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Seasonal Influenza Vaccination in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated With Ibrutinib.
JAMA Oncol. 2016 Dec 01;2(12):1656-1657
Authors: Sun C, Gao J, Couzens L, Tian X, Farooqui MZ, Eichelberger MC, Wiestner A
PMID: 27533065 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Contribution of a rapid influenza diagnostic test to manage hospitalized patients with suspected influenza.
Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2017 Mar;87(3):238-242
Authors: Busson L, Mahadeb B, De Foor M, Vandenberg O, Hallin M
Abstract
AIM: To evaluate the performances of the Alere i influenza A&B test and to appraise its contribution to patient management.
METHODS: In total, 267 samples were tested. Influenza A and B PCR was performed as the reference. For each positive result, the supervising physician was contacted to collect data regarding patient management.
FINDINGS: The overall sensitivity and specificity of the Alere i were 91.4% and 97.6% for influenza A and 54.5% and 98.8% for influenza B, respectively. More specifically, when used in the emergency room (ER), the test helped avoid 10.7% of hospitalizations, 46.4% of antibiotic prescriptions and 42.9% of additional investigations for positive patients. The test was also helpful in instituting the prescription of oseltamivir and patient isolation.
CONCLUSION: Alere i influenza A&B is a rapid, sensitive and specific diagnostic test for influenza A. Sensitivity for influenza B was poor. Its usefulness was more important when patients were still in the ER.
PMID: 27939284 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Influenza Seasonality in the Tropics and Subtropics - When to Vaccinate?
PLoS One. 2016;11(4):e0153003
Authors: Hirve S, Newman LP, Paget J, Azziz-Baumgartner E, Fitzner J, Bhat N, Vandemaele K, Zhang W
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The timing of the biannual WHO influenza vaccine composition selection and production cycle has been historically directed to the influenza seasonality patterns in the temperate regions of the northern and southern hemispheres. Influenza activity, however, is poorly understood in the tropics with multiple peaks and identifiable year-round activity. The evidence-base needed to take informed decisions on vaccination timing and vaccine formulation is often lacking for the tropics and subtropics. This paper aims to assess influenza seasonality in the tropics and subtropics. It explores geographical grouping of countries into vaccination zones based on optimal timing of influenza vaccination.
METHODS: Influenza seasonality was assessed by different analytic approaches (weekly proportion of positive cases, time series analysis, etc.) using FluNet and national surveillance data. In case of discordance in the seasonality assessment, consensus was built through discussions with in-country experts. Countries with similar onset periods of their primary influenza season were grouped into geographical zones.
RESULTS: The number and period of peak activity was ascertained for 70 of the 138 countries in the tropics and subtropics. Thirty-seven countries had one and seventeen countries had two distinct peaks. Countries near the equator had secondary peaks or even identifiable year-round activity. The main influenza season in most of South America and Asia started between April and June. The start of the main season varied widely in Africa (October and December in northern Africa, April and June in Southern Africa and a mixed pattern in tropical Africa). Eight "influenza vaccination zones" (two each in America and Asia, and four in Africa and Middle East) were defined with recommendations for vaccination timing and vaccine formulation. The main limitation of our study is that FluNet and national surveillance data may lack the granularity to detect sub-national variability in seasonality patterns.
CONCLUSION: Distinct influenza seasonality patterns, though complex, could be ascertained for most countries in the tropics and subtropics using national surveillance data. It may be possible to group countries into zones based on similar recommendations for vaccine timing and formulation.
PMID: 27119988 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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RIG-I ligand enhances the immunogenicity of recombinant H7HA protein.
Cell Immunol. 2016 Jun-Jul;304-305:55-8
Authors: Cao W, Liepkalns JS, Kamal RP, Reber AJ, Kim JH, Hofstetter AR, Amoah S, Stevens J, Ranjan P, Gangappa S, York IA, Sambhara S
Abstract
Avian H7N9 influenza virus infection with fatal outcomes continues to pose a pandemic threat and highly immunogenic vaccines are urgently needed. In this report we show that baculovirus-derived recombinant H7 hemagglutinin protein, when delivered with RIG-I ligand, induced enhanced antibody and T cell responses and conferred protection against lethal challenge with a homologous H7N9 virus. These findings indicate the potential utility of RIG-I ligands as vaccine adjuvants to increase the immunogenicity of recombinant H7 hemagglutinin.
PMID: 27106062 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Promoter-Specific Expression and Genomic Structure of IgLON Family Genes in Mouse.
Front Neurosci. 2017;11:38
Authors: Vanaveski T, Singh K, Narvik J, Eskla KL, Visnapuu T, Heinla I, Jayaram M, Innos J, Lilleväli K, Philips MA, Vasar E
Abstract
IgLON family is composed of five genes: Lsamp, Ntm, Opcml, Negr1, and Iglon5; encoding for five highly homologous neural adhesion proteins that regulate neurite outgrowth and synapse formation. In the current study we performed in silico analysis revealing that Ntm and Opcml display similar genomic structure as previously reported for Lsamp, characterized by two alternative promotors 1a and 1b. Negr1 and Iglon5 transcripts have uniform 5' region, suggesting single promoter. Iglon5, the recently characterized family member, shares high level of conservation and structural qualities characteristic to IgLON family such as N-terminal signal peptide, three Ig domains, and GPI anchor binding site. By using custom 5'-isoform-specific TaqMan gene-expression assay, we demonstrated heterogeneous expression of IgLON transcripts in different areas of mouse brain and several-fold lower expression in selected tissues outside central nervous system. As an example, the expression of IgLON transcripts in urogenital and reproductive system is in line with repeated reports of urogenital tumors accompanied by mutations in IgLON genes. Considering the high levels of intra-family homology shared by IgLONs, we investigated potential compensatory effects at the level of IgLON isoforms in the brains of mice deficient of one or two family members. We found that the lack of IgLONs is not compensated by a systematic quantitative increase of the other family members. On the contrary, the expression of Ntm 1a transcript and NEGR1 protein was significantly reduced in the frontal cortex of Lsamp-deficient mice suggesting that the expression patterns within IgLON family are balanced coherently. The actions of individual IgLONs, however, can be antagonistic as demonstrated by differential expression of Syp in deletion mutants of IgLONs. In conclusion, we show that the genomic twin-promoter structure has impact on both anatomical distribution and intra-family interactions of IgLON family members. Remarkable variety in the activity levels of 1a and 1b promoters both in the brain and in other tissues, suggests complex functional regulation of IgLONs by alternative signal peptides driven by 1a and 1b promoters.
PMID: 28210208 [PubMed - in process]
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Lactate Shuttles in Neuroenergetics-Homeostasis, Allostasis and Beyond.
Front Neurosci. 2017;11:43
Authors: Mason S
Abstract
Understanding brain energy metabolism-neuroenergetics-is becoming increasingly important as it can be identified repeatedly as the source of neurological perturbations. Within the scientific community we are seeing a shift in paradigms from the traditional neurocentric view to that of a more dynamic, integrated one where astrocytes are no longer considered as being just supportive, and activated microglia have a profound influence. Lactate is emerging as the "good guy," contrasting its classical "bad guy" position in the now superseded medical literature. This review begins with the evolution of the concept of "lactate shuttles"; goes on to the recent shift in ideas regarding normal neuroenergetics (homeostasis)-specifically, the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle; and progresses to covering the metabolic implications whereby homeostasis is lost-a state of allostasis, and the function of microglia. The role of lactate, as a substrate and shuttle, is reviewed in light of allostatic stress, and beyond-in an acute state of allostatic stress in terms of physical brain trauma, and reflected upon with respect to persistent stress as allostatic overload-neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, the recently proposed astrocyte-microglia lactate shuttle is discussed in terms of chronic neuroinflammatory infectious diseases, using tuberculous meningitis as an example. The novelty extended by this review is that the directionality of lactate, as shuttles in the brain, in neuropathophysiological states is emerging as crucial in neuroenergetics.
PMID: 28210209 [PubMed - in process]
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Corrigendum: Recombinant hNeuritin Promotes Structural and Functional Recovery of Sciatic Nerve Injury in Rats.
Front Neurosci. 2017;11:65
Authors: Wang H, Li X, Shan L, Zhu J, Chen R, Li Y, Yuan W, Yang L, Huang J
Abstract
[This corrects the article on p. 589 in vol. 10, PMID: 28066172.].
PMID: 28210210 [PubMed - in process]
