High fecal calprotectin levels are associated with SARS-CoV-2 intestinal shedding in COVID-19 patients: A proof-of-concept study

BACKGROUNDOne third of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have gastrointestinal symptoms. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA has been detected in stool samples of approximately 50% of COVID-19 individuals. Fecal calprotectin is a marker of gastrointestinal inflammation in the general population.AIMTo investigate if fecal calprotectin correlates with SARS-CoV-2 intestinal shedding in COVID-19 patients with pneumonia.METHODSPatients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia admitted to the Infectious Disease Unit (University Hospital of Trieste, Italy) from September to November 2020 were consecutively enrolled in the study. Fecal samples were collected and analyzed for quantification of fecal calprotectin (normal value < 50 mg/kg) and SARS-CoV-2 RNA presence by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Inter-group differences were determined between patients with and without diarrhea and patients with and without detection of fecal SARS-CoV-2.RESULTSWe enrolled 51 adults (40 males) with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Ten patients (20%) presented with diarrhea. Real-time-PCR of SARS-CoV-2 in stools was positive in 39 patients (76%), in all patients with diarrhea (100%) and in more than two thirds (29/41, 71%) of patients without diarrhea. Obesity was one of the most common comorbidities (13 patients, 25%); all obese patients (100%) (P = 0.021) tested positive for fecal SARS-CoV-2. Median fecal calprotectin levels were 60 mg/kg [interquartile range (IQR) 21; 108]; higher fecal calprotectin levels were found in the group with SARS-CoV-2 in stools (74 mg/kg, IQR 29; 132.5) compared to the group without SARS-CoV-2 (39 mg/kg, IQR 14; 71) (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONHigh fecal calprotectin levels among COVID-19 patients correlate with SARS-CoV-2 detection in stools supporting the hypothesis that this virus can lead to bowel inflammation and potentially to the ‘leaky gut’ syndrome.     

慢性乙型肝炎血清病毒载量水平与肝硬化的关系

目的 探讨慢性乙型肝炎患者病程中血清乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)-DNA水平的变化与肝硬化发生的关系.方法 收集2001至2007年经肝穿刺确诊的239例慢性乙型肝炎患者.中位随访时间28个月,检测入选和随访终点的血清HBV-DNA水平,观察肝硬化发生情况.结果 发生肝硬化者较无肝硬化者年龄更大,随访终点HBV-DNA水平更高,但两组入选时HBV-DNA水平差异无统计学意义(P=0.531).Kaplan-Meier法生存分析显示,随访终点HBV-DNA水平越高,发生肝硬化比例亦越高(X2=11.736,P=0.019).Cox比例风险模型显示,随访终点HBV-DNA水平、入选时的肝组织纤维化分期、乙型肝炎病毒e抗原阴性和γ-谷氨酰转肽酶水平为预示肝硬化发生的危险因素,风险比分别为1.898、1.918、8.976、1.006.结论 随访终点HBV-DNA和慢性乙型肝炎肝硬化的发生密切相关.     

重症病毒性脑炎患儿脑损伤与NSE的相关性及MPPT对脑损伤修复的影响

目的　探讨重症病毒性脑炎患儿脑损伤与 NSE的相关性 ,以及甲基强的松龙 (MPPT)对脑损伤修复的影响。方法　将 5 4例重症病毒性脑炎昏迷患儿随机分为 A、B两组 ,对照组为脑脊液常规正常的非昏迷患儿。患儿均给予抗病毒药物或足量抗生素、脱水剂、营养支持等治疗 ,A组加用 MPPT10～ 2 0 mg/ kg,B组加用地塞米松(DXM) 0 .5～ 1mg/ kg,均每日 1次 ,连用 5天。以改良的 Glasgow昏迷量表评分、双抗体夹心酶标免疫法测定的脑脊液神经元特异性烯醇化酶 (NSE)含量作指标并比较。结果　 A、B组治疗前 NSE含量及 Glasgow评分与对照组比较有显著性差异 (P<0 .0 1) ,NSE含量与 Glasgow分值呈负相关 (r=- 0 .92 85 ,P<0 .0 1)。A、 B组治疗前 Glasgow评分及 NSE含量无明显差异 (P>0 .0 5 ) ,治疗后 1天差异有显著性 (P<0 .0 1) ,2周后 Glasgow评分比较差异有显著性 (P<0 .0 1)。不良反应无明显差异 (P>0 .0 5 )。结论　NSE含量变化是判定重症病毒性脑炎患儿脑损伤程度及修复的客观、敏感指标 ;MPPT是其治疗的安全有效措施 ,可避免或减轻神经系统后遗症的发生。     

Gene and antisense delivery in alcoholism research

This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2001 annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Montreal, Canada. Drs. Yedy Israel and Fulton Crews were organizers and co-chairpersons. The presentations were (1) Introduction to the symposium, by Yedy Israel; (2) Gene delivery to the brain, by Fulton T. Crews; (3) Gene therapy in alcoholic liver injury, by Ronald Thurman; and (4) Antisense oligonucleotides and antisense-gene delivery, by Yedy Israel.     

The application of the skin virome for human identification

The use of skin virome offers a unique approach for human identification purposes in instances where a viable and statistically relevant human DNA profile is unavailable. The skin virome may act as an alternative DNA profile and/or an additional form of probative genetic material. To date, no study has attempted to investigate the human virome over a time series across various physical locations of the body to identify its diagnostic potential as a tool for human identification. For this study, we set out to evaluate the stability, diversity, and individualization of the human skin virome. An additional goal was to identify putative viral signatures that can be used in conjunction with traditional forensic STR loci. In order to accomplish this, human viral metagenomes were collected and sequenced from 42 individuals at three anatomical locations (left hand, right hand, and scalp) across multiple collection periods over a 6-month window of time. Assembly dependent and independent bioinformatic approaches, along with a database centered assessment of viral identification, resulted in three sets of stable putative viral markers. In total, with the three sets combined, we identified 59 viral biomarker regions, consisting of viral species and uncharacterized viral genome assemblies, that were stable over the sampling period. Additionally, we found the abundance profiles of these 59 viral biomarkers, based on presence or absence, to be significantly different across subjects (P < 0.001). Here we demonstrate that not only is the human virome applicable to be used for human identification, but we have identified many viral signatures that can putatively be used for forensic applications, thus providing a foundation to the novel field of forensic virology.     

病毒性心肌炎心理和药物康复治疗

目的：探索病毒性心肌炎（VMC）心理和药物康复治疗作用。方法：在心理疗法和辅酶Q10、VitC治疗的基础上，对93例VMC随机分组，加用黄芪（治疗组）或GIK极化液（对照组），疗程共3月。结果：治疗组（n＝50）和对照组（n＝43）共72．1％的患者有不同程度的心理障碍，经心理疗法后均恢复正常；治疗组各种心律失常较减少对照明显（P＜0．05）；治疗组治疗后LVEDd缩小、LVEF增加非常明显（P＜0．01），而对照组治疗后LVEDd缩小、LVEF增加明显（P＜0．05），治疗组治疗后CK、CK—MB、cTNT降低非常明显（P＜0．01），而对照治疗后降低明显（P＜0．05）；治疗组和对照组总有效率分别为84％和79％，两组间比较有显著性差异（P＜0．05）。结论：心理疗法和中西药物干预相结合的治疗方案对于VMC是有心肌保护和康复作用的有效疗法之一。     

丙型肝炎病毒非结构蛋白5A对干扰素α-2b诱导的信号传导和转录激活因子1磷酸化及核转移的影响

目的探讨丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）非结构蛋白5A（NS5A）对干扰素α-2b诱导的Janus激酶-信号传导和转录激活子（JAK—STAT）信号传导途径中STAT1磷酸化及核转移的影响。方法用表达HCVNS5A的质粒（pCNS5A）转染Huh7细胞，应用免疫细胞化学技术检测HCVNS5A的表达，用免疫荧光和Western blot方法检测HCVNS5A对干扰素α-2b诱导的STAT1磷酸化和核转移的影响。结果转染了pCNS5A的Huh7细胞质可见HCVNS5A蛋白的表达；以干扰素α-2b诱导30min后，STAT1磷酸化及核转移在转染了表达HCVNS5A的质粒组比转染空白载体pRC／CMV组及未转染组减少，而未转染组及转染空白载体pRC／CMV组间无明显差别。结论表达HCVNS5A的质粒pCNS5A成功转染至Huh7细胞；HCV NS5A减弱干扰素α-2b诱导的STAT1的磷酸化及核转移，提示NS5A影响干扰素α-2b的JAKSTAT信号传导途径可能是HCV干扰素抵抗的机制之一。     

血清氨基酸指标在病毒性肝炎及肝炎肝硬化诊断中的意义

通过临床研究，探讨急慢性病毒性肝炎、肝炎肝硬化患者氨基酸分析指标中可作为对诊断有独立项报作用的指标，并对其意义进行分析。123例患者分为急性病毒性肝炎组22例，慢性病毒性肝炎组59例，肝炎肝硬化组42例，用比色法测定各自血清氨基酸分析指标，行对数校正后的逐步判别分析。经逐步判别分析确定血清牛磺酸、亮氨酸、酪氨酸、尿素、甘氨酸是三组间的独立判别因素，另外急肝与慢肝之间天冬氨酸、慢肝与肝硬化之间苏氨酸也有重要意义。氨基酸分析指标中，牛磺酸、亮氨酸、酪氨酸、尿素、甘氨酸等在嗜肝病毒感染引起的肝病中对诊断及明确肝功储备情况有重要的临床意义。     

Modern epidemiology of hepatitis A in the north-western region of the Russian Federation

Summary.  The epidemiological features of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection were studied in eleven territories located in the north-western region of the Russian Federation. The dynamics of HAV infection in Russia and in the region were evaluated during a 17-year period. The age-specific incidence was calculated and 229 305 patients with acute HAV were identified. The analysed database included HA mixed with other viral hepatitis infections: it included information about 8 809 HAV patients. Special attention has been paid to the sero-epidemiological studies conducted in St Petersburg city. These studies included analysis of age-specific incidence in persons 20 years of age and older during 6 years and testing of blood sera from 1 892 healthy persons for IgG anti-HAV. In general there is a trend to reduction of HAV incidence in Russia, and in the north-western region, high indices were registered in some provinces in different years. It was established three types of age-specific incidence distribution: predominated incidence in 3–14 years of age (first type), 15–29 years of age (second type) and uniform distribution in different age groups (third type). It was shown that decrease of HAV incidence in children and young adults lead to the reduction of sero-positivity level in the groups 20+ years of age. These characteristics should be taken in account to define indications for HAV vaccine prophylaxis. HAV infection in 10–13% of cases mixed with acute or chronic hepatitis B and C in the last 15 years in St Petersburg. In the middle of 1990s, HAV mostly mixed with acute viral hepatitis of different aetiology, but in the modern time predominated type of mixture was presented by HAV and chronic HBV and HCV infections. The obtained results are useful for viral hepatitis surveillance and control.