Article
Microbiology
Guang Fan, Xuan Qin, Daniel N. Streblow, Cristina Magallanes Hoyos, Donna E. Hansel
Summary: This study demonstrates that saliva can be a good alternative specimen for COVID-19 testing, showing similar test performance characteristics with NP swabs. The study also reveals that the detection rates of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic populations using saliva and NP swabs are comparable, indicating the potential of using saliva as a noninvasive and convenient sample type for COVID-19 testing.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Noah B. Toppings, Abu Naser Mohon, Yoonjung Lee, Hitendra Kumar, Daniel Lee, Ratik Kapoor, Gurmukh Singh, Lisa Oberding, Omar Abdullah, Keekyoung Kim, Byron M. Berenger, Dylan R. Pillai
Summary: Saliva-Dry LAMP is a rapid and accurate COVID-19 saliva test method with stable dry reagents and a 100% positive confirmatory rate. Featuring easy sample collection, visual detection, and low-cost equipment, it is suitable for resource-limited settings.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Isabel M. Ott, Madison S. Strine, Anne E. Watkins, Maikel Boot, Chaney C. Kalinich, Christina A. Harden, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Arnau Casanovas-Massana, Adam J. Moore, M. Catherine Muenker, Maura Nakahata, Maria Tokuyama, Allison Nelson, John Fournier, Santos Bermejo, Melissa Campbell, Rupak Datta, Charles S. Dela Cruz, Shelli F. Farhadian, Albert Ko, Akiko Iwasaki, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Craig B. Wilen, Anne L. Wyllie
Summary: Although saliva collection devices designed to stabilize SARS-CoV-2 RNA are expensive, the virus RNA in non-supplemented saliva remains stable for extended periods even at elevated temperatures. Simple plastic tubes for saliva collection can facilitate large-scale testing and continuous surveillance.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Virology
Annamaria Pratelli, Maria Stella Lucente, Viviana Mari, Marco Cordisco, Alessio Sposato, Paolo Capozza, Gianvito Lanave, Vito Martella, Alessio Buonavoglia
Summary: Pooling saliva samples using bibula strips for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis shows potential for large-scale COVID-19 monitoring with reduced costs for healthcare institutions. Saliva sampling is non-invasive, less traumatic, and can be self-collected, providing advantages over nasopharyngeal swabs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Isao Yokota, Takeshi Hattori, Peter Y. Shane, Satoshi Konno, Atsushi Nagasaka, Kimihiro Takeyabu, Shinichi Fujisawa, Mutsumi Nishida, Takanori Teshima
Summary: This study found equivalent viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs and saliva in COVID-19 patients, with saliva showing comparable detection sensitivity to nasopharyngeal swabs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Lisa M. Kolodziej, Steven F. L. van Lelyveld, Mildred E. Haverkort, Rob Mariman, Judith G. C. Sluiter-Post, Paul Badoux, Emma M. de Koff, Jeffrey C. D. Koole, Willem R. Miellet, Adriaan N. Swart, Elena C. Coipan, Adam Meijer, Elisabeth A. M. Sanders, Krzysztof Trzcinski, Sjoerd M. Euser, Dirk Eggink, Marianne A. van Houten
Summary: By utilizing repeated saliva self-sampling combined with nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs and serology, this study reveals the highest SARS-CoV-2 transmission rates within households to date. The findings underscore the significant role of households in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and highlight the potential of salivary sampling for infection control in this setting.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Michael Huber, Peter Werner Schreiber, Thomas Scheier, Annette Audige, Roberto Buonomano, Alain Rudiger, Dominique L. Braun, Gerhard Eich, Dagmar Keller, Barbara Hasse, Juerg Boeni, Christoph Berger, Huldrych F. Guenthard, Amapola Manrique, Alexandra Trkola
Summary: Saliva has been established as a reliable specimen for detecting SARS-CoV-2, particularly advantageous for testing children, and is readily applicable to increase and facilitate repetitive and mass testing in adults and children.
Article
Immunology
Micaela Garziano, Olga Utyro, Mariacristina Poliseno, Teresa Antonia Santantonio, Irma Saulle, Sergio Strizzi, Sergio Lo Caputo, Mario Clerici, Andrea Introini, Mara Biasin
Summary: Oral mucosal immunity plays a crucial role in preventing and defending against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Research has shown that after receiving the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, the virus neutralization activity in the oral cavity is significantly lower compared to that in the blood.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Julie Boucau, Caitlin Marino, James Regan, Rockib Uddin, Manish C. Choudhary, James P. Flynn, Geoffrey Chen, Ashley M. Stuckwisch, Josh Mathews, May Y. Liew, Arshdeep Singh, Taryn Lipiner, Autumn Kittilson, Meghan Melberg, Yijia Li, Rebecca F. Gilbert, Zahra Reynolds, Surabhi L. Iyer, Grace C. Chamberlin, Tammy D. Vyas, Marcia B. Goldberg, Jatin M. Vyas, Jonathan Z. Li, Jacob E. Lemieux, Mark J. Siedner, Amy K. Barczak
Summary: The shedding of the culturable SARS-CoV-2 omicron (BA.1) variant could be detected within a median of 8 days after symptom onset or the initial positive test in outpatients with Covid-19, as revealed by frequent PCR and viral-culture assessments.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joaquin Moreno-Contreras, Marco A. Espinoza, Carlos Sandoval-Jaime, Marco A. Cantu-Cuevas, Daniel A. Madrid-Gonzalez, Hector Baron-Olivares, Oscar D. Ortiz-Orozco, Asuncion V. Munoz-Rangel, Cecilia Guzman-Rodriguez, Manuel Hernandez-de la Cruz, Cesar M. Eroza-Osorio, Carlos F. Arias, Susana Lopez
Summary: In many countries, a second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections has led to a shortage of reagents needed for diagnosis and compromised laboratory testing capacity. Pooling samples is a strategy to overcome this shortage, allowing multiple samples to be tested using one reaction. We have demonstrated that direct lysis of saliva pools, containing either five or ten samples, does not compromise the detection of viral RNA. This method is sensitive, fast, and inexpensive, making it suitable for mass screening.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhiru Li, Jacqueline L. Bruce, Barry Cohen, Caileigh Cunningham, William E. Jack, Katell Kunin, Bradley W. Langhorst, Jacob Miller, Reynes A. Moncion, Catherine B. Poole, Prem K. Premsrirut, Guoping Ren, Richard J. Roberts, Nathan A. Tanner, Yinhua Zhang, Clotilde K. S. Carlow
Summary: This article introduces a saliva-based testing workflow for COVID-19, which is simple, fast, and requires minimal sample treatment and equipment. The optimized workflow shows good specificity and sensitivity in large-scale sample testing, making it suitable for workplace surveillance and reporting.
Article
Immunology
Constanze Heinzel, Yudi T. Pinilla, Kaethe Elsner, Evelyn Friessinger, Benjamin Mordmueller, Peter G. Kremsner, Jana Held, Rolf Fendel, Andrea Kreidenweiss
Summary: The study demonstrates that saliva can be used to assess SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with potential applications in evaluating infection status and immune response. The saliva ELISA was found to be effective in population-based surveys for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children, revealing variations in antibody prevalence among different age groups.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Kenichi Imai, Ryo Ikeno, Hajime Tanaka, Norio Takada
Summary: This cross-sectional study examines the levels of cell-free viral loads in saliva samples of patients infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Daniel Jimenez, Javier Martinez-Sanz, Talia Sainz, Cristina Calvo, Ana Mendez-Echevarria, Elena Moreno, Daniel Blazquez-Gamero, Pilar Vizcarra, Mario Rodriguez, Robert Jenkins, Matilde Sanchez-Conde, Raquel Ron, Francesca Norman, Santiago Moreno, Manuel Ferrer, Sergio Serrano-Villar
Summary: By analyzing the activity of ACE2 in saliva, we found that ACE2 activity is correlated with susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity. Children and adults with low susceptibility showed the lowest ACE2 activity. These findings provide insights for future strategies in identifying high-risk individuals.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Carlota Dobano, Selena Alonso, Mariona Fernandez de Sevilla, Marta Vidal, Alfons Jimenez, Gemma Pons Tomas, Chenjerai Jairoce, Maria Mele Casas, Rocio Rubio, Maria Hernandez Garcia, Gemma Ruiz-Olalla, Monica Girona-Alarcon, Diana Barrios, Rebeca Santano, Robert A. Mitchell, Laura Puyol, Leonie Mayer, Jordi Chi, Natalia Rodrigo Melero, Carlo Carolis, Aleix Garcia-Miquel, Elisenda Bonet-Carne, Joana Claverol, Marta Cubells, Claudia Fortuny, Victoria Fumado, Cristina Jou, Carmen Munoz-Almagro, Luis Izquierdo, Quique Bassat, Eduard Gratacos, Ruth Aguilar, Juan Jose Garcia-Garcia, Gemma Moncunill, Iolanda Jordan
Summary: Saliva antibody testing is a valuable tool for screening pediatric populations during viral epidemics, as it can detect low viral load exposures and show higher antibody conversion rates compared to RT-PCR screening. The study in Barcelona suggests that antibody profiling, including multiple antigens and isotypes, can help identify asymptomatic carriers and guide public health policies during pandemics.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cheolmin Kim, Dong-Kyun Ryu, Jihun Lee, Young-Il Kim, Ji-Min Seo, Yeon-Gil Kim, Jae-Hee Jeong, Minsoo Kim, Jong-In Kim, Pankyeom Kim, Jin Soo Bae, Eun Yeong Shim, Min Seob Lee, Man Su Kim, Hanmi Noh, Geun-Soo Park, Jae Sang Park, Dain Son, Yongjin An, Jeong No Lee, Ki-Sung Kwon, Joo-Yeon Lee, Hansaem Lee, Jeong-Sun Yang, Kyung-Chang Kim, Sung Soon Kim, Hye-Min Woo, Jun-Won Kim, Man-Seong Park, Kwang-Min Yu, Se-Mi Kim, Eun-Ha Kim, Su-Jin Park, Seong Tae Jeong, Chi Ho Yu, Youngjo Song, Se Hun Gu, Hanseul Oh, Bon-Sang Koo, Jung Joo Hong, Choong-Min Ryu, Wan Beom Park, Myoung-don Oh, Young Ki Choi, Soo-Young Lee
Summary: A human monoclonal antibody called CT-P59 has been shown to effectively neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and demonstrate significant therapeutic effects in animal models, making it a promising candidate for COVID-19 treatment.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Young-Il Kim, Se-Mi Kim, Su-Jin Park, Eun-Ha Kim, Kwang-Min Yu, Jae-Hyung Chang, Eun Ji Kim, Mark Anthony B. Casel, Rare Rollon, Seung-Gyu Jang, Jihye Um, Min-Suk Song, Hye Won Jeong, Eung-Gook Kim, Yeonjae Kim, So Yeon Kim, Jun-Sun Park, Mi Sun Park, Geun-Yong Kwon, Sang Gu Yeo, Shin-Ae Lee, Youn Jung Choi, Jae U. Jung, Young Ki Choi
Summary: The study found that ferrets with high NAb titres after SARS-CoV-2 infection showed attenuated viral replication and rapid viral clearance upon reinfection, while ferrets with low NAb titres were more prone to reinfection.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Angela Park, Su-Jin Park, Kyle L. Jung, Se Mi Kim, Eun-Ha Kim, Young-Il Kim, Suan-Sin Foo, Sunghyun Kim, Seong-Gyu Kim, Kwang-Min Yu, Younho Choi, Ji Yeun Kim, Yun Hee Baek, Min-Suk Song, Seung Ryul Kim, Seok-Yong Kim, Hye Won Jeong, Sung-Han Kim, Jae U. Jung, Young Ki Choi
Summary: This study identified differential inflammatory cytokine levels in SFTS patients, with fatal cases showing expanded B cell populations and plasma cells as the viral reservoir. Altered B cell function was found to be associated with lethality in SFTSV infections.
Article
Virology
Eun-Ha Kim, Thi-Quyen Nguyen, Mark Anthony B. Casel, Rare Rollon, Se-Mi Kim, Young-Il Kim, Kwang-Min Yu, Seung-Gyu Jang, Jihyun Yang, Haryoung Poo, Jae U. Jung, Young Ki Choi
Summary: This study investigated the pathogenic and immunological consequences of coinfection with SARS-CoV-2 and IAV H1N1 in a transgenic mouse model. The results showed that coinfection prolonged the primary virus infection period and led to severe pneumonia and lung damage. Coinfection also caused lymphopenia in peripheral blood and reduced virus-specific and neutralizing antibodies. These findings provide insights into the immunopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV coinfection and may contribute to the development of effective therapeutic strategies for coinfected patients.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Young-Il Kim, Kwang-Min Yu, June-Young Koh, Eun-Ha Kim, Se-Mi Kim, Eun Ji Kim, Mark Anthony B. Casel, Rare Rollon, Seung-Gyu Jang, Min-Suk Song, Su-Jin Park, Hye Won Jeong, Eung-Gook Kim, Ok-Jun Lee, Yong-Dae Kim, Younho Choi, Shin-Ae Lee, Youn Jung Choi, Su-Hyung Park, Jae U. Jung, Young Ki Choi
Summary: The mortality rate of COVID-19 is significantly higher in individuals aged 65 years or older compared to younger individuals, even though the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 does not differ significantly among age groups. In this study, ferrets of different age groups were infected with SARS-CoV-2 to understand the varying manifestations of COVID-19 in different age groups. The results showed that aged ferrets exhibited higher viral loads, longer nasal virus shedding, more severe lung inflammation, and clinical symptoms compared to juvenile and young adult ferrets. The gene expression profile of aged ferrets closely resembled that of severe COVID-19 patients. Therefore, aged ferrets infected with SARS-CoV-2 can serve as a useful model for studying age-associated infection, transmission, and pathogenesis of the virus.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Young-Il Kim, Mark Anthony B. Casel, Young Ki Choi
Summary: As of February 2022, SARS-CoV-2 remains a serious public health threat due to its high mortality rate and rapid spread of novel variants. The understanding of emerging novel SARSCoV-2 variants is still incomplete, impacting the development of vaccines and therapeutics. Proper animal models are essential for detailed investigations into the viral etiology, transmission, and pathogenesis mechanisms against recent SARS-CoV-2 variants.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Hyeon Seop Byeon, Stalin Nattan, Jun Hyoung Kim, Seong Tae Han, Mun Hui Chae, Mi Na Han, Byeongwoo Ahn, Yong-Dae Kim, Hee-Sung Kim, Hye Won Jeong
Summary: This study investigated the exposure of Q fever patients to environmental contamination and animal shedding. The findings showed that the environment on farms owned by Q fever patients was extensively and persistently contaminated, even after antibiotic treatment of goats and environmental decontamination. Undetected environmental contamination can be a major source of sporadic Q fever infection in South Korea.
VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Virology
Su-Jin Park, Young-Il Kim, Mark Anthony Casel, Eun-Ha Kim, Se-Mi Kim, Kwang-Min Yu, Rare Rollon, Seung-Gyu Jang, Hye Won Jeong, Young Ki Choi
Summary: The spread of the SFTS virus has increased the threat to public health due to the rapid spread of ticks that carry the virus. This study aimed to investigate the pathogenic potential of the SFTS virus based on the infection route in aged ferrets. The results showed that the infection route can influence the onset of SFTS symptoms and the pathogenicity of the virus.
Article
Immunology
Hye Seong, Jun Hyoung Kim, Young-Hee Han, Ho Seong Seo, Hak Jun Hyun, Jin Gu Yoon, Eliel Nham, Ji Yun Noh, Hee Jin Cheong, Woo Joo Kim, Sooyeon Lim, Joon Young Song
Summary: This study investigated the association between the gut microbiome in the early stage of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the prognosis of COVID-19. The composition of the gut microbiota varied during the clinical course of COVID-19 and was closely associated with cytokine levels. A high abundance of certain bacteria was associated with a good prognosis, while specific metabolic activities were activated in the gut microbiota of the poor prognosis group. Glucose-lowering diets, including whole grains, were positively correlated with a good prognosis.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hye Seong, Bo Kyu Choi, Young-Hee Han, Jun Hyoung Kim, Jeong-An Gim, Sooyeon Lim, Ji Yun Noh, Hee Jin Cheong, Woo Joo Kim, Joon Young Song
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND TARGETED THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Hye Won Jeong, Se-Mi Kim, Min Kyung Jung, Ji Yun Noh, Ji-Seung Yoo, Eun-Ha Kim, Young-Il Kim, Kwangmin Yu, Seung-Gyu Jang, Juryeon Gil, Mark Anthony Casel, Rollon Rare, Jeong Ho Choi, Hee-Sung Kim, Jun Hyoung Kim, Jihye Um, Chaeyoon Kim, Yeonjae Kim, Bum Sik Chin, Sungmin Jung, Jun Yong Choi, Kyoung-Ho Song, Yong-Dae Kim, Jun-Sun Park, Joon Young Song, Eui-Cheol Shin, Young Ki Choi
Summary: Omicron has become the dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 globally and poses challenges due to its ability to evade neutralization. This study shows that neutralizing antibodies against Omicron are not detected in individuals previously infected with ancestral or past SARS-CoV-2 variants or after two-dose mRNA vaccination. However, a three-dose vaccination course induces broad neutralizing antibody responses with improved durability against different SARS-CoV-2 variants, although neutralizing antibody titers against Omicron remain low. Interestingly, among individuals with three-dose vaccination, Omicron breakthrough infection significantly enhances serum neutralizing activity against a broad spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5. Additionally, memory T cells respond to both ancestral and Omicron spike proteins by producing cytokines, suggesting that Omicron breakthrough infection following three-dose mRNA vaccination induces pan-SARS-CoV-2 immunity that may protect against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
CELL REPORTS MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jun Hyoung Kim, Heeseon Jang, Jung Ho Kim, Joon Young Song, Shin -Woo Kim, Sang Il Kim, Bo Youl Choi, Jun Yong Choi
Summary: This study on male PLHIV found that risk factors for renal insufficiency include diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, long-term use of tenofovir or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and AIDS-defining illness.
INFECTION AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Woonji Lee, Hye Seong, Jung Ho Kim, Heun Choi, Jun Hyoung Kim, Jin Young Ahn, Su Jin Jeong, Nam Su Ku, Jun Yong Choi, Choon-Mee Kim, Dong-Min Kim, Joon-Sup Yeom
Summary: African tick-bite fever is the second most common cause of fever in travelers returning from Southern Africa, and its incidence may increase with the growing number of Korean outbound travelers. We report a febrile Korean traveler who developed two eschars after visiting a rural area in Swaziland, diagnosed as African tick-bite fever through nested polymerase chain reaction.
INFECTION AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ji Hyoun Kim, Jun Hyoung Kim, Chang Gok Woo
Summary: Unexpected side effects, such as myopathy, can occur after COVID-19 vaccination. This case study presents a 30-year-old male patient who developed myopathy in both extremities after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Symptoms included swelling, pain, dysphagia, and dysarthria, and biopsy showed macrophage infiltration and degeneration of muscle fibers. The symptoms improved with glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive treatment.
JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
