Seroconversion and Kinetics of Vibriocidal Antibodies during the First 90 Days of Re-Vaccination with Oral Cholera Vaccine in an Endemic Population.

Despite the successful introduction of oral cholera vaccines, Zambia continues to experience multiple, sporadic, and protracted cholera outbreaks in various parts of the country. While vaccines have been useful in staying the cholera outbreaks, the ideal window for re-vaccinating individuals resident in cholera hotspot areas remains unclear. Using a prospective cohort study design, 225 individuals were enrolled and re-vaccinated with two doses of Shanchol™, regardless of previous vaccination, and followed-up for 90 days.

Association of biomarkers of enteric dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and growth hormone resistance with seroconversion to oral rotavirus vaccine: A lasso for inference approach.

Background: Rotavirus gastroenteritis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality despite the introduction of vaccines. Research shows there are several factors contributing to the reduced efficacy of rotavirus vaccines in low- and middle-income settings. Proposed factors include environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), malnutrition, and immune dysfunction.

RotaRod and acoustic startle reflex performance of two potential mouse models for Meniere's disease.

Meniere's disease (MD) is a disorder of the inner ear characterized by chronic episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, increased aural pressure, and sensorineural hearing loss. Causes of MD are unknown, but endolymphatic hydrops is a hallmark. In addition, 5%-15% of MD cases have been identified as familial.

Evaluation of ROTARIX Booster Dose Vaccination at 9 Months for Safety and Enhanced Anti-Rotavirus Immunity in Zambian Children: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Oral rotavirus vaccines show diminished immunogenicity in low-resource settings where rotavirus burden is highest. This study assessed the safety and immune boosting effect of a third dose of oral ROTARIX (GlaxoSmithKline) vaccine administered at 9 months of age. A total of 214 infants aged 6 to 12 weeks were randomised to receive two doses of ROTARIX as per standard schedule with other routine vaccinations or an additional third dose of ROTARIX administered at 9 months old concomitantly with measles/rubella vaccination.

Conservatively treated intramyocardial dissecting haematoma of the interventricular septum as a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction: a case report.

Background: Intramyocardial dissecting haematoma (IDH) is a rare and potentially life-threatening complication of acute coronary syndrome. So far only isolated case reports and case series have been published.

Case Summary: We report the case of a late presenting myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by IDH of the ventricular septum, following a successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

T-Cell Responses after Rotavirus Infection or Vaccination in Children: A Systematic Review.

Cellular immunity against rotavirus in children is incompletely understood. This review describes the current understanding of T-cell immunity to rotavirus in children. A systematic literature search was conducted in Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Global Health databases using a combination of "t-cell", "rotavirus" and "child" keywords to extract data from relevant articles published from January 1973 to March 2020.

Comparing growth velocity of HIV exposed and non-exposed infants: An observational study of infants enrolled in a randomized control trial in Zambia.

Background: Impaired growth among infants remains one of the leading nutrition problems globally. In this study, we aimed to compare the growth trajectory rate and evaluate growth trajectory characteristics among children, who are HIV exposed uninfected (HEU) and HIV unexposed uninfected (HUU), under two years in Zambia.

Method: Our study used data from the ROVAS II study (PACTR201804003096919), an open-label randomized control trial of two verses three doses of live, attenuated, oral RotarixTM administered 6 &10 weeks or at 6 &10 weeks plus an additional dose at 9 months of age, conducted at George clinic in Lusaka, Zambia.

Serum vibriocidal responses when second doses of oral cholera vaccine are delayed 6 months in Zambia.

Two-dose killed oral cholera vaccines (OCV) are currently being used widely to control cholera. The standard dose-interval for OCV is 2 weeks; however, during emergency use of the vaccine, it may be more appropriate to use the available doses to quickly give a single dose to more people and give a delayed second dose when more vaccine becomes available. This study is an open label, randomized, phase 2 clinical trial of the vibriocidal response induced by OCV, comparing the responses when the second dose was given either 2 weeks (standard dose interval) or 6 months (extended dose interval) after the first dose.

Three transmission events of Vibrio cholerae O1 into Lusaka, Zambia.

Background: Cholera has been present and recurring in Zambia since 1977. However, there is a paucity of data on genetic relatedness and diversity of the Vibrio cholerae isolates responsible for these outbreaks. Understanding whether the outbreaks are seeded from existing local isolates or if the outbreaks represent separate transmission events can inform public health decisions.

Shigella-specific antibodies in the first year of life among Zambian infants: A longitudinal cohort study.

Introduction: Shigellosis, is a leading cause of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea and related mortality in young children in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Knowledge on naturally acquired immunity can support the development of Shigella candidate vaccines mostly needed in LMICs. We aimed to quantify Shigella-specific antibodies of maternal origin and those naturally acquired in Zambian infants.

Clinical presentation of congenital syphilis in a rotavirus vaccine cohort study in Lusaka: a case series.

Background: Despite an otherwise robust national antenatal clinic program, maternal and congenital syphilis remains an important public health issue in Zambia. This case series reports the clinical presentation of seven infants diagnosed with congenital syphilis in Lusaka, Zambia.

Case Presentations: The cases in this series were incidental findings from a cohort of infants enrolled in a rotavirus vaccine immunogenicity study recruiting infants at 6 weeks of age.

In-vitro inhibitory effect of maternal breastmilk components on rotavirus vaccine replication and association with infant seroconversion to live oral rotavirus vaccine.

Background: Despite contributing to a significant reduction in rotavirus associated diarrhoea in highly burdened low- and middle-income countries, live attenuated, oral rotavirus vaccines have lower immunogenicity and efficacy in these settings in comparison to more developed countries. Breastmilk has been implicated among factors contributing to this lowered oral vaccine efficacy. We conducted in-vitro experiments to investigate the inhibitory effects of maternal antibody and other non-antibody components in breastmilk on rotavirus vaccine strain (Rotarix) multiplication in MA104 cell culture system and assessed associations with in-vivo vaccine seroconversion in vaccinated infants.

A pilot study on use of live attenuated rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix™) as an infection challenge model.

Background: Rotavirus remains the commonest cause of dehydrating diarrhoea, particularly in developing countries. Human infection challenge studies in children in these countries offers an opportunity to rapidly evaluate new vaccine candidates that may have improved efficacy. We evaluated use of Rotarix™ as a live-attenuated challenge agent.

Duplication of The Gene in an Sry-negative 46,XX Male with Associated Congenital Anomalies of Kidneys and the Urinary Tract: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are a group of rare conditions characterized by discrepancy between chromosomal sex, gonads and external genitalia. Congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract are often associated with DSD, mostly in multiple malformation syndromes. We describe the case of an 11-year-old Caucasian boy, with right kidney hypoplasia and hypospadias.

Severe digital malformations in a rare variant of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

A 16-year-old girl with a history of nontraumatic swelling of both forearms, osteochondromas of the knees, heterotopic ossification of the neck and back, severe malformations of all digits with hypoplastic or absent nails, alopecia partialis of the scalp, and moderate cognitive impairment was seen for diagnostic evaluation. Whole exome sequencing identified an activating mutation of ACVR1 (c.983G > A; p.

Characteristic Diagnostic Clues of Metatropic Dysplasia: The Lumbothoracic Humpback with Dumbbell Appearance of the Long Bones.

Metatropic dysplasia (MD) is a rare skeletal dysplasia associated with heterozygous mutations in the gene. We describe a 28-month-old boy with knock-knees referred for metabolic investigation suspected of carrying vitamin D-resistant rickets. He has received regular vitamin D prophylaxis at the usual dose.

Why study inner ear hair cell mitochondria?

In several systems of the body (muscle, liver, nerves), new studies have examined the internal structure of mitochondria and brought to light striking new findings about how mitochondria are constructed and how their structure affects cell function. In the inner ear field, however, we have little structural knowledge about hair cell and supporting cell mitochondria, and virtually none about mitochondrial subtypes or how they function in health and disease. The need for such knowledge is discussed in this short review.

A 4-Year-Old Boy with Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS).

Objectives: Molecular characterization of a patient with BWS.

Clinical Presentation And Intervention: A 4-year-old boy with overgrowth (weight above 99th and height at 99th percentile) had longitudinal hemihypertrophy of the tongue and left cheek. In addition, there was a difference of one centimeter in the circumference of the left and right leg.

Heterotopic ossifications and Charcot joints: Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) and a novel NTRK1 gene mutation.

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), also known as hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IV (HSAN-IV), is a rare and severe autosomal recessive disorder. We report on an adult female patient whose clinical findings during childhood were not recognized as CIPA. There was neither complete anhidrosis nor a recognizable sensitivity to heat.

Gene Alterations in Children Born Small for Gestitional Age (SGA).

Background: Small for gestational age (SGA)-born children are a heterogeneous group with few genetic causes reported. Genetic alterations in the IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) are found in some SGA children.

Aim: To investigate whether alterations in gene are present in SGA born children.