scholarly journals Perinatal Cat and Dog Exposure and the Risk of Asthma and Allergy in the Urban Environment: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline J. Lodge ◽  
Katrina J. Allen ◽  
Adrian J. Lowe ◽  
David J. Hill ◽  
Cliff S. Hosking ◽  
...  

Background. The literature is contradictory concerning pet exposure and the risk of development of asthma and other allergic diseases. Using longitudinal studies, we aimed to systematically review the impact of pet ownership in the critical perinatal period as a risk factor for allergies in childhood.Methods. Medline database was searched for urban cohort studies with perinatal exposure to cats and/or dogs and subsequent asthma or allergic disease.Results. Nine articles, comprising 6498 participants, met inclusion criteria. Six found a reduction in allergic disease associated with perinatal exposure to dogs or, cats or dogs. One study found no association. Two found increased risk only in high-risk groups.Conclusion. Longitudinal studies in urban populations suggest that perinatal pets, especially dogs, may reduce the development of allergic disease in those without a family history of allergy. Other unmeasured factors such as pet-keeping choices in allergic families may be confounding the association seen in these high-risk families, and further study is required.

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Garfield ◽  
Herbert L. Mathews ◽  
Linda Witek Janusek

Depression during the perinatal period is common and can have adverse consequences for women and their children. Yet, the biobehavioral mechanisms underlying perinatal depression are not known. Adverse early life experiences increase the risk for adult depression. One potential mechanism by which this increased risk occurs is epigenetic embedding of inflammatory pathways. The purpose of this article is to propose a conceptual model that explicates the linkage between early life adversity and the risk for maternal depression. The model posits that early life adversity embeds a proinflammatory epigenetic signature (altered DNA methylation) that predisposes vulnerable women to depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period. As proposed, women with a history of early life adversity are more likely to exhibit higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines and lower levels of oxytocin in response to the demands of pregnancy and new motherhood, both of which are associated with the risk for perinatal depression. The model is designed to guide investigations into the biobehavioral basis for perinatal depression, with emphasis upon the impact of early life adversity. Testing this model will provide a better understanding of maternal depressive risk and improve identification of vulnerable women who would benefit from targeted interventions that can reduce the impact of perinatal depression on maternal–infant health.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 2588-2588
Author(s):  
Zaid Abdel Rahman ◽  
Michael G. Heckman ◽  
Kevin C. Miller ◽  
Patricia Greipp ◽  
Matthew R Spiegel ◽  
...  

Introduction Novel high-risk groups have been identified in adult ALL, including secondary (sALL) and Philadelphia-like ALL (Ph-like, based on CRLF2, IgH, ABL2, JAK2 and other tyrosine kinase translocations), and those with minimal residual disease >0.1% (MRD+) after induction therapy. Novel targeted therapies are now routinely incorporated into 1st line regimens, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BCR-ABL1-pos), rituximab (CD20+) and blinatumomab (Blina) for MRD+. The impact of these novel high risk groups and therapies after alloHCT is unknown; therefore, we evaluated their impact on overall survival (OS), relapse rate (REL), non-relapse mortality (NRM) and acute and chronic GVHD. Methods We evaluated pts receiving 1st Allo-HCT for ALL at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Phoenix, and Jacksonville) from 2008-2018 for outcomes of interest, specifically the impact of novel therapies and risk groups. Associations of patient factors with outcomes were examined using univariable (UVA) and multivariable (MVA) Cox proportional hazards regression models, where the cause-specific hazard of the given outcome was modeled to account for the competing risk of death. Results We identified 261 consecutive AlloHCT recipients during the study period. Median age at transplant was 48 years (18-72) and 147 (56.3%) were male. The median comorbidity (HCT-CI) score was 2 (0-8). 213 pts (81.6%) had B-lineage ALL, of which 85 (32.6%) were BCR-ABL-pos, 17 (6.5%) Ph-like (identified by FISH), 16 (6.1%) hypoploidy/near triploidy (Hy/Tri), and 67 (25.7%) pre-B ALL NOS. The remaining 48 (18.4%) had T-ALL. 30 pts (11.5%) had sALL (i.e. prior chemo/radiotherapy for another malignancy). HyperCVAD was the most common 1st line regimen (68.2%). 243 (93.1%) pts achieved Complete Remission (CR1) after induction therapy, and 203 (77.8%) were in CR1 at the time of alloHCT. Blina was administered for MRD+ in 14 pts (5.4%), and for relapsed/refractory ALL (R/R) in 13 (27% of R/R pts), 7 of whom received Blina as initial therapy for R/R. Donors were matched unrelated in 149 (57.1%), matched related in 98 (37.5%), and haploidentical in 14 (5.4%). Peripheral blood (PB) grafts were used in 233 (89.3%). 103 (54.5%) were donor:recipient (D:R) sex-matched, and 86 D:R mismatched [47 (24.9%) M:F; and 39 (20.6%) F:M]. Myeloablative conditioning was used for the majority (78.5%) mostly with Cy/TBI (60.5%). Standard GVHD prophylaxis regimens were used. Outcomes Median follow-up after transplant was 22.4 months (0.5-135), and 51 (19.5%) had REL. The 1, 2 and 5-year survival rates were 71.9%, 64.9%, and 54.1%, respectively (Figure 1). Acute GVHD developed in 144 (55.2%) and chronic GVHD in 100 (38.3%). Ph-like ALL, Blina for MRD+, Blina for R/R, sALL and CD20-pos had no independent impact on OS. In contrast, age>60, Hy/Tri, and >CR1 at alloHCT were associated with worse OS in UVA, however, in MVA only pre-B ALL NOS was associated with better OS. Female:male D:R status was associated with inferior OS. Blina for R/R disease was associated with increased risk of REL in UVA [HR 5.26 95% CI (1.33, 20.00), p=0.017], whereas other novel high risk groups had no impact on REL. In contrast, T-ALL, Hy/Tri and >CR1 at AlloHCT were associated with increased REL in UVA, but only T-ALL and Hy/Tri continued to predict for increased REL in MVA. Secondary ALL was associated with increased NRM in UVA [HR 1.96 95% CI (1.07, 3.57), p=0.028], whereas other novel high risk groups had no impact on NRM. In contrast, age>60, >CR1 at AlloHCT and D:R sex mismatch were associated with higher NRM in UVA, but only sex mismatch and >CR1 at AlloHCT were associated with higher NRM in MVA. TBI use was associated with higher risk of acute GvHD (p=0.008) and ATG use with lower risk chronic GVHD (p<0.001). Similarly non-PB grafts were associated with a lower risk of chronic GVHD (p=0.005). Results for OS, REL, NRM, acute and chronic GVHD analysis are shown in Table 1. Conclusion Novel high risk groups (CD20+, Ph-like and sALL) do not appear to adversely impact OS after alloHCT, although sALL was associated with increased risk of NRM. Interestingly, pre-B-ALL NOS appear to be associated with favorable OS. Novel targeted therapies also do not independently predict outcome, with the exception of Blina for R/R ALL which may be associated with REL after subsequent alloHCT (a subgroup for whom novel maintenance strategies should be explored). Our analysis highlights the importance of allo-HCT for novel high risk ALL subgroups. Disclosures Patnaik: Stem Line Pharmaceuticals.: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Kharfan-Dabaja:Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy. Foran:Agios: Honoraria, Research Funding.


Author(s):  
Jakob M. Riedl ◽  
Esther Schwarzenbacher ◽  
Florian Moik ◽  
Lena Horvath ◽  
Antonia Gantschnigg ◽  
...  

Introduction: Recent advances in prophylactic anticoagulation and antineoplastic treatment for aPC warrant an updated reassessment of thromboembolic risk in this population. This multicenter retrospective cohort study aims to comprehensively characterize incidence, risk factors and outcomes of venous (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE) in homogenously treated patients with aPC. Methods: Four-hundred-fifty-five patients with aPC undergoing palliative 1st-line chemotherapy (Gemcitabine/nab-Paclitaxel (GN) or FOLIRINOX) were included. Primary outcomes were objectively confirmed VTE and/or ATE. Results: Over a median follow-up of 26 months, 86 VTE (cumulative incidence: 20.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 16.3-24.0]) and 11 ATE events (cumulative incidence: 2.8% [95%CI: 1.5-4.9]) were observed. VTE diagnosis was associated with increased mortality (transition hazard ratio (THR): 1.59 [95%CI 1.21-2.09]) and increased risk of disease progression (THR: 1.47 [95%CI: 1.08-2.01]), while the impact of ATE on mortality was numerically but not statistically significant (THR: 1.85 [95%CI: 0.87-3.94]). The strongest predictor of increased VTE risk was history of cancer-associated VTE (subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) 3.29 [95%CI: 2.09-5.18]), while the Khorana-score (SHR 0.78 [0.57-1.06]) failed to predict VTE risk. A history of cerebrovascular disease was associated with markedly increased ATE risk (SHR: 22.05 [95%CI: 6.83-71.22], p<0.001), especially ischemic stroke. Risk of VTE/ATE did not significantly differ according to type of 1st line chemotherapy. Conclusion: Patients with aPC undergoing palliative 1st-line chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX or GN face a high risk for VTE/ATE and its diagnosis is linked to worse clinical outcomes. VTE-risk prediction models have limited ability to sub-stratify thrombotic events in this high-risk scenario.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanta Kanungo ◽  
Sidhartha Giri ◽  
Debdutta Bhattacharya ◽  
Jaya Singh Kshatri ◽  
Subrata Kumar Palo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Personnel involved in essential services or residing in high risk areas during the COVID-19 pandemic are at increased risk of getting infected, and higher infection rates among such personnel can paralyze these services due to shortage of staff. Evaluating the proportion of personnel infected can be done using seroprevalence studies or serosurveys.Methods: During July to November, 2020, individuals from multiple high risk groups in 6 urban centres in the state of Odisha, India, which included health care workers, police personnel, municipality/ sanitation staff, residents of urban slums, vendors, press staff, and prisoners, were recruited into the study after obtaining written informed consent. Blood samples collected from the study participants were tested for IgG antibodies against COVID-19 in Roche Cobas e441. Information on socio-demographic variables, association with a confirmed or suspected case, symptoms profile of individuals within 30 days, travel and history of testing for COVID-19 were collected. All the statistical analyses were performed using STATA 16.0 (Stata corp., Texas). A P value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 5434 individuals included in the final analysis, the overall COVID-19 seroprevalence was found to be 34.9% (95% CI 33.6-36.2). The seroprevalence varied from 21.8% (95% CI 19.6-24.1) in Rourkela to 54.9% (95% CI 51.5-58.2) in Bhubaneswar. Seropositivity was maximum among prisoners (47.7%, 138/289), followed by municipality/ sanitation staff (43.5%, 330/758), other office going staff (40.8%, 183/448), slum residents and vendors (39.8%, 252/633), police personnel (38.3%, 354/922), health care workers (27.1%, 536/1977), press staff (27.2%, 18/66) and residents of containment zones (25.2%, 86/341). On multivariate logistic regression, participants aged 18-29 years, 30-44 years, residents of slums and vending zone, municipality staffs, prisoners, residents of urban sites Malkangiri, Cuttack, Paralakhemundi and Bhubaneswar and those with previous history of confirmed COVID-19 were found to be independent co-relates of seropositivity.Conclusions: Risk of COVID-19 infection varied among the various high risk groups of Odisha. Periodic seroprevalence studies in future is essential to protect personnel involved in frontline activities during the ongoing pandemic.


Author(s):  
James S. Hampton ◽  
Linda Sharp ◽  
Dawn Craig ◽  
Colin J. Rees

Abstract Purpose of review Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide, killing approximately 900,000 people each year. An individual’s risk of developing CRC is multi-factorial with known risk factors including increasing age, male sex, family history of CRC and raised body mass index. Population-based screening programmes for CRC exist in many countries, and in the United Kingdom (UK), screening is performed through the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP). Screening programmes offer a population-based approach for those at “average risk”, and do not typically offer enhanced screening for groups at increased risk. In the UK, such patients are managed via non-screening symptomatic services but in a non-systematic way. Recent findings There is growing evidence that conditions such as cystic fibrosis and a history of childhood cancer are associated with higher risk of CRC, and surveillance of these groups is advocated by some organizations; however, national recommendations do not exist in most countries. Summary We review the evidence for screening “high risk” groups not covered within most guidelines and discuss health economic issues requiring consideration acknowledging that the demand on colonoscopy services is already overwhelming.


Author(s):  
Annamaria Biczok ◽  
Philipp Karschnia ◽  
Raffaela Vitalini ◽  
Markus Lenski ◽  
Tobias Greve ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Prognostic markers for meningioma recurrence are needed to guide patient management. Apart from rare hereditary syndromes, the impact of a previous unrelated tumor disease on meningioma recurrence has not been described before. Methods We retrospectively searched our database for patients with meningioma WHO grade I and complete resection provided between 2002 and 2016. Demographical, clinical, pathological, and outcome data were recorded. The following covariates were included in the statistical model: age, sex, clinical history of unrelated tumor disease, and localization (skull base vs. convexity). Particular interest was paid to the patients’ past medical history. The study endpoint was date of tumor recurrence on imaging. Prognostic factors were obtained from multivariate proportional hazards models. Results Out of 976 meningioma patients diagnosed with a meningioma WHO grade I, 416 patients fulfilled our inclusion criteria. We encountered 305 women and 111 men with a median age of 57 years (range: 21–89 years). Forty-six patients suffered from a tumor other than meningioma, and no TERT mutation was detected in these patients. There were no differences between patients with and without a positive oncological history in terms of age, tumor localization, or mitotic cell count. Clinical history of prior tumors other than meningioma showed the strongest association with meningioma recurrence (p = 0.004, HR = 3.113, CI = 1.431–6.771) both on uni- and multivariate analysis. Conclusion Past medical history of tumors other than meningioma might be associated with an increased risk of meningioma recurrence. A detailed pre-surgical history might help to identify patients at risk for early recurrence.


Author(s):  
Satish Sankaran ◽  
Jyoti Bajpai Dikshit ◽  
Chandra Prakash SV ◽  
SE Mallikarjuna ◽  
SP Somashekhar ◽  
...  

AbstractCanAssist Breast (CAB) has thus far been validated on a retrospective cohort of 1123 patients who are mostly Indians. Distant metastasis–free survival (DMFS) of more than 95% was observed with significant separation (P < 0.0001) between low-risk and high-risk groups. In this study, we demonstrate the usefulness of CAB in guiding physicians to assess risk of cancer recurrence and to make informed treatment decisions for patients. Of more than 500 patients who have undergone CAB test, detailed analysis of 455 patients who were treated based on CAB-based risk predictions by more than 140 doctors across India is presented here. Majority of patients tested had node negative, T2, and grade 2 disease. Age and luminal subtypes did not affect the performance of CAB. On comparison with Adjuvant! Online (AOL), CAB categorized twice the number of patients into low risk indicating potential of overtreatment by AOL-based risk categorization. We assessed the impact of CAB testing on treatment decisions for 254 patients and observed that 92% low-risk patients were not given chemotherapy. Overall, we observed that 88% patients were either given or not given chemotherapy based on whether they were stratified as high risk or low risk for distant recurrence respectively. Based on these results, we conclude that CAB has been accepted by physicians to make treatment planning and provides a cost-effective alternative to other similar multigene prognostic tests currently available.


2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Robinson ◽  
Patrick McGorry ◽  
Meredith G Harris ◽  
Jane Pirkis ◽  
Philip Burgess ◽  
...  

Australia?s National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS) is about to move into a new funding phase. In this context this paper considers the emphasis of the NSPS since its inception in 1999. Certain high-risk groups (particularly people with mental illness and people who have selfharmed) have been relatively neglected, and some promising approaches (particularly selective and indicated interventions) have been under-emphasised. This balance should be redressed and the opportunity should be taken to build the evidence-base regarding suicide prevention. Such steps have the potential to maximise the impact of suicide prevention activities in Australia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 5061-5061
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Cooperberg ◽  
Paul Brendel ◽  
Daniel J. Lee ◽  
Rahul Doraiswami ◽  
Hariesh Rajasekar ◽  
...  

5061 Background: We used data from a specialty-wide, community-based urology registry to determine trends in outpatient prostate cancer (PCa) care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: 3,165 (̃ 25%) of US urology providers, representing 48 states and territories, participate in the American Urological Association Quality (AQUA) Registry, which collects data via automated extraction from electronic health record systems. We analyzed trends in PCa care delivery from 156 practices contributing data in 2019 and 2020. Risk stratification was based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at diagnosis, biopsy Gleason, and clinical T-stage, and we used a natural language processing algorithm to determine Gleason and T-stage from unstructured clinical notes. The primary outcome was mean weekly visit volume by PCa patients per practice (visits defined as all MD and mid-level visits, telehealth and face-to-face), and we compared each week in 2020 through week 44 (November 1) to the corresponding week in 2019. Results: There were 267,691 PCa patients in AQUA who received care between 2019 and 2020. From mid-March to early November, 2020 (week 10 – week 44) the magnitude of the decline and recovery varied by risk stratum, with the steepest drops for low-risk PCa (Table). For 2020, overall mean visits per day (averaged weekly) were similar to 2019 for the first 9 weeks (̃25). Visits declined to week 14 (18.19; a 31% drop from 2019), recovered to 2019 levels by week 23, and declined steadily to 11.89 (a 58% drop from 2019) as of week 44, the cut off of this analysis. Conclusions: Access to care for men with PCa was sharply curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the impact was less for men with high-risk disease compared to those with low-risk disease, visits even for high-risk individuals were down nearly one-third and continued to fall through November. This study provides real-world evidence on the magnitude of decline in PCa care across risk groups. The impact of this decline on cancer outcomes should be followed closely.[Table: see text]


2006 ◽  
Vol 124 (5) ◽  
pp. 298-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore ◽  
Pedro Xavier Elsas ◽  
Elisabeth Santos Maximiano ◽  
Maria Ignez Capella Gaspar Elsas

Medical progress has reduced the mortality from infectious diseases in most countries, but allergic diseases have become more prevalent worldwide over the same period, especially in industrialized countries. This has prompted speculation that modern lifestyles have altered the relationship between heredity and environment so as to promote development of an atopic phenotype when exposure to infection decreases. A healthy uterine microenvironment is known to favor Th2 lymphocyte development. However, some evidence suggests that persistence of the Th2 pattern of immunity directs the developing organism's immune response towards a long-lasting atopic phenotype. Even though the outcome also depends on other factors (such as infection, functional state of the intestinal microflora, and exposure to environmental allergens at times critical to development), it seems that the immune system during the perinatal period is responsive to interventions that are no longer effective in adulthood. We have reviewed the literature accessible through Medline to identify recent advances in the prevention of allergic disease through interventions in the fetal-maternal relationship. Diet seems to have a significant impact on the immunological profile of the pregnant uterus, as well as on the postnatal development of allergic disease in the offspring, as suggested by the effects of probiotic bacteria and by manipulations of the dietary content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. This highlights the need for further studies, in order to define the best intervention methods, the most appropriate time interval and the individuals who will most likely benefit from them.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document