Plasma lipid profiles discriminate bacterial from viral infection in febrile children

Fever is the most common reason that children present to Emergency Departments. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection are often non-specific, and there is no definitive test for the accurate diagnosis of infection. The 'omics' approaches to identifying biomarkers from the host-response to bacterial infection are promising. In this study, lipidomic analysis was carried out with plasma samples obtained from febrile children with confirmed bacterial infection (n = 20) and confirmed viral infection (n = 20). We show for the first time that bacterial and viral infection produces distinct profile in the host lipidome. Some species of glycerophosphoinositol, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine and cholesterol sulfate were higher in the confirmed virus infected group, while some species of fatty acids, glycerophosphocholine, glycerophosphoserine, lactosylceramide and bilirubin were lower in the confirmed virus infected group when compared with confirmed bacterial infected group. A combination of three lipids achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.911 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.98). This pilot study demonstrates the potential of metabolic biomarkers to assist clinicians in distinguishing bacterial from viral infection in febrile children, to facilitate effective clinical management and to the limit inappropriate use of antibiotics

Temporal variation in topsoil water repellency in two recently burnt eucalypt stands in north-central Portugal

The aim of this study is to improve our knowledge of the temporal and spatial variations of soil water repellency following wildfire, in particular for the eucalypt stands that now dominate the landscape of north-central Portugal. Topsoil water repellency was monitored on 21 occasions over a 10-month period, starting in September 2005, six weeks after a moderately severe wildfire. This was done, on mostly alternating dates, in two neighbouring commercial eucalypt plantations, one with an undisturbed and one with a ploughed soil profile, in the foothills of the Gralheira Massif in north-central Portugal. Water repellency severity was measured in situ at soil depths of 2-3 and 7-8 cm using the 'Molarity of an Ethanol Droplet' (MED) test, and accompanied by soil moisture measurements using a ThetaProbe(TM) or, at a few occasions, sample analysis in the laboratory for gravimetric content. The results show a broadly seasonal pattern of overall very high water repellency in dry periods and reduced or no repellency following prolonged rainfall. This was more pronounced at the undisturbed compared to the ploughed site, as the latter exhibited strong to extreme water repellency at almost all sampling dates. Significant changes in repellency severity, including major increases, occurred within periods as short as 6-7 days, suggesting that the sampling intervals used here may have not captured the full dynamics of topsoil repellency. Repellency severity was consistently lower at greater soil depth, in particular when considering the whole Study period. Soil moisture Was found to relate to the temporal variations in repellency. As found in previous Studies, however, soil moisture alone was not sufficient to predict the temporal variations in water repellency. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

PKA-induced resistance to tamoxifen is associated with an altered orientation of ERα towards co-activator SRC-1

Resistance to tamoxifen is observed in half of the recurrences in breast cancer, where the anti-estrogen tamoxifen acquires agonistic properties for transactivating estrogen receptor α (ERα). In a previous study, we showed that protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated phosphorylation of serine 305 (S305) of ERα results in resistance to tamoxifen. Now, we demonstrate that phosphorylation of S305 in ERα by PKA leads to an altered orientation between ERα and its coactivator SRC-1, which renders the transcription complex active in the presence of tamoxifen. This altered orientation involves the C-termini of ERα and SRC-1, which required a prolonged AF-1-mediated interaction. This intermolecular reorientation as a result of PKA-mediated phosphorylation of ERα-S305 and tamoxifen binding provides a unique model for resistance to the anticancer drug tamoxifen

Switching to Doravirine/Lamivudine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (DOR/3TC/TDF) Maintains HIV-1 Virologic Suppression Through 48 Weeks: Results of the DRIVE-SHIFT Trial

BACKGROUND: Doravirine is a novel, nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor with demonstrated efficacy in treatment-naive adults with HIV-1. METHODS: In this open-label, active-controlled, noninferiority trial, adults with HIV-1 virologically suppressed for ≥6 months on 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors plus a boosted protease inhibitor, boosted elvitegravir, or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor were randomized (2:1) to switch to once-daily, single-tablet doravirine 100 mg with lamivudine 300 mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg (DOR/3TC/TDF) or to continue their current therapy (Baseline Regimen) for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants with HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL (defined by the FDA Snapshot approach), with the primary comparison between DOR/3TC/TDF at week 48 and Baseline Regimen at week 24 and a secondary comparison between the groups at week 24 (noninferiority margin, -8%). RESULTS: Six hundred seventy participants (447 DOR/3TC/TDF, 223 Baseline Regimen) were treated and included in the analyses. At week 24, 93.7% on DOR/3TC/TDF vs 94.6% on Baseline Regimen had HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL [difference -0.9 (-4.7 to 3.0)]. At week 48, 90.8% on DOR/3TC/TDF had HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL, demonstrating noninferiority vs Baseline Regimen at week 24 [difference -3.8 (-7.9 to 0.3)]. In participants on ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor at entry, mean reductions in fasting LDL-C and non-HDL-C at week 24 were significantly greater for DOR/3TC/TDF vs Baseline Regimen (P < 0.0001). Adverse events occurred in 68.9% on DOR/3TC/TDF and 52.5% on Baseline Regimen by week 24, leading to treatment discontinuation in 2.5% and 0.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Switching to once-daily DOR/3TC/TDF is a generally well-tolerated option for maintaining viral suppression in patients considering a change in therapy. REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02397096.status: publishe

Efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a booster regimen of Ad26.COV2.S vaccine against COVID-19 (ENSEMBLE2) : results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Background Despite the availability of effective vaccines against COVID-19, booster vaccinations are needed to maintain vaccine-induced protection against variant strains and breakthrough infections. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine (Janssen) as primary vaccination plus a booster dose. Methods ENSEMBLE2 is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial including crossover vaccination after emergency authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines. Adults aged at least 18 years without previous COVID-19 vaccination at public and private medical practices and hospitals in Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the USA were randomly assigned 1:1 via a computer algorithm to receive intramuscularly administered Ad26.COV2.S as a primary dose plus a booster dose at 2 months or two placebo injections 2 months apart. The primary endpoint was vaccine efficacy against the first occurrence of molecularly confirmed moderate to severe–critical COVID-19 with onset at least 14 days after booster vaccination, which was assessed in participants who received two doses of vaccine or placebo, were negative for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR at baseline and on serology at baseline and day 71, had no major protocol deviations, and were at risk of COVID-19 (ie, had no PCR-positive result or discontinued the study before day 71). Safety was assessed in all participants; reactogenicity, in terms of solicited local and systemic adverse events, was assessed as a secondary endpoint in a safety subset (approximately 6000 randomly selected participants). The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04614948, and is ongoing. Findings Enrolment began on Nov 16, 2020, and the primary analysis data cutoff was June 25, 2021. From 34 571 participants screened, the double-blind phase enrolled 31 300 participants, 14 492 of whom received two doses (7484 in the Ad26.COV2.S group and 7008 in the placebo group) and 11 639 of whom were eligible for inclusion in the assessment of the primary endpoint (6024 in the Ad26.COV2.S group and 5615 in the placebo group). The median (IQR) follow-up post-booster vaccination was 36·0 (15·0–62·0) days. Vaccine efficacy was 75·2% (adjusted 95% CI 54·6–87·3) against moderate to severe–critical COVID-19 (14 cases in the Ad26.COV2.S group and 52 cases in the placebo group). Most cases were due to the variants alpha (B.1.1.7) and mu (B.1.621); endpoints for the primary analysis accrued from Nov 16, 2020, to June 25, 2021, before the global dominance of delta (B.1.617.2) or omicron (B.1.1.529). The booster vaccine exhibited an acceptable safety profile. The overall frequencies of solicited local and systemic adverse events (evaluated in the safety subset, n=6067) were higher among vaccine recipients than placebo recipients after the primary and booster doses. The frequency of solicited adverse events in the Ad26.COV2.S group were similar following the primary and booster vaccinations (local adverse events, 1676 [55·6%] of 3015 vs 896 [57·5%] of 1559, respectively; systemic adverse events, 1764 [58·5%] of 3015 vs 821 [52·7%] of 1559, respectively). Solicited adverse events were transient and mostly grade 1–2 in severity. Interpretation A homologous Ad26.COV2.S booster administered 2 months after primary single-dose vaccination in adults had an acceptable safety profile and was efficacious against moderate to severe–critical COVID-19. Studies assessing efficacy against newer variants and with longer follow-up are needed

Potentiation effect of the AMPK activator A-769662 on cardiac myocytes metabolism and survival

Abstract 286 van Poster session 2 Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology, London 30th March – 1st April 2012 Second Congress of the ESC Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science

Outcomes after perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with proximal femoral fractures: an international cohort study

Objectives Studies have demonstrated high rates of mortality in people with proximal femoral fracture and SARS-CoV-2, but there is limited published data on the factors that influence mortality for clinicians to make informed treatment decisions. This study aims to report the 30-day mortality associated with perioperative infection of patients undergoing surgery for proximal femoral fractures and to examine the factors that influence mortality in a multivariate analysis. Setting Prospective, international, multicentre, observational cohort study. Participants Patients undergoing any operation for a proximal femoral fracture from 1 February to 30 April 2020 and with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection (either 7 days prior or 30-day postoperative). Primary outcome 30-day mortality. Multivariate modelling was performed to identify factors associated with 30-day mortality. Results This study reports included 1063 patients from 174 hospitals in 19 countries. Overall 30-day mortality was 29.4% (313/1063). In an adjusted model, 30-day mortality was associated with male gender (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.68 to 3.13, p80 years (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.31, p=0.013), preoperative diagnosis of dementia (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.16, p=0.005), kidney disease (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.55, p=0.005) and congestive heart failure (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.48, p=0.025). Mortality at 30 days was lower in patients with a preoperative diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.6 (0.42 to 0.85), p=0.004). There was no difference in mortality in patients with an increase to delay in surgery (p=0.220) or type of anaesthetic given (p=0.787). Conclusions Patients undergoing surgery for a proximal femoral fracture with a perioperative infection of SARS-CoV-2 have a high rate of mortality. This study would support the need for providing these patients with individualised medical and anaesthetic care, including medical optimisation before theatre. Careful preoperative counselling is needed for those with a proximal femoral fracture and SARS-CoV-2, especially those in the highest risk groups. Trial registration number NCT0432364