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Challenges in Chlamydial Serology: Insights from a Belgian and a Dutch Population Cohort
No full textSerology routinely serves as a diagnostic tool to confirm Chlamydia infections in humans. Particularly in delayed settings, such as post-outbreak scenarios where the acute phase of infection has subsided, serology is invaluable. Multiple studies, nonetheless, indicate deficiencies in specificity and sensitivity of current chlamydial antibody detection assays. Incorporation of multiple antigens per target is known to improve the accuracy of chlamydial serological assays. We, therefore, used the recomLine test (Mikrogen diagnostics) on serological samples of two cohorts, as it is the only commercially available test allowing detection of antibodies against three human pathogenic Chlamydia species (C. trachomatis, C. pneumoniae and C. psittaci) using multiple antigens per target. The first cohort (n = 156; samples collected between 2008 and 2022 during a C. trachomatis screening initiative) comprised women from the Netherlands (NL) with past exposure to C. trachomatis, while the second cohort (n = 44; samples collected in 2018 in a health examination survey) consisted of Belgian citizens (BE) with occupational or recreational exposure to chickens, representing a risk population for C. psittaci. The test indicated a statistically equivalent C. pneumoniae seroprevalence in both cohorts (39.10% in NL and 34.09% in BE; p = 0.337). As expected C. trachomatis seroprevalence was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the Dutch cohort (48.72%), as compared to the Belgian cohort (4.55%). Lastly, C. psittaci seroprevalence did not significantly differ between the two groups (2.27% in BE and 1.92% in NL; p = 0.633), even though a higher prevalence was expected for the Belgian cohort. This prompts us to question whether the Belgian cohort truly constituted a C. psittaci risk population or whether the recomLine test is susceptible to cross-reaction of species-specific antibodies, thereby increasing C. psittaci prevalence in the Dutch cohort. We advocate for the development of affordable, highly sensitive antibody detection assays that can effectively distinguish between chlamydial species, addressing the increasing demand for enhanced serological testing methodologies
High-resolution African HLA resource uncovers HLA-DRB1 expression effects underlying vaccine response
No full textClinical implications of airway obstruction with normal or low FEV1 in childhood and adolescence
No full textAirway obstruction is defined by spirometry as a low forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio. This impaired ratio may originate from a low FEV1 (classic) or a normal FEV1 in combination with a large FVC (dysanaptic). The clinical implications of dysanaptic obstruction during childhood and adolescence in the general population remain unclear
Assessment of the prevalence of inadequate iron intakes in premenopausal females based on the reference values of the European Food Safety Authority using cross-sectional food consumption data
No full textLarge-scale concentration maps for the Netherlands. 2024 report
No full textHet RIVM maakt elk jaar kaarten van de luchtverontreiniging in Nederland. Dit gebeurt voor verschillende stoffen in de lucht, waaronder stikstofdioxide en fijnstof. Het RIVM gebruikt zowel modelberekeningen als metingen om deze GCN-kaarten te maken. Zo komen de concentraties het best overeen met de werkelijke situatie in het afgelopen jaar. De luchtkwaliteit was in 2023 beter dan in 2022. De veranderingen komen vooral door de weersomstandigheden. Omdat het meer regende dan in afgelopen jaren, kwamen meer luchtverontreinigende stoffen met de regen op de grond terecht. Daarnaast waaide het harder, waardoor de stoffen zich meer door de lucht verspreiden. De gemiddelde concentraties stikstofdioxide in de lucht waren in 2023 lager (ruim 23 procent) dan in 2022. Ook de gemiddelde concentraties fijnstof waren in 2023 lager dan in 2022. De concentratie van de deeltjesgrootte PM10 daalde ten opzichte van 2022 met bijna 13 procent en die van PM2,5 met bijna 15 procent. In elk onderzoek kijken we hoe zeker we zijn van onze berekeningen. In dit onderzoek zijn er ook onzekerheden in de berekenende concentraties. De onzekerheden zijn voor het Nederlands gemiddelde ongeveer 10 procent. Dat betekent dat de berekende waarde zeer waarschijnlijk niet meer dan 10 procent afwijkt van de hoeveelheid stoffen die er in de lucht zit. Op specifieke locaties zijn de onzekerheden in de concentraties groter. Slechte luchtkwaliteit is schadelijk voor de gezondheid. De GCN-kaarten worden gebruikt om de ontwikkeling van de luchtkwaliteit in Nederland te volgen. Overheden gebruiken de toekomstverwachtingen om beleid te maken voor een betere luchtkwaliteit. Dit keer maakte het RIVM geen nieuwe kaarten van de verwachte concentraties voor de jaren tot en met 2040. Deze worden voortaan om het jaar gemaakt. Dat past bij de Klimaat- en Energieverkenning van het Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, die de verwachte effecten van het Nederlandse klimaat- en energiebeleid op de luchtkwaliteit beschrijft. De kaarten die vorig jaar over de toekomst zijn gemaakt, gelden nog steeds. De gegevens over de stikstofdepositie (de GDNkaarten) publiceert het RIVM sinds 2023 niet meer samen met de GCNkaarten.Each year, RIVM creates maps to illustrate the air pollution in the Netherlands. It does this for several airborne substances, including nitrogen dioxide and fine particles. RIVM uses both calculation models and measurements to create these large-scale concentration (GCN) maps. This ensures that the concentrations shown are as close as possible to the actual situation in the past year. In 2023, the air quality was better than in 2022, with changes mainly due to the prevailing weather conditions. Because it rained more than in previous years, more air pollutants ended up on the ground with the rain. In addition, the wind was blowing harder, causing the pollutants to disperse more through the air. The average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the air were lower in 2023 (more than 23 per cent) than in 2022. The average concentrations of fine particles were also lower in 2023 than in 2022. Compared to 2022, the concentration of PM10 particles was almost 13 per cent lower and the concentration of PM2.5 particles almost 15 per cent lower. The calculated concentrations are subject to an uncertainty factor. For Dutch averages, the uncertainty factor is around 10 per cent. This means that the calculated value is very unlikely to deviate from the amount of substances in the air by more than 10 per cent. At specific locations, the concentrations are more uncertain. Poor air quality is harmful to health. The GCN maps are used to track the development of air pollution in the Netherlands. Governments use the forecasts to draw up policy aimed at improving the air quality. This time, RIVM did not produce new maps of projected concentrations for the years up to and including 2040. From now on, these will be produced every other year. This is in keeping with the Climate and Energy Report of the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, which describes the projected effects of Dutch climate and energy policies on air quality. The maps made about the future last year still apply. As from 2023, RIVM publishes nitrogen deposition data (GDN maps) separately from the GCN maps
Improving the dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein (DCFH) assay for the assessment of intracellular reactive oxygen species formation by nanomaterials
No full textTo facilitate Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) strategies during the development of nanomaterials (NMs), quick and easy in vitro assays to test for hazard potential at an early stage of NM development are essential. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the induction of oxidative stress are considered important mechanisms that can lead to NM toxicity. In vitro assays measuring oxidative stress are therefore commonly included in NM hazard assessment strategies. The fluorescence-based dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein (DCFH) assay for cellular oxidative stress is a simple and cost-effective assay, making it a good candidate assay for SSbD hazard testing strategies. It is however subject to several pitfalls and caveats. Here, we provide further optimizations to the assay using 5-(6)-Chloromethyl-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate acetyl ester (CM-H2DCFDA-AE, referred to as DCFH probe), known for its improved cell retention. We measured the release of metabolic products of the DCFH probe from cells to supernatant, direct reactions of CM-H2DCFDA-AE with positive controls, and compared the commonly used plate reader-based DCFH assay protocol with fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry-based protocols. After loading cells with DCFH probe, translocation of several metabolic products of the DCFH probe to the supernatant was observed in multiple cell types. Translocated DCFH products are then able to react with test substances including positive controls. Our results also indicate that intracellularly oxidized fluorescent DCF is able to translocate from cells to the supernatant. In either way, this will lead to a fluorescent supernatant, making it difficult to discriminate between intra- and extra-cellular ROS production, risking misinterpretation of possible oxidative stress when measuring fluorescence on a plate reader. The use of flow cytometry instead of plate reader-based measurements resolved these issues, and also improved assay sensitivity. Several optimizations of the flow cytometry-based DCFH ISO standard (ISO/TS 19006:2016) were suggested, including loading cells with DCFH probe before incubation with the test materials, and applying an appropriate gating strategy including live-death staining, which was not included in the ISO standard. In conclusion, flow cytometry- and fluorescence microscopy-based read-outs are preferred over the classical plate reader-based read-out to assess the level of intracellular oxidative stress using the cellular DCFH assay
Foresight in public health: a tutorial on application and insights on challenges from the PHIRI foresight exercise.
No full textThe Best Predictor of Future Behavior May Be the Past: Exploring Behavior Change in Men Who Have Sex with Men Using Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in the Netherlands.
No full textSignalen leefomgeving en omgevingsveiligheid 2024
Full text linkHet RIVM verzamelt doorlopend gegevens om risico's voor een gezonde, schone en veilige leefomgeving vroegtijdig te signaleren. We doen dit voor het ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat (IenW) en andere departementen. De veelheid en diversiteit aan signalen maken het niet eenvoudig om hier rode draden uit te halen. Met deze rapportage geeft het RIVM een samenhangend beeld van de aandachtspunten voor de leefomgeving en omgevingsveiligheid voor IenW(Infrastructuur en Waterstaat). Dit kan helpen om mogelijke risico’s voor mens en milieu proactief te voorkomen of te verminderen. Dit overzicht is gebaseerd op bestaande signaleringsnetwerken, rapportages en lopende onderzoeken en biedt bouwstenen voor de onderzoeksprogrammering voor de komende jaren. Het wordt gebruikt in de bestaande gesprekscyclus met het ministeri
