Search results for "SARS"
showing 10 items of 1372 documents
Evaluation of a rapid antigen test (Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag rapid test device) for SARS-CoV-2 detection in asymptomatic close contacts of COVID-19 patien…
2021
Objectives There is limited information on the performance of rapid antigen detection (RAD) tests to identify SARS-CoV-2-infected asymptomatic individuals. In this field study, we evaluated the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device (Abbott Diagnostics, Jena, Germany) for this purpose. Methods A total of 634 individuals (355 female; median age, 37 years; range, 9–87) were enrolled. Two nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from household (n = 338) and non-household contacts (n = 296) of COVID-19 cases. RAD testing was carried out at the point of care. The RT-PCR test used was the TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, MA, USA). Results Household contacts were tested at a median …
One year into the pandemic: Short-term evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and emergence of new lineages.
2021
The COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared on March 11th, 2020. Since the very beginning, the spread of the virus has been tracked nearly in real-time by worldwide genome sequencing efforts. As of March 2021, more than 830,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been uploaded in GISAID and this wealth of data allowed researchers to study the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during this first pandemic year. In parallel, nomenclatures systems, often with poor consistency among each other, have been developed to designate emerging viral lineages. Despite general fears that the virus might mutate to become more virulent or transmissible, SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity has remained relatively low during the first ~…
The unbalanced p53/SIRT1 axis may impact lymphocyte homeostasis in COVID-19 patients
2021
Abstract Background/objectives A dysregulated inflammatory profile plays an important role in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis. Moreover, the depletion of lymphocytes is typically associated with an unfavourable disease course. We studied the role and impact of p53 and deacetylase Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) on lymph-monocyte homeostasis and their possible effect on T and B cell signalling. Methods Gene expression analysis and flow cytometry were performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 35 COVID-19 patients and 10 healthy donors (HD). Inflammatory cytokines, the frequency of Annexin+ cells among CD3+ T cells and CD19+ B cell subsets were quantified. Results PBMC from …
Early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection cases or outbreaks at nursing homes by targeted wastewater tracking
2021
Objectives Near-source tracking of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the sewage drains serving particular buildings may allow rapid identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection cases or local outbreaks. In this pilot study, we investigated whether this was the case for nursing homes (NH). Methods The study involved five NH (from A to E) affiliated to the Clínico-Malvarrosa Health Department, Valencia (Spain). These were nursing or mixed nursing/care homes of different sizes, altogether providing care for 472 residents attended by a staff of 309. Near-source sewage samples were screened for presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-qPCR at least 5 days per week during the study period. SARS-CoV-2 RNA testing in nasopharyn…
Point-of-care evaluation of a rapid antigen test (CLINITESTⓇ Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Test) for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in symptomatic and as…
2021
AbstractRapid antigen assays (RAD) based on lateral flow immunochromatography (LFIC) technology have emerged as a valuable tool for the control of COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturer□independent, real□world evaluation of these assays is crucial given the considerable heterogeneity reported in their clinical and analytical performances. Here, we report for the first time on the point-of-care performance of the CLINITEST® Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Test (Siemens, Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany) to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection in presumptive COVID-19 cases or asymptomatic close contacts of COVID-19 patients. When compared to RT-PCR, the overall sensitivity of the assay was 80.2 (95% CI, 70.9-87.1) for…
Therapeutic strategies for severe COVID-19: a position paper from the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (SIMIT)
2021
Abstract Scope Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has become pandemic, reaching almost one million death worldwide. At present standard treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not well defined because the evidence, either from randomized or observational studies, with conflicting results, has led to rapid changes in treatment guidelines. Our aim was to narratively summarize the available literature on the management of COVID-19 in order to combine current evidence and interpretation of the data by experts who are treating patients in the frontline setting. Methods The panel conducted a detailed review of the literature and eventual press rele…
An umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses evaluating positive and negative outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine therapy
2021
Background & aims: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ) are anti-malarial drugs frequently used in the rheumatologic field. They were recently identified as potential therapeutic options for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The present study aims to map and grade the diverse health outcomes associated with HCQ/CQ using an umbrella review approach. Methods: Umbrella review of systematic reviews of observational and intervention studies. For observational studies, random-effects summary effect size, 95% confidence interval, and 95% prediction interval were estimated. We also assessed heterogeneity, evidence for small-study effect, and evidence for excess significance bias. The quality…
The dimer-monomer equilibrium of SARS-CoV-2 main protease is affected by small molecule inhibitors
2021
AbstractThe maturation of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is the etiological agent at the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, requires a main protease Mpro to cleave the virus-encoded polyproteins. Despite a wealth of experimental information already available, there is wide disagreement about the Mpro monomer-dimer equilibrium dissociation constant. Since the functional unit of Mpro is a homodimer, the detailed knowledge of the thermodynamics of this equilibrium is a key piece of information for possible therapeutic intervention, with small molecules interfering with dimerization being potential broad-spectrum antiviral drug leads. In the present study, we exploit Small Angle X-ray Scattering (…
Human molecular chaperones share with SARS-CoV-2 antigenic epitopes potentially capable of eliciting autoimmunity against endothelial cells: possible…
2020
Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of COVID-19 disease, has the potential to elicit autoimmunity because mimicry of human molecular chaperones by viral proteins. We compared viral proteins with human molecular chaperones, many of which are heat shock proteins, to determine if they share amino acid-sequence segments with immunogenic-antigenic potential, which can elicit cross-reactive antibodies and effector immune cells with the capacity to damage-destroy human cells by a mechanism of autoimmunity. We identified the chaperones that can putatively participate in molecular mimicry phenomena after SARS-CoV-2 infection, focusing on those for which endotheli…
Interleukin 1α: a comprehensive review on the role of IL-1α in the pathogenesis and treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
2021
Abstract The interleukin (IL)-1 family member IL-1α is a ubiquitous and pivotal pro-inflammatory cytokine. The IL-1α precursor is constitutively present in nearly all cell types in health, but is released upon necrotic cell death as a bioactive mediator. IL-1α is also expressed by infiltrating myeloid cells within injured tissues. The cytokine binds the IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1), as does IL-1β, and induces the same pro-inflammatory effects. Being a bioactive precursor released upon tissue damage and necrotic cell death, IL-1α is central to the pathogenesis of numerous conditions characterized by organ or tissue inflammation. These include conditions affecting the lung and respiratory tract, …