From 2018 to 2020, the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak re-emerged in Thailand with a record of more than 10,000 cases up until the end of 2020. Here, we studied acute CHIKV-infected patients who had presented to the Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases from 2019 to 2020 by assessing the relationship between viral load, clinical features, and serological profile. The results from our study showed that viral load was significantly high in patients with fever, headache, and arthritis. We also determined the neutralizing antibody titer in response to the viral load in patients, and our data support the evidence that an effective neutralizing antibody response against the virus is important for control of the viral load. Moreover, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the CHIKV strains we studied belonged to the East, Central, and Southern African (ECSA) genotype, of the Indian ocean lineage (IOL), and possessed E1-K211E and E1-I317V mutations. Thus, this study provides insight for a better understanding of CHIKV pathogenesis in acute infection, along with the genomic diversity of the current CHIKV strains circulating in Thailand.
Psoriasis is mainly caused because of inappropriate immune responses in the epidermis. Rice (Oryza sativa L.: SRNC05053-6-2) consists of anthocyanin, which exhibits strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the role of this black-coloured rice crude extract in alleviating the symptoms of psoriasis using human psoriatic artificial skin and an imiquimod-induced rat psoriasis model. Psoriasis-related genes, cytokines and chemokines were examined; in addition, the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties and the immunohistopathological features of this condition were studied. The results showed that the rice extract reduced the severity of psoriasis by (1) decreasing the epidermal thickness, acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, epidermal inflammation and degree of apoptosis induction via caspase-3, (2) increasing the expression levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β), (3) reducing the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-20, IL-22 and TNF-α), chemokines (CCL-20) and anti-microbial peptides (psoriasin and β-defensin), (4) enhancing the antioxidative property (Nrf-2), (5) downregulating the levels of psoriasis-associated genes (psoriasin, β-defensin, koebnerisin 15L and koebnerisin 15S) and (6) upregulating the levels of psoriasis-improving genes (caspase-14, involucrin and filaggrin). Thus, the extract appears to exert therapeutic effects on psoriasis through its antioxidative and immunomodulatory properties.
Purposes To evaluate inanimate surface contamination of SARS-CoV-2 during midfacial fracture repair (MFR) and to identify relevant aggregating factors. Methods Using a prospective non-randomised comparative study design, we enrolled a cohort of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients undergoing MFR. The predictor variables were osteofixation system (conventional titanium plates [CTiP] vs. ultrasound-assisted resorbable plates [USaRP]). The main outcomes were the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on four different surfaces. Other study variables were categorised into demographic, anatomic, and operative. Descriptive, bi- and multivariate statistics were computed. Results The sample consisted of 11 patients (27.3% females. 63.6% right side, 72.7% displaced fractures) with a mean age of 52.7 ± 20.1 years (range, 19-85). Viral spread was, on average, 1.9 ± 0.4 m. from the operative field, including most oral and orbital retractors’ tips (81.8% and 72.7%) and no virus was found at 3 m from the operative field, but no significant difference was found between 2 osteofixation types. On binary adjustments, significantly broader contamination was linked to centrolateral MFR ( P = 0.034; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05 to 1.02), and displaced MFR > 45 min ( P = 0.022; 95% CI, 0.1 to 1.03). Conclusions USaRP, albeit presumably heavily aerosol-producing, cause similar SARS-CoV-2 distribution to CTiP. Non-surgical operating room (OR) staff should stay ≥ 3 m from the operative field, if the patient is SARS-CoV-2-positive. Enoral and orbital instruments are a potential virus source, especially during displaced MFR > 45 min and/or centrolateral MFR, emphasising an importance of appropriate patient screening and OR organisation.
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