Shellfish/crustacean oral allergy syndrome among national service pre-enlistees in Singapore.

Background: All Singaporean males undergo medical screening prior to compulsory military service. A history of possible food allergy may require referral to a specialist Allergy clinic to ensure that special dietary needs can be taken into account during field training and deployment.

Objective: To study the pattern of food allergy among pre-enlistees who were referred to a specialist allergy clinic to work up suspected food allergy.

Relapsing drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome.

Purpose Of Review: Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) is a serious adverse drug reaction with potential morbidity and mortality. 'Flare up' or relapses in DIHS is a rare but important feature. These relapses may occur within days to several weeks, even after discontinuation of the offending drug.

A retrospective study on sequential desensitization-rechallenge for antituberculosis drug allergy.

Background: Antituberculosis (anti-TB) drug allergy often involves multiple concurrently administered drugs which subsequently need to be reinitiated as no better alternatives exist.

Objective: To describe the results of tailored sequential desensitization-rechallenge (D-R) for anti-TB drug allergy.

Methods: Consecutive patients who had undergone D-R to anti-TB drugs between 1 September 1997 and 31 January 2012 were recruited.

Methotrexate-associated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with transaminitis in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of MTX-associated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with transaminitis in a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients from Singapore.

Methods: Patients who developed ultrasound proven NAFLD with transaminitis while on MTX therapy were identified. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the above patients (cases) were compiled and compared with age- and gender-matched controls who were RA patients on long standing MTX therapy without any episode of transaminitis.

Two-year preclinical testing of perfluoropolyether polymer as a corneal inlay.

Purpose: To assess the long-term biocompatibility and optical clarity of a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) polymer as a corneal inlay.

Methods: A 4-mm-diameter PFPE inlay was implanted under a microkeratome flap in the corneas of rabbits (n = 16) and maintained for predetermined time points of 6, 12, or 24 months. These were compared with normal (n = 3) and time-matched sham-wounded rabbit corneas (n = 8).

Approaches to improving the biocompatibility of porous perfluoropolyethers for ophthalmic applications.

Porous perfluoropolyether (PFPE) membranes for ophthalmic applications were prepared with a zwitterion monomer, 3-[[2-(methacryloxy) ethyl](N,N-dimethyl)ammonio]-propane-1-sulphonate, copolymerized in weight ratios of 0-10%. The polymer samples were assessed for a range of physical properties, including equilibrium water content, bovine serum albumin permeability, transparency, refractive index and the ability to support corneal epithelial cell and tissue attachment, growth and migration. In vitro assessment of the polymers using bovine corneal epithelial cells and tissue showed that a zwitterion incorporation level of between 0% and 6% in the PFPE membranes supported the migration of an intact sheet of epithelial tissue without compromising epithelial cell attachment and growth, with 4-6% being the optimal level for these properties.