Children are underrepresented in the COVID-19 pandemic and often experience milder disease than adolescents and adults. Reduced severity is possibly due to recent and more frequent seasonal human ...coronaviruses (HCoV) infections. We assessed the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal HCoV specific antibodies in a large cohort in north-eastern France.
In this cross-sectional seroprevalence study, serum samples were collected from children and adults requiring hospital admission for non-COVID-19 between February and August 2020. Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal HCoV (229E, HKU1, NL63, OC43) were assessed using a bead-based multiplex assay, Luciferase-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay, and a pseudotype neutralisation assay.
In 2,408 individuals, seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies was 7-8% with three different immunoassays. Antibody levels to seasonal HCoV increased substantially up to the age of 10. Antibody responses in SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals were lowest in adults 18-30 years. In SARS-CoV-2 seronegative individuals, we observed cross-reactivity between antibodies to the four HCoV and SARS-CoV-2 Spike. In contrast to other antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, specific antibodies to sub-unit 2 of Spike (S2) in seronegative samples were highest in children. Upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, antibody levels to Spike of betacoronavirus OC43 increased across the whole age spectrum. No SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals with low levels of antibodies to seasonal HCoV were observed.
Our findings underline significant cross-reactivity between antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal HCoV, but provide no significant evidence for cross-protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to a recent seasonal HCoV infection. In particular, across all age groups we did not observe SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals with low levels of antibodies to seasonal HCoV.
This work was supported by the « URGENCE COVID-19 » fundraising campaign of Institut Pasteur, by the French Government's Investissement d'Avenir program, Laboratoire d'Excellence Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases (Grant No. ANR-10-LABX-62-IBEID), and by the REACTing (Research & Action Emerging Infectious Diseases), and by the RECOVER project funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101003589, and by a grant from LabEx IBEID (ANR-10-LABX-62-IBEID).
Abstract
Background
The seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoV) NL63, 229E, OC43, and HKU1 are globally endemic, yet the majority of HCoV infections remain undiagnosed.
Methods
In a cross-sectional ...study, 2389 serum samples were collected from children and adults in France in 2020. In a longitudinal cohort study, 2520 samples were collected from 898 French individuals followed up between 2020 and 2021. Antibodies to HCoVs were measured using a bead-based multiplex assay.
Results
The rate of waning of anti-HCoV spike immunoglobulin G antibodies was estimated as 0.22–0.47 year−1 for children, and 0.13–0.27 year−1 for adults. Seroreversion was estimated as 0.31–1.37 year−1 in children and 0.19–0.72 year−1 in adults. The estimated seroconversion rate in children was consistent with 20%–39% of children being infected every year with each HCoV.
Conclusions
The high force of infection in children indicates that HCoVs may be responsible for a substantial proportion of fever episodes experienced by children.
AIM: To evaluate virological response to telaprevir or boceprevir in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin and resistance mutations to NS3/4A inhibitors in hepatitis C virus-human ...immunodeficiency virus(HCV-HIV) coinfected patients in a real life setting. METHODS: Patients with HCV genotype 1-HIV coinfection followed in Nice University Hospital internal medicine and infectious diseases departments who initiated treatment including pegylated interferon and ribavirin(Peg IFN/RBV) + telaprevir or boceprevir, according to standard treatment protocols, between August 2011 and October 2013 entered this observational study. Patient data were extracted from an electronic database(Nadis?). Liver fibrosis was measured by elastometry(Fibroscan?) with the following cut-off values: F0-F1: < 7.1 k Pa, F2: 7.1-9.5 k Pa, F3: 9.5-14.5 k Pa, F4: ≥ 14.5 k Pa. The proportion of patients with sustained virological response(SVR) twelve weeks after completing treatment, frequency and type of adverse events, and NS3/4A protease inhibitor mutations were described. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were included: 13(31.7%) patients were HCV-treatment na?ve, 22(53.7%) had advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis(Fibroscan stage F3 and F4); none had decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma; all were receiving antiretroviral treatment, consisting for most them(83%) in either a nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor/protease inhibitor or/integrase inhibitor combination; all patients had undetectable HIV-RNA. One patient was lost to follow-up. SVR was achieved by 52.5% of patients. Five patients experienced virological failure during treatment and four relapsed. Seven discontinued treatment due to adverse events. Main adverse events included severe anemia(88%) and rash(25%). NS3/4A protease mutations were analyzed at baseline and at the time of virological failure in the 9 patients experiencing non-response, breakthrough or relapse. No baseline resistance mutation could predict resistance to HCV protease inhibitor-based treatment. CONCLUSION: Telaprevir and boceprevir retain their place among potential treatment strategies in HIVHCV coinfected patients including those with advanced compensated liver disease and who failed previous Peg IFN/RBV therapy.
Obtaining perfect immobility or sleep in children undergoing ABR auditory brainstem response) testing can be challenging. We examined the effectiveness and safety of intranasal dexmedetomidine for ...sedation of children undergoing ABR testing.
We included prospectively all patients aged from 1 to 15 years for whom sedation for ABR testing was required, between July 2018 and November 2021. We administered an initial dose of 2.5 μg/kg intranasal dexmedetomidine with a repeat dose of 1 μg/kg if needed 30 min later. Collected data included success rate of sedation, sedation onset and recovery times and incidence of side effects.
ABR testing was undertaken successfully in 57 of the 59 patients, giving a total success rate of 96,6 %. (95 % confidence interval 88.5 %–99.1 %). The median time to onset of sleep was 32 ± 18.3 min. The median duration of sedation recovery time was 48 ± 24.7 min. We recorded the adverse effects. Thirty-one patients experienced bradycardia and 28 patients experienced hypotension, all of which resolved without intervention.
Intranasal dexmedetomidine is an effective, safe, simple of use and noninvasive method for sedation in children. It could have a major role in auditory brainstem response testing, specially in the case of non-cooperative children.
NCT03530371.
Disinhibition is a core symptom in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) particularly affecting the daily lives of both patients and caregivers. Yet, characterisation of inhibition ...disorders is still unclear and management options of these disorders are limited. Questionnaires currently used to investigate behavioural disinhibition do not differentiate between several subtypes of disinhibition, encompass observation biases and lack of ecological validity.
In the present work, we explored disinhibition in an original semi-ecological situation, by distinguishing three categories of disinhibition: compulsivity, impulsivity and social disinhibition. First, we measured prevalence and frequency of these disorders in 23 bvFTD patients and 24 healthy controls (HC) in order to identify the phenotypical heterogeneity of disinhibition. Then, we examined the relationships between these metrics, the neuropsychological scores and the behavioural states to propose a more comprehensive view of these neuropsychiatric manifestations. Finally, we studied the context of occurrence of these disorders by investigating environmental factors potentially promoting or reducing them.
As expected, we found that patients were more compulsive, impulsive and socially disinhibited than HC. We found that 48% of patients presented compulsivity (e.g., repetitive actions), 48% impulsivity (e.g., oral production) and 100% of the patients group showed social disinhibition (e.g., disregards for rules or investigator). Compulsivity was negatively related with emotions recognition. BvFTD patients were less active if not encouraged in an activity, and their social disinhibition decreased as activity increased. Finally, impulsivity and social disinhibition decreased when patients were asked to focus on a task.
Summarising, this study underlines the importance to differentiate subtypes of disinhibition as well as the setting in which they are exhibited, and points to stimulating area for non-pharmacological management.
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