaluated. Results: At the end of 1- and 2- month follow-up, the auditory threshold of patients in autoinflation group was significantly lower than that in watchful waiting group (t=2.139 5 and 2.680 6, P<0.05). However, at the end of 3- month follow-up, there was no significant difference between two groups (t=1.158 5, P>0.05). At the end of 1-, 2- and 3- month follow-up, 89 (33%, 89/271), 200 (74%, 200/271), 220 (81%, 220/271) and 176 (82%, 176/215), 178 (83%, 178/215), 183 (85%, 183/215) ears in watchful waiting group and autoinflation group had a hearing threshold <20 dB HL, respectively, in which ears with auditory threshold<20 dB HL in watchful waiting group were significantly less than those in autoinflation group at the end of 1 and 2 month follow-up (P<0.05), However, ears with auditory threshold<20 dB HL in watchful waiting group were not significantly different from that in the autoflation group at the end of 3- month follow-up (P>0.05). The proportion of ears with type A tympanogram curve was 74%(159/215), 79%(170/215), and 85%(183/215) at the end of 1-, 2- and 3- month follow-up in autoinflation group and 36%(98/271), 71%(192/271) and 76%(206/271) in watchful waiting group, respectively. Proportion of ears with type A tympanogram curve in autoflation group was significantly higher than that in watchful waiting group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Autoinflation can improve the hearing of children with OME in early stage, restore normal middle ear pressure, increase recovery rate, and reduce the choice of surgical treatment of OME.

Molecular detection of Bartonella spp. in Malaysian small flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus).

Bartonella spp. are emerging zoonotic pathogens responsible for a wide variety of clinical syndromes in humans. Bats have been increasingly reported as reservoirs for Bartonella spp. In this study, molecular investigation showed the presence of Bartonella DNA in two of 30 blood samples of Malaysian small flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus). Two strains (Bartonella sp. KS013a and KS013b) were isolated from a PCR-positive blood sample after five days of incubation on blood agar. Based on the dendrogram constructed from 16S rRNA gene sequences, the two strains were genetically most closely related to ruminant associated Bartonella spp. Both strains are regarded as potentially novel Bartonella species as their citrate synthase (gltA) sequences exhibit less than 96% similarities to all previously identified Bartonella spp. Additionally, high gltA sequence similarity was observed between the strains with that reported from a bat fly (Cyclopodia horsfieldi) collected from P. hypomelanus. Possible transmission of Bartonella infection through bat flies and the impact of the infection in P. hypomelanus are yet to be investigated.

[The function of Kölliker's organ in mammalian cochlear].

Kölliker's organ, which is a transient structure of cochlea during development, in late embryonic and early postnatal period, is one of the signs of cochlear immaturity.Kölliker's organ degradates after the sensory structures become sensitive to external sound. The putative role of Kölliker's organ is important for generating the intrinsic spontaneous activity whichpromotes the development and maturation of a fully functional auditory system.

[Experimental study on effect of sanmiao mixture capsules on prostate hyperplasia in mice and rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Sanmiao Mixture Capsules(SMC) on prostate hyperplasia in mice and rats. METHOD: The model of prostate hyperplasia was made by injecting testosterone propionate in to male mice(5 g.kg-1.d-1, 21 d) and rats(3 g.kg-1.d-1, 14 d). The treated group was administered SMC(mice: 36.3 g.kg-1 and 18.2 g.kg-1; rats: 25.2 g.kg-1 and 12.6 g.kg-1), the normal control group 1.9 g.kg-1, and the model control group NS. hours after the last administration serum tests were carried out on E2, AKP and Zn2+. Then the animals were killed, prostates taken out and weighed, index of prostate was calculated and pathological examination performed. RESULT: In the SMC treated group, the prostate weight and index were lowered(P < 0.01) the mean activation of E2 was raised, and the mean concentration of AKP and Zn2+ was inhibited (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: SMC are helpful in checking prostate hyperplasia in mice and rats, the mechanism being probably related to the raising of activation of E2 as well as to the inhibition of concentration of AKP and Zn2+.