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ABSTRACT: To survey irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using Rome III criteria among Malays from the north-eastern region of Peninsular Malaysia.
A previously validated Malay language Rome III IBS diagnostic questionnaire was used in the current study. A prospective sample of 232 Malay subjects (80% power) was initially screened. Using a stratified random sampling strategy, a total of 221 Malay subjects (112 subjects in a "full time job" and 109 subjects in "no full time job") were recruited. Subjects were visitors (friends and relatives) within the hospital compound and were representative of the local community. Red flags and psychosocial alarm symptoms were also assessed in the current study using previously translated and validated questionnaires. Subjects with IBS were sub-typed into constipation-predominant, diarrhea-predominant, mixed type and un-subtyped. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to test for association between socioeconomic factors and presence of red flags and psychosocial alarm features among the Malays with IBS.
IBS was present in 10.9% (24/221), red flags in 22.2% (49/221) and psychosocial alarm features in 9.0% (20/221). Red flags were more commonly reported in subjects with IBS (83.3%) than psychosocial alarm features (20.8%, P < 0.001). Subjects with IBS were older (mean age 41.4 years vs 36.9 years, P = 0.08), but no difference in gender was noted (P = 0.4). Using univariable analysis, IBS was significantly associated with a tertiary education, high individual income above RM1000, married status, ex-smoker and the presence of red flags (all P < 0.05). In multiple logistic regression analysis, only the presence of red flags was significantly associated with IBS (odds ratio: 0.02, 95%CI: 0.004-0.1, P < 0.001). The commonest IBS sub-type was mixed type (58.3%), followed by constipation-predominant (20.8%), diarrhea-predominant (16.7%) and un-subtyped (4.2%). Four of 13 Malay females (30.8%) with IBS also had menstrual pain. Most subjects with IBS had at least one red flag (70.8%), 12.5% had two red flags and 16.7% with no red flags. The commonest red flag was a bowel habit change in subjects > 50 years old and this was reported by 16.7% of subjects with IBS.
Using the Rome III criteria, IBS was common among ethnic Malays from the north-eastern region of Peninsular Malaysia.
World Journal of Gastroenterology 11/2012; 18(44):6475-80. · 2.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is reported to be associated with many extragastrointestinal manifestations, such as hematological diseases [idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and unexplained iron deficiency anemia (IDA)], cardiovascular diseases (ischemic heart diseases), neurological disorders (stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease), obesity and skin disorders. Among these, the best evidence so far is in ITP and unexplained IDA, with high-quality studies showing the improvement of IDA and ITP after H. pylori eradication. The evidence of its association with coronary artery disease is weak and many of the results may be erroneous. The role of H. pylori infection in affecting serum leptin and ghrelin levels has attracted a lot of attention recently and available data to date have been conflicting. There have also been many uncontrolled, small sample studies suggesting an association between H. pylori infection and neurological disorders or chronic urticaria. However, more studies are required to clarify such proposed causal links.
Journal of Digestive Diseases 07/2012; 13(7):342-9. · 1.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The Malay language is widely used within the "Malay Archipelago" particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Brunei with a combined population of 300 million. There are no reliable data on the epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the Malay speaking population because the Rome Diagnostic Questionnaire has not been translated and validated for the Malay language. The current study aimed to translate and validate the Rome III IBS Diagnostic Questionnaire, Red Flag and Psychosocial Alarm questionnaires into the Malay language.
Forward and backward translations of the source questionnaires were performed according to guidelines from the Rome foundation. The Malay translated questionnaires were assessed for clarity in a group of 10 volunteers. Psychometric properties of the questionnaires were assessed in 31 subjects with IBS based on Rome II symptom criteria and 31 healthy controls prospectively. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation (ICC) over a 14-day interval. The sensitivity and specificity of the IBS diagnostic module for distinguishing IBS patients from controls was tested.
The ICC for the IBS module was 0.996 (95% confidence interval 0.991-0.998) with good discriminant validity (P < 0.001). ICCs for the Red Flags and Psychosocial Alarm questionnaires were 0.962 and 0.994 respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the translated Rome III IBS module against Rome II criteria was 80.65%, 100% and 100%, respectively.
The translated Malay language Rome III IBS Diagnostic Questionnaire and the questionnaires for Red Flags and Psychosocial Alarm symptoms are valid and reliable.
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 10/2011; 27(4):746-50. · 2.87 Impact Factor
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K Ming Fock,
Peter Katelaris,
Kentaro Sugano,
Tiing Leong Ang,
Richard Hunt,
Nicholas J Talley,
Shiu Kum Lam,
Shu-Dong Xiao, Huck Joo Tan,
Chun-Ying Wu,
Hyun Chae Jung,
Bui Huu Hoang,
Udom Kachintorn,
Khean-Lee Goh,
Tsutomu Chiba,
Abdul Aziz Rani
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ABSTRACT: The Asia-Pacific Consensus Conference was convened to review and synthesize the most current information on Helicobacter pylori management so as to update the previously published regional guidelines. The group recognized that in addition to long-established indications, such as peptic ulcer disease, early mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type lymphoma and family history of gastric cancer, H. pylori eradication was also indicated for H. pylori infected patients with functional dyspepsia, in those receiving long-term maintenance proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for gastroesophageal reflux disease, and in cases of unexplained iron deficiency anemia or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. In addition, a population 'test and treat' strategy for H. pylori infection in communities with high incidence of gastric cancer was considered to be an effective strategy for gastric cancer prevention. It was recommended that H. pylori infection should be tested for and eradicated prior to long-term aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy in patients at high risk for ulcers and ulcer-related complications. In Asia, the currently recommended first-line therapy for H. pylori infection is PPI-based triple therapy with amoxicillin/metronidazole and clarithromycin for 7 days, while bismuth-based quadruple therapy is an effective alternative. There appears to be an increasing rate of resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole in parts of Asia, leading to reduced efficacy of PPI-based triple therapy. There are insufficient data to recommend sequential therapy as an alternative first-line therapy in Asia. Salvage therapies that can be used include: (i) standard triple therapy that has not been previously used; (ii) bismuth-based quadruple therapy; (iii) levofloxacin-based triple therapy; and (iv) rifabutin-based triple therapy. Both CYP2C19 genetic polymorphisms and cigarette smoking can influence future H. pylori eradication rates.
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 10/2009; 24(10):1587-600. · 2.87 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The role of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in non-ulcer dyspepsia is debatable. Eradicating HP will help a small group of non-ulcer dyspeptic patients. However, it is unclear which subgroup of patients will benefit from eradication therapy. The aim of the present study was to compare the cagA and cagE status, as well as vacA genotypes, of HP in non-ulcer dyspeptic patients who responded successfully to eradication therapy compared with those patients who did not.
Consecutive patients with moderate to severe (Likert 2 or 3) non-ulcer dyspepsia with HP were recruited prospectively. Gastric biopsies were taken, DNA extracted and polymerase chain reaction performed to determine the cagA and cagE status and vacA alleles. Eradication therapy was offered until HP was eradicated successfully. The HP status was checked 1 month after eradication therapy using the [(13)C]-urea breath test. All patients were assessed by one interviewer using Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), a four-point Likert scale, and SF-36 for quality of life over 12 months. Treatment success was defined as minimal or no symptoms (Likert 1 or 0). The cagA, cagE and vacA status was blinded to the investigators until completion of the study.
Seventy-three patients (36 males, 37 females) were recruited to the study. The mean+/-SD patient age was 53.38+/-12.09 years. When the 36 patients who improved (group A) were compared with the 37 (group B) who did not, no significant difference was found in the cagE positive rate (55.6 vs 43.2%, respectively; P=0.638), cagA positive rate (83.1 vs 73.0%, respectively; P=0.247), vacA m1 versus m2 subtype (84.0 vs 55.6%, respectively; P=0.472) or vacA s1a versus s1c (39.4 vs 57.1%, respectively; P=0.166). There was also no significant difference noted in the SF-36 scores between the two groups after the conclusion of eradication therapy.
Stratification of HP genotypes and virulence factor has no significant impact on the treatment success of non-ulcer dyspepsia.
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 02/2006; 21(1 Pt 1):110-5. · 2.87 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: There is a geographic variation in Helicobacter pylori (HP) genotypes and virulence factors. Cytotoxin associated genes A (cagA) and E (cagE), and certain vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA) genotypes are associated with peptic ulcer disease (PUD). There is also a different prevalence of PUD among different ethnic groups in Malaysia. The present study compared the distribution of vacA alleles and cagA and cagE status in three ethnic groups residing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and their association with clinical outcome.
All patients with cultured positive HP were recruited prospectively. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction was carried out to determine the cagA and cagE status and vacA alleles.
The results of 127 patients (72 men and 55 women) were included. The mean age was 55.53 +/- 12.52 years. The ethnic distribution was 59 Chinese, 38 Indian and 30 Malay patients. The predominant genotype was s1a among the Malay (76.6%) and Indian patients (71.0%), and s1c among the Chinese patients (66.1%). The vacA middle region sequence m1 was detected in 66.7% of Malay, 54.2% of Chinese and 76.3% of Indian patients. Of the Malay, Chinese and Indian patients, 76.6%, 86.4% and 86.8%, respectively, were cagA positive, and 70.0%, 39.0% and 81.6%, respectively, were cagE positve. HP cagA, cagE and vacA were not associated with PUD.
There is a distinctive difference in the HP strains among the three ethnic groups in Malaysia. There was no association between cagA, cagE or vacA genotypes and clinical outcome in the patients. None of these markers are helpful in predicting the clinical presentation of a HP infection.
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 05/2005; 20(4):589-94. · 2.87 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Helicobacter pylori infection of a distinct subtype of cagA may lead to different pathological manifestation. The aim of this study is to determine the presence of cagA gene and its variants in H. pylori infection among different ethnic groups and its effect on gastroduodenal diseases. Overall detection of cagA among the 205 clinical isolates of H. pylori was 94%. Variations in size of the 3' region of cagA gene were examined among 192 Malaysian H. pylori cagA-positive strains. Results showed that three cagA variants differing in fragment length of PCR products were detected and designated as type A (621-651bp), type B (732-735bp) and type C (525 bp). Although there was no association between any of the cagA subtypes with peptic ulcer disease (p>0.05), an association between cagA subtypes with a specific ethnic group was observed. Specific-cagA subtype A strains were predominantly isolated from Chinese compared to Malays and Indians (p<0.0005), and cagA subtype B strains were predominantly isolated from Malays and Indians compared to Chinese (p<0.05). The cagA type A strains of H. pylori is commonly found in the Chinese patients who have a higher risk of peptic ulcer disease, thus indicating that it could be used as an important clinical biomarker for a more severe infection.
FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology 05/2005; 44(2):239-42. · 2.44 Impact Factor
