High urine ttMA levels among fishermen from a Thai rural village

The ongoing industrialization of Thailand, a developing country in Southeast Asia, has put many occupations at high risk of benzene exposure. However, there are few reports about monitoring the biomarkers of benzene exposure among Thais. In this study, we report on high urine trans, trans-muconic acid (ttMA) levels among the fishermen of a rural community. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for urine ttMA determination, 49 subjects (30 fishermen and 19 control subjects) were studied. The mean urine ttMA level in fisherman (0.180 +/- 0.130 mg/g creatinine) was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.015 +/- 0.053 mg/g creatinine) (p < 0.05). We recommend the monitoring of urine ttMA in these workers. The monitoring of the possible benzene contamination of the water and fish is recommended for further study.     

Interaction between Alpha-Fetoprotein Gene and Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone and Effects on Brain Sexual Differentation: Molecular Function and Biological Process

Brain sexual differentiation is a present focus in sexuality research. Within the process, the alpha-fetoprotein gene (AFP) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) are found to be interacted and cause several effect on the sexual differentiation in animal model. However, the actual mechanism and interaction in human has never been clarified. Here, the author used a new gene ontology technology to predict the molecular function and biological process of the interaction between GnRH and AFP in human.     

Analysis of functional aberration of some important beta hemoglobinopathies (hemoglobin C, D, E, and S) from nanostructures

Hemoglobinopathy comprises a group of inherited hemoglobin disorders in which hemoglobin (Hb) was improperly formed, but the cause is not depletion of the globin gene. Typically, when the basic pathogenesis is a single substitution disorder, only one aberration presents in the secondary structure. However, the manifested or functional aberration resulting from the structural aberration usually varies. It is sometimes difficult to compare the degree of functional aberration among such hemoglobin disorders. A functional analysis was performed on 4 important beta hemoglobinopathies (hemoglobin C, D, E, and S) using PolyPhen, a novel bioinformatic tool. The mutations Hb C (beta 6, Glu --> Lys), Hb D (beta 121, Glu --> Gln), Hb E (beta 26, Glu --> Lys), and Hb S (beta 6, Glu --> Val) were selected for further study. According to the in silico mutation study, the functional change in the studied hemoglobinopathies was variable. The position-specific independent counts (PSIC) difference score ranged from 1.362 (Hb D) to 2.986 (Hb S). Regarding the degree of damage, all had probable damage. This analysis demonstrated that the functional aberration in the hemoglobinopathy was based on complex pathogenesis. Identifying only the structural aberration in a hemoglobinopathy is not sufficient; additional functional analysis is recommended. The functional analysis presented here may be a good model for further research.     

Immune complex: does it have a role in pathogenesis of renal failure in dengue infection?

Dengue infection is a major public health problem. When acute renal failure complicates dengue infection, it is usually associated with severe disease as in dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. The role of immune complex in development of renal failure in dengue infection is still unclear. Here, the author used a computational medicine technology to study the property of the dengue virus-immunoglobulin complex. According to this study, the diameter of derived complex is much smaller, compared with the diameter of glomerulus. Entrapment of the immune complex is believed to occur when a previous glomerular lesion causes narrowing of the glomerulus's diameter. Therefore, the immune complex should not have a significant role in pathogenesis of renal failure in dengue infection.     

Is universal coverage a solution for disparities in health care? Findings from three low-income provinces of Thailand

The policy on universal coverage (UC) of health care has been adopted and implemented incrementally by the government of Thailand since April 2001 with the aim of providing the access to care for the uninsured population. The success of UC, however, depends on how effective its design and implementation arrangements are in reaching population and affecting households' health seeking behavior and abilities to take up benefits of UC. The results from the household survey of 1834 respondents conducted in three low-income provinces (Tak, Sakol Nakorn, Narathiwat) show that the Gold card with exemption scheme was pro-poor while other insurance schemes tended to favor the rich with 2.6% of respondents reported having more than one type of health insurance coverage and 8.9% without health insurance. The insurance status had statistically significant association with health care use, and knowledge on family planning method and sexually transmitted diseases. Additionally, consumer preferences and socioeconomics factors are a key to disparities in health care utilization.