Usefulness of dried blood spot samples for monitoring hepatitis C treatment outcome and reinfection among people who inject drugs in a test‐and‐treat program

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Usefulness of dried blood spot samples for monitoring hepatitis C treatment outcome and reinfection among people who inject drugs in a test‐and‐treat program via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract Background Dried blood spots (DBS) are a reliable tool to diagnose viremic HCV infection. We evaluated the clinical performance of a DBS-based molecular assay for the assessment of cure and reinfection after on-site treatment at a harm reduction centre (HRC). Genotyping from DBS samples was also assessed to discriminate reinfection from treatment failure. Methods People who inject drugs (PWID) from an ongoing microelimination pilot at the largest HRC in Barcelona were included in the study. HCV-RNA detection from DBS collected after treatment (with follow-up at 12, 36 and 60 weeks) was compared with a molecular point-of-care test using finger-stick blood (GeneXpert). Baseline and follow-up DBS samples were genotyped by NS5B sequencing or commercial real-time PCR. Results Among treated patients, 193 follow-up DBS samples were tested. The DBS-based assay showed 100% specificity (129/129), and sensitivity ranged from 84.4% to 96.1% according to different viral load cut-offs (from detectable to 3000 IU/mL). Sensitivity as test of cure (follow-up 12) ranged from 85.1 to 97.4%. Among the 64 patients with recurrent viremia, 10.9% had low viral loads (≤1000 IU/mL); HCV genotyping allowed us to classify 73.5% of viremic cases either as reinfection or as treatment failure. Conclusions DBS samples are useful to assess cure and differentiate reinfection from relapse after HCV antiviral treatment in the real world, facilitating decentralization of treatment and post-treatment follow-up in PWID. However, a fraction of patients presented with low viral loads, limiting viremia detection and genotyping in DBS and, therefore, repeat testing is recommended. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Autogenous dentin graft versus alloplastic graft combined with socket shield for pre-implant socket preservation: a split-mouth randomized clinical trial

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Autogenous dentin graft versus alloplastic graft combined with socket shield for pre-implant socket preservation: a split-mouth randomized clinical trial via International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery via MedWorm.com After tooth extraction, alveolar bone resorption and labial bone plate thinning occur due to the lack of periodontal ligaments. The socket shield method was developed to preserve the alveolar ridge. A split-mouth study was performed in which eight patients were treated using alloplast with socket shield on one side (alloplast group, control) and autogenous dentin graft with socket shield on the contralateral side (dentin group, test). After 3 months, a trephine bone core was collected from all sites and evaluated by histological, histomorphometric, and radiographic analysis. (Source: International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) View on Web

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The AUGIS Survival Predictor: Prediction of Long-Term and Conditional Survival After Esophagectomy Using Random Survival Forests

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader The AUGIS Survival Predictor: Prediction of Long-Term and Conditional Survival After Esophagectomy Using Random Survival Forests via Annals of Surgery - Most Popular Articles Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model for overall survival after esophagectomy using pre/postoperative clinical data and machine learning. Summary Background Data: For patients with esophageal cancer, accurately predicting long-term survival after esophagectomy is challenging. This study investigated survival prediction after esophagectomy using a Random Survival Forest (RSF) model derived from routine data from a large, well-curated, national dataset. Methods: Patients diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma between 2012 and 2018 in England and Wales who underwent an esophagectomy were included. Prediction models for overall survival were developed using the RSF method and Cox regression from 41 patient and disease characteristics. Calibration and discrimination (time-dependent area under the curve) were validated internally using bootstrap resampling. Results: The study analyzed 6399 patients, with 2625 deaths during follow-up. Median follow-up was 41 months. Overall survival was 47.1% at 5 years. The final RSF model included 14 variables and had excellent discrimination with a 5-year time-dependent area under the receiver operator curve of 83.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 82.6%–84.9%], compared to 82.3% (95% CI 81.1%—83.3%) for the Cox model. The most important variables were lymph node involvement, pT stage, circumferential resection margin involvement (tumor at View on Web

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68Ga-FAPI PET/MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT in a Case With Extensive Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader 68Ga-FAPI PET/MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT in a Case With Extensive Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus via Clinical Nuclear Medicine - Published Ahead-of-Print 18F-FDG PET/CT has been reported to be useful in differentiating tumor thrombus and bland thrombus. There are few reports on 68Ga-FAPI PET imaging features of tumor thrombus. Herein, we report a 46-year-old man with extensive tumor thrombus in the portal vein due to hepatic malignancy on 18F-FDG PET/CT and 68Ga-FAPI PET/MRI. View on Web

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Peritoneal Metastases From Prostate Carcinoma Treated With 177Lu-PSMA-I&T

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Peritoneal Metastases From Prostate Carcinoma Treated With 177Lu-PSMA-I&T via Clinical Nuclear Medicine - Published Ahead-of-Print A 71-year-old man was referred for 177Lu-PSMA therapy. He had metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, progressive on several treatment lines, with current PSA 260 μg/L and deteriorating condition. CT showed ascites with omental and peritoneal metastases, all positive on PSMA PET/CT. He was treated with 4 cycles of 7.4 GBq (0.2 Ci) 177Lu-PSMA-I&T. Posttherapy scans showed good targeting of all metastases. After 4 cycles, PSA had dropped to 44 μ/L. Four months after the fourth cycle, the patients' general condition had significantly improved, and PSA had decreased to 7.0 μg/L. View on Web

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18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging Post Heart Transplantation Depicts High Accumulation at Sites of Previous Ventricular Assist Device Insertion

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging Post Heart Transplantation Depicts High Accumulation at Sites of Previous Ventricular Assist Device Insertion via Clinical Nuclear Medicine - Published Ahead-of-Print A 37-year-old man with previous heart transplantation for dilated cardiomyopathy underwent screening for malignancy under posttransplantation immunosuppression. 18F-FDG PET/CT revealed uptake in 2 peritoneal sites of the pericardium that corresponded to the insertion sites of a left ventricular assist device that was used before transplantation. Additional abnormal uptake in the right axillary artery, aortic arch, and left femoral artery corresponded to the insertion sites for arterial inflow during cardiopulmonary bypass. Knowledge that FDG accumulation may occur at the insertion sites of an extracorporeal-circulatio n device enables unnecessary tests to be avoided. View on Web

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High C‐reactive protein to lymphocyte ratio predicts mortality outcomes of patients with severe fever suffering from thrombocytopenia syndrome: a multi‐centre study in China.

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader High C‐reactive protein to lymphocyte ratio predicts mortality outcomes of patients with severe fever suffering from thrombocytopenia syndrome: a multi‐centre study in China. via Journal of Medical Virology Abstracts Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a life-threatening infectious disease caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive power of C-reactive protein to lymphocyte ratio (CLR) and establish an early-warning model for SFTS mortality. We retrospectively analysed hospitalised SFTS patients in six clinical centres from May 2011 to May 2022. The efficacy of CLR prediction was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. A nomogram was established and validated. 882 SFTS patients (median age 64 years, 48.5% male) were enrolled in this study, with a mortality rate of 17.8%. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of CLR was 0.878 (95% CI: 0.850-0.903, P<0.001), which demonstrates high predictive strength. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression selected seven potential predictors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis determined three independent risk factors, including CLR, to construc t the nomogram. The performance of the nomogram displayed excellent discrimination and calibration, with significant net benefits in clinical uses. CLR is a brand-new predictor for SFTS mortality. The nomogram based on CLR can serve as a convenient tool for physicians to identify critical SFTS cases in clinical practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Investigating the effect of ribavirin treatment on genetic mutations in Crimean‐Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) through next‐generation sequencing

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Investigating the effect of ribavirin treatment on genetic mutations in Crimean‐Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) through next‐generation sequencing via Journal of Medical Virology ABSTRACT Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) affecting humans, and yet a licensed drug against the virus (CCHFV) is still not available. While several studies have suggested the efficacy of ribavirin against CCHFV, current literature remains inconclusive. In this study, we have utilized next-generation sequencing to investigate the mutagenic effect of ribavirin on the CCHFV genome during clinical disease. Samples collected from CCHF patients receiving ribavirin treatment or supportive care only at Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Turkey, were analysed. By comparing the frequency of mutations in each group, we found little evidence of an overall mutagenic effect. This suggests that ribavirin, administered at the acute stages of CCHFV infection (at the WHO recommended dose) is unable to induce lethal mutagenesis that would cause an extinction event in the CCHFV population and reduce viremia. This article is prote cted by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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HBsAg (‐)/HBsAb (‐)/HBeAg (‐)/HBeAb (+)/HBcAb (+) predicts a high risk of hepatitis B reactivation in patients with B‐cell lymphoma receiving rituximab based immunochemotherapy

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader HBsAg (‐)/HBsAb (‐)/HBeAg (‐)/HBeAb (+)/HBcAb (+) predicts a high risk of hepatitis B reactivation in patients with B‐cell lymphoma receiving rituximab based immunochemotherapy via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract Patterns of hepatitis B virus reactivation (HBV-R) in HBsAg (-)/HBcAb (+) patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) receiving rituximab based immunochemotherapy have not been well described. The retrospective study included 222 HBsAg (-)/HBcAb (+) NHL patients as training cohort and 127 cases as validation cohort. The incidence of HBV-R in HBsAg (-)/HBcAb (+) B-cell NHL patients was 6.3% (14/222), of which that in HBsAg (-)/HBsAb (-)/HBeAg (-)/HBeAb (+)/HBcAb (+) population was 23.7% (9/38). Multivariate analysis showed that HBsAg (-)/HBsAb (-)/HBeAg (-)/HBeAb (+)/HBcAb (+) correlated with a high risk of HBV-R in B-cell lymphoma patients (training phase HR, 10.123; 95% CI, 3.389 to 30.239; P < 0.001; validation phase HR, 18.619; 95% CI, 1.684 to 205.906; P = 0.017; combined HR, 12.264; 95% CI, 4.529-33.207; P < 0.001). The mortality rate of HBsAg (-)/HBcAb (+) B-cell NHL caused by HBV-R was 14.3% (2/14) while that for HBV reactivated HBsAg (-)/HBsAb (-)/HBeAg (-)/HBeAb (+)/HBcAb (+) population was up to 44.4% (4/9). As a high incidence of HBV-R and high mortality after HBV-R was found in HBsAg (-)/HBsAb (-)/HBcAb (+)/HBeAg (-)/HBeAb (+) patients with B-cell NHL receiving rituximab based immunochemotherapy, prophylactic antiviral therapy is recommended for these patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Intravaginal delivery for CRISPR‐Cas9 technology: for example, the treatment of HPV infection

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Intravaginal delivery for CRISPR‐Cas9 technology: for example, the treatment of HPV infection via Journal of Medical Virology ABSTRACT The increasing incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in women, including human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, has led to the need to develop user friendly potential prevention methods. At present, although there are several therapeutic parts, none of them has a preventive effect, but they are only limited to providing patients with symptom relief. Researchers have now recognized the need to find effective local preventive agents. One of the potential undiscovered local fungicides is the vaginal delivery of CRISPR/Cas9. CRISPR/Cas9 delivery involves silencing gene expression in a sequence-specific manner in the pathogenic agent, thus showing microbicidal activity. However, vaginal mucosal barrier and physiological changes (such as pH value and variable epithelial thickness in the menstrual cycle) are the main obstacles to effective delivery and cell uptake of CRISPR/Cas9. In order to enhance the vaginal delivery of CRISPR/Cas9, so far, nano-carrier systems such as lipi d delivery systems, macromolecular systems, polymer nanoparticles, aptamers and cell-penetrating peptides have been extensively studied. In this paper, various nano-carriers and their prospects in the preclinical stage are described, as well as the future significance of CRISPR/Cas9 vaginal delivery based on nano-carriers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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A high prevalence of neutrophil‐specific antibodies in ELANE‐mutated severe congenital neutropenia

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader A high prevalence of neutrophil‐specific antibodies in ELANE‐mutated severe congenital neutropenia via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract An assay for neutrophil-specific antibodies is frequently used in the workup of chronic severe neutropenia and is suggestive of autoimmune, or sporadically alloimmune neutropenia, rather than severe congenital neutropenia (SCN). We analyzed a neutropenia consortium database for the outcomes of antibody testing initiated before receiving genetic diagnosis in Polish SCN cohort. Test results, performed in a single reference laboratory, were available for 14 patients with ELANE-mutated SCN or cyclic neutropenia, and were frequently positive (36%). We note that the trigger for genetic studies in severe neutropenia should not be affected by antibody-positivity and should be clinically driven. View on Web

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