Publications by authors named "Fook T Chew"

This cross-sequential study found that frequent intake of high-fat and high-protein foods was associated with higher odds of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, occasional intake across all three macronutrients significantly lowered AD odds, suggesting that moderation-not strict avoidance-may benefit AD management in allergic populations.

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Purpose: Dietary fiber intake may influence the risk and severity of atopic dermatitis (AD), a common chronic allergic skin condition. This cross-sequential study investigated the association between dietary fiber intake and various characteristics of AD, including house dust mites (HDM) allergy and dry skin, in 13,561 young Chinese adults (mean years = 22.51, SD ± 5.

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Skin ageing results in wrinkling. In this study, we discuss four types of facial wrinkles: Crow's Feet wrinkles, forehead wrinkles, glabellar frown wrinkles, and nasolabial folds. These four phenotypes can be assessed either with a photo-numeric scale developed and validated on Caucasian skin (i.

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Background: Sensitisation to is linked to worse outcomes in patients with COPD; however, its prevalence and clinical implications in domestic (residential) settings remains unknown.

Methods: Individuals with COPD (n=43) recruited in Singapore had their residences prospectively sampled and assessed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing including indoor air, outdoor air and touch surfaces (a total of 126 specimens). The abundance of environmental and the occurrence of (Asp f) allergens in the environment were determined and immunological responses to allergens determined in association with clinical outcomes including exacerbation frequency.

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Unlabelled: To ensure the nutritional needs of an expanding global population, it is crucial to optimize the growing capabilities and breeding values of fruit and vegetable crops. While genomic selection, initially implemented in animal breeding, holds tremendous potential, its utilization in fruit and vegetable crops remains underexplored. In this systematic review, we reviewed 63 articles covering genomic selection and its applications across 25 different types of fruit and vegetable crops over the last decade.

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Article Synopsis
  • Allergic rhinitis (AR) affects a significant percentage (35.4%) of Chinese young adults in Singapore, presenting mainly with symptoms like rhinorrhea and nasal pruritus.
  • The study categorized AR cases into different severity classes, revealing that 68.1% have moderate to severe symptoms, with many experiencing troubling symptoms and sleep disturbances.
  • A staggering 85.2% of AR cases remain undiagnosed, 72.5% untreated, and 65.4% experience both, indicating a critical need for better management and awareness of AR in this population.
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Introduction: FOXO1 plays an important role in regulating immune processes that contribute to allergic inflammation; however, genetic variants influencing FOXO1 expression in AR pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the functional effect of FOXO1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on AR development by performing genetic association and functional analysis studies.

Methods: This study belongs to a part of an ongoing Singapore/Malaysia cross-sectional genetics and epidemiological study (SMCSGES).

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Background & Objective: Numerous evidence has attributed diets with a high fatty acids (FAs) intake to be associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) development. Therefore, this study investigated the association between intake frequencies of five dietary FAs and AD exacerbations among young Chinese adults from Singapore and Malaysia.

Methods: A validated International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was investigator-administered to 13,561 subjects to collect information on socioeconomic, anthropometric, dietary and lifestyles habits, and personal/family medical histories.

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Introduction: Allergic diseases remain of concern due to their increasing prevalence worldwide. Intrinsic and environmental risk factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic disease. Among the possible risk factors, migration has been associated with the manifestation of allergic diseases.

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Background: Photo-ageing is a form of skin ageing which affects the entire face. A photo-aged skin has a diverse variety of wrinkles and dyspigmentation all over the face. Here, we discuss photo-ageing on the Chinese skin evaluated using a photo-numeric scale developed and validated on Caucasian skin (i.

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Background: Changes develop on the facial skin as a person ages. Other than chronological time, it has been discovered that gender, ethnicity, air pollution, smoking, nutrition, and sun exposure are notable risk factors that influence the development of skin ageing phenotypes such as wrinkles and photo-ageing. These risk factors can be quantified through epidemiological collection methods.

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Background: This scoping review aims to critically assess gaps in the current literature on atopic dermatitis (AD) by evaluating the overall effectiveness of dietary interventions. Through a comprehensive analysis that follows the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, we conducted a thorough search on the Web of Science database in May 2023 using specific search strategies to identify all relevant studies on the research topic.

Summary: A total of 104 full-text articles were included for review.

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Background: We evaluate skin sagging phenotypes (eyebags, droopy eyelids, low eyebrow positioning) using written descriptive scales and photo-numeric scales. We also study how anti-ageing interventions and digital screen time influence skin sagging.

Aim: We compare the two phenotype assessment methods with each other.

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Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex inflammatory disease with a strong genetic component. A singular approach of genome wide association studies (GWAS) can identify AD-associated genetic variants, but is unable to explain their functional relevance in AD. This study aims to characterize AD-associated genetic variants and elucidate the mechanisms leading to AD through a multi-omics approach.

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Background And Objective: Sleep disruption has been shown to affect immune function and thus influence allergic disease manifestation. The specific effects of sleep on allergic diseases, however, are less well-established; hence, in a unique population of young Chinese adults, we investigated the association between sleep and allergic disease.

Methods: Young Chinese adults recruited from Singapore in the Singapore/Malaysia Cross-Sectional Genetic Epidemiology Study (SMCGES) were analyzed.

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Background: (Ela g, oil palm) pollen is one of the most predominant species of inhalant allergens in the tropical Southeast Asia region; however, its association with the manifestation of allergic diseases remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to determine the sensitization pattern of oil palm pollen and associate this with the risk and severity of allergic diseases.

Methods: Participants were recruited as a part of the Singapore and Malaysia cross-sectional genetic and epidemiological study (SMCSGES).

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Through an investigator-administered questionnaire that follows the standard protocol of the International Study of Allergy and Asthma in Childhood, data on symptomatic histories of eczema and dietary habits were collected from 11,494 young Chinese adults in Singapore/Malaysia. Allergic sensitization status was assessed through a skin prick test reactivity to common house dust mites. Using three dietary indices (dietary protein score, animal protein score, and plant protein score), the associations between atopic dermatitis, intrinsic eczema, allergic sensitization, and intake of various proteins were estimated.

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Background: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has been increasing in recent years, especially in Asia. There is growing evidence to suggest the importance of dietary patterns in the development and management of AD. Here, we seek to understand how certain dietary patterns in a Singapore/Malaysia population are associated with various risks of AD development and exacerbation.

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Background: We see increasing evidence that dietary and nutrients factors play a pivotal role in allergic diseases and recent global findings suggest that dietary habits influence the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Frequent consumption of fast food diets is associated with AD development. Despite the rising prevalence of AD in Asia, efforts in investigating the role of dietary habits and AD in adults are still lacking.

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Purpose Of Review: This review evaluates the current modes of allergen-specific immunotherapy for cockroach allergens, in terms of clinical outcomes and explores future trends in the research and development needed for a more targeted cockroach immunotherapy approach with the best efficacy and minimum adverse effects.

Summary: Cockroach allergy is an important risk factor for allergic rhinitis in the tropics, that disproportionately affects children and young adults and those living in poor socio-economic environments. Immunotherapy would provide long-lasting improvement in quality of life, with reduced medication intake.

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Introduction: Frequent dietary patterns for fast food diets are suggested to be a risk factor for atopic disease development. Excessive dietary fats in fast foods are postulated to promote low-grade chronic inflammation. However, no studies in Asia have yet to characterize the dietary pattern for high-fat foods with atopic diseases.

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Introduction: Previous studies have indicated the ERBB2 genetic variants in the 17q12 locus might be associated with asthma; however, the functional effects of these variants on asthma risk remain inconclusive. This study aimed to characterize the functional roles of asthma-associated ERBB2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in asthma pathogenesis by performing genetic association and functional analysis studies.

Methods: This study belongs to a part of an ongoing Singapore/Malaysia cross-sectional genetics and epidemiological study (SMCSGES).

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Introduction: The arachidonic acid (AA) pathway plays a crucial role in allergic inflammatory diseases; however, the functional roles of allergy-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this pathway remain incompletely illustrated.

Methods: This study belongs to a part of an ongoing Singapore/Malaysia cross-sectional genetics and epidemiological study (SMCSGES). We performed population genotyping on n = 2,880 individuals from the SMCSGES cohort to assess the associations of SNPs in the AA pathway genes with asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR).

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