Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Surbhi Bihani, Aryan Gupta, Subina Mehta, Andrew T. Rajczewski, James Johnson, Dhanush Borishetty, Timothy J. Griffin, Sanjeeva Srivastava, Pratik D. Jagtap
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the exploration of the microbiome is necessary due to impaired immunity and cases of secondary infections. This study used mass spectrometry-based data to investigate the metaproteome of nasopharyngeal swab samples from COVID-19 patients. Through a bioinformatics workflow, microbial peptides belonging to opportunistic pathogens were detected, and upregulated microbial proteins were found in severe patients. Clinical metaproteomics based on mass spectrometry can be a powerful tool for detecting and characterizing potential pathogens, impacting the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Getachew Tesfaye Beyene, Fekadu Alemu, Eyerusalem Solomon Kebede, Dawit Hailu Alemayehu, Tamirayehu Seyoum, Dessalegn Abeje Tefera, Gebeyehu Assefa, Abebech Tesfaye, Anteneh Habte, Gadissa Bedada, Birhanemeskel Tegene, Melese Yeshambaw, Liya Wassie, Adane Mihret, Alemseged Abdissa, Andargachew Mulu
Summary: Saliva can be a good alternative sample for diagnosing COVID-19 patients, showing higher yield and viral load compared to NPS samples.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Nicolas Sananes, Massimo Lodi, Antoine Koch, Lise Lecointre, Axel Sananes, Nicolas Lefebvre, Christian Debry
Summary: In this study, a realistic nasopharyngeal swab collection simulator was developed through 3D printing, providing complete operating instructions. The simulator can simulate the actual collection process and provide real-time feedback, which is beneficial for training purposes.
EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Francesco Aiello, Marco Ciotti, Gabriele Gallo Afflitto, Maria Cristina Rapanotti, Bartolo Caggiano, Michele Treglia, Sandro Grelli, Sergio Bernardini, Silvestro Mauriello, Carlo Nucci, Luigi Tonino Marsella, Raffaele Mancino
Summary: The study showed that SARS-CoV-2 cannot contaminate post-mortem corneal epithelium, but can persist in other structures of the ocular surface, implying possible contamination ante-mortem.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bawlah Tahir, Fitsum Weldegebreal, Firayad Ayele, Desalegn Admassu Ayana
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of saliva compared to nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) in the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that saliva had a higher detection rate for SARS-CoV-2 compared to NPS, and there was significant agreement between the two specimens. Therefore, saliva could be a suitable and easily obtainable alternative diagnostic specimen for SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis.
Article
Immunology
Carmela Nardelli, Ivan Gentile, Mario Setaro, Carmela Di Domenico, Biagio Pinchera, Antonio Riccardo Buonomo, Emanuela Zappulo, Riccardo Scotto, Giovanni Luca Scaglione, Giuseppe Castaldo, Ettore Capoluongo
Summary: SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to significant differences in the nasopharyngeal microbiome composition between patients and controls. The reduction of certain bacteria, such as Fusobacterium periodonticum (FP), may affect the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further research is needed to elucidate the specific role of FP in COVID-19.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Cedric Hartard, Sibel Berger, Thomas Josse, Evelyne Schvoerer, Helene Jeulin
Summary: The LIAISON(R) SARS-CoV-2 Ag test showed a specificity of 99.4% and a negative predictive value of 100% in asymptomatic individuals. It demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 84.8%, reaching 91.9% in the first four days after symptom onset. The test may be particularly useful for COVID-19 diagnosis, especially within the early symptom onset period.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Abhijith Biji, Oyahida Khatun, Shachee Swaraj, Rohan Narayan, Raju S. Rajmani, Rahila Sardar, Deepshikha Satish, Simran Mehta, Hima Bindhu, Madhumol Jeevan, Deepak K. Saini, Amit Singh, Dinesh Gupta, Shashank Tripathi
Summary: Analysis and validation revealed S100 family genes (S100A6, S100AB, S100A9, and S100P) as prognostic markers of severe COVID-19. Thioredoxin (TXN) was consistently upregulated. Auranofin, targeting Thioredoxin reductase, reduced SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro and in a preclinical hamster model.
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Nikolas R. Block-Wheeler, Julia Wei, Miranda R. Weintraub, Jonathan Liang
Summary: This study aimed to assess the association between COVID nasal swab testing and epistaxis. The results showed that patients who underwent nasal swab testing had a higher risk of epistaxis within 7 days after the test. Other risk factors associated with epistaxis included older age, Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity, male sex, hypertension, prior facial trauma, and the use of warfarin or direct-acting oral anticoagulants.
OTOLARYNGOLOGY-HEAD AND NECK SURGERY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Evangelos Terpos, Ioannis Ntanasis-Stathopoulos, Miha Skvarc
Summary: The COVID-19 Antigen Detection Kit (Colloidal Gold-CG) showed high sensitivity and specificity when the PCR Ct value was less than 33, making it suitable for early disease screening. Confirmatory PCR is essential in cases where a false negative result is suspected.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chee Wai Ku, Durai Shivani, Jacqueline Q. T. Kwan, See Ling Loy, Christina Erwin, Karrie K. K. Ko, Xiang Wen Ng, Lynette Oon, Koh Cheng Thoon, Shirin Kalimuddin, Jerry K. Y. Chan
Summary: The study showed that self-collected saliva tests and buccal swabs have only moderate agreement with HCW-collected NPS in detecting SARS-CoV-2. Saliva tests and buccal swabs can serve as primary screening methods for COVID-19, but negative results should be confirmed with NPS to avoid false negatives.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Ophthalmology
Ozkan Kocamis, Kemal Ornek, Nazife Asikgarip, Lokman Hizmali, Fikriye Milletli Sezgin, Yahya Sahin
Summary: The study found that the positivity rate of conjunctival swab in COVID-19 patients was low, and ocular changes and symptoms were not common.
OCULAR IMMUNOLOGY AND INFLAMMATION
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yoshie Tsujimoto, Junko Terada, Moto Kimura, Ataru Moriya, Ayano Motohashi, Shinyu Izumi, Kazuki Kawajiri, Kazuo Hakkaku, Momoko Morishita, Susumu Saito, Hiroshi Takumida, Hiromu Watanabe, Akinari Tsukada, Chie Morita, Yoh Yamaguchi, Takashi Katsuno, Yusaku Kusaba, Keita Sakamoto, Masao Hashimoto, Manabu Suzuki, Jin Takasaki, Masayuki Hojo, Tohru Miyoshi-Akiyama, Haruhito Sugiyama
Summary: The gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19 is the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) samples. This study found that nasal swab (NS) samples are more reliable than saliva swab (SS) samples, serving as an alternative to NPS samples in the future.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Liangcai Xu, Bo Peng, Yuxiang He, Yujun Cui, Qinghua Hu, Yarong Wu, Hongbiao Chen, Xiaofeng Zhou, Lili Chen, Min Jiang, Le Zuo, Qiongcheng Chen, Shuang Wu, Yang Liu, Yanming Qin, Xiaolu Shi
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, three fever epidemic clusters unrelated to COVID-19 occurred in Shenzhen, China. This study investigated and characterized the Elizabethkingia anophelis contaminant isolated from throat and anal swab samples of patients. The study found that the patients' samples and blank samples were positive for E. anophelis, but the patients were not infected with this bacterium, and the causative agent for the fevers remains unidentified.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
R. Benoni, I Campagna, S. Panunzi, M. S. Varalta, G. Salandini, G. De Mattia, G. Turrina, F. Moretti, G. Lo Cascio, G. Spiteri, S. Porru, S. Tardivo, A. Poli, C. Bovo
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the healthcare workers' health, and recovery and viral clearance may take a long time among a large sample of healthcare workers, especially those who are hospitalised. Screening programmes for healthcare workers are recommended to detect asymptomatic cases.
Article
Infectious Diseases
H. Jarva, M. Lappalainen, O. Luomala, P. Jokela, A. E. Jaaskelainen, A. J. Jaaskelainen, H. Kallio-Kokko, E. Kekalainen, L. Mannonen, H. Soini, S. Suuronen, A. Toivonen, C. Savolainen-Kopra, R. Loginov, S. Kurkela
Summary: The study found that men are less likely to seek SARS-CoV-2 testing compared to women, potentially resulting in undetected infections in men. People were less inclined to seek testing on weekends and public holidays, leading to the possibility of missing positive cases. Towards the end of the study period, there was an increase in the proportion of positive cases among young adults.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Iivari Kleino, Kirsten Nowlan, Juha Kotimaa, Eliisa Kekalainen
Summary: This study presents a simple adjustable oligonucleotide-antibody conjugation method that improves detection of weak protein targets in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) by optimizing oligonucleotide labeling. The method also reduces sequencing costs and is compatible with fixation and freeze storage protocols. The use of this method allows for flexibility and sample pooling in scRNA-seq multimodal experiments.
BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mikael Kajova, Eliisa Kekalainen, Veli-Jukka Anttila, Juuso Paajanen
Summary: This article presents a case of a lymphoma patient with COVID-19 who was successfully treated with remdesivir, along with a literature review of similar cases. The study found that the clinical course of COVID-19 in lymphoma patients may be protracted and may lack a humoral immune response.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Nelli Heikkila, Iivo Hetemaki, Silja Sormunen, Helena Isoniemi, Eliisa Kekalainen, Jari Saramaki, T. Petteri Arstila
Summary: Long-term T-cell memory relies on the maintenance of memory T cells in lymphoid tissues and at the surface interfaces. Our study found that immature cells are mainly stored in lymph nodes, while resting memory subsets capable of self-renewal are prominent there. In contrast, functionally active memory subsets dominate the spleen and especially the ileum. The replacement of immature cells with memory subsets continues without an apparent plateau.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pathology
Joona Sarkkinen, Johannes Dunkel, Anni Tuulasvaara, Antti Huuskonen, Sari Atula, Eliisa Kekalainen, Sini M. Laakso
Summary: This study used digital pathology to explore the predictive ability of thymic histopathology in non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis (NTMG). The results showed differences in thymic histology between early-onset MG (EOMG) and late-onset MG (LOMG), and the impact of thymic changes on thymectomy outcomes. The number of ectopic germinal centers (eGC) was found to be a valuable predictor for post-thymectomy outcomes in EOMG patients.
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Samuel Soderqvist, Ville Sivonen, Satu Lamminmaki, Jere Ylonen, Antti Markkola, Saku T. Sinkkonen
Summary: The study found that higher stimulation levels are needed to elicit neural responses in the basal part of the electrode array compared to the apical part. Larger cochleae have higher eCAP thresholds compared to smaller ones, as do cochleae with larger BCNC. Contrary to previous studies, the BCNC size does not affect eCAP thresholds, but instead correlates significantly with cochlea diameter.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ngoc Anh Nguyen, Xiaobo Huang, Luz E. Cabrera, Pirkka T. Pekkarinen, Kirsten Nowlan, Tomas Strandin, Anu Kantele, Olli Vapalahti, Santtu Heinonen, Eliisa Kekalainen
Summary: This study evaluated and compared the performance of four commercial whole blood cryopreservation kits and found that PROT-1, Transfix, and Cytodelics maintained the distribution of major leukocyte subsets and the activated phenotypes of neutrophils. Cytodelics also allowed reliable detection of lymphopenia and granulocyte expansion in longitudinal clinical samples from acute COVID-19 patients.
Article
Surgery
Teija Nieminen, Morag Tolvi, Patrik Lassus, Tommy Wilkman, Lasse Lehtonen, Antti Makitie
Summary: This study found that early postoperative mortality in head and neck cancer patients is predominantly associated with older age, high comorbidity score, advanced tumor stage, and high thrombocyte count. Therefore, preoperative assessment and patient selection play a crucial role in this patient population.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Morag Tolvi, Tiitu Lahti, Leena-Maija Aaltonen
Summary: Virtual visits were successful in treating otorhinolaryngology patients of different age groups and subspecialties during the COVID-19 pandemic. The best treatment progress was achieved in laryngology and head and neck surgery, with the most successful outcomes observed in patients aged 18-29.
TELEMEDICINE AND E-HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Olli P. O. Nevalainen, Saana Horstia, Sanna Laakkonen, Jarno Rutanen, Jussi M. J. Mustonen, Ilkka E. J. Kalliala, Hanna Ansakorpi, Hanna-Riikka Kreivi, Pauliina Kuutti, Juuso Paajanen, Seppo Parkkila, Erja-Leena Paukkeri, Markus Perola, Negar Pourjamal, Andreas Renner, Tuomas Rosberg, Taija Rutanen, Joni Savolainen, Solidarity Finland Investigators, Jari K. Haukka, Gordon H. Guyatt, Kari A. O. Tikkinen
Summary: This study provides the first long-term follow-up of a randomized trial investigating the effects of remdesivir on recovery and other patient outcomes after one year of hospitalization due to COVID-19. The results suggest that remdesivir does not show significant benefit compared to standard of care in terms of self-reported recovery, quality of life, or symptom outcomes. About one in six patients reported not having recovered well from COVID-19 after one year, and some experienced bothersome long-term symptoms.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Pauliina Lusila, Anne Toivonen, Hanna Jarva, Kim Vettenranta, Sari Lehtimaki, Eliisa Kekalainen
Summary: FASCIA is an effective method for diagnosing CID with significant advantages, such as not requiring radioactive reagents and reliably detecting CID patients.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sohvi Kaariainen, Jukka Ollgren, Timothee Dub, Outi Laine, Marjatta Sinisalo, Jussi Hepojoki, Tomas Strandin, Eliisa Kekalainen, Jussi Sane, Outi Lyytikainen
Summary: This study found that there is an increased risk of lymphoid malignancies, specifically mature B cell neoplasms, during 3-<12 months and 1-<5 years after PUUV infection. This suggests an association between PUUV infection and lymphoid malignancies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Chris Myllynen, Joona Sarkkinen, Sari Atula, Pentti Tienari, Eliisa Kekalainen, Sini M. Laakso
Summary: In this study, elevated FLC ratio was found in LOMG patients, suggesting aberrant clonal plasma cell function. Immunoregulatory pathways were found to be altered in MG. Further investigation on the immunoregulatory pathways in MG is needed.
IMMUNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Phuoc Truong Nguyen, Ravi Kant, Frederik van den Broeck, Maija T. Suvanto, Hussein Alburkat, Jenni Virtanen, Ella Ahvenainen, Robert Castren, Samuel L. Hong, Guy Baele, Maarit J. Ahava, Hanna Jarva, Suvi Tuulia Jokiranta, Hannimari Kallio-Kokko, Eliisa Kekaelaeinen, Vesa Kirjavainen, Elisa Kortela, Satu Kurkela, Maija Lappalainen, Hanna Liimatainen, Marc A. Suchard, Sari Hannula, Pekka Ellonen, Tarja Sironen, Philippe Lemey, Olli Vapalahti, Teemu Smura
Summary: Truong Nguyen, Kant, Van den Broeck et al. report the SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Finland in 2020, revealing that a single introduction from Spain may have caused one-third of cases in Finland during the spring, and international travel played a major role in the spread of the virus.
COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Summary: This study presents the final results of the Solidarity trial and meta-analyses of mortality in relevant trials. The findings suggest that remdesivir does not have a significant effect on COVID-19 patients who are already on ventilators. However, it does have a small effect against death or progression to ventilation in other hospitalized patients.
