Hisopado endocervical en mujeres con síntomas de COVID-19 provenientes de departamentos del Paraguay / Endocervical swabbing in women with COVID-19 symptoms from departments of Paraguay

INTRODUCCIÓN: El COVID-19 es eminentemente una infección de transmisión e inicio respiratorio, se discute la existencia de otras fuentes de contagio. El receptor viral ACE2 también ha sido detectado en el útero y en la vagina; de allí se ha planteado el compromiso del virus SARS-CoV-2 sobre el sistema genitourinario y sus posibles repercusiones en el embarazo. OBJETIVO: Determinar la presencia de SARS-CoV-2 en muestras endocervicales de mujeres con COVID-19 en departamentos del Paraguay. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Diseño observacional prospectivo, de corte transverso. Se reclutaron 200 mujeres desde agosto 2020 hasta febrero 2021, con no más de 48/72 h de un resultado previo positivo de hisopado nasofaríngeo para SARS-CoV-2 por retrotranscriptasa reversa-reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (en inglés rt-RT-PCR) y que aceptaron ingresar al estudio. Se llenó un cuestionario clínico epidemiológico. Las tomas de muestras se realizaron en servicios de salud del Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social (MSP y BS), domicilios y albergues de los distintos departamentos de Paraguay. Cada paciente fue sometida a un hisopado con hisopos de dacron o citobrush endocervical para la detección de SARS-CoV-2 por rt RT-PCR. Resultados: Las mujeres estudiadas tenían una edad media de 46,5 años (IC 95% 31,5-62,5). Refirieron contagio comunitario con SARS-CoV-2 en 75,5%, 13,5% en el hogar, 8,5% en el lugar de trabajo y 1,5% en el extranjero. Las manifestaciones clínicas fueron: 30%, síndrome gripal, fiebre 22,5%, tos 20%, anosmia 15,5%, trastornos digestivos 15,5%, y otros se presentaron con menor frecuencia. Las muestras de hisopados o citobrush endocervical sometidas a rt-RT-PCR para la deteccción de SARS Cov-2, resultaron negativas en las 200 mujeres de estudio. Discusión: Cabe destacar que las muestras vaginales fueron tomadas dentro de las 24-72 h de haber obtenido un resultado positivo para SARS-CoV-2 en el hisopado nasofaríngeo y que 62,5% de las mujeres se encontraban internadas en módulos respiratorios. Se discute la razón de la negatividad de los exámenes y su trascendencia. CONCLUSIÓN: No se detectó infección con SARS-CoV-2 en la región endocervical de 200 mujeres con manifestaciones clínicas de COVID 19 y evaluadas dentro de las 48/72 h de un resultado positivo nasofaríngeo para SARS Cov-2. Los resultados en la población de estudio concuerdan con otros estudios reportados en la literatura científica.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is an eminently respiratory transmissible infection of respiratory initiation, the existence of other sources of contagion is discussed. The ACE2 viral receptor has also been detected in the uterus and vagina; Hence, the involvement of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the genitourinary system and its possible repercussions on pregnancy has been raised. AIM: To determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in endocervical samples of women with COVID-19 in the departments of Paraguay. METHODS: Designed as a prospective observational of transverse cohort. Two hundred women were recruited from August 2020 to February 2021, with no more than 48/72 hours of a previous positive nasopharyngeal swab result for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rt-RT-PCR) and who agreed to participate in the study. A clinical epidemiological questionnaire was completed. The samples were taken in health services of the MSPYBS (Public Ministry of Health and Social Welfare), homes and shelters in the different departments of Paraguay. Each patient underwent a swab (dacron swabs) or endocervical cytobrush for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by rt-RT-PCR. RESULTS: Women recruited had a mean age of 46.5 years (95% CI 31,562.5). They reported contagion with SARS-CoV-2: 75.5% in the community, 13.5% at home, 8.5% in the place of work and 1.5% abroad. The clinical manifestations were: 30% flu syndrome, 22.5% fever, 20% cough, 15.5% anosmia, 15.5% digestive disorders, among other symptoms. The swabs or endocervical cytobrush samples subjected to rt-RT-PCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 were negative in the 200 study women. Discussion: It should be noted that the vaginal samples were taken within 24-72 hours after obtaining a positive result for SARS-CoV-2 in the nasopharyngeal swab and that 62.5% of the women were hospitalized in respiratory modules. The reason for the negativity of the exams and their significance are discussed. CONCLUSION: No SARS Cov-2 infection was detected in the endocervical region of 200 women with clinical manifestations of COVID 19 and evaluated within 48/72 hours of a positive nasopharyngeal result for SARS Cov-2. The results in the study population agree with the findings of other studies reported in the literature.

[Endocervical swabbing in women with COVID-19 symptoms from departments of Paraguay]. / Hisopado endocervical en mujeres con síntomas de COVID-19 provenientes de departamentos del Paraguay.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is an eminently respiratory transmissible infection of respiratory initiation, the existence of other sources of contagion is discussed. The ACE2 viral receptor has also been detected in the uterus and vagina; Hence, the involvement of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the genitourinary system and its possible repercussions on pregnancy has been raised. AIM: To determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in endocervical samples of women with COVID-19 in the departments of Paraguay. METHODS: Designed as a prospective observational of transverse cohort. Two hundred women were recruited from August 2020 to February 2021, with no more than 48/72 hours of a previous positive nasopharyngeal swab result for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rt-RT-PCR) and who agreed to participate in the study. A clinical epidemiological questionnaire was completed. The samples were taken in health services of the MSPYBS (Public Ministry of Health and Social Welfare), homes and shelters in the different departments of Paraguay. Each patient underwent a swab (dacron swabs) or endocervical cytobrush for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by rt-RT-PCR. RESULTS: Women recruited had a mean age of 46.5 years (95% CI 31,562.5). They reported contagion with SARS-CoV-2: 75.5% in the community, 13.5% at home, 8.5% in the place of work and 1.5% abroad. The clinical manifestations were: 30% flu syndrome, 22.5% fever, 20% cough, 15.5% anosmia, 15.5% digestive disorders, among other symptoms. The swabs or endocervical cytobrush samples subjected to rt-RT-PCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 were negative in the 200 study women. DISCUSSION: It should be noted that the vaginal samples were taken within 24-72 hours after obtaining a positive result for SARS-CoV-2 in the nasopharyngeal swab and that 62.5% of the women were hospitalized in respiratory modules. The reason for the negativity of the exams and their significance are discussed. Conclusión: No SARS Cov-2 infection was detected in the endocervical region of 200 women with clinical manifestations of COVID 19 and evaluated within 48/72 hours of a positive nasopharyngeal result for SARS Cov-2. The results in the study population agree with the findings of other studies reported in the literature.

Systems analysis reveals complex biological processes during virus infection fate decisions.

The processes and mechanisms of virus infection fate decisions that are the result of a dynamic virus-immune system interaction with either an efficient effector response and virus elimination or an alleviated immune response and chronic infection are poorly understood. Here, we characterized the host response to acute and chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infections by gene coexpression network analysis of time-resolved splenic transcriptomes. First, we found an early attenuation of inflammatory monocyte/macrophage prior to the onset of T cell exhaustion, and second, a critical role of the XCL1-XCR1 communication axis during the functional adaptation of the T cell response to the chronic infection state. These findings not only reveal an important feedback mechanism that couples T cell exhaustion with the maintenance of a lower level of effector T cell response but also suggest therapy options to better control virus levels during the chronic infection phase.

Linking Cell Dynamics With Gene Coexpression Networks to Characterize Key Events in Chronic Virus Infections.

The host immune response against infection requires the coordinated action of many diverse cell subsets that dynamically adapt to a pathogen threat. Due to the complexity of such a response, most immunological studies have focused on a few genes, proteins, or cell types. With the development of "omic"-technologies and computational analysis methods, attempts to analyze and understand complex system dynamics are now feasible. However, the decomposition of transcriptomic data sets generated from complete organs remains a major challenge. Here, we combined Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and Digital Cell Quantifier (DCQ) to analyze time-resolved mouse splenic transcriptomes in acute and chronic Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) infections. This enabled us to generate hypotheses about complex immune functioning after a virus-induced perturbation. This strategy was validated by successfully predicting several known immune phenomena, such as effector cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) expansion and exhaustion. Furthermore, we predicted and subsequently verified experimentally macrophage-CD8 T cell cooperativity and the participation of virus-specific CD8+ T cells with an early effector transcriptome profile in the host adaptation to chronic infection. Thus, the linking of gene expression changes with immune cell kinetics provides novel insights into the complex immune processes within infected tissues.