Understanding Hispanic Patient Satisfaction with Telehealth During COVID-19

BackgroundRecent studies have described the use of telehealth for pediatric surgical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to evaluate equity in telehealth use by comparing rates of utilization and satisfaction with pediatric surgical telemedicine among Hispanic patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients seen by a surgical subspecialty provider in the outpatient setting at a quaternary pediatric hospital between April 1 and June 30, 2020. Patients evaluated in the same three-month period in 2019 were analyzed as a historic control. Differences in Family Experience Survey (FES) responses based on race and ethnicity and preferred language of care were assessed using univariable and multivariable generalized linear modeling.ResultsThe pandemic cohort included fewer patients of Hispanic ethnicity and fewer Spanish-speakers. After controlling for visit type, comparison of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking patients revealed that Spanish-speaking families had significantly lower scores for FES items that evaluated healthcare provider explaining (IRR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61–0.90), listening (IRR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63–0.92), and time spent with the family (IRR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.60–0.89). There were no differences in FES responses based on insurance status or degree of medical complexity.ConclusionsTelehealth services were less commonly used among Hispanic and Spanish-speaking patients. Language may differentially affect family satisfaction with healthcare and telehealth solutions. Strategies to mitigate these inequities are needed and may include strengthening interpreter services and providing language-concordant care.Level of evidenceLevel IV.     

Role of site-directed mutagenesis and adjuvants in the stability and potency of anthrax protective antigen

Anthrax is a zoonotic infection caused by the gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Depending on the origin of the infection, serious health problems or mortality is possible. The virulence of B. anthracis is reliant on three pathogenic factors, which are secreted upon infection: protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF). Systemic illness results from LF and EF entering cells through the formation of a complex with the heptameric form of PA, bound to the membrane of infected cells through its receptor. The currently available anthrax vaccines have multiple drawbacks, and recombinant PA is considered a promising second-generation vaccine candidate. However, the inherent chemical instability of PA through Asn deamidation at multiple sites prevents its use after long-term storage owing to loss of potency. Moreover, there is a distinct possibility of B. anthracis being used as a bioweapon; thus, the developed vaccine should remain efficacious and stable over the long-term. Second-generation anthrax vaccines with appropriate adjuvant formulations for enhanced immunogenicity and safety are desired. In this article, using protein engineering approaches, we have reviewed the stabilization of anthrax vaccine candidates that are currently licensed or under preclinical and clinical trials. We have also proposed a formulation to enhance recombinant PA vaccine potency via adjuvant formulation.     

Artificial intelligence and clinical data suggest the T cell-mediated SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein intranasal vaccines for global COVID-19 immunity

Advanced computational methodologies suggested SARS-CoV-2, nonstructural proteins ORF1AB, ORF3a, as the source of immunodominant peptides for T cell presentation. T cell immunity is long-lasting and compatible with COVID-19 pathology. Based on the supporting clinical data, nonstructural SARS-CoV-2 protein vaccines could provide global immunity against COVID-19.     

Dissection of Capsid Protein HPV 52 to Rationalize Vaccine Designs Using Computational Approaches Immunoinformatics and Molecular Docking

Background: Human Papillomavirus type 52 (HPV 52) is considered one of the threatening HPV types inducing cervical cancer worldwide. This study was conducted to address strategies of an effective vaccine against cervical cancer using computational approaches immuno-informatics and molecular docking. Methods: Major capsid protein L1 and L2 HPV 52 (L1 and L2 HPV 52) sequences were investigated by multiple analyses including B and T cell epitope, toxicity, allergenicity, Immunogenicity, epitope conservancy, population coverage, and molecular docking. Results: L1 and L2 HPV 52 showed a conserved sequence among amino acid levels. Q307K, S383D/N, and D473E are found as major mutations in L1, while mutations in L2 are S122T, Q247H, L247S, and E365D. Multiple epitopes were identified and elicited strong immune responses against cross types of HPV in various HLA populations. To enhance vaccine effectiveness that allows having cross-protection over HPV types, N terminus HPV L2 was analyzed suggesting multi-candidates chimeric L1/L2 vaccine design. Conclusion: This study shed a light on a useful pipeline with robust analysis for effective vaccine production.     

Immunotherapy: A new standard in the treatment of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell cancer (RCC) represents 2%-3% of all adulthood cancers and is the most common malignant neoplasm of the kidney (90%). In the mid-nineties of the last century, the standard of treatment for patients with metastatic RCC was cytokines. Sunititib and pazopanib were registered in 2007 and 2009, respectively, and have since been the standard first-line treatment for metastatic clear cell RCC (mccRCC). Renal cell cancer is a highly immunogenic tumor with tumor infiltrating cells, including CD8+ T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, natural killer cells (NK) and macrophages. This observation led to the design of new clinical trials in which patients were treated with immunotherapy. With the growing evidence that proangiogenic factors can have immunomodulatory effects on the host’s immune system, the idea of combining angiogenic drugs with immunotherapy has emerged, and new clinical trials have been designed. In the last few years, several therapeutic options have been approved [immunotherapy and immunotherapy/tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI)] for the first-line treatment of mccRCC. Nivolumab/ipilimumab is approved for the treatment of patients with intermediate and poor prognoses. Several checkpoint inhibitors (pembrolizumab, nivolumab, avelumab) in combination with TKI (axitinib, lenvatinib, cabozantinib) are approved for the treatment of patients regardless of their International mRCC Database Consortium prognostic group and PD-L1 expression. There is no specific and ideal biomarker that could help in selecting the ideal patient for the appropriate first-line treatment.     

Preoperative comprehensive malignancy risk estimation for thyroid nodules: Development and verification of a network-based prediction model

BackgroundIn order to avoid excessive treatment of thyroid nodules in the clinic, it is necessary to find a simple and practical analysis method to comprehensively and accurately reflect benign or malignant thyroid nodules. This study aimed to construct and validate a comprehensive and reliable network-based predictive model using a variety of imaging and laboratory criteria for thyroid nodules to stratify the risk of malignancy prior to surgery.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed data from patients who underwent surgical treatment for thyroid nodules at the Thyroid and Breast Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Weifang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2018 and December 2020. Binary logical regression analysis was performed to predict whether nodules were malignant or benign. The developmental dataset included 457 patients (January 2018–December 2020). The validation set included separate data points (n = 225, January 2018–December 2020).ResultsIn this study, criteria that showed significant predictive value for malignant nodules included TI-RADS: 4b (p = 0.065); Bethesda IV, Bethesda V, Bethesda VI (P < 0.0001); BRAF^V600E mutation (P < 0.0001); Calcitonin>5 pg/ml (p = 0.0037); and FNA-Tg>30 ng/ml (p = 0.0003). A 10-grade risk scoring system was developed. The risk of malignancy risk ranged from 2.06% to 100% and was positively associated with increasing risk grade. The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of the development and validation sets were 0.972 and 0.946, respectively.ConclusionA simple, comprehensive and reliable web-based predictive model was designed using a variety of imaging and laboratory criteria to stratify thyroid nodules by probability of malignancy.