AIM: The current study was designed to understand the time-relative changes and relationship between erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of SHI patients in the 21-day posttraumatic study period.
SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study included 24 SHI patients and 25 age- and sex-matched normal controls (NC). Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were assayed in these patients and controls. The GCS scores of these patients were also recorded for the comparative study.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Venous blood samples were collected on day 7 (D7) and D21 from SHI patients and NC for the assay of SOD, GR and GSH-Px activities. These changes were correlated with age and changes in GCS scores of patients.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare mean values of each parameter between group 1 (NC), group 2 (D7 changes in SHI patients) and group 3 (D21 changes in SHI patients). ANOVA was followed by Bonferroni post hoc tests. The Pearson correlation was applied to correlate between the antioxidant parameters and age and GCS scores of these patients.
RESULTS: A significant increase in erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px activities was observed in group 3 as compared to groups 1 and 2. The increase in GSH-Px activity was significant in group 2 as compared to group 1. Although not significant, there was an increase in mean GR activity in groups 2 and 3 as compared to group 1.
CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that SHI patients have shown significantly enhanced erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px activities during the 21-day posttraumatic study period.
OBJECTIVE: With a descriptive epidemiological framing, we assessed whether recent historical patterns of regional influenza burden are reflected in the observed heterogeneity in COVID-19 cases across regions of the world.
METHODS: Weekly surveillance data reported by the World Health Organization from January 2017 to December 2019 for influenza and from January 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020, for COVID-19 were used to assess seasonal and temporal trends for influenza and COVID-19 cases across the seven World Bank regions.
RESULTS: In regions with more pronounced influenza seasonality, COVID-19 epidemics have largely followed trends similar to those seen for influenza from 2017 to 2019. COVID-19 epidemics in countries across Europe, Central Asia, and North America have been marked by a first peak during the spring, followed by significant reductions in COVID-19 cases in the summer months and a second wave in the fall. In Latin America and the Caribbean, COVID-19 epidemics in several countries peaked in the summer, corresponding to months with the highest influenza activity in the region. Countries from regions with less pronounced influenza activity, including South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, showed more heterogeneity in COVID-19 epidemics seen to date. However, similarities in COVID-19 and influenza trends were evident within select countries irrespective of region.
CONCLUSIONS: Ecological consistency in COVID-19 trends seen to date with influenza trends suggests the potential for shared individual, structural, and environmental determinants of transmission. Using a descriptive epidemiological framework to assess shared regional trends for rapidly emerging respiratory pathogens with better studied respiratory infections may provide further insights into the differential impacts of nonpharmacologic interventions and intersections with environmental conditions. Ultimately, forecasting trends and informing interventions for novel respiratory pathogens like COVID-19 should leverage epidemiologic patterns in the relative burden of past respiratory pathogens as prior information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03632-w.
METHODS: All the 127 patients, who received either three repeated doses (n = 64) or a single dose (n = 63) of GO-ON in the previous trial, were followed up in month 12 following the treatment. The effectiveness of both the regimens was assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and the mean WOMAC scores were compared with those recorded at the baseline and in month 3. Additionally, the total treatment costs of the two regimens, taking account of both direct and indirect costs, were computed and compared.
RESULTS: A total of 125 patients (98.4%) completed the assessment. Despite the reduction of the overall mean WOMAC score from 39.24 to 19.93 (p < 0.001) in the first 3 months following the treatment with GO-ON, no further changes were observed up to month 12 (p > 0.95). In the meantime, the two regimens did not differ in the mean WOMAC scores (p = 0.749) and in the subscale scores for pain (p = 0.970), stiffness (p = 0.526), and physical functioning (p = 0.667) in month 12. The cost for single-dose injection was found to be approximately 30% lower compared to the repeated doses.
CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the single larger dose of GO-ON is as effective as the repeated doses over 12 months, and yet the total treatment cost is lowered.