Clinical and Genomic Perspective of SARS CoV-2 Infection in Liver Disease Patients: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study.

The limited literature on the clinical course of COVID-19 among patients with underlying liver disease (LD) is available from India. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical and mutational profile of SARS-CoV-2 among LD cases. This was a retrospective study including admitted LD cases in whom SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing was performed. Complete demographic and clinical details were retrieved from Hospital Information System. Detailed mutational analysis was performed by comparing LD COVID-19 positive study group, i.e. LD-CoV(+) with COVID-19 positive outpatients without any underlying LD as control, i.e. NLD-CoV(+). Out of 232 enrolled LD cases, 137 (59.1%) were LD-CoV(+). LD cases with existing co-morbidities were affected more (P = 0.002) and had 2.29 times (OR 2.29, CI 95%, 1.25-4.29) higher odds of succumbing to COVID-19 (P = 0.006). On multivariate regression analysis, ascites (P = 0.05), severe COVID-19 pneumonia (P = 0.046), and an increased levels of bilirubin (P = 0.005) and alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.003) were found to be associated with adverse outcome in LD-CoV(+).On mutational analysis, we found certain differences between LD- and NLD-CoV(+) infected with Delta [LD- and NLD-CoV (+ /D)] and Omicron [LD- and NLD-CoV(+/O)]. More mutations were shared between LD- and NLD-CoV(+/O) compared to LD- and NLD-CoV(+/D). There were differences in prevalence of indel mutations specific to LD-CoV ( +) for both Delta and Omicron. Moreover, we also reported an interesting genic bias between LD- and NLD-CoV( +) in harbouring deleterious/tolerated mutations. To conclude, LD cases with comorbidities were affected more and had higher odds of mortality due to COVID-19. The definite difference between LD- and NLD-CoV(+) groups with respect to frequency of harboured mutations and an inherent genic bias between them is of noteworthy importance.

Rising trend of symptomatic infections due to Hepatitis A virus infection in adolescent and adult age group: An observational study from a tertiary care liver institute in India.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is the most common cause of Acute Viral Hepatitis (AVH) in children. It causes self-limiting illness and rarely acute liver failure. The shifting pattern in HAV endemicity is rendering adolescents and adults vulnerable to infection. METHODS: In this retrospective study, samples received from 14,807 patients with acute onset icteric illness from January 2014-December 2022 were analyzed. HAV infection was detected by anti-HAV IgM positivity. The cases were divided into 3 age groups, pediatric, adolescents and adults, and clinical presentations were compared. RESULTS: Overall, 7.72%(1144) were positive for anti-HAV IgM. Of these, 60%(690) were finally included in the study. The positive cases were divided into adults, ≥18 years (44%, 304); pediatric, <12 years (31%, 212) and adolescents (25%,174) age groups. Overall males were predominant [72.4%(500)], with a median age of 16 (IQR:9-21) years. Cases were characterised into AVH (68.1%, 470/690), Acute Liver Failure (ALF) (31.4%, 217/690) and Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (0.43%, 3/690). AVH in the pediatric age group was 69%(146/212), adolescents was 67%(117/174), and adults was 68%(207/304). ALF cases among the 3 groups were 30%(65/212), 33%(57/174), and 31%(95/304) respectively. Overall mortality was seen in 6.52%(45/690), maximum in adolescents with ALF presentation [10.3%(18/174)]. On molecular characterization of infection, viremia was seen in 28.9%(200/690) and all the isolates were Genotype IIIA. CONCLUSIONS: The number of adults experiencing symptomatic HAV infection was seen to increase over the years in the present study. Infection in adolescents was associated with higher mortality and ALF as the clinical presentation.

Respiratory tract viral infections associated sepsis in patients with underlying liver disease: Viral sepsis an entity to look forward!

BACKGROUND: Sepsis remains a global health burden associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Bacteria are known to be the predominant pathogens in sepsis; however, viral etiologies in sepsis are still under diagnosed. Respiratory viral pathogens have been previously linked to sepsis, but the knowledge of incidence, disease burden and mortality of viral-induced sepsis remains limited. This study aimed at understanding the role of respiratory viral infections in the causation of sepsis in liver disease patients. METHODS: In this retrospective study, the clinical records of liver disease patients with influenza-like illness, whose requests for respiratory viral testing were received from January 2019 to December 2022, were reviewed. Respiratory viruses were identified using FilmArray 2.0 respiratory panel (BioFire Diagnostics, Utah, USA). RESULTS: Of 1391 patients tested, a respiratory viral etiology was detected in 23%. The occurrence of sepsis was seen in 35%. Among these, isolated viral etiology with no other bacterial/fungal coinfection was found in 55% of patients. Rhinovirus/Enterovirus was found as the most common underlying viral etiology (23.4%). The sepsis prevalence was higher among patients with associated comorbidities (45%) and decompensated cirrhosis (84%). On multi-variable analysis, no factor was found independently associated with sepsis-related mortality. CONCLUSION: This study underlines the importance of isolated viral etiology in causation of sepsis among liver disease patients. Patients with comorbidities, older age and decompensated cirrhosis are at an increased risk of developing sepsis and are associated with poorer outcomes. Accurate and timely identification of the viral etiology in sepsis would prevent the misuse of antibiotics and improve overall patient care.

Validation of dried blood spot for serological diagnosis of Hepatitis B and C: a multicentric study.

The present study aimed to determine diagnostic performance of dried blood spot (DBS) for the detection of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and Hepatitis C virus antibodies (anti-HCV) using CLIA at 3 different laboratories across India. DBS can serve as a simple and convenient alternative to plasma/serum for HBsAg detection. However for anti-HCV, site-specific validation of the assay is warranted.

Performance evaluation of NeuMoDx 96 system for hepatitis B and C viral load.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) viral load (VL) estimation is essential for the management of both HBV and HCV infections. Due to a longer turnaround time for VL estimation, many patients drop out from the cascade of care. To achieve the global goals of reducing morbidity and mortality due to HBV/HCV and moving towards their elimination by 2030, molecular diagnostic platforms with faster and random (i.e. single sample) access are needed. AIM: To evaluate the performance of the recently launched NeuMoDx 96 random access system with the conventional COBAS®AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan system for HBV and HCV VL estimation. METHODS: Archived once-thawed plasma samples were retrieved and tested on both platforms. Correlation between the assays was determined by linear regression and Bland-Altman analysis. The study included samples from 186 patients, 99 for HBV of which 49 were true infected HBV cases (hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis B core antibody, and HBV DNA-positive) and 87 for HCV assay in which 39 were true positives for HCV infection (anti-HCV and HCV RNA-positive). RESULTS: The median VL detected by NeuMoDx for HBV was 2.9 (interquartile range [IQR]: 2.0-4.3) log10 IU/mL and by COBAS it was 3.70 (IQR: 2.28-4.56) log10 IU/mL, with excellent correlation (R2 = 0.98). In HCV, the median VL detected by NeuMoDx was 4.9 (IQR: 4.2-5.4) log10 IU/mL and by COBAS it was 5.10 (IQR: 4.07-5.80) log10 IU/mL with good correlation (R2 = 0.96). CONCLUSION: The overall concordance between both the systems was 100% for both HBV and HCV VL estimation. Moreover, no genotype-specific bias for HBV/HCV VL quantification was seen in both the systems. Our findings reveal that NeuMoDx HBV and HCV quantitative assays have shown overall good clinical performance and provide faster results with 100% sensitivity and specificity compared to the COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan system.

Severe Acute Hepatitis of Unknown Etiology Presenting as Pediatric Acute Liver Failure: Analysis of Likely Etiology, Clinical Course and Outcome.

Adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV2) have been recently implicated as probable causative agents of severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology reported from most of Europe. High mortality and liver transplantation (LT) rates have been observed in those presenting with acute liver failure (ALF). Such cases have not been reported from the Indian subcontinent. We analyzed the etiologies, clinical course, and in-hospital outcomes of cases of severe acute hepatitis with ALF presenting to us between May and October 2022. A total of 178 children presented with severe acute hepatitis of known/unknown etiology including 28 presenting as ALF. Eight of them fulfilled the definition of severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology presenting as ALF. Adenovirus was not associated with cases of ALF in these children. SARS-COV2 antibodies were detected in 6 (75%) of them. Children with severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology presenting as ALF were young (median age 4 years), had hyper-acute presentation with a predominance of gastrointestinal symptoms, and a fulminant course with worse outcomes (native liver survival 25%). Expedited evaluation of these children for LT would be the key to management.

Implementation of point-of-care testing and prevalence of cryptococcal antigenaemia among patients with advanced HIV disease in Mumbai, India.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the implementation of screening for cryptococcal antigenaemia by point-of-care (POC) serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) lateral flow assay, measure the prevalence and factors associated with serum cryptococcal antigenaemia in the routine programmatic setting. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Seventeen publicly funded antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres in Mumbai, India. PARTICIPANTS: Serum CrAg screening was offered to all adolescents (>10 years of age) and adults with advanced HIV disease (AHD) (CD4 <200 cells/mm3 or with WHO clinical stage III/IV) regardless of symptoms of cryptococcal meningitis. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was to describe the implementation of serum CrAg screening and secondary outcome was to measure the prevalence of serum cryptococcal antigenaemia and its risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 2715 patients with AHD were tested for serum CrAg by POC assay. Of these, 25 (0.9%) had a CrAg positive result. Among CrAg-positive patients, only one had symptoms. Serum CrAg positivity was 3.6% (6/169) and 1.6% (6/520) among those presenting with CD4 <100 cells/mm3 in the treatment naïve and treatment experienced group, respectively. On multivariable analysis, CD4 count <100 cells/mm3 (OR: 2.3, 95% CI 1.01 to 5.3; p=0.05) and people living with HIV who were treatment naïve (OR: 2.5, 95% CI 1.04 to 6.0; p=0.04) were significantly associated with a positive serum CrAg result. Lumbar puncture was obtained in 20/25 patients within 4 days (range: 1-4 days) of positive serum CrAg result and one person was confirmed to have meningitis. All serum CrAg-positive patients who had a negative cerebrospinal fluid CrAg were offered pre-emptive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a POC CrAg assay was possible with existing ART centre staff. Initiation of pre-emptive therapy and management of cryptococcal antigenaemia are operationally feasible at ART centres. The Indian National AIDS Control Programme may consider reflexive CrAg screening of all AHD patients with CD4 <100 cells/mm3.

Current surge of COVID-19 infection in China and its impact on India.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19, the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2, is a global health calamity and one of the greatest challenges faced by the humankind across the globe. The virus originated in Wuhan, China and spread rapidly to more than 200 countries/nations, affected more than 600 billion individuals and caused around 65 lakh deaths worldwide. Since the start of the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 mutates and accumulates genetic variations which constantly resulted in the emergence of new variants. OBJECTIVE: The current article discusses about the new omicron sub variant BF.7, and how this BF.7 variant may pose risk in India, if it overrides the current COVID-19 circulating variants. CONTENT: The emergence and potential consequences of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants usually augment virus transmissibility and host immune evasion. The current spurt in COVID-19 infections in China which has alarmed people around the world, is believed to be driven by an omicron sub variant BF.7. Although India has been reporting a "steady decline" in COVID-19 cases, we need constant surveillance to keep a track of the new emerging variants in circulation. Keeping in mind, the new surge in COVID-19 cases across many nations, we discuss about the new variant and its possible impact on India.

Role of cytomegalovirus specific cell-mediated immunity in the monitoring of cytomegalovirus infection among living donor liver transplantation adult recipients: A single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most common post-transplant viral infections causing significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Limited literature on the potential role of pre-transplant CMV-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMV-CMI) is available. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of pre-transplant CMV-CMI monitoring in the occurrence of post-transplant CMV infection. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study where all adult CMV seropositive patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation at a tertiary care institute were enrolled. CMV-CMI was measured using QuantiFERON-CMV (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany) and interpreted as positive if the value was ≥0.2 IU/ml, 1-2 days prior to the transplant. Based on pre-transplant CMV-CMI, cases were classified into Group 1 (n = 13, 43.3%) (positive) and Group 2 (n = 17, 56.7%) (negative). CMV infection was defined as the detection of CMV-DNA > 2.7 log10 IU/ml in plasma specimens. RESULTS: The mean age was 43 years with male (n = 29, 96.9%) predominance. Overall 40% of recipients developed post-transplant CMV infection, two (15.4%) in group 1 and 10 (58.8%) in group 2 (p-value = 0.016). Recipients in group 2 had 87% higher odds (odds ratio 0.13, confidence interval [CI] 95) of developing post-transplant CMV infection compared to group 1. The overall median duration of occurrence of post-transplant CMV infection was 26 days with the median viral load being 2.8 log10 IU/ml. The treatment duration was 13 days in group 1 and 28 days in group 2 (p = 0.003). Group 1 recipients showed rapid clearance of CMV-DNA within 7 days compared to group 2 in which it was 21 days (p = 0.004, CI 95). CONCLUSION: Pre-transplant CMV-CMI may play a protective role against post-transplant CMV infection and can serve as an adjunct for pre-transplant risk stratification.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Voriconazole in Children with Hematologic Malignancy and Invasive Fungal Infections: An RCT from a Tertiary Care Centre in India.

INTRODUCTION: Voriconazole is a triazole anti-fungal with non-linear kinetics and a narrow therapeutic range. The objective of our study was to monitor the voriconazole serum levels in children with hematological malignancy and clinically suspected invasive fungal infections. METHODS: The study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial conducted from June 2016 to December 2017. All children who had haematologic malignancies with clinically suspected invasive fungal infections and received voriconazole as the only anti-fungal were included in the study. The children were randomly allotted into two groups; one was the group that underwent TDM, and the other, TDM, was not done. Bioassay was the method employed for TDM. The trough levels were evaluated on a sample obtained on the fifth day of starting the drug. The institute's ethics committee approved the study. RESULT: A total of 30 children were included in the study: 15 in the TDM group and 15 in the non-TDM group. The most common underlying malignancy was AML. Neutropenia due to chemotherapy sessions was these patients' most common risk factor. A favorable outcome was seen in 13/15 (86.7%) in the TDM group and 11/15 in the non-TDM group (73.3%). CONCLUSION: Only five out of 15 (33.3%) children had voriconazole serum levels within the therapeutic range. Alterations in dose had to be done in the remaining to achieve the recommended serum levels. Thus, we recommend TDM for all children of hematologic malignancy receiving voriconazole for better management. Our findings also revealed that children with AML had lower than recommended levels of voriconazole on TDM evaluation, whereas those with ALL had normal to elevated levels of voriconazole.

Prevalence and Predictors for Respiratory Viral Infections among Liver Disease Patients.

Aim and background: Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) cause significant hospitalizations every year. Also, RVIs caused by either influenza or noninfluenza group of viruses can have adverse outcomes, especially among immunosuppressed patients. Regular and timely supervision is needed for accurate etiological identification, to prevent inappropriate use of antibiotics in patients with nonbacterial etiology. This study aimed to identify the spectrum of RVIs and clinical characteristics among liver disease patients with influenza-like illness (ILI). Materials and methods: In this study, medical records of patients with ILI, whose requests for respiratory viral testing came from September 2016 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Respiratory viruses were identified using FilmArray 2.0 respiratory panel (BioFire Diagnostics, USA). Results: Of the 1,577 liver disease patients with ILI, the overall prevalence of RVI was 28% (n = 449). Infection by noninfluenza viruses (NIVs) was detected in 329 patients (73%), higher than those infected with influenza viruses. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, female gender [odds ratio (OR): 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5-4.2], infection with influenza B (OR: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.09-9.9) and decompensated cirrhosis (OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 1.7-8.5) were independent risk factors for mortality. Regarding seasonality, influenza peaked in monsoons and winters, whereas NIVs circulated throughout the year. Conclusion: Overall, this study adds new knowledge regarding the incidence of RVI and the distribution of respiratory viral etiologies among liver disease patients with ILI. The findings highlight that female gender, decompensated cirrhosis, and influenza B infection are independently associated with poor clinical outcomes. Early etiological identification of viral causes of ILI could aid in an enhanced understanding of the prevalence of ILI and the timely management of the patients. Clinical significance: Respiratory viral infections can cause severe illness in individuals with underlying liver disease. Accurate diagnosis and risk stratification is crucial in mitigating the adverse health effects. How to cite this article: Samal J, Prabhakar T, Prasad M, et al. Prevalence and Predictors for Respiratory Viral Infections among Liver Disease Patients. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2023;13(2):108-114.

Building communities of practice through case-based e-learning to prevent and manage TB among people living with HIV-India.

BACKGROUND: Co-management of HIV-TB coinfection remains a challenge globally. Addressing TB among people living with HIV (PLHIV) is a key priority for the Government of India (GoI). In 2016, GoI implemented single-window services to prevent and manage TB in PLHIV. To strengthen HIV-TB service delivery, case-based e-learning was introduced to health care providers at Antiretroviral Therapy centres (ARTc). METHODS: We implemented a hub and spoke model to deliver biweekly, virtual, case-based e-learning at select ARTc (n = 115), from four states of India-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. We evaluated feasibility and acceptability of case-based e-learning and its impact on professional satisfaction, self-efficacy, knowledge retention using baseline and completion surveys, session feedback, pre-and post-session assessments. We reviewed routine programmatic data and patient outcomes to assess practices among participating ARTc. RESULTS: Between May 2018 and September 2020, 59 sessions were conducted with mean participation of 55 spokes and 152 participants. For 95% and 88% of sessions ≥ 80% of respondents agreed that topics were clear and relevant to practice, and duration of session was appropriate, respectively. Session participants significantly improved in perceived knowledge, skills and competencies (+ 8.6%; p = 0.025), and technical knowledge (+ 18.3%; p = 0.04) from baseline. Participating ARTc increased TB screening (+ 4.2%, p < 0.0001), TB diagnosis (+ 2.7%, p < 0.0001), ART initiation (+ 4.3%, p < 0.0001) and TB preventive treatment completion (+ 5.2%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Case-based e-learning is an acceptable and effective modus of capacity building and developing communities of practice to strengthen integrated care. E-learning could address demand for accessible and sustainable continuing professional education to manage complex diseases, and thereby enhance health equity. We recommend expansion of this initiative across the country for management of co-morbidities as well as other communicable and non-communicable diseases to augment the existing capacity building interventions by provide continued learning and routine mentorship through communities of practice.

Co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 with other respiratory pathogens in patients with liver disease.

Respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) was first documented in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, followed by its rapid spread across the globe. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated viral/bacterial co-infection in the respiratory tract could modulate disease severity and its outcome in COVID-19 infection. In this retrospective study, 300 chronic liver disease patients with radiologically confirmed lower respiratory tract infection were enrolled from September 2020 to December 2021. In all of them, along with SARS-CoV-2, other respiratory viral/bacterial pathogens were studied. In total, 23.7 % (n=71) patients were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among the positive patients, 23.9 % (n=17) had co-infection with other respiratory pathogens, bacterial co-infections being dominant. The SARS-CoV-2 negative cohort had 39.7  % positivity (n=91) for other respiratory pathogens, the most common being those of the rhinovirus/enterovirus family. Ground glass opacity (GGO) with consolidation was found to be the most common radiological finding among SARS-CoV-2 positive co-infected patients, as compared to only GGO among SARS-CoV-2 mono-infected patients. Accurate diagnosis of co-infections, especially during pandemics including COVID-19, can ameliorate the treatment and management of suspected cases.

Comparison of safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma with fresh frozen plasma in severe covid-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Role of Convalescent plasma (COPLA) to treat severe COVID-19 is under investigation. We compared efficacy and safety of COPLA with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in severe COVID-19 patients. METHODS: One group received COPLA with standard medical care (n = 14), and another group received random donor FFP, as control with standard medical care (n = 15) in severe COVID-19 disease. RESULTS: The proportion of patients free of ventilation at day seven were 78.5% in COPLA group, and 93.3 % in control group were not significant (p= 0.258). However, improved respiratory rate, O2 saturation, SOFA score, and Ct value were observed in the COPLA group. No serious adverse events were noticed by plasma transfusion in both groups.

Utility of the lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan tuberculosis assay in patients with advanced HIV disease at antiretroviral therapy centres in Mumbai, India.

BACKGROUND: People with Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) are at higher risk of TB coinfection and mortality. However, there are challenges in TB diagnosis with the currently recommended diagnostic tools. WHO recommends lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan (LF-LAM) assay to assist TB diagnosis among AHD patients. We assessed the utility and acceptability of using urine LF-LAM assay for TB diagnosis among patients at public Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centres in Mumbai. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted among adult AHD patients accessing care from 17 ART centres during November,2020-June, 2021. Urine LF-LAM was offered as routine care for eligible patients in combination with standard diagnostic tests. We calculated the proportion of positive LF-LAM results by CD4 categories and TB symptoms and performed multivariable logistic regression to determine the factors associated with LF-LAM positivity. RESULTS: Among 2,390 patients, the majority (74.5%) had CD4 between 101-200 cells/mm3. The mean age was 43.7 years (SD:10.6), 68.6% were male, 8.4% had TB symptoms and 88.0% were on ART. The overall proportion of patients with urine LF-LAM positive results was 6.4%. Among PLHIV with CD4≤100 cells/mm3, the positivity was 43.0% and 7.7% in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, respectively. Among PLHIV with a CD4>100 cells/mm3, the positivity was 26.7% and 2.7% in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients respectively. Urine LF-LAM positivity was higher among inpatients, ART naïve, patients on treatment for <6 months, symptomatic and in WHO clinical stage III/IV of HIV disease as compared to the reference categories. We detected an additional 131 TB cases with urine LF-LAM in combination with the standard diagnostic tests. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the utility of urine LF-LAM for TB diagnosis among AHD patients and the simple, user-friendly test was acceptable as part of routine care. Inclusion of urine LF-LAM test in the current diagnostic algorithm may facilitate early TB diagnosis among AHD patients.

SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Delhi, India, During September-October 2021: A Population-Based Seroepidemiological Study.

Background A previous community-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serosurvey in Delhi in January 2021 reported a seroprevalence of 50.52%. We conducted a repeat serosurvey to obtain a recent estimate of the seroprevalence of IgG SARS-CoV-2 in the general population of Delhi, India. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 24 to October 14, 2021, in 274 wards of Delhi among 27,811 participants through a multistage sampling technique. Results The crude seroprevalence was 89.5% (95% CI 89.1, 89.8), weight for age and sex was 88% (95% CI 87.6, 88.4), and after adjustment for assay performance was estimated as 97.5% (95% CI 97.0, 98.0). On adjusted analysis, the odds of seroconversion in the participants vaccinated with at least one dose of either COVID-19 vaccine (Covishield/Covaxin) was more than four times compared to the unvaccinated ones (aOR 4.2 (3.8, 4.6)). 86.8% of the seropositive individuals had a SARS-CoV-2 signal/cut-off ≥4.0 although it was significantly lower in the pediatric age group. Post-second wave (August to October 2021), on average there were daily 39 new COVID-19 cases and 0.44 deaths which during Omicron driven the third wave in January to March 2022 increased to daily 4,267 cases and 11.6 deaths. Conclusion A high prevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 with likely higher antibody titres in the vaccinated compared to the unvaccinated groups with evidence of hybrid immunity in a majority of the population was protective against severe disease during transmission of subsequent omicron variants.

Neutralizing antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2: A population based seroepidemiological analysis.

This study (August-September 2021) estimated the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in the general population of Delhi and correlated it with their anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels. Samples were selected by simple random sampling method. The neutralizing capacity was estimated by performing a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) (GenScript), Piscataway, NJ, USA. A total of 2233 (87.1%, 95% C.I. 85.7, 88.3) of the 2564 SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositive samples had detectable SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. In samples with S/CO â€‹≥ â€‹4.00, the neutralizing antibodies ranged from 94.5% to 100%. The SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody seroprevalence strongly correlated with the S/CO range of IgG SARS-CoV-2 (r â€‹= â€‹0.62, p â€‹= â€‹0.002).

Treatment Response and Drug Resistance Profiling of Genotype 6 of Hepatitis C Virus in HCV/HIV Co-Infected Patients: A Pilot Study from INDIA.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) genotype (GT) 6 demonstrates maximum genomic diversity out of all the known genotypes of HCV, attributable to its inherent intra-genotype and inter-genotype recombination property. This is the most common genotype seen in HCV/HIV co-infected cases. HIV/HCV co-infection is linked with increased genetic diversity in HCV structural genes. The detailed information on the distribution of HCV GT6, its subtypes, and resistance to currently available antiviral drugs is limited in the Indian subcontinent. Therefore, in this single-center retrospective cross-sectional study, we aimed to map the occurrence of HCV GT6, its subtypes and resistance-associated substitution (RAS), and its correlation with antiviral treatment response in HCV-infected patients. From a cohort of 2052 HCV-infected patients, the overall prevalence of GT6 was 2.5% (n = 53), with a maximum of 81.1% (n = 43) seen in HCV/HIV co-infected patients. Nine different subtypes, 6a, 6b, 6f, 6i, 6n, 6u, 6v, 6w, and 6xa, were detected in the Indian population for the first time, with a predominance of 6xa (41.5%), a rare subtype, followed by 6n (39.6%). The phylogenetic analysis by the neighbor-joining method revealed three prominent viral clades, 6v, 6n, and 6xa-6u. The baseline (before treatment initiation) plasma samples of all GT6-infected patients were retrieved from -80 °C and a part of the NS5a and NS5b region of the viral genome was analyzed for the presence of RAS. No RASs were seen in the NS5b region, while in two patients (3.7%) RASs were seen at baseline in the NS5a region of the virus. Sustained viral response (SVR) was attained in 81% (n = 43) of patients. No difference in GT6 subtype distribution or occurrence of RAS was seen between mono-infected HCV and HIV/HCV co-infected cases. Our study revealed that RAS at baseline did not influence the attainment of SVR and the currently available antiviral therapy is effective against GT6 mono-infected and HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

Efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in the patient with COVID-19: a randomised control trial (COPLA-II trial).

IMPORTANCE: No proven treatment is available for severely ill COVID-19. Therapeutic use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (COPLA) is under investigation. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of COPLA with standard medical therapy (SMT) alone in severe COVID-19 patients. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A multicentric, open-labelled, phase-III randomised controlled trial conducted at two treatment centres with COPLA collected at the third dedicated centre in North-India, the coordinating centre during trial from June 2020 to December 2020. The study population comprised 400 participants in the ratio of 1:1 in each treatment group. INTERVENTION: One group received COPLA with SMT (n=200), and another group received SMT only (n=200). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was time to clinical improvement measured by a two-point reduction in the ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes included duration of O2 therapy, the proportion of patients on mechanical ventilation at day-7, mortality, SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels, cytokine levels and incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: The median time to a two-point reduction in the ordinal scale in both groups was 9 days (IQR=7-13) (p=0.328). The median duration of O2 therapy was 8 days (IQR=6-12) in COPLA and 10 days (IQR=6-12) in SMT group (p=0.64). The PaO2/FiO2 ratio showed significant improvement at 7 days in COPLA group(p=0.036). There was no difference in mortality till 28 days in both groups (p=0.62). However, if COPLA was given within 3 days of hospital admission, a significant reduction in ordinal scale was observed (p=0.04). Neutralising antibody titres in COPLA group (80 (IQR 80-80)) were higher than SMT group (0 (IQR 0-80)) at 48 hours (p=0.001). COPLA therapy led to a significant reduction in TNF-α levels at 48 hours (p=0.048) and D-dimer at 7 days (p=0.02). Mild allergic reactions were observed in 3 (1.5%) patients in COPLA group. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Convalescent plasma with adequate antibody titres should be transfused in COVID-19 patients along with SMT in the initial 3 days of hospitalisation for better clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04425915.

SARS-CoV-2 Lineage Tracking, and Evolving Trends Seen during Three Consecutive Peaks of Infection in Delhi, India: a Clinico-Genomic Study.

Since its advent, the pandemic has caused havoc in multiple waves due partly to amplified transmissibility and immune escape to vaccines. Delhi, India also witnessed brutal multiple peaks causing exponential rise in cases. Here we had retrospectively investigated clade variation, emergence of new lineages and varied clinical characteristics during those three peaks in order to understand the trajectory of the ongoing pandemic. In this study, a total of 123,378 samples were collected for a time span of 14 months (1 June 2020 to 3 August 2021) encompassing three different peaks in Delhi. A subset of 747 samples was processed for sequencing. Complete clinical and demographic details of all the enrolled cases were also collected. We detected 26 lineages across three peaks nonuniformly from 612 quality passed samples. The first peak was driven by diverse early variants, while the second one by B.1.36 and B.1.617.2, unlike third peak caused entirely by B.1.617.2. A total of 18,316 mutations with median of 34 were reported. Majority of mutations were present in less than 1% of samples. Differences in clinical characteristics across three peaks was also reported. To be ahead of the frequently changing course of the ongoing pandemic, it is of utmost importance that novel lineages be tracked continuously. Prioritized sequencing of sudden local outburst and community hot spots must be done to swiftly detect a novel mutation/lineage of potential clinical importance. IMPORTANCE Genome surveillance of the Delhi data provides a more detailed picture of diverse circulating lineages. The added value that the current study provides by clinical details of the patients is of importance. We looked at the shifting patterns of lineages, clinical characteristics and mutation types and mutation load during each successive infection surge in Delhi. The importance of widespread genomic surveillance cannot be stressed enough to timely detect new variants so that appropriate policies can be immediately implemented upon to help control the infection spread. The entire idea of genomic surveillance is to arm us with the clues as to how the novel mutations and/or variants can prove to be more transmissible and/or fatal. In India, the densely populated cities have an added concern of the huge burden that even the milder variants of the virus combined with co-morbidity can have on the community/primary health care centers.