
JW MakInternational Medical University | imu · Institute for Research, Development and Innovation
JW Mak
MBBS, DAP&E, MD, MPH, FRCPath
About
367
Publications
73,146
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
4,470
Citations
Introduction
Research interest: Tropical medicine, infectious diseases, evidence-based medicine
Additional affiliations
December 1997 - November 2000
Publications
Publications (367)
Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis is a public health problem and targeted for global elimination. WHO
recommends mass drug administration to interrupt transmission of the parasites involved.
There are concerns that transmission interruption may be difficult in areas of zoonotic filarial
infections. This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence o...
Background
Due to relatively low malaria parasitaemia in pregnancy, an appropriate field test that can adequately detect infections in pregnant women presenting with illness or for malaria screening during antenatal care is crucially important. The objective was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of loop-mediated isothermal amplification ( LAMP) f...
The majority of leptospirosis is subclinical or mild self-limiting systemic illness. A rapid and accurate diagnostic test for the detection of leptospirosis is essential to prevent disease progression from acute non-severe illness to potentially fatal infection. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) recognized as point-of-care (PoC) tests may support clini...
Dengue fever is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease in Southeast Asia. Insecticides remain the most effective vector control approach for Aedes mosquitoes. Four main classes of insecticides are widely used for mosquito control: organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids and carbamates. Here, we review the distribution of dengue feve...
Background: Gastric cancer is globally the fifth most common cancer. Several studies have assessed the relationship between tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a- 308) and the risk of gastric cancer. These individual genetic association studies showed inconclusive results. The objective of the present study was to synthesis evidence on the associatio...
Background
A unique concern pertaining to the spread of COVID-19 across countries is the asymmetry of risk and the irrational fear of a new pandemic and its possible serious consequences. This study aimed to perform a time series analysis on the association between climate factors and daily cases of COVID-19 in Malaysia up to 15 July 2020. The seco...
Background:
The global malaria decline has stalled and only a few countries are pushing towards pre-elimination. The aim of the malaria elimination phase is interruption of local transmission of a specified malaria parasite in a defined geographical area. New and improved screening tools and strategies are required for detection and management of...
Background:
Malaysia has the highest rate of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the Southeast Asian region, and has ongoing air pollution and periodic haze exposure.
Methods:
Diabetes data were derived from the Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Surveys conducted in 2006, 2011 and 2015. The air pollution data (NOx, NO2, SO2, O3 and PM10) were obtain...
S G Lo Shew Fung Wong JW Mak- [...]
K P Ng
Cladosporium spores are ubiquitous in indoor and outdoor environment and may potentially trigger allergic responses upon inhalation. To date, there is limited investigation on the fate of Cladosporium spores after being inhaled into the respiratory tract. This study was conducted to investigate the interaction of Cladosporium sphaerospermum with Hu...
Background: Numerous studies have reported that polymorphisms in the tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a-308) gene are implicated in susceptibility to gastric cancer. However, individual genetic association studies that assessed the relationship between TNF-a- 308 and the risk of gastric cancer showed inconclusive results. The objective of this stu...
Cladosporium is one of the most abundant spore. Fungi of this genus can cause respiratory allergy and intrabronchial lesion. We studied the differential expression of host genes after the interaction of Cladosporium sphaerospermum conidia with Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells (BEAS-2B) and Human Pulmonary Alveolar Epithelial Cells (HPAEpiC). C. sph...
Glycycometus malaysiensis is an allergenic domestic mite found in houses. G. malaysiensis is known to be highly similar to and is often mistaken as Blomia tropicalis, one of the major house dust mite species that causes asthma and allergic diseases in many tropical and subtropical regions. It was also suggested that these mites cross-react with eac...
The detection and identification of two endocytobiotic bacterial strains, one affiliated to the “Candidatus Caedibacter acanthamoebae”/“Ca. Paracaedimonas acanthamoeba”, and another to the endosymbiont of Acanthamoeba UWC8 and “Ca. Jidaibacter acanthamoeba” are described. For endocytobiont screening, we developed a PCR method with a set of broad-ra...
Light microscopic examination on Wright Giemsa stained Acanthamoeba sp. IMU4 revealing the absence of bacterial endocytobiont.
Indicators = nucleus: n, and cytoplasm: cy Bar represents 10 μm.
(TIF)
Double FISH images of (A and B) Endo_IMU12 and (C and D) Endo_IMU19. The probes used in this analysis were: (A and C) FITC-labelled probe specific to “Ca. Caedibacter acanthamoebae”/“Ca. Paracaedimonas acanthamoeba”, (B and D) Cy3-labelled oligonucleotide bacterial-domain specific probe S-D-Bact-0338-a-A-18. For each combination of probes, an ident...
Light microscopic examination on Wright Giemsa stained Acanthamoeba sp. IMU12 revealing the presence of bacterial endocytobionts.
Indicators = Rod-shape, purplish pink bacteria endocytobionts: ‘black arrows’, nucleus: n, and cytoplasm: cy. Bar represents 10 μm.
(TIF)
Individual studies have assessed the association between TNF-α-308G>A and TNF-α-238 G>A polymorphisms and severity of dengue infection. However, the results are inconclusive and most studies had small sample sizes. The objective of this study was to summarize the evidence of association between TNF-α-308 G>A and TNF-α-238 G>A and severity of dengue...
Checklist for meta-analysis of genetic association studies—PLos One approach.
(DOC)
Sensitivity analysis of the allelic model using the WHO 1997 criteria.
(DOC)
The excluded studies and reasons for exclusion.
(DOC)
The methodological quality of the included studies.
(DOC)
Abstract
Edible bird nests (EBNs) are highly demanded globally. The industry was recently affected by an import ban to China due to high nitrite levels.Subsequently, many concerns have been raised. In this study, the microbial composition of both raw and commercial EBNs was investigated. The raw EBNs were purchased from swiftlet farms: Kuala Sangla...
The multifarious types of infections contracted from indoor environments show that buildings can serve as a reservoir for infectious bacteria. This study is an investigation into the type and concentrations of bacteria in the indoor and outdoor environments of an electronic factory, an office and a winery in Malaysia. Trypticase soy agar (TSA) (wit...
Background: Incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide. Monitoring glycaemia is essential for control of diabetes mellitus. Conventional blood-based measurement of glucose requires venepuncture or needle prick, which is not free from pain and risk of infection. The non-invasiveness, ease and low-cost in collection made saliva an...
Dengue fever (DF) is currently one of the most important mosquito-borne diseases that affects humans. Dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are caused by four serotypes of dengue viruses (DENV-1 to DENV-4). The main vector transmitting dengue is Aedes aegypti while Aedes albopictus acts as a secondary vector. As treatment is unavaila...
Background
This study aimed to estimate potential reductions in case incidence of colorectal cancer attributable to the modifiable risk factors such as alcohol consumption, overweight and physical inactivity amongst the Malaysian population. Methods
Gender specific population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for colorectal cancer in Malaysia were esti...
Cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis are human health crises that remain the leading cause of death worldwide. The cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are key metabolizing enzymes of both xenobiotics and endobiotics. Many CYP enzymes have been identified in the heart, kidneys, endothelium, and smooth muscle of blood vessels. Furthermore, mounting evidenc...
Background
Human chromosomes are capped and stabilized by telomeres. Telomere length regulates a ‘cellular mitotic clock’ that defines the number of cell divisions and hence, cellular life span. This study aimed to synthesize the evidence on the association between peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) telomere length and the risk of colorectal cancer...
Background: Acanthamoeba is a free-living opportunistic protist which is ubiquitously distributed in the environment. Virulent Acanthamoeba can cause fatal encephalitis in immunocompromised patients and potential blinding keratitis in immunocompetent contact lens wearers. Approximately 24 species have been identified but only the A. castellanii, A....
Background:
The free-living protozoan Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic pathogen that is ubiquitous in our environment. However, its role in affecting indoor air quality and ill-health of indoor occupants is relatively unknown. The present study investigated the presence of Acanthamoeba from the ventilation system and its correlation with other ind...
Toxoplasmosis affects a third of the global population and is of particular concern for immunologically compromised individuals. Toxoplasmosis induces host physiological events ranging from immunological to metabolic responses across multiple biological compartments. To understand the sequence of host responses during acute and chronic Toxoplasma g...
The global demand for edible bird nests (EBNs) is high, especially from Hong Kong and Peoples Republic of China. Recently, this industry was greatly affected when China banned the import of all the EBNs from Malaysia (except for canned version) due to detection of high levels of nitrites. Several cases of anaphylaxis following ingestion of EBNs wer...
This study aimed to synthesize the existing evidence on the efficacy and safety of a single dose artemisinin–naphthoquine (ASNQ) for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in endemic countries.
A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials (RCT), assessing efficacy and safety of single dose ASNQ was carried out. Comparator drugs included artemether–...
Widespread food poisoning due to microbial contamination has been a major concern to the food industry, consumers and governing authorities. This study was designed to determine the levels of fungal contamination in edible bird nests (EBNs) using culture and molecular techniques. Raw EBNs were collected from five house farms, and commercial EBNs we...
Allergens of Dermatophagoides and Blomia species are well-characterized but not for other species. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of allergic sensitization to house dust (HDM) and storage mites (SM). One hundred adult subjects (aged > 18) were recruited. The mite specific IgE of all allergic subjects were higher compared with...
Engaging students in active learning lies at the center of effective higher education. In medical schools, students’ engagement in learning and research has come under increasing attention. The objective of this study was to synthesize evidence on medical students’ perspectives on the engagement in research. We performed a systematic review and met...
The Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI) of the International Medical University (IMU), Malaysia, was established on 18 September 2012, as part of the strategic plans of the university to realign its research direction. The Institute consists of two major arms, namely, the Research and Development Arm and Commercialisation and...
Human toxocariasis which is caused mainly by the larvae of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati, is a worldwide zoonotic disease that can be a potentially serious human infection. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using T. canis excretory-secretory (TES) antigens harvested from T. canis larvae is currently the serological test for confirmin...
The present study aimed to assess the cost-utility analysis of using an adjunctive recombinant activated factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in children for controlling life-threatening bleeding in dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF)/dengue shock syndrome (DSS). We constructed a decision-tree model, comparing a standard care and the use of an additional adjuvant rFVI...
The inhibitory activities of microalgal extracts against the expression of
three EBV antigens, latent membrane protein (LMP)1, Epstein-Barr nuclear
antigen (EBNA)1 and Z Epstein-Barr reactivation activator (ZEBRA) were
assessed by immunocytochemistry. The observation that the methanol extracts
and their fractions from Ankistrodesmus convolutus, Syn...
This study was designed to investigate eight herbal active constituents (andrographolide, asiaticoside, asiatic acid, madecassic acid, eupatorin, sinensetin, caffeic acid, and rosmarinic acid) on their potential inhibitory effects on human cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) activity. A fluorescence-based enzyme assay was performed by co-incubating human...
Airborne bacteria are significant biotic constituents of bioaerosol. Bacteria at high concentrations in the air can compromise indoor air quality (IAQ) and result in many diseases. In tropical environments like Malaysia that extensively utilize air-conditioning systems, this is particularly significant due to continuous recirculation of indoor air...
Background
Plasmodium vivax is one of the major species of malaria infecting humans. Although emphasis on P. falciparum is appropriate, the burden of vivax malaria should be given due attention. This study aimed to synthesize the evidence on severe malaria in P. vivax infection compared with that in P. falciparum infection.
Methods/Principal Findi...
Objective: To determine whether Acanthamoeba are present in dust samples from dental clinics in Kuala Lumpur.
Method: Dust samples were collected using sterile cotton swaps from the surfaces of dental chairs, tables and cabinets in three dental clinics. The dust particles were spread on non-nutrient agar (NNA) plates prepared from PAGE amoeba sal...
Edible bird nests (EBNs) are consumed worldwide for various health benefits. EBNs are nests built from the saliva of swiftlets of Aerodramus species. The global market for EBNs is on the rise, especially from Hong Kong and mainland China. In the past, EBNs were harvested mainly from natural caves; however in the recent years, there has been a rapid...
Acanthamoeba castellanii has been known to possess pathogenic properties, such as acanthamoebic keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. The role of proteases and proteins in the pathogenesis of these infections is still poorly understood. As Acanthamoeba sp is a ubiquitous protozoon found in the natural environment they can potentially ca...
R Nee L V Wah P L K And San- [...]
Jin San
Background: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the expression levels of STAT3, pSTAT3, MMP-7 and VEGF in colorectal adenocarcinoma, and also to determine association with the clinico-pathological parameters and co-expression of these genes. Methods: An immunohisto-chemical method was used to evaluate the expression of MMP-7 and VEGF...
Background: The public health issue of consuming groundwater is a major concern because people often extract groundwater directly from the aquifers either through wells or boreholes without treating it with any form of filtration system or chlorine disinfection. Based on the Malaysian National Drinking Water guidelines the current study was designe...
Introduction: Heavy metals and other contaminants in food have been a concern to food industries, consumers and governing authorities. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of heavy metals and other elements in edible bird nests (EBNs). Methods: Raw and processed (commercial) EBNs were used in the study. Raw EBNs were collected dire...
Background: This study aimed to synthesize available evidence on the efficacy of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHP) in treating uncomplicated Plasmodium vivax malaria in people living in endemic countries.
This study aimed to synthesize available evidence on the efficacy of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHP) in treating uncomplicated Plasmodium vivax malaria in people living in endemic countries.
This is a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT). We searched relevant studies in electronic databases up to May 2013. RCTs comparing efficac...
This study aimed to synthesize available evidence on the extent of malaria and soil-transmitted intestinal helminth (STH)
co-infections in people living in endemic countries and to explore the effect of interactions between malaria and STHs on
anemia. We searched relevant studies in electronic databases up to March 2013. Studies comparing malaria a...
Eurycomanone, an active constituent isolated from Eurycoma longifolia Jack, was examined for modulatory effects on cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 using in vitro assays. The IC50 value was determined to assess the potencies of modulation for each CYP isoform. Our results indicated that euryc...
In this study, a simple and reliable reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was established and validated to analyze S-mephenytoin 4-hydroxylase activity of a recombinant CYP2C19 system. This system was obtained by co-expressing CYP2C19 and NADPH-CYP oxidoreductase (OxR) proteins in Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells. I...
Introduction:
Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) play a central role in the Phase I metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics. It is estimated that CYPs can metabolize up to two-thirds of drugs present in humans. Over the past two decades, there have been numerous advances in in vitro methodologies to characterize drug metabolism and interaction involving CY...
Background
Blastocystis sp. has a worldwide distribution and is often the most common human intestinal protozoan reported in children and adults in developing countries. The clinical relevance of Blastocystis sp. remains controversial. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Blastocystis infection and its association with gastroint...
Individual epidemiologic studies as well as the pooled analysis of observational studies have indicated the association between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hepatitis C virus infection (HCV). Whether HCV infection is the cause of diabetes or diabetic patients are more prone to get HCV infection is still in question. The objective of the present review...
A total of 10 out of 65 cornea swab samples from cats with eye symptoms showed Acanthamoeba-like morphology after cultivation. By PCR and DNA sequencing of Acanthamoeba diagnostic fragment 3 (DF3), all 10 isolates from the positive samples were categorized into two homologous groups of AfC1 (PM1, PM2, PM3, PF6, KM7, KF8, KMK9) and AfC2 (PM4, PM5, K...
A total of 10 out of 65 cornea swab samples from cats with eye symptoms showed
Acanthamoeba-like morphology after cultivation. By PCR and DNA sequencing of
Acanthamoeba diagnostic fragment 3 (DF3), all 10 isolates from the positive samples were
categorized into two homologous groups of AfC1 (PM1, PM2, PM3, PF6, KM7, KF8, KMK9)
and AfC2 (PM4, PM5, K...