scholarly journals Severe leukocytosis and cytokine storm in a patient with covid-19 pneumonia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-217
Author(s):  
Iza David Zabaneh ◽  
Pamela K. Fonseca ◽  
Jennifer T. Prime ◽  
Sreedhara B. Alla

Since the emergence of the first cases of COVID-19 that was first reported in Wuhan China, the virus has spread globaly at a fast rate. It has carried a significant increase in the mortality rate. Most of these cases have been secondary to severe pneumonia as well as an increased incidence of thromboembolic complications leading to pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarctions, and strokes. It has been observed that many of these severe COVID-19 pneumonias have been associated with an increased levels of inflammatory markers including Cytokines and Interleukin 3 and 6 which can lead to an exaggereted humoral response with increased immunoglobulin production and tumor necrosis factors that can lead to lung tissue destruction. There is an overwhelming demand to find a mechanism to stop that vicious cycle and minimize tissue destruction. Thus, there is a need for more extensive studies regarding this medical dilemma in order to minimize the number of deaths around the world which so far has almost reached 2.5 million.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Mannevuo ◽  
Jenni M Rinne ◽  
Isak Vento

AbstractPoliticians’ work pressure is gaining more attention in parliamentary studies. To participate in the discussion about governing under pressure, this article offers an interdisciplinary approach to investigate how representatives navigate within a flexible, limitless work culture. This article presents a new inquiry to re-examine contemporary political agency by combining cultural studies theories with empirical insights in Nordic countries. By analysing 52 semi-structured interviews with MPs in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, the study finds that politics attracts people who want to change the world, but these attributes may initiate a vicious cycle, taking the form of psychological strain.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Cafiero ◽  
Marco Matarasso ◽  
Gaetano Marenzi ◽  
Vincenzo Iorio Siciliano ◽  
Loredana Bellia ◽  
...  

In the industrialized part of the world, an increasing number of people live the old age without too many restrictions due to illness or physiological impairment. This group is known asthe young elderly. On the contrary, a consistent part of seniors develops a greater number of medical conditions and become more and more dependent, these arethe old elderly. The first cause of tooth lost in industrialized word is periodontitis that generally strikes people older than 40 years and determines serious detriment of the stomatognatic organ. Smoking and stress are risk factors for periodontitis that are common and shared between young, adult, and older age. Diabetes mellitus, obesity, and osteoporosis are very frequent pathological situations in older age. They have been identified as cofactors in the progression of periodontitis. Many dental associations recognize the importance of continued research on oral fluids diagnostics and welcome the development of rapid point-of-care tests providing accurate measurements of clinically validated biomarkers. At present, well-studied molecules associated with host response factors and with derived tissue destruction mediators have been proposed as diagnostic biomarkers for periodontitis detected in the oral fluids.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haithem Kareem Sawaan

This article examines the corruption of political elites in Iraq in the wake of the 2003 American occupation – a phenomenon that has had disastrous consequences for the country as well as astronomical fiscal costs. The corruption that has now become endemic has served not only to undermine reform and reconstruction efforts – while simultaneously accomplishing the embezzlement of billions of dollars – but also has left the Iraqi people exposed to a wide array of harms from contaminated wheat imports to an infrastructure in complete disarray to foreign machinations, including those of international food conglomerates. Through the acquiescence of corrupt Iraqi elites, the country has been laid open to external interests and foreign initiatives as well as those of the World Trade Organization (WTO) through means such as the 100 ‘orders’ signed by US ‘Ambassador’ Paul Bremer III under the auspices of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Graft and kickback schemes of every stripe are rife throughout the country, and monies donated in the form of international assistances have served to line the pockets of the corrupt, never reaching the intended recipients among the average Iraqi population in many instances. The vicious cycle is further perpetuated also through a corrupt judiciary that militates against any sort of meaningful transparency or oversight. Corruption, and that of the powerful elites in particular, has not only squandered genuine development opportunities that might have benefited the country at large and done much good to facilitate reconstruction efforts, but also it has – for the foreseeable future – thrown the issues of Iraqi oil revenues and food security as well as that of national sovereignty into a peril of the first order.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 71-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arup Ratan Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Diptendu Chatterjee ◽  
Kusum Ghosh ◽  
Pranabesh Sarkar

Coronaviruses (CoVs) is a single single-strand RNA genome approximately 26 - 32 kb in size. Out of the seven coronaviruses, three HCoVs (Human CoVs) have been discovered that causes severe pneumonia such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and recently recognized SARS-CoV-2, which possesses varying degrees of lethality worldwide and happened to be bioterrorism in terms of the recent outbreak through human-to-human transmission from China to all over the world. Epidemiological and Clinical study on SARS-COV-2 have recently been reported world-wide but lack of data on prognosis factors including effective medicine or vaccine are yet to be clinically approved to prevent this infectious disease. Human pathogenic coronaviruses SARS-CoV-2 bind to their target cells through ACE2, which is expressed by epithelial cells of the lung, intestine, kidney, and blood vessels. The difference in distribution, maturation, and functioning of viral receptors could be considered as a possible reason for the genetic heterogeneity of ACE2, and age and sex related difference in the incidence of the disease such as, the positive correlation with ACE2 expression and age including the severity of the infection of SARS-CoV-2. Since the ACE2 location in X chromosome, therefore, the males presumable might have more morbidity and mortality by SARS-CoV-2 than females due to sex-based immunological differences like greater observable circulating level of ACE2 in males or else it may be due to the patterns of life style variables such as prevalence of smoking among the males. Additionally, the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 1 (ACE1) is characterized by a genetic insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in intron 16, which is associated with alterations in circulating and tissue concentrations of ACE, where the study reported as D allele is associated with a reduced expression of ACE2. Nevertheless, studies from different states of Indian population on ACE I/D gene polymorphism shows higher frequency of I allele which might explain the lower prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Indian population and consequently be subject matter of research of SARS-CoV-2 on epidemiological and public health issues.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo B. Maccioni ◽  
Andrea González ◽  
Víctor Andrade ◽  
Nicole Cortés ◽  
José Pablo Tapia ◽  
...  

Background:Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder that includes the occurrence of behavioral disorders as well as memory and cognitive impairment as major symptoms. AD affects around 12% of the aged population in the world. Considerable research efforts have pointed to the role of innate immunity as the main culprit in the pathogenesis of AD. In this context, and according to with our neuroimmunomodulation theory, microglial activation modifies the cross-talks between microglia and neurons. We postulated that glial activation triggered by “damage signals” activates a pathological molecular cascade that finally leads to hyperphosphorylation and oligomerization of the tau protein. Interestingly, these modifications correlate with the gradual cognitive impairment of patients with the AD. Microglial activation is determined by the nature and strength of the stimulus. In the AD, a continuous activation state of microglia appears to generate neuronal injury and neurodegeneration, producing the outflow of pathological tau from the inner of neurons to the extraneuronal space. Released tau, together with the contribution of ApoE4 protein, would then produce reactivation of microglia, thus inducing a positive feedback that stimulates the vicious cycle in neurodegeneration.Conclusion:Nevertheless, from the pathophysiological perspective AD is significantly more than a loss of memory. In the initial stages of AD pathogenesis, variations in the dopaminergic pathway along with serotonin diminution play an important role. This may explain why depression is associated with the onset of AD. All these pathophysiological events take place together with immunomodulatory changes that trigger tau oligomerization in the course of neurofibrillary tangles formation. Interestingly, mood disorders appear to be followed by neuroinflammatory processes and structural/functional alterations that lead to cognitive impairment in the context of AD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olayinka O. Ajani ◽  
Martins T. Nlebemuo ◽  
Joseph A. Adekoya ◽  
Kehinde O. Ogunniran ◽  
Tolutope O. Siyanbola ◽  
...  

Abstract Surpassing heart diseases, cancer is taking the lead as the deadliest disease because of its fast rate of spreading in all parts of the world. Tireless commitment to searching for novel therapeutic medicines is a worthwhile adventure in synthetic chemistry because of the drug resistance predicament and regular outbreak of new diseases due to abnormal cell growth and proliferation. Medicinal chemistry researchers and pharmacists have unveiled quinoxaline templates as precursors of importance and valuable intermediates in drug discovery because they have been established to possess diverse pharmacological potentials. Hence, this review highlights the current versatile routes to accessing functionalized quinoxaline motifs and harnessing their documented therapeutic potentials for anticancer drug development.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 4913-4913
Author(s):  
Lilach Lifshitz ◽  
Assaf Berger ◽  
Maayan Avneon ◽  
Moshe Mittelman ◽  
Drorit Neumann

Abstract Erythropoietin (EPO) is an important component in the treatment of cancer patients for improvement of cancer related anemia. EPO treatment for cancer related anemia is usually combined with chemotherapy. Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a known cytotoxic alkylating agent widely used in cancer chemotherapy. While at high doses it functions as an immunosuppressive agent, the anti-neoplastic activities of CP at low doses are attributed to enhancement of cellular and humoral immunity e.g. (Berd et al., Cancer Res; 1984). We have previously shown that EPO displays anti-neoplastic activities (Mittelman, 2001, 2004) and that EPO treatment is associated with enhancement of both the humoral and cellular immune responses (Prutchi-Sagiv 2006, Katz 2007). Here we focused on a murine model of DNP-KLH-injection, used to assess the humoral response in mice. Recently we demonstrated that administration of high doses of EPO (180U×3) to DNP-KLH-injected C57BL mice resulted in an increase in anti-DNP immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) production. The present study was designed to examine the effect of combining low dose CP (12.5mg/kg ×2) used to achieve an anti-neoplastic activity, with a lower dose of recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO; 90U×3) on the humoral immune response of the DNP-KLH-injected mice, thus simulating the conditions of patient care. Hence, we compared anti-DNP Ig serum levels in DNP-KLH-injected C57BL mice that were treated with either EPO or CP alone, or the combination of CP and EPO (CP-EPO). CP treatment alone resulted in increased levels of serum anti-DNP IgG1 (O.D.(CP) = 0.38±0.06 vs O.D.(Non treated) = 0.18±0.064). In contrast, EPO treatment alone enhanced serum levels of IgG2 (O.D.(EPO) = 0.47±0.09 vs O.D.(Non treated) = 0.18±0.069). CP or EPO alone did not affect the total levels of anti-DNP total Ig (O.D.(EPO) = 0.37±0.07 vs O.D.(Non treated) = 0.28±0.04). Yet, the combined CP-EPO treatment resulted in increased levels of anti-DNP total Ig (O.D.(EPO+CP) = 0.48±0.05 vs O.D.(EPO or CP) = 0.37±0.04), maintaining the higher levels of IgG1 (O.D.(EPO+CP) = 0.38±0.06) and IgG2 (O.D.(EPO+CP) = 0.49±0.1). In summary, the combined CP-EPO treatment additively improved immunoglobulin production, compared to treatment with CP or EPO alone. We thus demonstrate that in context of chemotherapy treatment as usually administered in the clinic, EPO can enhance humoral immunity alongside its erythropoietic activities. Our findings emphasize the role of EPO as an immunomodulator, particularly when given as treatment in a combined therapeutic panel


2017 ◽  
pp. 43-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Novikova ◽  
A. S. Shilova

Venous thromboembolic complications remain a widespread cause of mortality and disability in hospitalized patients both in surgery and primary care all over the world, despite the fact that medical and mechanical methods of prevention have been known for several decades.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly McGillivray

<p>Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death around the world. Initial treatment is often time dependent. An EKG is the single most important initial clinical test to diagnose acute myocardial infarctions. Recognizing acute coronary symptoms in the initial presentation to an emergency department is critical in order to obtain the initial EKG. Of concern is the likelihood of delay in the initial EKG acquisition for females. The purpose of the research study was to distinguish if there is a disparity between genders to the best practice of door to EKG in 10 minutes from the arrival time in the Emergency department. A retrospective chart review was conducted with a total of 60 charts consisting of 30 females and 30 males who experienced an AMI. The time of initial arrival to the ED and initial EKG acquisition were compared. Results demonstrated that the initial EKG acquisition was shorter for males, average of 15 minutes as compared to females, average of 18 minutes. The data also demonstrated that only 32% (n=19) of patients had an initial EKG in 10 minutes or less and 68% (n=41) in greater than 10 minutes. Average age of females was 72 compared to males at 62. Thirty seven percent (n=22) of the patients presented with a chief complaint other than chest pain. Further research is indicated to determine reasons for delay in initial EKG acquisition between genders.</p>


Author(s):  
Daniele Melo Sardinha ◽  
Karla Valéria Batista Lima ◽  
Thalyta Mariany Rêgo Lopes Ueno ◽  
Yan Correa Rodrigues ◽  
Juliana Conceição Dias Garcez ◽  
...  

Cardiovascular Diseases represent the main cause of death in the world, and are associated with risk factors that cause serious complications in cases of infections, such as those of the respiratory tract. In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared a pandemic for SARS-CoV-2, a new coronavirus causing severe pneumonia, which emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The objective is to investigate the occurrence of cardiovascular complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is a systematic review, quantitative, in the databases, PubMed and Science direct, including primary studies with hospitalized patients confirmed for COVID-19 and who presented cardiovascular complications, the form used tools for evaluation of quality and evidence, following the PRISMA recommendations. Results: 12 studies were included. The occurrence of cardiovascular complications was: 27.35% of the sample of 3,316 patients. Types: Acute cardiac injury 17.09%; Thromboembolism 4.73%; Heart failure 3.43%; Arrhythmias 1.77%; stroke 0.33%. Mean age 61 years. Conclusions: This study showed that there are several cardiovascular complications associated with SARS-CoV-2, that the main one is acute cardiac injury, which causes several instabilities in the cardiopulmonary system, and that it is associated with mortality.


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