Comparison of the effectiveness of four SARS-COV-2 v accines in Nuevo Leon, Mexico: A test-negative control study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to provide statewide estimates of real-world effectiveness in reducing the odds of one primary (symptomatic COVID-19 infection) and two secondary outcomes (hospitalization and severe COVID-19 infection) by four vaccines BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech), ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca), Ad5-nCoV (CanSinoBIO), and CoronaVac (Sinovac Life Sciences), used in Northeast Mexico. DESIGN: We conducted a test-negative case-control study and analyzed statewide surveillance data from December 2020 to August 2021. SITE: Primary attention and hospitalization. PARTICIPANTS: Two inclusion criteria were applied, age≥18 years and having a real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction assay or a rapid test for antigen detection in postnasal samples (N=164,052). The vaccination was considered complete if at least 14 days had passed since the application of the single or second dose and the beginning of symptomatology. INTERVENTIONS: Does not apply. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Point and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of vaccine effectiveness were calculated per type of vaccine using the formula 1 - odds ratio, adjusted by sex and age. RESULTS: Complete vaccination offered from none (CoronaVac - Sinovac) to 75% (95%CI 71, 77) (BNT162b2 - Pfizer) effectiveness in reducing symptomatic COVID-19 infection, regardless of sex and age. The fully ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca) scheme reached the maximum effectiveness in hospitalization (80%, 95%CI 69, 87) and the fully BNT162b2 (Pfizer) scheme the maximum effectiveness in severity (81%, 95%CI 64, 90). CONCLUSIONS: More studies are needed to compare benefits of different vaccines and guide policy makers select the best option for their population.

Prevalence of IgG antibodies induced by the SARS-COV-2 virus in asymptomatic adults in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Population-based immunoglobulin G (IgG) seroprevalence studies in asymptomatic individuals in Latin America are scarce. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence and geographic distribution of IgG antibodies induced by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in asymptomatic adults, 5-8 months after the first case was reported in a northeastern state of Mexico. This was a population-based cross-sectional study carried out in Nuevo Leon during August-November 2020. Individuals ≥18 years with no previous diagnosis or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 were consecutively screened in one of the busiest subway stations. Also, a search for eligible individuals was done from house-to-house, after selecting densely populated geographic sectors of each of the municipalities of the metropolitan area (n = 4495). The IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein were analyzed. The IgG antibody positivity rate was 27.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 25.8, 28.4); there were no differences by sex or age (p > 0.05). Analysis by month showed a gradual increase from 11.9% (August) to 31.9% (November); Week 39 had the highest positivity rate (42.2%, 95% CI: 34.2, 50.7). Most people did not have evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Preventive measures and promotion of the COVID-19 vaccine should be strengthened.

Advances in gene therapy for hemophilia.

Hemophilia is a hereditary disorder that can be life-threatening in individuals who have severe spontaneous bleeding resulting from minor trauma or surgery. Although replacement therapy of the missing exogenous factor has improved patients' quality of life, it has not been possible to establish a long-term treatment. Due to the severity of the disease and the need for repetitive doses throughout the patient's life, replacement therapy has become a high-cost treatment option; therefore, the development of self-sustainable long-term therapies is critical. Hemophilia is a good candidate for gene therapy because it is a monogenic disease that can be counteracted by expression of the missing factor. In this article, we review some of the most relevant advances in gene therapy for this illness.

Antitumor Response by Endoplasmic Reticulum-Targeting DNA Vaccine Is Improved by Adding a KDEL Retention Signal.

Directing an antigen to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) improves the antigen-specific immune response, revealing a potentially useful strategy in cancer immunotherapy using tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). This can be achieved by fusing the antigen to an ER chaperone protein, such as calreticulin (CRT). We previously reported the antitumor response by fusing the CRT signal peptide (SP) and its ER retention sequence (KDEL) to full-length human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E6 and E7 antigens, obtaining a potent antitumoral effect. In this article, we compare the antitumor response due to the use of each signal (SP and/or KDEL) fused to HPV16 E6 and E7 antigens in a DNA vaccination model. Using both SP and KDEL signals promotes higher interferon (IFN)-γ production and a faster antitumor response than using only the SP, resulting in better tumor growth restraint and higher survival, indicating that the KDEL addition to an ER-directed antigen helps by shortening the time to response. Meanwhile, antigens without signals or only the KDEL signal showed no induction of antigen-specific IFN-γ or antitumor response. Our results indicate that directing the E6E7m antigen to the ER by the SP signal is sufficient to promote an efficient antitumor response. Importantly, this effect is stronger and faster when the antigen also has an ER retention sequence, such as the KDEL signal.