A 2-year-old Malay boy was brought to the University Malaya Medical Centre for thalassaemia screening. Physical examination revealed thalassaemia facies, pallor, mild jaundice, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. Laboratory investigations on the patient including studies on the parents lead to a presumptive diagnosis of homozygous Haemoglobin Lepore (Hb Lepore). The aim of this paper is to increase awareness of this rare disorder, this being the first case documented in Malaysia in a Malay. The case also demonstrates the need for this disorder to be included in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting clinically like thalassemia intermedia or thalassemia major. Accurate diagnosis would provide information necessary for prenatal diagnosis, proper clinical management and genetic counseling. The clinical, haematological and laboratory features of this disorder are discussed in this paper.
Hemoglobin measurement ; Thalassemia ; Diagnostic ; Clinical ; Family

The haemoglobinopathies and thalassemias represent the most common inherited monogenic disorders in the world. Beta-thalassaemia major is an ongoing public health problem in Malaysia. Prior to 2004, the country had no national policy for screening and registry for thalassemia. In the absence of a national audit, the true figure of the extent of thalassemia in the Malaysian population was largely presumptive from micro-mapping studies from various research workers in the country. The estimated carrier rate for beta-thalassemia in Malaysia is 3.5-4%. There were 4768 transfusion dependent thalassemia major patients as of May 2010 (Data from National Thalassemia Registry).

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human umbilical cord (UC) have been considered as an important tool for treating various malignancies, tissue repair and organ regeneration. Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) are better alternative to MSCs that derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) as they are regarded as medical waste with little ethical concern for research and easily culture-expanded. In this present study, the foetal distal end of human UC was utilised to generate MSC by explant method. Upon in vitro culture, adherent cells with fibroblastic morphology were generated with rapid growth kinetics. Under the respective inductive conditions, these cells were capable of differentiating into adipocytes and osteocytes; express an array of standard MSC’s surface markers CD29, CD73, CD90, CD106 and MHC-class I. Further assessment of immunosuppression activity revealed that MSCs generated from UC had profoundly inhibited the proliferation of mitogen-activated T lymphocytes in a dosedependent manner. The current laboratory findings have reinforced the application of explant method to generate UCMSCs thus, exploring an ideal platform to fulfil the increasing demand of MSCs for research and potential clinical use.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Introduction:Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold a great therapeutic potential for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering due to inherent immunomodulatory and reparative properties. Hence, it necessitates a readily available supplyof MSCs to meet the clinical demands adequately. Although, a human placenta can produce MSCs, the in vitro culture-mediated cellular senescence often affect the quality of cell product. Thus, the current study has explored the feasibility of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to enhance the growth of placenta-derived MSCs (PLC-MSCs). Methods:The basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was supplemented to optimise the growth of MSCs. The effects of bFGF on morphology, growth kinetics and cytokine secretion of PLC-MSCs were assessed. Results: The bFGF supplementation increased the proliferation of PLC-MSCs in a dose-dependent manner and 40 ng/ml showed a high trophism effect on PLC-MSC’s growth. In the presence of bFGF, PLC-MSCs acquired a small and well-defined morphology that reflect an active proliferative status. BFGF has induced PLC-MSCs to achieve a shorter doubling time (45 hrs) as compared to the non-supplemented PLC-MSCs culture (81 hrs). Furthermore, bFGF impelled PLC-MSCs into cell cycle machinery where a substantial fraction of cells was driven to S and G2/M phases. Amongst, 36 screened cytokines, bFGF had only altered the secretion of IL-8, IL-6, TNFR1, MMP3 and VEGF. Conclusion:The present study showed that bFGF supplementation promotes the growth of PLC-MSCs without significantly deviating from the standard criteria of MSCs. Thus, bFGF could be considered as a potential mitogen to facilitate the large-scale production of PLC-MSCs.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Background: The interaction of the non-deletional α+-thalassaemia mutations Haemoglobin Constant Spring and Haemoglobin Quong Sze with the Southeast Asian double α-globin gene deletion results in non-deletional Haemoglobin H disease. Accurate detection of non-deletional Haemoglobin H disease, which is associated with severe phenotypes, is necessary as these mutations have been confirmed in the Malaysian population. Methods: DNA from two families with Haemoglobin H disease was extracted from EDTAanticoagulated whole blood and subjected to molecular analysis for α-thalassaemia. A duplex polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the Southeast Asian α-globin gene deletion. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was then carried out to determine the presence of Haemoglobin Constant Spring and Haemoglobin Quong Sze. A combine- amplification refractory mutation system protocol was optimised and implemented for the rapid and specific molecular characterisation of Haemoglobin Constant Spring and Haemoglobin Quong Sze in a single polymerase chain reaction. Results and Conclusions: The combine- amplification refractory mutation system for Haemoglobin Constant Spring and Haemoglobin Quong Sze, together with the duplex polymerase chain reaction, provides accurate pre- and postnatal diagnosis of non-deletional Haemoglobin H disease and allows detailed genotype analyses using minimal quantities of DNA.

Introduction: During the last three decades hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has become a well-established treatment for many hematologic malignancies. The most important limitation for HSC transplantation is the low number of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) that can lead to delayed engraftment or graft failures. Numerous attempts have been made to improve in vitro HSC expansion via optimization of various methods such as isolation techniques, supplementing with growth factors, utilizing stromal cells as feeder layer and other culture conditions. Objective: This project is aimed to decipher the efficiency of an isolation technique and retrieval of culture expanded HSC from feeder layer using two different harvesting methods. Materials and Methods: Hematopoietic stem cells from human umbilical cord blood were isolated via MACS mediated CD34+ double sorting. Then, the cells were cultured onto MSC feeder layer for 3 and 5 days. Culture expanded cells were harvested using two different harvesting method namely cell aspiration and trypsinization methods. Hematopoietic stem cell expansion index were calculated based on harvesting methods for each time point. Results: The numbers of HSC isolated from human umbilical cord blood were 1.64 x 106 and 1.20 x106 cells at single and double sortings respectively. Although the number of sorted cells diminished at the second sorting yet the yield of CD34+ purity has increased from 43.73% at single sorting to 81.40% at double sorting. Employing the trypsinization method, the HSC harvested from feeder layer showed a significant increase in expansion index (EI) as compared to the cell aspiration harvesting method (p≤ 0.05). However, the purity of CD34+ HSC was found higher when the cells were harvested using aspiration method (82.43%) as compared to the trypsinization method (74.13%). Conclusion: A pure population of CD34+ HSC can be retrieved when the cells were double sorted using MACS and expanded in culture after being harvested using cell aspiration method.
Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes, which is a cause of visual impairment and blindness. Its development and progression have been linked to dyslipidaemia, although the link remains inconclusive. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dyslipidaemia among type 2 diabetic patients with DR in a tertiary setting and to determine the association between dyslipidaemia and DR severity. Materials and methods: This was a cross sectional study using retrospective data of type 2 diabetic patients attending the opthalmology clinic of a tertiary centre from January 2007 to June 2014. Results of their fasting lipid profile and clinical data were retrieved from the hospital information system. Results: A total of 178 patient’s data were collected. 120 (n=67.4%) patients had non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NDPR) with moderate NPDR being the most prevalent. Dyslipidaemia was noted in 151 (84.8%) of the patients. Patients had a combination of more than one abnormality in the lipid profile with increased LDL-cholesterol being the main abnormality. Dyslipidaemia was however, not significantly associated with DR severity. Conclusion: Dyslipidaemia was highly prevalent in DR patients. The dyslipidaemia was however not associated with severity of DR.
Diabetic retinopathy

The molecular basis of variable phenotypes in P-thalassaemia patients with identical genotypes has been associated with co-inheritance of alpha-thalassaemia and persistence of HbF production in adult life. The Xmn I restriction site at -158 position of the Ggamma-gene is associated with increased expression of the Ggamma-globin gene and higher production of HbF This study aims to determine the frequency of the digammaferent genotypes of the Ggamma Xmn I polymorphism in P-thalassaemia patients in two ethnic groups in Malaysia. Molecular characterisation and frequency of the Ggamma Xmn I polymorphism were studied in fifty-eight Chinese and forty-nine beta-thalassaemia Malay patients by Xmn I digestion after DNA amplification of a 650 bp sequence. The in-house developed technique did not require further purification or concentration of amplified DNA before restriction enzyme digestion. The cheaper Seakem LE agarose was used instead of Nusieve agarose and distinct well separated bands were observed. Genotyping showed that the most frequent genotype observed in the Malaysian Chinese was homozygosity for the absence of the Xmn I site (-/-) (89.7%). In the Malays, heterozygosity of the Xmn I site (+/-) was most common (63.3%). Homozygosity for the Xmn I site (+/+) was absent in the Chinese, but was confirmed in 8.2% of the Malays. The ratio of the (+) allele (presence of the Xmn I site) to the (-) allele (absence of the Xmn I site)) was higher in the Malays (0.66) compared to the Chinese (0.05). The (+/-) and (+/+) genotypes are more commonly observed in the Malays than the Chinese in Malaysia.
Chinese People ; Thalassemia ; With frequency ; Malaysia ; seconds

Patients with diabetes have an earlier onset and increased severity of anaemia compared to those with similar degree of renal impairment from other causes. Anaemia is associated with an increased risk of vascular complications. In this study, we determined the prevalence of anaemia in T2DM patients and its association with sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory parameters in an endocrine tertiary hospital in Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional study using retrospective electronic data from January 2011 to December 2013 of 165 T2DM patients in Hospital Putrajaya. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0 for Windows. The prevalence of anaemia was 39.4% and majority had normocytic normochromic (80%), mild (58.5%) anaemia. Majority were Malays (73.9%), aged below 60 with comparable gender percentage and long-standing, poorly-controlled DM [median fasting blood sugar (FBS) 8mmol/L; glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 7.9%]. Using the KDIGO chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging system, 86% of these patients were in stages 3-5. Anaemic patients had a significantly higher serum urea, creatinine and a lower FBS, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) compared to non-anaemic patients. Anaemic patients with diabetic nephropathy had a significantly lower haemoglobin (Hb) compared to those without this complication (p=0.022). The sensitivity and specificity at a cut-off eGFR value of 38.3 ml/min/1.73 m2 (maximum Youden index = 0.462) was 66.7% and 79.5%, respectively to discriminate mild from moderate anaemia. This study shows that anaemia is already present in T2DM patients in Hospital Putrajaya at initial presentation to the specialist outpatient clinic and is significantly associated with CKD. Hence, it emphasises the obligatory need for routine and follow-up full blood count monitoring in T2DM patients in primary care as well as tertiary settings in Malaysia to enable early detection and aggressive correction of anaemia in preventing further complications.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

The glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) test is the most widely accepted laboratory test for evaluating long term glycaemic control. Patient’s understanding of HbA1c can lead to better glycaemic control. This study is aimed to determine the awareness and level of understanding of HbA1c among type 2 DM patients and its association with glycaemic control. A cross-sectional descriptive study among Type 2 DM patients undergoing routine follow up in an endocrine clinic of a tertiary centre in Malaysia. Patients were invited to answer a validated questionnaire which assessed their awareness and understanding of HbA1c. Their last HbA1c results were retrieved from the laboratory information system. A total of 92 participants were recruited. Fifty-six (60.9%) were aware of the term HbA1c. Fifty percent were categorised as having good HbA1c understanding, with age, monthly income and level of education being the factors associated with understanding. No significant association was noted between HbA1c understanding and glycaemic control, although more patients with good HbA1c understanding had achieved the target glycaemic control compared to those with poor understanding. The level of HbA1c awareness and understanding was acceptable. Factors associated with understanding were age, income and level of education. Continuing efforts however, must be made to improve patients understanding of their disease and clinical disease biomarkers.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2