Influenza is a prevalent health issue encountered in daily practice. Patients with diabetes mellitus face a higher risk of infections, including influenza, owing to the compromised immune system associated with diabetes. This susceptibility arises from the potential of diabetes mellitus to weaken the immune system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The proteolytic activities of house dust mite (HDM) allergens are involved in the pathogenesis of asthma by cleaving T-junction protein complexes, increasing the permeability of airway epithelial cells, and enabling the allergens to reach the interstitial tissue. The human body contains natural protease inhibitors such as alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) with antiserine protease activity and cystatin C with anticysteine protease activity.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the behavior of serum AAT and cystatin C levels in patients with HDM-allergic asthma.
Patients with autoimmune diseases are among the susceptible groups to COVID-19 infection because of the complexity of their conditions and the side effects of the immunosuppressive drugs used to treat them. They might show impaired immunogenicity to COVID-19 vaccines and have a higher risk of developing COVID-19. Using a systematic review and meta-analysis, this research sought to summarize the evidence on COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety in patients with autoimmune diseases following predefined eligibility criteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe impact of vaccinating the older population against vaccine-preventable diseases in terms of health, social and economic benefits has been increasingly recognised. However, there is a gap in the utilisation of vaccines worldwide. The population is ageing at an unprecedented pace in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with the number of persons older than 65 years set to double by 2050 to around 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients with an autoimmune disease could be at higher risk of a poor outcome when contracting COVID-19 infection due to aberrant immune responses and use of immunosuppressant therapies for chronic autoimmune treatment. Here, we conducted a retrospective study to identify the factors related to severity, hospitalization, and mortality among patients with autoimmune diseases. We found 165 cases of patients with pre-existing autoimmune diseases who had contracted COVID-19 between March 2020 and September 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially among health-care workers. One of the most important preventive measures is vaccination. This study examined factors associated with the incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection after mRNA-1273 booster vaccination (preceded by the CoronaVac primary vaccination) and the antibody profile of health-care workers at one of the tertiary hospitals in Indonesia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeople living with HIV (PLHIV) are considered a high-risk population for developing a severe form of COVID-19. Vaccination is still one of the most important modalities in combating the disease due to the lack of an effective treatment. This multicenter study was performed from September to December 2021 with the aim to analyze the intention of PLHIV to receive the COVID-19 vaccination based on an integrated behavior model (IBM) in Indonesia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccine hesitancy can be a challenge for those with autoimmune diseases. This study investigated the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination by patients with autoimmune diseases in Indonesia using the integrated behavioral model (IBM). This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to February 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: High COVID-19 vaccine coverage is essential. Patients who are considered high risk for hypersensitivity reactions and have had an allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine are usually referred to an allergist for assessment of vaccination. Administration of a vaccine graded challenge (also known as a provocation test) is an option that can be considered in this population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Res Protoc
November 2022
Gut dysbiosis has a role in the pathogenesis of lupus. Synbiotic supplementation may restore the balance of gut microbiota. This study investigated whether synbiotics could improve gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in lupus patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy persists among health care workers (HCWs). Understanding the motives and challenges impacting HCWs’ acceptance of the booster vaccination is critical. Efforts are still needed to overcome apprehension about taking a booster dosage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAIDS Res Ther
October 2022
Background: People living with HIV (PLHIV) have higher risk of COVID-19 infection and mortality due to COVID-19. Health professionals should be able to assess PLHIV who are more likely to develop severe COVID-19 and provide appropriate medical treatment. This study aimed to assess clinical factors associated with COVID-19 severity and developed a scoring system to predict severe COVID-19 infection among PLHIV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvid Based Complement Alternat Med
June 2022
Pulmonary fibrosis causes scar tissue formation that disrupts the functioning of the lungs. (Hunter) Roxb (hereafter gambir)-a plant native to West Sumatra in Indonesia-contains flavonoid (+)-catechin, which has strong antioxidant activity and can be used to combat pulmonary fibrosis. This random in vivo experimental study analyzed the antifibrotic effect of gambir on the lungs of rats with bleomycin-induced fibrosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Health care workers (HCWs) are a high-priority group for COVID-19 vaccination for several reasons. Health behavior theory-based studies on the intention or acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination among Indonesian HCWs is lacking. Using an integrated behavioral model, this research sought to identify Indonesian health care workers' intentions to obtain COVID-19 vaccines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: People who inject drugs (PWID) living with HIV experience inadequate access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and medication for opioid use disorders (MOUD). HPTN 074 showed that an integrated intervention increased ART use and viral suppression over 52 weeks. To examine durability of ART, MOUD, and HIV viral suppression, participants could re-enroll for an extended follow-up period, during which standard-of-care (SOC) participants in need of support were offered the intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has inflicted catastrophic damages in public health, economic and social stability-putting life globally on hold in 2020 and presumably a year more. Indonesia bears a heavy burden of the pandemic, counting the highest case prevalence and fatality rate in all of Southeast Asia. One hope remains in the groundbreaking universal effort in search of a vaccine against the causative virus SARS-CoV-2, which has shown success unparalleled in human vaccine development thus far.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 074 evaluated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention interventions for people who inject drugs (PWID) in Indonesia, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Study interventions included support for HIV infection and substance use treatment. The study enrolled index participants living with HIV and injection partners who were not living with HIV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCognitive impairment has been described in people living with HIV and stable on antiretroviral therapy (ART), but has not been monitored in young adults beginning ART with a high burden of cytomegalovirus. We recruited 80 subjects beginning ART with < 200 CD4 T cells/μL in Jakarta, Indonesia. Cognitive function (Z-scores) began low but improved on ART, stabilizing after 6 months with improvements in all domains except memory function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: HIV infection in HCV-infected patients accelerates disease progression and reduces the success rate of Peg-IFN/RBV treatment. HCV mutation in NS5A-ISDR/PKR-BD region improved the outcome in HCV monoinfection treated with Peg-IFN/RBV. SNP-IL28B polymorphism is predicted to have an effect on HCV quasispecies evolution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: People who inject drugs (PWID) experience high HIV incidence and face significant barriers to engagement in HIV care and substance use treatment. Strategies for HIV treatment as prevention and substance use treatment present unique challenges in PWID that may vary regionally. Understanding differences in the risk structure for HIV transmission and disease progression among PWID is essential in developing and effectively targeting intervention strategies of HIV treatment as prevention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: People who inject drugs (PWID) have a high incidence of HIV, little access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and high mortality. We aimed to assess the feasibility of a future controlled trial based on the incidence of HIV, enrolment, retention, and uptake of the intervention, and the efficacy of an integrated and flexible intervention on ART use, viral suppression, and MAT use.
Methods: This randomised, controlled vanguard study was run in Kyiv, Ukraine (one community site), Thai Nguyen, Vietnam (two district health centre sites), and Jakarta, Indonesia (one hospital site).