Activity

In clustered logistic regression analyses, unknown HIV status (aOR 5.7, p = 0.023), positive HIV status (aOR 21.1, p = 0.001), urban setting (aOR 5.6, p = 0.006), and low income (aOR 5.9, p =0.001) predicted loss from the cascade of care among TPT eligible contacts.

Vikela Ekhaya demonstrated that community-based TB household contact management is a feasible, acceptable and successful strategy for TB screening and TPT delivery. The results of this study support the development of novel, differentiated, community-based interventions for TB prevention and control.

Vikela Ekhaya demonstrated that community-based TB household contact management is a feasible, acceptable and successful strategy for TB screening and TPT delivery. The results of this study support the development of novel, differentiated, community-based interventions for TB prevention and control.

Demography is changing, with people living longer with comorbidities. In this nationwide population-based study, we investigated the serotype-specific invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) risk in individuals with comorbidities, and effects of the pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV) child immunization program.

Cases included 14096 serotyped IPD episodes in Sweden between 2006-2015. Controls (n=137289), matched to cases by age, sex, region, and calendar time, were selected from the general population. Comorbidity data was obtained through health registers and grouped as immunocompromising (IC) or chronic medical conditions (CMC).

The prevalence of CMC and IC among elderly IPD cases was 33.9% and 39.4%. New risks identified for IPD were Sarcoidosis, Inflammatory polyarthropathies, Systemic connective tissue, and neurological diseases. The odds ratio (OR) for IPD caused by non-PCV13 compared to PCV13 serotypes, was higher in individuals with CMC/IC. Serotypes associated with the highest risk were non-PCV13 serotypes 16F, 15C, 35F, 19F and 23A (OR 3-5 for CMC, >10 for IC). Most comorbidities increased post-vaccination and absolute increases of IPD caused by non-PCV13, PPV23-non-PCV13, and non-PCV13/non-PPV23 serotypes, were higher in individuals with IC/CMC compared to healthy persons. Non-PCV13 serotypes 6C, 9N, 11A, 22F, 23A and 35F increased more in those with comorbidities. The mortality due to non-PCV13 serotypes increased in individuals with IC/CMC, while remaining stable in persons without comorbidities.

The PCV child immunization program is associated with an increased disease burden of non-vaccine serotypes in individuals with comorbidities. These data are important for vaccine design and optimization of current vaccination strategies.

The PCV child immunization program is associated with an increased disease burden of non-vaccine serotypes in individuals with comorbidities. These data are important for vaccine design and optimization of current vaccination strategies.

Currently-used endoscopic items for the assessment of pouchitis and cuffitis have deficiencies in reliability and validation. We assessed the reliability and accuracy of new endoscopic items for pouchitis and of the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCIS) for cuffitis.

Three new endoscopic items were assessed and included in the Monash pouchitis endoscopic subscore bleeding (absent/contact/spontaneous); erosions (absent/<10/≥10); and ulceration (absent/<10%/≥10%). Three raters evaluated 44 pouchoscopy videos in duplicates, in random order. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of all endoscopic items and UCEIS were assessed. Clinical and histologic pouchitis disease activity index (PDAI) subscores were also assessed and faecal calprotectin measured.

All three Monash endoscopic items had substantial intra-rater reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) > 0.61(95% CI >0.61), compared with only ulcers from the currently-used PDAI endoscopic subscore, but inter-rge in disease state are indicated.

As subclinical hyperthyroidism increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, concerns are growing about the long-term skeletal safety of thyrotropin (TSH) suppression therapy after total thyroidectomy in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

We aimed to determine the effect of TSH suppression therapy on bone mineral density (BMD) in DTC patients.

We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane library, and other sources. Eligible observational studies included DTC patients who underwent TSH suppression therapy and BMD measurement. Two independent reviewers extracted data on the studies’ characteristics and outcomes and determined their risk of bias. Data were extracted from each study for postmenopausal/premenopausal women’s and men’s lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) BMD and summed using a random-effects meta-analysis model. The weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) are expressed for the differences in outcome measurements between groups.

Seventeen studies (739 patients and 1085 controls) were included for quantitative analysis. In postmenopausal women, TSH suppression therapy showed a significant decrease in LS BMD (-0.03; -0.05, -0.02), and a similar trend was seen in TH. In premenopausal women, TSH suppression therapy significantly increased LS BMD (0.04; 0.02, 0.06) and FN BMD (0.02; 0.01, 0.04). In men, there was no significant association between TSH suppression therapy and BMD at any site compared to the controls.

Evidence from observational studies suggests that postmenopausal women treated with TSH suppression therapy are at risk for lower BMD. Attention should be paid to long-term skeletal safety in DTC survivors.

Evidence from observational studies suggests that postmenopausal women treated with TSH suppression therapy are at risk for lower BMD. Attention should be paid to long-term skeletal safety in DTC survivors.

In symptomatic patients with ileoanal pouches, pouchoscopy is needed for accurate diagnosis, but is invasive. We aimed to assess the utility of non-invasive gastrointestinal ultrasound and faecal calprotectin in ileoanal pouch patients.

Patients with an ileoanal pouch were consecutively enrolled in this cross-sectional study from clinics in Victoria, Australia. The pouchitis disease activity index was used as a reference standard. Video-recorded pouchoscopies were reviewed by three gastroenterologists. Pouch, pre-pouch and cuff biopsies were reviewed by a single pathologist. Ultrasound was performed by a single gastroenterologist transabdominally and transperineally. Faecal calprotectin was measured from morning stool samples. All examiners were blinded to patients’ clinical history.

44 participants had a pouchoscopy, of whom 43 had a faecal calprotectin and 42 had an ultrasound. this website 17 had pouchitis, 15 had pre-pouch ileitis, and 16 had cuffitis. Pouch wall thickness of <3mm was 88% sensitive at excludiels.

The independent contribution of young adult exposure to overweight and obesity to later life incident diabetes is not well studied.

To assess the associations of exposures to elevated body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in young adulthood (ages 18 to 39 years) with incident diabetes later in life (≥40 years).

Pooled data from six US prospective cohorts (ARIC, CARDIA, CHS, Framingham Offspring, Health ABC, MESA).

Population-based cohort studies.

30,780 participants (56.1% female, 69.8% non-Hispanic White) without a diagnosis of diabetes by age 40.

We imputed BMI and WC trajectories from age 18 for every participant and estimated time-weighted average exposures to BMI or WC during young adulthood and later life.

Incident diabetes defined as fasting glucose ≥126mg/dL, non-fasting glucose ≥200mg/dL, or use of diabetes medications.

During a 9-year median follow-up, 4,323 participants developed incident diabetes. Young adult BMI and WC were associated with later life incident diabetes after controlling for later life exposures (hazard ratios [HR] 1.99 for BMI ≥30kg/m 2 and 2.13 for WC >88cm [women]/>102cm [men] compared to normal ranges). Young adult homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) mediated 49% and 44% of the association between BMI and WC with later life incident diabetes. HDL and triglycerides mediated a smaller proportion of these associations.

Elevated BMI and WC during young adulthood were independently associated with later life incident diabetes. Insulin resistance appears to be a key mediator.

Elevated BMI and WC during young adulthood were independently associated with later life incident diabetes. Insulin resistance appears to be a key mediator.

Pericyte populations abundantly express tyrosine-kinases (TK, e.g. PDGFR-β) and impact therapeutic response. Lenvatinib is a clinically available TK inhibitor (TKI) that targets PDGFR-β. Duration of therapeutic response was shorter in patients with greater disease burden and metastasis. Patients may develop drug resistance and tumor progression.

to develop a gene signature of pericyte abundance to assess with tumor aggressiveness, and determine both the response of thyroid-derived pericytes to lenvatinib and their synergies with thyroid carcinoma-derived cells.

Using a new gene signature, we estimated the relative abundance of pericytes in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and normal thyroid (NT) TCGA samples. We also co-cultured CD90 +;PAX8 – thyroid-derived pericytes and BRAF WT/V600E-PTC-derived cells to determine effects of co-culture on paracrine communications and lenvatinib response.

Pericyte abundance is significantly higher in BRAF V600E-PTC with hTERT mutations and copy number alterations coericyte viability, which disadvantages BRAF WT/V600E-PTC growth. Assessing pericyte abundance in patients with PTC could be essential to selection rationales for appropriate targeted therapy with lenvatinib.

The number of female speakers at American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) conferences should ideally be consistent with the number of women entering head and neck surgery fellowships to ensure gender equity in the field. Yet the presence of women speakers at the annual AHNS meetings, which is specific to the field of head and neck cancer, endocrine and microvascular reconstructive surgery, has yet to be studied.

To determine whether the proportion of female speakers at the AHNS has increased in a manner consistent with the numbers of women entering fellowships since 2007.

This qualitative study assessed 13 final meeting programs from AHNS national/international conferences from 2007 to 2019. The number of male and female participants in different roles throughout the meeting were retrospectively tracked. Participants were male and female speakers at AHNS national/international conferences who took part in the roles of scientific session presenter, scientific session moderator, expert panelist, miscellaneou expert panelists, and miscellaneous moderators between the years but no correlation in scientific session moderators and named lecturers/keynote speakers. Of the 45 named lecturers/keynote speakers in the programs tracked, only 2 were women.

In this study, from 2007 to 2019, the presence of women at ANHS has increased overall, reflecting the changing demographic characteristics of those entering in head and neck oncology and microvascular surgery fellowships. However, a strong disparity continues to exist for preeminent speaking opportunities.

In this study, from 2007 to 2019, the presence of women at ANHS has increased overall, reflecting the changing demographic characteristics of those entering in head and neck oncology and microvascular surgery fellowships. However, a strong disparity continues to exist for preeminent speaking opportunities.