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Past, Present and Future of COVID-19 2.0

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A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Immunology and Immunotherapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 12254

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Melchor Álvarez de Mon

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1. Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, IRYCYS, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain
2. Immune System Diseases-Rheumatology and Internal Medicine Service, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, (CIBEREHD), 28806 Alcala de Henares, Spain
Interests: immune system; systemic diseases; semiology; cytokines; translational medicine
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Dr. Miguel Ortega

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Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, IRYCYS, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain
Interests: vascular diseases; artery; venous disease; venous hypertension; heart; lymph; diabetes; immune system; translational medicine
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Prof. Dr. José-Antonio Girón-González

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Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cádiz, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedical Sciences of Cádiz (INiBICA), Avda Ana de Viya s/n, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
Interests: immune system; systemic diseases; internal medicine; cytokines; translational medicine
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Dr. Miguel Ángel Alvarez de Mon

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Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, IRYCYS, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain
Interests: personalized medicine; clinical medicine; new therapies; medical–patient relationship
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Prof. Dr. Jorge Monserrat

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Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, IRYCYS, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain
Interests: inflammation; T, B and NK cells; monocytes and dendritic cells functions applied to immune system and infection (multiorgan failure syndrome, COVID-19); autoimmunity (rheumatoid arthritis and lupus); cancer (leukemia and lung cancer); hepatology; fibromyalgia and mayor depression; expert in flow cytometry
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Prof. Dr. Natalio García-Honduvilla

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Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, IRYCYS, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain
Interests: tissue engineering; vascular medicine; targeted therapies; translational medicine
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Prof. Dr. Luis G Guijarro

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Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of System Biology (CIBEREHD), University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain
Interests: Pharmacogenomics, new therapeutic targets, cell signaling, exosomes, molecular diagnosis.
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a paradigm shift in many aspects of medicine and society. Research in this field has been intense, and great results have been achieved. However, our knowledge of SARS‑CoV‑2 is not complete. Thus, it is necessary to continue delving into this virus from a biomedical perspective. Having complete and integrative knowledge is essential to be able to respond to possible future threats. The connection between research and clinical practice is essential in order to achieve effective and efficient knowledge generation.

This Special Issue is intended to bring together biomedical and clinical knowledge with a translational perspective for a better understanding of SARS‑CoV‑2.

Prof. Dr. Melchor Álvarez de Mon
Dr. Miguel Ortega
Prof. Dr. José-Antonio Girón-González
Dr. Miguel Ángel Alvarez de Mon
Prof. Dr. Jorge Monserrat
Prof. Dr. Natalio García-Honduvilla
Prof. Dr. Luis G Guijarro
Guest Editors

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Keywords

COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
cytokines
inflammatory response
new therapeutic targets
pregnancy
vaccines
post-COVID syndrome

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 273 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variations in NT-proBNP Levels in Pregnant Patients with and without SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Consequences for the Newborns

by Carmen-Ioana Marta, Marius Craina, Razvan Nitu, Anca Laura Maghiari, Simona-Alina Abu-Awwad, Lioara Boscu, Mircea Diaconu, Catalin Dumitru, Bogdan Sorop, Lavinia Stelea and Katalin Babes

Biomedicines 2023, 11(11), 2964; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11112964 - 2 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1420

Abstract

Background: NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide) has a high negative predictive value for ruling out heart failure, a disorder linked with volume overload of the ventricles, and is used for diagnosis, prognosis, and risk stratification. Pregnancy causes in healthy women changes in physical and hemodynamic parameters and appears to be a risk factor for severe COVID-19 illness. The purpose of this study is to highlight the significance of monitoring NT-proBNP levels during pregnancy, particularly in patients who were infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy or were infected with the virus while giving birth. The findings of this comparative research indicate the importance of NT-proBNP in terms of foetal prognosis and birthweight. Methods: We collected blood samples to measure NT-proBNP concentrations from a cohort of 186 pregnant patients divided into two groups based on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. Results: Elevated NT-proBNP had an unfavourable implication on the newborn birth weight and Apgar score and expressed its influence on lower values. Conclusions: We consider that NT-proBNP testing in pregnant patients, especially those with COVID-19 infection, can be relevant and be used as a predictive marker to be taken into consideration when it comes to management, outcome, and treatment regarding pregnant patients and their newborns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Past, Present and Future of COVID-19 2.0)

14 pages, 291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

COVID-19 and HIV: Clinical Outcomes among Hospitalized Patients in the United States

by Zohaa Faiz, Mohammed A. Quazi, Neel Vahil, Charles M. Barrows, Hafiz Abdullah Ikram, Adeel Nasrullah, Asif Farooq, Karthik Gangu and Abu Baker Sheikh

Biomedicines 2023, 11(7), 1904; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11071904 - 5 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2152

Abstract

The concurrence of HIV and COVID-19 yields unique challenges and considerations for healthcare providers, patients living with HIV, and healthcare systems at-large. Persons living with HIV may face a higher risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection and experiencing worse clinical outcomes compared to those without. Notably, COVID-19 may have a disproportionate impact on historically disadvantaged populations, including African Americans and those stratified in a lower socio-economic status. Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we compared patients with a diagnosis of both HIV and COVID-19 and those who exclusively had a diagnosis of COVID-19. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were intubation rate and vasopressor use; acute MI, acute kidney injury (AKI); AKI requiring hemodialysis (HD); venous thromboembolism (VTE); septic shock and cardiac arrest; length of stay; financial burden on healthcare; and resource utilization. A total of 1,572,815 patients were included in this study; a COVID-19-positive sample that did not have HIV (n = 1,564,875, 99.4%) and another sample with HIV and COVID-19 (n = 7940, 0.56%). Patients with COVID-19 and HIV did not have a significant difference in mortality compared to COVID-19 alone (10.2% vs. 11.3%, respectively, p = 0.35); however, that patient cohort did have a significantly higher rate of AKI (33.6% vs. 28.6%, aOR: 1.26 [95% CI 1.13–1.41], p < 0.001). Given the complex interplay between HIV and COVID-19, more prospective studies investigating the factors such as the contribution of viral burden, CD4 cell count, and the details of patients’ anti-retroviral therapeutic regimens should be pursued. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Past, Present and Future of COVID-19 2.0)

13 pages, 885 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

MR-proADM as Prognostic Factor of Outcome in COVID-19 Patients

by Paolo Cameli, Elena Pordon, Miriana d’Alessandro, Maria Laura Marzi, Lucrezia Galasso, Cesare Biuzzi, Laura Bergantini, Elena Bargagli, Sabino Scolletta and Federico Franchi

Biomedicines 2023, 11(6), 1680; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11061680 - 9 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1145

Abstract

Background: Serum mid-regional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) has emerged as a marker of organ failure (mainly lungs and kidneys) and poor prognosis in patients admitted to intensive care (IC); some reports also suggest it and other markers, such as Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), as a prognostic biomarker of COVID-19. The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance MR-proADM in hospitalized COVID-19 patients for predicting in-hospital mortality and need for non-invasive or invasive respiratory support. Methods: We enrolled 74 patients hospitalized in the COVID Unit of Siena Hospital from March to May 2020, for whom serum samples were available on admission for assay of MR-proADM, KL-6 and IL-6. Demographic data, comorbidities, medical history and clinical laboratory data on days 1–3 of admission and Simplified Acute Physiology Score and Simplified Organ Failure Assessment scores calculated at day 1 were collected retrospectively, as well as mortality and IC admission data. Results: 12 patients died in hospital (16%) and 14 patients were admitted to IC (19%). Serum concentrations of MR-proADM on admission and on day 1 were higher among non-survivors than among survivors (p = 0.015 and p = 0.045, respectively), while those on day 3 were not significantly different. Patients needing respiratory support had higher MR-proADM concentrations on admission than the others (p = 0.046), and those requiring invasive mechanical ventilation had higher MR-proADM on day 1 (p = 0.017). Serum concentrations of KL-6 and IL-6 were significantly higher in non-survivors (p = 0.03 and p = 0.004, respectively). ROC curve analysis showed that serum MR-proADM on day 1 had the best accuracy in predicting death and/or IC admission (AUC = 0.9583, p = 0.0006); the combination of all three biomarkers further improved the accuracy of prediction of death or IC admission (AUC = 0.9793; p = 0.00004). Conclusions: Our data sustain the potential of serum MR-proADM as a reliable prognostic biomarker of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and confirms the utility of the three markers in the management and risk stratification of hospitalized patients. The markers are collected mini-invasively and are quick to analyze and cost-effective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Past, Present and Future of COVID-19 2.0)

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15 pages, 4045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Venezuelan Pediatric Patients—A Single Center Prospective Observational Study

by Francis Isamarg Crespo, Soriuska José Mayora, Juan Bautista De Sanctis, Wendy Yaqueline Martínez, Mercedes Elizabeth Zabaleta-Lanz, Félix Isidro Toro, Leopoldo Humberto Deibis and Alexis Hipólito García

Biomedicines 2023, 11(5), 1409; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11051409 - 9 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1945

Abstract

Several studies suggest that children infected with SARS-CoV-2 have fewer clinical manifestations than adults; when they develop symptoms, they rarely progress to severe disease. Different immunological theories have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. In September 2020, 16% of the active COVID-19 cases in Venezuela were children under 19 years. We conducted a cross-sectional study of pediatric patients’ immune response and clinical conditions with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patients were admitted to the COVID-19 area of the emergency department of Dr José Manuel de los Ríos Children’s Hospital (2021–2022). The lymphocyte subpopulations were analyzed by flow cytometry, and IFNγ, IL-6, and IL-10 serum concentrations were quantified using commercial ELISA assays. The analysis was conducted on 72 patients aged one month to 18 years. The majority, 52.8%, had mild disease, and 30.6% of the patients were diagnosed with MIS-C. The main symptoms reported were fever, cough, and diarrhea. A correlation was found between IL-10 and IL-6 concentrations and age group, lymphocyte subpopulations and nutritional status and steroid use, and IL-6 concentrations and clinical severity. The results suggest a different immune response depending on age and nutritional status that should be considered for treating pediatric COVID-19 patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Past, Present and Future of COVID-19 2.0)

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16 pages, 3340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioinformatical Design and Performance Evaluation of a Nucleocapsid- and an RBD-Based Particle Enhanced Turbidimetric Immunoassay (PETIA) to Quantify the Wild Type and Variants of Concern-Derived Immunoreactivity of SARS-CoV-2

by Leoni Wey, Thomas Masetto, Alexander Spaeth, Jessica Brehm, Christian Kochem, Marco Reinhart, Holger Müller, Uwe Kempin, Franziska Lorenz, Christoph Peter and Matthias Grimmler

Biomedicines 2023, 11(1), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11010160 - 8 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2346

Abstract

Since SARS-CoV-2 emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, the resulting pandemic has paralyzed the economic and cultural life of the world. Variants of concern (VOC) strongly increase pressure on public health systems. Rapid, easy-to-use, and cost-effective assays are essential to manage the pandemic. Here we present a bioinformatical approach for the fast and efficient design of two innovative serological Particle Enhanced Turbidimetric Immunoassays (PETIA) to quantify the SARS-CoV-2 immunoresponse. To confirm bioinformatical assumptions, an S-RBD- and a Nucleocapsid-based PETIA were produced. Sensitivity and specificity were compared for 95 patient samples using a BioMajesty™ fully automated analyzer. The S-RBD-based PETIA showed necessary specificity (98%) over the N protein-based PETIA (21%). Further, the reactivity and cross-reactivity of the RBD-based PETIA towards variant-derived antibodies of SARS-CoV-2 were assessed by a quenching inhibition test. The inhibition kinetics of the S-RBD variants Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, Kappa, and Omicron were evaluated. In summary, we showed that specific and robust PETIA immunoassays can be rapidly designed and developed. The quantification of the SARS-CoV-2-related immunoresponse of variants (Alpha to Kappa) is possible using specific RBD assays. In contrast, Omicron revealed lower cross-reactivity (approx. 50%). To ensure the quantification of the Omicron variant, modified immunoassays appear to be necessary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Past, Present and Future of COVID-19 2.0)

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Review

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20 pages, 1187 KiB

Open AccessReview

Pancreatic and Hepatic Injury in COVID-19: A Worse Prognosis in NAFLD Patients?

by Edgardo Mengual-Moreno, Manuel Nava, Alexander Manzano, Daniela Ariza, Luis D’Marco, Ana Castro, María A. Marquina, Marlon Hernández, Carlos Corredor-Pereira, Ana Checa-Ros and Valmore Bermúdez

Biomedicines 2024, 12(2), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12020283 - 26 Jan 2024

Viewed by 2484

Abstract

The novel disease produced by SARS-CoV-2 mainly harms the respiratory tract, but it has shown the capacity to affect multiple organs. Epidemiologic evidence supports the relationship between Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and pancreatic and hepatic injury development, identified by alterations in these organ function markers. In this regard, it is important to ascertain how the current prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) might affect COVID-19 evolution and complications. Although it is not clear how SARS-CoV-2 affects both the pancreas and the liver, a multiplicity of potential pathophysiological mechanisms seem to be implicated; among them, a direct viral-induced injury to the organ involving liver and pancreas ACE2 expression. Additionally, immune system dysregulation, coagulopathies, and drugs used to treat the disease could be key for developing complications associated with the patient’s clinical decline. This review aims to provide an overview of the available epidemiologic evidence regarding developing liver and pancreatic alterations in patients with COVID-19, as well as the possible role that NAFLD/NASH might play in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying some of the complications associated with COVID-19. This review employed a comprehensive search on PubMed using relevant keywords and filters. From the initial 126 articles, those aligning with the research target were selected and evaluated for their methodologies, findings, and conclusions. It sheds light on the potential pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this relationship. As a result, it emphasises the importance of monitoring pancreatic and hepatic function in individuals affected by COVID-19. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Past, Present and Future of COVID-19 2.0)

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