On the diverse and opposing effects of nutrition on pathogen virulence

Moderate or severe food insecurity affect 2 billion people worldwide. The four pillars of food security (availability, access, use and stability) are in danger due to the impact of climatic and anthropogenic factors which impact on the food system. Novel foods, like seaweeds, have the potential to increase food yields so that to contribute in preventing or avoiding future global food shortages. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess microbiological, chemical, physical, and allergenic risks associated with seaweed consumption. Four research strings have been used to search for these risks. Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were applied. Finally, 39 articles met the selected criteria. No significant hazards for microbiological, allergenic, and physical risks were detected. Regarding chemical risk, algae can accumulate various heavy metals, especially when harvested in polluted sites. Cultivating seaweeds in a controlled environment allows to avoid this risk. Periodic checks will be necessary on the finished products to monitor heavy metals levels. Since the consumption of algae seems to be on the rise everywhere, it seems to be urgent that food control authorities establish the safety levels to which eating algae does not represent any risk for human health.

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Prevalence of extra-articular manifestations in psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/keaa062 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 59 (9) ◽

pp. 2199-2206 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bradley Pittam ◽

Sonal Gupta ◽

Nicholas L Harrison ◽

Selina Robertson ◽

David M Hughes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Radiographic Progression ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Disease Outcomes ◽

Disease Mechanisms ◽

Prevalence Estimates ◽

Study Characteristics ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact ◽

Nail Disease

Abstract Objective To describe the prevalence of extra-articular manifestations—enthesitis, dactylitis, nail disease, uveitis and IBD—in PsA, and their impact on longitudinal disease outcomes. Methods We searched Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science using a predefined protocol in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies using imaging to define extra-articular manifestations (EAMs) were excluded. Where possible, we performed meta-analyses of prevalence estimates, reported as percentages (95% CI). Heterogeneity (I2 statistic) was examined according to study characteristics. Results We identified 65 studies amounting to a total of 163 299 PsA patients. Enthesitis was assessed in 29 studies with an average prevalence of 30% (95% CI: 24%, 38%). Dactylitis was reported in 35 studies with an average prevalence of 25% (95% CI: 20%, 31%). Nail disease was present in 60% (95% CI: 52%, 68%) across 26 studies, but definitions were often unclear. Uveitis (3.2%; 95% CI: 1.9%, 5.3%) and IBD (3.3%; 95% CI: 1.5%, 7.1%) were less common. Heterogeneity was high (>95%) in all meta-analyses, but could not be explained by study characteristics. No studies examined the impact of EAMs on longitudinal disease outcomes, except that dactylitis increases radiographic progression. Conclusion Enthesitis, dactylitis and nail disease are highly prevalent in PsA, but not uveitis and IBD. EAM patterns differ from axial SpA despite their shared disease mechanisms, which may help further understand differences between spondyloarthritides. More studies are needed on the impact of EAMs on disease outcomes such as response to treatment.

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Impact of Infectious Disease Consultation in Patients With Candidemia: A Retrospective Study, Systematic Literature Review, and Meta-analysis

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa270 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (9) ◽

Author(s):

Takaaki Kobayashi ◽

Alexandre R Marra ◽

Marin L Schweizer ◽

Patrick Ten Eyck ◽

Chaorong Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Literature Review ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Infectious Disease Consultation ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Morbidity and mortality from candidemia remain unacceptably high. While infectious disease consultation (IDC) is known to lower the mortality from Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, little is known about the impact of IDC in candidemia. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of candidemia patients at a large tertiary care hospital between 2015 and 2019. The crude mortality rate was compared between those with IDC and without IDC. Then, we systematically searched 5 databases through February 2020 and performed a meta-analysis of the impact of IDC on the mortality of patients with candidemia. Results A total of 151 patients met the inclusion criteria, 129 (85%) of whom received IDC. Thirty-day and 90-day mortality rates were significantly lower in the IDC group (18% vs 50%; P = .002; 23% vs 50%; P = .0022, respectively). A systematic literature review returned 216 reports, of which 13 studies including the present report fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Among the 13 studies with a total of 3582 patients, IDC was performed in 50% of patients. Overall mortality was 38.2% with a significant difference in favor of the IDC group (28.4% vs 47.6%), with a pooled relative risk of 0.41 (95% CI, 0.35–0.49). Ophthalmology referral, echocardiogram, and central line removal were performed more frequently among patients receiving IDC. Conclusions This study is the first systematic literature review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between IDC and candidemia mortality. IDC was associated with significantly lower mortality and should be considered in all patients with candidemia.

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Preliminary Study on Effect of Agricultural Activities in Pollen Spectrum of Argentinean Honey

Journal of Apicultural Science ◽

10.2478/jas-2019-0005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 61-68

Author(s):

Mariela Patrignani ◽

Guillermina A. Fagúndez ◽

Cecilia E. Lupano

Keyword(s):

Glycine Max ◽

Transgenic Crops ◽

Anthropogenic Factors ◽

Anthropogenic Activity ◽

Buenos Aires Province ◽

Pollen Spectrum ◽

Multivariate Statistical ◽

Two Samples ◽

Agriculture Expansion ◽

The Impact

AbstractHoney floral origin is determined by the harversting region, but anthropogenic factors as agriculture expansion might modify the environmental flora and consequently honey floral origin. Argentina is one of the most important honey producers worldwide which, since the 1990s, has undergone an important agriculture transformation by the adoption of transgenic crops like soybean (Glycine max). However, little is known about the effects of this anthropogenic activity on the floral origin of honey or the statistical tools that could be used to analyse it. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact that these environmental modifications have on the pollen spectrum of honey. In order to achieve this, thirty-two samples of blossom honey were collected from three different ecoregions of the Buenos Aires province: Parana Delta and Islands, Espinal and Pampa, in two different years: 1999 and 2014. The pollen spectrum of honey samples was determined and the data obtained was analysed with multivariate statistical techniques. It could be concluded that the pollen composition of honeys from different ecoregions has significantly changed in the past years because of agriculture expansion and adaptation of transgenic crops (p=0.007). Honey samples harvested in 1999 were characterized by high values of Helianthus annuus, while in 2014 an important presence of Eryngium sp., Gleditsia triacanthos, Baccharis type, Trifolium sp. and Glycine max was observed. The present results show that honey palynological results and multivariate statistical analysis could be used as a preliminary attempt to evaluate environmental modifications.

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Diagnostic Infectious Diseases Testing Outside Clinics: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa360 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

Author(s):

Eneyi E Kpokiri ◽

Gifty Marley ◽

Weiming Tang ◽

Noah Fongwen ◽

Dan Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Diagnostic Testing ◽

Linkage To Care ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

Moderate Quality ◽

Self Testing ◽

The Impact ◽

Delivery Models

Abstract Background Most people around the world do not have access to facility-based diagnostic testing, and the gap in availability of diagnostic tests is a major public health challenge. Self-testing, self-sampling, and institutional testing outside conventional clinical settings are transforming infectious disease diagnostic testing in a wide range of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We examined the delivery models of infectious disease diagnostic testing outside clinics to assess the impact on test uptake and linkage to care. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, searching 6 databases and including original research manuscripts comparing testing outside clinics with conventional testing. The main outcomes were test uptake and linkage to care, delivery models, and adverse outcomes. Data from studies with similar interventions and outcomes within thematic areas of interest were pooled, and the quality of evidence was assessed using GRADE. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019140828). We identified 10 386 de-duplicated citations, and 76 studies were included. Data from 18 studies were pooled in meta-analyses. Studies focused on HIV (48 studies), chlamydia (8 studies), and multiple diseases (20 studies). HIV self-testing increased test uptake compared with facility-based testing (9 studies: pooled odds ratio [OR], 2.59; 95% CI, 1.06–6.29; moderate quality). Self-sampling for sexually transmitted infections increased test uptake compared with facility-based testing (7 studies: pooled OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 0.97–3.12; moderate quality). Conclusions. Testing outside of clinics increased test uptake without significant adverse outcomes. These testing approaches provide an opportunity to expand access and empower patients. Further implementation research, scale-up of effective service delivery models, and policies in LMIC settings are needed.

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Effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions related to social distancing on respiratory viral infectious disease outcomes: A rapid evidence-based review and meta-analysis

SAGE Open Medicine ◽

10.1177/20503121211022973 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 205031212110229

Author(s):

Rubina F Rizvi ◽

Kelly J Thomas Craig ◽

Rezzan Hekmat ◽

Fredy Reyes ◽

Brett South ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

High Risk Patient ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Disease Outcomes ◽

Viral Infectious Disease ◽

And Control ◽

Pharmaceutical Interventions

Objectives: Non-pharmaceutical interventions (e.g. quarantine and isolation) are used to mitigate and control viral infectious disease, but their effectiveness has not been well studied. For COVID-19, disease control efforts will rely on non-pharmaceutical interventions until pharmaceutical interventions become widely available, while non-pharmaceutical interventions will be of continued importance thereafter. Methods: This rapid evidence-based review provides both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the effectiveness of social distancing non-pharmaceutical interventions on disease outcomes. Literature was retrieved from MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and pre-print databases ( BioRxiv.org , MedRxiv.org , and Wellcome Open Research). Results: Twenty-eight studies met inclusion criteria ( n = 28). Early, sustained, and combined application of various non-pharmaceutical interventions could mitigate and control primary outbreaks and prevent more severe secondary or tertiary outbreaks. The strategic use of non-pharmaceutical interventions decreased incidence, transmission, and/or mortality across all interventions examined. The pooled attack rates for no non-pharmaceutical intervention, single non-pharmaceutical interventions, and multiple non-pharmaceutical interventions were 42% (95% confidence interval = 30% – 55%), 29% (95% confidence interval = 23% – 36%), and 22% (95% confidence interval = 16% – 29%), respectively. Conclusion: Implementation of multiple non-pharmaceutical interventions at key decision points for public health could effectively facilitate disease mitigation and suppression until pharmaceutical interventions become available. Dynamics around R0 values, the susceptibility of certain high-risk patient groups to infection, and the probability of asymptomatic cases spreading disease should be considered.

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Impact of Coinfection With SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza on Disease Severity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.773130 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Zhou Guan ◽

Can Chen ◽

Yiting Li ◽

Danying Yan ◽

Xiaobao Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Severity ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Single Infection ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Systematic Testing ◽

Risk Effects ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Disease Outcomes ◽

The Impact

Background: Although coinfection with influenza in COVID-19 patients has drawn considerable attention, it is still not completely understood whether simultaneously infected with these two viruses influences disease severity. We therefore aimed to estimate the impact of coinfected with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza on the disease outcomes compared with the single infection of SARS-CoV-2.Materials and Methods: We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI) to identify relevant articles up to July 9, 2021. Studies that assessed the effect of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza coinfection on disease outcomes or those with sufficient data to calculate risk factors were included. Risk effects were pooled using fixed or random effects model.Results: We ultimately identified 12 studies with 9,498 patients to evaluate the risk effects of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza coinfection on disease severity. Results indicated that coinfection was not significantly associated with mortality (OR = 0.85, 95%CI: 0.51, 1.43; p = 0.55, I2 = 76.00%). However, mortality was found significantly decreased in the studies from China (OR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.39, 0.68; I2 = 26.50%), while significantly increased outside China (OR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.12, 2.19; I2 = 1.00%). Moreover, a lower risk for critical outcomes was detected among coinfection patients (OR = 0.64, 95%CI: 0.43, 0.97; p = 0.04, I2 = 0.00%). Additionally, coinfection patients presented different laboratory indexes compared with the single SARS-CoV-2 infection, including lymphocyte counts and APTT.Conclusion: Our study revealed that coinfection with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza had no effect on overall mortality. However, risk for critical outcomes was lower in coinfection patients and different associations were detected in the studies from different regions and specific laboratory indexes. Further studies on influenza strains and the order of infection were warranted. Systematic testing for influenza coinfection in COVID-19 patients and influenza vaccination should be recommended.

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NDVI Indicates Long-Term Dynamics of Vegetation and Its Driving Forces from Climatic and Anthropogenic Factors in Mongolian Plateau

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13040688 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 688 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Enliang Guo ◽

Yongfang Wang ◽

Cailin Wang ◽

Zhongyi Sun ◽

Yulong Bao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vegetation Dynamics ◽

Inner Mongolia ◽

Potential Evapotranspiration ◽

Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽

Anthropogenic Factors ◽

Anthropogenic Activity ◽

Mongolian Plateau ◽

Positive Effects ◽

The Impact

In recent years, global warming and intense human activity have been responsible for significantly altering vegetation dynamics on the Mongolian Plateau. Understanding the long-term vegetation dynamics in this region is important to assess the impact of these changes on the local ecosystem. Long-term (1982–2015), satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets were used to analyse the spatio-temporal patterns of vegetation activities using linear regression and the breaks for additive season and trend methods. The links between these patterns and changes in temperature, precipitation (PRE), soil moisture (SM), and anthropogenic activity were determined using partial correlation analysis, the residual trends method, and a stepwise multiple regression model. The most significant results indicated that air temperature and potential evapotranspiration increased significantly, while the SM and PRE had markedly decreased over the past 34 years. The NDVI dataset included 71.16% of pixels showing an increase in temperature and evaporation during the growing season, particularly in eastern Mongolia and the southern border of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous region, China. The proportion indicating the breakpoint of vegetation dynamics was 71.34% of pixels, and the trend breakpoints mainly occurred in 1993, 2003, and 2010. The cumulative effects of PRE and SM in the middle period, coupled with the short-term effects of temperature and potential evapotranspiration, have had positive effects on vegetation greening. Anthropogenic factors appear to have positively impacted vegetation dynamics, as shown in 81.21% of pixels. We consider rapid economic growth, PRE, and SM to be the main driving factors in Inner Mongolia. PRE was the main climatic factor, and combined human and livestock populations were the primary anthropogenic factors influencing vegetation dynamics in Mongolia. This study is important in promoting the continued use of green projects to address environmental change in the Mongolian Plateau.

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Effects of Regular Physical Activity on the Immune System, Vaccination and Risk of Community-Acquired Infectious Disease in the General Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Sports Medicine ◽

10.1007/s40279-021-01466-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sebastien F. M. Chastin ◽

Ukachukwu Abaraogu ◽

Jan G. Bourgois ◽

Philippa M. Dall ◽

Jennifer Darnborough ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Infectious Disease ◽

Immune System ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

Habitual Physical Activity ◽

Disease Mortality

Abstract Background Regular physical activity is the prime modality for the prevention of numerous non-communicable diseases and has also been advocated for resilience against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. However, there is currently no systematic and quantitative evidence synthesis of the association between physical activity and the strength of the immune system. Objective To examine the association between habitual physical activity and (1) the risk of community-acquired infectious disease, (2) laboratory‐assessed immune parameters, and (3) immune response to vaccination. Methods We conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched seven databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and SportDiscus) up to April 2020 for randomised controlled trials and prospective observational studies were included if they compared groups of adults with different levels of physical activity and reported immune system cell count, the concentration of antibody, risk of clinically diagnosed infections, risk of hospitalisation and mortality due to infectious disease. Studies involving elite athletes were excluded. The quality of the selected studies was critically examined following the Cochrane guidelines using ROB2 and ROBINS_E. Data were pooled using an inverse variance random-effects model. Results Higher level of habitual physical activity is associated with a 31% risk reduction (hazard ratio 0.69, 95% CI 0.61–0.78, 6 studies, N = 557,487 individuals) of community-acquired infectious disease and 37% risk reduction (hazard ratio 0.64, 95% CI 0.59–0.70, 4 studies, N = 422,813 individuals) of infectious disease mortality. Physical activity interventions resulted in increased CD4 cell counts (32 cells/µL, 95% CI 7–56 cells/µL, 24 studies, N = 1112 individuals) and salivary immunoglobulin IgA concentration (standardised mean difference 0.756, 95% CI 0.146–1.365, 7 studies, N = 435 individuals) and decreased neutrophil counts (704 cells/µL, 95% CI 68–1340, 6 studies, N = 704 individuals) compared to controls. Antibody concentration after vaccination is higher with an adjunct physical activity programme (standardised mean difference 0.142, 95% CI 0.021–0.262, 6 studies, N = 497 individuals). Conclusion Regular, moderate to vigorous physical activity is associated with reduced risk of community-acquired infectious diseases and infectious disease mortality, enhances the first line of defence of the immune system, and increases the potency of vaccination. Protocol registration The original protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020178825).

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749. Impact of Infectious Disease Consultation in Patients with Candidemia: A Retrospective study, Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.939 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S421-S422

Author(s):

Takaaki Kobayashi ◽

Alexandre Marra ◽

Marin L Schweizer ◽

Patrick Ten Eyck ◽

Chaorong Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Literature Review ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Research Support ◽

Infectious Disease Consultation ◽

The Impact ◽

Overall Mortality

Abstract Background Morbidity and mortality from candidemia remain unacceptably high. While infectious disease consultation (IDC) is known to lower the mortality from Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, little is known on the impact of IDC in candidemia. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of candidemia patients at a large tertiary care hospital between 2015 and 2019. All patients aged ≥18 years with blood cultures positive for Candida species were included. We only included the first episode of candidemia. Exclusion criteria were death or transfer to the palliative care unit within 48 hours from the time cultures became positive. The crude mortality rate was compared between those with IDC and without IDC. Then, we systematically searched five publication-databases through February 2020 and performed a meta-analysis of the impact of IDC on mortality of patients with candidemia. The study protocol has been submitted to the International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (ID 156939) on April 2020. Results A total of 151 patients at our institution met the inclusion criteria, 129 (85%) of whom received IDC. Thirty-day, and 90-day mortality rates were significantly lower in the IDC group (18% vs 50%, P = .002; 23% vs 50%, P = .0022, respectively). Our systematic literature review returned 216 reports, of which, 13 studies including ours fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Among the 13 studies with a total 3687 patients, IDC was performed in 49% of patients. Mortality numbers were available in 10 studies. Overall mortality was 38.2% with a significant difference in favor of the IDC group (28.4% and 47.6%) with a pooled relative risk of 0.41 [95% Cl 0.35-0.49]. Ophthalmology referral (61%; 790/1279 and 21%; 273/1304, P < 0.001), echocardiogram (54%; 662/1219 and 28%; 369/1296, P < 0.001), and central line removal (78%; 830/1069 and 61%; 686/1116, P < 0.02) were performed more frequently among patients receiving IDC. Overall mortality Conclusion This study is the first systematic literature review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between IDC and candidemia mortality. IDC was associated with a lower mortality and should be standard of care in all patients with candidemia. Disclosures Dimitrios Farmakiotis, MD, Astellas (Grant/Research Support) Paul Auwaerter, Collidion (Consultant)DiaSorin (Consultant)Johnson and Johnson (Shareholder)MicroB-Plex (Research Grant or Support)Shionogi (Consultant) Daniel Diekema, bioMerieux, Inc (Grant/Research Support)JMI Laboratories (Consultant)

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