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International Journal of Legal Medicine May 2020Mongolian spots (MS) are congenital dermal conditions resulting from neural crest-derived melanocytes migration to the skin during embryogenesis. MS incidences are...
Mongolian spots (MS) are congenital dermal conditions resulting from neural crest-derived melanocytes migration to the skin during embryogenesis. MS incidences are highly variable in different populations. Morphologically, MS present as hyperpigmented maculae of varying size and form, ranging from round spots of 1 cm in diameter to extensive discolorations covering predominantly the lower back and buttocks. Due to their coloring, which is also dependent on the skin type, MS may mimic hematoma thus posing a challenge on the physician conducting examinations of children in cases of suspected child abuse. In the present study, MS incidences and distribution, as well as skin types, were documented in a collective of 253 children examined on the basis of suspected child abuse. From these data, a classification scheme was derived to document MS and to help identify cases with a need for recurrent examination for unambiguous interpretation of initial findings alongside the main decisive factors for re-examination such as general circumstances of the initial examination (e. g., experience of the examiner, lighting conditions) and given dermatological conditions of the patient (e. g., diaper rash).
Topics: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Child; Child Abuse; Child, Preschool; Ethnicity; Female; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Male; Mongolian Spot; Physical Examination; Prospective Studies; Skin Neoplasms
PubMed: 32166386
DOI: 10.1007/s00414-019-02208-9 -
Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal 2020In Mongolia, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, and prevalence of hypertension is very high. The aim of this study was to investigate the association...
In Mongolia, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, and prevalence of hypertension is very high. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between hypertension and sociodemographic factors and health-related behaviors among men in Darkhan-Uul Province, Mongolia. This cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2015 and January 2016. Men whose wives were pregnant with ≤ 20 weeks gestation and had attended antenatal health checkups at public health facilities were recruited in this study. The data were collected as part of a survey of pregnant women and their partners. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires, anthropometry, and spot urine samples. A total of 224 men participated in the survey, and data from 209 participants were included in the analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that men with higher BMI had higher odds of hypertension than those with lower BMI (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03-1.26). Those with urinary cotinine > 100 ng/ml (smokers) had a lower risk of hypertension (AOR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09-0.67) compared to participants with urinary cotinine/ml (nonsmokers). This is the first study to investigate the association between hypertension and sociodemographic factors and health-related behaviors among men in Mongolia. Based on the findings of this study, clinicians responsible for public health in Mongolia should provide health education regarding the importance of weight control in preventing hypertension.
PubMed: 32055683
DOI: 10.31372/20190404.1067 -
BioMed Research International 2020Worldwide interest in the use of functional foods containing probiotic bacteria such as and for health promotion and disease prevention has increased significantly....
Worldwide interest in the use of functional foods containing probiotic bacteria such as and for health promotion and disease prevention has increased significantly. Probiotics have demonstrated beneficial properties including strengthening the body's natural defense system, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria, and regulating mental activity, but their effects on the human vagina have not been fully elucidated. The primary purpose of our study was to isolate strains from old yogurt, a traditional dairy product, and investigate their probiotic potential with respect to the human vaginal system. Four () strains, named ZX1, ZX2, ZX27, and ZX69, were isolated from the yogurt samples. Simultaneously, we used a commercial strain ( DM8909) as a control strain. We tested the antimicrobial activity of isolates against and by agar spot and well diffusion tests. Then, we tested the antibiotic susceptibility of the 5 strains by using the minimal inhibitory concentration method. We attempted to detect possible bacteriocin genes by PCR sequencing technique. Using a chemically defined medium simulating genital tract secretions, we found that the selected strains could alter the expression of known virulence genes in Bacteriocins derived from these isolated strains had potent antibacterial activity against . and . , with the most effective activity observed in the case of ZX27. In addition, all strains including the . DM8909 were positive for the presence of the plantaricin cluster of genes described in . C11. The tested stains possessed the gene indicating that one of the antibacterial agents was plantaricin. We assume that the production of antimicrobial substances such as bacteriocins induce to upregulate antimicrobial resistance genes. The new isolated strains have bacteriocin-related genes and can change the antimicrobial resistance gene transcription of . .
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteriocins; Escherichia coli; Female; Gardnerella vaginalis; Humans; Lactobacillus; Yogurt
PubMed: 32382546
DOI: 10.1155/2020/3548618 -
Cureus Apr 2024Mongolian spots are bluish-grey, irregular, hyperpigmented macules present at birth or that appear in the first few weeks of life. They are classified as atypical if...
Mongolian spots are bluish-grey, irregular, hyperpigmented macules present at birth or that appear in the first few weeks of life. They are classified as atypical if they occur in unusual locations without spontaneous disappearance after infancy; or if new lesions continue to appear beyond early infancy. Although they are generally considered benign, recent studies have shown that atypical Mongolian spots may be associated with inborn errors of metabolism, such as lysosomal storage disorders and neurocristopathies. An 11-month-old male presented with multiple aberrant Mongolian spots on the abdomen, back, buttocks, arms, and legs, with the largest patch measuring 10x10 cm. Additionally, the child exhibited coarse facial features, a high-arched palate, low-set ears, and a depressed nasal bridge. Systemic examination revealed hepatosplenomegaly, fundus examination showed a hazy cornea, and the urine glycosaminoglycan test was positive, prompting us to conduct further research prioritising lysosomal storage disorders. The mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) spot test was positive, and electrophoresis for MPS revealed bands for chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate, confirming the diagnosis of MPS. Enzyme assay revealed no alpha-iduronidase activity and normal beta-galactosidase activity, thus confirming Hurler's disease. This case report highlights the importance of considering atypical Mongolian spots as a potential indicator of underlying storage disorders, enabling early intervention.
PubMed: 38765368
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58501 -
International Journal of Neonatal... Jun 2021Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is among the most common conditions leading to intellectual disability, which can be prevented by early detection through newborn...
Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is among the most common conditions leading to intellectual disability, which can be prevented by early detection through newborn screening (NBS). In Mongolia, a regional screening program for CH was launched in 2000, which was supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Asia Pacific Region. In our present study, a total of 23,002 newborns from nine districts in Ulaanbaatar were screened between 2012 and 2020, by the measurement of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from dried blood spots, sampled 24 to 72 h after birth. The level of TSH was measured by the DELFIA assay. The overall CH prevalence confirmed at birth was 1/2091. The female-to-male ratio for CH cases was 1.8:1. The majority of patients were asymptomatic (72.7% of CH cases); umbilical hernia and cold or mottled skin were reported symptoms in patients with CH (27.3%). Thyroid dysgenesis (hypoplasia and agenesis) was the most common etiology, with a total of nine cases (81.8%) out of the eleven patients. The lapse between the birth date and the initiation of L-thyroxine treatment in CH-positive children was lower than 15 days in 63.64% of cases or 15 to 30 days in 36.36% of children. Further research is required to expand the screening coverage for CH in Mongolia.
PubMed: 34200138
DOI: 10.3390/ijns7020029 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023Congenital dermal melanocytosis (DM) represents a common birthmark mainly found in children of Asian and darker skin phototype descent, clinically characterized by an...
Congenital dermal melanocytosis (DM) represents a common birthmark mainly found in children of Asian and darker skin phototype descent, clinically characterized by an oval blue-grey macule or macules, commonly located on the lumbosacral area. In rare DM cases, when presenting with diffuse macules persisting during the first years of life, it could represent a cutaneous feature of mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS). Extensive congenital DM is actually associated with Hurler syndrome (MPS type I) and Hunter syndrome (MPS type II), although several reports also described this association with MPS type VI and other lysosomal storage disorders (LySD), including GM1 gangliosidosis, mucolipidosis, Sandhoff disease, and Niemann-Pick disease. Here, we present the case of a two-year-old boy presenting with extensive dermal melanocytosis, generalized hypertrichosis, and chronic itch, harboring a heterozygous variant of uncertain significance, NM_152419.3: c.493C>T (p.Pro165Ser), in the exon 4 of gene, whose mutations are classically associated with MPS IIIC, also known as Sanfilippo syndrome. This is the first report that highlights the association between extensive congenital DM and MPS type IIIC, as well as a pathogenetic link between heterozygous LySD carrier status and congenital DM. We speculate that some cases of extensive congenital DM could be related to heterozygous LySD carriers, as a manifestation of a mild clinical phenotype.
PubMed: 38136122
DOI: 10.3390/children10121920 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2024Black spot needle blight is a minor disease in Mongolian Scots pine ( var. ) caused by , but it can cause economic losses in severe cases. Sodium pheophorbide a (SPA),...
Black spot needle blight is a minor disease in Mongolian Scots pine ( var. ) caused by , but it can cause economic losses in severe cases. Sodium pheophorbide a (SPA), an intermediate product of the chlorophyll metabolism pathway, is a compound with photoactivated antifungal activity, which has been previously shown to inhibit the growth of . In this study, SPA significantly reduced the incidence and disease index and enhanced the chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme activities of var. . To further study the molecular mechanism of the inhibition, we conducted a comparative proteomic analysis of mycelia with and without SPA treatment. The cellular proteins were obtained from mycelial samples and subjected to a tandem mass tag (TMT)-labelling LC-MS/MS analysis. Based on the results of de novo transcriptome assembly, 613 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) ( < 0.05) were identified, of which 360 were upregulated and 253 downregulated. The 527 annotated DEPs were classified into 50 functional groups according to Gene Ontology and linked to 256 different pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database as a reference. A joint analysis of the transcriptome and proteomics results showed that the top three pathways were Amino acid metabolism, Carbohydrate metabolism, and Lipid metabolism. These results provide new viewpoints into the molecular mechanism of the inhibition of by SPA at the protein level and a theoretical basis for evaluating SPA as an antifungal agent to protect forests.
PubMed: 38392774
DOI: 10.3390/jof10020102