Discrepancy between IDSA and ESGBOR in Lyme disease: Individual participant meta-analysis in Türkiye.

BACKGROUND: The evidence on the prevalence of Lyme borreliosis (LB) is limited, but there is a suspicion of overdiagnosis of LB in recent years. We reviewed the LB diagnosis and treatment-related data in Türkiye, based on the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) 2020 and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Study Group for Lyme Borreliosis (ESGBOR) 2018 guidelines. By detecting the disagreements between these two, we outlined the areas to be improved for future guidelines. METHODS: We performed a literature search according to the PRISMA guidelines in PubMed, Ovid-Medline, Web of Science, Turkish Medline, Scopus, CINAHL, ULAKBIM TR Index, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library databases. We included the published cases in a database and evaluated according to IDSA and ESGBOR guidelines. We outlined the reasons for misdiagnoses and inappropriate uses of antibiotics. RESULTS: We included 42 relevant studies with 84 LB cases reported from Türkiye between 1990 and December 2022. Among 84 cases, the most common clinical findings were nervous system findings (n = 37, 44.0%), erythema migrans (n = 29, 34.5%) and ophthalmologic findings (n = 15, 17.9%). The IDSA 2020 and ESGBOR 2018 guidelines agreed on the diagnosis of 71 (84.5%) cases; there was an agreement that 31 cases (36.9%) were misdiagnosed and 40 cases (47.6%) were correctly diagnosed, and there was disagreement for 13 cases (15.5%). Serum immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG measurements by ELISA and western blot were widely performed, and they were effective in definitive diagnosis merely when used according to guidelines. Inappropriate use of antibiotics was detected in 42 (50.0%) of cases which were classified in the following categories: incorrect LB diagnosis, inappropriate choice of antibiotic, inappropriate route of drug administration and prolonged antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSION: Overdiagnosis and non-adherence to guidelines is a common problem. The discordance between seroprevalence and clinical studies necessitates a consensus over the best clinical approach.

Genetic predictors of cultural values variation between societies.

Associations between the STin2 and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms within the serotonin transporter gene, SLC6A4, and culture across societies were examined. Based on an analysis of 75 primary studies (28,726 individuals), STin2 allelic frequencies were found to vary widely across countries, ranging from 26% in Germany to 85% in Singapore. Across 53 countries, and after controlling for all major environmental influences of culture, STin2 and 5-HTTLPR were found to explain 23.6% unique variance in monumentalism but none in individualism. Our findings evidence a significant role of genetics in predicting cross-societal cultural values variation, and potentially speak to the need for and importance of incorporating both nature and nurture in theories of cultural values variation across societies.

Protocol for a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial using pure palmitoleic acid to ameliorate insulin resistance and lipogenesis in overweight and obese subjects with prediabetes.

Palmitoleic acid (POA), a nonessential, monounsaturated omega-7 fatty acid (C16:1n7), is a lipid hormone secreted from adipose tissue and has beneficial effects on distant organs, such as the liver and muscle. Interestingly, POA decreases lipogenesis in toxic storage sites such as the liver and muscle, and paradoxically increases lipogenesis in safe storage sites, such as adipose tissue. Furthermore, higher POA levels in humans are correlated with better insulin sensitivity, an improved lipid profile, and a lower incidence of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular pathologies, such as myocardial infarction. In preclinical animal models, POA improves glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and steatosis of the muscle and liver, while improving insulin sensitivity and secretion. This double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial tests the hypothesis that POA increases insulin sensitivity and decreases hepatic lipogenesis in overweight and obese adult subjects with pre-diabetes. Important to note, that this is the first study ever to use pure (>90%) POA with < 0.3% palmitic acid (PA), which masks the beneficial effects of POA. The possible positive findings may offer a therapeutic and/or preventative pathway against diabetes and related immunometabolic diseases.