Double or nothing: old chest X-ray as a clue to lung mass

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a young person’s lung cancer with no apparent causal connection to smoking. It exhibits slow growth, which can make it challenging to detect changes in size on serial chest imaging. Another way of describing its growth pattern is that mucoepidermoid carcinoma has an unusually long volume doubling time. We describe a case of an incidental lung nodule diagnosed as mucoepidermoid carcinoma in which a prior chest radiograph provided a clue to the indolent nature of the abnormality and therefore argued against typical lung cancer. In the same context, we underscore the value of volumetric analy-sis in improving the accuracy of nodule growth determinations, which further strengthens the argument that the importance of locating prior imaging has not diminished in contemporary pulmonary practice

Double or Nothing: Old Chest X-Ray as a Clue to Lung Mass

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is ayoung person\u27s lung cancer with no apparent causal connection to smoking. It exhibits slow growth, which can make it challenging to detect changes in size on serial chest imaging. Another way of describing its growth pattern is that mucoepidermoid carcinoma has an unusually long volume doubling time. We describe acase of an incidental lung nodule diagnosed as mucoepidermoid carcinoma in which aprior chest radiograph provided aclue to the indolent nature of the abnormality and therefore argued against typical lung cancer. In the same context, we underscore the value of volumetric analy-sis in improving the accuracy of nodule growth determinations, which further strengthens the argument that the importance of locating prior imaging has not diminished in contemporary pulmonary practice

Re-Emerging Foci of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Armenia – First Molecular Diagnosis of Clinical Samples

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was firstly reported in Armenia in 1913. Following a considerable increase of the number of cases until the mid 1950s, the diseases disappeared after 1969 and re-emerged in 1999. Scientific literature about VL in Armenia is available only in Russian or Armenian. This paper presents a historical overview about leishmaniasis in Armenia based on this literature as well as an epidemiological update since the re-emergence of the disease. In 1999- 2016, 116 indigenous VL cases were recorded mainly in children in 8 of the 11 districts, however VL is underreported because of lack of trained medical personal and diagnostic facilities. The aim of this work was to apply for the first time molecular diagnosis of VL in Armenia. Out of 25 VL suspected patients, 22 were positive by microscopy and PCR. Genotyping using ITS1-PCR-RFLP and sequencing identified the causative agent of VL in Armenia as Leishmania infantum. The present work is an important step towards the inclusion of molecular techniques in the current diagnosis of VL in Armenia and the establishment of local molecular diagnostic facilities

Microsatellite based molecular epidemiology of Leishmania infantum from re-emerging foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Armenia and pilot risk assessment by ecological niche modeling.

BackgroundVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is re-emerging in Armenia since 1999 with 167 cases recorded until 2019. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine for the first time the genetic diversity and population structure of the causative agent of VL in Armenia; (ii) to compare these genotypes with those from most endemic regions worldwide; (iii) to monitor the diversity of vectors in Armenia; (iv) to predict the distribution of the vectors and VL in time and space by ecological niche modeling.Methodology/principal findingsHuman samples from different parts of Armenia previously identified by ITS-1-RFLP as L. infantum were studied by Multilocus Microsatellite Typing (MLMT). These data were combined with previously typed L. infantum strains from the main global endemic regions for population structure analysis. Within the 23 Armenian L. infantum strains 22 different genotypes were identified. The combined analysis revealed that all strains belong to the worldwide predominating MON1-population, however most closely related to a subpopulation from Southeastern Europe, Maghreb, Middle East and Central Asia. The three observed Armenian clusters grouped within this subpopulation with strains from Greece/Turkey, and from Central Asia, respectively. Ecological niche modeling based on VL cases and collected proven vectors (P. balcanicus, P. kandelakii) identified Yerevan and districts Lori, Tavush, Syunik, Armavir, Ararat bordering Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan as most suitable for the vectors and with the highest risk for VL transmission. Due to climate change the suitable habitat for VL transmission will expand in future all over Armenia.ConclusionsGenetic diversity and population structure of the causative agent of VL in Armenia were addressed for the first time. Further genotyping studies should be performed with samples from infected humans, animals and sand flies from all active foci including the neighboring countries to understand transmission cycles, re-emergence, spread, and epidemiology of VL in Armenia and the entire Transcaucasus enabling epidemiological monitoring

Kinetics of Anti-Nucleocapsid IgG Response in COVID-19 Immunocompetent Convalescent Patients

International audienceAbstract The comprehension of a long-term humoral immune response against SARS-CoV-2 can shed light on the treatment and vaccination strategies of COVID-19 disease, improving the knowledge about this virus infection and/or re-infection. We assessed the IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein (anti-SARS-CoV-2 (N) IgG) in 1441 COVID-19 convalescent patients within 15~months longitudinal study from middle-developed country. The main inclusion criteria was positive RT\textendash PCR result on nasopharyngeal swab samples at least one month before antibody testing and absence of any induced or inherited immunodeficiency. 92.7% of convalescent patients' serum contained anti-SARS-CoV-2 (N) IgG and only 1.3% of patients had a delayed antibody response. In the majority of convalescent patients' the durability of antibodies lasted more than one year. The kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 (N) IgG took a bell-shaped character\textemdash increased first 25\textendash 30~weeks, then started to decrease, but were still detectable for more than 15~months. We found that on the one hand anti-SARS-CoV-2 humoral response level correlates with disease severity, on the other, in particular, the level of peak antibodies correlates with age\textemdash older patients develop more robust humoral response regardless of sex, disease severity and BMI

A prospective, open-label, non-comparative study of palivizumab prophylaxis in children at high risk of serious respiratory syncytial virus disease in the Russian Federation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in children globally. Predisposing conditions for the development of serious RSV disease include preterm infants and those with cardiopulmonary illness, including congenital heart disease (CHD) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). No vaccine is currently approved for the prevention of RSV infection. It is recommended that children at high risk be prophylactically administered palivizumab, a monoclonal antibody that has been shown in a number of clinical studies to reduce hospitalization rates due to serious RSV infection. The objective of the current study was to determine the safety and effectiveness of palivizumab in preventing serious RSV disease in high-risk children in the Russian Federation. Children at high risk of serious RSV disease (ie, born at ≤35 wk gestational age and ≤6 mo of age, and/or aged ≤24 mo with BPD or hemodynamically significant CHD) were enrolled. Subjects were to receive 3 to 5 monthly injections of palivizumab 15 mg/kg (depending on the month of the initial injection) over the RSV season. The primary endpoint was RSV-related hospitalizations. Adverse events (AEs) were reported through 100 days following the final injection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One hundred subjects received ≥1 injection of palivizumab; 94 completed their dosing schedule. There were no RSV hospitalizations or deaths. Six of 7 subjects hospitalized for respiratory/cardiac conditions had an RSV test, which was negative in all cases. Three non-serious AEs (acute intermittent rhinitis and rhinitis, 1 subject; atopic dermatitis, 1 subject) were considered possibly related to palivizumab. All other AEs were mild or moderate and considered not related/probably not related to palivizumab.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Palivizumab was generally well tolerated and effectively prevented serious RSV infection in a mixed population of high-risk children in the Russian Federation.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01006629</p