Article
Pediatrics
Gina Rencken, Pragashnie Govender, Catharina J. E. Uys
Summary: HIV exposed infants exhibit inferior neurobehavioural functioning, which may impact their development, behavior, and mental health. Close monitoring of these infants and providing guidance to caregivers is crucial to mitigate the potential long-term negative effects on development.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Motlagabo Gladys Matseke, Robert A. C. Ruiter, Violeta J. Rodriguez, Karl Peltzer, Deborah L. Jones, Sibusiso Sifunda
Summary: Male partner involvement during the prenatal and postnatal periods has a significant impact on cognitive and motor development in HIV exposed infants. Lack of male partner support is associated with delayed cognitive and gross motor development, highlighting the importance of promoting male partner involvement in PMTCT programs.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Alex J. Warr, Christine Anterasian, Javeed A. Shah, Stephen C. De Rosa, Felicia K. Nguyen, Elizabeth Maleche-Obimbo, Lisa M. Cranmer, Daniel Matemo, Jerphason Mecha, John Kinuthia, Sylvia M. LaCourse, Grace C. John-Stewart, Thomas R. Hawn
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between immune cell responses after BCG vaccination and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection in HIV-exposed but uninfected infants, as well as their impact on tuberculin skin test (TST) induration. The results show that a monofunctional TNF+ CD4+ effector memory T-cell response at 6-10 weeks of age is associated with Mtb infection at 14 months, while mycobacterial antigen-specific polyfunctional effector memory Th1 responses at 6-10 weeks correlate positively with TST induration in infants without evidence of Mtb infection, which is attenuated by INH therapy.
Article
Immunology
Chun-Wei Chen, Narcis Saubi, Athina Kilpelainen, Joan Joseph-Munne
Summary: In this study, chimeric HPV:HIV VLPs were constructed by inserting HIV-1 P18I10 CTL peptide and T20 anti-fusion peptide into the HPV16 L1 capsid protein. The insertion did not affect the stability, self-assembly, morphology, and antibody reactivity of the VLPs. The chimeric VLPs induced both HPV16- and HIV-1-specific immune responses, making them a potential vaccine platform for controlling HPV16 and HIV-1 infection.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aurelie Kennedy Nelson, Tali Cassidy, Laura Trivino Duran, Vivian Cox, Catherine J. Wedderburn, Janet Giddy, Pauline Pieters, Mark F. Cotton, Tabitha Mutseyekwa, Bulelwa Rorwana, Beryl Sibanda, Jonathan Bernheimer, Nopinky Matise, Petros Isaakidis, Jean Maritz
Summary: In a study conducted at a primary healthcare facility in South Africa, it was found that there was good uptake of HIV PCR testing at 6/10 weeks for HIV-exposed uninfected infants in the first 18 months of life. However, the uptake of testing at 9 months and 18 months was suboptimal despite tracing efforts.
Article
Virology
Kerusha Govender, Raveen Parboosing, Salvatore Camiolo, Petr Hubacek, Irene Gorzer, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stockl, Nicolas M. Suarez
Summary: The study used whole genome sequencing to compare HCMV pneumonia specimens from HIV-exposed infants and patients, revealing a significantly higher prevalence of multiple HCMV strain infection in the HIV-exposed infants. Certain genotypes were more common in these infants, but the anatomical compartmentalization in the lung was inconclusive.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Anthonet Koen, Shabir Madhi, Olga Lyabis, Emmanuel Vidor, Beverley Cowper, Thinus Marais, Dhaval Patel, Claire Vigne
Summary: This study evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of DTaP-IPV-HB-PRP similar to T vaccine in HIV-exposed infected and uninfected infants in South Africa, showing strong immune seroprotection rates and good antibody persistence. The vaccine was found to be comparable to historical data in healthy infants and toddlers.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Melika Ben Ahmed, Hedia Bellali, Mariem Gdoura, Imen Zamali, Ouafa Kallala, Ahlem Ben Hmid, Walid Hamdi, Hela Ayari, Hajer Fares, Karim Mechri, Soumaya Marzouki, Henda Triki, Nissaf Ben Alaya, Mohamed Kouni Chahed, Anis Klouz, Sonia Sebai Ben Amor, Chiheb Ben Rayana, Myriam Razgallah Khrouf, Chokri Hamouda, Noomene Elkadri, Riadh Daghfous, Abdelhalim Trabelsi
Summary: This study evaluated the humoral and cellular immune responses in subjects aged 40 years and over who received different vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, particularly Moderna, demonstrated superior immunogenicity in both humoral and cellular responses.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Hatem M. Eltahan, Chang W. Kang, Vishwajit S. Chowdhury, Hossam M. Eltahan, Mostafa A. Abdel-Maksoud, Ayman Mubarak, Chun Ik Lim
Summary: The study demonstrates that using cold water in heat-exposed laying hens can maintain productivity and immune function under high ambient temperature. The feed intake and egg production were improved by using cold water. Additionally, the cold water restored the immune parameters in the blood, including B-cell, helper T cells, and the ratio of helper/cytotoxic T cells, as well as certain cytokines and immunoglobulin G. This suggests that cold water is a beneficial mechanism to consider for heat stress in laying hens.
Article
Pediatrics
Larisha Pillay, Dhayendre Moodley, Lynda Marie Emel, Ntombifikile Maureen Nkwanyana, Kimesh Naidoo
Summary: The study found that HIV exposed and uninfected (HEU) infants are at a higher risk of infectious morbidity and decreased growth trajectories, but these outcomes are independent of breastfeeding duration.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Theoharis C. Theoharides, Irene Tsilioni
Summary: The article points out that mast cells, as a unique tissue immune cell, can orchestrate the immune response by secreting proinflammatory molecules. It highlights the degranulation of mast cells in the lungs of deceased patients with severe Covid-19, as well as the elevated levels of mast cell-derived proteolytic enzymes in patients' serum.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Nathella Pavan Kumar, Chandrasekaran Padmapriyadarsini, Anuradha Rajamanickam, Perumal Kannabiran Bhavani, Arul Nancy, B. Jeyadeepa, Rachel Mariam Renji, Subash Babu
Summary: Background: Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of the BCG vaccine, including non-specific cross-protection against other infectious diseases. Methods: This study investigated the impact of BCG vaccination on B cell subsets and total antibody levels in healthy elderly individuals. Results: The results showed that BCG vaccination increased the frequencies of certain B cell subsets and total IgG subclass isotypes. These parameters were higher in vaccinated individuals compared to unvaccinated controls.
Article
Pediatrics
A. M. Ekanem, I. P. Oloyede, U. E. Ekrikpo, A. U. Idung, E. Edward
Summary: The majority of HIV-exposed infants were HIV negative at the first HIV DNA PCR test, but only a few of these infants returned for BCG immunization. The uptake of BCG immunization was not significantly associated with the sex of the infants or the availability of phone numbers for guardians.
JOURNAL OF TROPICAL PEDIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Marina Giuliano, Maria Franca Pirillo, Stefano Orlando, Richard Luhanga, Robert Mphwere, Thom Kavalo, Mauro Andreotti, Roberta Amici, Fausto Ciccacci, Maria Cristina Marazzi, Marco Floridia
Summary: In sub-Saharan Africa, most infants acquire Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection within the first year of life. Maternal long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been suggested to reduce CMV acquisition in HIV-exposed infants. However, this study found no difference in the prevalence of CMV viremia between HIV-exposed and -unexposed infants at 6 months of age, indicating that long-term ART may not be effective in reducing CMV infection.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yannic C. Bartsch, Stephanie Fischinger, Sameed M. Siddiqui, Zhilin Chen, Jingyou Yu, Makda Gebre, Caroline Atyeo, Matthew J. Gorman, Alex Lee Zhu, Jaewon Kang, John S. Burke, Matthew Slein, Matthew J. Gluck, Samuel Beger, Yiyuan Hu, Justin Rhee, Eric Petersen, Benjamin Mormann, Michael de St Aubin, Mohammad A. Hasdianda, Guruprasad Jambaulikar, Edward W. Boyer, Pardis C. Sabeti, Dan H. Barouch, Boris D. Julg, Elon R. Musk, Anil S. Menon, Douglas A. Lauffenburger, Eric J. Nilles, Galit Alter
Summary: The study reveals significant heterogeneity in antibody responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection, with limited decay of antibody titers over time. Observing neutralization, Fc-function, and SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses requires reaching a certain threshold of receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific antibody titers, indicating a switch-like relationship between antibody titer and function.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Nursing
Kate Mi Ralph, Robert B. Dorey, Rebecca Rowe, Christine E. Jones
Summary: The uptake of pertussis and influenza vaccines in pregnant women was evaluated in a midwife-led immunisation clinic in the UK. The study found that the vaccine uptake was higher than the national or regional average. Factors influencing the decision to accept vaccination included healthcare professional recommendation, perceived susceptibility and risk of infection, and previous experience with vaccination and vaccine-preventable disease. The model of vaccine delivery was associated with high levels of satisfaction and could be implemented elsewhere to increase vaccine uptake, including for COVID-19 vaccines in the future.
Article
Nursing
Amy Montague, Tushna Vandrevala, Anna Calvert, I-Ling Yeh, Caroline Star, Asma Khalil, Paul Griffiths, Paul T. Heath, Christine E. Jones
Summary: This study aimed to explore the perspectives of participating pregnant women and Health Care Professionals (HCPs) towards receiving and providing cytomegalovirus (CMV) education. The findings showed that pregnant women expressed a desire for CMV education as part of routine antenatal care, while HCPs felt unequipped to provide this education.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Karen J. Hager, Gonzalo Perez Marc, Philipe Gobeil, Ricardo S. Diaz, Gretchen Heizer, Conrado Llapur, Alexander I. Makarkov, Eduardo Vasconcellos, Stephane Pillet, Fernando Riera, Pooja Saxena, Priscila Geller Wolff, Kapil Bhutada, Garry Wallace, Hessam Aazami, Christine E. Jones, Fernando P. Polack, Luciana Ferrara, Judith Atkins, Iohann Boulay, Jiwanjeet Dhaliwall, Nathalie Charland, Manon M. J. Couture, Julia Jiang-Wright, Nathalie Landry, Sophie Lapointe, Aurelien Lorin, Asif Mahmood, Lawrence H. Moulton, Emily Pahmer, Julie Parent, Annie Seguin, Luan Tran, Thomas Breuer, Maria-Angeles Ceregido, Marguerite Koutsoukos, Francois Roman, Junya Namba, Marc-Andre D'Aoust, Sonia Trepanier, Yosuke Kimura, Brian J. Ward
Summary: The CoVLP+AS03 vaccine showed efficacy in preventing Covid-19 caused by different variants, with efficacy ranging from 69.5% against symptomatic infection to 78.8% against moderate-to-severe disease.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Pediatrics
Christine E. Jones, Heather Bailey, Alasdair Bamford, Anna Calvert, Robert B. Dorey, Simon B. Drysdale, Asma Khalil, Paul T. Heath, Hermione Lyall, Kate Monica Isabel Ralph, Shari Sapuan, Tushna Vandrevala, Simone Walter, Elizabeth Whittaker, Sharon Wood
Summary: Congenital human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a common condition with long-term consequences for children. However, it is not well-known among pregnant women, families, and healthcare providers. Timely diagnosis and treatment are important for reducing transmission and improving outcomes for infants. Further research is needed to inform screening, outcomes, and treatment decisions.
ARCHIVES OF DISEASE IN CHILDHOOD
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Nicholas C. Grassly, Nick Andrews, Gillian Cooper, Laura Stephens, Pauline Waight, Christine E. Jones, Paul T. Heath, Anna Calvert, Jo Southern, Javier Martin, Elizabeth Miller
Summary: A study in the United Kingdom found that infants whose mothers received the DTaP/IPV vaccine during pregnancy were less likely to develop sufficient poliovirus-neutralizing antibodies after receiving IPV vaccine. This suggests that these infants may be inadequately protected against poliomyelitis until their pre-school booster.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Amy L. Slogrove, Shani Tamlyn de Beer, Emma Kalk, Andrew Boulle, Mark Cotton, Heinrich Cupido, Barbara Laughton, Marguerite Marlow, Ushma Mehta, Ncumisa Msolo, Landon Myer, Kathleen M. Powis, Elisma Schoeman, Mark Tomlinson, Moleen Zunza, Paige Williams, Mary-Ann Davies
Summary: The CHERISH study aims to establish a sustainable system for measuring in utero and postnatal exposures and outcomes in HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) and HIV-unexposed children in South Africa. The study will compare survival, hospitalization, growth, and neurodevelopment in these children. The study involves prospectively enrolling pregnant individuals with and without HIV and following them for 3 years after the child's birth. Data on exposures and outcomes are collected through healthcare documentation, interviews, and measurements at in-person visits. The findings of the study will be disseminated through various channels, including peer-reviewed journals.
Article
Immunology
Erick Auma, Tom Hall, Simran Chopra, Sam Bilton, Laxmee Ramkhelawon, Fahimah Amini, Anna Calvert, Gayatri Amirthalingam, Christine. E. E. Jones, Nick Andrews, Paul. T. T. Heath, Kirsty Le Doare
Summary: Vaccination during pregnancy can protect women and infants from invasive Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease. A study in England showed that neonatal dried blood spots (DBS) can be used to determine the amount of maternally derived antibody protecting infants from GBS disease. However, due to suboptimal storage conditions, no difference in GBS IgG levels was found between DBS samples from cases and controls.
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Hannah G. Davies, Conor Bowman, Gabriella Watson, Caitlin Dodd, Christine E. Jones, Flor M. Munoz, Paul T. Heath, Clare L. Cutland, Kirsty Le Doare
Summary: In 2014, the Global Alignment on Immunization safety Assessment in pregnancy consortium (GAIA) was established to monitor the safety of vaccines in pregnancy. This review identified and described studies evaluating the performance of 26 standardized definitions for adverse events. Four studies evaluating 13 GAIA case definitions were found, with most assessments done in high-income settings. Recommendations were made to improve the definitions' performance, including ensuring consistency and clarity. Future research should focus on evaluating the remaining case definitions in low- and middle-income settings.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGY & OBSTETRICS
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Charlene Goosen, Sebastian Proost, Jeannine Baumgartner, Kashish Mallick, Raul Y. Tito, Shaun L. Barnabas, Mark F. Cotton, Michael B. Zimmermann, Jeroen Raes, Renee Blaauw
Summary: This study aimed to determine the associations of HIV and iron status with gut microbiota composition, gut inflammation, and gut integrity in South African school-age children. The findings showed that iron deficiency is associated with gut inflammation, and both HIV and iron status have an impact on gut microbiota.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna K. K. Blakney
Summary: As messenger RNA therapeutics expand beyond vaccines, the issue of RNA instability needs to be resolved. A novel algorithm has been developed to optimize mRNA sequences for both stability and amino acid encoding.
Article
Immunology
Penelope C. Rose, Etienne De la Rey Nel, Mark F. Cotton, Kennedy Otwombe, Sara H. Browne, Lisa J. Frigati, Helena Rabie, Steve Innes
Summary: This study evaluated changes in hepatic steatosis in adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV switching to dolutegravir-containing antiretroviral therapy. The results showed that switching to dolutegravir improved hepatic steatosis, cholesterol, and triglycerides in adolescents with no excess weight gain.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anna Calvert, Gayatri Amirthalingam, Nick Andrews, Sneha Basude, Matthew Coleman, Hannah Cuthbertson, Anna England, Vanessa Greening, Bassam Hallis, Edward Johnstone, Christine E. Jones, Konstantinos Karampatsas, Asma Khalil, Kirsty Le Doare, Mary Matheson, Elisabeth Peregrine, Matthew D. Snape, Manu Vatish, Paul T. Heath, OpTIMUM Study Grp
Summary: This study investigates the equivalence of three different time periods for pertussis vaccination in pregnancy. The results show that vaccinating between 16 and 32 weeks of gestation provides equivalent protection against pertussis.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Anastasia A. Theodosiou, Christine E. Jones, Robert C. Read, Debby Bogaert
Summary: The use of antibiotics can disrupt the microbiome and lead to adverse health outcomes. This review analyzes recent publications that investigate the associations between antibiotic use, microbiome disruption, and ill-health. It highlights the need for further causal evidence and proposes the term "microbiotoxicity" to describe the unintended harms of antibiotics on the microbiome.
CURRENT OPINION IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Xinxue Liu, Annie Wright, Shuo Feng, Leila Janani, Parvinder K. Aley, Gavin Babbage, Jonathan Baker, David Baxter, Tanveer Bawa, Marcin Bula, Katrina Cathie, Krishna Chatterjee, Kate Dodd, Yvanne Enever, Lauren Fox, Ehsaan Qureshi, Anna L. Goodman, Christopher A. Green, John Haughney, Alexander Hicks, Christine E. Jones, Nasir Kanji, Agatha A. van der Klaauw, Vincenzo Libri, Martin J. Llewelyn, Rebecca Mansfield, Mina Maallah, Alastair C. McGregor, Angela M. Minassian, Patrick Moore, Mehmood Mughal, Yama F. Mujadidi, Hanane Trari Belhadef, Kyra Holliday, Orod Osanlou, Rostam Osanlou, Daniel R. Owens, Mihaela Pacurar, Adrian Palfreeman, Daniel Pan, Tommy Rampling, Karen Regan, Stephen Saich, Dinesh Saralaya, Sunil Sharma, Ray Sheridan, Matthew Stokes, Emma C. Thomson, Shirley Todd, Chris Twelves, Robert C. Read, Sue Charlton, Bassam Hallis, Mary Ramsay, Nick Andrews, Teresa Lambe, Jonathan S. Nguyen-Van-Tam, Victoria Cornelius, Matthew Snape, Saul N. Faust
Summary: COV-BOOST trial evaluated the effectiveness of seven COVID-19 vaccines as a third booster dose in June 2021. The study found that the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines declined during the Omicron wave, and heterologous third doses with viral vector vaccines achieved more durable immune responses compared to three doses of mRNA vaccines.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Immunology
James H. J. Bevan, Anastasia A. Theodosiou, James Corner, Robert B. Dorey, Robert C. Read, Christine E. Jones
Summary: This study investigated the motivations, concerns, and experiences of healthy pregnant women participating in human challenge research. The results showed that participants were primarily motivated by altruism and perceived the research intervention as natural. Therefore, the involvement of healthy pregnant women in human challenge research is acceptable and feasible.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2023)
