Improvements of right ventricular function after intervention with CPAP in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is present in 40-80% of patients with cardiovascular morbidity and is associated with adverse effects on cardiovascular health. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) maintains airway patency during sleep and is hypothesised to improve cardiac function. In the present study, we report on the impact of 12 weeks of CPAP and improvements in echocardiographic parameters of the right ventricle (RV).

Study protocol for the St James's Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin Allied Researchers' (STTAR) Bioresource for COVID-19.

: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began in Ireland with the first confirmed positive case in March 2020. In the early stages of the pandemic clinicians and researchers in two affiliated Dublin hospitals identified the need for a COVID-19 biobanking initiative to support and enhance research into the disease. Through large scale analysis of clinical, regional, and genetic characteristics of COVID-19 patients, biobanks have helped identify, and so protect, at risk patient groups The STTAR Bioresource has been created to collect and store data and linked biological samples from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and healthy and disease controls.

Diagnostic Performance of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra Compared with Predecessor Test, Xpert MTB/RIF, in a Low TB Incidence Setting: a Retrospective Service Evaluation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra) compared with its predecessor, Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert), in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in a low TB incidence country. Retrospective analysis was performed on 689 clinical samples received between 2015 and 2018, on which Xpert was performed, and on 715 samples, received between 2018 and 2020, on which Ultra was performed. Samples were pulmonary ( = 830) and extrapulmonary ( = 574) in nature, and a total of 264 were culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC).

Severe COVID-19 is characterised by inflammation and immature myeloid cells early in disease progression.

SARS-CoV-2 infection causes a wide spectrum of disease severity. Identifying the immunological characteristics of severe disease and the risk factors for their development are important in the management of COVID-19. This study aimed to identify and rank clinical and immunological features associated with progression to severe COVID-19 in order to investigate an immunological signature of severe disease.

New developments in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment.

Unlabelled: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is estimated that 25% of the world's population are infected with , with a 5-10% lifetime risk of progression into TB disease. Early recognition of TB disease and prompt detection of drug resistance are essential to halting its global burden.

ANCA associated glomerulonephritis in tuberculosis: a paradoxical reaction.

We present a case of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in the context of treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). A 42-year-old woman was treated for drug-susceptible pulmonary TB and represented with paradoxical worsening of symptoms and radiological features. She was HIV negative.

Trends in Adolescent Rapid Repeat Pregnancy in Canada.

Objective: Rapid repeat pregnancy (RRP), a birth occurring within 33 months of a previous birth, is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. RRP occurs among 25%-35% of adolescents who become pregnant. The current study examines trends in and outcomes of adolescent RRP in the Canadian context.

Persistent fatigue following SARS-CoV-2 infection is common and independent of severity of initial infection.

Fatigue is a common symptom in those presenting with symptomatic COVID-19 infection. However, it is unknown if COVID-19 results in persistent fatigue in those recovered from acute infection. We examined the prevalence of fatigue in individuals recovered from the acute phase of COVID-19 illness using the Chalder Fatigue Score (CFQ-11).

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Clinical and Environmental Mycobacterium chimaera Isolates.

is a slow-growing nontuberculous species belonging to the complex (MAC). It has been identified globally as the cause of a large outbreak of cardiovascular infections following open heart surgery, but it can also cause respiratory infections in individuals with underlying structural pulmonary disease. Invasive infections are associated with poor clinical responses, and the optimal antibiotic treatment regimen for these infections is not known.

Cigarette Smoking Impairs the Bioenergetic Immune Response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.

Smoking is a major risk factor driving the tuberculosis epidemic, and smokers' alveolar macrophages (AM) demonstrate significant immune defects after infection. Recently, macrophage glycolytic reprogramming has emerged as crucial in the early host immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. In the present study, we sought to compare baseline metabolic characteristics and the glycolytic response to infection of human AM from smokers and nonsmokers.

All-trans Retinoic Acid Augments Autophagy during Intracellular Bacterial Infection.

Vitamin A deficiency strongly predicts the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) in individuals exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The burden of antibiotic-resistant TB is increasing globally; therefore, there is an urgent need to develop host-directed adjunctive therapies to treat TB. Alveolar macrophages, the niche cell for Mtb, metabolize vitamin A to all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), which influences host immune responses.

Clinical Management of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in 16 European Countries.

Rationale: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major burden to public health in Europe. Reported treatment success rates are around 50% or less, and cure rates are even lower.

Objectives: To document the management and treatment outcome in patients with MDR-TB in Europe.

Care Experiences of Adults With a Dual Diagnosis and Their Family Caregivers.

Individuals diagnosed with developmental disability and mental illness (a "dual diagnosis") contend with multiple challenges and system-related barriers. Using an interpretive description approach, separate qualitative interviews were conducted with adults with a dual diagnosis ( = 7) and their caregiving parents ( = 8) to examine care-related experiences. Results indicate that individuals with a dual diagnosis and their families experience misunderstanding and stigma.

The experiences of emergency department use by street-involved youth: Perspectives of health care and community service providers.

Street-involved (SI) youth represent a significant proportion of urban homeless populations. While previous research has identified SI youth as substantial users of emergency department (ED) services and has examined their experiences of ED care, little is known about the experiences and perceptions of the service providers who assist these youth with health care related issues. Using grounded theory, individual interviews and focus groups were conducted with 20 community agency staff serving SI youth, 17 health service providers, two hospital administrators, and two hospital security personnel regarding their experiences in providing or facilitating ED care for SI youth.

The Experiences and Perceptions of Street-Involved Youth Regarding Emergency Department Services.

Street-involved (SI) youth comprise a substantial component of the urban homeless population. Despite being significant users of hospital emergency department (ED) services for acute and ongoing health needs, little is known about their experiences of ED care and the factors affecting their ED use. This study used a grounded theory and community-based approach to examine these issues.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Europe, 2010-2011.

Drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis is challenging elimination of tuberculosis (TB). We evaluated risk factors for TB and levels of second-line drug resistance in M. tuberculosis in patients in Europe with multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB.

Cigarette smoking impairs human pulmonary immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Rationale: Cigarette smoking is linked to important aspects of tuberculosis, such as susceptibility to infection, disease reactivation, mortality, transmission, and persistent infectiousness. The mechanistic basis for this remains poorly understood.

Objectives: To compare the functional impairment seen in human alveolar macrophages (AM) from nonsmokers, smokers, and ex-smokers after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).

Networked T cell death following macrophage infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Background: Depletion of T cells following infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) impairs disease resolution, and interferes with clinical test performance that relies on cell-mediated immunity. A number of mechanisms contribute to this T cell suppression, such as activation-induced death and trafficking of T cells out of the peripheral circulation and into the diseased lungs. The extent to which Mtb infection of human macrophages affects T cell viability however, is not well characterised.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor enzymatic activity, lung inflammation, and cystic fibrosis.

Rationale: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a proinflammatory mediator with unique tautomerase enzymatic activity; the precise function has not been clearly defined. We previously demonstrated that individual patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who are genetically predisposed to be high MIF producers develop accelerated end-organ injury.

Objectives: To characterize the effects of the MIF-CATT polymorphism in patients with CF ex vivo.