Robust antibody response after a third BNT162b2 vaccine compared to the second among immunocompromised and healthy individuals,a prospective longitudinal cohort study

PurposeAs protection from COVID-19 following two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine showed a time dependent waning, a third (booster) dose was administrated. This study aims to compare the antibody response following the third dose versus the second and to evaluate post-booster seroconversion.MethodsA prospective observational study conducted in Maccabi Healthcare Services. Serial SARS-CoV-2 Spike IgG tests, 1,2,3 and 6 months following the second vaccine dose and one month following the third were obtained. Neutralizing antibody levels were measured in a subset of participants. Per individual SARS-CoV-2 Spike IgG titer ratios were calculated one month after the booster administration compared to titers one month following the second dose and prior to booster.ResultsAmong 110 participants, 56 (51%) were women. Mean age was 61.7 ± 1.9 years and 66 (60%) were immunocompromised. One month after third dose, IgG titers were induced 7.83 (95 %CI 5.25–11.67) folds and 2.40 (95 %CI 1.90–3.03) folds compared to one month after the second, in the immunocompromised and immunocompetent groups, respectively. Of the 17 immunocompromised participants who were seronegative after the second dose, 4 (24%) became seropositive following the third. Comparing the titers prior to the third dose, an increase of 50.7 (95 %CI 32.5–79.1) fold in the immunocompromised group and 25.7 (95 %CI 19.1–34.7) fold in and immunocompetent group, was observed.ConclusionA third BNT162b2 vaccine elicited robust humoral response, superior to the response observed following the second, among immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals.     

深圳地区妇女骨矿密度标准QCT研究

目的　建立深圳地区绝经期前后妇女骨矿密度正常参考值QCT标准。方法　使用西门子PLUS 4POWER机的Osteo软件对 12 0例 3 0～ 69岁深圳地区妇女进行腰椎 1～ 3椎体松质骨和密质骨骨矿密度进行测量。结果　QCT测量结果与灰重呈直线相关 ,并可用如下直线回归方程表示 :灰重 =0 92 43 2×BMD +3 9 0 63 3 ,相关系数r =0 913 6。各年龄组的骨矿密度基本与国内其他城市报道一致。结论　使用QCT建立了该地区绝经期前后妇女正常骨矿密度正常参考值 ,为骨质疏松症的预防、治疗、预后和骨折危险性的评价提供参考     

Plaque-forming cell capability in the senescent

The number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) developed in pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-activated unfractionated or T/B separated, 4:1 reconstituted cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) with well-characterized subpopulations obtained from healthy, aged subjects was compared to that of young blood donors. The absolute number of PBL in the aged was reduced by 36%, and the percentage of sheep erythrocyte-rosette-forming cells (E-RFC) by 27%, compared to the percentage obtained in young donors. The IgM-, IgG- and IgA-immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion was monitored with a protein A PFC assay. The number of PFC in PBL cultures of the aged was 58% of the number found in cultures of the young controls. The number of PFC generated in cultures of autologous irradiated T and untreated B cells showed a 104% increase in the aged whereas a 63% increase was obtained using cells from young individuals. Co-cultures of young B cells with untreated or irradiated young or aged T cells showed a significant rise in the PFC response in cultures with irradiated aged T cells, while an equal number of PFC was generated in cultures of young B cells with young or aged untreated T cells. Our results demonstrate a decreased number of PBL, especially T cells, an impaired B cell function and a pronounced enhancement of the PFC response in cultures of irradiated aged T cells and young or aged B cells, whereas the T helper function of untreated cells was found to be normal. The influence of monocytes on the PFC response did not differ in the two groups.     

T cell receptor (TCR) V gene segment use in HLA-typed Japanese healthy subjects

The expression of 13 different α and β V gene segments of the T cell receptor for antigen (TCR) was examined, using V gene-specific MoAbs, on human peripheral blood T lymphocytes from 32 healthy Japanese subjects. In addition, to examine associations between TCR V gene products and HLA alleles, the HLA class I and class II types of all subjects were serologically determined. The reactivities of the anti-TCR V-specific MoAbs were, with some significant exceptions, similar to those previously described in healthy Caucasian subjects. We found a non-random V gene usage as well as a statistically significant bias of the expression of eight Vβ gene products towards the CD4⁺ subpopulation, and a significant skewness in the usage of Vα12 towards the CD8⁺ population. Some subjects showed increased reactivities (above 10%) of certain MoAbs, mainly in the CD8⁺ subpopulation. We found no distinct correlation between any certain HLA class I or II allele and TCR V gene usage in the CD8⁺ or CD4⁺ subpopulations, respectively. In conclusion, the pattern of anti-TCR V-specific MoAb reactivities found in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy Japanese subjects was in general found to match that previously described in healthy Caucasian subjects.     

80例正常人体表标测Q-T_d~p的观察

采用９１ 导联体表电位标测法（ Ｂ Ｓ Ｐ Ｍ） 观察８０ 例正常人 Ｑ Ｔｐｄ（ Ｑ 波起点到 Ｔ 波峰值间期的离散度） ,与同步１２ 导联心电图 Ｑ Ｔ 离散度（ Ｑ Ｔｄ） 对照,探讨 Ｂ Ｓ Ｐ Ｍ 条件下测定 Ｑ Ｔｄ 的可行性。结果：① Ｑ Ｔｐ 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｄ 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｃ１ｄ（ Ｂａｚｚｅｔｔ 公式校正） 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｃ２ｄ（ Ｆｒｉｄｅｒｃｉａ 公式校正） 分别为（２９２ ．６９ ±３７ ．７５） ｍｓ 、（３６ ．７７ ±７ ．４０） ｍｓ 、（４０ ．２３ ±９ ．０４） ｍｓ 和（４０ ．１１ ±７ ．７３） ｍｓ ;② Ｑ Ｔｐｄ 与 Ｑ Ｔｄ 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｃ１ｄ 与 Ｑ Ｔｃ１ｄ 、 Ｑ Ｔｐｃ２ｄ 与 Ｑ Ｔｃ２ｄ 有良好的相关性;③３ 个年龄组（１８ ～３５ 岁、３６ ～６０ 岁、６１ ～７０ 岁） 各参数间无显著性差异;④ Ｑ Ｔｐ 女性明显大于男性（ Ｐ＜ ０ ．０５） ,其余各值男女性之间均无显著性差异。提示： Ｂ Ｓ Ｐ Ｍ 测定 Ｑ Ｔｐｄ 简便可行、较为准确,正常值可暂定为５２ ｍｓ 。     

Impact of corneal parameters on intraocular pressure measurements in different tonometry methods

AIM: To evaluate the impact of central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal curvature on intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements performed by three different tonometers. METHODS: IOP in 132 healthy eyes of 66 participants was measured using three different tonometry techniques: Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT), Pascal dynamic contour tonometer (DCT), and ICare rebound tonometer (RT). CCT and corneal curvature were assessed. RESULTS: In healthy eyes, DCT presents significantly higher values of IOP than GAT (17.34±3.69 and 15.27±4.06 mm Hg, P<0.0001). RT measurements are significantly lower than GAT (13.56±4.33 mm Hg, P<0.0001). Compared with GAT, DCT presented on average 2.51 mm Hg higher values in eyes with CCT<600 μm and 0.99 mm Hg higher results in eyes with CCT≥600 μm. The RT results were lower on average by 1.61 and 1.95 mm Hg than those obtained by GAT, respectively. Positive correlations between CCT in eyes with CCT<600 μm were detected for all IOP measurement techniques, whereas a similar relationship was not observed in eyes with thicker corneas. A correlation between IOP values and keratometry in the group with CCT<600 μm was not detected with any of the tonometry methods. In thicker corneas, a positive correlation was found for GAT and mean keratometry values (R=0.369, P=0.005). CONCLUSION: The same method should always be chosen for routine IOP control, and measurements obtained by different methods cannot be compared. All analysed tonometry methods are dependent on CCT; thus, CCT should be taken into consideration for both diagnostics and monitoring.     

A quasi-experimental evaluation of advance care planning improves consistency between elderly individuals and their surrogates regarding end-of-life care preferences: Development and application of a decision aid with cartoon pictures

ObjectiveThis study sought to develop a decision aid with cartoon pictures and evaluate its effectiveness in increasing consistency between elderly individuals and their surrogates regarding end-of-life care.MethodsA pre-post quasi-experimental design was adopted using the Life Support Preferences Questionnaire. The intervention had two components: (1) increasing participants’ knowledge of medical treatments related to end-of-life care, and (2) sharing their end-of-life wishes. The experimental group received an intervention, whereas the control group received usual care.ResultsA total of 110 participants in 55 pairs of elderly individuals with average aged 86.4 and their surrogates (27 in the experimental group, 28 in the control group) were recruited from a veterans hospital in northern Taiwan. Nearly 90 % of elderly individuals were male. The multiple linear regression showed that the inconsistent gap between elderly individuals and their surrogates in the experimental group decreased 12 points than the control group after controlling the covariances (B = ?12.116, p = 0.032).ConclusionThe intervention improved the consistency between elderly individuals and their surrogates regarding end-of-life care.Practice implicationsA decision aid with cartoon pictures may support the discussion of end-of-life care in older Asian populations.     

Responding to Employment Needs

Abstract

This article reports on a study investigating employment-related support to individuals with HIV/AIDS from the perspective of service providers. Surveys were completed by AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) administrators and counselors that examined the extent to which support around employment was provided, the type of work-related services delivered, and outreach practices offered to this population. Findings indicated that although employment is becoming an increasingly important concern to this population, service providers have a limited capacity to respond to such needs. Strategies are presented for social workers and other professionals to consider as they work to support individuals with HIV/AIDS with employment-related concerns.     

The association between periodontitis and interleukin-6 genetic polymorphism -174 G/C: A meta-analysis

BackgroundTo evaluate the association between periodontitis and interleukin-6 (IL6) -174 G/C polymorphism by data synthesis and subgroup analysis.MethodsEighteen case-control studies from 16 articles with 1616 cases and 1511 controls were included in this meta-analysis by searching the public databases including PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases by Jun 2018. Data syntheses were performed using Stata 9.0.ResultsThere were inverse associations of IL6 -174 G/C polymorphism with both general periodontitis and overall periodontitis. In CC vs. GG inheritance model, whose effect was the most profound, the genetic polymorphism reduced the risks of general and overall periodontitis by 60% (95% CI = 0.25-0.65, P < 0.01) and 31% (95% CI = 0.38-0.97, P = 0.04) respectively. In addition, the G/C variation was likely to be protective against moderate (allele C vs. allele G: OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.43-0.87, P = 0.01; CC + GC vs. GG: OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.37-0.89, P = 0.01) and severe periodontitis (allele C vs. allele G: OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.41-0.84, P < 0.01; CC vs. GG: OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.13-0.82, P = 0.02) exclusively in Brazilian people. No reliable evidence was found regarding chronic periodontitis.ConclusionThis meta-analysis suggests that IL6 -174 G/C polymorphism may be negatively associated with risk of periodontitis.