BackgroundDisseminated nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections occur mostly in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose disseminated NTM infections in patients without history of immunocompromised diseases or using immunosuppressant. Patients with anti-interferon-γ (IFN-γ) autoantibodies are vulnerable to intracellular infections, such as disseminated NTM. Currently, there is no widely used and efficient technique for the detection of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies. Herein, we report a case of an apparently healthy patient with disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection who tested positive for anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies.Case presentationA 64-year-old non-immunocompromised and apparently healthy Asian male presented to the emergency department with complaints of progressive chest pain for about 6 months and weight loss. A bulging tumour was found in the anterior chest wall. Chest computed tomography showed a lung mass over the right lower lobe and an osteolytic lesion with a soft tissue component at the sternum. Sonography-guided biopsies for the osteolytic lesion and sputum culture confirmed the presence of disseminated MAC infection. In addition, positive test result of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies was noted. The patient was prescribed antibiotics. The lesions over the right lower lobe and sternum attenuated following the antibiotic treatment.ConclusionDetection of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies is important among previously healthy people with disseminated NTM infection. Presence of anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies may suggest a high risk of severe intracellular infection, such as disseminated NTM infection.

Introduction This study, for the first time to our knowledge, evaluated the efficacy of ropeginterferon alfa-2b, a long-acting pegylated interferon (IFN)-alfa, in the treatment of COVID-19. Methods We retrospectively evaluated ropeginterferon alfa-2b administered subcutaneously at a single dose of 250 µg for the treatment of mild and moderate COVID-19. Primary outcome was to compare the overall negative conversion time from the confirmed, last positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR to the first RT-PCR negative conversion between patients receiving ropeginterferon alfa-2b plus standard of care (SOC) and those receiving SOC alone. Results Thirty-five patients with mild COVID-19 and 37 patients with moderate disease were included. Of them, 19 patients received SOC plus ropeginterferon alfa-2b and 53 patients received SOC alone. All patients with moderate disease in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group showed RT-PCR negative conversion within 8 days, while a significant portion of patients in the SOC alone group failed to do so. For patients with moderate disease and age ≤ 65 years old, the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group had statistically significant shorter median RT-PCR conversion time than the SOC alone group (7 vs. 11.5 days, p < 0.05). Conclusions Ropeginterferon alfa-2b showed the potential for the treatment of moderate COVID-19 patients. A randomized, controlled Phase III study is planned to further assess the effectiveness of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in COVID-19 patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12325-021-01998-y.

Cigarette smoking (CS) or ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure is a risk factor for metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance (IR), increased plasma triglycerides, hyperglycemia, and diabetes mellitus (DM); it can also cause gut microbiota dysbiosis. In smokers with metabolic disorders, CS cessation decreases the risks of serious pulmonary events, inflammation, and metabolic disorder. This review included recent studies examining the mechanisms underlying the effects of CS and PM on gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic disorder development; one of the potential mechanisms is the disruption of the lung–gut axis, leading to gut microbiota dysbiosis, intestinal dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and metabolic disease. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the primary metabolites of gut bacteria, which are derived from the fermentation of dietary fibers. They activate G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, suppress histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, and inhibit inflammation, facilitating the maintenance of gut health and biofunction. The aforementioned gut microbiota dysbiosis reduces SCFA levels. Treatment targeting SCFA/GPCR signaling may alleviate air pollution–associated inflammation and metabolic disorders, which involve lung–gut axis disruption.