ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The excess of visceral adipose tissue might hinder and delay immune response. How people with abdominal obesity (AO) will respond to mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 is yet to be established. SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody responses were evaluated after the first and second dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, comparing the response of individuals with AO with the response of those without, and discerning between individuals with or without prior infection. METHODS: Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-neutralizing antibodies against the Trimeric complex (IgG-TrimericS) were measured at four time points: at baseline, at day 21 after vaccine dose 1, and at 1 and 3 months after dose 2. Nucleocapsid antibodies were assessed to detect prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Waist circumference was measured to determine AO. RESULTS: Between the first and third month after vaccine dose 2, the drop in IgG-TrimericS levels was more remarkable in individuals with AO compared with those without AO (2.44-fold [95% CI: 2.22-2.63] vs. 1.82-fold [95% CI: 1.69-1.92], respectively, p < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression confirmed this result after inclusion of assessed confounders (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The waning antibody levels in individuals with AO may further support recent recommendations to offer booster vaccines to adults with high-risk medical conditions, including obesity, and particularly to those with a more prevalent AO phenotype.
Subject(s)
BNT162 Vaccine , COVID-19 , Antibody Formation , Attention , COVID-19 Vaccines , Humans , Obesity , Obesity, Abdominal , SARS-CoV-2 , Vaccines, Synthetic , mRNA VaccinesABSTRACT
Currently, computed tomographic (CT) imaging of the heart is mainly used for the quantification of coronary artery calcification as an indirect measure of coronary plaque burden and, less frequently, for minimally invasive coronary angiography. Recently, so-called multislice spiral computed tomographic (MSCT) scanners with gantry rotation speeds fast enough to produce diagnostic images of the heart under certain conditions have become widely available. As a consequence, cardiac CT imaging, most often performed for the purpose of calcium scoring, is increasingly applied. In this paper we provide a discussion of technical issues, applications, advantages, and limitations, after which we offer recommendations for current and future uses. To accomplish this, we conducted a comprehensive review of a study (Stacul et al. 2009) that was done to analyse the costs of 64-slice computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography and conventional coronary angiography and determine the cost-effectiveness of the two modalities.
