SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF THYMIC PEPTIDES IN THE TREATMENT OF HOSPITALIZED COVID-19 PATIENTS IN HONDURAS.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) active cases continue to demand the development of safe and effective treatments. This is the first clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral thymic peptides. ; We conducted a nonrandomized phase 2 trial with a historic control group to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a daily 250-mg oral dose of thymic peptides in the treatment of hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Comparisons based on standard care from registry data were performed after propensity score matching. The primary outcomes were survival, time to recovery, and number of participants with treatment-related adverse events or side effects by day 20. ; A total of 44 patients were analyzed in this study: 22 in the thymic peptide group and 22 in the standard care group. There were no deaths in the intervention group compared to 24% mortality in standard care by day 20 (log-rank P=0.02). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significantly shorter time to recovery by day 20 in the thymic peptide group than in the standard care group (median, 6 days vs. 12 days; hazard ratio for recovery, 2.75 [95% confidence interval, 1.34 to 5.62]; log-rank P=0.002). No side effects or adverse events were reported. ; In patients hospitalized with Covid-19, the use of thymic peptides resulted in no side effects, adverse events, or deaths by day 20. Compared with the registry data, a significantly shorter time to recovery and mortality reduction were measured.

Necrotizing fasciitis. ¿How fast can it develop?

No disponible

Fatal traffic injuries among pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicle occupants.

The objective of this study was to investigate characteristic injuries of pedestrians and bicyclists (unprotected) compared to motor vehicle occupants' (protected) in fatal traffic accidents. Cases of 664 fatal traffic accidents (371 pedestrians, 45 bicyclists, and 248 motor vehicle occupants) were collected from 1999 to 2001 using the database of the Forensic Institute in Budapest. Autopsy reports were analyzed. Location of injuries, blood alcohol levels, seasonal distribution and natural diseases influencing accident outcome were evaluated. For statistical analysis, odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used by a conditional logistic regression. There were substantial differences in distribution of injuries suffered by pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicle occupants. Among pedestrians and bicyclists there was a higher rate of head injuries, such as skull fractures, epidural haemorrhage, subdural haemorrhage, brain contusion, and injuries of the lower extremities. Thoracic damages, such as traumatic aortic rupture, hemothorax, and abdominal damages, like liver rupture were dominant in motor vehicle occupants. Considering existing natural diseases, coronary artery disease was the only one with higher occurrence among motor vehicle occupants 24 (9.7%) compared with pedestrians and bicyclist 36 (8.6%). These results underline the importance of preventive strategies in transportation, pointing out that different methods are necessary to reduce fatal injuries of various traffic participants.

The role of bacterial toxins in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

There is increasing evidence for the involvement of bacterial toxins in some cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), particularly the pyrogenic toxins of Staphylococcus aureus. This had led to the hypothesis that some SIDS deaths are due to induction of inflammatory mediators by infectious agents or their products during a period in which the infant is unable to control these normally protective responses. The genetic, developmental and environmental risk factors identified for SIDS are assessed in relation to frequency or density of mucosal colonisation by toxigenic bacteria and their effects on induction and control of inflammatory responses to the toxins.

Distribution of prenatal and postnatal risk factors for sudden infant death in Budapest.

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution of prenatal and postnatal risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). DESIGN: A questionnaire-based survey for SIDS risk factors; family interviews were performed among the parents of SIDS victims and symptom-free infants. SETTING: The survey was conducted in paediatric primary health care units in Budapest, Hungary in the period 1996 to 1998. SUBJECT: Eighteen SIDS cases and 74 symptom-free healthy infants aged 7-365 days were investigated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Occurrence of risk factors and impact of social environment were analysed using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: In this study, the classic risk factors of small birth weight, maternal smoking, bottle-feeding did not reflect differences between the investigated groups. The prone position did not demonstrate a difference between SIDS cases and controls (p = 0.86). Short intervals between pregnancies (OR = 4.8, CI = 1.2-19.9, p = 0.025) and social disadvantage (OR = 6.7, CI = 1.3-35.7, p = 0.015) indicated significant differences between SIDS cases and controls. CONCLUSION: The outcome of our survey shows that infants from a lower social and economic environment may be at higher risk for SIDS.

Comparative analysis of differences by gender in sudden infant death syndrome in Hungary and Japan.

We examined the sex ratio in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases in Hungary, in Tokyo and Japan between 1985 and 1996. From all the infant death cases in Hungary 395 (240 male, 155 female) were SIDS (odds ratio (OR)=1.179, with 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.961, 1.446), in Japan 4348 (2550 male, 1798 female) were SIDS (OR=1.145, with 95% CI=1.076, 1.218) and in Tokyo 307 (178 male, 129 female) were SIDS (OR=1.128, with 95% CI=0.894, 1.423). Male infants showed a significantly higher birth rate than females. The male infants are more vulnerable (p<0.005), however, higher mortality among male infants should not be considered a characteristic feature for SIDS.

Detection and toxin production of Staphylococcus aureus in sudden infant death cases in Hungary.

The potential role of microbial agents was investigated in 13 cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and in 9 non-SIDS cases in Budapest between September 1996 and May 1998. Autopsy, histological examination and microbiological tests were performed on samples of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, pharyngeal samples and lung tissue from infants under one year died suddenly, without previous diseases. The multifactorial pathomechanism of SIDS was suggested by the isolation of toxin producing Staphylococcus aureus-, Enterobacteriaceae and Candida albicans strains in large number and by the detection of Parainfluenza Type 2 virus antigen. S. aureus proved the predominant bacteria in the SIDS cases. Nasopharyngeal microbial flora and S. aureus carrier of 100 age matched healthy infants were tested during the same period. S. aureus was isolated from 54% of SIDS cases and 37% from healthy infants /OR = 1.986 (95% Confidence interval = 0.55-7.33), p = 0243/. The enterotoxin and TSST-1 toxin producing activity of S. aureus showed the characteristic difference. The toxigenic S. aureus was detected in 46% of SIDS cases and 16% of healthy infants /OR = 4.5 (95% CI = 1.15-17.72), p = 0.010/. The distribution of toxigenic and nontoxigenic isolates was 86% in SIDS cases and 43% in healthy infants /OR = 7.875 (CI = 0.78-191.89), p = 0.041/.

Fiber-type-specific alphaB-crystallin distribution and its shifts with T(3) and PTU treatments in rat hindlimb muscles.

Changes in alphaB-crystallin content in adult rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) were examined after 8 wk of 3,5, 3'-triiodothyronine (T(3)) and propylthiouracil (PTU) treatments. Cellular distributions of alphaB-crystallin expression related to fiber type, and distribution shifts with these treatments were also examined in detail from the gray level of reactivity to specific anti-alphaB-crystallin antibody. alphaB-crystallin content in both soleus and EDL muscles was significantly decreased after T(3), and that in EDL was significantly increased over twofold after PTU treatment. In both control soleus and EDL muscles, the gray level of type I fibers was higher than that of type II fibers. alphaB-crystallin expression among type II subtypes was muscle specific; the order was type I > IIa > IIx > IIb in control EDL muscle and type IIx > or = IIa in soleus muscle. The relation was basically unchanged in both muscles after T(3) treatment and was, in particular, well maintained in EDL muscle. Under hypothyroidism conditions with PTU, the mean alphaB-crystallin levels of type IIa and IIx fibers were significantly lower than levels under control conditions. Thus the relation between fiber type and the expression manner of stress protein alphaB-crystallin is muscle specific and also is well regulated under thyroid hormone, especially in fast EDL muscle.

Serum inhibin B concentration in a prepubertal boy with gynecomastia and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

Gynecomastia in boys with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and Sertoli cell tumors of gonadal origin results from increased estrogen production due to increased aromatase activity within the testicular tumor. We present a prepubertal boy with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, gynecomastia and bilateral neoplastic Sertoli cell proliferation in whom the only abnormal hormonal profile was increased concentration of inhibin B and Pro-alpha C in serum.

Infant mortality and ischaemic heart disease in Hungary.

Hungarian mortality rate is one of the highest in Europe. We have investigated the association between poor living standards and ischemic heart disease by a detailed geographical comparison of infant mortality in 1920-1939 and death in adults from ischemic; heart disease and other leading causes of death in 1990-1994. Ischemic heart disease [r = 0.325] and malignant tumors of digestive apparatus [r = 0.562] are strongly correlated with infant mortality. A significant difference was observed in both infant and overall mortality rates between the western and eastern counties. Our results suggest that the geographical distribution of ischemic heart disease in Hungary reflects later dietary influences.

Potential role of microbiological agents in sudden infant death syndrome.

The potential role of microbiological agents was investigated in 10 cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Budapest between September 1996 and December 1997. Autopsy, histological examination and microbiological tests were performed on samples of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, pharyngeal and bronchial samples from infants under six months died suddenly, without previous diseases. The multifactorial pathomechanism of SIDS was suggested by detection of Parainfluenza Type virus antigen, isolation of toxin producing Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae and Candida albicans strains in large number of more samples of the same infant.

Expression of hybrid isomyosins in human skeletal muscle.

Myosin of human skeletal muscles was analyzed by means of several electrophoretic techniques. Myosin heavy chain (HC)-IIa-and HC-IIb-based isomyosins were identified by pyrophosphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PP-PAGE). The electrophoretic mobilities of these fast-twitch muscle isomyosins differed in the order HC-IIa triplets < HC-IIb triplets. To determine the subunit composition of myosin molecules that function in intact muscle, two-dimensional electrophoresis in which the first and second dimensions were PP-PAGE and sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE, respectively, was also performed. Slow-twitch muscle isomyosin contained, in addition to slow-twitch light chain (LC) and HC-I isoforms, appreciable amounts of LC-2f, HC-IIa, and HC-IIb isoforms, and fast-twitch muscle isomyosin consisted of LC-2s and HC-I isoforms as well as fast-twitch LC and HC isoforms. Without consideration of HC- and slow-twitch alkali LC heterodimers, at least 31 possible isomyosins are derived from these findings on the subunit composition of isomyosins in human skeletal muscle.