Clinical and immunologic features of co-infection in COVID-19 patients, along with potential traditional Chinese medicine treatments.

Objectives: With the increasing number of people worldwide infected with SARS-CoV-2, the likelihood of co-infection and/or comorbidities is rising. The impact of these co-infections on the patient's immune system remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the immunological characteristics of secondary infections in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and preliminarily predict potential therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine and their derivatives for the treatment of co-infections. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included 131 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, of whom there were 64 mild and 67 severe cases. We analyzed clinical characteristics and immunologic data, including circulating immune cell numbers, levels of inflammatory factors and viral load, comparing COVID-19 patients with and without co-infection. Results: Among 131 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 41 (31.3%) were co-infection positive, with 33 (80.5%) having severe disease and 14 (34.1%) of them resulting in fatalities. Co-infected patients exhibited significantly higher severity and mortality rates compared to non-co-infected counterparts. Co-infected patients had significantly lower absolute counts of lymphocytes, total T lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and B lymphocytes, while levels of hs-CRP, PCT and IL-6 were significantly elevated compared to non-co-infected patients. Additionally, the viral load of co-infected patients was significantly higher than non-co-infected patients. Conclusion: Co-infection emerges as a dangerous factor for COVID-19 patients, elevating the risk of severe pneumonia and mortality. Co-infection suppresses the host's immune response by reducing the number of lymphocytes and increasing inflammation, thereby diminishing the antiviral and anti-infective effects of the immune system, which promotes the severity of the disease. Therefore, it is crucial to implement infection prevention measures to minimize the spread of co-infections among COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Additionally, changes in these biomarkers provide a theoretical basis for the effective treatment of co-infections with traditional Chinese medicine.

Therapeutic and immunoregulatory effects of water-soluble alkaloids E2-a from Sophora moorcroftiana seeds as a novel potential agent against echinococcosis in experimentally protoscolex-infected mice.

Novel compounds and more efficient treatment options are urgently needed for the treatment of cystic echinococcosis (CE), which is caused by Echinococcus granulosus. The decoction of Sophora moorcroftiana (Fabaceae) has been used to treat parasitosis for years in traditional Tibetan medicine. The aim of this study was to screen insecticidal water-soluble alkaloids from S. moorcroftiana seeds and evaluate the therapeutic effects against CE and the immune response induced by the alkaloidal fraction. Low polarity compounds (E2-a) were isolated from water-soluble alkaloid (E2) and matrine and sophocarpine were identified as major components. The E2-a fraction was more effective against protoscoleces than other constituents from S. moorcroftiana. After 20 weeks of secondary infection with protoscoleces, mice were orally treated with E2-a (100 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks to evaluate therapeutic and immunoregulatory activities. Compared with the untreated group, E2-a treatment induced a significant reduction in cyst weight (mean 2.93 g) (p < 0.05) and an impaired ultrastructural modification of the cyst. Interestingly, the application of E2-a resulted in a significant increased frequency of CD3+CD4+ T-cell subsets and decreased frequency of CD3+PD-1+ T-cell subsets, compared with protoscolece-infected mice without treatment. The E2-a fraction of S. moorcroftiana can inhibit the cyst development of CE and boost the specific immune response by reducing the expression of PD-1 and accelerate the cytokine secretion of antigen-specific T-cells. All data suggest the E2-a fraction from S. moorcroftiana seeds may be used as a new potential therapeutic option against E. granulosus infection.

Combined targeted ion channel therapy: Can it be an alternative choice for esophageal cancer patients?

Esophageal cancer is a relatively common malignancy with a poor prognosis and is conventionally treated by surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, due to the prevalence of cancer relapse with treatment resistance, novel molecular targets must be identified for the development of alternative therapies. Emerging evidence indicates that ion channels play important roles in cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis and differentiation and could therefore be considered as a potential oncological therapy. Therapies that target single oncogenic channel have shown promise. However, therapies that target more than one ion channel have not been developed. We propose that therapies targeting more than one type of ion channel might be an alternative treatment for esophageal cancer.