Articles: human.
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Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses have caused widespread infections in dairy cows and poultry in the United States, with sporadic human cases. We describe characteristics of human A(H5N1) cases identified from March through October 2024 in the United States. ⋯ In the cases identified to date, A(H5N1) viruses generally caused mild illness, mostly conjunctivitis, of short duration, predominantly in U.S. adults exposed to infected animals; most patients received prompt antiviral treatment. No evidence of human-to-human A(H5N1) transmission was identified. PPE use among occupationally exposed persons was suboptimal, which suggests that additional strategies are needed to reduce exposure risk. (Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.).
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and is associated with the development of genital warts, precancerous lesions, and cancers of the oropharynx, anus, penis, vulva, vagina, and cervix. HPV-associated diseases are preventable through vaccination. An Australian nationwide vaccination program will effectively eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern by the year 2035. ⋯ Providers should use every opportunity to recommend HPV vaccination, including recommending HPV vaccines for individuals who do not have a record of HPV vaccination. The electronic health record can be utilized to generate prompts for vaccine reminders, and clinics should stock HPV vaccines to allow for easy administration. Additionally, adoption of an opt-out policy for HPV vaccines rather than mandatory vaccination may be an acceptable alternative to increase HPV vaccination while allowing active duty service members to retain autonomy.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Ponsegromab for the Treatment of Cancer Cachexia.
Cachexia is a common complication of cancer and is associated with an increased risk of death. The level of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a circulating cytokine, is elevated in cancer cachexia. In a small, open-label, phase 1b study involving patients with cancer cachexia, ponsegromab, a humanized monoclonal antibody inhibiting GDF-15, was associated with improved weight, appetite, and physical activity, along with suppressed serum GDF-15 levels. ⋯ Among patients with cancer cachexia and elevated GDF-15 levels, the inhibition of GDF-15 with ponsegromab resulted in increased weight gain and overall activity level and reduced cachexia symptoms, findings that confirmed the role of GDF-15 as a driver of cachexia. (Funded by Pfizer; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05546476.).
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The mechanism causing cold pain in humans is unresolved. Animal data suggest a nonredundant contribution to cold pain for transient receptor potential channels TRPM8 and TRPA1 for detection and voltage-gated sodium channels NaV1.7 and NaV1.8 for conduction at these temperatures. We established an intradermal injection-based cold pain model, which allows pharmacologically addressing molecular targets at the site of cooling. ⋯ Pain induced by 3°C intradermal fluid was not reduced to a relevant extent by any of the 4 antagonists alone or by the quadruple combination. However, the temperature threshold for cold pain appeared shifted by the inhibition of TRPA1, TRPM8, and NaV1.7 and to a lesser extent by NaV1.8 inhibition, 4-fold inhibition decreased the threshold by 5.8°C. Further mechanisms contributing to human cold pain need to be considered.