Disease severity and efficacy of homologous vaccination among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta or Omicron VOCs, compared to unvaccinated using main biomarkers

Genetic Polymorphism of Interleukin-6 in Asymptomatic and ICU-Admitted COVID-19 Patients in Sulaymaniyah Province, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Background: The global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in significant fatality rates. Clinical outcomes for affected individuals range from being asymptomatic to severe illnesses requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Among the various factors contributing to the variation in clinical outcomes, host genetics play a prominent role. Interleukin-6 (IL6), a key player in immune responses, has been identified as having a crucial impact on viral infections, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Specifically, certain variations known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL6 promoter region have been found to significantly influence IL6 expression and the severity of viral infections. Materials and Methods: To explore the relationship between these genetic variations and COVID-19 in asymptomatic and ICU-admitted Kurdish patients, genetic sequencing was performed to determine the genotypes of nine IL6 SNPs. Results: The study findings revealed that although the proportion of the GG genotype of rs1800795 was slightly higher in asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, the difference was not statistically significant (chi2 = 2.666, p = 0.236). Notably, Kurdish patients displayed a uniform genetic makeup (monomorphic) for the dominant alleles of rs2069830 (C), rs142759801 (C), rs2069857 (C), rs2069829 (G), rs2234683 (G), rs13447446 (T), rs527770772 (C), and rs13447445 (C). Furthermore, patients carrying the haplotype GCGGCTCCC were found to have a 0.481-fold higher likelihood of being asymptomatic with COVID-19 (p = 0.016, OR = 0.481). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the rs1800795 SNP is not statistically associated with COVID-19 at the genotype level. However, the presence of the dominant G allele of rs1800795 in the haplotype was found to be statistically associated with asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

A study on the side effects caused by the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine: Focus on IgG antibodies and serological biomarkers

Introduction

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic that spread swiftly is now a major global public health issue. Vaccines are currently being distributed in an effort to limit the viral transmission and mortality. The aim of the study was monitoring of both safety and efficacy in determining the overall effectiveness of the vaccine and identifying any potential safety concerns.

Material and methods

A retrospective, cross-sectional study employing a validated 13-item structured questionnaire divided into two sections was performed between March 2022 and September 2022. Different post-vaccination side effects (SE) according to symptoms severity in terms of age and sex for participants were reported. Additionally, some pertinent serological assays for participants' post-vaccinations were investigated.

Results

A total of 502 participants (male: 262, female: 240) with comorbidity (healthy: 258, morbid: 244) who received two Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine doses were included. Importantly, second dose (D2) vaccination was associated with significantly more SE than single dose (D1) vaccination (p < 0.0001). In D1 vaccination injection site pain (ISP) (45%), followed by equal proportions of headache and fever (40%) were the most common vaccine SE, while in D2 vaccination, ISP (66%) and nausea (57%) were reported. In all, 97% (p < 0.0001) of participants were IgG antibody positive at D2 vaccination. Similarly, serum CR protein level was elevated significantly (p < 0.0001) corresponding to the severity of SE between D1 and D2. Significant differences in IgG concentration were found between D1 and D2 vaccination in different gender and age groups (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

In light of the extensive data from this study, it is evident that mRNA vaccines, particularly the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, have proven to be highly safe and effective in mitigating the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Evaluation of CoVid-19 infection among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals using biochemical markers

The evaluation of infection rate for CoVid-19 cases among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals using haematological parameters is of interest. Data such as age, gender, occupation, location, signs and symptoms, length of symptoms, date of sample collection and report generation, status of vaccinations, and outcome available in the database was used in this analysis. Ferritin levels, D-dimer values, CRP, troponin-1 levels and platelet count of each CoVid-19 patient were recorded and analysed. Data shows that maximum number of cases was reported during the second wave 143 (51.07%). The common age group affected was 31-40 years 28.56%. The common symptom identified was weakness in arms and legs among the unvaccinated group of CoVid-19 positive group. However, common symptom identified was fatigue (87%) among those who received only the first dose of CoVid vaccine. Nonetheless, the symptom identified was hair loss (68%) among those who received both the doses of CoVid vaccine. Thus, data shows that people do experience severe and life-threatening COVID-19 infection despite receiving the vaccination. Nonetheless, the infection is mild and very few individuals require hospitalization. No deaths are reported in the group that received the vaccination. This is in contrast to the unvaccinated group, which had a severe CoVid-19 infection with few deaths reported.

Effect of the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination shots on the occurrence of pneumonia, severe pneumonia, and death in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients

Background

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has posed a significant threat to the lives and health of people worldwide since its onset in 2019. However, the relationship between the number of vaccination shots and the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Chinese patients remains unclear.

Methods

We retrospectively collected information from 829 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital from December 05, 2022 to March 31, 2023, then divided them into four groups based on the severity of pneumonia. Last, we compared the difference in the number of shots of COVID-19 vaccine between the four groups, considering potential confounding factors using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

Vaccination with two and three doses was positively associated with low prevalence of pneumonia and severe pneumonia both in crude and optimal models, while only three doses of the vaccine was correlated with low prevalence of death in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. In optimal models, male SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals with advanced age were positively associated with high prevalence of pneumonia, severe pneumonia, and death; comorbidity with hypertension (OR = 2.532, p < 0.001) was positively associated with high prevalence of pneumonia (OR = 2.532, p < 0.001); and comorbidity with diabetes was positively associated with high prevalence of death (OR = 1.856, p = 0.011). However, this is a cross-sectional study and the causal relationships need to be further studied.

Conclusion

One dose of vaccine may not have a protective effect against pneumonia, severe pneumonia, and death; more than one dose of vaccine is an independent protective factor for pneumonia and severe pneumonia; and three doses of vaccine is an independent protective factor for death.

The influence of SARS-CoV-2 on male reproduction and men's health

BACKGROUND

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, primarily affects the respiratory system by targeting the Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and TMPRSS2. However, these receptors are also present in other organs, including the testes, where a higher concentration of ACE2 receptors has been observed. This raises concerns about the potential impact of the virus on male fertility.

AIMS

In this study, we aimed to assess the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on semen parameters by comparing samples during and after infection in the same patients.

MATERIALS & METHOD

The study enrolled 51 individuals who had contracted COVID-19 and analysed various parameters related to sperm quality and quantity, including C-reactive protein, testosterone levels, total sperm concentration, motility and morphology. A comparison was made between these parameters during the initial infection with SARS-CoV-2 and after a 2- and 5-month recovery period.

RESULTS

The results indicated that all of the mentioned parameters were significantly affected during COVID-19 infection (PCR-ct, CRP, WBCs LH, FSH and testosterone levels, p-value = .0001). Furthermore, the study assessed TC, TM and sperm morphology in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and found that these parameters were also significantly influenced during the infection, (p-value = .0001; Morphology, p-value = .0004). We observed significant alterations in sperm count and morphology during infection, suggesting a potential negative impact on sperm quality. Additionally, lower hormone levels were observed during COVID-19 infection, possibly due to increased inflammatory cytokines. However, both hormones and inflammation markers returned to normal following recovery. Our findings indicate a statistically significant change in total sperm count, motility and morphology post-infection, which aligns with previous studies. Discussion, COVID-19 have a transient impact on sperm parameters and fertility, emphasizing the importance of further investigation into the long-term implications.

The significance of IFITM3 polymorphism in COVID-19 asymptomatic and ICU admission Kurdish patients

BACKGROUND

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that exhibits a wide range of clinical symptoms, from asymptomatic to critically ill infections that require admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) prevents the viral envelope fusion with the cell membrane, hence playing a crucial role in the immune response. The association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IFITM3 gene and the severity of COVID-19 is controversial among various ethnic groups.

METHODS

Seven IFITM3 SNPs were genotyped based on DNA sequencing to investigate the association between these variants and asymptomatic and ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients of the Kurdish nation.

RESULTS

The present study found a significant association between rs12252 and the clinical outcome of COVID-19 (chi2 = 14.83, P = 0.00). The dominant, AA genotype model was significantly associated with a 5.212-fold increased risk of asymptomatic disease (P = 0.000, OR = 5.212). Patients with the GTA haplotypes rs12252, rs34481144, rs7478728 were shown to have a 3.9-fold increased risk of being admitted to the ICU (P = 0.003, OR = 3.9).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that the rs12252 AA genotype is probably associated with asymptomatic COVID-19. In addition, the patients having haplotypes of minor alleles rs12252, rs34481144, and rs7478728 may be associated to COVID-19 ICU admission.

Clinical outcomes and phylogenetic analysis in reflection with three predominant clades of SARS-CoV-2 variants

BACKGROUND

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) undergoes continuous evolution, resulting in the emergence of several variants. Each variant has a different severity and mortality rate.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, 1174 COVID-19 patients were studied for mortality and severity over three SARS-CoV-2 predominating variant periods in 2021 and 2022 in Sulaimani Province, Iraq. In each period, a representative, variant virus was subjected to phylogenetic and molecular and clinical analysis.

RESULTS

Phylogenetic analysis revealed three SARS-CoV-2 variants, belonging to: Delta B.1.617.2, Omicron BA.1.17.2, and Omicron BA.5.6. The Delta variants showed more severe symptoms and a lower PCR-Ct value than Omicron variants regardless of gender, and only 4.3% of the cases were asymptomatic. The mortality rate was lower with Omicron (.5% for BA.5.2 and 1.3% for BA.1.17.2) compared with Delta variants (2.5%). The higher mortality rate with Delta variants was in males (2.84%), while that with Omicron BA1.17.2 and BA.5.2 was in females, 1.05% and .0%, respectively. Age group (≥70) years had the highest mortality rate; however, it was (.0%) in the age group (30-49) years with Omicron variants, compared with (.96%) in Delta variants.

CONCLUSIONS

There has been a surge in COVID-19 infection in the city due to the predominant lineages of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.617, Omicron BA.1.17.2 and Omicron BA.5.6, respectively. A higher PCR-Ct value and severity of the Delta variant over Omicron BA.1.17.2 and/or BA.5.2 variants were significantly correlated with a higher death rate in the same order.

Genetic polymorphism between the Sorani and Hawrami kurdish populations and COVID-19 outcome

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic, and mortality and clinical consequences vary across countries. One of the factors influencing COVID-19 outcomes is genetic polymorphism. Two Kurdish populations, Sorani and Hawrami, live in the Sulaimani province of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It seems Hawrami had a milder COVID-19 outcome. According to previous research conducted on various ethnic groups across the globe, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) and interluken-6 (IL6) genes were associated with the severity of COVID-19 in those populations.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We hypothesized that Hawrami may have protective SNPs. So, in this study, we used DNA sequencing to genotype three IFITM3 SNPs and nine IL6 SNPs by DNA sequencing to investigate the association of Sorani and Hawrami population polymorphisms. Genotype AA for the rs12252 SNP in IFITM3 was insignificantly more common in the Sorani group (54% vs. 44%). The Hawrami population showed a higher percentage of the CC genotype of the rs34481144 SNP in the IFITM3 gene (62% vs. 44.3%) and a higher proportion of the non-risky GG genotype of the rs1800795 SNP in the IL6 gene (53.4 vs. 43.3); however, the SNPs were insignificantly associated between the two populations.

CONCLUSIONS

IFITM3 and IL6 SNPs have no statistically significant association between the two Kurdish populations. The decreased proportion of non-risk alleles at rs34481144 and rs1800795 in the Hawrami population may partially support the research hypothesis. However, contrary to our hypothesis, the Sorani group had an insignificantly higher protective variant of the rs12252 SNP.

SARS-CoV-2 variants show different host cell proteome profiles with delayed immune response activation in Omicron-infected cells

The ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain that initiated the Covid-19 pandemic at the end of 2019 has rapidly mutated into multiple variants of concern with variable pathogenicity and increasing immune escape strategies. However, differences in host cellular antiviral responses upon infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants remains elusive. Leveraging whole cell proteomics, we determined host signalling pathways that are differentially modulated upon infection with the clinical isolates of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 B.1 and the variants of concern Delta and Omicron BA.1. Our findings illustrate alterations in the global host proteome landscape upon infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants and the resulting host immune responses. Additionally, viral proteome kinetics reveal declining levels of viral protein expression during Omicron BA.1 infection when compared to ancestral B.1 and Delta variants, consistent with its reduced replication rates. Moreover, molecular assays reveal deferral activation of specific host antiviral signalling upon Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 infections. Our study provides an overview of host proteome profile of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and brings forth a better understanding of the instigation of key immune signalling pathways causative for the differential pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 variants.