Is Mpox an STI? Why narrowing the scope of this disease may be harmful

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Is Mpox an STI? Why narrowing the scope of this disease may be harmful via Clinical Infectious Diseases Advance Access ABSTRACT The 2022 multi-national Mpox outbreak has been characterized by unprecedented spread among men who have sex with men outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Close contact during sex and intimacy has been well established as a key pathway for human-to-human transmission in the current outbreak. Discussions on whether to assign this illness as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) have been ongoing since the initiation of the outbreak. While sexual contact certainly appears to be a primary means of spread, classifying Mpox as an STI is inaccurate based on its known transmission dynamics, yields potential unintended consequences, and ignores the historical impact of the disease in Central and West Africa. Rather than focusing our energy on disease categorization, more effort should be placed on destigmatizing this illness and empowering communities at risk to protect themselves from Mpox. View on Web

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mTOR Signaling Regulates Zika Virus Replication Bidirectionally through Autophagy and Protein Translation

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader mTOR Signaling Regulates Zika Virus Replication Bidirectionally through Autophagy and Protein Translation via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract Zika virus (ZIKV) reemerged in 2016 and attracted much more attention worldwide. To date, the limited knowledge of ZIKV interactions with host cells in the early stages of infection impedes the prevention of viral epidemics and the treatment of ZIKV disease. The Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway plays an essential role in the regulation of autophagy and protein synthesis during multiple viral infections. This study aimed to investigate the functional role of mTOR signaling in ZIKV replication in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Immunoblotting demonstrated that ZIKV infection inhibited mTORC1 signaling, enhancing autophagy but obstructing protein translation. Drugs or siRNA for interfering with mTOR signaling molecules were utilized to demonstrate that AKT/TSC2/mTORC1 signaling was involved in ZIKV infection and that autophagy promoted ZIKV production, but viral protein expression was regulated by mTORC1 signaling. Moreover, confocal microscopy indicated a robust correlation between autophagy and viral RNA transcription. This study clarifies the dual functions of mTOR signaling during ZIKV infection and provides theoretical support for developing potential anti-ZIKV drugs based on mTOR signaling molecules and deeper insights to better understand the mechanism between ZIKV and host cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Clinical severity of Omicron sub‐variants BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5 in a population‐based cohort study in British Columbia, Canada

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Clinical severity of Omicron sub‐variants BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5 in a population‐based cohort study in British Columbia, Canada via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract The SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron emerged in late 2021. In British Columbia (BC), Canada, and globally, three genetically distinct sub-variants of Omicron, BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5, emerged and became dominant successively within an 8-month period. SARS-CoV-2 sub-variants continue to circulate in the population, acquiring new mutations that have the potential to alter infectivity, immunity and disease severity. Here, we report a propensity-matched severity analysis from residents of BC over the course of the Omicron wave, including 39,237 individuals infected with BA.1, BA.2 or BA.5 based on paired high-quality sequence data and linked to comprehensive clinical outcomes data between Dec. 23, 2021 and August 31, 2022. Relative to BA.1, BA.2 cases were associated with a 15% and 28% lower risk of hospitalization and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission (aHRhospital=1.17; 95%CI=1.096-1.252; aHRICU=1.368; 95%CI=1.152-1.624), whereas BA.5 infections were associated with a 1 8% higher risk of hospitalization (aHRhospital=1.18; 95%CI=1.133-1.224) after accounting for age, sex, co-morbidities, vaccination status, geography and social determinants of health. Phylogenetic analysis revealed no specific sub-clades associated with more severe clinical outcomes for any Omicron sub-variant. In summary, BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5 sub-variants were associated with differences in clinical severity, emphasizing how variant-specific monitoring programs remain critical components of patient and population-level public health responses as the pandemic continues. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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The varied spectrum of nephroblastomatosis, nephrogenic rests, and Wilms tumors: Review of current definitions and challenges of the field

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader The varied spectrum of nephroblastomatosis, nephrogenic rests, and Wilms tumors: Review of current definitions and challenges of the field via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract The diagnosis of multiple or diffuse renal lesions in a child is challenging by imaging and/or pathology. Optimal management requires distinguishing benign lesions such as nephrogenic rests from cancerous lesions such as Wilms tumor, but this is often difficult or impossible. This difficulty is compounded by the overlapping nature of our current radiologic and pathologic definitions of lesions along the spectrum of nephrogenic rests/nephroblastomatosis. We provide a review of these issues, as a collaborative effort between the Children's Oncology Group Renal Tumor Committee and International Society of Pediatric Oncology Renal Tumor Study Group. Our aim is to discuss current challenges in diagnosis and management of these renal lesions, encouraging future work toward consensus definitions for research and patient care. View on Web

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Ninety‐day mortality following transoral robotic surgery or radiation at Commission on Cancer‐accredited facilities

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Ninety‐day mortality following transoral robotic surgery or radiation at Commission on Cancer‐accredited facilities via Head & Neck Abstract Background Postoperative mortality for oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) with transoral robotic surgery (TORS) varies from 0.2% to 6.5% on trials; the real-world rate is unknown. Methods NCDB study from 2010 to 2017 for patients with cT1-2N0-2M0 OPSCC with Charleson–Deyo score 0–1. Ninety-day mortality assessed from start and end of treatment at Commission on Cancer-accredited facilities. Results 3639 patients were treated with TORS and 1937 with radiotherapy. TORS cohort had more women and higher income, was younger, more often treated at academic centers, and more likely to have private insurance (all p < 0.05). Ninety-day mortality was 1.3% with TORS and 0.7% or 1.4% from start or end of radiotherapy, respectively. From end of therapy, there was no significant difference on MVA between treatment modality. Conclusions There is minimal difference between 90-day mortality in patients treated with TORS or radiotherapy for early-stage OPSCC. While overall rates are low, for patients with expectation of cure, work is needed to identify optimal treatment. View on Web

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