Impact of Coinfection on Disease Severity and Treatment Outcomes in Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Background: This study investigates how (Ss) infection impacts pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) treatment outcomes, disease severity, and bacterial burdens in PTB patients with Ss coinfection.

Methods: We used chest x-rays and sputum smear grades to assess lung conditions and bacterial loads in 483 PTB patients. Ss infection was confirmed by seropositivity, and cytokine and profibrotic factor levels were analyzed using multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Inflammatory cytokine responses in pediatric tuberculosis with or without SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity.

Objectives: To characterize the inflammatory cytokine profiles in children with TB in the presence and absence of SARS-CoV2 seropositivity.

Methods: This study evaluated cytokine responses in two groups of children with TB: CoV2+ (TB and SARS-CoV2 seropositive) and CoV2- (TB and SARS-CoV2 seronegative). Each group had 30 children, and cytokine levels were measured at baseline, months 3 and 6.

Elucidating the Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2: Natural Infection versus Covaxin/Covishield Vaccination in a South Indian Population.

A natural infection or a vaccination can initially prime the immune system to form immunological memory. The immunity engendered by vaccination against COVID-19 versus natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 has not been well studied in the Indian population. In this study, we compared the immunity conferred by COVID-19 vaccines to naturally acquired immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in a South Indian population.

Effect of Metformin on systemic chemokine responses during anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy.

Background: Metformin (MET), by boosting immunity, has been suggested as a host-adjunctive therapy to anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT).

Methods: We evaluated whether adding MET to the standard ATT can alter the host chemokine response. We investigated the influence of metformin on the plasma levels of a wide panel of chemokines in a group of active tuberculosis patients before treatment, at 2nd month of ATT and at 6-months of ATT as part of our clinical study to examine the effect of metformin on ATT.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children characterized by enhanced antigen-specific T-cell expression of cytokines and its reversal following recovery.

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) in children is considered to be a post-infectious complication of COVID-19. T-cell responses in children with this condition have not been well-studied.

Methods: We aimed to study the immune responses in children with MIS in comparison to children with acute COVID-19 and children with other infections.

Immune Profiles in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children with Cardiovascular Abnormalities.

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a sequela of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection (SARS-CoV2), has been progressively reported worldwide, with cardiac involvement being a frequent presentation. Although the clinical and immunological characteristics of MIS-C with and without cardiac involvement have been described, the immunological differences between cardiac and non-cardiac MIS-C are not well understood.

Methods: The levels of type 1, type 2, type 17, other proinflammatory cytokines and CC chemokines and CXC chemokines were measured using the Magpix multiplex cytokine assay system in MIS-C children with MIS-C cardiac (MIS-C (C) ( = 88)) and MIS-C non-cardiac (MIS-C (NC) ( = 64)) abnormalities.

Low body mass index is associated with diminished plasma cytokines and chemokines in both active and latent tuberculosis.

Introduction: Low body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor for tuberculosis (PTB). Low BMI can impair the immune system and thus might affect TB incidence.

Methods: We examined the plasma levels of Type 1, Type 17, pro-inflammatory, Type 2 and regulatory cytokines and CC and CXC chemokines in PTB and latent TB (LTB) individuals with low BMI (LBMI) or normal BMI (NBMI).

Chitinase and indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase are prognostic biomarkers for unfavorable treatment outcomes in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Introduction: Chitinase, Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenesae-1 (IDO-1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) are candidate diagnostic biomarkers for tuberculosis (TB). Whether these immune markers could also serve as predictive biomarkers of unfavorable treatment outcomes in pulmonary TB (PTB) is not known.

Methods: A cohort of newly diagnosed, sputum culture-positive adults with drug-sensitive PTB were recruited.

BCG vaccination induces enhanced humoral responses in elderly individuals.

Background: Studies have reported the beneficial effects of Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccination, including non-specific cross-protection against other infectious diseases.

Methods: We investigated the impact of BCG vaccination on the frequencies of B cell subsets as well as total antibody levels in healthy elderly individuals at one month post vaccination. We also compared the above-mentioned parameters in post-vaccinated individuals to unvaccinated controls.

Role of matrix metalloproteinases in multi-system inflammatory syndrome and acute COVID-19 in children.

Introduction: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a serious inflammatory sequela of SARS-CoV2 infection. The pathogenesis of MIS-C is vague and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may have an important role. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known drivers of lung pathology in many diseases.

Enhanced Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antigen-Specific Systemic Immune Responses in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and Reversal After Recovery.

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) presents with inflammation and pathology of multiple organs in the pediatric population in the weeks following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Methods: We characterized the SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific cytokine and chemokine responses in children with MIS-C, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and other infectious diseases.

Results: MIS-C is characterized by elevated levels of type 1 (interferon-γ, interleukin [IL] 2), type 2 (IL-4, IL-13), type 17 (IL-17), and other proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, IL-6, IL-12p70, IL-18, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) in comparison to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases following stimulation with SARS-CoV-2-specific antigens.

Inactivated COVID-19 vaccines: durability of Covaxin/BBV152 induced immunity against variants of concern.

Background: Covaxin/BBV152 is one of the most widely used vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and one of the few vaccines used extensively in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

Methods: We investigated the effect of Covaxin on the SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and IgA and neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels at baseline (M0) and at Months 1 (M1), 2 (M2), 3 (M3), 4 (M4), 6 (M6) and 12 (M12) following vaccination in healthcare workers. In addition, we also examined the NAb levels against variant lineages of B.

Enhanced SARS-CoV-2-Specific CD4 T Cell Activation and Multifunctionality in Late Convalescent COVID-19 Individuals.

Background: Examination of CD4+ T cell responses during the natural course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection offers useful information for the improvement of vaccination strategies against this virus and the protective effect of these T cells. Methods: We characterized the SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell activation marker, multifunctional cytokine and cytotoxic marker expression in recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) individuals. Results: CD4+ T-cell responses in late convalescent (>6 months of diagnosis) individuals are characterized by elevated frequencies of activated as well as mono, dual- and multi-functional Th1 and Th17 CD4+ T cells in comparison to early convalescent (<1 month of diagnosis) individuals following stimulation with SARS-CoV-2-specific antigens.

Acute Phase Proteins Are Baseline Predictors of Tuberculosis Treatment Failure.

Systemic inflammation is a characteristic feature of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Whether systemic inflammation is associated with treatment failure in PTB is not known. Participants, who were newly diagnosed, sputum smear and culture positive individuals with drug-sensitive PTB, were treated with standard anti-tuberculosis treatment and classified as having treatment failure or microbiological cure.

BCG vaccination induces enhanced frequencies of memory T cells and altered plasma levels of common γc cytokines in elderly individuals.

BCG vaccination is known to induce innate immune memory, which confers protection against heterologous infections. However, the effect of BCG vaccination on the conventional adaptive immune cells subsets is not well characterized. We investigated the impact of BCG vaccination on the frequencies of T cell subsets and common gamma c (γc) cytokines in a group of healthy elderly individuals (age 60-80 years) at one month post vaccination as part of our clinical study to examine the effect of BCG on COVID-19.

Prime-Boost Vaccination With Covaxin/BBV152 Induces Heightened Systemic Cytokine and Chemokine Responses.

Covaxin/BBV152 is a whole virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The effect of prime-boost vaccination with Covaxin on systemic immune responses is not known. We investigated the effect of Covaxin on the plasma levels of a wide panel of cytokines and chemokines at baseline (M0) and at months 1 (M1), 2 (M2) and 3 (M3) following prime-boost vaccination in healthy volunteers.

Antibody responses to the BBV152 vaccine in individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2: A pilot study.

Background & Objectives: Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is a recommendation from the World Health Organization as the foremost preference in the current situation to control the COVID-19 pandemic. BBV152 is one of the approved vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in India. In this study, we determined SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels at day 0 (baseline, before vaccination), day 28 ± 2 post-first dose (month 1) and day 56 ± 2 post-first dose (month 2) of BBV152 whole-virion-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 recipients, and compared the antibody responses of individuals with confirmed pre-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection to those individuals without prior evidence of infection.

Effect of BCG vaccination on proinflammatory responses in elderly individuals.

We investigated the influence of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination on the unstimulated plasma levels of a wide panel of cytokines, chemokines, acute-phase proteins (APPs), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and growth factors in a group of healthy elderly individuals (age, 60 to 80 years) at baseline (before vaccination) and 1 month after vaccination as part of our clinical study to examine the effect of BCG on COVID-19. Our results demonstrated that BCG vaccination resulted in diminished plasma levels of types 1, 2, and 17 and other proinflammatory cytokines and type 1 interferons. BCG vaccination also resulted in decreased plasma levels of CC, CXC chemokines, APPs, MMPs, and growth factors.

BCG vaccination induces enhanced frequencies of dendritic cells and altered plasma levels of type I and type III interferons in elderly individuals.

Objective: BCG can improve the response to vaccines directed against viral infections, and also, BCG vaccination reduces all-cause mortality, most likely by protecting against unrelated infections. However, the effect of BCG vaccination on dendritic cell (DC) subsets is not well characterized.

Methods: We investigated the impact of BCG vaccination on the frequencies of DC subsets and type I and III interferons (IFNs) using whole blood and plasma samples in a group of elderly individuals (age 60-80 years) at one-month post-vaccination as part of our clinical study to examine the effect of BCG on COVID-19.

Association of Plasma Matrix Metalloproteinase and Tissue Inhibitors of Matrix Metalloproteinase Levels With Adverse Treatment Outcomes Among Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Importance: Identifying biomarkers of treatment response is an urgent need in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are potential diagnostic biomarkers in pulmonary TB (PTB).

Objective: To assess whether baseline plasma levels of MMPs and TIMPs are also prognostic biomarkers for adverse treatment outcomes in patients with PTB.

Plasma Chemokines Are Baseline Predictors of Unfavorable Treatment Outcomes in Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Background: Plasma chemokines are biomarkers of greater disease severity, higher bacterial burden, and delayed sputum culture conversion in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Whether plasma chemokines could also serve as biomarkers of unfavorable treatment outcomes in PTB is not known.

Methods: A cohort of newly diagnosed, sputum smear- and culture-positive adults with drug-sensitive PTB were recruited under the Effect of Diabetes on Tuberculosis Severity study in Chennai, India.