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FRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- "Rogue antibodies" that seem to trigger severe blood clotting and illness in COVID-19 patients have been identified by scientists.Their analysis of blood samples from 244 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 revealed circulating antiphospholipid antibodies, which are autoantibodies that target a person's own organs and systems.These autoantibodies are more common in people with autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, but can be activated in response to viral infections and also activate other immune responses, according to the study authors.The report was published Feb. 17 in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology.Specifically, the investigators found that blood samples from the COVID-19 patients had higher levels of the antibody IgG than people...

FRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Fracking has already raised the ire of environmentalists for its effects on the planet, but new research sends up another red flag: The wastewater produced by the complicated oil and gas drilling process is loaded with toxic and cancer-causing contaminants that threaten both people and wildlife. In fracking, water that contains a number of additives is used in the drilling process. This injected water mixes with groundwater and resurfaces as a waste byproduct containing both the additives and contaminants from the drilling site. In this study, researchers analyzed untreated fracking wastewater samples from the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford formation, both in Texas, and found 266 different dissolved organic compounds. They included: a pesticide...

FRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The national bird of the United States is facing a deadly threat from within: widespread lead poisoning, largely caused by ingesting fragments of hunters' lead ammunition.The poisoning is slowing the population growth of both bald eagles, the nation's symbol since 1782, and golden eagles, whose numbers also have been dwindling.Previous research has shown that lead is deadly to individual eagles, "but this new study is the first to show population-level consequences from lead poisoning to these majestic species at such a wide scale," said Anne Kinsinger, associate director for ecosystems with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).The study — led by scientists from the USGS, Conservation Science Global, Inc., and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...

FRIDAY, Feb. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Hundreds of new proteins that may be linked to cystic fibrosis have been identified by researchers and could point the way to better treatments for people with the genetic disease.There is no cure for cystic fibrosis, which affects more than 90,000 people worldwide. It's caused when children inherit two mutated CFTR genes, one from each parent, resulting in defective CFTR proteins that trigger a dangerous buildup of mucous in the lungs and other organs.Many of the newly discovered proteins interact with CFTR, according to the international team of researchers."We identified more than 400 proteins associated with either healthy or mutant CFTR, and have shown that some of them could predict the variability seen in patient symptoms and treatment...