Nevin Manimala

PLoS One. 2021 Apr 2;16(4):e0248386. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248386. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The interaction between smoking and the use of antiplatelet agents on the prognosis of vasospastic angina (VA) is rarely investigated.

METHODS: VA-Korea is a nation-wide multi-center registry with prospective design (n = 1812). The primary endpoint was the composite occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), symptomatic arrhythmia, and cardiac death. Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model were for statistical analysis. Also, we conducted interaction analysis in both additive and multiplicative scales between smoking and antiplatelet agents among VA patients. For additive scale interaction, relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) was calculated and for multiplicative scale interaction, the ratio of hazard ratio (HR) was calculated. All statistical analysis conducted by Stata Ver 16.1.

RESULTS: Patients who were smoking and using antiplatelet agents had the highest incidence rate in the primary composite outcome. The incidence rate was 3.49 per 1,000 person-month (95% CI: 2.30-5.30, log-rank test for primary outcome p = 0.017) and HR of smoking and using antiplatelet agents was 1.66 (95%CI: 0.98-2.81). The adjusted RERI of smoking and using antiplatelet agents was 1.10 (p = 0.009), and the adjusted ratio of HR of smoking and using antiplatelet agents was 3.32 (p = 0.019). The current study observed the interaction between smoking and using antiplatelet agents in both additive and multiplicative scales.

CONCLUSIONS: Smoking was associated with higher rates of unfavorable clinical outcomes among VA patients taking antiplatelet agents. This suggested that VA patients, especially those using antiplatelet agents should quit smoking.

PMID:33798225 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0248386

PLoS One. 2021 Apr 2;16(4):e0249376. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249376. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Quantification of HIV-1 RNA is essential for clinical management of HIV patients. The limited throughput and significant hands-on time required by most HIV Viral load (VL) tests makes it challenging for laboratories with high test volume, to turn around patient results quickly. The Hologic Aptima HIV-1 Quant Dx Assay (Aptima), has the potential to alleviate this burden as it is high throughput and fully automated. This assay is validated for both plasma and dried blood spots (DBS), which are commonly used in resource limited settings. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of Aptima to Abbott RealTime HIV-1 Assay (Abbott RT), which was used as reference. This was a cross-sectional prospective study where HIV VL in finger stick (FS) DBS, venous blood (VB) DBS and plasma, collected from 258 consenting adults visiting 5 medical facilities in Kenya, Africa were tested in Aptima. The results were compared to plasma VL in Abbott RT at the medical decision point (MDP) of 1000 copies/mL and across Aptima assay range. The total agreement at MDP between plasma HIV VL in Abbott RT and plasma, FS and VB DBS tested in Aptima were 97.7%, 92.2% and 95.3% respectively with kappa statistic of 0.95, 0.84 and 0.90. The positive and negative agreement for all 3 sample types were >92%. Regression analysis between VL in Abbott RT plasma and various sample types tested in Aptima had a Pearson’s correlation coefficient ≥0.91 with systematic bias of < 0.20 log copies/mL on Bland-Altman analysis. The high level of agreement in Aptima HIV VL results for all 3 sample types with Abbott RT plasma VL along with the high throughput, complete automation, and ease of use of the Panther platform makes Aptima a good option for HIV VL monitoring for busy laboratories with high volume of testing.

PMID:33798221 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0249376

PLoS One. 2021 Apr 2;16(4):e0248732. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248732. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Spinner dolphins on Hawai’i Island’s west coast (Stenella longirostris longirostris) rest by day in protected bays that are increasingly popular for recreation. Because more frequent interactions of people with these dolphins is likely to reduce rest for dolphins and to explain recent decline in dolphin abundance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed stricter rules regarding interactions with spinner dolphins near the main Hawaiian Islands and plans to increase enforcement. Simultaneous investment in public education about both interaction rules and their biological rationale has been and is likely to be relatively low. To test the hypothesis that more educational signage will reduce human-generated disturbance of dolphins, a paper questionnaire was distributed to 351 land-based, mostly unguided visitors at three dolphin resting bays on Hawai’i Island’s west coast. Responses indicated that visitors wanted to see dolphins, were ignorant of interaction rules, were likely to read signs explaining rules and their biological rationales, and were likely to follow known rules. Therefore, investment in effective educational signage at dolphin resting bays is recommended as one way to support conservation of spinner dolphins on Hawai’i Island’s west coast and similar sites in the Hawaiian archipelago.

PMID:33798220 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0248732

PLoS One. 2021 Apr 2;16(4):e0249464. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249464. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Along with other countries in America, plague reached Brazil through the sea routes during the third pandemic. A brief ports phase was followed by an urban phase that took place in smaller inland cities and finally, it attained the rural area and established several foci where the ecological conditions were suitable for its continued existence. However, the geographic dispersion of plague in Brazil is still poorly studied. To better understand the disease dynamics, we accessed satellite-based data to trace the spatial occurrence and distribution of human plague cases in Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil and using the municipality of Exu as study case area. Along with the satellite data, a historical survey using the Plague Control Program files was applied to characterize the spatial and temporal dispersion of cases in the period of 1945-1976. Kernel density estimation, spatial and temporal clusters with statistical significance and maximum entropy modeling were used for spatial data analysis, by means of the spatial analysis software packages. The use of geostatistical tools allowed evidencing the shift of the infection from the urban to the wild-sylvatic areas and the reemergence of cases after a period of quiescence, independent of the reintroduction from other plague areas.

PMID:33798208 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0249464

PLoS One. 2021 Apr 2;16(4):e0245898. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245898. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare the performance of the recent CASTLE score to J-CTO, CL and PROGRESS CTO scores in a comprehensive database of percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total occlusion procedures.

METHODS: Scores were calculated using raw data from 1,342 chronic total occlusion procedures included in REBECO Registry that includes learning and expert operators. Calibration, discrimination and reclassification were evaluated and compared.

RESULTS: Mean score values were: CASTLE 1.60±1.10, J-CTO 2.15±1.24, PROGRESS 1.68±0.94 and CL 2.52±1.52 points. The overall percutaneous coronary intervention success rate was 77.8%. Calibration was good for CASTLE and CL, but not for J-CTO or PROGRESS scores. Discrimination: the area under the curve (AUC) of CASTLE (0.633) was significantly higher than PROGRESS (0.557) and similar to J-CTO (0.628) and CL (0.652). Reclassification: CASTLE, as assessed by integrated discrimination improvement, was superior to PROGRESS (integrated discrimination improvement +0.036, p<0.001), similar to J-CTO and slightly inferior to CL score (- 0.011, p = 0.004). Regarding net reclassification improvement, CASTLE reclassified better than PROGRESS (overall continuous net reclassification improvement 0.379, p<0.001) in roughly 20% of cases.

CONCLUSION: Procedural percutaneous coronary intervention difficulty is not consistently depicted by available chronic total occlusion scores and is influenced by the characteristics of each chronic total occlusion cohort. In our study population, including expert and learning operators, the CASTLE score had slightly better overall performance along with CL score. However, we found only intermediate performance in the c-statistic predicting chronic total occlusion success among all scores.

PMID:33798205 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0245898

PLoS Comput Biol. 2021 Apr 2;17(4):e1008890. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008890. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Protein-protein interaction networks are one of the most effective representations of cellular behavior. In order to build these models, high-throughput techniques are required. Next-generation interaction screening (NGIS) protocols that combine yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) with deep sequencing are promising approaches to generate interactome networks in any organism. However, challenges remain to mining reliable information from these screens and thus, limit its broader implementation. Here, we present a computational framework, designated Y2H-SCORES, for analyzing high-throughput Y2H screens. Y2H-SCORES considers key aspects of NGIS experimental design and important characteristics of the resulting data that distinguish it from RNA-seq expression datasets. Three quantitative ranking scores were implemented to identify interacting partners, comprising: 1) significant enrichment under selection for positive interactions, 2) degree of interaction specificity among multi-bait comparisons, and 3) selection of in-frame interactors. Using simulation and an empirical dataset, we provide a quantitative assessment to predict interacting partners under a wide range of experimental scenarios, facilitating independent confirmation by one-to-one bait-prey tests. Simulation of Y2H-NGIS enabled us to identify conditions that maximize detection of true interactors, which can be achieved with protocols such as prey library normalization, maintenance of larger culture volumes and replication of experimental treatments. Y2H-SCORES can be implemented in different yeast-based interaction screenings, with an equivalent or superior performance than existing methods. Proof-of-concept was demonstrated by discovery and validation of novel interactions between the barley nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptor MLA6, and fourteen proteins, including those that function in signaling, transcriptional regulation, and intracellular trafficking.

PMID:33798202 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008890

Clin Exp Dent Res. 2021 Apr 2. doi: 10.1002/cre2.416. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the potential association between the dental diseases and self-reported history of stroke in the United States based on data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

METHODS: Data were extracted from NHANES III. Dental variables were carious tooth surfaces, number of missing teeth, gingival bleeding, and periodontal pockets. Multiple logistic regression modeling was used to estimate the effect of these dental diseases on the self-reported history of stroke with intent to adjust for the other potential determinants: age, sex, race, marital status, health insurance, education, exercise, body mass index, smoking, alcohol, hypertension, high serum cholesterol, and diabetes.

RESULTS: Number of missing teeth was found to be significantly associated with the self-reported history of stroke. Associations between the self-reported history of stroke and caries, gingival bleeding, or periodontal pockets were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Number of missing teeth was an independent determinant of the self-reported history of stroke.

PMID:33797859 | DOI:10.1002/cre2.416

Clin Exp Dent Res. 2021 Apr 2. doi: 10.1002/cre2.408. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review evaluated the evidence for the effectiveness of Photodynamic therapy (PDT) in treating oral fungal infections, as an alternative to conventional antifungal medications.

METHODS: Five randomized control trials (168 participants) comparing the treatment of oral fungal infections using met with our inclusion criteria. Clinical and microbiological improvement was assessed by random-effects meta-analysis. Methodological quality assessment and heterogeneity were performed using peer-reviewed criteria. PROSPERO registration: CRD42017076.

RESULTS: PDT showed statistically non-significant increased clinical efficacy (risk ratio (RR) = 1.47 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68; 3.17]; three studies, n = 108 participants, I² = 50%) and mycological efficacy (mean difference (MD) = 0.54 [95%CI, -0.71; 1.79]; three studies, n = 100; I² = 39%) at 30 days, as compared with conventional antifungal therapy. Lack of standardization of treatment parameters and variability in the assessment of outcomes was observed across the studies. All included studies had a moderate to low risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS: PDT showed comparable effectiveness at treating oral fungal infections, particularly denture stomatitis. The small number of studies in this review, small sample size and variability of methods and outcome measures across studies, highlight the need for more standardized studies with longer follow-up periods to enable recommendation of PDT as an alternative to conventional antifungal therapy.

PMID:33797857 | DOI:10.1002/cre2.408

Cancer Med. 2021 Apr 2. doi: 10.1002/cam4.3757. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is rising. Left-sided colorectal cancer (LCC) is associated with better survival compared to right-sided colon cancer (RCC) in metastatic disease. NCCN guidelines recommend the addition of EGFR inhibitors to KRAS/NRAS WT metastatic CRC originating from the left only. Whether laterality impacts survival in locoregional disease and EOCRC is of interest.

METHODS: 65,940 CRC cases from the National VA Cancer Cube Registry (2001-2015) were studied. EOCRC (2096 cases) was defined as CRC diagnosed at <50 years. Using ICD codes, RCC was defined from the cecum to the hepatic flexure (C18.0-C18.3), and LCC from the splenic flexure to the rectum (C18.5-18.7; C19 and C20).

RESULTS: EOCRC is more likely to originate from the left side (66.65% LCC in EOCRC vs. 58.77% in CRC). Overall, LCC has better 5-year Overall Survival (OS) than RCC in stages I (61.67% vs. 58.01%) and III (46.1% vs. 42.1%) and better 1-year OS in stage IV (57.79% vs. 49.49%). Stage II RCC has better 5-year OS than LCC (53.39% vs. 49.28%). In EOCRC, there is no statistically significant difference between LCC and RCC in stages I-III. Stage IV EOCRC patients with LCC and RCC have a 1-year OS of 73.23% and 59.84%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: In EOCRC, LCC is associated with better OS than RCC only stage IV. In the overall population, LCC is associated with better OS in all stages except stage II. The better prognosis of stage II RCC might be due to the high incidence of mismatch repair deficient tumors in this subpopulation.

PMID:33797856 | DOI:10.1002/cam4.3757

Int J Immunogenet. 2021 Apr 2. doi: 10.1111/iji.12537. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

HLA-G allele frequencies were studied in Yucatán (Mexico) Maya Amerindians by a direct exon DNA sequencing technique. It is described that Mayas are probably one of the first populations together with Olmecs that populated Meso America and that important HLA genetic differences between Mexican and Guatemalan Mayas support that Maya languages were imposed to several neighbouring Amerindian groups. HLA-G*01:01:02, HLA-G*01:01:01 and HLA-G*01:04:01 are the most frequent alleles in this population. It is remarkable that HLA-G*01:05N allele was not found in the population in accordance with similar results found in another Amerindians. Also, protein allele HLA-G*01:04 frequency is found not to differ to those found in another far or close living Amerindians in contrast to other World populations. It seems that while high HLA-G*01:05N frequency is found in Iran and Middle East populations, probably where this allele appeared within an ancestral HLA-A*19 group of alleles haplotype and it is maintained by unknown evolutionary forces, Amerindians do not have a high frequency because a founder effect or because required natural evolutionary forces do not exist in America. Finally, we believe useful to study HLA-G evolution for its physiopathology understanding in addition to the many papers on statistics on HLA-G and in vitro models that are yearly published.

PMID:33797843 | DOI:10.1111/iji.12537