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The New England Journal of Medicine Jan 2021Recent data suggest that complications and death from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) may be related to high viral loads. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Recent data suggest that complications and death from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) may be related to high viral loads.
METHODS
In this ongoing, double-blind, phase 1-3 trial involving nonhospitalized patients with Covid-19, we investigated two fully human, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein, used in a combined cocktail (REGN-COV2) to reduce the risk of the emergence of treatment-resistant mutant virus. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive placebo, 2.4 g of REGN-COV2, or 8.0 g of REGN-COV2 and were prospectively characterized at baseline for endogenous immune response against SARS-CoV-2 (serum antibody-positive or serum antibody-negative). Key end points included the time-weighted average change in viral load from baseline (day 1) through day 7 and the percentage of patients with at least one Covid-19-related medically attended visit through day 29. Safety was assessed in all patients.
RESULTS
Data from 275 patients are reported. The least-squares mean difference (combined REGN-COV2 dose groups vs. placebo group) in the time-weighted average change in viral load from day 1 through day 7 was -0.56 log copies per milliliter (95% confidence interval [CI], -1.02 to -0.11) among patients who were serum antibody-negative at baseline and -0.41 log copies per milliliter (95% CI, -0.71 to -0.10) in the overall trial population. In the overall trial population, 6% of the patients in the placebo group and 3% of the patients in the combined REGN-COV2 dose groups reported at least one medically attended visit; among patients who were serum antibody-negative at baseline, the corresponding percentages were 15% and 6% (difference, -9 percentage points; 95% CI, -29 to 11). The percentages of patients with hypersensitivity reactions, infusion-related reactions, and other adverse events were similar in the combined REGN-COV2 dose groups and the placebo group.
CONCLUSIONS
In this interim analysis, the REGN-COV2 antibody cocktail reduced viral load, with a greater effect in patients whose immune response had not yet been initiated or who had a high viral load at baseline. Safety outcomes were similar in the combined REGN-COV2 dose groups and the placebo group. (Funded by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and the Biomedical and Advanced Research and Development Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04425629.).
Topics: Adult; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antibodies, Neutralizing; COVID-19; Double-Blind Method; Drug Combinations; Female; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Least-Squares Analysis; Male; Middle Aged; Outpatients; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; SARS-CoV-2; Viral Load; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 33332778
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2035002 -
Molecular Syndromology Nov 2020Donohue syndrome (leprechaunism; OMIM *246200) is a rare and often lethal autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the gene. We report the case of a...
Donohue syndrome (leprechaunism; OMIM *246200) is a rare and often lethal autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the gene. We report the case of a 29-year-old pregnant woman, primigravida, who was referred at 33 weeks of gestation for severe intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Ultrasound examination found severe IUGR associated with an obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), confirmed postnatally. The newborn's blood glucose level fluctuated from fasting hypoglycemia to postprandial hyperglycemia. The infant was found to be homozygous for a novel missense pathogenic variant, c.632C>T (p.T211l), in exon 2 of the gene, predicted to result in an abnormal insulin receptor. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leprechaunism being revealed by IUGR and HCM during the prenatal period. Clinicians should keep in mind that the association of these prenatal signs could indicate leprechaunism and specific early neonatal management could be proposed, in particular with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I.
PubMed: 33224016
DOI: 10.1159/000509837 -
Euro Surveillance : Bulletin Europeen... Oct 2020BackgroundThe progression and geographical distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the United Kingdom (UK) and... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BackgroundThe progression and geographical distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere is unknown because typically only symptomatic individuals are diagnosed. We performed a serological study of blood donors in Scotland in the spring of 2020 to detect neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 as a marker of past infection and epidemic progression.AimOur objective was to determine if sera from blood bank donors can be used to track the emergence and progression of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.MethodsA pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 virus microneutralisation assay was used to detect neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. The study comprised samples from 3,500 blood donors collected in Scotland between 17 March and 18 May 2020. Controls were collected from 100 donors in Scotland during 2019.ResultsAll samples collected on 17 March 2020 (n = 500) were negative in the pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 virus microneutralisation assay. Neutralising antibodies were detected in six of 500 donors from 23 to 26 March. The number of samples containing neutralising antibodies did not significantly rise after 5-6 April until the end of the study on 18 May. We found that infections were concentrated in certain postcodes, indicating that outbreaks of infection were extremely localised. In contrast, other areas remained comparatively untouched by the epidemic.ConclusionAlthough blood donors are not representative of the overall population, we demonstrated that serosurveys of blood banks can serve as a useful tool for tracking the emergence and progression of an epidemic such as the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.
Topics: Adult; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Viral; Betacoronavirus; Blood Donors; COVID-19; Cluster Analysis; Coronavirus Infections; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Geography, Medical; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Male; Models, Immunological; Neutralization Tests; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Population Surveillance; Prevalence; SARS-CoV-2; Scotland; Sensitivity and Specificity; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Urban Population
PubMed: 33094713
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.42.2000685 -
Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official... Jan 2021As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
PURPOSE
As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation).
RESULTS
Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76).
CONCLUSION
Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; COVID-19; Cohort Studies; Critical Care; Elective Surgical Procedures; Epidemics; Female; Humans; International Cooperation; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Postoperative Complications; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33021869
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.20.01933 -
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) Aug 2020To characterise the clinical features of children and young people admitted to hospital with laboratory confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVE
To characterise the clinical features of children and young people admitted to hospital with laboratory confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the UK and explore factors associated with admission to critical care, mortality, and development of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents temporarily related to coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) (MIS-C).
DESIGN
Prospective observational cohort study with rapid data gathering and near real time analysis.
SETTING
260 hospitals in England, Wales, and Scotland between 17 January and 3 July 2020, with a minimum follow-up time of two weeks (to 17 July 2020).
PARTICIPANTS
651 children and young people aged less than 19 years admitted to 138 hospitals and enrolled into the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emergency Infections Consortium (ISARIC) WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK study with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Admission to critical care (high dependency or intensive care), in-hospital mortality, or meeting the WHO preliminary case definition for MIS-C.
RESULTS
Median age was 4.6 (interquartile range 0.3-13.7) years, 35% (225/651) were under 12 months old, and 56% (367/650) were male. 57% (330/576) were white, 12% (67/576) South Asian, and 10% (56/576) black. 42% (276/651) had at least one recorded comorbidity. A systemic mucocutaneous-enteric cluster of symptoms was identified, which encompassed the symptoms for the WHO MIS-C criteria. 18% (116/632) of children were admitted to critical care. On multivariable analysis, this was associated with age under 1 month (odds ratio 3.21, 95% confidence interval 1.36 to 7.66; P=0.008), age 10-14 years (3.23, 1.55 to 6.99; P=0.002), and black ethnicity (2.82, 1.41 to 5.57; P=0.003). Six (1%) of 627 patients died in hospital, all of whom had profound comorbidity. 11% (52/456) met the WHO MIS-C criteria, with the first patient developing symptoms in mid-March. Children meeting MIS-C criteria were older (median age 10.7 (8.3-14.1) 1.6 (0.2-12.9) years; P<0.001) and more likely to be of non-white ethnicity (64% (29/45) 42% (148/355); P=0.004). Children with MIS-C were five times more likely to be admitted to critical care (73% (38/52) 15% (62/404); P<0.001). In addition to the WHO criteria, children with MIS-C were more likely to present with fatigue (51% (24/47) 28% (86/302); P=0.004), headache (34% (16/47) 10% (26/263); P<0.001), myalgia (34% (15/44) 8% (21/270); P<0.001), sore throat (30% (14/47) (12% (34/284); P=0.003), and lymphadenopathy (20% (9/46) 3% (10/318); P<0.001) and to have a platelet count of less than 150 × 10/L (32% (16/50) 11% (38/348); P<0.001) than children who did not have MIS-C. No deaths occurred in the MIS-C group.
CONCLUSIONS
Children and young people have less severe acute covid-19 than adults. A systemic mucocutaneous-enteric symptom cluster was also identified in acute cases that shares features with MIS-C. This study provides additional evidence for refining the WHO MIS-C preliminary case definition. Children meeting the MIS-C criteria have different demographic and clinical features depending on whether they have acute SARS-CoV-2 infection (polymerase chain reaction positive) or are post-acute (antibody positive).
STUDY REGISTRATION
ISRCTN66726260.
Topics: Adolescent; Age Factors; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Coronavirus Infections; Critical Care; Female; Hospital Mortality; Hospitalization; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Respiration, Artificial; SARS-CoV-2; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome; United Kingdom; Young Adult
PubMed: 32960186
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m3249 -
Molecular Syndromology Jun 2020Donohue syndrome (DS) and Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome (RMS) are rare diseases caused by biallelic variants within the insulin receptor gene (). Here, we report 2 cases:...
Donohue syndrome (DS) and Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome (RMS) are rare diseases caused by biallelic variants within the insulin receptor gene (). Here, we report 2 cases: one with DS and the other with RMS. The case with DS presented with intrauterine growth retardation, nipple hypertrophy, clitoromegaly, distended abdomen, hypertrichosis, and dysmorphic features. The second case showed severe acanthosis nigricans, hyperkeratosis, and hypertrichosis. In both cases, abnormal glucose homeostasis due to severe insulin resistance was observed. The diagnosis of DS and RMS was established based on clinical characteristics, abnormal glucose homeostasis, high serum insulin levels, and determination of pathogenic variants in the gene. The first case with DS has 2 novel homozygous variants, NM_000208.3, c.3122delA (p.N1041Mfs*16) and c.3419C>G (p.A1140G), and the second case with RMS has a previously reported homozygous variant NM_000208.3, c.3529+5G>A (IVS19+5G>A) in the gene.
PubMed: 32655340
DOI: 10.1159/000506722 -
Experimental and Clinical... Oct 2020Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is a rare primary immuno-deficiency disorder that is characterized by a triad of microthrombocytopenia, eczema, and recurrent infections....
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is a rare primary immuno-deficiency disorder that is characterized by a triad of microthrombocytopenia, eczema, and recurrent infections. Progression to end-stage renal failure is common in survivors due to immunoglobulin A nephropathy. We describe the case of a 24-year-old male with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. The patient had previous hematopoietic stem cell transplant and was on hemodialysis due to end-stage renal failure. He subsequently underwent living-donor renal transplant from his mother as the donor. This is only the fifth case of renal transplant in a patient with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome in the world. In all cases, the perioperative management of hemostatic function has been crucial. We used thromboelastography to guide our hemostatic decisions rather than platelet count, thus reducing exposure to unnecessary platelet transfusions and without increased bleeding risk. Our patient had an uneventful course after living-donor kidney transplant.
Topics: Clinical Decision-Making; Glomerulonephritis, IGA; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Kidney Transplantation; Living Donors; Male; Platelet Transfusion; Point-of-Care Testing; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Factors; Thrombelastography; Treatment Outcome; Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome; Young Adult
PubMed: 32281533
DOI: 10.6002/ect.2019.0347 -
JAMA Neurology Jun 2020The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer disease (A4) Study is an ongoing prevention trial in clinically normal older individuals with evidence of elevated...
IMPORTANCE
The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer disease (A4) Study is an ongoing prevention trial in clinically normal older individuals with evidence of elevated brain amyloid. The large number of participants screened with amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) and standardized assessments provides an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate factors associated with elevated brain amyloid.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of elevated amyloid with demographic and lifestyle factors, apolipoprotein E (APOE), neuropsychological testing, and self- and study partner reports of cognitive function.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This cross-sectional study included screening data in the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer Disease (A4) Study collected from April 2014 to December 2017 and classified by amyloid status. Data were was analyzed from 2018 to 2019 across 67 sites in the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan and included 4486 older individuals (age 65-85 years) who were eligible for amyloid PET (clinically normal [Clinical Dementia Rating = 0] and cognitively unimpaired [Mini-Mental State Examination score, ≥25; logical memory IIa 6-18]).
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Screening demographics, lifestyle variables, APOE genotyping, and cognitive testing (Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite), self- and study partner reports of high-level daily cognitive function (Cognitive Function Index). Florbetapir amyloid PET imaging was used to classify participants as having elevated amyloid (Aβ+) or not having elevated amyloid (Aβ-).
RESULTS
Amyloid PET results were acquired for 4486 participants (mean [SD] age, 71.29 [4.67] years; 2647 women [59%]), with 1323 (29.5%) classified as Aβ+. Aβ+ participants were slightly older than Aβ-, with no observed differences in sex, education, marital or retirement status, or any self-reported lifestyle factors. Aβ+ participants were more likely to have a family history of dementia (3320 Aβ+ [74%] vs 3050 Aβ- [68%]) and at least 1 APOE ε4 allele (2602 Aβ+ [58%] vs 1122 Aβ- [25%]). Aβ+ participants demonstrated worse performance on screening Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite results and reported higher change scores on the Cognitive Function Index.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Among a large group of older individuals screening for an Alzheimer disease (AD) prevention trial, elevated brain amyloid was associated with family history and APOE ε4 allele but not with multiple other previously reported risk factors for AD. Elevated amyloid was associated with lower test performance results and increased reports of subtle recent declines in daily cognitive function. These results support the hypothesis that elevated amyloid represents an early stage in the Alzheimer continuum and demonstrate the feasibility of enrolling these high-risk participants in secondary prevention trials aimed at slowing cognitive decline during the preclinical stages of AD.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Brain; Cognition; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Life Style; Male; Middle Aged; Positron-Emission Tomography; Risk Factors
PubMed: 32250387
DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.0387 -
Biology of Blood and Marrow... Jun 2020While allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) currently offers the only curative option for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), there is...
While allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) currently offers the only curative option for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), there is still a high risk of relapse or transplant-related complications. We collected data on all patients who had undergone allo-HCT at our center (Copenhagen University Hospital) between 2000 and 2018. In total, 215 patients with MDS (n = 196) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (n = 19) were included. Estimated 1-year overall survival (OS) was 70.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64.2% to 77.0%), and the median survival was 7.7 years (95% CI, 4.7 to indeterminable). There was a significant improvement in OS over time (P = .011, comparing 2000 to 2010, 2010 to 2014, and 2014 to 2018). Treatment was standardized throughout the study period, allowing comparison between patients receiving nonmyeloablative (NMA, n = 124), standard myeloablative (SMA, n = 36), and fludarabine and treosulfan (FluTreo, n = 55) conditioning. FluTreo has myeloablative properties but lower toxicity and replaced standard myeloablative conditioning at our center in 2014. The FluTreo group was significantly older and had more comorbidities than the SMA group but similar disease severity. One-year OS was 84.0% (95% CI, 74.3% to 94.9%), 58.3% (95% CI, 44.3% to 76.9%), and 68.3% (95% CI, 60.2% to 77.5%) for FluTreo, SMA, and NMA, respectively (P = .04). In univariate analysis, Revised International Scoring System (IPSS-R) (high versus low), donor sex mismatch, and cytomegalovirus status mismatch were significant factors for OS. In multivariate analysis of OS including age, IPSS-R, and HCT specific comorbidity index, NMA was borderline inferior to FluTreo (P = .073) while SMA was significantly inferior to FluTreo with a hazard ratio of 6.89 (95% CI, 2.53 to 18.77, P < .001). The introduction of FluTreo allowed us to administer a myeloablative regimen to a broader patient group and shows promising results.
Topics: Busulfan; Graft vs Host Disease; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Humans; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Transplantation Conditioning; Transplantation, Homologous; Treatment Outcome; Vidarabine
PubMed: 32088368
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2020.02.010 -
Journal of Clinical Research in... Feb 2020Insulin receptor (INSR) mutations lead to heterogeneous disorders that may be as severe as Donohue syndrome or as mild as “type A insulin resistance syndrome”....
Insulin receptor (INSR) mutations lead to heterogeneous disorders that may be as severe as Donohue syndrome or as mild as “type A insulin resistance syndrome”. Patients with severe disorders usually harbor homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations. In contrast, type A insulin resistance syndrome has been associated with heterozygous mutations; homozygous mutations are rarely responsible for this condition. We report a novel, homozygous mutation, p.Leu260Arg in exon 3, of the gene in a female adolescent patient with type A insulin resistance syndrome together with clinical details of her medical follow-up. Different mutations in the gene cause different phenotype and vary depending on the inheritance pattern. This report adds to the literature, increases understanding of the disease mechanism and aids in genetic counseling.
PubMed: 32018348
DOI: 10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2020.2019.0213