1.Gastrointestinal Cytomegalovirus infection in non-human immunodeficiency virus infected patients.
Ng KL ; Ho J ; Ng HS ; Luman W
The Medical Journal of Malaysia 2003;58(3):337-344
This is a retrospective study of fourteen patients who had proven Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the gastrointestinal tract with no Human Immunodeficiency virus infection. The median age was 60.5 (Range 28 to 81) years. Eight patients were below (Group 1) and six above sixty five years old (Group 2). Areas of gastro-intestinal involvement were: oesophagus (2), stomach (1), colon (10) and multiple sites (1). Seven patients from Group 1 had received immunosuppressive therapy at the time of presentation and one had diabetes mellitus. We found a high prevalence of co-morbidities such as chronic renal failure and diabetes mellitus in Group 2. At median follow up of 13.9 months, there was a mortality rate of 50%. Only four patients were treated with ganciclovir. Our study concludes that the gastrointestinal CMV diseases in young patients were associated with immunosuppression whereas the older patients had chronic renal failure or diabetes.
Cytomegalovirus Infections/*immunology
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Gastrointestinal Diseases/*virology
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HIV Infections
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*Immunocompetence
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Retrospective Studies
2.Antioxidant Activities and Total Phenolic Content of Aqueous Extract of Pleurotus ostreatus (Cultivated Oyster Mushroom)
Yim HS ; Chye FY ; Tan CT ; Ng YC ; Ho CW
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2010;16(2):281-291
Pleurotus ostreatus better known as oyster mushroom is widely cultivated and consumed as food in Malaysia. The present study aims to assess the antioxidative
potential and total phenolic content of P. ostreatus aqueous extract. The antioxidant activities were evaluated against DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity,
ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and β-carotene-linoleate bleaching assay, and the Folin-Ciocalteu method for total phenolic content (TPC). The DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity was found to be 63.20% and 87.29% respectively; antioxidant activity using FRAP at 1.45 mM FE/100g and β-carotenelinoleate
bleaching assay was 83.51%, while the TPC was found to be 798.55 mg GAE/100g. These antioxidant activities were compared to synthetic antioxidant, BHA and ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid showed highest scavenging effects on
DPPH and ABTS radical, followed by P. ostreatus and BHA (at maximum safety limit). The ferric reducing power of P. ostreatus was significantly higher than
BHA and ascorbic acid. The antioxidant activity as assessed in β-carotene-linoleate bleaching assay was found to be higher in BHA compared to P. ostreatus. The
aqueous extract of P. ostreatus was found to respond differently in antioxidant assays. The antioxidative activity of the aqueous extract of P. ostreatus correlated
with its total phenolic content. Generally, the antioxidant activities of P. ostreatus’
aqueous extract are comparable to that of BHA and ascorbic acid to a certain extent.