Publications by authors named "Anne-Marie Roque-Afonso"
Prognostic factors for the long-term evolution of chronic hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may vary depending on local epidemiology. We aimed to identify these factors in France, where the epidemiology is influenced by diverse immigration. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive, HBeAg-negative adults with normal transaminase levels and viral loads < 20,000 IU/mL for 1 year, without viral co-infection or advanced liver disease, were enrolled for a 5-year follow-up.
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- * A study from a tertiary care center between 2010 and 2022 revealed a significant increase in cases (3.3-fold) during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic years, though liver characteristics remained similar across both periods.
- * Early initiation of immunosuppressive therapy was noted during the pandemic, and conducting liver biopsies is recommended for undetermined acute hepatitis cases, even if autoimmune antibodies are negative.
Background And Aims: Chronic hepatitis D infection is the most severe form of viral hepatitis and can rapidly progress to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite recommendations for systematic screening of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive individuals, data from real-world studies have reported a low frequency of hepatitis D (or delta) virus (HDV) screening. Our cross-sectional analysis evaluated the diagnostic cascade for hepatitis D infection in tertiary centres and described the characteristics of HDV-positive patients.
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- - The study aimed to evaluate two new commercial kits for assessing HHV-8 viral load, which is crucial for monitoring patients with conditions like Kaposi's sarcoma and multicentric Castleman disease, especially since a previous kit was discontinued.
- - Researchers tested 46 blood samples using the new HHV8 ELITe MGB Kit and Quanty HHV-8 kit, comparing their results to the discontinued HHV-8 Premix r-gene kit through established statistical methods.
- - The qualitative and quantitative results were largely consistent across the new kits and the discontinued kit, indicating they are viable for diagnostics; however, a standardized method for HHV-8 quantification is still needed.
Background: The clinical outcome of COVID-19 pneumonia is highly variable. Few biological predictive factors have been identified. Genetic and immunological studies suggest that type 1 interferons (IFN) are essential to control SARS-CoV-2 infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccination against COVID-19 is the main public health approach to fight against the pandemic. The Spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 is the principal target of the neutralizing humoral response. We evaluated the analytical and clinical performances of a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) compared to conventional neutralization tests (cVNTs) and anti-S eCLIA assays in recovered and/or vaccinated healthcare workers.
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- The study investigates the prevalence and incidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) undergoing immunomodulatory treatment, given that these medications can compromise the immune system.
- Conducted across 16 French centers, the research involved 488 IBD patients, revealing very few cases of acute HEV infection, with a seroprevalence of 14.2% for chronic infection, particularly among older patients and those with higher seafood intake.
- The findings suggest that routine HEV screening isn't necessary for IBD patients on immunomodulators, but HEV should be tested if liver abnormalities occur.
Persistence of Neutralizing Antibodies and Clinical Protection up to 12 Months After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in the Elderly.
Open Forum Infect Dis
November 2022
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has severely affected the elderly, who are expected to display decreased immune responses due to immunosenescence.
Methods: This study retrospectively assesses neutralizing antibody (NAb) production up to 12 months after infection in long-term care patients. We used Roche Diagnostics immunoassay to quantify anti-spike (S) antibodies and a competitive immunoassay from YHLO as a surrogate test for NAb.
(1) Background: What is the role of serum CMV PCR in the diagnosis of recent primary infection (PI) in pregnant women when IgG avidity is uninformative? (2) Methods: Retrospective cohort study to compare serum versus whole blood CMV PCR. (a) Qualitative assessment: CMV PCR was performed on 123 serum samples and 74 whole blood samples collected from 132 pregnant women with recent CMV PI. PCR positivity rate was used to calculate sensitivity in serum and whole blood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study evaluated the performances of immunoassays (LFIA and ELISA) designed for SARS-CoV-2 Antigen (Ag)-detection in nasopharyngeal (NP) and serum samples in comparison to RT-PCR. NP samples from patients with respiratory symptoms (183 RT-PCR-positive and 74 RT-PCR-negative samples) were collected from March to April and November to December 2020. Seroconversion and antigen dynamics were assessed by symptom onset and day of RT-PCR diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 14-year-old patient underwent liver transplant. Three months after transplantation, EBV associated lymphoma was suspected. EBV serologies before and after transplantation were particularly discrepant.
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- The study focused on the SARS-CoV-2 variant α, which became a concern in 2021, examining its genetic diversity and connection to severe COVID-19 outcomes.
- Conducted in 11 ICUs in Greater Paris, it analyzed 413 patients and found that variant α was prevalent but did not lead to higher mortality compared to pre-existing variants or other variants.
- Despite differences in age and underlying health conditions among patients with different variants, the research concluded that there was no significant link between specific viral mutations and day-28 mortality rates.
We evaluated the performance of the QIAprep& Viral RNA UM Kit (Qiagen) for SARS-CoV-2 detection. It displayed specificity and sensitivity required for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection from swab transport media without RNA extraction. This method identifies accurately patients at risk of transmission while saving time and cost of extraction.
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- Inherited chromosomally integrated human herpes virus 6 (iciHHV-6) occurs in 0.6-2.7% of the global population and consists of two types: HHV-6A and HHV-6B.
- A case study discusses a woman with both iciHHV-6A and iciHHV-6B who experienced severe liver failure after taking ulipristal acetate, requiring a liver transplant.
- The study emphasizes the potential risks of reactivated iciHHV-6 due to certain medications and suggests screening for HHV-6 before prescribing drugs that can harm the liver.
Objective: Antibody response to the messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be diminished in rituximab (RTX)-treated patients. We undertook this study to compare humoral and T cell responses between healthy controls, patients with autoimmune diseases treated with RTX, and those treated with other immunosuppressants, all of whom had been vaccinated with 2 doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
Methods: We performed anti-spike IgG and neutralization assays just before and 28 days after the second BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine dose.
Article Synopsis
- - A case of hepatitis A virus infection was reported in an immunocompromised patient in France after receiving pathogen-reduced pooled platelets via transfusion.
- - The incident highlights concerns regarding the effectiveness of current donor screening methods for blood products.
- - It suggests the need for additional safety measures, including regular screening of blood donations, to prevent similar infections in the future.
Article Synopsis
- Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies have been developed to treat severe cases of COVID-19 by targeting the Spike protein of the virus, SARS-CoV-2, but can lead to mutations in the virus.
- A case study is presented of an immunosuppressed patient with a B.1.1.7 variant who received these treatments and developed three specific mutations in the Spike protein: K417N, E484K, and Q493R.
- The findings emphasize the need for careful monitoring of virus mutations in patients on monoclonal antibody therapy to improve infection management and prevent variant transmission.
Patients with multiple myeloma are at high risk of severe forms of COVID-19. Despite data showing diminished response to vaccine, the era of highly efficient mRNA vaccine might be a gamechanger. We sought to examine response to mRNA vaccine between healthy controls (n = 28) and multiple myeloma (MM) patients (n = 27).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFQuantitative Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Nasopharyngeal Swabs Stored in Transport Medium by a Straightforward LC-MS/MS Assay Targeting Nucleocapsid, Membrane, and Spike Proteins.
J Proteome Res
February 2021
Alternative methods to RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection are investigated to provide complementary data on viral proteins, increase the number of tests performed, or identify false positive/negative results. Here, we have developed a simple mass spectrometry assay for SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swab samples using common laboratory reagents. The method employs high sensitivity and selectivity targeted mass spectrometry detection, monitoring nine constitutive peptides representative of the three main viral proteins and a straightforward pellet digestion protocol for convenient routine applications.
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- Researchers studied COVID-19 in patients who also had kidney problems called acute kidney injury (AKI).
- They looked at kidney tissue from three patients and found no sign of the virus in their kidneys.
- The study suggests that kidney damage in some COVID-19 patients may be linked to inflammation in the body, especially in Caucasian patients.
Evaluating 10 Commercially Available SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Serological Tests by Use of the STARD (Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) Method.
J Clin Microbiol
January 2021
Article Synopsis
- - The study evaluated 10 commercially available rapid serological tests for SARS-CoV-2, using 250 serum samples from confirmed COVID-19 patients, following rigorous STARD methodology.
- - Only four tests had high specificity (≥98%), while sensitivity varied significantly based on how many days after symptom onset the sample was collected.
- - Overall, only three tests met the strict performance criteria set by French health authorities, highlighting the variability in accuracy and the importance of understanding these tests for clinical and diagnostic purposes.