Serum microRNA-122 Levels in Egyptian Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C virus Genotype 4 Infection before and after treatment with Direct Acting Antiviral Drugs

QJM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Essam Mohammad Bayoumy Helal ◽  
Moataz Mohammad Sayed ◽  
Tari Magdy Aziz George ◽  
Christina Alfons Anwar ◽  
Sara Hassan Agwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Viral Hepatitis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Virus Genotype ◽  
Genotype 4 ◽  
Hcv Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Value

Abstract Background Viral hepatitis was estimated to be the 7th leading cause of mortality globally. About half of this mortality is attributed to HCV, a primary cause for liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and cancer. The recent development of highly efficacious oral DAAs provides opportunities for reducing HCV disease burden and its onward transmission, with the potential for eliminating this blood-borne virus as a public health concern. WHO has recently formulated the ‘Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, 2016– 2021 with service coverage targets to eliminate HCV as a public health threat by 2030. Objective To asses the possible relation of miRNA 122 to HCC development after HCV therapy with direct antiviral drug. Patients and Methods Previous studies suspect that HCV therapy by DAAS may increase risk of HCC so the aim of our study is to evaluate miR-122level at end of HCV treatment by DAAS and compare the results with miR-122level in HCC patients. The study was performed as a case control study in Ain Shams University hospital and Suez Canal authority hospital (Outpatient Clinic), at Ismailia Egypt in the period between Augusts to October 2018. Results These results revealed an effect of treatment by DAAs in HCV infected patients leading to miRNA 122 reduction and this may be related to hepatocarcinogenesis. However, further studies on a large patients number are needed to clarify this point and determine the diagnostic and possible therapeutic value of miRNA 122 in HCV infected patients. Conclusion Baseline MiR-122 level at cutoff value ≤0.26 was significantly lower in HCC patients than chronic HCV patients and normal controls, with a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 70%. MiR-122 was significantly reduced at end of HCV therapy with DAAs and became similar to values in HCC patients. Whether this observed reduction is mechanistically related to hepatocarcinogenesis is still a possibility, to be clarified in furtur large scale studies. The reduction of MiR-122 at the end of HCV therapy with DAAs was significantly observed in (F3,F4) patients than those with early fibrosis stages(F1,F2).This again gives a possible explanation of HCC development in HCV patients with advanced fibrosis(cirrhosis)and raises the question about the diagnostic and therapeutic value of miRNA 122 (and possibly other miRNAs)in the management strategy of HCV infected patients.

scholarly journals Viral Hepatitis E and Chronicity: A Growing Public Health Concern

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikram Thakur ◽  
Radha Kanta Ratho ◽  
Swatantra Kumar ◽  
Shailendra K. Saxena ◽  
Ishani Bora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Viral Hepatitis ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern

scholarly journals The SmartSleep Experiment: Evaluation of changes in night-time smartphone behavior following a mass media citizen science campaign

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0253783
Author(s):  
Thea Otte Andersen ◽  
Agnete Skovlund Dissing ◽  
Tibor V. Varga ◽  
Naja Hulvej Rod
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Sleep Behavior ◽  
Smartphone Use

The increasing 24-hour smartphone use is of public health concern. This study aims to evaluate whether a massive public focus on sleep and smartphone use generated through a large-scale citizen science project, the SmartSleep Experiment, influence participants’ night-time smartphone behavior. A total of 8,894 Danish adults aged 16 and above participated in the SmartSleep Experiment, a web-based survey on smartphones and sleep behavior. The survey was carried out for one week in 2018, combined with an extensive national mass media campaign focusing on smartphone behaviors and sleep. A follow-up survey aimed at evaluating whether survey-participants had changed their night-time smartphone behavior was carried out two weeks after the campaign. A total of 15% of the participants who used their smartphone during sleep hours at baseline had changed their night-time smartphone behavior, and 83% of those indicated that they used their smartphone less at follow-up. The participants who had changed their smartphone behavior had primarily taken active precautions to avoid night-time smartphone use, e.g., activating silent mode (36%) or reduced their smartphone use before (50%) and during sleep hours (52%). The reduction in sleep problems (54%), recognition of poor smartphone behavior (48%), and the increased focus on night-time smartphone use (42%) were motivational factors for these behavior changes. Using citizen science and mass media appeared to be associated with changes in night-time smartphone behavior. Public health projects may benefit from combining citizen science with other interventional approaches.

scholarly journals Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Genetic Characterization of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Escherichia coli Isolated From Healthy Pregnant Women in Madagascar

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milen Milenkov ◽  
Saida Rasoanandrasana ◽  
Lalaina Vonintsoa Rahajamanana ◽  
Rivo Solo Rakotomalala ◽  
Catherine Ainamalala Razafindrakoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Snp Analysis ◽  
Phylogenetic Groups ◽  
E Coli

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern worldwide affecting humans, animals and the environment. However, data is lacking especially in developing countries. Thus, the World Health Organization developed a One-Health surveillance project called Tricycle focusing on the prevalence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in humans, animals, and the environment. Here we present the first results of the human community component of Tricycle in Madagascar. From July 2018 to April 2019, rectal swabs from 492 pregnant women from Antananarivo, Mahajanga, Ambatondrazaka, and Toamasina were tested for ESBL-E. coli carriage. Demographic, sociological and environmental risk factors were investigated, and E. coli isolates were characterized (antibiotic susceptibility, resistance and virulence genes, plasmids, and genomic diversity). ESBL-E. coli prevalence carriage in pregnant women was 34% varying from 12% (Toamasina) to 65% (Ambatondrazaka). The main risk factor associated with ESBL-E. coli carriage was the rainy season (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.3–5.6, p = 0.009). Whole genome sequencing was performed on 168 isolates from 144 participants. blaCTX–M–15 was the most frequent ESBL gene (86%). One isolate was resistant to carbapenems and carried the blaNDM–5 gene. Most isolates belonged to commensalism associated phylogenetic groups A, B1, and C (90%) and marginally to extra-intestinal virulence associated phylogenetic groups B2, D and F (10%). Multi locus sequence typing showed 67 different sequence types gathered in 17 clonal complexes (STc), the most frequent being STc10/phylogroup A (35%), followed distantly by the emerging STc155/phylogroup B1 (7%), STc38/phylogroup D (4%) and STc131/phylogroup B2 (3%). While a wide diversity of clones has been observed, SNP analysis revealed several genetically close isolates (n = 34/168) which suggests human-to-human transmissions. IncY plasmids were found with an unusual prevalence (23%), all carrying a blaCTX–M–15. Most of them (85%) showed substantial homology (≥85%) suggesting a dissemination of IncY ESBL plasmids in Madagascar. This large-scale study reveals a high prevalence of ESBL-E. coli among pregnant women in four cities in Madagascar associated with warmth and rainfall. It shows the great diversity of E. coli disseminating throughout the country but also transmission of specific clones and spread of plasmids. This highlights the urgent need of public-health interventions to control antibiotic resistance in the country.

scholarly journals Repatriations of Ill and Injured Travelers and Emigrants to Switzerland: A Retrospective Analysis at a Tertiary Emergency Department from 2013–2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2777
Author(s):  
Lara Brockhus ◽  
Anne-Sophie Eich ◽  
Aristomenis Exadaktylos ◽  
Anne Jachmann ◽  
Jolanta Klukowska-Rötzler
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Surgical Intervention ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Median Cost ◽  
The University ◽  
Public Health Promotion

Background: As more and more people are travelling abroad, there are also increasing numbers who fall ill or have accidents in foreign countries. Some patients must be repatriated. While it has been reported that the number of repatriations is rising steadily, little is known about patients’ characteristics, calling for in depth investigations of this patient group. Methods: We have conducted a retrospective study including 447 patients repatriated to the Emergency Department at the University Hospital (Inselspital) in Bern, Switzerland from 2013–2018. Results: Between 2013 and 2018, the number of repatriated patients increased by 42.6%, from 54 to 77 cases. In total, 59% of these patients were male and the median age was 60 years. Overall, 79% of patients were repatriated from European countries, with the top five countries being Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Austria. About half the cases (51.9%) were caused by illness, the other half by accidents. In total, 127 patients had to undergo surgical intervention abroad; another 194 patients underwent surgery after repatriation. The hospitalization rate was 81.4%, with a median length of in-hospital stay of 9 days (IQR 5–14) at the Inselspital. The mortality rate of at the Inselspital hospitalized patients was 4.4%, with 16 patients dying within the first 30 days after repatriation. The median cost per case was 12,005.79 CHF (IQR 4717.66–24,462.79). A multiple regression analysis showed a significant association of total costs with hospitalization (p = 0.001), surgical intervention (p = 0.001), as well as treatment in the intensive care unit (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The number of repatriations has been continuously increasing in recent years and reached a mean value of more than one case per week at the Inselspital (77 cases per year in 2018). The 30 day-mortality rate of 4.4% and the median cost per case are relatively high, demonstrating a neglected Public Health concern. These findings may provide impetus—not only for further research into repatriations but also for Public Health Promotion strategies.

scholarly journals Prolonged Zika virus viremia in a patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome in Trinidad and Tobago

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Gonzalez-Escobar ◽  
Anne Marie Valadere ◽  
Rosmond Adams ◽  
Karen Polson-Edwards ◽  
Avery Q.J. Hinds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Guillain Barre Syndrome ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Guillain Barré Syndrome ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Guillain Barré

An emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus, Zika virus (ZIKV) is a significant public health concern because of the syndromes associated with the infection. In addition, ZIKV is considered a major problem due to large-scale spread of the disease and the possible clinical complications for the central nervous system, especially Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and microcephaly. Since the introduction of ZIKV in the Caribbean, molecular detection of the viral RNA has been utilized as a more specific and sensitive approach to demonstrating acute infection. However, it is generally accepted that the virus has a short viremic period, generally less than 5 days. Serologic testing has the inconvenience of strong cross-reactivity among flaviviruses, such as dengue and yellow fever. As part of the laboratory surveillance activities for Zika and other arboviruses at the Caribbean Public Health Agency, in 2016 a sample from a male who was clinically diagnosed with GBS tested positive for Zika virus by real-time polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). The serum sample had been taken on day 21 after the onset of symptoms. The case had initially been characterized as a typical ZIKV infection (mild fever with a generalized maculopapular rash). Later, weakness of limbs and other peripheral neurological symptoms appeared. Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) showed that the sample was negative for IgM antibodies against Zika, Chikungunya, and dengue viruses. The plaque reduction neutralization test was positive for ZIKV. This indicated parallel development of viremia and immune response against ZIKV. Recent reports have demonstrated a longer duration of the viremia in ZIKV infections. However, our report is the first one that links the infection with extended viremia and the development in parallel of a GBS case.

scholarly journals Effects of Large-Scale Oceanic Phenomena on Non-Cholera Vibriosis Incidence in the United States: Implications for Climate Change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloë Logar-Henderson ◽  
Rebecca Ling ◽  
Ashleigh R. Tuite ◽  
David N. Fisman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ocean Warming ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Increased Risk

AbstractPurposeEpidemics of diarrhea caused by toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae are of global public health concern, but non-cholera Vibrio (NCV) species are also important causes of disease. These pathogens are thermophilic, and climate change could increase the risk of NCV infection. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a “natural experiment” that may presage ocean warming effects on disease incidence.MethodWe obtained vibriosis case counts in the United States by digitizing annual reports from the U.S. Cholera and Other Vibrio Illness Surveillance system. Trends and environmental impacts (of ENSO and the North Atlantic Oscillation) were evaluated using negative binomial and distributed nonlinear lag models. Associations between latitude and changing risk were evaluated with meta-regression.ResultsTrend models demonstrated significant seasonality (P < 0.001) and a 7% annual increase in disease risk from 1999 to 2014 (annual IRR 1.071, 95% CI 1.061-1.081). Distributed lag models demonstrated increased vibriosis risk following ENSO conditions over the subsequent 12 months (integrated RR 1.940, 95% CI 1.298-2.901). The rate of change in vibriosis risk increased with state latitude (RR per 10° increase 1.066, 95% CI 1.027-1.107).ConclusionVibriosis risk in the United States appears to be impacted by irregular large-scale ocean warming and exhibits a north-south gradient in rate of change as would be expected if changing disease incidence is attributable to ocean warming. Vulnerable populations, which include high-income countries with well-developed public health systems, may experience increased risk of this disease as a result of climate change.

Antibiotic Resistance: Who Is Winning the War? Introductory Remarks

2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert T. Sheldon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
Drug Product ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Antimicrobial Drug ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Evolutionary Response

The evolutionary response of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites to the selective pressure exerted by antimicrobial agents is the emergence of populations that resist the action of the antimicrobial. The emergence and dissemination of such resistance in a variety of these pathogens is a growing public health concern. In response, the scientific community developed an action plan to address this public health issue. Antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral drug development for the treatment of diseases caused by resistant pathogens is one component of this strategy. In addition, due to the targeting of specific drugs against resistant pathogens, we may more readily accept a given drugs toxicity profile for the added therapeutic benefit. This symposium provides a discussion of the modes of action and mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobial agents, and the use of surveillance systems to help understand the nature and magnitude of resistance. The goal is to help guide antimicrobial drug product development and use. Specific toxicity issues are presented that should be considered in phase 1 development of antimicrobial drug products for use in clinical medicine and veterinary medicine. Finally, the national and global strategies developed by federal agencies in the Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance are outlined.

scholarly journals Ambient temperature and mental health hospitalizations in Bern, Switzerland: A 45-year time-series study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258302
Author(s):  
Marvin Bundo ◽  
Evan de Schrijver ◽  
Andrea Federspiel ◽  
Andrea Toreti ◽  
Elena Xoplaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern

Background Psychiatric disorders constitute a major public health concern that are associated with substantial health and socioeconomic burden. Psychiatric patients may be more vulnerable to high temperatures, which under current climate change projections will most likely increase the burden of this public health concern. Objective This study investigated the short-term association between ambient temperature and mental health hospitalizations in Bern, Switzerland. Methods Daily hospitalizations for mental disorders between 1973 and 2017 were collected from the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Bern. Population-weighted daily mean ambient temperatures were derived for the catchment area of the hospital from 2.3-km gridded weather maps. Conditional quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag linear models were applied to assess the association up to three days after the exposure. Stratified analyses were conducted by age, sex, and subdiagnosis, and by subperiods (1973–1989 and 1990–2017). Additional subanalyses were performed to assess whether larger risks were found during the warm season or were due to heatwaves. Results The study included a total number of 88,996 hospitalizations. Overall, the hospitalization risk increased linearly by 4.0% (95% CI 2.0%, 7.0%) for every 10°C increase in mean daily temperature. No evidence of a nonlinear association or larger risks during the warm season or heatwaves was found. Similar estimates were found across for all sex and age categories, and larger risks were found for hospitalizations related to developmental disorders (29.0%; 95% CI 9.0%, 54.0%), schizophrenia (10.0%; 95% CI 4.0%, 15.0%), and for the later rather than the earlier period (5.0%; 95% CI 2.0%, 8.0% vs. 2.0%; 95% CI -3.0%, 8.0%). Conclusions Our findings suggest that increasing temperatures could negatively affect mental status in psychiatric patients. Specific public health policies are urgently needed to protect this vulnerable population from the effects of climate change.

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