COVID-19 in Children: Molecular Profile and Pathological Features.

Although the World Health Organization has declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors continue to register new cases of the disease among both adults and children. Unfortunately, the course of COVID-19 in children can have a severe form, with death being a potential outcome. The absence of published works discussing the pathological morphology of COVID-19 in children prevents the objective analysis of the disease's pathogenesis, including among the adult population. In this vein, the objective of our study is to identify the morphological features of the lungs' involvement and evaluate virus-host interactions in the case of COVID-19 in patients at a pediatric medical practice. We present the results of the study of the lungs of three children who died due to COVID-19, highlighting the predominant involvement of their respiratory organs at different stages of the disease (5, 21, and 50 days). This article presents data obtained from histopathological and immunohistochemical investigations, taking into account the results of clinical and laboratory indicators and intravital and postmortem SARS-CoV-2 PCR investigations. The common finding of all of the examined COVID-19 cases is the involvement of the endothelium in microcirculation vessels, which are considered to be a primary target of various pathogenic influencing factors. We also discuss both the significance of apoptosis as a result of virus-host interactions and the most likely cause of endothelium cell destruction. The results of this study could be useful for the development of endothelium-protective therapy to prevent the progression of disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome.

Evaluation of etanercept (a tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitor) as an effective treatment for joint disease in mucopolysaccharidosis type I. A case report with whole-body magnetic resonance imaging.

Summary: A 12-year-old girl with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type I (Gurler-Scheie syndrome, Q70X/del C683 of the IDUA gene in the compound heterozygous state) regularly received enzyme replacement therapy (laronidase) since the preclinical stage (6 months old) due to positive family history, and started etanercept treatment due to progression of joint pain and decreasing capability to walk. The patient had a significant reduction of pain in the joints and an expansion of daily physical activity without adverse events. A decrease in bone marrow edema without foci progression compared to baseline assessment was observed in the whole-body MRI.During the treatment (baseline/6 months/12 months) the following was observed: childhood health assessment questionnaire (CHAQ) index of 1.88/2.13/1.63 points; patient's pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL) of 37/30/31 points; parental PedsQL of 26/27/34 points; and patient's pain visual-analog scale (VAS) of 75/45/40, with no VAS recorded for the mother. Juvenile arthritis functional assessment report (JAFAR) scores of 35/34/8 points were observed. A significant reduction in the taking of NSAIDs was observed. In the second half of the year, the nasal breathing became normal, and remission in chronic rhinitis and adenoiditis was achieved (no infection episodes) without otitis episodes. Conclusion: Etanercept in mucopolysaccharidosis type 1 is safe and well tolerated. The reduction of joint pain and increased walking capacity were observed. A decreased number of respiratory infection episodes and nasal breathing improvement were noted during the treatment. The observation shows the role of inflammation in the different aspects of MPS. Further investigations on immune system dysregulation in patients with MPS I are needed. Additional studies on the efficacy and safety of anti-rheumatic biological drugs in patients with MPSI are required.

Silencing of Fli1 Gene Mimics Effects of Preeclampsia and Induces Collagen Synthesis in Human Umbilical Arteries.

BACKGROUND: Previously we demonstrated that in patients with preeclampsia elevated levels of endogenous Na/K-ATPase inhibitor, marinobufagenin, cause inhibition of Friend leukemia virus integration 1 (Fli1), a negative regulator of collagen-1 synthesis. We hypothesized that in vitro silencing of Fli1 in healthy human umbilical arteries would be associated with an increase in collagen-1 output, similar to the effect of preeclampsia in rat and human tissues. METHODS: The isolated segments of healthy human umbilical arteries were tested for sensitivity to MBG and Fli1 silencing with Fli1 siRNA or control siRNA. RESULTS: Following 24-hour incubation of arteries with nanomolar concentrations of marinobufagenin, Fli1 expression was inhibited 5-fold (P < 0.001), and synthesis of collagen-1 increased 3 times (P < 0.01). Twenty-four-hour incubation of umbilical artery fragments with Fli1 siRNA caused a dramatic decrease of Fli1 (7-fold; P < 0.001) and cytoplasmic PKC δ (4-fold; P < 0.001) expression in comparison to control siRNA or untreated control, followed by elevation in procollagen (3-fold; P < 0.001) and collagen-1 (3-fold; P < 0.001) levels in vascular tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that after silencing the Fli1 gene in healthy human umbilical arteries a new phenotype emerges which is typical for preeclampsia and is associated with vascular fibrosis.

Russian Physicians Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Objective: To study burnout of Russian physicians in the conditions of COVID-19 pandemic and how their work with coronavirus-infected patients influenced it. According to a three-factor model of burnout developed by Maslach and Jackson, this syndrome includes emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduction of personal accomplishment.Design: A cross-sectional survey study.Setting: Large medical practice.Participants: Physicians of different specialties.Methods: Data collection was conducted from June 23 to July 12, 2020. We developed a Google form including a questionnaire and psychological inventories and placed it in a medical portal. Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel was used to study burnout; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to determine anxiety and depression.Results: Of all the physicians who took part in the study (N = 599), 31.2 % worked with coronavirus-infected patients. Of the medical personnel who treated COVID-19 patients, 63.6% noted increased workload during the pandemic. Compared to other physicians, they more often had a high degree of emotional exhaustion (43.3 % vs 33.0 %, φ* = 2.404, P ≤ 0.01) and depersonalization (41.7 % vs 34, 0%, φ* = 1.803, P ≤ 0.05). An overwhelming majority of physicians, without any dependence on work with infected patients, had an absence of anxiety and depression. The identified interrelations between the symptoms of burnout, anxiety, depression; age and career stage in medical personnel were identical, except for weak correlations between age and emotional exhaustion (rs = -0.097, P ≤ 0.05), as well as career stage and personal accomplishment (rs = 0.102, P ≤ 0.05) in those physicians who worked with COVID-19 patients. The structure of burnout was identical in all physicians and did not depend on interaction with the infected patients.Conclusion: Public health authorities should reduce the workload on physicians involved in treating infected patients against the backdrop of the pandemic. Psychotherapeutic measures focused on preventing burnout should reduce its number among physicians interacting with patients infected with the coronavirus.

Maternal Melatonin Deficiency Leads to Endocrine Pathologies in Children in Early Ontogenesis.

The review summarizes the results of experimental and clinical studies aimed at elucidating the causes and pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of endocrine pathology in children. The modern data on the role of epigenetic influences in the early ontogenesis of unfavorable factors that violate the patterns of the formation of regulatory mechanisms during periods of critical development of fetal organs and systems and contribute to the delayed development of pathological conditions are considered. The mechanisms of the participation of melatonin in the regulation of metabolic processes and the key role of maternal melatonin in the formation of the circadian system of regulation in the fetus and in the protection of the genetic program of its morphofunctional development during pregnancy complications are presented. Melatonin, by controlling DNA methylation and histone modification, prevents changes in gene expression that are directly related to the programming of endocrine pathology in offspring. Deficiency and absence of the circadian rhythm of maternal melatonin underlies violations of the genetic program for the development of hormonal and metabolic regulatory mechanisms of the functional systems of the child, which determines the programming and implementation of endocrine pathology in early ontogenesis, contributing to its development in later life. The significance of this factor in the pathophysiological mechanisms of endocrine disorders determines a new approach to risk assessment and timely prevention of offspring diseases even at the stage of family planning.

The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood Obesity.

There is a growing awareness that pregnancy can set the foundations for an array of diverse medical conditions in the offspring, including obesity. A wide assortment of factors, including genetic, epigenetic, lifestyle, and diet can influence foetal outcomes. This article reviews the role of melatonin in the prenatal modulation of offspring obesity. A growing number of studies show that many prenatal risk factors for poor foetal metabolic outcomes, including gestational diabetes and night-shift work, are associated with a decrease in pineal gland-derived melatonin and associated alterations in the circadian rhythm. An important aspect of circadian melatonin's effects is mediated via the circadian gene, BMAL1, including in the regulation of mitochondrial metabolism and the mitochondrial melatoninergic pathway. Alterations in the regulation of mitochondrial metabolic shifts between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in immune and glia cells seem crucial to a host of human medical conditions, including in the development of obesity and the association of obesity with the risk of other medical conditions. The gut microbiome is another important hub in the pathoetiology and pathophysiology of many medical conditions, with negative consequences mediated by a decrease in the short-chain fatty acid, butyrate. The effects of butyrate are partly mediated via an increase in the melatoninergic pathway, indicating interactions of the gut microbiome with melatonin. Some of the effects of melatonin seem mediated via the alpha 7 nicotinic receptor, whilst both melatonin and butyrate may regulate obesity through the opioidergic system. Oxytocin, a recently recognized inhibitor of obesity, may also be acting via the opioidergic system. The early developmental regulation of these processes and factors by melatonin are crucial to the development of obesity and many diverse comorbidities.

Antibody against Na/K-ATPase Inhibitor Lowers Blood Pressure and Increases Vascular Fli1 in Experimental Preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies implicated cardiotonic steroids, including Na/K-ATPase inhibitor marinobufagenin (MBG), in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE). We demonstrated that MBG induces fibrosis via mechanism involving inhibition of Fli1, a nuclear transcription factor and a negative regulator of collagen-1 synthesis. We hypothesized that PE blockade of increased MBG with antibody would lessen the fibrosis of umbilical arteries and lower the blood pressure in rats with PE. METHODS: We tested 36 pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats in which 12 were made hypertensive by 1.8% Na supplementation (days 6-19 of gestation), 12 pregnant rats served controls. At day 19, PE rats received one intraperitoneal injection of polyclonal anti-MBG-4 antibody (0.5 ug/ml) for 4 hours. RESULTS: PE was associated with higher blood pressure (117 ± 2 vs. 107 ± 2 mm Hg; P < 0.01), plasma MBG levels (1.54 ± 0.34 vs. 0.49 ± 0.11 nmol/L; P < 0.01), protein excretion (26 vs. 12 mg/24 hours), sFlt-1 (3-fold), decrease in Fli1 (7-fold) and increase in collagen-1 in aorta (4-fold) vs. control rats (all P < 0.01). In 12 rats treated with polyclonal anti-MBG-4 antibody blood pressure dropped (93 ± 3 mm Hg) and Fli1 was decreased much less (2-fold; P < 0.01 vs. nontreated rats). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that in experimental PE elevated MBG level is implicated in umbilical fibrosis via suppression of Fli1.

Retrospective surveillance of antibiotic use in maternity wards and neonatal intensive care units in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Antibiotic overuse in infants is associated with an increased risk of serious adverse events. Development of antibiotic stewardship programs aimed at reducing overall antibiotic consumption requires epidemiological surveillance. Retrospective surveillance and evaluation of all antibiotics provided to every infant admitted to maternal wards or neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) from 01 January 2014 to 31 December 2014 were performed in five medical centers of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Types of antibiotics and dates of administration were recorded. Antibiotic use was quantified by length of therapy (length of therapy, LOT, per 1000 patient-days, PD) and days of therapy (DOT/1000 PD). An additional parameter named "instant DOT/1000 PD" was introduced by authors for assessment of longitudinal patterns of administrations. Antibiotic load was 825.6 DOT/1000 PD in maternity wards and 1425.8 DOT/1000 PD in the NICUs. These levels are two to four times higher than DOTs reported in the USA for a level III NICU (348 DOT/1000PD). Antibiotic load was associated with the length of hospital stay (LOS) and birth weight. These associations were distorted when assessed using the conventional parameters, LOT and DOT, because they do not reflect the longitudinal component of treatment and underestimate antibiotic load when a patient stays in hospital without treatment. The proposed additional parameter successfully overcame these flaws and uncovered hidden associations. Severe overuse of antibiotics may be taking place in Russia and antibiotic stewardship development should be urged. Instant DOT/1000 PD is a more powerful tool in assessing treatment patterns than DOT/1000 PD.

The myogenic mechanism of synchronization and coordination for uterine myocytes contractions during labor.

The article summarized the results of many years studying of synchronization and coordination of uterine myocytes contractile activity during physiological labor contractions. The authors suggest that the physiological basis for these processes is the mechanoreceptor mechanism of feedback for the stretching which is one of the fundamental mechanisms for control contractile activity of uterine myocytes during parturition.