HIV is associated with elevated FibroScan-AST (FAST) score

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader HIV is associated with elevated FibroScan-AST (FAST) score Via Clinical Infectious Diseases Advance Access Abstract Background & Aims Whether HIV infection is associated with the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remains unclear. The FibroScan-AST (FAST) score was developed to identify patients who have histologic NASH with high nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS≥4) and significant liver fibrosis (≥F2), which has been associated with higher risk of end-stage liver disease. We examined whether HIV infection is associated with elevated FAST score in a large United States (US) cohort. Approach Vibration controlled transient elastography was performed in 1309 women without history of chronic viral hepatitis enrolled from 10 US sites: 928 women living with HIV (WLWH) and 381 women living without HIV (WLWOH). We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate associations of HIV, demographic, lifestyle, and metabolic factors with an elevated (>0.35) FAST score. Results Median age of WLWH and WLWOH was 51 years and 48 years, respectively. Most (90%) WLWH were on antiretroviral therapy and 72% had undetectable HIV RNA. Prevalence of elevated FAST score was higher among WLWH compared to WLWOH, 6.3% vs 1.8% (p=0.001). On multivariable analysis, HIV infection was associated with 3.7-fold higher odds of elevated FAST score (p=0.002) and greater waist circumference (per 10 cm) was associated with 1.7-fold higher odds (p<0.001). In analysis limited to WLWH, undetectable HIV RNA and current protease inhibitor use were independently associated with lower odds of elevated FAST score. Conclusions Our findings suggest that HIV is an independent risk factor for NASH with significant activity and fibrosis. Studies validating FAST score in persons living with HIV are warranted. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Relative Vaccine Effectiveness of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Booster Dose Against the Omicron Variant

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Relative Vaccine Effectiveness of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Booster Dose Against the Omicron Variant Via Clinical Infectious Diseases Advance Access Abstract Background The current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines may be less effective against the Omicron variant. With recent resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 cases, the role of booster doses of the vaccine needs to be highlighted. Methods Using a retrospective cohort study design emulating a target trial, we determined the relative effectiveness of a homologous booster dose of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine compared with primary series alone in preventing infection, hospitalization, a nd intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system in the US. Among infection-free survivors who received two doses of an mRNA vaccine prior to April 30, 2021, we identified those who received a booster between September 22 and December 25, 2021 and 1:1 matched individuals who did not receive a booster. Results Among 2,384,272 previously uninfected persons with two doses of an mRNA vaccine by April 30, 2021, we identified 462,950 booster recipients between September 22 and December 25, 2021 who were matched 1:1 with non-booster recipients. RVE (95% CI) was 19% (17-22%) for confirmed infection, 52% (46-57%) for hospitalization, and 83% (65-92%) for ICU admission or death. Recipients of the mRNA-1273 vaccine had a lower cumulative incidence of infections and hospitalizations compared with BNT-162b2 vaccine (log-rank p-value <0.001 for both comparisons). Conclusion While the RVE of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA booster vacci ne dose in preventing infection against the Omicron variant is low, the RVE is substantial in preventing hospitalization and high in preventing the most severe/critical disease. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Gratitude, relatedness needs satisfaction, and negative psychological outcomes during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A short‐term longitudinal study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Gratitude, relatedness needs satisfaction, and negative psychological outcomes during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A short‐term longitudinal study Via Journal of Clinical Psychology Abstract Objectives Although gratitude relates to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) well-being outcomes in the United States, more evidence is needed to understand how this psychological strength reciprocally relates to mental health during this pandemic. This study examines the association of gratitude with stress, anxiety, and depression among undergraduate students in the United States via a longitudinal design. Methods An online survey was administered to 643 undergraduate students in a public university located in the southeastern region of the United States. There was a 1-month interval between the first and second waves of data collection. Results Cross-lagged panel structural equation modeling showed that whereas gratitude positively predicted subsequent relatedness needs satisfaction, it negatively predicted later stress, anxiety, and depression. Relatedness needs satisfaction was reciprocally linked to subsequent gratitude. Conclusion Results suggest that gratitude might serve as a protective psychological resource against the detrimental mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Investigating the efficacy of attentional bias modification on individuals with spider phobia through the emotional attention network test

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Investigating the efficacy of attentional bias modification on individuals with spider phobia through the emotional attention network test Via Journal of Clinical Psychology Abstract Objectives This study aimed to investigate the attention network function of spider phobics before and after attentional bias modification (ABM) through conduction of an emotional attention network test (eANT). Methods Scores from an eANT, an approach–avoidance task, and various scales were used to examine the training effect of a single ABM session among participants (30 individuals with spider phobia and 30 controls). Results At baseline, alertness scores in response to spider images were higher in the phobia group than in the control group (x̄ = 51.81 vs. 30.35 ms). After ABM, this score decreased in the phobia group, indicating their lower susceptibility to distraction by images of spiders. However, ABM training did not considerably alleviate their fear of and avoidance behavior toward spiders. Conclusion This study elucidates the (1) vigilance–avoidance pattern among individuals with spider phobia when encountering spider-related stimuli and (2) change in underlying attentional mechanisms after ABM training. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

PET2 response associated with survival in newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results of two independent prospective cohorts

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader PET2 response associated with survival in newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results of two independent prospective cohorts Via Blood Cancer Journal - Issue - nature.com science feeds View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Hydroxyl radical is predominantly involved in oxidatively generated base damage to cellular DNA exposed to ionizing radiation

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Hydroxyl radical is predominantly involved in oxidatively generated base damage to cellular DNA exposed to ionizing radiation Via International Journal of Radiation Biology: Table of Contents: Taylor and Francis . View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Clinical evaluation of the GSD NovaPrime® SARS-CoV-2 RTq-PCR assay

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Clinical evaluation of the GSD NovaPrime® SARS-CoV-2 RTq-PCR assay Via ScienceDirect Publication: Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease Publication date: Available online 3 May 2022 Source: Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease Author(s): Marie Tré-Hardy, Sébastien Piteüs, Ingrid Beukinga, Laurent Blairon View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.