Articles

Background: Hepatitis B is a major public health issue worldwide. Immunization of infants against this disease has been effective in Morocco since 1999. However, evaluation of post-vaccination response is rarely performed in our setting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate immunity against HBV in fully vaccinated children in the city of Marrakech in Morocco and to investigate the factors influencing the level of post-vaccination immunity. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on fully vaccinated children who have medical and vaccination records, from three primary healthcare centers in Marrakech. Children with anti-HBs antibody levels between 10 and 100 IU/L were considered moderately immune, and those with antibody levels above 100 IU/L as highly immune, while those with antibody levels below 10 IU/L were considered non-immune. Results: Of the 123 children recruited, 114 (92.7%) had protective anti-HBs antibody titers, of which 37 (30%) were moderately immunized and 77 (62.7%) were highly immunized, and nine (7.3%) were non-immune. Age, birth weight, vaccine type, and time since the previous dose have all been significantly associated with the degree of post-vaccination immunity. Anti-HBs antibody levels were not significantly related to factors potentially linked to post-vaccination non-response, such as chronic disease, immunosuppressive medication and others.Conclusion: Our findings denote that the HBV vaccine used in The Moroccan Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) is effective against HBV. Nevertheless, in non-responders, corrective actions such as re-vaccination and monitoring of post-vaccination anti-HBs antibody levels should be implemented.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease of unknown origin that is characterized by non-caseating epithelioid granuloma formation within various organs, mainly the lungs [1]. The objective of this study is the analysis of sarcoidosis patients affected by pulmonary manifestation alone or extrapulmonary expression.

Introduction: Allergen immunotherapy is the only targeted therapy that can modify the natural course of allergic diseases. In pediatric patients, SCIT with aeroallergens is an effective treatment and should be considered as a preventive strategy in the treatment of allergic diseases, even though one of the major concerns about it is its safety. The main purposes of this study were to assess the safety of SCIT ultra-rush schedules with polymerized extracts in a pediatric population and to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the safety and time of administration of subcutaneous immunotherapy among pediatric patients.Methods: A retrospective medical records review of patients under 18 years of age undergoing SCIT was made and re-scheduling due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic was recorded. Results: A total of 192 pediatric patients were included. Fifty-nine (31%) had local reactions and systemic reactions were not reported. In March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in Portugal and all non-urgent appointments and procedures were postponed. In our group of pediatric patients, 43 (22%) were referred to primary care, 38 (20%) stopped AIT definitively and 111 (58%) maintained administrations in the hospital. Only 2 (2%) of them had reactions upon reinitiation. Conclusion: In this study, the ultra-rush protocol using polymerized extracts was safe in pediatric patients. Although the effectiveness of AIT may be compromised due to prolonged suspension of the treatment, it is important to note that despite longer interruptions, administrations may continue without compromising safety, maintaining shorter visits and a lower number of injections.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization [1], it’s possible to conceptualize food security from four dimensions: physical availability of food, economic and physical access to  food, food utilization and stability of the other three dimensions over time. A situation of food security is found in  these four dimensions are fulfilled simultaneously.

“Manna” is the product obtained from the solidification of the elaborate sap that comes out of the incisions made during the summer season on the stem and on the main branches of some species of the genus Fraxinus (Oleaceae). The cultivation of manna ash trees dates back to ancient times in Sicily and elsewhere ash trees – known as sacred trees, a symbol of abundance and therefore auspicious – was increasingly widespread until the middle of the last century. Subsequently, however, the crop underwent a progressive decline, remaining relegated to restricted areas of Sicily, in particular in the Madonie district (Palermo, Italy). In this brief review, the essential characteristics of the manna and the ash trees from which it is extracted are summarized. The aspects of the current productivity of manna in the Sicilian territory and the implications of a potential recovery and increase of an ancient craft, ash tree cultivation, are also reported in a perspective of sustainable development and green economy for the Mediterranean area and beyond. Finally, the authors remember what has been done to ensure the conservation not only of the active cultivation of manna ash but also of all the relative agro-biodiversity. The conservation of the living germplasm of the ancient cultivars recovered in the Madonie area (Palermo, Sicily) represents one of the most qualifying results.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) applications increased by 39.3% of individuals with chronic diseases during the pandemic process in Turkey. For this reason, this descriptive study was conducted to determine the use of integrative and integrated medicine practices in hemodialysis patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The population of the study consisted of individuals who were treated in a hemodialysis unit in the city center (n = 235). It was planned to include whole of the population by using the whole number method, but patients, who did not agree to participate in the study and did not meet the inclusion criteria of the study, were excluded from the sample and the study was conducted with 160 patients between 1 June and 1 September 2021. As a data collection tool, a questionnaire consisting of 30 questions including socio-demographic and disease characteristics of the patients was prepared by the researcher upon review of related literature. Considering the distribution of phytotherapy method (herbal treatment) usage frequency of integrative and integrated medicine applications of individuals before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic period, the most vitamins (21.8%), prebiotics (12.5%), and honey (%) 10.6), their use was found to be high. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of massage (40%), breathing exercises (30.0%) and spiritual therapy (28.7%) applications increased. As a result, it is seen that integrative and integrated applications are considered in the process of dealing with hemodialysis patients. Physicians need to be aware of and ask patients about their use of integrated and integrated health practices.

Background and objectives: This paper is aimed at excavating the factors responsible for RHD events and vis-à-vis establishing severity levels of RHD patients referred to Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) in Thimphu’s capital city of Bhutan. Methods: By taking notorious advantage of the data gathered over the past five years (2016-2020) from RHD patients across 20 districts of Bhutan, about 232 RHD patients are involved in this study recorded in JDWNRH by the Cardiology Department. Besides descriptive methods, multivariate linear regression models augmented by the multinomial logistic regression models had been applied to establish the causual links. Results: The findings revealed that RHD prevailed amongst the young populace of Bhutan, especially females. Variables like age, frequency of visits, number of diagnostics, levels of education and region had been found as predictors of RHD prevalence. Other socio-demographic factors like occupation and status of employment did not affect the RHD prevalence. The multinomial logistic regression results indicated that higher levels of education as an important factor for not making the patient fall into the category of ‘severe.’ Age has been constantly found to be a highly significant variable contributing to RHD events and a quadratic relationship is revealed between age and the severity of RHD. Conclusion and implications for translation: This study pigeonholed the significant factors responsible for RHD events and entailed severity levels by gender and age. The findings of this study also provide additional important insights into developing public health policies and programs. 

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) refers to the nonmalignant growth or hyperplasia of prostate tissue and is a common cause of lower urinary tract symptoms in men [1].

Background: Collagenase is commonly used to isolate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) or adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) from human adipose tissue. Enzymatic breakdowns may be a substantial manipulation according to the classifications of medical regulatory authorities. This study investigates the possible effects of human adipose tissue dissociation with collagenase on in vitro function and behavior of ADSCs.Methods and results: Adipose tissue from nine donors was divided into two equal fractions. SVF was then isolated either mechanically or with collagenase, respectively. The resulting cells were analyzed for their surface markers directly after isolation and at passage five. Proliferation, tri-lineage differentiation, and secretome markers were measured after passage four.Using collagenase compared to mechanical isolation did not alter the expression of typical surface markers of ADSCs. ADSCs isolated with collagenase showed a significantly shorter population doubling time (p < 0.001), a significantly higher mean specific GPDH-activity, a stronger intensity in perilipin staining (p = 0.005), and a significantly higher extracellular calcium deposition (p = 0.006) than mechanically isolated ADSCs. The expression of adipogenic and osteogenic marker genes was not different in mechanically versus enzymatically isolated ADSCs. There were no significant differences in proteoglcyan production (p > 0.05) and the concentration of type 2 collagen. Except for an increased CCL2 concentration in mechanically isolated ASDCs (p = 0.01), there were no significant differences in the concentration of secreted proteins between both isolation methods. Conclusions: The use of collagenase does not substantially impair central in vitro characteristics and functions of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

Degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs can cause a significant impact on the biomechanics of the spine this can result in compression of the nerve roots or the spinal cord [1].