NETQUANT2: automated web-based quantification of neutrophil extracellular traps from fluorescence microscopy.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are structures that neutrophils form in response to various stimuli, including invading pathogens. NETs are increasingly studied, and their importance has been demonstrated in autoimmunity and infection. However, no consensus has emerged on their quantification, with many studies resorting to manually counting NETs in microscopy images.

Inborn errors of immunity are associated with increased COVID-19-related hospitalization and intensive care compared to the general population.

Background: It is thought that patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are more susceptible to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) than the general population, but a quantification of this potential risk is largely missing.

Objective: We assessed the impact of COVID-19 on patients with IEI.

Methods: A nationwide cohort study was performed to estimate the relative risk (RR) for hospitalization, intensive care, and death within 30 days after a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 test result in an IEI population (n = 2392) compared to the general population (n = 8,270,705) using data from Swedish national registries.

Screening for comorbid autoimmune disease should be considered in children with ANA positive juvenile idiopathic arthritis - results from the south-Swedish juvenile idiopathic arthritis cohort.

Background: There is no consensus or clinical guidelines for screening routines of autoimmune disease in individuals with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), since results are conflicting whether the risk for such conditions is increased or not among individuals with JIA. The aim of this study was to investigate if the frequency of comorbid autoimmune conditions is increased after JIA diagnosis in a validated population-based JIA cohort in southern Sweden.

Methods: Autoimmune comorbidities were evaluated in a pre-existing population-based JIA cohort of 302 participants, constituting of individuals diagnosed with a validated JIA diagnosis 2000-2010 in southern Sweden.

Risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation by HIV-status and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status during pre- and post-Omicron era in a national register-based cohort study in Sweden.

Background: Data on the outcomes of COVID-19 in people living with HIV (PLHIV), specifically in relation to vaccination status, are lacking during the Omicron era.

Methods: This nationwide registry-based study included all resident in Sweden ≥18 years with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test during January 2021-February 2023. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (adjOR) for COVID-19 hospitalisation and severe COVID-19 (ICU admission and 90-day mortality), categorised by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (0-1, 2, and ≥3 doses), and HIV-status.

Synovial fibroblasts from children with oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis induce migration and prolong viability of neutrophils.

Introduction: Little is known of the processes that trigger neutrophil activation in the joint of patients with oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (oJIA), and if synovial fibroblasts (S-Fib) play an important role in the activation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether S-Fib derived from oJIA patients drive neutrophil activation.

Methods: Synovial fluid (SF) was collected from patients with oJIA.

Previous SARS-CoV-2 infections and their impact on the protection from reinfection during the Omicron BA.5 wave - a nested case-control study among vaccinated adults in Sweden.

Objectives: We evaluated the protection afforded by SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced immunity against reinfection among working-age vaccinated individuals during a calendar period from June to December 2022 when Omicron BA.5 was the dominating subvariant in Scania County, Sweden.

Methods: The study cohort (n = 71,592) mainly consisted of health care workers.

Susceptibility to e-cigarette use and associated factors in high school youth, Oklahoma Youth Tobacco Survey, 2021-2022.

Introduction: Susceptibility predicts subsequent uptake of e-cigarettes (EC) by youth. This study identified factors associated with EC susceptibility among high school students who have never used a tobacco/nicotine product.

Methods: The Oklahoma Youth Tobacco Survey was administered to a random sample of 36 Oklahoma High Schools during the 2021-2022 school year ( = 1,220 participating students).

Gut microbiota composition is altered in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) reflects an autonomic dysfunction, which can occur as a complication to COVID-19. Our aim was to examine gastrointestinal symptoms and gut microbiota composition in patients with POTS and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), compared with controls. POTS patients (n = 27), PACS patients (n = 32) and controls (n = 39) delivered fecal samples and completed a 4-day food diary, irritable bowel syndrome-severity scoring system (IBS-SSS), and visual analog scale for IBS (VAS-IBS).

Performance of the 2023 Duke-International Society of Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases Diagnostic Criteria for Infective Endocarditis in Relation to the Modified Duke Criteria and to Clinical Management-Reanalysis of Retrospective Bacteremia Cohorts.

Background: Revised diagnostic criteria for infective endocarditis (IE), the 2023 Duke-ISCVID criteria, were recently presented and need validation. Here, we compare the 2000 modified Duke criteria for IE with Duke-ISCVID among patients with bacteremia and relate the diagnostic classification to IE treatment.

Methods: We reanalyzed patient cohorts with Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, non-β-hemolytic streptococci, Streptococcus-like bacteria, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Enterococcus faecalis, and HACEK (Haemophilus, Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, Kingella) bacteremia.

Waning protection after vaccination and prior infection against COVID-19-related mortality over 18 months.

Objectives: Evidence on waning patterns in protection from vaccine-induced, infection-induced, and hybrid immunity against death is scarce. The aim of this study is to assess the temporal trends in protection against mortality.

Methods: Population-based case-control study nested in the total population of Scania Region, Sweden using individual-level registry data of COVID-19-related deaths (<30 days after positive SARS-CoV-2 test) between 27 December 2020 and 3 June 2022.

Synovial monocytes contribute to chronic inflammation in childhood-onset arthritis via IL-6/STAT signalling and cell-cell interactions.

Introduction: Monocytes are key effector cells in inflammatory processes. We and others have previously shown that synovial monocytes in childhood-onset arthritis are activated. However, very little is known about how they contribute to disease and attain their pathological features.

Qdenga® - A promising dengue fever vaccine; can it be recommended to non-immune travelers?

Qdenga® has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for individuals > 4 years of age and for use according to national recommendations. The vaccine shows high efficacy against virologically confirmed dengue and severe dengue in clinical studies on 4-16-year old's living in endemic areas. For individuals 16-60 years old only serological data exists and there is no data for individuals > 60 years.

Dynamic cerebral autoregulation measured by diffuse correlation spectroscopy.

Dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) can be derived from spontaneous oscillations in arterial blood pressure (ABP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF). Transcranial Doppler (TCD) measures CBF-velocity and is commonly used to assess dCA. Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is a promising optical technique for non-invasive CBF monitoring, so here we aimed to validate DCS as a tool for quantifying dCA.

Identification of novel autoantigens as potential biomarkers in juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated uveitis.

Background: Many children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have autoantibodies, targeting nuclear components (anti-nuclear antibodies, ANA). ANA in JIA is associated with uveitis, an eye inflammation which may cause permanent vision impairment if not detected and treated. However, ANA-testing is neither specific nor sensitive enough to be a clinically reliable predictor of uveitis risk, and the precise autoantigens targeted by ANA in JIA are largely unknown.

The risk of depression and anxiety is not increased in individuals with juvenile idiopathic arthritis - results from the south-Swedish juvenile idiopathic arthritis cohort.

Background: Children with chronic diseases are reported to have increased risk of psychiatric comorbidity. Few studies have investigated this risk in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), with conflicting results. We performed a population-based, longitudinal cohort study of the risk of depression and anxiety in south-Swedish patients with juvenile arthritis.

Primary diphtheria immunisation of adolescents and adults with low-dose vaccine, a survey of historic evidence from the literature.

The Public Health Agency of Sweden carried out a literature review on diphtheria vaccinations for seronegative people above 6 years of age with an uncertain vaccine history. The aim was to harmonise national Swedish recommendations with the current World Health Organization recommendations. There was no firm conclusion about dosage.

Time to Blood Culture Positivity: An Independent Predictor of Mortality in Bacteremia.

Background: bacteremia is a severe condition with high mortality. Time to blood culture positivity (TTP) is known to predict the outcome in bacteremia with other pathogens. This study aimed to determine the association between TTP and outcome in bacteremia.

COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against severe disease from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants - surveillance results from southern Sweden, December 2021 to March 2022.

We compared vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID-19 between December 2021 and March 2022 when Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were the dominating SARS-CoV-2 variants in Scania county, Sweden.

Treatment outcome with penicillin G or cloxacillin in penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: a retrospective cohort study.

An increasing proportion of penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (PSSA) has been reported over the last years. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare penicillin G with cloxacillin in the treatment of PSSA bloodstream infections. The primary outcome was the mortality rate after 90 days and the secondary outcome was the development of treatment complications of varying severity.

Risk of severe COVID-19 from the Delta and Omicron variants in relation to vaccination status, sex, age and comorbidities - surveillance results from southern Sweden, July 2021 to January 2022.

We compared the risk of severe COVID-19 during two periods 2021 and 2022 when Delta and Omicron, respectively, were the dominating virus variants in Scania county, Sweden. We adjusted for differences in sex, age, comorbidities, prior infection and vaccination. Risk of severe disease from Omicron was markedly lower among vaccinated cases.

Surveillance of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness - a real-time case-control study in southern Sweden.

The extensive register infrastructure available for coronavirus disease 2019 surveillance in Scania county, Sweden, makes it possible to classify individual cases with respect to hospitalisation and disease severity, stratify on time since last dose and demographic factors, account for prior infection and extract data for population controls automatically. In the present study, we developed a case–control sampling design to surveil vaccine effectiveness (VE) in this ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population with more than 1.3 million inhabitants.