Tag: pubmed

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 10;16(9):e0257204. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257204. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Virological failure is under-recognized issue among children living with human immunodeficiency virus in developing countries. This partly may lead to failure to achieve the global goal of 90-90-90 targets in most developing countries including Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the virological failure and its predictors among children receiving antiretroviral therapy at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

METHODS: An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 253 study cohorts from January 2020-April 2021. Socio-demographic characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire via a face-to-face interview, while detailed clinical data of the children were collected by reviewing the medical record. About 5 ml of blood were collected for the analysis of complete blood count and viral load quantification. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and variables at p-value < 0.05 in the multivariable analysis were considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS: In this study, the viral load suppression rate among antiretroviral therapy experienced children was 68.8%. Meanwhile, the overall virological failure among study participants was 19.4%. Children living without family (AOR = 3.63; 95%CI: 1.27-10.24), children with unemployed family (AOR = 4.95; 95%CI: 1.74-14.12), being wasted (AOR = 3.02; 95%CI: 1.19-7.67) being stunted (AOR = 2.38;95%CI:1.03-5.46), anemia (AOR = 5.50:95%CI;1.37-22.04) and being lymphopenic (AOR = 2.69:95%CI;1.04-7.75) were significantly associated with virological failure among children under treatment.

CONCLUSION: Higher virological failure among children was noteworthy in the present study. Caretakers other than immediate family, unemployed family, wasted, stunted, anemia, and lymphopenia were significant independent predictors of virological failure. Hence, standard, and optimal management of children under treatment should be warranted.

PMID:34506553 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0257204

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 10;16(9):e0256197. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256197. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is one of the primary causes of death of infants in the first year of life. According to the WHO’s data, the global infant mortality rate is 0.64-2 per 1,000 live-born children. Molecular and cellular aspects of SIDS development have not been identified so far. The purpose of this paper is to verify and analyze the expression of melatonin 1 and 2 receptors, serotonin (as a melatonin precursor), and CD34 molecules (as hematopoietic and endothelial markers of cardiovascular damage) in the medulla, heart, and aorta in infants who died from SIDS. An immunohistochemical method was used to investigate samples of medulla, heart, and aorta tissues of infants 3 to 9 months of age who died from SIDS. The control group included children who died from accidents. It has been shown that the expression of melatonin receptors as well as serotonin and CD34 angiogenesis markers in tissues of the medulla, heart, and aorta of infants who died from SIDS is statistically lower as compared with their expression in the same tissues in children who died from accidents. The obtained data help to clarify in detail the role of melatonin and such signaling molecules as serotonin and CD34 in SIDS pathogenesis, which can open new prospects for devising novel methods for predictive diagnosis of development and targeted prophylaxis of SIDS.

PMID:34506527 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0256197

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 10;16(9):e0257099. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257099. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Screening plans for prevention and containment of SARS-CoV-2 infection should take into account the epidemic context, the fact that undetected infected individuals may transmit the disease and that the infection spreads through outbreaks, creating clusters in the population. In this paper, we compare through simulations the performance of six screening plans based on poorly sensitive individual tests, in detecting infection outbreaks at the level of single classes in a typical European school context. The performance evaluation is done by simulating different epidemic dynamics within the class during the four weeks following the day of the initial infection. The plans have different costs in terms of number of individual tests required for the screening and are based on recurrent evaluations on all students or subgroups of students in rotation. Especially in scenarios where the rate of contagion is high, at an equal cost, testing half of the class in rotation every week appears to be better in terms of sensitivity than testing all students every two weeks. Similarly, testing one-fourth of the students every week is comparable with testing all students every two weeks, despite the first one is a much cheaper strategy. In conclusion, we show that in the presence of natural clusters in the population, testing subgroups of individuals belonging to the same cluster in rotation may have a better performance than testing all the individuals less frequently. The proposed simulations approach can be extended to evaluate more complex screening plans than those presented in the paper.

PMID:34506536 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0257099

J Popul Ther Clin Pharmacol. 2021 Sep 2;28(1):35-45. doi: 10.15586/jptcp.2021.v28i1.837. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of Arabian dental students on geriatric dentistry.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a total of 100 participants belonging to Group I (25 each from third- and fourth-year students) and Group II (50 fifth-year students and interns ). All participants had completed a three-part questionnaire related to geriatric dentistry: Part I (knowledge), Part II (cognitive evaluation), and Part III (awareness and attitude of psychosocial and health problems). Comparisons were made between the groups, and the data were analyzed using SPSS software.

RESULTS: The responses on the Part I were not statistically significant among the groups (P > 0.05). The knowledge mean scores comparison showed an evident significant relationship among the groups (P < 0.05). Overall the Group II participants achieved the highest scores for all the Parts (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The students belong to Group II, and the interns achieved higher scores than the Group I students. Dental students and interns in Saudi Arabia lack positive approaches in providing primary health care to geriatric individuals despite a rapidly growing geriatric population.

PMID:34505759 | DOI:10.15586/jptcp.2021.v28i1.837

Transpl Infect Dis. 2021 Sep 10. doi: 10.1111/tid.13729. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The management of active tuberculosis (TB) in solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients is challenging given the pharmacological interaction and the potential delays in diagnosis due to atypical presentation. The incidence rates (IRs) of post-SOT TB from whole recipients’ cohort in high-endemic country have not been evaluated.

METHODS: We established SOT cohort (n = 15,598) and confirmed cases of TB between 2011 and 2015 from the Korean National Health Insurance Database using ICD-10 codes. After excluding 1,302 and 180 SOT-recipients due to age (< 18 years) and presence of pre-SOT TB and/or treatment for latent TB during wash-out period between 2006 and cohort entry, we analyzed 14,116 SOT recipients and 70,580 individuals with no history of SOT matched by age and sex. The hazard ratios (HRs) of IRs were adjusted for age, sex, low-income status, diabetes mellitus, chronic co-morbidities, and anti-TNF-α therapy.

RESULTS: The IR of TB was significantly higher (adjusted HR [aHR]: 6.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.5-7.6) in SOT recipients (4.9/1,000 person-years) than in non-SOT individuals (0.8/1,000 person-years). Of the transplanted organs, pancreas (pancreas alone and simultaneous pancreas-kidney) and lung had the highest IR (aHR: 16.3 [6.1-42.2] and 16.1 [5.9-43.8], respectively). The use of anti-thymocyte globulin and azathioprine was associated with a higher IR (aHR: 1.53 [1.01-2.43] and 3.92 [1.21-12.47], respectively), but basiliximab was associated with a lower IR (aHR: 0.67 [0.48-0.98]).

CONCLUSION: The IR of TB in SOT recipients, especially in pancreas and lung, was significantly higher than that in non-SOT population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:34505751 | DOI:10.1111/tid.13729

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2021 Sep 10:e2100473. doi: 10.1002/marc.202100473. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The combination of complementary, non-covalent interactions is a key principle for the design of multi-stimuli responsive hydrogels. In this work, we report an amphiphilic peptide, supramacromolecular hydrogelator which combines metal-ligand coordination induced gelation and thermoresponsive toughening. Following a modular approach, the incorporation of the triphenylalanine sequence FFF into a structural (C₃^EG ) and a terpyridine-functionalized (C₃^Tpy ) C₃ -symmetric monomer enables their statistical copolymerization into self-assembled, 1D nanorods in water, as investigated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the presence of a bis(terpyridine) functionalized telechelic PEG crosslinker, complex formation upon addition of different transition metal ions (Fe²⁺ , Zn²⁺ , Ni²⁺ ) induces the formation of soft, reversible hydrogels at a solid weight content of 1 wt% as observed by linear shear rheology. The viscoelastic behavior of Fe²⁺ and Zn²⁺ crosslinked hydrogels are basically identical, while the most kinetically inert Ni²⁺ coordinative bond leads to significantly weaker hydrogels, suggesting that the most dynamic rather than the most thermodynamically stable interaction supports the formation of robust and responsive hydrogel materials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:34505725 | DOI:10.1002/marc.202100473

Biomed Chromatogr. 2021 Sep 10:e5241. doi: 10.1002/bmc.5241. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for 10-20% of all strokes, and contributes to higher mortalities and severe disabilities. The objectives of this study were therefore to characterize novel biomarkers, metabolic disruptions, and the mechanisms involving ICH. A total 30 ICH patients and 30 control subjects were enrolled in the study, followed by analyses of their clinical characteristics. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis was conducted using ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS). Multivariate statistical analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used for screening and evaluating the predictive ability of biomarkers. ICH patients showed significantly higher systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose levels, white blood cell counts, neutrophil count, Percentage of neutrophils, globulin, and a lower albumin/globin ratio, when compared with control subjects. In total, 11 important metabolites were identified, which were associated with disruption of fatty acid oxidation, sphingolipid and phospholipid metabolism, as well as increased inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular pathologies. Further multiple logistic regression analyses of these metabolites showed that L-carnitine and phosphatidylcholine (PC) (20:3/22:6) have potential as biomarkers of ICH, and the area under the curve and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.974, 90%, and 93%, respectively. These findings provide insights into the pathogenesis, early prevention, and diagnosis of ICH.

PMID:34505712 | DOI:10.1002/bmc.5241

Euro Surveill. 2021 Sep;26(36). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.36.2100054.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundCohort studies on vaccine effectiveness are prone to confounding bias if the distribution of risk factors is unbalanced between vaccinated and unvaccinated study subjects.AimWe aimed to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness in the elderly population in Finland by controlling for a sufficient set of confounders based on routinely available register data.MethodsFor each of the eight consecutive influenza seasons from 2012/13 through 2019/20, we conducted a cohort study comparing the hazards of laboratory-confirmed influenza in vaccinated and unvaccinated people aged 65-100 years using individual-level medical and demographic data. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated as 1 minus the hazard ratio adjusted for the confounders age, sex, vaccination history, nights hospitalised in the past and presence of underlying chronic conditions. To assess the adequacy of the selected set of confounders, we estimated hazard ratios of off-season hospitalisation for acute respiratory infection as a negative control outcome.ResultsEach analysed cohort comprised around 1 million subjects, of whom 37% to 49% were vaccinated. Vaccine effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed influenza ranged from 16% (95% confidence interval (CI): 12-19) to 48% (95% CI: 41-54). More than 80% of the laboratory-confirmed cases were hospitalised. The adjusted off-season hazard ratio estimates varied between 1.00 (95% CI: 0.94-1.05) and 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01-1.15), indicating that residual confounding was absent or negligible.ConclusionSeasonal influenza vaccination reduces the hazard of severe influenza disease in vaccinated elderly people. Data about age, sex, vaccination history and utilisation of hospital care proved sufficient to control confounding.

PMID:34505568 | DOI:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.36.2100054

Anal Methods. 2021 Sep 10. doi: 10.1039/d1ay01372f. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry cubed (HPLC/MS³) method was developed and validated to quantify lamotrigine in human plasma with carbamazepine as an internal standard. The HPLC/MS/MS system is composed of a Shimadzu UFLC XR high-performance liquid chromatograph coupled with a hybrid linear ion trap triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Following simple protein precipitation with methanol, the separation of lamotrigine and carbamazepine was performed on an Agilent Poroshell 120 SB-C18 column (4.6 × 50 mm, 2.7 μm) using gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid in water (solvent I) and 0.1% formic acid in methanol (solvent II) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min^-1. The total run time for each sample was 5 min. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, linearity, lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), selectivity, and other parameters. The LC/MS³ method was linear in the concentration range of 0.50-50.0 μg mL^-1 (R² ≥ 0.995). The LLOQ was 0.5 μg mL^-1, requiring only 30 μL of human plasma. Intra- and inter-day accuracies were <6.17% and precisions were <11.4% at all concentrations. The absolute recoveries (%) and matrix effect (%) for lamotrigine in human plasma were between 83.8 and 90.7. The developed and validated LC-MS³ assay was successfully applied to monitor the lamotrigine levels in human plasma after the administration of lamotrigine.

PMID:34505603 | DOI:10.1039/d1ay01372f

Mol Med Rep. 2021 Nov;24(5):789. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2021.12429. Epub 2021 Sep 10.

ABSTRACT

Inhibin βA (INHBA) serves a prognostic and tumor‑promoting role in numerous types of cancer. The present study aimed to determine the clinical significance of INHBA in non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the mechanisms underlying its potential tumor‑promoting effect. INHBA expression was detected in clinical NSCLC samples using immunohistochemistry. In vivo loss‑ and gain‑of‑function studies were performed to determine the effects of INHBA on NSCLC invasion. In addition, protein and mRNA expression levels of INHBA, yes‑associated protein (YAP), large tumor suppressor 1/2 kinase (LATS1/2), connective tissue growth factor, cysteine rich angiogenic inducer 61 and Merlin were assessed using western blotting and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, respectively, to investigate the mechanism by which INHBA may affect the invasion of NSCLC. The present study revealed that INHBA was significantly upregulated in 238 clinical NSCLC samples compared with its expression levels in paired adjacent non‑cancerous tissues, and in metastatic nodules compared with in primary tumors. Notably, high INHBA expression was statistically associated with clinicopathological features, including poor differentiation and advanced tumor stage. INHBA positivity was statistically related to decreased 5‑year overall survival, for which INHBA was an independent prognostic factor. Furthermore, INHBA promoted NSCLC invasion in vitro. In NSCLC, INHBA expression was associated with the nuclear levels of YAP and INHBA overexpression enhanced the invasive abilities of NSCLC cells via inhibiting the Hippo pathway. Mechanistically, INHBA inhibited l LATS1/2 phosphorylation and induced YAP nuclear translocation by downregulating the protein expression levels of Merlin. In conclusion, INHBA may negatively regulate the Hippo pathway to act as a tumor promotor, and could represent a marker of prognosis in NSCLC.

PMID:34505633 | DOI:10.3892/mmr.2021.12429