U Ko Ko - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by U Ko Ko
Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies, 2011
There is a significant prevalence of overweight and obesity in Myanmar. It is anticipated that th... more There is a significant prevalence of overweight and obesity in Myanmar. It is anticipated that this will impact on the morbidity associated with other lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and various types of cancer. Recognizing this public health concern, the Myanmar Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (MSEM) organized a task force for the development of evidence based clinical practice guidelines on obesity.
Viruses
This study aimed to exercise the Sanger sequencing strategy for screening of variants among confi... more This study aimed to exercise the Sanger sequencing strategy for screening of variants among confirmed COVID-19 cases and validate our strategy against NGS strains in Hiroshima retrieved from GISAID. A total of 660 samples from confirmed COVID-19 cases underwent screening for variants by Sanger-based partial sequencing to the targeted spike gene (nt22,735~nt23,532) using an in-house-developed primer set. The identification of variants was done by unique checkpoints of base nucleotide changes in the targeted spike gene. Moreover, we amplified one full-length genome using Sanger method and an in-house-developed primer library. Using NGS strains of the same sampling period from GISAID, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to examine the distribution pattern of variants in Hiroshima and to validate our Sanger method. The modified primer set provided 100% validation and 99.2% amplification. PANGO Lineage R.1 was detected in late in the third wave, followed by Alpha (B.1.1.7) domination in ...
Scientific Reports
The Supplementary Information 2 file published with this Article contained an error in Supplement... more The Supplementary Information 2 file published with this Article contained an error in Supplementary Figue 2 (D) where the antibody titers for BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 were reversed. The original Supplementary Information 2 file is provided below. This error has now been corrected in the Supplementary Information 2 file that accompanies the original Article.
BMC Infectious Diseases, 2021
Detailed characteristics of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Burkina Faso are scarce. The mai... more Detailed characteristics of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Burkina Faso are scarce. The main aim of this study was to assess HCV seroprevalence in various settings and populations at risk in Burkina Faso between 1990 and 2020. Secondary objectives included the prevalence of HCV Ribonucleic acid (RNA) and the distribution of HCV genotypes. A systematic database search, supplemented by a manual search, was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and African Index Medicus. Studies reporting HCV seroprevalence data in low and high-risk populations in Burkina Faso were included, and a random-effects meta-analysis was applied. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs institute checklist. Low-risk populations were examined in 31 studies involving a total of 168,151 subjects, of whom 8330 were positive for HCV antibodies. Six studies included a total of 1484 high-risk persons, and 96 had antibodies to HCV. The pooled seroprevalence in low-risk populations was 3.72% (95% ...
Scientific Reports, 2022
This study aimed to develop the feasible and effective universal screening strategy of the notabl... more This study aimed to develop the feasible and effective universal screening strategy of the notable SARS-CoV-2 variants by Sanger Sequencing Strategy and then practically applied it for mass screening in Hiroshima, Japan. A total of 734 samples from COVID-19 confirmed cases in Hiroshima were screened for the notable SARS-CoV-2 variants (B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, B.1.617.2, B.1.617.1, C.37, B.1.1.529, etc.). The targeted spike region is amplified by nested RT-PCR using in-house designed primer set hCoV-Spike-A and standard amplification protocol. Additionally, randomly selected 96 samples were also amplified using primer sets hCoV-Spike-B and hCoV-Spike-C. The negative amplified samples were repeated for second attempt of amplification by volume-up protocol. Thereafter, the amplified products were assigned for Sanger sequencing using corresponding primers. The positive amplification rate of primer set hCoV-Spike-A, hCoV-Spike-B and hCoV-Spike-C were 87.3%, 83.3% and 93.8% respectively fo...
Additional file 1. Questionnaires used in the study. Appendix 1a is questionnaire for children an... more Additional file 1. Questionnaires used in the study. Appendix 1a is questionnaire for children and appendix 1b for mothers. These questionnaires were solely developed for this study and it mainly included the demographic information, vaccination status of the children, general knowledge on the hepatitis B virus infection and the available of vaccination.
Journal of Medical Virology, 2021
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) viral load dynamics in respiratory s... more Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) viral load dynamics in respiratory samples have been studied, but knowledge about changes in serial serum samples of infected patients in relation to their immunological response is lacking. We investigated the dynamics of SARS‐CoV‐2 viral load and antibody response in sequential serum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients and attempted to culture the virus in the serum. A total of 81 sequential serum samples from 10 confirmed COVID‐19 patients (5 with mild and 5 with moderate symptoms) were analyzed. Samples were collected during hospitalization and after discharge (median follow‐up of 35 days). SARS‐CoV‐2 ribonucleic acid in the serum was detected by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Total antibody and IgG to SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike protein were analyzed by Chemiluminescent Immunoassays, and neutralizing antibodies were detected using a Surrogate Virus Neutralization Test. Viremia was observed in all cases at admis...
GastroHep, 2021
In Japan, the national program for prevention of mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis... more In Japan, the national program for prevention of mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection started in 1986. This program involves hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) testing of all pregnant women and administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccines to all infants born to HBsAg‐positive mothers. This nationwide study was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan to verify the effectiveness of the prevention project.
Additional file 3. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive cases among mothers and their chi... more Additional file 3. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive cases among mothers and their children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, 2018. This table describes the complete information of the HBV strains detected from HBsAg positive mothers and their children, including seromarkers status, viral load, the genotypes and the length of sequences.
Additional file 2. Serological profile among study participants in Nanoro health district area in... more Additional file 2. Serological profile among study participants in Nanoro health district area in 2018, Burkina Faso. This table describes the positive rates of HBV and HCV seromarkers classified by its infection status.
Hiroshima journal of medical sciences
Background: In Cambodia, there is no national health checkups system for the schoolchildren and t... more Background: In Cambodia, there is no national health checkups system for the schoolchildren and the general population. This pilot study aimed to promote a school health checkups system in collaboration with the government of Cambodia. Method: From 2016 to 2017, we conducted a survey in an elementary school in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. Two hundred and ninety-two students were eligible for data analysis. Physical examination, questionnaire and urinalysis were conducted using the Japanese school health checkups model. Anthropometry was measured using the World Health Organization's growth reference data for school-age children. Results: Among 292 schoolchildren, 88.7% were diagnosed as healthy. Based on the evaluation criteria of health examination in the study, two (0.7%) students with rale, one (0.3%) student with abnormal urinalysis, and another 27 students complaining of cardiopulmonary symptoms were recommended for further consultation at hospital. The prevalence of overweight (15.1%) was higher than that of underweight (8.6%). According to parents' questionnaires responses, the coverage rate of the National Immunization Program varied from 41.8% to 79.8% depending on each particular vaccine. Conclusion: In this pilot study, we showed the prevalence of healthy among Cambodian schoolchildren and detected the students having possibility of health problem through this health checkups and then recommended for further hospital visit. Based on the results, we assume that health checkups system in elementary school as a whole Cambodia will be effective to assess the current health status in ordinary time and possibility of early detection of disease.
Global Health & Medicine, 2021
Although HCV infection was the main cause of HCC in Japan contributing 70% over two decades after... more Although HCV infection was the main cause of HCC in Japan contributing 70% over two decades after its first cloning in 1989, it was markedly decreased to 49% in 2013 and expected to decrease continuously. Based on blood donor national database, the new incident cases were 0.4/100,000 person-years, the prevalence was 0.13% and the total number was 890,902-1,302,179 in 2015. Establishment of blood donor screening with anti-HCV measurement and nucleic acid test introduced by Japanese Red Cross as pioneer, high-level medical and surgical care, and the government's policy under the Basic Act on Hepatitis Control have changed its epidemiology and outbreak trend and also enforced the disruption of potential transmission cascades. HCV prevalence among the younger generation was extremely low in all regions, and the predominant age for HCC has shifted to over 60 years old population. Considering such changes, HCV induced HCC occurrence is supposed to be ultimately suppressed in the near future. However, taking into account society changes, regulating intravenous drugs users and monitoring high-risk groups such as tattoos, and men who have sex with men are indeed required in Japan. Understanding the epidemiological changes in HCV is important in assigning, modifying, and designating effective response systems. Selective or national action plans, strategic approaches, and cooperation between government sectors have a positive impact on HCV prevention and control. A dramatic decrease in total number of HCV carriers, increase in number of people treated with highly effective DAA, and subsequent high SVR indicates Japan might achieve WHO's target of HCV elimination by 2030.
GastroHep, 2021
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri butio n-NonCo mmer... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri butio n-NonCo mmerc ial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Liver International, 2021
The relationship between the frequency of drinking and fatty liver in the general population is s... more The relationship between the frequency of drinking and fatty liver in the general population is still poorly understood. This study analysed data from a large cohort who underwent health checkups in Japan between 2008 and 2019 to investigate the prevalence and incidence of fatty liver by alcohol consumption and risk factors for fatty liver.
Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies, 2011
There is a significant prevalence of overweight and obesity in Myanmar. It is anticipated that th... more There is a significant prevalence of overweight and obesity in Myanmar. It is anticipated that this will impact on the morbidity associated with other lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and various types of cancer. Recognizing this public health concern, the Myanmar Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (MSEM) organized a task force for the development of evidence based clinical practice guidelines on obesity.
Viruses
This study aimed to exercise the Sanger sequencing strategy for screening of variants among confi... more This study aimed to exercise the Sanger sequencing strategy for screening of variants among confirmed COVID-19 cases and validate our strategy against NGS strains in Hiroshima retrieved from GISAID. A total of 660 samples from confirmed COVID-19 cases underwent screening for variants by Sanger-based partial sequencing to the targeted spike gene (nt22,735~nt23,532) using an in-house-developed primer set. The identification of variants was done by unique checkpoints of base nucleotide changes in the targeted spike gene. Moreover, we amplified one full-length genome using Sanger method and an in-house-developed primer library. Using NGS strains of the same sampling period from GISAID, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to examine the distribution pattern of variants in Hiroshima and to validate our Sanger method. The modified primer set provided 100% validation and 99.2% amplification. PANGO Lineage R.1 was detected in late in the third wave, followed by Alpha (B.1.1.7) domination in ...
Scientific Reports
The Supplementary Information 2 file published with this Article contained an error in Supplement... more The Supplementary Information 2 file published with this Article contained an error in Supplementary Figue 2 (D) where the antibody titers for BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 were reversed. The original Supplementary Information 2 file is provided below. This error has now been corrected in the Supplementary Information 2 file that accompanies the original Article.
BMC Infectious Diseases, 2021
Detailed characteristics of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Burkina Faso are scarce. The mai... more Detailed characteristics of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Burkina Faso are scarce. The main aim of this study was to assess HCV seroprevalence in various settings and populations at risk in Burkina Faso between 1990 and 2020. Secondary objectives included the prevalence of HCV Ribonucleic acid (RNA) and the distribution of HCV genotypes. A systematic database search, supplemented by a manual search, was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and African Index Medicus. Studies reporting HCV seroprevalence data in low and high-risk populations in Burkina Faso were included, and a random-effects meta-analysis was applied. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs institute checklist. Low-risk populations were examined in 31 studies involving a total of 168,151 subjects, of whom 8330 were positive for HCV antibodies. Six studies included a total of 1484 high-risk persons, and 96 had antibodies to HCV. The pooled seroprevalence in low-risk populations was 3.72% (95% ...
Scientific Reports, 2022
This study aimed to develop the feasible and effective universal screening strategy of the notabl... more This study aimed to develop the feasible and effective universal screening strategy of the notable SARS-CoV-2 variants by Sanger Sequencing Strategy and then practically applied it for mass screening in Hiroshima, Japan. A total of 734 samples from COVID-19 confirmed cases in Hiroshima were screened for the notable SARS-CoV-2 variants (B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, B.1.617.2, B.1.617.1, C.37, B.1.1.529, etc.). The targeted spike region is amplified by nested RT-PCR using in-house designed primer set hCoV-Spike-A and standard amplification protocol. Additionally, randomly selected 96 samples were also amplified using primer sets hCoV-Spike-B and hCoV-Spike-C. The negative amplified samples were repeated for second attempt of amplification by volume-up protocol. Thereafter, the amplified products were assigned for Sanger sequencing using corresponding primers. The positive amplification rate of primer set hCoV-Spike-A, hCoV-Spike-B and hCoV-Spike-C were 87.3%, 83.3% and 93.8% respectively fo...
Additional file 1. Questionnaires used in the study. Appendix 1a is questionnaire for children an... more Additional file 1. Questionnaires used in the study. Appendix 1a is questionnaire for children and appendix 1b for mothers. These questionnaires were solely developed for this study and it mainly included the demographic information, vaccination status of the children, general knowledge on the hepatitis B virus infection and the available of vaccination.
Journal of Medical Virology, 2021
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) viral load dynamics in respiratory s... more Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) viral load dynamics in respiratory samples have been studied, but knowledge about changes in serial serum samples of infected patients in relation to their immunological response is lacking. We investigated the dynamics of SARS‐CoV‐2 viral load and antibody response in sequential serum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients and attempted to culture the virus in the serum. A total of 81 sequential serum samples from 10 confirmed COVID‐19 patients (5 with mild and 5 with moderate symptoms) were analyzed. Samples were collected during hospitalization and after discharge (median follow‐up of 35 days). SARS‐CoV‐2 ribonucleic acid in the serum was detected by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Total antibody and IgG to SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike protein were analyzed by Chemiluminescent Immunoassays, and neutralizing antibodies were detected using a Surrogate Virus Neutralization Test. Viremia was observed in all cases at admis...
GastroHep, 2021
In Japan, the national program for prevention of mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis... more In Japan, the national program for prevention of mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection started in 1986. This program involves hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) testing of all pregnant women and administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccines to all infants born to HBsAg‐positive mothers. This nationwide study was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan to verify the effectiveness of the prevention project.
Additional file 3. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive cases among mothers and their chi... more Additional file 3. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive cases among mothers and their children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, 2018. This table describes the complete information of the HBV strains detected from HBsAg positive mothers and their children, including seromarkers status, viral load, the genotypes and the length of sequences.
Additional file 2. Serological profile among study participants in Nanoro health district area in... more Additional file 2. Serological profile among study participants in Nanoro health district area in 2018, Burkina Faso. This table describes the positive rates of HBV and HCV seromarkers classified by its infection status.
Hiroshima journal of medical sciences
Background: In Cambodia, there is no national health checkups system for the schoolchildren and t... more Background: In Cambodia, there is no national health checkups system for the schoolchildren and the general population. This pilot study aimed to promote a school health checkups system in collaboration with the government of Cambodia. Method: From 2016 to 2017, we conducted a survey in an elementary school in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. Two hundred and ninety-two students were eligible for data analysis. Physical examination, questionnaire and urinalysis were conducted using the Japanese school health checkups model. Anthropometry was measured using the World Health Organization's growth reference data for school-age children. Results: Among 292 schoolchildren, 88.7% were diagnosed as healthy. Based on the evaluation criteria of health examination in the study, two (0.7%) students with rale, one (0.3%) student with abnormal urinalysis, and another 27 students complaining of cardiopulmonary symptoms were recommended for further consultation at hospital. The prevalence of overweight (15.1%) was higher than that of underweight (8.6%). According to parents' questionnaires responses, the coverage rate of the National Immunization Program varied from 41.8% to 79.8% depending on each particular vaccine. Conclusion: In this pilot study, we showed the prevalence of healthy among Cambodian schoolchildren and detected the students having possibility of health problem through this health checkups and then recommended for further hospital visit. Based on the results, we assume that health checkups system in elementary school as a whole Cambodia will be effective to assess the current health status in ordinary time and possibility of early detection of disease.
Global Health & Medicine, 2021
Although HCV infection was the main cause of HCC in Japan contributing 70% over two decades after... more Although HCV infection was the main cause of HCC in Japan contributing 70% over two decades after its first cloning in 1989, it was markedly decreased to 49% in 2013 and expected to decrease continuously. Based on blood donor national database, the new incident cases were 0.4/100,000 person-years, the prevalence was 0.13% and the total number was 890,902-1,302,179 in 2015. Establishment of blood donor screening with anti-HCV measurement and nucleic acid test introduced by Japanese Red Cross as pioneer, high-level medical and surgical care, and the government's policy under the Basic Act on Hepatitis Control have changed its epidemiology and outbreak trend and also enforced the disruption of potential transmission cascades. HCV prevalence among the younger generation was extremely low in all regions, and the predominant age for HCC has shifted to over 60 years old population. Considering such changes, HCV induced HCC occurrence is supposed to be ultimately suppressed in the near future. However, taking into account society changes, regulating intravenous drugs users and monitoring high-risk groups such as tattoos, and men who have sex with men are indeed required in Japan. Understanding the epidemiological changes in HCV is important in assigning, modifying, and designating effective response systems. Selective or national action plans, strategic approaches, and cooperation between government sectors have a positive impact on HCV prevention and control. A dramatic decrease in total number of HCV carriers, increase in number of people treated with highly effective DAA, and subsequent high SVR indicates Japan might achieve WHO's target of HCV elimination by 2030.
GastroHep, 2021
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri butio n-NonCo mmer... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri butio n-NonCo mmerc ial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Liver International, 2021
The relationship between the frequency of drinking and fatty liver in the general population is s... more The relationship between the frequency of drinking and fatty liver in the general population is still poorly understood. This study analysed data from a large cohort who underwent health checkups in Japan between 2008 and 2019 to investigate the prevalence and incidence of fatty liver by alcohol consumption and risk factors for fatty liver.