scholarly journals Attenuation of Antibody Titers from 3 to 6 Months after the Second Dose of the BNT162b2 Vaccine Depends on Sex, with Age and Smoking Risk Factors for Lower Antibody Titers at 6 Months

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1500
Author(s):  
Yushi Nomura ◽  
Michiru Sawahata ◽  
Yosikazu Nakamura ◽  
Ryousuke Koike ◽  
Otohiro Katsube ◽  
...  

Objective: We aimed to determine antibody titers at six months and their percentage change from three to six months after the second dose of the BNT162b2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech) and to explore clinical variables associated with titers in Japan. Methods: We enrolled 365 healthcare workers (250 women, 115 men) whose three-month antibody titers were analyzed in our previous study and whose blood samples were collected 183 ± 15 days after the second dose. Participant characteristics, collected previously, were used. The relationships of these factors with antibody titers at six months and percentage changes in antibody titers from three to six months were analyzed. Results: Median age was 44 years. Median antibody titer at six months was 539 U/mL. Older participants had significantly lower antibody titers (20s, 752 U/mL; 60s–70s, 365 U/mL). In age-adjusted analysis, smoking was the only factor associated with lower antibody titers. Median percentage change in antibody titers from three to six months was −29.4%. The only factor significantly associated with the percentage change in Ab titers was not age or smoking, but sex (women, −31.6%; men, −25.1%). Conclusion: The most important factors associated with lower antibody titers at six months were age and smoking, as at three months, probably reflecting their effect on peak antibody titers. However, the only factor significantly associated with the attenuation in Ab titers from three to six months was sex, which reduced the sex difference seen during the first three months. Antibody titers may be affected by different factors at different time points.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yushi Nomura ◽  
Michiru Sawahata ◽  
Yosikazu Nakamura ◽  
Ryousuke Koike ◽  
Otohiro Katsube ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjectiveWe aimed to determine antibody titres at 6 months and their rate of change during 3-6 months after the second dose of the BNT162b2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech) and to explore clinical variables associated with titres in Japan.MethodsWe enrolled 365 healthcare workers (250 women, 115 men) whose 3-month antibody titres were analyzed in our previous study and whose blood samples were collected 183 ± 15 days after the second dose. Participant characteristics collected previously were used. The relationships of these factors with antibody titres at 6 months and rates of change in antibody titres during 3-6 months were analyzed.ResultsMedian age was 44 years. Median antibody titre at 6 months was 539 U/mL. Older participants had significantly lower antibody titres (20s, 752 U/mL; 60s–70s, 365 U/mL). In age-adjusted analysis, smoking was the only factor associated with lower antibody titres. Median rate of change in antibody titres during 3-6 months was −29.4%. The only factor significantly associated with the rate of change in Ab titres was not age or smoking, but sex (women, −31.6%; men, −25.1%).ConclusionThe most important factors associated with lower antibody titres at 6 months were age and smoking, as at 3 months, probably reflecting their effect on peak antibody titres. However, antibody titres significantly attenuated during 3-6 months in women alone, which reduced the sex difference in antibody titres seen during the first 3 months. Antibody titres may be affected by different factors at different time points.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 1585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayara Resende Nasciutti ◽  
Patrícia Magalhães de Oliveira ◽  
Vinícius De Morais Barbosa ◽  
Selwyn Arlington Headley ◽  
Felipe Gonçalves Garcia ◽  
...  

Neospora caninum causes reproductive disorders in dairy cattle such as repeat breeding, abortion, and anestrus, which are risk factors associated with the seroprevalence of N. caninum in Brazil and worldwide. This study aimed to verify the risk factors related to the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in crossbred dairy cows in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. During, January to July 2013, 740 blood samples were collected from 57 herds with a history of reproductive disorders and determinations of antibody titers against N. caninum were obtained by ELISA assay. The seroprevalence of N. caninum was 18.4% (136/740). Risk factors for N. caninum were cows greater than 2 years of age (P = 0.034), mechanical milking (P = 0.012), and frequent purchase of animals (P = 0.004), in addition to individual history of abortion (P = 0.007) and repeat breeding (P = 0.030). The highest probability of occurrence of associated risk factors was associated with individual history of abortion and repeated breeding and the frequent purchase of animals, with odds of 12.8, 5.9, and 3.8 times, respectively. In conclusion, the risk factors associated with N. caninum: members of the female sex and cows with more than 2 years-of-age, mechanical milking, and the frequent purchase of animals, in addition to individual history of abortion and repeated breeding.


Author(s):  
Sarah Kittel-Schneider ◽  
Petra Davidova ◽  
Miriam Kalok ◽  
Corina Essel ◽  
Fadia Ben Ahmed ◽  
...  

AbstractDepression in the perinatal period is common in mothers worldwide. Emerging research indicates that fathers are also at risk of developing perinatal depression. However, knowledge regarding biological risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms of perinatal depression is still scarce, particularly in fathers. It has been suggested that the neurotrophin BDNF may play a role in maternal perinatal depression; however, there is currently no data regarding paternal perinatal depression. For this pilot study, 81 expecting parents were recruited and assessed at several time points. We screened for depression using EPDS and MADRS, investigated several psychosocial variables, and took blood samples for BDNF val66met genotyping, epigenetic, and protein analysis. Between pregnancy and 12 months postpartum (pp), we found that 3.7 to 15.7% of fathers screened positive for depression, and 9.6 to 24% of mothers, with at least a twofold increased prevalence in both parents using MADRS compared with EPDS. We also identified several psychosocial factors associated with perinatal depression in both parents. The data revealed a trend that lower BDNF levels correlated with maternal depressive symptoms at 3 months pp. In the fathers, no significant correlations between BDNF and perinatal depression were found. Pregnant women demonstrated lower BDNF methylation and BDNF protein expression compared with men; however, these were found to increase postpartum. Lastly, we identified correlations between depressive symptoms and psychosocial/neurobiological factors. The data suggest that BDNF may play a role in maternal perinatal depression, but not paternal.


2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1009-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria E. Sousa ◽  
J.N. Porto Wagnner ◽  
Pedro P.F. Albuquerque ◽  
Orestes L. Souza Neto ◽  
Eduardo B. Faria ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle from milk producing farms of the microregion of Batalha, state of Alagoas, Brazil, as well as to identify the risk factors associated with the infection. Blood samples were collected from 1,004 cattle of 17 farms for the serological investigation regarding the presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies by the Indirect Immunofluorescence Reaction Technique (IMRT). From the total amount of samples analyzed, 77/1,004 (7.67%) were positive and 927/1,004 (92.33%) were negative. The logistical regression identified that cattle from farms without consortium breeding have an infection risk 6.33 (p<0.001; C.I. 2.89-13.10) times higher than cattle from farms with that type of breeding. Cattle from farms where the aborted fetuses are not adequately buried have an infection risk 3.04 (p<0.001; C.I. 1.64-5.63) times higher than cattle from farms with adequate destination of these fetuses. Infection by N. caninum occurs in cattle of the investigated region. The factors identified in our study can be used as risk indicators, so that control measures could be implemented to avoid infection by N. caninum in the herds of this region.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanusha Singh ◽  
Braimoh Bello ◽  
Mohamed F. Jeebhay

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. I. Patterson ◽  
G. Elia ◽  
A. Grassi ◽  
A. Giordano ◽  
C. Desario ◽  
...  

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 emerged from animals and is now easily transmitted between people. Sporadic detection of natural cases in animals alongside successful experimental infections of pets, such as cats, ferrets and dogs, raises questions about the susceptibility of animals under natural conditions of pet ownership. Here, we report a large-scale study to assess SARS-CoV-2 infection in 919 companion animals living in northern Italy, sampled at a time of frequent human infection. No animals tested PCR positive. However, 3.3% of dogs and 5.8% of cats had measurable SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers, with dogs from COVID-19 positive households being significantly more likely to test positive than those from COVID-19 negative households. Understanding risk factors associated with this and their potential to infect other species requires urgent investigation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A Martin ◽  
Daniel Pan ◽  
Carl Melbourne ◽  
Lucy Teece ◽  
Avinash Aujayeb ◽  
...  

Introduction Healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly those from ethnic minority groups, have been shown to be at disproportionately higher risk of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) compared to the general population. However, there is insufficient evidence on how demographic and occupational factors influence infection risk among ethnic minority HCWs. Methods We analysed data from the United Kingdom Research study into Ethnicity And COVID-19 Outcomes in Healthcare workers (UK-REACH) cohort study. We used logistic regression to examine associations of demographic, household and occupational predictor variables with SARS-CoV-2 infection (defined by PCR, serology or suspected COVID-19) in a diverse group of HCWs. Results 2,496 of the 10,772 HCWs (23.2%) who worked during the first UK national lockdown in March 2020 reported previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. In an adjusted model, demographic and household factors associated with increased odds of infection included younger age, living with other key workers and higher religiosity. Important occupational risk factors associated with increased odds of infection included attending to a higher number of COVID-19 positive patients (aOR 2.49, 95%CI 2.03—3.05 for ≥21 patients per week vs none), working in a nursing or midwifery role (1.35, 1.15—1.58, compared to doctors), reporting a lack of access to personal protective equipment (1.27, 1.15 — 1.41) and working in an ambulance (1.95, 1.52—2.50) or hospital inpatient setting (1.54, 1.37 — 1.74). Those who worked in Intensive Care Units were less likely to have been infected (0.76, 0.63—0.90) than those who did not. Black HCWs were more likely to have been infected than their White colleagues, an effect which attenuated after adjustment for other known predictors. Conclusions We identified key sociodemographic and occupational risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst UK HCWs, and have determined factors that might contribute to a disproportionate odds of infection in HCWs from Black ethnic groups. These findings demonstrate the importance of social and occupational factors in driving ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, and should inform policies, including targeted vaccination strategies and risk assessments aimed at protecting HCWs in future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial registration: ISRCTN 11811602


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1078
Author(s):  
Szu-Wei Huang ◽  
Aspiro Nayim Urbina ◽  
Yi-Ming Arthur Chen ◽  
Sheng-Fan Wang

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are on the frontline fighting several infectious diseases including SARS-CoV-1 and COVID-19. Coronavirus neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were recently reported to last for a certain period. The factors affecting nAbs’ existence remain unclear. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the factors correlating with nAbs’ from SARS-CoV-1 long-term convalescence HCWs in Taiwan. One hundred and thirty SARS-CoV-1 convalescent patients were recruited between August 2006 and March 2007. Blood samples were collected to determine the anti-nucleocapsid (N) and anti-spike (S) antibodies’ existence status and neutralization ability. Neutralization ability was measured using SARS-CoV-1 pseudotyped viruses. Statistical analysis of factors associated with anti-SARS-CoV-1 antibodies’ existence status was determined using SAS software. 46.2% SARS-CoV-1 convalescent patients presented anti-N antibody after three years post-infection. Among sixty participants, ten participants co-presented anti-S antibodies. Eight participants with anti-S antibody displayed neutralization ability to SARS-CoV-1. The gender, age, and disease severity of participants did not affect the anti-N antibody existence status, whereas the anti-S antibody is significantly reduced in participants with old age (>50 years, p = 0.0434) after three years post SARS-CoV-1 infection. This study suggests that age is an important factor correlated with the duration of SARS-CoV-1 protective antibody existence status.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (05) ◽  
pp. 271-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Oreiby ◽  
Y. M. Hegazy ◽  
Y. M. Ghanem ◽  
M. H. Al-Gaabary ◽  
S. A. Osman

Summary Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) among small ruminants in Egypt, identify risk factors associated with its occurrence and to analyze the efficacy of the vaccine for control of CLA. Material and methods: A total of 1206 sheep and 351 goats were examined clinically for CLA. The prevalence and the risk factors of CLA in small ruminant flocks were estimated and identified. Efficacy of the commercial vaccine Case-Bac (Colorado Serum Company, USA) was determined in a field study trial conducted on 15 CLA-free lambs. Follow-up of vaccination immune response was carried out using indirect ELISA. Results: Prevalence of superficial CLA was 6.7%. Clinically, CLA appeared as abscesses in superficial lymph nodes mostly of the head and neck. On the basis of a multivariate analysis which accounted for clustering at herd level, sheep were at risk of getting superficial CLA 3.5 times more than goats (p < 0.0001). Animals of fixed flocks were at risk of getting the superficial CLA 2 times more than animals in fixed-mobile flocks (p < 0.038). Serological follow-up indicated protective antibody titers for 6 months. In vaccinated animals clinical cases were not observed while they occurred among non-vaccinated sheep. Discussion: Prevalence of CLA varied among studied flocks even between those of the same breeding system due to complex and overlapping factors associated with each flock like introduction or culling rate of animals, care of shepherds or owners to deal with opened abscesses in addition to the average age of the animals within each flock. Breeding systems have observable effects on occurrence of CLA: infected sheep can transmit the infection to a large number of animals in a short period under the conditions of close contact and reduced air flow in covered sheds. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Infected small ruminants in fixed flocks represent a risk factor for CLA for healthy ones. The vaccine used in the study provides an effective protection against new in fections. So mass vaccination of small ruminants against CLA in Egypt has to be considered to minimize the disease prevalence.


2003 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 599-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. S. LEONTIDES ◽  
E. GRAFANAKIS ◽  
C. GENIGEORGIS

Blood samples were taken from 50 finishing pigs at 90–105 kg in each of 59 randomly selected farrow-to-finish herds. The sera were tested for antibodies to Salmonella enterica by the Danish mix-ELISA. Samples with an optical density of >10% were considered to be positive. Associations between the odds of seropositivity of pigs and possible risk factors were evaluated in multivariable logistic regression models. The results of the analysis indicated that pigs fed non-pelleted dry or wet ration had 11 (P=0·0004) or 9 (P=0·02) times, respectively, lower odds of seropositivity than those fed pelleted ration. The risk of seropositivity was 4 (P=0·0006) times higher in pigs fed a combination of chlortetracycline, procaine penicillin and sulphamethazine during fattening than in those fed an approved growth promotor or a probiotic.


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