Early assessment of the safety and immunogenicity of a third dose (booster) of COVID-19 immunization in Chinese adults / 医学前沿

Inducing durable and effective immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via vaccination is essential to combat the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has been noticed that the strength of anti-COVID-19 vaccination-induced immunity fades over time, which calls for an additional vaccination regime, as known as booster immunization, to restore immunity among previously vaccinated populations. Here we report a pilot open-label trial of a third dose of BBIBP-CorV, an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Vero cell), on 136 participants aged between 18 to 63 years. Safety and immunogenicity in terms of neutralizing antibody titers and cytokine/chemokine responses were analyzed as the main endpoint until day 28. While systemic reactogenicity was either absent or mild, SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody titers rapidly arose in all participants within 4 weeks, surpassing the peak antibody titers elicited by the initial two-dose immunization regime. Broad increases of cellular immunity-associated cytokines and chemokines were also detected in the majority of participants after the third vaccination. Furthermore, in an exploratory study, a newly developed recombinant protein vaccine, NVSI-06-08 (CHO Cells), was found to be safe and even more effective than BBIBP-CorV in eliciting humoral immune responses in BBIBP-CorV-primed individuals. Together, these results indicate that a third immunization schedule with either homologous or heterologous vaccine showed favorable safety profiles and restored potent SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity, providing support for further trials of booster vaccination in larger populations.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy with renal hypothermia perfusion in complex renal tumor / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of renal arterial hypothermia perfusion in robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.Methods:The data of 11 patients with complex renal tumors admitted to our hospital from March 2020 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 7 males and 4 females. The patients’age was (64.64±13.56) years old.The median R. E.N.A.L. score was 8 (7, 9) points. Preoperative glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was (64.40±25.52) ml/min. All patients had a renal artery cold solution perfusion robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. 4℃ sodium lactate Ringer's solution was injected into the affected kidney by the catheter, which could provide the kidney a hypothermic state during the operation and protected the renal function during the long period of warm ischemia. The intraoperative data and postoperative complications were recorded. The data of postoperative renal function, routine urine test, urinary CT, preoperative and postoperative glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were analyzed.Results:The renal artery blocking time was (34.09±2.84) min during the surgery. The patients’ body temperature was (36.10±0.44) ℃. The surgical duration was (126.73±47.08) min. The intraoperative bleeding was (81.82±53.07) ml. There were no complications, such as urinary leakage, low body temperature, fever, etc. There was no significant difference between the 3-months postoperative GFR (59.06±25.67) ml/min and preoperative GFR ( P=0.636). Conclusions:For patients with complex renal tumors, renal arterial cold solution perfusion in robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy can help obtain longer operative duration during hot ischemia, preserve renal function, and it provide a safe and feasible surgical method for patients.

Generated SecPen_NY-ESO-1_ubiquitin-pulsed dendritic cell cancer vaccine elicits stronger and specific T cell immune responses

Dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines (DC vaccines) have been proved efficient and safe in immunotherapy of various cancers, including melanoma, ovarian and prostate cancer. However, the clinical responses were not always satisfied. Here we proposed a novel strategy to prepare DC vaccines. In the present study, a fusion protein SNU containing a secretin-penetratin (SecPen) peptide, NY-ESO-1 and ubiquitin was designed and expressed. To establish the DC vaccine (DC-SNU), the mouse bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) were isolated, pulsed with SNU and maturated with cytokine cocktail. Then peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from C57BL/6 mice inoculated intraperitoneally with DC-SNU were separated and cocultured with MC38/MC38

Antibody persistence 3 to 5 years after vaccination with measles, mumps and rubella combined attenuated live vaccine in children / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To assess the antibody persistence 3-5 years following vaccination of measles and rubella combined live-attenuated vaccine (MR) at 8 months of age and measles, mumps and rubella combined attenuated live vaccine (MMR) at 18 months of age.Methods:In 2016, 18-month-old children who were vaccinated with one dose of MR vaccine at the age of 8 months were recruited in Hebei Province as group 1; 4-, 5- and 6-year-old children who were vaccinated with one dose of MR vaccine at the age of 8 months and one dose of MMR vaccine at 18 months of age were recruited in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Beijing as group 2, group 3 and group 4, respectively. Serum samples were collected to detect IgG antibodies against measles, mumps and rubella by ELISA. Geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of measles, mumps, and rubella antibodies were compared among groups by analysis of variance or non-parametric test. Seropositive rates were compared among groups by Chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test. Results:A total of 650 children were included in this study. Seropositive rates of measles, mumps and rubella antibodies 30 d after vaccination of 150 18-month-old children with one dose of MMR vaccine were 100%, 91.33% and 100%, respectively, and the GMCs were 1 846.87 mIU/ml, 299.91 IU/ml and 111.33 IU/ml, respectively. Seropositive rates of measles, mumps and rubella antibodies 3-5 years after vaccination one dose of MR vaccine at 8 months of age and one dose of MMR vaccine at 18 months of age were above 94%, 79% and 71%, respectively, and the GMCs were above 830 mIU/ml, 240 IU/ml and 31 IU/ml. No significant difference in the seropositive rates of the three antibodies was observed among groups 2, 3 and 4 ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the GMCs of measles or mumps antibodies among the three groups ( P>0.05), but the differences in the GMCs of rubella antibodies were statistically significant ( P=0.034). Conclusions:Measles, mumps and rubella antibodies persisted for 3-5 years without significant decrease after vaccination one dose of MR vaccine at 8 months of age and one dose of MMR vaccine at 18 months of age.

A serine/threonine phosphatase 1 of Streptococcus suis type 2 is an important virulence factor

Streptococcus suis is regarded as one of the major pathogens of pigs, and Streptococcus suis type 2 (SS2) is considered a zoonotic bacterium based on its ability to cause meningitis and streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome in humans. Many bacterial species contain genes encoding serine/threonine protein phosphatases (STPs) responsible for dephosphorylation of their substrates in a single reaction step. This study investigated the role of stp1 in the pathogenesis of SS2. An isogenic stp1 mutant (Δstp1) was constructed from SS2 strain ZJ081101. The Δstp1 mutant exhibited a significant increase in adhesion to HEp-2 and bEnd.3 cells as well as increased survival in RAW264.7 cells, as compared to the parent strain. Increased survival in macrophage cells might be related to resistance to reactive oxygen species since the Δstp1 mutant was more resistant than its parent strain to paraquat-induced oxidative stress. However, compared to parent strain virulence, deletion of stp1 significantly attenuated virulence of SS2 in mice, as shown by the nearly double lethal dose 50 value and the lower bacterial load in organs and blood in the murine model. We conclude that Stp1 has an essential role in SS2 virulence.

Preparation of influenza A (H1N1) split-virus vaccine and preliminary clinical trail / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To prepare an influenza A(H1N1) split-virus vaccine and observe its safe-ty and effectiveness. Methods According to the process for preparing seasonal flu split-virus vaccine two batches of vaccine were prepared with the flu A (H1N1) vaccine virus strain recommended by WHO. The pilot products were tested against the requirements of flu split-virus vaccine. Results The quality of the pi-lot vaccine has been tested by National Control Laboratory and conformed to the requirements. Nine hundred and sixty volunteers received one dose of vaccine containing either 15 μg or 30 μg of hemagglutinin. The re-suits indicated the both seroconversion rate and protection rate were higher the 70%. The GMT of HIAb of the volunteers who received 1 dose of 15 μg increased significantly by 15, 39, 37 and 25 times compared to those before vaccination in the age groups of 3-11, 12-17, 18-59 and ≥60, respectively. And 26, 72, 68 and 36 times rise were found in the postvaccinated volunteers of 30 μg group. The total adverse reaction rates of 15 μg and 30 μg dose group were 29.38% and 43.75%, respectively. The grade 2 adverse reaction rates of 15 μg and 30 μg dose group were 6.25% and 15.42%, and the grade 3 adverse reaction rates of 15 μg and 30 μg dose group were 0.83% and 1.46%, respectively. No serious adverse reactions were found. Conclusion The influenza A (H1N1) split-virus vaccine prepared according to the requirements of season-al flu vaccine is safe and effective.