Author: Pei Kuan Lai

Authors: Cheong Lieng Teng, Kean Ghee Lim, Ee Ming Khoo, Chirk Jenn Ng, Lee Yen Chong, Mei Yee Lee, Nawal Aqilah Amir, Jia Ling Voon, Wilson Wei Sheng Chin.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To evaluate study designs and citation counts of original research published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia (MJM).

Methods: The bibliographic data of the MJM for the period 1980-2016 were retrieved from PubMed and analysed using Endnote bibliographic software. Study designs of original journal articles were analysed according to whether the articles were diagnostic study, prognostic study or clinical trial (collectively known as “evidence papers”). The citation counts of the original articles and case reports for the period 2012-2016 were compared in a sub-study using a case-control design.

Results: A total of 3952 MJM journal items were retrieved from PubMed for the period 1980-2016; of these, 58.9% were original articles and 29.5% were case reports. Among the original articles, 14.6% were “evidence papers”; 2.3% were diagnostic studies, 7.7% were prognostic studies, 4.6% were clinical trials. In the study period 2012-2016, “other types of original articles” had statistically significantly more citations than case reports. However, there is no difference between “evidence papers” and case reports.

Conclusion: Our analysis shows the distribution of the types of articles appearing in the MJM for the period of study and serves as a reference for improving citations counts in the local context.

Keywords: Bibliometrics; Citation count; Medical Journal of Malaysia; Study design.

Citation: IeJSME 2019 13(1): 26-32

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.13.1.26

Authors: Helen Thong, Sangeetha Shyam, Ammu Radhakrishnan, Cheong Lieng Teng.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Serum amylase and adiponectin levels have shown promise as markers of cardio-metabolic diseases.
However, the levels of these markers in saliva and their association with glycaemic management in diabetes mellitus (DM) are not well documented. Therefore, we investigated the correlation of salivary amylase and adiponectin concentrations with measures of glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) participants.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 80 T2DM participants of Indian and Malay ethnicity. Saliva was collected, and salivary amylase and adiponectin concentrations were analysed. Recent fasting blood sugar and HbA1c of the participants was obtained from their medical records. The correlations of salivary amylase and adiponectin with fasting blood sugar and HbA1c were calculated using Spearman’s correlation.

Results: There was a weak positive correlation between salivary adiponectin and HbA1c (rho = 0.221, p = 0.051). The salivary adiponectin levels was significnalty lower among participants with good glycaemic control (HbA1c ≤ 7.0%) compared to those with poor glycaemic control (HbA1c > 7.0%,) (1.13 (1.75) vs. 2.34 (3.54) ng/ml, p = 0.039).

Conclusion: Salivary adiponectin weakly correlated with HbA1c, while salivary amylase showed no correlation with
the glycaemic parameters studied. Therefore, salivary adiponectin may warrant further investigation as a potential non-invasive biomarker of T2DM.

Keywords: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); salivary adiponectin; salivary amylase; haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

Citation: IeJSME 2020 14(1): 8-21

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.14.1.8