The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2, the causative agent of the pandemic disease COVID-19, emerged in December 2019 forcing lockdown of communities in many countries. The absence of specific drugs and vaccines, the rapid transmission of the... more
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2, the causative agent of the pandemic disease COVID-19, emerged in December 2019 forcing lockdown of communities in many countries. The absence of specific drugs and vaccines, the rapid transmission of the virus, and the increasing number of deaths worldwide necessitated the discovery of new substances for anti-COVID-19 drug development. With the aid of bioinformatics and computational modelling, ninety seven antiviral secondary metabolites from fungi were docked onto five SARS-CoV2 enzymes involved in viral attachment, replication, post-translational modification, and host immunity evasion infection mechanisms followed by molecular dynamics simulation andi n silico ADMET prediction (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) of the hit compounds. Thus, three fumiquinazoline alkaloids scedapin C (15), quinadoline B (19) and nor-quinadoline A (20), the polyketide isochaetochromin D1 (8), and the terpenoid 11a-dehydroxyisoterreulactone A (11) exhibited high binding affinities on the target proteins, papain-like protease (PLpro), chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRp), non-structural protein 15(nsp15), and the spike binding domain to GRP78. Molecular dynamics simulation was performed to optimize the interaction and investigate the stability of the top-scoring ligands in complex with the five target proteins. All tested complexes were found to have dynamic stability. Of the five top-scoring metabolites, quinadoline B (19) was predicted to confer favorable ADMET values, high gastrointestinal absorptive probability and poor blood-brain barrier crossing capacities.
Research Interests:
Objective: To describe the epidemiological distribution of injury cases in the Philippines from 2011 to 2018. Methods: A retrospective review of records from the Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System involving trauma cases... more
Objective: To describe the epidemiological distribution of injury cases in the Philippines from 2011 to 2018. Methods: A retrospective review of records from the Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System involving trauma cases was done, and data were collated, tabulated, and statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 668 179 injury cases were recorded, and 68.99% of these cases involved males. Vulnerable individuals belonged to the group aged 15-29 years (34.01%). The most populated regions in the country, the National Capital Region (14.90%) and Region 桇 A (13.96%), incurred the highest number of recorded cases. Traffic crash (32.67%) was reported to be the major cause of injury; and open wounds (37.56%) and abrasion (26.23%) were found to be the most common types of injury. Conclusions: The burden of injury remains high in the Philippines due to the lack of resources and inadequate healthcare. The findings of the present study on the distribution of injury cases provide useful information for taking appropriate preventive measures, developing effective safety guidelines, allocating limited resources in an appropriate manner, and implementing necessary public health programs.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Accumulating evidence shows a progressive decline in the efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS‐CoV‐2]) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines such as Pfizer‐BioNTech (mRNA BNT161b2)... more
Accumulating evidence shows a progressive decline in the efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS‐CoV‐2]) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines such as Pfizer‐BioNTech (mRNA BNT161b2) and Moderna (mRNA‐1273) in preventing breakthrough infections due to diminishing humoral immunity over time. Thus, this review characterizes the kinetics of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies after the second dose of a primary cycle of COVID‐19 mRNA vaccination. A systematic search of the literature was performed and a total of 18 articles (N = 15 980 participants) were identified and reviewed. The percent difference of means of reported antibody titers was then calculated to determine the decline in humoral response after the peak levels postvaccination. Findings revealed that the peak humoral response was reached at 21–28 days after the second dose, after which serum levels progressively diminished at 4–6‐month postvaccination. Additionally, results showed that regardless of age, sex, serostatus, and presence of comorbidities, longitudinal data reporting antibody measurement exhibited a decline of both anti‐receptor binding domain immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti‐spike IgG, ranging from 94% to 95% at 90–180 days and 55%–85% at 140–160 days, respectively, after the peak antibody response. This suggests that the rate of antibody decline may be independent of patient‐related factors and peak antibody titers but mainly a function of time and antibody class/molecular target. Hence, this study highlights the necessity of more efficient vaccination strategies to provide booster administration in attenuating the effects of waning immunity, especially in the appearance of new variants of concerns.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
BACKGROUND Current guidelines suggest the use of isotonic saline (IS) infusion as the preferred resuscitation fluid in the management of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). However, balanced electrolyte solutions (BES) have been proposed as an... more
BACKGROUND Current guidelines suggest the use of isotonic saline (IS) infusion as the preferred resuscitation fluid in the management of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). However, balanced electrolyte solutions (BES) have been proposed as an alternative due to a lower propensity to cause hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. Evidence regarding the use of BES in DKA remains limited. OBJECTIVES To determine if the use of BES in fluid resuscitation leads to faster resolution of DKA compared to IS. METHODS The study involves a comprehensive search of literature from PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, Google Scholar, and Science Direct of clinical trials addressing the use of BES vs IS in fluid resuscitation in DKA. The time to resolution of DKA was examined as the primary endpoint. Pooled hazard ratios (HR) and Mean Difference (MD) in hours with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model. RESULTS The literature search included 464 studies that were screened individually. A total of 9 studies were identified but 6 studies were excluded due to irrelevance in the outcome of interest and target population. The pooled hazard ratio HR significantly revealed 1.46 [1.10 to 1.94] (p = 0.009) with 12% heterogeneity while MD was -3.02 (95% CI -6.78-0.74; p = 0.12) with heterogeneity of 85%. CONCLUSION Considering the evidence from pooled small randomized trials with moderate overall certainty of evidence, the use of BES in DKA was associated with faster rates of DKA resolution compared to IS.
Research Interests:
Identification of predictors of long COVID-19 is essential for managing healthcare plans of patients. This systematic literature review and meta-analysis aimed to identify risk factors not associated with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome... more
Identification of predictors of long COVID-19 is essential for managing healthcare plans of patients. This systematic literature review and meta-analysis aimed to identify risk factors not associated with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but rather potentially predictive of the development of long COVID-19. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, as well as medRxiv and bioRxiv preprint servers were screened through 15 September 2022. Peer-reviewed studies or preprints evaluating potential pre-SARS-CoV-2 infection risk factors for the development of long-lasting symptoms were included. The methodological quality was assessed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPSs) tool. Random-effects meta-analyses with calculation of odds ratio (OR) were performed in those risk factors where a homogenous long COVID-19 definition was used. From 1978 studies identified, 37 peer-reviewed studies and one preprint were included. Eighte...
Research Interests:
Accumulating evidence shows a progressive decline in the efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech (mRNA BNT161b2) and Moderna (mRNA-1273) in preventing breakthrough infections due to... more
Accumulating evidence shows a progressive decline in the efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech (mRNA BNT161b2) and Moderna (mRNA-1273) in preventing breakthrough infections due to diminishing humoral immunity over time. Thus, this review characterizes the kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) antibodies after the second dose of a primary cycle of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. A systematic search of literature was performed and a total of 18 studies (N=15,980) were identified and reviewed. The percent difference of means of reported antibody titers were then calculated to determine the decline in humoral response after the peak levels post-vaccination. Findings revealed that the peak humoral response was reached at 21-28 days after the second dose, after which serum levels progressively diminished at 4-6 months post-vaccination. Additionally, results showed that regardless of age, sex, serostatus and...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACTWith the advent of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, several vaccines have been developed to mitigate its spread and prevent adverse consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).... more
ABSTRACTWith the advent of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, several vaccines have been developed to mitigate its spread and prevent adverse consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The mRNA technology is an unprecedented vaccine, usually given in two doses to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections. Despite effectiveness and safety, inter-individual immune response heterogeneity has been observed in recipients of mRNA-based vaccines. As a novel disease, the specific immune response mechanism responsible for warding off COVID-19 remains unclear at this point. However, significant evidence suggests that humoral response plays a crucial role in affording immunoprotection and preventing debilitating sequelae from COVID-19. As such this paper focused on the possible effects of age, sex, serostatus, and comorbidities on humoral response (i.e., total antibodies, IgG and/or IgA) of different populations post-mRNA-based Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinat...
Research Interests:
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic warrants an immediate response. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are one of the most vulnerable populations susceptible to marginalization. While there are existing guidelines... more
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic warrants an immediate response. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are one of the most vulnerable populations susceptible to marginalization. While there are existing guidelines in the Philippines that aim to assist their basic needs, a call for inclusivity in policymaking for the COVID-19 response is highly advocated. This paper aims to analyze existing policy guidelines concerning the welfare of PWDs in the country based on several policy domains. Methods: Relevant documents were acquired through extensive search of government and nongovernment websites and news agencies. Literature included memorandums, circulars, and news bulletins in the period between January 2020 to May 2021. This study conducted a framework analysis on policies enacted by the Philippine government during the COVID-19 pandemic concerning PWDs. The framework was divided into eight areas: access to (1) information, (2)healthcare, (3) education, and (4) ...
Research Interests:
Objective: To describe the epidemiological distribution of injury cases in the Philippines from 2011 to 2018. Methods: A retrospective review of records from the Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System involving trauma cases... more
Objective: To describe the epidemiological distribution of injury cases in the Philippines from 2011 to 2018. Methods: A retrospective review of records from the Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System involving trauma cases was done, and data were collated, tabulated, and statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 668 179 injury cases were recorded, and 68.99% of these cases involved males. Vulnerable individuals belonged to the group aged 15-29 years (34.01%). The most populated regions in the country, the National Capital Region (14.90%) and Region IVA (13.96%), incurred the highest number of recorded cases. Traffic crash (32.67%) was reported to be the major cause of injury; and open wounds (37.56%) and abrasion (26.23%) were found to be the most common types of injury. Conclusions: The burden of injury remains high in the Philippines due to the lack of resources and inadequate healthcare. The findings of the present study on the distribution of injury cases provi...
Research Interests:
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2, the causative agent of the worldwide pandemic disease COVID-19, emerged in December 2019 forcing lockdown of communities in many countries. The absence of specific drugs and vaccines, the rapid... more
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2, the causative agent of the worldwide pandemic disease COVID-19, emerged in December 2019 forcing lockdown of communities in many countries. The absence of specific drugs and vaccines, the rapid transmission of the virus, and the increasing number of deaths worldwide have necessitated the need to discover substances that can be tapped for drug development. With the aid of bioinformatics and computational modelling, ninety seven secondary metabolites from fungi previously reported to exhibit antiviral properties were docked onto SARS-CoV2 enzymes involved in viral attachment, replication and post-translational mechanisms followed by in silico ADMET prediction (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) of the hit compounds. Thus, two fumiquinazoline alkaloids quinadoline B (19), scedapin C (15), and the polyketide isochaetochromin D1 (8) exhibited high binding affinities depending on the target protein. The compounds were active agai...