The cough reflex is an airway defensive process that can be
modulated by afferent inputs from organs located also out of the
respiratory system. A bidirectional relationship between cough
and heart dysfunctions are presented in the article, with the
special insights into an arrhythmia-triggered cough. Albeit rare,
cough induced by cardiac pathologies (mainly arrhythmias)
seems to be an interesting and underestimated phenomenon.
This condition is usually associated with the presence of
abnormal heart rhythms and ceases with successful treatment of
arrhythmia either by pharmacotherapy or by radiofrequency
ablation of arrhythmogenic substrate. The two main hypotheses
on cough-heart relationships – reflex and hemodynamic - are
discussed in the review, including the authors’ perspective based
on the experiences with an arrhythmia-triggered cough.
Individual studies have suggested the utility of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurement in detecting cough-variant asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis in patients with chronic cough. The aim of this study was to clarify a correlation of cough reflex sensitivity and fractional exhaled nitric oxide in asthmatic children. 25 children with asthma and 15 controls were submitted to cough reflex sensitivity measurement – capsaicin aerosol in doubling concentrations (from 0.61 to 1250 µmol/l) was inhaled by a single breath method. Concentrations of capsaicin causing two (C2) and five coughs (C5) were reported. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurement was included. Asthmatic children (11 boys and 14 girls, mean age 9±1 years) and control group (unconfirmed diagnosis of asthma) (6 boys and 9 girls, mean age 8±1 years) were included into the study. FeNO vs. C2 in asthma (Spearman´s rank correlation: -0.146, p=0.49); FENO vs. C5 in asthma (Spearman´s rank correlation: -0.777, p=0.71). We found that there is no correlation between cough reflex sensitivity and fractional exhaled nitric oxide either in children with asthma or in the control group.
New knowledge about the neural aspects of cough has revealed
a complex network of pathways that initiate cough. The effect of
inflammation on cough neural processing occurs at multiple
peripheral and central sites within the nervous system. Evidence
exists that direct or indirect neuroimmune interaction induces
a complex response, which can be altered by mediators released
by the sensory or parasympathetic neurons and vice versa. The
aim of this study was to clarify changes of cough reflex sensitivity
– the activity of airway afferent nerve endings - in asthmatic
children. 25 children with asthma and 15 controls were submitted
to cough reflex sensitivity measurement - capsaicin aerosol in
doubling concentrations (from 0.61 to 1250 µmol/l) was inhaled
by a single breath method. Concentrations of capsaicin causing
two (C2) and five coughs (C5) were reported. Asthmatic children'
(11 boys and 14 girls, mean age 9 ± 1 yrs) cough reflex sensitivity
(geometric mean, with the 95 % CI) for C2 was 4.25 (2.25-8.03)
µmol/l vs. control C2 (6 boys and 9 girls, mean age 8 ± 1 yrs) was
10.61 (5.28-21.32) µmol/l (p=0.024). Asthmatic children' C5 was
100.27 (49.30-203.93) µmol/l vs. control C5 56.53 (19.69-162.35)
µmol/l (p=0.348). There was a statistically significant decrease of
C2 (cough threshold) in the asthmatic patients relative to controls
(p-value for the two-sample t-test of log(C2) for the one-sided
alternative, p-value = 0.024). The 95 % confidence interval for the
difference of the mean C2 in asthma vs. control, [1.004, 6.207].
For C5, the difference was not statistically significant (p-value =
0.348). There was a statistically significant decrease of cough
reflex sensitivity (the activity of airway afferent nerve endings) -
C2 value in the asthmatic children relative to controls.
Increasing evidence points to host genetics as a factor in COVID19 prevalence and outcome. CCR5 is a receptor for proinflammatory chemokines that are involved in host responses, especially to viruses. The CCR5 Δ32 minor allele is an interesting variant, given the role of CCR5 in some viral infections, particularly HIV-1. Recent studies of the impact of CCR5-Δ32 on COVID-19 risk and severity have yielded contradictory results. This ecologic study shows that the CCR5-Δ32 allelic frequency in a European population was significantly negatively correlated with the number of COVID-19 cases (p=0.035) and deaths (p=0.006) during the second pandemic wave. These results suggest that CCR5-Δ32 may be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection, as it is against HIV infection, and could be predictive of COVID-19 risk and severity. Further studies based on samples from populations of different genetic backgrounds are needed to validate these statistically obtained findings.
In the present study, the effect of polycyclic musk compound tonalide (AHTN) in two concentrations was studied in male rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum 1792). A feeding trial was conducted with AHTN incorporated into feed granules. One concentration was environmentally relevant (854 µg/kg); the second one was 10× higher (8699 µg/kg). The fish were fed twice a day with the amount of feed at 1 % of their body weight. After an acclimatization period, the experimental phase in duration of six weeks followed. At the end of the experiment, fish were sampled and the biometrical data were recorded. Subsequently, hematological and biochemical tests, histopathological examination, analysis of oxidative stress markers and evaluation of endocrine disruption using plasma vitellogenin were performed. In conclusion, an increase of hematocrit for both AHTN concentrations was found, but no significant changes were observed in biochemical profile. Moreover, AHTN caused lipid peroxidation in caudal kidney tissue, which was confirmed by histopathological images. The long-lasting AHTN exposure could thus be harmful for maintaining homeostasis in the rainbow trout organism. However, the vitellogenin concentration seemed not to be affected by AHTN.
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has indeed been one of the most significant problems facing the world in the last decade. It has affected (directly or indirectly) the entire population and all age groups. Children have accounted for 1.7 % to 2 % of the diagnosed cases of COVID-19. COVID-19 in children is usually associated with a mild course of the disease and a better survival rate than in adults. In this review, we investigate the different mechanisms which underlie this observation. Generally, we can say that the innate immune response of children is strong because they have a trained immunity, allowing the early control of infection at the site of entry. Suppressed adaptive immunity and a dysfunctional innate immune response is seen in adult patients with severe infections but not in children. This may relate to immunosenescence in the elderly. Another proposed factor is the different receptors for SARS-CoV-2 and their differences in expression between these age groups. In infants and toddlers, effective immune response to viral particles can be modulated by the pre-existing non-specific effect of live attenuated vaccines on innate immunity and vitamin D prophylaxis. However, all the proposed mechanisms require verification in larger cohorts of patients. Our knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 is still developing.
A close interaction between the virus SARS-CoV-2 and the
immune system of an individual results in a diverse clinical
manifestation of the COVID-19 disease. While adaptive immune
responses are essential for SARS-CoV-2 virus clearance, the
innate immune cells, such as macrophages, may contribute, in
some cases, to the disease progression. Macrophages have
shown a significant production of IL-6, suggesting they may
contribute to the excessive inflammation in COVID-19 disease.
Macrophage Activation Syndrome may further explain the high
serum levels of CRP, which are normally lacking in viral
infections. In adaptive immune responses, it has been revealed
that cytotoxic CD8+ T cells exhibit functional exhaustion patterns,
such as the expression of NKG2A, PD-1, and TIM-3. Since SARSCoV-2 restrains antigen presentation by downregulating
MHC class I and II molecules and, therefore, inhibits the T cellmediated immune responses, humoral immune responses also
play a substantial role. Specific IgA response appears to be
stronger and more persistent than the IgM response. Moreover,
IgM and IgG antibodies show similar dynamics in COVID-19
disease.
Knowledge of genomic interindividual variability could help us to explain why different manifestation of clinical severity of Covid-19 infection as well as modified pharmacogenetic relations can be expected during this pandemic condition.
Objectives and hypotheses. It was expected that income and its rate of deterioration as an economic factor, insufficient opportunities to talk to others and subjective feelings of isolation as social variables, and worries about income impairment, worries related to Covid-19, low tolerance of uncertainty, rumination, and catastrophizing as psychological variables, will reduce the frequency of positive experiencing, increase the frequency of negative experiencing and the number of depressive symptoms. On the other hand, personal belief in a just world and a positive reappraisal were expected to positively affect the research variables. Sample and settings. The online data collection was carried out at the end of April 2020 at the peak of the number of people affected by the disease in Slovakia. It was a stratified selection of N = 1108 persons, taking into account the proportional representation of persons from the territory of the whole republic., Statistical analysis. Variable relationships were tested using PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares – SEM). This procedure was preferred for three reasons: the exploratory nature of complex models, the predictive orientation of models, and the measurement of multiple variables with one-item questioning. Results. Three predictors out of 16 tested had a positive relationship to the frequency of positive experiencing as an affective component of subjective well-being – subjectively assessed health, personal belief in a just world, and a positive reappraisal; rumination was in a negative relationship. Six predictors were related to the frequency of negative experiencing as an affective component of subjective well-being and to symptoms of depression – in addition to the four mentioned above, it was age and worries about income impairment: with higher age, the frequency of negative experiencing and the number of depressive symptoms decreased, and a positive relation had also variables: subjective assessment of health, personal belief in a just world and a positive reappraisal., Worries about income impairment and rumination had a relationship to the frequency of negative experiencing and depressive symptoms. Study limitations. Cross sectional research did not provide information on changes in the affective component of subjective well-being and depressive symptoms of the Slovak population as a result of the pandemic, as the obtained data could not be compared with the results of the same participants from the period before the pandemic. Although this research can be considered representative in several aspects, the validity of the findings is limited by the fact that no specific groups were included in the sample – e.g. the most vulnerable groups were medical staff and the elderly over 70 years of age. Also, those who were ill or suspected of having Covid-19 were excluded from the analysis. Finally, data collection via the Internet presupposes a certain standard of living of respondents, Cieľom štúdie bolo zistiť, aký vzťah majú ekonomické a sociálne faktory v čase vrcholenia pandémie Covid-19 k afektívnej zložke subjektívnej pohody a symptómom depresie obyvateľov Slovenska, a ako sú tieto premenné ovplyvnené subjektívne prežívanými obavami a vybranými psychologickými charakteristikami opytovaných osôb. Bolo očakávané, že príjem a miera jeho zhoršenia ako ekonomický faktor, nedostatočné možnosti rozprávať sa s inými a subjektívny pocit izolovanosti ako sociálne premenné, obavy zo zhoršenia príjmu, obavy z ochorenia Covid-19, nízka miera tolerancie neurčitosti, ruminácia a katastrofizácia ako psychologické premenné, budú znižovať frekvenciu pozitívneho prežívania, zvyšovať frekvenciu negatívneho prežívania a počet symptómov depresie. Na druhej strane bolo očakávané, že osobná viera v spravodlivý svet a pozitívne prehodnotenie budú pozitívne ovplyvňovať sledované premenné. Demografické premenné a zdravotné charakteristiky opytovaných osôb boli kontrolované. On-line zber výskumných dát bol realizovaný koncom mesiaca apríl 2020 v čase kulminácie počtu chorobou postihnutých osôb na Slovensku., Išlo o stratifikovaný výber N = 1108 osôb so zohľadnením proporcionálneho zastúpenia osôb z územia celej republiky – každý z ôsmich samosprávnych krajov Slovenska bol zastúpený proporcionálnym počtom opytovaných osôb (rozpätie 105–164 osôb). Výskumná vzorka bola z hľadiska zastúpenia rodu a čiastočne aj rodinného stavu vyvážená, z hľadiska veku išlo o dospelé osoby vo veku 18 až 70 rokov a z hľadiska typu ekonomickej aktivity prevažovali zamestnané osoby, resp. osoby, ktoré mali v čase výskumu vlastný príjem. Štatistická analýza. Vzťahy premenných boli testované pomocou PLS-SEM (partial least squares – SEM). Táto procedúra bola uprednostnená z troch dôvodov: exploratívna povaha komplexných modelov, predikčná orientácia modelov a meranie väčšieho počtu premenných s jedno-itemovým opytovaním. Prezentované sú výsledky deskrip- tívnej analýzy meraných premenných, evalu- ácia modelov merania a evaluácia testovaných modelov. Tri prediktory zo 16 testovaných mali pozitívny vzťah k frekvencii pozitívneho prežívania ako afektívneho komponentu subjektívnej pohody – subjektívne hodnotené zdravie, osobná viera v spravodlivý svet a pozitívne prehodnotenie, ruminácia bola v negatívnom vzťahu., and Šesť prediktorov malo vzťah k frekvencii negatívneho prežívania ako afektívneho komponentu subjektívnej pohody a k symptómom depresie – okrem štyroch vyššie uvedených, to bol vek a obavy zo zhoršenia príjmu: s vyšším vekom frekvencia negatívneho prežívania a počet symptómov depresie klesali a pozitívny vzťah mali aj subjektívne hodnotené zdravie, osobná viera v spravodlivý svet a pozitívne prehodnotenie. Obavy zo zhoršenia príjmu a ruminácia mali vzťah k frekvencii negatívneho prežívania a depresívnej symptomatológii. Prierezový výskum neposkytol informáciu o zmenách afektívnej zložky subjektívnej pohody a symptómov depresie obyvateľov Slovenska v dôsledku pandémie, lebo získané dáta nebolo možné porovnať s vý- sledkami tých istých osôb z obdobia pred pan- démiou. Napriek tomu, že výskum možno z via- cerých aspektov považovať za reprezentatívny, platnosť zistení je obmedzená tým, že do vzorky neboli zaradené špecifické skupiny – napr. najohrozenejšie skupiny, akými bol zdravotnícky personál, staršie osoby nad 70 rokov a ďalej, z analýzy boli vylúčené osoby, ktoré boli choré na Covid-19 alebo mali na toto ochorenie podozrenie. A konečne, zber údajov prostredníctvom internetu predpokladá určitý životný štandard respondentov. Psychologické a politické indikácie sú uvedené v závere štúdie.
Few peculiarities have been observed in the etiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), one such being its greater prevalence in men than women partly due to the higher expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) in the male reproductive tissues. Recent scientific reports are in line with some of the evidence-based hypotheses in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, regarding the involvement of oxidative stress (OS) and oxidant-sensitive pathways in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-mediated male reproductive disruptions. The seminal dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 or its components, testicular disruptions due to viral infection and oxidative damage in the testis have all been evidenced recently. High-dose of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, have been shown to be a useful treatment for COVID-19 patients, to alleviate systemic inflammation and OS. In addition, vitamin C is a major testicular antioxidant that neutralizes excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), prevents sperm agglutination, prevents lipid peroxidation, recycles vitamin E, and protects against DNA damage. Thus, the present review aims to discuss the mechanism of COVID-19- mediated male reproductive dysfunctions, based on the evidence available so far, and explore the possibility of using vitamin C in alleviating testicular OS and associated damage caused by COVID-19.