Search Results (3)

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major zoonotic pathogen causing hepatitis E, with strains identified in various animal species, including pigs, wild boar, rabbits, deer, camels, and rats. These variants are capable of crossing species barriers and infecting humans. HEV belongs to the family Hepeviridae, which has recently divided into two subfamilies: Orthohepevirinae and Parahepevirinae, and five genera: Paslahepevirus, Avihepevirus, Rocahepevirus, Chirohepevirus, and Piscihepevirus. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing, particularly of bat viromes, have revealed numerous HEV-related viruses, raising concerns about their zoonotic potential. Bat-derived HEVs have been classified into the genus Chirohepevirus, which includes three distinct species. In this study, we analyzed 64 chirohepevirus sequences from 22 bat species across six bat families collected from nine countries. Twelve sequences represent complete or nearly complete viral genomes (>6410 nucleotides) containing the characteristic three HEV open reading frames (ORFs). These strains exhibited high sequence divergence (>25%) within their respective host genera or species. Phylogenetic analyses with maximum likelihood methods identified at least seven distinct subclades within Chirohepevirus, each potentially representing an independent species. Additionally, the close phylogenetic relationship between chirohepevirus strains and their bat hosts indicates a pattern of virus–host co-speciation. Our findings expand the known diversity within the family Hepeviridae and provide new insights into the evolution of bat-associated HEV. Continued surveillance of chirohepevirus will be essential for understanding its potential for zoonotic transmission and public health risks. Full article

Background: This paper looks to validate the risk score from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology and the International Cardio-Oncology Society (HFA-ICOS) for predicting potential cardiotoxicity from anticancer therapy for patients positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Methods: A total of 507 patients with at least five years since index diagnosis of breast cancer were retrospectively divided according to the HFA-ICOS risk proforma. According to level of risk, these groups were assessed for rates of cardiotoxicity via mixed-effect Bayesian logistic regression model. Results: A follow-up of five years observed cardiotoxicity of 3.3% (n = 3) in the low-risk, 3.3% (n = 10) in the medium-risk, 4.4% (n = 6) in the high-risk, and 38% (n = 6) in the very-high-risk groups respectively. For cardiac events related to treatment, the risk was significantly higher for the very-high-risk category of HFA-ICOS compared to other categories (Beta = 3.1, 95% CrI: 1.5, 4.8). For overall cardiotoxicity related to treatment, the area under the curve was 0.643 (CI 95%: 0.51, 0.76), with 26.1% (95% CI: 8%, 44%) sensitivity and 97.9% (95% CI: 96%, 99%) specificity. Conclusions: The HFA-ICOS risk score has moderate power in predicting cancer therapy–related cardiotoxicity in HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Full article

Dietary fibre has long been established as a nutritionally important, health-promoting food ingredient. Modern dietary practices have seen a significant reduction in fibre consumption compared with ancestral habits. This is related to the emergence of low-fibre “Western diets” associated with industrialised nations, and is linked to an increased prevalence of gut diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type II diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. The characteristic metabolic parameters of these individuals include insulin resistance, high fasting and postprandial glucose, as well as high plasma cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Gut microbial signatures are also altered significantly in these cohorts, suggesting a causative link between diet, microbes and disease. Dietary fibre consumption has been hypothesised to reverse these changes through microbial fermentation and the subsequent production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which improves glucose and lipid parameters in individuals who harbour diseases associated with dysfunctional metabolism. This review article examines how different types of dietary fibre can differentially alter glucose and lipid metabolism through changes in gut microbiota composition and function. Full article