The Influence of Age and Sex on Ocular Surface Microbiota in Healthy Adults

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic challenges governments worldwide to balance appropriate virus control measures and their societal and economic consequences. These control measures include the identification, isolation and testing of potentially infected individuals. As this relies on an individual's awareness of infection, we investigated the extent to which healthy adults suspected having had COVID-19, and how COVID-19 suspicion and symptoms relate to antibodies indicative of a past infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods and findings Individuals donating plasma anywhere in the Netherlands between May 11th and 18th were screened for total SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using ELISA and invited to participate in an online questionnaire about COVID-19-related symptoms and awareness. Antibody and questionnaire data were complete for 3,676 individuals, including 239 (6.5%) that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Here, we show that a 38% of the individuals that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies reported having had no or only very mild symptoms at any time during the peak of the epidemic. The loss of taste and/or smell in particular was significantly associated with seropositivity, independent of age and sex. Forty-eight percent of antibody-positive persons did not suspect having had COVID-19, in spite of most of them reporting symptoms. Conclusions Awareness of infection was low among individuals that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, even at the peak of the epidemic. Improved awareness and recognition of COVID-19 symptoms and tracing of asymptomatic contacts is crucial to halting SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Download Full-text

Correlation of serum L-carnitine and dehydro-epiandrosterone sulphate levels with age and sex in healthy adults

Age and Ageing ◽

10.1093/ageing/28.2.211 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 211-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

K. Chiu

Keyword(s):

Healthy Adults ◽

Age And Sex

Download Full-text

Plasma S-100b Protein Concentration in Healthy Adults Is Age- and Sex-Independent

Clinical Chemistry ◽

10.1093/clinchem/44.5.1056 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 44 (5) ◽

pp. 1056-1058 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Martin Wiesmann ◽

Ulrich Missler ◽

Daniela Gottmann ◽

Svante Gehring

Keyword(s):

Protein Concentration ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Age And Sex

Download Full-text

Static and Dynamic Measurement of Ocular Surface Temperature in Dry Eyes

Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1155/2016/7285132 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Li Li Tan ◽

Srinivasan Sanjay ◽

Philip B. Morgan

Keyword(s):

Surface Temperature ◽

Ocular Surface ◽

Regression Line ◽

Region Of Interest ◽

Dynamic Measurement ◽

Clinical Tool ◽

Dry Eyes ◽

Eye Opening ◽

Dynamic Measures ◽

Age And Sex

Purpose. To study ocular surface temperature (OST) in dry eyes by static and dynamic measures.Methods. OST was recorded on 62 dry eyes and 63 age- and sex-matched controls. Static measures were study of absolute OST att=0, 5, and 10 s after eye opening. Dynamic measures were study of mean change and net change in OST over 10 s of sustained eye opening. Ten OST indices studied were temperatures of the geometric center of the cornea (GCC), extreme temporal (T1) and nasal conjunctiva (T4), midtemporal (CT) and nasal conjunctiva (CN), temporal (LT) and nasal (LN) limbus, and mean (MOST), maximum (Max T), and minimum (Min T) temperatures of the region of interest.Results. For static measures, dry eyes recorded significantly lower GCC, MOST,Min T,Max T, T4, CT, LT, LN, and CN. For dynamic measures, dry eyes had significantly steeper regression line of mean change (corresponding to greater net change) forMax T5 s onward and T4 at 3 s onward.Conclusions. Both static and dynamic measures of the OST were valuable and can be used as clinical tool to assess dry eye.

Download Full-text

Myocardial strain in healthy adults across a broad age range as revealed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 and 3.0T: Associations of myocardial strain with myocardial region, age, and sex

Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

10.1002/jmri.25280 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 44 (5) ◽

pp. 1197-1205 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Kenneth Mangion ◽

Guillaume Clerfond ◽

Christie McComb ◽

David Carrick ◽

Samuli M. Rauhalammi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Myocardial Strain ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Age Range ◽

Age And Sex

Download Full-text

Risk Factors and Symptoms of Meibomian Gland Loss in a Healthy Population

Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1155/2016/7526120 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Anna Machalińska ◽

Aleksandra Zakrzewska ◽

Krzysztof Safranow ◽

Barbara Wiszniewska ◽

Bogusław Machaliński

Keyword(s):

Ocular Surface ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Tear Film ◽

Meibomian Gland ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Model ◽

Healthy Population ◽

Ocular Surface Disease Index ◽

Ocular Symptoms ◽

Ocular Surface Health ◽

Age And Sex

Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between MGL and ocular symptoms, several systemic conditions, and key markers of ocular surface health.Methods. We included into the study 91 healthy volunteers between the ages of 20 and 77 years. We analyzed meibomian gland morphology, function, and lid margin alterations. We correlated our findings with self-reported ocular symptoms, systemic medical history, lifestyle factors, and tear film abnormalities.Results. We observed that a high ocular surface disease index, a history of either chalazion or hordeolum, experience of puffy eyelids upon waking, and foreign body sensation all appeared to be predictors of an abnormal meiboscore after adjusting for age and sex (p=0.0007;p=0.001;p=0.02;p=0.001, resp.). Multivariate logistic regression model including age and sex showed that there were three independent predictors of abnormal meiboscore: older age (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.04 per year,p=0.006), postmenopausal hormone therapy (OR = 4.98, 95% CI = 1.52–16.30,p=0.007), and the use of antiallergy drugs (OR = 5.85, 95% CI = 2.18–15.72,p=0.0004).Conclusion. Our findings extend current knowledge on the pathophysiology of MGL.

Download Full-text