Articles

Impact of clinical phenotypes on management and outcomes in European atrial fibrillation patients: a report from the ESC-EHRA EURObservational Research Programme in AF (EORP-AF) General Long-Term Registry

Epidemiological studies in atrial fibrillation (AF) illustrate that clinical complexity increase the risk of major adverse outcomes. We aimed to describe European AF patients’ clinical phenotypes and analyse t...

Authors: Marco Proietti, Marco Vitolo, Stephanie L. Harrison, Deirdre A. Lane, Laurent Fauchier, Francisco Marin, Michael Nabauer, Tatjana S. Potpara, Gheorghe-Andrei Dan, Giuseppe Boriani and Gregory Y. H. Lip

Clinical and molecular feature-based nomogram model for predicting benefit from bevacizumab combined with first-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC

The combination of bevacizumab and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) could prolong progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with EGFR-mutant advanced non-small-cell lung c...

Authors: Yongchang Zhang, Liang Zeng, Xiangyu Zhang, Yizhi Li, Lingli Liu, Qinqin Xu, Haiyan Yang, Wenjuan Jiang, Analyn Lizaso, Luting Qiu, Ting Hou, Jun Liu, Ling Peng and Nong Yang

Effects of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine on COVID-19 infection and hospitalisation amongst older people: matched case control study for England

The BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine has been shown to be effective at preventing serious COVID-19 events in clinical trials. There is less evidence on effectiveness in real-world settings, especially for older people. H...

Authors: Thomas F. D. Mason, Matt Whitston, Jack Hodgson, Ruth E. Watkinson, Yiu-Shing Lau, Omnia Abdulrazeg and Matt Sutton

Frailty and the risk of dementia: is the association explained by shared environmental and genetic factors?

Frailty has been identified as a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. However, it is not known whether familial factors, such as genetics and shared environmental factors, underlie this associati...

Authors: Ge Bai, Yunzhang Wang, Ralf Kuja-Halkola, Xia Li, Yasutake Tomata, Ida K. Karlsson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Sara Hägg and Juulia Jylhävä

HBeAg mediates inflammatory functions of macrophages by TLR2 contributing to hepatic fibrosis

We and others have confirmed activation of macrophages plays a critical role in liver injury and fibrogenesis during HBV infection. And we have also proved HBeAg can obviously induce the production of macropha...

Authors: Xiaoyu Xie, Huanran Lv, Chenxi Liu, Xiaonan Su, Zhen Yu, Shouyang Song, Hongjun Bian, Miaomiao Tian, Chengyong Qin, Jianni Qi and Qiang Zhu

Individual social contact data and population mobility data as early markers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics during the first wave in Germany—an analysis based on the COVIMOD study

The effect of contact reduction measures on infectious disease transmission can only be assessed indirectly and with considerable delay. However, individual social contact data and population mobility data can...

Authors: Damilola Victoria Tomori, Nicole Rübsamen, Tom Berger, Stefan Scholz, Jasmin Walde, Ian Wittenberg, Berit Lange, Alexander Kuhlmann, Johannes Horn, Rafael Mikolajczyk, Veronika K. Jaeger and André Karch

Impact of baseline SARS-CoV-2 antibody status on syndromic surveillance and the risk of subsequent COVID-19—a prospective multicenter cohort study

In a prospective healthcare worker (HCW) cohort, we assessed the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection according to baseline serostatus.

Authors: Philipp Kohler, Sabine Güsewell, Marco Seneghini, Thomas Egger, Onicio Leal, Angela Brucher, Eva Lemmenmeier, J. Carsten Möller, Philip Rieder, Markus Ruetti, Reto Stocker, Danielle Vuichard-Gysin, Benedikt Wiggli, Ulrike Besold, Stefan P. Kuster, Allison McGeer…

Achieving a “step change” in the tuberculosis epidemic through comprehensive community-wide intervention: a model-based analysis

Global progress towards reducing tuberculosis (TB) incidence and mortality has consistently lagged behind the World Health Organization targets leading to a perception that large reductions in TB burden cannot...

Authors: Sourya Shrestha, Emily A. Kendall, Rebekah Chang, Roy Joseph, Parastu Kasaie, Laura Gillini, Anthony Todd Fojo, Michael Campbell, Nimalan Arinaminpathy and David W. Dowdy

Discovery and validation of methylation signatures in circulating cell-free DNA for early detection of esophageal cancer: a case-control study

Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation has shown promising results in the early detection of multiple cancers recently. Here, we conducted a study to investigate the performance of cfDNA methylation in the e...

Authors: Guibin Qiao, Weitao Zhuang, Bo Dong, Chengcheng Li, Jiayue Xu, Guoqiang Wang, Liang Xie, Zihao Zhou, Dan Tian, Gang Chen, Jiming Tang, Haiyu Zhou, Dongkun Zhang, Ruiqing Shi, Rixin Chen, Weiqi Nian…

Understanding the impact of exposure to adverse socioeconomic conditions on chronic stress from a complexity science perspective

Chronic stress increases chronic disease risk and may underlie the association between exposure to adverse socioeconomic conditions and adverse health outcomes. The relationship between exposure to such condit...

Authors: Loes Crielaard, Mary Nicolaou, Alexia Sawyer, Rick Quax and Karien Stronks

Exploring health in the UK Biobank: associations with sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, lifestyle and environmental exposures

A greater understanding of the factors that are associated with favourable health may help increase longevity and healthy life expectancy. We examined sociodemographic, psychosocial, lifestyle and environmenta...

Authors: Julian Mutz, Charlotte J. Roscoe and Cathryn M. Lewis

Intensive lactation among women with recent gestational diabetes significantly alters the early postpartum circulating lipid profile: the SWIFT study

Women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have a 7-fold higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is estimated that 20-50% of women with GDM history will progress to T2D within 10 y...

Authors: Ziyi Zhang, Mi Lai, Anthony L. Piro, Stacey E. Alexeeff, Amina Allalou, Hannes L. Röst, Feihan F. Dai, Michael B. Wheeler and Erica P. Gunderson

Identification and validation of tissue or ctDNA PTPRD phosphatase domain deleterious mutations as prognostic and predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-squamous NSCLC

With the revolutionary progress of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) achieved in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), identifying patients benefiting from ICIs becomes critical and urgent. The associations o...

Authors: Yiting Sun, Jianchun Duan, Wenfeng Fang, Zhijie Wang, Xinyang Du, Xin Wang, Chengcheng Li, Shangli Cai, Jie Zhao, Sini Li, Li Zhang, Hua Bai and Jie Wang

Activated gut-homing CD8⁺ T cells for coeliac disease diagnosis on a gluten-free diet

The diagnosis of coeliac disease (CD) in individuals that have started a gluten-free diet (GFD) without an adequate previous diagnostic work-out is a challenge. Several immunological assays such as IFN-γ ELISP...

Authors: Fernando Fernández-Bañares, Natalia López-Palacios, María Corzo, Beatriz Arau, Mercedes Rubio, Marta Fernández-Prieto, Eva Tristán, Mar Pujals, Sergio Farrais, Saúl Horta, Juana María Hernández, Marta Gomez-Perosanz, Pedro A. Reche, María Esteve and Concepción Núñez

The relationship between markers of antenatal iron stores and birth outcomes differs by malaria prevention regimen—a prospective cohort study

Iron deficiency (ID) has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, maternal anaemia, and altered susceptibility to infection. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), monthly treatment with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine...

Authors: Holger W. Unger, Valentina Laurita Longo, Andie Bleicher, Maria Ome-Kaius, Stephan Karl, Julie A. Simpson, Amalia Karahalios, Elizabeth H. Aitken and Stephen J. Rogerson

Q&A: First-hand perspectives as a member of the BMC Medicine Editorial Board scheme: an interview with Matthew Quaife and Shuai Li

Authors: Matthew Quaife and Shuai Li

Transmission event of SARS-CoV-2 delta variant reveals multiple vaccine breakthrough infections

This study aims to identify the causative strain of SARS-CoV-2 in a cluster of vaccine breakthroughs. Vaccine breakthrough by a highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 strain is a risk to global public health.

Authors: Timothy Farinholt, Harsha Doddapaneni, Xiang Qin, Vipin Menon, Qingchang Meng, Ginger Metcalf, Hsu Chao, Marie-Claude Gingras, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Paige Farinholt, Charu Agrawal, Donna M. Muzny, Pedro A. Piedra, Richard A. Gibbs and Joseph Petrosino

Utility of comprehensive genomic profiling in directing treatment and improving patient outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer

With the identification of new targetable drivers and the recent emergence of novel targeted drugs, using comprehensive genomic profiling in lieu of the routine testing for classic drivers in the clinical care...

Authors: Shen Zhao, Zhonghan Zhang, Jianhua Zhan, Xin Zhao, Xinru Chen, Liyun Xiao, Kui Wu, Yuxiang Ma, Mengzhen Li, Yunpeng Yang, Wenfeng Fang, Hongyun Zhao and Li Zhang

Socioeconomic position and prognosis in premenopausal breast cancer: a population-based cohort study in Denmark

To investigate how socioeconomic position (SEP) influences the effectiveness of cancer-directed treatment in premenopausal breast cancer patients in terms of breast cancer recurrence and mortality.

Authors: Cathrine Fonnesbech Hjorth, Per Damkier, Bent Ejlertsen, Timothy Lash, Henrik Toft Sørensen and Deirdre Cronin-Fenton

Estimating the annual dengue force of infection from the age of reporting primary infections across urban centres in endemic countries

Stratifying dengue risk within endemic countries is crucial for allocating limited control interventions. Current methods of monitoring dengue transmission intensity rely on potentially inaccurate incidence es...

Authors: Joseph R. Biggs, Ava Kristy Sy, Katharine Sherratt, Oliver J. Brady, Adam J. Kucharski, Sebastian Funk, Mary Anne Joy Reyes, Mary Ann Quinones, William Jones-Warner, Ferchito L. Avelino, Nemia L. Sucaldito, Amado O. Tandoc, Eva Cutiongco-de la Paz, Maria Rosario Z. Capeding, Carmencita D. Padilla, Julius Clemence R. Hafalla…

SOCRATES-CoMix: a platform for timely and open-source contact mixing data during and in between COVID-19 surges and interventions in over 20 European countries

SARS-CoV-2 dynamics are driven by human behaviour. Social contact data are of utmost importance in the context of transmission models of close-contact infections.

Authors: Frederik Verelst, Lisa Hermans, Sarah Vercruysse, Amy Gimma, Pietro Coletti, Jantien A. Backer, Kerry L. M. Wong, James Wambua, Kevin van Zandvoort, Lander Willem, Laurens Bogaardt, Christel Faes, Christopher I. Jarvis, Jacco Wallinga, W. John Edmunds, Philippe Beutels…

Estimating the health and economic effects of the voluntary sodium reduction targets in Brazil: microsimulation analysis

Excessive sodium consumption is one of the leading dietary risk factors for non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), mediated by high blood pressure. Brazil has implemented voluntary ...

Authors: Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Nilson, Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, Brendan Collins, Maria Guzman-Castillo, Simon Capewell, Martin O’Flaherty, Patrícia Constante Jaime and Chris Kypridemos

Association of multimorbidity and changes in health-related quality of life following myocardial infarction: a UK multicentre longitudinal patient-reported outcomes study

Multimorbidity is prevalent for people with myocardial infarction (MI), yet previous studies investigated single-health conditions in isolation. We identified patterns of multimorbidity in MI survivors and the...

Authors: T. Munyombwe, T. B. Dondo, S. Aktaa, C. Wilkinson, M. Hall, B. Hurdus, G. Oliver, R. M. West, A. S. Hall and C. P. Gale

Evolving phenotypes of non-hospitalized patients that indicate long COVID

For some SARS-CoV-2 survivors, recovery from the acute phase of the infection has been grueling with lingering effects. Many of the symptoms characterized as the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) could ha...

Authors: Hossein Estiri, Zachary H. Strasser, Gabriel A. Brat, Yevgeniy R. Semenov, Chirag J. Patel and Shawn N. Murphy

Educational associations with missed GP appointments for patients under 35 years old: administrative data linkage study

There is an evidence gap about whether levels of engagement with public services such as schools and health care affect people across the lifespan. Data on missed patient appointments from a nationally represe...

Authors: Ross McQueenie, David A. Ellis, Michael Fleming, Philip Wilson and Andrea E. Williamson

The risk of COVID-19 in survivors of domestic violence and abuse

A ‘shadow pandemic’ of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) has emerged secondary to strict public health measures containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Many countries have implemented policies to allow the free m...

Authors: Joht Singh Chandan, Anuradhaa Subramanian, Jaidev Kaur Chandan, Krishna M. Gokhale, Alecs Vitoc, Julie Taylor, Caroline Bradbury-Jones, Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay and Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar

Elevated risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Japanese children with higher genetic susceptibility to ADHD with a birth weight under 2000 g

Both genetic and pre- and perinatal factors, including birth weight, have been implicated in the onset of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits among children. This study aimed to elucidate to...

Authors: Md Shafiur Rahman, Nagahide Takahashi, Toshiki Iwabuchi, Tomoko Nishimura, Taeko Harada, Akemi Okumura, Nori Takei, Yoko Nomura and Kenji J. Tsuchiya

Can we achieve better recruitment by providing better information? Meta-analysis of ‘studies within a trial’ (SWATs) of optimised participant information sheets

The information given to people considering taking part in a trial needs to be easy to understand if those people are to become, and then remain, trial participants. However, there is a tension between providi...

Authors: Vichithranie W. Madurasinghe, Peter Bower, Sandra Eldridge, David Collier, Jonathan Graffy, Shaun Treweek, Peter Knapp, Adwoa Parker, Jo Rick, Chris Salisbury, Mei See Man, David Torgerson, Rebecca Sheridan, Frank Sullivan, Sarah Cockayne and Charlotte Dack

Psychopathological symptom network structure in transgender and gender queer youth reporting parental psychological abuse: a network analysis

This is the first study to investigate the effect of parental psychological abuse on potential psychopathological symptoms in gender minority youth subgroups, including transgender women, transgender men, and ...

Authors: Yuanyuan Wang, Zhihao Ma, Amanda Wilson, Zhishan Hu, Xin Ying, Meng Han, Zaixu Cui and Runsen Chen

Decentralized facility financing versus performance-based payments in primary health care: a large-scale randomized controlled trial in Nigeria

Health system financing presents a challenge in many developing countries. We assessed two reform packages, performance-based financing (PBF) and direct facility financing (DFF), against each other and busines...

Authors: Madhulika Khanna, Benjamin Loevinsohn, Elina Pradhan, Opeyemi Fadeyibi, Kevin McGee, Oluwole Odutolu, Gyorgy Bela Fritsche, Emmanuel Meribole, Christel M. J. Vermeersch and Eeshani Kandpal

Predicting the risk of mortality during hospitalization in sick severely malnourished children using daily evaluation of key clinical warning signs

Despite adherence to WHO guidelines, inpatient mortality among sick children admitted to hospital with complicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) remains unacceptably high. Several studies have examined risk ...

Authors: Bijun Wen, Daniella Brals, Celine Bourdon, Lauren Erdman, Moses Ngari, Emmanuel Chimwezi, Isabel Potani, Johnstone Thitiri, Laura Mwalekwa, James A. Berkley, Robert H. J. Bandsma and Wieger Voskuijl

Exiting the pandemic: Singapore style

Authors: Dale Fisher and Kenneth Mak

Alcohol drinking and risks of liver cancer and non-neoplastic chronic liver diseases in China: a 10-year prospective study of 0.5 million adults

Alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for hepatic neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. Questions remain, however, about the relevance to disease risk of drinking patterns and alcohol tolerability,...

Authors: Pek Kei Im, Iona Y. Millwood, Christiana Kartsonaki, Yu Guo, Yiping Chen, Iain Turnbull, Canqing Yu, Huaidong Du, Pei Pei, Jun Lv, Robin G. Walters, Liming Li, Ling Yang and Zhengming Chen

Allergy-related diseases in childhood and risk for abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders at 16 years—a birth cohort study

Studies on allergy-related diseases in relation to abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders (AP-FGIDs) in children are few and results are contradictory. We examined the associations betwee...

Authors: Jessica Sjölund, Inger Kull, Anna Bergström, Jacob Järås, Jonas F. Ludvigsson, Hans Törnblom, Magnus Simrén and Ola Olén

The value of innovation: association between improvements in survival of advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and targeted and immunotherapy

Significant improvements in mortality among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the USA over the past two decades have been reported based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) ...

Authors: Sreeram Ramagopalan, Thomas P. Leahy, Joshua Ray, Samantha Wilkinson, Cormac Sammon and Vivek Subbiah

In for the long-haul? Seropositivity and sequelae 1 year post COVID-19

Authors: Jeremy Werner Deuel and Patricia Schlagenhauf

Clinical and molecular factors that impact the efficacy of first-line crizotinib in ROS1-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer: a large multicenter retrospective study

ROS1-rearranged lung cancers benefit from first-line crizotinib therapy; however, clinical and molecular factors that could affect crizotinib efficacy in ROS1-rearranged lung cancers are not yet well-elucidated. ...

Authors: Yongchang Zhang, Xiangyu Zhang, Ruiguang Zhang, Qinqin Xu, Haiyan Yang, Analyn Lizaso, Chunwei Xu, Jun Liu, Wenxian Wang, Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou, Jiexia Zhang, Zhengbo Song and Nong Yang

Correction to: Impact of multiple cardiovascular medications on mortality after an incidence of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack

Authors: Tian-Tian Ma, Ian C. K. Wong, Cate Whittlesea, Kenneth K. C. Man, Wallis Lau, Zixuan Wang, Ruth Brauer, Thomas M. MacDonald, Isla S. Mackenzie and Li Wei

Estimating the impact of reopening schools on the reproduction number of SARS-CoV-2 in England, using weekly contact survey data

Schools were closed in England on 4 January 2021 as part of increased national restrictions to curb transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The UK government reopened schools on 8 March. Although there was evidence of low...

Authors: James D. Munday, Christopher I. Jarvis, Amy Gimma, Kerry L. M. Wong, Kevin van Zandvoort, Sebastian Funk and W. John Edmunds

Genome-wide analysis of blood lipid metabolites in over 5000 South Asians reveals biological insights at cardiometabolic disease loci

Genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors can lead to perturbations in circulating lipid levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, how changes in individual lipid spec...

Authors: Eric L. Harshfield, Eric B. Fauman, David Stacey, Dirk S. Paul, Daniel Ziemek, Rachel M. Y. Ong, John Danesh, Adam S. Butterworth, Asif Rasheed, Taniya Sattar, Zameer-ul-Asar, Imran Saleem, Zoubia Hina, Unzila Ishtiaq, Nadeem Qamar, Nadeem Hayat Mallick…

Can complement fix placental malaria?

Authors: Justin Y. A. Doritchamou and Patrick E. Duffy

Patient and health provider costs of integrated HIV, diabetes and hypertension ambulatory health services in low-income settings — an empirical socio-economic cohort study in Tanzania and Uganda

Integration of health services might be an efficient strategy for managing multiple chronic conditions in sub-Saharan Africa, considering the scope of treatments and synergies in service delivery. Proven to pr...

Authors: Tinevimbo Shiri, Josephine Birungi, Anupam V. Garrib, Sokoine L. Kivuyo, Ivan Namakoola, Janneth Mghamba, Joshua Musinguzi, Godfather Kimaro, Gerald Mutungi, Moffat J. Nyirenda, Joseph Okebe, Kaushik Ramaiya, M. Bachmann, Nelson K. Sewankambo, Sayoki Mfinanga, Shabbar Jaffar…

Reproductive issues in carriers of germline pathogenic variants in the BRCA1/2 genes: an expert meeting

Healthy individuals and patients with cancer who are carriers of germline pathogenic variants in the BRCA1/2 genes face multiple reproductive challenges that require appropriate counseling and specific expertise.

Authors: Barbara Buonomo, Claudia Massarotti, Miriam Dellino, Paola Anserini, Alberta Ferrari, Maria Campanella, Mirosa Magnotti, Cristofaro De Stefano, Fedro Alessandro Peccatori and Matteo Lambertini

Tuberculosis related disability: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The sustainable development goals aim to improve health for all by 2030. They incorporate ambitious goals regarding tuberculosis (TB), which may be a significant cause of disability, yet to be quantified. Ther...

Authors: Kefyalew Addis Alene, Kinley Wangdi, Samantha Colquhoun, Kudakwashe Chani, Tauhid Islam, Kalpeshsinh Rahevar, Fukushi Morishita, Anthony Byrne, Justin Clark and Kerri Viney

Correction to: Association between HIV infection and hypertension: a global systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies

Authors: Katherine Davis, Pablo Perez-Guzman, Annika Hoyer, Ralph Brinks, Edward Gregg, Keri N. Althoff, Amy C. Justice, Peter Reiss, Simon Gregson and Mikaela Smit

The effects of selected inhibitors on human fetal adrenal steroidogenesis differs under basal and ACTH-stimulated conditions

Disordered fetal adrenal steroidogenesis can cause marked clinical effects including virilization of female fetuses. In postnatal life, adrenal disorders can be life-threatening due to the risk of adrenal cris...

Authors: Cecilie Melau, Malene Lundgaard Riis, John E. Nielsen, Signe Perlman, Lene Lundvall, Lea Langhoff Thuesen, Kristine Juul Hare, Mette Schou Hammerum, Rod T. Mitchell, Hanne Frederiksen, Anders Juul and Anne Jørgensen

Renal function and lipid metabolism are major predictors of circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness—the LIFE-Adult Study

Circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT) as assessed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a new technique used for the detection and evaluation of glaucoma and other...

Authors: Franziska G. Rauscher, Mengyu Wang, Mike Francke, Kerstin Wirkner, Anke Tönjes, Christoph Engel, Joachim Thiery, Peter Stenvinkel, Michael Stumvoll, Markus Loeffler, Tobias Elze and Thomas Ebert

Advancing the diagnosis and classification of renal cell carcinomas

Authors: Joseph A. Rothwell

Absolute quantitative proteomics using the total protein approach to identify novel clinical immunohistochemical markers in renal neoplasms

Renal neoplasms encompass a variety of malignant and benign tumors, including many with shared characteristics. The diagnosis of these renal neoplasms remains challenging with currently available tools. In thi...

Authors: Susana Jorge, José L. Capelo, William LaFramboise, Swati Satturwar, Dimitrios Korentzelos, Sheldon Bastacky, Gabriela Quiroga-Garza, Rajiv Dhir, Jacek R. Wiśniewski, Carlos Lodeiro and Hugo M. Santos

Correction to: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in BRIC countries: the cases of Brazil, Russia, India, and China

Authors: Luca Richeldi, Adalberto Sperb Rubin, Sergey Avdeev, Zarir F. Udwadia and Zuo Jun Xu