КЛІНІКО-ЕПІДЕМІОЛОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ПАРАЗИТАРНОЇ ІНВАЗІЇ BLASTOCYSTIS SPP.

The aim of the work is to generalize modern views on epidemiological and clinical features of parasitic invasion of Blastocystis spp. The analysis of modern ideas and data of own researches on prevalence and role of Blastocystis spp. in pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was performed. The state of studying mechanisms of influence of intestinal microbiota on the pathogenesis of IBS and participation in this blastocyst invasion is covered. The issue of the prevalence of Blastocystis spp. in persons with immunodeficiency is reviewed. Based on literature data and own research, the low prevalence of Blastocystis spp. in HIV-positive patients is noted. Significant differences in the frequency of detection of different intestinal protozoa in HIV-positive patients may confirm the higher pathogenicity of Cryptosporidium spp in comparison with Blastocystis spp. Given the ambiguity of literary data on the pathogenic potential of the parasite blastocyst invasion was considered from the standpoint of the parasitic system as the biological basis of the epidemic process. The generalization of the existing of epidemiological and clinical data suggested that further evolutionary changes in biological properties of Blastocystis spp. will occur in the direction of reducing the virulence of the parasite, which will contribute to the long-term persistence of the pathogen in the host organism. Conclusion. The data obtained to date may indicate insignificant epidemiological significance of blastocyst invasion against the background of a significant prevalence of the parasite in the human population. Lack of consensus on the clinical significance of Blastocystis spp. in the formation and development of chronic pathology of the gastrointestinal tract confirms the need for in-depth study of the subtle mechanisms of interaction between the parasite and the host, taking into account the intensity of invasion, intestinal microbiota and immunological resistance of the organism.Мета роботи – узагальнити сучасні погляди на епідеміологічні та клінічні особливості паразитарної інвазії Blastocystis spp. Проведено аналіз сучасних уявлень і даних власних досліджень про поширеність і роль Blastocystis spp. у патології травного каналу, зокрема синдрому подразненого кишечнику (СПК). Висвітлюється стан вивчення механізмів впливу мікробіоти кишечнику на патогенез СПК та участі в цьому бластоцистної інвазії. Розглянуте питання про поширеність Blastocystis spр. в осіб з імунодефіцитними станами. Ґрунтуючись на даних літератури та власних досліджень, вказується на низьку поширеність Blastocystis spр. у ВІЛ-позитивних пацієнтів. Суттєві відмінності у частоті виявлення різних кишкових найпростіших у ВІЛ-позитивних пацієнтів може підтверджувати вищу патогенність Cryptosporidium spp порівняно з Blastocystis spр. Враховуючи неоднозначність літературних даних про патогенний потенціал паразита, бластноцистна інвазія була розглянута з позицій паразитарної системи як біологічної основи епідемічного процесу. Узагальнення існуючих епідеміологічних і клінічних даних дало змогу припустити, що подальші еволюційні зміни біологічних властивостей Blastocystis spр. відбуватимуться у напрямку зниження вірулентності паразита, що сприятиме тривалій персистенції збудника в організмі хазяїна. Висновок. Отримані на теперішній час дані можуть свідчити про несуттєве епідеміологічне значення бластоцистної інвазії на тлі значної поширеності паразита у людській популяції. Відсутність єдиної думки про клінічне значенні Blastocystis spр. у формуванні та розвитку хронічної патології травного каналу підтверджує необхідність поглибленого вивчення тонких механізмів взаємодії паразита і хазяїна з урахуванням інтенсивності інвазії, стану мікробіоти кишечнику та імунної резистентності організму

Personalised cancer follow-up: risk stratification, needs assessment or both?

First paragraph: There are approximately 2 million people now living with or beyond cancer in the UK (Maddams et al, 2009) and this number is increasing. Cancer survivors can experience physical, psychological and social consequences as a result of the disease and the treatments received (Jefford et al, 2008; Foster et al, 2009). The effects may be immediate, some of which will resolve and others may persist and become long-term. Late effects can also occur and the interval between the end of treatment and onset can range from a few weeks (e.g. lymphoedema after axillary node removal) to several years (e.g. heart disease following radiotherapy to the chest area). Problems will be individual to each patient due to a unique combination of circumstances including the site and stage of the cancer, the type of treatment(s) given, the age of the patient, genetic factors, concomitant co-morbidities, family and social circumstances, and personality traits

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

ДОСВІД ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ІНТРАТЕКАЛЬНОГО СИНТЕЗУ АНТИТІЛ У ПАЦІЄНТІВ З УРАЖЕННЯМИ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЇ НЕРВОВОЇ СИСТЕМИ

The aim of the work – to study the frequency of intrathecal synthesis of specific antibodies at patients with inflammatory lesions of the central nervous system.Patients and methods. In this work the data of the determination of intrathecal synthesis of specific antibodies (ITSA) in 90 patients are given who were treated at the Lev Hromashevskyi Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases. The research included quantitative definition of antibodies of the class IgG in serum (S) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to neurotropic pathogens: herpes simplex virus 1/2, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, varicella zoster virus, rubella virus, Borrelies. Calculations of ITSA indicators were carried out according to the method of Reiber H. The condition of a hematoencephalic barrier (HEB) was estimated by means of coefficient of albumine (Qalb) taking into account age norms.Results. ITSA was established in (25.6±4.6) % of the examined patients with damages of the central nervous system. In patients with ITSA most often (in 52.2 %) simultaneously present antibodies to several neurotropic pathogens. Detection of ITSA at the examined patients didn’t depend on concentration of specific antibodies in S and CSF and wasn’t followed by malfunction of HEB. The incidence of HEB dysfunction at patients with ITSA and without ITSA appeared with an identical frequency (13,0 % and 13,6 % respectively).Мета роботи. Вивчити частоту інтратекального синтезу специфічних антитіл у пацієнтів зі запальними ураженнями центральної нервової системи.Пацієнти і методи. В роботі наведені дані визначення інтратекального синтезу специфічних антитіл (ІТСА) у 90 пацієнтів, які проходили лікування в клініці ДУ «Інститут епідеміології та інфекційних хвороб ім. Л.В. Громашевського». Дослідження включало кількісне визначення антитіл класу Ig G в сироватці крові (СК) та спинномозковій рідині (СМР) до нейротропних збудників: вірусу простого герпесу 1/2 типу, цитомегаловірусу, вірусу Епштейна-Барр, вірусу оперізувального лишаю, вірусу кору, вірусу краснухи, бореліям. Розрахунки показників ІТСА проведені за методикою Reiber H. Стан гематоенцефалічного бар’єру (ГЕБ) оцінювали за допомогою коефіцієнту альбуміну (Qalb) з урахуванням вікових норм.Результати. ІТСА встановлений у (25,6±4,6) % обстежених пацієнтів з ураженнями ЦНС. У пацієнтів з ІТСА найчастіше (у 52,2 %) одночасно були присутні антитіла до декількох нейротропних збудників. Виявлення ІТСА в обстежених пацієнтів не залежало від концентрації специфічних антитіл у СК і СМР і не супроводжувалося порушенням функції ГЕБ. Випадки дисфункції ГЕБ у пацієнтів з ІТСА та без ІТСА виявлялися з однаковою частотою (13,0 та 13,6 % відповідно)

Bone mineral density in Jamaican men on androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been reported to reduce the bone mineral density (BMD) in men with prostate cancer (CaP). However, Afro-Caribbeans are under-represented in most studies. The aim was to determine the effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on the bone mineral density (BMD) of men with prostate cancer in Jamaica.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study consisted of 346 Jamaican men, over 40 years of age: 133 ADT treated CaP cases (group 1), 43 hormone-naïve CaP controls (group 2) and 170 hormone naïve controls without CaP (group 3). Exclusion criteria included metastatic disease, bisphosphonate therapy or metabolic disease affecting BMD. BMD was measured with a calcaneal ultrasound and expressed in S.D. units relative to young adult men (T score), according to the World Health Organization definition. Patient weight, height and BMI were assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean ± sd, age of patients in group 1 (75± 7.4 yrs) was significantly greater than groups 2 and 3 (67 ± 8.1 yrs; 65±12.0 yrs). There was no significant difference in weight and BMI between the 3 groups. . The types of ADT (% of cases, median duration in months with IQR) included LHRH (Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone) analogues (28.6%, 17.9, IQR 20.4), oestrogens (9.8%, 60.5, IQR 45.6) anti-androgens (11.3%, 3.3, IQR 15.2) and orchiectomy (15.7%, 43.4, IQR 63.9). Unadjusted t score of group 1, mean ± sd, (-1.6± 1.5) was significantly less than group 2 (-0.9±1.1) and group 3 (-0.7±1.4), p <0.001. Ninety three (69.9%), 20 (45%) and 75 (42%) of patients in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively were classified as either osteopenic or osteoporotic (p<0.001). Adjusting for age, there was a significant difference in t scores between groups 1 and 2 as well as between groups 1 and 3 (p<0.001). Compared with oestrogen therapy and adjusting for duration of therapy, the odds of low bone mineral density (osteopenia or osteoporosis) with LHRH analogue was 4.5 (95%CI, 14.3 to 3.4); with anti-androgens was 5.9 (95%CI, 32.7 to 5); with orchiectomy was 7.3 (95%CI, 30 to 5.8) and multiple drugs was 9.2 ((95%CI, 31 to 7.1).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>ADT is associated with lower BMD in Jamaican men on hormonal therapy for prostate cancer.</p

A randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of a 6 month dietary and physical activity intervention for prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Treatment with Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer is associated with changes in body composition including increased fat and decreased lean mass; increased fatigue, and a reduction in quality of life. No study to date has evaluated the effect of dietary and physical activity modification on the side-effects related to ADT. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a 6-month dietary and physical activity intervention for prostate cancer survivors receiving ADT to minimise the changes in body composition, fatigue and quality of life, typically associated with ADT.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Men are recruited to this study if their treatment plan is to receive ADT for at least 6 months. Men who are randomised to the intervention arm receive a home-based tailored intervention to meet the following guidelines a) ≥ 5 servings vegetables and fruits/day; b) 30%-35% of total energy from fat, and < 10% energy from saturated fat/day; c) 10% of energy from polyunsaturated fat/day; d) limited consumption of processed meats; e) 25-35 gm of fibre/day; f) alcoholic drinks ≤ 28 units/week; g) limited intake of foods high in salt and/or sugar. They are also encouraged to include at least 30 minutes of brisk walking, 5 or more days per week. The primary outcomes are change in body composition, fatigue and quality of life scores. Secondary outcomes include dietary intake, physical activity and perceived stress. Baseline information collected includes: socio-economic status, treatment duration, perceived social support and health status, family history of cancer, co-morbidities, medication and supplement use, barriers to change, and readiness to change their health behaviour. Data for the primary and secondary outcomes will be collected at baseline, 3 and 6 months from 47 intervention and 47 control patients.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The results of this study will provide detailed information on diet and physical activity levels in prostate cancer patients treated with ADT and will test the feasibility and efficacy of a diet and physical activity intervention which could provide essential information to develop guidelines for prostate cancer patients to minimise the side effects related to ADT.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ISRCTN trial number ISCRTN75282423</p