OLIGOSACCHARIDES IN MILK: EXPLORING NOVEL ANTIFUNGAL PROPERTIES AGAINST CANDIDA ALBICANS AND CANDIDA KRUSEI With the increasing antifungal resistance and prevalence of candidiasis, the aim of this research is to evaluate the potential inhibitory effects and synergistic activities of oligosaccharides present in milk with azoles in inhibiting the growth of Candida albicans and Candida krusei. The oligosaccharides were derived from breast milk (OH), bovine (OB), goat (OG), and formula milk (OF), then confirmed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Disk diffusion and microdilution were used to evaluate the antifungal potency of oligosaccharides using disk diffusion and microdilution. The oligosaccharides only showed antifungal activity in microdilution. The statistical analysis showed moderate variability in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values and higher fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) values. A significantly wide range of MIC in the microdilution assay indicated the effectiveness of this antifungal agent varied across different samples. In the combination test, antagonistic activity was observed between fluconazole and oligosaccharides against C. albicans ATCC 90028. Further research is needed to study the mechanisms of antifungal activity and synergism between oligosaccharides and azoles against Candida species.

HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION (HSCT) vs. ADIPOSE-TISSUE-BASED THERAPY AS A THERAPEUTIC OPTION IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem autoimmune disease. Currently, there is no cure for this disease. One of the emerging therapies for SSc includes hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and adipose-tissue-based therapy. A study that compares the usage of HSCT with adipose-tissue-based therapy in SSc has not been made. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis that compared the efficacy of HSCT and adipose-tissue-based therapy in SSc. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from inception to 14th June 2023 in PubMed, CENTRAL, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, SAGE, and JSTOR. The inclusion criteria are: (1) Investigated the effects of HSCT or adipose-tissue-based therapy in SSc; (2) Study design is RCT; (3) Is a human study; (4) Written in English; (5) Full-text is available. The quality of evidence was assessed using Cochrane risk of bias 2 (RoB 2). Certainty of evidence was evaluated using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). The outcomes are mean change in modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), visual analog scale (VAS), quality of life (QoL), activities of daily living (ADL), and adverse events (AEs). Results: A total of 1011 articles were obtained after duplicate removal with 32 retrieved for a second screening and nine assessed for eligibility. Five articles were included in the systematic review and four in the meta-analysis. Overall, our study found 170 patients in the intervention group and 158 controls. There was a more significant change in the mean mRSS in those who received HSCT compared to adipose-tissue-based therapy (P < 0.00001). HSCT had significantly more SAEs compared to adipose-tissue-based therapy (P = 0.04). Two out of three HSCT studies reported two deaths in the HSCT group compared to no deaths in control. In contrast, there was no event of death in both the adipose-tissue-based therapy and control groups. There was a moderate risk of bias for our study and a moderate level of confidence. Conclusion: In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested that HSCT might be superior to adipose-tissue-based therapy as therapy in SSc patients. Some of the limitations of our studies are the small number of studies, exclusion of non-English studies, and lack of studies that directly compared HSCT against adipose-tissue-based therapy. Thus, we strongly suggest more research regarding HSCT and adipose-tissue-based therapy in SSc patients to be conducted.

FOE OR FRIEND? SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE) PATIENTS AND COVID-19 VACCINATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW Background: In the early year of 2020, SARS-CoV-2 was first diagnosed in Indonesia after an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Later, this disease became a worldwide pandemic. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are more vulnerable to COVID-19. They are also prone to relapse and have lower efficacy for COVID-19 immunization. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antibody seroconversion and disease status after COVID-19 vaccination in SLE patients. Method: We followed the PRISMA guidelines to systematically search and collect literature in the following databases: ProQuest, PubMed, EBSCOhost, SAGE, JSTOR, and ScienceDirect from 1st January 2019 to 24th April 2023. Titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance. The inclusion criteria are original articles, written in English, investigated the effects of COVID-19 vaccination in SLE patients. The quality of evidence was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results and Discussion: From 1,088 studies, we retrieved nine studies for this review. There were cohort studies (n = 5), case-control studies (n = 2), and observational studies (n = 2) published between 2021 and 2022. Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are currently widely available and SLE patients should receive vaccination. In a large study involving healthy individuals and healthcare professionals, nearly all of the individuals who received two doses of BNT162b2 developed antibodies to the vaccine. Seroconversion after a first COVID-19 vaccination is delayed in older patients on specific immunosuppressive drugs. Conclusion: This systematic review found that the overall immunogenicity and safety of COVID-19 vaccines were satisfactory in patients with SLE.