Safety and Immunogenicity of Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccines Among People Living with HIV in China.

Purpose: Vaccination reduces the incidence of severe COVID-19 and death and effectively limits viral spread. Concerns have been raised about COVID-19 vaccine responses in the large population of HIV-infected patients. This study aims to explore the safety and immunogenicity of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine in people living with HIV (PLWH). Patients and Methods: All participants in this study already had their second dose of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days earlier, without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary safety outcomes were the incidence of adverse reactions and changes in CD4+ T-cell counts. SARS-CoV-2 IgG and neutralizing antibody responses to the D614G variant and delta variant were measured for immune response assessment. Results: Forty-seven HIV-infected patients and 18 healthy donors (HDs) were enrolled in this study. Adverse reactions were mild or self-limiting and were reported in 19.1% of HIV-infected patients. Most PLWH developed antibody responses against the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. The longitudinal analysis of antibody responses in PLWH (median interval between detection and complete vaccination, 59 days) showed that antibodies were maintained for at least three months, though their titers were reduced. However, the antibody-positive rates in PLWH were significantly lower than those in HDs. Additionally, compared to HDs (Geomean titers (GMT) of 165 for D614G and GMT of 72 for delta), the neutralizing antibody titers against the two variants in PLWH (GMT of 43 for D614G and GMT 13 for delta) were decreased significantly (p = 0.018 and p < 0.001, respectively). HIV-infected patients with CD4+T-cell counts ≤350 cells/µL appeared to exhibit a poor antibody response to inactivated vaccination. Conclusion: Inactivated COVID-19 vaccines appear to be efficacious in PLWH. However, antibody responses in HIV-infected patients are inferior to those in healthy individuals, especially PLWH with lower CD4+T-cell counts.

ACE2 and Innate Immunity in the Regulation of SARS-CoV-2-Induced Acute Lung Injury: A Review.

Despite the protracted battle against coronavirus acute respiratory infection (COVID-19) and the rapid evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), no specific and effective drugs have to date been reported. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a zinc metalloproteinase and a critical modulator of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). In addition, ACE2 has anti-inflammatory and antifibrosis functions. ACE has become widely known in the past decade as it has been identified as the primary receptor for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, being closely associated with their infection. SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets the lung, which induces a cytokine storm by infecting alveolar cells, resulting in tissue damage and eventually severe acute respiratory syndrome. In the lung, innate immunity acts as a critical line of defense against pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. This review aims to summarize the regulation of ACE2, and lung host cells resist SARS-CoV-2 invasion by activating innate immunity response. Finally, we discuss ACE2 as a therapeutic target, providing reference and enlightenment for the clinical treatment of COVID-19.

News in Brief

According to the document, vigorous measures should be adopted to stabilize the development of agriculture and the supply of agricultural products, to increase the income of farmers, to promote the high-quality development and maintain the harmony and stability of society in rural area by promoting farmers' sense of gaining, sense of happiness, and sense of security. First of all, following the decision by the CPC Central Committee, a territorial and spatial planning system is established. In term of accelerating integrated urban-rural development, the highlights should be laid upon an industry promoting agriculture, urban areas supporting rural development, the mechanism and institution for integrated urbanrural development should be improved, and the bi-directional flowing of urban and rural production elements and the rational allocation of public resources should be stimulated. [...]effort should also be put into expediting the exploration and reform of national pilot areas for urban-rural integrated development, allowing the direct marketentering of rural collective-owned commercial construction land to a general extent, and facilitating the joint development of urban and rural public facilities. В NHC and MOHURD Release Guiding Rules for Contingency Facility Design Against Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (for Trial Implementation) On Feb. 8,2020, in order to actively respond to the serious situation of prevention and control of the epidemic of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia and to effectively supervise the construction of contingency facilities in all areas, the National Health Commission (NHC) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) jointly formulated and released the Guiding Rules for Contingency Facility Design Against Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (for Frial Implementation) (shortened into the Guiding Rules in the following part). According to the Guiding Rules, the design of contingency facilities should follow the principles of controlling infectious sources, cutting off infectious chain, isolating the susceptible group, and fulfilling the medication demands by hospitals for infectious hospitals.

Specific Dynamic Variations in the Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets in COVID-19 and Severe Influenza A Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study (preprint)

Background: Both COVID-19 and influenza A contribute to increased mortality among the elderly and those with existing comorbidities. Changes in the underlying immune mechanisms determine patient prognosis. This study aimed to analyze the role of lymphocyte subsets in the immunopathogenesisof COVID-19 and severe influenza A, and examined the clinical significance of their alterations in the prognosis and recovery duration. Methods: : By retrospectively reviewing of patients in four groups (healthy controls, severe influenza A, non-severe COVID-19 and severe COVID-19) who were admitted to Ditan hospital between 2018 to 2020, we performed flow cytometric analysis and compared the absolute counts of leukocytes, lymphocytes, and lymphocyte subsets of the patients at different time points (weeks 1- 4). Results: : We reviewed the patients’ data of 94 healthy blood donors, 80 Non-severe-COVID-19, 19 Severe-COVID-19 and 37 severe influenza A. We found total lymphocytes (0.81 ×10 9 /L vs 1.74 ×10 9 /L, P = 0.001; 0.87 ×10 9 /L vs 1.74 ×10 9 /L, P < 0.0001, respectively) and lymphocyte subsets (T cells, CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets) of severe COVID-19 and severe influenza A patients to be significantly lower than those of healthy donors at early infection stages. Further, significant dynamic variations were observed at different time points (weeks 1–4). Conclusions: : Our study suggests the plausible role of lymphocyte subsets in disease progression, which in turn affects prognosis and recovery duration in patients with severe COVID-19 and influenza A.

A multiple-center clinical evaluation of a new real-time reverse transcriptase PCR diagnostic kit for SARS-CoV-2.

Aim: The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had serious repercussions worldwide. This study was aimed to evaluate the accuracy of a new kit for detection of SARS-CoV-2 compared with similar detection kit. Materials & methods: A total of 500 subjects were included and tested with both the new test and control kits. Clinical diagnosis results were taken as the reference standard. Results: Compared with clinical diagnosis, the sensitivity of the test kit was 82.64%, specificity was 98.45% and total coincidence rate was 90.80%. The total coincidence rate, sensitivity and specificity between control kit and clinical diagnosis were 89.20%, 78.10% and 99.61%, respectively. Conclusions: The new kit was comparable to the similar detection kit for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in sensitivity, specificity and total coincidence rate.

Specific Dynamic Variations in the Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets in COVID-19 and Severe Influenza A Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study (preprint)

BackgroundBoth COVID-19 and influenza A contribute to increased mortality among the elderly and those with existing comorbidities. Changes in the underlying immune mechanisms determine patient prognosis. This study aimed to analyze the role of lymphocyte subsets in the immunopathogenesisof COVID-19 and severe influenza A, and examined the clinical significance of their alterations in the prognosis and recovery duration. MethodsBy retrospectively reviewing of patients in four groups (healthy controls, severe influenza A, non-severe COVID-19 and severe COVID-19) who were admitted to Ditan hospital between 2018 to 2020, we performed flow cytometric analysis and compared the absolute counts of leukocytes, lymphocytes, and lymphocyte subsets of the patients at different time points (weeks 1- 4). ResultsWe reviewed the patients data of 110 healthy blood donors, 80 Non-severe-COVID-19, 19 Severe-COVID-19 and 43 severe influenza A. We found total lymphocytes (0.93 x109/L, 0.84 x109/L vs 1.78 x109/L, P < 0.0001) and lymphocyte subsets (T cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets) of both severe patients to be significantly lower than those of healthy donors at early infection stages. Further, significant dynamic variations were observed at different time points (weeks 1-4). ConclusionsOur study indicates lymphopenia to be associated with disease severity and suggests the plausible role of lymphocyte subsets in disease progression, which in turn affects prognosis and recovery duration in patients with severe COVID-19 and influenza A.