scholarly journals Humoral Response among Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease Vaccinated with the BNT162b2 SARS-Cov-2 vaccine - A Prospective Cohort Study

Author(s):  
Barak Pertzov ◽  
Einat Shmueli ◽  
Haim Ben Zvi ◽  
Amir Massarweh ◽  
Tamar Barkan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) are at high risk of severe COVID-19 infection. Additionally, their anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic treatment may cause immunosuppression. Nevertheless, their ability to mount an adequate immune response to messenger RNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines was not evaluated. We aimed to evaluate the humoral response after the BNT162b2 vaccine among idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients treated with antifibrotic therapy and among non-IPF ILD patients treated with anti-inflammatory therapy.Methods: We conducted an observational prospective cohort study to evaluate the rate of anti-spike (S-IgG) antibodies after two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine in patients with ILD. The cohort included 40 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) treated with anti-fibrotic therapy and 29 patients with non-IPF ILD treated with anti-inflammatory therapy. For S-IgG titer measurement one serology test was drawn from all patients 4-6 months after the second vaccine dose. Two age and sex matched control groups were created from a healthy control cohort of 107 patients. The study was conducted in Rabin Medical Center (Israel) between June to August 2021.Results: All patients in the anti-fibrotic arm were seropositive (40/40), corresponding to the matched control group (P=1.0). The antifibrotic arm had a significantly lower median antibody titer in comparison to the matched control group (361.10 [ IQR, 207-811] AU/ml vs 820.75 [IQR, 459-1313] AU/ml; P<0.001). Only 48.3% (14/29) of patients in the anti-inflammatory arm were seropositive in comparison to 100% (29/29) in the healthy control group (P<0.001). The anti-inflammatory arm had a significantly lower median antibody titer in comparison to the healthy control group (39.6 [ IQR, 4.25-165] AU/ml vs 970.1 [IQR, 505-1926] AU/ml; P<0.001). Conclusion: IPF patients treated with antifibrotic therapy mount an adequate immune response after 2 doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine, maintain a 100% seropositivity rate, 4-6 months after vaccination. However, their antibody titer was reduced in comparison to a healthy control group. Among patients with non-IPF ILD, treated with anti-inflammatory therapy, 48% were seronegative 4-6 months after the second vaccine dose, moreover treatment with rituximab caused significant immunosuppression, even in comparison to other anti-inflammatory treatments.

1977 ◽  
Vol 40 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1115-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Schori ◽  
Caroline Bedell Thomas

Participants in the Precursors Study affected with any of six disorders were compared with their matched, but healthy, control counterparts on 4 Rorschach and 10 Figure-drawing factors. Similar comparisons were made for the psychological (suicide, mental illness, and emotional disturbance) and somatic (essential hypertension, coronary occlusion, and malignant tumor) subsets of the affected participants and for those affected by each of the six individual disorders. The findings, though in themselves modest, provide evidence of the existence of psychological precursors of premature disease and death. The Rorschach human-movement factor was the main variable differentiating the total disordered group from the matched control group. This suggests that the affected subjects, as a group, had more active fantasy lives and might be considered to be more sensitive or vulnerable.


2016 ◽  
Vol 86 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 9-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bekir Ucan ◽  
Mustafa Sahin ◽  
Muyesser Sayki Arslan ◽  
Nujen Colak Bozkurt ◽  
Muhammed Kizilgul ◽  
...  

Abstract.The relationship between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and vitamin D has been demonstrated in several studies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate vitamin D concentrations in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the effect of vitamin D therapy on the course of disease, and to determine changes in thyroid autoantibody status and cardiovascular risk after vitamin D therapy. We included 75 patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and 43 healthy individuals. Vitamin D deficiency is defined as a 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D3) concentration less than 20ng/mL. Vitamin D deficient patients were given 50.000 units of 25(OH)D3 weekly for eight weeks in accordance with the Endocrine Society guidelines. All evaluations were repeated after 2 months of treatment. Patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis had significantly lower vitamin D concentrations compared with the controls (9.37±0.69 ng/mL vs 11.95±1.01 ng/mL, p < 0.05, respectively). Thyroid autoantibodies were significantly decreased by vitamin D replacement treatment in patients with euthyroid Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Also, HDL cholesterol concentrations improved in the euthyroid Hashimoto group after treatment. The mean free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations were 0.89±0.02 ng/dL in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and 1.07±0.03 ng/dL in the healthy control group (p < 0.001). The mean thyroid volumes were 7.71±0.44 mL in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and 5.46±0.63 mL in the healthy control group (p < 0.01). Vitamin D deficiency is frequent in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and treatment of patients with this condition with Vitamin D may slow down the course of development of hypothyroidism and also decrease cardiovascular risks in these patients. Vitamin D measurement and replacement may be critical in these patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 657-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Celik ◽  
Alper Şen ◽  
İsmail Koyuncu ◽  
Ataman Gönel

Aim and Objective:: To determine the mechanisms present in the etiopathogenesis of nasal polyposis. It is not clear whether amino acids contribute in a causal way to the development of the disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the plasma-free amino acid profile in patients with nasal polyposis and to compare the results with a healthy control group. Materials and Methods:: This was a prospective controlled study that took place in the Otolaryngology Department at the Harran University Faculty of Medicine between April 2017 and April 2018. Plasmafree amino acid profile levels were studied in serum samples taken from a patient group and a healthy control group. Patients who were diagnosed with bilateral diffuse nasal polyposis and were scheduled for surgical interventions were included in this study. Individuals whose age, gender, and body mass index values were compatible with that of the patient group and who did not have any health problems were included in the control group. All the participants whose levels of plasma-free amino acid were thought to be affected by one or more of the following factors were excluded from the study: smoking and alcohol use, allergic rhinitis presence, the presence of acute or chronic sinusitis, a history of endoscopic sinus surgery, unilateral nasal masses, a history of chronic drug use, systemic or topical steroid use in the last three months for any reason, and liver, kidney, hematological, cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, or psychiatric disorders or malignancies. Results: In patients with nasal polyposis, 3-methyl histidine (3-MHIS: nasal polyposis group (ng) = 3.22 (1.92 – 6.07); control group (cg) = 1.21 (0.77 – 1.68); p = 0.001); arginine (arg: ng = 98.95 (70.81 – 117.75); cg = 75.10 (54.49 – 79.88); p = 0.005); asparagine (asn: ng = 79.84 (57.50 – 101.44); cg = 60.66 (46.39 – 74.62); p = 0.021); citrulline (cit: ng = 51.83 (43.81 – 59.78); cg = 38.33 (27.81 – 53.73); p = 0.038); cystine (cys: ng = 4.29 (2.43 – 6.66); cg = 2.41 (1.51 – 4.16); p = 0.019); glutamic acid (glu: ng = 234.86 (128.75 – 286.66); cg = 152.37 (122.51 – 188.34); p = 0.045); histidine (his: ng = 94.19 (79.34 – 113.99); cg = 74.80 (62.76 – 98.91); p = 0.018); lysine (lys: ng = 297.22 (206.55 – 371.25); cg = 179.50 (151.58 – 238.02); p = 0.001); ornithine (ng = 160.62 (128.36 – 189.32); cg = 115.91 (97.03 – 159.91); p = 0.019); serine (ser: ng = 195.15 (151.58 – 253.07); cg = 83.07 (67.44 – 92.44); p = 0.001); taurine (tau: ng = 74.69 (47.00 – 112.13); cg = 53.14 (33.57 – 67.31); p = 0.006); tryptophan (trp: ng = 52.31 (33.81 – 80.11); cg = 34.44 (25.94 – 43.07); p = 0.005), homocitrulline (ng = 1.75 (1.27 – 2.59); cg = 0.00 (0.00 – 0.53); p = 0.001); norvaline (ng = 6.90 (5.61 – 9.18); cg = 4.93 (3.74 – 7.13); p = 0.021); argininosuccinic acid (ng = 14.33 (10.06 – 25.65); cg = 12.22 (5.77 – 16.87) p = 0.046); and plasma concentrations were significantly higher than in the healthy control group (p <0.05). However, the gamma-aminobutyric acid (gaba: ng = 0.16 (0.10 – 0.24); cg = 0.21 (0.19 – 0.29); p = 0.010) plasma concentration was significantly lower in the nasal polyposis group than in the healthy control group. Conclusion: In this study, plasma levels of 15 free amino acids were significantly higher in the nasal polyposis group than in the healthy control group. A plasma level of 1 free amino acid was found to be significantly lower in the nasal polyposis group compared to the healthy control group. Therefore, it is important to determine the possibility of using the information obtained to prevent the recurrence of the condition and to develop effective treatment strategies. This study may be a milestone for studies of this subject. However, this study needs to be confirmed by further studies conducted in a larger series.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan-Yuan Gong ◽  
Hai-Ying Peng

Abstract Background To investigate the correlation between the thickness of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL) -6, visfatin, juxtaposed with another zinc finger protein 1 (JAZF1) and type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) macroangiopathy. Methods The study enrolled 82 patients with T2DM with macroangiopathy (the Complication Group), and 85 patients with T2DM (the Diabetes Group) who were admitted to Shandong Provincial Third Hospital from February 2018 to February 2020. In addition, 90 healthy people who underwent physical examination at the same hospital during the same period were enrolled (the Healthy Control Group). Age, gender, height, weight, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), diabetic course and therapeutic drugs, waist hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) were recorded and calculated. Results The baseline characteristics of the three groups were comparable, and the diabetic course of the Complication Group and the Diabetes Group was not significantly different (P > 0.05). The WHR of the Complication Group was higher than that of the Diabetes Group and the Healthy Control Group, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The FPG, 2hPG, HbA1C, CRP, IL-6, Visfatin, JAZF1, HOMA-IR, EAT thickness, and baPWV of the Complication Group were all higher than those of the Diabetes Group and the Healthy Control Group (P < 0.05, respectively). The JAZF1 and FIns of the Complication Group and Diabetes Group were lower than those of the Healthy Control Group, and JAZF1 of the Complication Group was lower than the Diabetes Group with statistical significance (P<0.05, respectively). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the EAT thickness was positively correlated with CRP, IL-6, visfatin, and JAZF1 (r = 0.387, 0.451, 0.283, 0.301, respectively, all P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed that baPWV was positively correlated with EAT thickness, CRP, IL-6, visfatin, and JAZF1 (r = 0.293, 0.382, 0.473, 0.286, respectively, all P < 0.001). Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that FPG, 2hPG, HbA1C, CRP, IL-6, visfatin, JAZF1, and EAT thickness were independent risk factors that affected T2DM macroangiopathy. Conclusions Clinical monitoring and treatment of T2DM macroangiopathy can use CRP, IL-6, Visfatin, JAZF1, and EAT thickness as new targets to delay the progression of the disease. Further research on the relationship between the above factors and the pathogenesis of T2DM macroangiopathy may be helpful provide new treatment strategies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 771-771
Author(s):  
Miriam Morey ◽  
Cathy Lee

Abstract In recognition of the GSA’s 75th Anniversary “Why Age Matters” we celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Gerofit dissemination initiative. Gerofit is an exercise and health promotion program for older Veterans that has been declared a Veterans Health Administration (VA) “Best Practice” and been disseminated to 17 VA’s across the country. Over 7000 Veterans have participated in Gerofit initiated programs and have reported robust outcomes including improved quality of life, physical and mental health, and high levels of satisfaction with the programs. For this symposium, we focus on newly acquired program outcomes that emphasize the importance of fitness as we age. The first paper compares hospitalization and emergency room visits between individuals participating in Gerofit for 12 months compared to a matched control group. The second paper describes four-year trajectories of physical performance to highlight the impact of becoming fit over expected normative trajectories. The third paper examines outcomes of a home-based geriatric walking clinic. The fourth paper describes the impact of exercise adherence on chronic pain. The fifth paper describes changes in medication utilization compared to a matched control group following 12-months of supervised exercise. These papers highlight the importance of fitness as a contributor to overall health during the aging process and celebrates that fitness matters, no matter when you start!


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingkun Chen ◽  
Li Zhu ◽  
Miao Xue ◽  
Rongrong Zhu ◽  
Liling Jing ◽  
...  

AbstractTo evaluate the feasibility of serum HMGB1, anti-HMGB1 antibodies, and HMGB1/anti-HMGB1 ratio as a diagnosis indicator of initial clinical classification in patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO). Ninety-four patients with classical FUO and ninety healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The subjects’ clinical data and serum were collected. The serum concentration of HMGB1 was detected by a commercial HMGB1 ELISA kit, while the serum concentration of anti-HMGB1 antibodies were detected by an in-house built anti-HMGB1 antibodies ELISA kit and further confirmed by immunoblotting. According to the hospital diagnosis on discharge, ninety-four FUO patients were divided into four groups, Infectious disease subgroup, autoimmune disease subgroup, malignant tumor subgroup, and undetermined subgroup. The concentrations of HMGB1 in the infectious disease subgroup and autoimmune disease subgroup were higher than those in the malignant tumor subgroup, undetermined subgroup, and healthy control group. The concentration of anti-HMGB1 antibodies in autoimmune disease subtype group was higher than those in other subgroups as well as healthy control group. According to the distribution of HMGB1 and anti-HMGB1 in scatter plots of the patients with FUO, we found that the ratio of serum HMGB1/anti-HMGB1 is an ideal clinical indicator for differential diagnosis of different subtypes of FUO. The best cut-off was 0.75, and the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 66.67%, 87.32%, and 0.8, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that serum concentration of HMGB1 was moderately correlated with CRP in infectious diseases subgroup, and the serum concentration of anti-HMGB1 antibodies was strongly correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate in autoimmune disease subgroup. Our study had showed that serum HMGB1/anti-HMGB1 antibodies ratio can help clinicians identify FUO subtypes, thereby avoiding many unnecessary examinations and tests, and improving the effectiveness of clinical diagnosis and treatment of FUO.


1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 397-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
O T Jóhannsson ◽  
J Ranstam ◽  
A Borg ◽  
H Olsson

PURPOSE Recent studies indicate that BRCA1 breast and ovarian tumors may have an advantageous survival. In this population-based study, the survival of carriers of a mutated BRCA1 gene was investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS The survival of 71 BRCA1-associated cancer patients (33 breast cancer, seven breast and ovarian cancer, and 31 ovarian cancer patients from 21 families with BRCA1 germline mutations) diagnosed after 1958 was compared with that of a population-based comparison group that consisted of all other invasive breast (n = 28,281) and ovarian (n = 7,011) cancers diagnosed during 1958 to 1995, as well as an age- and stage-matched control group. RESULTS No apparent survival advantage was found for BRCA1-associated breast cancers upon direct comparison. After adjustment for age and calendar year of diagnosis, survival was equal to or worse than that of the comparison group (hazards ratio [HR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9 to 2.4). In comparison with an age- and stage-matched control group, survival again appeared equal or worse (HR, 1.5; 95% CI, 0.6 to 3.7). For BRCA1-associated ovarian cancers, an initial survival advantage was noted that disappeared with time. Due to this time dependency, multivariate analyses cannot adequately be analyzed. Compared with the age- and stage-matched control group, survival again appeared equal or worse (HR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.5 to 2.8). CONCLUSION The results suggest that survival for carriers of a BRCA1 mutation may be similar, or worse than, that for breast and ovarian cancer in general. This finding is in accordance with the adverse histopathologic features observed in BRCA1 tumors and underlines the need for surveillance in families that carry a BRCA1 mutation.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahashi ◽  
Matsunaga ◽  
Banjo ◽  
Takahashi ◽  
Sato ◽  
...  

We investigated the effects of nutrient intake timing on glycogen accumulation and its related signals in skeletal muscle after an exercise that did not induce large glycogen depletion. Male ICR mice ran on a treadmill at 25 m/min for 60 min under a fed condition. Mice were orally administered a solution containing 1.2 mg/g carbohydrate and 0.4 mg/g protein or water either immediately (early nutrient, EN) or 180 min (late nutrient, LN) after the exercise. Tissues were harvested at 30 min after the oral administration. No significant difference in blood glucose or plasma insulin concentrations was found between the EN and LN groups. The plantaris muscle glycogen concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the EN group—but not in the LN group—compared to the respective time-matched control group. Akt Ser473 phosphorylation was significantly higher in the EN group than in the time-matched control group (p < 0.01), while LN had no effect. Positive main effects of time were found for the phosphorylations in Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) Thr642 (p < 0.05), 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) Thr172 (p < 0.01), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase Ser79 (p < 0.01); however, no effect of nutrient intake was found for these. We showed that delayed nutrient intake could not increase muscle glycogen after endurance exercise which did not induce large glycogen depletion. The results also suggest that post-exercise muscle glycogen accumulation after nutrient intake might be partly influenced by Akt activation. Meanwhile, increased AS160 and AMPK activation by post-exercise fasting might not lead to glycogen accumulation.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (03) ◽  
pp. 333-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maiara Zeni-Graiff ◽  
Adiel C. Rios ◽  
Pawan K. Maurya ◽  
Lucas B. Rizzo ◽  
Sumit Sethi ◽  
...  

IntroductionOxidative stress has been documented in chronic schizophrenia and in the first episode of psychosis, but there are very little data on oxidative stress prior to the disease onset.ObjectiveThis work aimed to compare serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in young individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) of developing psychosis with a comparison healthy control group (HC).MethodsThirteen UHR subjects and 29 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study. Clinical assessment included the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS), the Semi-Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I (SCID-I) or the Kiddie-SADS-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. Activities of SOD and GPx were measured in serum by the spectrophotometric method using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.ResultsAfter adjusting for age and years of education, there was a significant lower activity of SOD and lower GPX activity in the UHR group compared to the healthy control group (rate ratio [RR]=0.330, 95% CI 0.187; 0.584, p&lt;0.001 and RR=0.509, 95% CI 0.323; 0.803, p=0.004, respectively). There were also positive correlations between GAF functioning scores and GPx and SOD activities.ConclusionOur results suggest that oxidative imbalances could be present prior to the onset of full-blown psychosis, including in at-risk stages. Future studies should replicate and expand these results.


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