-
Viruses Sep 2023The ability of each new SARS-CoV-2 variant to evade host humoral immunity is the focus of intense research. Each variant may also harbor unique replication capabilities...
The ability of each new SARS-CoV-2 variant to evade host humoral immunity is the focus of intense research. Each variant may also harbor unique replication capabilities relevant for disease and transmission. Here, we demonstrate a new approach to assessing viral replication kinetics using real-time cell analysis (RTCA). Virus-induced cell death is measured in real time as changes in electrical impedance through cell monolayers while images are acquired at defined intervals via an onboard microscope and camera. Using this system, we quantified replication kinetics of five clinically important viral variants: WA1/2020 (ancestral), Delta, and Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.4, and BA.5. Multiple measures proved useful in variant replication comparisons, including the elapsed time to, and the slope at, the maximum rate of cell death. Important findings include significantly weaker replication kinetics of BA.1 by all measures, while BA.5 harbored replication kinetics at or near ancestral levels, suggesting evolution to regain replicative capacity, and both an altered profile of cell killing and enhanced fusogenicity of the Delta variant. Together, these data show that RTCA is a robust method to assess replicative capacity of any given SARS-CoV-2 variant rapidly and quantitatively, which may be useful in assessment of newly emerging variants.
Topics: Humans; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Cell Death; Apoptosis
PubMed: 37766343
DOI: 10.3390/v15091937 -
Cureus Nov 2022Scheuermann kyphosis, also known as Scheuermann disease, juvenile kyphosis, or juvenile discogenic disease, is a condition involving an abnormal, excessive curvature of...
Scheuermann kyphosis, also known as Scheuermann disease, juvenile kyphosis, or juvenile discogenic disease, is a condition involving an abnormal, excessive curvature of the spine. It involves both the vertebral bodies and discs of the spine and is characterized by anterior wedging of greater than or equal to 5 degrees in three or more adjacent vertebral bodies. Type 1 Scheuermann's disease involves the thoracic spine, whereas type 2 involves both the thoracic and lumbar spine. Although no definitive cause for Scheuermann's disease has been found, we have reported a case that may explain further about this disease. This article elucidates a case of a 19-year-old boy experiencing pain in the lower back and showing various signs and symptoms of Scheuermann's disease and the diagnosis and steps taken by doctors toward its treatment.
PubMed: 36579214
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.31803 -
Spine Surgery and Related Research 2022Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and Scheuermann's kyphosis (SK) are the most common types of spinal deformities in adolescents, and both have substantial... (Review)
Review
Disease-Specific Outcome Measures Evaluating the Health-Related Quality of Life of Children and Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis and Scheuermann's Kyphosis: A Literature Review.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and Scheuermann's kyphosis (SK) are the most common types of spinal deformities in adolescents, and both have substantial ramifications on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) parameters. Various questionnaires have been developed to assess HRQoL in age-group populations with spinal deformity. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of consensus across the literature as to which instrument is the most suitable for evaluating the HRQoL of this cohort. Thus, this literature review was conducted to present disease-specific questionnaires for children and adolescents with AIS and SK to provide their psychometric characteristics (validity, reliability, and responsiveness) across different languages. A literature search was performed in the Medline (PubMed), Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases. Studies that outlined the development and application of questionnaires evaluating HRQoL of children and adolescents with spinal deformity were included, and data on their validity and reliability in different translated languages were collected. A total of 10 disease-specific questionnaires were identified. Except for one questionnaire that was a proxy-reported measure, the other questionnaires were self-reported. We determined that selecting the proper questionnaire for clinical and research purposes requires careful consideration of various factors including the type of treatment intervention planned as well as various patient demographic factors. For children with early-onset scoliosis, the ideal questionnaire to evaluate their HRQoL is the Early-Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire-24. For adolescents with AIS and SK who are potential candidates for surgical intervention, the use of Scoliosis Research Society-22, Scoliosis Japanese-27, and Quality of Life Profile Spinal Deformity questionnaires is appropriate. For patients who are under nonsurgical treatment, the Brace Questionnaire and Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life questionnaires can be utilized. Nonetheless, when the specific intent of a study is to evaluate the self-image perception of patients, the use of drawing-based questionnaires may be the optimal choice.
PubMed: 35800626
DOI: 10.22603/ssrr.2021-0237 -
Acta Orthopaedica May 2023Scheuermann's disease is characterized by kyphosis and frequently mild back pain. As the level of kyphosis may progress over time, also the level of pain may increase.... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Scheuermann's disease is characterized by kyphosis and frequently mild back pain. As the level of kyphosis may progress over time, also the level of pain may increase. We evaluated the prevalence of Scheuermann's disease, and their pain, in Swedish elderly men.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
The Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study Sweden (n = 3,014) is a population-based prospective observational study of community-living men aged 69-81 years. At baseline, participants answered a questionnaire including history of neck/back pain during the preceding year and characteristics of any pain (severity, sciatica, and neurological deficits). Lateral thoracic/lumbar spine radiographs were taken of 1,453 men. We included the 1,417 men with readable radiographs. Scheuermann's disease was defined as 3 or more consecutive vertebrae with > 5° wedging with no other explanation for the deformity.
RESULTS
92 of the 1,417 men (6.5%, 95% confidence interval 5.3-7.9) had Scheuermann's disease. 31% of men with and 31% without Scheuermann's disease reported neck pain (P = 0.90) and 51% with and 55% without the disease reported back pain (P = 0.4). Among men with Scheuermann's disease and back pain, none reported severe pain, 57% moderate, and 43% mild, compared with 7%, 50%, and 44% in those without Scheuermann's disease (P = 0.2). In those with Scheuermann's disease 63% reported no sciatica, 15% sciatica without neurological deficits, and 22% sciatica with neurological deficits, compared with 56%, 16%, and 28% in those without the disease (P = 0.6).
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of Scheuermann's disease in elderly Swedish men is between 5.3% and 7.9%. The condition seems at this age not to be associated with neck or back pain.
Topics: Male; Aged; Humans; Scheuermann Disease; Sweden; Cohort Studies; Back Pain; Lumbar Vertebrae; Sciatica
PubMed: 37170780
DOI: 10.2340/17453674.2023.12358 -
The Bone & Joint Journal Jan 2021To report the surgical outcome of patients with severe Scheuermann's kyphosis treated using a consistent technique and perioperative management.
AIMS
To report the surgical outcome of patients with severe Scheuermann's kyphosis treated using a consistent technique and perioperative management.
METHODS
We reviewed 88 consecutive patients with a severe Scheuermann's kyphosis who had undergone posterior spinal fusion with closing wedge osteotomies and hybrid instrumentation. There were 55 males and 33 females with a mean age of 15.9 years (12.0 to 24.7) at the time of surgery. We recorded their demographics, spinopelvic parameters, surgical correction, and perioperative data, and assessed the impact of surgical complications on outcome using the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22 questionnaire.
RESULTS
The mean follow-up was 8.4 years (2 to 14.9). There were 85 patients (96.6%) with a thoracic deformity. Posterior spinal fusion with closing-wedge osteotomies and hybrid instrumentation was used in 86 patients; two patients underwent combined anterior and posterior spinal fusion. The mean kyphosis was corrected from 94.5° to 47.5° (p < 0.001). Coronal and sagittal balance returned to normal. The rate of complications was 12.5%: there were no neurological deficits, implant failure, or revision surgery. SRS-22 scores improved from a mean 3.6 (1.3 to 4.1) to 4.6 (4.2 to 5.0) at two years (p < 0.001) with a high rate of patient satisfaction. Non-smokers and patients with lower preoperative SRS-22 scores showed greater improvement in their quality of life. Sagittal pelvic balance did not change after correction of the kyphosis and correlated with lumbar lordosis but not with thoracic or thoracolumbar kyphosis.
CONCLUSION
Posterior spinal fusion using hybrid instrumentation, closing-wedge osteotomies, and iliac bone grafting achieves satisfactory correction of a severe kyphosis resulting in improvements in physical and mental health and a high degree of patient-reported satisfaction. Cite this article: 2021;103-B(1):148-156.
Topics: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Male; Osteotomy; Scheuermann Disease; Spinal Fusion; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 33380189
DOI: 10.1302/0301-620X.103B1.BJJ-2020-1279.R2 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases May 2023Since late 2020, SARS-CoV-2 variants have regularly emerged with competitive and phenotypic differences from previously circulating strains, sometimes with the potential...
Since late 2020, SARS-CoV-2 variants have regularly emerged with competitive and phenotypic differences from previously circulating strains, sometimes with the potential to escape from immunity produced by prior exposure and infection. The Early Detection group is one of the constituent groups of the US National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution program. The group uses bioinformatic methods to monitor the emergence, spread, and potential phenotypic properties of emerging and circulating strains to identify the most relevant variants for experimental groups within the program to phenotypically characterize. Since April 2021, the group has prioritized variants monthly. Prioritization successes include rapidly identifying most major variants of SARS-CoV-2 and providing experimental groups within the National Institutes of Health program easy access to regularly updated information on the recent evolution and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 that can be used to guide phenotypic investigations.
Topics: United States; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
PubMed: 37054986
DOI: 10.3201/eid2905.221646 -
World Journal of Radiology Nov 2016To find accompanying anomalies of typical and atypical Scheuermann's disease (SD) is reported in the present study.
AIM
To find accompanying anomalies of typical and atypical Scheuermann's disease (SD) is reported in the present study.
METHODS
Study included 20 patients (16 men and 4 women) who had radiological imaging radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography, if available, due to back pain, curved back and low back pain in November 2011-February 2016 period. Patients were categorized into typical and atypical patterns based on the region involved. Thoracic kyphosis values were measured using real Cobb angle. Accompanying disc degeneration, herniations and spinal cord pathologies were studied using MRI.
RESULTS
Age of the patients ranged from 11.0 to 23.0 (mean 17.2 ± 3.0). Typical pattern of SD were detected in 15 patients while atypical pattern were detected in 5 patients. Cobb angle range was 40.2-67.2 (mean 55.5 ± 8.7) in typical Scheuermann's patients and 24.7-49.9 (mean 36.7 ± 10.8) in atypical ones. Intervertebral level was affected and had the measures of 3-8 (mean 5.3 ± 1.6) and 7-9 (mean 8.2 ± 0.8) in typical and atypical Scheuermann's patients, respectively. Level of degenerative disc disease in MRI was 1-7 discs (mean 4.1 ± 1.7) in typical patients and 5-10 discs (mean 7.6 ± 1.9) in atypical patients.
CONCLUSION
SD can be seen in typical and atypical patterns, typical being more frequent. Because degenerative disc diseases, herniations and cord pathologies such as syringomyelia can accompany SD (albeit more common in atypical pattern), it is necessary to evaluate these patients with plain radiography and MRI together.
PubMed: 27928471
DOI: 10.4329/wjr.v8.i11.895 -
American Journal of Respiratory Cell... Aug 2023Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a clinical entity of increasing significance. COPD involves abnormalities of the airways and, in emphysema, parenchymal...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a clinical entity of increasing significance. COPD involves abnormalities of the airways and, in emphysema, parenchymal pulmonary destruction. Cardiovascular disease has emerged as a significant comorbidity to COPD. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) appears to be particularly associated with COPD-emphysema. Traditional treatments have shown limited efficacy in improving COPD-associated HFpEF. This lack of therapeutic efficacy highlights the need to identify potential mechanisms that link COPD-emphysema to HFpEF. Therefore, we aimed to study the delayed cardiac physiological impacts in a rat model with acute exacerbated emphysema. Emphysema was induced by four weekly 4 units elastase (ELA) intratracheal pulmonary instillations and exacerbation by one final additional lipolysaccharide (LPS) instillation in male Wistar rats. At 5 weeks after the ELA and LPS exposure, and pulmonary and cardiac measurements were performed. Experimental exacerbated emphysema resulted in decreased pulmonary function and exercise intolerance. Histological analysis revealed parenchymal pulmonary destruction without signs of inflammation or cardiac fibrosis. cardiac functional analysis revealed diastolic dysfunction and tachycardia. analysis revealed a cellular cardiomyopathy with decreased myofilament Ca sensitivity, cross-bridge cycling kinetics, and increased adrenergic PKA (protein kinase A)-dependent phosphorylation of troponin-I. Experimental exacerbated emphysema was associated with exercise intolerance that appeared to be secondary to increased β-adrenergic tone and subsequent cardiac myofilament dysfunction. A β-receptor antagonist treatment (bisoprolol) started 24 hours after ELA-LPS instillation prevented and diastolic dysfunction. These results suggest that novel treatment strategies targeted to the cardiac myofilament may be beneficial to combat exacerbated emphysema-associated HFpEF.
Topics: Male; Rats; Animals; Heart Failure; Lipopolysaccharides; Stroke Volume; Rats, Wistar; Pulmonary Emphysema; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Emphysema; Cardiomyopathies
PubMed: 37163759
DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2022-0382OC -
The South African Journal of... 2021High-quality evidence exists to support physiotherapy and brace treatment for scoliosis and other spinal deformities. However, according to previous systematic reviews,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
High-quality evidence exists to support physiotherapy and brace treatment for scoliosis and other spinal deformities. However, according to previous systematic reviews, it seems that no evidence exists for surgery. Nevertheless, the number of research articles focussing on spinal surgery highly exceeds the number of articles focussing on conservative treatment.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to conduct an updated search for systematic reviews providing high-quality evidence for spinal surgery in patients with spinal deformities.
METHOD
A narrative review including PubMed and the Cochrane database was conducted on April 12, 2020, with the following search terms: (1) spinal deformities, surgery, systematic review and outcome; (2) kyphosis, surgery, systematic review and outcome; (3) Scheuermann's disease, surgery, systematic review and outcome, and (4) scoliosis, surgery, systematic review and outcome.
RESULTS
No reviews containing prospective controlled or randomised controlled studies were found providing evidence for surgery.
CONCLUSIONS
A general indication for spine surgery just based on the Cobb angle is not given. In view of the long-term unknown variables and the possible long-term complications of such treatment, a surgical indication for patients with spinal deformities must be reviewed on an individual basis and considered carefully. A current systematic review appears necessary in order to be able to draw final conclusions on the indication for surgery in patients with spinal deformities.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
In view of the increasing number of surgeons with an affiliation to industry, the indication for surgery needs to be given by independent conservative specialists for spinal deformities in order to provide an objective recommendation.
PubMed: 34859161
DOI: 10.4102/sajp.v77i2.1569 -
Journal of Children's Orthopaedics Dec 2023Low back pain in childhood was underappreciated for a long time, but recent studies report higher prevalences, up to 70%. Two of the common causes are... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Low back pain in childhood was underappreciated for a long time, but recent studies report higher prevalences, up to 70%. Two of the common causes are spondylolyis/spondylolisthesis and Scheuermann's disease. These disorders are relevant in a way they both cause significant back pain, and may disrupt the sagittal spinal balance.
PURPOSE
To present the current evidence on the diagnosis, natural history and treatment of these disorders with a special focus on sagittal spinal alignment.
METHODS
This study is conducted as a literature review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Spondylolysis and low-grade spondylolisthesis have a benign course and are typically treated conservatively. When pars repair is indicated, pedicle screw-based techniques achieve more than 90% fusion with acceptable complication rates. High-grade spondylolisthesis, however, is frequently progressive. Surgical treatment involves fusion, which can be done in situ or after reduction. Reduction is useful for "unbalanced" patients to acquire sagittal spinopelvic balance, and it is important to distinguish these patients. Despite lowering the risk for pseudoarthrosis, reduction brings a risk for neurologic complications. With re-operation rates as high as 40%, these patients definitely require careful preoperative planning. Scheuermann's disease generally causes back pain in addition to cosmetic discomfort during adolescence. If the kyphosis is lower than 60°, symptoms typically resolve into adulthood with conservative measures only. However, it must be kept in mind that these patients may experience problems with physical performance and have a lower quality of life even when the problem seems to have "resolved". Severe kyphosis and intractable back pain are the most frequently referred surgical indications, and surgery typically involves fusion. Proper utilization of osteotomies and proper selection of the upper and lower fusion levels are of utmost importance to prevent complications in these patients.
PubMed: 38050599
DOI: 10.1177/18632521231215873