Association between Medicaid Expansion and Cutaneous Melanoma Diagnosis and Outcomes: Does Where You Live Make a Difference?

BACKGROUND: Early detection and standardized treatment are crucial for enhancing outcomes for patients with cutaneous melanoma, the commonly diagnosed skin cancer. However, access to quality health care services remains a critical barrier for many patients, particularly the uninsured. Whereas Medicaid expansion (ME) has had a positive impact on some cancers, its specific influence on cutaneous melanoma remains understudied. METHODS: The National Cancer Database identified 87,512 patients 40-64 years of age with a diagnosis of non-metastatic cutaneous melanoma between 2004 and 2017. In this study, patient demographics, disease characteristics, and treatment variables were analyzed, and ME status was determined based on state policies. Standard univariate statistics were used to compare patients with a diagnosis of non-metastatic cutaneous melanoma between ME and non-ME states. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used to evaluate overall survival (OS) between ME and non-ME states. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to examine associations with OS. RESULTS: Overall, 28.6 % (n = 25,031) of the overall cohort was in ME states. The patients in ME states were more likely to be insured, live in neighborhoods with higher median income quartiles, receive treatment at academic/research cancer centers, have lower stages of disease, and receive surgery than the patients in non-ME states. Kaplan-Meier analysis found enhanced 5-year OS for the patients in ME states across all stages. Cox regression showed improved survival in ME states for stage II (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84) and stage III (HR, 0.75) melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the positive association between ME and improved diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients with non-metastatic cutaneous melanoma. These findings advocate for continued efforts to enhance health care accessibility for vulnerable populations.

Characteristics and variations in young adults with cutaneous melanoma: A national cancer database analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many cancers in young adulthood differ in terms of biology, histologic variation, and prognosis compared to cancer in other older age groups. Differences in cutaneous melanoma among young adults compared to other older age groups, as well as between sexes in young adults are not well studied. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma between 2004 and 2017. Patient characteristics, disease factors, and treatment were stratified by age-based cohorts and compared using standard univariate statistics. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used to evaluate overall survival (OS) between age-based cohorts and young adult sexes. RESULTS: Of the 329 765 patients identified, 10.5% were between 18 and 39 years of age at diagnosis. Compared with other older age groups, young adult patients were more likely to be female and uninsured with higher proportions of superficial spreading melanoma, melanoma of the trunk and extremities, and earlier-stage disease. Young adults had improved OS compared to other older age groups. Young male patients had a greater proportion of no insurance, nodular melanoma, higher-stage disease, and decreased OS compared to young female patients. Additionally, while the 5-year OS difference was statistically significant across all stages of disease between young males and females, the clinical significance is likely limited to later stages. CONCLUSIONS: Age and sex-specific differences in cutaneous melanoma highlight distinct patterns and characteristics, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches to screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia in X-linked agammaglobulinemia: An underestimated and severe complication.

BACKGROUND: Late-onset complications in X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) are increasingly recognized. Nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) has been reported in primary immunodeficiency but data in XLA are limited. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to describe NRH prevalence, associated features, and impact in patients with XLA. METHODS: Medical records of all patients with XLA referred to the National Institutes of Health between October 1994 and June 2019 were reviewed. Liver biopsies were performed when clinically indicated. Patients were stratified into NRH+ or NRH- groups, according to their NRH biopsy status. Fisher exact test and Mann-Whitney test were used for statistical comparisons. RESULTS: Records of 21 patients with XLA were reviewed, with a cumulative follow-up of 129 patient-years. Eight patients underwent ≥1 liver biopsy of whom 6 (29% of the National Institutes of Health XLA cohort) were NRH+. The median age at NRH diagnosis was 20 years (range, 17-31). Among patients who had liver biopsies, alkaline phosphatase levels were only increased in patients who were NRH+ (P = .04). Persistently low platelet count (<100,000 per µL for >6 months), mildly to highly elevated hepatic venous pressure gradient and either hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly were present in all patients who were NRH+. In opposition, persistently low platelet counts were not seen in patients who were NRH-, and hepatosplenomegaly was observed in only 1 patient who was NRH-. Hepatic venous pressure gradient was normal in the only patient tested who was NRH-. All-cause mortality was higher among patients who were NRH+ (5 of 6, 83%) than in the rest of the cohort (1 of 15, 7% among patients who were NRH- and who were classified as unknown; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: NRH is an underreported, frequent, and severe complication in XLA, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Targeted pharmacologic immunomodulation for inborn errors of immunity.

Inborn errors of immunity consist of over 400 known single gene disorders that may manifest with infection susceptibility, autoimmunity, autoinflammation, hypersensitivity and cancer predisposition. Most patients are treated symptomatically with immunoglobulin replacement, prophylactic antimicrobials or broad immunosuppression pertaining to their disease phenotype. Other than haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the aforementioned treatments do little to alter disease morbidity or mortality. Further, many patients may not be transplant candidates. In this review, we describe monogenic disorders affecting leucocyte migration, disorders of immune synapse formation and dysregulation of immune cell signal transduction. We highlight the use of off-label small molecules and biologics mechanistically targeted to altered disease pathophysiology of such diseases.

BTK inhibitors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) regulates B cell and macrophage signaling, development, survival, and activation. Inhibiting BTK has been hypothesized to ameliorate lung injury in patients with severe COVID-19, however clinical outcome data is inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of BTK inhibitors (BTKinibs) in patients with COVID-19. EVIDENCE REVIEW: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science:Core on December 30, 2020. Clinical studies with at least 5 COVID-19 patients treated with BTKinibs were included. Case reports and reviews were excluded. FINDINGS: 125 articles were identified, 6 of which met inclusion criteria. The most common clinical outcomes measured were oxygen requirements (4/6) and hospitalization rate or duration (3/6). Three studies showed decreased oxygen requirements in patients who started or continued BTKinibs. All three studies that evaluated hospitalization rate or duration found favorable outcomes in those on BTKinibs. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: BTKinib use was associated with decreased oxygen requirements and decreased hospitalization rates and duration.

The pathological and molecular but not clinical phenotypes are maintained after second passage of experimental atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle.

BACKGROUND: Atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathies (BSEs), classified as H-type and L-type BSE based on the Western immunoblot profiles, are naturally occurring diseases in cattle, which are phenotypically different to classical BSE. Transmission studies in cattle using the intracerebral route resulted in disease where the phenotypes were maintained irrespective of BSE type but clinically affected cattle with a shorter survival time displayed a nervous form whereas cattle with a longer survival time displayed a dull form. A second transmission study is reported here where four cattle were intracerebrally inoculated with brain tissue from experimentally infected cattle presenting with either the nervous or dull form of H- or L-type BSE to determine whether the phenotype is maintained. RESULTS: The four inoculated cattle were culled at 16.5-19.5 months post inoculation after presenting with difficulty getting up, a positive scratch response (all) and dullness (three cattle), which was not observed in two non-inoculated control cattle, each housed with either group of inoculated cattle. Only the inoculated cattle had detectable prion protein in the brain based on immunohistochemical examination, and the Western immunoblot profile was consistent with the H-type or L-type BSE of the respective donor cattle. CONCLUSIONS: Second passage of H-type and L-type BSE in cattle produced a TSE where the majority of cattle displayed the dull form regardless of clinical disease form of the donor cattle. The pathological and molecular phenotypes of H- and L-type BSE were maintained.

Overexpression of chimaeric murine/ovine PrP (A136H154Q171) in transgenic mice facilitates transmission and differentiation of ruminant prions.

Development of transgenic mouse models expressing heterologous prion protein (PrP) has facilitated and advanced in vivo studies of prion diseases affecting humans and animals. Here, novel transgenic mouse lines expressing a chimaeric murine/ovine (Mu/Ov) PrP transgene, including amino acid residues alanine, histidine and glutamine at ovine polymorphic codons 136, 154 and 171 (A136H154Q171), were generated to provide a means of assessing the susceptibility of the ovine AHQ allele to ruminant prion diseases in an in vivo model. Transmission studies showed that the highest level of transgene overexpression, in Tg(Mu/OvPrP(AHQ))EM16 (EM16) mice, conferred high susceptibility to ruminant prions. Highly efficient primary transmission of atypical scrapie from sheep was shown, irrespective of donor sheep PrP genotype, with mean incubation periods (IPs) of 154­178 days post-inoculation (p.i.), 100% disease penetrance and early Western blot detection of protease-resistant fragments (PrP(res)) of the disease-associated isoform, PrP(Sc), in EM16 brain from 110 days p.i. onwards. EM16 mice were also highly susceptible to classical scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), with mean IPs 320 and 246 days faster, respectively, than WT mice. Primary passage of atypical scrapie, classical scrapie and BSE showed that the PrP(res) profiles associated with disease in the natural host were faithfully maintained in EM16 mice, and were distinguishable based on molecular masses, antibody reactivities and glycoform percentages. Immunohistochemistry was used to confirm PrP(Sc) deposition in brain sections from terminal phase transmissible spongiform encephalopathy-challenged EM16 mice. The findings indicate that EM16 mice represent a suitable bioassay model for detection of atypical scrapie infectivity and offer the prospect of differentiation of ruminant prions.

Oral Care Associated With Less Microaspiration in Ventilated Cardiac Patients.

Aspiration is common in mechanically ventilated patients and may predispose patients to aspiration pneumonia, chemical pneumonitis, and chronic lung damage. Pepsin A is a specific marker of gastric fluid aspiration and is often detected in ventilated pediatric patients. We investigated the effect of oral care and throat suctioning in the detection of pepsin A in tracheal aspirates (TAs) up to 4 hours after these procedures. Methods: Twelve pediatric patients between age 2 weeks to 14 years who underwent intubation for cardiac surgery were enrolled in this study. Six of the 12 patients were consented before their surgery with initial specimen collected at the time of intubation and last one shortly before extubation (intubation duration < 24 hours). The remaining 6 patients were consented after cardiac surgery. All specimens were collected per routine care per respiratory therapy protocol and shortly before extubation (intubation duration > 24 hours). Tracheal fluid aspirates were collected every 4 to 12 hours in the ventilated patients. Enzymatic assay for gastric pepsin A and protein determination were performed. The time of oral care and throat suctioning within 4 hours prior was recorded prospectively. Results: A total of 342 TA specimens were obtained from the 12 intubated pediatric patients during their course of hospitalization; 287 (83.9%) showed detectable total pepsin (pepsin A and C) enzyme activity (> 6 ng/mL) and 176 (51.5%) samples had detectable pepsin A enzyme levels (>6 ng/mL of pepsin A). Only 29 samples of 76 samples (38.2%) had evidence of microaspiration after receiving oral care, while 147 of 266 (55.3%) samples were pepsin A positive when no oral care was provided. Odds ratio is 0.50 (Cl 0.30-0.84), and the number needed to treat is 5.8 (Confidence interval 3.4-22.3). Testing air filters for pepsin was not beneficial. Conclusion: Oral care is a highly effective measure to prevent microaspiration of gastric fluid in ventilated pediatric patients. The number needed to treat (5.8) suggests this is a very effective prevention strategy. Our study suggests that pepsin A is a useful and sensitive biomarker that allows identification of gastric aspiration.

Experimental H-type and L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle: observation of two clinical syndromes and diagnostic challenges.

BACKGROUND: The majority of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases so far identified worldwide have been detected by active surveillance. Consequently the volume and quality of material available for detailed characterisation is very limiting. Here we report on a small transmission study of both atypical forms, H- and L-type BSE, in cattle to provide tissue for test evaluation and research, and to generate clinical, molecular and pathological data in a standardised way to enable more robust comparison of the two variants with particular reference to those aspects most relevant to case ascertainment and confirmatory diagnosis within existing regulated surveillance programmes. RESULTS: Two groups of four cattle, intracerebrally inoculated with L-type or H-type BSE, all presented with a nervous disease form with some similarities to classical BSE, which progressed to a more dull form in one animal from each group. Difficulty rising was a consistent feature of both disease forms and not seen in two BSE-free, non-inoculated cattle that served as controls. The pathology and molecular characteristics were distinct from classical BSE, and broadly consistent with published data, but with some variation in the pathological characteristics. Both atypical BSE types were readily detectable as BSE by current confirmatory methods using the medulla brain region at the obex, but making a clear diagnostic distinction between the forms was not consistently straightforward in this brain region. Cerebellum proved a more reliable sample for discrimination when using immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: The prominent feature of difficulty rising in atypical BSE cases may explain the detection of naturally occurring cases in emergency slaughter cattle and fallen stock. Current confirmatory diagnostic methods are effective for the detection of such atypical cases, but consistently and correctly identifying the variant forms may require modifications to the sampling regimes and methods that are currently in use.

Prognostic Value of Serum/Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain for COVID-19 Associated Mortality.

Given the continued spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), early predictors of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) mortality might improve patients’ outcomes. Increased levels of circulating neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of neuro-axonal injury, have been observed in patients with severe COVID-19. We investigated whether NfL provides non-redundant clinical value to previously identified predictors of COVID-19 mortality. We measured serum or plasma NfL concentrations in a blinded fashion in 3 cohorts totaling 338 COVID-19 patients. In cohort 1, we found significantly elevated NfL levels only in critically ill COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. Longitudinal cohort 2 data showed that NfL is elevated late in the course of the disease, following two other prognostic markers of COVID-19: decrease in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Significant correlations between LDH and ALC abnormalities and subsequent rise of NfL implicate multi-organ failure as a likely cause of neuronal injury at the later stages of COVID-19. Addition of NfL to age and gender in cohort 1 significantly improved the accuracy of mortality prediction and these improvements were validated in cohorts 2 and 3. In conclusion, although substantial increase in serum/plasma NfL reproducibly enhances COVID-19 mortality prediction, NfL has clinically meaningful prognostic value only close to death, which may be too late to alter medical management. When combined with other prognostic biomarkers, rising longitudinal NfL measurements triggered by LDH and ALC abnormalities would identify patients at risk of COVID-19 associated mortality who might still benefit from escalated care.

Prognostic value of serum/plasma neurofilament light chain for COVID-19-associated mortality.

OBJECTIVE: Given the continued spread of coronavirus 2, the early predictors of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) associated mortality might improve patients' outcomes. Increased levels of circulating neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of neuronal injury, have been observed in severe COVID-19 patients. We investigated whether NfL provides non-redundant clinical value to previously identified predictors of COVID-19 mortality. METHODS: We measured serum or plasma NfL concentrations in a blinded fashion in 3 cohorts totaling 338 COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: In cohort 1, we found significantly elevated NfL levels only in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Longitudinal cohort 2 data showed that NfL is elevated late in the course of the disease, following the two other prognostic markers of COVID-19: decrease in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Significant correlations between ALC and LDH abnormalities and subsequent rise of NfL implicate that the multi-organ failure is the most likely cause of neuronal injury in severe COVID-19 patients. The addition of NfL to age and gender in cohort 1 significantly improved the accuracy of mortality prediction and these improvements were validated in cohorts 2 and 3. INTERPRETATION: A substantial increase in serum/plasma NfL reproducibly enhanced COVID-19 mortality prediction. Combined with other prognostic markers, such as ALC and LDH that are routinely measured in ICU patients, NfL measurements might be useful to identify the patients at a high risk of COVID-19-associated mortality, who might still benefit from escalated care.

Serological responses to human virome define clinical outcomes of Italian patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the pandemic respiratory infectious disease COVID-19. However, clinical manifestations and outcomes differ significantly among COVID-19 patients, ranging from asymptomatic to extremely severe, and it remains unclear what drives these disparities. Here, we studied 159 sequentially enrolled hospitalized patients with COVID-19-associated pneumonia from Brescia, Italy using the VirScan phage-display method to characterize circulating antibodies binding to 96,179 viral peptides encoded by 1,276 strains of human viruses. SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a marked increase in immune antibody repertoires against many known pathogenic and non-pathogenic human viruses. This antiviral antibody response was linked to longitudinal trajectories of disease severity and was further confirmed in additional 125 COVID-19 patients from the same geographical region in Northern Italy. By applying a machine-learning-based strategy, a viral exposure signature predictive of COVID-19-related disease severity linked to patient survival was developed and validated. These results provide a basis for understanding the role of memory B-cell repertoire to viral epitopes in COVID-19-related symptoms and suggest that a unique anti-viral antibody repertoire signature may be useful to define COVID-19 clinical severity.

Multicenter analysis of neutrophil extracellular trap dysregulation in adult and pediatric COVID-19.

Dysregulation in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and degradation may play a role in the pathogenesis and severity of COVID-19; however, its role in the pediatric manifestations of this disease including MIS-C and chilblain-like lesions (CLL), otherwise known as "COVID toes", remains unclear. Studying multinational cohorts, we found that, in CLL, NETs were significantly increased in serum and skin. There was geographic variability in the prevalence of increased NETs in MIS-C, in association with disease severity. MIS-C and CLL serum samples displayed decreased NET degradation ability, in association with C1q and G-actin or anti-NET antibodies, respectively, but not with genetic variants of DNases. In adult COVID-19, persistent elevations in NETs post-disease diagnosis were detected but did not occur in asymptomatic infection. COVID-19-affected adults displayed significant prevalence of impaired NET degradation, in association with anti-DNase1L3, G-actin, and specific disease manifestations, but not with genetic variants of DNases. NETs were detected in many organs of adult patients who died from COVID-19 complications. Infection with the Omicron variant was associated with decreased levels of NETs when compared to other SARS-CoV-2 strains. These data support a role for NETs in the pathogenesis and severity of COVID-19 in pediatric and adult patients. Summary: NET formation and degradation are dysregulated in pediatric and symptomatic adult patients with various complications of COVID-19, in association with disease severity. NET degradation impairments are multifactorial and associated with natural inhibitors of DNase 1, G-actin and anti-DNase1L3 and anti-NET antibodies. Infection with the Omicron variant is associated with decreased levels of NETs when compared to other SARS-CoV-2 strains.

Multicenter analysis of neutrophil extracellular trap dysregulation in adult and pediatric COVID-19.

Dysregulation in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and degradation may play a role in the pathogenesis and severity of COVID-19; however, its role in the pediatric manifestations of this disease, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and chilblain-like lesions (CLLs), otherwise known as "COVID toes," remains unclear. Studying multinational cohorts, we found that, in CLLs, NETs were significantly increased in serum and skin. There was geographic variability in the prevalence of increased NETs in MIS-C, in association with disease severity. MIS-C and CLL serum samples displayed decreased NET degradation ability, in association with C1q and G-actin or anti-NET antibodies, respectively, but not with genetic variants of DNases. In adult COVID-19, persistent elevations in NETs after disease diagnosis were detected but did not occur in asymptomatic infection. COVID-19-affected adults displayed significant prevalence of impaired NET degradation, in association with anti-DNase1L3, G-actin, and specific disease manifestations, but not with genetic variants of DNases. NETs were detected in many organs of adult patients who died from COVID-19 complications. Infection with the Omicron variant was associated with decreased NET levels when compared with other SARS-CoV-2 strains. These data support a role for NETs in the pathogenesis and severity of COVID-19 in pediatric and adult patients.

Immunopathological signatures in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and pediatric COVID-19.

Pediatric Coronavirus Disease 2019 (pCOVID-19) is rarely severe; however, a minority of children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), with substantial morbidity. In this longitudinal multi-institutional study, we applied multi-omics (analysis of soluble biomarkers, proteomics, single-cell gene expression and immune repertoire analysis) to profile children with COVID-19 (n = 110) and MIS-C (n = 76), along with pediatric healthy controls (pHCs; n = 76). pCOVID-19 was characterized by robust type I interferon (IFN) responses, whereas prominent type II IFN-dependent and NF-κB-dependent signatures, matrisome activation and increased levels of circulating spike protein were detected in MIS-C, with no correlation with SARS-CoV-2 PCR status around the time of admission. Transient expansion of TRBV11-2 T cell clonotypes in MIS-C was associated with signatures of inflammation and T cell activation. The association of MIS-C with the combination of HLA A*02, B*35 and C*04 alleles suggests genetic susceptibility. MIS-C B cells showed higher mutation load than pCOVID-19 and pHC. These results identify distinct immunopathological signatures in pCOVID-19 and MIS-C that might help better define the pathophysiology of these disorders and guide therapy.

BTK inhibitors for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): A Systematic Review.

ImportanceThe Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) regulates B cell and macrophage signaling, development, survival, and activation. BTK inhibition was shown to protect against lethal influenza-induced acute lung injury in mice. Inhibiting BTK has been hypothesized to ameliorate lung injury in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ObjectiveTo evaluate the use of BTK inhibitors (BTKinibs) during COVID-19 and assess how they may affect patient outcomes.Evidence ReviewWe searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science: Core on December 30, 2020. Clinical studies with at least 5 COVID-19 patients treated with BTKinibs were included. Case reports and reviews were excluded.FindingsOne hundred twenty-five articles were identified, 6 of which met inclusion criteria. Sample size ranged from 6 to 126 patients. Patient populations included subjects hospitalized with COVID-19 (6/6) and admitted to the intensive care unit (5/6). Patient age ranged between 35 and 98 years. Four studies included patients already receiving BTKinibs for their lymphoproliferative disease, 1 for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia and 3 for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The most common clinical outcomes measured were oxygen requirements (4/6) and hospitalization rate or duration (3/6). Differences in standard-of-care reflected the date of study and pre-existing conditions in the various patient cohorts. Full-dose acalabrutinib was evaluated in 2 studies, one study evaluated full-dose ibrutinib, and another study evaluated both ibrutinib and acalabrutinib. The remainder 2 studies described outcomes in CLL patients on multiple BTKinibs and other CLL-targeted treatments. Three studies showed decreased oxygen requirements in patients who started or continued BTKinibs. All three studies that evaluated hospitalization rate or duration found favorable outcomes in those on BTKinibs. Conclusions and RelevanceBTKinib use was associated with decreased oxygen requirements and decreased hospitalization rates and duration. However, randomized clinical trials are needed to validate the beneficial effects of BTKinibs for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.

An immune-based biomarker signature is associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Immune and inflammatory responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) contribute to disease severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the utility of specific immune-based biomarkers to predict clinical outcome remains elusive. Here, we analyzed levels of 66 soluble biomarkers in 175 Italian patients with COVID-19 ranging from mild/moderate to critical severity and assessed type I IFN-, type II IFN-, and NF-κB-dependent whole-blood transcriptional signatures. A broad inflammatory signature was observed, implicating activation of various immune and nonhematopoietic cell subsets. Discordance between IFN-α2a protein and IFNA2 transcript levels in blood suggests that type I IFNs during COVID-19 may be primarily produced by tissue-resident cells. Multivariable analysis of patients' first samples revealed 12 biomarkers (CCL2, IL-15, soluble ST2 [sST2], NGAL, sTNFRSF1A, ferritin, IL-6, S100A9, MMP-9, IL-2, sVEGFR1, IL-10) that when increased were independently associated with mortality. Multivariate analyses of longitudinal biomarker trajectories identified 8 of the aforementioned biomarkers (IL-15, IL-2, NGAL, CCL2, MMP-9, sTNFRSF1A, sST2, IL-10) and 2 additional biomarkers (lactoferrin, CXCL9) that were substantially associated with mortality when increased, while IL-1α was associated with mortality when decreased. Among these, sST2, sTNFRSF1A, IL-10, and IL-15 were consistently higher throughout the hospitalization in patients who died versus those who recovered, suggesting that these biomarkers may provide an early warning of eventual disease outcome.

Relationship between clinical signs and postmortem test status in cattle experimentally infected with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent.

BACKGROUND: Various clinical protocols have been developed to aid in the clinical diagnosis of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which is confirmed by postmortem examinations based on vacuolation and accumulation of disease-associated prion protein (PrPd) in the brain. The present study investigated the occurrence and progression of sixty selected clinical signs and behaviour combinations in 513 experimentally exposed cattle subsequently categorised postmortem as confirmed or unconfirmed BSE cases. Appropriate undosed or saline inoculated controls were examined similarly and the data analysed to explore the possible occurrence of BSE-specific clinical expression in animals unconfirmed by postmortem examinations. RESULTS: Based on the display of selected behavioural, sensory and locomotor changes, 20 (67%) orally dosed and 17 (77%) intracerebrally inoculated pathologically confirmed BSE cases and 21 (13%) orally dosed and 18 (6%) intracerebrally inoculated but unconfirmed cases were considered clinical BSE suspects. None of 103 controls showed significant signs and were all negative on diagnostic postmortem examinations. Signs indicative of BSE suspects, particularly over-reactivity and ataxia, were more frequently displayed in confirmed cases with vacuolar changes in the brain. The display of several BSE-associated signs over time, including repeated startle responses and nervousness, was significantly more frequent in confirmed BSE cases compared to controls, but these two signs were also significantly more frequent in orally dosed cattle unconfirmed by postmortem examinations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings confirm that in experimentally infected cattle clinical abnormalities indicative of BSE are accompanied by vacuolar changes and PrPd accumulation in the brainstem. The presence of more frequently expressed signs in cases with vacuolar changes is consistent with this pathology representing a more advanced stage of disease. That BSE-like signs or sign combinations occur in inoculated animals that were not confirmed as BSE cases by postmortem examinations requires further study to investigate the potential causal relationship with prion disease.

Adolescent With VACTERL Association Presents With Recurrent Pneumonia.

VACTERL is a condition that includes various anatomic anomalies including vertebral, cardiac, tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), renal, and limb defects. TEF can be found in up to 80% of patients with the condition. Although TEFs are usually identified early in life, the H-type TEF can be more difficult to detect. We report the case of a 15-year-old male with a previous diagnosis of VACTERL who presented with a history of recurrent pneumonia, chest pain, and asthma and was found to have a previously undetected H-type TEF that was surgically repaired. When evaluating a patient with features of VACTERL, it is important to choose studies that can explore the presence of all associated features. Clinical history and type of imaging utilized can be essential in making a timely diagnosis, especially for H-type TEF.

Immunohistochemical and biochemical characteristics of BSE and CWD in experimentally infected European red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus).

BACKGROUND: The cause of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic in the United Kingdom (UK) was the inclusion of contaminated meat and bone meal in the protein rations fed to cattle. Those rations were not restricted to cattle but were also fed to other livestock including farmed and free living deer. Although there are no reported cases to date of natural BSE in European deer, BSE has been shown to be naturally or experimentally transmissible to a wide range of different ungulate species. Moreover, several species of North America's cervids are highly susceptible to chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that has become endemic. Should BSE infection have been introduced into the UK deer population, the CWD precedent could suggest that there is a danger for spread and maintenance of the disease in both free living and captive UK deer populations. This study compares the immunohistochemical and biochemical characteristics of BSE and CWD in experimentally-infected European red deer (Cervus elpahus elaphus). RESULTS: After intracerebral or alimentary challenge, BSE in red deer more closely resembled natural infection in cattle rather than experimental BSE in small ruminants, due to the lack of accumulation of abnormal PrP in lymphoid tissues. In this respect it was different from CWD, and although the neuropathological features of both diseases were similar, BSE could be clearly differentiated from CWD by immunohistochemical and Western blotting methods currently in routine use. CONCLUSION: Red deer are susceptible to both BSE and CWD infection, but the resulting disease phenotypes are distinct and clearly distinguishable.