Occurrence Of Several Diseases Research Articles

Human Health Associated with Occupations Concerning Age and Sex

On par with civilization, perception to their surroundings has been regularly altering the individual lives. Diseases and disorders associated with occupations in relation to age and sex were studied in a selected population of human individuals, dividing them into ‘10’ age groups. Clinical based case control study has been done to determine the occurrence of diseases and disorders in human individuals with different occupations in relation to age and sex. Male individuals with primary type and secondary type of occupations suffered more than that of business level and government and private sector. Female individuals with secondary type, business level and primary type suffered more than that of government and private sector. Age group (in years) 41-70 in male individuals is more affected than 21-40 of primary type and also of secondary type. And in business level and government and private sector, age group 41-60 is more affected than 21-40 with greater significant values indicating p<0.05. Contrary to this in female individuals, age group 31-60 of primary type, 31-50 of secondary type and business level, 21-40 of government and private sector were affected more than age group 21-30, 61-70 of primary type, 21-30 of secondary type and 41-50 of government and private sector with greater significant values indicating p<0.05. Male individuals of age group 41-60 and female individuals of age group 31-60 are more vulnerable to occurrence of several diseases and disorders associated with the various occupations.

Antibody Response after 3-Dose Booster against SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with a high rate of mortality in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Current vaccine strategies for KTRs seem to be unable to provide effective protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the occurrence of severe disease in some vaccinated KTRs suggested a lack of immunity. We initially analyzed the antibody response in a group of 32 kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) followed at the nephrology and dialysis unit of the Hospital Pio XI of Desio, ASST-Brianza, Italy. Thus, we studied the differences in antibody levels between subjects who contracted SARS-CoV-2 after the booster (8 individuals) and those who did not contract it (24 individuals). Furthermore, we verified if the antibody response was in any way associated with creatinine and eGFR levels. We observed a significant increase in the antibody response pre-booster compared to post-booster using both a Roche assay and DIAPRO assay. In the latter, through immunotyping, we highlight that the major contribution to this increase is specifically due to IgG S1 IgM S2. We observed a significant increase in IgA S1 and IgA NCP (p = 0.045, 0.02) in the subjects who contracted SARS-CoV-2. We did not find significant associations for the p-value corrected for false discovery rate (FDR) between the antibody response to all assays and creatinine levels. This observation allows us to confirm that patients require additional vaccine boosters due to their immunocompromised status and therapy in order to protect them from infections related to viral variants. This is in line with the data reported in the literature, and it could be worthwhile to deeply explore these phenomena to better understand the role of IgA S1 and IgA NCP antibodies in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Polyphenolic and Fruit Colorimetric Analysis of Hungarian Sour Cherry Genebank Accessions

Sour cherry is one of the most important horticultural crops in the Hungarian market. Its flavour combination makes it ideal for fresh consumption as well as canned products. The Hungarian and European markets have requested for new varieties to be introduced, making the evaluation of breeding and prebreeding material a crucial point. A total of 30 sour cherry accessions from the genebank collection were investigated for their potential inclusion into the breeding program. The main aim of the study was to identify candidates for future breeding programs, selecting their colour profiling and total polyphenolic content (TPC). This study follows the antioxidant activity of cherry species by determining the total content in polyphenols. Polyphenols are found in higher concentration in cherries when compared to other plants and have been identified as free radical scavengers, which are useful to prevent the occurrence of several diseases. Furthermore, TPC has been observed as a contributor of bitterness, acidity, colour, flavour, odour, and oxidative stability. The accessions were evaluated for their colour, fruit weight, flavour profile, firmness, and TPC. Colorimetric data were compared among four methods to illustrate to the Hungarian breeders which of the available approaches is the most accurate for sour cherry breeding. Results suggested that several accessions appear relevant for the breeding program, such as ‘Pipacs 1′, ‘Bosnyák’, ‘Hortenzia Királynője’, and ‘Mogyoródi Kései’. The total polyphenolic content was highest in ‘Pipacs1′ and lowest in ‘Kántorjánosi 3′. ‘Pipacs 1′ and ‘Hortenzia Királynője’ had interestingly high acidity content and light to very light fruit colours. ‘Bosnyák’ had a deep and dark colour with high soluble sugar content. ‘Mogyoródi Kései’ appears to have the biggest fruit. All mentioned varieties will be included in future breeding programs.

Edible Vaccine - An Effective Way for Immunization.

Edible vaccines are cost-effective, easy to take, storable as well as bio-friendly. If they are administered orally, they are capable of lessening the occurrence of several diseases, like HPV, Norwalk virus, as well as Polio. They are obtained by utilizing a specific portion of the plant, which results in the formulation of an attractive encoded protein. These particular encoded proteins enhance the mucosal movement along with diminishing resistance. There are different food items that are utilized in injectable antibodies, for example, wheat, rice, bananas, lettuce, potatoes, and tomatoes, which help overcome all the issues related to conventional antibodies; this demonstrates that palatable immunization is the best substitute for customary antibodies.

Machine learning of flow cytometry data reveals the delayed innate immune responses correlate with the severity of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a major burden on healthcare and economic systems across the globe for over 3 years. Even though vaccines are available, the pathogenesis is still unclear. Multiple studies have indicated heterogeneity of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, and potentially distinct patient immune types that might be related to disease features. However, those conclusions are mainly inferred by comparing the differences of pathological features between moderate and severe patients, some immunological features may be subjectively overlooked. In this study, the relevance scores(RS), reflecting which features play a more critical role in the decision-making process, between immunological features and the COVID-19 severity are objectively calculated through neural network, where the input features include the immune cell counts and the activation marker concentrations of particular cell, and these quantified characteristic data are robustly generated by processing flow cytometry data sets containing the peripheral blood information of COVID-19 patients through PhenoGraph algorithm. Specifically, the RS between immune cell counts and COVID-19 severity with time indicated that the innate immune responses in severe patients are delayed at the early stage, and the continuous decrease of classical monocytes in peripherial blood is significantly associated with the severity of disease. The RS between activation marker concentrations and COVID-19 severity suggested that the down-regulation of IFN-γ in classical monocytes, Treg, CD8 T cells, and the not down-regulation of IL_17a in classical monocytes, Tregs are highly correlated with the occurrence of severe disease. Finally, a concise dynamic model of immune responses in COVID-19 patients was generalized. These results suggest that the delayed innate immune responses in the early stage, and the abnormal expression of IL-17a and IFN-γ in classical monocytes, Tregs, and CD8 T cells are primarily responsible for the severity of COVID-19.

Autophagy-dependent ferroptosis in kidney disease.

Ferroptosis is a new type of cell death caused by the lack of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and the imbalance of cellular redox. It is characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides on cell membranes. Multiple regulatory pathways of ferroptosis include the GPX4, glutamate-cystine antiporter (System Xc-), lipid metabolism, and iron metabolism pathways. Recent studies have reported that autophagy-dependent ferroptosis (ferroptosis meditated by ferritinophagy, lipophagy, and clockophagy) plays a significant role in the occurrence of several diseases, including diseases affecting the nerves, liver, lungs, and kidneys. This review provides an overview of research progress made on autophagy-dependent ferroptosis in kidney diseases.

Analyze the clinical characteristics of mild and severe SARS-CoV-2 infected patients based on the local Omicron variant epidemic

To analyze the epidemic characteristics and clinical key indicators of the patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 of the local Omicron variant epidemic, to understand the clinical characteristics of mild and severe patients, and to provide a scientific basis for the effective treatment and prevention of severe disease. From January 2020 to March 2022, the clinical and laboratory data of COVID-19 patients admitted to the Fifth People's Hospital of Wuxi were retrospective analyzed, including virus gene subtypes, demographic information, clinical classification, main clinical symptoms, and key indicators of clinical testing, and the changes of clinical characteristics of the patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. A total of 150 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were admitted, 78, 52 and 20 in 2020, 2021 and 2022, including 10, 1 and 1 severe patient, and the main infected virus strains were L, Delta, and Omicron variants. The relapse rate of patients infected with the Omicron variant was as high as 15.0% (3/20), the incidence of diarrhea decreased to 10.0% (2/20), the incidence of severe disease decreased to 5.0% (1/20), and the number of hospitalization days of mild patients increased compared with 2020 (days: 20.43±1.78 vs. 15.84±1.12); respiratory symptoms were reduced, and the proportion of pulmonary lesions decreased to 10.5%; the virus titer of severely ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection (day 3) was higher than that of L-type strain (Ct value: 23.92±1.16 vs. 28.19±1.54). The acute plasma cytokines interleukin (IL-6, IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were significantly lower in patients with severe Omicron variant new coronavirus infection than those with mild disease [IL-6 (ng/L): 3.92±0.24 vs. 6.02±0.41, IL-10 (ng/L): 0.58±0.01 vs. 4.43±0.32, TNF-α (ng/L): 1.73±0.02 vs. 6.91±1.25, all P < 0.05], while γ-interferon (IFN-γ) and IL-17A were significantly higher than patients with mild disease [IFN-γ (ng/L): 23.07±0.17 vs. 13.52±2.34, IL-17A (ng/L): 35.58±0.08 vs. 26.39±1.37, both P < 0.05]. Compared with previous epidemics (2020 and 2021), the proportion of CD4/CD8 ratio, lymphocyte count, eosinophil and serum creatinine decreased in patients with mild Omicron infection in 2022 (36.8% vs. 22.1%, 9.8%; 36.8% vs. 23.5%, 7.8%; 42.1% vs. 41.2%, 15.7%; 42.1% vs. 19.1%, 9.8%), the proportion of patients with elevated monocyte count and procalcitonin was large (42.1% vs. 50.0%, 23.5%; 21.1% vs. 5.9%, 0). The incidences of severe disease in patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection was significantly lower than that of previous epidemics, and the occurrence of severe diseases was still related to the underlying diseases.

A highly effective "naked eye" colorimetric and fluorimetric curcumin-based fluorescent sensor for specific and sensitive detection of H2O2in vivo and in vitro.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is involved in many important tasks in normal cell metabolism and signaling. However, abnormal levels of H2O2 are associated with the occurrence of several diseases. Therefore, it is important to develop a new method for the detection of H2O2in vivo and in vitro. A turn-off sensor, 2,2-difluoro-4,6-bis(3-methoxy-4-((4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)benzyl)oxy)styryl)-2H-1,3,2-dioxaborine (DFCB), based on curcumin was developed for the detection of H2O2. The DFCB, an orange-emitting sensor, was constructed by employing 2,2-difluoro-4,6-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxystyryl)-2H-1,3,2-dioxaborine (DFC) as the main carrier, and 2-(4-bromomethylphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-doxaborolane as the recognition site. The recognition group on the DFCB sensor could be completely cleaved by H2O2 to generate the intermediate DFC, which would lead to a colorimetric change from bright orange to light blue accompanying by a significantly quenched fluorescence, which could be seen by the naked eye. This sensor exhibited a highly specific fluorescence response to H2O2, in preference to other relevant species, with an excellent anti-interference performance. The sensor DFCB also possessed some advantages including a wide pH response range (6-11), a broad linear range (0-300 μM), and a low detection limit (1.31 μM). The sensing mechanism of the DFCB sensor for H2O2 was verified by HRMS analysis, 1H-NMR titration and DFT calculations. In addition, the use of the DFCB sensor was compatible with the fluorescence imaging of H2O2 in living cells and zebrafish.

Free time of elderly people in terms of physical activity

Gerontological issues will gain more and more recognition, both in the social and medical aspect. The reason for this is the sharp increase in the percentage of the elderly population, which is related to a decline in birth rates on the one hand and an increase in life expectancy on the other. The aging of the population of Europe and Poland is probably the most important health and socio-political challenge in the coming years. In 2050, people aged 60-79 are expected to make up a quarter of the entire population of the European Union. Maintaining the appropriate level of health, independence and independence of the elderly becomes a great challenge. This is not only a public health challenge, but also a huge socio-economic problem. A typical situation in old age is the occurrence of several diseases at the same time. In addition, the situation is complicated by the procedure of a number of degenerative changes affecting almost all systems and functions of the system, deteriorating the possibility of functioning and rehabilitation. Taking up issues related to seniors becomes important for at least several reasons. The most important ones include: the increasing number of elderly people, the widespread cult of a financially efficient and independent person (completely different from the geriatric reality), the need to educate professionals to help or support those in need, and the need for mental changes in society regarding the aging process and old age itself. The aim of this article is to present the problem of leisure time of elderly people from the perspective of physical activity. The starting point for the considerations was the explanation of the concepts of "old age" and "aging". Next, the most important issues concerning human activity in late adulthood are presented and the main assumptions of the theory of activity are presented. Then the concept of free time was defined, the features of free time activity were discussed, and the functions of free time were also indicated. Attention was also paid to the structure of seniors' time budget and the types of free-time activity that dominate among them. Next, the problem of free time of old people is presented in the context of the theory of activity, paying particular attention to the issues related to the activation of seniors.

A quantitative structural analysis of AR-42 derivatives as HDAC1 inhibitors for the identification of promising structural contributors

ABSTRACT Alteration and abnormal epigenetic mechanisms can lead to the aberration of normal biological functions and the occurrence of several diseases. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) family of enzymes is one of the prime regulators of epigenetic functions modifying the histone proteins, and thus, regulating epigenetics directly. HDAC1 is one of those HDACs which have important contributions to cellular epigenetics. The abnormality of HDAC is correlated to the occurrence, progression, and poor prognosis in several disease conditions namely neurodegenerative disorders, cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, chemotherapy resistance, and survival in various cancers. Therefore, the progress of potent and effective HDAC1 inhibitors is one of the prime approaches to combat such diseases. In this study, both regression and classification-based molecular modelling studies were conducted on some AR-42 derivatives as HDAC1 inhibitors to elucidate the crucial structural aspects that are responsible for regulating their biological responses. This study revealed that the molecular polarizability, van der Waals volume, the presence of aromatic rings as well as the higher number of hydrogen bond acceptors might affect prominently their inhibitory activity and might be responsible for proper fitting and interactions at the HDAC1 active site to pertain effective inhibition.

Anti-inflammatory properties of lemon-derived extracellular vesicles are achieved through the inhibition of ERK/NF-κB signalling pathways.

Chronic inflammation is associated with the occurrence of several diseases. However, the side effects of anti‐inflammatory drugs prompt the identification of new therapeutic strategies. Plant‐derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are gaining increasing interest in the scientific community for their biological properties. We isolated PDEVs from the juice of Citrus limon L. (LEVs) and characterized their flavonoid, limonoid and lipid contents through reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (RP‐HPLC–ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS). To investigate whether LEVs have a protective role on the inflammatory process, murine and primary human macrophages were pre‐treated with LEVs for 24 h and then were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that pre‐treatment with LEVs decreased gene and protein expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, such as IL‐6, IL1‐β and TNF‐α, and reduced the nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of NF‐κB in LPS‐stimulated murine macrophages. The inhibition of NF‐κB activation was associated with the reduction in ERK1‐2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, the ability of LEVs to decrease pro‐inflammatory cytokines and increase anti‐inflammatory molecules was confirmed ex vivo in human primary T lymphocytes. In conclusion, we demonstrated that LEVs exert anti‐inflammatory effects both in vitro and ex vivo by inhibiting the ERK1‐2/NF‐κB signalling pathway.

Direct and indirect costs for hospitalized patients with dengue in Southern Sri Lanka

BackgroundThe Southern Province of Sri Lanka is endemic with dengue, with frequent outbreaks and occurrence of severe disease. However, the economic burden of dengue is poorly quantified. Therefore, we conducted a cost analysis to assess the direct and indirect costs associated with hospitalized patients with dengue to households and to the public healthcare system.MethodsFrom June 2017–December 2018, we prospectively enrolled children and adults with acute dengue hospitalized at the largest, public tertiary-care (1800 bed) hospital in the Southern Province, Sri Lanka. We administered a structured questionnaire to obtain information regarding direct costs spent by households on medical visits, medications, laboratory testing, and travel for seeking care for the illness. Indirect costs lost by households were estimated by identifying the days of work lost by patients and caregivers and school days lost by children. Direct hospital costs were estimated using gross costing approach and adjusted by multiplying by annual inflation rates in Sri Lankan rupees and converted to US dollars.ResultsA total of 1064 patients with laboratory-confirmed dengue were enrolled. The mean age (SD) was 35.9 years (15.6) with male predominance (66.2%). The mean durations of hospitalization for adults and paediatric patients were 3.86 (SD = 1.51) and 4 (SD = 1.32) days, respectively. The per-capita direct cost borne by the healthcare system was 233.76 USD, and was approximately 14 times greater than the per-capita direct cost borne by households (16.29 USD, SD = 14.02). The per-capita average number of loss of working days was 21.51 (SD = 41.71), with mean per-capita loss of income due to loss of work being 303.99 USD (SD = 569.77), accounting for over 70% of average monthly income. On average, 10.88 days (SD = 10.97) of school days were missed due to the dengue episode. School misses were expected to reduce future annual income of affected children by 0.44%.ConclusionsDengue requiring hospitalization had a substantial economic burden on the public healthcare system in Sri Lanka and the affected households. These findings emphasize the importance of strengthening dengue control activities and improved use of hospital-based resources for care to reduce the economic impact of dengue in Sri Lanka.

Clinical features and difficulty in diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis in the hypothalamic-pituitary region.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a multi-organ disorder that rarely involves the hypothalamic-pituitary region (HPR). HPR-LCH presents with severe progressive pituitary dysfunction and its prognosis is poor. The definitive diagnosis of LCH is considerably difficult and complicated owing to the occurrence of several diseases with similar manifestations in the HPR and its location in the deepest portion of the anterior skull base, in close proximity to important normal structures, severely limiting the size of the biopsy specimen. Chemotherapy is the established treatment modality for LCH; hence, timely and accurate diagnosis of LCH is essential for early therapeutic intervention. We retrospectively reviewed clinical features and biopsy procedures in four patients with HPR-LCH (all female, 28-44 years old) from 2009 to 2020. Maximum diameter of supra-sellar lesions was 23-35 mm and 2 cases had skip lesions. All patients demonstrated central diabetes insipidus, hyper-prolactinemia, and severe anterior pituitary dysfunction. Two of the patients had progressive disease. Furthermore, four patients presented body weight gain, two visual disturbance, and two impaired consciousness. The duration from onset to diagnosis of LCH was 3 to 10 (average 7.25) years. In total, eight operations were performed until final diagnosis. The percentage of correct diagnosis by biopsy was 50% (4/8). Clinical features of HPR-LCH are very similar to those of other HPR diseases, and their symptoms are progressive and irreversible. Clinicians should consider repeated biopsy with a more aggressive approach if the lesion is refractory to steroid therapy, in order to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Clinical Case Series of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients With Novel Coronavirus 2019 Infection

Background: Various digestive symptoms have been frequently reported in a significant portion of patients infected with the virus since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Most patients with COVID-19 have a fever accompanied by respiratory signs and symptoms, such as cough and dyspnea. We present 36 cases with a chief complaint of Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms along with respiratory symptoms. In this study, we aimed at investigating the prevalence and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms.&#x0D; Methods: A variety of observed GI symptoms included nausea and vomiting (72.2%), diarrhea (25%), abdominal pain (19.4%), loss of appetite (14%), and anosmia (14%). The most nonGI symptoms were dyspnea (66.7%), fever (66.7%), dry cough (58.3%), myalgia (52.4%), and others. Six patients (16.6%) were critically ill, 7 (19.4%) were in stable condition, and 23 patients (64%) showed moderate symptoms. Among the patients, 7 (19.5%) needed critical care and were admitted to ICU. Leucopenia, lymphopenia, and elevated acute-phase proteins were other features observed in these patients. The most common antiviral regimen was hydroxychloroquine and oseltamivir. Finally, 32 patients (89%) were discharged, and 4 (11%) died.&#x0D; Conclusion: This case series study highlights that patients with COVID-19 are prone to GI symptoms along with fever and respiratory symptoms. Patients may even present with digestive symptoms and without any respiratory symptoms. Hence, clinicians should pay more attention to these patients and help diagnose COVID-19 earlier to start prompt treatment before the occurrence of severe disease.

Renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

We sought to evaluate the association of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or AT1 blockers (ARB) therapy with clinical outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Electronic databases were searched to identify published studies that reported clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 who were or were not taking an ACEI/ARB. We studied all-cause mortality and/or severe disease outcomes. Fully adjusted effect estimates from individual studies were pooled using a random-effects model. In total, 34 (31 cohort-based and three case-control) studies met our eligibility criteria. Due to the inherent differences between cohort and case-control studies, we did not combine results of these studies but used them to identify the consistency of their results. The 31 cohort studies provided outcome data for 87 951 patients with COVID-19, of whom 22 383/83 963 (26.7%) were on ACEI/ARB therapy. In pooled analysis, we found no association between the use of ACEI/ARB and all-cause mortality/severe disease [relative risk: 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86-1.03, I2 = 57%, P = 0.20] or occurrence of severe disease (relative risk: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.74-1.17, I2 = 56%, P = 0.55). Analysis of three population-based case-control studies identified no significant association between ACEI/ARB (pooled odds ratio: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.81-1.23, I2 = 0, P = 0.98) and all-cause mortality/severe disease. In 13 of the 31 cohort studies as well as in three case-control studies that reported outcomes separately for ACEI and ARB, there was no differential effect for mortality/severe disease outcomes. In patients with COVID-19, we found no association between ACEI/ARB treatment and mortality/severe disease. ACEI/ARB should not be discontinued, unless clinically indicated.

Measurements Methods for the Development of MicroRNA-Based Tests for Cancer Diagnosis

Studies investigating microRNAs as potential biomarkers for cancer, immune-related diseases, or cardiac pathogenic diseases, among others, have exponentially increased in the last years. In particular, altered expression of specific miRNAs correlates with the occurrence of several diseases, making these molecules potential molecular tools for non-invasive diagnosis, prognosis, and response to therapy. Nonetheless, microRNAs are not in clinical use yet, due to inconsistencies in the literature regarding the specific miRNAs identified as biomarkers for a specific disease, which in turn can be attributed to several reasons, including lack of assay standardization and reproducibility. Technological limitations in circulating microRNAs measurement have been, to date, the biggest challenge for using these molecules in clinical settings. In this review we will discuss pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical challenges to address the potential technical biases and patient-related parameters that can have an influence and should be improved to translate miRNA biomarkers to the clinical stage. Moreover, we will describe the currently available methods for circulating miRNA expression profiling and measurement, underlining their advantages and potential pitfalls.

Chest high-resolution computed tomography is associated to short-time progression to severe disease in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia

ObjectiveIn patients with mild COVID-19 pneumonia, chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is advised when risk factors for severe disease (i.e., age > 65 years and/or comorbidities) are present, and can influence management strategy. The objective was to assess whether HRCT is associated to short-time development of severe disease in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. MethodsSeventy-seven consecutive patients (mean age, 64 ± 15 years) with mild COVID-19 pneumonia (no or mild respiratory failure) that underwent HRCT were retrospectively identified. Fifty-two on 77 patients had reported risk factors for severe disease. A chest-imaging devoted radiologist recorded, on a per-examination basis, the following HRCT features: ground-glass opacity, crazy-paving pattern, consolidation, organizing pneumonia (OP) pattern, mosaic attenuation, and nodules. The extent of each feature (total feature score, TFS) was semi-quantitatively assessed. Total lung involvement (TLI) was defined as the sum of all TFSs. The study outcome was defined as the occurrence of severe disease (moderate-to-severe respiratory failure) within 15 days from HRCT. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess if age, comorbidities, and HRCT features were associated to severe disease. ResultsOn univariable analysis, severe disease was significantly associated with age > 59 years (29/47 patients, 61.7%) (p = 0.013), and not significantly associated with having comorbidities (22/44 patients, 50.0%). On multivariable analysis, TLI >15 and OP pattern >5 were independently associated to severe disease, with odds ratio of 8.380 (p = 0.003), and of 4.685 (p = 0.035), respectively. ConclusionShort-time onset of severe COVID-19 was associated to TLI >15 and OP pattern score > 5. Severe disease was not associated to comorbidities.

The role of oral supplementation with immunonutrients in the inflammatory response in patients with COVID-19

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 related coronavirus has spread to almost every country, causing the COVID-19. The severity of COVID-19 is based on the inflammation caused by the cytokine storm. Inflammatory markers suggest a molecular explanation for the occurrence of severe disease and represent a possible treatment. Objective: This review aims to analyse the plausibility of using oral supplementation with immunonutrients. Discussion: Immunonutrition studies the interactions between nutrition, the immune system, infection, and inflammation of tissues. Arginine is a fundamental amino acid in processes of metabolic stress. Its deficiency implies in the capacity of immune response. ω-3 fatty acids demonstrated improved lung compliance, oxygenation, mechanical ventilation time and intensive care unit stay in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Essential for cell-mediated immunity and T lymphocyte function, dietary nucleotides have been shown to improve the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells. Considering that the inversely proportional relationship between presence of IL-6 and TNF-α and the function of T cells is well established in patients with COVID-19, this reinforces the idea that the release control of these biomarkers can be a way to treat this disease. Conclusion: In this scenario, this review raises the possibility of using immunonutrition to improve immune response of individuals affected by COVID-19.

Evaluation of In-vitro Antioxidant Activity of Camalexin-A Novel Anti-Parkinson's agent

In the physiological and biochemical, physiological processes of the living system the free radicals (or reactive oxygen species - ROS) are generated. These ROS/ free radicals are scavenged by certain chemical substances called antioxidants and thus help to treat as well as prevent the occurrence of several diseases. Several medicinal plants and their active constituents have the property to protect the antioxidant enzyme systems when treated to the living systems. In the present study, one such isolated compound, camalexin was selected and being studies to evaluate its neuroprotective role in Parkinson’s disease. Initially, the binding capacity of camalexin was evaluated using Autodock 4.2 and reported. In this study, the antioxidant activity of camalexin was evaluated in vitro using ABTS assay, DPPH assay, FRAP assay, hydrogen peroxide assay, nitric oxide assay and super oxide dismutase free radical scavenging methods. Camalexin in various concentrations like 50 µg/ml, 100 µg/ml, 250 µg/ml, 500 µg/ml and 1000 µg/ml were taken and each of the samples were analysed for their antioxidant status by finding its IC50 value. This study suggests that camalexin expressed good antioxidant potential that forms basic evidence in neuroprotection.

Detection and molecular characterization of chicken infectious anaemia virus in young chicks in Punjab region of north-western India.

Chicken infectious anaemia (CIA) is an important viral disease of chicken causing significant immunosuppression and severe anaemia worldwide. Occurrence of severe disease and mortality is noticed in young chicks (2-3weeks). Vertical mode of transmission increases chance of infection and persistence of virus among the infected flocks. The current study was conducted in Punjab state for confirmation and genetic characterization of CAV among chicken flocks of various poultry farms. DNA was extracted from the tissue samples and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of VP1 gene and whole genome. PCR products were further sequenced for confirmation of chicken infectious anaemia virus (CIAV) genome in the clinical samples. PCR amplification of DNA from the tissue samples yielded expected product size of 1350 bases of VP1 gene and 2.3kb of whole genome. Out of 16 commercial poultry farms, 11 were confirmed with presence of CIAV, and out of 65 birds, 39 were found positive (60%) for CIAV genes. Among the various organs, the presence of viral gene was detected at highest level in thymus when compared with other organs. It is concluded that chicken infectious anaemia virus detected from Punjab state is closely related to other Indian isolates and neighbouring countries which necessitates need of more intensive studies with a greater number of samples for implementing effective control measures.