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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Evaluation of a modified dye pour-plate auxanographic method for the rapid identification of clinically significant yeasts. Comparison with two commercial systems.

A modified dye pour-plate auxanographic (DPPA) method for the presumptive identification of medically important yeasts was evaluated, in a comparative study with a conventional procedure, the API 20C clinical yeast system (Analytab Products Inc.), and the Uni-Yeast-Tek (UYT) system. The 174 coded clinical isolates were members of the genera Candida, Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Torulopsis, and Trichosporon. The identification accuracies with DPPA, API, and UYT were 95%, 93%, and 99% respectively. DPPA and API required more time to inoculate but gave rapid identification profiles. UYT was simple to inoculate and both UYT and DPPA were easy to read. Cost analysis of the three rapid methods demonstrated DPPA to be the most economical making it a feasible alternative for small clinical laboratories as well as large laboratories possessing the facilities to make their own media.

Carbohydrate Metabolism↗
PubMed2026

Genetic Susceptibility to Incisional Hernia Evaluation of Hernia Polygenic Risk Scores.

OBJECTIVES: Incisional hernia (IH) affects 13-30% of people after abdominal surgery, resulting in substantial morbidity and costs. While clinical risk factors have been studied extensively, genomic risk for IH is incompletely understood. We aimed to evaluate the impact of polygenic risk scores (PRS) on IH risk prediction. METHODS: We created and evaluated three PRS for abdominal hernia, ventral hernia and latent hernia susceptibility for prediction of IH in an institutional biobank. The primary outcome was defined as the diagnosis or repair of an IH based on ICD-9/10-CM/PCS and CPT codes. Clinical covariates included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, index procedure type, and perioperative surgical site infection. A phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) was performed to assess clinical associations with increased PRS. We then tested the ability of the PRS to improve prediction for IH by modeling clinical covariates with and without PRS in patients who underwent abdominal surgery. Model performance was assessed using 10 iterations of 5-fold cross-validation to estimate Brier scores and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), which were compared using cross-model Bayesian analysis of variance. RESULTS: In 55,809 subjects, assessed PRS was significantly associated with incisional, umbilical, and ventral hernia on PheWAS, with 1.19 greater odds of developing IH per 1-SD increase in PRS (95% CI: 1.13-1.25, P < 0.001). Of 9,909 subjects who underwent qualifying abdominal surgery, 706 developed IH. In this cohort, the latent hernia susceptibility PRS was associated with a 16% increased hazard of developing IH per 1-SD increase (HR 1.16; 95% CI: 1.07-1.26; P < 0.001). Compared to a predictive model using clinical covariates (Brier score = 0.047, 95% CI: 0.046-0.048; AUROC = 0.660, 95% CI: 0.653-0.666), addition of the PRS showed similar Brier score and AUROC estimates (Brier score = 0.047, 95% CI: 0.046-0.048; AUROC: 0.667, 95% CI: 0.661-0.673) at five years. Cross-model Bayesian analysis demonstrated >99% probability of practical equivalence when trying to detect a difference of &#x2265; 0.02. CONCLUSION: All three PRS for hernia were independently associated with IH, suggesting that genomic factors contribute significantly to IH development. However, none of the three PRS meaningfully improved clinical IH risk prediction in patients who underwent abdominal surgery. This suggests that clinical comorbidities and surgical techniques may be equally as important as genomic architecture.

Bayesian analysis↗
PubMed1978

Comparison of immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase staining for identification of rubella virus isolates.

To explore possible advantages which immunoperoxidase (IP) staining might have over immunofluorescence (IF) staining for identifying rubella virus isolates, direct comparative studies were done on the same coded clinical materials using the same rubella immune rabbit serum as the primary antiserum in both systems. The rubella immune rabbit serum and conjugated anti-rabbit immune globulins could be used more dilute in the IP system than in the IF system. Both IP and IF staining detected rubella antigen in all specimens which were positive by interference. IP staining also detected low levels of rubella antigen in a few additional specimens which had originally been positive for rubella virus, but which on retesting were negative by interference and IF staining. With second-cell-culture-passage material, IP and IF staining showed comparable specificity, and the few specimens which reacted nonspecifically generally did so in both systems. Cell cultures inoculated directly with urine specimens showed greater nonspecificity by IP than by IF, but this activity could be abolished by pretreatment with sodium azide and peroxide; other methods tried for inactivating endogenous peroxidase activity destroyed rubella antigen as well. The intensity of staining for positive specimens was comparable in the two systems. However, more antigen was demonstrable in both systems when BHK-21 cells were inoculated as a cell suspension and then permitted to grow into monolayers than when the same specimens were inoculated into preformed monolayers. IP staining was considered to be a highly satisfactory alternative to IF staining for identification of rubella virus isolates.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

[Bicyclic 3-hydrazinopyridazines with antihypertensive action (author's transl)].

The synthesis of a series of 3-hydrazinopyridazines is described. Several of these compounds exhibited high antihypertensive activity in the rat. The most potent member of the series is l-benzoyl-3-hydrazino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido-[4,3-c]pyridazine, compound 28 [1], which is now under clinical trial [2] under the clinical code number BQ 22-708 (endrazaline, Miretilan). It was possible to discover certain structure-activity relationships.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Psychiatric Diagnoses and Psychotropic Medications Among Military-Affiliated Adolescents and Young Adults With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To study rates of psychiatric diagnoses and psychotropic medication prescription among U.S. military-affiliated adolescents and young adults (AYA) with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: This retrospective matched cohort study included U.S. military-affiliated AYA (aged 15-21 years) enrolled in TRICARE Prime for at least 6 months during the surveillance period (January 2016 to October 2023). Military-affiliated AYA were grouped into three categories: individuals diagnosed with PCOS (N = 6,911), age-matched individuals with no diagnosed PCOS symptoms (N = 35,814), and individuals with diagnosed symptoms suggestive of PCOS (N = 2,136). The presence of a psychiatric diagnoses and prescriptions for psychotropic medications were obtained via the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification codes and National Drug codes, respectively. RESULTS: AYA with diagnosed PCOS had higher odds of having a psychiatric diagnosis and being prescribed a psychotropic medication compared to an age-matched comparison group (psychiatric diagnosis odds ratio [OR] = 2.48 [2.35-2.62], medication OR = 2.14 [2.03-2.25]) and individuals with symptoms suggestive of PCOS (psychiatric diagnosis OR = 1.11 [1.003-1.23], medication OR = 1.16 [1.05-1.28]). DISCUSSION: The odds of psychiatric comorbidities and psychotropic medication prescription were more than twice as high as among U.S. military-affiliated AYA with PCOS. More research is needed to determine whether health-care utilization and military-related factors impact mental health outcomes among AYA with PCOS. Additionally, tailored, multidisciplinary mental health services for AYA with PCOS are needed.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Can ChatGPT Replace Human Clinical Coders? A Comparative Study in Otology Billing.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the utility of the large language model (LLM), ChatGPT, for the analysis of operative notes and the generation of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes in comparison to human clinical coders. STUDY DESIGN: CPT billing codes assigned by ChatGPT were compared to existing billing data. Otology practice within a tertiary academic center. METHODS: About 191 operative notes from a single surgeon (9/2022-10/2023) were analyzed. ChatGPT-3.5 and 4 models were prompted for CPT codes based on operative notes. Assessment included determining exact and partial match rates, sensitivity and specificity for targeted procedures, and work Relative Value Units (wRVU) differences between ChatGPT-generated and human-assigned codes. RESULTS: ChatGPT-3.5 achieved exact matches in 22% of cases and partial matches in 32%, while ChatGPT-4 achieved 14% exact and 33% partial matches. When cochlear implantation (CI) was excluded, performance dropped significantly. For CI, ChatGPT-3.5 demonstrated a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 90%, while ChatGPT-4 showed a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 92%. In contrast, performance on cartilage grafting was poor, with sensitivities of 4.2% for ChatGPT-3.5 and 0% for ChatGPT-4. ChatGPT-3.5 and 4 showed moderate CPT code matching accuracy among themselves, with slight agreement to human coders. Both models tended to underbill for wRVUs compared to human coders, with significant differences in the values generated. CONCLUSION: This study assessed ChatGPT's effectiveness in automating CPT code assignment for otologic surgeries. While the models achieved high sensitivity values for assigning codes related to cochlear implantation, both models struggled with complex cases, failed to apply modifiers, and often assigned fewer wRVUs. The findings highlight ChatGPT's potential in medical billing but indicate a need for further refinement.

Humans↗
PubMed2017

Route of infection alters virulence of neonatal septicemia Escherichia coli clinical isolates.

Escherichia coli is the leading cause of Gram-negative neonatal septicemia in the United States. Invasion and passage across the neonatal gut after ingestion of maternal E. coli strains produce bacteremia. In this study, we compared the virulence properties of the neonatal E. coli bacteremia clinical isolate SCB34 with the archetypal neonatal E. coli meningitis strain RS218. Whole-genome sequencing data was used to compare the protein coding sequences among these clinical isolates and 33 other representative E. coli strains. Oral inoculation of newborn animals with either strain produced septicemia, whereas intraperitoneal injection caused septicemia only in pups infected with RS218 but not in those injected with SCB34. In addition to being virulent only through the oral route, SCB34 demonstrated significantly greater invasion and transcytosis of polarized intestinal epithelial cells in vitro as compared to RS218. Protein coding sequences comparisons highlighted the presence of known virulence factors that are shared among several of these isolates, and revealed the existence of proteins exclusively encoded in SCB34, many of which remain uncharacterized. Our study demonstrates that oral acquisition is crucial for the virulence properties of the neonatal bacteremia clinical isolate SCB34. This characteristic, along with its enhanced ability to invade and transcytose intestinal epithelium are likely determined by the specific virulence factors that predominate in this strain.

Bacteremia↗
PubMed2026

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults: from infection to outcomes - who gets sick, who gets hospitalized, who survives?

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus responsible for acute respiratory infections and is widely recognized as a major pathogen in the paediatric population. Thus, the burden of RSV in the adult population remains poorly understood, as epidemiological studies mainly rely on PMSI (Medicalization of Information Systems Program) data, which are coded for economic purposes, and because many adults RSV infections remain underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological and clinical characteristics of RSV infections in elderly population across four university hospitals in north-western France during the 2022-2023 epidemic season. This retrospective cohort included all patients aged 60 years and older who tested positive for RSV between September 1st, 2022, and January 31st, 2023, in four university hospitals. Viral detection was performed using molecular assays on respiratory samples. Clinical, demographic, biological, and coding data were collected from medical records and hospital information systems. Outcomes included need for oxygen therapy, intensive care admission, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, readmission within 90 days for a respiratory or cardiac reason, and changes in living arrangements. Statistical analyses used descriptive methods and standard tests for comparisons. A total of 647 patients were included. The mean age was 77.8 years, and most patients had at least one chronic medical condition, primarily respiratory or cardiac. 508 (78.5%) patients were hospitalized. The mean hospital stay was 16.2 days, and oxygen therapy was required in 68.3% of cases. In-hospital mortality reached 11.0%. Among survivors, 38.0% were readmitted within 90 days for a respiratory or cardiac reason. A notable proportion of patients experienced a loss of autonomy leading to institutional placement at discharge. RSV was coded in the PMSI database as a diagnosis in approximately two-thirds of hospitalizations, with substantial variations between centers. RSV infection in older adults was associated with significant morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and a frequent decline in functional status. The study also identified heterogeneity in coding practices and emphasized limitations of PMSI data for capturing respiratory syncytial virus burden. These findings support the need for expanded screening, along with targeted preventive strategies and structured post-discharge follow-up to reduce the long-term burden of RSV in older populations.

Humans↗
PubMed2025

Association of HFE genotypes with hemochromatosis-related phenotypes in the All of Us research program.

PURPOSE: Type 1 hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) can result in iron overload and liver disease if not detected and treated early. Most cases are found among people homozygous for HFE p.Cys282Tyr variants. Compound heterozygosity with the HFE p.His63Asp variant is associated with disease to a lesser degree. We sought to examine the association of HFE variation with HH-related phenotypes and assess the prevalence of testing and diagnosis of HH using All of Us data. METHODS: We used data from 133,978 participants with genetic information linked to medical records. For different HFE genotypes, we examined the prevalence of HH diagnosis codes and related biochemical and clinical phenotypes. RESULTS: Among participants who were p.Cys282Tyr homozygotes, the prevalence of HH diagnosis codes was 22.6% among males and 15.6% among females. Serum transferrin-iron saturation measures were available only for 31.4% of males and 21.1% of females who were p.Cys282Tyr homozygotes. Liver disease, including cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, was present more among males who were p.Cys282Tyr homozygotes compared with males with no p.Cys282Tyr or p.His63Asp variants (15.5% vs 8.5%, P&#xa0;= .0001). Of the 71 participants who were p.Cys282Tyr homozygotes with indication of liver disease, 32 (45.1%) did not have a serum transferrin-iron saturation measure, and 37 (52.1%) did not have diagnosis codes for HH. CONCLUSION: Limited serum transferrin-iron saturation measures or HH diagnosis codes among p.Cys282Tyr homozygotes, even those with liver disease, suggests potential undertesting and underdiagnosis of type 1 HH in clinical practice and a need for improved awareness, education, and testing around HH.

C282Y homozygosity↗
PubMed2024

Bidirectional Risk Modulator and Modifier Variant of Dilated and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in BAG3.

IMPORTANCE: The genetic factors that modulate the reduced penetrance and variable expressivity of heritable dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are largely unknown. BAG3 genetic variants have been implicated in both DCM and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), nominating BAG3 as a gene that harbors potential modifier variants in DCM. OBJECTIVE: To interrogate the clinical traits and diseases associated with BAG3 coding variation. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a cross-sectional study in the Penn Medicine BioBank (PMBB) enrolling patients of the University of Pennsylvania Health System's clinical practice sites from 2014 to 2023. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was linked to electronic health record (EHR) data to associate BAG3 coding variants with EHR phenotypes. This was a health care population-based study including individuals of European and African genetic ancestry in the PMBB with WES linked to EHR phenotypes, with replication studies in BioVU, UK Biobank, MyCode, and DCM Precision Medicine Study. EXPOSURES: Carrier status for BAG3 coding variants. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Association of BAG3 coding variation with clinical diagnoses, echocardiographic traits, and longitudinal outcomes. RESULTS: In PMBB (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;43&#x202f;731; median [IQR] age, 65 [50-76] years; 21&#x202f;907 female [50.1%]), among 30&#x202f;324 European and 11&#x202f;198 African individuals, the common C151R variant was associated with decreased risk for DCM (odds ratio [OR],&#x2009;0.85; 95% CI, 0.78-0.92) and simultaneous increased risk for HCM (OR,&#x2009;1.59; 95% CI, 1.25-2.02), which was confirmed in the replication cohorts. C151R carriers exhibited improved longitudinal outcomes compared with noncarriers as assessed by age at death (hazard ratio [HR],&#x2009;0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.96; median [IQR] age, 71.8 [63.1-80.7] in carriers and 70.3 [61.6-79.2] in noncarriers) and heart transplant (HR,&#x2009;0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-0.99; median [IQR] age, 56.7 [46.1-63.1] in carriers and 55.6 [45.2-62.9] in noncarriers). C151R was associated with reduced risk of DCM (OR,&#x2009;0.42; 95% CI, 0.24-0.74) and heart failure (OR,&#x2009;0.27; 95% CI, 0.14-0.50) among individuals harboring truncating TTN variants in exons with high cardiac expression (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;358). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: BAG3 C151R was identified as a bidirectional modulator of risk along the DCM-HCM spectrum, as well as an important genetic modifier variant in TTN-mediated DCM. This work expands on the understanding of the etiology and penetrance of DCM, suggesting that BAG3 C151R is an important genetic modifier variant contributing to the variable expressivity of DCM, warranting further exploration of its mechanisms and of genetic modifiers in DCM more broadly.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

The Biobank Rare Variant consortium powers the discovery of rare genetic associations through global collaboration.

Rare coding variants can have large effects on disease risk and provide direct routes from human genetics to disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets, but their discovery is constrained by sample size, particularly for low-prevalence diseases. Here we establish the Biobank Rare Variant Analysis (BRaVa) consortium, a global rare variant association resource that integrates sequencing and linked health-record data from ten biobanks and cohorts comprising over 1.2 million individuals across diverse ancestries. We performed gene-based meta-analyses of rare coding variation across 33 clinical endpoints and 11 quantitative traits. Aggregating evidence across biobanks and ancestries identified 514 gene-trait associations, including 31 not previously reported in prior studies or curated association resources following systematic literature review. Notably, 36.1% of gene-level associations were undetectable in any individual biobank, and 91 emerged only through cross-ancestry meta-analysis, demonstrating that federated integration enables discovery beyond the reach of single cohorts. Similar gains were observed at the variant level, where 25.0% of phenotype-locus associations were detectable only through meta-analysis. Effect size estimates were correlated across ancestries with concordant directions of effect, supporting the generalizability of rare variant associations. The identified signals implicate pathways involved in transcriptional and epigenetic regulation, metabolism, vascular and epithelial biology, and immune function, highlighting rare coding variation as an engine for biological discovery across medical record phenotypes. For example, damaging variation in ANKRD12 implicates inflammatory transcriptional dysregulation in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and ultra-rare predicted loss-of-function variants in NAA15 link protein acetylation processes to type 2 diabetes risk. BRaVa establishes a scalable framework and freely available community resource for rare variant meta-analysis across global biobanks. Public release of gene- and variant-level association summary statistics provides a reference map of rare coding variant associations to support disease gene discovery, biological interpretation, and therapeutic target prioritization as sequencing-linked health-record resources continue to expand.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2026

Structural variant discovery and diagnostic impact in rare diseases from short-read and long-read sequencing.

Rare diseases collectively affect 1 in 10 individuals, yet current genetic testing fails to identify a causal variant for most cases. At present, cytogenetic methods and/or sequencing approaches such as exome (ES) or short-read genome sequencing (srGS) represent the state-of-the-art for comprehensive clinical discovery of sequence and structural variants (SVs), including copy number variants, balanced SVs, complex SVs, and tandem repeats (TRs). Recently, long-read genome sequencing (lrGS), coupled with multiomics data, has presented great promise to resolve variation in genomic regions recalcitrant to characterization by srGS such as highly repetitive simple repeat sequences and segmental duplications. However, there are few guidelines to enable clinical interpretation of genetic variation in these highly repetitive genomic regions, and the enthusiasm of the field in adopting lrGS has made it difficult to assess the true added diagnostic yield of this technology due to widely variable and inconsistently applied analytic pipelines and variable degrees of pre-screening by ES or srGS. Here, we investigated the contribution of SVs to rare diseases using srGS as a front-line strategy when paired with highly sensitive SV discovery and evaluate the added diagnostic yield of incorporating lrGS for a subset of cases. Our srGS analysis encompassed 1,462 families (3,450 individuals) recruited through the Broad Institute Center for Mendelian Genetics and the Genomics Research to Elucidate the Genetics of Rare Diseases (GREGoR) programs. Diagnostic SVs were identified in 5.4% of cases (79/1,462), of which 80% were uniquely detectable by srGS compared to standard cytogenetic techniques. For 96 families (including 10 families with a heterozygous variant observed in a known recessive gene of clinical relevance), we performed lrGS with methylation profiling, as well as long-read transcriptomic analyses in a subset of 20 trios. Analyses with lrGS yielded over 25,000 SVs per genome, 63% of which were not captured by srGS, along with an additional ~200 rare SNV/indels per genome not previously captured and 12 differentially methylated regions per genome. Among these, we identified only one diagnostic variant not interpreted by srGS, an apparently mosaic de novo SNV in CASK that was absent in the srGS callset due to allelic imbalance. No new diagnoses were supported by long-read transcriptomics or episignatures. In this well characterized rare disease cohort, the added diagnostic yield was thus 1.04% (1/96 families). Following a systematic literature review of prior lrGS studies, we find that most reported diagnoses were detectable by srGS and that our added diagnostic yield is consistent with those prior studies. These studies emphasize the significant impact of comprehensive SV discovery in rare disease cases and further demonstrate the power for increased discovery of novel genomic variation and episignatures from lrGS. Nonetheless, they also serve to temper expectations of dramatic diagnostic advances in rare disease patients until there is more extensive annotation of the functional and clinical impact of all coding and noncoding variation uniquely accessible to lrGS with extensive reference databases spanning highly repetitive genomic sequencing that could be enabled by this transformative technology.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1979

Some ethical considerations in clinical trials.

The ethical norms established in various codes and regulations are inadequate to resolve some of the ethical problems presented by clinical trials. They are stated too vaguely to provide unequivocal answers to many specific questions. In order to remedy this situation, many commentators have proposed the development of more specific and complex regulations. We propose that a more fruitful approach would be to examine the ethical principles underlying the norms and to apply these principles to the specific problems. We apply this approach to two questions: (1) Is it ethical to select subjects for a randomized clinical trial (RCT) exclusively from Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals? (2) In the conduct of a RCT is it necessary to disclose the fact that therapy will be determined by chance? We conclude that problems of justice arise not only because of the vulnerability of patients in VA hospitals but also because of the loss of the physician-patient relationship in an RCT. However, the use of patients in a VA hospital is not always unjust; in most cases such use can be made more just through various modifications in design. We also conclude that the fact of randomization should be disclosed in any situation in which it might materially affect the prospective subject's decision, and that the values and preferences of the subjects should be taken into account in determining what information might be material. This work is only a preliminary step toward analyzing ethical issues in clinical trials. While some would challenge our conclusions, we hope that our methods will facilitate clarity about the locus of disagreement in current controversies and about the value questions that must be answered in order to set an ethical context for the conduct of clinical trials.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed2026

Systemic Comorbidities of Keloid and Hypertrophic Scars: A Phenome-Wide Association Study in a Multiethnic U.S. Pediatric Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Excessive scarring (ES), including keloids and hypertrophic scars, impairs function, appearance, and quality of life in children. Its pediatric comorbidity spectrum is not well defined, limiting anticipatory guidance and multidisciplinary care. This research aims to investigate comorbidities of ES in a diverse pediatric cohort using a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS). METHODS: This population-based study leveraged longitudinal electronic health record (EHR) data from participants enrolled in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) from 2006. Diagnosis codes (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] and Tenth Revision [ICD-10-CM]) were mapped to 3109 phenotype codes (PheCodes). PheWAS analyses were conducted using logistic regression, with Bonferroni correction applied to account for multiple testing. RESULTS: Among 86,092 pediatric participants, 662 (0.77%) were identified with ES; the remaining served as controls. Multivariable PheWAS screening identified 154 significant associations across 16 disease categories, of which 105 were not reported previously to our knowledge. Dermatologic phenotypes (n = 28; 18%) were most enriched, including acne and other follicular disorders, eczema, pigmentary changes, papulosquamous and granulomatous disorders, and cutaneous infections. Respiratory phenotypes (n = 21; 14%) included respiratory failure, pneumonia, asthma, allergic rhinitis, pharyngitis, and tonsillar hypertrophy. Sense organ disorders (n = 19; 12%) comprised conjunctivitis, refractive errors, otitis, and hearing impairment. Infection-related phenotypes (n = 14; 9%) highlighted susceptibility to viral (influenza, human papillomavirus [HPV], molluscum contagiosum), fungal (candidiasis, dermatophytosis), and bacterial infections. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that ES in children indicates not only localized wound-healing impairment, but also systemic immune, developmental, and proliferative dysregulations, emphasizing the need for genetic and mechanistic studies to clarify causal pathways and multidisciplinary surveillance beyond dermatologic care.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

2024-2025 BNT162b2 KP.2 COVID-19 full season vaccine effectiveness from vaccine registries linked to administrative claims in two states: A cohort study in non-immunocompromised adults.

BACKGROUND: Data on effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccinations during the 2024-2025 respiratory season are limited, particularly among those with underlying medical conditions (UMC). We estimated BNT162b2 KP.2 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19-associated hospital admission, emergency department (ED), and urgent care (UC) visits in two U.S. states. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of non-immunocompromised adults living in Louisiana or California, with &#x2265;1&#xa0;year prior continuous enrollment in insurance plans contributing to the HealthVerity claims database beginning August 22, 2024. The effectiveness of BNT162b2 KP.2 vaccine (2024-2025 formulation, hereafter referred to as BNT162b2), measured as a time-varying exposure against hospital admission, ED, or UC encounters with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code U07.1 was calculated as 1 - adjusted hazard ratio using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age group, sex, state, insurance payor, presence or absence of UMCs, and pre-index healthcare utilization. Stratifications included those aged 65&#xa0;years and older, those aged 18-64&#xa0;years with UMCs, and those aged 18-64&#xa0;years without UMCs. RESULTS: The cohort included 6,256,421 individuals (93% California, 7% Louisiana); 330,565 (5%) received the BNT162b2 vaccine. Vaccinated individuals were older and had more comorbidities, wellness visits, and prior influenza vaccination. Overall, 66% of the study population had &#x2265;1 UMC; the most prevalent conditions were obesity (25%), history of immunocompromised conditions (23%), and mental health conditions (19%). COVID-19-related encounter rates for ED, UC or hospitalization were lower among vaccinated compared to unvaccinated persons (25.1 vs 36.3 per 100,000 person-months). Among all adults, VE was 37% against hospitalization, 12% against ED/UC encounters, and 16% against ED/UC/hospitalization encounters. Results were similar across age groups and UMCs. CONCLUSIONS: BNT162b2 provided protection against COVID-19-associated outcomes of ED, UC or hospitalization among non-immunocompromised U.S. adults, including those with UMCs, over the course of the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season, supporting continued vaccine recommendations. REGISTRATION: This study was posted on clinicaltrials.gov prior to analyses (NCT06923137).

Adolescent↗
PubMed2026

Representation of Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias in a Statewide Population Genomics Cohort: Early Findings from In Our DNA SC.

Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) affect more than 125,000 individuals in South Carolina, yet equitable representation in population genomics initiatives remains a concern. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive analysis of 247 In Our DNA SC participants aged 50 to 89 years with at least 1 ADRD-related diagnosis, identified using ICD-10 codes, to characterize demographic and clinical features and to compare the cohort with statewide ADRD estimates. Most participants were aged 65 years or older (82.2%), female (52.2%), and White (93.1%), while only 5.3% identified as Black. Nearly half had a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 4 or greater (48.6%), and 49.5% had at least 10 years of longitudinal electronic health record data. Compared with statewide ADRD estimates, Black individuals were substantially underrepresented despite comprising &#x223c;one-third of ADRD cases in South Carolina. These findings highlight the need for continued efforts to improve representation and support equitable, generalizable precision health research.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Non-coding RNAs in cancer: multi-omics insights, liquid biopsy advances, drug resistance mechanisms, and the road to clinical translation.

For most of the twentieth century, the transcriptional output of the human genome was thought to be biologically inert-a characterization that has been proven wrong in almost every important respect. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are now thought of as vital regulators of gene expression in all the stages of cancer pathogenesis, including the initial epigenetic changes, metastatic spread and the development of therapeutic resistance. This review highlights four areas where the clinical potential of ncRNAs is most promising: reconstruction of ncRNA regulatory networks by multi-omics integration; circulating ncRNAs as minimally invasive cancer biomarkers; causal roles of ncRNAs in drug resistance through epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, metabolic reprogramming, and stromal communication; and translation of ncRNA targeting strategies to clinical trials. We will need to invest equally in mechanistic rigor and translational infrastructure to move forward.

antisense oligonucleotides↗