-
African Health Sciences Sep 2023The control of poliomyelitis in Uganda dates back as far as 1950 and acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance has since been used as a criterion for identifying wild...
BACKGROUND
The control of poliomyelitis in Uganda dates back as far as 1950 and acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance has since been used as a criterion for identifying wild polioviruses. Poliovirus isolation was initially pursued through collaborative research however, in 1993, the Expanded Program on Immunization Laboratory (EPI-LAB) was established as a member of the Global Poliovirus Laboratory Network (GPLN) and spearheaded this activity at Uganda Virus Research Institute.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this report is to document the progress and impact of the EPI-LAB on poliovirus eradication in Uganda.
METHODS
Poliovirus detection and identification were achieved fundamentally through tissue culture and intra-typic differentiation of the poliovirus based on the real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT PCR). The data obtained was entered into the national AFP database and analysed using EpiInfo statistical software.
RESULTS
Quantitative and qualitative detection of wild and Sabin polioviruses corresponded with the polio campaigns. The WHO target indicators for AFP surveillance were achieved essentially throughout the study period.
CONCLUSION
Virological tracking coupled with attaining standard AFP surveillance indicators has been pivotal in achieving and maintaining the national wild polio-free status. Laboratory surveillance remains key in informing the certification process of polio eradication.
Topics: Humans; Uganda; alpha-Fetoproteins; Population Surveillance; Poliomyelitis; Poliovirus; Immunization
PubMed: 38357183
DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v23i3.23 -
BMJ Global Health Feb 2024To assess the effect of providing BCG and oral polio vaccine (OPV) at an early home visit after delivery. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of providing BCG and oral polio vaccine (OPV) at an early home visit after delivery.
DESIGN
Cluster-randomised trial, randomising 92 geographically defined clusters 1:1 to intervention/control arms.
SETTING
Bandim Health Project Health and Demographic Surveillance System, Guinea-Bissau.
PARTICIPANTS
2226 newborns enrolled between July 2016 and August 2019.
INTERVENTIONS
In both arms, newborns received a home visit within 72 hours after birth. In intervention clusters (n=46), BCG and OPV were provided at the home visit.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Rates of non-accidental mortality were compared in Cox proportional hazards models from (last of) day 1 or enrolment, until (first of) day 60 or registration of non-trial vaccines.
RESULTS
A total of 35 deaths (intervention: 7, control: 28) were registered during the trial. Providing BCG and OPV reduced non-accidental early infant mortality by 59% (8-82%). The intervention also reduced non-accidental hospital admissions. The intervention had little impact on growth and BCG scarring and tended to increase the risk of consultations.
CONCLUSIONS
The trial was stopped early due to lower-than-expected enrolment and event rates when 33% of the planned number of newborns had been enrolled. Despite the small size of the trial, the results support that early BCG and OPV vaccinations are beneficial and reduce early child mortality and morbidity.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT02504203).
Topics: Infant; Child; Humans; Infant, Newborn; BCG Vaccine; Guinea-Bissau; Japan; Infant Mortality; Vaccination; Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral
PubMed: 38350670
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014044 -
Health Science Reports Feb 2024Poliomyelitis is an acute neurologic condition that causes muscle weakness, permanent flaccid paralysis, and even death. The world has seen a drastic fall in the number...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Poliomyelitis is an acute neurologic condition that causes muscle weakness, permanent flaccid paralysis, and even death. The world has seen a drastic fall in the number of poliovirus cases owing to effective immunization programs and preventive measures. Pakistan and Afghanistan still remain the two endemic countries for poliovirus, particularly, the WPV1 strain. Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has set a target to eradicate all WPV1 cases by the end of 2023. However, the re-emergence of WPV1 cases has posed a serious setback for the achievement of this target. This article aims to discuss the public health challenges that contribute to resurgence of poliovirus cases.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search was conducted using various databases including Cochrane, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, MEDLINE. Only articles written in English were considered. All the articles reporting the incidence of poliovirus and WPV1 cases in Pakistan, surveillance data and global context of poliovirus outbreak were evaluated to write this correspondence. In addition, references from the selected articles were also examined to ensure a comprehensive review of the literature.
RESULTS
This article highlights the factors contributing to the re-emergence of WPV1 cases in Pakistan. Low vaccine coverage, attacks on frontline polio health workers, misinformation, and reluctance to vaccine acceptance pose a daunting challenge for polio eradication. Further, gaps in AFP surveillance and sensitivity may underestimate the true extent of the emerging genetic clusters. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent flooding in the affected area have further worsened the underdeveloped public health infrastructure.
CONCLUSION
Despite the challenges, the country has observed a significant decline in the number of cases in the past 2 years. It is high time to capitalize on the decrease in WPV1 cases by intensifying the efforts to mitigate and limit the spread of the disease.
PubMed: 38343664
DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1862 -
Open Forum Infectious Diseases Feb 2024Patients with severe primary immunodeficiency are at risk for complications from live-attenuated vaccines. Here, we report a case of a vaccine-associated paralytic polio...
Patients with severe primary immunodeficiency are at risk for complications from live-attenuated vaccines. Here, we report a case of a vaccine-associated paralytic polio and Bacille Calmette-Guérin disease in a 6-month-old girl with severe combined immunodeficiency resulting from homozygous recombinant activating gene 1 deficiency. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulins and oral pocapavir for poliovirus, and antimycobacterial therapy for regional Bacille Calmette-Guérin disease, allowing stem cell transplant. Following transplantation, poliovirus type 3 with 13 mutations was detected from cerebrospinal fluid but not from stool, indicating ongoing viral evolution in the central nervous system despite pocapavir treatment. Clinical improvement and immune reconstitution allowed the patient to be successfully discharged with no further detection of poliovirus.
PubMed: 38328499
DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad678 -
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Dec 2024DTaP5-HBV-IPV-Hib (Vaxelis®) is a hexavalent combination vaccine (HV) indicated in infants and toddlers for the prevention of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis...
A phase 4, open-label study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of DTaP5-HBV-IPV-Hib in children previously vaccinated with DTaP2-HBV-IPV-Hib or DTaP5-HBV-IPV-Hib (V419-016).
DTaP5-HBV-IPV-Hib (Vaxelis®) is a hexavalent combination vaccine (HV) indicated in infants and toddlers for the prevention of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, and invasive disease due to type b. Switching between HVs during the childhood vaccination series is sometimes necessary due to, for example, vaccine availability, health-care provider preference, and/or tender awards. The purpose of this study was to describe the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a booster dose of Vaxelis® in participants who previously received a primary infant series of either DTaP2-HBV-IPV-Hib (Hexyon®) or Vaxelis®. Healthy participants approximately 11-13 months of age who previously received a two-dose primary series of Hexyon® (HHV group) or Vaxelis® (VVV group) all received a Vaxelis® booster dose. Immunogenicity was evaluated by measuring antibody levels to individual vaccine antigens approximately 30 days following booster vaccination. Safety was evaluated as the proportion of participants with adverse events (AEs). The proportions of participants with antibody-specific responses for antigens contained in both Vaxelis® and Hexyon® at 30 days post-toddler-booster vaccination with Vaxelis® were comparable between groups, and higher in the VVV group for Vaxelis® antigens PRN and FIM2/3. The overall proportions of participants with AEs were generally comparable between groups. Following a booster dose of Vaxelis®, immune responses were comparable between groups for all shared antigens, and higher in the VVV group for antigens found only in Vaxelis®. The booster was well tolerated in both groups. These data support the use of Vaxelis® as a booster in mixed HV regimens.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Haemophilus influenzae type b; Hepatitis B virus; Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; Vaccines, Combined; Tetanus; Diphtheria; Whooping Cough; Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; Hepatitis B Vaccines; Haemophilus Vaccines; Immunization Schedule; Antibodies, Bacterial
PubMed: 38327239
DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2310900 -
Journal of Translational Medicine Jan 2024Radioresistance is a primary factor contributing to the failure of rectal cancer treatment. Immune suppression plays a significant role in the development of...
BACKGROUND
Radioresistance is a primary factor contributing to the failure of rectal cancer treatment. Immune suppression plays a significant role in the development of radioresistance. We have investigated the potential role of phosphatidylinositol transfer protein cytoplasmic 1 (PITPNC1) in regulating immune suppression associated with radioresistance.
METHODS
To elucidate the mechanisms by which PITPNC1 influences radioresistance, we established HT29, SW480, and MC38 radioresistant cell lines. The relationship between radioresistance and changes in the proportion of immune cells was verified through subcutaneous tumor models and flow cytometry. Changes in the expression levels of PITPNC1, FASN, and CD155 were determined using immunohistochemistry and western blotting techniques. The interplay between these proteins was investigated using immunofluorescence co-localization and immunoprecipitation assays. Additionally, siRNA and lentivirus-mediated gene knockdown or overexpression, as well as co-culture of tumor cells with PBMCs or CD8 T cells and establishment of stable transgenic cell lines in vivo, were employed to validate the impact of the PITPNC1/FASN/CD155 pathway on CD8 T cell immune function.
RESULTS
Under irradiation, the apoptosis rate and expression of apoptosis-related proteins in radioresistant colorectal cancer cell lines were significantly decreased, while the cell proliferation rate increased. In radioresistant tumor-bearing mice, the proportion of CD8 T cells and IFN-γ production within immune cells decreased. Immunohistochemical analysis of human and animal tissue specimens resistant to radiotherapy showed a significant increase in the expression levels of PITPNC1, FASN, and CD155. Gene knockdown and rescue experiments demonstrated that PITPNC1 can regulate the expression of CD155 on the surface of tumor cells through FASN. In addition, co-culture experiments and in vivo tumor-bearing experiments have shown that silencing PITPNC1 can inhibit FASN/CD155, enhance CD8 T cell immune function, promote colorectal cancer cell death, and ultimately reduce radioresistance in tumor-bearing models.
CONCLUSIONS
PITPNC1 regulates the expression of CD155 through FASN, inhibits CD8 T cell immune function, and promotes radioresistance in rectal cancer.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mice; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Cell Line, Tumor; Coculture Techniques; Colorectal Neoplasms; Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I; Immunity; Rectal Neoplasms
PubMed: 38291470
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04931-3 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023Over the past two centuries, vaccines have been critical for the prevention of infectious diseases and are considered milestones in the medical and public health... (Review)
Review
Over the past two centuries, vaccines have been critical for the prevention of infectious diseases and are considered milestones in the medical and public health history. The World Health Organization estimates that vaccination currently prevents approximately 3.5-5 million deaths annually, attributed to diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles. Vaccination has been instrumental in eradicating important pathogens, including the smallpox virus and wild poliovirus types 2 and 3. This narrative review offers a detailed journey through the history and advancements in vaccinology, tailored for healthcare workers. It traces pivotal milestones, beginning with the variolation practices in the early 17th century, the development of the first smallpox vaccine, and the continuous evolution and innovation in vaccine development up to the present day. We also briefly review immunological principles underlying vaccination, as well as the main vaccine types, with a special mention of the recently introduced mRNA vaccine technology. Additionally, we discuss the broad benefits of vaccines, including their role in reducing morbidity and mortality, and in fostering socioeconomic development in communities. Finally, we address the issue of vaccine hesitancy and discuss effective strategies to promote vaccine acceptance. Research, collaboration, and the widespread acceptance and use of vaccines are imperative for the continued success of vaccination programs in controlling and ultimately eradicating infectious diseases.
Topics: Humans; Vaccination; Immunization; Antigens, Viral; Influenza Vaccines; Communicable Diseases
PubMed: 38264254
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1326154 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023The polioviruses (PVs) are mainly transmitted by direct contact with an infected person through the fecal-oral route and respiratory secretions (or more rarely via... (Review)
Review
The polioviruses (PVs) are mainly transmitted by direct contact with an infected person through the fecal-oral route and respiratory secretions (or more rarely via contaminated water or food) and have a primary tropism for the gut. After their replication in the gut, in rare cases (far less than 1% of the infected individuals), PVs can spread to the central nervous system leading to flaccid paralysis, which can result in respiratory paralysis and death. By the middle of the 20th century, every year the wild polioviruses (WPVs) are supposed to have killed or paralyzed over half a million people. The introduction of the oral poliovirus vaccines (OPVs) through mass vaccination campaigns (combined with better application of hygiene measures), was a success story which enabled the World Health Organization (WHO) to set the global eradication of poliomyelitis as an objective. However this strategy of viral eradication has its limits as the majority of poliomyelitis cases today arise in individuals infected with circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) which regain pathogenicity following reversion or recombination. In recent years (between January 2018 and May 2023), the WHO recorded 8.8 times more cases of polio which were linked to the attenuated OPV vaccines (3,442 polio cases after reversion or recombination events) than cases linked to a WPV (390 cases). Recent knowledge of the evolution of RNA viruses and the exchange of genetic material among biological entities of the intestinal microbiota, call for a reassessment of the polio eradication vaccine strategies.
Topics: Humans; Poliomyelitis; Central Nervous System; Behavior Therapy; Poliovirus Vaccines; Vaccines
PubMed: 38259741
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1284337 -
Viruses Jan 2024More than 100 types of non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) are ubiquitous in the human population and cause a variety of symptoms ranging from very mild to meningitis and...
More than 100 types of non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) are ubiquitous in the human population and cause a variety of symptoms ranging from very mild to meningitis and acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). Much of the information regarding diverse pathogenic properties of NPEVs comes from the surveillance of poliovirus, which also yields NPEV. The analysis of 265 NPEV isolations from 10,433 AFP cases over 24 years of surveillance and more than 2500 NPEV findings in patients without severe neurological lesions suggests that types EV-A71, E13, and E25 were significantly associated with AFP. EV-A71 was also significantly more common among AFP patients who had fever at the onset and residual paralysis compared to all AFP cases. In addition, a significant disparity was noticed between types that were common in humans (CV-A2, CVA9, EV-A71, E9, and E30) or in sewage (CVA7, E3, E7, E11, E12, and E19). Therefore, there is significant evidence of non-polio viruses being implicated in severe neurological lesions, but further multicenter studies using uniform methodology are needed for a definitive conclusion.
Topics: Humans; Laboratories; alpha-Fetoproteins; Poliomyelitis; Enterovirus Infections; Enterovirus A, Human; Poliovirus; Russia; Antigens, Viral; Myelitis; Neuromuscular Diseases; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases
PubMed: 38257835
DOI: 10.3390/v16010135 -
Vaccines Jan 2024Pharmacists are well-positioned to help increase pediatric immunization rates. This study assessed the types of pediatric vaccines offered in community pharmacies,...
Pharmacists are well-positioned to help increase pediatric immunization rates. This study assessed the types of pediatric vaccines offered in community pharmacies, compared participant/pharmacy characteristics and participants' perceptions of barriers and pharmacists' role in providing pediatric immunizations between pharmacy-based providers and non-providers, and assessed factors associated with pharmacy-based pediatric immunization provision. A cross-sectional survey was sent to Alabama community pharmacies from February to April 2023, of which 240 responded (20.5% response rate). Measures included whether they offered childhood vaccines in 2022 and the types of vaccines administered, participants' perceptions of pharmacists' role in pediatric immunization, and perceived barriers to providing pharmacy-based pediatric immunizations. Roughly half of pharmacies (50.8%) provided pediatric immunization services with influenza vaccines (91.0%) the most commonly provided vaccines and poliovirus-inactivated vaccines (4.9%) the least. Pharmacies providing pediatric immunization services significantly differed from non-providers. That is, the majority of providers practiced within a grocery or retail store; they were younger and practiced in a pharmacy with higher average daily prescription volume and a higher average pharmacy practice full-time equivalent; and they perceived lower implementation logistics barriers and a lower role of pharmacists regarding pediatric immunization. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that implementation logistics is significantly associated with pharmacies offering pediatric immunization services after controlling for pharmacy/participant characteristics ( = 0.01). Therefore, ameliorating implementation logistics barriers should be considered when devising strategies to promote pediatric immunization services in community pharmacies.
PubMed: 38250906
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12010093