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Greenblatt CL, Bercovier H, Klein BY, Gofrit ON. Intravesical Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Vaccine Affects Cognition. J Alzheimers Dis 2024:JAD240307. [PMID: 38943393 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a valuable assessment of the patient's awareness of time and place. We show that bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) significantly affects MoCA testing when administered by the intravesical route. MoCA scores were lower with increasing age and higher in more formally educated individuals. Patients receiving BCG tended to maintain their MoCA scores, whereas almost half the control cases tended to show reduced scores. This benefit is supported by reduced pre-amyloid biomarkers in BCG-injected healthy volunteers and a favorable effect on neuronal dendritic development in animal models. Our results suggest that BCG has a beneficial impact on the cognitive status of older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Herve Bercovier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin Y Klein
- Visiting Scientist, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ofer N Gofrit
- Department of Urology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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Ukraintseva S, Yashkin AP, Akushevich I, Arbeev K, Duan H, Gorbunova G, Stallard E, Yashin A. Associations of infections and vaccines with Alzheimer's disease point to a role of compromised immunity rather than specific pathogen in AD. Exp Gerontol 2024; 190:112411. [PMID: 38548241 PMCID: PMC11060001 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2024.112411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diverse pathogens (viral, bacterial, fungal) have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related traits in various studies. This suggests that compromised immunity, rather than specific microbes, may play a role in AD by increasing an individual's vulnerability to various infections, which could contribute to neurodegeneration. If true, then vaccines that have heterologous effects on immunity, extending beyond protection against the targeted disease, may hold a potential for AD prevention. METHODS We evaluated the associations of common adult infections (herpes simplex, zoster (shingles), pneumonia, and recurrent mycoses), and vaccinations against shingles and pneumonia, with the risks of AD and other dementias in a pseudorandomized sample of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). RESULTS Shingles, pneumonia and mycoses, diagnosed between ages 65 and 75, were all associated with significantly increased risk of AD later in life, by 16 %-42 %. Pneumococcal and shingles vaccines administered between ages 65-75 were both associated with a significantly lower risk of AD, by 15 %-21 %. These effects became less pronounced when AD was combined with other dementias. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that both the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and the live attenuated zoster vaccine can offer significant protection against AD. It remains to be determined if non-live shingles vaccine has a similar beneficial effect on AD. This study also found significant associations of various infections with the risk of AD, but not with the risks of other dementias. This indicates that vulnerability to infections may play a more significant role in AD than in other types of dementia, which warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Ukraintseva
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Arseniy P Yashkin
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Igor Akushevich
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Konstantin Arbeev
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hongzhe Duan
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Galina Gorbunova
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eric Stallard
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anatoliy Yashin
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Subedi L, Gaire BP, Koronyo Y, Koronyo-Hamaoui M, Crother TR. Chlamydia pneumoniae in Alzheimer's disease pathology. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1393293. [PMID: 38770241 PMCID: PMC11102982 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1393293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
While recent advances in diagnostics and therapeutics offer promising new approaches for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis and treatment, there is still an unmet need for an effective remedy, suggesting new avenues of research are required. Besides many plausible etiologies for AD pathogenesis, mounting evidence supports a possible role for microbial infections. Various microbes have been identified in the postmortem brain tissues of human AD patients. Among bacterial pathogens in AD, Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) has been well characterized in human AD brains and is a leading candidate for an infectious involvement. However, no definitive studies have been performed proving or disproving Cp's role as a causative or accelerating agent in AD pathology and cognitive decline. In this review, we discuss recent updates for the role of Cp in human AD brains as well as experimental models of AD. Furthermore, based on the current literature, we have compiled a list of potential mechanistic pathways which may connect Cp with AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lalita Subedi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Guerin Children's at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Infectious and Immunologic Diseases Research Center (IIDRC), Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Bhakta Prasad Gaire
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Timothy R. Crother
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Guerin Children's at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Infectious and Immunologic Diseases Research Center (IIDRC), Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Søvik WLM, Madsen AMR, Aaby P, Nielsen S, Benn CS, Schaltz-Buchholzer F. The association between BCG scars and self-reported chronic diseases: A cross-sectional observational study within an RCT of Danish health care workers. Vaccine 2024; 42:1966-1972. [PMID: 38378387 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.02.049] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The live-attenuated vaccines Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and Vaccinia have been associated with beneficial non-specific effects. We assessed the prevalence of BCG and Vaccinia vaccine scars in a cohort of Danish health care workers and investigated the association between the presence of vaccine scars and self-reported chronic diseases. METHODS Cross-sectional study utilizing baseline data collected during 2020-2021 at enrollment in a BCG trial aiming to assess the effect of BCG vaccination on absenteeism and infectious disease morbidity during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. In Denmark, Vaccinia was discontinued in 1977, and BCG was phased out in the early 1980s. We used logistic regression analysis (adjusted for sex, birth year, and smoking status) to estimate the association between scar status and chronic diseases, providing adjusted Odds Ratios (aORs) with 95 % Confidence Intervals, for participants born before 1977, and born from 1965 to 1976. RESULTS The cohort consisted of 1218 participants (206 males; 1012 females) with a median age of 47 years (Q1-Q3: 36-56). Among participants born 1965-1976 (n = 403), who experienced the phase-outs, having BCG and/or Vaccinia scar(s) vs. having no vaccine scars yielded an aOR of 0.51 (0.29-0.90) of self-reported chronic disease; an effect primarily driven by BCG. In the same birth cohort, having vaccine scar(s) was most strongly associated with a lower prevalence of chronic respiratory and allergic diseases; the aORs being 0.39 (0.16-0.97) and 0.39 (0.16-0.91), respectively. CONCLUSION Having a BCG scar was associated with a lower prevalence of self-reported chronic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne Marie Rosendahl Madsen
- Bandim Health Project, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
| | - Peter Aaby
- Bandim Health Project, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Sebastian Nielsen
- Bandim Health Project, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Christine Stabell Benn
- Bandim Health Project, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer
- Bandim Health Project, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
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Umar TP, Jain N, Stevanny B, Javed B, Priandhana A, Siburian R, Kostiks A. Protective role of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine in Alzheimer's disease progression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27425. [PMID: 38495158 PMCID: PMC10943379 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a significant societal challenge, highlighting the need to explore effective prevention and treatment approaches. Recent literature has suggested that Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may be a viable therapeutic option for immune disorders associated with AD due to its immunomodulatory properties and protection against various diseases. Methods This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association of BCG vaccine in the prevention of AD using six medical-scientific databases. A meta-analytical approach was undertaken to estimate the risk of AD incidence in patients with and without BCG vaccine exposure, followed by subgroup analyses. A risk of bias (RoB) assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results Six cohort studies meeting our inclusion criteria were included (47,947 participants) in the study. From our meta-analysis, intravesical BCG vaccine administration lowered the risk of incidence of AD by 26% in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (p < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses showed that BCG vaccination showed a potentially notable preventive effect on AD in older adults (>75 years) and female participants. Conversely, significant heterogeneity in results was observed among male participants and those aged <75 years. The RoB was low in three studies and unclear in the remaining studies. Conclusions Although our results support the potential benefits of BCG vaccine in preventing AD in specific demographics, we remain cautious about interpreting such results. Further research examining the implications of BCG vaccination for prevention and possible treatment of AD should be undertaken in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tungki Pratama Umar
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nityanand Jain
- Faculty of Medicine, Riga Stradinš University, Riga, LV 1007, Latvia
| | - Bella Stevanny
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, Indonesia
| | - Binish Javed
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | | | | | - Andrejs Kostiks
- Department of Neurology, Riga East Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia
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Yedke NG, Kumar P. The Neuroprotective Role of BCG Vaccine in Movement Disorders: A Review. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2024; 23:30-38. [PMID: 36567299 DOI: 10.2174/1871527322666221223142813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the first developed vaccine to prevent tuberculosis (TB) and is the world's most widely used vaccine. It has a reconcilable defense in opposition to tuberculosis, meningitis, and miliary disease in children but changeable protection against pulmonary TB. Immune activation is responsible for regulating neural development by activating it. The effect of the BCG vaccine on neuronal disorders due to subordinate immune provocation is useful. BCG vaccine can prevent neuronal degeneration in different neurological disorders by provoking auto-reactive T-cells. In the case of TB, CD4+ T-cells effectively protect the immune response by protecting the central defense. Because of the preceding fact, BCG induces protection by creating precise T-cells like CD4+ T-cells and CD8+ T-cells. Hence, vaccination-induced protection generates specific T-cells and CD4+ T-cells, and CD8+ T-cells. The BCG vaccine may have an essential effect on motor disorders and play a crucial role in neuroprotective management. The present review describes how the BCG vaccine might be interrelated with motor disorders and play a key role in such diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narhari Gangaram Yedke
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, Punjab, India
| | - Puneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India
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Greenblatt CL, Lathe R. Vaccines and Dementia: Part I. Non-Specific Immune Boosting with BCG: History, Ligands, and Receptors. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 98:343-360. [PMID: 38393912 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231315] [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: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Vaccines such as Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) can apparently defer dementia onset with an efficacy better than all drugs known to date, as initially reported by Gofrit et al. (PLoS One14, e0224433), now confirmed by other studies. Understanding how and why is of immense importance because it could represent a sea-change in how we manage patients with mild cognitive impairment through to dementia. Given that infection and/or inflammation are likely to contribute to the development of dementias such as Alzheimer's disease (Part II of this work), we provide a historical and molecular background to how vaccines, adjuvants, and their component molecules can elicit broad-spectrum protective effects against diverse agents. We review early studies in which poxvirus, herpes virus, and tuberculosis (TB) infections afford cross-protection against unrelated pathogens, a concept known as 'trained immunity'. We then focus on the attenuated TB vaccine, BCG, that was introduced to protect against the causative agent of TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We trace the development of BCG in the 1920 s through to the discovery, by Freund and McDermott in the 1940 s, that extracts of mycobacteria can themselves exert potent immunostimulating (adjuvant) activity; Freund's complete adjuvant based on mycobacteria remains the most potent immunopotentiator reported to date. We then discuss whether the beneficial effects of BCG require long-term persistence of live bacteria, before focusing on the specific mycobacterial molecules, notably muramyl dipeptides, that mediate immunopotentiation, as well as the receptors involved. Part II addresses evidence that immunopotentiation by BCG and other vaccines can protect against dementia development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection Medicine, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh, UK
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Greenblatt CL, Lathe R. Vaccines and Dementia: Part II. Efficacy of BCG and Other Vaccines Against Dementia. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 98:361-372. [PMID: 38393913 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
There is growing awareness that infections may contribute to the development of senile dementia including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and that immunopotentiation is therefore a legitimate target in the management of diseases of the elderly including AD. In Part I of this work, we provided a historical and molecular background to how vaccines, adjuvants, and their component molecules can elicit broad-spectrum protective effects against diverse agents, culminating in the development of the tuberculosis vaccine strain Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as a treatment for some types of cancer as well as a prophylactic against infections of the elderly such as pneumonia. In Part II, we critically review studies that BCG and other vaccines may offer a measure of protection against dementia development. Five studies to date have determined that intravesicular BCG administration, the standard of care for bladder cancer, is followed by a mean ∼45% reduction in subsequent AD development in these patients. Although this could potentially be ascribed to confounding factors, the finding that other routine vaccines such as against shingles (herpes zoster virus) and influenza (influenza A virus), among others, also offer a degree of protection against AD (mean 29% over multiple studies) underlines the plausibility that the protective effects are real. We highlight clinical trials that are planned or underway and discuss whether BCG could be replaced by key components of the mycobacterial cell wall such as muramyl dipeptide. We conclude that BCG and similar agents merit far wider consideration as prophylactic agents against dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection Medicine, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh, UK
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Wang E, Hagberg O, Malmström PU. The association between BCG treatment in patients with bladder cancer and subsequent risk of developing Alzheimer and other dementia.-A Swedish nationwide cohort study from 1997 to 2019. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292174. [PMID: 38096211 PMCID: PMC10721016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects 50 million people worldwide. The immune system plays a major role in the pathogenesis of AD. Several retrospective analyses have reported a decreased risk of AD and other dementias in bladder cancer patients treated with immunotherapy in the form of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) bladder instillations. We tested this hypothesis in a Swedish population-based prospective cohort of patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). METHODS AND FINDINGS We utilized the BladderBaSe 2.0 database, which contains tumor-specific, health-related, and socio-demographic information for patients diagnosed with NMIBC between 1997 and 2019. The database also includes a matched comparison cohort sampled from the general population, consisting of individuals free from urinary tract cancer at the time of the index case's diagnosis. Five controls were randomly selected for each index case without replacement on the date of the index case's diagnosis. Our inclusion criteria identified participants diagnosed with NMIBC who had received BCG as primary treatment, along with their corresponding comparison cohort. We excluded those diagnosed with dementia before or within 6 months of NMIBC diagnosis. To compare the NMIBC cohort with their matched comparison cohort, we used a stratified Cox model, treating each case with its controls as a stratum. We identified 38,934 patients in the NMIBC cohort, with 6,496 receiving BCG after primary diagnosis (cases). AD/dementia was diagnosed during follow-up in 6.1% of cases and 7.4% of controls. Cases had a slightly lower risk of dementia than controls, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.780-0.991), and a HR of 0.89 (CI 0.703-1.119) for AD. Subgroup analysis for dementia showed that age over 75 years had an HR of 0.73 (CI 0.616-0.863), and female gender had an HR of 0.73 (CI 0.552-0.971). The associations were similar for AD specifically, but not statistically significant. Similar to previous studies, we analyzed bladder cancer patients treated with and without BCG therapy. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that those treated with BCG had a lower risk of dementia (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.71-0.92), and an HR of 0.98 (95% CI 0.75-1.27) for AD specifically. High age was a significant risk modifier; the HR was 3.8 (CI 3.44-4.11) for dementia and 3.1 (CI 2.59-3.73) for AD. Even patients not receiving BCG had a significantly lower risk for AD than controls (HR 0.86, CI 0.77-0.96). CONCLUSIONS This study observed a marginally decreased risk of developing AD/dementia associated with earlier intravesical BCG treatment in NMIBC patients. This small benefit was most pronounced in those with high age and female gender. The disparity from previous highly positive studies underscores the importance of using an appropriate control cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugen Wang
- Center for Clinical Research, Sörmland, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Urology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oskar Hagberg
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Per-Uno Malmström
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Urology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Ukraintseva S, Yashkin AP, Akushevich I, Arbeev K, Duan H, Gorbunova G, Stallard E, Yashin A. Associations of infections and vaccines with Alzheimer's disease point to a major role of compromised immunity rather than specific pathogen in AD. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.12.04.23299092. [PMID: 38106098 PMCID: PMC10723482 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.04.23299092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diverse pathogens (viral, bacterial, fungal) have been linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) indicating a possibility that the culprit may be compromised immunity rather than particular microbe. If true, then vaccines with broad beneficial effects on immunity might be protective against AD. METHODS We estimated associations of common adult infections, including herpes simplex, zoster (shingles), pneumonia, and recurrent mycoses, as well as vaccinations against shingles and pneumonia, with the risk of AD in a pseudorandomized sample of the Health and Retirement Study. RESULTS Shingles, pneumonia, and mycoses diagnosed between ages 65-75, were all associated with higher risk of AD later in life, by 16%-42%. Pneumococcal and shingles vaccines received between ages 65-75 both lowered the risk of AD, by 15%-21%. DISCUSSION Our results support the idea that the connection between AD and infections involves compromised immunity rather than specific pathogen. We discuss mechanisms by which the declining immune surveillance may promote AD, and the role of biological aging in it. Repurposing of vaccines with broad beneficial effects on immunity could be a reasonable approach to AD prevention. Pneumococcal and zoster vaccines are promising candidates for such repurposing.
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Yedke NG, Upadhayay S, Singh R, Jamwal S, Ahmad SF, Kumar P. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Vaccine Attenuates Haloperidol-Induced TD-like Behavioral and Neurochemical Alteration in Experimental Rats. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1667. [PMID: 38002349 PMCID: PMC10669047 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder that displays unusual involuntary movement along with orofacial dysfunction. It is predominantly associated with the long-term use of antipsychotic medications, particularly typical or first-generation antipsychotic drugs such as haloperidol. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis are major pathophysiological mechanisms of TD. The BCG vaccine has been reported to suppress inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and exert neuroprotection via several mechanisms. Our study aimed to confirm the neuroprotective effect of the BCG vaccine against haloperidol-induced TD-like symptoms in rats. The rats were given haloperidol (1 mg/kg, i.p.) for 21 days after 1 h single administration of the BCG vaccine (2 × 107 cfu). Various behavioral parameters for orofacial dyskinesia and locomotor activity were assessed on the 14th and 21st days after haloperidol injection. On the 22nd day, all rats were euthanized, and the striatum was isolated to estimate the biochemical, apoptotic, inflammatory, and neurotransmitter levels. The administration of the BCG vaccine reversed orofacial dyskinesia and improved motor function in regard to haloperidol-induced TD-like symptoms in rats. The BCG vaccine also enhanced the levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH) and reduced prooxidants (MDA, nitrite) and pro-apoptotic markers (Cas-3, Cas-6, Cas-9) in rat brains. Besides this, BCG treatment also restored the neurotransmitter (DA, NE, 5-HT) levels and decreased the levels of HVA in the striatum. The study findings suggest that the BCG vaccine has antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and neuromodulatory properties that could be relevant in the management of TD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narhari Gangaram Yedke
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda 151001, India;
| | - Shubham Upadhayay
- Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Randhir Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Sumit Jamwal
- Department of Molecular Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sheikh F. Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Puneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
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Gofrit ON, Greenblatt CL, Klein BY, Ben-Hur T, Bercovier H. Can immunization with BCG delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease? Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23:889-890. [PMID: 37735105 DOI: 10.1111/ggi.14680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ofer N Gofrit
- Department of Urology, Hadassah - Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Charles L Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin Y Klein
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tamir Ben-Hur
- Department of Neurology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Herve Bercovier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
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Han C, Wang J, Chen YL, Guan CP, Zhang YA, Wang MS. The role of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin administration on the risk of dementia in bladder cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1243588. [PMID: 37693645 PMCID: PMC10484104 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1243588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous cohort studies have found an association between Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) administration and incident dementia. In the systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to summarize the current evidence of the effect of BCG use on the risk of developing dementia. Methods We searched six databases until 20 May 2023 for studies investigating the risk of dementia and BCG administration. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were pooled in the meta-analysis. Meta-regression, subgroup, and sensitivity analysis were conducted as well. Results Of the 4,043 records initially evaluated, five articles were included for final analysis, with a total of 45,407 bladder cancer (BC) patients. All five studies were evaluated and rated as with high quality, and a low possibility of publication bias was indicated. A significant association between BCG and the incidence of dementia in BC patients was found in all five studies. Although a high heterogeneity (I2 = 84.5%, p < 0.001) was observed, the pooled HR was 0.55 (0.42-0.73), indicating that BCG exposure or treatment reduced the risk of incident dementia by 45%. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis showed good robustness of the overall effect with no serious publication bias. Conclusion BCG administration is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing dementia. However, an epidemiological cohort is needed to establish a relationship between BCG use and incident dementia in the normal population. Once the relationship is confirmed, more people may benefit from the association. Systematic review registration identifier: CRD42023428317.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Han
- Department of Outpatient, Shandong Mental Health Center, Jinan, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Mental Health Center, Jinan, China
| | - Ya-Li Chen
- Department of Lab Medicine, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Infectious Respiratory Disease, Jinan, China
| | - Cui-Ping Guan
- Department of Lab Medicine, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Infectious Respiratory Disease, Jinan, China
| | - Yan-An Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Infectious Respiratory Disease, Jinan, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Mao-Shui Wang
- Department of Lab Medicine, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Infectious Respiratory Disease, Jinan, China
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14
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Eyting M, Xie M, Heß S, Geldsetzer P. Causal evidence that herpes zoster vaccination prevents a proportion of dementia cases. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.05.23.23290253. [PMID: 37292746 PMCID: PMC10246135 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.23.23290253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The root causes of dementia are still largely unclear, and the medical community lacks highly effective preventive and therapeutic pharmaceutical agents for dementia despite large investments into their development. There is growing interest in the question if infectious agents play a role in the development of dementia, with herpesviruses attracting particular attention. To provide causal as opposed to merely correlational evidence on this question, we take advantage of the fact that in Wales eligibility for the herpes zoster vaccine (Zostavax) for shingles prevention was determined based on an individual's exact date of birth. Those born before September 2 1933 were ineligible and remained ineligible for life, while those born on or after September 2 1933 were eligible to receive the vaccine. By using country-wide data on all vaccinations received, primary and secondary care encounters, death certificates, and patients' date of birth in weeks, we first show that the percentage of adults who received the vaccine increased from 0.01% among patients who were merely one week too old to be eligible, to 47.2% among those who were just one week younger. Apart from this large difference in the probability of ever receiving the herpes zoster vaccine, there is no plausible reason why those born just one week prior to September 2 1933 should differ systematically from those born one week later. We demonstrate this empirically by showing that there were no systematic differences (e.g., in pre-existing conditions or uptake of other preventive interventions) between adults across the date-of-birth eligibility cutoff, and that there were no other interventions that used the exact same date-of-birth eligibility cutoff as was used for the herpes zoster vaccine program. This unique natural randomization, thus, allows for robust causal, rather than correlational, effect estimation. We first replicate the vaccine's known effect from clinical trials of reducing the occurrence of shingles. We then show that receiving the herpes zoster vaccine reduced the probability of a new dementia diagnosis over a follow-up period of seven years by 3.5 percentage points (95% CI: 0.6 - 7.1, p=0.019), corresponding to a 19.9% relative reduction in the occurrence of dementia. Besides preventing shingles and dementia, the herpes zoster vaccine had no effects on any other common causes of morbidity and mortality. In exploratory analyses, we find that the protective effects from the vaccine for dementia are far stronger among women than men. Randomized trials are needed to determine the optimal population groups and time interval for administration of the herpes zoster vaccine to prevent or delay dementia, as well as to quantify the magnitude of the causal effect when more precise measures of cognition are used. Our findings strongly suggest an important role of the varicella zoster virus in the etiology of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Eyting
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Department of
Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg
University; 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg
University Mainz; 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Min Xie
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Department of
Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg
University; 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon Heß
- Department of Economics, University of Vienna; 1090 Vienna,
Austria
| | - Pascal Geldsetzer
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Department of
Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford
University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub – San Francisco; San Francisco, CA
94158, USA
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15
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Lathe R, St Clair D. Programmed ageing: decline of stem cell renewal, immunosenescence, and Alzheimer's disease. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023. [PMID: 37068798 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
The characteristic maximum lifespan varies enormously across animal species from a few hours to hundreds of years. This argues that maximum lifespan, and the ageing process that itself dictates lifespan, are to a large extent genetically determined. Although controversial, this is supported by firm evidence that semelparous species display evolutionarily programmed ageing in response to reproductive and environmental cues. Parabiosis experiments reveal that ageing is orchestrated systemically through the circulation, accompanied by programmed changes in hormone levels across a lifetime. This implies that, like the circadian and circannual clocks, there is a master 'clock of age' (circavital clock) located in the limbic brain of mammals that modulates systemic changes in growth factor and hormone secretion over the lifespan, as well as systemic alterations in gene expression as revealed by genomic methylation analysis. Studies on accelerated ageing in mice, as well as human longevity genes, converge on evolutionarily conserved fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors, including KLOTHO, as well as insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and steroid hormones, as key players mediating the systemic effects of ageing. Age-related changes in these and multiple other factors are inferred to cause a progressive decline in tissue maintenance through failure of stem cell replenishment. This most severely affects the immune system, which requires constant renewal from bone marrow stem cells. Age-related immune decline increases risk of infection whereas lifespan can be extended in germfree animals. This and other evidence suggests that infection is the major cause of death in higher organisms. Immune decline is also associated with age-related diseases. Taking the example of Alzheimer's disease (AD), we assess the evidence that AD is caused by immunosenescence and infection. The signature protein of AD brain, Aβ, is now known to be an antimicrobial peptide, and Aβ deposits in AD brain may be a response to infection rather than a cause of disease. Because some cognitively normal elderly individuals show extensive neuropathology, we argue that the location of the pathology is crucial - specifically, lesions to limbic brain are likely to accentuate immunosenescence, and could thus underlie a vicious cycle of accelerated immune decline and microbial proliferation that culminates in AD. This general model may extend to other age-related diseases, and we propose a general paradigm of organismal senescence in which declining stem cell proliferation leads to programmed immunosenescence and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection Medicine, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Little France, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - David St Clair
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
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16
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Dias HF, Mochizuki Y, Kühtreiber WM, Takahashi H, Zheng H, Faustman DL. Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) and prevention of types 1 and 2 diabetes: Results of two observational studies. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0276423. [PMID: 36662841 PMCID: PMC9858877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetes is a common disease marked by high blood sugars. An earlier clinical trial in type 1 diabetic subjects (T1Ds) found that repeat BCG vaccinations succeeded in lowering HbA1c values over a multi-year course. Here we seek to determine whether BCG therapy for bladder cancer may improve blood sugar levels in patients with comorbid T1D and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We also investigate whether BCG exposure may reduce onset of T1D and T2D by examining country-by-country impact of BCG childhood vaccination policies in relation to disease incidence. METHODS AND FINDINGS We first analyzed three large US patient datasets (Optum Labs data [N = 45 million], Massachusetts General Brigham [N = 6.5 million], and Quest Diagnostics [N = 263 million adults]), by sorting out subjects with documented T1D (N = 19) or T2D (N = 106) undergoing BCG therapy for bladder cancer, and then by retrospectively assessing BCG's subsequent year-by-year impact on blood sugar trends. Additionally, we performed an ecological analysis of global data to assess the country-by-country associations between mandatory neonatal BCG vaccination programs and T1D and T2D incidence. Multi-dose BCG therapy in adults with comorbid diabetes and bladder cancer was associated with multi-year and stable lowering of HbA1c in T1Ds, but not in T2Ds. The lack of a similar benefit in T2D may be due to concurrent administration of the diabetes drug metformin, which inhibits BCG's beneficial effect on glycolysis pathways. Countries with mandatory neonatal BCG vaccination policies had a lower incidence of T1D in two international databases and a lower incidence of T2D in one of the databases. CONCLUSIONS The epidemiological evidence analyzed here suggests that BCG may play a role in the prevention of T1D. It does not support prevention of T2D, most likely because of interference by metformin. Our ecological analysis of global data suggests a role for neonatal BCG in the prevention of T1D and, to a lesser extent, T2D. Randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans F. Dias
- Immunobiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | | | - Willem M. Kühtreiber
- Immunobiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Hiroyuki Takahashi
- Immunobiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Hui Zheng
- Statistics Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Denise L. Faustman
- Immunobiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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17
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Intravesical BCG and Incidence of Alzheimer Disease in Patients With Bladder Cancer: Results From an Administrative Dataset. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2022; 36:307-311. [PMID: 36183417 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alzheimer disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, and immunomodulation offers treatment opportunities. Preclinical data suggest that intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment could delay AD development. We investigated this relationship in a population-based cancer database. SAMPLE AND METHODS We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database for patients with high-risk nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (hrNMIBC). BCG dosage and subsequent Alzheimer diagnosis were collected through ICD-9/10 codes. Multivariable Cox regression was performed to assess the association between BCG therapy and subsequent Alzheimer diagnosis. RESULTS We identified 26,584 hrNMIBC patients; 51% received BCG and 8.3% were diagnosed with Alzheimer. BCG exposure was significantly associated with lower Alzheimer occurrence (hazard ratio: 0.73, P <0.05), which was dose-dependent. Increasing age, female sex, Black race, and increasing comorbidity index were significantly associated with a greater risk of subsequent Alzheimer diagnosis. DISCUSSION Treatment with intravesical BCG among patients with hrNMIBC was associated with a significantly lower risk for subsequent Alzheimer diagnosis, which seemed dose-dependent.
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18
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BCG Vaccine—The Road Not Taken. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10101919. [PMID: 36296196 PMCID: PMC9609351 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10101919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been used for over one hundred years to protect against the most lethal infectious agent in human history, tuberculosis. Over four billion BCG doses have been given and, worldwide, most newborns receive BCG. A few countries, including the United States, did not adopt the WHO recommendation for routine use of BCG. Moreover, within the past several decades, most of Western Europe and Australia, having originally employed routine BCG, have discontinued its use. This review article articulates the impacts of those decisions. The suggested consequences include increased tuberculosis, increased infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), increased autoimmune disease (autoimmune diabetes and multiple sclerosis) and increased neurodegenerative disease (Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease). This review also offers an emerged zoonotic pathogen, Mycobacteriumavium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP), as a mostly unrecognized NTM that may have a causal role in some, if not all, of these diseases. Current clinical trials with BCG for varied infectious, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases have brought this century-old vaccine to the fore due to its presumed immuno-modulating capacity. With its historic success and strong safety profile, the new and novel applications for BCG may lead to its universal use–putting the Western World back onto the road not taken.
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19
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Locht C. Highlights of the 3rd international BCG symposium: 100th anniversary of the first administration of BCG. Microbes Infect 2022; 24:105043. [PMID: 36084845 PMCID: PMC9446551 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2022.105043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
2021 was the year of the 100th anniversary of the first administration of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) to a human being. It was the start of a long journey of the world’s most widely used vaccine and the oldest vaccine still in use. More than 4 billion children have been vaccinated with BCG for protection against tuberculosis. However, over the years it became apparent that BCG also has beneficial non-specific effects. As such, it provides protection against various heterologous infectious and non-infectious diseases and is used to treat non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. As BCG was developed at the Institut Pasteur de Lille by Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin, the Institute has celebrated this important anniversary with an international scientific symposium on all aspects of BCG, held from November 17 to 19, 2021 at the Institut Pasteur de Lille. It covered BCG against tuberculosis and described novel vaccine approaches, the effect of BCG against heterologous infections, including BCG and COVID-19, the effect of BCG against cancer, and BCG against auto-immune and inflammatory diseases. To discuss these areas, the symposium gathered close to 200 participants from all five continents, 2/3 on-line. This article presents the highlights of this 3rd International Symposium on BCG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Locht
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR9017 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, F-59000, Lille, France.
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20
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Klein BY, Greenblatt CL, Gofrit ON, Bercovier H. Bacillus Calmette–Guérin in Immuno-Regulation of Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:861956. [PMID: 35832066 PMCID: PMC9271739 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.861956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus Calmette–Guérin is frequently the treatment of choice of superficial bladder cancer. Exposing the urinary bladder of elderly patients with bladder cancer to the BCG vaccine reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) substantially. Vaccines against other infectious microorganisms by other vaccination methods showed a similar but a lesser effect. This suggests that immune effects on AD are antigenically non-specific, likely being a metabolic result of immune system activation, similar to that shown for Juvenile diabetes. In this mini review we point to the benefit of BCG vaccine. We then briefly highlight the pathological involvement of the immune system in the AD both, in the peripheral and the central (brain) compartments. Given the uncertain prophylactic mechanism of the BCG effect against AD we propose to take advantage of the therapeutically planned bladder exposure to BCG. Based on pathological aggregation of wrongly cleaved amyloid precursor protein (APP) resistant to the unfolded protein response (UPR) which results in amyloid beta plaques we predict that BCG may impact the UPR signaling cascade. In addition pathways of innate immunity training concerned with energy metabolism, predict capability of activated immune cells to substitute deranged astrocytes that fail to support neuronal energy metabolism. This mini review points to ways through which immune cells can mediate between BCG vaccination and AD to support the wellness of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Y. Klein
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- *Correspondence: Benjamin Y. Klein,
| | - Charles L. Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ofer N. Gofrit
- Department of Urology, Hadassah Medical Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hervé Bercovier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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21
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Schwartz M, Cahalon L. The vicious cycle governing the brain–immune system relationship in neurodegenerative diseases. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 76:102182. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2022.102182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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22
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The Insignificant Correlation between Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Incidence of Dementia Using an Extension Survival Cox Hazard Model and Propensity-Score Matching Analysis in a Retrospective, Population-Based Prostate Cancer Registry. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112705. [PMID: 35681684 PMCID: PMC9179880 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the effect of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) on the incidence of dementia, after considering the time-dependent survival in patients with prostate cancer (PC) using a Korean population-based cancer registry database. After excluding patients with cerebrovascular disease and dementia before or within the 3-month-ADT and those with surgical castration, 9880 (19.3%) patients were matched into ADT and non-ADT groups using propensity-score matching (PSM) among 51,206 patients registered between 2006 and 2013. To define the significant relationship between ADT duration and the incidence of dementia, the extension Cox proportional hazard model was used with p-values < 0.05 regarded as statistically significant. The mean age and survival time were 67.3 years and 4.33 (standard deviation [SD] 2.16) years, respectively. A total of 2945 (9.3%) patients developed dementia during the study period, including Parkinson’s (11.0%), Alzheimer’s (42.6%), vascular (18.2%), and other types of dementia (28.2%). Despite PSM, the PC-treatment subtypes, survival rate, and incidence of dementia significantly differed between the ADT and non-ADT groups (p < 0.05), whereas the rate of each dementia subtype did not significantly differ (p = 0.069). A multivariate analysis for dementia incidence showed no significance of ADT type or use duration among patients with PC (p > 0.05), whereas old age, obesity, regional SEER stage, a history of cerebrovascular disease, and a high Charlson Comorbidity Index were significant factors for dementia (p < 0.05). Insignificant correlation was observed between ADT and the incidence of dementia based on the extension survival model with PSM among patients with PC.
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23
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Wu X, Yang H, He S, Xia T, Chen D, Zhou Y, Liu J, Liu M, Sun Z. Adult Vaccination as a Protective Factor for Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of Population-Based Observational Studies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:872542. [PMID: 35592323 PMCID: PMC9110786 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.872542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Common vaccinations may have impacts on dementia risk, but current evidence is inconsistent. We therefore investigated the association between vaccinations and dementia risk by systematic review and meta-analysis approach. Methods We conducted an extensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to identify studies that compared the risk of dementia in vaccinated versus unvaccinated populations. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled as measures. Results Of the 9124 records initially retrieved, 17 studies with 1857134 participants were included in our analysis. The overall pooled results showed that vaccinations were associated with a 35% lower dementia risk (HR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.60-0.71, Poverall effect < 0.001; I2 = 91.8%, Pheterogeneity<0.001). All types of vaccination were associated with a trend toward reduced dementia risk, with rabies (HR=0.43), tetanus & diphtheria & pertussis (Tdap) (HR=0.69), herpes zoster (HR=0.69), influenza (HR=0.74), hepatitis A (HR=0.78), typhoid (HR=0.80), and hepatitis B (HR=0.82) vaccinations being significant. Individuals with more full vaccination types and more annual influenza vaccinations were less likely to develop dementia. Gender and age had no effect on this association. Conclusion Routine adult vaccinations are associated with a significant reduction in dementia risk and may be an effective strategy for dementia prevention. Further research is needed to elucidate the causal effects of this association and the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhui Wu
- Department of Geriatric, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Haixia Yang
- The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
| | - Sixian He
- The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Xia
- TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Diang Chen
- Clinical Medicine Teaching Department, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yexin Zhou
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Guangxi, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Xi'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, China
| | - MengSi Liu
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Zhen Sun
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
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24
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Nelson AR. Peripheral Pathways to Neurovascular Unit Dysfunction, Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:858429. [PMID: 35517047 PMCID: PMC9062225 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.858429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. It was first described more than a century ago, and scientists are acquiring new data and learning novel information about the disease every day. Although there are nuances and details continuously being unraveled, many key players were identified in the early 1900’s by Dr. Oskar Fischer and Dr. Alois Alzheimer, including amyloid-beta (Aβ), tau, vascular abnormalities, gliosis, and a possible role of infections. More recently, there has been growing interest in and appreciation for neurovascular unit dysfunction that occurs early in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) before and independent of Aβ and tau brain accumulation. In the last decade, evidence that Aβ and tau oligomers are antimicrobial peptides generated in response to infection has expanded our knowledge and challenged preconceived notions. The concept that pathogenic germs cause infections generating an innate immune response (e.g., Aβ and tau produced by peripheral organs) that is associated with incident dementia is worthwhile considering in the context of sporadic AD with an unknown root cause. Therefore, the peripheral amyloid hypothesis to cognitive impairment and AD is proposed and remains to be vetted by future research. Meanwhile, humans remain complex variable organisms with individual risk factors that define their immune status, neurovascular function, and neuronal plasticity. In this focused review, the idea that infections and organ dysfunction contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, through the generation of peripheral amyloids and/or neurovascular unit dysfunction will be explored and discussed. Ultimately, many questions remain to be answered and critical areas of future exploration are highlighted.
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25
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Amato MP, De Stefano N, Inglese M, Morena E, Ristori G, Salvetti M, Trojano M. Secondary Prevention in Radiologically Isolated Syndromes and Prodromal Stages of Multiple Sclerosis. Front Neurol 2022; 13:787160. [PMID: 35359637 PMCID: PMC8964010 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.787160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Following the extraordinary progress in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), two major unmet needs remain: understanding the etiology of the disease and, hence, designing definitive cures (this perspective is neither at hand, nor it can be taken for granted that the etiologic targets will be readily treatable); the prevention of an overt and disabling disease, which seems to be a more realistic and pragmatic perspective, as the integration of genetic data with endophenotypes, MRI, and other biomarkers ameliorates our ability to identify early neuroinflammation. Radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS; diagnosed when the unanticipated MRI finding of brain spatial dissemination of focal white matter lesions highly suggestive of MS occurs in subjects without symptoms of MS, and with normal neurological examinations) and the recently focused “prodromal MS” are conditions at risk of conversion toward overt disease. Here, we explore the possibility of secondary prevention approaches in these early stages of neuroinflammation. RIS and prodromal MS are rare conditions, which suggest the importance of Study Groups and Disease Registry to implement informative clinical trials. We summarize ongoing preventive approaches in the early stages of the demyelinating process, especially in RIS conditions. Moreover, we highlight the importance of the biomarkers and the predictors of evolution to overt disease, which may be useful to select the individuals at risk of conversion to clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and/or clinically definite MS. Finally, we illustrate the importance of the endophenotypes to test the frontline immunomodulatory approach for preventive strategies. Future investigations, especially in relatives of patients, based on MRI techniques and biological studies (better with integrated approaches) may provide opportunities to understand the MS early causal cascade and may help to identify a “therapeutic window” to potentially reverse early disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pia Amato
- Department of Neurosciences, Psycology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Nicola De Stefano
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Matilde Inglese
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,San Martino Hospital-IRCCS, Genoa, Italy
| | - Emanuele Morena
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Ristori
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,Neuroimmunology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Salvetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo (INM) Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Maria Trojano
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
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The Implications of Vaccines in Older Populations. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10030431. [PMID: 35335063 PMCID: PMC8955469 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10030431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mean longevity is increasing worldwide, with major consequences for public health worldwide, as the global population of adults aged over 65 years now exceeds the number of children under 5 for the first time in history. The ageing process over the life course is extremely heterogeneous, and it will be important to promote and enhance healthy ageing worldwide. Vaccination is a key player in the healthy ageing process, both at the individual and the community level. We review here the contribution of vaccines to individual and community health. At an individual level, we highlight the prevention of infectious diseases, as well as other, less well-known benefits of vaccination, such as modulation of the inflammatory process. We then underline the importance of vaccination in achieving herd immunity and reducing the transmission of pathogens in the community. Finally, at a community level, another important benefit of vaccination is the reduction in antimicrobial resistance. Taken together, these effects contribute to ensuring the best health, for the greatest number, for the longest time possible.
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Dow CT, Greenblatt CL, Chan ED, Dow JF. Evaluation of BCG Vaccination and Plasma Amyloid: A Prospective, Pilot Study with Implications for Alzheimer’s Disease. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020424. [PMID: 35208878 PMCID: PMC8880735 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BCG vaccine has been used for 100 years to prevent tuberculosis. Not all countries, including the United States, adopted the initial World Health Organization recommendation to use BCG. Moreover, many Western countries that had routinely used BCG have discontinued its use. Recent population studies demonstrate lower prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in countries with high BCG coverage. Intravesicular instillation of BCG is also used to treat bladder cancer that has not invaded the bladder muscle wall and has been shown to reduce recurrence. Several retrospective studies of bladder cancer patients demonstrated that BCG treatment was associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing AD. Plasma amyloid β assessment has become a fertile area of study for an AD biomarker that is predictive of a positive amyloid PET scan. Mass spectrometry-based plasma amyloid 42/40 ratio has proven to be accurate and robust, and when combined with age and ApoE, is shown to accurately predict current and future brain amyloid status. These parameters, amyloid 42/40 ratio, age and ApoE genotype are incorporated into an Amyloid Probability Score (APS)–a score that identifies low, intermediate or high risk of having a PET scan positive for cerebral amyloid. Community recruitment was used for this open-label pilot study. Forty-nine BCG-naïve, immunocompetent individuals completed our study: prior to BCG prime and boost, as determined by the APS, 34 had low risk (APS 0–35), 5 had intermediate risk (APS 36–57) and 10 had high risk (APS 58–100). The APS range for the participant group was 0 to 94. Follow-up plasma amyloid testing 9 months after vaccination revealed a reduction in the APS in all the risk groups: low risk group (p = 0. 37), intermediate risk group (p = 0.13) and the high-risk group (statistically significant, p = 0.016). Greater benefit was seen in younger participants and those with the highest risk. The small number of participants and the nascent status of plasma amyloid testing will rightfully temper embracement of these results. However, both the favorable direction of change after BCG as well as the utility of the APS—a valuable surrogate AD biomarker—may prompt a definitive large-scale multicenter investigation of BCG and AD risk as determined by plasma amyloid peptide ratios and APS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coad Thomas Dow
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Mindful Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Charles L. Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 9103401, Israel;
| | - Edward D. Chan
- Department of Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80218, USA;
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80217, USA
- Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jordan F. Dow
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
- Northwestern Wisconsin Region Mayo Clinic Health System, Eau Claire, WI 54703, USA
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Immune Memory in Aging: a Wide Perspective Covering Microbiota, Brain, Metabolism, and Epigenetics. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2021; 63:499-529. [PMID: 34910283 PMCID: PMC8671603 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-021-08905-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Non-specific innate and antigen-specific adaptive immunological memories are vital evolutionary adaptations that confer long-lasting protection against a wide range of pathogens. Adaptive memory is established by memory T and B lymphocytes following the recognition of an antigen. On the other hand, innate immune memory, also called trained immunity, is imprinted in innate cells such as macrophages and natural killer cells through epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming. However, these mechanisms of memory generation and maintenance are compromised as organisms age. Almost all immune cell types, both mature cells and their progenitors, go through age-related changes concerning numbers and functions. The aging immune system renders the elderly highly susceptible to infections and incapable of mounting a proper immune response upon vaccinations. Besides the increased infectious burden, older individuals also have heightened risks of metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, which have an immunological component. This review discusses how immune function, particularly the establishment and maintenance of innate and adaptive immunological memory, regulates and is regulated by epigenetics, metabolic processes, gut microbiota, and the central nervous system throughout life, with a focus on old age. We explain in-depth how epigenetics and cellular metabolism impact immune cell function and contribute or resist the aging process. Microbiota is intimately linked with the immune system of the human host, and therefore, plays an important role in immunological memory during both homeostasis and aging. The brain, which is not an immune-isolated organ despite former opinion, interacts with the peripheral immune cells, and the aging of both systems influences the health of each other. With all these in mind, we aimed to present a comprehensive view of the aging immune system and its consequences, especially in terms of immunological memory. The review also details the mechanisms of promising anti-aging interventions and highlights a few, namely, caloric restriction, physical exercise, metformin, and resveratrol, that impact multiple facets of the aging process, including the regulation of innate and adaptive immune memory. We propose that understanding aging as a complex phenomenon, with the immune system at the center role interacting with all the other tissues and systems, would allow for more effective anti-aging strategies.
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COVID-19 and Beyond: Exploring Public Health Benefits from Non-Specific Effects of BCG Vaccination. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102120. [PMID: 34683441 PMCID: PMC8539044 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination, widely used throughout the world to protect against infant tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis (TB), can provide broad non-specific protection against infectious respiratory diseases in certain groups. Interest in BCG has seen a resurgence within the scientific community as the mechanisms for non-specific protection have begun to be elucidated. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nearly every aspect of society has profoundly illustrated the pressure that respiratory infections can place on a national healthcare system, further renewing interest in BCG vaccination as a public health policy to reduce the burden of those illnesses. However, the United States does not recommend BCG vaccination due to its variable effectiveness against adult TB, the relatively low risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in most of the United States, and the vaccine’s interference with tuberculin skin test reactivity that complicates TB screening. In this review, we explore the broad immune training effects of BCG vaccination and literature on the effects of BCG vaccination on COVID-19 spread, disease severity, and mortality. We further discuss barriers to scheduled BCG vaccination in the United States and how those barriers could potentially be overcome.
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Greenblatt CL, Bercovier H, Klein BY, Gofrit ON. Adult Vaccination, Getting to Know Their Nonspecific Effects. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2021; 76:e235-e236. [PMID: 34245285 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Charles L Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hervé Bercovier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin Y Klein
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ofer N Gofrit
- Department of Urology, Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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31
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Lange C, Aaby P, Behr MA, Donald PR, Kaufmann SHE, Netea MG, Mandalakas AM. 100 years of Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 22:e2-e12. [PMID: 34506734 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(21)00403-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), an experimental vaccine designed to protect cattle from bovine tuberculosis, was administered for the first time to a newborn baby in Paris in 1921. Over the past century, BCG has saved tens of millions of lives and has been given to more humans than any other vaccine. It remains the sole tuberculosis vaccine licensed for use in humans. BCG provides long-lasting strong protection against miliary and meningeal tuberculosis in children, but it is less effective for the prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis, especially in adults. Evidence mainly from the past two decades suggests that BCG has non-specific benefits against non-tuberculous infections in newborn babies and in older adults, and offers immunotherapeutic benefit in certain malignancies such as non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. However, as a live attenuated vaccine, BCG can cause localised or disseminated infections in immunocompromised hosts, which can also occur following intravesical installation of BCG for the treatment of bladder cancer. The legacy of BCG includes fundamental discoveries about tuberculosis-specific and non-specific immunity and the demonstration that tuberculosis is a vaccine-preventable disease, providing a foundation for new vaccines to hasten tuberculosis elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Lange
- Division of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Medical Clinic, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) Tuberculosis Unit, Borstel, Germany; Respiratory Medicine and International Health, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Global TB Program, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Peter Aaby
- Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Bandim Health Project, Southern Danish University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marcel A Behr
- McGill International TB Centre and Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Peter R Donald
- Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Stefan H E Kaufmann
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany; Hagler Institute for Advanced Study, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Mihai G Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Immunology and Metabolism, Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna M Mandalakas
- Global TB Program, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
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32
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Dow CT. Warm, Sweetened Milk at the Twilight of Immunity - Alzheimer's Disease - Inflammaging, Insulin Resistance, M. paratuberculosis and Immunosenescence. Front Immunol 2021; 12:714179. [PMID: 34421917 PMCID: PMC8375433 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.714179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This article prosecutes a case against the zoonotic pathogen Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP) as a precipitant of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Like the other major neurodegenerative diseases AD is, at its core, a proteinopathy. Aggregated extracellular amyloid protein plaques and intracellular tau protein tangles are the recognized protein pathologies of AD. Autophagy is the cellular housekeeping process that manages protein quality control and recycling, cellular metabolism, and pathogen elimination. Impaired autophagy and cerebral insulin resistance are invariant features of AD. With a backdrop of age-related low-grade inflammation (inflammaging) and heightened immune risk (immunosenescence), infection with MAP subverts glucose metabolism and further exhausts an already exhausted autophagic capacity. Increasingly, a variety of agents have been found to favorably impact AD; they are agents that promote autophagy and reduce insulin resistance. The potpourri of these therapeutic agents: mTOR inhibitors, SIRT1 activators and vaccines are seemingly random until one recognizes that all these agents also suppress intracellular mycobacterial infection. The zoonotic mycobacterial MAP causes a common fatal enteritis in ruminant animals. Humans are exposed to MAP from contaminated food products and from the environment. The enteritis in animals is called paratuberculosis or Johne’s disease; in humans, it is the putative cause of Crohn’s disease. Beyond Crohn’s, MAP is associated with an increasing number of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases: sarcoidosis, Blau syndrome, autoimmune diabetes, autoimmune thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, MAP has been associated with Parkinson’s disease. India is one county that has extensively studied the human bio-load of MAP; 30% of more than 28,000 tested individuals were found to harbor, or to have harbored, MAP. This article asserts an unfolding realization that MAP infection of humans 1) is widespread in its presence, 2) is wide-ranging in its zoonosis and 3) provides a plausible link connecting MAP to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coad Thomas Dow
- McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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BCG therapy is associated with long-term, durable induction of Treg signature genes by epigenetic modulation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14933. [PMID: 34294806 PMCID: PMC8298580 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94529-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Induction of immunosuppressive T-regulatory cells (Tregs) is a desirable goal in autoimmunity, and perhaps other immune diseases of activation. One promising avenue is with the bacille-calmette-guérin (BCG) vaccine in autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D). Its administration is associated with gradual clinical improvements in human autoimmunity over a 2-3 year post-vaccination period. We hypothesize that those improvements, and their unusually long time course to fully materialize, are partially attributable to BCG's induction of Tregs. Here we report on a 3 year-long longitudinal cohort of T1Ds and examine the mechanism by which Treg induction occurs. Using the Human Infinium Methylation EPIC Bead Chip, we show that BCG vaccination is associated with gradual demethylation of most of 11 signature genes expressed in highly potent Tregs: Foxp3, TNFRSF18, CD25, IKZF2, IKZF4, CTLA4, TNFR2, CD62L, Fas, CD45 and IL2; nine of these 11 genes, by year 3, became demethylated at the majority of CpG sites. The Foxp3 gene was studied in depth. At baseline Foxp3 was over-methylated compared to non-diabetic controls; 3 years after introduction of BCG, 17 of the Foxp3 gene's 22 CpG sites became significantly demethylated including the critical TSDR region. Corresponding mRNA, Treg expansion and clinical improvement supported the significance of the epigenetic DNA changes. Taken together, the findings suggest that BCG has systemic impact on the T cells of the adaptive immune system, and restores immune balance through Treg induction.
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Itzhaki RF. Overwhelming Evidence for a Major Role for Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV1) in Alzheimer's Disease (AD); Underwhelming Evidence against. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:679. [PMID: 34205498 PMCID: PMC8234998 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9060679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This review describes investigations of specific topics that lie within the general subject of HSV1's role in AD/dementia, published in the last couple of years. They include studies on the following: relationship of HSV1 to AD using neural stem cells; the apparent protective effects of treatment of HSV1 infection or of VZV infection with antivirals prior to the onset of dementia; the putative involvement of VZV in AD/dementia; the possible role of human herpes virus 6 (HHV6) in AD; the seemingly reduced risk of dementia after vaccination with diverse types of vaccine, and the association shown in some vaccine studies with reduced frequency of HSV1 reactivation; anti-HSV serum antibodies supporting the linkage of HSV1 in brain with AD in APOE-ε4 carriers, and the association between APOE and cognition, and association of APOE and infection with AD/dementia. The conclusions are that there is now overwhelming evidence for HSV1's role-probably causal-in AD, when it is present in brain of APOE-ε4 carriers, and that further investigations should be made on possible prevention of the disease by vaccination, or by prolonged antiviral treatment of HSV1 infection in APOE-ε4 carriers, before disease onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth F Itzhaki
- Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford, 66 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PR, UK
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35
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Noval Rivas M, Rosser CJ, Arditi M. Rationale for Randomized Clinical Trials Investigating the Potential of BCG Vaccination in Preventing COVID-19 Infection. Bladder Cancer 2021; 7:121-131. [PMID: 38994533 PMCID: PMC11181712 DOI: 10.3233/blc-201529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Despite the implementation of mitigation measures, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still spreading worldwide, and has caused more than 1 million deaths so far. Although recent reports indicate that three vaccine candidates are effective against SARS-CoV-2, more time is needed to generate enough doses for the general population. Meanwhile, frontline healthcare workers are at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. To avoid collapse of the medical care system, there is a need to develop novel approaches to limit SARS-CoV-2 spread. Through a process called trained immunity, the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine boosts the action of innate immune cells, resulting in a nonspecific reduction in the incidence of viral infections. Due to this immunomodulatory action, the BCG vaccine is currently used as a therapeutic in bladder cancer. Data collected from epidemiological and observational studies indicate that BCG vaccination might provide protection against COVID-19. While these observations do not provide evidence of causality and are limited by cofounding and intrinsic biases, it is crucial to explore the hypothesis that BCG vaccination may provide a nonspecific innate immune boost and therefore protect against COVID-19 in randomized controlled clinical trials, particularly for people at higher risk of developing COVID-19, such as frontline healthcare workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Noval Rivas
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Infectious and Immunologic Diseases Research Center (IIDRC) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Charles J Rosser
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Moshe Arditi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Infectious and Immunologic Diseases Research Center (IIDRC) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Treatment Is Inversely Associated With the Risk of Developing Alzheimer Disease or Other Dementia Among Patients With Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer. Clin Genitourin Cancer 2021; 19:e409-e416. [PMID: 34116955 DOI: 10.1016/j.clgc.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD), but it remains unclear whether bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) may affect the risk of AD or not. METHODS Using retrospective chart review, we collected data regarding demographics, comorbidities, cancer diagnosis, BCG treatment, and subsequent diagnosis of AD or other dementia in a racially/ethnically diverse cohort of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NIMBC) receiving treatment between 1984 and 2020 in the Bronx, New York. We used Cox proportional hazard models to examine association between BCG treatment and risk of incident AD or other dementia, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and major comorbidities. RESULTS In our cohort of 1290 patients with NMIBC, a total of 99 (7.7%) patients developed AD or other dementia during follow-up. Patients who received BCG treatment (25%) had a 60% lowered incidence of AD or other dementia (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.80) in comparison to those who did not receive BCG. There was also suggestive evidence that the reduction in risk of AD or other dementia associated with BCG treatment was stronger in men (adjusted HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.15-0.81) but not in women (adjusted HR, 0.75; 95% CI 0.25-2.24). When we stratified the patients who received BCG by type of treatments, patients who received both induction and maintenance rounds of BCG had a further lowered incidence of AD or other dementia (HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.06-0.96) than patients who did not receive BCG. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, our study is one of the first to suggest that BCG treatment is associated with a reduced risk of developing AD or other dementia in a multiethnic population, independent of significant comorbidities. Larger cohort studies are needed to corroborate our findings.
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Klinger D, Hill BL, Barda N, Halperin E, Gofrit ON, Greenblatt CL, Rappoport N, Linial M, Bercovier H. Bladder Cancer Immunotherapy by BCG Is Associated with a Significantly Reduced Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9050491. [PMID: 34064775 PMCID: PMC8151667 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9050491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) is a live attenuated form of Mycobacterium bovis that was developed 100 years ago as a vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) and has been used ever since to vaccinate children globally. It has also been used as the first-line treatment in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), through repeated intravesical applications. Numerous studies have shown that BCG induces off-target immune effects in various pathologies. Accumulating data argue for the critical role of the immune system in the course of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we tested whether repeated exposure to BCG during the treatment of NMIBC is associated with the risk of developing AD and PD. We presented a multi-center retrospective cohort study with patient data collected between 2000 and 2019 that included 12,185 bladder cancer (BC) patients, of which 2301 BCG-treated patients met all inclusion criteria, with a follow-up of 3.5 to 7 years. We considered the diagnosis date of AD and nonvascular dementia cases for BC patients. The BC patients were partitioned into those who underwent a transurethral resection of the bladder tumor followed by BCG therapy, and a disjoint group that had not received such treatment. By applying Cox proportional hazards (PH) regression and competing for risk analyses, we found that BCG treatment was associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing AD, especially in the population aged 75 years or older. The older population (≥75 years, 1578 BCG treated, and 5147 controls) showed a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.726 (95% CI: 0.529–0.996; p-value = 0.0473). While in a hospital-based cohort, BCG treatment resulted in an HR of 0.416 (95% CI: 0.203–0.853; p-value = 0.017), indicating a 58% lower risk of developing AD. The risk of developing PD showed the same trend with a 28% reduction in BCG-treated patients, while no BCG beneficial effect was observed for other age-related events such as Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and stroke. We attributed BCG’s beneficial effect on neurodegenerative diseases to a possible activation of long-term nonspecific immune effects. We proposed a prospective study in elderly people for testing intradermic BCG inoculation as a potential protective agent against AD and PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Klinger
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel;
| | - Brian L. Hill
- Department of Computer Science, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1596, USA; (B.L.H.); (E.H.)
| | - Noam Barda
- Clalit Research Institute, Innovation Division, Clalit Health Services, Ramat-Gan 6578898, Israel;
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eran Halperin
- Department of Computer Science, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1596, USA; (B.L.H.); (E.H.)
| | - Ofer N. Gofrit
- Department of Urology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem 91904, Israel;
| | - Charles L. Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel; (C.L.G.); (H.B.)
| | - Nadav Rappoport
- Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel;
| | - Michal Linial
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-54-882-0035
| | - Hervé Bercovier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel; (C.L.G.); (H.B.)
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38
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Dias HF, Kühtreiber WM, Nelson KJ, Ng NC, Zheng H, Faustman DL. Epigenetic changes related to glucose metabolism in type 1 diabetes after BCG vaccinations: A vital role for KDM2B. Vaccine 2021; 40:1540-1554. [PMID: 33933315 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A recent epigenome-wide association study of genes associated with type 2 diabetics (T2D), used integrative cross-omics analysis to identify 22 abnormally methylated CpG sites associated with insulin and glucose metabolism. Here, in this epigenetic analysis we preliminarily determine whether the same CpG sites identified in T2D also apply to type 1 diabetes (T1D). We then determine whether BCG vaccination could correct the abnormal methylation patterns, considering that the two diseases share metabolic derangements. METHODS T1D (n = 13) and control (n = 8) subjects were studied at baseline and then T1D subjects studied yearly for 3 years after receiving BCG vaccinations in a clinical trial. In this biomarker analysis, methylation patterns were evaluated on CD4+ T-lymphocytes from baseline and yearly blood samples using the human Illumina Methylation EPIC Bead Chip. Methylation analysis combined with mRNA analysis using RNAseq. RESULTS Broad but not complete overlap was observed between T1D and T2D in CpG sites with abnormal methylation. And in the three-year observation period after BCG vaccinations, the majority of the abnormal methylation sites were corrected in vivo. Genes of particular interest were related to oxidative phosphorylation (CPT1A, LETM1, ABCG1), to the histone lysine demethylase gene (KDM2B), and mTOR signaling through the DDIT4 gene. The highlighted CpG sites for both KDM2B and DDIT4 genes were hypomethylated at baseline compared to controls; BCG vaccination corrected the defect by hypermethylation. CONCLUSIONS Glycolysis is regulated by methylation of genes. This study unexpectedly identified both KDM2B and DDIT4 as genes controlling BCG-driven re-methylation of histones, and the activation of the mTOR pathway for facilitated glucose transport respectively. The BCG effect at the gene level was confirmed by reciprocal mRNA changes. The DDIT4 gene with known inhibitory role of mTOR was re-methylated after BCG, a step likely to allow improved glucose transport. BCGs driven methylation of KDM2B's site should halt augmented histone activity, a step known to allow cytokine activation and increased glycolysis.
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Norins LC. Licensed Anti-Microbial Drugs Logical for Clinical Trials against Pathogens Currently Suspected in Alzheimer's Disease. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:327. [PMID: 33804679 PMCID: PMC8003809 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10030327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is now considerable evidence that several infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, or parasites) may play a contributing role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The six primary suspects are herpes viruses, spirochetal bacteria, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Porphyromonas gingivalis, mycobacteria, and toxoplasma parasites. Also, some of the antimicrobial and antiviral agents that are used to treat them have shown promise for AD interventions. I describe this evidence and assert it is now time to accelerate clinical trials of these existing drugs, already federally approved, to determine if such treatments can delay, halt, or reverse AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie C Norins
- Alzheimer's Germ Quest, 4301 Gulfshore Blvd. N., Suite 1404, Naples, FL 34103, USA
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40
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Rivero-Calle I, Gómez-Rial J, Bont L, Gessner BD, Kohn M, Dagan R, Payne DC, Bruni L, Pollard AJ, García-Sastre A, Faustman DL, Osterhaus A, Butler R, Giménez Sánchez F, Álvarez F, Kaforou M, Bello X, Martinón-Torres F. TIPICO X: report of the 10th interactive infectious disease workshop on infectious diseases and vaccines. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:759-772. [PMID: 32755474 PMCID: PMC7996078 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1788301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
TIPICO is an expert meeting and workshop that aims to provide the most recent evidence in the field of infectious diseases and vaccination. The 10th Interactive Infectious Disease TIPICO workshop took place in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on November 21-22, 2019. Cutting-edge advances in vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, rotavirus, human papillomavirus, Neisseria meningitidis, influenza virus, and Salmonella Typhi were discussed. Furthermore, heterologous vaccine effects were updated, including the use of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine as potential treatment for type 1 diabetes. Finally, the workshop also included presentations and discussion on emergent virus and zoonoses, vaccine resilience, building and sustaining confidence in vaccination, approaches to vaccine decision-making, pros and cons of compulsory vaccination, the latest advances in decoding infectious diseases by RNA gene signatures, and the application of big data approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Rivero-Calle
- Translational Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario De Santiago De Compostela, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto De Investigación Sanitaria De Santiago, Universidad De Santiago De Compostela, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
| | - Jose Gómez-Rial
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto De Investigación Sanitaria De Santiago, Universidad De Santiago De Compostela, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
| | - Louis Bont
- Wilhelmina’s Children’s Hospital University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Melvin Kohn
- Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Medical Affairs, Global Medical and Scientific Affairs, Merck & Co. Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Ron Dagan
- The Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Daniel C. Payne
- Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Laia Bruni
- Cancer Epidemiology Research Program, Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO) - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrew J. Pollard
- Oxford Vaccines Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Denise L. Faustman
- The Immunobiology Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Albert Osterhaus
- Artemis One Health, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Research Center Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, Hannover, Germany
| | - Robb Butler
- WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Myrsini Kaforou
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Xabier Bello
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto De Investigación Sanitaria De Santiago, Universidad De Santiago De Compostela, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
| | - Federico Martinón-Torres
- Translational Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario De Santiago De Compostela, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto De Investigación Sanitaria De Santiago, Universidad De Santiago De Compostela, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
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What is the evidence that mycobacteria are associated with the pathogenesis of Sjogren's syndrome? J Transl Autoimmun 2021; 4:100085. [PMID: 33665595 PMCID: PMC7902540 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtauto.2021.100085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a common, systemic autoimmune disorder primarily affecting the exocrine glands resulting in xerostomia and xerophthalmia. SS may also manifest with polyarthralgia, polyarthritis, polymyalgia, cutaneous/other organ vasculitis, interstitial lung disease, and/or various other disorders. The primary autoantibodies associated with SS and used as adjuncts to diagnosis are anti-Ro (SSA) and anti-La (SSB). The pathogenesis of SS is considered to involve genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers. An identified genetic susceptibility for SS lies in variants of the tumor necrosis factor alpha inducible protein 3 (TNFAIP3) gene, the product of which is known as A20. Deficiency or dysfunction of A20 is known to induce macrophage inflammatory response to mycobacteria, potentially increasing the repertoire of mycobacterial antigens available and predisposing to autoimmunity via the paradigm of molecular mimicry; i.e., providing a mechanistic link between genetic susceptibility to SS and exposure to environmental non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP) is an NTM that causes Johne's disease, an enteritis of ruminant animals. Humans are broadly exposed to MAP or its antigens in the environment and in food products from infected animals. MAP has also been implicated as an environmental trigger for a number of autoimmune diseases via cross reactivity of its heat shock protein 65 (hsp65) with host-specific proteins. In the context of SS, mycobacterial hsp65 shares epitope homology with the Ro and La proteins. A recent study showed a strong association between SS and antibodies to mycobacterial hsp65. If and when this association is validated, it would be important to determine whether bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination (known to be protective against NTM likely through epigenetic alteration of innate and adaptive immunity) and anti-mycobacterial drugs (to decrease mycobacterial antigenic load) may have a preventive or therapeutic role against SS. Evidence to support this concept is that BCG has shown benefit in type 1 diabetes mellitus and multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases that have been linked to MAP via hsp65 and disease-specific autoantibodies. In conclusion, a number of factors lend credence to the notion of a pathogenic link between environmental mycobacteria and SS, including the presence of antibodies to mycobacterial hsp65 in SS, the homology of hsp65 with SS autoantigens, and the beneficial effects seen with BCG vaccination against certain autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, given that BCG may protect against NTM, has immune modifying effects, and has a strong safety record of billions of doses given, BCG and/or anti-mycobacterial therapeutics should be studied in SS.
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Zuo Z, Qi F, Xing Z, Yuan L, Yang Y, He Z, Zhou L, Yao Z. Bacille Calmette-Guérin attenuates vascular amyloid pathology and maximizes synaptic preservation in APP/PS1 mice following active amyloid-β immunotherapy. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 101:94-108. [PMID: 33610062 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite effective clearance of parenchymal amyloid-β (Aβ) in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Aβ immunotherapy exacerbates the vascular Aβ (VAβ)-associated pathology in the brain. We have previously shown that BCG immunization facilitates protective monocyte recruitment to the brain of APP/PS1 mice. Here, we confirmed that the 4Aβ1-15 vaccine exacerbates VAβ deposits in this model, which coincides with a decrease in the number of cerebrovascular endothelial cells and pericytes, infiltration of neutrophils into the brain, and induction of cerebral microhemorrhage. Moreover, combined 4Aβ1-15/BCG treatment abrogates the development of the VAβ-associated pathology. In addition, BCG treatment is required for the upregulation of interleukin-10 in the brain. Notably, BCG treatment selectively enhances Aβ phagocytosis by recruited macrophages. Furthermore, combined 4Aβ1-15/BCG treatment is more effective than 4Aβ1-15 monotherapy in synaptic preservation and the enhancement of the learning efficiency. Overall, our study suggests that the combination of Aβ-targeted therapy with an immunomodulatory strategy may improve the efficacy of Aβ vaccine in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zejie Zuo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangfang Qi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Xing
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Lifang Yuan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunjie Yang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zitian He
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihua Zhou
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Anatomy, The School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhibin Yao
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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Moulson AJ, Av-Gay Y. BCG immunomodulation: From the 'hygiene hypothesis' to COVID-19. Immunobiology 2020; 226:152052. [PMID: 33418320 PMCID: PMC7833102 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2020.152052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The century-old tuberculosis vaccine BCG has been the focus of renewed interest due to its well-documented ability to protect against various non-TB pathogens. Much of these broad spectrum protective effects are attributed to trained immunity, the epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of innate immune cells. As BCG vaccine is safe, cheap, widely available, amendable to use as a recombinant vector, and immunogenic, it has immense potential for use as an immunotherapeutic agent for various conditions including autoimmune, allergic, neurodegenerative, and neoplastic diseases as well as a preventive measure against infectious agents. Of particular interest is the use of BCG vaccination to counteract the increasing prevalence of autoimmune and allergic conditions in industrialized countries attributable to reduced infectious burden as described by the ‘hygiene hypothesis.’ Furthermore, BCG vaccination has been proposed as a potential therapy to mitigate spread and disease burden of COVID-19 as a bridge to development of a specific vaccine and recombinant BCG expression vectors may prove useful for the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 antigens (rBCG-SARS-CoV-2) to induce long-term immunity. Understanding the immunomodulatory effects of BCG vaccine in these disease contexts is therefore critical. To that end, we review here BCG-induced immunomodulation focusing specifically on BCG-induced trained immunity and how it relates to the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Moulson
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Yossef Av-Gay
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Division of Infectious Disease, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Adesanya OA, Uche-Orji CI, Adedeji YA, Joshua JI, Adesola AA, Chukwudike CJ. Expanded Scope of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Vaccine Applicability in Disease Prophylaxis, Diagnostics, and Immunotherapeutics. INFECTIOUS MICROBES & DISEASES 2020; 2:144-150. [PMID: 38630099 PMCID: PMC7769055 DOI: 10.1097/im9.0000000000000040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Following the discovery of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, its efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis was soon established, with several countries adopting universal BCG vaccination schemes for their populations. Soon, however, studies aimed to further establish the efficacy of the vaccine in different populations discovered that the vaccine has a larger effect in reducing mortality rate than could be explained by its effect on tuberculosis alone, which sparked suggestions that the BCG vaccine could have effects on other unrelated or non-mycobacterial pathogens causing diseases in humans. These effects were termed heterologous, non-specific or off-target effects and have been shown to be due to both innate and adaptive immune system responses. Experiments carried out in a bid to further understand these effects led to many more discoveries about the applicability of the BCG vaccine for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of certain disease conditions. As we approach the second century since the discovery of the vaccine, we believe it is timely to review these interesting applications of the BCG vaccine, such as in the prevention of diabetes, atherosclerosis, and leukemia; the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease; and the treatment of multiple sclerosis, non-muscle invading bladder cancer, and stage III melanoma. Furthermore, complications associated with the administration of the BCG vaccine to certain groups of patients, including those with severe combined immunodeficiency and HIV, have been well described in literature, and we conclude by describing the mechanisms behind these complications and discuss their implications on vaccination strategies, especially in low-resource settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwafolajimi A. Adesanya
- Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT), College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | - Yeshua A. Adedeji
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - John I. Joshua
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Adeniyi A. Adesola
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Nepomuceno Gondim Costa Lima L, Letícia Pinto Paz J, do Perpétuo Socorro Corrêa Amador Silvestre M, Siqueira Moura L, Perini Furlaneto I, Valéria Batista Lima K. BCG Vaccination Status, Age, and Gender as Risk Factors for Leprosy in Endemic Areas in the Brazilian Amazon. Infect Dis Rep 2020; 12:97-104. [PMID: 33260834 PMCID: PMC7768440 DOI: 10.3390/idr12030019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2018, 208,619 new cases of leprosy were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). Of these, 30,957 occurred in the Americas region and 28,660 (92.6% of the total in the Americas) were reported in Brazil. This study aimed to show the reality of the profile of a population in an endemic leprosy area in northern Brazil in relation to age, gender, and bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination status through the collection of data in the field with the evaluation of the study individuals, who were recruited by spontaneous demand. A total of 405 individuals participated in the study, with 100 multibacillary, 57 paucibacillary, and 248 healthy contacts. A relationship was observed between the occurrence of the disease, as well as the multibacillary form with the largest age group. The male gender was associated with leprosy per se, with the multibacillary form and was the largest representative of the group that was not vaccinated once. BCG vaccination was effective both in protecting against leprosy per se and in the multibacillary form. These results are limited by sample size, may not be conclusive, and will need further confirmation in a larger cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Nepomuceno Gondim Costa Lima
- Bacteriology Section, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua 67030-000, Brazil; (M.d.P.S.C.A.S.); (L.S.M.); (K.V.B.L.)
- Ph.D. Program in Parasitic Biology in the Amazon, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém 66087-310, Brazil;
| | - Jasna Letícia Pinto Paz
- Ph.D. Program in Parasitic Biology in the Amazon, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém 66087-310, Brazil;
| | | | - Letícia Siqueira Moura
- Bacteriology Section, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua 67030-000, Brazil; (M.d.P.S.C.A.S.); (L.S.M.); (K.V.B.L.)
| | | | - Karla Valéria Batista Lima
- Bacteriology Section, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua 67030-000, Brazil; (M.d.P.S.C.A.S.); (L.S.M.); (K.V.B.L.)
- Ph.D. Program in Parasitic Biology in the Amazon, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém 66087-310, Brazil;
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Loupy KM, Lee T, Zambrano CA, Elsayed AI, D'Angelo HM, Fonken LK, Frank MG, Maier SF, Lowry CA. Alzheimer's Disease: Protective Effects of Mycobacterium vaccae, a Soil-Derived Mycobacterium with Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Tubercular Properties, on the Proteomic Profiles of Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid in Rats. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 78:965-987. [PMID: 33074227 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease that may be associated with prior bacterial infections. Microbial "old friends" can suppress exaggerated inflammation in response to disease-causing infections or increase clearance of pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis (TB). One such "old friend" is Mycobacterium vaccae NCTC 11659, a soil-derived bacterium that has been proposed either as a vaccine for prevention of TB, or as immunotherapy for the treatment of TB when used alongside first line anti-TB drug treatment. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to use a hypothesis generating approach to explore the effects of M. vaccae on physiological changes in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). METHODS Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomics were performed in plasma and CSF of adult male rats after immunization with a heat-killed preparation of M. vaccae NCTC 11659 or borate-buffered saline vehicle. Gene enrichment analysis and analysis of protein-protein interactions were performed to integrate physiological network changes in plasma and CSF. We used RT-qPCR to assess immune and metabolic gene expression changes in the hippocampus. RESULTS In both plasma and CSF, immunization with M. vaccae increased proteins associated with immune activation and downregulated proteins corresponding to lipid (including phospholipid and cholesterol) metabolism. Immunization with M. vaccae also increased hippocampal expression of interleukin-4 (IL-4) mRNA, implicating anti-inflammatory effects in the central nervous system. CONCLUSION M. vaccae alters host immune activity and lipid metabolism. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that microbe-host interactions may protect against possible infection-induced, inflammation-related cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Loupy
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Thomas Lee
- Central Analytical Laboratory and Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Cristian A Zambrano
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ahmed I Elsayed
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Heather M D'Angelo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Laura K Fonken
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Matthew G Frank
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Steven F Maier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Veterans Health Administration, Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, CO, USA.,Military and Veteran Microbiome: Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Aurora, CO, USA.,Senior Fellow, inVIVO Planetary Health, of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ, USA
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Systematic Review: Safety of Intravesical Therapy for Bladder Cancer in the Era of COVID-19. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 2:1444-1448. [PMID: 32838196 PMCID: PMC7433676 DOI: 10.1007/s42399-020-00461-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A novel coronavirus has emerged in late 2019 capable of causing a severe respiratory disease known as COVID-19. Its pathogenesis appears to be the initiation of an immune response and resulting cytokine storm that damages the healthy lung tissue of the host. Some epidemiological studies found bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine can help to decrease morbidity and mortality of the viral infection. We aim to review and summarize what is known about COVID-19 and the current implications of intravesical BCG with regard to the disease.
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Klein BY. Newborn BCG vaccination complemented by boosting correlates better with reduced juvenile diabetes in females, than vaccination alone. Vaccine 2020; 38:6427-6434. [PMID: 32773242 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.07.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), like other autoimmune diseases, is on the rise since the second half of the 20th century. Hypothetically this has been ascribed to restricted exposure to microbial diversity due to advanced hygienic practices accompanying modernization, and increasing prosperity in urban versus rural habitats. The autoimmune animal model of T1D, inhibited by Bacillus Calmette Guerine (BCG), motivated testing the impact of BCG on T1D incidence in humans. Several epidemiological analyses, short of one, failed to demonstrate a protective effect of BCG against T1D. The present retrospective analysis of two data sets reevaluates the hypothetic inhibitory effect of BCG on human T1D. Reassessment of data from a Swedish study reveals that a single BCG vaccination provided a small but significant protection against T1D. A second data set of T1D prevalence/1000 Israeli military conscripts, from a doctoral thesis presenting 17 birth cohorts at age 17 is evaluated against the national schedule of vaccination related to years of birth. To correct for the annual increasing T1D trend the mean urbanization (census) rate was set as an annual moving average and factored into the prevalence (T1D/1000) of respective birth cohorts. Three groups of cohorts corresponding to BCG vaccination are presently identified; Group A corresponds to the years in which newborns were vaccinated and boosted if necessary, at age 12. Group B corresponds to the period when boosting was discontinued. Group C corresponds to years when newborn BCG vaccination was discontinued. T1D (only in females) was slightly but significantly lower in group B (n = 5 cohorts) versus C (n = 8 cohorts, p = 0.0475, by Mann Whitney U test). T1D in group A (n = 4 cohorts) was lower than in group B (p = 0.02). This analysis supports the hypothesis that in human females postnatal BCG vaccination, reinforced by boosting, has a protective impact on T1D being superior to omitted boosting, which in its turn is still better than stopping vaccination altogether. This analysis further suggests that upon advanced modernization the BCG vaccine compensates for reduced exposure to microbial diversity early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Y Klein
- Kuvin Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Aaby P, Benn CS, Flanagan KL, Klein SL, Kollmann TR, Lynn DJ, Shann F. The non-specific and sex-differential effects of vaccines. Nat Rev Immunol 2020; 20:464-470. [PMID: 32461674 PMCID: PMC7252419 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-020-0338-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The textbook view of vaccination is that it functions to induce immune memory of the specific pathogen components of the vaccine, leading to a quantitatively and qualitatively better response if the host is exposed to infection with the same pathogen. However, evidence accumulated over the past few decades increasingly suggests that vaccines can also have non-specific effects on unrelated infections and diseases, with important implications for childhood mortality particularly in low-income settings. Furthermore, many of these non-specific effects, as well as the pathogen-specific effects, of vaccines show differences between the sexes. Here, members of the Optimmunize consortium discuss the evidence for and potential mechanisms of non-specific and sex-differential effects of vaccines, as well as their potential policy implications. Given that the non-specific effects of some vaccines are now being tested for their ability to protect against COVID-19, the authors also comment on the broader implications of these trials. In this Viewpoint article, members of the Optimmunize consortium discuss the evidence for non-specific and sex-differential effects of vaccines and how this information might inform vaccine design and policy, including in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peter Aaby was trained as an anthropologist but has built a large health surveillance system in Guinea-Bissau since 1978, focusing on the high levels of child mortality there. Crowding and intensive exposure to measles were key determinants of child mortality. This led to vaccine research and the discovery of the non-specific effects of measles vaccine. Christine Stabell Benn is a professor in global health at the University of Southern Denmark. She conducts epidemiological and immunological studies of vaccines and vitamin A, with a focus on their real-life effects on overall health in Africa and Denmark. She formulated the hypothesis that these health interventions with immunomodulatory effects interact, often in a sex-differential manner. Katie L. Flanagan is Director of Infectious Diseases for north/north-west Tasmania, an adjunct professor at the University of Tasmania and RMIT University and an adjunct associate professor at Monash University. She is Honorary Secretary of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID), Chair of the ASID Vaccination Special Interest Group and a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Her current research focuses on using systems vaccinology to study the sex-differential and non-targeted effects of vaccines. Sabra L. Klein is a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. She is an expert on sex and gender differences in immune responses and susceptibility to infection. She is the immediate past president of the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences, a principal investigator of the Johns Hopkins Specialized Center for Research Excellence in sex and age differences in immunity to influenza and a co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Women’s Health, Sex, and Gender Research. Tobias R. Kollmann is a paediatric infectious disease clinician and systems vaccinologist at Telethon Kids Institute and Perth Children’s Hospital in Perth, Australia. His expertise centres on newborn infectious diseases, immune ontogeny and early-life vaccine responses, using cutting-edge technology and analytics to extract the most information out of the typically small biological samples obtainable in early life. David J. Lynn is Director of the Computational and Systems Biology Program and an EMBL Australia group leader at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. He is also a professor at the Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health. He leads a research programme in systems immunology, investigating how pathogenic and commensal microorganisms modulate the immune system in different contexts, including vaccination. Frank Shann worked as a paediatrician in Papua New Guinea and then for 20 years was Director of Intensive Care at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. He is a professorial fellow in the Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, engaged in research on the non-specific effects of vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Aaby
- Bandim Health Project, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
| | - Christine Stabell Benn
- Bandim Health Project, OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. .,Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Katie L Flanagan
- University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia. .,RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Sabra L Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | | | - David J Lynn
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia. .,Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| | - Frank Shann
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Preventing Lethal Prostate Cancer with Diet, Supplements, and Rx: Heart Healthy Continues to Be Prostate Healthy and "First Do No Harm" Part III. Curr Urol Rep 2020; 21:22. [PMID: 32367257 DOI: 10.1007/s11934-020-00972-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To discuss the overall and latest observations of the effect of diet, lifestyle, supplements, preventive vaccinations, and some prescription heart healthy medications for prostate cancer prevention within a 3-part series of publications. RECENT FINDINGS The concept of maximizing heart health to prevent aggressive prostate cancer continues to be solidified with additional prospective observational and randomized controlled trial data. Heart healthy is prostate healthy, but heart unhealthy is prostate unhealthy. The primary goal for medical providers of reducing all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality correlates with maximizing prostate cancer prevention. The obesity epidemic in children and adults along with research from multiple, diverse disciplines has only strengthened the nexus between heart and prostate health. Greater dietary adherence toward a variety of healthy foods is associated with a graded reduction in the probability of CVD and aggressive cancer. Preventing prostate cancer via dietary supplements should encourage a "first do no harm" or less-is-more approach until future evidence can reverse the concerning trend that more supplementation has resulted in either no impact or an increased risk of prostate cancer. Supplements to reduce side effects of some cancer treatments appear to have more encouraging data. A discussion of quality control (QC) before utilizing any pill also requires attention. Medications or interventions that potentially improve heart health including statins, aspirin, and metformin (S.A.M.), specific beta-blocker medications, and even preventive vaccines are in general generic, low cost, "natural," and should continue to garner research interest. A watershed moment in medical education has arrived where the past perception of a diverse number of trees seemingly separated by vast distances, in reality, now appears to exist within the same forest.
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