Significance of blood analysis in hemophiliacs co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis viruses

AIM: To study the effect of hepatitis virus infection on cirrhosis and liver function markers in HIV-infected hemophiliacs.METHODS: We have analyzed the immunological, liver function and cirrhosis markers in a cohort of hemophiliacs co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis viruses.RESULTS: There was no difference in immunological markers among co-infected patients and patients infected with HIV only and those co-infected with one or more hepatitis virus. Although liver function and cirrhosis markers remained within a normal range, there was a worsening trend in all patients co-infected with hepatitis virus C (HCV), which was further exacerbated in the presence of additional infection with hepatitis virus B (HBV).CONCLUSION: Co-infection with HIV, HBV and HCV leads to worsening of hyaluronic acid and liver function markers. Increases in serum hyaluronic acid may be suggestive of a predisposition to liver diseases.

Infectious causes of fever of unknown origin in developing countries: An international ID-IRI study

Background:Fever of unknown origin(FUO)in developing countries is an important dilemma and further research is needed to elucidate the infectious causes of FUO.Methods:A multi-center study for infectious causes of FUO in lower middle-income countries(LMIC)and lowincome countries(LIC)was conducted between January 1,2018 and January 1,2023.In total,15 participating centers from seven different countries provided the data,which were collected through the Infectious DiseasesInternational Research Initiative platform.Only adult patients with confirmed infection as the cause of FUO were included in the study.The severity parameters were quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(qSOFA)≥2,intensive care unit(ICU)admission,vasopressor use,and invasive mechanical ventilation(IMV).Results:A total of 160 patients with infectious FUO were included in the study.Overall,148(92.5%)patients had community-acquired infections and 12(7.5%)had hospital-acquired infections.The most common infectious syndromes were tuberculosis(TB)(n=27,16.9%),infective endocarditis(n=25,15.6%),malaria(n=21,13.1%),brucellosis(n=15,9.4%),and typhoid fever(n=9,5.6%).Plasmodium falciparum,Mycobacterium tuberculosis,Brucellae,Staphylococcus aureus,Salmonella typhi,and Rickettsiae were the leading infectious agents in this study.A total of 56(35.0%)cases had invasive procedures for diagnosis.The mean qSOFA score was 0.76±0.94{median(interquartile range[IQR]):0(0–1)}.ICU admission(n=26,16.2%),vasopressor use(n=14,8.8%),and IMV(n=10,6.3%)were not rare.Overall,38(23.8%)patients had at least one of the severity parameters.The mortality rate was 15(9.4%),and the mortality was attributable to the infection causing FUO in 12(7.5%)patients.Conclusions:In LMIC and LIC,tuberculosis and cardiac infections were the most severe and the leading infections causing FUO.

FEARCF a multidimensional free energy method for investigating conformational landscapes and chemical reaction mechanisms

The development and implementation of a computational method able to produce free energies in multiple dimensions,descriptively named the free energies from adaptive reaction coordinate forces(FEARCF) method is described in this paper.While the method can be used to calculate free energies of association,conformation and reactivity here it is shown in the context of chemical reaction landscapes.A reaction free energy surface for the Claisen rearrangement of chorismate to prephenate is used as an illustration of the method's efficient convergence.FEARCF simulations are shown to achieve flat histograms for complex multidimensional free energy volumes.The sampling efficiency by which it produces multidimensional free energies is demonstrated on the complex puckering of a pyranose ring,that is described by a three dimensional W(θ1,θ2,θ3) potential of mean force.

FEARCF a multidimensional free energy method for investigating conformational landscapes and chemical reaction mechanisms

The development and implementation of a computational method able to produce free energies in multiple dimensions,descriptively named the free energies from adaptive reaction coordinate forces(FEARCF) method is described in this paper.While the method can be used to calculate free energies of association,conformation and reactivity here it is shown in the context of chemical reaction landscapes.A reaction free energy surface for the Claisen rearrangement of chorismate to prephenate is used as an illustration of the method's efficient convergence.FEARCF simulations are shown to achieve flat histograms for complex multidimensional free energy volumes.The sampling efficiency by which it produces multidimensional free energies is demonstrated on the complex puckering of a pyranose ring,that is described by a three dimensional W(θ1,θ2,θ3) potential of mean force.