Publications by authors named "Ales Janda"

Objective: Pulmonary involvement in chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is rare. Limited awareness results in diagnostic challenges, especially because malignancy or infection needs to be considered.

Methods: Based on a survey shared among centers participating in the Kerndokumentation Deutsches Rheumaforschungszentrum (Germany), this study investigated clinical and imaging presentations, demographic features, treatment response and outcomes of pulmonary involvement in CNO (pCNO).

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  • * An analysis of 1,192 participants revealed elevated sACE2 activity following exposure to SARS-CoV-2, especially in children, indicating a significant response regardless of infection status.
  • * The research suggests that increased sACE2 activity could help manage SARS-CoV-2 infections, proposing a more nuanced understanding of immune responses beyond traditional infection classifications.
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  • The study examines a female carrier of a genetic mutation in the IKBKG gene, which is linked to conditions like ectodermal dysplasia and ectodermal dysplasia and immunodeficiency in males and incontinentia pigmenti (IP) in females, leading to a condition called NEMO-NDAS, characterized by autoinflammatory symptoms.
  • Researchers used various techniques, including RT-PCR and nanopore sequencing, to analyze gene expression and protein levels in the patient and her mother compared to healthy controls.
  • Findings revealed that the patient exhibited autoinflammatory symptoms without immunodeficiency, attributed to a non-skewed X-inactivation, alternative splicing of the IKBKG gene, and increased levels of
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  • There has been a rise in cutaneous infections caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae among adolescent and young adult refugees in Germany since September 2022, prompting this study to assess treatment options and outcomes.
  • The study included 31 cases from 9 medical centers, revealing that most infections were cutaneous and generally afebrile, with a few cases showing systemic complications requiring more intensive care.
  • The recommended treatment for uncomplicated cases involves topical antiseptics and a 7-day course of antibiotics like clindamycin, while cases with fever or throat symptoms necessitate further medical evaluation, including cultures.
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Purpose: Common respiratory infections were significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to general protective and hygiene measures. The gradual withdrawal of these non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) was associated with a notable increase in these infections, particularly in pediatric and adult otorhinolaryngology. The aim of this retrospective monocentric study was to evaluate the impact of NPI during the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and severity of acute mastoiditis (AM).

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Background: Limited evidence on utilisation of health care by recently arrived asylum seekers and refugees in high-income countries is available. This study aims to describe the implementation of an integrated care facility (ICF) in an initial reception centre and measure the utilisation of care and the influence of operational parameters.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study design, using medical records, we followed inhabitants of a reception centre in Germany between 11.

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Objective: Interim analysis of the RELIANCE registry, an on-going, non-interventional, open-label, multicentre, prospective study evaluating the long-term safety, dosing regimens and effectiveness of canakinumab in patients with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), tumour-necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) or mevalonate-kinase deficiency (MKD)/hyperimmunoglobulin-D syndrome (HIDS).

Methods: From September 2017 for patients with CAPS, and June 2018 for patients with FMF, TRAPS or MKD/HIDS, the registry enrolled paediatric (aged ≥2 years) and adult patients (aged ≥18 years) receiving canakinumab as part of their routine medical care. Safety, canakinumab dose, disease activity and quality of life outcome measures were evaluated at baseline and every 6 months until end of study visit.

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The risk of developing severe COVID-19 rises dramatically with age. Schoolchildren are significantly less likely than older people to die from SARS-CoV-2 infection, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this age-dependence are unknown. In primary infections, innate immunity is critical due to the lack of immune memory.

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  • The study investigates persistent respiratory issues in children and adolescents following mild SARS-CoV-2 infections, emphasizing that despite milder symptoms compared to adults, significant pulmonary symptoms can still occur.
  • Researchers analyzed 25 patients referred to a pediatric pulmonology clinic who exhibited functional respiratory disorders after COVID-19, using clinical history, examinations, and pulmonary function tests to assess their conditions.
  • Most patients demonstrated thoracic dominant breathing and inducible laryngeal obstruction, with nearly all showing improvement after receiving education and breathing training, indicating favorable clinical outcomes.
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Introduction: Durability of immune protection against reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 remains enigmatic, especially in the pediatric population and in the context of immune-evading variants of concern. Obviously, this knowledge is required for measures to contain the spread of infection and in selecting rational preventive measures.

Methods: Here, we investigated the serum neutralization capacity of 36 seropositive adults and 34 children approximately one year after infection with the ancestral Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 by using a pseudovirus neutralization assay.

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Data on cross-neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant more than 1 year after SARS-CoV-2 infection are urgently needed, especially in children, to predict the likelihood of reinfection and to guide vaccination strategies. In a prospective observational cohort study, we evaluated live-virus neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron (BA.1) variant in children compared with adults 14 months after mild or asymptomatic wild-type SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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  • The immune response to COVID-19 varies between children and adults, with children showing a unique plasmablast-driven initial response after mild or asymptomatic infections.
  • Four months post-infection, children exhibit an enhanced antibody response, but lower B and T cell responses compared to adults, while overall neutralizing antibody effectiveness improves in both groups.
  • After one year, children show signs of immune maturation, including increased S1-specific IgA and T cell development, indicating the potential benefit of booster vaccinations to strengthen their immune memory.
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Background: Diagnosing synovial inflammation by administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents is limited by invasiveness and possible side effects, especially in children and adolescents.

Purpose: We investigated diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted (DWI) MRI with intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging compared to contrast-enhanced MRI for detecting synovitis of the knee in a population of pediatrics and young adults. In addition we compared quantitative measures of synovial diffusion and perfusion to a group of healthy volunteers.

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Background: Long COVID in children and adolescents remains poorly understood due to a lack of well-controlled studies with long-term follow-up. In particular, the impact of the family context on persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unknown. We examined long COVID symptoms in a cohort of infected children, adolescents, and adults and their exposed but non-infected household members approximately 1 year after infection and investigated clustering of persistent symptoms within households.

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Background: Pulmonary involvement is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Long-term impairment has been reported in adults with severe infection. However, most infections cause only mild symptoms or are even asymptomatic, especially in children.

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Background: Based on 190,000 applications for asylum, Germany remains a top destination for refugees and asylum seekers in Europe. The updated recommendations are considered evidence-based and targeted guidelines for the diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases in underage refugees and asylum seekers.

Objective: The objective of these recommendations is to guide medical staff in the care of minor refugees, in particular to:1.

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An association between certain ABO/Rh blood groups and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been proposed for adults, although this remains controversial. In children and adolescents, the relationship is unclear due to a lack of robust data. Here, we investigated the association of ABO/Rh blood groups and SARS-CoV-2 in a multi-center study comprising 163 households with 281 children and 355 adults and at least one SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individual as determined by three independent assays as a proxy for previous infection.

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Introduction: Anti-DFS70 antibodies occur in healthy individuals with various medical conditions. Unlike other anti-nuclear autoantibodies (ANA), they are not associated with systemic autoimmune disease in adult patients. To date, only a few studies have addressed the prevalence and/or clinical relevance of anti-DFS70 autoantibodies in children with and without autoimmune disease.

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The quality and persistence of children's humoral immune response following SARS-CoV-2 infection remains largely unknown but will be crucial to guide pediatric SARS-CoV-2 vaccination programs. Here, we examine 548 children and 717 adults within 328 households with at least one member with a previous laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assess serological response at 3-4 months and 11-12 months after infection using a bead-based multiplex immunoassay for 23 human coronavirus antigens including SARS-CoV-2 and its Variants of Concern (VOC) and endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs), and additionally by three commercial SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays.

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Resolving the role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in households with members from different generations is crucial for containing the current pandemic. We conducted a large-scale, multicenter, cross-sectional seroepidemiologic household transmission study in southwest Germany during May 11-August 1, 2020. We included 1,625 study participants from 405 households that each had ≥1 child and 1 reverse transcription PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infected index case-patient.

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Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS) is a novel hyperinflammatory syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. It predominantly affects children (MIS-C) a few weeks after a usually asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and is only rarely seen in adults above 21 years (MIS-A). Only scarce data on histological findings in both pediatric and adult patients has been published so far.

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Article Synopsis
  • Inborn errors of immunity are genetic disorders that lead to immune system issues like deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and inflammation, identified increasingly through next-generation sequencing, yet treatments remain complicated.
  • This study reports a new autoinflammatory disorder linked to a specific mutation in the HCK gene, characterized by skin and lung inflammation that can lead to serious damage.
  • The mutant HCK shows increased activity and causes heightened immune responses, and treatments with the drug ruxolitinib have shown positive effects in managing the inflammation associated with this condition.
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Background: The microbiological diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (Tb) in a pediatric population is hampered by both low pathogen burden and noncompliance with sputum sampling. Although endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been found useful for the evaluation of mediastinal pathologies in adults, for children, sparse data are available. Here, we have evaluated EBUS-TBNA as a diagnostic procedure in children and adolescents with suspected pulmonary Tb.

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To identify the most efficient methods of immunological protection against SARS-CoV-2, including the currently most widespread variants of concern (VOCs)-B.1.1.

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