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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered the worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Serological assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections are important to understand the immune response in patients and to obtain epidemiological data about the number of infected people, especially to identify asymptomatic persons not aware of a past infection.
We recombinantly produced SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N)-protein in Escherichia coli. We used the purified protein to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies. This ELISA method was optimized and validated with serum samples collected from 113 patients with RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections including hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 1500 control sera mostly collected before 2015 with different clinical background.
The optimized N-protein-ELISA provided a sensitivity of 89.7% (n = 68) for samples collected from patients with coneople, as all currently approved vaccines rely on the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S-) protein.
We conclude that the N-protein-based ELISA developed here is well suited for the sensitive and specific serological detection of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies in human serum for symptomatic infections. It may also prove useful to identify previous SARS-CoV-2 infections in vaccinated people, as all currently approved vaccines rely on the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S-) protein.
In recent years, preoperative nutrition has received great attention, especially for patients who received surgical reconstruction of the digestive tract such as esophagectomy. Preoperative nutrition therapy was reported to accelerate the patient's postoperative recovery. In addition, immune suppression, nausea, and vomiting may lead to poor immune and nutritional status of patients with esophageal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), which is not conducive to surgery. Therefore, preoperative nutritional treatment is necessary for patients with esophageal cancer who underwent NAC.
Patients with esophageal cancer who received NAC at Nanjing Jinling Hospital from January 2018 to September 2020 were retrospectively identified. selleck inhibitor Patients were divided into enteral immunonutrition (EIN) group (those who received a conventional diet and immunonutrition supplement, Peptisorb, Nutricia, 500mL/day * 7 via oral intake), and control group (those who only received a conventional diet were divided into).gnificant difference in ALBand adverse reactions between two groups (p = 0.303, p = 0.108, respectively).
Immunonutritional supplement after NAC is an effective strategy to improve the postoperative immune status of esophageal cancer patients and could reduce the incidence of infectious complication. More well-designed prospective studies are needed to verify and update our finding.
Immunonutritional supplement after NAC is an effective strategy to improve the postoperative immune status of esophageal cancer patients and could reduce the incidence of infectious complication. More well-designed prospective studies are needed to verify and update our finding.
An increasing number of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) of clinical trials have begun to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). The aim of this overview was to systematically summarize the current best evidence for the effectiveness of VR therapy for the rehabilitation of people with PD.
We searched SR-MAs based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for relevant literature in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases for systematic reviews from inception to December 5, 2020, and updated to January 26, 2022. The methodological quality of included SR-MAs was evaluated with the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), and the certainty of evidence for outcomes with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). We created an evidence map using a bubble plot format to represent the evidence base in 5 dimensions effect size of VR therapy versus active intervention (AT), clintural control. In the future, rigorous-designed, high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes are needed to further verify the effectiveness of VR therapy in the treatment of PD.
We found the methodological quality of the reviews was poor, and certainty of the most evidence within them was low to very low. We were therefore unable to conclude with any confidence that, in people with PD, VR therapy is harmful or beneficial for gait, balance, motor function, quality of life, activities of daily living, cognitive function, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and postural control. In the future, rigorous-designed, high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes are needed to further verify the effectiveness of VR therapy in the treatment of PD.Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) or Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is the most common form of dominant SCA worldwide. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS) provide promising non-invasive diagnostic and follow-up tools, also serving to evaluate therapies efficacy. However, pre-clinical studies showing relationship between MRI-MRS based biomarkers and functional performance are missing, which hampers an efficient clinical translation of therapeutics. This study assessed motor behaviour, neurochemical profiles, and morphometry of the cerebellum of MJD transgenic mice and patients aiming at establishing magnetic-resonance-based biomarkers. 1H-MRS and structural MRI measurements of MJD transgenic mice were performed with a 9.4 Tesla scanner, correlated with motor performance on rotarod and compared with data collected from human patients. We found decreased cerebellar white and grey matter and enlargement of the fourth ventricle in both MJD mice and human patients as compared to controls. N-acetylaspartate (NAA), NAA + N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAA + NAAG), Glutamate, and Taurine, were significantly decreased in MJD mouse cerebellum regardless of age, whereas myo-Inositol (Ins) was increased at early time-points. Lower neurochemical ratios levels (NAA/Ins and NAA/total Choline), previously correlated with worse clinical status in SCAs, were also observed in MJD mice cerebella. NAA, NAA + NAAG, Glutamate, and Taurine were also positively correlated with MJD mice motor performance. Importantly, these 1H-MRS results were largely analogous to those found for MJD in human studies and in our pilot data in human patients. We have established a magnetic resonance-based biomarker approach to monitor novel therapies in preclinical studies and human clinical trials.
Breast cancer infrequently metastasizes to the sternum as solitary metastasis. We experienced successful treatment with proton beam therapy for a case of sternal metastasis of breast cancer. This case demonstrates for the first time the role of proton therapy in the treatment of oligometastatic sternal metastasis with limited tolerance of normal tissue due to previous photon irradiation.
A 40-year-old Japanese female presented with lumpiness in her left breast. The patient was diagnosed with breast cancer (cT1N0M0, cStage IA) and underwent partial mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. After the mastectomy, the patient received radiation therapy with 50Gy in 25 fractions for initial irradiation of the left breast. After the initial irradiation of 50Gy, the patient received 10Gy in five fractions of a sequential boost for the tumor bed to a total dose of 60Gy. Although the patient was administered tamoxifen after radiation therapy, solitary sternal metastasis occurred 6months after radiation therapy. She refused chemotherapy and requested proton beam therapy for her sternal metastasis. The daily proton beam therapy fractions were 2.5 relative biological effectiveness, receiving a total dose of 70Gy relative biological effectiveness. An acute side effect of grade 2 dermatitis according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. occurred during proton beam therapy, but there was no acute or late complication of more than grade 3. At 3years after proton beam therapy, the patient remains in complete remission without surgery or chemotherapy.
Proton beam therapy for solitary sternal metastasis of breast cancer is considered to be a therapeutic option.
Proton beam therapy for solitary sternal metastasis of breast cancer is considered to be a therapeutic option.
The residents of both the agricultural and pastoral areas of Tibet share the same iodine deficiency and iodine nutrition, but the rate of thyroid goiter was significantly higher in the agricultural areas than in the pastoral areas. This project sought to determine why the populations in the iodine-deficient pastoral areas show a lower rate of thyroid goiter.
Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) and 24 h history recalls were adopted to investigate the dietary patterns of the residents of the agricultural and pastoral areas. Meat and milk samples were collected to measure their inorganic iodine, total iodine and thyroid hormone contents using ICP-MS, As
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catalytic spectrophotometry and the Siemens' chemiluminescence method, respectively. The intake of protein, and the microelements, selenium and iron, was calculated according to their content in the food.
The per capita daily intake of meat, dairy, and cereal in the pastoral areas was 116.7, 216.7, and 433.3 g, respectively, which are significantly nother important factor for reducing the goiter rates.
The significantly high intake of the food-borne thyroid hormone by the residents of the pastoral area could be the main reason the residents in the pastoral areas show a lower rate of thyroid goiter than those in the agricultural area. Moreover, the relatively high intake of protein and trace elements, selenium and iron by residents in the pastoral area could be another important factor for reducing the goiter rates.
Many health departments and private enterprises began offering SARS-CoV-2 testing to travelers at US airports in 2020. Persons with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results who have planned upcoming travel may be subject to US federal public health travel restrictions. We assessed availability of testing for SARS-CoV-2 at major US airports. We then describe the management of cases and close contacts at Denver International Airport's testing site.
We selected 100 US airports. Online surveys were conducted during November-December 2020 and assessed availability of testing for air travelers, flight crew, and airport employees. Respondents included health department (HD) staff or airport directors. We analyzed testing data and management practices for persons who tested positive and their close contacts at one airport (Denver International) from 12/21/2020 to 3/31/2021.
Among the 100 selected airports, we received information on 77 airports; 38 (49%) had a testing site and several more planned to offer one (N = 7; rts will likely increase as travel demand returns and test requirements for travel evolve. Lessons from Denver demonstrate how HDs can play a key role in engaging airport testing sites to ensure people who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 immediately before travel do not travel on commercial aircraft.
As of December 2020, nearly half of surveyed US airports had SARS-CoV-2 testing sites. Such large-scale adoption of airport testing for a communicable disease is unprecedented and presents new challenges for travelers, airlines, airports, and public health authorities. This assessment was completed before the US and other countries began enforcing entry testing requirements; testing at airports will likely increase as travel demand returns and test requirements for travel evolve. Lessons from Denver demonstrate how HDs can play a key role in engaging airport testing sites to ensure people who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 immediately before travel do not travel on commercial aircraft.
