How Humoral Response and Side Effects Depend on the Type of Vaccine and Past SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Since the end of December 2020, it has been possible to vaccinate against COVID-19. Our aim was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the vaccines available at the time of the mass vaccination program in Poland and also to look into the most common adverse side effects. Patients' anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies levels were checked before vaccination and after the first and after the second/last dose by the anti-SARS-CoV-2 QuantiVac ELISA (IgG) (EUROIMMUN MedicinischeLabordiagnostica AG; Luebeck; Germany) test. Before each blood collection, all patients filled out a questionnaire regarding experienced side effects. We observed that 100% of patients responded to the vaccinations. After the first dose, convalescents had much higher levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies than naive patients, although after the second dose, 61 out of 162 convalescents (37.7%) had lower results than before. The comparison of immunological responses in the convalescents group after the first dose and in the naive group after the second dose showed that convalescents had higher antibody titers, which may suggest the possibility of changing the vaccination schedule for convalescents. The highest antibody titers after both the first and second doses were observed after Moderna shots. Fever was identified as a significant factor regarding higher levels of antibodies after the first and second doses of the vaccine.

Evaluation of Alterations in Tumor Tissue of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) in Computed Tomography Following Treatment with Imatinib.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the alterations in the neoplastic tissue of GIST following Imatinib treatment. MATERIAL/METHODS: CT studies of 14 patients with inoperable primary tumors and 56 patients with metastatic and recurrent disease after chemotherapy were analyzed retrospectively. The following alterations in features of primary and secondary tumors were analyzed: dimension, degree and type of contrast enhancement, outlines of lesions, presence of intratumoral bleeding, presence of calcifications. RESULTS: In the analyzed group of primary, metastatic and recurrent tumors after treatment with Imatinib in most cases a decrease in size and contrast enhancement were observed; the outlines of lesions became well circumscribed. Following the treatment, the number of tumors enhancing inhomogeneously decreased. In primary tumors the percentage of calcifications increased, whereas in metastatic tumors calcifications were observed only after treatment. There was no bleeding found within primary tumors after treatment. In metastatic disease, increased percentage of tumors with transient intratumoral bleeding was observed. There were also some unconventional CT images following treatment, such as: cystic transformation of lesions, enlargement of lesions, appearing of new lesions suggesting progression of the disease, stationary dimensions of lesions during local progression of the disease, simultaneous decrease and increase in size of metastatic lesions or appearance of new ones. CONCLUSIONS: Right from the start of Imatinib therapy in inoperable and disseminated GIST patients, specific CT images, not seen during conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, were observed.