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Ceylan AC, Çavdarlı B, Ceylan GG, Topçu V, Satılmış SBA, Bektaş ŞG, Kalem AK, Kayaaslan B, Eser F, Kalkan EA, İnan O, Hasanoğlu İ, Yüksel S, Ateş İ, İzdeş S, Güner R, Gündüz CNS. Impact of Inflammation-Related Genes on COVID-19: Prospective Study at Turkish Cohort. TOHOKU J EXP MED 2023; 261:179-185. [PMID: 37635061 DOI: 10.1620/tjem.2023.j071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a high mortality rate and poses a significant threat to the population. The disease may progress with mild symptoms or may cause the need for intensive care, depending on many factors. In this study, it was aimed to determine if there is a tendency due to genetic factors in COVID-19 patients. Ninety-four of 188 patients with mild clinical and 94 with severe clinical symptoms were included in the study. The targeted panel including coagulopathy (F2, F5), viral invasion (ACE2), and inflammation (CXCL8, IFNAR2, IFNL4, IL10, IL2, IL6, IRF7, TLR3, TLR7, TNF) related genes was performed sequenced by the next generation sequencing (NGS). The variants found were classified and univariate analyses were performed to select candidate variables for logistic model. Risk factors and variants were compared. It was revealed that the presence of 2 or more risk factors caused the disease to progress severely (p < 0.001). Heterozygous IRF7:c.1357-23dup variant had a 2.5 times higher risk for mild disease compared to severe disease. Other variants were found to be more significant in mild disease. Since polymorphic variants were not evaluated in the literature, the findings of our study could not be compared with the literature. However, as variants that may be effective in the severity of infections may differ according to ethnicity. This study has the feature of being a guide for subsequent studies to be carried out especially in Turkish population. Clinical course of the COVID-19 is likely to depend on a variety of risk factors, including age, sex, clinical status, immunology and genetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Cevdet Ceylan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
- Department of Medical Genetics, Ankara City Hospital
| | | | - Gülay Güleç Ceylan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
- Department of Medical Genetics, Ankara City Hospital
| | - Vehap Topçu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Ankara City Hospital
| | | | | | - Ayşe K Kalem
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara City Hospital
| | - Bircan Kayaaslan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara City Hospital
| | - Fatma Eser
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara City Hospital
| | | | - Osman İnan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital
| | - İmran Hasanoğlu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara City Hospital
| | - Selcen Yüksel
- Department of Biostatistics, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
| | - İhsan Ateş
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Health Science University
| | - Seval İzdeş
- Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation-Critical Care, Ankara City Hospital
- Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation-Critical Care, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
| | - Rahmet Güner
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara City Hospital
| | - C Nur Semerci Gündüz
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
- Department of Medical Genetics, Ankara City Hospital
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AlMatar M, Ramli ANM, Albarri O, Yi CX. Insights into the Structural Complexities of SARS-CoV-2 for Therapeutic and Vaccine Development. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2023; 26:1945-1959. [PMID: 36366840 DOI: 10.2174/1386207326666221108095705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a disease that endangers both human life and the economy. There was an 11- month period of relative evolutionary standstill following the appearance of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019. However, the emergence of clusters of mutations known as' variants of concern 'with variable viral properties such as transmissibility and antigenicity defined the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Several efforts have been made in recent months to understand the atomic level properties of SARS-CoV-2. A review of the literature on SARS-CoV-2 mutations is offered in this paper. The critical activities performed by different domains of the SARS-CoV-2 genome throughout the virus's entry into the host and overall viral life cycle are discussed in detail. These structural traits may potentially pave the way for the development of a vaccine and medication to combat the SARS-CoV-2 sickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manaf AlMatar
- Faculty of Education and Art, Sohar University, Sohar, 311, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Aizi Nor Mazila Ramli
- Faculty of Industrial Science and Technology, University Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences (Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü) Çukurova
University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Osman Albarri
- Bio Aromatic Research Centre of Excellence, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300, Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia
| | - Choong Xin Yi
- Faculty of Industrial Science and Technology, University Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia
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Muralidharan J, Kashyap S, S P, Jacob M, Ollapally A, Idiculla J, Raj JM, Thomas T, Kurpad AV. The effect of l-arginine supplementation on amelioration of oxygen support in severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Clin Nutr ESPEN 2022; 52:431-435. [PMID: 36513483 PMCID: PMC9511895 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2022.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS l-Arginine (l-Arg) has been shown to help reduce respiratory support requirements in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in an Italian study. We investigated the effect of l-Arg supplementation on the reduction in respiratory support for patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia in an Indian population. METHODS A parallel-group, triple-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted on patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia on oxygen (O2) support. Patients received either 3 g of oral l-Arg or placebo, daily under supervision, until they were off O2 support, or for a maximum of 10 days, whichever was earlier. The primary outcome was cessation in O2 support. Other outcomes were time to cessation of O2 support, duration of hospitalization, and incidence of adverse thrombotic events. RESULTS We did an intention-to-treat analysis on 74 patients who were randomized into l-Arg (n = 38) or placebo group (n = 36). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the outcomes. At end of the study, 28 patients (73.6%) in l-Arg and 26 patients (72.2%) in the placebo group were weaned off oxygen support. The median number of days to the cessation of O2 support estimated using Kaplan Meir survival analysis, was 3 days in the l-Arg group (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2, 4.7) and 5 days in the placebo group (95% CI, 4.1,5.8); P = 0.27. CONCLUSION In this group of patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, l-Arg supplementation did not show any significant difference in outcomes when compared to placebo supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jananee Muralidharan
- Department of Medicine, St. John's Medical College Hospital, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India,Department of Physiology, St. John's Medical College Hospital, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Sindhu Kashyap
- Division of Nutrition, St. John's Research Institute, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Poorvikha S
- Medical Student, St. John's Medical College, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Mathew Jacob
- Department of Medicine, St. John's Medical College Hospital, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Anjali Ollapally
- Department of Anaesthesia, St. John's Medical College Hospital, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India,Department of Physiology, St. John's Medical College Hospital, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Jyothi Idiculla
- Department of Medicine, St. John's Medical College Hospital, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - John Michael Raj
- Department of Biostatistics, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Tinku Thomas
- Department of Biostatistics, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Anura V. Kurpad
- Department of Physiology, St. John's Medical College Hospital, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India,Corresponding author. Department of Physiology, St. John's Medical College, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore 560034, India. Fax: +91 80 25501088
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Vakil MK, Mansoori Y, Al‐Awsi GRL, Hosseinipour A, Ahsant S, Ahmadi S, Ekrahi M, Montaseri Z, Pezeshki B, Mohaghegh P, Sohrabpour M, Bahmanyar M, Daraei A, Dadkhah Jouybari T, Tavassoli A, Ghasemian A. Individual genetic variability mainly of Proinflammatory cytokines, cytokine receptors, and toll-like receptors dictates pathophysiology of COVID-19 disease. J Med Virol 2022; 94:4088-4096. [PMID: 35538614 PMCID: PMC9348290 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Innate and acquired immunity responses are crucial for viral infection elimination. However, genetic variations in coding genes may exacerbate the inflammation or initiate devastating cytokine storms which poses severe respiratory conditions in coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Host genetic variations in particular those related to the immune responses determine the patients' susceptibility and COVID-19 severity and pathophysiology. Gene polymorphisms such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interferons, TNF, IL1, IL4, IL6, IL7, IL10, and IL17 predispose patients to the severe form of COVID-19 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2). These variations mainly alter the gene expression and cause a severe response by B cells, T cells, monocytes, neutrophils, and natural killer cells participating in a cytokine storm. Moreover, cytokines and chemokines SNPs are associated with the severity of COVID-19 and clinical outcomes depending on the corresponding effect. Additionally, genetic variations in genes encoding toll-like receptors (TLRs) mainly TLR3, TLR7, and TLR9 have been related to the COVID-19 severe respiratory symptoms. The specific relation of these mutations with the novel variants of concern (VOCs) infection remains to be elucidated. Genetic variations mainly within genes encoding proinflammatory cytokines, cytokine receptors, and TLRs predispose patients to COVID-19 disease severity. Understanding host immune gene variations associated with the SARS-COV-2 infection opens insights to control the pathophysiology of emerging viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Kazem Vakil
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Yaser Mansoori
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Ghaidaa Raheem Lateef Al‐Awsi
- University of Al‐QadisiyahCollege of ScienceAl DiwaniyahIraq
- Department of Radiological TechniquesAl‐Mustaqbal University CollegeBabylonIraq
| | - Ali Hosseinipour
- Department of Internal MedicineFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Samaneh Ahsant
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Sedigheh Ahmadi
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Mohammad Ekrahi
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Zahra Montaseri
- Department of Infectious DiseasesFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Babak Pezeshki
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Poopak Mohaghegh
- Pediatrics Department, School of MedicineFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Mojtaba Sohrabpour
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Maryam Bahmanyar
- Pediatrics Department, School of MedicineFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
| | - Abdolreza Daraei
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of MedicineBabol University of Medical SciencesBabolIran
| | | | | | - Abdolmajid Ghasemian
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterFasa University of Medical SciencesFasaIran
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da Silva Torres MK, Bichara CDA, de Almeida MDNDS, Vallinoto MC, Queiroz MAF, Vallinoto IMVC, dos Santos EJM, de Carvalho CAM, Vallinoto ACR. The Complexity of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:789882. [PMID: 35222327 PMCID: PMC8870622 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.789882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to the death of millions of people worldwide and thousands more infected individuals developed sequelae due to the disease of the new coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19). The development of several studies has contributed to the knowledge about the evolution of SARS-CoV2 infection and the disease to more severe forms. Despite this information being debated in the scientific literature, many mechanisms still need to be better understood in order to control the spread of the virus and treat clinical cases of COVID-19. In this article, we carried out an extensive literature review in order to bring together, in a single article, the biological, social, genetic, diagnostic, therapeutic, immunization, and even socioeconomic aspects that impact the SAR-CoV-2 pandemic. This information gathered in this article will enable a broad and consistent reading of the main aspects related to the current pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Karoliny da Silva Torres
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Carlos David Araújo Bichara
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Maria de Nazaré do Socorro de Almeida
- Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Laboratory of Complex Diseases, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Mariana Cayres Vallinoto
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- University Center of the State of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Maria Alice Freitas Queiroz
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | | | - Eduardo José Melo dos Santos
- Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Laboratory of Complex Diseases, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | | | - Antonio Carlos R. Vallinoto
- Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
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Hao X, Peng X, Ding X, Qin Y, Lv M, Li J, Li K. Application of digital education in undergraduate nursing and medical interns during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. NURSE EDUCATION TODAY 2022; 108:105183. [PMID: 34741918 PMCID: PMC8545701 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. This declaration had an unprecedented impact on health profession education, especially the clinical clerkship of nursing and medical students. The teaching hospitals had to suspend traditional bedside clinical teaching and switch to digital education. OBJECTIVE To systematically synthesize the available literature on the application of digital education in undergraduate nursing and medical interns during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN A systematic review informed by PRISMA guidelines. DATA SOURCES Five electronic databases were systematically searched: PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE (OVID), CINAHL and the Cochrane Library. REVIEW METHODS The retrieved articles were screened at the title, abstract, and full text stages. The Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the quality of quantitative and mixed-method studies. Then, two reviewers extracted the quantitative data of the included studies. RESULTS A total of 4596 studies were identified following a comprehensive search, and 16 studies were included after removing duplicates and screening, which focused on undergraduate nursing students (3 studies) and medical students (13 studies). We found that the standalone digital education modalities were as effective as conventional learning for knowledge and practice. Different educational technologies have different effects on the knowledge and practice of interns. CONCLUSION Digital education plays a significant role in distance training for nursing and medical interns both now and in the future. The overall risk of bias was high, and the quality of evidence was found to be variable. There is a need for further research designing more quasi-experimental studies to assess the effectiveness of standalone digital education interventions for the remote training of nursing or medical interns to be fully prepared for emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Hao
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, 965Xinjiang street, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Xin Peng
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, 965Xinjiang street, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Xinxin Ding
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, 965Xinjiang street, Changchun 130021, China.
| | - Yuan Qin
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, 965Xinjiang street, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Miaohua Lv
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, 965Xinjiang street, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, 965Xinjiang street, Changchun 130021, China.
| | - Kun Li
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, 965Xinjiang street, Changchun 130021, China.
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Ishaq U, Malik A, Malik J, Mehmood A, Qureshi A, Laique T, Zaidi SMJ, Javaid M, Rana AS. Association of ABO blood group with COVID-19 severity, acute phase reactants and mortality. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261432. [PMID: 34905588 PMCID: PMC8670663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the ongoing pandemic with multitude of manifestations and association of ABO blood group in South-East Asian population needs to be explored. METHODS It was a retrospective study of patients with COVID-19. Blood group A, B, O, and AB were identified in every participant, irrespective of their RH type and allotted groups 1, 2,3, and 4, respectively. Correlation between blood group and lab parameters was presented as histogram distributed among the four groups. Multivariate regression and logistic regression were used for inferential statistics. RESULTS The cohort included 1067 patients: 521 (48.8%) participants had blood group O as the prevalent blood type. Overall, 10.6% COVID-19-related mortality was observed at our center. Mortality was 13.9% in blood group A, 9.5% in group B, 10% in group C, and 10.2% in AB blood group (p = 0.412). IL-6 was elevated in blood group A (median [IQR]: 23.6 [17.5,43.8]), Procalcitonin in blood group B (median [IQR]: 0.54 [0.3,0.7]), D-dimers and CRP in group AB (median [IQR]: 21.5 [9,34]; 24 [9,49], respectively). Regarding severity of COVID-19 disease, no statistical difference was seen between the blood groups. Alteration of the acute phase reactants was not positively associated with any specific blood type. CONCLUSION In conclusion, this investigation did not show significant association of blood groups with severity and of COVID-19 disease and COVID-19-associated mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uzma Ishaq
- Department of Hematology, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Asmara Malik
- Department of Community Medicine, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Jahanzeb Malik
- Department of Cardiology, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
- Department of Cardiology, Advanced Diagnostics and Liver Center, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Asad Mehmood
- Department of Cardiology, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Azhar Qureshi
- Department of Cardiology, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Talha Laique
- Department of Pharmacology, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Javaid
- Department of Cardiology, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Sattar Rana
- Department of Cardiology, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
- Department of Cardiology, Advanced Diagnostics and Liver Center, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
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Van Goethem N, Serrien B, Vandromme M, Wyndham-Thomas C, Catteau L, Brondeel R, Klamer S, Meurisse M, Cuypers L, André E, Blot K, Van Oyen H. Conceptual causal framework to assess the effect of SARS-CoV-2 variants on COVID-19 disease severity among hospitalized patients. Arch Public Health 2021; 79:185. [PMID: 34696806 PMCID: PMC8543112 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-021-00709-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 strains evolve continuously and accumulate mutations in their genomes over the course of the pandemic. The severity of a SARS-CoV-2 infection could partly depend on these viral genetic characteristics. Here, we present a general conceptual framework that allows to study the effect of SARS-CoV-2 variants on COVID-19 disease severity among hospitalized patients. METHODS A causal model is defined and visualized using a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), in which assumptions on the relationship between (confounding) variables are made explicit. Various DAGs are presented to explore specific study design options and the risk for selection bias. Next, the data infrastructure specific to the COVID-19 surveillance in Belgium is described, along with its strengths and weaknesses for the study of clinical impact of variants. DISCUSSION A well-established framework that provides a complete view on COVID-19 disease severity among hospitalized patients by combining information from different sources on host factors, viral factors, and healthcare-related factors, will enable to assess the clinical impact of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and answer questions that will be raised in the future. The framework shows the complexity related to causal research, the corresponding data requirements, and it underlines important limitations, such as unmeasured confounders or selection bias, inherent to repurposing existing routine COVID-19 data registries. TRIAL REGISTRATION Each individual research project within the current conceptual framework will be prospectively registered in Open Science Framework (OSF identifier: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/UEF29 ). OSF project created on 18 May 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Van Goethem
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institut de recherche expérimentale et clinique, Faculty of Public Health, Université catholique de Louvain, Clos Chapelle-aux-champs 30, 1200, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium.
| | - Ben Serrien
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathil Vandromme
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Chloé Wyndham-Thomas
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lucy Catteau
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ruben Brondeel
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sofieke Klamer
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marjan Meurisse
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lize Cuypers
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Reference Centre for Respiratory Pathogens, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, BE-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Emmanuel André
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Reference Centre for Respiratory Pathogens, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, BE-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, Herestraat 49, box 1040, BE-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Blot
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Herman Van Oyen
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and public health, Sciensano, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
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Kumar V. Can proteomics-based approaches further help COVID-19 prevention and therapy? Expert Rev Proteomics 2021; 18:241-245. [PMID: 33929923 PMCID: PMC8127169 DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2021.1924684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Memphis, TN, USA
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