Routes of SARS-Cov2 transmission in the intensive care unit: A multicentric prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to health care workers in intensive care units (ICU) and the contribution of airborne and fomites to SARS-CoV-2 transmission remain unclear. To assess the rate of air and surface contamination and identify risk factors associated with this contamination in patients admitted to the ICU for acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. METHODS: Prospective multicentric non-interventional study conducted from June 2020 to November 2020 in 3 French ICUs. For each enrolled patient, 3 predefined surfaces were swabbed, 2 air samples at 1 m and 3 m from the patient's mouth and face masks of 3 health care workers (HCW) were collected within the first 48 h of SARS-CoV-2 positive PCR in a respiratory sample. Droplet digital PCR and quantitative PCR were performed on different samples, respectively. RESULTS: Among 150 included patients, 5 (3.6%, 95%CI: 1.2% to 8.2%) had positive ddPCR on air samples at 1 m or 3 m. Seventy-one patients (53.3%, CI95%: 44.5% to 62.0%) had at least one surface positive. Face masks worn by HCW were positive in 6 patients (4.4%, CI: 1.6% to 9.4%). The threshold of RT-qPCR of the respiratory sample performed at inclusion (odds ratio, OR= 0.88, 95%CI: 0.83 to 0.93, p < 0.0001) and the presence of diarrhea (OR= 3.28, 95%CI: 1.09 to 9.88, p = 0.037) were significantly associated with the number of contaminated surfaces. CONCLUSION: In this study, including patients admitted to the ICU for acute respiratory failure " contact route " of transmission, i.e. through fomites, seems dominant. While presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the air is rare in this specific population, the presence of diarrhea is associated to surface contamination around Covid patients.

Impact of IL-6 and IL-6r variants on HIV-1 susceptibility and progression to AIDS: a case-control study in a Moroccan population.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is an important regulator of the inflammatory immune response. We aimed to assess the association of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-6 (rs1800795 G > C, rs1800797 A > G) and interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) (rs2228145 A > C) genes with HIV-1 infection, AIDS progression, and response to treatment. In this case-control study involving 199 individuals living with HIV-1 and 200 HIV-uninfected controls, we conducted genotyping of IL-6/IL-6R SNPs using TaqMan real-time PCR assays. Soluble IL-6 levels were measured using ELISA. No associations were found between the investigated SNPs and HIV infection. However, a significant association was noted between the C-G and G-A haplotypes and susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. Additionally, a significant association was revealed between HIV-1 RNA viral loads and IL-6 SNP G > C in the post-treatment HIV group. Interestingly, we observed a significant association between the investigated SNPs and protection against progression to AIDS, namely the IL-6 G > A SNP in its recessive model and the IL-6R A > C SNP in its codominant and dominant models. Nevertheless, we found no significant differences between IL-6 levels and the different genotypes and alleles of the IL-6 gene either before or after combination antiretroviral therapy. IL-6 promoter haplotypes are associated with susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, IL-6 A > G and IL-6R A > C polymorphisms have been associated with protection against AIDS progression. Interestingly, the IL-6 G > C SNP may affect the response to treatment in people living with HIV-1.

Geographic heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in Abidjan, Ivory Coast: a prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies on SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Ivory Coast have been conducted since the first case was reported on March 11, 2020. The main objective of this study was to observe and better understand the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in Abidjan. METHODOLOGY: This prospective study collected data concerning age, sex, vaccination status, municipality of origin, monthly income, frequency of malaria, and frequency of diarrheal diseases in persons who gave their informed consent. Venous blood samples were taken to test for anti-SARS-COV-2 antibodies (IgM and IgG) using the VIDAS automated system. RESULTS: A total of 1504 patients were recruited and tested for antibodies directed against SARS-COV-2. Data analysis revealed the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 in 53.5% of participants, 17.3% of the participants had a previous symptomatic infection, 31.4% had an asymptomatic infection, and 44.8% were never in contact with the virus. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was higher in Marcory (70.9%) and Cocody (61.1%) than in the remaining townships (48.4%). Township rates of serologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection correlated with poverty index (p = 0.025), children < 5 years' proportion in the township (p = 0.026), and levels of malaria (p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: In the city of Abidjan, COVID-19 is strongly modulated by poverty, the proportion of babies and toddlers in the community, or exposure to malaria.

High plasma interleukin-6 level, but not IL-6 gene variants, as a predictive marker for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in a Moroccan population.

Chronic inflammation triggered by hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses elevates interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels, activating pathways that cause liver damage and contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. In this study, we assessed IL-6 levels and explored the correlation between the rs1800795 and rs1800797 variants of the IL-6 gene and the risk of developing HCC. We conducted a case-control study involving 314 participants. Among them, 157 were HCC patients (94 anti-HCV, 22 HBsAg and 41 metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease [MASLD]) and 157 controls. Genotyping for IL-6 rs1800795 and rs1800797 polymorphisms was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, plasma IL-6 levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The IL-6 levels were notably higher in patients compared to controls (p < .0001). Among HCC patients, those with MASLD exhibited higher plasma IL-6 levels than those with HCV and HBV (p = .003). In male HCC patients, IL-6 levels were significantly elevated compared to controls (p < .0001). Similarly, female patients showed significantly higher IL-6 levels compared to female controls, though still lower than in male HCC patients (p = .023). However, no significant difference was observed in IL-6 levels between male and female HCC patients (p = .129). Contrastingly, the genotype and allele distributions of the rs1800795 and rs1800797 polymorphisms in the IL-6 gene displayed no association with HCC development (all p > .05). In Moroccan HCC patients, chronic liver inflammation is characterized by elevated levels of IL-6, potentially playing a role in the progression of liver disease and tumourigenesis.

Towards elimination of chronic viral hepatitis in French Polynesia: results from a national population-based survey.

Background: In French Polynesia, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection appears as a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which detection rate in the Austral archipelago is among the highest in the world. Through a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of the adult population, this study aimed at assessing the prevalence of HBV, but also hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis delta virus (HDV). Methods: A total of 1942 blood samples from participants aged 18-69 years were tested for anti-HBc, anti-HBs, HBsAg, anti-HCV IgG, and HDV RNA. Complete genome sequencing of detected HBV strains was performed. Findings: Among participants, 315/1834, 582/1834, 33/1834, 0/1857, and 0/33 tested positive for anti-HBc, anti-HBs, HBsAg, anti-HCV IgG, and HDV RNA, respectively. The population prevalence of HBsAg was estimated at 1.0% (95% CI: 0.6-1.7). All HBsAg carriers were born in French Polynesia before vaccination at birth became mandatory. In multivariate analyses, identified factors associated with HBsAg carriage included: the archipelago of residence (p < 0.0001), age (p < 0.0001), and education level (p = 0.0077). HBV genotypes B, C, and F were detected. Interpretation: French Polynesia has a low endemicity level of HBV and its population may be considered at low risk for HCV and HDV infection. However, prevalence of HBsAg was found concerning in Austral (3.8%; 95% CI: 1.9-7.5) and Marquesas (6.5%; 95% CI: 3.8-11) archipelagoes. In the Austral archipelago, the presence of genotype C may account for the elevated rate of HCC. Our findings warrant more efforts to improve access to detection, prevention and care to people born before the systematic vaccination policy application, and residing in higher-risk areas, to achieve HBV elimination in French Polynesia. Funding: Research Delegation of French Polynesia.

A preoperative risk score based on early recurrence for estimating outcomes after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma in the non-cirrhotic liver.

BACKGROUND: Liver resection is the mainstay treatment option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the non-cirrhotic liver (NCL-HCC), but almost half of these patients will experience a recurrence within five years of surgery. Therefore, we aimed to develop a rationale-based risk evaluation tool to assist surgeons in recurrence-related treatment planning for NCL-HCC. METHODS: We analyzed single-center data from 263 patients who underwent liver resection for NCL-HCC. Using machine learning modeling, we first determined an optimal cut-off point to discriminate early versus late relapses based on time to recurrence. We then constructed a risk score based on preoperative variables to forecast outcomes according to recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: We computed an optimal cut-off point for early recurrence at 12 months post-surgery. We identified macroscopic vascular invasion, multifocal tumor, and spontaneous tumor rupture as predictor variables of outcomes associated with early recurrence and integrated them into a scoring system. We thus stratified, with high concordance, three groups of patients on a graduated scale of recurrence-related survival. CONCLUSION: We constructed a preoperative risk score to estimate outcomes after liver resection in NCL-HCC patients. Hence, this score makes it possible to rationally stratify patients based on recurrence risk assessment for better treatment planning.

Association of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1 Alpha Coding Variants with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk in the Moroccan Population: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PPARGC1A) plays a crucial role in regulating the biogenesis of mitochondria. We aimed to assess the association between PPARGC1A polymorphisms and HCC risk in a Moroccan population. METHODS: In this case-control study, 147 patients with HCC and 147 controls without pre-existing liver disease were matched for ethnicity. TaqMan SNP allelic discrimination assays were used for genotyping of PPARGC1A rs8192678 and rs12640088 polymorphisms. RESULTS: The result revealed that individuals with the GA/AA genotypes for rs8192678 had a significantly higher risk of HCC compared to those with the GG genotype (OR=6.68; P<0.0001, and OR=9.78; P<0.0001, respectively). In particular, the A allele of rs8192678 was over-represented in HCC patients compared to controls (40% versus 12%, P<0.0001, respectively). With respect to PPARGC1A rs12640088 variant, two genetic models (codominant and dominant) were tested to explore any potential variations in the distribution of SNP A>C among HCC cases and control subjects group. Overall, no significant association between rs12640088 and HCC was found (P>0.05). Interestingly, a significantly higher level of aspartate aminotransferase was observed in HCC patients with GG-GA genotypes (280 IU/L) compared to those with GG genotype (164 IU/L) at rs8192678 (P=0.0019). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the PPARGC1A rs8192678 polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of HCC in Moroccan population and may serve as a prognostic marker for liver cancer.

Concealed for a Long Time on the Marches of Empires: Hepatitis B Virus Genotype I.

Genotype I, the penultimate HBV genotype to date, was granted the status of a bona fide genotype only in the XXIst century after some hesitations. The reason for these hesitations was that genotype I is a complex recombinant virus formed with segments from three original genotypes, A, C, and G. It was estimated that genotype I is responsible for only an infinitesimal fraction (<1.0%) of the chronic HBV infection burden worldwide. Furthermore, most probably due to its recent discovery and rarity, the natural history of infection with genotype I is poorly known in comparison with those of genotypes B or C that predominate in their area of circulation. Overall, genotype I is a minor genotype infecting ethnic minorities. It is endemic to the Southeast Asian Massif or Eastern Zomia, a vast mountainous or hilly region of 2.5 million km2 spreading from Eastern India to China, inhabited by a little more than 100 million persons belonging primarily to ethnic minorities speaking various types of languages (Tibeto-Burman, Austroasiatic, and Tai-Kadai) who managed to escape the authority of central states during historical times. Genotype I consists of two subtypes: I1, present in China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam; and I2, encountered in India, Laos, and Vietnam.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1 alpha rs8192678 (Gly482Ser) variant and hepatitis B virus clearance.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection is still incurable a major public health problem. It is yet unclear how host genetic factors influence the development of HBV infection. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PPARGC1A) has been shown to regulate hepatitis B virus (HBV). Several reports found that PPARGC1A variants are involved in a number of distinct liver diseases. Here we investigate whether the PPARGC1A rs8192678 (Gly482Ser) variant is involved in the spontaneous clearance of acute HBV infection and if it participates in chronic disease progression in Moroccan patients. METHODS: Our study included 292 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 181 individuals who spontaneously cleared-HBV infection. We genotyped the rs8192678 SNP using a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay and then explored its association with spontaneous HBV clearance and CHB progression. RESULTS: Our data showed that individuals carrying CT and TT genotypes were more likely to achieve spontaneous clearance (OR = 0.48, 95% CI (0.32-0.73), p = 0.00047; OR = 0.28, 95% CI (0.15-0.53), p = 0.00005, respectively). Subjects carrying the mutant allele T were more likely to achieve spontaneous clearance (OR = 0.51, 95% CI (0.38-0.67), P = 2.68E-06). However, when we investigated the impact of rs8192678 on the progression of liver diseases, we neither observe any influence (p > 0.05) nor found any significant association between ALT, AST, HBV viral loads, and the PPARGC1A rs8192678 genotypes in patients with CHB (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our result suggests that PPARGC1A rs8192678 may modulate acute HBV infection, and could therefore represent a potential predictive marker in the Moroccan population.

Association between TLR2, TLR4, and TLR5 genetic variants and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Moroccan population.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common human malignancy and the fourth most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), are known to play a key role in hepatocarcinogenesis through induction of inflammation. We aimed to investigate the association between TLR2 rs3804099, TLR4 rs4986790, rs4986791, and rs11536889 and TLR5 rs5744174 and HCC risk in a total of 306 Moroccan subjects, including 152 HCC patient and 154 controls using a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. Our result showed that the frequency of TLR4 rs11536889 C allele was higher in control group than in HCC patients (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.30-0.88, p = 0.01). Moreover, under the dominant model, we observed that CG/CC genotypes were protective factors against HCC risk (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.28-0.91, p = 0.02). However, no significant differences were found in the allele and genotype frequencies of TLR4 rs4986790 and rs4986791, between HCC patients and controls. Similarly, genotypic frequencies of TLR2 and TLR5 polymorphisms did not differ significantly between HCC patients and controls. However, TLR4 haplotype analysis revealed that ACC haplotype may be protective of HCC risk in patients with HCC (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.31-0.92, p = 0.02). In conclusion, our result suggest that TLR4 rs11536889 polymorphism and ACC haplotype may decrease risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Moroccan population.

Epidemiological characteristics of acute hepatitis A, 2013-2016: a cross-sectional study in Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the common cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. Indeed, hepatitis A is endemic in developing countries such in Morocco and most residents are exposed in childhood. The characterisation of circulating strains of HAV remains crucial to understand the virological evolution and geo-temporal characteristics, which are essential for controlling infections and outbreaks. The purpose of the current study was the detection and characterisation of HAV strains circulating in Morocco by performing serological test, RT-PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 618 suspected acute hepatitis cases were examined by Architect HAV abIgM. Of the 162 positives, 64 underwent RNA extraction. None of the suspected cases was immune to HAV and none of them had received a blood transfusion. Samples found positive by RT-PCR using primers targeting the VP1/VP2A junction and the VP1/VP3 capsid region of HAV were subjected to sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. RESULTS: HAV Acute infection rate was 26.2% [95% CI, 22.8-29.9], while viraemia reached 45% (29/64) after amplification of the VP3/VP1 region. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1/2A segment revealed the presence of sub-genotypes IA and IB. Eighty-seven percent of the strains belonged to the subgenotype IA, while twelve percent to IB subgenotype. CONCLUSION: This first molecular study of acute hepatitis A in Morocco provided information about genetic diversity of HAV, revealing the co-circulating of only two subgenotypes (IA and IB). Notably, subgenotype IA was found to be the predominant subgenotype in Morocco.

Impact of the first-line antiretroviral therapy on soluble markers of inflammation in cohort of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in Moroccan patients: a prospective study.

Chronic inflammation and immune activation are a hallmark of HIV-1 infection. In this study, we assessed inflammation biomarkers in a cohort of people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) before and after long-term suppressive combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). A single-center prospective cohort study was conducted to assess inflammatory biomarkers in 86 cART-naive PLWH and after receiving suppressive cART and 50 uninfected controls. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and soluble CD14 (sCD14) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). No significant difference was found in IL-6 levels between cART-naïve PLWH and controls (p = 0.753). In contrast, TNF-α level showed a significant difference between cART naïve-PLWH and controls (p = 0.019). Interestingly, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were significantly decreased in PLWH after cART (p < 0.0001). The sCD14 showed no significant difference between cART-naïve patients and controls (p = 0.839) and similar levels were observed in pre- and post-treatment (p = 0.719). Our results highlight the critical importance of early treatment to reduce inflammation and its consequences during HIV infection.

Main modulators of COVID-19 epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is responsible for an important global death toll from which sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) seems mostly protected. The reasons explaining this situation are still poorly understood. Methods: We analyzed the correlation between reported COVID-19 data between February 14, 2020 and May 18, 2021, and demographic, socioeconomic, climatic, diagnostic data, and comorbidities in 47 SSA countries. Different databases including the WHO data center, Our World in Data, and the World Bank were used. Findings: As of May 17, 2021, SSA reported 2% of COVID-19 cases and 2.9% of deaths, with the southern region being the most affected with 56.4% of cases and 75.0% of deaths. COVID-19 mortality was positively correlated with medical variables (national obesity rate, diabetes prevalence, cancer incidence, and cardiovascular disease mortality rate), socioeconomic characteristics (international tourism, per capita health expenditure, human development index, HDI, and years of schooling), and health system variables (nurse density, number of COVID-19 tests per capita), but negatively correlated with the population under 15 years of age and the malaria index. Interpretation: Our study suggests that higher economic status fits with high COVID-19 mortality in SSA. In this regard, it represents primarily a disease of modern and wealthy societies, and can therefore be considered as an exception among infectious diseases that historically affected more severely underserved populations living in low- and middle-income countries. However, it should be made clear that observed correlations do not imply inevitably causation and that additional studies are necessary to confirm our observations.

Drastic sex-dependent etiological distribution in severe liver diseases from Gabon.

Chronic liver diseases still represent a worrying public health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, emphasis is generally made on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) albeit liver cirrhosis (LC) is also responsible for an important death toll. Very few studies have compared the presentation and etiologies of cancer and cirrhosis of the liver in Middle Africa. We conducted a comparative retrospective analysis of 74 and 134 cases of patients with HCC and LC treated in Libreville, Gabon. Viral or lifestyle risk factors, clinical symptoms, and biological features were compared. We observed that ages of diagnosis were 53.2 ± 15.7 years and 48.6 ± 18.6 years for HCC and LC with remarkably low M:F sex ratios (1.3-1.8). Ethanol consumption was highly prevalent in both disease types (65.0%-70.0%). Chronic viral infections with hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) virus were also widespread with slight domination of the former in both diseases (43.4% vs. 34.3%, and 35.9% vs. 28.5%). Patients with HCC were presenting very late with a mean diameter of the main nodule of 84 ± 50 mm and a multifocal pattern in 72.7% of cases. HCC developed on a cirrhotic liver in 91.7% of cases. Serum AFP was frankly elevated (>400 ng/ml) in only 35.8% of HCC cases. The most striking feature of the HCC series was the contrasted contribution of distinct pathogenic etiologies involving sex, viral, metabolic, and toxic factors. A frequently dysmetabolic condition synergizing with hepatitis C (anti-HCV, 73.8% vs 22.7%, p < 0.0001) in females and a male cancer promoted by recreational toxicants and chronic hepatitis B (HBsAg, 83.5% vs 35.9%, p < 0.0001) were observed. Men with HCC were considerably younger than women (46.8 ± 14.5 years vs. 62.2 ± 12.2 years, p < 0.0001). Further studies are now warranted to identify routes of HCV transmission and if they are still fueling reservoirs of future patients. Public policies to prevent alcohol-related harm have also to be urgently implemented in Gabon.

Estimating the burden of hepatitis B virus infection in Laos between 2020 and 2021: A cross-sectional seroprevalence survey.

Background: Laos is considered highly endemic for persistent infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). To eliminate this burden, it has gradually implemented universal anti-hepatitis B immunisation of newborns over the past two decades. Methods: Using VIKIA® HBsAg, a rapid test for the qualitative detection of the HBV surface antigen, we conducted between Sep 1st, 2020 and Aug 31st, 2021 the largest prospective prevalence survey ever in Laos. This survey included blood donors (BD, n = 42,277), patients attending care in capital and provincial hospitals (n = 37,347) including attending mothers (n = 20,548), HIV-infected patients (n = 7439, recruited from 2009 to 2020), students from the Health Sciences University (n = 609), and outpatients (n = 350) coming for diagnosis at the Center Infectiology Lao-Christophe Mérieux in Vientiane. In total, 88,022 persons were tested, representing approximately 1.22% of the national population. To reach a reasonable estimate of HBsAg prevalence in Laos, we segmented the population according to three variables, age (≤20 years as a cut-off), sex, and geographical origin. BD values were used to estimate HBsAg prevalence in patients aged <20 while hospital survey prevalence was used to estimate the prevalence in those aged older than 20 years. Findings: We observed an HBsAg seroprevalence ranging from 2.6% in blood donors to 8.0% in HIV-infected patients. In BD, men were significantly more at risk to be carriers than women (RR = 1.2, P = 0.00063). For BD, attending mothers, or HIV-infected patients, HBsAg was significantly more prevalent in northern Laos (5.1-8.4%) than in central (2.0-8.1%) or southern parts of the country (2.2-6.9%), thereby delineating a North-to-South gradient. Interpretation: We considered that HBsAg prevalence probably ranges between 5.0% and 6.0% of the total population. Thus, we consider that Laos may no longer be highly endemic for chronic HBV infection but rather a country with intermediate endemicity. Funding: The funding sources were the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, the French Government, the French Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), and European Union's Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) - Research and Innovation Staff Exchange - (RISE) under grant agreement N° 823935.

Exposure assessment of 170 pesticide ingredients and derivative metabolites in people from the Central Andes of Peru.

The Central Andes of Peru are a region of great concern regarding pesticide risk to the health of local communities. Therefore, we conducted an observational study to assess the level of pesticide contamination among Andean people. Analytical chemistry methods were used to measure the concentrations of 170 pesticide-related compounds in hair samples from 50 adult Andean subjects living in rural and urban areas. As part of the study, a questionnaire was administered to the subjects to collect information regarding factors that increase the risk of pesticide exposure. Our results indicate that Andean people are strongly exposed to agrochemicals, being contaminated with a wide array of pesticide-related compounds at high concentration levels. Multivariate analyses and geostatistical modeling identified sociodemographic factors associated with rurality and food origin that increase pesticide exposure risk. The present study represents the first comprehensive investigation of pesticide-related compounds detected in body samples collected from people living in the Central Andes of Peru. Our findings pinpoint an alarming environmental situation that threatens human health in the region and provide a rationale for improving public policies to protect local communities.

Voxel-wise supervised analysis of tumors with multimodal engineered features to highlight interpretable biological patterns.

BACKGROUND: Translation of predictive and prognostic image-based learning models to clinical applications is challenging due in part to their lack of interpretability. Some deep-learning-based methods provide information about the regions driving the model output. Yet, due to the high-level abstraction of deep features, these methods do not completely solve the interpretation challenge. In addition, low sample size cohorts can lead to instabilities and suboptimal convergence for models involving a large number of parameters such as convolutional neural networks. PURPOSE: Here, we propose a method for designing radiomic models that combines the interpretability of handcrafted radiomics with a sub-regional analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our approach relies on voxel-wise engineered radiomic features with average global aggregation and logistic regression. The method is illustrated using a small dataset of 51 soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients where the task is to predict the risk of lung metastasis occurrence during the follow-up period. RESULTS: Using positron emission tomography/computed tomography and two magnetic resonance imaging sequences separately to build two radiomic models, we show that our approach produces quantitative maps that highlight the signal that contributes to the decision within the tumor region of interest. In our STS example, the analysis of these maps identified two biological patterns that are consistent with STS grading systems and knowledge: necrosis development and glucose metabolism of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate how that method makes it possible to spatially and quantitatively interpret radiomic models amenable to sub-regions identification and biological interpretation for patient stratification.

APOBEC3C S188I Polymorphism Enhances Context-Specific Editing of Hepatitis B Virus Genome.

Single-nucleotide polymorphism in APOBEC3C (resulting in a serine to isoleucine in position 188) is present in approximately 10% of African populations and greatly enhances restriction against human immunodeficiency virus-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus by improving dimerization and DNA processivity of the enzyme. In this study, we demonstrated in culture and in infected patients that hepatitis B virus (HBV) could be edited by APOBEC3CS188I. Using next-generation sequencing, we demonstrated that APOBEC3CS188I led to enhanced editing activity in 5'TpCpA→5'TpTpA context. This constitutes a new hallmark of this enzyme, which could be used to determine its impact on HBV or nuclear DNA.

Cáncer de hígado: ¿Antigua o nueva amenaza para los jóvenes de países en vía de desarrollo?

Entre las neoplasias malignas más frecuentes del mundo, el carcinoma hepatocelular (CHC) es la segunda causa de muerte relacionada con el cáncer (1). Su incidencia se ha duplicado durante las dos últimas décadas y la mayor carga se produce en los países de ingresos bajos y medianos. Los tumores hepáticos primarios malignos suelen describirse como una patología que afecta principalmente a hombres mayores de 40 años con un hígado cirrótico; rara vez se han registrado en personas más jóvenes y normalmente, en menores de 40, lo más común es el hepatoblastoma