scholarly journals Effect of Lactococcus lactis Strain Plasma on HHV-6 and HHV-7 Shedding in Saliva: A Prospective Observational Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1683
Author(s):  
Hiroki Miura ◽  
Masaru Ihira ◽  
Kei Kozawa ◽  
Yoshiki Kawamura ◽  
Yuki Higashimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
Salivary Gland ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Lactococcus Lactis ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Viral Dna ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Lactis Strain ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Second Period

HHV-6 and HHV-7 can reactivate in the salivary gland in response to various host stresses. Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma (LC-Plasma) can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and decrease viral infection. We investigated whether LC-Plasma intake could decrease HHV-6 and HHV-7 reactivation in the salivary gland. A total of 54 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Participants took LC-Plasma granules daily for 6 weeks. Saliva samples were collected from subjects weekly for 4 weeks before (first), during (second), and after (third period) LC-Plasma intake. There was a 2-week interval between the first and second periods and a 3-week interval between the second and third periods. Mean salivary HHV-6 and HHV-7 DNA loads were compared among the three observation periods. In the first period (baseline data of viral DNA shedding), HHV-6 DNA shedding was significantly higher in subjects under 40 years old, and HHV-7 DNA shedding was significantly higher in males. HHV-6 and HHV-7 DNA loads did not significantly differ between periods. Meanwhile, in a subgroup analysis of the subjects under 40 years old, HHV-6 DNA load was significantly lower in the second period than in the first period. LC-Plasma decreases HHV-6 reactivation in the salivary glands in younger adults.

scholarly journals Health Problems During and After Travel: A Prospective Observational Study in a Travel Clinic in Portugal

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Conceição ◽  
Márcia Medeiros ◽  
Nélia Pereira ◽  
Luzia Gonçalves ◽  
Abilio Antunes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Observational Study ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Travel Medicine ◽  
Diarrhoeal Disease ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Travel Clinic ◽  
Specific Health

Introduction: In order to improve the health of travellers during travel it is important to better understand the health problems faced by travellers in different destinations. The main objective of this study was to characterise the perceived health problems of travellers during and up to six months after travel on a pre-travel clinic in Lisbon, Portugal.Material and Methods: This is a prospective observational study. Participants were recruited among those travellers attending a pretravel clinic between May 2016 and April 2017, meeting the inclusion criteria (age over 18 years old and predicted time of stay from five to 90 days). Structured questionnaires were applied by telephone interviews, three and six months after arrival. Associations and their magnitude were sought between travel and traveller’s characteristics with total and specific health problems, using multiple logistic regression models.Results: Out of 364 participants who completed the study, 60% were under 37 years of age, and 87.9% presented a higher educationaldegree. Africa and Asia were travel destinations for 89.1% of travellers. Three months after travel, 39.3% confirmed some travel-acquired health problem, namely diarrhoea (26.6%) and unmeasured fever (12.4%). A malaria case was diagnosed, occurring 3.5 months after return. From a total of 189 travellers to countries with high risk of malaria and chemoprophylaxis recommendation, 65.6% adhered completely and 6.9% of those presenting fever during travel sought healthcare.Discussion: The proportion of travellers that became ill was lower compared to other published studies. Failure to follow a randomsampling method and the characteristics of the travel consultation with a particular profile of travellers in terms of level of education and ability to pay, challenges the external validity of the study.Conclusion: Health problems during or after travel occurred in 39.3% of travellers with diarrhoeal disease being the most common (26.6%). From our findings, the need for taking chemoprophylaxis for malaria or seeking health care in the presence of fever is not translated into appropriate action. The reasons are unclear and should be the subject of further research. Furthermore, research is needed with inclusion of other centres practicing travel medicine in Portugal, both in the pre-travel setting and others, in order to better understand the health risks associated with Portuguese traveller’s characteristics and destinations.

scholarly journals Prospective observational study evaluating the predictive value of ankle branchial pressure index on the outcomes of diabetic foot ulcers

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 2352
Author(s):  
Vishnu S. Ravidas ◽  
Samadarsi P. ◽  
Ajayan G.
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Diabetic Foot ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Major Amputation ◽  
Foot Ulcers ◽  
Diabetic Foot Ulcers ◽  
Pressure Index ◽  
Study Participants

Background: The study was conducted to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ankle branchial pressure index (ABPI) in predicting major amputation and duration of wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers.Methods: 105 participants (30-85 years) admitted in general surgery inpatient with diabetic foot ulcers during 18 months were enrolled in the present prospective observational study. Institutional ethics committee approved the study and written informed consent was obtained from all study participants. Data was analyzed using R and the tests of significance were chi square test and ANOVA. Area under curve (AUC) of receiver operator characteristic (ROC) was used to describe the diagnostic accuracy of ABPI. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The mean ABPI of study participants was 0.7 with 23.8% participants having normal ABPI. Lower ABPI was associated with longer duration of ulcer healing (p=0.003). All participants with ABPI <0.3 required more than 120 days for wound healing (p<0.001) and required above knee amputation (p<0.001). AUC ROC of ABPI and major amputation is 0.987 with 92.9% sensitivity and 98.9% specificity. Significantly higher proportion of participants with ABPI ≤0.48 underwent major amputation. The AUC of ROC of ABPI on duration of wound healing was 0.953 with 84.9% sensitivity and 98.1% specificity.    Conclusions: ABPI can be used as a routine tool in all patients with diabetic foot ulcers for screening peripheral arterial disease so that the decision for amputation can be made early during diabetic foot ulcers.

Staphylococcus aureus Epicutaneous Infection Is Suppressed by Lactococcus lactis Strain Plasma via Interleukin 17A Elicitation

2019 ◽  
Vol 220 (5) ◽  
pp. 892-901
Author(s):  
Ryohei Tsuji ◽  
Toshio Fujii ◽  
Yuumi Nakamura ◽  
Kamiyu Yazawa ◽  
Osamu Kanauchi
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
Oral Administration ◽  
Lactococcus Lactis ◽  
Skin Inflammation ◽  
Type I ◽  
Interleukin 17A ◽  
Skin Immunity ◽  
Lactis Strain

AbstractBackgroundLactococcus lactis strain Plasma (LC-Plasma) was revealed to stimulate plasmacytoid dendritic cells and induce antiviral immunity in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we assessed the effects of LC-Plasma on skin immunity.MethodsTo evaluate the effect of LC-Plasma on skin immunity and Staphylococcus aureus epicutaneous infection, lymphocyte activities in skin-draining lymph nodes (SLNs) and gene expression in skin were analyzed after 2 weeks of oral administration of LC-Plasma. To evaluate the mechanisms of interleukin 17A production, SLN lymphocytes were cultured with or without LC-Plasma, and the interleukin 17A concentrations in supernatants were measured.ResultsOral administration of LC-Plasma activated plasma dendritic cells in SLNs, augmented skin homeostasis, and elicited suppression of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Propionibacterium acnes proliferation. In addition, significant suppression of the S. aureus burden and reduced skin inflammation were observed following oral administration of LC-Plasma. Furthermore, a subsequent in vitro study revealed that LC-Plasma could elicit interleukin 17A production from CD8+ T cells and that its induction mechanism depended on the Toll-like receptor 9 signaling pathway, with type I interferon partially involved.ConclusionsOur results suggest that LC-Plasma oral administration enhances skin homeostasis via plasma dendritic cell activation in SLNs, resulting in suppression of S. aureus epicutaneous infection and skin inflammation.

scholarly journals A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON MEDICATION USE PATTERN IN PATIENTS WITH RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

2021 ◽  
pp. 144-148
Author(s):  
AVEZ ALI ◽  
PAWAN KUMAR ◽  
JAVED AKHTAR ANSARI ◽  
MEENAZ FATIMA ◽  
FIRDOUS IRRUM
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Kidney Disease ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Medication Usage ◽  
Essential Drug List ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Study Participants

Objectives: The current study was undertaken to review and assess the medication usage pattern in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: A 12-month prospective observational study was carried out at Shadan Teaching and General Hospital, Peerancheru (Hyderabad), involving 384 CKD patients considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Medication evaluation for optimization was done using the World Health Organization (WHO) core prescribing indicators. Data collected were entered using Microsoft Excel. Descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, and standard deviation (SD) were used to present sociodemographic characteristics of the study participants. Results: Out of the total of 384 patients, 249 (65%) were male and 135 (35%) were female with a mean age of 58.28 (SD: 13.12). A total of 384 prescriptions were scrutinized with a total of 3634 drugs, out of which drugs acting on the cardiovascular system were the most prescribed drugs (36.37%). The average number of drugs per prescription was found to be 9.08 considering the total number of prescriptions. The percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name was 15.57%. The percentage of encounters with antibiotics was 25%, whereas the percentage of encounters with injections was 86%. The percentage of drugs prescribed from the Essential Drug List or Formulary was found to be 26.36%. Conclusion: Assessment of medication usage patterns using the WHO core indicators in CKD patients helps to reinforce the current hospital guidelines for the optimal usage of medications. The introduction of a clinical pharmacist along with a multidisciplinary team provides intensive care to the patients and helps to improve the clinical outcome.

Prospective Observational Study of Sleep and PTSD Symptoms in Patients Undergoing PTSD Treatment

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ihori Kobayashi ◽  
Brian Hall ◽  
Courtney Hout ◽  
Vanessa Springston ◽  
Patrick Palmieri
Keyword(s):  
Observational Study ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Ptsd Treatment

The 1000Plus study protocol – a prospective observational study on the mismatch concept in a 3.0 T MRI

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (S 02) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Hotter ◽  
S Pittl ◽  
M Ebinger ◽  
G Oepen ◽  
K Jegzentis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Observational Study ◽  
Study Protocol ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
3.0 T ◽  
3.0 T Mri
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