Association between Microorganisms and Microplastics: How Does It Change the Host-Pathogen Interaction and Subsequent Immune Response?

Plastic pollution is a significant problem worldwide because of the risks it poses to the equilibrium and health of the environment as well as to human beings. Discarded plastic released into the environment can degrade into microplastics (MPs) due to various factors, such as sunlight, seawater flow, and temperature. MP surfaces can act as solid scaffolds for microorganisms, viruses, and various biomolecules (such as LPS, allergens, and antibiotics), depending on the MP characteristics of size/surface area, chemical composition, and surface charge. The immune system has efficient recognition and elimination mechanisms for pathogens, foreign agents, and anomalous molecules, including pattern recognition receptors and phagocytosis. However, associations with MPs can modify the physical, structural, and functional characteristics of microbes and biomolecules, thereby changing their interactions with the host immune system (in particular with innate immune cells) and, most likely, the features of the subsequent innate/inflammatory response. Thus, exploring differences in the immune response to microbial agents that have been modified by interactions with MPs is meaningful in terms of identifying new possible risks to human health posed by anomalous stimulation of immune reactivities.

Hybridization-driven fluorometric platform based on metal-organic frameworks for the identification of the highly homologous viruses.

A novel fluorometric strategy for the simultaneous identification of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV was successfully established based on a hybridization-induced signal on-off-on mechanism. Here, one part of the probe (P1) of SARS-CoV-2 (P = P1/P2) is partially related to SARS-CoV, while the other part (P2) is completely irrelevant to SARS-CoV. They as smart gatekeepers were anchored on NH2-MIL-88(Fe) (MOF@P1/P2) to turn off its catalytic performance. Only the specific SARS-CoV-2 genetic target can strongly restore the peroxidase-like activity of MOF@P1/P2. In the presence of o-phenylenediamine, SARS-CoV-2 can be efficiently detected with high sensitivity, accuracy, and reliability. This strategy demonstrated excellent analytical characteristics with a linear range (10-9 M âˆ¼ 10-6 M) under the limit of detection of 0.11 nM not only in buffer but also in 10 % serum, which partly shows its practicability. Most importantly, with the help of the auxiliary test of MOF@P1 and MOF@P2, SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV can be efficiently quantified and distinguished. This novel strategy has provided a breakthrough in the development of such identification. In the whole process, only a simple one-step experiment was involved. This circumvents the trouble of pretreatment experiments in traditional methods, including complex enzymatic mixtures, specialized experimental equipment, many primers optimization as well as reverse transcriptase. Additionally, this novel strategy is rapid, low-cost, and easy-to-use tools.

A nanomaterial targeting the spike protein captures SARS-CoV-2 variants and promotes viral elimination.

The global emergency caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic can only be solved with effective and widespread preventive and therapeutic strategies, and both are still insufficient. Here, we describe an ultrathin two-dimensional CuInP2S6 (CIPS) nanosheet as a new agent against SARS-CoV-2 infection. CIPS exhibits an extremely high and selective binding capacity (dissociation constant (KD) < 1 pM) for the receptor binding domain of the spike protein of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern, including Delta and Omicron, inhibiting virus entry and infection in angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-bearing cells, human airway epithelial organoids and human ACE2-transgenic mice. On association with CIPS, the virus is quickly phagocytosed and eliminated by macrophages, suggesting that CIPS could be successfully used to capture and facilitate virus elimination by the host. Thus, we propose CIPS as a promising nanodrug for future safe and effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy, and as a decontamination agent and surface-coating material to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.

Spatial distribution differences of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in healthy elderly people under the influence of geographical environmental factors.

The main targets of this were to screen the factors that may influence the distribution of 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D] reference value in healthy elderly people in China, and further explored the geographical distribution differences of 25(OH)D reference value in China. In this study, we collected the 25(OH)D of 25,470 healthy elderly from 58 cities in China to analyze the correlation between 25(OH)D and 22 geography secondary indexes through spearman regression analysis. Six indexes with significant correlation were extracted, and a ridge regression model was built, and the country's urban healthy elderly'25(OH)D reference value was predicted. By using the disjunctive Kriging method, we obtained the geographical distribution of 25(OH)D reference values for healthy elderly people in China. The reference value of 25(OH)D for healthy elderly in China was significantly correlated with the 6 secondary indexes, namely, latitude (°), annual temperature range (°C), annual sunshine hours (h), annual mean temperature (°C), annual mean relative humidity (%), and annual precipitation (mm). The geographical distribution of 25(OH)D values of healthy elderly in China showed a trend of being higher in South China and lower in North China, and higher in coastal areas and lower in inland areas. This study lays a foundation for further research on the mechanism of different influencing factors on the reference value of 25(OH)D index. A ridge regression model composed of significant influencing factors has been established to provide the basis for formulating reference criteria for the treatment factors of the vitamin D deficiency and prognostic factors of the COVID-19 using 25(OH)D reference value in different regions.

Clinical Features and Chest CT Manifestations of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a Single-Center Study in Shanghai, China.

OBJECTIVE. Confronting the new coronavirus infection known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is challenging and requires excluding patients with suspected COVID-19 who actually have other diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical features and CT manifestations of COVID-19 by comparing patients with COVID-19 pneumonia with patients with non-COVID-19 pneumonia who presented at a fever observation department in Shanghai, China. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Patients were retrospectively enrolled in the study from January 19 through February 6, 2020. All patients underwent real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. RESULTS. Eleven patients had RT-PCR test results that were positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, whereas 22 patients had negative results. No statistical difference in clinical features was observed (p > 0.05), with the exception of leukocyte and platelet counts (p < 0.05). The mean (± SD) interval between onset of symptoms and admission to the fever observation department was 4.40 ± 2.00 and 5.52 ± 4.00 days for patients with positive and negative RT-PCR test results, respectively. The frequency of opacifications in patients with positive results and patients with negative results, respectively, was as follows: ground-glass opacities (GGOs), 100.0% versus 90.9%; mixed GGO, 63.6% versus 72.7%; and consolidation, 54.5% versus 77.3%. In patients with positive RT-PCR results, GGOs were the most commonly observed opacification (seen in 100.0% of patients) and were predominantly located in the peripheral zone (100.0% of patients), compared with patients with negative results (31.8%) (p = 0.05). The median number of affected lung lobes and segments was higher in patients with positive RT-PCR results than in those with negative RT-PCR results (five vs 3.5 affected lobes and 15 vs nine affected segments; p < 0.05). Although the air bronchogram reticular pattern was more frequently seen in patients with positive results, centrilobular nodules were less frequently seen in patients with positive results. CONCLUSION. At the point during the COVID-19 outbreak when this study was performed, imaging patterns of multifocal, peripheral, pure GGO, mixed GGO, or consolidation with slight predominance in the lower lung and findings of more extensive GGO than consolidation on chest CT scans obtained during the first week of illness were considered findings highly suspicious of COVID-19.

COVID-19 and early-stage lung cancer both featuring ground-glass opacities: a propensity score-matched study.

BACKGROUND: Radiological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) featured ground-glass opacities (GGOs), especially in the early stage, which might create confusion in differential diagnosis with early lung cancer. We aimed to specify the radiological characteristics of COVID-19 and early lung cancer and to unveil the discrepancy between them. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-seven COVID-19 patients and 374 early lung cancer patients from four hospitals in China were retrospectively enrolled. Epidemiological, clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics were compared between the two groups using propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis. RESULTS: COVID-19 patients had more distinct symptoms, tended to be younger (P<0.0001), male (P<0.0001), and had a higher body mass index (P=0.014). After 1:1 PSM, 121 matched pairs were identified. Regarding radiological characteristics, patients with a single lesion accounted for 17% in COVID-19 and 89% in lung cancer (P<0.0001). Most lesions were peripherally found in both groups. Lesions in COVID-19 involved more lobes (median 3.5 vs. 1; P<0.0001) and segments (median 6 vs. 1; P<0.0001) and tended to have multiple types (67%) with patchy form (54%). Early lung cancer was more likely to have a single type (92%) with oval form (66%). Also, COVID-19 and early lung cancer either had some distinctive features on computed tomography (CT) images. CONCLUSIONS: Both COVID-19 and early lung cancers showed GGOs, with similar but independent features. The imaging characteristics should be fully understood and combined with epidemiological history, pathogen detection, laboratory tests, short-term CT reexamination, and pathological results to aid differential diagnosis.

Clinical remission of a critically ill COVID-19 patient treated by human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells: A case report.

RATIONALE: The COVID-19 cases increased very fast in January and February 2020. The mortality among critically ill patients, especially the elder ones, is relatively high. Considering many patients died of severe inflammation response, it is urgent to develop effective therapeutic strategies for these patients. The human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) have shown good capabilities to modulate the immune response and repair the injured tissue. Therefore, investigating the potential of hUCMSCs to the treatment of COVID-19 critically ill patients is necessary. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 65-year-old woman felt fatigued and had a fever with body temperature of 38.2C, coughed up white foaming sputum. After 1 day, she had chest tightness with SPO2 of 81%, and blood pressure of 160/91 mm Hg. DIAGNOSE: According to the guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of 2019 novel coronavirus infected pneumonia (Trial 4th Edition), COVID-19 was diagnosed, based on the real-time RT-PCR test of SARS-CoV-2. INTERVENTIONS: After regular treatment for 12 days, the inflammation symptom of the patient was still very severe and the potential side effects of corticosteroid were observed. Then, allogenic hUCMSCs were given 3 times (5 × 10 cells each time) with a 3-day interval, together with thymosin α1 and antibiotics daily injection. OUTCOMES: After these treatments, most of the laboratory indexes and CT images showed remission of the inflammation symptom. The patient was subsequently transferred out of ICU, and the throat swabs test reported negative 4 days later. LESSONS: These results indicated the clinical outcome and good tolerance of allogenic hUCMSCs transfer.

COVID-19 patients with progressive and non-progressive CT manifestations.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and radiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients with progressive and non-progressive CT manifestations. METHODS: 160 patients with COVID-19 were retrospectively included from Wenzhou and Wuhan, China. CT features including lesion position, attenuation, form and total scores (0-4) at the segment level were evaluated. Other images signs were also assessed. 65 patients were classified as progressive (group 1) and 95 as non-progressive CT (group 2) groups according to score changes between the initial and second CT. RESULTS: Symptoms onset-initial CT interval time in group 1 [5 (2, 7) days] were significantly shorter than that in group 2 [10 (8, 14) days] (P < 0.001). Group 2 had higher radiological scores, with more lobes and segments affected, and other CT signs (P < 0.05). In group 1, radiological scores, the number of lobes and segments affected as well as lesions in both peripheral and central distribution, mixed ground grass opacity and consolidation density, and patchy form increased in the second CT (P < 0.05). More reticular pattern, subpleural linear opacity and bronchial dilatation were also found (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Typically radiological characteristics of progressive CT patients could potentially help to predict changes and increase understanding of the natural history of COVID-19.

A predictive model and scoring system combining clinical and CT characteristics for the diagnosis of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a predictive model and scoring system to enhance the diagnostic efficiency for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: From January 19 to February 6, 2020, 88 confirmed COVID-19 patients presenting with pneumonia and 80 non-COVID-19 patients suffering from pneumonia of other origins were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical data and laboratory results were collected. CT features and scores were evaluated at the segmental level according to the lesions' position, attenuation, and form. Scores were calculated based on the size of the pneumonia lesion, which graded at the range of 1 to 4. Air bronchogram, tree-in-bud sign, crazy-paving pattern, subpleural curvilinear line, bronchiectasis, air space, pleural effusion, and mediastinal and/or hilar lymphadenopathy were also evaluated. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that history of exposure (ß = 3.095, odds ratio (OR) = 22.088), leukocyte count (ß = - 1.495, OR = 0.224), number of segments with peripheral lesions (ß = 1.604, OR = 1.604), and crazy-paving pattern (ß = 2.836, OR = 2.836) were used for establishing the predictive model to identify COVID-19-positive patients (p < 0.05). In this model, values of area under curve (AUC) in the training and testing groups were 0.910 and 0.914, respectively (p < 0.001). A predicted score for COVID-19 (PSC-19) was calculated based on the predictive model by the following formula: PSC-19 = 2 × history of exposure (0-1 point) - 1 × leukocyte count (0-2 points) + 1 × peripheral lesions (0-1 point) + 2 × crazy-paving pattern (0-1 point), with an optimal cutoff point of 1 (sensitivity, 88.5%; specificity, 91.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Our predictive model and PSC-19 can be applied for identification of COVID-19-positive cases, assisting physicians and radiologists until receiving the results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests. KEY POINTS: • Prediction of RT-PCR positivity is crucial for fast diagnosis of patients suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). • Typical CT manifestations are advantageous for diagnosing COVID-19 and differentiation of COVID-19 from other types of pneumonia. • A predictive model and scoring system combining both clinical and CT features were herein developed to enable high diagnostic efficiency for COVID-19.

Infection Control for CT Equipment and Radiographers' Personal Protection During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak in China.

OBJECTIVE. Because CT plays an important role in diagnosis, isolation, treatment, and effective evaluation of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), infection prevention and control management of CT examination rooms is important. CONCLUSION. We describe modifications to the CT examination process, strict disinfection of examination rooms, arrangement of waiting areas, and efforts to increase radiographers' awareness of personal protection made at our institution during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, we discuss the potential of using artificial intelligence in imaging patients with contagious diseases.

Quantitative computed tomography of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and to explore whether quantitative computer tomography (CT) could be used to assess severity on admission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 17 to February 9, 2020, 38 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were consecutively enrolled in our hospitals. All clinical data and the chest CT on admission were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Firstly, a quantitative method based on multi-scale convolutional neural networks was used to assess the infected lung segments and this was compared with the semi-quantitative method. Secondly, the quantitative method was tested with laboratory results and the pneumonia severity index (PSI) by correlation analyses. Thirdly, both quantitative and semi-quantitative parameters between patients with different PSI were compared. RESULTS: Thirty cases were finally enrolled: 16 (53.33%) of them were male, and the mean age was 48 years old. The interval from onset symptoms to first chest CT scan was 8 days. The proportion of ground glass opacity (GGO), consolidation and the total lesion based on the quantitative method was positively correlated with the semi-quantitative CT score (P < 0.001 for all; rs = 0.88, 0.87, 0.90), CRP (P = 0.0278, 0.0168, 0.0078; rs = 0.40, 0.43, 0.48) and ESR (P = 0.0296, 0.0408, 0.0048; rs = 0.46, 0.44, 0.58), respectively, and was negatively correlated with the lymphocyte count (P = 0.0222, 0.0024, 0.0068; rs = -0.42, -0.53, -0.48). There was a positive correlation trend between the proportion of total infection and the pneumonia severity index (P = 0.0994; rs = 0.30) and a tendency that patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia had higher percentage of consolidation and total infection (P = 0.0903, 0.0989). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative CT may have potential in assessing the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia on admission.

Progress and prospect on imaging diagnosis of COVID-19.

COVID-19 has become a public health emergency due to its rapid transmission. The appearance of pneumonia is one of the major clues for the diagnosis, progress and therapeutic evaluation. More and more literatures about imaging manifestations and related research have been reported. In order to know about the progress and prospective on imaging of COVID-19, this review focus on interpreting the CT findings, stating the potential pathological basis, proposing the challenge of patients with underlying diseases, differentiating with other diseases and suggesting the future research and clinical directions, which would be helpful for the radiologists in the clinical practice and research.

Clinical characteristics and imaging manifestations of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19):A multi-center study in Wenzhou city, Zhejiang, China.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about COVID-19 outside Hubei. The aim of this paper was to describe the clinical characteristics and imaging manifestations of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 149 RT-PCR confirmed positive patients were consecutively enrolled from January 17th to February 10th, 2020 in three tertiary hospitals of Wenzhou. Outcomes were followed up until Feb 15th, 2020. FINDINGS: A total of 85 patients had Hubei travel/residence history, while another 49 had contact with people from Hubei and 15 had no traceable exposure history to Hubei. Fever, cough and expectoration were the most common symptoms, 14 patients had decreased oxygen saturation, 33 had leukopenia, 53 had lymphopenia, and 82 had elevated C-reactive protein. On chest computed tomography (CT), lung segments 6 and 10 were mostly involved. A total of 287 segments presented ground glass opacity, 637 presented mixed opacity and 170 presented consolidation. Lesions were more localized in the peripheral lung with a patchy form. No significant difference was found between patients with or without Hubei exposure history. Seventeen patients had normal CT on admission of these, 12 had negative findings even10 days later. INTERPRETATION: Most patients presented with a mild infection in our study. The imaging pattern of multifocal peripheral ground glass or mixed opacity with predominance in the lower lung is highly suspicious of COVID-19 in the first week of disease onset. Nevetheless, some patients can present with a normal chest finding despite testing positive for COVID-19. FUNDING: We did not receive any fundings.