Syphilis cases among pregnant women and newborns in the Military Health System, 2012-2022.

This report presents the rates of maternal syphilis among pregnant women and congenital syphilis among newborns in the Military Health System (MHS) beneficiary population from 2012 to 2022. Medical encounter data from military hospitals and clinics as well as civilian health care facilities were obtained from the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) to determine pregnancies, live births, and confirmed diagnoses of maternal and congenital syphilis. The rate of maternal syphilis in female MHS beneficiaries increased by 233% between 2012 (n=123, 66.

Effectiveness of mRNA-1273, BNT162b2, and JNJ-78436735 COVID-19 Vaccines Among US Military Personnel Before and During the Predominance of the Delta Variant.

Importance: No studies to date have evaluated the effectiveness of 3 COVID-19 vaccines in the US military population, especially during the circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.

COVID-19 and depressive symptoms among active component U.S. service members, January 2019-July 2021.

This study examined the rates of depressive symptoms in active component U.S. service members prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluated whether SARS-CoV-2 test results (positive or negative) were associated with self-reported depressive symptoms.

Update: Osteoarthritis and Spondylosis, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2016-2020.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common adult joint disease and accounts for significant morbidity burdens among U.S. civilian and military populations.

Acute and chronic pancreatitis, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2004-2018.

Pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas resulting from the premature activation of digestive enzymes within the pancreas. Pancreatitis occurs in both acute and chronic forms. During 2004-2018, a total of 6,471 U.

Summary of the 2018-2019 influenza season among Department of Defense service members and other beneficiaries.

The Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch conducts weekly surveillance of influenza activity among Department of Defense (DoD) populations each influenza season. This report provides a summary of the data from the 2018-2019 influenza season. Ambulatory data for influenza-like illnesses (ILIs), influenza hospitalization data, and lab data for influenza-confirmed cases were used for the surveillance.

Psychiatric medical evacuations in individuals with diagnosed pre-deployment family problems, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2002-2014.

This study evaluated incidence of pre-deployment family problem diagnoses and psychiatric medical evacuations among a population of active component service members without a history of previous mental health diagnoses, who deployed to the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility for the first time between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2014.

Vasectomy and vasectomy reversals, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2000-2017.

During 2000-2017, a total of 170,878 active component service members underwent a first-occurring vasectomy, for a crude overall incidence rate of 8.6 cases per 1,000 person-years (p-yrs). The most common operative procedure performed was conventional vasectomy (99.

Herpes zoster, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2000-2016.

During 2000-2016, a total of 52,895 active component service members received incident diagnoses of herpes zoster (HZ), for an overall unadjusted incidence rate of 2.5 cases per 1,000 person-years (p-yrs). Compared to their respective counterparts, overall incidence rates of HZ were highest among females, those aged 50 years or older, and Air Force members.

Fatigue and related comorbidities, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2007-2016.

Fatigue is a common complaint in the civilian population and may be a presenting symptom of more serious physical and mental disorders. Data from the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) were utilized to characterize the incidence and burden of fatigue in active component military members from 1 January 2007 through 31 December 2016. A subanalysis of 3 years within this surveillance period (2012-2014) was also conducted to assess the burden of comorbidities related to incident fatigue and the strength of the association between fatigue and selected comorbidities.

Seizures among active component service members, U.S. Armed Forces,2007-2016.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a known risk factor for seizures. Evidence also shows that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with seizures, but the relationship in the absence of TBI remains unclear. This retrospective study spanning 2007-2016 separately quantifies the rates of seizures diagnosed among deployed and non-deployed active component military service members to understand the factors associated with seizures and whether they differ in deployed settings.

Multiple sclerosis among service members of the active and reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces and among other beneficiaries of the Military Health System, 2007-2016.

During 2007-2016, a total of 2,031 active component service members received incident diagnoses of multiple sclerosis (MS), for an overall unadjusted incidence rate of 14.9 cases per 100,000 p-yrs. The average overall unadjusted rate among reserve/guard members during this surveillance period was 6.

Rates of infections across the deployment cycle, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2008-2015.

High rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including (CT), have been documented among U.S. military service members.

Integrated genome-wide analysis of expression quantitative trait loci aids interpretation of genomic association studies.

Background: Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with gene expression levels, known as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), may improve understanding of the functional role of phenotype-associated SNPs in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The small sample sizes of some previous eQTL studies have limited their statistical power. We conducted an eQTL investigation of microarray-based gene and exon expression levels in whole blood in a cohort of 5257 individuals, exceeding the single cohort size of previous studies by more than a factor of 2.

Peripheral Blood Transcriptomic Signatures of Fasting Glucose and Insulin Concentrations.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified genetic loci associated with glycemic traits. However, characterizing the functional significance of these loci has proven challenging. We sought to gain insights into the regulation of fasting insulin and fasting glucose through the use of gene expression microarray data from peripheral blood samples of participants without diabetes in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) (n = 5,056), the Rotterdam Study (RS) (n = 723), and the InCHIANTI Study (Invecchiare in Chianti) (n = 595).

Completeness and timeliness of reporting of notifiable medical conditions, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2008-2014.

The complete and timely reporting of notifiable medical conditions occurring among U.S. military service members is important for the control of communicable and preventable diseases and injuries.

Gene expression markers of age-related inflammation in two human cohorts.

Introduction: Chronically elevated circulating inflammatory markers are common in older persons but mechanisms are unclear. Many blood transcripts (>800 genes) are associated with interleukin-6 protein levels (IL6) independent of age. We aimed to identify gene transcripts statistically mediating, as drivers or responders, the increasing levels of IL6 protein in blood at older ages.

A meta-analysis of gene expression signatures of blood pressure and hypertension.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered numerous genetic variants (SNPs) that are associated with blood pressure (BP). Genetic variants may lead to BP changes by acting on intermediate molecular phenotypes such as coded protein sequence or gene expression, which in turn affect BP variability. Therefore, characterizing genes whose expression is associated with BP may reveal cellular processes involved in BP regulation and uncover how transcripts mediate genetic and environmental effects on BP variability.

Identification of common genetic variants controlling transcript isoform variation in human whole blood.

An understanding of the genetic variation underlying transcript splicing is essential to dissect the molecular mechanisms of common disease. The available evidence from splicing quantitative trait locus (sQTL) studies has been limited to small samples. We performed genome-wide screening to identify SNPs that might control mRNA splicing in whole blood collected from 5,257 Framingham Heart Study participants.

Whole blood gene expression and interleukin-6 levels.

Background: Circulating interleukin-6 levels increase with advancing age and are a risk factor for various diseases and mortality. The characterization of gene expression profiles associated with interleukin-6 levels might suggest important molecular events underlying its regulation.

Methods And Results: We studied the association of transcriptional profiles with interleukin-6 levels in 2422 participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort using Affymetrix Human Exon 1.