Can Individuals with Suboptimal Antibody Responses to Conventional Antiviral Vaccines Acquire Adequate Antibodies from SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination?

In Japan, healthcare workers (HCWs) are vaccinated against measles, rubella, chickenpox, mumps, and hepatitis B to prevent nosocomial infection; however, some do not produce sufficient antibodies (“suboptimal responders”). This study compared immune responses to a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 mRNA) vaccine among HCWs with normal and suboptimal responses to conventional vaccines. In this prospective cohort study, 50 HCWs received two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine 3 weeks apart. SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibodies were measured 11 times, starting before the first vaccination and ending 5 months after the second vaccination. Antibody titers of four suboptimal and 46 normal responders were compared. SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody activity was measured twice in suboptimal responders, 1 week/1 month and 5 months after the second vaccination. The SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibody was detectable in the samples from suboptimal and normal responders at each timepoint after vaccination. Suboptimal responders exhibited SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody activity 1 week/1 month as well as 5 months after the second vaccination; however, activity was slightly reduced at 5 months. Our findings show that suboptimal responders do acquire adequate SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from vaccination to prevent SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines should thus be recommended for both normal and suboptimal responders to conventional vaccines.     

新冠灭活疫苗预防肾移植受者奥密克戎变异株感染的临床分析

目的 分析肾移植受者感染奥密克戎变异株后的临床特点,初步探讨新冠灭活疫苗在预防该毒株感染中的临床价值。方法 回顾性分析2022年12月1日至2023年1月31日广西壮族自治区人民医院移植随访中心290例肾移植奥密克戎变异株感染者的临床资料。依据新冠灭活疫苗接种史分为疫苗组(86例)和非疫苗组(204例),以世界卫生组织(WHO)临床进展量表分值评估患者病情等级,比较两组患者11种常见临床症状发生率、肺炎发生率、病情等级以及重症率。结果 两组患者感染奥密克戎变异株后无症状和临床症状发生率差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),最常见症状为发热、咳嗽和肌痛。疫苗组患者肺炎发生率、病情等级以及重症率显著低于非疫苗组(P<0.05)。结论 新冠灭活疫苗接种超6个月后对肾移植受者免疫保护效果有限,但仍能降低肾移植受者感染奥密克戎变异株后病情进展恶化风险。     

Clinical symptoms,comorbidities and complications in severe and non-severe patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis without cases duplication

Background:The pandemic of COVID-19 poses a challenge to global healthcare. The mortality rates of severe cases range from 8.1% to 38%, and it is particularly important to identify risk factors that aggravate the disease.Methods:We performed a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis, using 7 databases to identify studies reporting on clinical characteristics, comorbidities and complications in severe and non-severe patients with COVID-19. All the observational studies were included. We performed a random or fixed effects model meta-analysis to calculate the pooled proportion and 95% confidence interval (CI). Measure of heterogeneity was estimated by Cochran''s Q statistic, I² index and P value.Results:A total of 4881 cases from 25 studies related to COVID-19 were included. The most prevalent comorbidity was hypertension (severe: 33.4%, 95% CI: 25.4%–41.4%; non-severe 21.6%, 95% CI: 9.9%–33.3%), followed by diabetes (severe: 14.4%, 95% CI: 11.5%–17.3%; non-severe: 8.5%, 95% CI: 6.1%–11.0%). The prevalence of acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury and shock were all higher in severe cases, with 41.1% (95% CI: 14.1%–68.2%), 16.4% (95% CI: 3.4%–29.5%) and 19.9% (95% CI: 5.5%–34.4%), rather than 3.0% (95% CI: 0.6%–5.5%), 2.2% (95% CI: 0.1%–4.2%) and 4.1% (95% CI: −4.8%–13.1%) in non-severe patients, respectively. The death rate was higher in severe cases (30.3%, 95% CI: 13.8%–46.8%) than non-severe cases (1.5%, 95% CI: 0.1%–2.8%).Conclusion:Hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases may be risk factors for severe COVID-19.     

2019冠状病毒病研究纪实:至2020年3月11日

2019年12月1日,武汉市出现首例不明原因肺炎病例,2020年1月8日确认病原体为新型冠状病毒,2020年1月31日世界卫生组织(WHO)将病原体暂命名为2019新冠病毒(2019-nCoV),2020年2月8日国家卫健委将该不明原因肺炎命名为新型冠状病毒肺炎(简称新冠肺炎,novel coronavirus pneumonia),2020年2月11日,WHO依据规则将新冠肺炎正式命名为2019冠状病毒病(COVID-19),同一天,国际病毒分类委员会将2019新冠病毒正式命名为严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,SARS-CoV-2)。2020年3月11日,WHO将新冠疫情流行趋势升级为全球大流行状态。新冠疫情暴发后,国内外研究人员迅速开展流行病学调查、短时间内分离鉴定病毒、开展病原学研究、建立检测方法、完善诊疗方案、探索致病机制、研发药物和疫苗,有效阻止了国内疫情蔓延,也为世界疫情防控赢得了时间窗口。本文拟以时间为轴线,从病原体、病毒宿主、流行病学、检测方法、致病机制和临床诊疗6个方面记述2019冠状病毒病研究的重要进展。     

糖皮质激素在SARS、MERS治疗中的应用进展及对COVID-19治疗的启示

COVID-19是一种新发的急性呼吸道传染性疾病,其病原与严重急性呼吸综合征（severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS）和中东呼吸综合征（Middle East respiratory syndrome, MERS）的病原同为冠状病毒,目前针对COVID-19的治疗尚缺乏有效的抗病毒药物。糖皮质激素广泛应用于危重症患者的救治,但其使用有可能带来各种不良反应,甚至危及患者生命,如何适时适量应用糖皮质激素一直是针对这类疾病治疗的争论焦点之一。本文对既往SARS、MERS等病毒性肺炎治疗中糖皮质激素使用情况进行综述,以期为COVID-19治疗提供借鉴。