Ghazally Ismail - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ghazally Ismail

The detection of antibodies to hepatitis B antigen using the immuno-agglutination method as direc... more The detection of antibodies to hepatitis B antigen using the immuno-agglutination method as directed by lmmunoComb II HBs Ag Kit demonstrated 51 of 294 (17.35%) of the indigenous communities living in the periphery of Crocker Range Park, Sabah were exposed to hepatitis B. On the other hand, 118 of 260 (45.38%) serum samples showed reactivity for antibody against HBs antigen when tested using the ELISA method as specified by Abott ELISA (AUSZYME) Kit. When compared against the more sensitive ELISA method, only 22 of 51 (43.14%) of the agglutination reactive sera demonstrated high ELISA titres. Almost all individuals who tested positive for hepatitis B antigen using ELISA method did not exhibit the disease manifestations commonly associated with the hepatitis B infection (HBV). These asymptomatic individuals within the communities may potentially serve as an important focal point from which dissemination of hepatitis B to the rest of the indigenous communities living in these highland...

A brief account of 50 plant species used by the Kadazandusun communities living around the Crocke... more A brief account of 50 plant species used by the Kadazandusun communities living around the Crocker Range Sabah, Malaysia is present ed here. It is interesting to note the commonality between plants used to treat specific ailments by the Kadazandusun communities here and other indigenous communities of Borneo as pre viously documented by our own studies. The plants include those used for treating common afflictions such as minor wounds, skin diseases, diarrhea, fever, coughs and malaria. Among the plant species that seem to appear repeatedly in our documentation of medicinal plants in Borneo are Blumea balsamifera for fever, Cassia alata for skin diseases, Centella asiatica for stomachache, Gendarusa vulgaris for general malaise, Nicotiana tabacum as insect repellent, Psidium guajava for diarrhoea, Phyllanthus niruri for malaria, Tinospora crispa for hypertension and Zingiber officinale for rheumatism.

Eksotoksin maut dan juga hemolisin P.pseudomallei yang telah ditulenkan daripada filtrat kultur p... more Eksotoksin maut dan juga hemolisin P.pseudomallei yang telah ditulenkan daripada filtrat kultur pertumbuhan patogen ini telah digunakan untuk mengesan antibodi antitoksin dan antihemolisin dalam serum haiwan malalui kaedah ELISA. Sejumlah 606 sampel serum daripada biri-biri dan kambing telah diuji untuk kehadiran antibodi. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa hampir 50% daripada 346 sampel serum biri-biri daripada ladang yang dipercayai terinfeksi P.pseudomallei mempunyai titer antitoksin (>100). Aras titer antibodi antitoksin >100 dicerap bagi 64% daripada 130 sampel serum kambing. Sebaliknya hanya 11% daripada 130 sampel serum biri-biri dari ladang yang dipercayai bebas melioidosis mempunyai titer >100. Ujian kehadiran antibodi antihemolisin ke atas sampel-sampel serum di atas,menunjukkan profil aras titer yang hampir serupa dengan profil titer antitoksin. Hasil kajian ini jelas menunjukkan bahawa titer antibodi antitoksin atau antihemolisin adalah tiggi dalam serum haiwan dari ladang-ladang yang dianggap terinfeksi dengan P.pseudomallei berbandingkan dengan serum haiwan dari ladnag yang dianggap bebas melioidosis. Dengan menggunakan kaedah ELISA bertanding,ujian ke atas 22 serum biri-biri menunjukkan kehadiran eksotoksin (6.5-46ug/ml) dalam 11 daripada 17 serum yang mempunyai titer antitoksin (>100) manakala tiada eksotoksin dikesan dalam kelima-lima serum yang negatif untuk titer antitoksin. Kajian awal menunjukkan bahawa pengesanan eksotoksin melalui ELISA berpotensi diwujudkan sebagai ujian serologi yang berkesan dalam diagnosis melioidosis.

A total of 36 lichen specimens from 13 genera was collected from the heath forest of Barb Highlan... more A total of 36 lichen specimens from 13 genera was collected from the heath forest of Barb Highlands. Thirty-five specimens were identified to species level and one to generic level. Of the species identified, seven represented new records for the island of Borneo. One species, Parmotrema acrotrychum was previously known only from Papua New Guinea and Queensland, Australia and this study had significantly extended its distribution range to the western region. Three Asia-Australia species Parmotrema subcoral linum, Physcidia cylindrophora and Relicina sublanea were also discovered in this study

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 2000

People in 5 Orang Ulu villages in Sarawak, Malaysia were tested for rickettsial infection by Weil... more People in 5 Orang Ulu villages in Sarawak, Malaysia were tested for rickettsial infection by Weil-Felix reaction and by indirect immunoperoxidase reaction. Of those surveyed 9.6% were positive for typhus. Of the positives, 3.8% were positive for tick typhus (7/11), scrub typhus (4/11) or endemic typhus (1/11). The incidence of typhus was higher among semi-nomadic Penans compared with the settled Kayans.

Infection

To evaluate the potential use of dapsone (4-diaminodiphenyl sulfone), to restore oxidative metabo... more To evaluate the potential use of dapsone (4-diaminodiphenyl sulfone), to restore oxidative metabolism and bactericidal potency to polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), the active derivative of dapsone, 4-amino-4′-hydroxylaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS-NOH) was evaluated for its ability to generate reduced products of oxygen. In a cell free system, DDS-NOH reduced the redox dye, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and the reaction was ablated by superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme specific for inhibiting superoxide anion mediated reactions. Addition of catalase, a scavenger of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and sodium benzoate or mannitol, both scavengers of hydroxyl radical, had no effect on the reduction of NBT by DDS-NOH. In an acellular system, high concentrations of DDS-NOH were bactericidal forStaphylococcus aureus 502A and the effect was enhanced by SOD. Catalase, but not benzoate or the singlet oxygen scavenger, beta carotene, eliminated the bactericidal effect of DDS-NOH in the presence of SOD. Incubation of CGD PMNs with 0.2 and 1.0mM DDS-NOH for 30 minutes improved the rate of glucose-1-14C oxidation and the rate of iodination of ingested zymosan particles to activities observed in control leukocytes. However, the bactericidal response was only partially restored. Washed leukocytes previously incubated with DDS-NOH failed to show enhancement of bactericidal activity in CGD PMN supporting the idea that DDS-NOH does not enter the cell. Exposure of normal and CGD PMN to 0.02mM DDS-NOH promoted capping of Concanavalin A (Con A) on the plasma membrane and improved the translocation of the granular enzyme, myeloperoxidase into phagocytic vesicles. Both responses depend upon the disassembly of cytoplasmic microtubules confirmed directly by3H colchicine binding. These studies indicate that DDS-NOH generates superoxide anion and H2O2 which are bactericidal but the oxidative properties of DDS-NOH are toxic toward the sulfhydryl containing microtubules allowing only partial restoration of CGD PMN phagocytic function. Zwecks Beurteilung einer möglichen Anwendung von Dapsone (4-Diaminodiphenylsulfon) zur Wiederherstellung des oxydativen Metabolismus und der bakteriziden Potenz polymorphkerniger Leukozyten bei Patienten mit chronischen Granulomatosen wurde das aktive Dapsone-Derivat 4-Amino-4′-Hydroxylaminodiphenylsulfon (DDS-NOH) hinsichtlich seiner Fähigkeit geprüft, reduzierte Sauerstoffverbindungen zu erzeugen. In einem zellfreien System reduzierte DDS-NOH den Redoxfarbstoff Nitroblau-Tetrazolium (NBT); die Reaktion wurde durch Peroxiddismutase (SOD) — ein spezifisches Enzym, das durch das Peroxid-Anion vermittelte Reaktionen hemmt — aufgehoben. Zusatz von Katalase, Natriumbenzoat und Mannit — sämtlich hochavide Überträger des Hydroxylradikals — war ohne Wirkung auf die NBT-Reduktion durch DDS-NOH. In einem zellfreien System waren hohe DDS-NOH-Konzentrationen bakterizid fürStaphylococcus aureus 502A, die Wirkung wurde durch die SOD verstärkt. Katalase, jedoch nicht Benzoat oder der avide O2-Überträger β-Karotin, hoben den bakteriziden Effekt des DDS-NOH in Gegenwart von SOD auf. Inkubation polymorphkerniger Leukozyten der genannten Patienten mit 0.2 und 1.0 mM DDS-NOH für 30 min steigerte das Ausmaß der Glukose-1-14C-Oxydierung und der Jodbindung ingerierter Zymosanpartikel auf die Werte bei Kontroll-Leukozyten. Jedoch wurde die bakterizide Potenz nur teilweise restituiert. Gewaschene, vorher mit DDS-NOH inkubierte Polymorphkernige der Patienten wiesen keine Verstärkung der bakteriziden Aktivität auf; dies stützt die Annahme, daß DDS-NOH nicht in die Zelle eindringt. Inkubation Polymorphkerniger von Gesunden und von Patienten in 0.2 mM DDS-NOH begünstigte die Anlagerung von Concanavalin A an der Plasmamembran und die Einlagerung des Granularenzyms Myeloperoxydase in Phagozytenvesikel. Beide Reaktionen beruhen auf der Dissoziierung zytoplasmatischer Mikrotubuli, was sich unmittelbar durch die3H-Colchizinbindung bestätigen läßt. Aus diesen Versuchen ist zu folgern, daß DDS-NOH Peroxid-Anionen und H2O2 erzeugt, die bakterizid wirken. Jedoch sind die oxydierenden Eigenschaften des DDS-NOH toxisch für die sulfhydrylhaltigen Mikrotubuli und erlauben daher nur eine Teilrestitution der phagozytären Funktion polymorphkerniger Leukozyten bei Kranken mit Granulomatosen.

Blood

Neutrophil activation results in neutrophil adherence and may subsequently cause lung injury thro... more Neutrophil activation results in neutrophil adherence and may subsequently cause lung injury through the generation of oxidants, release of granule proteases, and generation of a variety of mediator substances. We hypothesized that inhibition of neutrophil adherence and subsequent lung sequestration would attenuate the lung injury caused by activated neutrophils. Using isolated perfused rat lungs, we determined if anti-Mel monoclonal antibody (binds to the a subunit of a neutrophil glycoprotein [gp 1 55.94] that facilitates adherence) would attenuate lung neutrophil sequestration and lung injury caused by human neutrophils stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). PMA-stimulated neutrophils but not PMA or neutrophils alone caused lung injury as assessed by accumulation of 125I-bovine serum albumin into lung parenchyma and alveolar Iavage fluid. Incubation of neutrophils with anti-Mel antibody prior to stimulation with PMA attenuated lung injury and neutro-C ONSIDERABLE EVIDENCE has accumulated over recent years suggesting that oxygen metabolites and proteases released by activated neutrophils may play an important role in the development of pulmonary inflammatory injury. Both oxidants and proteases have been detected in vivo in human disease and in models of pulmonary inflammation in experimental animals and isolated perfused lungs.'9 In experimental models of lung injury, acute lung damage can occur following a single dose of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). This PMA-indueed injury of rabbit lung vascular endothelial cells is dependent on the presence of neutrophils but the precise mechanism by which the neutrophil inflicts injury is not clearly understood.'#{176} Following activation of neutrophils, not only do the cells release both proteases and oxidants, but they adhere more avidly to each other (neutrophil aggregation) and to artificial (plastic, glass) and physiological (endothelium, epithelium) surfaces)' Neutrophil adhesion which results in intimate contact between activated neutrophils and endothelial cells may be critical to the neutrophil's ability to inflict damage. These adhesion properties are necessary in order for activated cells to migrate on and through vascular endothelium in response to inflammatory stimuli. At the molecular level, progress has been made toward the identification of neutro

Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.), 1977

World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology, 1993

The optimization and development of an ELISA-disc procedure for the detection of antibodies to wh... more The optimization and development of an ELISA-disc procedure for the detection of antibodies to whole cell surface antigens and purified exotoxin ofPseudomonas pseudomallei is described. Comparison of the serum agglutination test (SAT), the serum based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the ELISA-disc procedures used on goat and human sera demonstrated a high correlation in their ability to detect antibodies specific forP. pseudomallei antigens. A serological survey using the ELISA-disc method was carried out on a normal human population in Sabah, Malaysia, an area known to be endemic for melioidosis. The prevalances of antibodies towards cell surface antigens and exotoxin ofP. pseudomallei were 28% and 8%, respectively. As a procedure, the ELISA-disc technique reported here is technically simple and provides savings in costs and is thus deemed suitable for seroepidemiological surveillance of melioidosis in remote areas of South-East Asia.

Veterinary Microbiology, 1991

Specific antibody to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin was detected in sheep sera exposed to natu... more Specific antibody to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin was detected in sheep sera exposed to natural infection. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used. Serum antitoxin was present in 49.3% of sera obtained from a flock of sheep naturally exposed to P. pseudomallei infection. Among these sera, 17.0% gave titers of 10,000. In contrast, serum antitoxin was present in only 6.0% of sera collected from sheep kept on a melioidosis-free farm. The ELISA reactivity of all positive sera could be completely absorbed with purified P. pseudomallei exotoxin. Similarly, preincubation of the exotoxin-coated wells with specific antiserum inhibited the ELISA reactivity of sheep sera. The results indicate that exotoxin is produced in vivo during infection by P. pseudomallei.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 1988

The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology, 1982

Microbiology and Immunology, 1989

Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin was found to be a potent inhibitor of protein and DNA synthesis... more Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin was found to be a potent inhibitor of protein and DNA synthesis in cultured macrophages. Inhibition of DNA synthesis occurred at toxin concentrations as low as 1-2 micrograms/ml and inhibition of 3H-thymidine uptake was almost complete at concentrations of 8 micrograms/ml or more. A close correlation between cell damage and inhibition by DNA synthesis was observed. For protein synthesis, inhibition was obtained at much lower doses (0.06-2.0 micrograms/ml) of the toxin. At similar toxin concentrations, DNA synthesis was marginally affected. Further, it was shown that protein synthesis inhibition occurred almost immediately after incubation, reaching its maximal inhibitory effect of 70% after 6 hr. DNA synthesis, however, was minimally affected by a similar toxin concentration even after 10 hr of incubation. The inhibition of macromolecular synthesis in macrophages by P. pseudomallei exotoxin may be relevant to its modulatory effect on the host defense mechanism.