Recent data suggests that herpes zoster (HZ) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) may be one of the underlying immunological triggers for giant cell arteritis (GCA). However, there is limited population-based data to support this. Our goal was to determine if herpetic infections increase the likelihood of GCA in the British Columbia (BC) population. The background prevalence of GCA was compared to the prevalence of GCA in subjects with HZ and HSV using diagnostic billing code data from an online BC database (BC Data Scout). BC residents ≥30 years old at the time of diagnosis from January 2000 to January 2019 were included. The relevant International Classification of Disease codes was used to identify patients with GCA, HZ, and HSV. Comparisons were made using two-sample Z tests. There were 4315 GCA diagnoses, from a total population of 3,026,005 subjects. The prevalence of GCA was 143 per 100,000 people. In terms of herpetic infections, 850 GCA cases were identified in 249,900 subjects with HZ versus 310 diagnoses of GCA in 163,170 subjects with HSV. The prevalence of GCA in subjects with HZ (0.340%) was significantly higher than the prevalence of GCA (0.143%) in the general population ( < 0.00001). The prevalence of GCA in HSV subjects (0.190%) was also significantly higher ( < 0.00001) than the population prevalence but lower than ( < 0.00001) the GCA with HZ prevalence. The likelihood of GCA appears to increase with herpetic infections, more significantly with HZ.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm10010063 | DOI Listing |
BMC Infect Dis
January 2025
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.
Background: Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of death in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC). Increasing antibiotic resistance in early onset (< 72 h of life) bloodstream infection (EO-BSI) pathogens in LMIC has reduced the effectiveness of the recommended empiric antibiotic regimen (ampicillin plus gentamicin).
Methods: We retrospectively analysed blood culture-confirmed EO-BSI episodes at nine neonatal units from three central and six peripheral hospitals in the Western Cape Province, South Africa between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018.
Lancet Infect Dis
January 2025
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a growing threat globally, specifically in health-care settings in which antimicrobial-resistant pathogens cause a substantial proportion of health-care-associated infections (HAIs). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and the analysis of the data produced therein (ie, bioinformatics) represent an opportunity to enhance our capacity to address these threats. The 3rd Geneva Infection Prevention and Control Think Tank brought together experts to identify gaps, propose solutions, and set priorities for the use of NGS for HAIs and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmun Inflamm Dis
January 2025
Faculty of Medicine, Alzaiem Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan.
Introduction: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a common vasculitis predominantly affecting larger vessels, especially in individuals aged 70-79. Cerebrovascular ischemic events (CIE), such as stroke and transient ischemic attacks, are serious but rare complications of GCA, with a pooled prevalence of 4%. Some studies found that within 2 weeks of GCA diagnosis, 74% and 34% of patients experience transient or severe ischemic events, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntern Med
January 2025
Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan.
We herein report the first case of dyspnea with hemidiaphragm elevation in a 68-year-old woman with active giant cell arteritis (GCA), including successful treatment. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a reduced density of the left ophthalmic artery and the left superficial temporal artery with increased soft tissue compared to the other side, indicating that the GCA had flared up and suggesting that the hemidiaphragm elevation might be caused by vasculitis-associated ischemia of the right phrenic nerve. Hemidiaphragm paralysis due to vasculitis-associated ischemia in patients with GCA needs to be distinguished from local infection, tumors, and hepatomegaly, which are the major causes of hemidiaphragm elevation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRheumatol Int
January 2025
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.
Background: Diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) and Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) may be challenging as many patients present with non-specific symptoms. Superficial cranial arteries are predilection sites of inflammatory affection. Ultrasound is typically the diagnostic tool of first choice supplementary to clinical and laboratory examination.
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