COVID-19 risk factors and predictors for handwashing, masking, and social distancing among a national prospective cohort of US older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Older adults have a disproportionately higher COVID-19 risk; however, there is limited research investigating adherence to the major COVID-19 mitigation behaviors (handwashing, masking, social distancing) for older populations. We examined COVID-19 risk factors and predictors for adherence to COVID-19 mitigation behaviors among a national sample of US older adults. STUDY DESIGN: Data were retrieved for 3257 respondents from a nationally representative prospective sample of US Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years. COVID-19 variables were collected in 2020, whereas all other data were collected in 2019. METHODS: We used multiple logistic regression to analyze COVID-19 risk factors and predictors for handwashing, masking, and social distancing to minimize COVID-19 spread. All models applied survey sampling weights. RESULTS: Factors significantly associated with increased odds of COVID-19 diagnosis among US older adults were Hispanic ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.83, P = .01), income (aOR = 0.71, P = .04), residential care or nursing home (aOR = 2.62, P = .01), and generalized anxiety disorder (aOR = 2.38, P = .04). We identified multiple factors significantly associated with adherence to handwashing, masking, and social distancing. Most notably, older males had a significantly lower odds of practicing all three COVID-19 mitigation behaviors, and Black older adults had a significantly higher odds of masking (aOR = 7.94, P < .001) and social distancing (aOR = 2.33, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: When prioritizing COVID-19 prevention efforts for older adults, risk factors that should be considered are race and ethnicity, income, residential setting, and anxiety. To effectively mitigate COVID-19 disease spread, public health professionals must also recognize sociodemographic and health factors may influence whether older adults adhere to handwashing, masking, and social distancing.

Causas de muerte fetal: Un revisión de 38 pacientes / Causes associated to fetal death: A review study of 38 women

INTRODUCCIÓN: La pérdida del embarazo que ocurre tras las veinte semanas de gestación, se denomina muerte fetal (MF); es un evento que causa un gran impacto psicoemocional en la pareja afectada. La literatura médica afirma que, en casi la mitad de estos casos, no hay una causa conocida. Las causas principales están relacionadas son: síndrome antifosfolípido obstétrico (SAF), otras alteraciones inmunológicas (OIA), otros factores que pueden causar infarto placentario por coagulación, rotura prematura de membranas, preeclampsia y trombosis en la circulación útero-placentaria. MÉTODOS: Revisamos cuidadosamente la historia clínica y los estudios inmunológicos de una cohorte de 38 pacientes que han sufrido MF. RESULTADOS: Treinta y ocho pacientes (edades 36-42 años) fueron estudiadas. En más de la mitad de los pacientes (57 %) se diagnosticó SAF. El hipotiroidismo autoinmune (26 %), el anticuerpo antinuclear (24 %) comprendió el grupo de OIA. Once de 38 pacientes mostraron diferentes mutaciones de trombofilias. La hiperhomocisteinemia estuvo presente en el 53 % de los pacientes. CONCLUSIÓN: Las alteraciones inmunológicas y la trombofilia se asociaron con una proporción significativa de nuestros casos de MF. El diagnóstico de las causas evitables es necesario para evitar complicaciones obstétricas en embarazos futuros

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy loss that occurs after the twenty weeks of gestation, termed foetal death (FD), is a rare event of pregnancy causing great psycho-emotional impact on the affected couple. Medical literature states that in nearly half of these cases, there is no known cause. Leading, causes are related to obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), other immunological alterations (OIA), other factors that may cause clotting placental infarction, premature rupture of membranes, preeclampsia, and thrombosis in the utero-placental circulation with subsequent FD. METHODS: We carefully reviewed the complete medical records and immunological studies of a cohort of 38 patients that have suffered FD. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients (ages 36 - 42 years) were studied. In more than half of the patients (57%) APS was diagnosed. Autoimmune hypothyroidism (26%), antinuclear antibody (24%) comprised the group of OIA. Eleven out of 38 patients showed different thrombophilia mutations. Hyperhomocysteinemia was present in 53% of patients. CONCLUSION: Immunological alterations and thrombophilia were associated with a significant proportion of our FD cases. Diagnosis of preventable causes of FD is necessary in order to avoid any obstetric complications in future pregnancies

Typhim vi immunization assists to discriminate primary antibody responses in hematological malignancies.

Assessment of specific antibody (Ab) production to polysaccharide antigens is clinically relevant, identifying patients at risk for infection by encapsulated bacteria and thus enabling a more rigorous selection of patients that can benefit of immunoglobulin replacement therapy. Classically, the gold-standard test is the measurement of antibody production to pure polysaccharide pneumococcal (PPV) immunization. Several factors, including introduction of conjugate vaccination schedule, serotyping analysis, high baseline Ab levels, have hindered the evaluation of polysaccharide antigens. This is even more difficult in secondary immunodeficiencies (SID), where patients can show secondary responses despite lack of primary antibody responses and present with recurrent or severe infections. Assessment of specific Ab production to pure Salmonella typhi Vi polysaccharide (TV) immunization has been proposed as a complementary test to PPV, given its low seroprevalence. To set the optimal cut-off value for PPV and TV response in SID, we tested different biostatistical methodologies, including ROC analysis, Youden index, Union index and Closest-topleft in a cohort of 42 SID patients and 24 healthy controls. The statistically chosen cut-offs value pre-post TV Ab ratio was ≥5, (sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 100%) and a postvaccination TV concentration of 28.5 U/mL (sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 95%), showing relevant clinical correlate.

Evaluation of Polysaccharide Typhim Vi Antibody Response as a predictor of Humoral Immunodeficiency in Haematological Malignancies.

An increasing healthcare challenge in the management of haematological malignancy (HM) is secondary immunodeficiency. From January 2019, the EMA included the evaluation of specific antibody (Ab) responses to better select patients for immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT). We evaluated Ab responses to pneumococcal and Salmonella typhi pure polysaccharide immunization in a cohort of 42 HM patients and 24 healthy-controls. Pre-post specific Ab concentrations were measured by ELISA at 4 weeks. Globally, significantly lower Typhim Vi (TV) seroprevalence (9%) compared to 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) (76%) (p <0.001) was observed. TV non responders (88%) were higher than PPV non responders (62%) (p <0.0001) and correlated better to infectious history. By ROC analysis, pre-post 5-fold TV increase was the best cut-off to discriminate HM with recurrent infections and controls (sensitivity 91%, specificity 100%). Despite the small sample cohort, our results suggest that specific anti-S typhi Ab response is a useful complementary assay in the diagnosis and management decision of SID to HM.

Genetics of natural resistance to thermal injury.

The possible influence of genetic factors in conditioning the host's natural resistance to the lethal effects of severe thermal injury has been studied in 908 rats of comparable age and weight, originating from two outbred, eight inbred, and two congenic strains of animals of defined genetic background. Each animal was exposed to a standard, full-thickness, 40% body surface area skin burn by controlled contact with a heated metal plate. The 21-day postburn mortality was 100% in 217 Fisher (F-344) and 97 ACI male and female rats. The mortality was reduced to 49-63% in an intermediate group of 84 Lewis, 98 Wistar, 48 Sprague-Dawley, 96 Wistar-Furth (WF), and 48 Osborne-Mendel (OM) male rats; 48 female OM rats had a mortality of 86% at 21 days after injury. The same injury produced a mortality in 4% in 90 Buffalo (BUF) and 22% in 41 Brown-Norwegian (BN) males, while females of the same strains exhibited a 21-day mortality of 23% and 54%, respectively. Further studies of the effects of similar injury in two congenic strains of rats derived from some of the inbred lines of animals listed above yielded a 21-day mortality of 50% in 18 BN.1B(BUF) and 20% in 15 BN.1U(WF) male rats, and 65% and 36%, respectively, in females of the same lines. These data point to the importance of genetic factors as a key determinant of host resistance or susceptibility to the effects of severe thermal injury. The segregation of responses to thermal injury in inbred rats into susceptible, intermediate, and resistant groups on the basis of strain origin indicates that such natural resistance may be a quantitative trait. One of the genetic components affecting host resistance is sex-linked. The existence of genetically controlled variations in natural resistance to trauma may be an important determinant of survival and may be a source of guidelines for the triage and clinical care of injured patients. It may also be an important selective factor in evolution.