Early-phase factors associated with pediatric severe dengue in the Thai-Myanmar cross-border region.

Background: Dengue disease is caused by dengue virus, which is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Although most infected individuals have benign febrile illness or no apparent symptoms, a small percentage develop severe dengue, a potentially fatal condition that occurs after a febrile stage. Many studies have identified factors predicting dengue severity among different populations and time courses.

Gametocyte prevalence and risk factors of P. falciparum malaria patients admitted at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand: a 20-year retrospective study.

Background: The incidence of malaria in Thailand has dramatically declined over the past two decades, and the goal is to eliminate malaria by 2025. Despite significant progress, one of the key challenges to malaria elimination are undetected gametocyte carriers. Human migration adds complexity to the malaria situation, as it not only sustains local transmission but also poses the risk of spreading drug-resistant parasites.

Pfcrt genotypes and related microsatellite DNA polymorphisms on Plasmodium falciparum differed among populations in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Malaria morbidity and mortality have decreased gradually in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Presently, WHO sets a goal to eliminate malaria by 2030 in the GMS. However, drug-resistant malaria has been reported from several endemic areas.

Evaluation of Efficacy of Chloroquine for Plasmodium Vivax Infection Using Parasite Clearance Times: A 10-Year Study and Systematic Review.

Introduction: Chloroquine, in combination with primaquine, is used as the firstline treatment for uncomplicated P. vivax malaria in Thailand. In view of the declining efficacy of chloroquine in many P.

Plasma levels of Galectin-9 reflect disease severity in malaria infection.

Background: Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin that interacts with sugar moieties on glycoproteins and glycolipids of cells and pathogens. Gal-9 is known as an immune modulator that induces cell death via interaction with T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (Tim3), a co-inhibitory receptor, and it inhibits production of several pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-6 and IL-1α) and enhances production of IL-10. To understand the immune pathology of malaria, the Gal-9 in plasma was measured.

Incidence of potential rabies exposure among Japanese expatriates and travelers in Thailand.

Background: Rabies has become a forgotten and neglected disease in Japan. In 2006, there was a slight increase in social awareness of rabies when Japan had two reported cases of human rabies, originating in the Philippines. Although the number of Japanese either traveling or living in other Asian countries has been increasing, the exact risk of this population contracting rabies is unknown.

Transient lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum in acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria.

Patients with acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria have no evident neurologic disorder, vital organ dysfunction, or other severe manifestations of infection. Nonetheless, parasitized erythrocytes cytoadhere to the endothelium throughout their microvasculature, especially within the brain. We aimed to determine if 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging studies could detect evidence of cerebral abnormalities in these patients.

Factors associated with cerebral malaria.

We conducted a retrospective unmatched case-control study using the medical records of patients admitted to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand to investigate factors associated with cerebral malaria. The records of 137 patients with severe Plasmodium falciparum without cerebral malaria and 35 patients with cerebral malaria hospitalized during 1997-2005 were reviewed and compared. Ten factors associated with cerebral malaria were identified: pulmonary edema [odds ratio (OR)= 13.

Schizontemia as an indicator of severe malaria.

We conducted this study to determine if the finding of schizontemia could be used as an indicator of severe falciparum malaria. We enrolled 250 patients with severe falciparum malaria and 250 patients with umcomplicated falciparum malaria into the study. Severe falciparum malaria was defined following World Health Organization criteria (2010).

Sexual behavior of foreign backpackers in the Khao San Road area, Bangkok.

Travelers play a role in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV because of having unprotected sex. We studied the incidence of casual sex among foreign backpack tourists in the Khao San Road area of Bangkok, Thailand. We also evaluated their attitudes about sexual health and their actual practices.

Risk factors of shock in severe falciparum malaria.

The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors for the development of shock in adult patients admitted with severe falciparum malaria. As an unmatched case-control study, the records of patients who were admitted to the Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand, between the years 2000-2010, were reviewed. One hundred patients with severe falciparum malaria and shock, and another 100 patients with severe malaria but without shock were studied.

Chronic hepatitis B prognostic markers other than pre-treatment viral load predicted composite treatment outcome.

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a globally common infectious disease. Its clinical course is complicated. In Southeast Asia, nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) are commonly used drugs for CHB treatment.

Use of buffy coat thick films in detecting malaria parasites in patients with negative conventional thick films.

Objective: To determine the frequency of malaria parasite detection from the buffy coat blood films by using capillary tube in falciparum malaria patients with negative conventional thick films.

Methods: Thirty six uncomplicated falciparum malaria patients confirmed by conventional thick and thin films were included in the study. The patients were treated with artemisinin combination therapy at Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Bangkok, Thailand for 28 day.

Activation of nuclear factor kappa B in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from malaria patients.

Background: Malaria parasites and their products can activate a specific immune response by stimulating cytokine production in the host's immune cells. Transcription nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is an important regulator for the control of many pro-inflammatory genes, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The activation and expression of NF-κB p65 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of malaria patients were investigated and correlated with the levels of IL-10 and TNF to study the nature of NF-κB p65 and its linkage to inflammatory cytokines.

Arterolane maleate plus piperaquine phosphate for treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria: a comparative, multicenter, randomized clinical trial.

Background: Artemisinin-based combination therapy is the first-line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria. This study assessed the antimalarial efficacy and safety of a combination of 150 mg of arterolane maleate and 750 mg of piperaquine phosphate (AM-PQP) in comparison to Coartem (artemether and lumefantrine) in patients with acute uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria.

Evaluation of the NOW Malaria Immunochromatographic Test for Quantitative Diagnosis of Falciparum and Vivax Malaria Parasite Density.

The NOW® Malaria Test, an immunochromatographic test (ICT), was evaluated to determine its ability to quantitatively detect malaria parasites using 100 blood samples from Thailand, including 50 Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infections and 50 P. vivax (Pv) infections. Intensities of the thickness of the visible bands of the positive ICT were compared with the parasite densities.

Factors associated with acute renal failure in falciparum malaria infected patients.

To identify factors associated with acute renal failure among patients with severe falciparum malaria (MARF), we studied 189 severe malaria patients admitted to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, in Bangkok, Thailand. Among these, 63 had MARF, and 126 did not. Baseline clinical demographics and laboratory variables were evaluated with univariate analysis.

Falciparum malaria parasitemia index for predicting severe malaria.

Introduction: While hyperparasitemia is considered an important indicator for the development of severe malaria, there is currently no consensus on the quantitative definition of hyperparasitemia. This study was conducted to establish a cutoff point for peripheral parasitemia among patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria, to define severe malaria.

Methods: The clinical presentations of 200 uncomplicated P.

Observation of genotype C infected chronic hepatitis B patients in clinical practice.

Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C is prevalent in many areas of the world including Thailand and Southeast Asia. It is a strong risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by evidence. We aimed to describe the baseline clinical information of treatment naïve genotype C infected chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and to describe the treatment response by surrogate outcome markers in genotype C infected CHB patients after one year of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) treatment

Methodology: Thirty-four genotype C CHB patients were studied at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Bangkok, including 12 patients treated with lamivudine, 11 with telbivudine, 8 with adefovir, and 3 with entecavir.

Long term primaquine administration to reduce Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte transmission in hypoendemic areas.

Artemesinin-combination therapies (ACTs) for falciparum malaria reduce gametocyte carriage, and therefore reduce transmission. Artemisinin derivatives act only against young gametocytes, but primaquine acts against mature gametocytes (which are usually present in the circulation at the time the patient presents for treatment). Both artemisnin derivatives and primaquine have short half-lives (less than 1 hour and 8 hours, respectively).

Effect of artesunate and mefloquine in combination on the Fridericia corrected QT intervals in Plasmodium falciparum infected adults from Thailand.

Objective: To ascertain whether mefloquine (MQ) produces electrocardiogram (ECG) changes that could be a risk for Torsades de Pointe (TdP), a potentially malignant, ventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Methods: We measured the Fridericia corrected QT (QTcF) intervals on 12 lead ECGs on days (D) 0, 3, 7 in Plasmodium falciparum infected adults, treated with oral artesunate (AS) and MQ as a new fixed dose (n = 25) combination or loose tablets (n = 25) over 3 days. Target total doses were 12 mg/kg of AS and 24-25 mg/kg of MQ.

Cruveilhier-Baumgarten syndrome in a cirrhotic patient taking alcohol with Boesenbergia pundurata.

Cruveilhier-Baumgarten syndrome (CBS) is a rare complication of cirrhosis. We reported a case of CBS who came to hospital with progressive ascites, jaundice, fever and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The cause of cirrhosis and hepatitis might be due to alcohol and possibly local Thai herb [Boesenbergia pundurata (Roxb.