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There is a knowledge gap concerning the proper timing for COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. We aimed to evaluate the suitability of the guidelines that recommend waiting at least three months after undergoing chemotherapy before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. This retrospective cohort study used aggregated data from the TriNetX US Collaboratory network. Participants were grouped into two groups based on the interval between chemotherapy and vaccination. The primary outcome assessed was infection risks, including COVID-19; skin, intra-abdominal, and urinary tract infections; pneumonia; and sepsis. Secondary measures included healthcare utilization and all causes of mortality. Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model were used to calculate the cumulative incidence and hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals for the outcomes. The proportional hazard assumption was tested with the generalized Schoenfeld approach. Four subgroup analyses (cancer type, vaccine brand, sex, age) were conducted. Sensitivity analyses were performed to account for competing risks and explore three distinct time intervals. Patients receiving a vaccine within three months after chemotherapy had a higher risk of COVID-19 infection (HR: 1.428, 95% CI: 1.035–1.970), urinary tract infection (HR: 1.477, 95% CI: 1.083–2.014), and sepsis (HR: 1.854, 95% CI: 1.091–3.152) compared to those who adhered to the recommendations. Hospital inpatient service utilization risk was also significantly elevated for the within three months group (HR: 1.692, 95% CI: 1.354–2.115). Adhering to a three-month post-chemotherapy waiting period reduces infection and healthcare utilization risks for cancer patients receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Long-termd-galactose injection induces accelerated aging in experimental rodent models. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary fructo-oligosaccharide (FO) on the brain β-amyloid (Aβ), amyloid-associated enzymes, cognitive function, and plasma antioxidant levels ind-galactose-treated Balb/c mice. Methods: The subcutaneous (s.c.) injection and the dietary treatment were conducted simultaneously for 49 days. Mice (12 weeks of age) were divided into five groups (n = 14/group): control (s.c. saline, control diet) serving as a young control, DG (s.c. 1.2 gd-galactose/kg body weight, control diet), DG + LFO (2.5% w/w FO, low-dose FO diet), DG + HFO (5% w/w FO, high-dose FO diet), and DG + E (α-tocopherol 0.2% w/w, vitamin E diet) as an antioxidant reference group. Another group of older mice (64 weeks of age) without any injection served as a natural aging (NA) group. Results: The DG and NA groups had greater Aβ levels in the cortex, hippocampus, and the whole brain. High-dose FO, similar to α-tocopherol, attenuated thed-galactose-induced Aβ density in the cortex and hippocampus. In addition, FO attenuated thed-galactose-induced protein expression of Aβ and beta-site amyloid precursor cleaving enzyme of the whole brain in a dose–response manner. Either dose of FO supplementation, similar to α-tocopherol, attenuated thed-galactose-induced cognitive dysfunction. In addition, FO improved the plasma ascorbic acid level in a dose–response manner. Conclusion: Dietary FO (2.5–5% w/w diet) could attenuate the development of Alzheimer's disease, which was likely to be associated with its systematic antioxidant effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Many studies have demonstrated that Graptopetalum paraguayense has good antioxidant ability; however, few studies have examined its anti-inflammatory effect. The study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of water extracts of G. paraguayense ( WGP, 4 g day−1) in subjects with metabolic syndrome ( MS). Intervention was administered for 12 weeks. Levels of inflammatory markers [high sensitivity C-reactive protein ( CRP), tumour necrosis factor-α ( TNF-α), and interleukin-6 ( IL-6)] and antioxidant enzymes activities were measured. RESULTS Forty-two subjects completed the 12 week intervention study (placebo, n = 19; WGP, n = 23). After 12 weeks supplementation, subjects in WGP group had significantly lower levels of inflammatory markers than the baseline ( P < 0.05) and the placebo group ( CRP, P = 0.07; TNF-α, P = 0.04; IL-6, P = 0.03). The changes in levels of the inflammatory markers were significantly decreased in WGP group ( CRP, P = 0.04; TNF-α, P = 0.06; IL-6, P = 0.01) compared to the placebo group. Levels of inflammatory markers were significantly negatively correlated with the antioxidant enzymes activities after supplementation. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated a significant reduction in inflammatory status in MS after WGP supplementation. WGP may exert an anti-inflammatory effect on MS in addition to its antioxidant ability. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]