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Suspended Particulate Matter Analysis of Pre and During Covid Lockdown Using Google Earth Engine Cloud Computing: A Case Study of Ukai Reservoir

Paul A, K S V, Sood A, Bhaumik S, Singh KA, Sethupathi S, et al.

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 2022 Dec 13;110(1):7.
PMID: 36512073 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-022-03638-9

Presence of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in a waterbody or a river can be caused by multiple parameters such as other pollutants by the discharge of poorly maintained sewage, siltation, sedimentation, flood and even bacteria. In this study, remote sensing techniques were used to understand the effects of pandemic-induced lockdown on the SPM concentration in the lower Tapi reservoir or Ukai reservoir. The estimation was done using Landsat-8 OLI (Operational Land Imager) having radiometric resolution (12-bit) and a spatial resolution of 30 m. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform was used in this study to generate the products. The GEE is a semi-automated workflow system using a robust approach designed for scientific analysis and visualization of geospatial datasets. An algorithm was deployed, and a time-series (2013-2020) analysis was done for the study area. It was found that the average mean value of SPM in Tapi River during 2020 is lowest than the last seven years at the same time.

Matched MeSH terms: Communicable Disease Control
3-Methylglutaconic aciduria, a frequent but underrecognized finding in carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency

Rokicki D, Pajdowska M, Trubicka J, Thong MK, Ciara E, Piekutowska-Abramczuk D, et al.

Clin Chim Acta, 2017 Aug;471:95-100.
PMID: 28526534 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2017.05.023

The urea cycle disorder carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency is an important differential diagnosis in the encephalopathic neonate. This intoxication type inborn error of metabolism often leads to neonatal death or severe and irreversible damage of the central nervous system, even despite appropriate treatment. Timely diagnosis is crucial, but can be difficult on routine metabolite level. Here, we report ten neonates from eight families (finally) diagnosed with CPS1 deficiency at three tertiary metabolic centres. In seven of them the laboratory findings were dominated by significantly elevated urinary 3-methylglutaconic acid levels which complicated the diagnostic process. Our findings are both important for the differential diagnosis of patients with urea cycle disorders and also broaden the differential diagnosis of hyperammonemia associated with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria, which was earlier only reported in TMEM70 and SERAC1 defect.

Matched MeSH terms: Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase I Deficiency Disease/diagnosis; Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase I Deficiency Disease/genetics; Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase I Deficiency Disease/urine*
Fulltext Chronic granulomatous disease--a report in two Malay families

Mohd Noh L, Noah RM, Wu LL, Nasuruddin BA, Junaidah E, Ooi CP, et al.

Singapore Med J, 1994 Oct;35(5):505-8.
PMID: 7701372

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a very rare disease whose defect lies in an abnormal intracellular killing resulting in recurrent abscesses, lymphadenitis and granuloma formation. We describe 2 Malay male infants with CGD whom we believe to be the first report of this disorder in Malays. Both children presented with recurrent abscesses, pneumoniae and hepatosplenomegaly; lymphadenopathy was also present in one of the patients. The organisms isolated were catalase positive bacteria. Both neutrophil chemiluminescence (against fungal and bacterial antigens, phorbol myristate acetate) and intracellular killing assays were severely depressed. Recognition of CGD is important as great strides have been made in the treatment of this disease which include gamma interferon therapy besides the conventional prophylactic antibacterial therapy.

Matched MeSH terms: Granulomatous Disease, Chronic/diagnosis*; Granulomatous Disease, Chronic/drug therapy; Granulomatous Disease, Chronic/immunology
Fulltext A Missed Diagnosis of Laryngotracheal Injury Secondary to Emergency Intubation: Lessons Learned

Dam VSKE, Mohamad S, Hassan NFHN, Mazlan MZ

Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove), 2022;65(3):112-117.
PMID: 36735889 DOI: 10.14712/18059694.2022.27

Iatrogenic laryngotracheal trauma is a potentially fatal complication of endotracheal intubation, especially in an emergency setting. Symptoms are almost always related to speech, breathing, and swallowing. Hoarseness being the commonest symptom, while shortness of breath and stridor always signify more devastating injury. We present a case of iatrogenic subglottic and tracheal stenosis, which was misdiagnosed in the emergency department during the first visit. This case report highlights the importance of salient history and thorough examination with a high index of suspicion in a stridorous case with a recent history of intubation. Early detection and management are vital to avoid a life-threatening event.

Matched MeSH terms: Iatrogenic Disease
Coffee, its roasted form, and their residues cause birth failure and shorten lifespan in dengue vectors

Dieng H, Ellias SB, Satho T, Ahmad AH, Abang F, Ghani IA, et al.

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Jun;24(17):14782-14794.
PMID: 28470499 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-8711-4

In dengue mosquitoes, successful embryonic development and long lifespan are key determinants for the persistence of both virus and vector. Therefore, targeting the egg stage and vector lifespan would be expected to have greater impacts than larvicides or adulticides, both strategies that have lost effectiveness due to the development of resistance. Therefore, there is now a pressing need to find novel chemical means of vector control. Coffee contains many chemicals, and its waste, which has become a growing environmental concern, is as rich in toxicants as the green coffee beans; these chemicals do not have a history of resistance in insects, but some are lost in the roasting process. We examined whether exposure to coffee during embryonic development could alter larval eclosion and lifespan of dengue vectors. A series of bioassays with different coffee forms and their residues indicated that larval eclosion responses of Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti were appreciably lower when embryonic maturation occurred in environments containing coffee, especially roasted coffee crude extract (RCC). In addition, the lifespan of adults derived from eggs that hatched successfully in a coffee milieu was reduced, but this effect was less pronounced with roasted and green coffee extracts (RCU and GCU, respectively). Taken together, these findings suggested that coffee and its residues have embryocidal activities with impacts that are carried over onto the adult lifespan of dengue vectors. These effects may significantly reduce the vectorial capacity of these insects. Reutilizing coffee waste in vector control may also represent a realistic solution to the issues associated with its pollution.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Vectors
Fulltext How COVID-19 induced panic on stock price and green finance markets: global economic recovery nexus from volatility dynamics

Tan LP, Sadiq M, Aldeehani TM, Ehsanullah S, Mutira P, Vu HM

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2022 Apr;29(18):26322-26335.
PMID: 34853996 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17774-y

This paper investigates the effect of different categories of essential COVID-19 data from 2020 to 2021 towards stock price dynamics and options markets. It applied the hypothetical method in which investors develop depression based on the understanding suggested by various green finance divisions. Furthermore, additional elements like panic, sentiment, and social networking sites may impact the attitude, size, and direction of green finance, subsequently impacting the security prices. We created new emotion proxies based on five groups of information, namely COVID-19, marketplace, lockdown, banking sector, and government relief using Google search data. The results show that (1) if the proportional number of traders' conduct exceeds the stock market, the effect of sentimentality indexes on jump volatility is expected to change; (2) the volatility index component jump radically increases with the COVID-19 index, city and market lockdown index, and banking index; and (3) expanding the COVID-19 index gives rise to the stock market index. Moreover, all indexes decreased in jump volatility but only after 5 days. These findings comply with the hypotheses proposed by our model.

Matched MeSH terms: Communicable Disease Control
Fulltext Disease Progression of WHIM Syndrome in an International Cohort of 66 Pediatric and Adult Patients

Geier CB, Ellison M, Cruz R, Pawar S, Leiss-Piller A, Zmajkovicova K, et al.

J Clin Immunol, 2022 Nov;42(8):1748-1765.
PMID: 35947323 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-022-01312-7

Warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, and myelokathexis (WHIM) syndrome (WS) is a combined immunodeficiency caused by gain-of-function mutations in the C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) gene. We characterize a unique international cohort of 66 patients, including 57 (86%) cases previously unreported, with variable clinical phenotypes. Of 17 distinct CXCR4 genetic variants within our cohort, 11 were novel pathogenic variants affecting 15 individuals (23%). All variants affect the same CXCR4 region and impair CXCR4 internalization resulting in hyperactive signaling. The median age of diagnosis in our cohort (5.5 years) indicates WHIM syndrome can commonly present in childhood, although some patients are not diagnosed until adulthood. The prevalence and mean age of recognition and/or onset of clinical manifestations within our cohort were infections 88%/1.6 years, neutropenia 98%/3.8 years, lymphopenia 88%/5.0 years, and warts 40%/12.1 years. However, we report greater prevalence and variety of autoimmune complications of WHIM syndrome (21.2%) than reported previously. Patients with versus without family history of WHIM syndrome were diagnosed earlier (22%, average age 1.3 years versus 78%, average age 5 years, respectively). Patients with a family history of WHIM syndrome also received earlier treatment, experienced less hospitalization, and had less end-organ damage. This observation reinforces previous reports that early treatment for WHIM syndrome improves outcomes. Only one patient died; death was attributed to complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The variable expressivity of WHIM syndrome in pediatric patients delays their diagnosis and therapy. Early-onset bacterial infections with severe neutropenia and/or lymphopenia should prompt genetic testing for WHIM syndrome, even in the absence of warts.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Progression
Fulltext Collective remembering and future forecasting during the COVID-19 pandemic: How the impact of COVID-19 affected the themes and phenomenology of global and national memories across 15 countries

Öner S, Watson LA, Adıgüzel Z, Ergen İ, Bilgin E, Curci A, et al.

Mem Cognit, 2023 Apr;51(3):729-751.
PMID: 35817990 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-022-01329-8

The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique set of circumstances in which to investigate collective memory and future simulations of events reported during the onset of a potentially historic event. Between early April and late June 2020, we asked over 4,000 individuals from 15 countries across four continents to report on remarkable (a) national and (b) global events that (i) had happened since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, and (ii) they expected to happen in the future. Whereas themes of infections, lockdown, and politics dominated global and national past events in most countries, themes of economy, a second wave, and lockdown dominated future events. The themes and phenomenological characteristics of the events differed based on contextual group factors. First, across all conditions, the event themes differed to a small yet significant degree depending on the severity of the pandemic and stringency of governmental response at the national level. Second, participants reported national events as less negative and more vivid than global events, and group differences in emotional valence were largest for future events. This research demonstrates that even during the early stages of the pandemic, themes relating to its onset and course were shared across many countries, thus providing preliminary evidence for the emergence of collective memories of this event as it was occurring. Current findings provide a profile of past and future collective events from the early stages of the ongoing pandemic, and factors accounting for the consistencies and differences in event representations across 15 countries are discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Communicable Disease Control
Fulltext Does baricitinib reduce mortality and disease progression in SARS-CoV-2 virus infected patients? A systematic review and meta analysis

Manoharan S, Ying LY

Respir Med, 2022 Oct;202:106986.
PMID: 36150282 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2022.106986

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting reports on the results of several of the latest clinical trials related to the use of baricitinib in the management of COVID-19 patients. The aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of baricitinib in COVID-19 patients.
METHODS: Databases like ScienceDirect, PubMed/Medline, Publons, Google Scholar and other sources like ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane, medRxiv, Research Square and reference lists were thoroughly searched.
RESULTS: Fifteen (15) articles which met the inclusion criteria were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. Based on Cochrane and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) risk of bias (RoB) analyses, 14/15 articles are grouped as high-quality. Meta-analyses revealed that randomised control trials (RCTs) and non-randomised control trials (nRCTs) statistically significantly reduced the mortality rate in COVID-19 patients, with a risk ratio (RR) in the fixed-effect model was RR = 0.64 [95% CI: 0.51 to 0.79; p

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Progression
Diagnostic value of serum and tissue eosinophil in diagnosis of asthma among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis

Che Mat CMH, Md Shukri N, Mohamad S, Tuan Sharif SE, Ramli R, Jais MH, et al.

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 2023 May;280(5):2283-2291.
PMID: 36401099 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-022-07746-4

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases of sinonasal mucosa. Asthma among CRS patients is often underdiagnosed which makes the management of CRS more challenging. Therefore, using serum and tissue eosinophil as an indicator and predictor of asthma in CRS patients is vital for further preventing recurrent and increasing the effectiveness of treatment for CRS.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the association and diagnostic ability of serum and tissue eosinophils in the diagnosis of asthma among CRS patients.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 24 CRS patients with asthma and without asthma, respectively, from the Otorhinolaryngology clinic of two tertiary hospitals located on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Serum and tissue eosinophils (obtained from nasal polyp) levels between both groups were compared. Association between serum and tissue eosinophils with asthma was evaluated using logistic regression analysis, adjusting for important sociodemographic characteristics. The diagnostic ability of serum and tissue eosinophil was then evaluated by assessing the receiver operating characteristic curve.
RESULTS: A total of 48 CRS patients with a mean [SD] age of 47.50 [14.99] years were included. Patients with asthma had significantly higher serum [0.48 vs 0.35 × 109/L] and tissue eosinophil [100 vs 8.5 per HPF] levels. Tissue eosinophils were found to be an independent predictor of asthma with adjusted OR 1.05, p 0.375 × 109/L and tissue eosinophil > 58 per HPF.

Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
Chronic melioidosis

Smith KV, Grimmond T, Monk I

Med J Aust, 1975 Sep 20;2(12):479-80.
PMID: 1196186

This report is of a man who suffered from chronic melioidosis contracted in Malaysia. In the course of the disease he had a lobe of a lung resected, developed empyema and, while this was still draining, developed infection in an ankle. Both the empyema thoracis and the ankle infection were due to Pseudomonas pseudomallel. He now appears to be cured, probably by massive doses of tetracycline.

Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
Autophagy inhibition suppresses Newcastle disease virus-induced cell death by inhibiting viral replication in human breast cancer cells

Rozilah MI, Yusoff K, Chia SL, Ismail S

Virology, 2024 Feb;590:109957.
PMID: 38100982 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.109957

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an oncolytic virus which selectively replicates in cancer cells without harming normal cells. Autophagy is a cellular mechanism that breaks down unused cytoplasmic constituents into nutrients. In previous studies, autophagy enhanced NDV-induced oncolysis in lung cancer and glioma cells. However, the effect of autophagy inhibition on NDV-induced oncolysis in breast cancer cells remains unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of autophagy inhibition on NDV-induced oncolysis in human breast cancer cells, MCF7. To inhibit autophagy, we knocked down the expression of the autophagy protein beclin-1 (BECN1) by short interfering RNA (siRNA). The cells were infected with the recombinant NDV strain AF2240 expressing green fluorescent protein. We found that NDV induced autophagy and knockdown of BECN1 significantly reduced the NDV-induced autophagy in MCF7 cells. Importantly, BECN1 knockdown significantly suppressed cell death by inhibiting viral replication, as observed at 24 h post infection. Overall, our data suggest that autophagy inhibition may not be a suitable strategy to enhance NDV oncolytic efficacy against breast cancer.

Matched MeSH terms: Newcastle Disease*; Newcastle disease virus/genetics
Probing the anti-Aβ42 aggregation and protective effects of prenylated xanthone against Aβ42-induced toxicity in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans model

Thew HY, Boon Keat K, Tan YC, Ong YS, Parat MO, Murugaiyah V, et al.

Chem Biol Interact, 2024 May 01;394:110978.
PMID: 38552766 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.110978

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein aggregates, leading to synaptic dysfunction and neuronal cell death. In this study, we used a comprehensive approach encompassing in vitro assays, computational analyses, and an in vivo Caenorhabditis elegans model to evaluate the inhibitory effects of various xanthones, focusing on Garcinone D (GD), on Aβ42 oligomer formation. Dot blot analysis revealed concentration-dependent responses among xanthones, with GD consistently inhibiting Aβ42 oligomer formation at low concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 μM, inhibitions of 84.66 ± 2.25% and 85.06 ± 6.57%, respectively). Molecular docking and dynamics simulations provided insights into the molecular interactions between xanthones and Aβ42, highlighting the disruption of key residues involved in Aβ42 aggregation. The neuroprotective potential of GD was established using transgenic C. elegans GMC101, with substantial delays in paralysis reported at higher concentrations. Our findings show that GD is a potent suppressor of Aβ42 oligomer formation, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic candidate for AD. The concentration-dependent effects observed in both in vitro and in vivo models underscore the need for nuanced dose-response assessments. These findings contribute novel insights into the therapeutic landscape of xanthones against AD, emphasizing the multifaceted potential of GD for further translational endeavors in neurodegenerative disorder research.

Matched MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy; Alzheimer Disease/metabolism; Disease Models, Animal
Fulltext Perceptions of risk and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic among women and older adults

Ke GN, Gow A, Wong RMM, Raman S, Mohammad Z, De-Lima N, et al.

PLoS One, 2024;19(4):e0301009.
PMID: 38630742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301009

The world's health, economic, and social systems have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdown measures being a common response strategy in most countries, many individuals were faced with financial and mental health challenges. The current study explored the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being, perception of risk factors and coping strategies of two vulnerable groups in Malaysia, namely women and older adults from low-income households (USD592). A purposive sample of 30 women and 30 older adults was interviewed via telephone during Malaysia's Movement Control Order (MCO) regarding the challenges they faced throughout the pandemic. Thematic analysis was subsequently conducted to identify key themes. The themes identified from the thematic analysis indicated a degree of overlap between both groups. For women, seven themes emerged: 1) Psychological challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, 2) Family violence, 3) Finance and employment related stress and anxiety, 4) Women's inequality and prejudice, 5) Coping strategies, 6) Professional support, and 7) Women's empowerment. Similarly, there were six themes for the older adults: 1) Adverse emotional experiences from COVID-19, 2) Threats to health security, 3) Loss of social connections, 4) Government aid to improve older adults' psychological well-being, 5) Psychological support from family members and pets, and 6) Self-reliance, religion, and spirituality. The findings provide valuable information on the specific burdens faced by these groups, and support psychological interventions and mitigations that would be appropriate to improve well-being during the recovery phase.

Matched MeSH terms: Communicable Disease Control
Fulltext Training strategies of 10,074 athletes from 121 countries based on human development index in early COVID-19 lockdown

Galy O, Washif JA, Wattelez G, Farooq A, Hue O, Sandbakk Ø, et al.

Sci Rep, 2024 Apr 17;14(1):8866.
PMID: 38632327 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59375-y

The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between changes in training practices and human development index (HDI) levels, and identify strategies employed by athletes who consistently maintained their training quantity during the first 100 days of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 10,074 athletes (5290 amateur and 4787 professional athletes from 121 countries) completed an online survey between 17 May to 5 July 2020. We explored their training practices, including specific questions on training frequency, duration and quantity before and during lockdown (March-June 2020), stratified according to the human development index (HDI): low-medium, high, or very high HDI. During the COVID-19 lockdown, athletes in low-medium HDI countries focused on innovative training. Nevertheless, women and amateur athletes experienced a substantial reduction in training activity. Performance-driven athletes and athletes from higher HDI indexed countries, were likely to have more opportunities to diversify training activities during lockdowns, facilitated by the flexibility to perform training away from home. Factors such as lockdown rules, socioeconomic environment, and training education limited training diversification and approaches, particularly in low-medium and high HDI countries. Athletes (amateurs and professionals) who maintained the quantity of training during lockdown appeared to prioritize basic cardiovascular and strength training, irrespective of HDI level. Modifying training and fitness programs may help mitigate the decrease in training activities during lockdowns. Customized training prescriptions based on gender, performance, and HDI level will assist individuals to effectively perform and maintain training activities during lockdowns, or other challenging (lockdown-like) situations.

Matched MeSH terms: Communicable Disease Control
Fulltext A case of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) presenting with acute urinary retention and T6 sensory level

Khoo CS, Ali AH, Remli R, Tan HJ

Clin Med (Lond), 2018 Aug;18(4):308-310.
PMID: 30072555 DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-4-308

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute immune-mediated demyelinating disease. Early recognition of this disease is crucial as it can progress to life-threatening conditions such as respiratory failure or autonomic dysfunction. Typical clinical manifestations of GBS include progressive weakness of the limbs, bulbar, facial muscles and ophthalmoplegia. Sensory level and bladder dysfunction are more suggestive of acute myelopathy. We report a case of GBS presenting with acute urinary retention and T6 sensory level, which was successfully treated with plasma exchange.

Matched MeSH terms: Acute Disease
Fulltext Description of the COVID-19 epidemiology in Malaysia

Md Nadzri MN, Md Zamri ASS, Singh S, Sumarni MG, Lai CH, Tan CV, et al.

Front Public Health, 2024;12:1289622.
PMID: 38544725 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1289622

INTRODUCTION: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it has spread rapidly across the world and has resulted in recurrent outbreaks. This study aims to describe the COVID-19 epidemiology in terms of COVID-19 cases, deaths, ICU admissions, ventilator requirements, testing, incidence rate, death rate, case fatality rate (CFR) and test positivity rate for each outbreak from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 till endemicity of COVID-19 in 2022 in Malaysia.
METHODS: Data was sourced from the GitHub repository and the Ministry of Health's official COVID-19 website. The study period was from the beginning of the outbreak in Malaysia, which began during Epidemiological Week (Ep Wk) 4 in 2020, to the last Ep Wk 18 in 2022. Data were aggregated by Ep Wk and analyzed in terms of COVID-19 cases, deaths, ICU admissions, ventilator requirements, testing, incidence rate, death rate, case fatality rate (CFR) and test positivity rate by years (2020 and 2022) and for each outbreak of COVID-19.
RESULTS: A total of 4,456,736 cases, 35,579 deaths and 58,906,954 COVID-19 tests were reported for the period from 2020 to 2022. The COVID-19 incidence rate, death rate, CFR and test positivity rate were reported at 1.085 and 0.009 per 1,000 populations, 0.80 and 7.57%, respectively, for the period from 2020 to 2022. Higher cases, deaths, testing, incidence/death rate, CFR and test positivity rates were reported in 2021 and during the Delta outbreak. This is evident by the highest number of COVID-19 cases, ICU admissions, ventilatory requirements and deaths observed during the Delta outbreak.
CONCLUSION: The Delta outbreak was the most severe compared to other outbreaks in Malaysia's study period. In addition, this study provides evidence that outbreaks of COVID-19, which are caused by highly virulent and transmissible variants, tend to be more severe and devastating if these outbreaks are not controlled early on. Therefore, close monitoring of key epidemiological indicators, as reported in this study, is essential in the control and management of future COVID-19 outbreaks in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Applying an evolutionary mismatch framework to understand disease susceptibility

Lea AJ, Clark AG, Dahl AW, Devinsky O, Garcia AR, Golden CD, et al.

PLoS Biol, 2023 Sep;21(9):e3002311.
PMID: 37695771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002311

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are on the rise worldwide. Obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes are among a long list of "lifestyle" diseases that were rare throughout human history but are now common. The evolutionary mismatch hypothesis posits that humans evolved in environments that radically differ from those we currently experience; consequently, traits that were once advantageous may now be "mismatched" and disease causing. At the genetic level, this hypothesis predicts that loci with a history of selection will exhibit "genotype by environment" (GxE) interactions, with different health effects in "ancestral" versus "modern" environments. To identify such loci, we advocate for combining genomic tools in partnership with subsistence-level groups experiencing rapid lifestyle change. In these populations, comparisons of individuals falling on opposite extremes of the "matched" to "mismatched" spectrum are uniquely possible. More broadly, the work we propose will inform our understanding of environmental and genetic risk factors for NCDs across diverse ancestries and cultures.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Susceptibility
Development of the global inflammatory bowel disease visualization of epidemiology studies in the 21st century (GIVES-21)

Mak JWY, Sun Y, Limsrivilai J, Abdullah M, Kaibullayeva J, Balderramo D, et al.

BMC Med Res Methodol, 2023 May 25;23(1):129.
PMID: 37231405 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-023-01944-2

BACKGROUND: There is a rapid increase in the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in newly industrialized countries, yet epidemiological data is incomplete. We herein report the methodology adopted to study the incidence of IBD in newly industrialized countries and to evaluate the effect of environmental factors including diet on IBD development.
METHODS: Global IBD Visualization of Epidemiology Studies in the 21st Century (GIVES-21) is a population-based cohort of newly diagnosed persons with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to be followed prospectively for 12 months. New cases were ascertained from multiple sources and were entered into a secured online system. Cases were confirmed using standard diagnostic criteria. In addition, endoscopy, pathology and pharmacy records from each local site were searched to ensure completeness of case capture. Validated environmental and dietary questionnaires were used to determine exposure in incident cases prior to diagnosis.
RESULTS: Through November 2022, 106 hospitals from 24 regions (16 Asia; 6 Latin America; 2 Africa) have joined the GIVES-21 Consortium. To date, over 290 incident cases have been reported. All patients have demographic data, clinical disease characteristics, and disease course data including healthcare utilization, medication history and environmental and dietary exposures data collected. We have established a comprehensive platform and infrastructure required to examine disease incidence, risk factors and disease course of IBD in the real-world setting.
CONCLUSIONS: The GIVES-21 consortium offers a unique opportunity to investigate the epidemiology of IBD and explores new clinical research questions on the association between environmental and dietary factors and IBD development in newly industrialized countries.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Progression
[Evidence based guidelines. Diagnosis and management of Guillain-Barré syndrome in ten steps]

Leonhard SE, Mandarakas MR, de Assis Aquino Gondim F, Bateman K, Brito Ferreira ML, Cornblath DR, et al.

Medicina (B Aires), 2021;81(5):817-836.
PMID: 34633957

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare, but potentially fatal, immune-mediated disease of the peripheral nerves and nerve roots that is usually triggered by infections. The incidence of GBS can therefore increase during outbreaks of infectious diseases, as was seen during the Zika virus epidemics in 2013 in French Polynesia and in 2015 in Latin America. Diagnosis and management of GBS can be complicated as its clinical presentation and disease course are heterogeneous, and no international clinical guidelines are currently available. To support clinicians, especially in the context of an outbreak, we have developed a globally applicable guideline for the diagnosis and management of GBS. The guideline is based on current literature and expert consensus, and has a ten-step structure to facilitate its use in clinical practice. We first provide an introduction to the diagnostic criteria, clinical variants and differential diagnoses of GBS. The ten steps then cover early recognition and diagnosis of GBS, admission to the intensive care unit, treatment indication and selection, monitoring and treatment of disease progression, prediction of clinical course and outcome, and management of complications and sequelae.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks

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