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de Vries SG, van Eekeren LE, van der Linden H, Visser BJ, Grobusch MP, Wagenaar JFP, Goris MGA, Goorhuis A. Searching and Finding the Hidden Treasure: A Retrospective Analysis of Rickettsial Disease Among Dutch International Travelers. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 72:1171-1178. [PMID: 31998942 PMCID: PMC8028097 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsial disease (RD) is a prevalent and underestimated cause of febrile illness worldwide, especially in the absence of an inoculation eschar. We attempted to quantify this underestimation at our clinic, by investigating past cases of febrile illness in travelers who had tested negative for leptospirosis, a disease that can initially present similarly to non-eschar RD, and which we routinely consider when other important causes of unspecified febrile illness have tested negative. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis in febrile returned travelers from Asia, Africa, or the Americas between 2010 and 2017, who had tested negative for leptospirosis. Serologic immunofluorescence assays were performed for Orientia tsutsugamushi (scrub typhus), typhus group, and spotted fever group RD. We performed a medical records review of all patients who tested positive. In case of a fitting medical history, cases were deemed either confirmed (based on convalescent serology) or suspected (based on single serology). RESULTS Among 97 patients, convalescent serology was available in 16 (16.5%) patients, and a single serology in 81 (83.5%) patients. RD was the likely diagnosis in 8 of 16 (50.0%) patients with convalescent serology, and in 8 of 81 (9.9%) with single serology. Of the 16 confirmed/suspected cases, 11 (69%) had been missed and 7 (44%) had not received adequate empiric antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that non-eschar RD is an important and poorly recognized cause of illness in travelers, even in a specialized travel clinic. A lower threshold to test and treat for RD is warranted in returning travelers with febrile illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia G de Vries
- Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Louise E van Eekeren
- Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hans van der Linden
- Leptospirosis Reference Center, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Benjamin J Visser
- Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martin P Grobusch
- Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jiri F P Wagenaar
- Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Leptospirosis Reference Center, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marga G A Goris
- Leptospirosis Reference Center, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Abraham Goorhuis
- Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Azkur AK, Akdis M, Azkur D, Sokolowska M, Veen W, Brüggen M, O’Mahony L, Gao Y, Nadeau K, Akdis CA. Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and mechanisms of immunopathological changes in COVID-19. Allergy 2020; 75:1564-1581. [PMID: 32396996 PMCID: PMC7272948 DOI: 10.1111/all.14364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 678] [Impact Index Per Article: 169.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
As a zoonotic disease that has already spread globally to several million human beings and possibly to domestic and wild animals, eradication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appears practically impossible. There is a pressing need to improve our understanding of the immunology of this disease to contain the pandemic by developing vaccines and medicines for the prevention and treatment of patients. In this review, we aim to improve our understanding on the immune response and immunopathological changes in patients linked to deteriorating clinical conditions such as cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome, autopsy findings and changes in acute-phase reactants, and serum biochemistry in COVID-19. Similar to many other viral infections, asymptomatic disease is present in a significant but currently unknown fraction of the affected individuals. In the majority of the patients, a 1-week, self-limiting viral respiratory disease typically occurs, which ends with the development of neutralizing antiviral T cell and antibody immunity. The IgM-, IgA-, and IgG-type virus-specific antibodies levels are important measurements to predict population immunity against this disease and whether cross-reactivity with other coronaviruses is taking place. High viral load during the first infection and repeated exposure to virus especially in healthcare workers can be an important factor for severity of disease. It should be noted that many aspects of severe patients are unique to COVID-19 and are rarely observed in other respiratory viral infections, such as severe lymphopenia and eosinopenia, extensive pneumonia and lung tissue damage, a cytokine storm leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multiorgan failure. Lymphopenia causes a defect in antiviral and immune regulatory immunity. At the same time, a cytokine storm starts with extensive activation of cytokine-secreting cells with innate and adaptive immune mechanisms both of which contribute to a poor prognosis. Elevated levels of acute-phase reactants and lymphopenia are early predictors of high disease severity. Prevention of development to severe disease, cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and novel approaches to prevent their development will be main routes for future research areas. As we learn to live amidst the virus, understanding the immunology of the disease can assist in containing the pandemic and in developing vaccines and medicines to prevent and treat individual patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Kursat Azkur
- Department of Virology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Kirikkale Kirikkale Turkey
| | - Mübeccel Akdis
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) University of Zurich Davos Switzerland
| | - Dilek Azkur
- Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Department of Pediatrics Faculty of Medicine University of Kirikkale Kirikkale Turkey
| | - Milena Sokolowska
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) University of Zurich Davos Switzerland
| | - Willem Veen
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) University of Zurich Davos Switzerland
| | - Marie‐Charlotte Brüggen
- Christine Kühne‐Center for Allergy Research and Education Davos Switzerland
- Department of Dermatology University Hospital Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine University Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Hochgebirgsklinik Davos Davos Switzerland
| | - Liam O’Mahony
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology APC Microbiome Ireland University College Cork Cork Ireland
| | - Yadong Gao
- Department of Allergology Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Kari Nadeau
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Cezmi A. Akdis
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) University of Zurich Davos Switzerland
- Christine Kühne‐Center for Allergy Research and Education Davos Switzerland
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Iqbal NT, Syed S, Kabir F, Jamil Z, Akhund T, Qureshi S, Liu J, Ma JZ, Guleria S, Gewirtz A, Duggan CP, Hughes MA, Sadiq K, Ali A. Pathobiome driven gut inflammation in Pakistani children with Environmental Enteric Dysfunction. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221095. [PMID: 31442248 PMCID: PMC6707605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) is an acquired small intestinal inflammatory condition underlying high rates of stunting in children <5 years of age in low- and middle-income countries. Children with EED are known to have repeated exposures to enteropathogens and environmental toxins that leads to malabsorptive syndrome. We aimed to characterize association of linear growth faltering with enteropathogen burden and subsequent changes in EED biomarkers. In a longitudinal birth cohort (n = 272), monthly anthropometric measurements (Length for Age Z score- LAZ) of asymptomatic children were obtained up to 18 months. Biological samples were collected at 6 and 9 months for the assessment of biomarkers. A customized TaqMan array card was used to target 40 enteropathogens in fecal samples. Linear regression was applied to study the effect of specific enteropathogen infection on change in linear growth (ΔLAZ). Presence of any pathogen in fecal sample correlated with serum flagellin IgA (6 mo, r = 0.19, p = 0.002), fecal Reg 1b (6 mo, r = 0.16, p = 0.01; 9mo, r = 0.16, p = 0.008) and serum Reg 1b (6 mo, r = 0.26, p<0.0001; 9 mo, r = 0.15, p = 0.008). At 6 months, presence of Campylobacter [β (SE) 7751.2 (2608.5), p = 0.003] and ETEC LT [β (SE) 7089.2 (3015.04), p = 0.019] was associated with increase in MPO. Giardia was associated with increase in Reg1b [β (SE) 72.189 (26.394), p = 0.006] and anti-flic IgA[β (SE) 0.054 (0.021), p = 0.0091]. Multiple enteropathogen infections in early life negatively correlated with ΔLAZ, and simultaneous changes in gut inflammatory and permeability markers. A combination vaccine targeting enteropathogens in early life could help in the prevention of future stunting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najeeha T. Iqbal
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sana Syed
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Furqan Kabir
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Zehra Jamil
- Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Tauseef Akhund
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Shahida Qureshi
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Jennie Z. Ma
- Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Shan Guleria
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Andrew Gewirtz
- Center for Inflammation Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Christopher P. Duggan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Departments of Global Health and Population, and Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Molly A. Hughes
- Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Kamran Sadiq
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Asad Ali
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
- * E-mail:
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