Cross subclade immunity after one-year booster immunization with MF59®-adjuvanted A/H5N1 influenza vaccine in 6 month to 17 year-old children

Background: Since 2006 when the zoster vaccine was first icensed, one of the most commonly asked questions by patients nd clinicians has been "Should a patient with a history of herpes oster (HZ) receive the vaccine to prevent another episode?". The enefit of vaccinating immunocompetent patients who have had hingles has not been examined. The study assessed the association etween vaccination and the incidence of herpes zoster recurrence mong personswith a recent episode of clinically diagnosed herpes oster. Methods: This is a matched cohort study in Kaiser Permanente outhern California. Study populations were immunocompetent lderly≥ 60 years oldwith a recent episode of herpes zoster. Potenial recurrent HZ cases were identified electronically by ICD-9 code f 053.xx from outpatient, emergency, and inpatient files. Medcal records of electronically identified cases were retrieved and eviewed masked to vaccination status by an infectious disease pecialist using pre-specified review criteria. Incidence of recurent herpes zoster was compared between the vaccinated and the nvaccinated matched cohorts. The hazard ratio associated with accination was adjusted for a propensity score that accounted for otential confounders. Results: There were total 1,036 vaccinated and 5,180 unvacciated members included. Based on the clinically confirmed cases, he incidence of recurrent HZ among age <70 cohort was 0.99 (95% I, 0.02-5.54) and 2.20 (95% CI, 1.10-3.93) per 1,000 person-year

The Validity of Biometric Feedback from Popular Activity Monitors

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Heartburn or angina? Differentiating gastrointestinal disease in primary care patients presenting with chest pain: a cross sectional diagnostic study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gastrointestinal (GI) disease is one of the leading aetiologies of chest pain in a primary care setting. The aims of the study are to describe clinical characteristics of GI disease causing chest pain and to provide criteria for clinical diagnosis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We included 1212 consecutive patients with chest pain aged 35 years and older attending 74 general practitioners (GPs). GPs recorded symptoms and findings of each patient and provided follow up information. An independent interdisciplinary reference panel reviewed clinical data of each patient and decided about the aetiology of chest pain. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify clinical predictors that help to rule in or out the diagnosis of GI disease and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>GI disease was diagnosed in 5.8% and GERD in 3.5% of all patients. Most patients localised the pain retrosternal (71.8% for GI disease and 83.3% for GERD). Pain worse with food intake and retrosternal pain radiation were associated positively with both GI disease and GERD; retrosternal pain localisation, vomiting, burning pain, epigastric pain and an average pain episode < 1 hour were associated positively only with GI disease. Negative associations were found for localized muscle tension (GI disease and GERD) and pain getting worse on exercise, breathing, movement and pain location on left side (only GI disease).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study broadens the knowledge about the diagnostic accuracy of selected signs and symptoms for GI disease and GERD and provides criteria for primary care practitioners in rational diagnosis.</p

Safety and immunogenicity of two Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines

Objectives. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection remains a major public health problem inthe developing world. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a new PRP-CRM197 conjugate Hib vaccine (Vaxem Hib, Chiron Vacdnes), compared with theHibTITER vaccine (WyethLederle Vaccines), following the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s accelerated schedule which allows 4-week intervals between doses.Study design. A phase II, observer-blind, multicentre, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority study.Methods. In total, 331 babies were immunised with either Vaxem Hib (N = 167) or HibTITER (N = 164) vaccine at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age, in parallel with oral polio, diphtheriatetanus- pertussis and hepatitis B vaccines. Postimmunisation reactions were recorded after each immunisation and arfollow-up visits. Anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP) antibodies were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) before and 1 month after the third immunisation. Results. Overall, there was no significant difference in the anti-PRP levels between the two groups .. One month after the third immunisation, 76% of vacdnees in the Vaxem Hib group and 70% in the HibTITER group hadanti-PRP antibody mres i:: 1.0 vg/ tnl, while 96% of the Vaxem l-Iib group and.90% of the HibTITER gn;mp d.e!l}onstrated a),lt1- PRP antibody titres;:: 0.15 vg/ml. The geometric me&lt;t:ntitre at day 90 was 3.77 pg/ml for the VaxemHib and 3.0 Jlg/Inl for the HibTITER groups. Although the Vaxem Hib vaccine produced more redness (6% versus 1 %; p = 0.006) and swelling (5% versus 1%, p = 0.037), overall it was well tolerated compared with the B:ibTITER vaccine. There wa~ no significant difference in vaccine-relateq elevated temperature (;:: 38°(:) between the two groups (p = 0. 11), Conclusion. Both vaccines showed comparable safety llJ:\d immunogenicity profiles when administered to SouthAfrican babies at 6, 10 and 14weeks of age

Del genoma de un patogeno a una vacuna efectiva: la vacuna de cuatro componentes frente a los meningococos del serogrupo B.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, entails significant mortality and morbidity. Disease incidence is highest in infants <1 year and young children globally. In Europe, N. meningitidis serogroup B is responsible for over 50% of overall IMD cases, whereas the majority of IMD cases in Latin America is caused either by serogroup B or C. The development of an effective vaccine against serogroup B has challenged the researchers for over half a century. Serogroup B capsular polysaccharide was an inappropriate vaccine antigen, and the success of outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines was restricted to homologous bacterial strains. Reverse vaccinology led to the development of a 4-component meningococcal vaccine including three novel antigens, and OMVs (4CMenB). Each vaccine component has a different target. 4CMenB has been authorised based on its immunogenicity and safety data because the low disease incidence precluded formal clinical efficacy studies. Human serum bactericidal antibody (hSBA) assay tests functional antibodies in the serum of vaccinated individuals (i.e. the vaccine immunogenicity), and is the accepted correlate of protection. Vaccine strain coverage has been assessed both through hSBA assays and a more conservative method named Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (MATS). Effectiveness data of 4CMenB have been collected in the field since 2013. The vaccine proved effective in outbreak control in North America, and recent data from the introduction of the vaccine in the United Kingdom infant national immunisation programme reveal a vaccine effectiveness of 82.9% for the first two doses, with an acceptable safety profile

MF59®-Adjuvanted H5N1 Vaccine Induces Immunologic Memory and Heterotypic Antibody Responses in Non-Elderly and Elderly Adults

Pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) has the potential to cause a major global pandemic in humans. Safe and effective vaccines that induce immunologic memory and broad heterotypic response are needed.Healthy adults aged 18-60 and > 60 years (n = 313 and n = 173, respectively) were randomized (1:1) to receive two primary and one booster injection of 7.5 microg or 15 microg doses of a subunit MF59-adjuvanted H5N1 (A/Vietnam/1194/2004) (clade 1) vaccine. Safety was monitored until 6 months after booster. Immunogenicity was assessed by hemagglutination inhibition (HI), single radial hemolysis (SRH) and microneutralization assays (MN). Mild injection-site pain was the most common adverse reaction. No serious adverse events relating to the vaccine were reported. The humoral immune responses to 7.5 microg and 15 microg doses were comparable. The rates for seroprotection (HI>40; SRH>25 mm(2); MN > or = 40) after the primary vaccination ranged 72-87%. Six months after primary vaccination with the 7.5 microg dose, 18% and 21% of non-elderly and elderly adults were seroprotected; rates increased to 90% and 84%, respectively, after the booster vaccination. In the 15 microg group, seroprotection rates among non-elderly and elderly adults increased from 25% and 62% after primary vaccination to 92% and 88% after booster vaccination, respectively. A heterologous immune response to the H5N1/turkey/Turkey/05 strain was elicited after second and booster vaccinations.Both formulations of MF59-adjuvanted influenza H5N1 vaccine were well tolerated. The European Union requirement for licensure for pre-pandemic vaccines was met by the lower dose tested. The presence of cross-reactive antibodies to a clade 2 heterologous strain demonstrates that this vaccine may be appropriate for pre-pandemic programs.(ClinicalTrials.gov) NCT00311480

Determinants for receiving acupuncture for LBP and associated treatments: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is a frequently used but controversial adjunct to the treatment of chronic low back pain (LBP). Acupuncture is now considered to be effective for chronic LBP and health care systems are pressured to make a decision whether or not acupuncture should be covered. It has been suggested that providing such services might reduce the use of other health care services. Therefore, we explored factors associated with acupuncture treatment for LBP and the relation of acupuncture with other health care services. METHODS: This is a post hoc analysis of a longitudinal prospective cohort study. General practitioners (GPs) recruited consecutive adult patients with LBP. Data on physical function, subjective mood and utilization of health care services was collected at the first consultation and at follow-up telephone interviews for a period of twelve months. RESULTS: A total of 179 (13 %) out of 1,345 patients received acupuncture treatment. The majority of those (59 %) had chronic LBP. Women and elderly patients were more likely to be given acupuncture. Additional determinants of acupuncture therapy were low functional capacity and chronicity of pain. Chronic (vs. acute) back pain OR 1.6 (CL 1.4–2.9) was the only significant disease-related factor associated with the treatment. The strongest predictors for receiving acupuncture were consultation with a GP who offers acupuncture OR 3.5 (CL 2.9–4.1) and consultation with a specialist OR 2.1 (CL 1.9–2.3). After adjustment for patient characteristics, acupuncture remained associated with higher consultation rates and an increased use of other health care services like physiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Receiving acupuncture for LBP depends mostly on the availability of the treatment. It is associated with increased use of other health services even after adjustment for patient characteristics. In our study, we found that receiving acupuncture does not offset the use of other health care resources. A significant proportion of patients who received did not meet the so far only known selection criterion (chonicity). Acupuncture therapy might be a reflection of helplessness in both patients and health care providers