Journal of Infection and Public Health最新文献

{"title":"Proteomic analysis of post-COVID condition: Insights from plasma and pellet blood fractions","authors":"Alejandro Seco-González ,&nbsp;Paula Antelo-Riveiro ,&nbsp;Susana B. Bravo ,&nbsp;P.F. Garrido ,&nbsp;M.J. Domínguez-Santalla ,&nbsp;E. Rodríguez-Ruiz ,&nbsp;Á. Piñeiro ,&nbsp;R. Garcia-Fandino","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102571","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102571","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Persistent symptoms extending beyond the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as Post-COVID condition (PCC), continue to impact many individuals years after the COVID-19 pandemic began. This highlights an urgent need for a deeper understanding and effective treatments. While significant progress has been made in understanding the acute phase of COVID-19 through omics-based approaches, the proteomic alterations linked to the long-term effects of the infection remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate these proteomic changes and develop a method for stratifying disease severity.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Fragment Ion Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS) technology, we performed comprehensive proteomic profiling of blood samples from 65 PCC patients. Both plasma and pellet (cellular components) fractions were analyzed to capture a wide array of proteomic changes associated with PCC.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Proteomic profiling revealed distinct differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic PCC patients. In the plasma fraction, symptomatic patients exhibited significant upregulation of proteins involved in coagulation, immune response, oxidative stress, and various metabolic processes, while certain immunoglobulins and proteins involved in cellular stress responses were downregulated. In the pellet fraction, symptomatic patients showed upregulation of proteins related to immune response, coagulation, oxidative stress, and metabolic enzymes, with downregulation observed in components of the complement system, glycolysis enzymes, and cytoskeletal proteins. A key outcome was the development of a novel severity scale based on the concentration of identified proteins, which correlated strongly with the clinical symptoms of PCC. This scale, derived from unsupervised clustering analysis, provides precise quantification of PCC severity, enabling effective patient stratification.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The identified proteomic alterations offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying PCC, highlighting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This research supports the development of tailored clinical interventions to alleviate persistent symptoms, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life. The quantifiable measure of disease severity aids clinicians in understanding the condition in individual patients, facilitating personalized treatment plans and accurate monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102571"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142560747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health screening disparities in people living with HIV; A nationwide organized screening setting","authors":"Boyoung Park ,&nbsp;Yoonyoung Jang ,&nbsp;Taehwa Kim ,&nbsp;Yunsu Choi ,&nbsp;Kyoung Hwan Ahn ,&nbsp;Jung Ho Kim ,&nbsp;Hye Seong ,&nbsp;Youn Jeong Kim ,&nbsp;Jun Yong Choi ,&nbsp;Joon Young Song ,&nbsp;Shin-Woo Kim ,&nbsp;Sang Il Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>We identified the uptake of people living with HIV (PLWH) using health-screening services and compared the screening rate with the general population, to identify factors associated with the use of screening services by PLWH.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This population-based study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance, a single mandatory health insurance system covering all residents. The uptake rates for screening for general health, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer, which were provided by a national health screening program with free of charge or minimal cost in Korea from 2010–2020. Factors associated with general health, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer screening were also explored.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Screening uptake rates for general health, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer in PLWH increased from 2010–2019 but decreased in 2020. The standardized screening ratio showed lower screening rates for general health, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer in PLWH with 0.80 (95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.77–0.83), 0.64 (95 % CI = 0.61–0.67), and 0.67 (95 % CI = 0.64–0.71) in 2019. Increased age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and years since HIV diagnosis were associated with increased screening uptake in PLWH. Otherwise, PLWH recipients of medical aid programs received less for each screening compared to PLWH who paid insurance premiums higher than 50 %. An increased medication possession ratio of highly active antiretroviral therapy was associated with decreased general health and gastric cancer screening uptake but increased colorectal cancer screening uptake.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Significant disparities in health-screening uptake were observed in PLWH compared to the general population in a nationwide organized screening setting without cost barriers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102567"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142587232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of the standardized incidence ratio of tuberculosis among workers at medical and educational institutions: a nationwide LTBI observational cohort study","authors":"Yun-Hee Lee ,&nbsp;Ju Sang Kim ,&nbsp;Young-Joon Park ,&nbsp;Gahee Kim ,&nbsp;Yujin Kim ,&nbsp;Gyuri Park ,&nbsp;Hyung Woo Kim ,&nbsp;Jun-Pyo Myong","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) among workers at medical institutions based on interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) and compare it with that of workers at educational institutions and the general population.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>From March 2017 to December 2020, we used a cohort of workers from medical and educational institutions in Korea, who underwent IGRA as part of a national screening program for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). After connecting to the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database to detect for any actual cases of active TB, we estimated standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and the expected number of cases to compare the incidence of TB with that of the general population.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Significant disparities in TB incidence were revealed among workers in medical and educational institutions, based on IGRA results, age, and occupation. Individuals positive for IGRA in medical institutions displayed substantially higher SIR for TB, 7.19 (6.15–8.41), compared to counterparts in educational institutions, 3.69 (3.02–4.51). Comparing by age group, we see that the SIRs are higher in younger age groups compared to older ones, with 37.30 (28.11–49.50) and 11.89 (7.28–19.41) for IGRA-positive medical and education workers under 30 years of age, respectively. In the results by occupation within the medical institutions, nurses had the highest SIR at 14.17 (11.14–18.04).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Healthcare workers in medical institutions are more likely to develop actual TB after a positive result of LTBI screening in Korea. Intensive management and surveillance programs should be reinforced.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102569"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142583492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retrospective analysis of COVID-19 clinical and laboratory data: Constructing a multivariable model across different comorbidities","authors":"Mahdieh Shokrollahi Barough ,&nbsp;Mohammad Darzi ,&nbsp;Masoud Yunesian ,&nbsp;Danesh Amini Panah ,&nbsp;Yekta Ghane ,&nbsp;Sam Mottahedan ,&nbsp;Sohrab Sakinehpour ,&nbsp;Tahereh Kowsarirad ,&nbsp;Zahra Hosseini-Farjam ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Amirzargar ,&nbsp;Samaneh Dehghani ,&nbsp;Fahimeh Shahriyary ,&nbsp;Mohammad Mahdi Kabiri ,&nbsp;Marzieh Nojomi ,&nbsp;Neda Saraygord-Afshari ,&nbsp;Seyedeh Ghazal Mostofi ,&nbsp;Zeynab Yassin ,&nbsp;Nazanin Mojtabavi","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The clinical pathogenesis of COVID-19 necessitates a comprehensive and homogeneous study to understand the disease mechanisms. Identifying clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters as key predictors can guide prognosis and inform effective treatment strategies. This study analyzed comorbidities and laboratory metrics to predict COVID-19 mortality using a homogeneous model.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 7500 COVID-19 patients admitted to Rasoul Akram Hospital between 2022 and 2022. Clinical and laboratory data, along with comorbidity information, were collected and analyzed using advanced coding, data alignment, and regression analyses. Machine learning algorithms were employed to identify relevant features and calculate predictive probability scores.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The frequency and mortality rates of COVID-19 among males (19.3 %) were higher than those among females (17 %) (p = 0.01, OR = 0.85, 95 % CI = 0.76–0.96). Cancer (p &lt; 0.05, OR = 1.9, 95 % CI = 1.48–2.4) and Alzheimer's (p &lt; 0.05, OR = 2.36, 95 % CI = 1.89–2.9) were the two most common comorbidities associated with long-term hospitalization (LTH). Kidney disease (KD) was identified as the most lethal comorbidity (45 % of KD patients) (OR = 5.6, 95 % CI = 5.05–6.04, p &lt; 0.001). Age &gt; 55 was the most predictive parameter for mortality (p &lt; 0.001, OR = 6.5, 95 % CI = 1.03–1.04), and the CT scan score showed no predictive value for death (p &gt; 0.05). WBC, Cr, CRP, ALP, and VBG-HCO3 were the most significant critical data associated with death prediction across all comorbidities (p &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>COVID-19 is particularly lethal for elderly adults; thus, age plays a crucial role in disease prognosis. Regarding death prediction, various comorbidities rank differently, with KD having a significant impact on mortality outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102566"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142502083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Norovirus outbreaks due to contaminated drinking water and probable person-to-person transmission, Kerala, India, 2021","authors":"Amjith Rajeevan ,&nbsp;Manikandanesan Sakthivel ,&nbsp;Nikhilesh Menon ,&nbsp;Sachin KC ,&nbsp;Harisree Sudersanan ,&nbsp;Ramya Nagarajan ,&nbsp;Mohankumar Raju ,&nbsp;Sharan Murali ,&nbsp;Chethrapilly Purushothaman Girish Kumar ,&nbsp;Anukumar Balakrishnan ,&nbsp;Renuka Raveendran ,&nbsp;Dineesh Perumbil ,&nbsp;Devaki Antherjanam ,&nbsp;Sherin Joseph Xavier Kallupurackal ,&nbsp;Bipin Balakrishnan ,&nbsp;Nandu Krishna ,&nbsp;Sibin Samuel ,&nbsp;Prabhdeep Kaur ,&nbsp;Manoj Vasant Murehkar","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In July 2021, the Alappuzha district in Kerala, India, reported an unexpected number of acute gastroenteritis (772) cases (Outbreak A). On October 10, 2021, a university in Wayanad, Kerala, reported 25 acute gastroenteritis cases (Outbreak B). We described both the outbreaks and determined the agent, source and risk factors.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We defined a suspected case as the occurrence of vomiting or at least three episodes of loose stools within 24 h and a confirmed case as those with stool samples/rectal swabs positive for norovirus. We did a matched case-control study in Outbreak A and a retrospective cohort study in Outbreak B. We calculated the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) in outbreak A, relative risk (aRR) in outbreak B and population attributable fraction (PAF). We tested stool and water samples for bacteria and viruses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We identified Group II norovirus in stool samples in both outbreaks and 4/5 water samples in Outbreak A. Suspected norovirus infection was associated with drinking inadequately boiled water from the municipal water supply in outbreak A [aOR: 4.5; 95 % C.I: 1.2–15.8; PAF: 0.23] and well water in hostels in outbreak B [aRR: 2.2; 95 % C.I: 1.2–3.9; PAF: 0.15]. In Outbreak A, groundwater from tube wells was mixed in the municipal water supply overhead tanks without chlorination.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The gastroenteritis outbreaks were caused by Group II norovirus due to the consumption of inadequately boiled contaminated groundwater (outbreak A) and well water (outbreak B). We recommended superchlorination of overhead tanks and wells and boiled water for drinking.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102568"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142560746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emergence of mpox in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Data assessment and implications for a public health response","authors":"Joumana Hermez ,&nbsp;Remie El Helou ,&nbsp;Tania Sawaya ,&nbsp;Georgeio Sader ,&nbsp;Muhammad Shahid Jamil ,&nbsp;Ahmed Sabry Alaama ,&nbsp;Nesrine A Rizk","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Monkeypox (mpox) is an illness caused by the MPX virus and endemic to certain African countries. Historically, sporadic outbreaks have occurred in some non-endemic areas. In 2022, a new variant emerged, clade IIb, causing a global outbreak sustained within sexual networks among men who have sex with men (MSM). To our knowledge, this is the first multi-country study examining mpox epidemiology and clinical features of the 2022–2023 outbreak caused by clade IIb across the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed datasets of anonymous mpox case-based reports submitted to the World Health Organization (WHO) from May 2022 to December 2023 in the EMR to describe the cumulative incidence, demographics, transmission routes, and clinical outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>By the end of 2022, 95 case reports were submitted to the WHO. The first case of mpox was reported in the United Arab Emirates on May 24, 2022. The highest number of cases were reported from Lebanon (27 confirmed cases). Most cases in the EMR were adult males (92 %), 60 % identifying as MSM, and 10 % living with HIV. Most reported symptoms were rash (95.4 %) and fever (69.6 %). No intensive care unit admissions or deaths were reported.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this study we investigated the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcomes of the mpox outbreak related to clade IIb in the EMR. We raise concerns about the accuracy and completeness of the data, given that the number of cases reported to the WHO from EMR countries appears to be significantly lower than the number of cases documented within the region. This discrepancy could impact the reliability of the reported figures and the region's response strategies. Despite these challenges, collaborative efforts across EMR countries have laid the groundwork for effective outbreak response, underscoring the importance of ongoing regional cooperation to enhance future preparedness strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 11","pages":"Article 102565"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142467549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-cholera Vibrio infections in Southeast Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Basilua Andre Muzembo ,&nbsp;Kei Kitahara ,&nbsp;Chisato Hayashi ,&nbsp;Sonoe Mashino ,&nbsp;Junko Honda ,&nbsp;Ayumu Ohno ,&nbsp;Januka Khatiwada ,&nbsp;Shanta Dutta ,&nbsp;Shin-Ichi Miyoshi","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102564","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102564","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We reviewed and analyzed the existing data on vibriosis in Southeast Asia to better understand its burden and prevalent causal agents. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE for studies published between January 2000 and April 2024. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled isolation rate of non-cholera <em>Vibrio</em> species. Among the 1385 retrieved studies, 22 met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review and 11 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled isolation rate of non-cholera <em>Vibrio</em> species among diarrheal patients was 5.0 %. Most species that caused vibriosis included <em>V. parahaemolyticus, V. mimicus, V. vulnificus</em>, non-O1/non-O139 <em>V. cholerae, V. fluvialis,</em> and <em>V. alginolyticus</em>. Pooled isolation rate of <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> and non-O1 <em>V. cholerae</em> were 7.0, and 4.0, respectively. The prevalence of vibriosis in Southeast Asia is non-negligible. Public health strategies should prioritize enhanced surveillance, and clinicians should consider vibriosis in diarrheal patients with seafood consumption history.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 11","pages":"Article 102564"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142502082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cause of death in patients with tuberculosis: A study based on epidemiological and autopsy records of Western Norway 1931-47","authors":"Syeda Mariam Riaz ,&nbsp;Lisbet Sviland ,&nbsp;Kurt Hanevik ,&nbsp;Tehmina Mustafa","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Without treatment, nearly 50 % of tuberculosis (TB) patients die. World Health Organization’s definition of TB deaths does not take into consideration whether the cause of death was TB or other non-TB co-morbid conditions. We aimed to improve our knowledge of the causes of death in patients with TB.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Single-center retrospective study conducted at Gade Institute of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. Autopsy data of 269 patients with TB was collected from autopsy journals, and epidemiological data was collected from Norwegian Official Statistics books for period 1931–1947.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of all TB deaths reported in epidemiological reports, pulmonary TB accounted for 81 % and extrapulmonary TB for 19 %. However, in autopsy records, only 21 % of cases with active pulmonary TB died because of TB. Extrapulmonary involvement was significantly associated with higher mortality (OR EPTB as compared to PTB; 3.27, CI 1.91 – 5.61) and constituted 79 % of deaths attributable to TB. A significant burden of extrapulmonary TB was found in autopsy records (63 %), while in epidemiological records, only 4 % of cases were reported.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Extrapulmonary involvement was a predictor of mortality due to TB in hospitalized TB patients. The contribution of extrapulmonary TB to TB mortality seems to be underestimated because extrapulmonary TB largely remains underdiagnosed and underreported in epidemiological data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 11","pages":"Article 102563"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142441176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elucidating the role of PPARG inhibition in enhancing MERS virus immune response: A network pharmacology and computational drug discovery","authors":"Ahmed M. Hassan ,&nbsp;Leena H. Bajrai ,&nbsp;Azzah S. Alharbi ,&nbsp;Meshari M. Alhamdan ,&nbsp;Vivek Dhar Dwivedi ,&nbsp;Esam I. Azhar","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has become a severe zoonotic disease, posing significant public health concerns due to the lack of specific medications. This urgently demands the development of novel therapeutic molecules. Understanding MERS's genetic underpinnings and potential therapeutic targets is crucial for developing effective treatments.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Two gene expression datasets (GSE81909 and GSE100504) were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using GEO2R. Furthermore, gene ontology (GO), pathway enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were performed to understand the gene’s functions. A possible drug target was identified, and an FDA-approved drug library was screened against the selected target using molecular docking and validated the findings through molecular dynamics simulation, principal component analysis, free energy landscape, and MM/GBSA calculations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The study on GSE81909 and GSE100504 datasets with icMERS and MOCK samples at 24 and 48 h revealed an upregulation in 73 and 267 DEGs, respectively. In the network pharmacology, STAT1, MX1, DDX58, EIF2AK2, ISG15, IFIT1, IFIH1, OAS1, IRF9, and OASL were identified as the top 10 hub genes. STAT1 was identified as the most connected hub gene among these top 10 hub genes, which plays a crucial role in the immune response to the MERS virus. Further study on STAT1 showed that PPARG helps reduce STAT1, which could modulate the immune response. Therefore, by inhibiting PPARG, the immunological response can be successfully enhanced. The known inhibitor of PPARG, <strong>570</strong> (Farglitazar), was used as a control. Further, screening using Tanimoto and K-mean clustering was performed, from which three compounds were identified: <strong>2267, 3478</strong>, and <strong>40326</strong>. Compound <strong>3478</strong> showed characteristics similar to the control, indicating robust binding to PPARG. <strong>3478</strong> showed the highest negative binding free energy with −41.20 kcal/mol, indicating strong binding with PPARG.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings suggest that <strong>3478</strong> promises to be a potential inhibitor of PPARG, and further experimental investigations can explore its potential as a MERS inhibitor.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 11","pages":"Article 102561"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142502081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex, vaccination status, and comorbidities influence long COVID persistence","authors":"Trevon Fuller ,&nbsp;Roxana Flores Mamani ,&nbsp;Heloísa Ferreira Pinto Santos ,&nbsp;Otávio Melo Espíndola ,&nbsp;Lusiele Guaraldo ,&nbsp;Carolina Lopes Melo ,&nbsp;Michele Fernanda Borges Da Silva ,&nbsp;Guilherme Amaral Calvet ,&nbsp;Leonardo Soares Bastos ,&nbsp;Marília Sá Carvalho ,&nbsp;Patrícia Brasil","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>There is interest in the public health impact of Long COVID, defined as symptoms that persist or begin after SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to identify demographic and clinical risk factors associated with Long COVID over time in an Upper Middle-Income Country (UMIC) and potential biomarkers predictive of symptom trajectory.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Prospective cohort study of adults with mild SARS-COV-2 during the Omicron period. We tracked symptom persistence and IgG antibody titers against the spike S1 subunit.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of 383 participants, 276 had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Long COVID persisted for ≥ two months in 21 % and ≥ 12 months in 5 %. The most common symptoms were fatigue, upper respiratory symptoms, and myalgia/arthralgia: 15 % had fatigue for ≥ one month, 10 % for ≥ two months, and 5 % ≥ three months. Upper respiratory symptoms lasted ≥ one month in 17 %, ≥ two months in 7 %, and ≥ three months in 3 %. Fully 9 % reported myalgia/arthralgia lasting ≥ one month, 6 % ≥ two months, and 4 % ≥ three months. Risk factors for symptom persistence included female sex, not being fully vaccinated, and comorbidities. Participants experiencing persistent fatigue had lower anti-S1 IgG titers.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In this population, symptom persistence declined after the acute phase, but 5 % of participants did not fully recover. Even in a population that was almost fully vaccinated, women, individuals with comorbidities, and the few remaining people who were unvaccinated were at greater risk for Long COVID. Immunoglobulins may have utility as a biomarker of Long COVID fatigue in this population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 11","pages":"Article 102562"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142444778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}