Immune defects associated with lower SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine response in aged people.

The immune factors associated with impaired SARS-CoV-2 vaccine response in elderly people are mostly unknown. We studied individuals older than 60 and younger than 60 years, who had been vaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA, before and after the first and second dose. Aging was associated with a lower anti-RBD IgG levels and a decreased magnitude and polyfunctionality of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response. The dramatic decrease in thymic function in people > 60 years, which fueled alteration in T cell homeostasis, and their lower CD161+ T cell levels were associated with decreased T cell response 2 months after vaccination. Additionally, deficient DC homing, activation, and TLR-mediated function, along with a proinflammatory functional profile in monocytes, were observed in the > 60-year-old group, which was also related to lower specific T cell response after vaccination. These findings might be relevant for the improvement of the current vaccination strategies and for the development of new vaccine prototypes.

Caso clínico. Escritura expresiva y emocional vía e-mail para el seguimiento de duelo / Case report. Expressive and emotional writing via e-mail for monitoring of mourning

El duelo es la respuesta natural a la pérdida de cualquier persona con la que se ha construido un vínculo afectivo. En el asesoramiento del duelo se pretende facilitar su elaboración y la adaptación a la nueva situación. Dentro de las diferentes técnicas para poder llevar acabo los objetivos en el duelo hay que saber adaptarse a cada persona valorando las estrategias individualizadas. Caso clínico: familiar de 18 años que hace 3 meses perdió a su padre, el cual fue atendido en la Unidad de Cuidados Paliativos (UCP), acude por no encontrarse bien, con llanto, ansiedad y pesadillas. El uso de la escritura emocional fue la técnica utilizada que ayudó a relatar sus comportamientos, emociones y pensamientos de manera secuencial y narrativa. Todo ello contribuyó a mejorar su nivel emocional y a acompañar en las tareas de duelo. Este tipo de terapia de escritura emocional unida al uso de nuevas tecnologías puede ser útil en el seguimiento del duelo de pacientes jóvenes o adolescentes (AU)

Griefis a natural response to the loss of anyone who has built a bond. Grief advice is to help in the development and adaptation to the new situation. Among the different techniques to accomplish the aims in the grief, one has to learn to adapt to each individual, assessing individual strategies. This case report concerns an 18 year-old female whose father died while in the Palliative Care Unit (PCU), who complained of being unwell, crying, anxiety and nightmares. The use of emotional writing was the technique used, both helped to relate (..) (AU)