ABSTRACT
Purpose: To determine the impact of booster COVID-19 vaccination on SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. Background: The Omicron surge of infections provided an opportunity to evaluate symptoms in relation to booster receipt. Methods: At a US medical college, the number, type, and duration of symptoms were evaluated for 476 students or employees, factoring in days between last vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. Results: Compared with vaccinated non-boosted individuals, boosted individuals reported a significantly higher frequency of nasal congestion (57.9% vs. 44.4%, p = 0.018) and nasal congestion and/or sore throat (77.2% vs. 62.0%, p = 0.003); in contrast, the frequency of body/muscle aches was significantly less among boosted individuals (22.1% vs. 32.4%, p = 0.038). With each one week increase in time since booster receipt, the probability of fever increased significantly by 4.4% (OR 1.044, 95% CI 1.01, 1.07, p = 0.001), and the probability of cough increased significantly by 4.8% (OR 1.048, 95% CI 1.01, 10.8, p= 0.010). Conclusions: Within a medical college population, during the first 7 months of the Omicron surge of infections, compared with vaccinated non-boosted individuals, boosted individuals significantly more often reported the following: nasal congestion as well as nasal congestion and/or sore throat. In contrast, body/muscle aches were reported significantly less often. The rates of fever and cough each significantly increased as time since booster dose receipt increased. These data suggest that having had a booster vaccination, as well the timing of receiving it, impacts the clinical manifestations of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections. Additional studies are needed to precisely define SARS-CoV-2 symptoms in relation to booster vaccinations.
ABSTRACT
The interaction of cells with the extracellular matrix (ECM) form of fibronectin (FN) triggers changes in growth, migration, and cytoskeletal organization that differ from those generated by soluble FN. As cells deposit and remodel their FN matrix, the exposure of new epitopes may serve to initiate responses unique to matrix FN. To determine whether a matricryptic site within the III1 module of FN modulates cell growth or cytoskeletal organization, a recombinant FN with properties of matrix FN was constructed by directly linking the cryptic, heparin-binding COOH-terminal fragment of III1 (III1H) to the integrin-binding III8-10 modules (glutathione-S-transferase [GST]-III1H,8-10). GST-III1H,8-10 specifically stimulated increases in cell growth and contractility; integrin ligation alone was ineffective. A construct lacking the integrin-binding domain (GST-III1H,2-4) retained the ability to stimulate cell contraction, but was unable to stimulate cell growth. Both GST-III1H,2-4 and matrix FN colocalized with caveolin and fractionated with low-density membrane complexes by a mechanism that required heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Disruption of caveolae inhibited the FN- and III1H-mediated increases in cell contraction and growth. These data suggest that a portion of ECM FN partitions into lipid rafts and differentially regulates cytoskeletal organization and growth, in part, through the exposure of a neoepitope within the conformationally labile III1 module.
