Publications by authors named "Chandramathi Samudi"

Objective: This study aims to describe the incidence and risk factors of invasive fungal infection (IFI) among patients with haematological malignancies (HM) in a tertiary hospital from Malaysia.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in a teaching hospital involving HM patients, admitted for chemotherapy or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Each admission for either chemotherapy or HSCT was considered as a separate event.

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The decline in dengue incidence and/or prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-22) appears to be attributed to reduced treatment-seeking rates, under-reporting, misdiagnosis, disrupted health services and reduced exposure to mosquito vectors due to prevailing lockdowns. There is limited scientific data on dengue virus (DENV) disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we conducted a community-based, cross-sectional, cluster-randomized survey to assess anti-DENV and anti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, and also estimated the spatial distribution of DENV-positive aedine mosquito vectors during the COVID-19 pandemic across all the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, India.

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Background: Dengue is a vector-borne viral disease impacting millions across the globe. Nevertheless, akin to many other diseases, reports indicated a decline in dengue incidence and seroprevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-22). This presumably could be attributed to reduced treatment-seeking rates, under-reporting, misdiagnosis, disrupted health services and reduced exposure to vectors due to lockdowns.

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Article Synopsis
  • The rise of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) is notably higher in patients with hematological malignancies due to their weakened immune systems.
  • Key risk factors for developing IFIs include older age, use of immunosuppressive drugs, low white blood cell counts (neutropenia), and the presence of catheters.
  • The study highlights a lack of epidemiological data on IFIs in Asian patients and explores diagnostic and management challenges over the past decade (2011-2021).
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  • - The study investigated the role and mutations of the XBB omicron variant in COVID-19 cases among hospitalized patients in Tamil Nadu, India, particularly in the context of increased breakthrough infections despite vaccination efforts.
  • - Researchers analyzed nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs from 98 patients using real-time PCR and Next Generation Sequencing, identifying 43 mutations in the S gene, including two new mutations, A27S and T747I, which had not been previously reported.
  • - The findings suggested that factors such as age and underlying health conditions were more critical in susceptibility to infection than vaccination status, with XBB.3 being the main variant identified among vaccinated individuals experiencing breakthrough infections.
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Early detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is critical to TB elimination in the current WHO vision of End Tuberculosis Strategy. The study investigates whether detecting plasma cytokines could aid in diagnosing LTBI across household contacts (HHCs) positive for IGRA, HHCs negative for IGRA, and healthy controls. The plasma cytokines were measured using a commercial Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 17-plex assay.

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Background: Early detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is critical to TB elimination in the current WHO vision of .

Methods: We investigated whether detecting plasma cytokines could aid in diagnosing LTBI across household contacts (HHCs) positive for IGRA, HHCs negative for IGRA, and healthy controls. We also measured the plasma cytokines using a commercial assay.

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  • Blastocystis sp. is a widespread protistan parasite causing gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, but its role as a disease-causing agent is debated since many infected people show no symptoms.
  • The study focuses on how different antibiotics affect the growth of Blastocystis sp. subtype 3 (ST3), particularly looking at its association with symptoms in patients, revealing that meropenem and Augmentin influenced growth differently between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.
  • Results included the identification of distinct bacteria associated with the parasite and observed morphological changes, suggesting that the bacteria present play a significant role in the clinical outcomes of Blastocystis sp. infections.
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  • The study explores how the presence of Blastocystis sp. interacts with human intestinal microbiota in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.
  • The infection with Blastocystis sp. ST3 notably alters bacterial composition, showing a significant impact on microbial richness in asymptomatic individuals compared to those with symptoms.
  • Findings indicate that the gut microbiota can influence the pathogenic characteristics of Blastocystis sp., suggesting that asymptomatic infections may become pathogenic depending on the accompanying microbiota.
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() colonizes the human gut and is a causative factor of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA). Retrospective studies conducted on PLA patients revealed subsequent CRC development in later years of their life with increasing prevalence of these strains harbouring polyketide synthase (PKS) genes. To our knowledge there are no known studies directly implicating with CRC to date.

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There are six members of the transmembrane 4 superfamily (TM4SF) that have similar topology and sequence homology. Physiologically, they regulate tissue differentiation, signal transduction pathways, cellular activation, proliferation, motility, adhesion, and angiogenesis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated, among six TM4SF members, the regulatory roles of transmembrane 4 L6 domain family members, particularly TM4SF1, TM4SF4, and TM4SF5, in cancer angiogenesis, progression, and chemoresistance.

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a newly emerging healthcare-associated yeast pathogen from the Metschnikowiaceae family, was first described in the ear canal of an elderly Japanese patient in 2009. The yeast is one of the causative agents of candidemia, which has been linked with nosocomial outbreaks and high mortality rates in healthcare facilities worldwide. Since its first isolation, the occurrence of in six continents has becomes a grave concern for the healthcare professionals and scientific community.

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Context: The emergence of zoonotic viruses in the last decades culminating with COVID-19 and challenges posed by the resistance of RNA viruses to antiviral drugs requires the development of new antiviral drugs.

Objective: This review identifies natural products isolated from Asian and Pacific medicinal plants with i and antiviral activity towards RNA viruses and analyses their distribution, molecular weights, solubility and modes of action.

Materials And Methods: All data in this review was compiled from Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, ChemSpider, PubChem and library search from 1961 to 2022.

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Dengue is a major public health concern, affecting almost 400 million people worldwide, with about 70% of the global burden of disease in Asia. Despite revised clinical classifications of dengue infections by the World Health Organization, the wide spectrum of the manifestations of dengue illness continues to pose challenges in diagnosis and patient management for clinicians. When the Zika epidemic spread through the American continent and then later to Africa and Asia in 2015, researchers compared the characteristics of the Zika infection to Dengue, considering both these viruses were transmitted primarily through the same vector, the female mosquitoes.

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  • sp. is a globally found protozoan parasite with unclear effects on health, showing varied characteristics based on isolation sources.
  • Phenotypic studies of sp. from urban and orang asli populations in Malaysia revealed significant differences, including higher parasite counts and unique cell structures in orang asli, suggesting prolonged adaptation to their environment.
  • The research highlights how environmental factors and lifestyle differences can influence the pathogenicity and phenotypic traits of sp., underscoring the need for context in scientific findings on this parasite.
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The secondary metabolites of endemic plants from the Rutaceae family, such as Burkillanthusmalaccensis (Ridl.) Swingle from the rainforest of Malaysia, has not been studied. Burkillanthusmalaccensis (Ridl.

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Objectives: Progression of dengue is often associated with thrombocytopenia resulting from viral-induced bone marrow suppression and immune-mediated peripheral platelet consumption. Immature platelet fraction (IPF), which can be measured using a haematology analyser, is a precursor indicating platelet formation in the bone marrow. This study evaluated the trend of IPF as an early recovery indicator of platelets in dengue patients with thrombocytopenia, and its relationship with severe dengue in conjunction with reticulocyte count.

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Dengue is a major threat to public health globally. While point-of-care diagnosis of acute/recent dengue is available to reduce its mortality, a lack of rapid and accurate testing for the detection of previous dengue remains a hurdle in expanding dengue seroepidemiological surveys to inform its prevention, especially vaccination, to reduce dengue morbidity. This study evaluated ViroTrack Dengue Serostate, a biosensors-based semi-quantitative anti-dengue IgG (immunoglobulin G) immuno-magnetic agglutination assay for the diagnosis of previous and recent dengue in a single test.

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is the causative agent for melioidosis. Because of its intracellular nature, the bacterium is capable of replicating within a plethora of eukaryotic cell lines. can remain dormant within host cells without symptoms for years, causing recrudescent infections.

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Acanthamoeba, a genus that contains at least 24 species of free-living protozoa, is ubiquitous in nature. Successful treatment of Acanthamoeba infections is always very difficult and not always effective. More effective drugs must be developed, and medicinal plants may have a pivotal part in the future of drug discovery.

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  • Blastocystis sp. is a protozoan parasite linked to gastrointestinal illnesses, but metronidazole, its primary treatment, often shows inefficacy and varying levels of resistance among different populations.
  • This study examines how metronidazole affects the pathogenic potential of Blastocystis sp. from urban and orang asli individuals, focusing on growth characteristics, apoptosis rates, protease activity, and cancer cell proliferation.
  • Results indicate that treatment with low metronidazole concentrations increased parasite numbers and pathogenic features, suggesting a potential role in enhancing the virulence of Blastocystis sp., especially in urban isolates.
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Poly (dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres were synthesized as delivery system for the natural anti-parasitic compounds, Periglaucine A (PGA) and Betulinic acid (BA). Periglaucine A and Betulinic acid were encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles by single emulsion method with an average particle size of approximately 100⁻500 nm. Periglaucine A and Betulinic acid encapsulation efficiency was observed to be 90% and 35% respectively.

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  • Blastocystis sp. is a GI protozoan parasite that can cause symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea, making it difficult to treat effectively.
  • Two case studies showed that patients had a significant increase in parasite load, with cyst counts up to five times higher after receiving metronidazole, the standard treatment.
  • These findings suggest metronidazole resistance in Blastocystis sp., highlighting the need to reconsider treatment strategies for this infection.
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The 2016 Global Burden of Disease report by WHO revealed that diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) had one of the highest incidence rates worldwide. The plethora of factors that contribute to the development of GIT-related illnesses can be divided into genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Apart from that, the role that infectious agents play in the development of GIT diseases has piqued the interest of researchers worldwide.

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