Discovery and characterization of BRBV-sheep virus in nasal swabs from domestic sheep in China.

Introduction: The escalating occurrence of infectious disease outbreaks in humans and animals necessitates innovative, effective, and integrated research to better comprehend their transmission and dynamics. Viral infection in livestock has led to profound economic losses globally. Pneumonia is the prevalent cause of death in sheep. However, very few studies exist regarding virus-related pathogens in sheep. Metagenomics sequencing technologies in livestock research hold significant potential to elucidate these contingencies and enhance our understanding. Methods: Therefore, this study aims to characterize respiratory viromes in paired nasal swabs from Inner Mongolian feedlot sheep in China using metaviromic sequencing. Through deep sequencing, de novo assembly, and similarity searches using translated protein sequences, several previously uncharacterized and known viruses were identified in this study. Results: Among these discoveries, a novel Bovine Rhinitis B Virus (BRBV) (BRBV-sheep) strain was serendipitously detected in the nasal swabs of domestic sheep (Ovis aries). To facilitate further molecular epidemiological studies, the entire genome of BRBV-sheep was also determined. Owing to the unique sequence characteristics and phylogenetic position of BRBV-sheep, genetically distinct lineages of BRBV in sheep may exist. A TaqMan-based qRT-PCR assay targeting the 3D polymerase gene was developed and used to screen 592 clinical sheep specimens. The results showed that 44.59% of the samples (264/592) were positive. These findings suggest that BRBV sheep are widespread among Inner Mongolian herds. Conclusion: This discovery marks the initial identification of BRBV in sheep within Inner Mongolia, China. These findings contribute to our understanding of the epidemiology and genetic evolution of BRBV. Recognizing the presence of BRBV in sheep informs strategies for disease management and surveillance and the potential development of targeted interventions to control its spread.

Association between the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and mortality in Chinese maintenance haemodialysis patients: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in Chinese haemodialysis (HD) patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Patients from June 2015 to September 2016 and followed through September 2021 were categorised into quartiles according to the follow-up averaged TG/HDL-C ratio. The association between TG/HDL-C and mortality was examined by univariate and multivariate time-varying Cox regression analyses. The C-index was used to assess the predictive accuracy of the Cox regression models. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 534 maintenance HD patients were enrolled. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcomes were all-cause death and CV mortality. RESULTS: During the median follow-up of 61 months, 207 patients died, with 94 (45.4%) classified as CV death. After adjusting for confounders, multivariate time-varying Cox regression analysis showed that the quartile 4 group (TG/HDL-C ≥2.64) was associated with decreased all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.33-0.77, p=0.001) and CV mortality (adjusted HR 0.31; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.62; p=0.001) in maintenance HD patients. Model 1 of all-cause mortality achieved a C-index of 0.72 (95% CI 0.68 to 0.75), and model 2 achieved a C-index of 0.77 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.82). The C-index for model 1 in CV mortality was 0.74 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.77), and the C-index for model 2 was 0.80 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.84). CONCLUSIONS: High TG/HDL-C was associated with decreased all-cause and CV mortality in HD patients.

Development of a prediction model to estimate the 5-year risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in haemodialysis patients: a retrospective study.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of mortality in patients on haemodialysis. The development of a prediction model for CVD risk is necessary to help make clinical decisions for haemodialysis patients. This retrospective study aimed to develop a prediction model for the 5-year risk of CV events and all-cause mortality in haemodialysis patients in China. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 398 haemodialysis patients who underwent dialysis at the dialysis facility of the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command in June 2016 and were followed up for 5 years. The composite outcome was defined as CV events and/or all-cause death. Multivariable logistic regression with backwards stepwise selection was used to develop our new prediction model. Results: Seven predictors were included in the final model: age, male sex, diabetes, history of CV events, no arteriovenous fistula at dialysis initiation, a monocyte/lymphocyte ratio greater than 0.43 and a serum uric acid level less than 436 mmol/L. Discrimination and calibration were satisfactory, with a C-statistic above 0.80. The predictors lay nearly on the 45-degree line for agreement with the outcome in the calibration plot. A simple clinical score was constructed to provide the probability of 5-year CV events or all-cause mortality. Bootstrapping validation showed that the new model also has similar discrimination and calibration. Compared with the Framingham risk score (FRS) and a similar model, our model showed better performance. Conclusion: This prognostic model can be used to predict the long-term risk of CV events and all-cause mortality in haemodialysis patients. An MLR greater than 0.43 is an important prognostic factor.

Simultaneous detection of ovine and caprine DNA in meat and dairy products using triplex TaqMan real-time PCR.

In this study, we report a new approach for the detection of ovine and caprine DNA in meat and dairy products using real-time PCR protocol. Our new approach is based on the use of endogenous control and species-specific TaqMan fluorescence probes. With this methodology, we specifically detected ovine and caprine DNA in meat and dairy products, with limits of detection of 0.001 ng and 0.01 ng for fresh and processed ovine meats, respectively, and 0.00025 ng, 0.005 ng, and 0.01 ng for caprine meat, milk, and cheese, respectively. Artificial meat and milk mixtures from sheep and goat were used to validate the protocol. Our results support that TaqMan real-time PCR with endogenous control is an efficient and accurate method to detect DNA from sheep and goat in meat and dairy products.