Quality of stroke guidelines in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify gaps in national stroke guidelines that could be bridged to enhance the quality of stroke care services in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: We systematically searched medical databases and websites of medical societies and contacted international organizations. Country-specific guidelines on care and control of stroke in any language published from 2010 to 2020 were eligible for inclusion. We reviewed each included guideline for coverage of four key components of stroke services (surveillance, prevention, acute care and rehabilitation). We also assessed compliance with the eight Institute of Medicine standards for clinical practice guidelines, the ease of implementation of guidelines and plans for dissemination to target audiences. FINDINGS: We reviewed 108 eligible guidelines from 47 countries, including four low-income, 24 middle-income and 19 high-income countries. Globally, fewer of the guidelines covered primary stroke prevention compared with other components of care, with none recommending surveillance. Guidelines on stroke in low- and middle-income countries fell short of the required standards for guideline development; breadth of target audience; coverage of the four components of stroke services; and adaptation to socioeconomic context. Fewer low- and middle-income country guidelines demonstrated transparency than those from high-income countries. Less than a quarter of guidelines encompassed detailed implementation plans and socioeconomic considerations. CONCLUSION: Guidelines on stroke in low- and middle-income countries need to be developed in conjunction with a wider category of health-care providers and stakeholders, with a full spectrum of translatable, context-appropriate interventions.

Genome-wide association studies of tuberculosis in Asians identify distinct at-risk locus for young tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most devastating chronic infectious diseases, but the role of host genetics in disease development after infection in this disease remains unidentified. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in Thais and Japanese were carried out and separately analyzed, attempted replication, then, combined by meta-analysis were not yielding any convincing association evidences; these results suggested that moderate to high effect-size genetic risks are not existed for TB per se. Because of failure in replication attempt of the top 50 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified form meta-analysis data, we empirically split TB cases into young TB case/control data sets (GWAS-T(young)=137/295 and GWAS-J(young)=60/249) and old TB case/control data sets (GWAS-T(old)=300/295 and GWAS-J(old)=123/685), re-analyzed GWAS based on age-stratified data and replicated the significant findings in two independent replication samples (young TB; Rep-T(young)=155/249, Rep-J(young)=41/462 and old TB; Rep-T(old)=212/187, Rep-J(old)=71/619). GWAS and replication studies conducted in young TB identified at-risk locus in 20q12. Although the locus is located in inter-genic region, the nearest genes (HSPEP1-MAFB) from this locus are promising candidates for TB susceptibility. This locus was also associated with anti-TNF responsiveness, drug with increased susceptibility for TB. Moreover, eight SNPs in an old TB meta-analysis and six SNPs in young TB meta-analysis provided replication evidences but did not survive genome-wide significance.These findings suggest that host genetic risks for TB are affected by age at onset of TB, and this approach may accelerate the identification of the major host factors that affect TB in human populations.

Rapid and sensitive detection of Laem-Singh virus by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with a lateral flow dipstick.

Laem-Singh virus (LSNV) was discovered recently in Thailand in farmed Giant Tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) displaying signs of slow growth syndrome. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) allows DNA to be amplified rapidly at a constant temperature. Here a reverse transcription (RT)-LAMP method was combined with a chromatographic lateral-flow dipstick (LFD) to detect LSNV RNA rapidly and specifically. The reaction was optimized at 65°C for 30 min and amplified DNA hybridized to an FITC-labeled oligonucleotide probe for 5 min was detected at LFD test line 5 min after application. Including 10 min for rapid RNA extraction, test results could be generated within 1h and did not require electrophoresis. Compared to an existing RT-PCR method, the RT-LAMP-LFD was also ∼1000-fold more sensitive in detecting LSNV RNA.

Determination of HIV type 1 CRF01_AE gag p17 and env-V3 consensus sequences for HIV/AIDS vaccine design.

A molecular epidemiological study of the gag p17 and env-V3 regions on HIV-infected drug users and blood donors was carried out in northern Thailand from 1998 through 2002 to determine the predominant subtype and consensus sequence (CS) for circulating HIV-1 strains. CRF01_AE was concluded to be a predominant strain and the nucleotide CSs in gag p17 and env-V3 showed only 1.26% and no difference from CS in the Los Alamos database, respectively. Our env-V3 CS was identical to the previously published CSs, suggesting that the CS was very conserved from 1990 through 2002 in Thailand. Gag p17 and env-V3 nucleotide sequences of seroconvertors in our subjects were quite similar to the CS and conserved for at least 9 and 6 years postinfection, respectively. These results suggest that the CS approach to the HIV-1 antigen design could overcome HIV diversity and help us develop an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine.

Detection of hepatopancreatic parvovirus in Thai shrimp Penaeus monodon by in situ hybridization, dot blot hybridization and PCR amplification.

Hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV) infects the hepatopancreas in penaeid shrimp and retards their growth. The DNA sequence of HPV from Thai shrimp Penaeus monodon (HPVmon) differs from HPV of Penaeus chinensis (HPVchin) by approximately 30%. In spite of this difference, commercial PCR primers (DiagXotics) developed from HPVchin to yield a 350 bp PCR product do give a 732 bp product with HPVmon DNA template. On the other hand, the sensitivity of HPVmon detection with these primers and with hybridization probes designed for HPVchin is significantly lower than it is with HPVchin. To improve sensitivity for HPVmon detection, we used the sequence of the 732 bp HPVmon PCR amplicon described above to develop specific PCR primers (H441F and H441R) and hybridization probe. The primers could detect as little as 1 fg of purified HPVmon DNA while the 441 bp digoxygenin-labeled PCR product gave strong, specific reactions with in situ hybridization and with hybridization blots. In contrast, negative results were obtained using DNA from all other pathogens tested and from DNA of P. monodon. Supernatant solution from boiled, fresh shrimp fecal and postlarval samples homogenized in 0.025% NaOH/0.0125% SDS could be used to detect as little as 0.1 pg HPVmon DNA by the PCR reaction. By dot blot hybridization, a visible signal was obtained with purified HPVmon DNA at 0.01 pg, but detection in spiked feces and postlarval samples was only 1 and 0.1 pg, respectively.