Metformin may be a viable adjunctive therapeutic option to potentially enhance immune reconstitution in HIV-positive immunological non-responders / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Incomplete immune reconstitution remains a global challenge for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment in the present era of potent antiretroviral therapy (ART), especially for those individuals referred to as immunological non-responders (INRs), who exhibit dramatically low CD4 + T-cell counts despite the use of effective antiretroviral therapy, with long-term inhibition of viral replication. In this review, we provide a critical overview of the concept of ART-treated HIV-positive immunological non-response, and also explain the known mechanisms which could potentially account for the emergence of immunological non-response in some HIV-infected individuals treated with appropriate and effective ART. We found that immune cell exhaustion, combined with chronic inflammation and the HIV-associated dysbiosis syndrome, may represent strategic aspects of the immune response that may be fundamental to incomplete immune recovery. Interestingly, we noted from the literature that metformin exhibits properties and characteristics that may potentially be useful to specifically target immune cell exhaustion, chronic inflammation, and HIV-associated gut dysbiosis syndrome, mechanisms which are now recognized for their critically important complicity in HIV disease-related incomplete immune recovery. In light of evidence discussed in this review, it can be seen that metformin may be of particularly favorable use if utilized as adjunctive treatment in INRs to potentially enhance immune reconstitution. The approach described herein may represent a promising area of therapeutic intervention, aiding in significantly reducing the risk of HIV disease progression and mortality in a particularly vulnerable subgroup of HIV-positive individuals.

Efficacy and safety of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole combined with caspofungin for the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients with moderate to severe pneumocystis pneumonia / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ) combined with caspofungin for the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)patients with moderate to severe pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) requiring mechanical ventilation.Methods:The clinical data of AIDS patients who admitted to Chongqing Public Health Medical Center from March 1, 2019 to March 1, 2021 with moderate to severe PCP requiring mechanical ventilation were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between two groups receiving either combination therapy with TMP/SMZ and caspofungin (combination therapy group) or TMP/SMZ monotherapy (monotherapy group). The patients were divided into two subgroups according to the baseline arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2), patients with arterial PaO 2≥50 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and PaO 2 <50 mmHg. The clinical efficacies of combination therapy and monotherapy in each subgroup were further compared. Chi-square and Fisher exact test were used for statistical analysis. The three-month survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the three-month survival rates were compared by Log-rank method. Results:A total of 83 patients were enrolled, including 23 in the monotherapy group and 60 in the combination therapy group. There was no significant difference in all-cause hospital mortalities between these two groups (34.8%(8/23) vs 23.3%(14/60), χ2=1.12, P=0.290). Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated no significant difference in the three-month survival rates between the two groups ( χ2=0.51, P=0.477). There ware no significant differences observed in the positive clinical response rates and the mechanical ventilation rates after seven days of anti-PCP treatment between the two groups ( χ2=0.02 and 0.01, respectively, both P>0.05). In the 52 patients with PaO 2≥50 mmHg, no significant difference in all-cause hospital mortalities was observed between the monotherapy group and the combination therapy group (2/13 vs 25.6%(10/39), χ2=0.14, P=0.704). There was no statistical significance in the three-month survival rates between the two groups ( χ2=0.69, P=0.407). No significant difference was observed either in the clinical positive response rates or the mechanical ventilation rates after seven days of anti-PCP treatment between the two group( χ2=1.02 and 0.69, respectively, both P>0.05). In the 31 patients with PaO 2<50 mmHg, the all-cause hospital mortality in the combination therapy group was 19.0%(4/21), while six of the 10 patients in the monotherapy group died, and the difference was statistically significant (Fisher exact test, P=0.040). The three-month survival rate in the combination therapy group was significantly higher than that in the monotherapy group ( χ2=4.09, P=0.043). There were no significant differences in clinical positive response rate and the mechanical ventilation rate after seven days of anti-PCP treatment between the two group (Fisher exact test, both P>0.05). The overall adverse event rate in the monotherapy group was 87.0%(20/23), with an incidence of 56.5%(13/23) for both electrolyte disturbances and bone marrow suppression. The above incidences in the combination therapy group were 78.3%(47/60), 35.0%(21/60) and 53.3%(32/60), respectively, and all differences were not statistically significant ( χ2=0.34, 3.18 and 0.07, respectively, all P>0.05). Conclusions:The efficacy of combination therapy with TMP/SMZ and caspofungin is comparable to that of TMP/SMZ monotherapy in AIDS patients with moderate to severe PCP requiring mechanical ventilation. However, in AIDS patients with PCP requiring mechanical ventilation with the baseline PaO 2<50 mmHg, the efficacy of combination therapy is statistically superior to that of TMP/SMZ monotherapy. Combination therapy does not increase the risk of adverse events.

Effects of hepatitis B virus coinfection on anti-retroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus infected people / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) combined with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on the efficacy of anti-retroviral therapy (ART).Methods:The data of 269 HIV-infected patients treated in Chongqing Public Health Medical Center from September 2016 to October 2019 were collected. The patients were divided into HIV monoinfection group and HIV/HBV coinfection group. The changes in liver function, CD4 + T lymphocyte count, and HIV RNA level between the two groups were compared when ART started and at different time points (2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 96 weeks) after ART started. Statistical analysis were performed by independent sample t test, rank sum test and chi-square test. Results:A total of 145 patients with HIV monoinfection and 124 patients with HIV/HBV coinfection were collected. There were no statistically significant differences in liver function indexes (aspartate aminotransferase ( t=9.566), alanine aminotransferase ( t=-4.652) and total bilirubin ( t=-25.476)) between the two groups of patients when ART started (all P>0.05). At 24, 48 and 96 weeks after ART, the CD4 + T lymphocyte counts in the HIV monoinfection group and the HIV/HBV coinfection group were (305.9±156.9)/μL vs (266.2±172.5)/μL, (388.5±226.1)/μL vs (380.8±287.4)/μL and (369.5±191.4)/μL vs (453.6±179.6)/μL, respectively. At 48, 72 and 96 weeks after ART, the CD4 + T lymphocyte count increasing values were 121.0(-52.5, 144.5)/μL vs 156.0(-35.8, 185.8)/μL, 139.0(-116.0, 176.8)/μL vs 114.5(-59.5, 229.0)/μL and -91.0(-110.0, 153.3)/μL vs -94.0(-130.8, 114.3)/μL, respectively. The differences were all not statistically significant ( t=-0.516, -0.066 and -1.414, Z=-1.715、-0.802 and -1.602, respectively, all P>0.05). At 24, 48, and 96 weeks after ART, the HIV RNA inhibition rates in the HIV monoinfection group were 89.7%(130/145), 96.6%(140/145), and 96.6%(140/145), respectively, and those in the HIV/HBV coinfection group were 87.1%(108/124), 92.7%(115/124) and 94.4%(117/124), respectively. The differences were all not statistically significant ( χ2=0.026, 0.053 and 0.017, respectively, all P>0.05). In the second and fourth weeks after ART, the abnormal liver function rates of the HIV monoinfection group were 3.4%(5/145) and 6.2%(9/145), respectively, which were lower than those in the HIV/HBV coinfection group (21.0%(26/124) and 13.7%(17/124), respectively). The differences were both statistically significant ( χ2=20.121 and 4.309, respectively, both P<0.05). However, the abnormal liver function rates in the two group in the 8th week after ART were 10.3%(15/145) and 9.7%(12/124), respectively, and those in the 12th week were 9.0%(13/145) and 9.7%(12/124), respectively, and those in the 24th week were 9.7%(14/145) and 8.9%(11/124), respectively, and those in the 36th week were 9.7%(14/145) and 10.5%(13/124), respectively, and those in the 48th week were 8.3%(12/145) and 8.1%(10/124), respectively, and those in the 96th week were 2.8%(4/145) and 0(0/124), respectively. The differences were all not statistically significant ( χ2=0.330, 0.040, 0.049, 0.051, 0.004 and 3.472, respectively, all P>0.05). Conclusion:HBV coinfection has no adverse effect on the ART effect of HIV-infected patients.

The dichotomous and incomplete adaptive immunity in COVID-19

The adaptive immunity that protects patients from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is not well characterized. In particular, the asymptomatic patients have been found to induce weak and transient SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown; meanwhile, the protective immunity that guide the recovery of these asymptomatic patients is also not well studied. Here, we characterized SARS-CoV-2-specific B-cell and T-cell responses in 10 asymptomatic patients and 49 patients with other disease severity (mild, n = 10, moderate, n = 32, severe, n = 7) and found that asymptomatic or mild symptomatic patients failed to mount virus-specific germinal center (GC) B cell responses that result in robust and long-term humoral immunity, assessed by GC response indicators including follicular helper T (TFH) cell and memory B cell responses as well as serum CXCL13 levels. Alternatively, these patients mounted potent virus-specific TH1 and CD8+ T cell responses. In sharp contrast, patients of moderate or severe disease induced vigorous virus-specific GC B cell responses and associated TFH responses; however, the virus-specific TH1 and CD8+ T cells were minimally induced in these patients. These results therefore uncovered the protective immunity in COVID-19 patients and revealed the strikingly dichotomous and incomplete adaptive immunity in COVID-19 patients with different disease severity, providing important insights into rational design of COVID-19 vaccines.

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and the model for predicting the occurrence of critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study.

BackgroundThe present study aim to comprehensively report the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 patients and to develop a multi-feature fusion model for predicting the critical ill probability. MethodsIt was a retrospective cohort study that incorporating the laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients in the Chongqing Public Health Medical Center. The prediction model was constructed with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression method and the model was further tested in the validation cohort. The performance was evaluated by the receiver operating curve (ROC), calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA). ResultsA total of 217 patients were included in the study. During the treatment, 34 patients were admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and no developed death. A model incorporating the demographic and clinical characteristics, imaging features and laboratory findings were constructed to predict the critical ill probability and it was proved to have good calibration, discrimination ability and clinic use. ConclusionsThe prevalence of critical ill was relatively high and the model may help the clinicians to identify the patients with high risk for developing the critical ill, thus to conduct timely and targeted treatment to reduce the mortality rate.

SARS-CoV-2 Quasispecies provides insight into its genetic dynamics during infection

A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been pandemic worldwide. The genetic dynamics of quasispecies afford RNA viruses a great fitness on cell tropism and host range. However, no quasispecies data of SARS-CoV-2 have been reported yet. To explore quasispecies haplotypes and its transmission characteristics, we carried out single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing of the full-length of SARS-CoV-2 spike gene within 14 RNA samples from 2 infection clusters, covering first-to third-generation infected-patients. We observed a special quasispecies structure of SARS-CoV-2 (modeled as One-King): one dominant haplotype (mean abundance ~70.15%) followed by numerous minor haplotypes (mean abundance < 0.10%). We not only discovered a novel dominant haplotype of F1040 but also realized that minor quasispecies were also worthy of attention. Notably, some minor haplotypes (like F1040 and currently pandemic one G614) could potentially reveal adaptive and converse into the dominant one. However, minor haplotypes exhibited a high transmission bottleneck (~6% could be stably transmitted), and the new adaptive/dominant haplotypes were likely originated from genetic variations within a host rather than transmission. The evolutionary rate was estimated as 2.68-3.86 x 10-3 per site per year, which was larger than the estimation at consensus genome level. The One-King model and conversion event expanded our understanding of the genetic dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, and explained the incomprehensible phenomenon at the consensus genome level, such as limited cumulative mutations and low evolutionary rate. Moreover, our findings suggested the epidemic strains may be multi-host origin and future traceability would face huge difficulties.

Disease severity dictates SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody responses in COVID-19

COVID-19 patients exhibit differential disease severity after SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is currently unknown as to the correlation between the magnitude of neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses and the disease severity in COVID-19 patients. In a cohort of 59 recovered patients with disease severity including severe, moderate, mild and asymptomatic, we observed the positive correlation between serum neutralizing capacity and disease severity, in particular, the highest NAb capacity in sera from the patients with severe disease, while a lack of ability of asymptomatic patients to mount competent NAbs. Furthermore, the compositions of NAb subtypes were also different between recovered patients with severe symptoms and with mild-to-moderate symptoms. These results reveal the tremendous heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2-specific NAb responses and their correlations to disease severity, highlighting the needs of future vaccination in COVID-19 patients recovered from asymptomatic or mild illness.

Human monoclonal antibodies block the binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic of novel corona virus disease (COVID-19). To date, no prophylactic vaccines or approved therapeutic agents are available for preventing and treating this highly transmittable disease. Here we report two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) cloned from memory B cells of patients recently recovered from COVID-19, and both mAbs specifically bind to the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, block the binding of receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 to human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2), and effectively neutralize S protein-pseudotyped virus infection. These human mAbs hold the promise for the prevention and treatment of the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19.

Viral Kinetics and Antibody Responses in Patients with COVID-19

BackgroundA pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading over the world. However, the viral dynamics, host serologic responses, and their associations with clinical manifestations, have not been well described in prospective cohort. MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort and enrolled 67 COVID-19 patients admitting between Jan 26 and Feb 5, 2020. Clinical specimens including nasopharyngeal swab, sputum, blood, urine and stool were tested periodically according to standardized case report form with final follow-up on February 27. The routes and duration of viral shedding, antibody response, and their associations with disease severity and clinical manifestations were systematically evaluated. Coronaviral particles in clinical specimens were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). ResultsThe median duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding were 12 (3-38), 19 (5-37), and 18 (7-26) days in nasopharyngeal swabs, sputum and stools, respectively. Only 13 urines (5.6%) and 12 plasmas (5.7%) were viral positive. Prolonged viral shedding was observed in severe patients than that of non-severe patients. Cough but not fever, aligned with viral shedding in clinical respiratory specimens, meanwhile the positive stool-RNA appeared to align with the proportion who concurrently had cough and sputum production, but not diarrhea. Typical coronaviral particles could be found directly in sputum by TEM. The anti-nucleocapsid-protein IgM started on day 7 and positive rate peaked on day 28, while that of IgG was on day 10 and day 49 after illness onset. IgM and IgG appear earlier, and their titers are significantly higher in severe patients than non-severe patients (p<0.05). The weak responders for IgG had a significantly higher viral clearance rate than that of strong responders (p= 0.011). ConclusionsNasopharyngeal, sputum and stools rather than blood and urine, were the major shedding routes for SARS-CoV-2, and meanwhile sputum had a prolonged viral shedding. Symptom cough seems to be aligned with viral shedding in clinical respiratory and fecal specimens. Stronger antibody response was associated with delayed viral clearance and disease severity. Summary boxesO_ST_ABSWhat is already known on this topicC_ST_ABSAs a newly appearing infectious disease, early efforts have focused on virus identification, describing the epidemiologic characteristics, clinical course, prognostics for critically illed cases and mortality. Among COVID-19 cases reported in mainland China (72 314 cases, updated through February 11, 2020), 81% are mild, 14% are severe, and 5% are critical. The estimated overall case fatality rate (CFR) is 2.3%. Some case series reported had shown that SARS-CoV-2 could shed in upper/lower respiratory specimens, stools, blood and urines of patients. However, important knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding full kinetics of viral shedding and host serologic responses in association with clinical manifestations and host factors. What this study addsThe incubation period has no change after spreading out of Wuhan, and has no sex or age differences, however, children had prolonged incubation period. Due to early recognition and intervention, COVID-19 illness of Chongqing cohort is milder than that of Wuhan patients reported. This prospective cohort study on SARS-CoV-2 infection shows clearly that the viral and serological kinetics were related in duration of infection, disease severity, and clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Our data demonstrate that nasopharyngeal, sputum and stools are major shedding routes for SARS-CoV-2, and stronger NP antibody response is associated with delayed viral clearance and disease severity.

High incidence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, Chongqing, China

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 has been a global pandemic, but the emergence of asymptomatic patients has caused difficulties in the prevention of the epidemic. Therefore, it is significant to understand the epidemiological characteristics of asymptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. MethodsIn this single-center, retrospective and observational study, we collected data from 167 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection treated in Chongqing Public Health Medical Center (Chongqing, China) from January to March 2020. The epidemiological characteristics and variable of these patients were collected and analyzed. Findings82.04% of the SARS-CoV-2 infected patients had a travel history in Wuhan or a history of contact with returnees from Wuhan, showing typical characteristics of imported cases, and the proportion of severe Covid-19 patients was 13.2%, of which 59% were imported from Wuhan. For the patients who was returnees from Wuhan, 18.1% was asymptomatic patients. In different infection periods, compared with the proportion after 1/31/2020, the proportion of asymptomatic patient among SARS-CoV-2 infected patient was higher(19% VS 1.5%). In different age groups, the proportion of asymptomatic patient was the highest(28.6%) in children group under 14, next in elder group over 70 (27.3%). Compared with mild and common Covid-19 patients, the mean latency of asymptomatic was longer (11.25 days VS 8.86 days), but the hospital length of stay was shorter (14.3 days VS 16.96 days). ConclusionThe SARS-CoV-2 prevention needs to focus on the screening of asymptomatic patients in the community with a history of contact with the imported population, especially for children and the elderly population.

Potential Factors for Prediction of Disease Severity of COVID-19 Patients

ObjectiveCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an escalating global epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, with a high mortality in critical patients. Effective indicators for predicting disease severity in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients are urgently needed. MethodsIn this study, 43 COVID-19 patients admitted in Chongqing Public Health Medical Center were involved. Demographic data, clinical features, and laboratory examinations were obtained through electronic medical records. Peripheral blood specimens were collected from COVID-19 patients and examined for lymphocyte subsets and cytokine profiles by flow cytometry. Potential contributing factors for prediction of disease severity were further analyzed. ResultsA total of 43 COVID-19 patients were included in this study, including 29 mild patients and 14 sever patients. Severe patients were significantly older (61.9{+/-}9.4 vs 44.4{+/-}15.9) and had higher incidence in co-infection with bacteria compared to mild group (85.7%vs27.6%). Significantly more severe patients had the clinical symptoms of anhelation (78.6%) and asthma (71.4%). For laboratory examination, 57.1% severe cases showed significant reduction in lymphocyte count. The levels of Interluekin-6 (IL6), IL10, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and D-Dimer (D-D) were significantly higher in severe patients than mild patients, while the level of albumin (ALB) was remarkably lower in severe patients. Further analysis demonstrated that ESR, D-D, age, ALB and IL6 were the major contributing factors for distinguishing severe patients from mild patients. Moreover, ESR was identified as the most powerful factor to predict disease progression of COVID-19 patients. ConclusionAge and the levels of ESR, D-D, ALB and IL6 are closely related to the disease severity of COVID-19 patients. ESR can be used as a valuable indicator for distinguishing severe COVID-19 patients in early stage, so as to increase the survival of severe patients.

Epidemiological and clinical features of 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease cases in Chongqing municipality, China: a retrospective, descriptive, multiple-center study

BackgroundIn January 19, 2020, first case of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pneumonia (COVID-19) was confirmed in Chongqing municipality, China. MethodsIn this retrospective, descriptive, multiple-center study, total of 267 patients with COVID-19 confirmed by real-time RT-PCR in Chongqing from Jan 19 to Feb 16, 2020 were recruited. Epidemiological, demographic, clinical, radiological characteristics, laboratory examinations, and treatment regimens were collected on admission. Clinical outcomes were followed up until Feb 16, 2020. Results267 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to 3 designated-hospitals in Chongqing provincial municipality from January 19 to February 16, 2020 were enrolled and categorized on admission. 217 (81.27%) and 50 (18.73%) patients were categorized into non-severe and severe subgroups, respectively. The median age of patients was 48.0 years (IQR, 35.0-65.0), with 129 (48.3%) of the patients were more than 50 years of age. 149 (55.8%) patients were men. Severe patients were significantly older (median age, 71.5 years [IQR, 65.8-77.0] vs 43.0 years [IQR, 32.5-57.0]) and more likely to be male (110 [50.7%] vs 39 [78.0%]) and have coexisting disorders (15 [30.0%] vs 26 [12.0%]). 41 (15.4%) patients had a recent travel to Hubei province, and 139 (52.1%) patients had a history of contact with patients from Hubei. On admission, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 were fever 225(84.3%), fatigue (208 [77.9%]), dry cough (189 [70.8%]), myalgia or arthralgia (136 [50.9%]). Severe patients were more likely to present dyspnea (17 [34.0%] vs 26 [12.0%]) and confusion (10 [20.0%] vs 15 [6.9%]). Rales (32 [12.0%]) and wheezes (20 [7.5%]) are not common noted for COVID-19 patients, especially for the non-severe (11 [5.1%], 10 [4.6%]). 118 (44.2%). Most severe patients demonstrated more laboratory abnormalities. 231 (86.5%), 61 (22.8%) patients had lymphopenia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, respectively. CD4+T cell counts decrease was observed in 77.1 % of cases, especially in the severe patients (45, 100%). 53.1% patients had decreased CD+3 T cell counts, count of CD8+T cells was lower than the normal range in part of patients (34.4%). More severe patients had lower level of CD4+ T cells and CD+3 T cells (45 [100.0%] vs 29[56.9%], 31 [68.9%] vs 20 [39.2%]). Most patients had normal level of IL-2, IL-4, TNF- and INF-{gamma}, while high level of IL-6 and IL-17A was common in COVID-19 patients (47 [70.1%], 35 [52.2%]). Level of IL-6, IL-17A and TNF- was remarkably elevated in severe patients (32 [84.2%] vs 15 [51.7%], 25 [65.8%] vs 10 [34.5%], 17 [44.7%] vs 5 [17.2%]). All patients received antiviral therapy (267, 100%). A portion of severe patients (38, 76.0%) received systemic corticosteroid therapy. Invasive mechanical ventilation in prone position, non-invasive mechanical ventilation, high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy was adopted only in severe patients with respiratory failure (5[10.0%], 35[70.0%], 12[24.0%]). Traditional Chinese medicine was adopted to most of severe patients (43,86.0%). ConclusionOur study firstly demonstrated the regional disparity of COVID-19 in Chongqing municipality and further thoroughly compared the differences between severe and non-severe patients. The 28-day mortality of COVID-19 patients from 3 designed hospitals of Chongqing is 1.5%, lower than that of Hubei province and mainland China including Hubei province. However, the 28-mortality of severe patients was relatively high, with much higher when complications occurred. Notably, the 28-mortality of critically severe patients complicated with severe ARDS is considerably as high as 44.4%. Therefore, early diagnosis and intensive care of critically severe COVID-19 cases, especially those combined with ARDS, will be considerably essential to reduce mortality.

A Peptide-based Magnetic Chemiluminescence Enzyme Immunoassay for Serological Diagnosis of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

A respiratory illness has been spreading rapidly in China, since its outbreak in Wuhan city, Hubei province in December 2019. The illness was caused by a novel coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Clinical manifestations related to SARS-CoV-2 infection ranged from no symptom to fatal pneumonia. World Health Organization (WHO) named the diseases associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection as COVID-19. Real time RT-PCR is the only laboratory test available till now to confirm the infection. However, the accuracy of real time RT-PCR depends on many factors, including sampling location and of methods, quality of RNA extraction and training of operators etc.. Variations in these factors might significantly lower the sensitivity of the detection. We developed a peptide-based luminescent immunoassay to detect IgG and IgM. Cut-off value of this assay was determined by the detection of 200 healthy sera and 167 sera from patients infected with other pathogens than SARS-CoV-2. To evaluate the performance of this assay, we detected IgG and IgM in the 276 sera from confirmed patients. The positive rate of IgG and IgM were 71.4% (197/276) and 57.2% (158/276) respectively. By combining with real time RT-PCR detection, this assay might help to enhance the accuracy of diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Analysis of drug-resistant mutations in human immunodeficiency virus-1 infected patients in Chongqing City from 2014 to 2018 / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the drug-resistant mutations of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) in patients who received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) from 2014 to 2018.Methods:A total of 880 patients with HIV-1 infection who had been treated with HAART for more than six months in Chongqing Infectious Disease Medical Center from May 2014 to December 2018 were enrolled. Plasma samples were collected, and one-step reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested PCR were taken to amplify protease and reverse transcriptase regions of HIV-1 pol gene region. The obtained amplified nucleotide sequences were compared with the drug resistance database for antiviral drug resistance analysis. Viral genotyping tool software was used to analyze HIV-1 subtype distribution. The categorical variables were compared using chi-square test. Results:Among 880 patients, the plasma HIV-1 viral load was (4.12±0.63) lg copies/mL, the CD4 + T lymphocyte count was (251±124)/μL, and the median duration of antiviral therapy was 26 months. In the subtypes analysis, the circulating recombinant form (CRF) 01-AE subtype was the largest proportion of HIV-1 subtypes, accounting for 38.9%(342/880), and the CRF07-BC subtype accounted for 28.5%(251/880), B+ C subtypes accounted for 16.2%(143/880). Drug-resistant mutations were detected in 534 patients, with a total drug resistance rate of 60.7%. The drug resistance rates of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) and protease inhibitors (PI) were 51.0%(449/880), 58.6%(516/880) and 1.7%(15/880), respectively. The drug resistances to lamivudine, emtricitabine, efavirenz, and nevirapine were serious, and the medium/high resistance rates were 46.8%(412/880), 46.8%(412/880), 51.3%(451/880), and 53.6%(472/880), respectively, while those to zidomidudine (6.0%, 53/880), etravirin (9.0%, 451/880) and PI were not serious. M184IV (47.3%), K65R (22.2%) and K70RE (12.6%) were the most frequent mutations for NRTI. K103NS (25.1%), V106A (19.7%) and V179DE (14.4%) were the most frequent mutations for NNRTI. The most common drug-resistant mutations for PI were L10FIV (7.4%) and A71IVT (6.5%). The drug resistance rate of CRF01-AE subtype (69.3%, 237/342) was higher than those of CRF07-BC subtype (49.8%, 125/251) and B+ C subtype (51.0%, 73/143), the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=22.6 and 14.6, respectively, both P<0.05). Conclusions:The incidence of drug resistance is high among HIV-1 infected patients after six-month HAART treatment in Chongqing City. The drug resistance to NNRTI is the most common, followed by NRTI, while PI is less resistant. Drug resistance is the main reason for the virological breakthrough in HIV-1 infected patients.

Re-positive nucleic acid detection in COVID-19 patients after discharge from hospital / 中华检验医学杂志

Cases of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid and antibody (IgM and IgG total antibody) after discharge from a hospital in Chongqing were continuously monitored. It was found that 5 cases of "re-positive" phenomenon, 5 cases of antibody were positive, and there was a trend of increasing with time. "Re-Positive" may be related to the following three factors. Children with asymptomatic infection had a long time of fecal detoxification.There were two consecutive nucleic acid tests "false negative" caused by various reasons.The virus clearance in patients was not complete, and the discharge standard was not conservative enough. The analysis of the causes of "Re-Positive" patients and the discussion of its infection will help us reveal more characteristics of this virus, and to provide a new basis for the discharge standard in the constantly updated diagnosis and treatment programme.

Progress in research on the diagnosis and treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

Cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) is the most frequently encountered ocular opportunistic infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In the absence of accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, CMVR can cause different degree of ocular injury and even blindness in AIDS patients. Therefore, the early diagnosis and timely treatment of CMVR is particularly important. This article aims to review the progress in research on the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment drugs of CMVR.

Comprehensive treatment of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients / 中华临床感染病杂志

Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis is one of the most common opportunistic infections and causes of death in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS)patients with HIV infection. Comprehensive treatment is the key to reduce the mortality rate of AIDS patients with Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis,which includes antifungal treatment, antiretroviral therapy and intracranial pressure management.This article reviews the current status and advanced of comprehensive therapy for Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis in AIDS patients.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus infected patients with tuberculous meningitis / 中华传染病杂志

Objective To investigate the impact of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) infection on clinical characteristics and short term outcome of tuberculous meningitis (TBM).Methods One hundred and fifty-one cases of TBM patients were retrospectively collected from Chongqing Public Health Medical Center between January 2015 and December 2015.Among them,61 were infected with HIV (HIV/TBM group) and 90 were without HIV infection (TBM group).Clinical manifestations,whether complicated by pulmonary tuberculosis,cerebrospinal fluid parameters and CD4+ T lymphocyte counts and their clinical outcomes were compared.Chi square test,t test and non-parameter test were used.Results The incidences of fever,headache,vomiting and meningeal irritation sign in HIV/TBM group were 80.3％ (49),90.2％ (55),47.5％ (29) and 8.2％ (5),respectively,and those in TBM group were 88.9％ (80),88.9％ (80),47.8％ (43) and 17.8％ (16),all of which showed no significant differences (x2=2.141,0.062,0.001 and 2.787,respectively,all P＞0.05).HIV-infected patients had higher percentage of altered consciousness (34.4 ％ vs 16.7 ％,x2 =6.316,P＜0.05),whereas patients without HIV infection had higher percentages of night sweating and pulmonary tuberculosis than those with HIV infection (60.0％ vs31.1％,x2=12.120;97.8％ vs73.8％,x2=19.958,both P＜0.05).The mean value of cerebrospinal pressures in patients with HIV infection was 218.4 mmH2O (1 mmH2O =0.009 8 kPa),which was significantly lower than that of patients without HIV infection (263.6 mmH2O)(t=-2.240,P＜0.05).The median CD4+ T cell counts in HIV/TBM group was 62 (1-540) cells/μL,while that in TBM group was 291 (16 1 689) cells/μL,with significant difference (Z=-7.994,P＜0.01).There was no statistical difference in CSF parameters,imaging findings and in-hospital mortality between two groups (all P＞0.05).Conclusions HIV infected TBM patients are more likely to have altered consciousness,and less likely to have high CSF pressure and pulmonary tuberculosis.Patients with HIV/TBM eoinfection have comparable CSF parameters,head imaging findings and short-term outcomes compared with TBM patients without HIV infection.

Disease spectrum and prognostic factors of 499 cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome complicated with central nervous system infections in Chongqing / 中华传染病杂志

Objective To describe the disease spectrum,morbidity,mortality and prognostic factors of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients complicated with central nervous system (CNS) infections.Methods The data of 4 426 AIDS patients from February 2013 to February 2017 in Chongqing public health medical center were collected,among which 499 cases had CNS infection.The morbidity and mortality of CNS infections were calculated.Association between different CNS infections and CD4+T cell counts was analyzed.Prognostic factors for the outcome of hospitalization were also studied.Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous variables.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by logistic regression analysis.Results The morbidity of CNS infections in AIDS patients was 11.27％ (499/4 426).The most prevalent CNS infections were tuberculous meningitis (4.50％),cryptococcal meningitis (3.25 ％) and CNS infections with unknown etiology (1.11 ％).The mortality rate was 18.84％ (94/499),among which tuberculous meningitis accounted for 35 cases (17.59％),cryptococcal meningitis 23 cases (15.79％) and CNS infections with unknown etiology 19 cases (38.76％).The average CD4-T cell count level in those who died were significantly lower than that in those who survived (Z=2.51,P =0.001).Visual impairment,nuchal rigidity,positive pathologic reflexes,consciousness disturbance,CD4+T cell counts＜50 cells/μL and HIV RNA≥5 lg copies/mL at baseline were independent prognostic factors for mortality.Conclusions The morbidity and mortality of CNS infections are high among AIDS patients in Chongqing,and those patients with severe immunosuppression are usually affected.Older age,consciousness disturtance and severe immunosuppression are three independent risk factors for mortality.

Clinical analysis of 166 cases of bacterial/fungal bloodstream infection in AIDS patients / 中国感染与化疗杂志

Objective To compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of bacterial and fungal bloodstream infections in the patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Methods The clinical data of AIDS patients complicated with bacterial or fungal bloodstream infection treated in Chongqing Public Health Medical Center from January 2016 to June 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The two groups of patients were compared in terms of clinical symptoms, laboratory tests and outcomes. Results Significantly more patients in bacterial group (AIDS complicated with bacterial bloodstream infection) were associated with intravenous drug abuse than that in fungal group (AIDS complicated with fungal bloodstream infection) (P＜0.05). The average age of patients was older in bacterial group than in fungal group. The incidence of nausea, vomiting and skin rash in fungal group was significantly higher than that in bacterial group (P＜0.05). CD4+T cells in fungal group decreased more significantly than that in bacterial group. No significant difference was found between the two groups in sex ratio, routine blood tests, biochemical assays, and mortality. Conclusions Fungi are the main pathogen of AIDS-associated bloodstream infections. Contrast to the bacterial bloodstream infections in AIDS patients, fungal bloodstream infection is more frequently found in younger patients, and associated with higher incidence of nausea, vomiting, typical skin rash, and more remarkable decrease of CD4+T cells. Bacterial bloodstream infection is more prevalent than fungal bloodstream infection in intravenous drug abusers. No significant difference is found in the mortality between the AIDS patients complicated with bacterial bloodstream infection and those complicated with fungal bloodstream infection.