The Role of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the Pathogenesis of Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory bowel diseases with uncertain etiology. We aimed to determine the amounts of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the intestinal microbiota of these patients and to correlate their amounts with blood IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 cytokine levels. METHODS: Thirty UC, 30 CDs, and 46 healthy controls were included. IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 levels of blood samples were analyzed by ELISA. The amounts of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were determined by the LightCycler 480 qPCR system. RESULTS: F. prausnitzii, A. muciniphila, IL-10, and IL-12 decreased in patient groups, while IL-8 decreased in UC but increased in CD. A significant difference was detected between the patient and control groups in terms of F. prausnitzii, A. muciniphila, and IL-8, but not for others. The amount of F. prausnitzii was correlated with IL-8 and IL-10 in UC and with IL-10 in CD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in the amount of F. prausnitzii was associated with the increase in UC disease severity. A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii were detected in lower amounts in both diseases. F. prausnitzii decreased more with the severity of UC, suggesting that these bacteria may have complex roles in their etiopathogenesis.

Humoral and cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine in pediatric kidney transplant recipients compared with dialysis patients and healthy children.

BACKGROUND: Compared with the general population, the immune response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is lower in adult kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). However, data is limited for pediatric KTRs. In this study, we aimed to assess humoral and cellular immune responses to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in pediatric KTRs. METHODS: This multicenter, prospective, case-control study included 63 KTRs (37 male, aged 12-21 years), 19 dialysis patients, and 19 controls. Humoral (anti-SARS-CoV2 IgG, neutralizing Ab (nAb)) and cellular (interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA)) immune responses were assessed at least one month after two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. RESULTS: Among COVID-19 naïve KTRs (n = 46), 76.1% tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, 54.3% for nAb, and 63% for IGRA. Serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and nAb activity were significantly lower in KTRs compared to dialysis and control groups (p < 0.05 for all). Seropositivity in KTRs was independently associated with shorter transplant duration (p = 0.005), and higher eGFR (p = 0.007). IGRA titer was significantly lower than dialysis patients (p = 0.009). Twenty (43.4%) KTRs were positive for all immune parameters. Only four of 11 seronegative KTRs were IGRA-positive. COVID-19 recovered KTRs had significantly higher anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and nAb activity levels than COVID-19 naïve KTRs (p = 0.018 and p = 0.007, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The humoral and cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine are lower in pediatric KTRs compared to dialysis patients. Further prospective studies are required to demonstrate the clinical efficacy of the mRNA vaccine in KTRs. This prospective study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05465863, registered retrospectively at 20.07.2022). A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Investigation of Obesity-Related HAdV-36 in NAFLD Patients: a Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: HAdV-36 leads to adipocyte proliferation of adipose tissue through E4orf1 gene, leading to the development of obesity and related diseases. We aimed to investigate the presence and any association of HAdV-36 in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients Methods: The patient group was composed of 116 patients; 30 obese patients with NAFLD (BMI > 30 kg/m2), 30 patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM)+NAFLD (BMI > 30 kg/m2), 16 patients with NAFLD (BMI < 30 kg/m2), and operated obese group with NAFLD (BMI > 30 kg/m2). The control group comprised 81 non-obese healthy adults. Liver adipose tissue samples were obtained in 30 operated NAFLD patients. HAdV-36-DNA, HAdV-36 neutralizing antibodies, serum lipid, and adipokine levels were analyzed. RESULTS: HAdV-36 neutralizing antibodies (HAdV-36 Ab-positive) were detected in 10/116 and 2/81 participants in the study and control groups, respectively; the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.005). LDL, total cholesterol but not adipokine levels were found to be significantly higher in HadV-36 Ab-positive patients (p < 0.05). While HAdV-36 was identified as a risk factor with OR = 4.11 in univariate analyses, there was no significant difference in binary logistic regression analysis. HAdV-36-DNA was detected in the adipose tissue samples of two patients. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the presence of HAdV-36 may lead to the development of obesity with the increase in adipose tissue, and diseases such as hyperlipidemia, NAFLD, DM, and metabolic syndrome may develop on the basis of chronic inflammation caused by obesity. Thus, HAdV-36 may be a plausible risk factor for the development of NAFLD.

Antibody responses to inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in peritoneal dialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: As end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients generally have reduced responses to the vaccines, effectiveness of newly developed SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in ESRD are also matters of curiosity. We aimed to investigate the humoral responses of our peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients to the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. METHODS: Humoral immune responses of 23 PD patients who received two doses of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were investigated with a commercial test that measures IgG antibodies towards receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Seropositivity rates, antibody titers, and ESRD related clinical data were compared with 51 hemodialysis (HD) patients and 29 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Seropositivity of PD patients with the inactivated vaccine was 95.6%. Both the rate of seropositivity and SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels in PD patients were not different from the healthy controls (p = 0.85 and 0.19, respectively). While seropositivity rates were not different for PD or HD patients (p = 0.09), the magnitude of humoral responses was significantly higher in PD patients (p = 0.0001). There were no vaccine-related serious adverse events. In the 3-months clinical follow-up, none of the patients experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSION: Two doses of the inactivated vaccine generate adequate humoral immune response in PD patients without any serious adverse events.

Point Mutations at gyrA and gyrB Genes of Levofloxacin Resistant Helicobacter pylori Strains and Dual Resistance with Clarithromycin.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous point mutations in genes encoding gyrA/B subunits of DNA gyrase are responsible for fluoroquinolone resistance. We aimed to determine the clarithromycin and levofloxacin resistance phenotypically in H. pylori strains and to investigate the mutations responsible for levofloxacin resistance and the effects of these mutations on dual antibiotic resistance. METHODS: A total of 65 H. pylori isolates were included. The E-test method was used for the clarithromycin and le-vofloxacin antimicrobial susceptibility test. Real-time PCR was used to detect the point mutations. RESULTS: Twenty-four (36.9%) of 65 H. pylori strains were phenotypically resistant to clarithromycin and 14 (21.5%) to levofloxacin. The phenotypic levofloxacin resistance rate of strains with Asn87Lys and Asp91Asn mutations were significantly higher (gyrA gene) (p < 0.05). The phenotypic levofloxacin resistance rate of strains with Arg484Lys and Asp481Glu mutations were significantly higher (gyrB gene) (p < 0.05). The Asn87Lys mutation increased the risk of phenotypes being resistant to levofloxacin 70.156 times and Asp91Asn mutation increased 125,427 times higher. Seven (10.8%) of 65 H. pylori strains showed dual resistance to both levofloxacin and clarithromycin. The rate of being dual resistant with A2143G mutation (clarithromycin resistance) was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Asn87Lys and Asp91Asn mutations in the gyrA gene had a phenotypically enhancing effect on levofloxacin resistance, while the presence of Asp481Glu and Arg484Lys mutations in the gyrB gene did not. The existence of dual resistance was developed with the increase in clarithromycin and levofloxacin resistance rates.

Epstein-Barr Virus and Helicobacter pylori co-infection in patients with gastric cancer and duodenale ulcer.

We aimed to detect EBV/Hp (Epstein-Barr Virus/Helicobacter pylori) co-infection by determining the number of copies of EBV/EBER-1 in the gastric biopsy samples of the Hp (+) GC, peptic ulcer (PU), and non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) cases. The patient group (PG), with 34 patients (34 GC and 30 PU patients) and a control group with 40 NUD cases were included. All patients and controls were Hp positive. EBV/EBNA-1 IgG were measured by the Anti-EBNA-1 ELISA IgG kit. Determination and quantification of EBV/EBER-1 gene region was performed by qPCR. EBV/EBER-1 positivity was 35.29% (12/34), 6.6% (2/30) and 2.5% (1/40) in GC, PU and 40 NUD cases, respectively. A significant difference was found between the GC and NUD cases (p=0.001). A significant difference was found between the groups for mean EBV/EBER-1 copy numbers (p=0.019). No significant difference was found between GC and the NUD cases (p=0.1455) for EBV/EBNA-1 IgG antibody positivity. EBV/EBER-1 positivity (OR=3.319), and age ≥55 years old (OR=2.331) were found to be a significant in multivariate logistic regression. In conclusion, our data suggest that the GC risk by EBVand Hp co-infection increased 3.3 times.

[Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of Different Principles of SARS-CoV-2 Commercial Antibody Tests in COVID-19 Patients]. / SARS-CoV-2 ile Ilgili Farkli Prensipli Ticari Antikor Testlerinin COVID-19 Hastalarindaki Tanisal Performanslarinin Degerlendirilmesi.

Following the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) and using only PCR for diagnosis, antibody tests have been rapidly developed by various commercial companies. There are differences between the sensitivity and specificity of these tests due to the usage of different viral target proteins and antibody subclasses. In order to evaluate the diagnostic use of these tests, we aimed to examine the diagnostic performance, especially sensitivity and specificity, of SARS-CoV-2 IgM, IgA and IgG tests of various companies (Abbott, Roche, Euroimmun, Dia.Pro, Anshlabs, Vircell, UnScience and RedCell), which have different principles (ECLIA/CLIA, EIA, LFA). Current (n= 180) and past (n= 180) COVID-19 patients with clinical and molecular diagnosis of COVID-19 admitted to Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Pandemic Polyclinic with suspected COVID-19 infection, were included in our study. The patients admitted within the first 3 weeks after the onset of symptoms were included in the current patient group, and those admitted at the third and after the third week were included in the past patient group. Serum samples (n= 180) obtained from Istanbul Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Blood Center between April and June 2018 before the COVID-19 pandemic were included in the study as a control group. All the tests included in our study were studied with the recommendations of the manufacturer companies. Between the IgG detection tests with different principles in patients with past COVID-19, the sensitivity and specificity values of the most effective tests were; 86.7%/99.4% (Abbott), 86.1%/98.9% (Dia.Pro), 91.3%/95% (RedCell). Between the IgM detection tests with different principles in current COVID-19 patients, the sensitivity and specificity values were; 67.8%/99.4% (Abbott), 68.9%/98.6% (Vircell), 50%/97.5% (RedCell). Abbott IgM with a kappa coefficient of 0.67 and Vircell IgM + IgA test with a kappa coefficient of 0.65 showed the best fit in patients with current COVID-19 infection. In patients with past COVID-19, Abbott IgG with 0.86 kappa coefficient and Dia.Pro IgG test with 0.85 kappa coefficient showed the best match. Due to the low sensitivity of IgM detection antibody tests, they should not be preferred instead of real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in routine diagnosis. IgG detection tests may be preferred to detect the antibody response and the titers in people who have had COVID-19 for population seroprevalence and especially therapeutic immune plasma production. However, it is thought that the combined use of both ECLIA/CLIA-based and EIA/ELISA-based tests together may be more effective in routine use for SARS-CoV-2 IgG tests.

Laser-Driven Rapid Synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks and Investigation of UV-NIR Optical Absorption, Luminescence, Photocatalytic Degradation, and Gas and Ion Adsorption Properties.

In this study, we designed a platform based on a laser-driven approach for fast, efficient, and controllable MOF synthesis. The laser irradiation method was performed for the first time to synthesize Zn-based MOFs in record production time (approximately one hour) compared to all known MOF production methods with comparable morphology. In addition to well-known structural properties, we revealed that the obtained ZnMOFs have a novel optical response, including photoluminescence behavior in the visible range with nanosecond relaxation time, which is also supported by first-principles calculations. Additionally, photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue with ZnMOF was achieved, degrading the 10 ppm methylene blue (MB) solution 83% during 1 min of irradiation time. The application of laser technology can inspire the development of a novel and competent platform for a fast MOF fabrication process and extend the possible applications of MOFs to miniaturized optoelectronic and photonic devices.

Favourable humoral but reduced cellular immune response to COVID-19 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine in patients with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate both humoral and cellular immune responses to the COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA; BNT162b2) vaccine in patients with childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) compared with healthy controls and patient controls (kidney transplant (KTx) recipients). METHODS: This single-centre, cross-sectional and case-control study included 16 patients with cSLE, 19 healthy controls and 19 KTx recipients. We assessed SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral (anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, neutralising antibody (nAb)) and cellular (interferon gamma release assay (IGRA)) immune responses at least 1 month after administration of two doses of the mRNA vaccine. RESULTS: Humoral immune response rates (anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and nAb seropositivity) in patients with cSLE were comparable to healthy controls (100% vs 100% and 100% vs 95%, respectively) but significantly higher than in KTx recipients (74% and 42%, p<0.05 for both). Cellular immune response rate measured by IGRA was lower in patients with cSLE compared with healthy controls (56.3% vs 89.5%, p=0.050) and comparable to KTx recipients (63%). IGRA-negative patients with cSLE had significantly lower total leucocyte and lymphocyte counts at vaccination time as compared with their counterparts (p=0.008 and p=0.001, respectively). No differences were found in disease activity or immunosuppressive therapies between IGRA-negative and IGRA-positive patients with cSLE. CONCLUSION: Patients with cSLE showed robust humoral but compromised cellular immune responses to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, associated with lower lymphocyte counts. These findings highlight the need for further research to enhance vaccine efficacy in this vulnerable group.

The Relationship between Gastroduodenal Pathologies and Helicobacter pylori cagL (Cytotoxin-Associated Gene L) Polymorphism.

BACKGROUND: The polymorphisms in the region between 58 and 62 amino acids of the 194-amino acid CagL protein (CagL hypervariable motif) affect the binding affinity of CagL to integrin α5ß1 (ITGA5B1) receptor in host epithelial cells and have an effect on the development of various gastrointestinal diseases. We aimed to evaluate the associations of gastroduodenal pathologies, with the polymorphisms of cagL gene of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and also associations between vacA genotypes and cagL polymorphisms. METHODS: A total of 19 gastric cancer, 16 duodenal ulcer, and 26 non-ulcer dyspepsia patients were included in this case-control study. All cases had H. pylori. A fragment of 651 bp from gene cagL (hp0539) and cagA, vacA genes was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Purified polymerase chain reaction products were sequenced by Sanger sequencing, and nucleotide sequences were translated into amino acid sequences. RESULTS: All of the H. pylori strains had cagL and cagA genes. In the 16 (84%) gastric cancer cases, the D58 amino acid polymorphism was significant than the 4 (15.4%) duodenal ulcer cases (P = .029), and the D58/K59 amino acid polymorphism was significant in 12 (63.1%) of the gastric cancer cases than 1 (3.85%) duodenal ulcer case (P = .008). D58/K59 and DKIGQ (n = 10; 52.63%) were the most common polymorphisms in the gastric cancer and were associated with the vacA genotype s1/m2, respectively (P = .022 and P = .008). The D58/K59 amino acid polymorphism was found to have a significant Odds Ratio (OR) value of 8.9 (P = .0017) in multivariate logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of gastric cancer development is 8.9 times higher with D58/K59 polymorphism.

Waning immunity to inactive SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in healthcare workers: booster required.

AIMS: Despite high vaccination rates, increasing case numbers continue to be reported with the identification of new variants of concern, and the issue of durability of the vaccine-induced immune response remains hot topic. Real-life data regarding time-dependent immunogenicity of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines are scarce. We aimed to investigate the changes in the antibody at the different times after the second dose of the CoronaVac vaccine. METHODS: The study included 175 HCWs vaccinated with inactive CoronaVac (Sinovac Life Sciences, China) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in two doses. Anti-spike/RBD IgG levels were measured first, third, and sixth months after the second dose. Chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (IgG II Quant test, Abbott, USA), which is 100% compatible with plaque reduction neutralization test, was used. RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 38 ± 11.23 years (range between 22 and 66) of whom 119 (63.9%) were female, and 56 (32%) were male. Dramatic reductions were demonstrated in median antibody levels particularly in the infection-naïve group, comprising 138 HCWs compared to those with prior history of COVID-19 infection (n = 37) (p < 0.001). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, blood groups, BMI, and comorbid diseases. CONCLUSIONS: While antibody positivity remained above 90% in the 6th month after two doses of inactivated vaccine in HCWs, the median titers of neutralizing antibodies decreased rapidly. The decrease was more rapid and significant in those with no history of prior COVID-19 infection. In this critical phase of the pandemic, where we are facing the dominance of the Omicron variant after Delta, booster doses have become vital.

Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Levels after a Third Heterologous and Homologous BNT162b2 Booster Dose.

This study aimed to determine the anti-S (receptor binding protein) RBD IgG antibody titers formed against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) and the neutralizing antibody inhibition percentages (nAb IH%) in blood samples taken after two doses of inactive or mRNA-based vaccine and a booster dose. Volunteers with two doses of inactivated CoronaVac (heterologous group; n = 75) and BioNTech (BNT)162b2 mRNA vaccine (homologous group; n = 75) were included in this study. All participants preferred the BNT162b2 vaccine as a booster dose. First, peripheral blood samples were taken 3 months after the second vaccine dose. Second, peripheral blood samples were taken 1 month after the booster dose. Anti-S-RBD IgG titers were determined by CMIA (SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant). Neutralizing antibodies were detected by a surrogate neutralization assay (SARS-CoV-2 NeutraLISA, Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany). The median age of the volunteers was 40 (IQR 29-47) years old. After the heterologous booster dose, anti-S-RBD IgG levels and neutralizing antibodies increased approximately 50-fold and 9-fold, respectively. Anti-S-RBD IgG titers increased by 9 and 57 times, respectively, while nAb IH% increased by 1.5 and 16 times, respectively, among those with heterologous reminder doses and those with and without a prior history of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study showed that after the administration of a heterologous booster dose with BNT162b2 to those whose primary vaccination was with inactivated CoronaVac, the binding and neutralizing antibody levels were similar to those who received a homologous BNT162b2 booster dose. It was observed that the administration of heterologous and homologous booster doses resulted in the development of similar levels of neutralizing antibodies, independently from a prior history of COVID-19.

Antibody responses to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in hemodialysis patients: Is inactivated vaccine effective?

INTRODUCTION: Vaccines generally have reduced effectiveness in hemodialysis patients and a similar condition may also apply for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The aim of this study was to analyze humoral responses of hemodialysis patients to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. METHODS: Eighty-five maintenance hemodialysis patients who received either inactivated or mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were investigated. Antibody levels were measured by a commercial antibody kit, which detected antibodies toward receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Comparative analyzes were carried between vaccine groups and with a control group of 103 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Seropositivity rate and antibody levels were significantly lower in hemodialysis patients who received inactivated vaccine (p = 0.000). While mRNA vaccine had better immunogenicity, both vaccines protected from symptomatic infection when seropositivity was achieved. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: When used in the same dose with the general population, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines generate reduced humoral response in hemodialysis patients. mRNA vaccines have better immunogenicity in this group.

Inactive SARS-CoV-2 vaccine generates high antibody responses in healthcare workers with and without prior infection.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Healthcare workers (HCWs) were among the first groups to be vaccinated in Turkey. The data to be obtained by the vaccination of HCWs would guide wide spread vaccination programs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 330 HCWs working at Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty Hospital and vaccinated with inactive CoronaVac (Sinovac Life Sciences, China) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in two doses (28 days apart). Anti-Spike /RBD IgG levels were measured 14 days after the first dose and 28 days after the second dose. Chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) (ARCHITECT IgG II Quant test, Abbott, USA), which is 100% compatible with plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), was used. RESULTS: Of the participants, 211 (63.9%) were female, 119 (36.1%) were male, and mean age was 39.6 ± 7.7 years. In those without prior COVID-19 history; (n = 255) antibody positivity was detected as 48.2% (95% CI: 42.1-54.3) 14 days after the first dose of vaccine, and 99.2% (95% CI: 98.1-100) at day 28 after the second dose. Antibody titers were significantly lower in patients with hypertension (p = 0.011). In those with prior history of COVID-19 (n = 75); both the antibody positivity rates after the first vaccine (48.2% vs 100%, p = 0.000) and the anti-spike/RBD antibody levels after the second vaccine (with a ≥ 1050 AU/mL titer equivalent to PRNT 1/80 dilution) was significant than infection-naive group (25.9% vs. 54.7%, p = 0.000). Antibody positivity after two doses of vaccination for all study group was 99.4% (95% CI: 98.6-100). CONCLUSIONS: Two doses CoronaVac produce effective humoral immunity in HCWs. Antibody response is significantly higher in those with prior history of COVID-19 than infection-naive group. Given no significant benefit of the second dose, a single shot of vaccination may be sufficient for those with prior history of COVID-19. Monitoring humoral and cellular immune responses, considering new variants, is required to validate this approach.

Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity: patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases versus healthy children.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to find out the asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence among pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases and healthy children and to compare them with each other. METHODS: Patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) and healthy children as healthy control (HC) group who remained asymptomatic during the pandemic are examined by ELISA immunoglobulin (Ig) A and IgG tests in this cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Overall, 149 subjects (90 females) were included in the study. While IgA was positive in 15 subjects (10%) (HC: 8, jSLE: 3, FMF: 2, JIA: 2; p = 0.196), IgG was positive in 14 subjects (9.4%) (HC: 7, JIA: 5, FMF: 1, jSLE: 1; p = 0.156). Nineteen subjects (12.75%) were IgA or IgG positive (HC: 8, JIA: 5, jSLE: 3, FMF: 3; p = 0.644). Although not significant, seropositivity was more often in HC group. Both IgA and IgG positivity were not found to be related to age, sex, underlying rheumatic diseases, and received treatments of the patients. CONCLUSION: We revealed that patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases, even if they receive immunosuppressive medication such as biologic or conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, might have an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, similarly to their healthy peers. Key points • Although it has been already known that children are most likely to have asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is a lack of data on the disease course of children with rheumatic disease. • There was no significant difference regarding the asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rates between healthy children and the patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases. • Patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases, even if they receive immunosuppressive medication, might have asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, similarly to their healthy peers.

Heterologous booster COVID-19 vaccination elicited potent immune responses in HCWs.

The objective of our study was to evaluate the antibody responses of health care workers (HCWs) who were vaccinated with booster dose BNT162b2 6 months after 2 doses of the CoronoVac vaccine. The study included 318 HCWs vaccinated with inactive CoronaVac SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in 2 doses. Anti-spike/RBD IgG levels were measured immediately before and 1 month after the booster dose. In the sixth month after CoronaVac vaccination, the median of antibody levels of 1212.02 AU/ML, while it was 9283 AU/mL after BNT162b2 vaccination. IgG antibody titers of over 1050 AU/mL (which is equivalent to 1:80 dilution in the plaque reduction neutralization test) were detected in HCWs 15.09% and 97.8%, respectively. Our results showed that antibody titers increased 8-fold after the booster dose. We believe that the administration of the mRNA vaccine as a booster dose can provide more effective protection against COVID-19 infection, especially in individuals with risk factors.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and Neutralizing Antibody Levels in Patients with Past COVID-19 Infection: A Longitudinal Study

Background: Monitoring the longevity of immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections is vital to understanding the role of antibodies in preventing infection. Aims: To determine the quantitative IgG responses specific to the Spike-S1 (S1) receptor-binding domain (S1/RBD) region of the virus in serum samples taken between 4 weeks and 7 months after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity in patients who are diagnosed with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Study Design: A longitudinal study. Methods: This study included 113 patients with a clinical and molecular diagnosis of COVID-19. The first and second serum samples were taken 1 and 7 months, respectively, after the PCR positivity. S1/RBD-specific IgG antibody response was assayed using anti-SARS-CoV- 2 QuantiVac ELISA (IgG) kit (Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany). The neutralizing antibodies were investigated in 57 patients whose IgG test results were above the cut-off value. Results: In 57 patients with SARS-CoV-2 IgG, the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG quantitative antibody levels significantly decreased after 7 months (Z = −2.197, p = 0.028). A correlation was detected between the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and nAb percent inhibition (IH%) levels detected in 1 month (rs = 0.496, p < 0.001), but without significant correlation in serum samples taken on 7 months. The nAb IH% levels of the first and second were compared for COVID-19 severity and revealed no statistical difference (p = 0.256). In the second serum sample, the nAb IH%s of patients with moderate COVID-19 showed a statistically significant difference from patients with mild COVID-19 (p = 0.018), but without significant differences between severe and moderate or mild COVID-19. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 quantitative IgG antibody titers are significantly reduced at long-term follow-up (> 6 months). Due to the limited information on seroconversion, comprehensive studies should be conducted for long-term follow-up of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody Levels After Inactivated Vaccine (CoronaVac) among Elderly.

We aimed to describe the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 after inactivated COVID-19 vaccine in elderly individuals. SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were measured in the blood samples of 126 volunteers over the age of 60. The antibody positivity rate was 42.8% after the first dose and 96.8% after the second dose of the vaccine. The median antibody titers after two vaccine doses were 561.3AU/mL and 43AU/mL, respectively(p<0.001). After vaccination, 22.2% of the participants had antibodies equivalent to 1:80 dilutions in plaque reduction neutralization test (PNRT). We believe that the booster dose is needed to continue the protective immune response in especially elderly groups.

Association between human leukocyte antigen gene polymorphisms and multiple EPIYA-C repeats in gastrointestinal disorders.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes are suggested to increase the risk of gastric cancer (GC). AIM: To investigate the HLA allele frequencies of patients with GC relative to a control group in terms of CagA+ multiple (≥ 2) EPIYA-C repeats. METHODS: The patient group comprised 94 patients [44 GC and 50 duodenal ulcer (DU) patients], and the control group comprised 86 individuals [(50 non-ulcer dyspepsia patients and 36 people with asymptomatic Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)]. Polymerase chain reaction was performed for the amplification of the H. pylori cagA gene and typing of EPIYA motifs. HLA sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) typing was performed using Lifecodes SSO typing kits (HLA-A, HLA-B HLA-C, HLA-DRB1, and HLA-DQA1-B1 kits). RESULTS: The comparison of GC cases in terms of CagA+ multiple (≥ 2) EPIYA-C repeats showed that only the HLA-DQB1*06 allele [odds ratio (OR): 0.37, P = 0.036] was significantly lower, but significance was lost after correction (Pc = 0.1845). The HLA-DQA1*01 allele had a high ratio in GC cases with multiple EPIYA-C repeats, but this was not significant in the univariate analysis. We compared allele frequencies in the DU cases alone and in GC and DU cases together using the same criterion, and none of the HLA alleles were significantly associated with GC or DU. Also, none of the alleles were detected as independent risk factors after the multivariate analysis. On the other hand, in a multivariate logistic regression with no discriminative criterion, HLA-DQA1*01 (OR = 1.848), HLA-DQB1*06 (OR = 1.821) and HLA-A*02 (OR = 1.579) alleles were detected as independent risk factors for GC and DU. CONCLUSION: None of the HLA alleles were detected as independent risk factors in terms of CagA+ multiple EPIYA-C repeats. However, HLA-DQA1*01, HLA-DQB1*0601, and HLA-A*2 were independent risk factors with no criterion in the multivariate analysis. We suggest that the association of these alleles with gastric malignancies is not specifically related to cagA and multiple EPIYA C repeats.

Evaluating the effectiveness of anti-tuberculosis treatment by detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis 85B messenger RNA expression in sputum.

BACKGROUND: The antigen 85 complex (85B) is secreted in large quantities from growing mycobacteria and the presence of bacterial mRNA is an indicator of cell viability. The quantitative detection of 85B mRNA expression levels can be used to assess the success of anti-tuberculosis treatment outcomes to detect viable mycobacteria cells. Therefore, we evaluated the levels of 85B mRNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: Thirty patients with primary tuberculosis were included in this study. The sputum specimens of patients were collected on days 0, 15, and 30 days and were cultured and evaluated by 85B mRNA-based RT-qPCR. RESULTS: Overall, 23 of the studied tuberculosis strains were susceptible to the primary anti-tuberculosis antibiotics used in this study, 7 were resistant. By the 30th day of treatment, 85B mRNA was detected in only one of the susceptible strains, but in all 7 of the resistant strains, though the relative gene expression varied between the strains. This difference between the susceptible and resistant strains at day 30 was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: 85B mRNA expression levels could be used to follow up on primary tuberculosis cases. 85B mRNA seems to be a good diagnostic marker for monitoring anti-tuberculosis treatment outcomes.