Various COVID-19 vaccines are currently deployed, but their immunization varies and decays with time. Antibody level is a potent correlate to immune protection, but its quantitation relies on intensive laboratory techniques. Here, we report a decentralized, instrument-free microfluidic device that directly visualizes SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels. Magnetic microparticles (MMPs) and polystyrene microparticles (PMPs) can bind to SARS-CoV-2 antibodies simultaneously. In a microfluidic chip, this binding reduces the incidence of free PMPs escaping from magnetic separation and shortens PMP accumulation length at a particle dam. This visual quantitative result enables use in either sensitive mode [limit of detection (LOD): 13.3 ng/ml; sample-to-answer time: 70 min] or rapid mode (LOD: 57.8 ng/ml; sample-to-answer time: 20 min) and closely agrees with the gold standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Trials on 91 vaccinees revealed higher antibody levels in mRNA vaccinees than in inactivated vaccinees and their decay in 45 days, demonstrating the need for point-of-care devices to monitor immune protection.
Objectives
To investigate the risk of cutaneous herpes zoster (HZ) in spondyloarthritis (SpA) compared with that in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and in disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) used in SpA.
Method
A total of 727 patients with an expert diagnosis of SpA were identified retrospectively from four rheumatology centers in Hong Kong. Electronic medical records from 1995 to 2018 were reviewed for incidence of cutaneous HZ and demographic data including age, sex, comorbidities, smoking and drinking status. DMARDs used included sulphasalazine, methotrexate, leflunomide, steroids, etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab, secukinumab and ustekinumab. Cox regression models were used to evaluate hazard ratios (HRs) of different DMARDs in patients with SpA. Propensity score was used for matching and comparison with 857 patients with RA.
Results
There were 23 cases of cutaneous HZ in patients with SpA and 59 cases in patients with RA. Among patients with SpA, 7 cases of cutaneous HZ may be attributed to sulfasalazine treatment, 7 to methotrexate, 2 to leflunomide, 2 to infliximab, 1 to etanercept, 2 to adalimumab, and 1 to secukinumab. Risks of cutaneous HZ were the same in SpA (stratified HR 0.97; 95% CI 0.58; 1.61; P = .89) and RA. Methotrexate (adjusted HR 3.47; 95% CI 1.25; 9.63; P = .02) and infliximab (adjusted HR 10.67; 95% CI 1.37; 82.88; P = .02) were found to be associated with HZ after adjustments for traditional risk factors.
Conclusion
Risk of cutaneous HZ in SpA was not lower than in RA. Methotrexate and infliximab were associated with cutaneous HZ in SpA.
We report a rare case of acute liver failure from acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) in a non-pregnant woman without comorbidities who survived after liver transplantation. The source was likely consumption of partially cooked pig liver. HEV genotype 3 is the second most common genotype causing acute hepatitis E in developed countries. Fulminant hepatitis E rarely occurs without a risk factor, as in our patient. Vigilant monitoring for chronic hepatitis E in post-transplant immunocompromised patients is needed.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common atypical respiratory pathogen causing community-acquired pneumonia in children. Co-infection with other respiratory viruses is common in pediatric patients but super-infection with bacteria other than Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae is rare. The first case of Chromobacterium violaceum infection incubated during and manifested after pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae in a 12-month old girl without any known history of immunodeficiency is here reported. The patient developed fever with redness and swelling over the middle phalanx of the right hand index finger which progressed to the formation of skin abscess. Following a course of intravenous meropenem and surgical drainage of the skin abscess, the patient fully recovered and was discharged.
Human malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne protozoan parasitic infection in human involving female anopheline mosquitoes as vector for transmission. It is caused by Plasmodium species, most commonly, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. falciparum, and rarely P. knowlesi. Malaria remains a significant global health issue and is a medical emergency. It is also an important cause of morbidity and mortality in endemic areas, particularly in at-risk groups. In Hong Kong, where malaria is non-endemic, more than 20 cases of malaria per year have been notified in recent years. We still have chances encountering patients with malaria presented to public or private emergency departments. High index of clinical suspicious is utmost important for not missing a case of malaria. A practical approach for prompt identification of patients with severe malaria is essential, followed by appropriate initiation of appropriate effective antimalarial treatment within 24 to 48 hours of symptoms onset after blood taken for thick and thin smears for diagnosis. Vigilance with increased awareness of not falling into common diagnostic traps has to be alerted. The risk of missing any case of malaria presenting to emergency department could be largely minimized.
We described the case report of a patient presented with no known predisposing factor, generalized malaise with vomiting, locked jaw, perioral paraesthesia, carpopedal spasm and a positive Chvostek's sign which resulted from severe electrolyte disturbance at 5 hours after use of oral sodium phosphate solution (NaPO4) as bowel preparation for colonoscopy. On presentation, she developed hyperphosphatemia and symptomatic hypocalcaemia with serum phosphate of 1.84 mmol/L and adjusted calcium level 1.67 mmol/L respectively. Her symptoms subsided after immediate intravenous calcium gluconate followed by oral calcium supplement. The electrolyte disturbances were normalized with an uneventful clinical course. The potentially fatal complications of sodium phosphate solution which commonly prescribed as bowel preparation for conventional colonoscopy could develop though previously reported as uncommon in patients without predisposing factors, and should not be overlooked. Urgent assessment and immediate correction of electrolyte disturbances are needed. Recommendations on patient selection of use of sodium phosphate to minimize risk of developing adverse events are needed to incorporate in clinical protocols.
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