scholarly journals Liver and COVID-19: possible mechanisms of damage

2021 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-430
Author(s):  
Marina G. Mnatsakanyan ◽  
Aleksandr P. Pogromov ◽  
Aleksei S. Lishuta ◽  
Victor V. Fomin ◽  
Olga S. Volkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Exposure ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Global Epidemic ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Serum Aminotransferases ◽  
The University ◽  
Medical University

The global epidemic of a new coronavirus infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a major threat to human health. In the clinical picture, along with acute respiratory distress syndrome, liver lesions are also noted. The following mechanisms are currently being considered: direct damaging effects of SARS-CoV-2, immuno-mediated inflammation, hypoxia, drug exposure, and reactivation of pre-existing liver disease. We studied 150 patients with COVID-pneumonia who are under inpatient treatment at the University Clinical Hospital No. 1 of Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. Of these, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction in 84 (56.0%) patients. In 55 (36.7%) patients, an increase in serum aminotransferases was registered, mainly alanine aminotransferase max. up to 572 U/L and aspartate aminotransferase up to a max. of 232 U/L. The long-term consequences are unknown and require monitoring of these patients.

scholarly journals Acceptance of a Symptom-Based Approach for COVID-19 rtRT-PCR Testing to Conserve Resources in a Lower Middle-Income Setting

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272098771
Author(s):  
S. M. Rashed Ul Islam ◽  
Tahmina Akther ◽  
Md. Abdullah Omar Nasif ◽  
Sharmin Sultana ◽  
Saif Ullah Munshi
Keyword(s):  
Primary Method ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Clinical Recovery ◽  
Clinical Presentations ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Secretion ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Set Up

SARS-CoV-2 initially emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019. It has since been recognized as a pandemic and has led to great social and economic disruption globally. The Reverse Transcriptase Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (rtRT-PCR) has become the primary method for COVID-19 testing worldwide. The method requires a specialized laboratory set up. Long-term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal secretion after full clinical recovery of the patient is regularly observed nowadays. This forces the patients to spend a longer period in isolation and test repeatedly to obtain evidence of viral clearance. Repeated COVID-19 testing in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic cases often leads to extra workload for laboratories that are already struggling with a high specimen turnover. Here, we present 5 purposively selected cases with different patterns of clinical presentations in which nasopharyngeal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was observed in patients for a long time. From these case studies, we emphasized the adoption of a symptom-based approach for discontinuing transmission-based precautions over a test-based strategy to reduce the time spent by asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients in isolation. A symptom-based approach will also help reduce laboratory burden for COVID-19 testing as well as conserve valuable resources and supplies utilized for rtRT-PCR testing in an emerging lower-middle-income setting. Most importantly, it will also make room for critically ill COVID-19 patients to visit or avail COVID-19 testing at their convenience.

scholarly journals MULTISYSTEM INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME IN CHILDREN: DIAGNOSTIC MARKERS AND FEATURES OF PHARMACOTHERAPY

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-28
Author(s):  
M.V. Кhaitovych ◽  
L.M. Voroniuk ◽  
G.Yu. Borisova ◽  
N.V. Diudenko ◽  
N.M. Miagka
Keyword(s):  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
The United States ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Markers Of Inflammation ◽  
Laboratory Markers ◽  
Mucous Membranes ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Inflammatory Syndrome

Relevance. In 2020, children were hospitalized with fever and multisystem inflammation throughout the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, this condition is called MIS-C (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children). This syndrome is thought to be similar to the severe course of COVID-19 in adults (cytokine storm). The objective of the work is to evaluate the features of the course and pharmacotherapy of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Materials and methods. The study included 17 children (10 boys and 7 girls) aged 3-16 years (on average – 9.5±3.4 years). Diagnosis of coronavirus infection was performed by polymerase chain reaction with real-time detection, determined the level of immunoglobulins M and G before coronavirus infection. Results. The duration of fever in patients was 5-21 days (average 8.1±4.0 days), the duration of inpatient treatment – 7-35 days (average 15.7±7.0 days). Blood albumin levels were reduced in 53.8% of children; the level of fibrinogen was increased in 88.2% of children, the level of C-reactive protein, ferritin, and D-dimer – in all patients. 15 (88.2%) children had pathology of the digestive system, 13 (76.5%) – cardiovascular system (7 children were diagnosed with carditis, 2 – dilation of coronary arteries, 7 – cardiac arrhythmia). Acute respiratory distress -syndrome was found in a 13-year-old girl, shock - in an 11-year-old boy, 11 children (64.7%) were diagnosed with the pathology of the respiratory system (pleurisy, pneumonia), skin and mucous membranes, and 4 children (23.5%) there were manifestations of central nervous system disorders (meningism, decreased reflexes, ataxia), in 2 (11.8%) – renal failure. On average, each patient had lesions of 3.9 ±1.2 systems. Conclusions. MIS-C was manifested by prolonged fever, high levels of laboratory markers of inflammation, hypoalbuminemia, hypercoagulation, often – pathological manifestations of the cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory systems, skin, and mucous membranes. The treatment included intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids, anticoagulant, and antibacterial therapy and was effective.

Effect of Antenatal Administration of Betamethasone on Hospital Costs and Survival of Premature Infants

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 633-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana E. Johnson ◽  
David P. Munson ◽  
Theodore R. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Premature Infants ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
Hospital Costs ◽  
Glucocorticoid Therapy ◽  
Hospital Charges ◽  
Respiratory Morbidity ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The University

Prenatal administration of glucocorticoids has been shown to decrease the incidence and severity of respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants, but little is known regarding the immediate economic impact of this reduction in respiratory morbidity. This study retrospectively examined 342 infants born during 1978 and 1979 and hospitalized in the University of Minnesota Hospitals. Comparison of survival and the hospital charges for infants whose mothers had or had not received prenatal glucocorticoid therapy showed that administration of glucocorticoids had a significant effect in lowering mortality in infants with birth weights between 750 and 1,249 gm (27 to 29 weeks' gestation). Glucocorticoid therapy was also effective in decreasing morbidity as reflected by hospital charges of surviving infants with birth weights between 1,250 and 1,749 gm (30 to 32 weeks' gestation). In both steroid-treated and nontreated mothers, prolongation of gestation decreases hospital charges in a linear fashion. The noted decrease in hospital costs should not justify prenatal glucocorticoid administration but should stimulate examination of long-term effects of the drug on surviving infants.

Long-term efficacy of immunization against hepatitis B virus in infants at high-risk analyzed by polymerase chain reaction

Vaccine ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 18 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 581-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Kato ◽  
Keisuke Nakata ◽  
Keisuke Hamasaki ◽  
Daisaku Hida ◽  
Hiroki Ishikawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Term Efficacy ◽  
B Virus ◽  
Polymerase Chain

scholarly journals Detection of minimal residual disease in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia using polymerase chain reaction predicts impending relapse

Blood ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
GA Neale ◽  
J Menarguez ◽  
GR Kitchingman ◽  
TJ Fitzgerald ◽  
M Koehler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Residual Disease ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Leukemic Cells ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Leukemic Clone ◽  
Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Abstract After achieving remission, approximately one-third of patients with T- cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) relapse due to the resurgence of residual leukemic cells that cannot be detected in remission by morphologic methods. Thus, the early detection of residual disease is highly desirable to monitor the efficacy of therapy, or to institute an alternative mode of therapy. Toward this aim, we have examined the applicability of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification in the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) in bone marrow samples from patients with T-ALL in morphologic remission. Two different approaches were taken to identify leukemic clone-specific sequences that could be used as targets for PCR amplification. The first technique used T-cell receptor-delta (TCR-delta) gene rearrangements that were sequenced directly after PCR amplification of leukemic DNA. This method was successful in generating clone-specific probes for 76% of T-ALL patients screened. An alternative method was used to clone and sequence a TCR-beta chain gene from leukemic cells to generate a specific probe. The PCR assays that we used were specific for each patient's leukemic clone, and were capable of routinely detecting one leukemic cell in 10(4) normal cells. Using these sensitive PCR-based assays, we found no evidence for persistence of the leukemic clone in any of the bone marrow samples from four T-ALL patients who are in long-term (3.9 + to 8.1 + years) remission. In contrast, we detected residual disease in clinical remission samples from two patients who subsequently relapsed. In one patient, where we had appropriate samples, we observed a dramatic expansion of the leukemic clone 3 months before clinical relapse. These results suggest that PCR-based assays for detection of MRD in T-ALL patients have great potential in predicting impending relapse, and in determining the efficacy of the anti-leukemic therapy. These methods may also allow the identification of long-term survivors.

scholarly journals Recovery of Salmonella from biofilms in a headwater spring ecosystem

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Gaertner ◽  
Joseph A. Mendoza ◽  
Michael R. J. Forstner ◽  
Dittmar Hahn
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Selective Enrichment ◽  
Animal Wastes ◽  
San Marcos ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Spring Lake ◽  
Precipitation Events

Salmonellae are pathogenic bacteria often detected in waters impacted by human or animal wastes. In order to assess the fate of salmonellae in supposedly pristine environments, water and natural biofilm samples along with snails (Tarebia granifera) and crayfish (Procambarus clarkia) were collected before and up to 7 days following four precipitation events from sites within the headwater springs of Spring Lake, San Marcos, TX. The samples were analyzed for the presence of salmonellae by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after semi-selective enrichment. Salmonellae were detected in one water sample directly after precipitation only, while detection in ten biofilm and two crayfish samples was not related to precipitation. Salmonellae were not detected in snails. Characterization of isolates by rep-PCR revealed shared profiles in water and biofilm samples, biofilm and crayfish samples, and biofilm samples collected 23 days apart. These results suggest that salmonellae are infrequently washed into this aquatic ecosystem during precipitation runoff and can potentially take up residency in biofilms which can help facilitate subsequent long-term persistence and eventual transfer through the food chain.

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium--intracellulare complex infection in a miniature schnauzer

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Miller ◽  
CE Greene ◽  
AE Brix
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Mycobacterium Avium ◽  
Mycobacterial Infection ◽  
Nucleic Acid Hybridization ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Cervical Mass ◽  
Mycobacterium Avium Intracellulare ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Tissue Specimens

A two-year-old, spayed female, miniature schnauzer was evaluated for respiratory distress associated with a compressive cervical mass. Generalized mycobacterial infection was diagnosed from aspirates of several enlarged lymph nodes. Tissue specimens further identified Mycobacterium avium--intracellulare using polymerase chain reaction followed by nucleic acid hybridization. Treatment with enrofloxacin, clofazamine, rifampin, and interferon did not result in long-term success.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document