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International Journal of Systematic and... Jun 2024A Gram-negative, strictly aerobic bacterial strain was isolated from asymptomatic leaf tissue of a wild yam plant. Optimal growth was observed at 28 °C and pH 7, and...
A Gram-negative, strictly aerobic bacterial strain was isolated from asymptomatic leaf tissue of a wild yam plant. Optimal growth was observed at 28 °C and pH 7, and catalase and oxidase activities were detected. Polyphasic taxonomic and comparative genomics revealed that strain LMG 33091 represents a novel species of . The nearest phylogenetic neighbours of strain LMG 33091 were NBRC 14164 (with 99.79 % 16S rRNA sequence identity), KL28 (99.28 %) and (99.07 %) ATCC 23835. MALDI-TOF MS analysis yielded distinct profiles for strain LMG 33091 and the nearest phylogenetic neighbours. Average nucleotide identity analyses between the whole genome sequence of strain LMG 33091 and of the type strains of its nearest-neighbour taxa yielded values below the species delineation threshold and thus confirmed that the strain represented a novel species, for which we propose the name sp. nov., with strain LMG 33091 (=GMI12077= CFBP 9143) as the type strain.
Topics: Pseudomonas; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; DNA, Bacterial; Plant Leaves; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Dioscorea; Whole Genome Sequencing; Base Composition; Fatty Acids; Genome, Bacterial
PubMed: 38940814
DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006395 -
Archivos Argentinos de Pediatria Jul 2024Introduction. The onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic raised questions about its behavior in different scenarios. Objective. To describe the clinical and epidemiological...
Introduction. The onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic raised questions about its behavior in different scenarios. Objective. To describe the clinical and epidemiological behavior of COVID-19 in pediatric patients living in an agricultural-industrial city across 3 periods (2020 to 2022). Population and methods. Observational, analytical study of children under 18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 in General Cabrera. Sex, age, symptoms, comorbidities, hospitalization, and death were analyzed. The χ² test was used to analyze the association between symptoms and period and the KruskalWallis test, to analyze differences in symptom duration per period. Confidence level: 95%. Results. In the study period, 194 cases in children under 18 years were confirmed. Only 1% required hospitalization; no deaths were recorded. Children's median age was 14 years; 51% were boys; 68% were asymptomatic; 2% had associated comorbidities. Conclusion. SARS-CoV-2 infection was low in pediatrics and showed a distinct behavior by period.
PubMed: 38940762
DOI: 10.5546/aap.2024-10319.eng -
Sarcoidosis, Vasculitis, and Diffuse... Jun 2024Thoracic involvement of Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is relatively rare and may be disregarded at the time of initial diagnosis due to its asymptomatic...
BACKGROUND AND AIM
Thoracic involvement of Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is relatively rare and may be disregarded at the time of initial diagnosis due to its asymptomatic nature. This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence and patterns of thoracic involvement in a retrospective cohort of Turkish patients with IgG4-RD.
METHODS
A total of 90 patients (47 males and 43 females, with a mean age of 57.7±15.5 years) diagnosed with IgG4-RD were reviewed retrospectively. All computed tomography (CT) scans were re-evaluated by two thoracic radiologists and IgG4-related thoracic disease was assessed on four compartments: The mediastinum, pulmonary parenchyma, airways, and pleura. IgG4-related thoracic disease was categorized as: definite, highly probable, probable or possible.
RESULTS
There were 64 patients who had undergone at least one thorax CT examination, and 18 (28%) were diagnosed with IgG4-related thoracic disease. The rate of IgG4-related thoracic disease increased by 20% and reached a ratio of 48.4% (n=31) after a thorough reevaluation of registry data specifically to thoracic findings. The mediastinum was the most frequently involved compartment, affecting 16 (51.6%) patients, followed by pulmonary parenchyma in 14 (45.2%) patients, and airways and pleura in 10 (32.3%) patients each. Other organ involvements were more prevalent and IgG4 levels were higher in patients with thoracic involvement. Eosinophils were significantly elevated in patients with thoracic involvement (p=0.023).
CONCLUSIONS
IgG4-related thoracic disease is heterogeneous and likely to be more prevalent than currently recognized. The mediastinum is the most frequently involved compartment. It is important to assess IgG4-related thoracic disease at the time of initial diagnosis. Elevated levels of serum IgG4 and eosinophils, as well as a greater number of organ involvements may serve as indicators of thoracic involvement.
PubMed: 38940718
DOI: 10.36141/svdld.v41i2.14165 -
Journal of the Korean Association of... Jun 2024Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is a rare, asymptomatic, slow-growing benign tumor that can be divided into three variants: follicular, extrafollicular, and...
Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is a rare, asymptomatic, slow-growing benign tumor that can be divided into three variants: follicular, extrafollicular, and peripheral. By treating AOT using an enucleation and curettage approach, recurrence can be avoided. We report a case of a 24-year-old female who presented with a lump in the right mandibular premolar area along with diastema between displaced teeth #43 and #44 and was diagnosed with extrafollicular AOT. The patient was managed with enucleation-curettage surgery without additional bone graft procedure along with routine follow-up. A successful outcome without recurrence was achieved, and diastema closure with repositioning of the displaced teeth did not require orthodontic treatment. AOT should be managed via enucleation and curettage to obtain successful outcomes without recurrence. Spontaneous bone regeneration following enucleation can be achieved without guided bone regeneration. Also, diastema closure and repositioning of displaced teeth can occur without orthodontic interventions through physiologic drift.
PubMed: 38940655
DOI: 10.5125/jkaoms.2024.50.3.170 -
Liver International : Official Journal... Jun 2024The porphyrias are a group of rare inborn errors of metabolism associated with various clinical presentations and long-term complications, making them relevant... (Review)
Review
The porphyrias are a group of rare inborn errors of metabolism associated with various clinical presentations and long-term complications, making them relevant differential diagnoses to consider for many clinical specialities, especially hepatologists, gastroenterologists and dermatologists. To diagnose a patient with porphyria requires appropriate biochemical investigations, as clinical features alone are not specific enough. Furthermore, it is important to be aware that abnormalities of porphyrin accumulation and excretion occur in many other disorders that are collectively far more common than the porphyrias. In this review, we provide an overview of porphyria-related tests with their strengths and limitations, give recommendations on requesting and diagnostic approaches in non-expert and expert laboratories for different clinical scenarios and discuss the role of genetic testing in the porphyrias. To diagnose porphyria in a currently symptomatic patient requires analysis of biochemical markers to demonstrate typical patterns of haem precursors in urine, faeces and blood. The use of genomic sequencing in diagnostic pathways for porphyrias requires careful consideration, and the demonstration of increased porphyrin-related markers is necessary prior to genomic testing in symptomatic patients. In the acute porphyrias, genomic testing is presently a useful adjunct for genetic counselling of asymptomatic family members and the most common cutaneous porphyria, porphyria cutanea tarda, is usually a sporadic, non-hereditary disease. Getting a correct and timely porphyria diagnosis is essential for delivering appropriate care and ensuring best patient outcome.
PubMed: 38940544
DOI: 10.1111/liv.16012 -
Academic Emergency Medicine : Official... Jun 2024Cervical spine computed tomography (CSCT) scans are frequently performed in older emergency department (ED) trauma patients based on the 65-year-old high-risk criterion...
BACKGROUND
Cervical spine computed tomography (CSCT) scans are frequently performed in older emergency department (ED) trauma patients based on the 65-year-old high-risk criterion of the Canadian Cervical Spine Rule (CCR). We sought to determine the positivity rate of CSCT scans in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to assess the current applicability of age in the CCR.
METHODS
We reviewed CSCT ED reports from two institutional hospitals from 2018 to 2023. The primary variable was age; however, we also recorded fracture types and sites and type of treatments. Patients were separated into symptomatic and asymptomatic cohorts. We used a Fisher's exact test to compare variables between the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups and chi-square tests for comparison between age groups.
RESULTS
Of 9455 CSCTs performed in patients ≥ 65 years, 192 (2.0%) fractures were identified (113 females); 28 (0.30%) were in asymptomatic patients. The rates of fractures (1.6%) and asymptomatic fractures (0.18%) were lowest in the 65- to 70-year age group. There were no distinguishing features as to the level or part of the vertebra fractured or surgical treatment rate between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Cervical spine fractures in posttrauma patients ≥ 65 years are uncommon, with the lowest incidence in those 65 to 70 years old. Excluding asymptomatic individuals aged 65-70 from routine CSCT presents a minimal risk of missed fractures (0.18%). This prompts consideration for refining age-based screening and integrating shared decision making into the clinical protocol for this demographic, reflecting the low incidence of fractures and the changing health profile of the aging population.
PubMed: 38940447
DOI: 10.1111/acem.14976 -
Acta Medica Philippina 2024This study aims to report the incidence and characteristics of breakthrough infections among medical students in the first Philippine private medical school that resumed...
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to report the incidence and characteristics of breakthrough infections among medical students in the first Philippine private medical school that resumed limited face-to-face classes and clinical rotations from July to December 2021.
METHODS
This is a descriptive study using secondary worksheet from multiple-source records review of breakthrough infections among medical students from July to December 2021.
RESULTS
Among the 837 vaccinated medical students, 23 (2.7%) experienced COVID-19 breakthrough infections. Of these, 9 were male and 14 were female. Four were asymptomatic and 19 were symptomatic. Of the 19 symptomatic, 18 had mild and 1 had severe disease. Mild infections presented with upper respiratory tract symptoms. Duration of symptoms ranged from 4 to 27 days with an average of 10 days. Timing of breakthrough infections ranged from 35 to 212 days after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine with a mean of 86 days. Contact with confirmed cases was reported in 14 of 23 cases, 13 were from household members and none within the SLICE and CLARO programs.
CONCLUSION
Our study showed that even in the midst of the Delta surge, low breakthrough infection rate with mostly mildly symptomatic cases and no case transmissions within the SLICE and CLARO programs are possible with vaccination, regular health surveillance, and strict adherence to minimum health protocols.
PubMed: 38939856
DOI: 10.47895/amp.vi0.6523 -
Acta Medica Philippina 2024Among pregnant women, 1-2% are anti-Ro positive and while half of them have symptoms of connective tissue disease, the rest are asymptomatic. The presence of anti-Ro is...
Among pregnant women, 1-2% are anti-Ro positive and while half of them have symptoms of connective tissue disease, the rest are asymptomatic. The presence of anti-Ro is of concern because of the risk of congenital heart block in the child. We report the case of an asymptomatic 27-year-old G2P1(1001) woman, who presented with persistent fetal bradycardia in her 21 week of gestation (AOG) and was found to have elevated titers for anti-Ro (>320 U/ml). Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg/day and prednisone 10 mg/day were given from the 33 week of gestation up until the delivery. At 37 weeks AOG, she delivered a live male neonate with a complete heart block. On the 6 day of life, the infant remained bradycardic, hence a pacemaker was inserted and heart rate maintained at 100-120 bpm. On subsequent follow-ups, the mother and child did not develop any systemic manifestations and the infant was thriving well. While a diseased condition may not be apparent in a pregnant anti-Ro positive woman, the risk of neonatal lupus (NL) is demonstrated in this patient's case. This report illustrates how prenatal care of an asymptomatic woman led to the discovery of a fetal abnormality and served to prepare the family and the medical team to ably handle the birth and subsequent care of a neonate with NL.
PubMed: 38939855
DOI: 10.47895/amp.vi0.6358 -
Journal of Extracellular Biology Oct 2023Parasites are responsible for the most neglected tropical diseases, affecting over a billion people worldwide (WHO, 2015) and accounting for billions of cases a year and...
Parasites are responsible for the most neglected tropical diseases, affecting over a billion people worldwide (WHO, 2015) and accounting for billions of cases a year and responsible for several millions of deaths. Research on extracellular vesicles (EVs) has increased in recent years and demonstrated that EVs shed by pathogenic parasites interact with host cells playing an important role in the parasite's survival, such as facilitation of infection, immunomodulation, parasite adaptation to the host environment and the transfer of drug resistance factors. Thus, EVs released by parasites mediate parasite-parasite and parasite-host intercellular communication. In addition, they are being explored as biomarkers of asymptomatic infections and disease prognosis after drug treatment. However, most current protocols used for the isolation, size determination, quantification and characterization of molecular cargo of EVs lack greater rigor, standardization, and adequate quality controls to certify the enrichment or purity of the ensuing bioproducts. We are now initiating major guidelines based on the evolution of collective knowledge in recent years. The main points covered in this position paper are methods for the isolation and molecular characterization of EVs obtained from parasite-infected cell cultures, experimental animals, and patients. The guideline also includes a discussion of suggested protocols and functional assays in host cells.
PubMed: 38939734
DOI: 10.1002/jex2.117 -
JACC. Advances May 2024The prognostic value of cardiac damage staging classification based on the extent of extravalvular damage has been proposed in moderate/severe aortic stenosis (AS).
BACKGROUND
The prognostic value of cardiac damage staging classification based on the extent of extravalvular damage has been proposed in moderate/severe aortic stenosis (AS).
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to assess the association of cardiac damage staging with mortality across the spectrum of patients with AS following aortic surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (AVR).
METHODS
We conducted a pooled meta-analysis of Kaplan-Meier-derived reconstructed time-to-event data from studies published through February 2023.
RESULTS
In total, 16 studies (n = 14,499) met our eligibility criteria and included 12,282 patients with symptomatic severe AS and 2,217 patients with asymptomatic severe/moderate AS. For patients with symptomatic severe AS, all-cause mortality was 24.0%, 27.7%, 38.0%, 56.3%, and 57.3% at 5 years in patients with cardiac damage stage 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (stage 0 as reference; HR in stage 1: 1.30 [95% CI: 1.03-1.64]; = 0.029; stage 2: 1.74 [95% CI: 1.41-2.16]; < 0.001; stage 3: 2.92 [95% CI: 2.35-3.64]; < 0.001, and stage 4: 3.51 [95% CI: 2.79-4.41]; < 0.001). For patients with asymptomatic moderate/severe AS, all-cause mortality was 19.3%, 36.9%, 51.7%, and 67.8% at 8 years in patients with cardiac damage stage 0, 1, 2, and 3 to 4, respectively (HR in stage 1: 1.70 [95% CI: 1.21-2.38]; = 0.002; stage 2: 2.20 [95% CI: 1.60-3.02]; < 0.001; and stage 3 to 4: 3.90 [95% CI: 2.79-5.47]; < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
In patients undergoing AVR across the symptomatic and severity spectrum of AS, cardiac damage staging at baseline has important prognostic implications. This pooled meta-analysis in patients undergoing AVR suggests that staging of baseline cardiac damage could be considered for timing and selection of therapy in patients with moderate or severe AS to determine the need for earlier AVR or adjunctive pharmacotherapy to prevent irreversible cardiac damage and improve the long-term prognosis.
PubMed: 38939639
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.100959