Medium-term Outcomes of Myocarditis and Pericarditis following BNT162b2 Vaccination among Adolescents in Hong Kong

In this study, we examined the clinical and electrophysiological outcomes of adolescents in Hong Kong who developed myocarditis or pericarditis following BNT162b2 vaccination for COVID-19, and followed-up for 60 to 180 days after their initial diagnosis. Clinical assessments included electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram at the initial admission and follow-up were compared. Treadmill testing was also performed in some cases. Between 14 June 2021 and 16 February 2022, 53 subjects were approached to participate in this follow-up study, of which 28 patients were followed up for >60 days with a median follow-up period of 100 days (range, 61-178 days) and were included in this study. On admission, 23 patients had ECG abnormalities but no high-grade atrioventricular block. Six patients had echocardiogram abnormalities, including reduced contractility, small rim pericardial effusions, and hyperechoic ventricular walls. All patients achieved complete recovery on follow-up. After discharge, 10 patients (35.7%) reported symptoms, including occasional chest pain, shortness of breath, reduced exercise tolerance, and recurrent vasovagal near-syncope. At follow-up, assessments, including ECGs, were almost all normal. Among the three patients with possible ECG abnormalities, all their echocardiograms or treadmill testings were normal. Sixteen patients (57.1%) underwent treadmill testing at a median of 117 days post-admission, which were also normal. However, at follow-up, there was a significant mean bodyweight increase of 1.81kg (95%CI 0.47-3.1 kg, p=0.01), possibly due to exercise restriction. In conclusion, most adolescents experiencing myocarditis and pericarditis following BNT162b2 vaccination achieved complete recovery. Some patients developed non-specific persistent symptoms, and bodyweight changes shall be monitored

Effects of strength‐based intervention on health outcomes of family caregivers of persons with dementia: A study protocol

From Crossref via Jisc Publications RouterItem not available in this repository.Brendan McCormack - ORCID 0000-0001-8525-8905 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8525-8905Aims This study aims at identifying the health effects of a strength‐based intervention on family caregivers of persons with dementia and to explore the underlying mechanism. The perception of family caregivers on the strength‐based intervention will also be explored.Design This sequential mixed‐method study comprises a double‐blind randomized controlled trial and a descriptive qualitative study.Methods A group of 372 family caregivers of persons with dementia will be recruited from community settings. They will be randomized to receive the strength‐based intervention or a dementia education program. Based on Antonovksy's theory of salutogenesis, the strength‐based intervention integrates skills of narrative therapy and empowerment strategies. It comprises 14 weekly group‐based sessions and two bi‐weekly follow‐up telephone calls. The education program serves as the control intervention. Validated instruments are used to measure sense of coherence, coping, caregiver burden, and health‐related quality of life at baseline, 14 weeks, and 22 weeks. Mixed‐effects models and path analysis will be used to identify the treatment effect and the mediating mechanism. A subsample of 30 caregivers who report differential changes in the health outcome will be engaged in qualitative interviews. The study was funded in 2017.Discussion This study marks the first attempt to adopt a theory‐driven strength‐based approach to improve the health outcomes of family caregivers of persons with dementia. The stringent and comprehensive evaluation will inform its effects and the underlying mechanism.Impact This study will have important theoretical and public health implications. Theoretically, the study will enhance understanding of Antonovsky's theory of salutogenesis by examining the modifiability of sense of coherence and the way it enhances health‐related outcomes. In terms of public health implications, the strength‐based intervention focusing on optimizing the inner strength can provide a new paradigm to promote the adjustment of family caregivers of persons with dementia.Trial Registration This project was registered in the Clinical Trials Registry of the Centre for Clinical Research and Biostatistics (registration number: CUHK_CCRB00551; date registered: 6 April 2017).76pubpub1

Seroproteomics reveals cross reactivity of anti-enterovirus 71 antibodies with cytoplasmic actin.

International Journal of Virology and Molecular Biology12United State

Correction: Chemopreventive Effect of PSP Through Targeting of Prostate Cancer Stem Cell-Like Population

Recent evidence suggested that prostate cancer stem/progenitor cells (CSC) are responsible for cancer initiation as well as disease progression. Unfortunately, conventional therapies are only effective in targeting the more differentiated cancer cells and spare the CSCs. Here, we report that PSP, an active component extracted from the mushroom Turkey tail (also known as Coriolus versicolor), is effective in targeting prostate CSCs. We found that treatment of the prostate cancer cell line PC-3 with PSP led to the down-regulation of CSC markers (CD133 and CD44) in a time and dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, PSP treatment not only suppressed the ability of PC-3 cells to form prostaspheres under non-adherent culture conditions, but also inhibited their tumorigenicity in vivo, further proving that PSP can suppress prostate CSC properties. To investigate if the anti-CSC effect of PSP may lead to prostate cancer chemoprevention, transgenic mice (TgMAP) that spontaneously develop prostate tumors were orally fed with PSP for 20 weeks. Whereas 100% of the mice that fed with water only developed prostate tumors at the end of experiment, no tumors could be found in any of the mice fed with PSP, suggesting that PSP treatment can completely inhibit prostate tumor formation. Our results not only demonstrated the intriguing anti-CSC effect of PSP, but also revealed, for the first time, the surprising chemopreventive property of oral PSP consumption against prostate cancer

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field