Global evidence on the selfish rich inequality hypothesis.

We report on a study of whether people believe that the rich are richer than the poor because they have been more selfish in life, using data from more than 26,000 individuals in 60 countries. The findings show a strong belief in the selfish rich inequality hypothesis at the global level; in the majority of countries, the mode is to strongly agree with it. However, we also identify important between- and within-country variation. We find that the belief in selfish rich inequality is much stronger in countries with extensive corruption and weak institutions and less strong among people who are higher in the income distribution in their society. Finally, we show that the belief in selfish rich inequality is predictive of people's policy views on inequality and redistribution: It is significantly positively associated with agreeing that inequality in their country is unfair, and it is significantly positively associated with agreeing that the government should aim to reduce inequality. These relationships are highly significant both across and within countries and robust to including country-level or individual-level controls and using Lasso-selected regressors. Thus, the data provide compelling evidence of people believing that the rich are richer because they have been more selfish in life and perceiving selfish behavior as creating unfair inequality and justifying equalizing policies.

A partial loss-of-function variant in STAT6 protects against T2 asthma.

BACKGROUND: Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 6 (STAT6) is central to Type 2 (T2) inflammation and common non-coding variants at the STAT6 locus associate with various T2 inflammatory traits, including diseases, and its pathway is widely targeted in asthma treatment. OBJECTIVE: To test the association of a rare missense variant in STAT6, p.L406P, with T2 inflammatory traits, including the risk of asthma and allergic diseases, and to characterize its functional consequences in cell culture. METHODS: We tested association of p.L406P with plasma protein levels, white blood cell counts and the risk of asthma and allergic phenotypes. We tested significant associations in other cohorts using a burden test. The effects of p.L406P on STAT6 protein function were examined in cell lines and by comparing CD4+ T-cell responses from carriers and non-carriers of the variant. RESULTS: p.L406P associated with reduced plasma levels of STAT6 and IgE as well as with lower eosinophil and basophil counts in blood. It also protected against asthma, mostly driven by severe T2 high asthma. We showed that p.L406P led to lower IL-4-induced activation in luciferase reporter assays and lower levels of STAT6 in CD4+ T cells. We identified multiple genes with expression that was affected by the p.L406P genotype upon IL-4 treatment of CD4+ T cells; the effect was consistent with a weaker IL-4 response in carriers than non-carriers of p.L406P. CONCLUSIONS: We report a partial loss-of-function variant in STAT6, resulting in dampened IL-4 responses and protection from T2 high asthma, implicating STAT6 as an attractive therapeutic target.

Meta-analysis of ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema identifies novel risk locus.

BACKGROUND: Angioedema is a rare but potentially life-threatening adverse drug reaction in patients receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis). Research suggests that susceptibility to ACEi-induced angioedema (ACEi-AE) involves both genetic and nongenetic risk factors. Genome- and exome-wide studies of ACEi-AE have identified the first genetic risk loci. However, understanding of the underlying pathophysiology remains limited. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify further genetic factors of ACEi-AE to eventually gain a deeper understanding of its pathophysiology. METHODS: By combining data from 8 cohorts, a genome-wide association study meta-analysis was performed in more than 1000 European patients with ACEi-AE. Secondary bioinformatic analyses were conducted to fine-map associated loci, identify relevant genes and pathways, and assess the genetic overlap between ACEi-AE and other traits. Finally, an exploratory cross-ancestry analysis was performed to assess shared genetic factors in European and African-American patients with ACEi-AE. RESULTS: Three genome-wide significant risk loci were identified. One of these, located on chromosome 20q11.22, has not been implicated previously in ACEi-AE. Integrative secondary analyses highlighted previously reported genes (BDKRB2 [bradykinin receptor B2] and F5 [coagulation factor 5]) as well as biologically plausible novel candidate genes (PROCR [protein C receptor] and EDEM2 [endoplasmic reticulum degradation enhancing alpha-mannosidase like protein 2]). Lead variants at the risk loci were found with similar effect sizes and directions in an African-American cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The present results contributed to a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of ACEi-AE by (1) providing further evidence for the involvement of bradykinin signaling and coagulation pathways and (2) suggesting, for the first time, the involvement of the fibrinolysis pathway in this adverse drug reaction. An exploratory cross-ancestry comparison implicated the relevance of the associated risk loci across diverse ancestries.

Longitudinal metabolite and protein trajectories prior to diabetes mellitus diagnosis in Danish blood donors: a nested case-control study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Metabolic risk factors and plasma biomarkers for diabetes have previously been shown to change prior to a clinical diabetes diagnosis. However, these markers only cover a small subset of molecular biomarkers linked to the disease. In this study, we aimed to profile a more comprehensive set of molecular biomarkers and explore their temporal association with incident diabetes. METHODS: We performed a targeted analysis of 54 proteins and 171 metabolites and lipoprotein particles measured in three sequential samples spanning up to 11 years of follow-up in 324 individuals with incident diabetes and 359 individuals without diabetes in the Danish Blood Donor Study (DBDS) matched for sex and birth year distribution. We used linear mixed-effects models to identify temporal changes before a diabetes diagnosis, either for any incident diabetes diagnosis or for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnoses specifically. We further performed linear and non-linear feature selection, adding 28 polygenic risk scores to the biomarker pool. We tested the time-to-event prediction gain of the biomarkers with the highest variable importance, compared with selected clinical covariates and plasma glucose. RESULTS: We identified two proteins and 16 metabolites and lipoprotein particles whose levels changed temporally before diabetes diagnosis and for which the estimated marginal means were significant after FDR adjustment. Sixteen of these have not previously been described. Additionally, 75 biomarkers were consistently higher or lower in the years before a diabetes diagnosis. We identified a single temporal biomarker for type 1 diabetes, IL-17A/F, a cytokine that is associated with multiple other autoimmune diseases. Inclusion of 12 biomarkers improved the 10-year prediction of a diabetes diagnosis (i.e. the area under the receiver operating curve increased from 0.79 to 0.84), compared with clinical information and plasma glucose alone. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Systemic molecular changes manifest in plasma several years before a diabetes diagnosis. A particular subset of biomarkers shows distinct, time-dependent patterns, offering potential as predictive markers for diabetes onset. Notably, these biomarkers show shared and distinct patterns between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. After independent replication, our findings may be used to develop new clinical prediction models.

Blood donation and migraine relief: A national population cohort study in Denmark.

INTRODUCTION: Migraine is a prevalent neurological headache disorder. Due to challenges associated with finding effective treatment, many individuals with migraine feel compelled to explore alternative treatment strategies, such as blood donation, hypothesized to provide migraine relief. METHODS: Through logistic, Poisson, and Cox regression methods, we examined the links between migraine and blood donation activities in two population cohorts: Danish blood donors in the Scandinavian Donations and Transfusions Database (SCANDAT-DK, N >1 million) and the Danish Blood Donor Study (N ~ 100,000). RESULTS: SCANDAT-DK analyses showed no link between migraine and the propensity to become a blood donor among males (odds ratio [OR]Males = 0.95 [95% Confidence Interval: 0.86-1.04], and a reduced propensity among females ORFemales = 0.88 [0.83-0.93]). The incidence of migraine was not reduced upon blood donation (standardized incidence ratio [SIR]Males = 0.94 [0.83-1.06]; SIRFemales = 1.04 [0.99-1.10]). Donors with migraine demonstrated longer intervals between donations (hazard ratio [HR]Males = 0.87 [0.85-0.91], HRFemales = 0.80 [0.78-0.82]), and an increased risk of donor lapse (ORMales = 1.23 [1.14-1.32]; ORFemales = 1.28 [1.22-1.33]). Results were corroborated in DBDS using self-reported migraine. Genetic predisposition to migraine associated with longer intervals in females (HRFemales = 0.98 [0.97-0.99]), but not in males. DISCUSSION: Our findings do not support the hypothesis that blood donation serves as a viable treatment strategy among migraine patients. Future prospective investigations may help to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms by which blood donation may influence migraine pathology.

Development of a Divergent Synthesis of Pleurotinoid Natural Products.

Herein, we describe the evolution of our syntheses of the pleurotinoid natural products pleurotin (1), pleurogrisein (3), and 4-hydroxypleurogrisein (4). An approach based on a proximity-induced intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition of a transient ortho-quinone dimethide (e.g., 6, Scheme 1) was inferior to an alternative construction featuring Gao's titanium(IV)-mediated photoenolization Diels-Alder coupling of ortho-tolualdehyde 20 with functionalized hydrindenone 22. While this pairing exhibited the desired stereoface selectivity and produced cis-fused hydrindanone 23, the successful realization of our syntheses of 1, 3, and 4 required a post-Diels-Alder epimerization of the unactivated stereocenter at C-5 in compound 23. Ultimately, it was possible to generate a reactive oxygen-centered radical via a reductive homolytic cleavage of the N-O bond in 23 and capitalize on its ability to break the C5-H bond in an intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer (HAT). The carbon radical arising from this pivotal 1,5-HAT was subsequently trapped in situ by an exogenous thiol in a kinetically controlled HAT reaction to establish the natural configuration at C-5. The successful flipping of the cis-hydrindane in 23 to the challenging trans configuration in 24 provided a firm foundation for a formal synthesis of pleurotin (1), as well as syntheses of pleurogrisein (3) and 4-hydroxypleurogrisein (4).

No association between migraine and HLA alleles in a cohort of 13,210 individuals with migraine from the Danish Blood Donor Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and migraine, migraine subtypes, and sex-specific factors. BACKGROUND: It has long been hypothesized that inflammation contributes to migraine pathophysiology. This study examined the association between migraine and alleles in the HLA system, a key player in immune response and genetic diversity. METHODS: We performed a case-control study and included 13,210 individuals with migraine and 86,738 controls. All participants were part of the Danish Blood Donor Study Genomic Cohort. Participants were genotyped and 111 HLA alleles on 15 HLA genes were imputed. We examined the association between HLA alleles and migraine subtypes, considering sex-specific differences. RESULTS: We found no association between HLA alleles and migraine, neither overall, nor in the sex-specific analysis. In the migraine subtype analysis, three HLA alleles were associated with migraine without aura; however, these associations could not be replicated in an independent Icelandic cohort (2191 individuals with migraine without aura and 278,858 controls). Furthermore, we found no association between HLA alleles and migraine with aura or chronic migraine. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence of an association between the HLA system and migraine, suggesting that genetic factors related to the HLA system do not play a significant role in migraine susceptibility.

Genetic variants associated with syncope implicate neural and autonomic processes.

AIMS: Syncope is a common and clinically challenging condition. In this study, the genetics of syncope were investigated to seek knowledge about its pathophysiology and prognostic implications. METHODS AND RESULTS: This genome-wide association meta-analysis included 56 071 syncope cases and 890 790 controls from deCODE genetics (Iceland), UK Biobank (United Kingdom), and Copenhagen Hospital Biobank Cardiovascular Study/Danish Blood Donor Study (Denmark), with a follow-up assessment of variants in 22 412 cases and 286 003 controls from Intermountain (Utah, USA) and FinnGen (Finland). The study yielded 18 independent syncope variants, 17 of which were novel. One of the variants, p.Ser140Thr in PTPRN2, affected syncope only when maternally inherited. Another variant associated with a vasovagal reaction during blood donation and five others with heart rate and/or blood pressure regulation, with variable directions of effects. None of the 18 associations could be attributed to cardiovascular or other disorders. Annotation with regard to regulatory elements indicated that the syncope variants were preferentially located in neural-specific regulatory regions. Mendelian randomization analysis supported a causal effect of coronary artery disease on syncope. A polygenic score (PGS) for syncope captured genetic correlation with cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, depression, and shortened lifespan. However, a score based solely on the 18 syncope variants performed similarly to the PGS in detecting syncope risk but did not associate with other disorders. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that syncope has a distinct genetic architecture that implicates neural regulatory processes and a complex relationship with heart rate and blood pressure regulation. A shared genetic background with poor cardiovascular health was observed, supporting the importance of a thorough assessment of individuals presenting with syncope.

Hirocidins, Cytotoxic Metabolites from Streptomyces hiroshimensis, Induce Mitochondrion-Mediated Apoptosis.

Recent advances in whole genome sequencing have revealed an immense microbial potential for the production of therapeutic small molecules, even from well-known producers. To access this potential, we subjected prominent antimicrobial producers to alternative antiproliferative assays using persistent cancer cell lines. Described herein is our discovery of hirocidins, novel secondary metabolites from Streptomyces hiroshimensis with antiproliferative activities against colon and persistent breast cancer cells. Hirocidin A is an unusual nine-membered carbocyclic maleimide and hirocidins B and C are relatives with an unprecedented, bridged azamacrocyclic backbone. Mode of action studies show that hirocidins trigger mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis by inducing expression of the key apoptotic effector caspase-9. The discovery of new cytotoxins contributes to scaffold diversification in anticancer drug discovery and the reported modes of action and concise total synthetic route for variant A set the stage for unraveling specific targets and biochemical interactions of the hirocidins.

Waning humoral and cellular immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with psoriasis treated with methotrexate and biologics: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have short- and long-term efficacy in healthy individuals, but their efficacy in patients with psoriasis receiving immunomodulatory therapy is less studied. OBJECTIVES: To investigate long-term immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with psoriasis receiving immunomodulatory therapy. METHODS: A prospective cohort study including patients (n = 123) with psoriasis receiving methotrexate (MTX) or biologics and controls (n = 226). Only mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines administered with standard intervals between doses were investigated. Markers of immunity included SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein-specific IgG and IgA, neutralizing capacity, and interferon-γ release from T cells stimulated with peptides of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. RESULTS: The proportion of IgG responders was lower 6 months after vaccination in patients receiving anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) treatment compared with controls. Anti-TNF treatment was associated with lower IgG levels (ß = -0.82, 95% confidence interval -1.38 to -0.25; P = 0.001). The median neutralizing index was lower in the anti-TNF group [50% inhibition (interquartile range [IQR] 37-89)] compared with controls [98% inhibition (IQR 96-99)]; P < 0.001. Cellular responses were numerically lowest in the anti-TNF group. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with anti-TNF has an impact on the immunity elicited by mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination in patients with psoriasis, resulting in a faster waning of humoral and cellular markers of immunity; however, the clinical implications are unknown.

Investigating Generation of Antibodies against the Lipid Nanoparticle Vector Following COVID-19 Vaccination with an mRNA Vaccine.

Despite the success of mRNA-based vaccines against infectious diseases (including COVID-19), safety concerns have been raised relating to the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) used to deliver the mRNA cargo. Antibodies against the polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating on these non-viral vectors are present in the general population and can in some instances induce allergic reactions. Furthermore, treatment with PEGylated therapeutics may increase the plasma concentration of such anti-PEG antibodies. The widespread use of PEGylated nanoparticles for mRNA vaccines concerns researchers and clinicians about a potential rise in future cases of allergic reactions against mRNA vaccines and cross-reactions with other PEGylated therapeutics. To determine if vaccination with Comirnaty increased the plasma concentration of antibodies against LNPs, we investigated the blood plasma concentration of anti-LNP antibodies in healthy individuals before and after vaccination with the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty (BNT162b2). Blood samples were acquired from 21 healthy adults before vaccination, 3-4 weeks after the first vaccination dose but before the second dose, and 2-6 months after the second (booster) dose. The blood plasma concentration of antibodies recognizing the LNPs was analyzed using a microscopy-based assay capable of measuring antibody-binding to individual authentic LNPs. No significant increase in anti-LNP antibodies was observed after two doses of Comirnaty. The LNPs used for intramuscular delivery of mRNA in the vaccine against COVID-19, Comirnaty, do, therefore, not seem to induce the generation of anti-vector antibodies.

Humoral and cellular immune responses after three or four doses of BNT162b2 in patients with hematological malignancies.

OBJECTIVES: Initial responses to coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination are impaired in patients with hematological malignancies. We investigated immune responses after three or four doses of BNT162b2 in patients with myeloid and lymphoid malignancies compared to controls, and identified risk factors for humoral and cellular nonresponse 1 year after first vaccination. METHODS: In 407 hematological patients (45 myeloid, 362 lymphoid) and 98 matched controls, we measured immunoglobulin G (IgG) and neutralizing antibodies specific for the receptor-binding domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at baseline, 3 weeks, 2, 6, and 12 months, and interferon-γ release at 12 months. RESULTS: In patients with lymphoid malignancies, SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain IgG concentration and mean neutralizing capacity was lower than in controls at all time points. A diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic B-cell leukemia (CLL) or lymphoma was associated with humoral nonresponse at 12 months compared to having multiple myeloma/amyloidosis (p < .001 and p = .013). Compared to controls, patients with lymphoid malignancies had increased risk of cellular nonresponse. A lymphoma diagnosis was associated with lower risk of cellular nonresponse compared to patients with multiple myeloma/amyloidosis, while patients with CLL had comparable response rates to patients with multiple myeloma/amyloidosis (p = .037 and p = .280). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, long-term humoral and cellular immune responses to BNT162b2 were impaired in patients with lymphoid malignancies.

Genome-wide association study of febrile seizures implicates fever response and neuronal excitability genes.

Febrile seizures represent the most common type of pathological brain activity in young children and are influenced by genetic, environmental and developmental factors. In a minority of cases, febrile seizures precede later development of epilepsy. We conducted a genome-wide association study of febrile seizures in 7635 cases and 83 966 controls identifying and replicating seven new loci, all with P < 5 × 10-10. Variants at two loci were functionally related to altered expression of the fever response genes PTGER3 and IL10, and four other loci harboured genes (BSN, ERC2, GABRG2, HERC1) influencing neuronal excitability by regulating neurotransmitter release and binding, vesicular transport or membrane trafficking at the synapse. Four previously reported loci (SCN1A, SCN2A, ANO3 and 12q21.33) were all confirmed. Collectively, the seven novel and four previously reported loci explained 2.8% of the variance in liability to febrile seizures, and the single nucleotide polymorphism heritability based on all common autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms was 10.8%. GABRG2, SCN1A and SCN2A are well-established epilepsy genes and, overall, we found positive genetic correlations with epilepsies (rg = 0.39, P = 1.68 × 10-4). Further, we found that higher polygenic risk scores for febrile seizures were associated with epilepsy and with history of hospital admission for febrile seizures. Finally, we found that polygenic risk of febrile seizures was lower in febrile seizure patients with neuropsychiatric disease compared to febrile seizure patients in a general population sample. In conclusion, this largest genetic investigation of febrile seizures to date implicates central fever response genes as well as genes affecting neuronal excitability, including several known epilepsy genes. Further functional and genetic studies based on these findings will provide important insights into the complex pathophysiological processes of seizures with and without fever.

Medium term moderate to low-level air pollution exposure is associated with higher C-reactive protein among healthy Danish blood donors.

Air pollution is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease with a plethora of associated health effects such as pulmonary and systemic inflammation. C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with a wide range of diseases and is associated with several exposures. Studies on the effect of air pollution exposure on CRP levels in low to moderate pollution settings have shown inconsistent results. In this cross-sectional study high sensitivity CRP measurements on 18,463 Danish blood donors were linked to modelled air pollution data for NOx, NO2, O3, CO, SO2, NH3, mineral dust, black carbon, organic carbon, sea salt, secondary inorganic aerosols and its components, primary PM2.5, secondary organic aerosols, total PM2.5, and total PM10 at their residential address over the previous month. Associations were analysed using ordered logistic regression with CRP quartile as individuals outcome and air pollution exposure as scaled deciles. Analyses were adjusted for health related and socioeconomic covariates using health questionnaires and Danish register data. Exposure to different air pollution components was generally associated with higher CRP (odds ratio estimates ranging from 1.11 to 1.67), while exposure to a few air pollution components was associated with lower CRP. For example, exposure to NO2 increased the odds of high CRP 1.32-fold (95%CI 1.16-1.49), while exposure to NH3 decreased the odds of high CRP 0.81-fold (95%CI 0.73-0.89). This large study among healthy individuals found air pollution exposure to be associated with increased levels of CRP even in a setting with low to moderate air pollution levels.

Polygenic risk score for ACE-inhibitor-associated cough based on the discovery of new genetic loci.

AIMS: To search for sequence variants associated with ACEi discontinuation and to test their association with ACEi-associated adverse drug reactions (ADRs). METHODS AND RESULTS: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) on ACEi discontinuation was conducted, including 33 959 ACEi-discontinuers and 44 041 controls. Cases were defined as persons who switched from an ACEi treatment to an angiotensin receptor blocker. Controls were defined as persons who continued ACEi treatment for at least 1 year. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were computed for ACEi discontinuation risk by mixed model regression analysis. Summary statistics from the individual cohorts were meta-analyzed with a fixed-effects model. To test for association with specific ACEi-associated ADRs, any genome-wide significant (P < 5 × 10-8) ACEi discontinuation variants was tested for association with ACEi-associated cough and angioedema. A polygenetic risk score (PRS) based on ACEi discontinuation GWAS data was constructed and tested for association with ACEi-associated cough and angioedema in two population-based samples. In total, seven genetic genome-wide loci were identified, of which six were previously unreported. The strongest association with ACEi discontinuation was at 20q13.3 (NTSR1; OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.17-1.24; P = 2.1 × 10-34). Five of seven lead variants were associated with ACEi-associated cough, whereas none were associated with ACEi-associated angioedema. The ACEi discontinuation PRS was associated with ACEi-associated cough in a dose-response manner but not with ACEi-associated angioedema. ACEi discontinuation was genetically correlated with important causes for cough, including gastro-esophageal reflux disease, allergic rhinitis, hay fever, and asthma, which indicates partly shared genetic underpinning between these traits. CONCLUSION: This study showed the advantage of using prescription patterns to discover genetic links with ADRs. In total, seven genetic loci that associated with ACEi discontinuation were identified. There was evidence of a strong association between our ADR phenotype and ACEi-associated cough. Taken together, these findings increase insight into the pathophysiological processes that underlie ACEi-associated ADRs.

Estimation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Fatality Rate by Age and Comorbidity Status Using Antibody Screening of Blood Donors During the COVID-19 Epidemic in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Studies presenting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection fatality rate (IFR) for healthy individuals are warranted. We estimate IFR by age and comorbidity status using data from a large serosurvey among Danish blood donors and nationwide data on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality. METHODS: Danish blood donors aged 17-69 years donating blood October 2020-February 2021 were tested with a commercial SARS-CoV-2 total antibody assay. IFR was estimated for weeks 11 to 42, 2020 and week 43, 2020 to week 6, 2021, representing the first 2 waves of COVID-19 epidemic in Denmark. RESULTS: In total, 84944 blood donors were tested for antibodies. The seroprevalence was 2% in October 2020 and 7% in February 2021. Among 3898039 Danish residents aged 17-69 years, 249 deaths were recorded. The IFR was low for people <51 years without comorbidity during the 2 waves (combined IFR=3.36 per 100000 infections). The IFR was below 3‰ for people aged 61-69 years without comorbidity. IFR increased with age and comorbidity but declined from the first to second wave. CONCLUSIONS: In this nationwide study, the IFR was very low among people <51 years without comorbidity.

Effect of Influenza Vaccination on Risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Prospective Cohort Study of 46†000 Healthcare Workers.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess whether influenza vaccination has an impact on the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A cohort of 46 112 healthcare workers were tested for antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and filled in a survey on COVID-19 symptoms, hospitalization, and influenza vaccination. RESULTS: The risk ratio of hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2 for influenza vaccinated compared with unvaccinated participants was 1.00 for the seasonal vaccination in 2019/2020 (confidence interval, .56-1.78, P = 1.00). Likewise, no clinical effect of influenza vaccination on development of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was found. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicate that influenza vaccination does not affect the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19.

A Concise Synthesis of Pleurotin Enabled by a Nontraditional C-H Epimerization.

An 8-step synthesis of a known pentacyclic intermediate toward the natural product pleurotin (1) is described. Pleurotin and related benzoquinone natural products are of great interest for their powerful anticancer and antibiotic activities. The route features a regio- and diastereoselective intermolecular photoenolization/Diels-Alder cycloaddition and an alkoxy-radical-induced hydrogen atom transfer-mediated C-H epimerization to construct pleurotin's carbon framework with appropriate relative stereochemical relationships. The synthesis concludes with a ring-forming benzylic C-H oxidation to deliver oxepane 19.

Population-based prevalence of cranial autonomic symptoms in migraine and proposed diagnostic appendix criteria.

BACKGROUND: Migraine with cranial autonomic symptoms is well described in the literature, but its prevalence in previous studies varies enormously. A precise estimate of the prevalence in a population-based material is important because migraine with cranial autonomic symptoms might represent an endophenotype, in which genetic and pathophysiological features differ from those without cranial autonomic features. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to estimate the prevalence in a big population-based sample using both questionnaire-based diagnosis (N = 12,620) and interview-based diagnosis (N = 302). We validate questionnaire-based diagnosis of migraine with cranial autonomic symptoms and develop the first diagnostic criteria for future research of this possible endophenotype. METHODS: The Danish Blood Donor Study included 127,802 persons who all received a migraine diagnostic questionnaire. Participants who had answered the diagnostic questionnaire constituted the Danish Migraine Population Cohort (N = 62,677) of whom 12,620 had migraine. The diagnostic migraine questionnaire included questions about the following cranial autonomic symptoms: Facial/forehead sweating, lacrimation, ptosis, conjunctival injection, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and miosis. Validation was performed by a follow-up semi-structured, purpose-built interview of 302 participants with migraine, where detailed questions were asked to ascertain the validity of the symptoms. RESULTS: The questionnaire-based prevalences of one, respectively two cranial autonomic symptoms were 57% and 31%. The semi-structured interview-based prevalences of one, respectively two symptoms were 44% and 22%. The most common symptoms were facial/forehead sweating (39%) and lacrimation (24%). The specificity of the questionnaire was 80% and the sensitivity was 68%. Correlation analysis showed a weak correlation between symptoms ranging from 0.07 - 0.41, and no clear clustering of symptoms was detected. We suggest the first diagnostic appendix criteria for genetic and epidemiological studies and tighter criteria for clinical and pathophysiological studies. We encourage further studies of severity and consistency of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Migraine with cranial autonomic symptoms is prevalent in the general population. Suggested diagnostic appendix criteria are important for future studies of this possible migraine endophenotype.

Acquired platelet defects are responsible for nonsurgical bleeding in left ventricular assist device recipients.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have been used as a standard treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure. However, these devices are prone to adverse events. Nonsurgical bleeding (NSB) is the most common complication in patients with continuous flow (CF) LVADs. The development of acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS) in CF-LVAD recipients is thought to be a key factor. However, AVWS is seen across a majority of LVAD patients, not just those with NSB. The purpose of this study was to examine the link between acquired platelet defects and NSB in CF-LVAD patients. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 62 CF-LVAD patients at pre- and 4 post-implantation timepoints. Reduced adhesion receptor expression (GPIbα and GPVI) and activation of platelets (GPIIb/IIIa activation) were used as markers for acquired platelet defects. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients experienced at least one NSB episode. Significantly higher levels of platelet activation and receptor reduction were seen in the postimplantation blood samples from bleeders compared with non-bleeders. All patients experienced the loss of high molecular weight monomers (HMWM) of von Willebrand Factor (vWF), but no difference was seen between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression showed that biomarkers for reduced platelet receptor expression (GPIbα and GPVI) and activation (GPIIb/IIIa) have more predictive power for NSB, with the area under curve (AUC) values of 0.72, 0.68, and 0.62, respectively, than the loss of HMWM of vWF (AUC: 0.57). CONCLUSION: The data from this study indicated that the severity of acquired platelet defects has a direct link to NSB in CF-LVAD recipients.