Short Tandem Repeats in the era of next-generation sequencing: from historical loci to population databases.

In this study, we explore the landscape of short tandem repeats (STRs) within the human genome through the lens of evolving technologies to detect genomic variations. STRs, which encompass approximately 3% of our genomic DNA, are crucial for understanding human genetic diversity, disease mechanisms, and evolutionary biology. The advent of high-throughput sequencing methods has revolutionized our ability to accurately map and analyze STRs, highlighting their significance in genetic disorders, forensic science, and population genetics. We review the current available methodologies for STR analysis, the challenges in interpreting STR variations across different populations, and the implications of STRs in medical genetics. Our findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive STR databases that reflect the genetic diversity of global populations, facilitating the interpretation of STR data in clinical diagnostics, genetic research, and forensic applications. This work sets the stage for future studies aimed at harnessing STR variations to elucidate complex genetic traits and diseases, reinforcing the importance of integrating STRs into genetic research and clinical practice.

CommEmorating the Last Event: calling time on the end of treatment Bell following RAdioThErapy? The CELEBRATE study.

INTRODUCTION: In the UK it is commonplace for patients completing radiotherapy to be invited to ring a bell as a form of celebration. The project aimed to explore the experiences of the end of treatment bell from the perspective of patients who had received treatment for cancer, and therapeutic radiographers who treat patients. The study also aimed to consider possible alternative methods of commemorating the EoT, considering the needs of patients, family members and healthcare professionals. METHODS: Online focus groups were held with patients (n = 5) and therapeutic radiographers (n = 4) in December 2020; a joint online event (n = 6) was held in March 2022. They were all facilitated by two members of the research team. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Participants' views and experiences were mixed; however, there was a consensus that alternative forms of commemoration should be available to meet patients' diverse needs. Features of a specification were considered and suggestions made for alternative practices, with a focus upon patients' transition needs after radiotherapy has ended. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that departments should consider the harms as well as the benefits conferred by the EoT bell and explore alternative ways to mark an episode of treatment. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: A one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate in relation to marking the end of an episode of treatment.

Demography, commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality of guinea pigs under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019-A VetCompass study.

INTRODUCTION: Guinea pigs are popular as domestic pets but there is limited information on the health of the wider pet population. This study aimed to report demography, commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality of guinea pigs under UK primary veterinary care. METHODS: Diagnosis and mortality information on guinea pigs was extracted from anonymised UK primary-care clinical records in VetCompass. RESULTS: From 51,622 guinea pigs under primary veterinary care during 2019, a specific breed was not recorded in 50,098 (97.05%). Of guinea pigs with information recorded, 23,206 (47.33%) were female and 25,828 (52.67%) were male. There were 1,020 (2.08%) neutered and 48,014 (97.92%) entire. Median adult bodyweight overall was 1.05kg (interquartile range [IQR] 0.90-1.19, range 0.40-2.66). From a random sample of 3,785/51,622 (7.33%) guinea pigs, the most prevalent disorders were overgrown nail(s) (n = 1,005, 26.55%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 25.15-27.99), dermatophytosis (228, 6.02%, 95% CI 5.29-6.83) and corneal ulceration (189, 4.99%, 95% CI 4.32-5.74). Among the 30 most common disorders, females showed predisposition for 3 disorders and males showed predisposition for 5 disorders. The disorder with the youngest age of affected animals was dermatophytosis (1.11 years) while weight loss had the oldest age of affected animals (4.64 years). From 757 recorded deaths, the median age at death overall was 4.03 years (IQR 2.56-5.44, range 0.17-10.00). Among deaths with a recorded cause, the most common causes of death were anorexia (n = 82, 13.87%, 95% CI 11.19-16.93), collapsed (58, 9.81%, 95% CI 7.54-12.50) and peri-anaesthetic death (20, 3.38%, 95% CI 2.08-5.18). CONCLUSIONS: These results can assist veterinarians and owners by providing demographic, disorder and mortality benchmarks that support improved clinical care and welfare outcomes in guinea pigs. Many common disorders in guinea pigs were husbandry related.

Household air pollution and risk of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-Infected adults.

BACKGROUND: In low- and middle-income countries countries, millions of deaths occur annually from household air pollution (HAP), pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and HIV-infection. However, it is unknown whether HAP influences PTB risk among people living with HIV-infection. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study among 1,277 HIV-infected adults in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (February 2018 - March 2019). Cases had current or recent (<5y) PTB (positive sputum smear or Xpert MTB/RIF), controls had no PTB. Daily and lifetime HAP exposure were assessed by questionnaire and, in a random sub-sample (n=270), by 24-hour measurements of personal carbon monoxide (CO) at home. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the associations between HAP and PTB. RESULTS: We recruited 435 cases and 842 controls (median age 41 years, [IQR] 33-50; 76% female). Cases were more likely to be female than male (63% vs 37%). Participants reporting cooking for >3h/day and ≥2 times/day and ≥5 days/week were more likely to have PTB (aOR 1·36; 95%CI 1·06-1·75) than those spending less time in the kitchen. Time-weighted average 24h personal CO exposure was related dose-dependently with the likelihood of having PTB, with aOR 4·64 (95%CI 1·1-20·7) for the highest quintile [12·3-76·2 ppm] compared to the lowest quintile [0·1-1·9 ppm]. CONCLUSION: Time spent cooking and personal CO exposure were independently associated with increased risk of PTB among people living with HIV. Considering the high burden of TB-HIV coinfection in the region, effective interventions are required to decrease HAP exposure caused by cooking with biomass among people living with HIV, especially women.

Epidemiology, clinical profiles, and prognostic value of COVID-19-related cutaneous manifestations in African populations: a rapid narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Skin manifestations' true prognostic value, and clinical and epidemiological pictures in SARS-CoV-2 infection in African populations are poorly described and understudied. More familiarity with COVID-19 cutaneous manifestations may aid in early clinical diagnosis or guide prognosis. METHODS: In this literature review, we looked for potential studies published from December 2019 to March 2023 on COVID-19 cutaneous lesions in African populations. Our key questions were focused on the prognostic values of cutaneous manifestations related to COVID-19. RESULTS: Our findings show that cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 vary by country and severity of COVID-19, primarily multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS). Significant differences were also found between various dermatological lesions, primarily MIS, erythema multiforme-like, livedoid, vesicular, or varicella-like rashes, urticarial, maculopapular or morbilliform rashes, and chilblain-like or pernio-like rashes. There were 47.5% (115/242) of MIS cases reported in nine published African studies. Our findings also revealed that MIS may be diagnosed in 2-7 days due to early onset rash. Advanced age, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV, tuberculosis, asthma, atopic disease, underweight, malnutrition, and malignancy were found to be associated with COVID-19 cutaneous manifestations in African populations. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19-related skin manifestations in African populations are important as a driving force in COVID-19 prognosis.

Machine learning algorithms for predicting determinants of COVID-19 mortality in South Africa.

Background: COVID-19 has strained healthcare resources, necessitating efficient prognostication to triage patients effectively. This study quantified COVID-19 risk factors and predicted COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) mortality in South Africa based on machine learning algorithms. Methods: Data for this study were obtained from 392 COVID-19 ICU patients enrolled between 26 March 2020 and 10 February 2021. We used an artificial neural network (ANN) and random forest (RF) to predict mortality among ICU patients and a semi-parametric logistic regression with nine covariates, including a grouping variable based on K-means clustering. Further evaluation of the algorithms was performed using sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, and Cohen's K statistics. Results: From the semi-parametric logistic regression and ANN variable importance, age, gender, cluster, presence of severe symptoms, being on the ventilator, and comorbidities of asthma significantly contributed to ICU death. In particular, the odds of mortality were six times higher among asthmatic patients than non-asthmatic patients. In univariable and multivariate regression, advanced age, PF1 and 2, FiO2, severe symptoms, asthma, oxygen saturation, and cluster 4 were strongly predictive of mortality. The RF model revealed that intubation status, age, cluster, diabetes, and hypertension were the top five significant predictors of mortality. The ANN performed well with an accuracy of 71%, a precision of 83%, an F1 score of 100%, Matthew's correlation coefficient (MCC) score of 100%, and a recall of 88%. In addition, Cohen's k-value of 0.75 verified the most extreme discriminative power of the ANN. In comparison, the RF model provided a 76% recall, an 87% precision, and a 65% MCC. Conclusion: Based on the findings, we can conclude that both ANN and RF can predict COVID-19 mortality in the ICU with accuracy. The proposed models accurately predict the prognosis of COVID-19 patients after diagnosis. The models can be used to prioritize COVID-19 patients with a high mortality risk in resource-constrained ICUs.

The interface between SARS-CoV-2 and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in a high HIV/TB burden district level hospital setting, Cape Town, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 experiences on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) from district-level hospital settings during waves I and II are scarcely documented. The aim of this study is to investigate the NCDs associated with COVID-19 severity and mortality in a district-level hospital with a high HIV/TB burden. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study that compared COVID-19 waves I and II at Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. COVID-19 adult patients with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or positive antigen test were included. In order to compare the inter wave period, clinical and laboratory parameters on hospital admission of noncommunicable diseases, the Student t-test or Mann-Whitney U for continuous data and the X2 test or Fishers' Exact test for categorical data were used. The role of the NCD subpopulation on COVID-19 mortality was determined using latent class analysis (LCA). FINDINGS: Among 560 patients admitted with COVID-19, patients admitted during wave II were significantly older than those admitted during wave I. The most prevalent comorbidity patterns were hypertension (87%), diabetes mellitus (65%), HIV/AIDS (30%), obesity (19%), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) (13%), Congestive Cardiac Failure (CCF) (8.8%), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (3%), cerebrovascular accidents (CVA)/stroke (3%), with similar prevalence in both waves except HIV status [(23% vs 34% waves II and I, respectively), p = 0.022], obesity [(52% vs 2.5%, waves II and I, respectively), p <0.001], previous stroke [(1% vs 4.1%, waves II and I, respectively), p = 0.046]. In terms of clinical and laboratory findings, our study found that wave I patients had higher haemoglobin and HIV viral loads. Wave II, on the other hand, had statistically significant higher chest radiography abnormalities, fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), and uraemia. The adjusted odds ratio for death vs discharge between waves I and II was similar (0.94, 95%CI: 0.84-1.05). Wave I had a longer average survival time (8.0 vs 6.1 days) and a shorter average length of stay among patients discharged alive (9.2 vs 10.7 days). LCA revealed that the cardiovascular phenotype had the highest mortality, followed by diabetes and CKD phenotypes. Only Diabetes and hypertension phenotypes had the lowest mortality. CONCLUSION: Even though clinical and laboratory characteristics differed significantly between the two waves, mortality remained constant. According to LCA, the cardiovascular, diabetes, and CKD phenotypes had the highest death probability.

Household Air Pollution and Risk of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in HIV-Infected Adults.

Background: In developing countries, millions of deaths occur annually from household air pollution (HAP), pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and HIV-infection. However, it is unknown whether HAP influences PTB risk among people living with HIV-infection. Methods: We conducted a case-control study among 1,277 HIV-infected adults in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (February 2018 - March 2019). Cases had current or recent (<5y) PTB (positive sputum smear or Xpert MTB/RIF), controls had no PTB. Daily and lifetime HAP exposure were assessed by questionnaire and, in a random sub-sample (n=270), by 24-hour measurements of personal carbon monoxide (CO) at home. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the associations between HAP and PTB. Results: We recruited 435 cases and 842 controls (median age 41 years, [IQR] 33-50; 76% female). Cases were more likely to be female than male (63% vs 37%). Participants reporting cooking for >3h/day and ≥2 times/day and ≥5 days/weekwere more likely to have PTB (aOR 1·36; 95%CI 1·06-1·75) than those spending less time in the kitchen. Time-weighted average 24h personal CO exposure was related dose-dependently with the likelihood of having PTB, with aOR 4·64 (95%CI 1·1-20·7) for the highest quintile [12·3-76·2 ppm] compared to the lowest quintile [0·1-1·9 ppm]. Conclusion: Time spent cooking and personal CO exposure were independently associated with increased risk of PTB among people living with HIV. Considering the high burden of TB-HIV coinfection in the region, effective interventions are required to decrease HAP exposure caused by cooking with biomass among people living with HIV, especially women.

Burden, causation, and particularities of Long COVID in African populations: A rapid systematic review.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of long COVID, its most common symptoms, comorbidities, and pathophysiological mechanisms in African populations. Methods: A systematic review of long COVID in African populations was conducted. The random effects model was used to calculate the pooled prevalence rates (95% CI). A narrative synthesis was also performed. Results: We included 14 studies from seven African countries, totaling 6030 previously SARS-CoV-2 infected participants and 2954 long COVID patients. Long COVID had a pooled prevalence of 41% (26-56%). Fatigue, dyspnea, and confusion or lack of concentration were the most common symptoms, with prevalence rates (95% CI) of 41% (26-56%), 25% (12-38%), and 40% (12-68%), respectively. Long COVID was mainly associated with advanced age, being female, more than three long COVID symptoms in the acute phase, initial fatigue and dyspnea, COVID-19 severity, pre-existing obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and the presence of any chronic illness (P ≤0.05). High microclot and platelet-poor plasma viscosity explained the pathophysiology of long COVID. Conclusion: Long COVID prevalence in Africa was comparable to the global prevalence. The most common symptoms were higher in Africa. Comorbidities associated with long COVID may lead to additional complications in African populations due to hypercoagulation and thrombosis.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42023430024.

Unraveling the role of non-coding rare variants in epilepsy.

The discovery of new variants has leveled off in recent years in epilepsy studies, despite the use of very large cohorts. Consequently, most of the heritability is still unexplained. Rare non-coding variants have been largely ignored in studies on epilepsy, although non-coding single nucleotide variants can have a significant impact on gene expression. We had access to whole genome sequencing (WGS) from 247 epilepsy patients and 377 controls. To assess the functional impact of non-coding variants, ExPecto, a deep learning algorithm was used to predict expression change in brain tissues. We compared the burden of rare non-coding deleterious variants between cases and controls. Rare non-coding highly deleterious variants were significantly enriched in Genetic Generalized Epilepsy (GGE), but not in Non-Acquired Focal Epilepsy (NAFE) or all epilepsy cases when compared with controls. In this study we showed that rare non-coding deleterious variants are associated with epilepsy, specifically with GGE. Larger WGS epilepsy cohort will be needed to investigate those effects at a greater resolution. Nevertheless, we demonstrated the importance of studying non-coding regions in epilepsy, a disease where new discoveries are scarce.

A Scoping Review Evaluating the Current State of Gut Microbiota Research in Africa.

The gut microbiota has emerged as a key human health and disease determinant. However, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the composition, diversity, and function of the gut microbiota, specifically in the African population. This scoping review aims to examine the existing literature on gut microbiota research conducted in Africa, providing an overview of the current knowledge and identifying research gaps. A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant studies. Databases including MEDLINE (PubMed), African Index Medicus (AIM), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Science Citation index (Web of Science), Embase (Ovid), Scopus (Elsevier), WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), and Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles. Studies investigating the gut microbiota in African populations of all age groups were included. The initial screening included a total of 2136 articles, of which 154 were included in this scoping review. The current scoping review revealed a limited number of studies investigating diseases of public health significance in relation to the gut microbiota. Among these studies, HIV (14.3%), colorectal cancer (5.2%), and diabetes mellitus (3.9%) received the most attention. The top five countries that contributed to gut microbiota research were South Africa (16.2%), Malawi (10.4%), Egypt (9.7%), Kenya (7.1%), and Nigeria (6.5%). The high number (n = 66) of studies that did not study any specific disease in relation to the gut microbiota remains a gap that needs to be filled. This scoping review brings attention to the prevalent utilization of observational study types (38.3%) in the studies analysed and emphasizes the importance of conducting more experimental studies. Furthermore, the findings reflect the need for more disease-focused, comprehensive, and population-specific gut microbiota studies across diverse African regions and ethnic groups to better understand the factors shaping gut microbiota composition and its implications for health and disease. Such knowledge has the potential to inform targeted interventions and personalized approaches for improving health outcomes in African populations.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccination in adolescents aged 12-17 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The rapid emergence of COVID-19 variants of concern (VOCs) has hindered vaccine uptake. To inform policy, we investigated the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccination among adolescents against symptomatic and severe COVID-19 diseases using mostly real-world data (15 studies). We searched international databases until May 2022 and used Cochrane's risk of bias tools for critical appraisal. Random effects models were used to examine overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) across studies (general inverse-variance) and the effect of circulating VOCs on VE (log relative ratio and VE). Meta-regression assessed the effect of age and time on VE (restricted-maximum likelihood). BNT162b2 VE against PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 was 82.7% (95%CI: 78.37-87.31%). VE was higher for severe (88%) than non-severe (35%) outcomes and declining over time improved following booster dose in omicron era [73%(95%CI:65-81%)]. Fully vaccinated adolescents are protected from COVID-19 circulating VOCs by BNT162b2 especially for the need of critical care or life support.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents following COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccination.

Myocarditis and pericarditis are frequent complications of COVID-19, but have also been reported following vaccination against COVID-19 in adolescents. To build vaccine confidence and inform policy, we characterized the incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis in adolescents following BNT162b2 vaccination and explored the association with dose and sex. We searched national and international databases for studies reporting the incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis following BNT162b2 vaccination as the primary endpoint. The intra-study risk of bias was appraised, and random-effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate the pooled incidence by dose stratified by sex. The pooled incidence of myocarditis/pericarditis was 4.5 (95%CI: 3.14-6.11) per 100,000 vaccinations across all doses. Compared to dose 1, the risk was significantly higher after dose 2 (RR: 8.62, 95%CI: 5.71-13.03). However, adolescents experienced a low risk after a booster dose than after dose 2 (RR: 0.06; 95%CI: 0.04-0.09). Males were approximately seven times (RR: 6.66, 95%CI: 4.77-4.29) more likely than females to present myocarditis/pericarditis. In conclusion, we found a low frequency of myocarditis/pericarditis after BNT162b2, which occurred predominantly after the second dose in male adolescents. The prognosis appears to be favorable, with full recovery in both males and females. National programs are recommended to adopt the causality framework to reduce overreporting, which undercuts the value of the COVID-19 vaccine on adolescent life, as well as to extend the inter-dose interval policy, which has been linked to a lower frequency of myocarditis/pericarditis.

An investigation of the correlation of vitamin D status and management outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 at a South African tertiary hospital.

Background: Severe COVID-19 has a poor prognosis, and biomarkers may predict disease severity. This study aimed to assess the effect of baseline Vitamin D (VitD) inadequacy on outcome of patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary hospital in South Africa. Methods: Patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 were recruited during wave II of the pandemic in Cape Town. Eighty-six patients were included in the study. They were categorized into three groups "VitD deficient, VitD insufficient and VitD sufficient". We combined the VitD deficient with insufficient group to form "VitD inadequate'' group. Cox regression analysis was done to assess the association between VitD status and mortality. Factors with p< 0.05 in adjusted multivariable cox regression were considered statistically significant. Results: The proportion of VitD inadequacy was 64% (55/86), with significantly higher proportion of hypertension (66%; p 0.012). Kaplan Meir curve showed no significant difference in the probability of survival among the COVID-19 patients admitted in the ICU with or without VitD inadequacy. However, patients with elevated serum creatinine were significantly more at risk of dying (Adjusted Hazard Ratio 1.008 (1.002 - 1.030, p<0.017). Conclusion: Our study found a high prevalence of VitD inadequacy (combined deficiency and insufficiency) in COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU. This may indicate a possible risk of severe disease. Whilst there was no statistically significant relationship between VitD status and mortality in this cohort, baseline VitD may be an important prognostic biomarker in COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU, particularly in those with comorbidities that predispose to VitD deficiency.

Barriers and facilitators to anti-retroviral therapy adherence among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) significantly affects adolescents globally, with the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) reporting a high burden of the disease. HIV testing, treatment, and retention to care are low among adolescents. We conducted a mixed-method systematic review to assess anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence; barriers and facilitators to ART adherence and ART outcomes among adolescents living with HIV and on ART in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We conducted searches in four scientific databases for studies conducted between 2010 and March 2022 to identify relevant primary studies. Studies were screened against inclusion criteria and assessed for quality, and data was extracted. Meta-analysis of rates and odd ratios was used to plot the quantitative studies and meta-synthesis summarized the evidence from qualitative studies. RESULTS: A total of 10 431 studies were identified and screened against the inclusion/ exclusion criteria. Sixty-six studies met the inclusion criteria (41 quantitative, 16 qualitative, and 9 mixed-methods study designs). Fifty-three thousand two hundred and seventeen (53 217) adolescents (52 319 in quantitative studies and 899 in qualitative studies) were included in the review. Thirteen support focused interventions for improved ART adherence were identified from quantitative studies. The plotted results from the meta-analysis found an ART adherence rate of 65% (95%CI 56-74), viral load suppression was 55% (95%CI 46-64), un-suppressed viral load rate of 41% (95%CI 32-50), and loss to follow up of 17% (95%CI 10-24) among adolescents. Meta-synthesis found six themes of barriers to ART (social, patient-based, economic, health system-based, therapy-based, and cultural barriers) in both the qualitative and quantitative studies, and three themes of facilitators to ART were also identified (social support, counselling, and ART education and secrecy or confidentiality) from qualitative studies. CONCLUSION: ART adherence remains low among adolescents in SSA despite multiple interventions implemented to improve ART adherence. The low adherence rate may hinder the attainment of the UNAIDS 2030 targets. Additionally, various barriers to ART adherence due to lack of support have been reported among this age group. However, interventions aimed at improving social support, educating, and counselling adolescents may improve and sustain ART adherence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42021284891.

Syngap1 Disruption Induced by Recombination between Inverted loxP Sites Is Associated with Hippocampal Interneuron Dysfunction.

SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency in humans causes intellectual disability (ID). SYNGAP1 is highly expressed in cortical excitatory neurons and, reducing its expression in mice accelerates the maturation of excitatory synapses during sensitive developmental periods, restricts the critical period window for plasticity, and impairs cognition. However, its specific role in interneurons remains largely undetermined. In this study, we investigated the effects of conditional Syngap1 disruption in medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-derived interneurons on hippocampal interneuron firing properties and excitatory synaptic inputs, as well as on pyramidal cell synaptic inhibition and synaptic integration. We show that conditional Syngap1 disruption in MGE-derived interneurons results in cell-specific impairment of firing properties of hippocampal Nkx2.1 fast-spiking interneurons, with enhancement of their AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-mediated excitatory synaptic inputs but compromised short-term plasticity. In contrast, regular-spiking Nkx2.1 interneurons are largely unaffected. These changes are associated with impaired pyramidal cell synaptic inhibition and enhanced summation of excitatory responses. Unexpectedly, we found that the Syngap1flox allele used in this study contains inverted loxP sites and that its targeted recombination in MGE-derived interneurons induces some cell loss during embryonic development and the reversible inversion of the sequence flanked by the loxP sites in postmitotic cells. Together, these results suggest that Syngap1 plays a role in cell-specific regulation of hippocampal interneuron function and inhibition of pyramidal cells in mice. However, because of our finding that the Syngap1flox allele used in this study contains inverted loxP sites, it will be important to further investigate interneuron function using a different Syngap1 conditional allele.

Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech (Bnt162b2) mRNA vaccination in immunocompromised adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine in immunocompromised adolescents and young adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The study conducted a meta-analysis of post-marketing studies examining BNT162b2 vaccination efficacy and safety among immunocompromised adolescents and young adults worldwide. The review included nine studies and 513 individuals aged between 12 and 24.3 years. The study used a random effect model to estimate pooled proportions, log relative risk, and mean difference, and assessed heterogeneity using the I2 test. The study also examined publication bias using Egger's regression and Begg's rank correlation and assessed bias risk using ROBINS-I. RESULTS: The pooled proportions of combined local and systemic reactions after the first and second doses were 30% and 32%, respectively. Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) were most frequent in rheumatic diseases (40%) and least frequent in cystic fibrosis (27%), although hospitalizations for AEFIs were rare. The pooled estimations did not show a statistically significant difference between immunocompromised individuals and healthy controls for neutralizing antibodies, measured IgG, or vaccine effectiveness after the primary dose. However, the evidence quality is low to moderate due to a high risk of bias, and no study could rule out the risk of selection bias, ascertainment bias, or selective outcome reporting. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence that the BNT162b2 vaccine is safe and effective in immunocompromised adolescents and young adults, but with low to moderate evidence quality due to bias risk. The study calls for improved methodological quality in studies involving specific populations.

The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a series of patients living with HIV admitted for COVID-19 in a district hospital.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to evolve. Globally, COVID-19 continues to strain even the most resilient healthcare systems, with Omicron being the latest variant. We made a thorough search for literature describing the effects of the COVID-19 in a high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/tuberculosis (TB) burden district-level hospital setting. We found scanty literature. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted at Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa (SA) over the period March 2020-December 2021. We included confirmed COVID-19 cases with HIV infection aged from 18 years and above. Analysis was performed to identify predictors of mortality or hospital discharge among people living with HIV (PLWH). Predictors investigated include CD4 count, antiretroviral therapy (ART), TB, non-communicable diseases, haematological, and biochemical parameters. FINDINGS: This cohort of PLWH with SARS-CoV-2 infection had a median (IQR) age of 46 (37-54) years, male sex distribution of 29.1%, and a median (IQR) CD4 count of 267 (141-457) cells/mm3. Of 255 patients, 195 (76%) patients were discharged, 60 (24%) patients died. One hundred and sixty-nine patients (88%) were on ART with 73(28%) patients having acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). After multivariable analysis, smoking (risk ratio [RR]: 2.86 (1.75-4.69)), neutrophilia [RR]: 1.024 (1.01-1.03), and glycated haemoglobin A1 (HbA1c) [RR]: 1.01 (1.007-1.01) were associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: The district hospital had a high COVID-19 mortality rate among PLWH. Easy-to-access biomarkers such as CRP, neutrophilia, and HbA1c may play a significant role in informing clinical management to prevent high mortality due to COVID-19 in PLWH at the district-level hospitals.

Bi-allelic variants in WNT7B disrupt the development of multiple organs in humans.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypoplasia, Diaphragmatic anomalies, Anophthalmia/microphthalmia and Cardiac defects delineate the PDAC syndrome. We aim to identify the cause of PDAC syndrome in patients who do not carry pathogenic variants in RARB and STRA6, which have been previously associated with this disorder. METHODS: We sequenced the exome of patients with unexplained PDAC syndrome and performed functional validation of candidate variants. RESULTS: We identified bi-allelic variants in WNT7B in fetuses with PDAC syndrome from two unrelated families. In one family, the fetus was homozygous for the c.292C>T (p.(Arg98*)) variant whereas the fetuses from the other family were compound heterozygous for the variants c.225C>G (p.(Tyr75*)) and c.562G>A (p.(Gly188Ser)). Finally, a molecular autopsy by proxy in a consanguineous couple that lost two babies due to lung hypoplasia revealed that both parents carry the p.(Arg98*) variant. Using a WNT signalling canonical luciferase assay, we demonstrated that the identified variants are deleterious. In addition, we found that wnt7bb mutant zebrafish display a defect of the swimbladder, an air-filled organ that is a structural homolog of the mammalian lung, suggesting that the function of WNT7B has been conserved during evolution for the development of these structures. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that defective WNT7B function underlies a form of lung hypoplasia that is associated with the PDAC syndrome, and provide evidence for involvement of the WNT-ß-catenin pathway in human lung, tracheal, ocular, cardiac, and renal development.

The association between acid-base status and clinical outcome in critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care unit with an emphasis on high anion gap metabolic acidosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify arterial blood gas (ABG) abnormalities, with a focus on a high anion gap (AG) metabolic acidosis and evaluate outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to the ICU. METHODS: A retrospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Cape Town during the first and second COVID-19 waves. Age, gender, sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), bicarbonate (HCO3std), pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), lactate levels and ABG results were obtained. The Pearson χ2 test or Fisher exact test and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare mortality and survival. To identify factors associated with non-survival, a multivariable model was developed. RESULTS: This study included 465 patients, 226 (48%) of whom were female. The sample population's median (IQR) age was 54.2 (46.1-61.3) years, and 63% of the patients died. ABG analyses found that 283 (61%) of the 465 patients had alkalosis (pH ≥ 7.45), 65 (14%) had acidosis (pH ≤ 7.35) and 117 (25%) had normal pH (7.35-7.45). In the group with alkalosis, 199 (70.3%) had a metabolic alkalosis and in the group with acidosis, 42 (64%) had a metabolic acidosis with an increased AG of more than 17. Non-survivors were older than survivors (56.4 years versus 50.3 years, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Most of the COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU had an alkalosis, and those with acidosis had a much worse prognosis. Higher AG metabolic acidosis was not associated with patients' characteristics.