Abstract Aim To determine the effectivity of corn silk extract in inhibiting the growth of C. albicans. Materials and Methods Corn silk used in this study was Zea mays L. var. indurata and was collected from Desa Suka Makmur, Deli Serdang, Sumatera Utara Province, Indonesia. Tested C. albicans is C. albicans from VVC patients, obtained from the Microbiology Laboratory of Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara. Preparation of this study included corn silk extraction by maceration method with 96% ethanol, followed by dilution with 10% DMSO (Dimethyl Sulfoxide) into concentrations of 75%, 50%, 25%, and 12.5%. Well diffusion method was used to detect growth inhibition of C. albicans and agar dilution was used to determine MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) and MFC (Minimum Fungicidal Concentration) of corn silk extract. Data were statistically analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis analysis. Results From this study, corn silk extract of all concentrations showed an inhibitory effect against C. albicans. The mean diameter of inhibition zones for each concentration respectively from highest to lowest concentration were 27.4875 ± 0.3838 mm, 26.7250 ± 0.2533 mm, 25.7250 ± 0.2598 mm, and 24.9375 ± 0.2462 mm. Kruskal-Wallis analysis showed significant results (p-value 0.001). MIC and MFC were 1.5625% and 6.25%, respectively. Conclusions Corn silk extract of concentrations 75%, 50%, 25%, and 12,5% have antifungal activity against C. albicans. The higher the concentration of corn silk extract, the higher the efficacy in inhibiting the growth of C. albicans.
{"title":"In Vitro Evaluation of Corn Silk Extract as a Potential Alternative Therapy for Vulvovaginal Candidiasis","authors":"P. Liberty, I. B. Putra, N. Jusuf, M. I. Sari","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0039","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Aim To determine the effectivity of corn silk extract in inhibiting the growth of C. albicans. Materials and Methods Corn silk used in this study was Zea mays L. var. indurata and was collected from Desa Suka Makmur, Deli Serdang, Sumatera Utara Province, Indonesia. Tested C. albicans is C. albicans from VVC patients, obtained from the Microbiology Laboratory of Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara. Preparation of this study included corn silk extraction by maceration method with 96% ethanol, followed by dilution with 10% DMSO (Dimethyl Sulfoxide) into concentrations of 75%, 50%, 25%, and 12.5%. Well diffusion method was used to detect growth inhibition of C. albicans and agar dilution was used to determine MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) and MFC (Minimum Fungicidal Concentration) of corn silk extract. Data were statistically analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis analysis. Results From this study, corn silk extract of all concentrations showed an inhibitory effect against C. albicans. The mean diameter of inhibition zones for each concentration respectively from highest to lowest concentration were 27.4875 ± 0.3838 mm, 26.7250 ± 0.2533 mm, 25.7250 ± 0.2598 mm, and 24.9375 ± 0.2462 mm. Kruskal-Wallis analysis showed significant results (p-value 0.001). MIC and MFC were 1.5625% and 6.25%, respectively. Conclusions Corn silk extract of concentrations 75%, 50%, 25%, and 12,5% have antifungal activity against C. albicans. The higher the concentration of corn silk extract, the higher the efficacy in inhibiting the growth of C. albicans.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"111 1","pages":"28 - 32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139021409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Objective To present the importance of the electrophysiological studies for detection of malingering and aggravation in ophthalmology. Materials and methods Six eyes of three patients underwent a complete clinical examination, fundus-autofluorescence (FAF), fluorescein angiography (FA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), visual field testing, electrophysiological (EF) studies – full-field, multifocal and pattern electroretinography (ffERG, mfERG and PERG) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs), for detection of simulation or aggravation. Results After the electrophysiological studies’ results, which are objective and non-manipulable, we purposefully reviewed and repeated some of the tests already done, which allowed a comprehensive interpretation of the results. It turned out that discrete changes in targeted search can be detected in several of the studies performed, which greatly facilitates the correct diagnosis. Conclusion EF studies are objective methods for studying the visual analyzer’s function, that can not be manipulated, which makes them indispensable for detecting simulation and aggravation in ophthalmology. A detailed extensive study of the degree of simulation and aggravation among the ophthalmological patients is needed, which will enrich our knowledge and make us more precise in our expertise.
摘要 目的 介绍电生理学研究对检测眼科弊病和病情加重的重要性。材料和方法 对三名患者的六只眼睛进行了全面的临床检查、眼底自动荧光（FAF）、荧光素血管造影（FA）、光学相干断层扫描（OCT）、视野测试、电生理（EF）研究--全视野、多焦点和模式视网膜电图（ffERG、mfERG 和 PERG）以及视觉诱发电位（VEPs），以检测是否存在弊病或病情加重。结果 电生理研究的结果是客观的、不可操纵的，在电生理研究结果之后，我们有目的地回顾并重复了一些已经做过的测试，从而对结果进行了全面的解释。结果发现，在所做的几项研究中，都能检测到目标搜索的离散变化，这大大有助于正确诊断。结论 EF 研究是研究视觉分析器功能的客观方法，它无法被操纵，因此在眼科检测模拟和加重时不可或缺。我们需要对眼科患者的模拟和加重程度进行详细而广泛的研究，这将丰富我们的知识，使我们的专业知识更加精确。
{"title":"Role of Electrophysiologal Studies for Detection of Simulation and Aggravation in Ophthalmology","authors":"E. Mermeklieva","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0043","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Objective To present the importance of the electrophysiological studies for detection of malingering and aggravation in ophthalmology. Materials and methods Six eyes of three patients underwent a complete clinical examination, fundus-autofluorescence (FAF), fluorescein angiography (FA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), visual field testing, electrophysiological (EF) studies – full-field, multifocal and pattern electroretinography (ffERG, mfERG and PERG) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs), for detection of simulation or aggravation. Results After the electrophysiological studies’ results, which are objective and non-manipulable, we purposefully reviewed and repeated some of the tests already done, which allowed a comprehensive interpretation of the results. It turned out that discrete changes in targeted search can be detected in several of the studies performed, which greatly facilitates the correct diagnosis. Conclusion EF studies are objective methods for studying the visual analyzer’s function, that can not be manipulated, which makes them indispensable for detecting simulation and aggravation in ophthalmology. A detailed extensive study of the degree of simulation and aggravation among the ophthalmological patients is needed, which will enrich our knowledge and make us more precise in our expertise.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"674 ","pages":"47 - 54"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139023197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Lyapina, K. Lyubomirova, T. Kundurzhiev, M. Vizeva
Abstract Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of contact sensitization to selected preservatives as cosmetic ingredients among cosmeticians and cosmetology students and to identify the most common allergens in occupational and non-occupational exposures. Materials and methods: Skin patch testing with formaldehyde, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, methylisothiazolinone + methylchloro-isothiazolinone, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, methyldibromoglutaronitrile, polyaminopropyl biguanide and paraben mix was performed among 109 participants – 37 cosmetology students, 26 cosmeticians, and 46 individuals – controls, occupationally unexposed to cosmetics. Fisher Exact Test and multiple binary logistic regression analysis were used. Results: Formaldehyde was the main contact sensitizer, with significantly higher prevalence of sensitization among the occupationally exposed cosmeticians and cosmetology students if compared to the controls (p = 0.005) [OR = 0.290 (95% CI: 0.092-0.916]). The positivity prevalence to DMDM hydantoin was 11%, with equal rates of sensitization to quaternium-15, methylisothiazolinone + methylchloroisothiazolinone and methyldibromo-glutaronitrile (9.2%). A significantly higher prevalence of co-sensitization to DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea was revealed. The positivity rate to quaternium-15 was highest among cosmetology students – 13.5%. The frequency of positive reactions to imidazolidinyl urea was 2.7% for students and 11.5% for cosmeticians. Cosmetology students and cosmeticians were at risk of sensitization to DMDM hydantoin, and the cosmeticians – to methylisothiazolinone/methylchloro-isothiazolinone and methyldibromo glutaronitrile and parabens. Conclusions: This study established comparative high prevalence and risk of contact sensitization to the selected preservatives. Proper occupational risk information, developing and disseminating of practical tools for workplace risk assessment and management, with complex programs for prevention of occupational skin diseases should be provided.
{"title":"Pilot Study of the Prevalence of Contact Sensitization to Preservatives as Cosmetic Ingredients in Occupational and Educational Exposures","authors":"M. Lyapina, K. Lyubomirova, T. Kundurzhiev, M. Vizeva","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0027","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of contact sensitization to selected preservatives as cosmetic ingredients among cosmeticians and cosmetology students and to identify the most common allergens in occupational and non-occupational exposures. Materials and methods: Skin patch testing with formaldehyde, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, methylisothiazolinone + methylchloro-isothiazolinone, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, methyldibromoglutaronitrile, polyaminopropyl biguanide and paraben mix was performed among 109 participants – 37 cosmetology students, 26 cosmeticians, and 46 individuals – controls, occupationally unexposed to cosmetics. Fisher Exact Test and multiple binary logistic regression analysis were used. Results: Formaldehyde was the main contact sensitizer, with significantly higher prevalence of sensitization among the occupationally exposed cosmeticians and cosmetology students if compared to the controls (p = 0.005) [OR = 0.290 (95% CI: 0.092-0.916]). The positivity prevalence to DMDM hydantoin was 11%, with equal rates of sensitization to quaternium-15, methylisothiazolinone + methylchloroisothiazolinone and methyldibromo-glutaronitrile (9.2%). A significantly higher prevalence of co-sensitization to DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea was revealed. The positivity rate to quaternium-15 was highest among cosmetology students – 13.5%. The frequency of positive reactions to imidazolidinyl urea was 2.7% for students and 11.5% for cosmeticians. Cosmetology students and cosmeticians were at risk of sensitization to DMDM hydantoin, and the cosmeticians – to methylisothiazolinone/methylchloro-isothiazolinone and methyldibromo glutaronitrile and parabens. Conclusions: This study established comparative high prevalence and risk of contact sensitization to the selected preservatives. Proper occupational risk information, developing and disseminating of practical tools for workplace risk assessment and management, with complex programs for prevention of occupational skin diseases should be provided.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135640098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Objective: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on Bulgarian patient cohorts with uncomplicated diabetes mellitus type 2 as the only documented chronic comorbidity. We conducted a comparison of fully vaccinated and non-vaccinated populations, considering gender, age groups and vaccine type, across ambulatory, hospital, and ICU settings. Design: Between March 2020 and June 2022, a comprehensive retrospective analysis was conducted on a national level, utilizing data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria database obtained after a formal written request. The study included a total of 1,126,946 confirmed COVID-19 patients. Results: Among the 1,126,946 confirmed COVID-19 patients, 3,792 individuals (0.33% of the total confirmed cases) had diabetes mellitus as a single chronic condition. Among the 247,441 hospitalized COVID-19 cases, 1,382 patients (0.56% of the total) had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Notably, the majority of patients requiring hospitalization due to supplemental oxygen requirement were unvaccinated women aged between 60 and 69, accounting for 240 patients. The highest mortality rates were observed in both unvaccinated men and women aged between 70 and 79, with 88 patients in each group. Statistical analysis revealed significant findings in favor of reduced rates of ambulatory care [OR = 0.76 (95% CI 0.6471 to 0.8891); p = 0.0006], intensive care admission [OR = 0.38 (95% CI 0.2698 to 0.5282); p < 0.0001], in-hospital mortality [OR = 0.18 (95% CI 0.0864 to 0.3604); p < 0.0001], and ICU-related mortality [OR = 0.17 (95% CI 0.0893 to 0.3436); p < 0.0001]. The vaccinated cohorts who received BNT162b2 demonstrated the lowest observed death rates, with 9 deaths out of 485 individuals (1.8%) across all age groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, this retrospective analysis indicates reduced mortality in patients with uncomplicated type II diabetes mellitus who received vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccinated individuals also showed significant reduction in ICU admissions.
摘要目的:本回顾性研究旨在探讨COVID-19疫苗接种对保加利亚无并发症2型糖尿病患者队列的影响，2型糖尿病是唯一记录的慢性合并症。考虑到性别、年龄组和疫苗类型，我们在门诊、医院和ICU环境中对完全接种疫苗和未接种疫苗的人群进行了比较。设计:在2020年3月至2022年6月期间，利用保加利亚共和国卫生部在正式书面请求后获得的数据库中的数据，在国家一级进行了全面的回顾性分析。该研究共纳入了1126946名新冠肺炎确诊患者。结果:1,126,946例新冠肺炎确诊患者中，有3,792例(占确诊病例总数的0.33%)合并糖尿病为单一慢性病。247441例新冠肺炎住院患者中，2型糖尿病1382例(占0.56%)。值得注意的是，大多数因补充氧气需要住院的患者是60至69岁的未接种疫苗的妇女，占240例患者。70至79岁未接种疫苗的男性和女性死亡率最高，每组88名患者。统计分析显示显著的结果有利于降低门诊护理率[OR = 0.76 (95% CI 0.6471 ~ 0.8891);p = 0.0006]，重症监护住院[OR = 0.38 (95% CI 0.2698 ~ 0.5282);p & lt;0.0001]，住院死亡率[OR = 0.18 (95% CI 0.0864 ~ 0.3604);p & lt;0.0001]， icu相关死亡率[OR = 0.17 (95% CI 0.0893 ~ 0.3436);p & lt;0.0001]。接受BNT162b2疫苗接种的队列显示观察到的死亡率最低，在所有年龄组的485人中有9人死亡(1.8%)。结论:本回顾性分析表明，接受SARS-CoV-2疫苗接种的无并发症II型糖尿病患者死亡率降低。接种疫苗的个体ICU入院率也显著降低。
{"title":"The Impact of COVID-19 Vaccination on Bulgarian Patients with Uncomplicated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus as the Only Chronic Condition","authors":"T. Valkov, G. Dimitrov","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Objective: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on Bulgarian patient cohorts with uncomplicated diabetes mellitus type 2 as the only documented chronic comorbidity. We conducted a comparison of fully vaccinated and non-vaccinated populations, considering gender, age groups and vaccine type, across ambulatory, hospital, and ICU settings. Design: Between March 2020 and June 2022, a comprehensive retrospective analysis was conducted on a national level, utilizing data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria database obtained after a formal written request. The study included a total of 1,126,946 confirmed COVID-19 patients. Results: Among the 1,126,946 confirmed COVID-19 patients, 3,792 individuals (0.33% of the total confirmed cases) had diabetes mellitus as a single chronic condition. Among the 247,441 hospitalized COVID-19 cases, 1,382 patients (0.56% of the total) had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Notably, the majority of patients requiring hospitalization due to supplemental oxygen requirement were unvaccinated women aged between 60 and 69, accounting for 240 patients. The highest mortality rates were observed in both unvaccinated men and women aged between 70 and 79, with 88 patients in each group. Statistical analysis revealed significant findings in favor of reduced rates of ambulatory care [OR = 0.76 (95% CI 0.6471 to 0.8891); p = 0.0006], intensive care admission [OR = 0.38 (95% CI 0.2698 to 0.5282); p < 0.0001], in-hospital mortality [OR = 0.18 (95% CI 0.0864 to 0.3604); p < 0.0001], and ICU-related mortality [OR = 0.17 (95% CI 0.0893 to 0.3436); p < 0.0001]. The vaccinated cohorts who received BNT162b2 demonstrated the lowest observed death rates, with 9 deaths out of 485 individuals (1.8%) across all age groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, this retrospective analysis indicates reduced mortality in patients with uncomplicated type II diabetes mellitus who received vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccinated individuals also showed significant reduction in ICU admissions.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135640216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Yancheva-Petrova, R. Grozdeva, M. Nikolova, I. Aleksiev, I. Rainova, N. Tsvetkova, D. Strashimirov
Abstract Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is an opportunistic infection of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by the reactivation of John Cunningham polyomavirus (JCV). Most often, this disease is observed in patients with severe immune suppression, such as those with AIDS. Cerebral toxoplasmosis results from the reactivation of a latent infection with Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite. This parasitosis is relatively rare in the United States, while in some regions of Europe the seropositive population is over 90%. Similarly, to PML, cerebral toxoplasmosis develops in stages of advanced immune deficiency. Both of these opportunistic infections of the central nervous system can cause severe neurological symptoms, and their simultaneous presentation can represent a diagnostic and therapeutic problem. We present a case of a 59-year-old patient with a newly diagnosed HIV infection with manifestations of epilepsy and progressive cognitive impairment. The patient was diagnosed initially with cerebral toxoplasmosis and subsequently with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
{"title":"A Case of Progressive Multifocal Leucoencephalopathy and Cerebral Toxoplasmosis in an HIV-Infected Patient","authors":"N. Yancheva-Petrova, R. Grozdeva, M. Nikolova, I. Aleksiev, I. Rainova, N. Tsvetkova, D. Strashimirov","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0032","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is an opportunistic infection of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by the reactivation of John Cunningham polyomavirus (JCV). Most often, this disease is observed in patients with severe immune suppression, such as those with AIDS. Cerebral toxoplasmosis results from the reactivation of a latent infection with Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite. This parasitosis is relatively rare in the United States, while in some regions of Europe the seropositive population is over 90%. Similarly, to PML, cerebral toxoplasmosis develops in stages of advanced immune deficiency. Both of these opportunistic infections of the central nervous system can cause severe neurological symptoms, and their simultaneous presentation can represent a diagnostic and therapeutic problem. We present a case of a 59-year-old patient with a newly diagnosed HIV infection with manifestations of epilepsy and progressive cognitive impairment. The patient was diagnosed initially with cerebral toxoplasmosis and subsequently with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"56 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135640221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. S. S. Atalo, Y. Suryatinah, A. R. Ferdina, S. Siahaan
Abstract Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group. The use of vitamin supplements and herbal medicines to enhance immunity has been a measure to prevent the development of COVID-19. Purpose: This study was performed to identify the use of supplemental vitamins and herbal medicines including analyzing the benefit of using them among the elderly who participated in the “Mawar” Elderly Posyandu (integrated health post) in North Jakarta, Indonesia, during the pandemic. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. The target population for the study were active participants of “Mawar” Elderly Posyandu aged at least 60 years old. Results: Although the majority of respondents only had an elementary and high school education as their highest educational attainment, they had good enough knowledge about COVID-19. During the pandemic, 81 and 79 out of 85 respondents consumed vitamin supplements and herbal medicines, respectively. Vita-min C and ginger were the most widely used vitamin supplement and herbal product. There were 55.56% and 35.44% of respondents who felt better after consuming supplements and herbal products for one week. Conclusion: This study recommends that government should support the revitalization of elderly Posyandu as it may improve the awareness of the community to maintain their health.
{"title":"The Use of Vitamin Supplements and Herbal Medicines Among Members of Elderly Posyandu During the COVID-19 Pandemic in North Jakarta","authors":"N. S. S. Atalo, Y. Suryatinah, A. R. Ferdina, S. Siahaan","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0029","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group. The use of vitamin supplements and herbal medicines to enhance immunity has been a measure to prevent the development of COVID-19. Purpose: This study was performed to identify the use of supplemental vitamins and herbal medicines including analyzing the benefit of using them among the elderly who participated in the “Mawar” Elderly Posyandu (integrated health post) in North Jakarta, Indonesia, during the pandemic. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. The target population for the study were active participants of “Mawar” Elderly Posyandu aged at least 60 years old. Results: Although the majority of respondents only had an elementary and high school education as their highest educational attainment, they had good enough knowledge about COVID-19. During the pandemic, 81 and 79 out of 85 respondents consumed vitamin supplements and herbal medicines, respectively. Vita-min C and ginger were the most widely used vitamin supplement and herbal product. There were 55.56% and 35.44% of respondents who felt better after consuming supplements and herbal products for one week. Conclusion: This study recommends that government should support the revitalization of elderly Posyandu as it may improve the awareness of the community to maintain their health.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135640220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
V. Svecshtarov, K. Prodanova, S. Nencheva-Sveshtarova
Abstract The most important clinical indicators of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are pain in the temporomandibular joints, masticatory and cervical muscles, as well as a reduction in the opening capacity of the mouth. Psychosocial factors have a significant impact in the persistence of the disease and should be taken in consideration in the treatment plan. The aim of the present study was to perform clinical and statistical evaluation on the management of pain symptoms and overcome of pronounced arthro- and myogenic mandibular contractures in GAD 7 positive patients with chronic temporomandibular disorders using combined irradiation with infrared gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser (785 nm), superluminescent visible red (633 nm) and infrared (880 nm) light emitting devices. Materials and methods. The study included 62 individuals with various types of temporomandibular disorders, which were established using the latest diagnostic criteria – DC/TMD, 2014, revision 2020. Fifteen out of 62 patients responded positively to the GAD 7 questionnaire, which indicates depression and/or anxiety. In 8 out of these 15 cases, the presence of pain symptoms, mandibular contractures and psychosocial comorbidities exceeded 6 months. According to DC/TMD standards, these are patients with chronic temporomandibular disorders and they were the target group for our study. The average interincisal distance from this eight-member group was 27.62 mm (SD – 8.17). Results. The Student t-test for the dependent samples showed a significant reduction in VAS pain scores and an increased interincisal distance after phototherapy procedures. Conclusions. Combined phototherapy has proven to be an effective treatment of mandibular contractures, joint and muscle pain in TMD patients with psychosocial comorbid conditions.
{"title":"Management of Pain Symptoms and Contractures in Patients with Chronic Temporomandibular Disorders and Psychosocial Comorbidities Using Gaalas Phototherapy","authors":"V. Svecshtarov, K. Prodanova, S. Nencheva-Sveshtarova","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0030","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The most important clinical indicators of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are pain in the temporomandibular joints, masticatory and cervical muscles, as well as a reduction in the opening capacity of the mouth. Psychosocial factors have a significant impact in the persistence of the disease and should be taken in consideration in the treatment plan. The aim of the present study was to perform clinical and statistical evaluation on the management of pain symptoms and overcome of pronounced arthro- and myogenic mandibular contractures in GAD 7 positive patients with chronic temporomandibular disorders using combined irradiation with infrared gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser (785 nm), superluminescent visible red (633 nm) and infrared (880 nm) light emitting devices. Materials and methods. The study included 62 individuals with various types of temporomandibular disorders, which were established using the latest diagnostic criteria – DC/TMD, 2014, revision 2020. Fifteen out of 62 patients responded positively to the GAD 7 questionnaire, which indicates depression and/or anxiety. In 8 out of these 15 cases, the presence of pain symptoms, mandibular contractures and psychosocial comorbidities exceeded 6 months. According to DC/TMD standards, these are patients with chronic temporomandibular disorders and they were the target group for our study. The average interincisal distance from this eight-member group was 27.62 mm (SD – 8.17). Results. The Student t-test for the dependent samples showed a significant reduction in VAS pain scores and an increased interincisal distance after phototherapy procedures. Conclusions. Combined phototherapy has proven to be an effective treatment of mandibular contractures, joint and muscle pain in TMD patients with psychosocial comorbid conditions.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"113 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135640227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Background: The Human Major Histocompatibility Complex (HLA) is the most polymorphic region of the human genome and encodes molecules with a central role in antigen-specific immune responses. Class I and class II HLA genes have an important role in bone marrow and solid organ transplantations. HLA typing by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) provides unambiguous second field or allelic level resolution and, therefore, better matching of donor and recipient and a higher chance of survival for transplanted patients. The aim of this study was to validate GenDx NGS HLA typing protocol for 6 HLA loci (HLA-A, -B, -C, DRB1, -DQB1 and DPB1). Materials and methods: 240 samples of both bone marrow healthy donors from the Bulgarian Bone Marrow Donors Registry (BBMDR) and bone marrow recipients were sequenced on the Ion Torrent System using the GenDx NGS HLA typing kit, compared to 65 samples from the BBMDR analyzed by Holotype HLA kit (Omixon) and sequenced on the Illumina platform MiniSeq. A number of metrics including allele balance, read length, mappability, coverage and ambiguity were assessed in order to evaluate the GenDx NGS HLA typing protocol. We also investigated haplotype and allele frequencies of class I (HLA-A, -B, -C) and class II (HLA-DRB1, -DQB1 and -DPB1) alleles. Results: The results demonstrate the accuracy of this protocol, eliminating almost all ambiguities, providing a reasonable read length of 180, 76% mappability and 1267 depth of coverage on average for all 6 HLA loci. We found that the most frequent alleles for class I are HLA-A*02:01:01 (27,5%), B*51:01:01 (16,5%), C*07:01:01 (16,5%) and class II – DRB1*11:04:01 (14,5%), DQB1*03:01:01 (26,9%) and DPB1*04:01:01 (33,2%) which corresponds with other investigations of the research team on HLA diversity in the Bulgarian population. Conclusion: The main advantages of GenDx NGS HLA typing protocol are the shorter time for DNA library preparation and the shorter sequencing time. Phasing ambiguities are also liminated, which is a significant advantage in the clinical environment. The presented data show the suitability of this NGS protocol for clinical practice, especially in HLA typing of donors from Bone Marrow Donors registries.
{"title":"Evaluation of GenDx Protocol for HLA NGS Genotyping Using the Ion Torrent Sequencing Platform","authors":"A. Ormandjieva, M. Ivanova","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background: The Human Major Histocompatibility Complex (HLA) is the most polymorphic region of the human genome and encodes molecules with a central role in antigen-specific immune responses. Class I and class II HLA genes have an important role in bone marrow and solid organ transplantations. HLA typing by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) provides unambiguous second field or allelic level resolution and, therefore, better matching of donor and recipient and a higher chance of survival for transplanted patients. The aim of this study was to validate GenDx NGS HLA typing protocol for 6 HLA loci (HLA-A, -B, -C, DRB1, -DQB1 and DPB1). Materials and methods: 240 samples of both bone marrow healthy donors from the Bulgarian Bone Marrow Donors Registry (BBMDR) and bone marrow recipients were sequenced on the Ion Torrent System using the GenDx NGS HLA typing kit, compared to 65 samples from the BBMDR analyzed by Holotype HLA kit (Omixon) and sequenced on the Illumina platform MiniSeq. A number of metrics including allele balance, read length, mappability, coverage and ambiguity were assessed in order to evaluate the GenDx NGS HLA typing protocol. We also investigated haplotype and allele frequencies of class I (HLA-A, -B, -C) and class II (HLA-DRB1, -DQB1 and -DPB1) alleles. Results: The results demonstrate the accuracy of this protocol, eliminating almost all ambiguities, providing a reasonable read length of 180, 76% mappability and 1267 depth of coverage on average for all 6 HLA loci. We found that the most frequent alleles for class I are HLA-A*02:01:01 (27,5%), B*51:01:01 (16,5%), C*07:01:01 (16,5%) and class II – DRB1*11:04:01 (14,5%), DQB1*03:01:01 (26,9%) and DPB1*04:01:01 (33,2%) which corresponds with other investigations of the research team on HLA diversity in the Bulgarian population. Conclusion: The main advantages of GenDx NGS HLA typing protocol are the shorter time for DNA library preparation and the shorter sequencing time. Phasing ambiguities are also liminated, which is a significant advantage in the clinical environment. The presented data show the suitability of this NGS protocol for clinical practice, especially in HLA typing of donors from Bone Marrow Donors registries.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135641231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Root exposure generates major concerns regarding aesthetics and other problems like hypersensitivity and root caries. Gingival recession has traditionally been treated by periodontal plastic surgery, often using soft tissue grafts to fill the defect with excellent clinical results. Advancements in root coverage procedures in the aesthetic zone have led to increasing the ability of clinicians to harness a treatment modality that delivers better outcomes with less surgical morbidity. Collagen membrane is most commonly used for guided tissue regeneration (GTR). On the other hand, platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) has gained popularity due to its simple method of acquisition, low cost and the presence of growth factors. Therefore, this case report describes the treatment of a 38-year-old patient with bilateral multiple Miller’s class I recession defects extending from central incisors to canines by using the vestibular incision subperiosteal tunnel access (VISTA) with PRF and collagen membrane. Clinical parameters such as recession height (RH) and width of keratinised gingiva (WKG) were measured at 6-month and 1-year follow up intervals. The 6-month follow-up revealed optimum root coverage with excellent outcomes for both sites, with an increase in the width of keratinised gingiva and a decrease in the recession height, and less discomfort in the site treated with a PRF membrane. These clinical parameters were maintained at the 1-year follow up. The increase in the width of keratinised gingiva and the decrease in the recession height in both groups and the patient compliance due to this minimally invasive procedure suggests its potential use when aesthetics and patient comfort are of paramount concern.
{"title":"Minimally Invasive Gingival Recession Treatment by Using Vista Combined With PRF and Collagen Membrane: A Case Report","authors":"S. Durgapal, M. Shetty","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0033","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Root exposure generates major concerns regarding aesthetics and other problems like hypersensitivity and root caries. Gingival recession has traditionally been treated by periodontal plastic surgery, often using soft tissue grafts to fill the defect with excellent clinical results. Advancements in root coverage procedures in the aesthetic zone have led to increasing the ability of clinicians to harness a treatment modality that delivers better outcomes with less surgical morbidity. Collagen membrane is most commonly used for guided tissue regeneration (GTR). On the other hand, platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) has gained popularity due to its simple method of acquisition, low cost and the presence of growth factors. Therefore, this case report describes the treatment of a 38-year-old patient with bilateral multiple Miller’s class I recession defects extending from central incisors to canines by using the vestibular incision subperiosteal tunnel access (VISTA) with PRF and collagen membrane. Clinical parameters such as recession height (RH) and width of keratinised gingiva (WKG) were measured at 6-month and 1-year follow up intervals. The 6-month follow-up revealed optimum root coverage with excellent outcomes for both sites, with an increase in the width of keratinised gingiva and a decrease in the recession height, and less discomfort in the site treated with a PRF membrane. These clinical parameters were maintained at the 1-year follow up. The increase in the width of keratinised gingiva and the decrease in the recession height in both groups and the patient compliance due to this minimally invasive procedure suggests its potential use when aesthetics and patient comfort are of paramount concern.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"186 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135640096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The regulation of herbal medicines is changing and alters in the different countries. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) defines medicines on the grounds of their intended use. Medicines shall be preliminarily approved by the FDA prior to their placing on the market or if they are OTC – they shall meet the requirements of specific regulations, called monographs, for their category. The definition of medicine according to the Canadian Food and Drugs Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-27) is “any substance or a combination of substances manufactured, sold or made available for use”. In Japan, the objective of the Medicines and Medical Products Act is to improve public health by means of regulations that are necessary to guarantee the quality, the efficiency and the safety of medicines, quasi-drugs, cosmetics, medical and medicinal products. The definition of a medicinal product in the EU has been specified in Section I Definitions of Directive 83/2001/EC. In the aforementioned countries under consideration, medicines are classified into: medicines prescribed by a doctor (POM) and medicines sold without a doctor’s prescription (OTC). The conducted comparative analysis of the aforementioned countries has shown that there are specific requirements and regulations for herbal medicinal products in the European Union. In the USA and Canada, herbal medicinal products are regarded as a subsection of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), sec. 351-360n-1 U.S.C. 379e; the Food and Drugs Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-27) – Government of Canada. In the Japanese legislation, there are no specific requirements for herbal medicinal products.
在不同的国家，草药的监管是不断变化的。联邦食品、药品和化妆品法案(FD&C法案)根据药物的预期用途来定义药物。药品在投放市场之前必须得到FDA的初步批准，或者如果它们是OTC，它们必须符合特定法规的要求，称为专论，用于其类别。根据《加拿大食品和药品法》(R.S.C, 1985, c. F-27)，药品的定义是“制造、销售或可供使用的任何物质或物质的组合”。在日本，《药品和医疗产品法》的目标是通过必要的法规来保证药品、准药品、化妆品、医疗和医药产品的质量、效率和安全，从而改善公众健康。欧盟药品的定义已在83/2001/EC指令的第I节定义中规定。在上述审议的国家中，药物分为:医生开的药物(POM)和未经医生处方销售的药物(OTC)。对上述国家进行的比较分析表明，欧盟对草药产品有特定的要求和法规。在美国和加拿大，草药产品被视为联邦食品、药品和化妆品法案(FD&C法案)的一个小节，第351-360n-1 U.S.C. 379e;《食品和药品法》(R.S.C, 1985, c. F-27) -加拿大政府。在日本的立法中，对草药产品没有具体的要求。
{"title":"Pharmaceutical Regulation of Herbal Medicinal Products in the Countries of the European Union, the USA, Canada and Japan","authors":"B. Hadzhieva, M. Dimitrov, V. Petkova","doi":"10.2478/amb-2023-0034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0034","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The regulation of herbal medicines is changing and alters in the different countries. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) defines medicines on the grounds of their intended use. Medicines shall be preliminarily approved by the FDA prior to their placing on the market or if they are OTC – they shall meet the requirements of specific regulations, called monographs, for their category. The definition of medicine according to the Canadian Food and Drugs Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-27) is “any substance or a combination of substances manufactured, sold or made available for use”. In Japan, the objective of the Medicines and Medical Products Act is to improve public health by means of regulations that are necessary to guarantee the quality, the efficiency and the safety of medicines, quasi-drugs, cosmetics, medical and medicinal products. The definition of a medicinal product in the EU has been specified in Section I Definitions of Directive 83/2001/EC. In the aforementioned countries under consideration, medicines are classified into: medicines prescribed by a doctor (POM) and medicines sold without a doctor’s prescription (OTC). The conducted comparative analysis of the aforementioned countries has shown that there are specific requirements and regulations for herbal medicinal products in the European Union. In the USA and Canada, herbal medicinal products are regarded as a subsection of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), sec. 351-360n-1 U.S.C. 379e; the Food and Drugs Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-27) – Government of Canada. In the Japanese legislation, there are no specific requirements for herbal medicinal products.","PeriodicalId":35746,"journal":{"name":"Acta Medica Bulgarica","volume":"119 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135640224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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