Association between history of HBV vaccine response and anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody response to the BioNTech/Pfizer's BNT162b2 mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among healthcare workers in Japan: A prospective observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Inadequate vaccine response is a common concern among healthcare workers at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to investigate if healthcare workers with history of weak immune response to HBV vaccination are more likely to have weak responses against the BioNTech/Pfizer's BNT162b2 mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. METHODS: We prospectively tested 954 healthcare workers for the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein antibody titers prior to the first and second BNT162b2 vaccination doses and after four weeks after the second dose using Roche's Elecsys® assay. We calculated the percentage of patients who seroconverted after the first and second doses. We estimated the relative risk of non-seroconversion after the first BNT162b2 vaccine (defined as anti-SARS-CoV-2-S titer <15 U/mL) among HBV vaccine non-responders (HBs-Ab titer <10 mIU/mL) and weak responders (≥10 and <100 mIU/mL) compared to normal responders (≥100 mIU/mL). RESULTS: Among 954 healthcare workers recruited between March 9 and March 24, 2021 at Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, weak and normal HBV vaccine responders had comparable S-protein titers after the first BNT162b2 dose (51.4 [95% confidence interval 25.2-137.0] versus 59.7 [29.8-138.0] U/mL, respectively). HBV vaccine non-responders were more likely than normal responders to not seroconvert after a single dose (age and sex-adjusted relative risk 1.85 95% confidence interval [1.10-3.13]) although nearly all participants seroconverted after the second dose. After limiting the analysis to 382 patients with baseline comorbidity data, the comorbidity-adjusted relative risk of non-seroconversion among HBV vaccine non-responders to normal responders was 1.32 (95% confidence interval [0.59-2.98]). DISCUSSION: Long term follow-up studies are needed to understand if protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 wanes faster among those with history of HBV vaccine non-response and when booster doses are warranted for these healthcare workers.

Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation with Reduced Intensity Conditioning Using Fludarabine/Busulfan or Fludarabine/Melphalan for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to compare the safety and efficacy of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) using fludarabine (Flu)-based reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) with busulfan (BU) or melphalan (Mel) for primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed transplant outcome, including engraftment, chimerism, immune reconstitution, and complications in 15 patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and 27 patients with non-SCID PID. The patients underwent Flu-based RIC-HCT with BU (FluBU: 7 SCID, 16 non-SCID) or Mel (FluMel: 8 SCID, 11 non-SCID). The targeted low-dose BU with therapeutic drug monitoring was set to 30 mg hour/L for SCID. RESULTS: The 2-year overall survival of all patients was 79.6% and that of patients with SCID in the FluBU and FluMel groups was 100% and 62.5%, respectively. In the FluBU group, all seven patients achieved engraftment, good immune reconstitution, and long-term survival. All five patients receiving umbilical cord blood transplantation achieved complete or high-level mixed chimerism and sufficient specific IgG production. In the FluMel group, six of eight patients achieved complete or high-level mixed chimerism. Viral reactivation or new viral infection occurred in one FluBU group patient and four FluMel group patients. In the non-SCID group, 10 of 11 patients (91%) who received FluMel achieved complete or high-level mixed chimerism but had variable outcomes. Patients with WAS (2/2 patients), NEMO deficiency (2/2 patients), and X-linked hyper IgM syndrome (2/3 patients) who received FluBU achieved complete or high-level mixed chimerism and long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: RIC-HCT with FluBU is a safe and effective strategy for obtaining high-level donor chimerism, immune reconstitution including B cell function, and long-term survival in patients with SCID. In patients with non-SCID PID, the results varied according to the subtype of the disease. Further prospective studies are required to optimize the conditioning regimen for non-SCID PID.

Hematopoietic cell transplantation for myeloid/NK cell precursor acute leukemia in second remission.

Myeloid/natural killer cell precursor acute leukemia (MNKPL) is a rare leukemia subtype characterized by a high incidence of extramedullary infiltration. No appropriate treatment strategy has so far been developed. Acute myelogenous leukemia-type chemotherapy combined with L-Asparaginase is an effective treatment for MNKPL. Hematopoietic cell transplantation is a second option in refractory cases.

Heterozygous Mutations in OAS1 Cause Infantile-Onset Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis with Hypogammaglobulinemia.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is characterized by accumulation of a surfactant-like substance in alveolar spaces and hypoxemic respiratory failure. Genetic PAP (GPAP) is caused by mutations in genes encoding surfactant proteins or genes encoding a surfactant phospholipid transporter in alveolar type II epithelial cells. GPAP is also caused by mutations in genes whose products are implicated in surfactant catabolism in alveolar macrophages (AMs). We performed whole-exome sequence analysis in a family affected by infantile-onset PAP with hypogammaglobulinemia without causative mutations in genes associated with PAP: SFTPB, SFTPC, ABCA3, CSF2RA, CSF2RB, and GATA2. We identified a heterozygous missense variation in OAS1, encoding 2,'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) in three affected siblings, but not in unaffected family members. Deep sequence analysis with next-generation sequencing indicated 3.81% mosaicism of this variant in DNA from their mother's peripheral blood leukocytes, suggesting that PAP observed in this family could be inherited as an autosomal-dominant trait from the mother. We identified two additional de novo heterozygous missense variations of OAS1 in two unrelated simplex individuals also manifesting infantile-onset PAP with hypogammaglobulinemia. PAP in the two simplex individuals resolved after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, indicating that OAS1 dysfunction is associated with impaired surfactant catabolism due to the defects in AMs.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis associated with primary immunodeficiency disease.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disorder that is characterized by the excessive accumulation of surfactant-like materials in the alveoli, leading to hypoxemic respiratory failure. We describe two Japanese infants with PAP associated with hypogammaglobulinemia and monocytopenia. These patients may have underlying primary immunodeficiency (PID) and were successfully treated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This report indicates that allogeneic HSCT may provide a curative treatment for PAP associated with PID.

Maternal T and B cell engraftment in two cases of X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency with IgG1 gammopathy.

X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID), caused by defects in the common gamma chain, is typically characterized by T and NK cell defects with the presence of B cells. T cell dysfunction and impaired class-switch recombination of B cells mean that patients typically have defects in class-switched immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgE) with detectable IgM. Here, we describe two patients with X-SCID with IgG1 gammopathy, in whom we identified maternal T and B cell engraftment. Exclusively, maternal B cells were found among the IgD-CD27+ class-switched memory B cells, whereas the patients' B cells remained naïve. In vitro stimulation with CD40L+IL-21 revealed that peripheral blood cells from both patients produced only IgG1. Class-switched maternal B cells had restricted receptor repertoires with various constant regions and few somatic hypermutations. In conclusion, engrafted maternal B cells underwent class-switch recombination and produced immunoglobulin, causing hypergammaglobulinemia in patients with X-SCID.

Novel compound heterozygous mutations in a Japanese girl with Janus kinase 3 deficiency.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is the most severe form of primary immunodeficiency disease, and it is characterized by marked impairment in cellular and humoral immunity. Mutations in several genes cause SCID, one of which is Janus kinase 3 (JAK3), resulting in autosomal recessive T(-)B(+)NK(-) SCID. Only three patients with JAK3-deficient SCID have been reported in Japan. We herein describe the case of a 6-month-old girl with pneumocystis pneumonia, who was diagnosed with SCID with compound heterozygous JAK3 mutations (c.1568G>A + c.421-10G>A). One of the mutations was previously reported in another Japanese patient. The other mutation was a novel and de novo relatively deep intronic mutation causing aberrant RNA splicing. The patient was successfully treated with bone marrow transplantation from a haploidentical donor.

Recurrent Staphylococcus aureus abscess and fatal pneumococcal septicemia due to IRAK-4 deficiency.

We describe the case of an infant with recurrent episodes of staphylococcal skin abscess and subsequent lethal pneumococcal meningitis/septicemia due to interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4) deficiency. In this case, systemic signs of inflammatory response were poor and delayed. Among all other reported cases of IRAK-4 deficiency, none involved severe viral or fungal disease, and the range of infecting bacteria was narrow.

Selective preparation of monobenzyl glyceryl ethers by the condensation reaction of glycerol with benzyl alcohols in the presence of zeolite catalysts.

The selective preparation of monobenzyl glyceryl ethers, which are potential commodity chemicals with special functions, was explored to find new applications for glycerol. Among the acid catalysts investigated (sulfuric acid, heteropoly acid, Nafion(R), and zeolite), Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5) afforded better results. The reaction of equimolar amounts of glycerol and benzyl alcohol at 150ºC for 7 h in the presence of 2 wt% ZSM-5 selectively afforded 3-(benzyloxy)propane-1,2-diol with a very small amount of the corresponding 2-benzyloxy isomer in 86% gas chromatography yield.

An effective use of benzoic anhydride and its derivatives for the synthesis of carboxylic esters and lactones: a powerful and convenient mixed anhydride method promoted by basic catalysts.

Various carboxylic esters are obtained at room temperature in excellent yields with high chemoselectivities from nearly equimolar amounts of carboxylic acids and alcohols using 2-methyl-6-nitrobenzoic anhydride with triethylamine by the promotion of a basic catalyst such as 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine. A variety of lactones are also prepared in high yields at room temperature from the corresponding omega-hydroxycarboxylic acids with use of 2-methyl-6-nitrobenzoic anhydride in the presence of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine. A similar reaction occurs with triethylamine when using a catalytic amount of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine 1-oxide as an effective promoter for the intramolecular condensation reaction. These methods are successfully applied to the synthesis of erythro-aleuritic acid lactone and an eight-membered-ring lactone moiety of octalactins A and B. The efficiency of the cyclizations is compared to those of other reported lactonizations.