Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths

William B. Grant1,* , Henry Lahore 2, Sharon L. McDonnell 3, Carole A. Baggerly3 ,
Christine B. French 3 , Jennifer L. Aliano 3 and Harjit P. Bhattoa 4

Abstract

The world is in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health measures that can reduce the risk of infection and death in addition to quarantines are desperately needed. This article reviews the roles of vitamin D in reducing the risk of respiratory tract infections, knowledge about the epidemiology of influenza and COVID-19, and how vitamin D supplementation might be a useful measure to reduce  risk. Through several mechanisms, vitamin D can reduce risk of infections.

Those mechanisms include inducing cathelicidins and defensins that can lower viral replication rates and reducing concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines that produce the inflammation that injures the lining of the lungs, leading to pneumonia, as well as increasing concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Several observational studies and clinical trials reported that vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of influenza, whereas others did not. Evidence supporting the role

of vitamin D in reducing risk of COVID-19 includes that the outbreak occurred in winter, a time when 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations are lowest; that the number of cases in the Southern Hemisphere near the end of summer are low; that vitamin D deficiency has been found to contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome; and that case-fatality rates increase with age and with chronic disease comorbidity, both of which are associated with lower 25(OH)D concentration. To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40–60 ng/mL (100–150 nmol/L).

For treatment of people who become infected with COVID-19, higher vitamin D3 doses might be

useful. Randomized controlled trials and large population studies should be conducted to evaluate

these recommendations.

Keywords: acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); ascorbic acid; cathelicidin; coronavirus;

COVID-19; cytokine storm; influenza; observational; pneumonia; prevention; respiratory tract

infection; solar radiation; treatment; UVB; vitamin C; vitamin D.

Source: www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients 

Autism spectrum disorder as frequent neurodevelopmental disorder – a challenge for Diagnosis

Почитувани колешки и колеги,
Го споделувам мојот асптракт од вчера завршената конференција „Психологија за сите" што се одржа во Охрид.

Апстрактот ќе го цитирате на следниот начин:
 Trajkovski V. Autism spectrum disorder as frequent neurodevelopmental disorder – a challenge for Diagnosis. Book of Abstracts International Scientific Conference: “Psychology for all”. Ohrid, 26-28 September 2019; 15.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that occurs within the first 3 years of life, which is marked by social skills and communication deficits along with stereotyped repetitive behavior. Despite widespread research and greater public awareness, ASD has an unclear etiology and 

no known cure, making it difficult to acquire accurate and timely diagnoses.

Autism is a life-long disorder that has a substantial effect on the individual, their family, and society and recent USA estimates indicate that the prevalence of autism is high (1 in 59 children).

The purpose of this review is to: 1) describe commonly used screening instruments and tools for early diagnosis; and 2) describe early interventions that have empirical support. 

Research suggests that there are multiple, interacting genes involved in its inheritance, and that the neurobiological abnormalities are pervasive and not confined to any one particular region of the brain. A growing body of evidence supports the value of early diagnosis and treatment with evidence-based interventions, which can significantly improve the quality of life of individuals with ASD as well as of their carers and families. This article highlights the importance of early diagnosis which is significant because of the early beginning of treatment and opening up of the possibilities for better quality of child development.

There is a need for more consistent and continuous support for autistic individuals and their families during the diagnostic and treatment odyssey, as well as resources that better represent the diversity of experiences and symptoms associated with autism across the life course.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental disorders, early diagnosis, early treatment

A comparative review of microRNA expression Patterns in Autism spectrum Disorder

Steven D. Hicks1* and Frank A. Middleton2,3,4

1 Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA, 2 Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA, 3 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA, 4 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a wide spectrum of deficits in social interaction, communication, and behavior. There is a significant genetic component to ASD, yet no single gene variant accounts for >1% of incidence. Posttranscriptional mechanisms such as microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression without altering the genetic code. They are abundant in the developing brain and are dysregulated in children with ASD. Patterns of miRNA expression are altered in the brain, blood, saliva, and olfactory precursor cells of ASD subjects. The ability of miRNAs to regulate broad molecular pathways in response to environmental stimuli makes them an intriguing player in ASD, a disorder characterized by genetic predisposition with ill-defined environmental triggers. In addition, the availability and extracellular stability of miRNAs make them an ideal candidate for biomarker discovery. Here, we discuss 27 miRNAs with overlap across ASD studies, including 3 miRNAs identified in 3 or more studies (miR-23a, miR-146a, and miR-106b). Together, these 27 miRNAs have 1245 high-confidence mRNA targets, a significant number of which are expressed in the brain. Furthermore, these mRNA targets demonstrate over-representation of autism-related genes with enrichment of neurotrophic signaling molecules. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a molecule involved in hippocampal neurogenesis and altered in ASD, is targeted by 6 of the 27 miRNAs of interest. This neurotrophic pathway represents one intriguing mechanism by which perturbations in miRNA signaling might influence central nervous system development in children with ASD.

Employing miRNAs as Biomarkers

The potential of miRNAs as biomarkers in ASD has been explored in studies of serum and saliva. In a study of serum miRNAs from 55 children with ASD, the authors identified three miRNAs (miR130-3p, miR-181b-5p, and miR-320a) with an area under the curve (AUC) >0.85 (13). In our own more recent study, involving 24 children with ASD, a set of 14 salivary miRNAs showed more than 95% accuracy (AUC = 0.92) at differentiating control and ASD subjects (15). This study also showed that expression patterns of individual salivary miRNAs were significantly correlated with several measures of adaptive behavior. This highlights how the utility of miRNA extends beyond simple ASD diagnosis and may 1 day be used to predict ASD phenotype and severity.

Conclusion
It is clear that miRNA profiles are dysregulated across multiple tissue types in subjects with ASD. This review encapsulated 219 target miRNAs from 12 human studies of ASD and identified 27 that were dysregulated in ≥2 investigations. Functional pathway analysis supports the idea that these miRNAs target brainexpressed genes related to neurodevelopment and implicated in ASD. Three miRNAs showed consistent dysregulation across ≥3 studies (miR-23a-3p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-106b-5p). The networks of genes targeted by these miRNAs are implicated in ASD and have significant roles in neurotrophin signaling. BDNF, which is important for hippocampal neurogenesis and decreased in the serum of adult ASD patients (59), is targeted by 6 of the 27 miRNAs of interest. Animal and cell models that assess these molecular mechanisms behind miRNAs and their mRNA targets will be critical in advancing the current ASD knowledge-base.

Source: https://clarifiasd.com/health-care-providers/?fbclid=IwAR0_qIUR4b7Nfiv6kUkFojNoxpyc4E4wCPyhQ1LOp8-0OH7Lb_OkGPsK1ys