Melatonin: Possibilities for use in the treatment of asthma

Asthma is a serious health problem affecting all age groups. Melatonin or its agonists are commonly used to treat many diseases, but there are conflicting data on asthma therapy. This paper analyzes researches on the possible use of melatonin in the therapy of asthma. Melatonin is a potent antioxidant and a vasodilator, but in some experiments, it can act as a pro-oxidant and a vasoconstrictor, which may depend on the duration of use. It has been suggested that circadian rhythms should be corrected in asthmatics to optimize the desired effects of drugs and to reduce the severity of their adverse reactions. Disordered diurnal variations in the salivary levels of melatonin and cortisol are detectable in patients with asthma and may be implicated in its pathogenesis. In addition, the conflicting data on the effect of melatonin on the development of asthma are associated with an incomplete view of the factors influencing the level of melatonin. Thus, to study the effects of melatonin, it is necessary to take into account the greatest possible factors that may influence the level of melatonin and the course of asthma: a daily diet in terms of the use of caffeine, alcohol, sleep-wakefulness pattern, sleep quality proper, and drowsiness during the daytime, social burden, the level of anxiety and stress resistance, and to investigate the levels of endogenous melatonin or its derivatives, immune status, oxidative stress intensity, etc. Obviously, the use of melatonin in the therapy of asthma can be considered, by applying a personalized approach.

Download Full-text

Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of dyslipidemia among diabetes mellitus patients and predictors of optimal dyslipidemia control: results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Lipids in Health and Disease ◽

10.1186/s12944-021-01455-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Seung Jae Kim ◽

Oh. Deog Kwon ◽

Kyung-Soo Kim

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Optimal Control ◽

National Health ◽

Age Groups ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Nutrition Examination Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health And Nutrition ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

And Control

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of dyslipidemia and identify the predictors of optimal control (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 100 mg/dL) among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using the representative Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014–2018). Overall, 4311 patients with DM, aged ≥19 years, and without cardiovascular diseases were selected, and the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of dyslipidemia were calculated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the factors influencing the optimal control of dyslipidemia. Results Dyslipidemia was prevalent in 83.3% of patients with DM, but the awareness and treatment rates were 36.5 and 26.9%, respectively. The control rate among all patients with dyslipidemia was 18.8%, whereas it was 61.1% among those being treated. Prevalence and awareness rates were also significantly higher in women than in men. Dyslipidemia was most prevalent in those aged 19–39 years, but the rates of awareness, treatment, and control among all patients with dyslipidemia in this age group were significantly lower than those in other age groups. The predictors of optimal control were age ≥ 40 years [range 40–49 years: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43–9.72; 50–59 years: aOR 6.25, 95% CI 2.50–15.65; 60–69 years: aOR 6.96, 95% CI 2.77–17.44; 70–79 years: aOR 9.21, 95% CI 3.58–23.74; and ≥ 80 years: aOR 4.43, 95% CI 1.60–12.27]; urban living (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.15–1.80); higher body mass index (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.13–1.42); lower glycated hemoglobin levels (aOR 0.71, 95% CI 0.67–0.76); hypertension (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.22–1.92); poorer self-rated health status (aOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62–0.84); and receiving regular health check-ups (aOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.25–2.00). Conclusions Most patients with DM were diagnosed with dyslipidemia, but many were unaware of or untreated for their condition. Therefore, their control rate was suboptimal. Thus, by understanding factors influencing optimal control of dyslipidemia, physicians should make more effort to encourage patients to undergo treatment and thus, adequately control their dyslipidemia.

Download Full-text

Blood Donation-Related Adverse Reactions: Results of an Online Survey among Donors in Germany (2018)

Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy ◽

10.1159/000516049 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Stefano Orru’ ◽

Kay Poetzsch ◽

Marcus Hoffelner ◽

Margarethe Heiden ◽

Markus B. Funk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Whole Blood ◽

Online Survey ◽

Adverse Reactions ◽

Blood Donation ◽

Age Groups ◽

Female Gender ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Logistic Analysis ◽

German Legislation

Introduction: According to German legislation, reports of suspected serious adverse reactions (AR) associated with the donation of blood and its components are continuously being evaluated by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut. This survey aimed at providing a more complete picture of the AR associated with the donation of blood and blood components. Materials and Methods: Eligible donors had the opportunity to anonymously report all AR occurring during or after their last donation by completing an online questionnaire. Reported AR were classified according to the Standard for Surveillance of Complications Related to Blood Donation. Donors’ self-assessment of AR seriousness was compared with the official severity classification as laid down by German legislation. Besides a descriptive statistical analysis, a multiple logistic analysis was performed to identify risk factors for AR. Results: A total of 8,138 data records were evaluated. Slightly more males (57.9%) participated in the survey and, except for donors aged ≥60 years, all age groups were equally represented. The majority of participants were whole blood donors (85.4%), repeat donors (97.2%), and stayed under observation in the blood establishment (BE) for more than 5 min (63.1%) after donation. Most participants did not report any reaction (72.5%), whereas 2,237 reported at least one AR (27.5%), 475 of whom underwent apheresis and 1,762 donated whole blood. Most AR occurred after leaving the BE (64.4%). Only a minority of participants required medical treatment (5.1%) or assessed the experienced AR as serious (3.9%). The most frequently reported donor AR were haematoma and other local reactions (57.6%). Vasovagal reactions without and with loss of consciousness were developed in 17 and 2% of the participants, respectively, whilst 7.6% experienced citrate reactions. New AR (i.e., allergic reactions and symptoms associated with iron deficiency) were reported as well. The occurrence of AR was linked to risk factors (i.e., female gender, young age, first-time donation, and thrombocytapheresis). Discussion: This survey yielded a more comprehensive AR spectrum, revealed a prolonged time to symptom onset, and identified risk factors for AR. This novel information could be implemented in an amended informed consent addressing common and rare AR.

Download Full-text

AYURVEDIC DIETARY CONCEPTS IN DIFFERENT AGE GROUP OF CHILDREN

International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research ◽

10.47070/ijapr.v8i8.1526 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 84-86

Author(s):

Shamama Firdaus ◽

Sunil Topre ◽

Nitin Mane

Keyword(s):

Life Style ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Age Groups ◽

Healthy Person ◽

The Body ◽

Developmental Phase ◽

Age Group ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Healthy Nutrition ◽

Major Factors

Ayurveda is a science of life, which mainly aims to promote and preserve the health of the individuals. In this techno and competitive era, life style and diet are major factors influencing the health of the individuals. Diet and dietary habits play important role in maintenance of health. Ayurveda, its main aim is to promote and preserve the health, strength and longevity of healthy person and to cure the disease. Ayurveda places special emphasis on Ahara and believes that healthy nutrition nourishes the Sharir, Mana, Atma. As Acharyas has described Ahara. Nidra, Brahmcharya are Tryoupsthambha (sub pillars) which support the body itself. Here Ahara has been placed first which shows that it is most important to maintain and sustain of life. Children are delicate and most sensitive and prone to the infectious diseases. They are miniature of adult. They are in Ajatvyajanawastha (developing stage). Psychologically they are innocent. Being in developmental phase, Ahara plays very important role in the life of children. So parents should be aware of dietetic components required by child in different age groups.

Download Full-text

Fatigue and Factors Influencing Fatigue in Middle-aged Adults by Age Groups

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing ◽

10.4069/kjwhn.2006.12.4.273 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 273 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hee Kyung Kim

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Middle Aged Adults

Download Full-text

Development and Validation of the Immune Status Questionnaire (ISQ)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16234743 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (23) ◽

pp. 4743 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Livia J. F. Wilod Versprille ◽

Aurora J. A. E. van de Loo ◽

Marlou Mackus ◽

Lizanne Arnoldy ◽

Titia A. L. Sulzer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intervention ◽

Immune Status ◽

Age Groups ◽

Likert Scale ◽

Self Assessment ◽

Immune Functioning ◽

Student Sample ◽

Health Related ◽

Irritable Bowel ◽

Normal Health

The self-assessment of perceived immune status is important, as this subjective observation leads individuals to decide whether or not to seek medical help or adapt their lifestyle. In addition, it can be used in clinical settings and research. The aim of this series of studies was to develop and validate a short questionnaire to assess perceived immune functioning. Five surveys were conducted among Dutch and International young healthy adults (18–30 years old), and two others among older age groups with various health complaints. For the first study, an existing immune functioning scale was modified and elaborated resulting in 23 immune-health-related items, of which the occurrence was rated on a 5-point Likert scale. A student sample was surveyed, and the results were used to shorten the 23-item listing into a 7-item scale with a predictive validity of 85%. Items include “sudden high fever”, “diarrhea”, “headache”, “skin problems (e.g., acne and eczema)”, “muscle and joint pain”, “common cold” and “coughing”. The scale is named Immune Status Questionnaire (ISQ), and it aims to assess perceived immune status over the preceding year. The second study revealed that the ISQ score correlated significantly with a 1-item perceived immune functioning (r = 0.383, p < 0.0001). In the third study, the final Likert scale descriptors were determined (“never”, “sometimes”, “regularly”, “often” and “(almost) always)”. The fourth study showed that the test–retest reliability of the ISQ is acceptable (r = 0.80). The fifth study demonstrated the association of ISQ scores with various neuropsychological and health correlates in an international sample, including perceived health and immune fitness, as well as levels of stress, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Study 6 demonstrated significant associations between ISQ scores and experiencing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in a sample of insomnia patients. Study 7 compared the effect of a dietary intervention in participants reporting “poor health” versus “normal health”. It is shown that ISQ scores can differentiate between those with poor and normal health, and that an effective intervention is associated with a significant improvement in ISQ scores. Data from Study 7 were further used to determine an ISQ cut-off value for reduced immune functioning, and a direct comparison with 1-item perceived immune functioning scores enabled constructing the final scoring format of the ISQ. In conclusion, the ISQ has appropriate face, content, and construct validity and is a reliable, stable and valid method to assess the past 12 month’s perceived immune status.

Download Full-text

Age Related Changes in Weight of the Thymus Gland of Bangladeshi People

Bangladesh Journal of Anatomy ◽

10.3329/bja.v8i1.6101 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 10-12

Author(s):

Meherunnessa Begum ◽

Uttam Kumar Paul ◽

Md Jahangir Alam

Keyword(s):

A Serological Study of the Immune Status to Rubella in a Community in Singapore

Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/101053958700100204 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 12-15

Author(s):

T W Wong ◽

YC Chan ◽

HC Tan

Keyword(s):

Immune Status ◽

Age Groups ◽

Immunisation Programme ◽

Latex Agglutination ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Congenital Rubella ◽

Agglutination Method ◽

The Impact ◽

Reproductive Age Group ◽

Rubella Antibody

In 1986, a seroepidemiological study on rubella antibody was conducted in a public housing community in Singapore using the direct latex agglutination method. The overall seropositive rate was 78.1% (95% confidence limit: 73.5% to 82.7%). There was no significant association between age and immune status for both sexes. However, the seropositive rates for females aged 15 to 19 years and 20 to 24 years were significantly higher than for females in other age groups, reflecting the impact of the rubella immunisation programme launched in 1976. There is still a considerable number of susceptible females in the reproductive age group. An extension of the present programme to cover all persons above 12 months of age is recommended, as this would reduce the overall incidence of rubella, and hence congenital rubella, by conferring immunity to young children who presently act as reservoirs of infections.

Download Full-text

Comprehensive approach to choosing surgical tactics for locally advanced forms of colorectal cancer in patients of older age groups

Grekov s Bulletin of Surgery ◽

10.24884/0042-4625-2019-178-2-38-45 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 178 (2) ◽

pp. 38-45

Author(s):

N. A. Maistrenko ◽

V. S. Chirsky ◽

A. A. Sazonov ◽

A. A. Erokhina

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Advanced Colorectal Cancer ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Age Groups ◽

Results Of Treatment ◽

Age Factor ◽

Locally Advanced Colorectal Cancer ◽

Surgical Tactics ◽

Personalized Approach ◽

Functional Operability

The objective is to improve the results of treatment of locally advanced colorectal cancer in patients of older age groups due to the personalized approach to choosing surgical tactics with a comprehensive assessment of the functional operability and molecular biological properties of the tumor.Material and methods. A comparative evaluation of the results of surgical treatment of locally advanced colorectal cancer in patients of different age groups was conducted on representative clinical material. We studied the molecular profile of tumors, taking into account the age factor, and the clinical significance of specific markers in predicting the results of treatment.Results. The most significant indicators of functional operability of patients that must be considered when choosing a surgical tactic were identified. . The features of the immunophenotype of tumors, taking into account the age factor, were determined; and the prognostic significance of specific immunohistochemical indicators was estimated.Conclusion. The use of a personalized approach to choosing surgical tactics allows to achieve encouraging results of treatment in geriatric patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer.

Download Full-text

Pathogenicity of Proteinase 3-Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody in Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: Implications as Biomarker and Future Therapies

Frontiers in Immunology ◽

10.3389/fimmu.2021.571933 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jérôme Granel ◽

Brice Korkmaz ◽

Dalila Nouar ◽

Stefanie A. I. Weiss ◽

Dieter E. Jenne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Activity ◽

Immune Activation ◽

Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis ◽

Proteinase 3 ◽

New Therapies ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Personalized Approach ◽

Serious Disease ◽

New Biomarkers ◽

Neutrophil Surface

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a rare but serious necrotizing auto-immune vasculitis. GPA is mostly associated with the presence of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) targeting proteinase 3 (PR3-ANCA), a serine protease contained in neutrophil granules but also exposed at the membrane. PR3-ANCAs have a proven fundamental role in GPA: they bind neutrophils allowing their auto-immune activation responsible for vasculitis lesions. PR3-ANCAs bind neutrophil surface on the one hand by their Fab binding PR3 and on the other by their Fc binding Fc gamma receptors. Despite current therapies, GPA is still a serious disease with an important mortality and a high risk of relapse. Furthermore, although PR3-ANCAs are a consistent biomarker for GPA diagnosis, relapse management currently based on their level is inconsistent. Indeed, PR3-ANCA level is not correlated with disease activity in 25% of patients suggesting that not all PR3-ANCAs are pathogenic. Therefore, the development of new biomarkers to evaluate disease activity and predict relapse and new therapies is necessary. Understanding factors influencing PR3-ANCA pathogenicity, i.e. their potential to induce auto-immune activation of neutrophils, offers interesting perspectives in order to improve GPA management. Most relevant factors influencing PR3-ANCA pathogenicity are involved in their interaction with neutrophils: level of PR3 autoantigen at neutrophil surface, epitope of PR3 recognized by PR3-ANCA, isotype and glycosylation of PR3-ANCA. We detailed in this review the advances in understanding these factors influencing PR3-ANCA pathogenicity in order to use them as biomarkers and develop new therapies in GPA as part of a personalized approach.

Download Full-text

Unique features of a recombinant haemagglutinin influenza vaccine that influence vaccine performance

npj Vaccines ◽

10.1038/s41541-021-00403-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Arun B. Arunachalam ◽

Penny Post ◽

Deborah Rudin

Keyword(s):

Influenza Vaccine ◽

Adverse Reactions ◽

Insect Cells ◽

Age Groups ◽

Structural Features ◽

Vector System ◽

Baculovirus Expression Vector System ◽

Baculovirus Expression ◽

Baculovirus Expression Vector ◽

Protective Antibodies

AbstractThe influenza vaccine field has been constantly evolving to improve the speed, scalability, and flexibility of manufacturing, and to improve the breadth and longevity of the protective immune response across age groups, giving rise to an array of next generation vaccines in development. Among these, the recombinant influenza vaccine tetravalent (RIV4), using a baculovirus expression vector system to express recombinant haemagglutinin (rHA) in insect cells, is the only one to have reached the market and has been studied extensively. We describe how the unique structural features of rHA in RIV4 improve protective immune responses compared to conventional influenza vaccines made from propagated influenza virus. In addition to the sequence integrity, characteristic of recombinant proteins, unique post-translational processing of the rHA in insect cells instills favourable tertiary and quaternary structural features. The absence of protease-driven cleavage and addition of simple N-linked glycans help to preserve and expose certain conserved epitopes on HA molecules, which are likely responsible for the high levels of broadly cross-reactive and protective antibodies with rare specificities observed with RIV4. Furthermore, the presence of uniform compact HA oligomers and absence of egg proteins, viral RNA or process impurities, typically found in conventional vaccines, are expected to eliminate potential adverse reactions to these components in susceptible individuals with the use of RIV4. These distinct structural features and purity of the recombinant HA vaccine thus provide a number of benefits in vaccine performance which can be extended to other viral targets, such as for COVID-19.

Download Full-text