ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic, which began at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, has affected 220 countries and territories to date. In the present study, we studied humoral immunity in samples of the blood sera of COVID-19 convalescents of varying severity and patients who died due to this infection, using native SARS-CoV-2 and its individual recombinant proteins. The cross-reactivity with SARS-CoV (2002) was also assessed. We used infectious and inactivated SARS-CoV-2/human/RUS/Nsk-FRCFTM-1/2020 strain, inactivated SARS-CoV strain (strain Frankfurt 1, 2002), recombinant proteins, and blood sera of patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The blood sera from patients were analyzed by the Virus Neutralization test, Immunoblotting, and ELISA. The median values and mean ± SD of titers of specific and cross-reactive antibodies in blood sera tested in ELISA were mainly distributed in the following descending order: N > trimer S > RBD. ELISA and immunoblotting revealed a high cross-activity of antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 with the SARS-CoV antigen (2002), mainly with the N protein. The presence of antibodies specific to RBD corresponds with the data on the neutralizing activity of blood sera. According to the neutralization test in a number of cases, higher levels of antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 were detected in blood serum taken from patients several days before their death than in convalescents with a ranging disease severity. This high level of neutralizing antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 in the blood sera of patients who subsequently died in hospital from COVID-19 requires a thorough study of the role of humoral immunity as well as comorbidity and other factors affecting the humoral response in this disease.
ABSTRACT
In a review article based on my own clinical experience of managing patients with acute myocardial injury and fulminant myocarditis, taking into account expert recommendations on the clinical treatment of myocardial damage associated with novel coronavirus infection a National clinical geriatric medical research center, division of cardiovascular diseases, the Chinese geriatrics society, Department of cardiology, Beijing Medical Association and European clinics discusses the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of myocardial damage and FM patients, infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical features and diagnostic criteria are presented, including screening tests of markers of myocardial damage in the form of a highly sensitive troponin test, a natriuretic peptide. The article discusses in detail the pathogenesis and mechanisms of myocardial damage, including immune mechanisms, cytokine storm, systemic inflammation with macro- and microvascular dysfunction and the development of myocardial dysfunction with acute heart failure, hypotension, cardiogenic shock and/or life-threatening heart rhythm disorders caused by hypoxia and metabolic disorders at the cellular level. Features of the clinical course of fulminant myocarditis in infected patients (SARS-CoV-2) in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic are presented. For the first time, a detailed histo-morphological analysis of pathological myocardial injuries and complications is presented on the basis of unique autopsy material on post-mortem diagnostics of various pathoanatomic autopsies of those who died from COVID-19 in Moscow. Based on the clinical, functional and morphological material, the Protocol of etiopathogenetic treatment is presented. The basis of standard therapy is considered antiviral drugs, immunoglobulin G, the use of monoclonal antibodies to interleukin-6, anticoagulants, glucocorticoids, depending on the clinical situation, cardioprotectors and symptomatic treatment are recommended to maintain the heart, which in combination can achieve a certain clinical effectiveness. As adjuvant cardioprotective targeted therapy, the sodium salt of phosphocreatine is considered in order to preserve the myocardium, maintain its contractility and vital activity. В обзорной статье обсуждаются вопросы патогенеза, диагностики и лечения повреждения миокарда и фульминантного миокардита у больных, инфицированных SARS-CoV-2, в условиях пандемии COVID-19. Представлены клинические особенности и диагностические критерии, включающие скрининговые тесты маркеров повреждения миокарда в виде высокочувствительного тропонинового теста, натрийуретического пептида. Детально обсуждаются вопросы патогенеза и механизмы повреждения миокарда, включающие иммунные механизмы, цитокиновый шторм, системное воспаление с макро- и микроваскулярной дисфункцией и развитием дисфункции миокарда с острой сердечной недостаточностью, гипотензией, кардиогенным шоком и/или жизнеугрожающими нарушениями ритма сердца, обусловленные гипоксией и метаболическими нарушениями на клеточном уровне. Представлены особенности клинического течения фульминантного миокардита у больных, инфицированных SARS-CoV-2, в условиях пандемии COVID-19. Впервые представлен детальный гистоморфологический анализ патологических повреждений миокарда и осложнений на основе уникального аутопсийного материала по посмертной диагностике многообразных патологоанатомических вскрытий умерших от COVID-19 в Москве. На основании клинико-функционального и морфологического материала представлен протокол этиопатогенетического лечения. В зависимости от клинической ситуации для поддержания работы сердца в качестве метаболической адъювантной кардиопротективной таргетной терапии рассматривается натриевая соль фосфокреатина с целью поддержания сократительной способности и жизнедеятельности миокарда. Для улучшения прогноза у больных с COVID-19, перенесших острое повреждение миокарда, фульминантный миокардит, в протокол лечения рекомендовано введение кардиопротективной терапии, которая в комбинации со стандартной терапией позволяет достичь клинической эффективности.