• Kjeldgaard McCartney posted an update 7 hours, 2 minutes ago

    Our data collectively suggest that the newly identified MnToll gene belongs to the TLR family in shrimp and is potentially involved in innate host defense, especially against WSSV.Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), prevalent in many low- and middle-income countries. In high-income territories, typhoid fever is predominantly travel-related, consequent to travel in typhoid-endemic regions; however, data show that the level of typhoid vaccination in travellers is low. Successful management of typhoid fever using antibiotics is becoming increasingly difficult due to drug resistance; emerging resistance has spread geographically due to factors such as increasing travel connectivity, affecting those in endemic regions and travellers alike. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology and diagnosis of typhoid fever; the emergence of drug-resistant typhoid strains in the endemic setting; drug resistance observed in travellers; vaccines currently available to prevent typhoid fever; vaccine recommendations for people living in typhoid-endemic regions; strategies for the introduction of typhoid vaccines and stakeholders in vaccination programmes; and travel recommendations for a selection of destinations with a medium or high incidence of typhoid fever.

    This study explores changes in the bone homeostasis by testing the N-terminal collagen type I extension propeptide (PINP) marker for osteo-formation and the carboxy-terminal region of collagen type I (CTX-I) marker for osteo-resorption in patients taking tocilizumab for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).

    Twenty patients were included in the prospective open-label TENOR study (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01713842) and received three monthly tocilizumab infusions, followed by corticosteroids starting at week (W) 12. PINP and CTX-I were tested at inclusion (W0), after tocilizumab but before steroid initiation (W12), at the end of the protocol (W24) and were compared to healthy controls. Information regarding disease activity, bone mineral density using scanographic bone attenuation correlation (SBAC), inflammatory parameters and interleukin (IL)-6 levels were collected during the follow-up of the patients.

    PMR patients were characterised by a reduction in bone mineral density and a higher level of CTX-I relative to healthy controls matched in age and sex at baseline. PINP levels increased at W12 (P< 0.001, versus W0) following tocilizumab introduction and CTX-I levels decreased at W24 and after steroid initiation (P=0.001, versus W0). Such modifications explain the altered correlation observed between PINP and CTX-I at W0 (r=0.255 at W0 versus r=0.641 in healthy controls) and its correction after treatment (r=0.760 at W12 and r=0.767 at W24). Finally, greater changes in PINP were observed in patients whose circulating IL-6 levels decreased after tocilizumab therapy.

    Control of bone turnover, in part through the inhibition of the IL-6 axis, is observed during tocilizumab and subsequent steroid treatment of PMR.

    Control of bone turnover, in part through the inhibition of the IL-6 axis, is observed during tocilizumab and subsequent steroid treatment of PMR.

    To investigate the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD).

    We conducted the largest immunogenetic HLA-DRB1 and HLA-B study to date in a homogeneous cohort of 168 Caucasian patients with ASSD and 486 ethnically matched healthy controls by sequencing-based-typing.

    A statistically significant increase of HLA-DRB1*0301 and HLA-B*0801 alleles in patients with ASSD compared to healthy controls was disclosed (26.2% versus 12.2%, P=1.56E-09, odds ratio-OR [95% confidence interval-CI]=2.54 [1.84-3.50] and 21.4% versus 5.5%, P=18.95E-18, OR [95% CI]=4.73 [3.18-7.05]; respectively). learn more Additionally, HLA-DRB1*0701 allele was significantly decreased in patients with ASSD compared to controls (9.2% versus 17.5%, P=0.0003, OR [95% CI]=0.48 [0.31-0.72]). Moreover, a statistically significant increase of HLA-DRB1*0301 allele in anti-Jo-1 positive compared to anti-Jo-1 negative patients with ASSD was observed (31.8% versus 15.5%, P=0.001, OR [95% CI]=2.54 [1.39-4.81]). Similar findings were observed when HLA carrier frequencies were assessed. The HLA-DRB1*0301 association with anti-Jo-1 was unrelated to smoking history. No HLA differences in patients with ASSD stratified according to the presence/absence of the most representative non-anti-Jo-1 anti-synthetase autoantibodies (anti-PL-12 and anti-PL-7), arthritis, myositis or interstitial lung disease were observed.

    Our results support the association of the HLA complex with the susceptibility to ASSD.

    Our results support the association of the HLA complex with the susceptibility to ASSD.

    To assess the effectiveness of corticosteroids on outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia requiring oxygen without mechanical ventilation.

    We used routine care data from 51 hospitals in France and Luxembourg to assess the effectiveness of corticosteroids at 0.8 mg/kg/day eq. prednisone (CTC group) versus standard of care (no-CTC group) among adults 18-80years old with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia requiring oxygen without mechanical ventilation. The primary outcome was intubation or death by day 28. In our main analysis, characteristics of patients at baseline (i.e. time when patients metall inclusion criteria) were balanced by using propensity-score inverse probability of treatment weighting.

    Among the 891 patients included in the analysis, 203 were assigned to the CTC group. Use of corticosteroids was not significantly associated with risk of intubation or death by day 28 (weighted hazard ratio (wHR) 0.92, 95%CI 0.61-1.39) nor cumulative death rate (wHR 1.03, 95%CI 0.54-ts 18-80 years old, with COVID-19, hospitalized in settings non intensive care units. However, the treatment was associated with a reduced risk of intubation or death for patients with ≥3 L/min oxygen or C-reactive protein level ≥100 mg/L at baseline. Further research is needed to confirm the right timing for corticosteroids in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen only.