ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) has been implicated as a putative risk factor in severe COVID-19 based on high incidences of advanced AGA in male hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Research further suggests that androgen signalling, which plays a central role in AGA aetiology, promotes SARS-CoV-2 infection and is associated with severe COVID-19 symptoms in men. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to systematically investigate a potential association between AGA and COVID-19 both on an epidemiological and a genetic level in a large single-population cohort. METHODS: We performed regression, genetic correlation and polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses using data from the UK Biobank and published GWAS data on AGA and COVID-19. RESULTS: Our analyses did not reveal any significant epidemiological or genome-wide genetic association between AGA and severe COVID-19. Pathway-based PRS analyses however revealed a significant association in specific pathways, namely vitamin metabolism, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, WNT signalling and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling. LIMITATIONS: We restricted our analyses to the white British population and used self-reported AGA status. Sample size may be a limitation in our regression and PRS analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our data yield no evidence for an epidemiological association between AGA and COVID-19 but suggest that a shared genetic basis for both traits exists in specific pathways.
ABSTRACT
The authors review the cases of two patients with an atypical form of cat scratch disease. The first case exhibited ileocoecal and hepatoportal lymphadenitis, and the second case the emerging symptoms of a non-specific granulomatous process in the middle third of the right forearm, which caused a differential-diagnostic problem. Establishment of a diagnosis was possible only on the basis of the disease process and the pathological, serological and histopathological pictures of the lymphatic glands after other causes of the lymphadenopathy had been excluded. Following two weeks of antibiotic treatment, the patients were free of complaints- and symptoms. Bartonella antibody tests were performed on 5 cats living in the neighbourhood of the patients with titer determinations too in 3 cases.
Subject(s)
Bartonella henselae/isolation & purification , Cat-Scratch Disease/complications , Cat-Scratch Disease/diagnosis , Lymphadenitis/microbiology , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Arm , Cat-Scratch Disease/drug therapy , Cats , Child , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Intestines , Lymphadenitis/pathology , NecrosisABSTRACT
The authors evaluated the maternal serum alfa fetoprotein screening data of 3 years period. Out the neural tube defects they observed increased values at 20% of another congenital malformations. At the pregnant having abnormal serum alfa fetoprotein significantly accumulated the late-term abortion, stillbirth and preterm delivery. At the mothers of stillborns and abortions frequently noticed the different values. They direct attention to the fetal-living-danger importance, control functions of the abnormal level and after prospective data collection it may have new aspecific alarm role too. Accordingly the maternal serum alfa fetoprotein may consider like fetal blood sediment examination.
