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Wang Y, Mei X, Lin Z, Yang X, Cao J, Zhong J, Wang J, Cheng L, Wang Z. Virus infection pattern imprinted and diversified the differentiation of T-cell memory in transcription and function. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1334597. [PMID: 38264657 PMCID: PMC10803622 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1334597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Memory T (Tm) cells are a subpopulation of immune cells with great heterogeneity. Part of this diversity came from T cells that were primed with different viruses. Understanding the differences among different viral-specific Tms will help develop new therapeutic strategies for viral infections. Methods In this study, we compared the transcriptome of Tm cells that primed with CMV, EBV and SARS-CoV-2 with single-cell sequencing and studied the similarities and differences in terms of subpopulation composition, activation, metabolism and transcriptional regulation. Results We found that CMV is marked by plentiful cytotoxic Temra cells, while EBV is more abundant in functional Tem cells. More importantly, we found that CD28 and CTLA4 can be used as continuous indicators to interrogate the antiviral ability of T cells. Furthermore, we proposed that REL is a main regulatory factor for CMV-specific T cells producing cytokines and plays an antiviral role. Discussion Our data gives deep insight into molecular characteristics of Tm subsets from different viral infection, which is important to understand T cell immunization. Furthermore, our results provide basic background knowledges for T cell based vaccine development in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Bioland, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xinyue Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhengfang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoyun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Bioland, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinpeng Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Bioland, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiaying Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Junxiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhongfang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Bioland, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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2
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Jamalidoust M, Eilami O, Ashkan Z, Ziyaeyan M, Aliabadi N, Habibi M. The rates and symptoms of natural and breakthrough infection pre- and post- Covid-19 non-mRNA vaccination at various peaks amongst Iranian healthcare workers. Virol J 2023; 20:182. [PMID: 37596593 PMCID: PMC10436397 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02156-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS The aim of this study was to determine the rate of natural and breakthrough infection and related symptoms of Covid-19 amongst Iranian healthcare workers (HCWs) who were vaccinated by different non-mRNA-based vaccines at peak points. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, the RT-PCR test was performed for a total of 10,581 HCWs suspicious of Covid-19 infection. For each HCW, the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the time of transmission based on vaccination administration time and schedule were examined during different waves of the pandemic. Based on these findings, the study patients were divided into three groups: natural, natural/breakthrough, and breakthrough. RESULTS In total, 53% of the HCWs were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection between 1 and 5 times within two years after the current pandemic, while 20.7% and 32.3% experienced natural and breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection, respectively. Only 6% of the breakthrough-infected HCWs had naturally contracted SARS-CoV-2 infection during the initial waves. The highest natural peaks of infection occurred during the interval administration of the first and second dose of the first vaccination series, while the single highest peak of breakthrough infection belonged to the Omicron wave. It occurred simultaneously with the administration of the third vaccination dose. On the other hand, the highest rate of reinfection was observed amongst people who had received the Sinopharm and Bharat vaccines full-doses. CONCLUSION This study compared the clinical differences between the two peaks of Omicron and Delta. This study indicates the rates of natural and breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections according to vaccination schedules and different waves of the pandemic.
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Grants
- Department of Virology, Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz- Iran
- Department of Family Medicine and infectious disease, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.
- Statistics and Information Technology Management, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Jamalidoust
- Department of Virology, Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 71937-11351, Iran.
| | - Owrang Eilami
- Department of Family Medicine and Infectious Disease, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Zahra Ashkan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mazyar Ziyaeyan
- Department of Virology, Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 71937-11351, Iran
| | - Nasrin Aliabadi
- Department of Virology, Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 71937-11351, Iran
| | - Mohammad Habibi
- Statistics and Information Technology Management, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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3
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Reuben RC, Beugnon R, Jurburg SD. COVID-19 alters human microbiomes: a meta-analysis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1211348. [PMID: 37600938 PMCID: PMC10433767 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1211348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected a substantial portion of the world's population, and novel consequences of COVID-19 on the human body are continuously being uncovered. The human microbiome plays an essential role in host health and well-being, and multiple studies targeting specific populations have reported altered microbiomes in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Given the global scale and massive incidence of COVID on the global population, determining whether the effects of COVID-19 on the human microbiome are consistent and generalizable across populations is essential. Methods We performed a synthesis of human microbiome responses to COVID-19. We collected 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence data from 11 studies sampling the oral and nasopharyngeal or gut microbiome of COVID-19-infected and uninfected subjects. Our synthesis included 1,159 respiratory (oral and nasopharyngeal) microbiome samples and 267 gut microbiome samples from patients in 11 cities across four countries. Results Our reanalyses revealed communitywide alterations in the respiratory and gut microbiomes across human populations. We found significant overall reductions in the gut microbial diversity of COVID-19-infected patients, but not in the respiratory microbiome. Furthermore, we found more consistent community shifts in the gut microbiomes of infected patients than in the respiratory microbiomes, although the microbiomes in both sites exhibited higher host-to-host variation in infected patients. In respiratory microbiomes, COVID-19 infection resulted in an increase in the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria, including Mycoplasma. Discussion Our findings shed light on the impact of COVID-19 on the human-associated microbiome across populations, and highlight the need for further research into the relationship between long-term effects of COVID-19 and altered microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rine Christopher Reuben
- German Centre of Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rémy Beugnon
- German Centre of Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig Institute for Meteorology, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- CEFE, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Stephanie D. Jurburg
- German Centre of Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
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Miotto M, Di Rienzo L, Grassmann G, Desantis F, Cidonio G, Gosti G, Leonetti M, Ruocco G, Milanetti E. Differences in the organization of interface residues tunes the stability of the SARS-CoV-2 spike-ACE2 complex. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1205919. [PMID: 37441163 PMCID: PMC10333926 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1205919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous emergence of novel variants represents one of the major problems in dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Indeed, also due to its prolonged circulation, more than ten variants of concern emerged, each time rapidly overgrowing the current viral version due to improved spreading features. As, up to now, all variants carry at least one mutation on the spike Receptor Binding Domain, the stability of the binding between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the human ACE2 receptor seems one of the molecular determinants behind the viral spreading potential. In this framework, a better understanding of the interplay between spike mutations and complex stability can help to assess the impact of novel variants. Here, we characterize the peculiarities of the most representative variants of concern in terms of the molecular interactions taking place between the residues of the spike RBD and those of the ACE2 receptor. To do so, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the RBD-ACE2 complexes of the seven variants of concern in comparison with a large set of complexes with different single mutations taking place on the RBD solvent-exposed residues and for which the experimental binding affinity was available. Analyzing the strength and spatial organization of the intermolecular interactions of the binding region residues, we found that (i) mutations producing an increase of the complex stability mainly rely on instaurating more favorable van der Waals optimization at the cost of Coulombic ones. In particular, (ii) an anti-correlation is observed between the shape and electrostatic complementarities of the binding regions. Finally, (iii) we showed that combining a set of dynamical descriptors is possible to estimate the outcome of point mutations on the complex binding region with a performance of 0.7. Overall, our results introduce a set of dynamical observables that can be rapidly evaluated to probe the effects of novel isolated variants or different molecular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Miotto
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Di Rienzo
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Greta Grassmann
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “Alessandro Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fausta Desantis
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- The Open University Affiliated Research Centre at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Gianluca Cidonio
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Gosti
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Soft and Living Matter Laboratory, Institute of Nanotechnology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Leonetti
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Soft and Living Matter Laboratory, Institute of Nanotechnology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Milanetti
- Center for Life Nano-& Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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5
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Agrawal P, Sambaturu N, Olgun G, Hannenhalli S. A Path-Based Analysis of Infected Cell Line and COVID-19 Patient Transcriptome Reveals Novel Potential Targets and Drugs Against SARS-CoV-2. Front Immunol 2022; 13:918817. [PMID: 35844595 PMCID: PMC9284228 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.918817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most transcriptomic studies of SARS-CoV-2 infection have focused on differentially expressed genes, which do not necessarily reveal the genes mediating the transcriptomic changes. In contrast, exploiting curated biological network, our PathExt tool identifies central genes from the differentially active paths mediating global transcriptomic response. Here we apply PathExt to multiple cell line infection models of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses, as well as to COVID-19 patient-derived PBMCs. The central genes mediating SARS-CoV-2 response in cell lines were uniquely enriched for ATP metabolic process, G1/S transition, leukocyte activation and migration. In contrast, PBMC response reveals dysregulated cell-cycle processes. In PBMC, the most frequently central genes are associated with COVID-19 severity. Importantly, relative to differential genes, PathExt-identified genes show greater concordance with several benchmark anti-COVID-19 target gene sets. We propose six novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 targets ADCY2, ADSL, OCRL, TIAM1, PBK, and BUB1, and potential drugs targeting these genes, such as Bemcentinib, Phthalocyanine, and Conivaptan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyush Agrawal
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Narmada Sambaturu
- IISc Mathematics Initiative, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Gulden Olgun
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sridhar Hannenhalli
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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6
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Venkatraman V, Colligan TH, Lesica GT, Olson DR, Gaiser J, Copeland CJ, Wheeler TJ, Roy A. Drugsniffer: An Open Source Workflow for Virtually Screening Billions of Molecules for Binding Affinity to Protein Targets. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:874746. [PMID: 35559261 PMCID: PMC9086895 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.874746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV2 pandemic has highlighted the importance of efficient and effective methods for identification of therapeutic drugs, and in particular has laid bare the need for methods that allow exploration of the full diversity of synthesizable small molecules. While classical high-throughput screening methods may consider up to millions of molecules, virtual screening methods hold the promise of enabling appraisal of billions of candidate molecules, thus expanding the search space while concurrently reducing costs and speeding discovery. Here, we describe a new screening pipeline, called drugsniffer, that is capable of rapidly exploring drug candidates from a library of billions of molecules, and is designed to support distributed computation on cluster and cloud resources. As an example of performance, our pipeline required ∼40,000 total compute hours to screen for potential drugs targeting three SARS-CoV2 proteins among a library of ∼3.7 billion candidate molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishwesh Venkatraman
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thomas H. Colligan
- Department of Computer Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - George T. Lesica
- Department of Computer Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Daniel R. Olson
- Department of Computer Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Jeremiah Gaiser
- Department of Computer Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Conner J. Copeland
- Department of Computer Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Travis J. Wheeler
- Department of Computer Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Amitava Roy
- Department of Computer Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch, Office of Cyber Infrastructure and Computational Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
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7
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Palmer P, Del Rosario JMM, da Costa KAS, Carnell GW, Huang CQ, Heeney JL, Temperton NJ, Wells DA. AutoPlate: Rapid Dose-Response Curve Analysis for Biological Assays. Front Immunol 2022; 12:681636. [PMID: 35222351 PMCID: PMC8866857 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.681636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of COVID-19 has emphasised that biological assay data must be analysed quickly to develop safe, effective and timely vaccines/therapeutics. For viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, the primary way of measuring immune correlates of protection is through assays such as the pseudotype microneutralisation (pMN) assay, thanks to its safety and versatility. However, despite the presence of existing tools for data analysis such as PRISM and R the analysis of these assays remains cumbersome and time-consuming. We introduce an open-source R Shiny web application and R library (AutoPlate) to accelerate data analysis of dose-response curve immunoassays. Using example data from influenza studies, we show that AutoPlate improves on available analysis software in terms of ease of use, flexibility and speed. AutoPlate (https://philpalmer.shinyapps.io/AutoPlate/) is a tool for the use of laboratories and wider scientific community to accelerate the analysis of biological assays in the development of viral vaccines and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phil Palmer
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne Marie M Del Rosario
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent, Chatham, United Kingdom.,Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines
| | - Kelly A S da Costa
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent, Chatham, United Kingdom
| | - George W Carnell
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chloe Q Huang
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan L Heeney
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,DIOSynVax, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel J Temperton
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent, Chatham, United Kingdom
| | - David A Wells
- DIOSynVax, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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8
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McDonagh Hull P, Lashewicz BM, Fritzler MJ. High intelligence may exacerbate paediatric inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Med Hypotheses 2021; 155:110677. [PMID: 34560443 PMCID: PMC8426136 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The body’s innate and acquired immune systems are critical in responses to a wide spectrum of assaults, including SARS-CoV-2 infection. We identify studies of autoimmunity to support our hypothesis that a high intelligence quotient (IQ) may put children at increased risk for severe COVID-19 sequelae; especially those whose viral load is high and/or who develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). MIS-C is associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 morbidity and death, even in otherwise healthy children. As information and evidence about SARS-CoV-2 infection continue to expand, our hypothesis suggests adding a potentially intriguing piece to the pandemic puzzle for further investigation. Drawing on a select review of published research and case reports, we discuss immune dysregulation in paediatric patients with a high IQ, including post-infection cytokine expression in the myocardium. Further, we provide a review of 27 paediatric (≤19 years; median age 16) cases of severe COVID-19 outcomes, drawn from media sources published between March and September 2020, in which we identify possible evidence of a ‘hyper brain, hyper body’ response to infection. We aver these cases are noteworthy given that paediatric death with COVID-19 disease is remarkably rare, and the estimated prevalence of a high IQ (or giftedness) is only 2% in the general population. These observations warrant prospective and retrospective studies of autoinflammatory markers and mechanisms to elucidate any special psychoneuroimmunological vulnerability in children with a high IQ, as such studies may raise implications for how and when prophylactic medical care is provided to children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline McDonagh Hull
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Bonnie M Lashewicz
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marvin J Fritzler
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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9
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Guarnieri V, Moriondo M, Giovannini M, Lodi L, Ricci S, Pisano L, Barbacci P, Bini C, Indolfi G, Zanobini A, Azzari C. Surveillance on Healthcare Workers During the First Wave of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Italy: The Experience of a Tertiary Care Pediatric Hospital. Front Public Health 2021; 9:644702. [PMID: 34381749 PMCID: PMC8350057 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.644702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a central role in handling the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Monitoring HCWs, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, through screening programs, are critical to avoid the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the hospital environment to rapidly identify and isolate infected individuals and to allow their prompt return to work as soon as necessary. We aim to describe our healthcare surveillance experience (April 2–May 6, 2020) based on a combined screening consisting of real-time PCR (RT-PCR) on nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and rapid serologic tests (RST) for SARS-CoV-2 in all HCWs of Meyer Children's University Hospital in Florence. Among the analyzed workers, 13/1690 (0.8%), all of them without clinical manifestations, was found positive for SARS-CoV-2 by using RT-PCR on NP swab: 8/1472 (0.5%) were found positive during the screening, 1/188 (0.5%) during contact with a positive individual (p > 0.05 vs. screening group), while 4/30 (13.3%) were found positive on the day of re-admission at work after an influenza-like-illness (p < 0.05). Concerning working areas, the majority of RT-PCR positivity (12/13) and serologic positivity (34/42) was found in non-COVID-19 dedicated areas (p > 0.05 vs. COVID-19 dedicated areas). No cases were registered among non-patients-facing workers (p = 0.04 vs. patient-facing group). Nurses and residents represented, respectively, the working role with the highest and lowest percentage of RT-PCR positivity. In conclusion, accurate surveillance is essential to reduce virus spread among HCWs, patients, and the community and to limit the shortage of skilled professionals. The implementation of the surveillance system through an efficient screening program was offered to all professionals, regardless of the presence of clinical manifestations and the level of working exposure risk, maybe wise and relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Guarnieri
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Moriondo
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Mattia Giovannini
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lodi
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Ricci
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Pisano
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Costanza Bini
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Indolfi
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.,Department of Neurofarba, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Azzari
- Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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10
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Abstract
The goal of achieving herd immunity to the coronavirus requires high vaccination acceptance levels on the part of the population. The objectives of this study were to: 1) Measure individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) for a COVID-19 vaccine in Kenya; 2) evaluate the effect of vaccine characteristics (duration of protection and efficacy) and individuals' socioeconomic variables on WTP, and 3) estimate the aggregate demand and economic value of a COVID-19 vaccine. The contingent valuation (CV) method was used as the basis for the analyses. Data for this study were obtained from a survey of 1,050 individuals in Kenya conducted from April 7 to April 15, 2020. The survey included CV questions using a double-bounded dichotomous choice format. Results reveal that most of the individuals in Kenya (at least 96%) were willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 80% of individuals were willing to pay a positive amount. Conservative estimates of individuals' mean WTP for the vaccine range from USD 49.81 to USD 68.25 (depending on vaccine characteristics). Both vaccine duration of protection and efficacy were found to influence WTP (p < .10). The perceived probability of being hospitalized, age, gender, education, location and region of residence, and household income were also found to be associated with WTP for the vaccine (p < .10). In conclusion, the COVID-19 vaccine is highly valued and accepted by the Kenyan population; however, a high percent of the population is unwilling to pay for it or is only willing to pay a low price.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Carpio
- Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Oscar Sarasty
- Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Darren Hudson
- Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Anthony Macharia
- Socioeconomics, Policy and Governance Department, Kenya Forestry Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Mumina Shibia
- Department of Socio-economics and Policy Development, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Nairobi, Kenya
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11
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Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, a member of the family coronaviridae, has triggered a lethal pandemic termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Pediatric patients, mainly from families with a cluster of infection or a history of exposure to epidemic areas, get infected via direct contacts or air-borne droplets. Children (aged below 18 years) are susceptible to COVID-19, with an average incubation period of about 6.5 days. Most cases present asymptomatic or common cold symptoms such as fever, cough, and myalgia or fatigue, which is milder than adult patients. Besides, most abnormal laboratory and radiologic findings in children with COVID-19 are non-specific. Since no specific chemotherapeutic agents have been approved for children, timely preventive methods could effectively forestall the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. To date, mostly studied cases have been adults with COVID-19, whereas data on pediatrics patients remain poorly defined. We herein conducted a literature review for papers published in PubMed and medRxiv (preprints) between December 2019 and December 2020 that reported on pediatrics patients (aged below 18 years) with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. In this review, we summarized and discussed the pathogenesis, epidemiology, and clinical management of COVID-19 in pediatrics patients to improve our understanding of this new disease in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejiao Han
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuemei Li
- Quality Management Department, Southwestern Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yinan Xiao
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruoning Yang
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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12
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Tsatsakis A, Calina D, Falzone L, Petrakis D, Mitrut R, Siokas V, Pennisi M, Lanza G, Libra M, Doukas SG, Doukas PG, Kavali L, Bukhari A, Gadiparthi C, Vageli DP, Kofteridis DP, Spandidos DA, Paoliello MMB, Aschner M, Docea AO. SARS-CoV-2 pathophysiology and its clinical implications: An integrative overview of the pharmacotherapeutic management of COVID-19. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 146:111769. [PMID: 32979398 PMCID: PMC7833750 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Common manifestations of COVID-19 are respiratory and can extend from mild symptoms to severe acute respiratory distress. The severity of the illness can also extend from mild disease to life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). SARS-CoV-2 infection can also affect the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreatic functions, leading to gastrointestinal symptoms. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 can cause central and peripheral neurological manifestations, affect the cardiovascular system and promote renal dysfunction. Epidemiological data have indicated that cancer patients are at a higher risk of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Considering the multitude of clinical symptoms of COVID-19, the objective of the present review was to summarize their pathophysiology in previously healthy patients, as well as in those with comorbidities. The present review summarizes the current, though admittedly fluid knowledge on the pathophysiology and symptoms of COVID-19 infection. Although unclear issues still remain, the present study contributes to a more complete understanding of the disease, and may drive the direction of new research. The recognition of the severity of the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 is crucial for the specific therapeutic management of affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aristides Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece; I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119146, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania.
| | - Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", 80131, Naples, Italy.
| | - Dimitrios Petrakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
| | - Radu Mitrut
- Department of Cardiology, University and Emergency Hospital, 050098, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Vasileios Siokas
- Department of Neurology, University of Thessaly, University Hospital of Larissa, 41221, Larissa, Greece.
| | - Manuela Pennisi
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Lanza
- Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy; Department of Neurology IC, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018, Troina, Italy.
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy; Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy.
| | - Sotirios G Doukas
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Peter's University Hospital, 254 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| | - Panagiotis G Doukas
- University of Pavol Josef Safarik University, Faculty of Medicine, Kosice, Slovakia.
| | - Leena Kavali
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Peter's University Hospital, 254 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| | - Amar Bukhari
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care 240 Easton Ave, Adult Ambulatory at Cares Building 4th Floor, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| | - Chiranjeevi Gadiparthi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Nutrition, Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Dimitra P Vageli
- Department of Surgery, The Yale Larynx Laboratory, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Diamantis P Kofteridis
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| | - Demetrios A Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003, Greece.
| | - Monica M B Paoliello
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Eisntein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
| | - Michael Aschner
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119146, Moscow, Russia; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Eisntein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
| | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania.
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13
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Sarasty O, Carpio CE, Hudson D, Guerrero-Ochoa PA, Borja I. The demand for a COVID-19 vaccine in Ecuador. Vaccine 2020; 38:8090-8098. [PMID: 33187765 PMCID: PMC7832521 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In Latin America, the country of Ecuador was one of the first and most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the demand for a COVID-19 vaccine in Ecuador by estimating individuals’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the vaccine, and by assessing the effect of vaccine attributes (duration of protection and efficacy) and individuals’ characteristics on this valuation. The sample used (N = 1,050) was obtained through an online survey conducted from April 2 to April 7, 2020. Two levels of vaccine efficacy (70% and 98%) and two levels of vaccine duration of protection (1 and 20 years) were considered. The willingness to pay estimates were obtained using a double-bounded dichotomous-choice contingent valuation format. Survey results show that a very large proportion of individuals (at least 97%) were willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine, and at least 85% of individuals were willing to pay a positive amount for that vaccine. Conservative estimates of the average WTP values ranged from USD 147.61 to 196.65 and the median WTP from USD 76.9 to 102.5. Only the duration of protection was found to influence individuals’ WTP for the vaccine (p < 0.01). On average, respondents were willing to pay 30% more for a COVID-19 vaccine with 20 years of protection relative to the vaccine with 1 year of protection. Regression results show that WTP for the vaccine was associated with income, employment status, the perceived probability of needing hospitalization if contracting the virus causing COVID-19, and region of residence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Sarasty
- Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-2132, USA
| | - Carlos E Carpio
- Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-2132, USA.
| | - Darren Hudson
- Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-2132, USA
| | | | - Ivan Borja
- Department of Business Administration, Ana G. Mendez University, San Juan 00926, PR, USA
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