The impact of comorbidity status in COVID-19 vaccines effectiveness before and after SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant in northeastern Mexico: a retrospective multi-hospital study.

Introduction: The end of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization on May 5, 2023. Several vaccines were developed, and new data is being published about their effectiveness. However, the clinical trials for the vaccines were performed before the Omicron variant appeared and there are population groups where vaccine effectiveness still needs to be tested. The overarching goal of the present study was to analyze the effects of COVID-19 vaccination before and after the Omicron variant in patients considering comorbidities in a population from Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Methods: Epidemiological COVID-19 data from the Mexican Social Security Institute were collected from 67 hospitals located in northeastern Mexico, from July 2020 to May 2023, and a total of 669,393 cases were compiled, 255,819 reported a SARS-CoV-2 positive reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) test or a positive COVID-19 antigen rapid test. Results: Before Omicron (BO, 2020-2021), after 14 days of two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 vaccines were effective against infection in non-comorbid and all comorbid subgroups, whereas after Omicron (AO, 2022- 2023) there was no significant effectiveness against infection with none of the vaccines. Regarding hospitalization BO, BNT162b2, ChAdOx1, CoronaVac and mRNA-1273 significantly protected non-comorbid patients whereas BNT162b2, ChAdOx1, and mRNA-1273, protected all comorbid subgroups against hospitalization. AO, BNT162b2, ChAdOx1, CoronaVac and mRNA-1273 were effective against hospitalization in non-comorbid patients whereas for most comorbid subgroups BNT162b2, ChAdOx1 and CoronaVac were effective against hospitalization. Non-comorbid patients were protected against death as an outcome of COVID-19 during the BO period with most vaccines whereas a reduction in effectiveness was observed AO with mRNA-1273 vaccines in patients with hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Discussion: BO, COVID-19 vaccines were effective against infection, hospitalization, and death whereas AO, COVID-19 vaccines failed to protect the population from COVID-19 infection. A varying effectiveness against hospitalization and death is observed AO.

Sex, Age, and Comorbidities Are Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection, COVID-19 Severity, and Fatal Outcome in a Mexican Population: A Retrospective Multi-Hospital Study.

People with comorbidities and the male sex are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19. In the present study, we aim to investigate the associated factors for infection, severity, and death due to COVID-19 in a population from Nuevo León, México. Epidemiological COVID-19 data were collected from 65 hospitals from December 2020 to May 2022. A total of 75,232 cases were compiled from which 25,722 cases were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Male sex, older age, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension were associated with infection. In addition to the above-mentioned factors, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and immunosuppression were found to be associated with increased COVID-19 severity. These factors, as well as neurological diseases, are also associated with death due to COVID-19. When comparing the different variants of SARs-CoV-2, the variant B1.1.519 increased the probability of death by 2.23 times compared to the AY.20 variant. Male sex, older age, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, severity, and death. Along with the aforementioned comorbidities, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and immunosuppression are also associated with severity and death. Another factor associated with death is the presence of neurological disease. The SARS-CoV-2 B1.1.519 variant increases the odds of death compared to the SARS-CoV-2 AY.20 variant.

ABC-GOALScl score predicts admission to the intensive care unit and mortality of COVID-19 patients over 60 years of age.

BACKGROUND: One of the risk factors for getting seriously ill from COVID-19 and reaching high mortality rates is older age. Older age is also associated with comorbidities, which are risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection. Among the tools that have been evaluated to predict intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality is ABC-GOALScl. AIM: In the present study we validated the utility of ABC-GOALScl to predict in-hospital mortality in subjects over 60 years of age who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus at the moment of admission with the purpose of optimizing sanitary resources and offering personalized treatment for these patients. METHODS: This was an observational, descriptive, transversal, non-interventional and retrospective study of subjects (≥ 60 years of age), hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection at a general hospital in northeastern Mexico. A logistical regression model was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-three subjects were included in the study, whom 145 (59.7%) passed away, while 98 (40.3%) were discharged. Average age was 71, and 57.6% were male. The prediction model ABC-GOALScl included sex, body mass index, Charlson comorbidity index, dyspnea, arterial pressure, respiratory frequency, SpFi coefficient (Saturation of oxygen/Fraction of inspired oxygen ratio), serum levels of glucose, albumin, and lactate dehydrogenase; all were measured at the moment of admission. The area under the curve for the scale with respect to the variable of discharge due to death was 0.73 (IC 95% = 0.662-0.792). CONCLUSION: The ABC-GOALScl scale to predict ICU admission in COVID-19 patients is also useful to predict in-hospital death in COVID-19 patients ≥ 60 years old.

Entamoeba histolytica: soluble and membrane-associated neutral sphingomyelinase-C and other unidentified esterase activity.

Sphingomyelinase (SMase) activity was measured in Entamoeba histolytica particulate and soluble subcellular fractions. The effects on SMase of incubation time, total protein concentration, pH, and several divalent cations were determined. SMase-C and other unidentified esterase activity were detected in soluble and particulate fractions. SMase-C was 94.5-96.0% higher than the unidentified esterase activity. Soluble and insoluble SMase-C specific activities increased with protein dose and incubation time. Soluble and insoluble SMase-C activities were maximum at pH 7.5 and were dependent on Mg(2+), Mn(2+), or Co(2+), and inhibited by Zn(2+), Hg(2+), Ca(2+), and EDTA. SMase-C was active in the pH range of 3-10 and its maximum activity was at pH 7.5. The soluble and insoluble SMases have remarkably similar physicochemical properties, strongly suggesting that E. histolytica has just one isoform of neutral SMase-C that had not been described before and might be essential for E. histolytica metabolism or virulence.

Activity of intracellular phospholipase A1 and A2 in Giardia lamblia.

Neither phospholipase A1 (PLA A1) nor phospholipase A2 (PLA A2), nor their respective genes, have been identified in Giardia lamblia, even though they are essential for lipid metabolism in this parasite. A method to identify, isolate, and characterize these enzymes is needed. The activities of PLA A1 and PLA A2 were analyzed in a total extract (TE) and in vesicular (P30) and soluble (S30) subcellular fractions of G. lamblia trophozoites; the effects of several chemical and physicochemical factors on their activities were investigated. The assays were performed using substrate labeled with 14C, and the mass of the 14C-product was quantified. PLA A1 and PLA A2 activity was present in the TE and the P30 and S30 fractions, and it was dependent on pH and the concentrations of protein and Ca2+. In all trophozoite preparations, PLA A1 and PLA A2 activities were inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and Rosenthal's inhibitor. These results suggest that G. lamblia possesses several PLA A1 and PLA A2 isoforms that may be soluble or associated with membranes. In addition to participating in G. lamblia phospholipid metabolism, PLA A1 and PLA A2 could play important roles in the cytopathogenicity of this parasite.