Reporting Uncertainty Around Health State Values: A Standard Method and Worked Example.

Objectives: Papers reporting value sets typically only report the standard errors (SEs) around each estimated coefficient in value set models. This is important information but does not help those building cost effectiveness models, who need to know the uncertainty around the values of health states in order to conduct sensitivity analyses. This paper's aim is to demonstrate how SEs around HRQoL values can be calculated, using the example of the UK EQ-5D-3L value set.

Corrigendum: Preparing correctional settings for the next pandemic: a modeling study of COVID-19 outbreaks in two high-income countries.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.

Exploring the content validity of the EQ-5D-5L and four bolt-ons (skin irritation, self-confidence, sleep, social relationships) in atopic dermatitis and chronic urticaria.

Background: The objective of this study was to assess the content validity of the EQ-5D-5L and four bolt-ons: skin irritation, self-confidence, social relationships and sleep, for people with atopic dermatitis (AD) and chronic urticaria (CU).

Methods: Adults with AD or CU in the United Kingdom, with varying levels of severity, participated in either online or in-person semi-structured interviews. During the interviews, participants were first asked about the symptoms and impacts of their condition.

Bivalent Omicron BA.1 vaccine booster increases memory B cell breadth and neutralising antibodies against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Background: Current literature informs us that bivalent vaccines will generate a broader serum neutralizing antibody response to multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, but studies on how this breadth relates to the memory B cell (MBC) and T cell responses are sparse. This study compared breadth of neutralising antibody, and memory B and T cell responses to monovalent or a bivalent ancestral/Omicron BA.1 COVID-19 booster vaccine.

Auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs in patients with severe Powassan, Usutu, or Ross River virus disease.

Arboviral diseases are a growing global health concern. Pre-existing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) can underlie encephalitis due to West Nile virus (WNV) (∼40% of patients) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE, due to TBE virus [TBEV]) (∼10%). We report here that these auto-Abs can also underlie severe forms of rarer arboviral infections.

Next-Generation Sequencing Methods for Near-Real-Time Molecular Epidemiology of HIV and HCV.

The World Health Organisation has set targets of reducing the transmission of new hepatitis C (HCV) infections by 90%, and ending human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) as a public health threat, by 2030. To achieve this, efficient and timely viral surveillance, and effective public health interventions, are required. Traditional epidemiological methods are largely dependent on the recognition of incident cases with symptomatic illness; acute HIV and HCV infections are commonly asymptomatic, which may lead to delays in the recognition of such new infections.

Living with and Caring for People with Multiple Food Allergies: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: The quality of life (QoL) impact of food allergies extends beyond severe allergic reactions, as food avoidance can permeate the daily lives of individuals with food allergies and their caregivers. People with multiple food allergies may experience a greater impact on QoL than people with a single food allergy, but there is limited evidence available. The aim of the study was to provide insight into the lived experiences of adults, teenagers, children, and caregivers of children with multiple food allergies.

Preservation of functionality, immunophenotype, and recovery of HIV RNA from PBMCs cryopreserved for more than 20 years.

Background: Many research laboratories have long-term repositories of cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), which are costly to maintain but are of uncertain utility for immunological studies after decades in storage. This study investigated preservation of cell surface phenotypes and functional capacity of PBMC from viraemic HIV+ patients and healthy seronegative control subjects, after more than 20 years of cryopreservation.

Methods: PBMC were assessed by 18-colour flow cytometry for major lymphocyte subsets within T, B, NK, and dendritic cells and monocytes.

Hepatitis C treatment outcome among people in prison: The SToP-C study.

Background And Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) burden is higher among people in prison given high prevalence of injecting drug use. This study evaluated direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment outcome in prisons.

Methods: The Surveillance and Treatment of Prisoners with hepatitis C (SToP-C) study enrolled individuals incarcerated in four Australian prisons (2017-2019).

Evolutionary Analysis of the Mammalian IL-17 Cytokine Family Suggests Conserved Roles in Female Fertility.

Problem: The interleukin-17 (IL-17) family includes pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17A-F with important roles in mucosal defence, barrier integrity and tissue regeneration. IL-17A can be dysregulated in fertility complications, including pre-eclampsia, endometriosis and miscarriage. Because mammalian subclasses (eutherian, metatherian, and prototherian) have different related reproductive strategies, IL-17 genes and proteins were investigated in the three mammalian classes to explore their involvement in female fertility.

Using nominal group technique with people who are incarcerated in Canadian federal prisons to identify barriers and solutions to improving Prison Needle Exchange Program uptake.

Background: Prison needle exchange programs (PNEPs) are a critical component for harm reduction in prisons. Little is known about the PNEP access barriers for people who are incarcerated, but the low uptake in the Canadian program highlights these constraints. We aimed to identify the barriers and potential solutions for increasing PNEP coverage in the nine Canadian federal prisons where they operate.

The Association Between Physical Distancing Behaviors to Avoid COVID-19 and Health-Related Quality of Life in Immunocompromised and Nonimmunocompromised Individuals: Patient-Informed Protocol for the Observational, Cross-Sectional EAGLE Study.

Background: Immunocompromised individuals are known to respond inadequately to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, placing them at high risk of severe or fatal COVID-19. Thus, immunocompromised individuals and their caregivers may still practice varying degrees of social or physical distancing to avoid COVID-19. However, the association between physical distancing to avoid COVID-19 and quality of life has not been comprehensively evaluated in any study.

The influence of realistic 3D mantle viscosity on Antarctica's contribution to future global sea levels.

The response of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) to climate change is the largest uncertainty in projecting future sea level. The impact of three-dimensional (3D) Earth structure on the AIS and future global sea levels is assessed here by coupling a global glacial isostatic adjustment model incorporating 3D Earth structure to a dynamic ice-sheet model. We show that including 3D viscous effects produces rapid uplift in marine sectors and reduces projected ice loss for low greenhouse gas emission scenarios, lowering Antarctica's contribution to global sea level in the coming centuries by up to ~40%.

Using nominal group technique to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to improving uptake of the Prison Needle Exchange Program in Canadian federal prisons by correctional officers and healthcare workers.

Background: Elimination of bloodborne viruses including HIV and hepatitis C virus from prisons requires high coverage of evidence-based interventions that prevent bloodborne virus transmission, including needle and syringe programs. Canada launched a Prison Needle Exchange Program (PNEP) in nine federal prisons in 2018; however, uptake among people who inject drugs in prison remains low. We aimed to explore barriers and facilitators to improving PNEP uptake identified by correctional officers and healthcare workers.

Estimating the Health-Related Quality of Life Benefit of Prophylactic Treatment for COVID-19 in Immunocompromised People: A Multimethod Valuation Study.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for COVID-19 provides additional protection, beyond vaccines alone, for individuals who are immunocompromised (IC). This may reduce the need for preventative behavioral modification, such as shielding-a behavioral restriction limiting an IC individual to minimize face-to-face interactions and/or crowded places. Therefore, PrEP may improve psychosocial well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for individuals with IC conditions.

Patient-reported outcomes in chronic hepatitis delta: An exploratory analysis of the phase III MYR301 trial of bulevirtide.

Background & Aims: Once-daily treatment of chronic hepatitis delta (CHD) with bulevirtide is well tolerated and associated with significant reductions in HDV RNA in the blood and in biochemical liver disease activity. This study explored the effects of 48-week bulevirtide treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with CHD.

Methods: In an open-label, randomised, phase III trial, 150 patients with CHD and compensated liver disease were stratified by cirrhosis status and randomised 1:1:1 to no treatment (control), bulevirtide 2 mg/day, or bulevirtide 10 mg/day for 48 weeks.

Understanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) health literacy and educational needs among people in prison to enhance HCV care in prisons.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant concern within prison populations. Provision of HCV testing and treatment for people in prison is expanding and a key component of global elimination efforts. Despite growing service availability, several challenges remain in HCV testing and treatment engagement during incarceration.

Development of an evidence-based hepatitis C education program to enhance public health literacy in the Australian prison sector: The Hepatitis in Prisons Education program (HepPEd).

Background: Australia's prisons have a high chronic hepatitis C (HCV) prevalence (8 %). Antiviral therapies and prison-based hepatitis services are available, but only a minority of those eligible are being treated. Improving the HCV public health literacy of the prison sector via targeted education may overcome key barriers to scale-up treatment.

A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of Primary Evidence Reporting Health-State Preference Values in Chronic Hepatitis B, C, and D.

Objectives: Chronic viral hepatitis is associated with severe impairment and reduction in patient health-related quality of life because of the substantial morbidity associated with advanced liver disease. The aim of this study was to identify and synthesize utilities for chronic hepatitis B (cHBV), C (cHCV), and D (cHDV) through a systematic literature review (SLR) and meta-analyses.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched from inception to May 2023 to identify primary studies reporting health-state utilities in English in patients aged 18 years and over, with cHBV, cHCV, or cHDV in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.

Discovery of a monoclonal, high-affinity CD8 T-cell clone following natural hepatitis C virus infection.

CD8 T cells recognizing their cognate antigen are typically recruited as a polyclonal population consisting of multiple clonotypes with varying T-cell receptor (TCR) affinity to the target peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) complex. Advances in single-cell sequencing have increased accessibility toward identifying TCRs with matched antigens. Here we present the discovery of a monoclonal CD8 T-cell population with specificity for a hepatitis C virus (HCV)-derived human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I epitope (HLA-B*07:02 GPRLGVRAT) which was isolated directly ex vivo from an individual with an episode of acutely resolved HCV infection.