When type II diabetes mellitus meets COVID-19-Identification of the shared gene signatures and biological mechanism between the two diseases.

BACKGROUND: According to current studies, more than 20% of all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 globally have diabetes. Further, the mortality rate of these patients is 7.3%. Compared with non-diabetic COVID-19 patients, diabetic COVID-19 patients have higher rates of mortality and severe infection, suggesting that diabetes is associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to analyse the relationship and susceptibility factors between COVID-19 and T2DM. METHODS: Using bioinformatics methods, potential targets for COVID-19 and T2DM were screened from GeneCards database. Potential targets of COVID-19 and T2DM were mapped to each other to identify overlapping targets, and a PPI network was constructed to extract the core target. The clusterProfiler package in R was used to analyse the function and pathway that core target involved. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis were used to elucidate the correlation between COVID-19 and T2DM. RESULTS: A total of 277 potential pathogenic targets of COVID-19 were found, 282 potential targets were found for T2DM. Mapping of the potential COVID-19 and T2DM targets revealed 53 overlapping targets, with TNF as the core target. IL-17 signalling pathway was the most significant KEGG pathway involving TNF. CONCLUSIONS: The inflammatory cytokine, TNF, was identified as a core target between COVID-19 and T2DM, which induces inflammatory response mainly through the IL-17 signalling pathway, leading to aggravation of infection and increased difficulty in blood glucose control. This study provides a reference for further exploring the potential correlation and endogenous mechanisms between two seemingly independent and unrelated diseases-T2DM and COVID-19.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 10 cases of clustered Chlamydia pneumoniae pneumonia

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of 10 cases of clustered Chlamydia pneumoniae pneumonia during the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The clinical data of 10 patients with clustered Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in a college diagnosed and treated by the Third Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from Mar. 10, 2021 to Mar. 17, 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, the clinical characteristics of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection were summarized, and the diagnosis and treatment plan was selected quickly and accurately. RESULTS: All 10 cases with Chlamydia pneumoniae pneumonia infection had no history of contact with live or dead birds, 80% of them had cough symptom, 50% of them had fever symptom. Laboratory test results showed that 80% of patients had white blood cell count in normal range, 60% of patients had increased c-reactive protein level to varying degrees, 70% of patients had creatine kinase above normal, creatinine and procalcitonin were all normal, and some coagulation function indexes were abnormal. Lung CT scan showed increased density of unilateral lung floccus, nodules or spots, with air bronchial signs and even consolidation. The results of respiratory tract five-link card showed that all 10 patients were positive for Chlamydia pneumoniae immunoglobulin M(IgM) antibody. The nucleic acid sequence of Chlamydia pneumoniae was detected by metagenomics next-generation sequencing(mNGS)in 2 patients after hospitalization. 10 patients were treated with moxifloxacin hydrochloride and sodium chloride injection and moxifloxacin hydrochloride tables in sequences, all of which were cured. After 1 month, the outpatient reexamination of lung CT showed that the inflammation was basically absorbed. CONCLUSION: Chlamydia pneumoniae infection can cause outbreak through respiratory transmission, which tend to occur in the spring. The combination of respiratory pathogen antibody detection and mNGS technology can improve the efficiency of clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Sex differences in immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19.

Millions of people infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been diagnosed with coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). The prevalence and severity of COVID-19 differ between sexes. To explain these differences, we analyzed clinical features and laboratory values in male and female COVID-19 patients. The present study included a cohort of 111 people, i.e. 36 COVID-19 patients, 54 sex- and age-matched common viral community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients, and 21 healthy controls. Monocyte counts, lymphocyte subset counts, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in the peripheral blood were analyzed. Higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, monocyte counts, and CRP and ALT levels were found in male COVID-19 patients. Decreased lymphocyte subset counts and proportions were observed in COVID-19 patients, except for the CD3+ and CD8+ T cell proportions. The lower CD4+ T cell proportions and higher CD8+ T cell proportions were observed in male and severe COVID-19 patients and the differences were independent of estrogen level. The CD4+ T cell proportion was negatively associated with the CD8+ T cell proportion in male COVID-19 patients; this correlation was non-significant in females. Our work demonstrates differences between sexes in circulating monocyte counts and CD4+ T cell and CD8+ T cell proportions in COVID-19 patients, independent of estrogen levels, are associated with the clinical manifestations in COVID-19 patients with high specificity.

A comparative study of the laboratory features of COVID-19 and other viral pneumonias in the recovery stage.

BACKGROUND: Clinical recovery does not mean full recovery. It is necessary to explore the aftereffects of COVID-19 in patients and compare the laboratory features of COVID-19 and other viral pneumonias in the recovery stages. METHODS: Forty-seven cases of COVID-19 and 45 cases of other viral pneumonias (control) were included in this study. The laboratory parameters were compared between COVID-19 and control patients as well as severe and moderate COVID-19 patients from the clinical recovery stage to the 4 weeks postdischarge recovery stage. RESULTS: A higher RDW-CV level and neutrophil percentage and lower levels of total proteins, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and MCH were found in COVID-19 patients compared with those in controls from the clinical recovery to the postdischarge recovery stages. Further analysis showed that decreases in lymphocytes, total proteins, and SOD and elevations in neutrophils, FDP, CRP, and ESR were more common in severe than moderate cases of COVID-19 during hospitalization; however, differences in these indicators, except total proteins, were not observed in the postdischarge recovery stages. Additionally, only 76.9% of COVID-19 patients were positive for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the convalescence stage, and one patient that was negative for specific IgG was reinfected. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that patients recovering from COVID-19 might need better care than that patients with other viral pneumonias due to the possibility of having poor immunity and nutritional conditions. These findings provide new insights to improve the understanding of COVID-19 and improve care for patients affected by these kinds of pandemics in the future.