A significant monkeypox (mpox) outbreak occurred in 2022, particularly involving sexual and gender minority (SGM) groups. Stigma and misperceptions have led to fear of being labeled a member of the SGM group when obtaining immunization for mpox. We hypothesized that the most recommended injection site, intradermal injection in the forearm, stresses stigmatization. We conducted an online survey in a medical center in Taiwan between May 2023 and June 2023 among adults who were going to receive the second preexposure vaccination. The questionnaire comprised questions about physical and psychological impacts of the first mpox vaccination and the preference for the second vaccination location and factors influencing the preference. A total of 2,827 individuals (98.4% male) completed the questionnaires. Intradermal injection in the forearm was related to greater physical and psychological impacts of local adverse events, especially discoloration. "Beauty," "scar," and "others' view" were the most significant factors influencing preference for vaccination regimens. Compared to intradermal injection in the forearm, subjects who cared about "others' views" were likely to prefer vaccination in the deltoid. The odds ratio for preferring intradermally injection in the deltoid over in the forearm was 1.88 (95% CI 1.38-2.56). The odds ratio for preferring subcutaneous injection in the deltoid over intradermally injection in the forearm was 1.69 (95% CI 1.23-2.32). The odds ratio for preferring intradermally injection in the deltoid regardless of the route over intradermally injection in the forearm was 2.11 (95% CI 1.53-2.92). This study demonstrated the adverse events of different mpox vaccination regimens and their association with stigma. Recognizing the factors affecting the preference for mpox vaccine regimens is crucial for easing the mental stress of vaccinee.

The association between serum concentrations of zinc, copper, or iron and the risk of metabolic syndrome are inconclusive. Therefore, we conduct a case-control study to explore the relationship between serum levels of zinc, copper, or iron and metabolic syndrome as well as each metabolic factor and insulin resistance. We enrolled 1165 adults, aged ≥ 40 (65.8 ± 10) years in a hospital-based population to compare the serum levels of zinc, copper, and iron between subjects with and without metabolic syndrome by using multivariate logistic regression analyses. The least square means were computed by general linear models to compare serum concentrations of zinc, copper, and iron in relation to the number of metabolic factors. The mean serum concentrations of zinc, copper, and iron were 941.91 ± 333.63 μg/L, 1043.45 ± 306.36 μg/L, and 1246.83 ± 538.13 μg/L, respectively. The odds ratios (ORs) of metabolic syndrome for the highest versus the lowest quartile were 5.83 (95% CI: 3.35–10.12; p for trend < 0.001) for zinc, 2.02 (95% CI: 1.25–3.25; p for trend: 0.013) for copper, and 2.11 (95% CI: 1.24–3.62; p for trend: 0.021) for iron after adjusting for age, sex, personal habits, body mass index, and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance. Additionally, the serum zinc, copper, and iron concentrations increased as the number of metabolic factors rose (p for trend < 0.001). This was the first study to clearly demonstrate that higher serum levels of zinc, copper, and iron were associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome and the number of metabolic factors independent of BMI and insulin resistance.

Patients with lean NAFLD make up an increasing subset of liver disease patients. The association between lean NAFLD and feutin-A, which serves as a hepatokine and adipokine, has never been examined. Our study aimed to explore the association of serum fetuin-A among lean and non-lean patients. The study comprised 606 adults from the community, stratified into lean or non-lean (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2) and NAFLD or non-NAFLD (scoring of ultrasonographic fatty liver indicator, US-FLI ≥ 2/< 2). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the odds ratio of having NAFLD among the tertiles of fetuin-A after adjustment. The least square means were computed by general linear models to estimate marginal means of the serum fetuin-A concentrations in relation to the NAFLD groups. The odds ratio (OR) of having NAFLD for the highest versus the lowest tertile of fetuin-A was 2.62 (95% CI: 1.72–3.98; p for trend < 0.001). Stratifying by BMI, the OR of having lean NAFLD for the highest versus the lowest tertile of fetuin-A was 2.09 (95% CI: 1.09–3.98; p for trend 0.026), while non-lean NAFLD had no significant association with the fetuin-A gradient after adjustments. Fetuin-A was positively associated with lean NAFLD after adjusting for central obesity and insulin resistance.

Background: Visceral adipose tissue dysfunction contributes to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to investigate the association between visceral fat level measured by bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) and MetS. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study recruited Taiwanese volunteers aged >= 20 years between 2012 and 2014. Anthropometric measurements and plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles were collected after at least 8 h of fasting. Insulin resistance was calculated by the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Visceral fat level (VFL, ranges: 1-59) and trunk fat percentage were measured through by the Body Composition Analyzer TANITA AB 140 Viscan. Results: A total of 1086 volunteers (mean age = 44.2 +/- 13.2 years) were enrolled. Multiple regression analyses showed that triglycerides levels and blood pressure increased while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased with VFL in both genders (p < 0.05). Increased HOMA-IR and VFL had a synergistic effect on MetS. Higher VFL was independently associated with MetS in both men (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.19-1.48) and women (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.17-1.39). Conclusions: Higher VFL is associated with MetS and its components. The portable BIA machine is easily applicable and useful tool to measure visceral fat in the community setting. (c) 2020 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background: Routine vaccination for children drastically reduces measles cases. Nonetheless, the global resurgence of measles since 2018 highlights the need for evaluating vaccine-induced immunity in an era of high vaccination coverage, especially in international travelers. This study aims to identify high-risk persons via analyzing the impact of age and different vaccination schedules on seroprevalence of measles in a country with high vaccination coverage, attempting to provide suggestions regarding pre-travel measles vaccination in highly immunized countries. Method: We retrospectively collected serological results of measles from Taiwanese travelers during 2008-2017 and middle-aged subjects from community during 2007-2009. Participants were classified by age groups and cohort based on the national immunization program: cohort I (pre-mass vaccination), cohort II (suboptimal measles vaccination), and cohort III (2-dose MMR in childhood). The effects of age group on seropositivity was shown by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) in a logistic regression model. Results: The overall measles seroprevalence was 74.5% (N = 1096, mean age = 31.7 +/- 12.3 years), with adolescents having the lowest seropositivity (65.9%) and participants 50 years having the highest (89.4%). Seropositivity was significantly higher in cohort I (pre-mass vaccination) compared with the other 2 cohorts (P < 0.0001). The effect of aging on seropositivity was only significant in cohort II (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.13-2.99, P = 0.014 for 30-39 years vs. 20-29 years). Conclusions: Waning immunity to measles in adolescents and young adults is a dominant issue in highly vaccinated cohorts. Enhancing pre-travel vaccination against measles can effectively fill the immunity gaps in highly immunized countries.

Neurofilaments: light, medium, and heavy (abbreviated as NF-L, NF-M, and NF-H, respectively), which belong to Type IV intermediate filament family (IF), are neuron-specific cytoskeletal components. Neurofilaments are axonal structural components and integral components of synapses, which are important for neuronal electric signal transmissions along the axons and post-translational modification. Abnormal assembly of neurofilaments is found in several human neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), infantile spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and hereditary sensory-motor neuropathy (HSMN). In addition, those pathological neurofilament accumulations are known in alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease (PD), A beta and tau in Alzheimer's disease (AD), polyglutamine in CAG trinucleotide repeat disorders, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP43), neuronal FUS proteins, optineurin (OPTN), ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2), and dipeptide repeat protein (DRP) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). When axon damage occurs in central nervous disorders, neurofilament proteins are released and delivered into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which are then circulated into blood. New quantitative analyses and assay techniques are well-developed for the detection of neurofilament proteins, particularly NF-L and the phosphorylated NF-H (pNF-H) in CSF and serum. This review discusses the potential of using peripheral blood NF quantities and evaluating the severity of damage in the nervous system. Intermediate filaments could be promising biomarkers for evaluating disease progression in different nervous system disorders.