Complement lectin pathway activation is associated with COVID-19 disease severity, independent of MBL2 genotype subgroups

IntroductionWhile complement is a contributor to disease severity in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, all three complement pathways might be activated by the virus. Lectin pathway activation occurs through different pattern recognition molecules, including mannan binding lectin (MBL), a protein shown to interact with SARS-CoV-2 proteins. However, the exact role of lectin pathway activation and its key pattern recognition molecule MBL in COVID-19 is still not fully understood.MethodsWe therefore investigated activation of the lectin pathway in two independent cohorts of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, while also analysing MBL protein levels and potential effects of the six major single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) found in the MBL2 gene on COVID-19 severity and outcome.ResultsWe show that the lectin pathway is activated in acute COVID-19, indicated by the correlation between complement activation product levels of the MASP-1/C1-INH complex (p=0.0011) and C4d (p<0.0001) and COVID-19 severity. Despite this, genetic variations in MBL2 are not associated with susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection or disease outcomes such as mortality and the development of Long COVID.ConclusionIn conclusion, activation of the MBL-LP only plays a minor role in COVID-19 pathogenesis, since no clinically meaningful, consistent associations with disease outcomes were noted

Global variations in diabetes mellitus based on fasting glucose and haemogloblin A1c

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but may identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening had elevated FPG, HbA1c, or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardised proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed, and detected in survey screening, ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the agestandardised proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global gap in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance.peer-reviewe

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI 2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/images/research_banner_face_lab_290.jpgunderweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesity

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

AbstractOptimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was &lt;1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified.</jats:p

Education policy in Croatia

IN ENGLISH: The chapter describes the changes in educational policy in Croatia from 1990 to 2015 with a brief overview of the previous period and an analysis of policy instruments used in the last decade. In the analysed period, Croatian educational policy has undergone important changes although it was not a priority of key political actors. The analysis is focused on instruments used to achieve the educational policy goals. The goals are defined based on national public political documents, which have determined educational priorities in the analysed period and they are analysed within the context of all changes in national policies, changes in politics and the Europeanization of public policies. The chapter begins with the thesis that selecting instruments depends highly on ideas and interests of key actors. --------------- IN CROATIAN: Poglavlje opisuje promjene u obrazovnoj politici u Hrvatskoj u razdoblju od 1990. do 2015. godine. Pri tome se daje pregled prethodnog ciklusa i analiza policy instrumenata koji su korišteni. U tom periodu, hrvatska obrazovna politika je prošla kroz niz važnih promjena unatoč tome što nije bila prioritet glavnih političkih aktera. Analiza je usmjerena na korištene instumente kojima su se ostvarivali ciljevi obrazovne politike. Ciljevi su definirani na temelji nacionalnih dokumenata, a kojima su određeni obrazovni prioriteti. Analiza uzima u obzir kontekst policy promjena na nacionalnoj razini, političke promjene i europeizaciju javnih politika. Polazna pretpostavka poglavlja je da odabir policy instrumenata snažno ovisi o idejama i interesima glavnih aktera

Cytotoxicity of Polyphenolic/Flavonoid Compounds in a Leukemia Cell Culture

Flavonoidne sastavnice propolisa biološki su aktivne tvari koje posjeduju antioksidativna, protutumorska, imunomodulacijska i protuupalna svojstva. Istražili smo citotoksično djelovanje polifenolnih spojeva (kvercetina, kavene kiseline, krizina, naringenina i naringina) na različite linije leukemijskih stanica (MOLT, JURKAT, HL-60, RAJI, U937). Stanice su inkubirane u mediju RPMI-1640 obogaćenom 10 %-tnim fetalnim telećim serumom, pri temperaturi od 37 °C u atmosferi s 5 % CO2, uz dodatak polifenolnih/flavonoidnih spojeva različitih koncentracija (100 µg mL-1, 50 µg mL-1, 25 µg mL-1 i/ili 12,5 µg mL-1). Utvr|eno je da citotoksičnost flavonoida ovisi o vrsti i koncentraciji; najjači citotoksični učinak imaju kvercetin te krizin i kavena kiselina. Krizin i/ili naringenin primijenjeni na U937 i HL-60-stanice stimuliraju proliferaciju stanica, {to upućuje na bifazni učinak istraživanih spojeva na monocitne leukemijske stanice. Dobiveni rezultati upućuju na potrebu daljnjih istraživanja učinkovitosti flavonoida na molekularnoj razini.Flavonoid components of propolis are biologically active substances with antioxidative, immunostimulative, immunomodulative, and anti-inflamatory properties. The aim of the study was to investigate their cytotoxic effect on different leukaemia cell lines. For this purpose we used five different flavonoids (quercetin, caffeic acid, chrysin, naringenin, and naringin) and five types of leukemia cell lines (MOLT, JURKAT, HL-60, RAJI and U937). Cells were cultured at 37 °C in the RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10 % FCS in humified atmosphere with 5 % of CO2. Flavonoids were added in the following concentrations: 100 µg mL-1, 50 µg mL-1, 25 µg mL-1, or 12.5 µg mL-1. The results show different dose- and cell-type-dependent cytotoxicity. Among the flavonoids, quercetin showed the strongest cytotoxic effect in all cell lines. Caffeic acid and chrisyn also expressed a high level of cytotoxicty. Treatment of U937 and HL-60 cell lines with low concentrations of chrisyn or naringenin stimulated cell proliferation. These results suggest a biphase effect of the tested compounds on monocyte cell lines. Cytotoxicity and growth stimulation mechanisms caused directly by flavonoids should further be investigated on the molecular level