The inflammatory process was already initiated in the myocardial cells in C57BL/6J mice at the early stage of C. pneumoniae infection and hyperlipidaemia. The expression of NF-kappaB and AP-1 was upregulated in mice infected by C. pneumoniae or fed an atherogenic diet. C. pneumoniae or hyperlipidaemia may involve the pathogenesis and progression of ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

No abstract

Aims: Current FDA-approved label recommends that the dosage of polymyxin B should be adjusted according to renal function. However, the correlation between polymyxin B pharmacokinetics (PK) and creatinine clearance (CrCL) is poor. This study aimed to develop a population PK model of polymyxin B in adult patients with various renal functions and to identify a dosing strategy. Methods: A retrospective PK study was performed in 32 adult patients with various renal function. Nonlinear mixed effects modelling was applied to build a population PK model of polymyxin B followed by Monte Carlo simulations which designed polymyxin B dosing regimens across various renal function. Results: Polymyxin B PK analyses included 112 polymyxin B concentrations at steady state from 32 adult patients, in which 71.9% of them were critically ill. In the final PK model, CrCL was the significant covariate on CL (typical value 1.59 L/h; between-subject variability 13%). The mean (SD) individual empirical Bayesian estimate of CL was 1.75 (0.43) L/h. In addition, a new dosing strategy combining the PK/pharmacodynamic (PD) targets and Monte Carlo simulation indicated that the reduction of polymyxin B dose in patients with renal insufficiency improved the probability of achieving optimal exposure. For severe infections caused by organisms with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≥ 2 mg/L, a high daily dose of polymyxin B might be possible for bacterial eradication, but the risk of nephrotoxicity is increased. Conclusions: Renal function plays a significant role in polymyxin B PK, and the dose of polymyxin B should be adjusted according to CrCL in patients with renal insufficiency.

CHIEF will be among the largest Eastern Asian armed forces cohort, in which physical status was strictly evaluated to follow up the hospitalization events for severe illness.

No abstract

Anemia defined as reduced hemoglobin levels of red blood cells may carry less oxygen to skeletal muscle and impair physical performance. Previous studies have shown that exercise intolerance was related to moderate or severe anemia, however, the relationship to mild anemia was unknown. We investigated the cross-sectional association of mild anemia defined as a hemoglobin level of 10.0–13.9 g/dL with physical fitness in 3,666 military young males in Taiwan in 2014. Aerobic fitness was evaluated by 3000-meter run test, and anaerobic fitness was evaluated by 2-minute sit-ups and 2-minute push-ups, respectively. Multiple logistic regressions for the best 10% and the worst 10% performers were used to determine the relationship. There were 343 mild anemic males in whom 47.8% were microcytic anemia and 3,323 non-anemic males for the analysis. The multiple logistic regression shows that as compared with non-anemic males, mild anemic males were more likely to be the worst 10% performers in the 3000-meter run test (odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals: 1.47, 1.01–2.14) after adjusting for age, service specialty, body mass index, waist size, mean blood pressure, unhealthy behaviors, lipid profiles, and exercise frequency. On the contrary, mild anemic males had higher possibility to be the best 10% performers in the 2-minute push-ups test (OR: 1.48, 1.08–2.04). However, there was no association between mild anemia and 2-minute sit-ups. Our findings suggest that unspecified mild anemia might be associated with lower cardiorespiratory fitness but not with anaerobic fitness in physically active military males.

More serious coronary atherosclerosis was observed in CHD patients with H. pylori +CagA+ infection. H. pylori +CagA+ infection might be involved in coronary atherosclerosis by modifying serum lipids, enhancing LDL oxidation, and activating the inflammatory responses.

The global pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), places a heavy burden on global public health. Four SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern including B.1.1.7, B.1.351, B.1.617.2, and P.1, and two variants of interest including C.37 and B.1.621 have been reported to have potential immune escape, and one or more mutations endow them with worrisome epidemiologic, immunologic, or pathogenic characteristics. This review introduces the latest research progress on SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest and concern, key mutation sites, and their effects on virus infectivity, mortality, and immune escape. Moreover, we compared the effects of various clinical SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and convalescent sera on epidemic variants, and evaluated the neutralizing capability of several antibodies on epidemic variants. In the end, SARS-CoV-2 evolution strategies in different transmission stages, the impact of different vaccination strategies on SARS-CoV-2 immune escape, antibody therapy strategies and COVID-19 epidemic control prospects are discussed. This review will provide a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the secret of SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest/concern and immune escape.