Reproductive tract immune cells from pregnant women or those using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate show no excess susceptibility to HIV-1: Results of an ex vivo fusion assay

IntroductionEx vivo fusion assays offer an efficient method for studying HIV-1 entry associated with contraceptive use and pregnancy outside of cohort studies of HIV-1 incidence.MethodsWe measured ex vivo HIV-1 fusion to cervical or endometrial immune cells from three groups of women: pregnant, non-pregnant not using hormonal or intrauterine contraception, and using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA).Results and conclusionsThere was no excess susceptibility to HIV-1 fusion of cells from pregnant women or DMPA users compared to controls. Although the number of target cells in endometrium was higher in DMPA users compared to controls, HIV-1 fusion was lower.ImplicationsIn ex vivo assays, HIV-1 showed no enhanced fusion to cervical immune cells from pregnant women or DMPA users compared to controls, and lower fusion to endometrial immune cells from DMPA users. This assay is useful for studying hormonal and contraceptive effects on HIV-1 entry into reproductive tract immune cells.     

Pertussis immunisation during pregnancy: Antibody levels and the impact of booster vaccine

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a highly infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. Mothers lacking adequate immunity and contracting the disease represent the biggest risk of transmission to new-borns, for which the disease is often a threat. The aim of the study was to estimate the frequency of pertussis susceptibility among pregnant women, in order to point out the need for a vaccine recall during pregnancy, and to evaluate the antibody response in already vaccinated women. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the blood test centre of “St. Anna” Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital in Turin (Piedmont, Italy). Eligibility criteria included pregnant women coming to the centre for any blood test, aged 18 or above and with gestational age between 33 and 37 weeks at the moment of the blood draw. The data collection was carried out from May 2019 to January 2020 and the concentration of anti-Pertussis Toxin (anti-PT) IgG was measured through the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. Two-hundred women (median age 35) were enrolled: 132 (66%) had received at least one dose of pertussis vaccine, 82 of which during pregnancy. Recently vaccinated women had significantly higher antibody titres (even 12–15 times as high) compared to those vaccinated more than 5 years before or never vaccinated at all (p < 0.0001). Moreover, 95.1% of recently vaccinated women had anti-PT IgG levels above 10 IU/ml, and 85.4% above 20 IU/ml, while the same proportions were as low as 37% and 21% (respectively) in the group of women not vaccinated in pregnancy. This study confirmed that the vaccination is greatly effective in ensuring high antibody titres in the first months after the booster vaccine, with considerable differences in anti-PT IgG compared to women vaccinated earlier or never vaccinated at all, and therefore vaccinating pregnant women against pertussis still represents a valuable strategy.     

Cost-effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccination in pregnant women,healthcare workers and adults >= 60 years of age in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

BackgroundPregnant women, healthcare workers (HW), and adults >= 60 years have shown an increased vulnerability to seasonal influenza virus infections and/or complications. In 2012, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) initiated a national influenza vaccination program for these target groups. A cost-effectiveness evaluation of this program was undertaken to inform program sustainability.MethodsWe designed a decision-analytical model and collected influenza-related medical resource utilization and cost data, including indirect costs. Model inputs were obtained from medical record abstraction, interviews of patients and staff at hospitals in the national influenza sentinel surveillance system and/or from literature reviews. We compared the annual disease and economic impact of influenza illnesses in each of the target groups in Lao PDR under scenarios of no vaccination and vaccination, and then estimated the cost-effectiveness of the vaccination program. We performed sensitivity analyses to identify influential variables.ResultsOverall, the vaccination of pregnant women, HWs, and adults >= 60 years could annually save 11,474 doctor visits, 1,961 days of hospitalizations, 43,027 days of work, and 1,416 life-years due to laboratory-confirmed influenza illness. After comparing the total vaccination program costs of 23.4 billion Kip, to the 18.4 billion Kip saved through vaccination, we estimated the vaccination program to incur a net cost of five billion Kip (599,391 USD) annually. The incremental cost per life-year saved (ICER) was 44 million Kip (5,295 USD) and 6.9 million Kip (825 USD) for pregnant women and adults >= 60 years, respectively. However, vaccinating HWs provided societal cost-savings, returning 2.88 Kip for every single Kip invested. Influenza vaccine effectiveness, attack rate and illness duration were the most influential variables to the model.ConclusionProviding influenza vaccination to HWs in Lao PDR is cost-saving while vaccinating pregnant women and adults >= 60 is cost-effective and highly cost-effective, respectively, per WHO standards.     

子痫前期患者血清AFP、D-二聚体、PLGF水平对母体及妊娠结局影响

目的:分析子痫前期(PE)患者血清甲胎蛋白(AFP)、D-二聚体(D-dimer)及胎盘生长因子(PLGF)水平对母体及妊娠结局的影响。方法:将本院2016年1月-2018年9月收治的330例PE患者分轻度PE组(n=117)、重度PE组(n=213),另选同期本院住院待产的正常妊娠产妇30例为对照组,检测各组孕妇血清AFP、D-dimer、PLGF水平,绘制受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线分析对PE的诊断预测效能;Spearman相关性分析各检测指标与病情的相关性;对PE患者妊娠结局的预测效能。结果:PE组与对照组AFP比较无差异(P>0.05),但D-dimer水平PE组高于对照组,PLGF低于对照组(P<0.05);D-dimer AUC值最高(387.51μg/L),预测PE的敏感度、特异度为80.6%、100.0%;PLGF AUC值次之(217.33pg/ml),预测PE的敏感度为96.7%,高于D-dimer。不同病情严重程度的PE患者血清AFP、PLGF水平未见差异(P>0.05),但D-dimer轻度PE组低于重度PE组(P<0.05)。AFP与PE病情程度未见相关性(r=0.093,P=0.078),D-dimer与PE病情程度正相关(r=0.796,P=0.000),PLGF与PE病情程度负相关(r=0.114,P=0.031)。PE患者中,母体发生并发症、胎儿结局不良者血清D-dimer水平高于无并发症、胎儿结局良好者(P<0.05),AFP、PLGF未见差异(P>0.05);D-dimer对PE患者并发症可发挥一定预测效能,以579.53μg/L为cut-off,预测PE患者并发症的敏感度、特异度为80.9%、61.9%,另两项血清指标对妊娠结局的预测效能不佳。结论:血清AFP、D-dimer、PLGF3个指标中,D-dimer对PE的预测价值及其与PE病情的相关性最为显著,用于预测PE患者母体并发症具有一定敏感度,但特异度不佳。     

妊娠期甲状腺功能减退症孕妇不同时期治疗效果及妊娠结局

目的:探究妊娠期甲状腺功能减退症孕妇不同时期治疗效果及血清促甲状腺激素(TSH)、游离甲状腺激素(FT4)、甲状腺过氧化物酶抗体(TPOAb)水平和妊娠结局。方法:2017年6月30日-2018年5月30日本院产前检查孕妇中筛选患有甲状腺功能减退症者120例,选择60例为一般给药组,在孕8周前行L-T4替代治疗;60例为推迟给药组,在孕8周后行L-T4替代治疗;另选同期产前健康健康孕妇60例为对照组。检测不同妊娠期TSH、FT4、TT4及TPOAb水平。统计围生期结局。结果:治疗前,一般给药组与推迟给药组血清TSH、FT4、TT4及TPOAb水平与对照组存在差异(P<0.05),治疗后在孕30周时两给药组血清上述指标与对照组无差异(P>0.05)。一般给药组自然流产、妊娠期糖尿病、胎盘早剥比例低于延迟给药组(P<0.05),但与对照组没有差异(P>0.05);妊娠期高血压、低出生体重儿两给药组及与对照组均无差异(P>0.05);一般给药组子代6月龄、12月龄时Gesell量表评分高于推迟给药组(P<0.05),与对照组无差异(P>0.05)。结论:对甲状腺功能减退症孕妇妊娠早期及早干预,可有效降低围产期不良结局发生几率,保证新生儿的早期发育。     

Flu and pertussis vaccination during pregnancy in Geneva during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicentric,prospective, survey-based study

ObjectiveTo determine pertussis and influenza vaccination coverage during pregnancy among women delivering in all the maternities of Geneva (Switzerland), during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsAll women delivering in all the maternity centres of the canton of Geneva from 1st November 2020 to 30th November 2020 (beginning of the flu vaccination season) and from 8th March 2021 to 7th April 2021 (end of the flu vaccination season) had their records checked upon admission to the labour ward regarding pertussis and influenza vaccination during pregnancy. Reasons for non-vaccination were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to identify predictors of vaccine uptake.Results951 women delivered in Geneva during the two study periods, of which 950 were included in the study. 86.2% were vaccinated against pertussis, with no significant difference between the study periods (87.5% vs 85% at the beginning and end of the flu vaccination season respectively). 49.8% were vaccinated against influenza, with no significant difference between the study periods (48.8% vs 50.7% beginning and end of the flu vaccination season respectively). The influenza vaccine was 5 times more likely not to be proposed (8.9% vs. 1.7%) and 3 times more likely to be refused (26.6% vs. 8%) than the pertussis vaccine. Main reason for refusal was a lack of maternal desire for both vaccines, but not vaccine fear. Maternal parity ≥ 1 was significantly associated with pertussis vaccine uptake at univariate analysis. Women were significantly more likely to accept the influenza vaccine if they had a university degree or if they did not deliver in a midwife-only run delivery unit in both univariate and multivariate analysis.ConclusionsIn Geneva, most gynaecologists offer pertussis immunization during antenatal care and uptake is high, but more efforts must be done to increase influenza vaccination coverage. Education level impacts maternal flu vaccination uptake, but other social disparities did not.     

COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women in Sweden and Norway

Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are highly effective in preventing severe disease and mortality. Although pregnant women are at increased risk of severe COVID-19, vaccination uptake among pregnant women varies. We used the Swedish and Norwegian population-based health registries to identify pregnant women and to investigate background characteristics associated with not being vaccinated. In this study of 164 560 women giving birth between May 2021 and May 2022, 78% in Sweden and 87% in Norway have been vaccinated with at least one dose at delivery. Not being vaccinated while being pregnant was associated with age below 30 years, low education and income level, birth region other than Scandinavia, smoking during pregnancy, not living with a partner, and gestational diabetes. These results can assist health authorities develop targeted vaccination information to diminish vaccination inequality and prevent severe disease in vulnerable groups.     

Influenza subtype-specific maternal antibodies protect offspring against infection but inhibit vaccine-induced immunity and protection in mice

Following influenza A virus (IAV) infection or vaccination during pregnancy, maternal antibodies are transferred to offspring in utero and during lactation. The age and sex of offspring may differentially impact the transfer and effects of maternal immunity on offspring. To evaluate the effects of maternal IAV infection on immunity in offspring, we intranasally inoculated pregnant mice with sublethal doses of mouse-adapted (ma) H1N1, maH3N2, or media (mock) at embryonic day 10. In offspring of IAV-infected dams, maternal subtype-specific antibodies peaked at postnatal day (PND) 23, remained detectable through PND 50, and were undetectable by PND 105 in both sexes. When offspring were challenged with homologous IAV at PND 23, both male and female offspring had greater clearance of pulmonary virus and less morbidity and mortality than offspring from mock-inoculated dams. Inactivated influenza vaccination (IIV) against homologous IAV at PND 23 caused lower vaccine-induced antibody responses and protection following live virus challenge in offspring from IAV than mock-infected dams, with this effect being more pronounced among female than male offspring. At PND 105, there was no impact of maternal infection status, but vaccination induced greater antibody responses and protection against challenge in female than male offspring of both IAV-infected and mock-inoculated dams. To determine if maternal antibody or infection interfered with vaccine-induced immunity and protection in early life, offspring were vaccinated and challenged against a heterosubtypic IAV (i.e., different IAV group than dam) at PND 23 or 105. Heterosubtypic IAV maternal immunity did not affect antibody responses after IIV or protection after live IAV challenge of vaccinated offspring at either age. Subtype-specific maternal IAV antibodies, therefore, provide protection independent of offspring sex but interfere with vaccine-induced immunity and protection in offspring with more pronounced effects among females than males.     

妊娠合并血小板减少的病因及治疗

目的探讨妊娠合并血小板减少症的病因及治疗。方法对128例妊娠合并血小板减少患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果单纯由妊娠引起的血小板减少91例(71.09%),特发性血小板减少性紫癜(ITP)引起11例(8.59%),合并肝脏疾病10例(7.81%),重度妊高征引起14例(10.94%),Rh血型不合及病毒感染各1例(各占0.78%)。对血小板(50×109/L者用强的松治疗,分娩前后使用血小板制剂,同时考虑剖宫产。结论妊娠期血小板减少是最常见的妊娠合并血小板减少症类型。有合并症的血小板减少程度严重,大多<70×109/L,半数ITP有临床症状。糖皮质激素是治疗严重血小板减少的有效手段,术前血小板仍<50×109/L可输注浓缩血小板。