Anti-inflammatory effects of neuregulin-1 in HaCaT keratinocytes and atopic dermatitis-like mice stimulated with Der p 38.

Neuregulin (NRG)-1 plays fundamental roles in several organ systems after binding to its receptors, ErbB2 and ErbB4. This study examines the role of NRG-1 in atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic skin disease that causes dryness, pruritus, and inflammation. In mice administered Der p 38, the skin presents AD-like symptoms including filaggrin downregulation and infiltration of neutrophils and eosinophils.

Successful emergency medical service training with virtual field trips using video during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Official Development Assistance Project in Uzbekistan.

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic saw many restrictions on the provision of emergency medical service (EMS) training through actual field trips (AFTs), requiring a search for alternatives. This study aimed to assess trainees' reactions to virtual field trips (VFTs) and determine the characteristics of instructional design for successful VFTs using edited videos and expert interviews.

Methods: This study evaluated Uzbekistan trainees' reactions to the VFT of EMS training using questionnaires in three categories: satisfaction, relevance, and engagement.

Association analysis between symptomology and herpesvirus IgG antibody concentrations in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and multiple sclerosis.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are two complex and multifactorial diseases whose patients experience persistent fatigue, cognitive impairment, among other shared symptoms. The onset of these diseases has also been linked to acute herpesvirus infections or their reactivations. In this work, we re-analyzed a previously-described dataset related to IgG antibody responses to 6 herpesviruses (CMV - cytomegalovirus; EBV - Epstein-Barr virus; HHV6 - human herpesvirus-6; HSV1 and HSV2 - herpes simplex virus-1 and -2, respectively; VZV - varicella-zoster virus) from the United Kingdom ME/CFS biobank.

Prognostic Performance of Initial Clinical Examination in Predicting Good Neurological Outcome in Cardiac Arrest Patients Treated with Targeted Temperature Management.

Prognostication studies of cardiac arrest patients have mainly focused on poor neurological outcomes. However, an optimistic prognosis for good outcome could provide both justification to maintain and escalate treatment and evidence-based support to persuade family members or legal surrogates after cardiac arrest. The aim of the study was to evaluate the utility of clinical examinations performed after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in predicting good neurological outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients treated with targeted temperature management (TTM).

Transcriptional profiles predict treatment outcome in patients with tuberculosis and diabetes at diagnosis and at two weeks after initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment.

Background: Globally, the tuberculosis (TB) treatment success rate is approximately 85%, with treatment failure, relapse and death occurring in a significant proportion of pulmonary TB patients. Treatment success is lower among people with diabetes mellitus (DM). Predicting treatment outcome early after diagnosis, especially in TB-DM patients, would allow early treatment adaptation for individuals and may improve global TB control.

Salivary DNA Loads for Human Herpesviruses 6 and 7 Are Correlated With Disease Phenotype in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex chronic condition affecting multiple body systems, with unknown cause, unclear pathogenesis mechanisms, and fluctuating symptoms which may lead to severe debilitation. It is frequently reported to have been triggered by an infection, but there are no clear differences in exposure to, or seroprevalence of, any particular viruses between people with ME/CFS and healthy individuals. However, herpes viruses have been repeatedly hypothesized to underlie the chronic relapsing/remitting form of MS/CFS due to their persistence in a latent form with periodic reactivation.

Herpesviruses Serology Distinguishes Different Subgroups of Patients From the United Kingdom Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Biobank.

The evidence of an association between Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and chronic herpesviruses infections remains inconclusive. Two reasons for the lack of consistent evidence are the large heterogeneity of the patients' population with different disease triggers and the use of arbitrary cutoffs for defining seropositivity. In this work we re-analyzed previously published serological data related to 7 herpesvirus antigens.

Host transcriptional response to TB preventive therapy differentiates two sub-groups of IGRA-positive individuals.

We hypothesised that individuals with immunological sensitisation to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), conventionally regarded as evidence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), would demonstrate binary responses to preventive therapy (PT), reflecting the differential immunological consequences of the sterilisation of viable infection in those with active Mtb infection versus no Mtb killing in those who did not harbour viable bacilli. We investigated longitudinal whole blood transcriptional profile responses to PT of Interferon gamma release assay (IGRA)-positive tuberculosis contacts and IGRA-negative, tuberculosis-unexposed controls. Longitudinal unsupervised clustering analysis with a subset of 474 most variable genes in antigen-stimulated blood separated the IGRA-positive participants into two distinct subgroups, one of which clustered with the IGRA-negative controls.

Blood transcriptomics to characterize key biological pathways and identify biomarkers for predicting mortality in melioidosis.

Melioidosis is an often lethal tropical disease caused by the Gram-negative bacillus, . The study objective was to characterize transcriptomes in melioidosis patients and identify genes associated with outcome. Whole blood RNA-seq was performed in a discovery set of 29 melioidosis patients and 3 healthy controls.

S100A8 and S100A9 Promote Apoptosis of Chronic Eosinophilic Leukemia Cells.

S100A8 and S100A9 function as essential factors in inflammation and also exert antitumor or tumorigenic activity depending on the type of cancer. Chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL) is a rare hematological malignancy having elevated levels of eosinophils and characterized by the presence of the fusion gene. In this study, we examined the pro-apoptotic mechanisms of S100A8 and S100A9 in FIP1L1-PDGFRα+ eosinophilic cells and hypereosinophilic patient cells.

Suppressive effects of S100A8 and S100A9 on neutrophil apoptosis by cytokine release of human bronchial epithelial cells in asthma.

S100A8 and S100A9 are important proteins in the pathogenesis of allergy. Asthma is an allergic lung disease, characterized by bronchial inflammation due to leukocytes, bronchoconstriction, and allergen-specific IgE. In this study, we examined the role of S100A8 and S100A9 in the interaction of cytokine release from bronchial epithelial cells, with constitutive apoptosis of neutrophils.

The importance of preliminary evaluation in developing ambulance staff training curriculum for developing countries: A survey in Uzbekistan.

Background: The Tashkent city, the capital of the republic of Uzbekistan, started joint project with Korean emergency physicians to improve the quality of their ambulance services in 2016. Ambulance service in Tashkent city has been facing challenges in processing a large number of calls, and low competency of their staff in providing advanced prehospital emergency care. To design an appropriate capacity building training program for ambulance staff, we analyzed the current ambulance service in Tashkent concerning resources and competency of the staff.

Koehne extract suppresses the development of atopic dermatitis-like lesions by regulating cytokine and filaggrin expression in NC/Nga mice.

Koehne (CS) has been used in a traditional oriental medicine for treating throat diseases, anaphylaxis, viral infection, and inflammation. This study investigated the underlying mechanism of anti-allergic effect of CS. Leaves of CS plants were dried, powdered, and then underwent extraction with DMSO.

Risk Stratification of Intermediate-Risk Children With Minor Head Injury.

The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network rule helps emergency physicians identify very low-risk children with minor head injury who can forgo head computed tomography. This rule contributes to reduction in lifetime risk of radiation-induced cancers while minimizing missing clinically important traumatic brain injury. However, in intermediate-risk children, decisions on whether to perform computed tomography remain at the emergency physicians' discretion.

Poncirus Trifoliata (L.) Raf. Extract Inhibits the Development of Atopic Dermatitis-like Lesions in Human Keratinocytes and NC/Nga mice.

This study investigated the anti-allergic effect of Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. (PT) on human keratinocytic HaCaT cells and on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis-like lesions .

Cellular Immune Function in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition with unknown aetiology, Myalgic encephalomyelitis unclear pathophysiology and with no diagnostic test or biomarker available. Many patients report their ME/CFS began after an acute infection, and subsequent increased frequency of infections, such as colds or influenza, is common. These factors imply an altered immunological status exists in ME/CFS, in at least a proportion of patients, yet previous studies of peripheral immunity have been discrepant and inconclusive.

Pilot study on a rewarming rate of 0.15°C/hr versus 0.25°C/hr and outcomes in post cardiac arrest patients.

Objective: Cerebral hemodynamic and metabolic changes may occur during the rewarming phase of targeted temperature management in post cardiac arrest patients. Yet, studies on different rewarming rates and patient outcomes are limited. This study aimed to investigate post cardiac arrest patients who were rewarmed with different rewarming rates after 24 hours of hypothermia and the association of these rates to the neurologic outcomes.

Severe Injuries from Low-height Falls in the Elderly Population.

Background: Falls from low-height can cause severe injuries in the elderly population. This study was conducted to determine characteristics of injuries from low-height falls.

Methods: We retrospectively review surveillance data on injured patients who presented to six emergency departments from January 2011 to December 2015.

Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)/CCL17 and IgE are associated with elderly asthmatics.

Background: The pathogenesis of asthma, which is an allergic lung disease, is associated with a variety of allergens such as house dust mite, pollen, and mould, IgE containing serum IgE and allergen-specific-IgE, and inflammatory cytokines including thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)/CCL17. Because aging is an essential factor in the pathogenesis of asthma, we examined biomarkers related to asthmatic subjects depending on age.

Results: Physiological indices such as FEV1(forced expiratory capacity in 1 s), FEV1 (% predicted), and FEV1/FVC(forced vital capacity) (%) in asthmatic subjects were lower than those in normal subjects.

Clinical characteristics of acute drug-induced dystonia in pediatric patients.

Objective: Dystonia is a movement disorder in which muscles contract uncontrollably. Acute drug-induced dystonia (DID) can be diagnosed through detailed history taking and physical examination. This study aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of DID in children, which could help emergency physicians diagnose these conditions more efficiently.