[Early effect of vaccination on the positivity rate of salivary tests performed on nursing home staff in the Walloon Region].

Unlabelled: In Belgium, nursing homes (NH) were disproportionately affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The objective of this study was to compare the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in vaccinated and unvaccinated staff members.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted between February 1 and April 02, 2021, in 99 nursing homes (NHs) in the Walloon Region, a few weeks after the start of the vaccination campaign.

Immuno-Diagnosis of Active Tuberculosis by a Combination of Cytokines/Chemokines Induced by Two Stage-Specific Mycobacterial Antigens: A Pilot Study in a Low TB Incidence Country.

Active tuberculosis (aTB) remains a major killer from infectious disease, partially due to delayed diagnosis and hence treatment. Classical microbiological methods are slow and lack sensitivity, molecular techniques are costly and often unavailable. Moreover, available immuno-diagnostic tests lack sensitivity and do not differentiate between aTB and latent TB infection (LTBI).

Using geographically weighted Poisson regression to examine the association between socioeconomic factors and hysterectomy incidence in Wallonia, Belgium.

Background: Various studies have investigated geographical variations in the incidence of hysterectomy in Western countries and analyzed socioeconomic factors to explain those variations. However, few studies have used spatial analysis to characterize them. Geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) explores the spatially varying impacts of covariates across a study area and focuses attention on local variations.

[Air pollution and heart rhythm disturbance: A retrospective study].

Introduction: According to many studies, exposure to air pollution increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It has also been shown that the frequency of heart rhythm disorders in Region wallonne is very high.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis of a link between rhythm disorders measured by cardiac holters and data from devices measuring the concentration of air pollutants present in ambient air.

Specific Host Signatures for the Detection of Tuberculosis Infection in Children in a Low TB Incidence Country.

Diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in children remains challenging due to unspecific clinical presentation and low bacillary load. In low TB incidence countries, most cases are diagnosed by a contact screening strategy after exposure to an index TB case. Due to the severity of TB in young children, the priority is to determine whether a child is infected or not, whereas differential diagnosis between active TB (aTB) and latent TB constitutes a second step.

[Analysis of comorbidities in hospitalized patients for ischemic stroke and their effects on lethality].

Objectives: The aim of the study consists of analyzing the comorbidities of acute ischemic stroke and those influencing its hospital lethality.

Methods: We considered patients from Wallonia aged 25 years or more and admitted to a Belgian hospital for an acute ischemic stroke in 2013 and 2014. The analyzed medico-administrative data are taken from the Minimum Hospital Summary.

Data on short-term effect of nitrogen dioxide on cardiovascular health in Wallonia, Belgium.

Data presented in this article are related to the research paper entitled "Short-term effects of nitrogen dioxide on hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease in Wallonia, Belgium." (Collart et al., in press) [1].

Short-term effects of nitrogen dioxide on hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease in Wallonia, Belgium.

Many studies have shown a short-term association between NO and cardiovascular disease. However, few data are available on the delay between exposure and a health-related event. The aim of the present study is to determine the strength of association between NO and cardiovascular health in Wallonia for the period 2008-2011.

Short-term effects of air pollution on hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction: age effect on lag pattern.

The aim of the present study is to analyse the age effect on the lag patterns of relative risk of hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction and NO, PM and O. Daily hospitalizations for AMI during the period 2008-2011 were extracted from administrative data. Analyses were performed using the quasi-Poisson regression model adjusted for seasonality, long-term trend, day of the week and temperature.

Air pollution and ST-elevation myocardial infarction: A case-crossover study of the Belgian STEMI registry 2009-2013.

Background: Previous studies have shown that air pollution particulate matter (PM) is associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction. The effects of air pollution on the risk of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in particular the role of gaseous air pollutants such as NO and O and the susceptibility of specific populations, are still under debate.

Methods: All patients entered in the Belgian prospective STEMI registry between 2009 and 2013 were included.

[Association of air-pollution with acute myocardial infarction: A case-crossover study].

Background: A large number of studies have demonstrated an association between ambient air pollutant exposures and acute myocardial infarctions (AMI). Case-crossover methods are frequently used for analyzing the acute health effects of air pollution. Nevertheless, only a few studies controlled for potential confounders like other air pollutants and temperature.

Comparison of four case-crossover study designs to analyze the association between air pollution exposure and acute myocardial infarction.

The case-crossover design is frequently used for analyzing the acute health effects of air pollution. Nevertheless, only a few studies compared different methods for selecting control periods. In this study, the bidirectional method and three time-stratified methods were used to estimate the association between air pollution and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Charleroi, Belgium, during 1999-2008.

Day-of-the-week variations in myocardial infarction onset over a 27-year period: the importance of age and other risk factors.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze the day-of-the-week variations of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) over a 27-year period. The effects of sex, age, history of AMI, hypertension, fatality, and temporal changes over the 27-year period were also investigated.

Methods: The Charleroi register of ischemic cardiopathies is the oldest register of infarctions in the French-speaking community of Belgium and is one of the very rare registers that can track trends over 27 years.

[Particle pollution effects on the risk of cardiovascular diseases].

The effects of air pollution on health are quite well-documented and the influence of particulate pollution on morbidity and mortality from myocardial infarction and stroke is increasingly evident. The objective of this literature review is to identify and synthesize articles on the impact of air pollution by PM10 and PM2.5 of myocardial infarction and stroke.

[Acute myocardial infarction in Charleroi: evolution of risk factors and therapeutic practices].

Objectives: The aim of the study consists in analyzing the evolution of acute coronary risk factors as well as the 28 days case fatality and the therapeutic practices over 12 years of follow-up in Charleroi. The factors influencing the mortality of these patients are also investigated.

Methods: The Charleroi register of ischaemic cardiopathies is the oldest register of infarctions in the French-speaking community of Belgium.

Trends in acute myocardial infarction treatment between 1998 and 2007 in a Belgian area (Charleroi).

Background/objectives: To describe the evolution of the therapeutic practices over 10 years of follow-up of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Charleroi and to analyse the factors influencing the choice of treatments and the mortality of these patients.

Methods: The Charleroi register of ischaemic cardiopathies is the oldest register of infarctions in the French-speaking community of Belgium and is one of the very rare registers that allows identifying tendencies over 25 years. Analyses presented hereafter relate only patients in the 25-69-year age range over time from 1998 to 2007.

Gender differences in acute myocardial infarction, twenty-five years registration.

Background/objectives: The French-speaking Community of Belgium has set up a register of ischaemic cardiopathies (1983-2007). The aim consists in analyzing the evolution of fatal and non-fatal acute coronary events rates as well as the 28 days case fatality on a 25-year period and examine sex differences in lethality.

Methods: This register assures a standardized procedure according to the MONICA criteria.

Benzyl prolinate derivatives as novel selective KCC2 blockers.

The discovery and optimization of a novel class of selective submicromolar KCC2 blockers is described. Details of synthesis and SAR are given together with ADME properties of selected compounds. A methylsulfone residue on the R(1) phenyl group improved the overall general profile of these prolinate derivatives.

Discovery of a new class of non-imidazole oxazoline-based histamine H(3) receptor (H(3)R) inverse agonists.

H(3)R inverse agonists based on an aminopropoxy-phenyloxazoline framework constitute highly valuable druglike lead compounds that display efficacy in a mouse model of recognition memory.

4-benzyl-1H-imidazoles with oxazoline termini as histamine H3 receptor agonists.

Research on the therapeutic applications of the histamine H3 receptor (H3R) has traditionally focused on antagonists/inverse agonists. In contrast, H3R agonists have received less attention despite their potential use in several disease areas. The lower availability of H3R agonists not only hampers their full therapeutic exploration, it also prevents an unequivocal understanding of the structural requirements for H3R activation.

Pyrazolone methylamino piperidine derivatives as novel CCR3 antagonists.

The discovery and optimization of a novel class of potent CCR3 antagonists is described. Details of synthesis and SAR are given together with some ADME properties of selected compounds. An optimal balance between activities, physicochemical properties, and in vitro metabolic stability was reached by the proper choice of substituents.

Discovery of new C3aR ligands. Part 1: arginine derivatives.

The synthesis and in vitro binding of several new arginine-containing C3aR ligands are reported. DMPK properties and functional activities of selected compounds have been evaluated. One compound is shown to be active in an in vivo model of airway inflammation after aerosol administration.