Antibody indexes in COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors: Unanswered questions.

OBJECTIVE: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is characterized by high contagiousness, as well as variable clinical manifestations and immune responses. The antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 is directly related to viral clearance and the antibodies' ability to neutralize the virus and confer long-term immunity. Nevertheless, the response can also be associated with disease severity and evolution. This study correlated the clinical characteristics of convalescent COVID-19 patients with immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. METHODS: This study included 51 COVID-19 health care professionals who were candidates for convalescent plasma donation from April to June 2020. The subjects had symptomatic COVID-19 with a polymerase chain reaction-confirmed diagnosis. We measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG antibodies after symptom recovery, and the subjects were classified as having mild, moderate, or severe symptoms. RESULTS: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were positive in most patients (90.2%). The antibody indexes for IgA and IgG did not differ significantly between patients presenting with mild or moderate symptoms. However, they were significantly higher in patients with severe symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed an association between higher antibody indexes and severe COVID-19 cases, and several hypotheses regarding the association of the antibody dynamics and severity of the disease in SARS-CoV-2 infection have been raised, although many questions remain unanswered.

Antibody indexes in COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors: Unanswered questions

OBJECTIVE: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is characterized by high contagiousness, as well as variable clinical manifestations and immune responses. The antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 is directly related to viral clearance and the antibodies' ability to neutralize the virus and confer long-term immunity. Nevertheless, the response can also be associated with disease severity and evolution. This study correlated the clinical characteristics of convalescent COVID-19 patients with immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. METHODS: This study included 51 COVID-19 health care professionals who were candidates for convalescent plasma donation from April to June 2020. The subjects had symptomatic COVID-19 with a polymerase chain reaction-confirmed diagnosis. We measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG antibodies after symptom recovery, and the subjects were classified as having mild, moderate, or severe symptoms. RESULTS: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were positive in most patients (90.2%). The antibody indexes for IgA and IgG did not differ significantly between patients presenting with mild or moderate symptoms. However, they were significantly higher in patients with severe symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed an association between higher antibody indexes and severe COVID-19 cases, and several hypotheses regarding the association of the antibody dynamics and severity of the disease in SARS-CoV-2 infection have been raised, although many questions remain unanswered.

Tissue Damage in Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Correlations Between Inflammatory Cells and Molecule Expression.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is caused by the bite of the infected sand fly, which inoculates parasites of Leishmania spp and triggers an immune response. An exacerbated cutaneous inflammatory response is crucial for controlling parasite burden but can also promote tissue damage. This study aimed to characterize the populations of natural killer (NK), CD57+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells, CD20+ B cells, as well as CD68+ macrophages, in biopsies of ulcerated CL lesions, and quantify the production of perforin+, grazyme B+, interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß+) and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α+ cells). We then correlated these parameters with necrosis, inflammation and the number of amastigotes. CD4+ T cells were positively correlated to the extent of inflammation, B cells and IL-1ß+ were associated with the extent of necrosis, CD68+ macrophages and perforin were correlated with the number of amastigotes, and CD57+ NK cells was correlated to CD68+ macrophages and amastigotes. In sum, the finding suggests that the production of cytotoxic granules and cytokines by inflammatory cells contributes to tissue damage in CL lesions.

Avaliação da resposta inflamatória tecidual de pacientes com leishmaniose cutânea recente / Evaluation of tissue inflammatory response in patients with recent cutaneous leishmaniasis

Introdução: A leishmaniose cutânea (LC) é a forma clínica mais frequente da leishmaniose humana, considerada um importante problema de saúde no Brasil. A infecção por Leishmania braziliensis induz um amplo espectro de lesões que pode se manifestar como uma única lesão cutânea localizada, geralmente em partes descobertas do corpo. Tem início com uma pápula, caracterizando a leishmaniose cutânea recente (LCR) e, na maioria dos casos, tende a desenvolver uma úlcera, representando a leishmaniose cutânea clássica (LCC). Pacientes com LCR apresentam um elevado número de parasitas na lesão e, frequentemente, não respondem positivamente à terapia padrão, desenvolvendo a lesão mesmo após o tratamento. Objetivo: Descrever de modo comparativo os aspectos histopatológicos na Leishmaniose Cutânea Recente e Leishmaniose Cutânea Clássica. Métodos: Secções histológicas obtidas de biópsias de pele de 15 pacientes com LCR e 28 com LCC, foram coradas em HE e mensuradas as áreas de inflamação e necrose nas diferentes fases da doença. Realizamos imunohistoquímica para marcação de células CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD20+, CD68+ e CD138+...

Introduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common clinical form of human leishmaniasis induced by L. braziliensis. It is considered a major health problem in Brazil. Leishmania braziliensis infection induces a large spectrum of lesions that can manifest as one localized skin lesion, usually undressed body parts. It starts with a papule in early cutaneous leishmaniasis (ECL) clinical manifestation and, in most cases, tends to develop an ulcer, in the late cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL). ECL patients have a high number of parasites in the lesion, and often do not respond to standard therapy, developing the lesion even after treatment. Aim: To describe comparative the histopathological aspects of early cutaneous leishmaniasis compared to late ulcerated cutaneous leishmaniasis. Methods: Histological sections of skin biopsies from 15 ECL patients and 28 LCL, were stained with HE and measured areas of inflammation and necrosis in the different stages of the disease. We performed immunohistochemical for CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD20+, CD68+ and CD138+...