Vaccine Breakthrough Infections with #SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are of clinical concern. In a cohort of 417 persons who had received the second dose of BNT162b2 (Pfizer–BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine at least 2 weeks previously, we identified 2 women with vaccine breakthrough infection. Despite evidence of vaccine efficacy in both women, symptoms… Continue reading Vaccine Breakthrough Infections with #SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Timing of #chocolate intake affects hunger, substrate oxidation, and #microbiota: A randomized controlled trial

Eating chocolate in the morning or in the evening/at night, may differentially affect energy balance and impact body weight due to changes in energy intake, substrate oxidation, microbiota (composition/function), and circadian-related variables. In a randomized controlled trial, postmenopausal females (n = 19) had 100 g of chocolate in the morning (MC), in the evening/at night… Continue reading Timing of #chocolate intake affects hunger, substrate oxidation, and #microbiota: A randomized controlled trial

#Ivermectin for Prevention and Treatment of #COVID-19 InfectionA Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Trial Sequential Analysis to Inform Clinical Guidelines

Repurposed medicines may have a role against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The antiparasitic ivermectin, with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, has now been tested in numerous clinical trials. Areas of uncertainty:We assessed the efficacy of ivermectin treatment in reducing mortality, in secondary outcomes, and in chemoprophylaxis, among people with, or at high risk of, COVID-19 infection. Data… Continue reading #Ivermectin for Prevention and Treatment of #COVID-19 InfectionA Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Trial Sequential Analysis to Inform Clinical Guidelines

Dynamic innate immune response determines susceptibility to #SARS-CoV-2 infection and early replication kinetics

Initial replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract is required to establish infection, and the replication levelcorrelates with the likelihood of viral transmission. Here, we examined the role of host innate immune defenses in restrictingearly SARS-CoV-2 infection using transcriptomics and biomarker-based tracking in serial patient nasopharyngeal samples andexperiments with airway epithelial organoids. SARS-CoV-2 initially… Continue reading Dynamic innate immune response determines susceptibility to #SARS-CoV-2 infection and early replication kinetics

The risk of ischemic #stroke and hemorrhagic stroke in Chinese adults with low-density lipoprotein #cholesterol concentrations < 70 mg/dL

The risk of stroke in individuals with very low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations remains high. We sought to prioritize predictive risk factors for stroke in Chinese participants with LDL-C concentrations < 70 mg/dL using a survival conditional inference tree, a machine learning method. MethodsThe training dataset included 9327 individuals with LDL-C concentrations < 70 mg/dL who were free… Continue reading The risk of ischemic #stroke and hemorrhagic stroke in Chinese adults with low-density lipoprotein #cholesterol concentrations < 70 mg/dL

All #coffee types decrease the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in chronic #liver disease: a UK Biobank study

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a growing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in low to middle-income countries with high disease burden and limited treatment availability. Coffee consumption has been linked with lower rates of CLD, but little is known about the effects of different coffee types, which vary in chemical composition. This study… Continue reading All #coffee types decrease the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in chronic #liver disease: a UK Biobank study

Comparison of Novel Biomarkers with Conventional #HBV Markers among Untreated Adults with Chronic #Hepatitis B in North America

The clinical utility of two novel biomarkers, hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), as compared to conventional markers of HBV replication and disease activity is unclear. Untreated participants in the North American Hepatitis B Research Network Adult Cohort Study were categorized by chronic hepatitis B (CHB) phases based on HBsAg… Continue reading Comparison of Novel Biomarkers with Conventional #HBV Markers among Untreated Adults with Chronic #Hepatitis B in North America

#Homocysteine predicts vascular target organ damage in #hypertension and may serve as guidance for first-line antihypertensive therapy

Homocysteine is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and has been proposed to contribute to vascular dysfunction. We sought to determine in a real-world clinical setting whether homocysteine levels were associated with hypertension mediated organ damage (HMOD) and could guide treatment choices in hypertension. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of prospectively collected… Continue reading #Homocysteine predicts vascular target organ damage in #hypertension and may serve as guidance for first-line antihypertensive therapy

Multiple #SARS-CoV-2 variants escape neutralization by #vaccine-induced humoral immunity

Vaccination elicits immune responses capable of potently neutralizing SARS-CoV-2. However, ongoing surveillance has revealed the emergence of variants harboring mutations in spike, the main target of neutralizing antibodies. To understand the impact of these variants, we evaluated the neutralization potency of 99 individuals that received one or two doses of either BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines… Continue reading Multiple #SARS-CoV-2 variants escape neutralization by #vaccine-induced humoral immunity