Prevalence Of Severe Symptoms Research Articles

Autoimmune Manifestations in a Cohort of Egyptian COVID-19 Patients

Abstract Introduction COVID-19 infection can result in a range of symptoms, from asymptomatic to severe, requiring intensive care and ventilatory support. Research has explored the association between COVID-19 and autoimmune conditions, including the detection of autoantibodies in COVID-19 patients. However, results are not conclusive, prompting us to conduct a cross-sectional study to evaluate the prevalence of autoimmune rheumatic manifestations in a cohort of Egyptian individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods Ninety individuals with COVID-19 were included in the study. Patients were classified based on WHO criteria and laboratory data was collected. Autoimmune markers (ANA, RF, ACL IgM, ACL IgG) were measured and patients were grouped based on positive and negative results. Correlational analysis was conducted to assess the association between each marker and clinical severity of COVID-19 and autoimmune rheumatological manifestations. Results Of the studied patients, 13.3% had a positive ANA, 15.6% had a positive RF, 8.9% had a positive ACL IgM, and 5.6% had a positive ACL IgG. However, there was no statistically significant difference between severity groups regarding the results of ANA, RF, ACL IgM, and IgG. All patients with a positive ANA were present among severe and critical COVID-19 cases, and all patients with positive RF, ACL IgM, or ACL IgG were among moderate, severe, and critical cases. Conclusion Our study provides insight into the prevalence of autoimmune rheumatic manifestations in COVID-19 patients. While our results were inconclusive regarding the association between autoimmune markers and severity of disease, we found a statistically significant higher prevalence of several symptoms in critical COVID-19 patients. Our study highlights the importance of further investigation into the relationship between COVID-19 and autoimmune conditions.

Zellweger spectrum disorder: A cross-sectional study of symptom prevalence using input from family caregivers

Zellweger spectrum disorders (ZSD) are rare, debilitating genetic diseases of peroxisome biogenesis that affect multiple organ systems and present with broad clinical heterogeneity. Although many case studies have characterized the multitude of signs and symptoms associated with ZSD, there are few reports on the prevalence of symptoms to help inform the development of meaningful endpoints for future clinical trials in ZSD. In the present study, we used an online survey tool completed by family caregivers to study the occurrence, frequency and severity of symptoms in individuals diagnosed with ZSD. Responses from caregivers representing 54 living and 25 deceased individuals with ZSD were collected over an 8-month period. Both perception of disease severity and prevalence of various symptoms were greater in responses from family caregivers of deceased individuals compared to those of living individuals with ZSD. Compared with previous reports for ZSD, the combined prevalence of seizures (53%) and adrenal insufficiency (45%) were nearly twice as high. Overall, this community-engaged approach to rare disease data collection is the largest study reporting on the prevalence of symptoms in ZSD, and our findings suggest that previous reports may be underreporting the true prevalence of several symptoms in ZSD. Studies such as this used in conjunction with clinician- led reports may be useful for informing the design of future clinical trials addressing ZSD.

Persistent variations in national asthma mortality, hospital admissions and prevalence by socioeconomic status and region in England

BackgroundThe UK-wide National Review of Asthma Deaths sought to identify avoidable factors from the high numbers of deaths, but did not examine variation by socioeconomic status (SES) or region.MethodsWe used...

Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders in elderly population treated within the public hospital network of Medellin (Colombia)

Objective: To determine prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorders signs and symptoms of elderly adults in Medellin as well as related factors. Material and methods: The present was a crosssectional study conducted at the «Metrosalud» hospital network.The study was composed of 342 adult patients ≥ 65 years, (57.8% females) Variables: Socio-demographical and social support (Duke- 11); Self-perceived stress, mental health, self-perceived general health, satisfaction with respect to dental circumstances, self-perceived oralhealth, oral problems (previous 30 days), number of teeth present, presence of prostheses (upper/lower), Helkimo Anamnestic Index and clinical assessment. Prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorders- Helkimo Anamnestic Index was assessed with respect to health and socio-demographic variables, temporomandibular joint disorders was assessed according to clinical evaluation. Association between temporomandibular joint disorders-Helkimo Anamnestic Index and health indicators was evaluated as well as clinical temporomandibular joint disorders by means of logistic regression calculating crude and adjusted Odds Ratio with 95% (CI95%) confi dence intervals. Results: Prevalence of severe symptoms was higher in males (32%), females exhibited higher prevalence of mild symptoms (18.8%); differences were found according to socio-demographic factors. Subjects reporting symptoms tended to report higher prevalence of poor oral and general health indicators. Higher association was found for patients with dental problems in the previous 30 days. (aOR 3.57; CI95% 1.80-7.08) in the case of women and, for men, the indicator was poor mental health (aOR 2.83; CI95% 1.31-6.09) Even though females exhibited greater risk of reporting TMJ related problems (except for the presence of articular noises) no statistical signifi cant associations were found. Conclusions: Further epidemiological surveillance systems are required in order to suitably and clearly establish associations found in the present study.

Global map of the prevalence of symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis in children: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three

Phase One of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) measured the global patterns of prevalence and severity of symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis in children in 1993-1997. International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Phase Three was a cross-sectional survey performed 5-10 years after Phase One using the same methodology. Phase Three covered all of the major regions of the world and involved 1 059 053 children of 2 age groups from 236 centres in 98 countries. The average overall prevalence of current rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms was 14.6% for the 13- to 14-year old children (range 1.0-45%). Variation in the prevalence of severe rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms was observed between centres (range 0.0-5.1%) and regions (range 0.4% in western Europe to 2.3% in Africa), with the highest prevalence being observed mainly in the centres from middle and low income countries, particularly in Africa and Latin America. Co-morbidity with asthma and eczema varied from 1.6% in the Indian sub-continent to 4.7% in North America. For 6- to 7-year old children, the average prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms was 8.5%, and large variations in symptom prevalence were also observed between regions, countries and centres. Wide global variations exist in the prevalence of current rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms, being higher in high vs low income countries, but the prevalence of severe symptoms was greater in less affluent countries. Co-morbidity with asthma is high particularly in Africa, North America and Oceania. This global map of symptom prevalence is of clinical importance for health professionals.

Impact of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy on Health-Related Quality of Life for Head and Neck Cancer Patients: Matched-Pair Comparison with Conventional Radiotherapy

To assess the benefit of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) compared with conventional RT for the quality of life (QOL) of head and neck cancer survivors. Cross-sectional QOL measures (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL questionnaire C30 and head and neck cancer module) were used with a French multicenter cohort of patients cured of head and neck cancer (follow-up > or = 1 year) who had received bilateral neck RT (> or = 45 Gy) as a part of their initial treatment. We compared the QOL mean scores regarding RT modality (conventional RT vs. IMRT). The patients of the two groups were matched (one to one) according to the delay between the end of RT and the timing of the QOL evaluation and the T stage. Each QOL item was divided into two relevant levels of severity: "not severe" (responses, "not at all" and "a little") vs. "severe" (responses "quite a bit" and "very much"). The association between the type of RT and the prevalence of severe symptoms was approximated, through multivariate analysis using the prevalence odds ratio. Two comparable groups (67 pairs) were available. Better scores were observed on the head and neck cancer module QOL questionnaire for the IMRT group, especially for dry mouth and sticky saliva (p < 0.0001). Severe symptoms were more frequent with conventional RT concerning saliva modifications and oral discomfort. The adjusted prevalence odds ratios were 3.17 (p = 0.04) for dry mouth, 3.16 (p = 0.02) for sticky saliva, 3.58 (p = 0.02) for pain in the mouth, 3.35 (p = 0.04) for pain in the jaw, 2.60 (p = 0.02) for difficulties opening the mouth, 2.76 (p = 0.02) for difficulties with swallowing, and 2.68 (p = 0.03) for trouble with eating. The QOL assessment of head and neck cancer survivors demonstrated the benefit of IMRT, particularly in the areas of salivary dysfunction and oral discomfort.

Prognostic Stratification of Women With Chronic Heart Failure Referred for Heart Transplantation: Relevance of Gender as Compared With Gender-related Characteristics

Few studies are available regarding prognostic stratification of women with severe chronic heart failure (CHF). Although women seem to have a better outcome than men, this may be due to favorable baseline characteristics. We analyzed a cohort of CHF patients referred for heart transplantation (HT) who underwent clinical/laboratory/instrumental evaluation. Women and men were frequency matched for baseline age (53 +/- 14 vs 53 +/- 9 years, p = 0.92), left ventricular ejection fraction (33 +/- 10 vs 31 +/- 8%, p = 0.90) and ischemic etiology (17 vs 22%, p = 0.50). A total of 198 patients were analyzed (109 women matched to 89 men). In addition to matching parameters, prevalence of severe symptoms, diabetes and hypertension were also comparable (p > or = 0.25). After 3 years, cardiovascular death or need for HT (CD/HT) event-free survival was 78 +/- 4% in women and 50 +/- 6% in men (p = 0.005). On multivariate analysis, female gender was associated with a lower risk of CD/HT (relative risk [RR] 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30 to 0.89; p = 0.017), independently of symptoms, blood pressure (BP), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and mitral regurgitation (MR). Nevertheless, CD/HT event-free survival at 3 years was 49 +/- 9% for women with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV status, who presented with either severe MR, mean BP < or =60 mm Hg or LVEDD > or =35 mm/m2. In advanced CHF, women patients seem to have a better prognosis irrespective of baseline characteristics, supporting the hypothesis that female gender is protective against myocardial injury. However, women with severe symptoms accompanied by either hypotension, severe left ventricular enlargement or MR are at high risk and deserve cautious follow-up and consideration for HT.

Do accompanying symptoms in women with migraine allow distinction between two separate patient groups?

We assessed the prevalence of a number of behavioral and somatic symptoms in women with migraine and investigated whether they were related to personality. In 46 women with migraine, record was taken of 26 symptoms, the MMPI and STAI questionnaires were administered and a psychological assessment was carried out with a semistructured interview using SCID, Italian version. Symptom data were processed through a self-organizing map (SOM) system and K-means cluster analysis. Since two patient clusters were obtained, data relative to headache characteristics aand the MMPI and STAI scores were assessed separately for each group. Group 2 had a significantly higher prevalence of several symptoms, of depressive disorders and higher MMPI and of STAI scores with respect to group 1, while the headache characteristics were substantially the same. It is concluded that a distinction can be made between two categories of female migraine patients with scarce or abundant accompanying symptoms. This difference does not seem related to the headache characteristics, but, rather, to the patients' personality and psychopathologic symptoms.

Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome: A Long-term Follow-up Study

In this case-series analysis, of 34 patients originally identified with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), 31 survivors were followed-up by yearly telephone interviews. We ascertained type, duration, and severity of symptoms and whether certain patient characteristics were associated with illness improvement. At a median of 3.6 years after onset, 3 patients (8.8%) had died. Two (5.9%) were well, 7 (20.6%) were improved, and 22 (64.7%) reported either no change or worsening overall condition compared to 1 year prior. Musculoskeletal and neurologic symptoms predominated. The prevalence of several symptoms, including muscle cramps, joint pain, and cognitive symptoms, increased over the course of study. Age, sex, peak eosinophil count, early prednisone use, and usual dose or duration of L-tryptophan use were not associated with significant improvement. We conclude that for the majority of patients, EMS is a chronic illness having a major impact on life-style 3.6 years after onset. The chronic, often worsening pattern of illness suggests an ongoing pathogenetic mechanism.

Symptom prevalence and odor-worry interaction near hazardous waste sites.

Retrospective symptom prevalence data, collected from over 2000 adult respondents living near three different hazardous waste sites, were analyzed with respect to both self-reported "environmental worry" and frequency of perceiving environmental (particularly petrochemical) odors. Significant positive relationships were observed between the prevalence of several symptoms (headache, nausea, eye and throat irritation) and both frequency of odor perception and degree of worry. Headaches, for example, showed a prevalence odds ratio of 5.0 comparing respondents who reported noticing environmental odors frequently versus those noticing no such odors and 10.8 comparing those who described themselves as "very worried" versus "not worried" about environmental conditions in their neighborhood. Elimination of respondents who ascribed their environmental worry to illness in themselves or in family members did not materially affect the strength of the observed associations. In addition to their independent effects, odor perception and environmental worry exhibited positive interaction as determinants of symptom prevalence, as evidenced by a prevalence odds ratio of 38.1 comparing headaches among the high worry/frequent-odor group and the no-worry/no-odor group. In comparison neighborhoods with no nearby waste sites, environmental worry has been found to be associated with symptom occurrence as well. Potential explanations for these observations are presented, including the possibility that odors serve as a sensory cue for the manifestation of stress-related illness (or heightened awareness of underlying symptoms) among individuals concerned about the quality of their neighborhood environment.

Dose-dependent increase in subjective symptom prevalence among toluene-exposed workers.

With self-completion questionnaires (with 67 questions in total), the prevalence of subjective symptoms was surveyed in 193 toluene-exposed and 65 non-exposed control women mostly at the ages of 20's. They were all nondrinkers-nonsmokers and therefore confounding effects of age, sex and the two social habits could be ruled out. The prevalence of total complaints per person correlated significantly with the time-weighted average intensity of exposure to toluene for each individual as monitored by diffusive sampling. Analyses with each symptom revealed that the prevalence of 43 symptoms (64%) out of the 67 in total was significantly higher in the exposed than in the controls. The dose dependent in-crease in prevalence was observed in 25 symptoms. In contrast, there was no difference in the prevalence of 3 hemodyscrasia-related symptoms between the exposed and the controls. The prevalence of several symptoms (e.g., body weight loss, dimmed vision, dizziness, drunken feeling, headache, sore throat, and tightness in chest) had a plateau in the exposure range below 100 ppm followed by an addi-tional increase at higher concentration, possibly justifying the current occupational exposure limit of 100 ppm, while some other symptoms gave different types of dose-prevalence relationship.