Monoclonal antibody infusion reaction with bamlanivimab and etesevimab in a 5-year-old male with coronavirus disease 2019: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Bamlanivimab and etesevimab had been granted emergency use authorization in children under 12 years who are at risk of progression from mild/moderate coronavirus disease 2019 to severe disease and hospitalization. CASE REPORT: We report on a 5-year-old white male with preexisting conditions, predisposing him to severe disease, who developed hypoxia and flushing 3 minutes into his infusion, thus meeting the criteria for anaphylaxis. CONCLUSIONS: We believe this patient developed either an immunoglobulin E-mediated anaphylactic or a non-immunoglobulin E-mediated anaphylactoid reaction to bamlanivimab and etesevimab, which is an important possibility to consider on administration.

Missed Opportunities for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Testing During Injection Drug Use-Related Healthcare Encounters Among a Cohort of Persons Who Inject Drugs With HIV Diagnosed During an Outbreak-Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, 2017-2018.

BACKGROUND: Persons who inject drugs (PWID) have frequent healthcare encounters related to their injection drug use (IDU) but are often not tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We sought to quantify missed opportunities for HIV testing during an HIV outbreak among PWID. METHODS: PWID with HIV diagnosed in 5 Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky counties during January 2017-September 2018 who had ≥1 encounter 12 months prior to HIV diagnosis in 1 of 2 Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area healthcare systems were included in the analysis. HIV testing and encounter data were abstracted from electronic health records. A missed opportunity for HIV testing was defined as an encounter for an IDU-related condition where an HIV test was not performed and had not been performed in the prior 12 months. RESULTS: Among 109 PWID with HIV diagnosed who had ≥1 healthcare encounter, 75 (68.8%) had ≥1 IDU-related encounters in the 12 months before HIV diagnosis. These 75 PWID had 169 IDU-related encounters of which 86 (50.9%) were missed opportunities for HIV testing and occurred among 46 (42.2%) PWID. Most IDU-related encounters occurred in the emergency department (118/169; 69.8%). Using multivariable generalized estimating equations, HIV testing was more likely in inpatient compared with emergency department encounters (adjusted relative risk [RR], 2.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70-4.33) and at the healthcare system receiving funding for emergency department HIV testing (adjusted RR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.10-2.82). CONCLUSIONS: PWID have frequent IDU-related encounters in emergency departments. Enhanced HIV screening of PWID in these settings can facilitate earlier diagnosis and improve outbreak response.

Safety aspects of the production of foods and food ingredients from insects.

At present, insects are rarely used by the European food industry, but they are a subject of growing interest as an alternative source of raw materials. The risks associated with the use of insects in the production of foods and food ingredients have not been sufficiently investigated. There is a lack of scientifically based knowledge of insect processing to ensure food safety, especially when these processes are carried out on an industrial scale. This review focuses on the safety aspects that need to be considered regarding the fractionation of insects for the production of foods and food ingredients.

Antibody induced CD4 down-modulation of T cells is site-specifically mediated by CD64(+) cells.

Treatment of PBMC with the CD4-specific mAb BT-061 induces CD4 down-modulation of T cells. Here we report that addition of BT-061 to purified T cells did not confer this effect, whereas incubation of T cells in BT-061 coated wells restored CD4 down-modulation. These results implied that Fcγ receptor mediated cell-cell interactions played a role. In consistence with this hypothesis PBMC depleted of CD64(+) monocytes did not confer CD4 down-modulation of BT-061 decorated T cells. Strikingly, CD4 down-modulation was observed in BT-061 treated synovial fluid punctuated from patients' inflamed joints that comprised enhanced numbers of CD64(+) cells. In contrast, in a circulating whole blood system injection of BT-061 did not induce CD4 down-modulation, due to CD64 saturation by serum IgG. Similarly, tonsil derived mononuclear cells devoid of CD64(+) cells did not show CD4 down-modulation, whereas addition of blood derived monocytes restored the effect. Thus, the interaction of BT-061 decorated T cells with CD64(+) cells is needed for CD4 down-modulation, implying that in patients BT-061 would primarily induce CD4 down-modulation at inflammatory sites. These results highlight the need not only to examine the interaction of a given mAb with single FcγR, but also the immunological environment that is appropriate to support such interactions.

Adenosine residues in the template do not block spontaneous replication steps of RNA.

Sub-freezing temperatures, azabenzotriazolide activation, multiple monomer addition, and helper displacement help to overcome what seemed like an intrinsic block of adenine-templated RNA replication steps in the absence of enzymes.

Enzyme-free interrogation of RNA sites via primers and oligonucleotides 3'-linked to gold surfaces.

The synthesis of a phosphoramidite is described that was used for the preparation of oligonucleotides with a 3'-terminal thiol, linked to the DNA via a SAM-forming undecyl chain and a nonadsorptive tetraethylene glycol unit. A gold surface featuring oligonucleotide probes allowed for label-free in situ mass spectrometric determination of a nucleotide in subpicomole quantities of an RNA transcript.

An unexpected new optimum in the structure space of DNA solubilizing single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Here we report quantitative data on the amount of single-walled carbon nanotubes that can be suspended with oligodeoxynucleotides in aqueous buffer, together with rate constants for the thermal denaturation of the resulting DNA-nanotube complexes at elevated temperatures. Sequence motifs d(GT)n and d(AC)n with n=2, 3, 5, 10, 20, or 40 were employed, both individually and as equimolar mixtures of the complementary strands. Unexpectedly, the greatest suspending efficiency was found for the mixture of short, complementary oligonucleotides d(GT)3 and d(AC)3. Unlike the suspending efficiency, the kinetic stability of the nanotube suspensions increases with increasing chain length of the DNA, with half life times of >25 h at 90 degrees C for the complexes of the longest strands. Our results identify a new, unexpected optimum in DNA sequence space for suspending carbon nanotubes. They also demonstrate that suspending power depends on the presence of complementary strands. Exploratory assays suggest that nanotubes can be deposited site-selectively from suspensions formed with short DNA sequences.

Accelerating chemical replication steps of RNA involving activated ribonucleotides and downstream-binding elements.

Template-directed single nucleotide extension of an RNA primer with oxyazabenzotriazolides of ribonucleotides is shown to be fast and sequence-selective; downstream-binding RNA strands contribute to the acceleration of the reaction.

Smokers' willingness to protect children from secondhand smoke.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of a secondhand smoke media campaign on adult smokers' willingness to protect children from secondhand smoke. METHODS: Following a series of community awareness ads, a random sample of 390 adult smokers was surveyed via telephone regarding their perceptions of secondhand smoke. RESULTS: Seeing or hearing the ads was significantly associated with intentions to personally smoke outside of the home and to ask visitors to smoke outside. Most smokers were committed to protecting children from secondhand smoke. CONCLUSION: Secondhand-smoke media campaigns can positively affect smokers' knowledge of the dangers of secondhand smoke and future intentions to protect others from secondhand smoke.