Indonesian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology

Screening of Haliclona sp. symbiont bacteria that have the potential as MDR (Multidrug-Resistant) antibacterial from Tanjung Tiram Beach

Sri Anggarini Rasyid — 2024-03-04

Sponge Haliclona sp. is a type of sponge living in marine waters and is found in many areas of coral reef ecosystems. This study aimed to determine the potential for sponge Haliclona sp. obtained from Tanjung Tiram waters, Konawe, as a source of bioactive compounds of MDR (Multidrug-Resistant) antibacterial. The isolation method of Haliclona sp. symbiont was carried out by pouring and purification of Haliclona sp. symbiont using the scratch method. The purification results obtained 12 isolates of symbiont bacteria that were successfully isolated. Then the bacterial isolate was tested for its antibacterial ability against MRSA and ESBL Escherichia coli bacteria qualitatively using the agar diffusion method. Bacteria that have strong inhibitory activity are identified by morphological and biochemical tests. The results of the qualitative screening test produced four bacterial isolates that have inhibitory activity against MRSA (Methicilin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) pathogenic bacteria with the isolate codes H3 and H8 belonging to the strong category while H4 and H10 belonging to the medium categoy. Additionally, two bacterial isolates that have inhibitory activity against ESBL Escherichia coli pathogenic bacteria with the isolate codes H3 and H8 belonging to the strong category. Based on morphological observations and biochemical tests, the H3 bacterial isolate was identified as the genus Corynebacterium spp. and the H8 bacterial isolate was identified as the genus Micrococcus spp. In conclusion, Haliclona sp. sponge exhibits promising potential as a source of microorganism producing antibacterial compounds, particulary againts MDR (Multidrug-Resistant) strains.

Effect of dengue infection on liver profile and hematological parameters

Muthalibu Muhammed Hunais — 2024-03-15

Dengue fever is endemic in Sri Lanka. Liver damage is common in dengue fever. Understanding the pattern change of the liver profile and haematological parameters is crucial for managing dengue patients and minimising liver damage. The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern change in liver profile and the haematological parameters of dengue patients. Sixty apparently healthy volunteers and 169 acute dengue patients aged 20 or older had their blood samples examined. Liver enzymes, albumin, protein, bilirubin, white blood cell count, platelet count, haematocrit, and haemoglobin were measured. There was an increase in aspartate aminotransferase (105.6 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase (82.6 IU/L), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (68.9 IU/L), which were 3.4, 3.9, and 3.2-fold higher, respectively, than those of the control group, suggesting liver injury. Eighty-four percent of patients had raised levels of aspartate aminotransferase, and 74% of patients had elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase, indicating the prominence of aspartate aminotransferase over alanine aminotransferase. The presence of a positive correlation between the levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase indicates that the elevation of enzymes is primarily due to a single cause, liver injury. White blood cells and platelet counts were significantly lower. Platelet count demonstrated a negative correlation with both haematocrit and haemoglobin in dengue patients. In conclusion, aspartate aminotransferase was identified as the most significant marker of dengue-associated liver injury, followed by alanine aminotransferase. Low platelet and white blood cell counts were the major unfavourable changes in dengue patients' haematological characteristics.

Clinical and diagnostic utility of platelet count and its parameters in COVID-19

Kevin Manuel — 2024-04-12

The majority of the published studies have described the alterations in platelet count and platelet indices in both severe and non-severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, their association with COVID-19 mortality remains unclear. In the present study, our aim is to determine the temporal evolution of platelet count and its parameters between survivors and non-survivors, as well as their potential association with clinical outcomes. This cross-sectional study included 1118 inpatients (≥18 years old) diagnosed as SARS-CoV-2 positive by a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and hospitalized between May 1st, 2020 and November 1st, 2020. Data of complete
blood count (CBC) parameters evaluated on different days after admission was gathered and the median value of each CBC parameter was considered for assessing the difference between survivors and non-survivors. There was statistically significant variation between survivors and non-survivors for platelet count [p<0.001, mean difference-80 x 10⁹/L], mean platelet volume [p<0.001, mean difference- 0.7 fL], platelet distribution width [p<0.001, mean difference-2.5%] and platelet-lymphocyte ratio [p<0.001, mean difference-123.8]. Thrombocytopenia occurred more commonly in deceased patients compared to survivors. Platelet count, Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) and Platelet Distribution Width (PDW) differed significantly between survivors and non-survivors, revealing distinct trends indicating their importance in the management of COVID-19 patients. These cost-effective parameters can be easily obtained from a CBC.

Comparison of the sigma metrics using the total error allowable algorithm with variation of bias source

Sonny Feisal Rinaldi — 2024-04-16

Sigma Metrics, as a quality indicator, have been widely applied in clinical laboratories to assess the performance of analytical methods. Described in the document Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) EP15- A3, the use of target values can be sourced from certified reference standards, survey materials from the Proficiency Testing (PT)/External Quality Assessment (EQA), materials used in inter-laboratory quality control programs and internal quality control materials with predetermined targets. This research aims to determine whether there is a difference in the sigma metrics between the bias derived from the manufacturer's target value and those from the peer group source in the External Quality Assurance Services (EQAS) program. The research methodology employed is descriptive comparative analysis, utilizing the results of material inspection data for 15 internal quality control parameters of Clinical Chemistry over a span of 2 years at the Pramita Laboratory in Bandung. The calculation of the sigma metrics commences with computing the coefficient of variation (CV), and the appropriate Total Error aalowable (Tea) sources for each parameter are determined beforehand using the TEa algorithm. The research findings indicate a difference between the sigma metrics derived from the manufacturer's target value and those from the EQAS-peer group target value, accounting for 33% or 10 parameters out of the total parameters with 2 levels of inspection are calculated on the sigma scale. However, in 67% or 20 parameters out of the total parameters, no such difference is observed. Bias associated with the target value from the manufacturer and the EQAS peer group shows no significant difference, suggesting that the laboratory can utilize pre-existing target values confidently.

Comparative analysis of various laboratory biomarkers based on the severity of COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital in South India

Karthick Elango — 2024-04-21

COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) was a life-changing pandemic with impact on social, environmental, health, and economic issues. Various inflammatory and hematological biomarkers studied individually or in combination in the literature have shown significant results with regard to COVID-19 pathology, severity, and prognosis. Yet the question of interest is how covid-19 inflammatory cascade impacts the interlink between the biomarkers during different stages. This study aims to retrospectively analyse ferritin, albumin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, D-dimer, Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), C Reactive Protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels between two groups based on COVID-19 severity. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with laboratory data of COVID-19 patients admitted at Sri Ramachandra Medical College Hospital, India. The sample size was 104 [Group1: severe disease, n=52; Group-2: mild disease, n=52]. After normality testing, data were compared between the two groups followed by correlation analysis between the variables. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. On comparison, Group 2 (severe COVID-19 disease) showed significant difference in the levels of all the biomarkers (p<0.005) except Creatinine (p<0.128) when compared with Group 1 (mild COVID-19 disease). Significant correlation was obtained between all biomarkers (p<0.005) except creatinine. The correlation analysis primarily explains the inflammatory cascade involved in disease. Ferritin appears to have a standalone effect on disease severity, progression, organ dysfunction. This understanding can be used to provide better and more timely care.

Molecular identification of the bacterium acute conjunctivitis by the method of sequensing gen 16S rRNA

Ni'matul Murtafi'ah — 2024-04-28

Conjunctivitis is the most common eye disease, characterized by contextual inflammation, which can be caused by bacteria. The diagnosis of conjunctivitis is established based various factors, including the patients’s medical history, onset of eye symptoms, non-ocular symptoms, previous disease history, family medical history, allergies, and physical examination of the eyes, which may include assessments of visual acuity and vision field. Some cases of conjunctivitis require laboratory examinations to confirm the diagnosis. These may include cytological examination with Giemsa staining, Chlamydia Diagnostic Test, Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) or Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and microbiological tests. Microbiological examination helps identify the bacteria responsible for conjunctivitis and aids in treatment by prescribing antibiotics to suppress the growth of the infecting bacteria. While identification tests are not routinely performed, researchers often seek to determine the specific type of bacteria causing conjunctivitis infections, which may require several laboratory tests. Bacterial virulence plays a significant role, with genetic mutations potentially leading to severe infections of varying severity. Virulence genes encode proteins that express pathogenic properties. The species responsible for conjunctivitis can be definitively identified definitively through microbiological examination, utilizing methods such as the 16S Ribosomal RNA Sequencing (rRNA) technique, known for its accuracy and speed. This study aims to analyze the results of rRNA sequencing in cases of acute bacterial conjunctivitis caused by 16S rRNA genotyping. The research employed an exploratory metholodolot, with the results analyzed using the The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) tracking program database on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website. The findings revealed that Sphingomonas paucimobilis encoded the 16S rRNA using Universal Primary 27 F and 1492 R, obtained in a sequence size of 1351bp. The isolate demonstrated similarities to Sphingomonas paucimobilis.

Thyroid dysfunction and semen quality among males investigated for infertility in Southern Nigeria

Mathias Abiodun Emokpae — 2024-04-28

The relationship between thyroid and testis is well understood, and the association between changes in thyroid function and male infertility has been reported. However, the contribution of thyroid dysfunction to male infertility is not sufficiently addressed in our setting. This study aims to assess the thyroid hormones level among males undergoing investigation for infertility and to establish correlations between thyroid hormones and sperm indices. Thyroid hormones were determined in 150 infertile males and 50 fertile male controls. Semen analysis was done according to the World Health Organization criteria while thyroid hormones were determined using Enzyme linked Immunosorbent assay technique. The measured anthropometric data, sperm indices and thyroid hormone levels were compared using appropriate statistical tools. Serum triiodothyronine, and thyroxine levels were significantly lower (p < 0.001), while thyroid stimulating hormone was higher among infertile males than control subjects. The body mass index of the infertile subjects was significantly higher (p < 0.011) than control subjects. Of the 150 subjects, 41.33% (62/150) were euthyroid, 7.33% (11/150) had subclinical hypothyroidism while 51.34% (77/150) had overt hypothyroidism. Among the 88 altered thyroid function, 6.82% (6/88) had normozoospermia, 44.32% (39/88) had oligozoospermia while 48.86% (43/88) were azoospermia. The area Under the Curve of T3 (0.858), T4 (0.765) and sperm count (0.875) were able to differentiate fertile men from infertile subjects. Thyroid disorders are prevalent among infertile men and should be considered in the laboratory assessment of male infertility cases. Including thyroid function tests in the investigative panel can help identify and manage potential thyroid-related factors contributing to infertility. This comprehensive approach ensures thorough evaluation and targeted treatment for better reproductive outcomes in affected individuals.

The comparison of the effectiveness of shoe flower (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.) and roselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) infusions as alternative reagents for the examination of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) eggs

Acivrida Mega Charisma — 2024-04-29

Worm infections remain a significant health challenge globally, including in Indonesia, where they continue to contribute to a majority of health issues. Soil-transmitted helminths (STH), particularly intestinal nematode parasites, are predominant in causing these infections. Microscopic examination with 2% eosin staining is a conventional method for diagnosing worm infections. However, exploring alternative staining agents, such as anthocyanin-rich extracts from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (hibiscus flower) and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (roselle flower), presents a promising avenue. These plants possess anthocyanin compounds, resulting in a captivating red pigment and making them suitable for utilization as natural coloring agents. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hibiscus and roselle infusions as alternative staining reagents for examining STH egg, compared to the standard 2% eosin staining method. Adopting a true experimental design, samples of STH worm egg suspensions were subjected to different concentrations of hibiscus and roselle infusions. The results revealed varying staining outcomes with different concentrations. However, a 1:1 concentration ratio of hibiscus and roselle infusions demonstrated effective staining against STH worm eggs. In conclusion, this research underscores the comparative effectiveness of hibiscus and roselle infusions as alternative staining reagents for STH egg examination, with 2% eosin serving as the control. These findings hold potential implications for improving diagnostic techniques in managing worm infections.