Association of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines with Vitamin D in Hashimoto's Thyroid Autoimmune Disease.

Background and objectives: Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an important autoimmune thyroid condition. It is characterized by lymphocytic congestion of the thyroid gland followed by progressive deterioration and fibrous substitution of the thyroid in the parenchymal structure. This study has provided insight into the variations of blood pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with Hashimoto's disease and the key role of vitamin D levels among selected patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 144 participants including healthy controls and patients were studied in the current study in which 118 were female and 26 were male. The thyroid profile was evaluated in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and healthy controls. Results: The mean ± SD Free T4 in the patients was recorded as 14.0 ± 4.9 pg/mL, and TSH was 7.6 ± 2.5 IU/L, whereas the median ± IQR thyroglobulin antibodies (anti-TG) were 285 ± 142. Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO) were 160 ± 63.5, whereas in the healthy controls, the mean ± SD Free T4 was recorded as 17.2 ± 2.1 pg/mL, and TSH was 2.1 ± 1.4 IU/L, whereas the median ± IQR anti-TGs were 56.30 ± 46.06, and anti-TPO was 5.6 ± 5.12. The assessment of pro-inflammatory cytokines (pg/mL) and total Vitamin D levels (nmol/L) in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis was recorded with values IL-1B 6.2 ± 0.8, IL-6 9.4 ± 0.4, IL-8 7.5 ± 0.5, IL-10 4.3 ± 0.1, IL-12 3.8 ± 0.5, TNF-α 7.6 ± 1.1, and total vitamin D 21.89 ± 3.5, whereas in healthy controls the mean ± SD IL-1B was 0.6 ± 0.1, IL-6 2.6 ± 0.5, IL-8 3.0 ± 1.2, IL-10 3.3 ± 1.3, IL-12 3.4 ± 0.4, TNF-α 1.4 ± 0.3 and total vitamin D was 42.26 ± 5.5. Conclusions: It was found that individuals with Hashimoto's thyroiditis had raised serum levels of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-α as compared to the healthy controls, whereas the total vitamin D levels were remarkably low as compared to health controls. Serum TSH, anti-TG, and anti-TPO levels were typically lower in controls and much higher in individuals with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The current study's findings might aid in future studies and in the diagnosis and management of autoimmune thyroid disease.

A novel method development and validation for determination of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene and its metabolites on LC-MS/MS.

LC-MS/MS has recently emerged as the best practice for simultaneous analysis of 2, 4, 6 Trinitrotoluene (TNT) and its metabolites. We have developed and validated an LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of 2, 4, 6 Trinitrotoluene (TNT) and its metabolites 4-ADNT, 2-ADNT, 2,4-DNT, and 2,6-DNT in urine samples. These four metabolites were acid hydrolyzed using 1 mL of urine followed by extraction using n-Hexane and ethyl acetate as an extracting solvent. Separation was achieved by centrifugation, and the supernatant was dried under nitrogen, reconstituted with water and acetonitrile, and then filtered. Chromatographic separation was achieved on Agilent Poroshel 120 EC-C18 column (2.1 mm × 75 mm × 2.7 µm) utilizing two mobile phases 0.1% formic acid in water and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile in gradient flow. The validated AMR of TNT and its metabolites was 7.8-1000 ng/mL. The method showed an excellent correlation (>0.99) for TNT and its metabolites. Accuracy and within/between day precision of TNT and its metabolites were within ±15%. The integrity of diluted samples was maintained for each dilution factor. The method was found stable after storage and freeze-thaw cycle. The presented method can be used for TNT screening in occupationally exposed ordnance factory workers.

Are smoking restrictions at public venues and psychosocial beliefs associated with intentions to quit smoking among smokers in Malaysia?

The Malaysian government reinforced smoking restrictions at public venues to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. This study examined whether smokers' reports about smoking restrictions and psychosocial beliefs were associated with quit intentions among Malaysian smokers. Data from 1047 cigarette smokers (103 females and 944 males) aged 18 and older from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Malaysia Wave 1 Survey were analyzed with bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models. Most Malaysian smokers (85.2%) reported having quit intentions. Smoking was completely restricted in 34.8% of the nighttime venues, 85.3% of air-conditioned (AC) food and beverage (F&B) venues (restaurants, food courts, coffee shops), 87.3% of non-AC F&B, and 69.4% of indoor workplaces. Smokers who visited nighttime entertainment venues where smoking was fully restricted were less likely to have quit intentions. There was no significant association found with quit intentions for smokers who visited AC and non-AC F&B venues and indoor workplaces where smoking was fully restricted. All five psychosocial beliefs assessed, age, and education were positively associated with quit intentions. Malaysian smokers are interested in quitting and psychosocial beliefs were positively associated with quit intentions. There is a need for the Malaysian government to implement and reinforce comprehensive smoking restrictions in all public venues and indoor workplaces to protect nonsmokers from SHS exposure and to encourage smokers to think about quitting, which may influence their quit intentions.

Differential expression of cancer associated plasma miRNAs in the ordnance factory workers, exposed to 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene.

Objectives: To determine differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in plasma of 2, 4, 6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) exposed ordnance factory workers. Methods: A case control study was conducted at the Department of Toxicology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi from July to December 2020. A total 30 subjects were recruited from an ordnance factory that were directly exposed to TNT and 120 non-exposed individuals from non-factory healthy population. Plasma levels of five miRNAs including miRNA-let-7a-2, miRNA-34a-1, miRNA-21-2, miRNA-106b-1, miRNA-122a-1 were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Micro RNAs showed a wide range of Ct (cycle threshold) values ranging from 23.48 to 41.94. Among the five miRNAs let-7a-2 and miRNA-122a-1 displayed relatively high expression with Ct values ranging from 26.58 ± 2.25 to 27.18 ± 0.80 respectively. Relative fold change expression for all five miRNAs of exposed individuals were found high (p <0.0001) vs non-exposed. Dividing fold change expression of exposed individuals into two groups as ≤ 10 and > 10, the individuals having ≤ 10-fold change expression were19 (63.3%) in miRNA-let-7a-2, 30 (100%) in miRNA-34a-1 and 23 (76.7%) in miRNA-122a-1 while in miRNA-21-2 and miR-106b-1, 23 (76.7%) and 18(60%) individuals had > 10-fold change expression respectively. Among the five miRNAs in exposed individuals, miRNA-let-7a-2, miR-21-2, miR-106b-1 and miR-122a-1 were found highly expressed with fold change expression > 10 (p <0.0001). No significant association was found between miRNAs expression levels with age and working duration. Conclusion: The study shows upregulation of all five miRNAs in TNT exposed subjects with no significant association of expression levels with age and working duration.

The risk and associated factors of methamphetamine psychosis in methamphetamine-dependent patients in Malaysia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the risk of lifetime and current methamphetamine-induced psychosis in patients with methamphetamine dependence. The association between psychiatric co-morbidity and methamphetamine-induced psychosis was also studied. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted concurrently at a teaching hospital and a drug rehabilitation center in Malaysia. Patients with the diagnosis of methamphetamine based on DSM-IV were interviewed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) for methamphetamine-induced psychosis and other Axis I psychiatric disorders. The information on sociodemographic background and drug use history was obtained from interview or medical records. RESULTS: Of 292 subjects, 47.9% of the subjects had a past history of psychotic symptoms and 13.0% of the patients were having current psychotic symptoms. Co-morbid major depressive disorder (OR=7.18, 95 CI=2.612-19.708), bipolar disorder (OR=13.807, 95 CI=5.194-36.706), antisocial personality disorder (OR=12.619, 95 CI=6.702-23.759) and heavy methamphetamine uses were significantly associated with lifetime methamphetamine-induced psychosis after adjusted for other factors. Major depressive disorder (OR=2.870, CI=1.154-7.142) and antisocial personality disorder (OR=3.299, 95 CI=1.375-7.914) were the only factors associated with current psychosis. CONCLUSION: There was a high risk of psychosis in patients with methamphetamine dependence. It was associated with co-morbid affective disorder, antisocial personality, and heavy methamphetamine use. It is recommended that all cases of methamphetamine dependence should be screened for psychotic symptoms.

Empowering Malaysian dentists to tobacco dependence treatment conduct.

As a signatory to the World Health Organisation 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Malaysia has policies in place and funded 300 public Quit clinics. Unfortunately, government dentists are not included to run tobacco dependence treatment. A cross-sectional exploratory survey was carried out to seek Malaysian dentists' opinion on their knowledge, perception and willingness to conduct tobacco dependence treatment. Participation was voluntary from those who attended a specially designed one-day, four-module workshop on tobacco cessation intervention. Data were collected using the Audience-Response-System equipment which tracked immediate responses covering four domains namely: smoking as a public health problem, smoking as an addiction, the role of dentists in the programme and confidence in conducting smoking cessation in the clinic. Sample comprised more female dentists (73.5%), mean age 33.6 (SD 8.99) years and with more than 3 years working experience. Findings indicated that the majority agreed Malaysia has a rising problem in the prevalence of smoking (71.6%) and predicted that it will affect mostly the young (81.9%). Only half of the dentists surveyed (58.9%) routinely recorded their patients' smoking habits. The majority (71.6%) believed that dentists are effective in helping their patient to stop smoking and 76.3% agreed that dentists should discuss the smoking habit with their patients; however, 60% agreed that doing so is too time consuming. In addition, only 24.7% knew of more ways to treat a smoking habit. The majority felt comfortable giving advice to patients about changing their habits (76.5%) or discussing treatment options (60.5%): 75% would opt for a combined programme of counselling and use of medication if they have to do, 15% would choose to go on counselling only, while 8% did not want to treat. In conclusion, the findings suggest that dentists have a strong potential to contribute significantly to providing smoking cessation treatment if adequately trained.

The feasibility and efficacy of the group-based therapy for smoking cessation in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco epidemic is a global public health concern, killing more than 8 million people annually. Individual therapy is the standard of care of behavioral intervention for smoking cessation in Malaysia and group-based therapy for smoking cessation is an alternative to behavioral intervention commonly used in the western population effectively. The study explored the feasibility and efficacy of group-based therapy for smoking cessation for smokers who want to quit smoking at a quit smoking clinic and community centers in an urban setting in Malaysia. METHODS: A total of 40 participants who were active smokers and fulfilled the criteria were recruited for the study at the quit smoking clinic. Participants were given behavioral support based on the GBT-M module and individually for 7 weeks with both groups receiving behavioral intervention plus pharmacotherapy. RESULTS: The median age of participants was 48 years for individual therapy and 45 years for group therapy. Group-based therapy was comparable to individual therapy in smoking abstinence outcome at 4 weeks post quit date (35% vs 30%). CONCLUSIONS: Group-based therapy was equally effective compared to individual therapy, similar to the western population. Using a group format should allow more people to be treated by a therapist, and therefore could be more cost-effective. Group-based therapy is an option to be included as part of the smoking cessation program in Malaysia.

Prevalence and perceptions of flavour capsule cigarettes among adults who smoke in Brazil, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Mexico: findings from the ITC surveys.

INTRODUCTION: The global market of flavour capsule cigarettes (FCCs) has grown significantly over the past decade; however, prevalence data exist for only a few countries. This study examined prevalence and perceptions of FCCs among adults who smoke across five countries. METHODS: Cross-sectional data among adults who smoked cigarettes came from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project Surveys-Brazil (2016/2017), Japan (2021), Republic of Korea (2021), Malaysia (2020) and Mexico (2021). FCCs use was measured based on reporting one's usual/current brand or favourite variety has flavour capsule(s). Perceptions of the harmfulness of one's usual brand versus other brands were compared between those who used capsules versus no capsules. Adjusted logistic regression models examined correlates of FCC use. RESULTS: There were substantial differences in the prevalence of FCC use among adults who smoke across the five countries: Mexico (50.3% in 2021), Republic of Korea (31.8% in 2021), Malaysia (26.5% in 2020), Japan (21.6% in 2021) and Brazil (6.7% in 2016/2017). Correlates of FCC use varied across countries. Capsule use was positively associated with being female in Japan and Mexico, younger age in Japan, Republic of Korea and Malaysia, high education in Brazil, Japan and Mexico, non-daily smoking in Republic of Korea, and having plans to quit in Japan and Republic of Korea. There was no consistent pattern of consumer perceptions of brand harmfulness. CONCLUSION: Our study documented the high prevalence of FCCs in some countries, pointing to the need to develop and implement regulatory strategies to control these attractive products.

Prevalence and reasons for use of heated tobacco products among Malaysian adults who smoked: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control Malaysia Survey.

INTRODUCTION: There have been rapid expansions in heated tobacco products (HTPs) outside of Japan and the Republic of Korea. In November 2018, HTPs were first introduced in Malaysia and since then, no studies have been conducted on Malaysians' use of HTPs. This study is the first to examine the prevalence of HTP use and reasons for use among Malaysian adults who smoked cigarettes. METHODS: Data came from the 2020 ITC Malaysia Survey, a web-based survey of a nationally representative sample of adults who smoked (n=1047) aged 18 and older. They were asked on ever heard of, ever used, and currently using HTPs, and their reasons for using HTPs. RESULTS: Overall, 25.4% (n= 324; 95% CI:22.3%-28.7%) of Malaysians who smoked reported ever used HTPs with 6.7% (n=85; 95% CI:22.3%-28.7%) were using them daily and 8.1% (n=110; 95% CI:6.4% -10.2%) were using HTPs non-daily. Most of them (57.2%) who dual use were of aged 25-39 and 97.3% were males. Among those who smoked daily, almost half (49.3%) were also using HTP daily. Among those who used HTPs daily and non-daily, curiosity (84.2%, 95% CI:78.4%-90.0%), taste (83.2%, 95% CI:77.3%-89.1%), and appealing technology (78.5%, 95% CI:71.3%-85.6%) were the most reported reasons. Among those who used HTPs daily, curiosity was the top reason (87.9%, 95% CI:78.9%-93.4%), while among non-daily, taste good was the top reason (81.9%, 95% CI:71.9%-88.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The very high use of HTPs among Malaysians who smoked requires continued public health surveillance that can inform the regulation of these novel tobacco products.

Methods of the 2020 (Wave 1) International Tobacco Control (ITC) Malaysia survey.

The ITC Malaysia Project is part of the 31-country ITC Project, of which the central objective is to evaluate the impact of tobacco control policies of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This article describes the methods used in the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Malaysia (MYS1) Survey. Adult smokers and non-smokers aged ≥18 years in Malaysia were recruited by a commercial survey firm from its online panel. Survey weights, accounting for smoking status, sex, age, education, and region of residence, were calibrated to the Malaysian 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey. The survey questions were identical or functionally similar to those used in other ITC countries. Questions included demographic measures, patterns of use, quit history, intentions to quit, risk perceptions, beliefs and attitudes about cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products. Questions also assessed measures assessing the impact of tobacco demand-reduction domains of the FCTC: price/tax (Article 6), smoke-free laws (Article 8), health warnings (Article 11), education, communication and public awareness (Article 12), advertising, promotion, and sponsorship restrictions (Article 13), and support for cessation (Article 14). The total sample size was 1253 (1047 cigarette smokers and 206 non-smokers). Response rate was 11.3%, but importantly, the cooperation rate was 95.3%. The 2020 ITC MYS1 Survey findings will provide evidence on current tobacco control policies and evidence needed by Malaysian government regulatory agencies to develop new or strengthen existing tobacco control efforts that could help achieve Malaysia's endgame, i.e. a tobacco-free nation by 2040.

E-cigarette prevalence among Malaysian adults and types and flavors of e-cigarette products used by cigarette smokers who vape: Findings from the 2020 ITC Malaysia Survey.

INTRODUCTION: E-cigarettes (ECs) have become increasingly common in many countries, including Malaysia. The prevalence of EC use increased in Malaysia from 0.8% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2019. Three quarters of Malaysian EC users also smoke combustible cigarettes, and the prevalence of EC use among Malaysian smokers in 2014 was consistent with the prevalence of use among smokers from Canada and the US in 2016. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of EC use among Malaysian adults aged ≥18 years in 2020 and the types of EC products and flavors used by cigarette smokers who also used ECs at least monthly. METHODS: Data came from 1253 adults aged ≥18 years who participated in the 2020 International Tobacco Control Malaysia Wave 1 Survey. Weighted descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of adults who reported ever using ECs and the prevalence who used ECs either monthly, weekly, or daily. The types of EC products and flavors used were compared by frequency of EC use among current smokers who used ECs at least monthly (n=459). RESULTS: Overall, 5.4% (95% CI: 3.7-7.5) of Malaysian adults reported using ECs on a daily basis in 2020. Among current cigarette smokers who used ECs daily, 81.0% (95% CI: 72.5-87.7) used nicotine in their ECs, 46.2% (95% CI: 37.8-54.7) used pre-filled ECs, and 60.4% (95% CI: 51.9-68.6) reported being somewhat/very addicted to ECs. The most common EC flavors were fruit, coffee, and menthol/ mint. CONCLUSIONS: Continued surveillance of EC use is necessary to monitor EC use in non-tobacco using populations while longitudinal research is needed to determine the extent to which ECs are, or are not, related to quitting smoking.

Reasons for using e-cigarettes and support for e-cigarette regulations: Findings from the 2020 ITC Malaysia Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Malaysia has the largest e-cigarette (EC) market in Southeast Asia, and it has been estimated that 17% of adult daily cigarette smokers also used ECs on a daily basis in 2020. However, few studies have examined the reasons people use ECs in Malaysia. This cross-sectional study of adult cigarette smokers from Malaysia assessed reasons for EC use and their support for key proposed EC regulations. METHODS: Data are from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Malaysia Wave 1 Survey of adult (aged ≥18 years) smokers who reported that they used ECs at least monthly (N=459 out of 1047 smokers). Weighted analyses were conducted on EC users' reasons for using ECs and their support for various EC regulations. RESULTS: Smokers who used ECs at least monthly were more likely to be male, aged 25-39 years, of Malay ethnicity, married, more highly educated, and living in Peninsular Malaysia. Smokers who used ECs daily reported using ECs to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked (91.3%), pleasant taste (90.1%), to quit smoking (87.9%), and enjoyment (87.5%). Smokers who used ECs less than daily reported using ECs for their pleasant taste (weekly 89.4%, monthly 87.5%), curiosity (weekly 79.5%, monthly 88.8%), being offered EC by someone (weekly 76.3%, monthly 81.6%), and to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked (weekly 76.2%, monthly 77.6%). Smokers who also used ECs were most likely to support EC regulations requiring a minimum purchasing age (88.3%) and limiting nicotine concentration (79.6%), and least likely to support regulations banning EC fruit and candy flavors (27.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The most prevalent reasons for using ECs in Malaysia are comparable to those of other ITC countries, including Canada, US, England, and Australia. An understanding of use patterns of ECs, especially their interaction with cigarettes, are important in developing evidence-based regulations in Malaysia.

A systematic review of group therapy programs for smoking cessation in Asian countries.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco causes more than 8 million deaths each year. Behavioral interventions such as group therapy, which provides counselling for smoking cessation, can be delivered in group form and smokers who receive cessation counselling are more likely to quit smoking compared to no assistance. We review the evidence of group-based counselling for smoking cessation for smokers in Asian countries. METHODS: The review aims to determine the availability of group-based therapy for smoking cessation in Asian countries. The outcome measured was abstinence from smoking following group therapy. Electronic database searches in PubMed, OVID Medline, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO, using keywords such as: 'smoking', 'cigarette', 'tobacco', 'nicotine', 'group therapy' and 'cessation' (smok*, *cigarette*, tobacco, nicotine, group therap*, cessation) were used. The results were reported following PRISMA and PROSPERO guidelines. Review Manager was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 21251 records were retrieved for screening the abstracts. In all, 300 articles for review were identified and assessed for eligibility. Nine articles, including Cochrane reviews, randomized control trials, cohort, observational and cross-sectional studies, were included in the final review. There were three observational qualitative studies, two prospective cohort studies, two crosssectional studies, one non-randomized quasi-experimental study and a single cluster-randomized, controlled trial. Group therapy was found to significantly increase the abstinence rate. Group therapy provided at the workplace, smoking cessation services, availability of pharmacotherapy, and socioeconomic status, appear to be key factors determining success. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of the use of group therapy for smoking cessation in Asian countries is still lacking despite publications in the Western population showed that group therapy was effective. Further research on group-based interventions for smoking cessation in Asian countries is required and direct one-to-one comparisons between group therapy and individual therapy for smokers who want to quit smoking, are needed.

The Usage of Antibiotics by COVID-19 Patients with Comorbidities: The Risk of Increased Antimicrobial Resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health issue that plays a significant role in morbidity and mortality, especially in immunocompromised patients. It also becomes a serious threat to the successful treatment of many bacterial infections. The widespread and irrelevant use of antibiotics in hospitals and local clinics is the leading cause of AMR. Under this scenario, the study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, from 2 August 2021 to 31 October 2021 to discover the prevalence of bacterial infections and AMR rates in COVID-19 patients admitted in surgical intensive care units (SICUs). Clinical samples were collected from the patients and we proceeded to identify bacterial isolates, followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The data of other comorbidities were also collected from the patient's medical record. The current study showed that the most common pathogens were E. coli (32%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (17%). Most E. coli were resistant to ciprofloxacin (16.8%) and ampicillin (19.8%). Klebsiella pneumoniae were more resistant to ampicillin (13.3%) and amoxycillin (12.0%). The most common comorbidity was chronic kidney disease (CKD) and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Around 17 different types of antibiotic, the carbapenem, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycoside, and quinolones, were highly prevalent in ICU patients. The current study provides valuable data on the clinical implication of antibiotics consumed by COVID-19 patients in SICUs and the AMR rates, especially with different comorbidities.

An Open-Label, Head to Head Comparison Study between Prucalopride and Lactulose for Clozapine Induced Constipation in Patients with Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia.

Clozapine remains as the gold standard for the management of treatment resistant schizophrenia. Nevertheless, mortality and morbidity associated with Clozapine is partly contributed by its adverse effect of constipation in view of its prominent anticholinergic properties. Despite the evidence that approximately 60% of patients on Clozapine will experience constipation, there is no proper guideline as to the best laxative in the treatment of Clozapine induced constipation. Hence this study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Prucalopride and Lactulose in the treatment of Clozapine induced constipation. This was a four week, prospective, open-label head to head comparison study between Prucalopride and Lactulose in the treatment of Clozapine induced constipation. Male and female patients on Clozapine between the age of 18-60 with an established diagnosis of treatment resistant schizophrenia with ≤2 spontaneous complete bowel movement per week were recruited in this study. Eligible patients were assigned into two groups. Patients received Prucalopride 2 mg once daily or Lactulose 10 g once daily for four weeks. Efficacy was analyzed in 58 patients. The proportion of patient with ≥3 spontaneous complete bowel movement (SCBM) was higher in the Prucalopride 2 mg group, reaching significance at Week 4 with p-value of (p = 0.029). The proportion of patient with ≥3 SCBM at Week 1 was 71.4% in the Prucalopride 2 mg group and 60% in the Lactulose 10 g group. The proportion of patient with ≥3 SCBM at Week 4 was 85.7% in the Prucalopride 2 mg group and the proportion remained at 60% in the Lactulose 10 g group. The improvement in the dissatisfaction and treatment satisfaction subscales of the patient assessment of constipation-quality of life (PAC-QOL) were higher in the Prucalopride 2 mg group compared to the Lactulose 10 g group. The common adverse events associated with Prucalopride 2 mg were abdominal pain and loose stools which was transient and subsided within a few days. Over four weeks, in this population of patients with Clozapine induced constipation, Prucalopride 2 mg significantly improved the bowel movement and it was safe.

The use of e-cigarettes among university students in Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION: E-cigarette use is an emerging phenomenon with increasing recognition and acceptance globally. This study aims to create a profile of e-cigarette users among university students in Malaysia. METHODS: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional research involving six universities in Malaysia. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to 1302 randomly selected students, who either smoked cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes. The 2011 version of Global Adult Tobacco Surveys (GATS) tool was used to record the respondents' sociodemographic data. RESULTS: The study revealed that 74.9% of the respondents smoked e-cigarettes; 40.3% used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes (dual users), and 34.5% were exclusive e-cigarette users. The exclusive use of e-cigarettes was related to gender (OR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.09-0.39). Also, male respondents were the majority users (95%). Of the respondents, 75.2 % were Malays, 98.0% single and most believed they have no health problems (92.1%). Further findings revealed the occurrence of adverse effects, dizziness 14.4%, cough 14.1%, and headaches 12.4%. Overall, 57.8% of the respondents used e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool, while others consider e-cigarettes a self-image enhancing tool or as part of social activities. CONCLUSIONS: Further research on the use of e-cigarettes should be conducted on a large number of respondents in other settings to augment the findings of this study, and also guide policy making on and prevention practice of e-cigarette use, among the general student population in Malaysia.

Stent material surface and glucose activate mononuclear cells of control, type 1 and type 2 diabetes subjects.

In stent restenosis (ISR) has been described as an unaccomplished tissue healing and its rate is particularly high in diabetic patients. Evidence has been collected which relates the formation of ISR proteoglycan-rich neointimal tissue to the accumulation and protracted activation of macrophages around the stent metal struts. Here, the in vitro activation of mononuclear cells adhering to stainless steel (a material of choice in stent manufacturing) from control and diabetic (types 1 and 2) subjects was assessed in the presence of different glucose levels. The results showed that cells from the control and type 1 diabetes groups produced significantly higher levels of TGF-beta1 when adhering on stainless steel (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01), but a significant PDGF-BB secretion was observed only in control subjects. When tested at physiological glucose concentration, the effect of the stainless steel on control cells was more pronounced. The present study shows that mononuclear cells adhering onto stainless steel secrete growth factors relevant to ISR. Cells from diabetic subjects seem to secrete relatively higher levels of PDGF under hyperglycaemic conditions regardless of the substrate exposed thus offering an explanation for the higher incidence of restenosis in these patients.