Primary hyperparathyroidism in young patients is associated with metabolic disorders: a prospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Components of metabolic syndrome can be observed in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). The link between these disorders remains unclear due to the lack of relevant experimental models and the heterogeneity of examined groups. The effect of surgery on metabolic abnormalities is also controversial. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of metabolic parameters in young patients with PHPT. METHODS: One-center prospective comparative study was carried out. The participants underwent a complex biochemical and hormonal examination, a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic and hyperglycemic clamps, a bioelectrical impedance analysis of the body composition before and 13 months after parathyroidectomy compared to sex-, age- and body mass index matched healthy volunteers. RESULTS: 45.8% of patients (n = 24) had excessive visceral fat. Insulin resistance was detected in 54.2% of cases. PHPT patients had higher serum triglycerides, lower M-value and higher C-peptide and insulin levels in both phases of insulin secretion compared to the control group (p < 0.05 for all parameters). There were tendencies to decreased fasting glucose (p = 0.031), uric acid (p = 0.044) and insulin levels of the second secretion phase (p = 0.039) after surgery, but no statistically significant changes of lipid profile and M-value as well as body composition were revealed. We obtained negative correlations between percent body fat and osteocalcin and magnesium levels in patients before surgery. CONCLUSION: PHPT is associated with insulin resistance that is the main risk factor of serious metabolic disorders. Surgery may potentially improve carbohydrate and purine metabolism.

Changes in the Etiology of Acute Respiratory Infections among Children in Novosibirsk, Russia, between 2019 and 2022: The Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus.

A wide range of human respiratory viruses are known that may cause acute respiratory infections (ARIs), such as influenza A and B viruses (HIFV), respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), coronavirus (HCoV), parainfluenza virus (HPIV), metapneumovirus (HMPV), rhinovirus (HRV), adenovirus (HAdV), bocavirus (HBoV), and others. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the COronaVIrus Disease (COVID) that lead to pandemic in 2019 and significantly impacted on the circulation of ARIs. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in the epidemic patterns of common respiratory viruses among children and adolescents hospitalized with ARIs in hospitals in Novosibirsk, Russia, from November 2019 to April 2022. During 2019 and 2022, nasal and throat swabs were taken from a total of 3190 hospitalized patients 0-17 years old for testing for HIFV, HRSV, HCoV, HPIV, HMPV, HRV, HAdV, HBoV, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by real-time PCR. The SARS-CoV-2 virus dramatically influenced the etiology of acute respiratory infections among children and adolescents between 2019 and 2022. We observed dramatic changes in the prevalence of major respiratory viruses over three epidemic research seasons: HIFV, HRSV, and HPIV mainly circulated in 2019-2020; HMPV, HRV, and HCoV dominated in 2020-2021; and HRSV, SARS-CoV-2, HIFV, and HRV were the most numerous agents in 2021-2022. Interesting to note was the absence of HIFV and a significant reduction in HRSV during the 2020-2021 period, while HMPV was absent and there was a significant reduction of HCoV during the following epidemic period in 2021-2022. Viral co-infection was significantly more frequently detected in the 2020-2021 period compared with the other two epidemic seasons. Certain respiratory viruses, HCoV, HPIV, HBoV, HRV, and HAdV, were registered most often in co-infections. This cohort study has revealed that during the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, there were dramatic fluctuations in common respiratory viruses registered among hospitalized patients 0-17 years old. The most dominant virus in each research period differed: HIFV in 2019-2020, HMPV in 2020-2021, and HRSV in 2021-2022. Virus-virus interaction was found to be possible between SARS-CoV-2 and HRV, HRSV, HAdV, HMPV, and HPIV. An increase in the incidence of COVID-19 was noted only during the third epidemic season (January to March 2022).

Retrospective View of Covid-19's Last Year Results

Coronavirus disease is an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 that mainly targets the respiratory system, with patients exhibiting mild to severe, fatal symptoms. With more than 526 million cases and over 6 million deaths worldwide, Coronavirus managed to affect everyone, irrespective of age or gender, presenting itself with a variety of symptoms that spared no body system and made the diagnosing process difficult. This study aims to highlight the situation of Covid-19 cases in Constanta, Romania, throughout the given time. During June 1, 2021-May 31, 2022, Saint Andrew's County Emergency Clinical Hospital's Molecular Biology Laboratory performed 24030 Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction tests. The process consists in two steps: Extraction and amplification. The viral ribonucleic acid is extracted out of the patient's respiratory specimen and converted in deoxyribonucleic acid for the second step. The amplification consists in multiplying the deoxyribonucleic acid in many copies in order for the laboratory doctor to detect, confirm the virus existence and study the viral genome in detail. The tests were conducted on both genders and all ages. Statistics showed that 53% of the patients were males, the oldest patient being a 104 years old male and as for the youngest, it was a 1-day old boy. Results concluded that 14% of the tests were positive and almost 86% negative. Less than 1% of the tests came out equivocal or inconclusive and needed to be repeated. Copyright © 2022 Rusescu Alina et al., published by Sciendo.

Post-COVID syndrome is associated with increased extracellular purine bases and neutrophil extracellular traps in the blood plasma

Post-COVID syndrome is characterized by fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, muscle and joint pain, and psycho-emotional disorders. In the development of a generalized body response in a viral infection, abnormal defense responses are of great importance. We studied neutrophils, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), DNA degradation products (purine nitrogenous bases, PNBs), and traditional biochemical parameters. Aim. To determine biochemical parameters and the number of NETs and PNBs in the peripheral blood of patients with post-COVID syndrome. Materials and methods. The study included outpatients (n = 21) aged 18–59 years (36 [27 ÷ 50]). The control group consisted of 20 individuals aged 18–59 years (38.5 [29 ÷ 51.5]) without a past medical history of the coronavirus infection. All patients underwent a physical examination, their medical history was assessed, and the level of NETs and PNBs in the venous blood was determined. Results. 11 patients had a mild form of the disease in their past medical history, 7 – moderate, and 3 – severe. The most common symptoms in the patients were fatigue, headache, epigastric pain, dizziness, and joint pain. Hair loss and dyspnea were less common. The concentration of NETs and PNBs was higher in the patients with post-COVID syndrome than in the control group (p < 0.05). We detected NETs in the patients with post-COVID syndrome only in the form of filamentous structures. The concentration of extracellular purine bases in the blood of the patients with post-COVID syndrome was the highest in patients with moderate and severe acute periods. In patients with a mild acute period, the concentration of PNBs was 7.38 [0.0 ÷ 60.7] mg / ml, and in patients with moderate and severe acute periods – 19.15 [0.0 ÷ 33.5] and 34.19 [3.35 ÷ 70.0] mg / ml, respectively. Conclusion. Extracellular purine bases in concentrations capable of causing secondary alteration of cells are found in the peripheral blood of patients with post-COVID syndrome. Post-COVID syndrome is accompanied by the formation of filamentous NETs in the blood of patients. © 2022 Siberian State Medical University. All rights reserved.

Impact of pathogen reduction methods on immunological properties of the COVID-19 convalescent plasma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 convalescent plasma is an experimental treatment against SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of different pathogen reduction methods on the levels and virus neutralizing activity of the specific antibodies against SARS-CoV2 in convalescent plasma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 140 plasma doses collected by plasmapheresis from COVID-19 convalescent donors were subjected to pathogen reduction by three methods: methylene blue (M)/visible light, riboflavin (R)/UVB and amotosalen (A)/UVA. To conduct a paired comparison, individual plasma doses were divided into 2 samples that were subjected to one of these methods. The titres of SARS-CoV2 neutralizing antibodies (NtAbs) and levels of specific immunoglobulins to RBD, S- and N-proteins of SARS-CoV-2 were measured before and after pathogen reduction. RESULTS: The methods reduced NtAbs titres differently: among units with the initial titre 80 or above, 81% of units remained unchanged and 19% decreased by one step after methylene blue; 60% were unchanged and 40% decreased by one step after amotosalen; after riboflavin 43% were unchanged and 50% (7%, respectively) had a one-step (two-step, respectively) decrease. Paired two-sample comparisons (M vs. A, M vs. R and A vs. R) revealed that the largest statistically significant decrease in quantity and activity of the specific antibodies resulted from the riboflavin treatment. CONCLUSION: Pathogen reduction with methylene blue or with amotosalen provides the greater likelihood of preserving the immunological properties of the COVID-19 convalescent plasma compared to riboflavin.

Non-Randomized Comparative Study of Olfaction in post-COVID-19 Children. Intermediary Results

The aim of the study is to estimate olfaction in post-COVID-19 children.Research methods. The study included 81 children, they were divided into two groups: those who had COVID-19 and those who had not.Survey procedures. Pediatrician, neurologist and otolaryngologists clinical examinations, cognitive status estimation, olfactometry were performed.Results. The olfaction perception threshold post-COVID-19 children and adolescents was higher than in children who have not undergone this infection. Changes in olfaction perception threshold did not depend on how participants and their parents informed about the sense of smell. The involvement of olfactory sensitivity in the pathological process does not depend on the infection severity itself or premorbid neurological lesion.Conclusion. It has been shown for the first time in the Russian sample that changes in sense of smell persist in children 3-4 weeks after recovery from COVID-19. Цель исследования - оценка обоняния у детей после перенесенной COVID-19.Методы исследования. В исследование был включен 81 ребенок, исследуемые были поделены на две группы сопоставимые по полу и возрасту: перенесшие COVID-19 и не перенесшие.Методика обследования. Клинические осмотры педиатра, невролога, оториноларинголога, оценка когнитивного статуса, ольфактометрия.Результаты. У детей и подростков, перенесших COVID-19, порог обоняния оказался выше, чем у детей, не перенесших инфекцию. Изменение порога обоняния не зависело от того, как информировали об обонянии сами участники и их родители. Вовлечение в патологический процесс обонятельной чувствительности не зависит от тяжести самой инфекции или преморбидного неврологического повреждения.Заключение. Впервые на российской выборке показано, что еще через 3-4 нед после выздоровления от COVID-19 у детей сохраняются изменения обоняния.

P.838Coronavirus information to psychiatric patients

Background: While the Coronavirus-19 pandemic is apparently receding, a second wave is still well possible. Patients diagnosed with a severe mental illness (SMI) have an excess mortality and their lifespan is between 10 to 30 years shorter compared to general population [1]. There are also discrepancies in healthcare access and its utilization in patients with SMI compared to general population [2]. People with SMI are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. What is more, Cov19 mortality seems to be double in males compared to females [3]. Therefore, male SMI patients represent a particularly vulnerable group susceptible to both Cov-19 infection and a severe course of illness. Aims: Our study aims to examine the level of information regarding the new Coronavirus-19 in SMI patients compared to general population. Methods: We applied two questionnaires to male patients with severe mental illness. One of the them was based on the five important affirmations from WHO [4]. There were two possible answers for each question, true or false, with a maximum score of 5 points for each questionnaire. The higher the score, the better the knowledge of preventive measures against infection with coronavirus. Our sample consisted of 42 male inpatients from “Alexandru Obregia Psychiatric Hospital” admitted between March and June 2020 and 42 controls matched by gender, age and education. Prior to filling the questionnaires, patients did not receive any formal information or education upon this topic, other than the instructions from the media. Scores were compared using Mann Whitney test and results were considered statistically significant al alpha 0.05,2-tailed. Results: Mean and median scores for the questions evaluating general information were: 6.95 (±1.75) and 7 (IQR 6-8.25) for SMI patients and 9.07 (±1.46) and 10 (IQR 8.75-10) for controls (U=315, Z=-5.21, p<.001). Mean and median scores for level of knowledge about WHO prevention measures were and 4.38 (±0.96) and 5 (IQR 4-5) for SMI patients and 4.76 (±0.62) and 5 (IQR 5-5) for controls (U=685.5, Z=2.25, p=.025). For fictitious information about COVID-19, SMI patients had a mean score of 2.52 (±1.63) and a median one of 3 (IQR 1-4) while controls had 4.33 (±1.16) and a median of 5 (IQR 4-5) (U=324, Z=-5.19, p<.001). Conclusion: To our best knowledge this is the first study evaluating Cov-10 information in SMI patients. Patients with SMI had a lower knowledge of prevention methods against coronavirus. There are multiple factors that can contribute to these results as the severity of the pathology, cognitive capacities, insight and it might be possible that some patients do not understand simple statements. In addition, the SMI group was less likely to discern erroneous information from genuine advice. For this matter, traditional ways of offering information to SMI patients may need altering and personalization since is of vital importance for infectious prevention and spreading of the virus. No conflict of interest