Epigenetic modulation of myeloid cell functions in HIV and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Myeloid cells play a vital role in innate immune responses as they recognize and phagocytose pathogens like viruses, present antigens, produce cytokines, recruit other immune cells to combat infections, and contribute to the attenuation of immune responses to restore homeostasis. Signal integration by pathogen recognition receptors enables myeloid cells to adapt their functions by a network of transcription factors and chromatin remodelers. This review provides a brief overview of the subtypes of myeloid cells and the main epigenetic regulation mechanisms. Special focus is placed on the epigenomic alterations in viral nucleic acids of HIV and SARS-CoV-2 along with the epigenetic changes in the host's myeloid cell compartment. These changes are important as they lead to immune suppression and promote the progression of the disease. Finally, we highlight some promising examples of 'epidrugs' that modulate the epigenome of immune cells and could be used as therapeutics for viral infections.

Comparative Analysis of Antibody Titers against the Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Infected Patient Cohorts and Diverse Vaccination Regimes.

The presence of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 correlates with protection against infection and severe COVID-19 disease courses. Understanding the dynamics of antibody development against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is important for recommendations on vaccination strategies and on control of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the dynamics and extent of α-Spike-Ab development by different vaccines manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. On day 1 after vaccination, we observed a temporal low-grade inflammatory response. α-Spike-Ab titers were reduced after six months of vaccination with mRNA vaccines and increased 14 days after booster vaccinations to a maximum that exceeded titers from mild and critical COVID-19 and Long-COVID patients. Within the group of critical COVID-19 patients, we observed a trend for lower α-Spike-Ab titers in the group of patients who survived COVID-19. This trend accompanied higher numbers of pro-B cells, fewer mature B cells and a higher frequency of T follicular helper cells. Finally, we present data demonstrating that past infection with mild COVID-19 does not lead to long-term increased Ab titers and that even the group of previously infected SARS-CoV-2 patients benefit from a vaccination six months after the infection.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Gestational Diabetes: Analysis of Maternal Serum and Cord Blood Pairs and Comparison of Dietary- and Insulin-Dependent GDM.

The Objective of our study was to investigate the influence of dietary (dGDM) and insulin-dependent (iGDM) gestational diabetes (GDM) on BDNF blood levels of corresponding maternal-neonatal pairs and compare them to pregnancies unaffected by GDM. Blood samples from 293 maternal-neonatal pairs were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using multiple regression analysis for association of log-transformed maternal and neonatal BDNF levels in relation to GDM, gestational age, neonatal sex, and mode of delivery. This was followed by a 2:1 matching of healthy and diabetic pairs. Maternal and neonatal BDNF levels were lowest in the iGDM group, followed by the dGDM group and healthy controls (maternal: healthy 665 ± 562 (26-2343) pg/mL vs. dGDM 593 ± 446 (25-1522) pg/mL vs. iGDM 541 ± 446 (68-2184) pg/mL; neonate: healthy 541 ± 464 (9.5-2802) pg/mL vs. dGDM 375 ± 342 (1-1491) pg/mL vs. iGDM 330 ± 326 (47-1384) pg/mL). After multiple regression analysis and additional 2:1 matching neonatal log-BDNF was significantly lower (-152.05 pg/mL, p = 0.027) in neonates of mothers with GDM compared to healthy pairs; maternal log-BDNF was also lower (-79.6 pg/mL), but did not reach significance. Our study is the first to analyze BDNF in matched maternal-neonatal pairs of GDM patients compared to a metabolically unaffected control group.