Prevalence of EBV infection in 1157 diseased cohorts in Nigeria: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundEpstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a member of the herpesvirus family that is known to ubiquitously infect people worldwide. However, the actual prevalence of EBV infection in diseased patients in Nigeria, remains unknown. This study was thus conducted to ascertain the true prevalence.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis of published data was conducted according to the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched for studies reporting the occurrence of EBV infection among patients with established diseases. Studies were included if they assessed EBV infection in diseased patients in Nigeria. Data were extracted and subsequently analysed using R software. Funnel plot and Egger's regression test was used to assess publication bias, while JBI prevalence tool was used to assess study quality.ResultsA total of 13 studies covering 228 cases of EBV infection among 1157 diseased patients were included. Summary estimates were computed using random-effects model. The pooled prevalence of EBV infection was 20.3% (95% CI: 10.8–34.9, I² ?= ?92.26, p ?< ?0.001). When stratified according to the type of disease, higher estimates were obtained for patients suffering from Kaposi's sarcoma (98.7%, 95% CI: 82.2–99.9) and Nasopharyngeal malignancy (85.7%, 95% CI: 70.0–93.9). A prevalence of 13.4% (95% CI: 6.0–27.4) and 12.2% (95% CI: 4.8–27.8) was derived for the most reported patient populations, lymphoma and HIV, respectively.ConclusionThis first meta-analysis on the prevalence of EBV among Nigerian patients suffering from various diseases reveals a prevalence that emphasises the need to routinely monitor EBV infection in all EBV-associated diseases in Nigeria.     

A novel splice-site variant in CDH23 in a patient with Usher syndrome type 1

ABSTRACT

Background: Gene editing has shown huge potential in correcting aberrant splicing and Cas13 has been identified as being particularly suitable for targeting RNA. It has therefore become increasingly important to highlight new splice site mutations that may be correctable, particularly in genes that are too large to be encoded by AAV vectors. About 20% of Usher Type 1 cases are caused by mutations in CDH23.

Purpose: To report a novel splice site mutation of CDH23 associated with Usher Type 1D.

Materials and Methods: Case report.

Results: A 35-year-old Caucasian female who is congenitally deaf with vestibular dysfunction presented with visual acuity of 6/12 in both eyes. Fundus examination revealed findings typical of retinitis pigmentosa with foveal preservation of photoreceptor layer. Next generation sequencing analysis revealed a novel homozygous variant, c.9319 + 1G>T in CDH23 consistent with the diagnosis of Usher Syndrome Type 1D. The c.9319 + 1G>T variant is predicted to affect splicing at the exon 65/intron 65 boundary, which highly likely leads to complete skipping of exon 65.

Conclusions: We describe a case of a typical Usher Syndrome Type 1D caused by a novel splice site variant in CDH23. Currently there are no treatments for CDH23 related retinal degeneration, partly because the cDNA size of 10kb is too large for AAV vector gene augmentation therapy. Alternative strategies include CRISPR-Cas9 adenine base editors and RNA editing with CRISPR-Cas13. Single-nucleotide editing represents a promising approach for targeting this variant in CDH23 to restore the wildtype splice donor site at this position.     

Teen Use of Marijuana Edibles: A Focus Group Study of an Emerging Issue

Recent research indicates that marijuana-infused food product (i.e., edible) use is becoming nearly as common as smoking marijuana where medical marijuana is available. This study explores edible use among teens. We conducted four focus groups in the San Francisco Bay Area with youth, ages 15–17. The focus groups were divided by gender and whether they used marijuana. Some teens mentioned edible use at school. Youth reported that teens consume edibles, primarily to reduce the likelihood of getting caught. Edibles are also attractive to those who do not like to smoke or have concerns about smoking. Both male and female respondents suggested that females are more likely than males to prefer edibles over smoking, one reason for which may be to avoid smelling like marijuana smoke. For some young women, edibles may be a way to avoid publicly presenting themselves as marijuana users. Findings also suggest that youth have access to edibles through multiple sources. Youth reported that they can purchase edibles at school from other students who either make the edibles themselves or are reselling edibles obtained from dispensaries. Both users and non-users were aware of potentially negative consequences related to edible use. Some youth mentioned that they have heard of youth dying from edibles, and several reported being concerned about the high produced by edibles. Female non-users appeared to be more concerned than others about edibles and compared them to drinks that could be spiked with drugs. However, sentiment among some male marijuana users was that if you cannot handle edibles you should not be using them. These findings suggest that strategies to curb access to edibles and use among youth, such as restricting sales of edibles with strong youth appeal and educating youth on the risks of edibles, will need to be developed.     

Sexual Assistance in Italy: An Explorative Study on the Opinions of People with Disabilities and Would-Be Assistants

Providing assistance services for sexual activity is becoming of increasing importance to the community of people with disabilities and to mental health professionals. Nevertheless, the literature on this topic is sparse. The aim of this study is to explore potential clients’ and assistants’ views, needs, experiences, opinions, and concerns about sexual assistance (SA) in Italy. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 people with a congenital physical disability and 10 would-be assistants. A Grounded Theory approach was used to analyze data. Participants with disabilities considered SA useful. Despite most of them having unfulfilled sexual needs, they would prefer to have their sexual needs met within a romantic relationship. Would-be assistants constructed themselves as people who have a “natural aptitude to being useful”. Results suggest that SA services might represent an opportunity for people with disabilities to discover new ways to satisfy their personal needs and to live more autonomously while, at the same time, allowing would-be sexual assistants to fulfill their desire to be helpful. Nevertheless, the use of SA is likely to only be a part of the answer to fulfilling the sexual needs of people with disabilities.     

Social media as a platform for science and health engagement: challenges and opportunities

Social media has become a major platform for debates on science and health. This commentary argues that while social media can present challenges to communicating important health matters, it can also provide health experts a unique opportunity to engage with and build trust among members of the public.     

The ecological risk of heavy metals in sediment from the Danube Delta

The objectives of this study were to assess the sediment contamination with heavy metals and to investigate accordingly the ecological risk posed in the SE of the Danube Delta. Sediments are important in assessing the contamination as they act as reservoirs, transporters and contamination sources. Sediment samples were collected and analysed for lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury, revealing levels higher than the background, especially for cadmium and mercury (Pb > As > Cd > Hg). Concentrations exceeding the probable effect limit were noticed for arsenic and mercury. The contamination indexes describe the study area as having almost half of the samples as contaminated (pollution load index-PLI 1.04), however the contamination is mostly low-to moderate (modified contamination degree-mCd 1.36). The sediment contamination poses mostly a low ecological risk (RI 94.8). The sediment quality guideline quotient (SQG-Q 0.29) describes a moderate impact, while the probable effect concentration quotient (PEC-Q 0.16) confirms that there are no levels likely to affect the aquatic biota. In our study area, the main Branch of the Danube River and the Secondary Delta are the most affected by contamination, while the narrow, reed abundant channels as the preferred habitat of most aquatic organisms, have a low contamination level.