Predictive factors for the presence and long-term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare and university workers.

While patient groups at risk for severe COVID-19 infections are now well identified, the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) transmission and immunization are still poorly understood. In a cohort of staff members of a Belgian tertiary academic hospital tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during the early phase of the pandemic and followed-up after 6 weeks, 3 months and 10 months, we collected personal, occupational and medical data, as well as symptoms based on which we constructed a COVID-19 score. Seroprevalence was higher among participants in contact with patients or with COVID-19 confirmed subjects or, to a lesser extent, among those handling respiratory specimens, as well as among participants reporting an immunodeficiency or a previous or active hematological malignancy, and correlated with several symptoms.

Long-term longitudinal evaluation of the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare and university workers.

Asymptomatic and pauci-symptomatic cases contribute to underestimating the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Moreover, we have few studies available on the longitudinal follow-up of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after natural infection. We tested staff members of a Belgian tertiary academic hospital for SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies.

Using platelet-rich plasma to treat jumper's knees: Exploring the effect of a second closely-timed infiltration.

Objectives: Some clinical series have evaluated the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of proximal patellar tendinopathy. Although it is possible that a single infiltrative administration may prove to be an effective treatment for this indication, most of the existing studies evaluated the effects of two or three successive infiltrations. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether two infiltrations of PRP proves more effective than a single treatment.

Contribution to the study of particle resuspension kinetics during thermal degradation of polymers.

Experimental results are reported on the resuspension of particles deposited on polymer samples representative of glove boxes used in the nuclear industry, under thermal degradation. A parametric study was carried out on the effects of heat flux, air flow rate, fuel type and particle size distribution. Small-scale experiments were conducted on 10 cm × 10 cm PolyMethyl MethAcrylate (PMMA) and PolyCarbonate (PC) samples covered with aluminium oxide particles with physical geometric diameters of 0.

[The dosage of anti-GAD and anti-IA2 autoantibodies: an aid to the early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes].

Diabetes mellitus is a frequent metabolic disease characterised by a complex and inconstant phenotypic expression that complicates the classification of patients and sometimes delays their optimal management. In that slowly progressive disease leading to severe and irreversible complications, the use of early and specific genetic, immunological and/or metabolic markers may help in the classification of diabetic patients and in the orientation of therapeutic strategies; furthermore, it is also an essential aid in the early screening of subjects at risk of developing the disease. The assessment of classical immunological markers, such as islet cell antibodies (ICA) or anti-insulin antibodies (IAA) has been recently completed by the screening of new promising markers such as GAD- and IA2-antibodies.