A novel panel of peptides with diagnostic potential for serological identification of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii and B. afzelii in human sera.

A novel panel of peptide for serological identification of Borrelia burgdoferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii was developed and assessed in this study. The diagnostic algorithm of the novel test was initially trained testing 10 US human sera including 3 early-stage and 3 late-stage Lyme disease positive sera, 2 sera positive for Babesia and 2 sera positive for Syphilis, all purchased from a private biorepository. Findings were then corroborated testing (a) 33 additional EU follow-up positive sera from seroconverted patients bitten by ticks that tested positive for B.

The AxBioTick study - immune gene expression signatures in human skin bitten by Borrelia-infected versus non-infected ticks.

Background: Borrelia infection is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks, a common tick-borne infection in Northern Europe. The establishment of Borrelia infection depends on transmission of the spirochetes, as well as the immune response generated in the skin after a bite. Here we aim to investigate the local immune response in the skin after a tick bite and assess the possible direct effects of Borrelia, by applying gene expression analysis of the immune response in skin exposed to Borrelia-infected and non-infected ticks, respectively.

Incorporating Resource Constraints in Health Economic Evaluations: Overview and Methodological Considerations.

It is well known that healthcare resource constraints influence the capacity to deliver care, affecting both the costs and outcomes of medical interventions. If these constraints are not adequately accounted for in economic evaluations, there may be a lack of understanding regarding the full impact of implementing health technologies, leading to decisions being made with suboptimal information. This paper offers an overview of the types of healthcare resource constraints and their potential effects, and introduces a framework grounded in operations research and health economics principles, outlining the methodological considerations for incorporating resource constraints into economic evaluations.

Disease burden among patients with Arginase 1 deficiency and their caregivers: A multinational, cross-sectional survey.

Arginase 1 deficiency (ARG1-D) is an ultrarare, metabolic disease which may cause spastic paraplegia, cognitive deficiency, seizures, and ultimately severe disability. The aim of this study was to assess disease burden in ARG1-D by performing a cross-sectional survey of patients with ARG1-D and their caregivers in four European countries (France, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom). Patients were enrolled at participating clinics and data were collected using a web-based questionnaire.

Exposure, infection and disease with the tick-borne pathogen Borrelia miyamotoi in the Netherlands and Sweden, 2007-2019.

The impact of the emerging tick-borne pathogen Borrelia miyamotoi is not fully understood. We utilised a protein array to investigate B. miyamotoi seroreactivity in various human populations in the Netherlands and Sweden.

Incidence of symptomatic Lyme borreliosis in nine European countries.

Objectives: To better understand the Lyme borreliosis (LB) burden in Europe, we aimed to estimate the incidence of symptomatic Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) infections after adjusting public health LB surveillance data for under-detection of symptomatic Bbsl infections.

Methods: Data from seroprevalence studies and estimates of the symptomatic proportion and duration of antibody detection in Bbsl-infected individuals, derived from reviews of the published literature, were used to adjust public health LB surveillance data to estimate the incidence of symptomatic Bbsl infection in nine European countries from 2018 to 2022.

Results: The prevalence of anti-Bbsl antibodies ranged from 2.

Societal costs and quality of life associated with arginase 1 deficiency in a European setting - a multinational, cross-sectional survey.

Background And Aims: Arginase 1 deficiency (ARG1-D) is a ultrarare disease with manifestations that cause mobility and cognitive impairment that progress over time and may lead to early mortality. Diseases such as ARG1-D have a major impact also outside of the health care sector and the aim of this study was to estimate the current burden of disease associated with ARG1-D from a societal perspective.

Methods: The study was performed as a web-based survey of patients with ARG1-D and their caregivers in four European countries (France, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom).

Risk factors, prevention and treatment of weight gain associated with the use of antidepressants and antipsychotics: a state-of-the-art clinical review.

Introduction: People with severe mental illness have poor cardiometabolic health. Commonly used antidepressants and antipsychotics frequently lead to weight gain, which may further contribute to adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Areas Covered: We searched MEDLINE up to April 2023 for umbrella reviews, (network-)meta-analyses, trials and cohort studies on risk factors, prevention and treatment strategies of weight gain associated with antidepressants/antipsychotics.

Effects of antipsychotic treatment on cardio-cerebrovascular related mortality in schizophrenia: A subanalysis of a systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression of moderators.

To further explore the role of different antipsychotic treatments for cardio-cerebrovascular mortality, we performed several subgroup, sensitivity and meta-regression analyses based on a large previous meta-analysis focusing on cohort studies assessing mortality relative risk (RR) for cardio-cerebrovascular disorders in people with schizophrenia, comparing antipsychotic treatment versus no antipsychotic. Quality assessment through the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and publication bias was measured. We meta-analyzed 53 different studies (schizophrenia patients: n = 2,513,359; controls: n = 360,504,484) to highlight the differential effects of antipsychotic treatment regimens on cardio-cerebrovascular-related mortality in incident and prevalent samples of patients with schizophrenia.

An exploratory open-label multicentre phase I/II trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of postnatal or prenatal and postnatal administration of allogeneic expanded fetal mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of severe osteogenesis imperfecta in infants and fetuses: the BOOSTB4 trial protocol.

Introduction: Severe osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a debilitating disease with no cure or sufficiently effective treatment. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have good safety profile, show promising effects and can form bone. The Boost Brittle Bones Before Birth (BOOSTB4) trial evaluates administration of allogeneic expanded human first trimester fetal liver MSCs (BOOST cells) for OI type 3 or severe type 4.

Systematic Review on the Cost Effectiveness of Prostate Cancer Screening in Europe.

Background And Objective: In Europe, prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men. Screening may therefore be crucial to lower health care costs, morbidity, and mortality. This systematic review aimed to provide a contemporary overview of the costs and benefits of PCa screening programmes.

Neonatal and Obstetrical Outcomes of Pregnancies Complicated by Alloimmunization.

Background And Objectives: Despite advances in the prevention of rhesus (Rh)(D) alloimmunization, alloantibodies to Rh(D) and non-Rh(D) red blood cell antigens continue to be detected in ∼4% of US pregnancies and can result in hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). Recent reports on HDFN lack granularity and are unable to provide antibody-specific outcomes. The objective of this study was to calculate the frequency of alloimmunization in our large hospital system and summarize the outcomes based on antibody specificity, titer, and other clinical factors.

in Ticks Blood-Feeding on Migratory Birds in Sweden.

Migratory birds play a dual role as potential reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens, and potential dispersers of pathogen-containing ticks during their migratory journeys. , a prevalent tick species in Northern and Western Europe, serves as a primary vector for -a bacterium with implications for human and animal health. There is limited information available regarding in birds.

Regional differences in mortality risk and in attenuating or aggravating factors in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

People with schizophrenia die prematurely, yet regional differences are unclear. PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review/random-effects meta-analysis of cohort studies assessing mortality relative risk (RR) versus any control group, and moderators, in people with ICD/DSM-defined schizophrenia, comparing countries and continents. We conducted subgroup, meta-regression analyses, and quality assessment.

How to Detect Antibodies Against in Human Blood Samples.

Background: Today only indirect fluorescent antibody assays (IFAs) are commercially available to detect antibodies against in humans. IFA is subjective and requires highly experienced staff. We have therefore developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based method for measuring anti- immunoglobulin G antibodies in human blood samples.

Coinfection of and in the Tick -A Neglected Public Health Issue in Europe?

nymphs and adults removed from humans, and larvae and nymphs from birds, have been analysed for infection with species and species previously in separately published studies. Here, we use the same data set to explore the coinfection pattern of and species in the ticks. We also provide an overview of the ecology and potential public health importance in Sweden of infected both with zoonotic and species.

Tick-borne diseases in the North Sea region-A comprehensive overview and recommendations for diagnostics and treatment.

As part of the NorthTick project, co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund and the North Sea Region Programme, specialists in the field of tick-borne diseases from seven North Sea countries co-operated with patient organisations and governmental health care institutions to provide this comprehensive overview of diagnostics and treatment recommendations in the region for Lyme borreliosis, Borrelia miyamotoi infection, tick-borne encephalitis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, rickettsiosis, neoehrlichiosis and babesiosis. The main conclusion is that the recommendations in these northern countries are essentially the same, with very few differences. This overview presents the current diagnostics and provides useful clinical guidance.

Temporal patterns of gene expression in response to inoculation with a virulent Anaplasma phagocytophilum strain in sheep.

The aim of this study was to characterize the gene expression of host immune- and cellular responses to a Norwegian virulent strain of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the cause of tick-borne fever in sheep. Ten sheep were intravenously inoculated with a live virulent strain of A. phagocytophilum.

Precision medicine in neurodegeneration: the IHI-PROMINENT project.

Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the most important contributors to morbidity and mortality in the elderly. In Europe, over 14 million people are currently living with dementia, at a cost of over 400 billion EUR annually. Recent advances in diagnostics and approval for new pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common etiology of dementia, heralds the beginning of precision medicine in this field.

Winter activity of Ixodes ricinus in Sweden.

Background: In Europe, Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) is the most widespread and abundant tick species, acting as a vector for several microorganisms of medical and veterinary importance. In Northern and Central Europe, the tick has a bimodal activity pattern consisting of a peak in spring to the beginning of summer and a second peak at the end of summer. However, several findings of ticks on animals during winter have been reported, which raises the question of whether this is an overwintering strategy or whether ticks are active during winter in Scandinavia.

The Disease Burden and Economic Burden of Cancer in 9 Countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to characterize the epidemiological development of cancer in the Middle East and Africa since 2000 and to quantify its current economic impact.

Methods: Nine countries were studied: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Information on causes of death and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) was obtained from the World Health Organization.