Sensitive to Infection but Strong in Defense-Female Sex and the Power of Oestradiol in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Risk Factors Associated with Cutaneous Reactions Following COVID-19 Vaccine Immunisation: A Registry-Based Case-Control Study

Background

In Malaysia, following extensive COVID-19 vaccination, Hospital Kuala Lumpur reported an increase in cutaneous reactions post-immunisation. To understand this, a case-control study was initiated to identify potential risk factors.

Methods

This registry-based, unmatched case-control study encompasses all adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) reports associated with COVID-19 vaccines, received by the Department of Pharmacy at Hospital Kuala Lumpur through the Malaysian Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee (MADRAC) AEFI reporting forms. Twenty-four potential risk factors were evaluated, including demographic information, medical history, food allergies, COVID-19 vaccination history and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, were evaluated using MADRAC AEFI reporting forms. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Cutaneous reactions were more frequent in middle-aged females, especially after the first COVID-19 vaccine dose. These reactions, primarily mild and generalised, included pruritus and urticaria. Notably, 52% were delayed reactions (more than 4 h post-vaccination). Factors associated with increased risk of cutaneous reaction following COVID-19 immunisation included history of seafood and shellfish allergy (adjusted odds ratio [adjOR]: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.12, 3.96; P = 0.020), history of vaccine allergy (adjOR: 4.07; 95% CI: 1.44, 11.54; P = 0.008), past dermatological diseases (adjOR: 5.48; 95% CI: 2.03, 14.78; P = 0.001), and past medication allergy (adjOR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.36, 3.31; P = 0.001).

Conclusion

Self-reported histories of allergies to vaccines, foods or medications were found to increase the likelihood of cutaneous reactions following COVID-19 vaccination. These reactions, which were predominantly mild, did not hinder the administration of the second vaccine dose. The majority of reactions occurred after the first dose, manifesting as generalised pruritus and urticaria. They were effectively managed with oral antihistamines and low-dose corticosteroids, thereby avoiding the need for hospitalisation.

Association between receiving Covid-19 vaccine and menstrual cycle patterns among childbearing women: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aims

Many women reported experiencing abnormalities in their cycle after being vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccination. To understand this issue further, our study aimed to evaluate the menstrual cycle patterns among women of childbearing age after receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the impact of COVID-19 vaccine on women aged 18 years and above in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered online questionnaire was distributed among participants who had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The questionnaire included questions about the participants' demographic characteristics, medical history, and vaccine-related adverse events.

Results

The study included 383 female participants with an average age of 30.8 ± 8.1 years. The majority of participants, 92.7%, were Saudi, and more than half, 51.4%, were single. Of the participants, 78.9% were disease-free, and a majority of 67.9% had no history of Coronavirus Disease 2019 infection. A significant proportion of participants reported postvaccination changes in the menstrual cycle. Specifically, 43.1% reported changes after the first dose, and 38.4% reported changes after the second dose (p = 0.044). The severity of premenstrual symptoms increased from 44 (11.5%) to 113 (29.5%) after the first dose. Reported pain on the (WONG-BAKER) scale was also significantly elevated from 34 (8.9%) to 87 (22.7%) (p < 0.001) after the first dose.

Conclusion

A relatively high prevalence of menstrual cycle irregularities was reported by Saudi vaccinated women, particularly young adults. These findings suggest the need to further research and explore the underlying causes of these irregularities and develop interventions that may help mitigate their impact on women's health. It is also recommended that women who observe long-term changes in their menstrual cycles seek follow-up and consultation with healthcare providers to ensure that any potential health concerns are addressed promptly.

Adaptive and maladaptive roles of different angiotensin receptors in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is formed by the action of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the renin-angiotensin system. This hormone is known to induce cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure and its actions are mediated by the interaction of both pro- and antihypertrophic Ang II receptors (AT1R and AT2R). Ang II is also metabolized by ACE 2 to Ang-(1-7), which elicits the activation of Mas receptors (MasR) for inducing antihypertrophic actions. Since heart failure under different pathophysiological situations is preceded by adaptive and maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy, we have reviewed the existing literature to gain some information regarding the roles of AT1R, AT2R, and MasR in both acute and chronic conditions of cardiac hypertrophy. It appears that the activation of AT1R may be involved in the development of adaptive and maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy as well as subsequent heart failure because both ACE inhibitors and AT1R antagonists exert beneficial effects. On the other hand, the activation of both AT2R and MasR may prevent the occurrence of maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy and delay the progression of heart failure, and thus therapy with different activators of these antihypertrophic receptors under chronic pathological stages may prove beneficial. Accordingly, it is suggested that a great deal of effort should be made to develop appropriate activators of both AT2R and MasR for the treatment of heart failure subjects.

Sex hormones in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility: key players or confounders?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has a clear sex disparity in clinical outcomes. Hence, the interaction between sex hormones, virus entry receptors and immune responses has attracted major interest as a target for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections. This Review summarizes the current understanding of the roles of androgens, oestrogens and progesterone in the regulation of virus entry receptors and disease progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as well as their therapeutic value. Although many experimental and clinical studies have analysed potential mechanisms by which female sex hormones might provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, there is currently no clear evidence for a sex-specific expression of virus entry receptors. In addition, reports describing an influence of oestrogen, progesterone and androgens on the course of COVID-19 vary widely. Current data also do not support the administration of oestradiol in COVID-19. The conflicting evidence and lack of consensus results from a paucity of mechanistic studies and clinical trials reporting sex-disaggregated data. Further, the influence of variables beyond biological factors (sex), such as sociocultural factors (gender), on COVID-19 manifestations has not been investigated. Future research will have to fill this knowledge gap as the influence of sex and gender on COVID-19 will be essential to understanding and managing the long-term consequences of this pandemic.

Overexpression of estrogen receptor GPER1 and G1 treatment reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection in BEAS-2B bronchial cells

Gender-bias in COVID-19 severity has been suggested by clinical data. Experimental data in cell and animal models have demonstrated the role of sex hormones, particularly estrogens, in viral infections such as in COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 uses ACE2 as a receptor to recognize host cells, and the protease TMPRSS2 for priming the Spike protein, facilitating virus entry into cells. However, the involvement of estrogenic receptors in SARS-CoV-2 infection are still being explored. Thus, in order to investigate the role of estrogen and its receptors in COVID-19, the estrogen receptors ERα, ERβ and GPER1 were overexpressed in bronchial BEAS-2B cell, and then infected with SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, the levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 mRNA were higher in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, but no difference was observed in cells with estrogen receptors overexpression. GPER1 can be involved in virus infection or replication, since its higher levels reduces SARS-CoV-2 load. On the other hand, pharmacological antagonism of GPER1 enhanced viral load. Those data suggest that GPER1 has an important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Effect of diabetes on short-term mortality and incidence of first hospitalizations for cardiovascular events after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection

AIM

To evaluate the impact of diabetes and COVID-19 on all-cause-mortality and first hospitalizations for cardiovascular events (CVE): myocardial infarction or stroke, within six months after being tested positive and having recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS

Resident population in Tuscany, Italy of age 45-94 yr without prior hospitalization for CVE, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by March 1st, 2020 and afterwards recovering from COVID-19 was compared with age, gender and diabetes matched controls without infection, for incidence rate ratio (IRR) of all-cause-deaths or first CVE at six months follow up.

RESULTS

46,152 subjects of whom 4,597 with diabetes, tested positive and recovered from SARS-CoV-2 were compared with 1:1 age, gender and diabetes matched controls without infection. COVID-19 was associated with higher all-cause-mortality: IRR:1.92(95 %CI:1.63-2.25) while diabetes with increased risk of first CVE hospitalizations: IRR:2.24(2.18-4.25). Co-presence of COVID-19 and diabetes didn't add any additional excess risk. Being women and statins' use significantly reduced death risk.

CONCLUSIONS

After recovery from COVID-19, independently of diabetes, all-cause-mortality risk at six months was twofold increased, while risk of first CVE hospitalization remained unmodified. Diabetes, independently of prior COVID-19, resulted in higher six-months risk of first CVE not of death. Female gender and statins' use reduced both excess risks.

Cutaneous adverse reactions of COVID-19 vaccines: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Numerous vaccines are under clinical development and implementation for the prevention of severe course and lethal outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This systematic review aims to summarize and integrated the findings of studies regarding cutaneous side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

METHODS

This systematic review conducted by searching the scientific databases of PubMed, Scopus, Science direct, and Web of knowledge from the beginning of the COVID-19 to10/5/2021. Articles were reviewed and analyzed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist.

RESULTS

17 studies on cutaneous side effects of COVID-19 vaccines were included after the screening of search results based on to the eligibility criteria. The results showed that the most common injection site reactions and delayed large local reactions, arising from all vaccine types, were redness/ erythema (39%), followed by: itchiness (28%), urticarial rash (17%) on the neck, upper limbs, and trunk, morbilliform eruptions (6.5%), Pityriasis rosea (3%), swelling, and burning, etc. Most cutaneous reactions occurred in women (84%), and middle aged people, after the first dose of vaccine, with the onset ranged from 1-21 days after vaccination. In addition, cutaneous reactions were generally self-limiting, and needed little or no therapeutic intervention, that were not regarded as a barrier to injecting a second dose.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, severe cutaneous side effects are very rare and approved vaccines have satisfactory safety profiles. Therefore, mild or moderate cutaneous reactions should not discourage people from vaccination. In certain groups such as patients with allergies and a history of local injection reactions, pre-vaccination counseling and assurance, also use of appropriate medications may be helpful. However, more studies are needed to investigate the side effect profile of all COVID-19 vaccines.

Sex-related susceptibility in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Proposed mechanisms

The importance of sex differences is increasingly acknowledged in the incidence and treatment of disease. Accumulating clinical evidence demonstrates that sex differences are noticeable in COVID-19, and the prevalence, severity, and mortality rate of COVID-19 are higher among males than females. Sex-related genetic and hormonal factors and immunological responses may underlie the sex bias in COVID-19 patients. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease/serine subfamily member 2 (TMPRSS2) are essential proteins involved in the cell entry of SARS-CoV-2. Since ACE2 is encoded on the X-chromosome, a double copy of ACE2 in females may compensate for virus-mediated downregulation of ACE2, and thus ACE2-mediated cellular protection is greater in females. The X chromosome also contains the largest immune-related genes leading females to develop more robust immune responses than males. Toll-like receptor-7 (TLR-7), one of the key players in innate immunity, is linked to sex differences in autoimmunity and vaccine efficacy, and its expression is greater in females. Sex steroids also affect immune cell function. Estrogen contributes to higher CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell activation levels, and females have more B cells than males. Sex differences not only affect the severity and progression of the disease, but also alter the efficacy of pharmacological treatment and adverse events related to the drugs/vaccines used against COVID-19. Administration of different drugs/vaccines in different doses or intervals may be useful to eliminate sex differences in efficacy and side/adverse effects. It should be noted that studies should include sex-specific analyses to develop further sex-specific treatments for COVID-19.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Fertility and Female and Male Reproductive Systems

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains a huge challenge for contemporary healthcare systems. Apart from widely reported acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the virus affects many other systems inducing a vast number of symptoms such as gastrointestinal, neurological, dermatological, cardiovascular, and many more. Currently it has also been hypothesized that the virus might affect female and male reproductive systems; SARS-CoV-2 infection could also have a role in potential disturbances to human fertility. In this article, we aimed to review the latest literature regarding the potential effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on female and male reproductive systems as well as fertility, in general.