Humoral responses to the CoronoVac vaccine in healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody response rate in emergency department (ED) healthcare workers (HCWs) and potential adverse effects after CoronaVac vaccination. METHODS: All included HCWs were grouped based on the previous history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the number of vaccinations. Furthermore, the IgG antibody response was evaluated based on the sex and smoking status of HCWs. Those with a cut-off index of ≥1.00 after vaccination with CoronaVac were considered to have had COVID-19 and had an adequate humoral response. RESULTS: Among 224 ED HCWs, 18% experienced the adverse effects of CoronaVac vaccine, the most prevalent being pain in the injection site. The IgG antibody response rate was 20% after the first dose of vaccine, while the response rate increased to 90% after the second dose. Female HCWs had higher IgG response rates compared with male HCWs (53.8 [15.9-147.0] vs 31.2 [4.5-124.0]). Non-smokers had higher IgG response rate compared with smokers (49.0 [11.5-160.5] vs 23.1 [7.4-98.5]). CONCLUSION: A single dose of CoronaVac does not produce a sufficient antibody response; hence, two doses are recommended. Men have a lower IgG response compared with women. Smokers had a lower IgG response rate compared with non-smokers. Therefore, it may be necessary to carefully assess the humoral responses of men and smokers when implementing a community vaccination program.

Diagnostic value of systemic immune inflammation index in acute appendicitis.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis is often difficult and involves a synthesis of clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the systemic immune inflammation index can be used as an effective parameter in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and its reliability in the differentiation of complicated vs. non-complicated appendicitis. METHODS: The study was conducted retrospectively with patients admitted to the emergency department with abdominal pain and diagnosed with acute appendicitis. In total, 150 patients and 150 control cases were included in the study. Demographic data, medical history, white blood cell count, platelet count, neutrophil count, systemic immune inflammation index values, Alvarado score, adult appendicitis score, and pathology result of appendectomy material were retrieved from the hospital automation system and recorded in the data form. RESULTS: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune inflammation index were significantly higher, and platelet-neutrophil ratio and lymphocyte-neutrophil ratio were significantly lower in the patient group compared to the control group (p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of systemic immune inflammation index with a cutoff value of 840.13 was 82 and 66.7%, respectively, for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Correlation analysis revealed that systemic immune inflammation index, Alvarado score, and adult appendicitis score were positively correlated, and this correlation was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Systemic immune inflammation index may be used to promote the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and may reduce the need for radiation exposure and diagnostic imaging tests such as contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography. It can also be used to differentiate between complicated and non-complicated acute appendicitis cases.

Humoral responses to the CoronoVac vaccine in healthcare workers

ABSTRACT Background: This study aimed to assess the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody response rate in emergency department (ED) healthcare workers (HCWs) and potential adverse effects after CoronaVac vaccination. Methods: All included HCWs were grouped based on the previous history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the number of vaccinations. Furthermore, the IgG antibody response was evaluated based on the sex and smoking status of HCWs. Those with a cut-off index of ≥1.00 after vaccination with CoronaVac were considered to have had COVID-19 and had an adequate humoral response. Results: Among 224 ED HCWs, 18% experienced the adverse effects of CoronaVac vaccine, the most prevalent being pain in the injection site. The IgG antibody response rate was 20% after the first dose of vaccine, while the response rate increased to 90% after the second dose. Female HCWs had higher IgG response rates compared with male HCWs (53.8 [15.9-147.0] vs 31.2 [4.5-124.0]). Non-smokers had higher IgG response rate compared with smokers (49.0 [11.5-160.5] vs 23.1 [7.4-98.5]). Conclusion: A single dose of CoronaVac does not produce a sufficient antibody response; hence, two doses are recommended. Men have a lower IgG response compared with women. Smokers had a lower IgG response rate compared with non-smokers. Therefore, it may be necessary to carefully assess the humoral responses of men and smokers when implementing a community vaccination program.