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D'Arpino MC, Sineli PE, Goroso G, Watanabe W, Saavedra ML, Hebert EM, Martínez MA, Migliavacca J, Gerstenfeld S, Chahla RE, Bellomio A, Albarracín VH. Wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 gene for COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance in Tucumán, Argentina. J Basic Microbiol 2024:e202300773. [PMID: 38712352 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202300773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology provides temporal and spatial information about the health status of a population. The objective of this study was to analyze and report the epidemiological dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the province of Tucumán, Argentina during the second and third waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) between April 2021 and March 2022. The study aimed to quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, correlating it with clinically reported COVID-19 cases. Wastewater samples (n = 72) were collected from 16 sampling points located in three cities of Tucumán (San Miguel de Tucumán, Yerba Buena y Banda del Río Salí). Detection of viral nucleocapsid markers (N1 gene) was carried out using one-step reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Viral loads were determined for each positive sample using a standard curve. A positive correlation (p < 0.05) was observed between viral load (copies/mL) and the clinically confirmed COVID-19 cases reported at specific sampling points in San Miguel de Tucumán (SP4, SP7, and SP8) in both months, May and June. Indeed, the high viral load concurred with the peaks of COVID-19 cases. This method allowed us to follow the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 infection during epidemic outbreaks. Thus, wastewater monitoring is a valuable epidemiological indicator that enables the anticipation of increases in COVID-19 cases and tracking the progress of the pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 genome-based surveillance should be implemented as a routine practice to prepare for any future surge in infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Cecilia D'Arpino
- Laboratory of Molecular and Ultraestructural Microbiology, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica, (CIME-UNT-CONICET), Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Pedro Eugenio Sineli
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI-CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Goroso
- Laboratorio de Processamento de Sinais e Modelagem de Sistemas Biológicos. Núcleo de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Universidade Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brasil
| | - William Watanabe
- Laboratorio de Processamento de Sinais e Modelagem de Sistemas Biológicos. Núcleo de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Universidade Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Augusto Bellomio
- Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas (INSIBIO, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Virginia Helena Albarracín
- Laboratory of Molecular and Ultraestructural Microbiology, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica, (CIME-UNT-CONICET), Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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Vélez-Páez JL, Aguayo-Moscoso SX, Castro-Bustamante C, Montalvo-Villagómez M, Jara-González F, Baldeón-Rojas L, Zubieta-DeUrioste N, Battaglini D, Zubieta-Calleja GR. Biomarkers as predictors of mortality in critically ill obese patients with COVID-19 at high altitude. BMC Pulm Med 2023; 23:112. [PMID: 37024861 PMCID: PMC10078096 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-023-02399-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity is a common chronic comorbidity of patients with COVID-19, that has been associated with disease severity and mortality. COVID-19 at high altitude seems to be associated with increased rate of ICU discharge and hospital survival than at sea-level, despite higher immune levels and inflammation. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the survival rate of critically ill obese patients with COVID-19 at altitude in comparison with overweight and normal patients. Secondary aims were to assess the predictive factors for mortality, characteristics of mechanical ventilation setting, extubation rates, and analytical parameters. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study in critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted to a hospital in Quito-Ecuador (2,850 m) from Apr 1, 2020, to Nov 1, 2021. Patients were cathegorized as normal weight, overweight, and obese, according to body mass index [BMI]). RESULTS In the final analysis 340 patients were included, of whom 154 (45%) were obese, of these 35 (22.7%) were hypertensive and 25 (16.2%) were diabetic. Mortality in obese patients (31%) was lower than in the normal weight (48%) and overweight (40%) groups, but not statistically significant (p = 0.076). At multivariable analysis, in the overall population, older age (> 50 years) was independent risk factor for mortality (B = 0.93, Wald = 14.94, OR = 2.54 95%CI = 1.58-4.07, p < 0.001). Ferritin and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were independent predictors of mortality in obese patients. Overweight and obese patients required more positive and-expiratory pressure compared to normal-weight patients. In obese patients, plateau pressure and mechanical power were significantly higher, whereas extubation failure was lower as compared to overweight and normal weight. CONCLUSIONS This preliminary study suggests that BMI was not associated with mortality in critically ill patients at high altitude. Age was associated with an increase in mortality independent of the BMI. Biomarkers such as ferritin and neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio were independent predictors of mortality in obese patients with COVID-19 at high altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Luis Vélez-Páez
- Centro de Investigación Clínica, Hospital Pablo Arturo Suárez, Unidad de Terapia Intensiva, Quito, Ecuador.
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
| | | | | | - Mario Montalvo-Villagómez
- Centro de Investigación Clínica, Hospital Pablo Arturo Suárez, Unidad de Terapia Intensiva, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Fernando Jara-González
- Centro de Investigación Clínica, Hospital Pablo Arturo Suárez, Unidad de Terapia Intensiva, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Lucy Baldeón-Rojas
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
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Schwarze M, Luo J, Brakel A, Krizsan A, Lakowa N, Grünewald T, Lehmann C, Wolf J, Borte S, Milkovska-Stamenova S, Gabert J, Scholz M, Hoffmann R. Evaluation of S- and M-Proteins Expressed in Escherichia coli and HEK Cells for Serological Detection of Antibodies in Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infections and mRNA-Based Vaccinations. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121515. [PMID: 36558849 PMCID: PMC9782079 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121515] [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: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the IgG and IgA antibody response against recombinant S1 and receptor binding domains (RBD) of the spike (S-) protein and the membrane (M-) protein using a set of 115 serum samples collected from patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Germany before April 2021 using protein and peptide ELISA. As S1- and RBD-proteins expressed in Escherichia coli provided poor sensitivities in ELISA, they were replaced by proteins expressed in HEK cells. The RBD-ELISA provided a sensitivity of 90.6% (N = 85) for samples collected from patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections more than 14 days after symptom onset or a positive PCR test. In population-based controls, the specificity was 97.9% (N = 94). In contrast, the sensitivities were only 41.2% and 72.6% for M- and N-proteins, respectively, while the specificities were 88.5% and 100%, respectively. Considering also 20 samples collected during the first two weeks of symptom onset or PCR confirmation, the sensitivity of RBD- and N-protein ELISA decreased to 82.6% and 72.6%, respectively. The combination of two data sets, i.e., N- and RBD-, N- and M-, or RBD- and M-proteins increased the sensitivity to 85.8%, 77.9%, and 87.8%, respectively. Peptide mapping mostly confirmed epitopes previously reported for S1- and M-proteins, but they were only recognized by a few samples already tested positive in the corresponding protein ELISA indicating that peptide-based assays will not improve the diagnostic sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Schwarze
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ji Luo
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Adversis Pharma GmbH, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexandra Brakel
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andor Krizsan
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Lakowa
- Klinik für Infektions- und Tropenmedizin, Klinikum Chemnitz gGmbH, 09113 Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Thomas Grünewald
- Klinik für Infektions- und Tropenmedizin, Klinikum Chemnitz gGmbH, 09113 Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Claudia Lehmann
- Laboratory for Transplantation Immunology, Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johannes Wolf
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital St. Georg gGmbH, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
- Immuno Deficiency Center Leipzig, Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, Hospital St. Georg gGmbH, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephan Borte
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital St. Georg gGmbH, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
- Immuno Deficiency Center Leipzig, Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, Hospital St. Georg gGmbH, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sanja Milkovska-Stamenova
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Adversis Pharma GmbH, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jörg Gabert
- Adversis Pharma GmbH, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Scholz
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Universität Leipzig, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
- LIFE Research Center of Civilization Diseases, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ralf Hoffmann
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universität Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Humoral immunoresponse elicited against an adenoviral-based SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus vaccine in elderly patients. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:7193-7205. [PMID: 36152043 PMCID: PMC9550251 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The early sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome allowed for a speedy development of effective vaccines against the virus. Nevertheless, age-related immunosenescence, the inability to mount strong immune responses, still represents a major obstacle. Here, in a group of 149 elderly volunteers (70-96 years old), evolution of the humoral immune response over time to Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V), a vaccine based on heterologous recombinant adenovirus-26 (Ad26) and adenovirus-5 (Ad5) carrying the Spike genome, was analyzed by an anti-RBD ELISA. At 28 days post vaccination (dpv), a seroconversion rate of 91% was achieved, showing the importance of administering at least two doses of Gam-COVID-Vac to elicit a robust immune response, especially in elderly individuals without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Interestingly, IgG specific antibodies that reached their highest titers around 28 dpv (median = 740), persisted without significant decrease after 60 dpv (median = 650). After 90 dpv, IgG titers began to drop, and at 180 dpv only 44.7% of the elderly individuals remained with detectable anti-RBD IgG antibodies. No significant differences were observed in specific humoral immune responses between genders at early times point. However, at 60 dpv anti-RBD titers were more persistent in elderly females, and only dropped at 90 dpv (p < 0.0001). As expected, the highest antibodies titers were elicited in the youngest subgroup (70-74 years). Our results show that Gam-COVID-Vac was able to deal with the ageing of the immune system, eliciting a robust immune response in an elderly cohort, which lasted approximately 90 dpv at high levels, and protected against COVID-19.
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Chahla RE, Tomas-Grau RH, Cazorla SI, Ploper D, Vera Pingitore E, López MA, Aznar P, Alcorta ME, Vélez EMDM, Stagnetto A, Ávila CL, Maldonado-Galdeano C, Socias SB, Heinze D, Navarro SA, Llapur CJ, Costa D, Flores I, Edelstein A, Kowdle S, Perandones C, Lee B, Apfelbaum G, Mostoslavsky R, Mostoslavsky G, Perdigón G, Chehín RN. Long-term analysis of antibodies elicited by SPUTNIK V: A prospective cohort study in Tucumán, Argentina. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2021; 6:100123. [PMID: 34841388 PMCID: PMC8604626 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2021.100123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gam-COVID-Vac (SPUTNIK V) has been granted emergency use authorization in 70 nations and has been administered to millions worldwide. However, there are very few peer-reviewed studies describing its effects. Independent reports regarding safety and effectiveness could accelerate the final approval by the WHO. We aimed to study the long-term humoral immune response in naïve and previously infected volunteers who received SPUTNIK V. METHODS Humoral immune responses, assayed by anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike-RBD IgG ELISA and neutralization assays, were measured in 602 healthcare workers at 0, 14, 28, 60 and 180 days after receiving SPUTNIK V between December 2020 and July 2021 in Tucumán, Argentina. FINDINGS Seroconversion was detected in 97% of individuals after 28 days post-vaccination (dpv) (N = 405). Anti-RBD titers began to decrease after 60 dpv (N = 328), but remained detectable in 94% at 90 dpv (N = 224). At 180 dpv, anti-RDB titers persisted in 31% (N = 146). Previous infection triggered an increased immune response to the first dose and increased neutralization activity against variants of concern (VOC). Second doses in previously infected individuals further increased titers, even 90 dpv (N = 75). Basal antibody titers had more influence on post-vaccination anti-RBD responses than the time elapsed between diagnosis and vaccination (N = 274). INTERPRETATION Data presented herein provides essential knowledge regarding the kinetics of antibodies induced by SPUTNIK V up to six months after immunization, and suggests that when considering one-dose vaccination policies for individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, serological studies to determine basal titers may be important, independent of when diagnosis occurred. FUNDING Tucumán Public Health System (SIPROSA), Argentinean National Research Council (CONICET), National University of Tucumán (UNT).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodrigo Hernán Tomas-Grau
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada IMMCA (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - Diego Ploper
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada IMMCA (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Esteban Vera Pingitore
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada IMMCA (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - Patricia Aznar
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública (LSP-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | | | - Agustín Stagnetto
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada IMMCA (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | - César Luís Ávila
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada IMMCA (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - Sergio Benjamín Socias
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada IMMCA (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Dar Heinze
- Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM), Boston University School of Medicine. Boston, MA, United States
| | - Silvia Adriana Navarro
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada IMMCA (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - Dardo Costa
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública (LSP-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Isolina Flores
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública (LSP-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Alexis Edelstein
- Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud (ANLIS), Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán. Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Shreyas Kowdle
- Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. New York, NY, United States
| | - Claudia Perandones
- Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud (ANLIS), Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán. Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Benhur Lee
- Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. New York, NY, United States
| | - Gabriela Apfelbaum
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT). Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Raúl Mostoslavsky
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gustavo Mostoslavsky
- Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM), Boston University School of Medicine. Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gabriela Perdigón
- Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos-CERELA (CONICET). Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Rosana Nieves Chehín
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada IMMCA (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA). Tucumán, Argentina
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