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Study objective. It has been shown that human common viruses are new target genes for host cell dioxin receptor transcriptional (AhR-ARNT) complex initially proven to up-regulate mammalian genes containing dioxin-response elements (DRE) in the promoters [doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2012.05.265]. Initially, transactivation of HIV-1 and HBV by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlodibenzop- dioxin (TCDD) at low nanomolar range was demonstrated [doi:10.3109/00498259309057034]. Noteworthy, transactivation of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) was shown with 0.3 ppt dioxin, i.e. lower than its current background level in the general population (~3.0 ppt). Recently, reactivation of CMV infection was found to influence worse clinical outcome following SARS-CoV-2 infection (doi: 10.1186/s12979-020- 00185-x). Other findings showed that CMV and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) reactivation were observed in immunocompetent patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (doi.org/10.1186/s13054-020-03252-3). Addressing occurrence of Herpesviridae reactivation in severe COVID-19 patients, and still unspecified real triggers of CMV and HSV-1 reactivations, we tested TCDD, which current body burden (DBB) ranges from 20 pg/g (TEQ in fat) in general population to 100 pg/g in older people. Methods. In Silico quantitation of active DRE in promoters of viral genes. Virus DNA hybridization assay. Clinical and epidemiological analyses. Results and Discussion. In this study, a computational search for DRE in CMV and HSV-1 genes was performed by SITECON, a tool recognizing potentially active transcriptional factor binding sites. In silico analysis revealed in regulatory region of CMV IE genes from 5 to 10 DRE, and from 6 to 8 DRE in regulatory region of HSV-1 IE genes.We established that a low picomolar TCDD can trigger up-regulation of CMV and HSV-1 genes via AhR:Arnt transcription factor in macrophage(doi.org/10.1016/ j.ijid.2012.05.265) and glial human cell lines (doi.org/10.1016/j. jalz.2016.06.1268), respectively. In fact, viral reactivation may be triggered in COVID-19 ARDS patients by higher pulmonary TCDD concentrations, because "lipid storm" within lungs of severe COVID-19 patients has been recently reported (doi.org/ 10.1101/2020.12.04.20242115). TCDD is known as the most potent xenobiotic, which bioaccumulates and has estimation half-life in humans of up to 10 yr. Due to hydrophobic character (Log P octanol/water: 7.05), TCDD partitions into inflammatory lipids in lung tissue thus augmenting its local concentration. Population-based epidemiological data on SARS-CoV-2 first wave of pandemic revealed high level of CMV seropositivity and cumulative mortality rate 4.5 times in Lombardi region of Italy, where after Seveso industrial accident TCDD plasma level in pre-exposed subjects is 15 times the level in rest of Italy (doi. org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.620416). Also, Arctic Native (AN) peoples consume dioxin-contaminated fat in seafood and have TCDD DBB, i.e. 7 times that in general population. To the point of this paper, their COVID-19 mortality is 2.2 times of that among non-AN Alaskans (doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6949a3). Conclusion(s): TCDD in the picomolar range may trigger CMV expression in lung cells and commit virus to the lytic cycle, which can be applied to reactivation of Herpesviridae infection in immunocompetent patients with COVID-19 ARDS syndrome.Copyright © 2023 The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
ABSTRACT
The coronaviruses, belonging to the family Coronaviridae, have caused a massive pandemic in December 2019 after their previous outbreaks as SARS-CoV and MERS. The outbreak is believed to have originated from the seafood and live market in the Hubei province of China. The Rhinolophus species are the natural hosts of this virus. This virus caused pneumonia and took away many lives be-fore it was recognized as the novel Coronavirus. Very little information is available about the biology and nature of the novel Coronavirus. This article reviews multiple aspects encompassing its origin, epi-demiology, pathogenesis, symptoms, and the global statistics of spread. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the key symptom of this condition. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) helps in the penetration of the virus into the target cells. Deeper research and understanding are essential for the identification of antibodies that inhibit ACE2 and can prevent viral replication. Drug design and control of disease are crucial. In countries like India, where plant diversity is extensive, it is prudent to focus on plant-based alternative drugs. Many attempts have been made to review and curate the drug discovery attempts using immuno-informatic and bioinformatic tools.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Introduction: In 2012, coronary heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for more than 31% of deaths from all causes. In 2020, PH statistics showed that ischemic heart diseases were the leading causes of death in the Philippines (PH), responsible for 17.3% of the total deaths. Objective(s): To determine the knowledge, perceptions, insights and attitudes on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, personal health-related lifestyle practices, and lifestyle counseling practices of selected female physicians who are practicing or training in the PH through an online survey. Method(s): A descriptive ambispective cross-sectional study where the survey questionnaire of Ameh, et al. (2019) was modified with the authors' permission, was conducted online and answered by consenting female physicians. 484 participants' data were collated and analyzed. Result(s): Majority had accurate responses for the CVD prevention knowledge items (Figures 1 and 2). Among the participants, 36.98% had hypertension, 32% were obese, 28.5% had dyslipidemia, and 17.2% had diabetes mellitus. Sleep of 6-8 hours is practiced by 60.33%, 53.51% eat vegetables and fruits daily, 55.79% prefer fish and seafood, 89.05% do not smoke, 61.2% take coffee or black tea daily, 84.51% have no regular exercise, and 30.79% of those who do only exercise for 10-20 minutes. Moreover, 67.98% add salt, soy or fish sauce to their meals, and 72.73% do not drink enough water daily. In addition, 44.42% do not undergo annual general check-up and 58.06% do not have a personal physician. Limitations due to COVID-19 pandemic, lack of education, and expensive screening tests are perceived to be major barriers to CVD screening. More than 90% of our participants practice health teachings on diabetes mellitus prevention, high blood pressure screening, cholesterol screening and management, nutrition, and weight management. Counseling on regular exercise, smoking, and alcohol abuse are being practiced by 88.02%, 85.74%, and 83.88% of our respondents, respectively. Conclusion(s): There are female physicians who are not aware of the World Health Organization's recommendations on the prevention of CVD, who do not do health teaching and counseling, and who practice unhealthy lifestyle. Changing physicians' knowledge and behavior towards CVD prevention is a great challenge to improve standards of CVD prevention. Improvement and enhancement in education of both physicians and patients, together with more consultation time, financing for CVD prevention, and comprehensive, multidisciplinary preventive cardiology programs supported by government and societies in favor of prevention are some of the best ways to improve management of CVD risk factors and prevention.
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Background: COVID-19 is a new, health-threatening infectious disease in the world in 2020 and is caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. As of July 13, 2020, 4,881,579 active cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed, and 571,080 deaths were reported globally. In India, 301,850 active cases and 23,187 deaths were reported. To date, no effective treatment is available against the deadly virus SARS-CoV-2. Drug manufacturers, institutional laboratories, and other organizations have started developing vaccines to combat COVID-19 infection. Method(s): Science Direct, Elsevier, PubMed, Scopus, and Nature databases were referred to know the current scenario of the disease. Moreover, recent data have been obtained from the World Health Orga-nization, Centre of Disease Control, case studies, newspapers, and Worldometer reports. Data of Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Clinicaltrials.gov, and US National Library of Medicine have also been accessed to obtain the latest information about ongoing clinical tri-als. Result(s): The primary source of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is connected to the Hunan seafood and live animal market in Wuhan city, Hubei Province, China. Like;SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 is also a zoonotic virus affecting the lower respiratory tract in humans. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 involves attachment of its Spike (S) protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor in the lower respiratory tract in humans. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, headache, myalgia, septic shock, and breathlessness. Few patients with COVID-19 infection experience diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Currently, FDA approved drugs being used to treat COVID-19. Conclusion(s): This review article presents the importance of traditional Indian herbs recommended by AYUSH as precautionary and curative measures of COVID-19 until vaccines and drugs are made avail-able. Moreover, this article discussed the origin, symptoms, mode of transmission, management, and diagnostics techniques for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
ABSTRACT
The first ever case of Corona Virus Pneumonia was reported on 8th December 2019 in Hubei Province of Wuhan China. The virus was believed to be transferred from seafood market and subsequently the causative agent was identified as SARS-COV-2. In this study, we conducted a study aimed at identifying the nature and characteristics of the influence of the cognitive assessment of the situation associated with the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, its semantic perception on the mental states of people of working age.The main semantic education of a person during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic is situational semantic attitudes-the primary ways of responding to signs of situational uncertainty, which carry out actual management of mental states, exerting a stabilizing or conversely destabilizing effect on them. Situational semantic attitudes of the personality play an indirect role in the interaction of the situation and mental states. It is not the situation itself that becomes the source of the emergence and development of certain mental states, but those situational semantic attitudes that, as a result of conscious and unconscious thought processes, enhance or weaken the signs of uncertainty of the situation that has arisen and determines the selective control of the mental activity of the individual. When organizing psychological assistance to the population during periods of pandemics, it is necessary to take into account the results of the study, which may affect the development of targeted programs for the formation of an adequate perception of the situation that has arisen and the development of conscious mechanisms for self-regulation of mental states.Copyright © RJPT. All right reserved.
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The ongoing pandemic of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has created a major challenge for the public health worldwide. The reported cases indicate that the outbreak is more widespread than initially assumed. Around 18 million people have been infected with 689,000 reported deaths (August 2020;the number is increasing daily);with a high mutation rate, this virus poses an even more serious threat worldwide. The actual source of COVID-19 is still un-clear;even if the initial reports link it to the Chinese seafood wet market in Wuhan, other animals such as birds, snakes, and many small mammals including bats are also linked with this novel coro-navirus. The structure of the COVID-19 shows distinctive proteins among which spike proteins have a pivotal role in host cell attachment and virus-cell membrane fusion in order to facilitate virus infection. Currently, no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine is available. Various drug can-didates, including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV protease inhibitors, neuraminidase inhibitors, RNA synthesis inhibitors, ACE2 inhibitors and lungs supportive therapy, are under trials. Cell-based therapy also appeared with remarkable treatment possibilities. In this article, we endeavored to succinctly cover the current and available treatment options, including pharmaceuticals, cell-based therapy, and traditional medicine. We also focused on the extent of damages by this novel coron-avirus in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh;the strategies adopted and the research activities initiat-ed so far by these densely populated countries (neighboring China) are explained in this review.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is ongoing and new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV- 2) are emerging. There is an urgent need for COVID-19 vaccines to control disease outbreaks by herd immunity. Vaccines can trigger immunity as many vaccine-related immunological adverse events have been described. Case Presentation: A case of a 32 years old Filipino female with no known co-morbidity who presented with rashes on bilateral lower extremities one day after receiving her second dose of CoronaVac-Sinovac vaccine. These were non-pruritic nor painful, which appeared to be initially well-defined round erythematous macules, papules, and plaques, mostly raised. It was associated with colicky abdominal pain and inflammatory arthritis affecting the both knees and ankles. She has no vices but known to have allergy with seafood. There were multiple well defined erythematous round to irregularly shaped purpuric macules, papules and plaques, non-blanching, flat and raised, on arms near the antecubital fossa, abdomen and lower extremities. She underwent skin biopsy and direct immunofluorescence showed interface dermatitis with leukocytoclastic vasculitis and IgA +1 vessel wall, and fibrinogen +2 vessel wall, respectively. There was microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. The Urine protein creatinine ratio was normal at 0.193 gm/gm. She was managed as a case of IgA vasculitis and was given moderate dose of steroid (0.5mg per kilogram per day prednisone equivalent) and omeprazole. She was discharged improved with resolution of rashes evident during follow up at the out-patient consultation. Conclusion(s): We report a case of an adult Filipina developing IgA vasculitis following CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccination. She responded well following initiation of steroid therapy. Autoimmune phenomenon following immunization is possible through different mechanisms. These include molecular mimicry, a hyper-stimulated inflammatory state, and autoimmune syndromes induced by adjuvants. While no strategies have been found to prevent autoimmunity following vaccination, it should be emphasized that vaccine recipients should seek medical care for any untoward events following receipt of any immunization.
ABSTRACT
A novel coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) was identified in Wuhan, China causing an outbreak of pneumonia worldwide. The first infection of the coronavirus was associated with a kind of seafood. The patient of the covid-19 pandemic was accompanied by the most common symptoms of fever, lung inflammation, dry cough, and tiredness. Researchers have found that natural flavonoid and antioxidant products such as wildly phytomedicine and anti-inflammatory drugs can play a therapeutically rolls in accelerating the recovery of the viral disease. Fisetin, a known flavonoid in fruits and vegetables, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. With the help of drug delivery technology, fisetin can be present in nanoparticles in a targeted manner in a short time with the minimum dose and also the least side effects to create a high degree of effectiveness in the treatment of this virus.