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Immunologic Research Jun 2023COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) virus, known as SARS-CoV-2. The disease, since its first outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December... (Review)
Review
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) virus, known as SARS-CoV-2. The disease, since its first outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has led to a global pandemic. The pharmaceutical industry has developed several vaccines, of different vector technologies, against the virus. Of note, among these vaccines, seven have been fully approved by WHO. However, despite the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, some rare adverse effects have been reported and have been associated with the use of the vaccines developed against SARS-CoV-2, especially those based on mRNA and non-replicating viral vector technology. Rare adverse events reported include allergic and anaphylactic reactions, thrombosis and thrombocytopenia, myocarditis, Bell's palsy, transient myelitis, Guillen-Barre syndrome, recurrences of herpes-zoster, autoimmunity flares, epilepsy, and tachycardia. In this review, we discuss the potential molecular mechanisms leading to these rare adverse events of interest and we also attempt an association with the various vaccine components and platforms. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms, according to which the vaccines cause side effects, in conjunction with the identification of the vaccine components and/or platforms that are responsible for these reactions, in terms of pharmacovigilance, could probably enable the improvement of future vaccines against COVID-19 and/or even other pathological conditions.
Topics: Humans; Anaphylaxis; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 36607502
DOI: 10.1007/s12026-023-09357-5 -
Archives of Craniofacial Surgery Feb 2024The facial nerve stimulates the muscles of facial expression and the parasympathetic nerves of the face. Consequently, facial nerve paralysis can lead to facial...
The facial nerve stimulates the muscles of facial expression and the parasympathetic nerves of the face. Consequently, facial nerve paralysis can lead to facial asymmetry, deformation, and functional impairment. Facial nerve palsy is most commonly idiopathic, as with Bell palsy, but it can also result from a tumor or trauma. In this article, we discuss traumatic facial nerve injury. To identify the cause of the injury, it is important to first determine its location. The location and extent of the damage inform the treatment method, with options including primary repair, nerve graft, cross-face nerve graft, nerve crossover, and muscle transfer. Intracranial proximal facial nerve injuries present a challenge to surgical approaches due to the complexity of the temporal bone. Surgical intervention in these cases requires a collaborative approach between neurosurgery and otolaryngology, and nerve repair or grafting is difficult. This article describes the treatment of peripheral facial nerve injury. Primary repair generally offers the best prognosis. If primary repair is not feasible within 6 months of injury, nerve grafting should be attempted, and if more than 12 months have elapsed, functional muscle transfer should be performed. If the affected nerve cannot be utilized at that time, the contralateral facial nerve, ipsilateral masseter nerve, or hypoglossal nerve can serve as the donor nerve. Other accompanying symptoms, such as lagophthalmos or midface ptosis, must also be considered for the successful treatment of facial nerve injury.
PubMed: 38461822
DOI: 10.7181/acfs.2023.00528 -
Respirology Case Reports Aug 2023While rare, a diagnosis of Bell's palsy should be considered in young patients who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and who also present with notable neurological...
While rare, a diagnosis of Bell's palsy should be considered in young patients who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and who also present with notable neurological facial signs and symptoms suggestive of lower motor neuron-type seventh cranial nerve palsy.
PubMed: 37501685
DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.1198 -
Frontiers in Genetics 2023Effects of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and obesity on Bell's palsy risk remains unclear. The aim of the study was to explore whether hypertension and these metabolic...
Effects of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and obesity on Bell's palsy risk remains unclear. The aim of the study was to explore whether hypertension and these metabolic disorders promoted Bell's palsy at the genetic level. Genetic variants from genome-wide association studies for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, body mass index and several lipid metabolites were adopted as instrumental variables. Two-sample Mendelian randomization including IVW and MR-Egger was used to measure the genetic relationship between the exposures and Bell's palsy. Sensitivity analyses (i.e., Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, "leave-one-SNP-out" analysis and funnel plot) were carried out to assess heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. All statistical analyses were performed using R software. Hypertension was significantly associated with the increased risk of Bell's palsy (IVW: OR = 2.291, 95%CI = 1.025-5.122, = 0.043; MR-Egger: OR = 16.445, 95%CI = 1.377-196.414, = 0.029). Increased level of LDL cholesterol might upexpectedly decrease the risk of the disease (IVW: OR = 0.805, 95%CI = 0.649-0.998, = 0.048; MR-Egger: OR = 0.784, 95%CI = 0.573-1.074, = 0.132). In addition, type 2 diabetes, body mass index and other lipid metabolites were not related to the risk of Bell's palsy. No heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy had been found. Hypertension might be a risk factor for Bell's palsy at the genetic level, and LDL cholesterol might reduce the risk of the disease. These findings (especially for LDL cholesterol) need to be validated by further studies.
PubMed: 37533435
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1077438