EClinicalMedicine
-
Routine HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV care appointments provide opportunities for screening men who have sex with men (MSM) for hepatitis C virus infection (HCV). However, levels of screening required for achieving the WHO elimination target of reducing HCV incidence by 90% by 2030 among all MSM are unknown. ⋯ At low PrEP coverage, increased screening of all MSM is required to achieve the WHO HCV-elimination targets for MSM in the UK, whereas at higher PrEP coverage this is possible through just screening HIV-diagnosed MSM and PrEP users.
-
Evidence for effective interventions to prevent long-term sequelae after concussion is sparse. This study aimed to test the efficacy of Get going After concussIoN (GAIN), an interdisciplinary, individually-tailored intervention of 8 weeks duration based on gradual return to activities and principles from cognitive behavioural therapy. ⋯ Central Denmark Region and the foundation "Public Health in Central Denmark Region - a collaboration between municipalities and the region".
-
There is recent interest in treating locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients with total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT). However, whether TNT is associated with improved overall survival (OS) remains unknown. This study compares outcomes following TNT and following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (nCRT) in patients with LARC, clinically defined cT3/4 or node positive disease, using the National Cancer Database. ⋯ With results from current clinical trials pending, our data suggested that TNT and nCRT resulted in similar survival, while TNT led to higher pCR and CRM negative rate, albeit not statistically significant.
-
Immunisation during pregnancy to protect infants against tetanus, pertussis and influenza is recommended in many countries. However, maternal antibodies can interfere with infant vaccine responses. We investigated the effect of antenatal diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (dTpa) and trivalent inactivated influenza (TIV) immunisation on specific and heterologous antibody responses to routine immunisations given in the first year of life. ⋯ Evidence before this study: Maternal immunisation during pregnancy helps to protect infants during the period before they complete their primary immunisations. It has been proven to be safe and beneficial. However, pre-existing maternal antibodies can influence antibody responses following infant immunisation, an effect called 'blunting'. Previous studies have investigated the influence of dTpa but not influenza immunisation during pregnancy on infant vaccine responses. The majority of studies investigated antibody concentrations only to the specific vaccine antigens included in the maternal immunisation, and there is scarce data available on heterologous vaccine responses, particularly pneumococcal responses.Added value of this study: In this study, we have shown that maternal dTpa immunisation during pregnancy is associated with reduced antibody responses to both specific (diphtheria and pertussis) and heterologous (polio and pneumococcus) vaccine antigens. This effect is stronger for persistence of antibodies at 13 months of age than after primary immunisation at 7 months of age. In contrast, for Hib, in infants with maternal dTpa immunisation, antibody concentrations are higher, particularly at 7 months of age. Maternal TIV immunisation has minimal effect on infant vaccine responses.Implications of all the available evidence: Whilst maternal immunisation protects infants in the first few months of life, it might interfere with both specific and heterologous (unrelated) vaccines responses in infants. As most vaccines induce very high antibody responses, small differences in antibody concentrations may not be of clinical significance. However, since maternal immunisation during pregnancy also influences seroprotection rates, strategies, such as additional booster doses in the second year of life, particularly for pertussis and pneumococcus, might need to be considered to address this.