Prevention of tuberculosis in macaques after intravenous BCG immunization.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the leading cause of death from infection worldwide1. The only available vaccine, BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), is given intradermally and has variable efficacy against pulmonary tuberculosis, the major cause of mortality and disease transmission1,2. Here we show that intravenous administration of BCG profoundly alters the protective outcome of Mtb challenge in non-human primates (Macaca mulatta). Compared with intradermal or aerosol delivery, intravenous immunization induced substantially more antigen-responsive CD4 and CD8 T cell responses in blood, spleen, bronchoalveolar lavage and lung lymph nodes. Moreover, intravenous immunization induced a high frequency of antigen-responsive T cells across all lung parenchymal tissues. Six months after BCG vaccination, macaques were challenged with virulent Mtb. Notably, nine out of ten macaques that received intravenous BCG vaccination were highly protected, with six macaques showing no detectable levels of infection, as determined by positron emission tomography-computed tomography imaging, mycobacterial growth, pathology and granuloma formation. The finding that intravenous BCG prevents or substantially limits Mtb infection in highly susceptible rhesus macaques has important implications for vaccine delivery and clinical development, and provides a model for defining immune correlates and mechanisms of vaccine-elicited protection against tuberculosis.

Potassium ferrate's disinfecting ability: a study on human adenovirus, Giardia duodenalis, and microbial indicators under varying pH and water temperature conditions.

Ferrate (Fe(VI): HFeO4- /FeO42-), a potent oxidant, has been investigated as an alternative chemical disinfectant in water treatment due to its reduced production of disinfection by-products. In this study, we assessed the disinfecting ability of potassium ferrate against a variety of microorganisms, including waterborne pathogens, under varying pH and water temperature conditions. We presented CT values, a metric of ferrate concentrations (C) and contact time (T), to quantify microbial inactivation rates. Among the tested microorganisms, human adenovirus was the least resistant to ferrate, followed by waterborne bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae, and finally, the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis. We further investigated the impact of two pH values (7 and 8) and two temperatures (5 and 25 °C) on microbial inactivation rates, observing that inactivation rates increased with lower pH and higher temperature. In addition to showcasing ferrate's capacity to effectively inactivate a range of the tested microorganisms, we offer a ferrate CT table to facilitate the comparison of the effectiveness of various disinfection methods.

Characterizing the Spectrum of Latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the Cynomolgus Macaque Model: Clinical, Immunologic, and Imaging Features of Evolution.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection outcomes have been described as active tuberculosis or latent infection but a spectrum of outcomes is now recognized. We used a nonhuman primate model, which recapitulates human infection, to characterize the clinical, microbiologic, and radiographic patterns associated with developing latent M. tuberculosis infection. Four patterns were identified. "Controllers" had normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) without M. tuberculosis growth in bronchoalveolar lavage or gastric aspirate (BAL/GA). "Early subclinicals" showed transient ESR elevation and/or M. tuberculosis growth on BAL/GA for 60 days postinfection, "mid subclinicals" were positive for 90 days, and "late subclinicals" were positive intermittently, despite the absence of clinical disease. Variability was noted regarding granuloma formation, lung/lymph node metabolic activity, lung/lymph node bacterial burden, gross pathology, and extrapulmonary disease. Like human M. tuberculosis infection, this highlights the heterogeneity associated with the establishment of latent infection, underscoring the need to understand the clinical spectrum and risk factors associated with severe disease.

Host Immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection Is Similar in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)-Infected, Antiretroviral Therapy-Treated and SIV-Naïve Juvenile Macaques.

Pre-existing HIV infection increases tuberculosis (TB) risk in children. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces, but does not abolish, this risk in children with HIV. The immunologic mechanisms involved in TB progression in both HIV-naive and HIV-infected children have not been explored. Much of our current understanding is based on human studies in adults and adult animal models. In this study, we sought to model childhood HIV/Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) coinfection in the setting of ART and characterize T cells during TB progression. Macaques equivalent to 4 to 8 year-old children were intravenously infected with SIVmac239M, treated with ART 3 months later, and coinfected with Mtb 3 months after initiating ART. SIV-naive macaques were similarly infected with Mtb alone. TB pathology and total Mtb burden did not differ between SIV-infected, ART-treated and SIV-naive macaques, although lung Mtb burden was lower in SIV-infected, ART-treated macaques. No major differences in frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and unconventional T cell subsets (Vγ9+ γδ T cells, MAIT cells, and NKT cells) in airways were observed between SIV-infected, ART-treated and SIV-naive macaques over the course of Mtb infection, with the exception of CCR5+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cells which were slightly lower. CD4+ and CD8+ T cell frequencies did not differ in the lung granulomas. Immune checkpoint marker levels were similar, although ki-67 levels in CD8+ T cells were elevated. Thus, ART treatment of juvenile macaques, 3 months after SIV infection, resulted in similar progression of Mtb and T cell responses compared to Mtb in SIV-naive macaques.

Pre-existing Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Increases Expression of T Cell Markers Associated with Activation during Early Mycobacterium tuberculosis Coinfection and Impairs TNF Responses in Granulomas.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of death among people living with HIV. People living with HIV are more susceptible to contracting Mycobacterium tuberculosis and often have worsened TB disease. Understanding the immunologic defects caused by HIV and the consequences it has on M. tuberculosis coinfection is critical in combating this global health epidemic. We previously showed in a model of SIV and M. tuberculosis coinfection in Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (MCM) that SIV/M. tuberculosis-coinfected MCM had rapidly progressive TB. We hypothesized that pre-existing SIV infection impairs early T cell responses to M. tuberculosis infection. We infected MCM with SIVmac239, followed by coinfection with M. tuberculosis Erdman 6 mo later. Although similar, TB progression was observed in both SIV+ and SIV-naive animals at 6 wk post-M. tuberculosis infection; longitudinal sampling of the blood (PBMC) and airways (bronchoalveolar lavage) revealed a significant reduction in circulating CD4+ T cells and an influx of CD8+ T cells in airways of SIV+ animals. At sites of M. tuberculosis infection (i.e., granulomas), SIV/M. tuberculosis-coinfected animals had a higher proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing PD-1 and TIGIT. In addition, there were fewer TNF-producing CD4+ T cells in granulomas of SIV/M. tuberculosis-coinfected animals. Taken together, we show that concurrent SIV infection alters T cell phenotypes in granulomas during the early stages of TB disease. As it is critical to establish control of M. tuberculosis replication soon postinfection, these phenotypic changes may distinguish the immune dysfunction that arises from pre-existing SIV infection, which promotes TB progression.

MAIT cells are functionally impaired in a Mauritian cynomolgus macaque model of SIV and Mtb co-infection.

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells can recognize and respond to some bacterially infected cells. Several in vitro and in vivo models of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection suggest that MAIT cells can contribute to control of Mtb, but these studies are often cross-sectional and use peripheral blood cells. Whether MAIT cells are recruited to Mtb-affected granulomas and lymph nodes (LNs) during early Mtb infection and what purpose they might serve there is less well understood. Furthermore, whether HIV/SIV infection impairs MAIT cell frequency or function at the sites of Mtb replication has not been determined. Using Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (MCM), we phenotyped MAIT cells in the peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) before and during infection with SIVmac239. To test the hypothesis that SIV co-infection impairs MAIT cell frequency and function within granulomas, SIV+ and -naïve MCM were infected with a low dose of Mtb Erdman, and necropsied at 6 weeks post Mtb-challenge. MAIT cell frequency and function were examined within the peripheral blood, BAL, and Mtb-affected lymph nodes (LN) and granulomas. MAIT cells did not express markers indicative of T cell activation in response to Mtb in vivo within granulomas in animals infected with Mtb alone. SIV and Mtb co-infection led to increased expression of the activation/exhaustion markers PD-1 and TIGIT, and decreased ability to secrete TNFα when compared to SIV-naïve MCM. Our study provides evidence that SIV infection does not prohibit the recruitment of MAIT cells to sites of Mtb infection, but does functionally impair those MAIT cells. Their impaired function could have impacts, either direct or indirect, on the long-term containment of TB disease.

Reducing lifestyle risk behaviours in disadvantaged groups in high-income countries: A scoping review of systematic reviews.

High prevalence of risk behaviours may exacerbate existing poor health in disadvantaged groups. We aimed to identify and bring together systematic reviews with a focus on reducing risk behaviours in disadvantaged groups and highlight where evidence is lacking. We searched MEDLINE and Embase up to October 2020, with supplementary searching in Epistemonikos and Health Systems Evidence. We included systematic reviews that reported behavioural outcomes and targeted smoking, excessive alcohol use, unhealthy diet, or physical inactivity in groups with the following characteristics: low income or low socio-economic status (SES), unemployed people, homeless people, care leavers, prisoners, refugees or asylum seeker, Gypsies, Travellers, or Roma, people with learning disabilities and people living in disadvantaged areas. Reviews that included primary studies from any high-income country were eligible. Reviews were mapped based on the disadvantaged group(s) and behaviour(s) targeted. Ninety-two reviews were included, with the majority (n = 63) focusing on people with low income or low SES. We identified gaps in the evidence for care leavers; Gypsies, Travellers, and Roma and limited evidence for refugees and unemployed people. Few reviews targeted alcohol use. There was limited evidence on barriers and facilitators to behaviour change. This suggests there is insufficient evidence to inform policy and practice and new reviews or primary studies may be required.

Mental health promotion and protection relating to key life events and transitions in adulthood: a rapid systematic review of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: During the decades representing working-age adulthood, most people will experience one or several significant life events or transitions. These may present a challenge to mental health. AIM: The primary aim of this rapid systematic review of systematic reviews was to summarise available evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to promote and protect mental health relating to four key life events and transitions: pregnancy and early parenthood, bereavement, unemployment, and housing problems. This review was conducted to inform UK national policy on mental health support. METHODS: We searched key databases for systematic reviews of interventions for working-age adults (19 to 64 years old) who had experienced or were at risk of experiencing one of four key life events. Titles and abstracts were screened by two reviewers in duplicate, as were full-text manuscripts of relevant records. We assessed the quality of included reviews and extracted data on the characteristics of each literature review. We prioritised high quality, recent systematic reviews for more detailed data extraction and synthesis. RESULTS: The search and screening of 3997 titles/abstracts and 239 full-text papers resulted in 134 relevant studies, 68 of which were included in a narrative synthesis. Evidence was strongest and of the highest quality for interventions to support women during pregnancy and after childbirth. For example, we found benefits of physical activity and psychological therapy for outcomes relating to mental health after birth. There was high quality evidence of positive effects of online bereavement interventions and psychological interventions on symptoms of grief, post-traumatic stress, and depression. Evidence was inconclusive and of lower quality for a range of other bereavement interventions, unemployment support interventions, and housing interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst evidence based mental health prevention and promotion is available during pregnancy and early parenthood and for bereavement, it is unclear how best to support adults experiencing job loss, unemployment, and housing problems.

Rhesus Macaques Are More Susceptible to Progressive Tuberculosis than Cynomolgus Macaques: a Quantitative Comparison.

In the past 2 decades, it has become increasingly clear that nonhuman primates, specifically macaques, are useful models for human tuberculosis (TB). Several macaque species have been used for TB studies, and questions remain about the similarities and differences in TB pathogenesis among macaque species, which can complicate decisions about the best species for a specific experiment. Here we provide a quantitative assessment, using serial positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) imaging and precise quantitative determination of bacterial burdens of low-dose Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in cynomolgus macaques of Chinese origin, rhesus macaques of Chinese origin, and Mauritian cynomolgus macaques. This comprehensive study demonstrates that there is substantial variability in the outcome of infection within and among species. Overall, rhesus macaques have higher rates of disease progression, more lung, lymph node, and extrapulmonary involvement, and higher bacterial burdens than Chinese cynomolgus macaques. The small cohort of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques assessed here indicates that this species is more similar to rhesus macaques than to Chinese cynomolgus macaques in terms of M. tuberculosis infection outcome. These data provide insights into the differences among species, providing valuable data to the field for assessing macaque studies of TB.

Preexisting Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Increases Susceptibility to Tuberculosis in Mauritian Cynomolgus Macaques.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the leading cause of death among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. The precise mechanisms by which HIV impairs host resistance to a subsequent M. tuberculosis infection are unknown. We modeled this coinfection in Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (MCM) using simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) as an HIV surrogate. We infected seven MCM with SIVmac239 intrarectally and 6 months later coinfected them via bronchoscope with ∼10 CFU of M. tuberculosis Another eight MCM were infected with M. tuberculosis alone. TB progression was monitored by clinical parameters, by culturing bacilli in gastric and bronchoalveolar lavages, and by serial [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging. The eight MCM infected with M. tuberculosis alone displayed dichotomous susceptibility to TB, with four animals reaching humane endpoint within 13 weeks and four animals surviving >19 weeks after M. tuberculosis infection. In stark contrast, all seven SIV+ animals exhibited rapidly progressive TB following coinfection and all reached humane endpoint by 13 weeks. Serial PET/CT imaging confirmed dichotomous outcomes in MCM infected with M. tuberculosis alone and marked susceptibility to TB in all SIV+ MCM. Notably, imaging revealed a significant increase in TB granulomas between 4 and 8 weeks after M. tuberculosis infection in SIV+ but not in SIV-naive MCM and implies that SIV impairs the ability of animals to contain M. tuberculosis dissemination. At necropsy, animals with preexisting SIV infection had more overall pathology, increased bacterial loads, and a trend towards more extrapulmonary disease than animals infected with M. tuberculosis alone. We thus developed a tractable MCM model in which to study SIV-M. tuberculosis coinfection and demonstrate that preexisting SIV dramatically diminishes the ability to control M. tuberculosis coinfection.

PET CT Identifies Reactivation Risk in Cynomolgus Macaques with Latent M. tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection presents across a spectrum in humans, from latent infection to active tuberculosis. Among those with latent tuberculosis, it is now recognized that there is also a spectrum of infection and this likely contributes to the variable risk of reactivation tuberculosis. Here, functional imaging with 18F-fluorodeoxygluose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET CT) of cynomolgus macaques with latent M. tuberculosis infection was used to characterize the features of reactivation after tumor necrosis factor (TNF) neutralization and determine which imaging characteristics before TNF neutralization distinguish reactivation risk. PET CT was performed on latently infected macaques (n = 26) before and during the course of TNF neutralization and a separate set of latently infected controls (n = 25). Reactivation occurred in 50% of the latently infected animals receiving TNF neutralizing antibody defined as development of at least one new granuloma in adjacent or distant locations including extrapulmonary sites. Increased lung inflammation measured by PET and the presence of extrapulmonary involvement before TNF neutralization predicted reactivation with 92% sensitivity and specificity. To define the biologic features associated with risk of reactivation, we used these PET CT parameters to identify latently infected animals at high risk for reactivation. High risk animals had higher cumulative lung bacterial burden and higher maximum lesional bacterial burdens, and more T cells producing IL-2, IL-10 and IL-17 in lung granulomas as compared to low risk macaques. In total, these data support that risk of reactivation is associated with lung inflammation and higher bacterial burden in macaques with latent Mtb infection.

"Taking away the chaos": a health needs assessment for people who inject drugs in public places in Glasgow, Scotland.

BACKGROUND: Public injecting of recreational drugs has been documented in a number of cities worldwide and was a key risk factor in a HIV outbreak in Glasgow, Scotland during 2015. We investigated the characteristics and health needs of people involved in this practice and explored stakeholder attitudes to new harm reduction interventions. METHODS: We used a tripartite health needs assessment framework, comprising epidemiological, comparative, and corporate approaches. We undertook an analysis of local and national secondary data sources on drug use; a series of rapid literature reviews; and an engagement exercise with people currently injecting in public places, people in recovery from injecting drug use, and staff from relevant health and social services. RESULTS: Between 400 and 500 individuals are estimated to regularly inject in public places in Glasgow city centre: most experience a combination of profound social vulnerabilities. Priority health needs comprise addictions care; prevention and treatment of blood-borne viruses; other injecting-related infections and injuries; and overdose and drug-related death. Among people with lived experience and staff from relevant health and social care services, there was widespread - though not unanimous - support for the introduction of safer injecting facilities and heroin-assisted treatment services. CONCLUSIONS: The environment and context in which drug consumption occurs is a key determinant of harm, and is inextricably linked to upstream social factors. Public injecting therefore requires a multifaceted response. Though evidence-based interventions exist, their implementation internationally is variable: understanding the attitudes of key stakeholders provides important insights into local facilitators and barriers. Following this study, Glasgow plans to establish the world's first co-located safer injecting facility and heroin-assisted treatment service.

Characterization of T Cells Specific for CFP-10 and ESAT-6 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Infected Mauritian Cynomolgus Macaques.

Nonhuman primates can be used to study host immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (MCMs) are a unique group of animals that have limited major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genetic diversity, such that MHC-identical animals can be infected with M. tuberculosis Two MCMs homozygous for the relatively common M1 MHC haplotype were bronchoscopically infected with 41 CFU of the M. tuberculosis Erdman strain. Four other MCMs, which had at least one copy of the M1 MHC haplotype, were infected with a lower dose of 3 CFU M. tuberculosis All animals mounted similar T-cell responses to CFP-10 and ESAT-6. Two epitopes in CFP-10 were characterized, and the MHC class II alleles restricting them were determined. A third epitope in CFP-10 was identified but exhibited promiscuous restriction. The CFP-10 and ESAT-6 antigenic regions targeted by T cells in MCMs were comparable to those seen in cases of human M. tuberculosis infection. Our data lay the foundation for generating tetrameric molecules to study epitope-specific CD4 T cells in M. tuberculosis-infected MCMs, which may guide future testing of tuberculosis vaccines in nonhuman primates.

Variability in tuberculosis granuloma T cell responses exists, but a balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines is associated with sterilization.

Lung granulomas are the pathologic hallmark of tuberculosis (TB). T cells are a major cellular component of TB lung granulomas and are known to play an important role in containment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. We used cynomolgus macaques, a non-human primate model that recapitulates human TB with clinically active disease, latent infection or early infection, to understand functional characteristics and dynamics of T cells in individual granulomas. We sought to correlate T cell cytokine response and bacterial burden of each granuloma, as well as granuloma and systemic responses in individual animals. Our results support that each granuloma within an individual host is independent with respect to total cell numbers, proportion of T cells, pattern of cytokine response, and bacterial burden. The spectrum of these components overlaps greatly amongst animals with different clinical status, indicating that a diversity of granulomas exists within an individual host. On average only about 8% of T cells from granulomas respond with cytokine production after stimulation with Mtb specific antigens, and few "multi-functional" T cells were observed. However, granulomas were found to be "multi-functional" with respect to the combinations of functional T cells that were identified among lesions from individual animals. Although the responses generally overlapped, sterile granulomas had modestly higher frequencies of T cells making IL-17, TNF and any of T-1 (IFN-γ, IL-2, or TNF) and/or T-17 (IL-17) cytokines than non-sterile granulomas. An inverse correlation was observed between bacterial burden with TNF and T-1/T-17 responses in individual granulomas, and a combinatorial analysis of pair-wise cytokine responses indicated that granulomas with T cells producing both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-10 and IL-17) were associated with clearance of Mtb. Preliminary evaluation suggests that systemic responses in the blood do not accurately reflect local T cell responses within granulomas.

Accuracy of point-of-care testing for circulatory cathodic antigen in the detection of schistosome infection: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of point-of-care testing for circulatory cathodic antigen in the diagnosis of schistosome infection. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and other bibliographic databases for studies published until 30 September 2015 that described circulatory cathodic antigen testing compared against one to three Kato-Katz tests per subject - for Schistosoma mansoni - or the filtration of one 10-ml urine sample per subject - for S. haematobium. We extracted the numbers of true positives, false positives, true negatives and false negatives for the antigen testing and performed meta-analyses using a bivariate hierarchical regression model. FINDINGS: Twenty-six studies published between 1994 and 2014 met the inclusion criteria. In the detection of S. mansoni, a single antigen test gave a pooled sensitivity of 0.90 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.84-0.94) and a pooled specificity of 0.56 (95% CI: 0.39-0.71; n = 7) when compared against a single Kato-Katz test. The corresponding values from comparisons with two to three Kato-Katz tests per subject were 0.85 (95% CI: 0.80-0.88) and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.53-0.76; n = 14), respectively. There appeared to be no advantage in using three antigen tests per subject instead of one. When compared against the results of urine filtration, antigen testing for S. haematobium showed poor sensitivity and poor specificity. The performance of antigen testing was better in areas of high endemicity than in settings with low endemicity. CONCLUSION: Antigen testing may represent an effective tool for monitoring programmes for the control of S. mansoni.

Temporalization of peak electric generation particulate matter emissions during high energy demand days.

Underprediction of peak ambient pollution by air quality models hinders development of effective strategies to protect health and welfare. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's community multiscale air quality (CMAQ) model routinely underpredicts peak ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations. Temporal misallocation of electricity sector emissions contributes to this modeling deficiency. Hourly emissions are created for CMAQ by use of temporal profiles applied to annual emission totals unless a source is matched to a continuous emissions monitor (CEM) in the National Emissions Inventory (NEI). More than 53% of CEMs in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) electricity market and 45% nationally are unmatched in the 2008 NEI. For July 2006, a United States heat wave with high electricity demand, peak electric sector emissions, and elevated ambient PM2.5 mass, we match hourly emissions for 267 CEM/NEI pairs in PJM (approximately 49% and 12% of unmatched CEMs in PJM and nationwide) using state permits, electricity dispatch modeling and CEMs. Hourly emissions for individual facilities can differ up to 154% during the simulation when measurement data is used rather than default temporalization values. Maximum CMAQ PM2.5 mass, sulfate, and elemental carbon predictions increase up to 83%, 103%, and 310%, at the surface and 51%, 75%, and 38% aloft (800 mb), respectively.

The cellular interactome of the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus nucleocapsid protein and functional implications for virus biology.

The coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein plays a multifunctional role in the virus life cycle, from regulation of replication and transcription and genome packaging to modulation of host cell processes. These functions are likely to be facilitated by interactions with host cell proteins. The potential interactome of the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) N protein was mapped using stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) coupled to a green fluorescent protein-nanotrap pulldown methodology and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The addition of the SILAC label allowed discrimination of proteins that were likely to specifically bind to the N protein over background binding. Overall, 142 cellular proteins were selected as potentially binding to the N protein, many as part of larger possible complexes. These included ribosomal proteins, nucleolar proteins, translation initiation factors, helicases, and hnRNPs. The association of selected cellular proteins with IBV N protein was confirmed by immunoblotting, cosedimentation, and confocal microscopy. Further, the localization of selected proteins in IBV-infected cells as well as their activity during virus infection was assessed by small interfering RNA-mediated depletion, demonstrating the functional importance of cellular proteins in the biology of IBV. This interactome not only confirms previous observations made with other coronavirus and IBV N proteins with both overexpressed proteins and infectious virus but also provides novel data that can be exploited to understand the interaction between the virus and the host cell.

The contribution of different information sources to identify adverse effects of a medical device: a case study using a systematic review of spinal fusion.

BACKGROUND: The most effective sources to search to identify adverse effects data for medical devices are currently unknown. METHODS: The included studies from a systematic review of the safety of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) for spinal fusion were used for analysis. For each source searched, a record was made for each relevant publication of whether it was retrieved by the search strategy used and whether it was available in the database but not retrieved. To account for multiple publications of the same study, a record was made of the relevant studies identified. The sensitivity, precision, and number needed to read were calculated as well as the minimum combination of sources to identify all the publications or studies. RESULTS: There were eighty-two publications (forty-nine studies) included in the systematic review. Only one article was available in a database searched but not retrieved by our search strategy. Science Citation Index (SCI) and EMBASE both achieved the highest sensitivity (62 percent), followed closely by MEDLINE/PubMED (56 percent). With the search strategies used, the minimum combination of sources needed to identify all the publications was SCI, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and either MEDLINE or PubMED, in addition to reference checking, contacting authors and an automated current awareness service. In relation to identifying all the relevant studies, the minimum combination of studies was similar with the exclusion of CENTRAL. CONCLUSIONS: To identify all the relevant publications or studies included in this case study systematic review, several different sources needed to be searched.

Safety and effectiveness of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 for spinal fusion: a meta-analysis of individual-participant data.

BACKGROUND: Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is widely used to promote fusion in spinal surgery, but its safety has been questioned. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of rhBMP-2. DATA SOURCES: Individual-participant data obtained from the sponsor or investigators and data extracted from study publications identified by systematic bibliographic searches through June 2012. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized, controlled trials of rhBMP-2 versus iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) in spinal fusion surgery for degenerative disc disease and related conditions and observational studies in similar populations for investigation of adverse events. DATA EXTRACTION: Individual-participant data from 11 eligible of 17 provided trials sponsored by Medtronic (Minneapolis, Minnesota) (n = 1302) and 1 of 2 other eligible trials (n = 106) were included. Additional aggregate adverse event data were extracted from 35 published observational studies. DATA SYNTHESIS: Primary outcomes were pain (assessed with the Oswestry Disability Index [ODI] or Short Form-36), fusion, and adverse events. At 24 months, ODI scores were 3.5% lower (better) with rhBMP-2 than with ICBG (95% CI, 0.5% to 6.5%) and radiographic fusion was 12% higher (CI, 2% to 23%). At or shortly after surgery, pain was more common with rhBMP-2 (odds ratio, 1.78 [CI, 1.06 to 2.95]). Cancer was more common after rhBMP-2 (relative risk, 1.98 [CI, 0.86 to 4.54]), but the small number of events precluded definite conclusions. LIMITATION: The observational studies were diverse and at risk of bias. CONCLUSION: At 24 months, rhBMP-2 increases fusion rates, reduces pain by a clinically insignificant amount, and increases early postsurgical pain compared with ICBG. Evidence of increased cancer incidence is inconclusive. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Yale University Open Data Access Project.

Intravenous BCG induces a more potent airway and lung immune response than intradermal BCG in SIV-infected macaques 1.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is one of the leading causes of death due to an infectious agent. Coinfection with HIV exacerbates Mtb infection outcomes in people living with HIV (PLWH). Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the only approved TB vaccine, is effective in infants, but its efficacy in adolescents and adults is limited. Here, we investigated the immune responses elicited by BCG administered via intravenous (IV) or intradermal (ID) routes in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)-infected Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (MCM) without the confounding effects of Mtb challenge. We assessed the impact of vaccination on T cell responses in the airway, blood, and tissues (lung, thoracic lymph nodes, and spleen), as well as the expression of cytokines, cytotoxic molecules, and key transcription factors. Our results showed that IV BCG induces a robust and sustained immune response, including tissue-resident memory T (T RM ) cells in lungs, polyfunctional CD4+ and CD8αß+ T cells expressing multiple cytokines, and CD8αß+ T cells and NK cells expressing cytotoxic effectors in airways. We also detected higher levels of mycobacteria-specific IgG and IgM in the airways of IV BCG-vaccinated MCM. Although IV BCG vaccination resulted in an influx of T RM cells in lungs of MCM with controlled SIV replication, MCM with high plasma SIV RNA (>10 5 copies/mL) typically displayed reduced T cell responses, suggesting that uncontrolled SIV or HIV replication would have a detrimental effect on IV BCG-induced protection against Mtb.