Nevin Manimala

Prev Vet Med. 2022 Jan 5;200:105569. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105569. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Fasciolosis caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica is an important parasitosis in both livestock and humans across the globe. Chronic infections in cattle are associated with considerable economic losses. As a prerequisite for an effective control and prevention of fasciolosis in cattle fine-scale predictive models on farm-level are needed. Since disease transmission will only occur where the mollusc intermediate host is present, the objective of our research was to develop a regression model that allows to predict the local presence or absence of Galba truncatula as principal intermediate host for Fasciola hepatica in Switzerland. By implementing generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) a total amount of 70 variables were analysed for their potential influence on the likelihood π_i of finding Galba truncatula at a certain site. Important site-specific features could be considered by selecting suitable modelling procedures. The statistical software R was used to conduct regression analysis, performing the grplasso and the glmmLasso method. The selection of parameters was based on 10-fold cross validation and the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). This yielded a total number of 19 potential predictor variables for the grplasso and 13 variables for the glmmLasso model, which also included random effects. Nine variables appeared to be relevant predictors for the occurrence of Galba truncatula in both models. These included reed/humid area, spring water, water bodies within a 100 m radius, and trees/bushes as powerful positive predictors. High soil depth, temperatures frequently exceeding 30 °C in the year preceding the search for snails and temperatures below 0 °C especially in the second year before were identified to exert an adverse effect on the occurrence of Galba truncatula. Temperatures measured near ground level proved to be more powerful predictors than macroclimatic parameters. Precipitation values seemed to be of minor impact in the given setting. Both regression models may be convenient for a fine-scale prediction of the occurrence of Galba truncatula, and thus provide useful approaches for the development of future spatial transmission models, mapping the risk of fasciolosis in Switzerland on farm-level.

PMID:35042123 | DOI:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105569

Cell Physiol Biochem. 2022 Jan 19;56(1):13-27. doi: 10.33594/000000491.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Waterpipe smoke (WPS) is the second most prevalent form of smoking in the world. There are ample evidences about the vascular alterations caused by regular WPS (Reg-WPS). Nonetheless, comparison of the chronic vascular response induced by regular versus occasional WPS (Occ-WPS) exposure is very scarce.

METHODS: We investigated, in BALB/c mice, the effects of Occ-WPS (30 minutes/day, 1 day/week) versus Reg-WPS (30 minutes/day, 5 days/week) for 6 months on thrombogenicity and platelet aggregation in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, various markers of endothelial integrity, inflammation and oxidative stress were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric assay. Control mice were exposed to air.

RESULTS: Our results showed that either Occ-WPS or Reg-WPS exposure shortened the thrombotic time in pial microvessels in vivo. Moreover, in pial venules, this effect was more marked in Reg-WPS group (-47%) compared with Occ-WPS (-34%). Similarly, exposure to either Occ-WPS or Reg-WPS reduced the prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. Platelet count was increased only in Reg-WPS exposure. Exposure to either Occ-WPS or Reg-WPS induced platelet aggregation in vitro. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between Occ-WPS and Reg-WPS groups in platelet count and aggregation. Plasma concentration of tissue factor (+98%), P-selectin (+14%) and E-selectin (+16%) were significantly increased in Occ-WPS group compared with air exposed group. Likewise, compared with air group Reg-WPS caused an increase in concentration of tissue factor (+193%), P-selectin (+21%) and E-selectin (+42%). Nevertheless, only Reg-WPS induced a decrease (-38%) in the plasma concentration of tissue plasminogen activator. Notably, our results showed a statistically significant difference between Occ-WPS and Reg-WPS groups in the concentration of tissue factor. Erythrocyte numbers, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit and lactate dehydrogenase activity were augmented only in Reg-WPS group compared with either control or Occ-WPS groups. Likewise, only Reg-WPS induced an increase in proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β compared with either control or Occ-WPS groups. However, markers of oxidative stress including 8-isoprostane and total antioxidants were enhanced in both Occ-WPS and Reg-WPS compared with control group.

CONCLUSION: Our data confirm the vascular toxicity of the chronic Reg-WPS exposure and shows that even occasional chronic exposure to WPS caused thrombosis, platelet aggregation, endothelial alterations and oxidative stress. The latter findings are an additional cause of concern about the long-term toxicity of occasional waterpipe smoking.

PMID:35041781 | DOI:10.33594/000000491

J Int AIDS Soc. 2022 Jan;25(1):e25863. doi: 10.1002/jia2.25863.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: There is a growing population of children who are HIV-exposed and uninfected (HEU) with the successful expansion of antiretroviral therapy (ART) use in pregnancy. Children who are HEU are at risk of delayed neurodevelopment; however, there is limited research on early brain growth and maturation. We aimed to investigate the effects of in utero exposure to HIV/ART on brain structure of infants who are HEU compared to HIV-unexposed (HU).

METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging using a T2-weighted sequence was undertaken in a subgroup of infants aged 2-6 weeks enrolled in the Drakenstein Child Health Study birth cohort, South Africa, between 2012 and 2015. Mother-child pairs received antenatal and postnatal HIV testing and ART per local guidelines. We compared subcortical and total grey matter volumes between HEU and HU groups using multivariable linear regression adjusting for infant age, sex, intracranial volume and socio-economic variables. We further assessed associations between brain volumes with maternal CD4 cell count and ART exposure.

RESULTS: One hundred forty-six infants (40 HEU; 106 HU) with high-resolution images were included in this analysis (mean age 3 weeks; 50.7% male). All infants who were HEU were exposed to ART (88% maternal triple ART). Infants who were HEU had smaller caudate volumes bilaterally (5.4% reduction, p < 0.05) compared to HU infants. There were no group differences in other subcortical volumes (all p > 0.2). Total grey matter volume was also reduced in infants who were HEU (2.1% reduction, p < 0.05). Exploratory analyses showed that low maternal CD4 cell count (<350 cells/mm³ ) was associated with decreased infant grey matter volumes. There was no relationship between timing of ART exposure and grey matter volumes.

CONCLUSIONS: Lower caudate and total grey matter volumes were found in infants who were HEU compared to HU in the first weeks of life, and maternal immunosuppression was associated with reduced volumes. These findings suggest that antenatal HIV exposure may impact early structural brain development and improved antenatal HIV management may have the potential to optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes of children who are HEU.

PMID:35041774 | DOI:10.1002/jia2.25863

Electrophoresis. 2022 Jan 18. doi: 10.1002/elps.202100233. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Since their discovery in 2004, carbon dots (CDs) have attracted attention due to their intrinsic physicochemical properties and the easy synthesis from simple precursors. However, quantification of CDs in mixtures of nanoparticles with similar sizes and surface functionality is still a challenging issue for research applications or regulatory purposes. In this work, CDs and silver nanoparticles were firstly synthesized under alkaline conditions by using glucose as precursor and capping agent, respectively. Mixtures of these nanoparticles were made at micromolar range, without purification, and then analyzed by capillary electrophoresis-diode array detection (CE-DAD), using an electrolyte solution composed by 20 mM sodium borate and 20 mM sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) at pH 8.5, in a total time lower than 15 min. The three-way electrophoretic data was then decomposed by advanced chemometric models, parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and multivariate curve resolution-alternating least-squares (MCR-ALS). The explained variances for both models were 95.8% (PARAFAC) and 85.3% (MCR-ALS). In both cases, the quality of the results was verified by the Root Mean Square Standard Deviation Coefficient Variation (RMSCV), which resulted lower than 5%, and no significant bias were observed at 95% of statistical confidence. Satisfactory prediction for CDs concentration was obtained with recovery values between 80.0-115%. Additional supporting information may be found online in the Supporting Information section at the end of the article. Color online: See article online to view Figs. 1-4 in color. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:35041772 | DOI:10.1002/elps.202100233

Br J Dermatol. 2022 Jan 18. doi: 10.1111/bjd.21020. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: People with psoriasis can experience psychological distress that might be amenable to psychosocial self-help.

OBJECTIVES: This study tested the feasibility and acceptability of two theoretically developed self-help interventions designed to reduce feelings of shame and improve quality of life.

METHODS: A randomised controlled feasibility trial was conducted with one hundred and thirty participants with psoriasis who were randomly allocated to receive either compassion-based self-help (n =65) or mindfulness-based self-help (n =65), over a four-week period.

RESULTS: The interventions were found to be acceptable with over 70% of study completers reported finding the materials helpful. Ninety-two participants completed the study with attrition at 30%. Both interventions showed modest yet statistically significant reductions in shame (d = .20) and improvements in quality of life (d = .40).

CONCLUSIONS: Self-help based on compassion and mindfulness is acceptable to users and can reduce feelings of shame and improve quality of life for people living with psoriasis.

PMID:35041766 | DOI:10.1111/bjd.21020

Int J Cancer. 2022 Jan 18. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33935. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The impact of dairy product consumption for long-term health remains unclear, in particular regarding their involvement in cancer etiology for frequent locations like breast or prostate. Besides, little is known about potentially different effects of dairy producto subtypes. Our objective was therefore to evaluate the associations between dairy product consumption (total and subtypes) and cancer risk. A total of 101,279 participants from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort study were included (78.7% women; mean (SD) age=42.2 (14.5) years). Dairy product consumption was assessed using validated web-based 24-hour dietary records. Multi-adjusted Cox models were computed. After a median [interquartile range] follow-up time of 5.9 [2.7-8.3] years, we documented 2,503 incident cancer cases (783 breast, 323 prostate, and 182 colorectal cancers). Total dairy product consumption was not significantly associated with cancer. However, the consumption of “fromage blanc” (a French type of quark/cottage cheese) was associated with an increased risk of cancer overall [HR for 1 serving increment (95% CI)=1.11 (1.01-1.21); P-trend=0.03] and of colorectal cancer [HR=1.39 (1.09-1.77); P-trend<0.01]. Besides, sugary dairy dessert consumption was directly associated with colorectal cancer risk [HR for 1 serving increment=1.58 (1.01-2.46); P-trend=0.046]. No association was observed between the consumption of dairy products or sugary dairy desserts and the risk of prostate and breast cancers. In our study, the consumption of dairy products was not associated with the risk of overall, colorectal, breast or prostate cancers. The consumption of “fromage blanc” and sugary dairy desserts were associated to an increased risk of colorectal cancer, but this warrants further investigations.

PMID:35041764 | DOI:10.1002/ijc.33935

Int J Cancer. 2022 Jan 18. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33934. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after solid organ transplantation (SOT) and related to lifelong immunosuppression. This retrospective registry study assessed for the first time in Finland population-based cancer risk and cancer mortality after all SOTs (lung and childhood transplantations included) as standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). Data from transplant registries were linked with the data of Finnish Cancer Registry and Statistics Finland. We followed 6 548 consecutive first SOT recipients from 1.1.1987 to 31.12.2016 translating to 66 741 person-years (median follow-up time 8.9 years [interquartile range 4.0-15.1]). In total, 2 096 cancers were found in 1 483 patients (23% of all patients). Majority of cancers (53%) were non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs). The overall SIR was 3.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.5-3.8) and the SIR excluding NMSCs was 2.2 (95% CI: 2.0-2.3). SIR for all cancers was highest for heart (5.0) and lowest for liver (2.7) recipients. Most common cancer types after NMSCs were non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), SIR 9.9 (95% CI: 8.5-11.4) and kidney cancer, SIR 7.3 (95% CI: 6.0-8.8). Cancer-related deaths were 17% (n = 408) of all deaths after first month post transplantation. SMR for all cancers was 2.5 (95% CI: 2.2-2.7) and for NHL 13.6 (95% CI: 10.7-16.8). Notably, overall SIR for cancer was lower in later period (2000-2016), 3.0 (95% CI: 2.8-3.2), than in earlier period (1987-1999), 4.3 (95% CI: 4.0-4.5), p<0.001. Decrease in cancer incidence was temporally associated with major changes in immunosuppression in the 2000s.

PMID:35041762 | DOI:10.1002/ijc.33934

Br J Surg. 2022 Jan 18:znab452. doi: 10.1093/bjs/znab452. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:35041737 | DOI:10.1093/bjs/znab452

PLoS One. 2022 Jan 18;17(1):e0262104. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262104. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Renal clinical chemistry only detects kidney dysfunction after considerable damage has occurred and is imperfect in predicting long term outcomes. Consequently, more sensitive markers of early damage and better predictors of progression are being urgently sought, to better support clinical decisions and support shorter clinical trials. Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is strongly implicated in the fibrotic remodeling that drives chronic kidney disease (CKD). We hypothesized that urinary TG2 and its ε-(γ-glutamyl)-lysine crosslink product could be useful biomarkers of kidney fibrosis and progression. Animal models: a rat 4-month 5/6th subtotal nephrectomy model of CKD and a rat 8-month streptozotocin model of diabetic kidney disease had 24-hour collection of urine, made using a metabolic cage, at regular periods throughout disease development. Patients: Urine samples from patients with CKD (n = 290) and healthy volunteers (n = 33) were collected prospectively, and progression tracked for 3 years. An estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) loss of 2-5 mL/min/year was considered progressive, with rapid progression defined as > 5 mL/min/year. Assays: TG2 was measured in human and rat urine samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and ε-(γ-glutamyl)-lysine by exhaustive proteolytic digestion and amino acid analysis. Urinary TG2 and ε-(γ-glutamyl)-lysine increased with the development of fibrosis in both animal model systems. Urinary TG2 was 41-fold higher in patients with CKD than HVs, with levels elevated 17-fold by CKD stage 2. The urinary TG2:creatinine ratio (UTCR) was 9 ng/mmol in HV compared with 114 ng/mmol in non-progressive CKD, 1244 ng/mmol in progressive CKD and 1898 ng/mmol in rapidly progressive CKD. Both urinary TG2 and ε-(γ-glutamyl)-lysine were significantly associated with speed of progression in univariate logistic regression models. In a multivariate model adjusted for urinary TG2, ε-(γ-glutamyl)-lysine, age, sex, urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR), urinary protein:creatinine ratio (UPCR), and CKD stage, only TG2 remained statistically significant. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined an 86.4% accuracy of prediction of progression for UTCR compared with 73.5% for UACR. Urinary TG2 and ε-(γ-glutamyl)-lysine are increased in CKD. In this pilot investigation, UTCR was a better predictor of progression in patients with CKD than UACR. Larger studies are now warranted to fully evaluate UTCR value in predicting patient outcomes.

PMID:35041708 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0262104

PLoS One. 2022 Jan 18;17(1):e0261521. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261521. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the value of thyroid imaging report and data system (TI-RADS) combined with superb micro-vascular imagine technique(SMI) in distinguishing benign and malignant thyroid nodules. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Chinese biomedical databases from inception through February 31, 2021. Meta-analysis was conducted using STATA version 14.0 and Meta-Disc version 1.4 softwares. We calculated the summary statistics for sensitivity(Sen), specificity(Spe), and receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve. Six studies that met all inclusion criteria were included in this meta-analysis. A total of 408 thyroid malignant nodules and 496 thyroid benign nodules were assessed. All thyroid nodules were histologically confirmed after SMI. The pooled Sen and Spe of TI-RADS were 0.80(95%CI = 0.71-0.87) and 0.82(95%CI = 0.75-0.87); The pooled Sen and Spe of TI-RADS combined with SMI were 0.88 (95%CI = 0.80-0.91) and 0.89 (95%CI = 0.85-0.92). The areas under the SROC curve of TI-RADS and TI-RADS combined with SMI were 0.8874(SE = 0.0165) and 0.9415(SE = 0.0102), between which there was significant difference(Z = 2.789; SE = 0.0194; p = 0.0053). Our meta-analysis indicates that TI-RADS combined with SMI may have high diagnostic accuracy, and is more effective than single TI-RADS in distinguishing benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

PMID:35041691 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0261521