Publications by authors named "Hamm S"

People with HIV (PWH) and people with diabetes mellitus have increased risk of severe COVID-19, but little is known about humoral response to COVID-19 vaccines in PWH with DM. We investigated SARS-CoV-2 antireceptor-binding domain (anti-RBD) immunoglobulin G (IgG) geometrical concentrations and neutralizing antibody capacity (nAB) in PWH with and without diabetes mellitus. Anti-RBD IgG and nAB in COVID-19-vaccinated PWH were not associated with diabetes mellitus-status or HbA1c 24 months after the initial COVID-19 vaccination.

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The limited but recurrent outbreaks of the zoonotic Nipah virus (NiV) infection in humans, its high fatality rate, and the potential virus transmission from human to human make NiV a concerning threat with pandemic potential. There are no licensed vaccines to prevent infection and disease. A recombinant Hendra virus soluble G glycoprotein vaccine (HeV-sG-V) candidate was recently tested in a Phase I clinical trial.

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Article Synopsis
  • Vaccination before solid organ transplantation (SOT) is essential because immunosuppression post-transplant affects vaccine responses, but not much is known about how effective these vaccines are afterward.
  • In a study of 136 SOT recipients, only 27.9% showed protection against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 42.6% against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) after transplantation despite being vaccinated before the procedure.
  • Patients who had seroprotection when listed for transplantation were significantly less likely to have a non-response to both HBV and IPD, indicating that early vaccination is crucial for improving post-transplant outcomes.
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There are currently no prophylactic vaccines licensed to protect against Lassa fever caused by Lassa virus (LASV) infection. The Emergent BioSolutions (EBS) vaccine candidate, EBS-LASV, is being developed for the prevention of Lassa fever. EBS-LASV is a live-attenuated recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (rVSV)-vectored vaccine encoding the surface glycoprotein complex (GPC) from LASV and has two attenuating vector modifications: a gene shuffle of the VSV N gene and a deletion of the VSV G gene.

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This study examines religiosity patterns across childhood and later adulthood and their associations with later-life health using an experimental module from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study ( = 1649; Mean Age = 64.0). Latent class analysis is used to categorize individuals by commonalities in religious attendance, religious identity, and spiritual identity.

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As solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients remain at risk of severe outcomes after SARS-CoV-2 infections, vaccination continues to be an important preventive measure. In SOT recipients previously vaccinated with at least three doses of BNT162b2, we investigated humoral responses to BNT162b2 booster doses. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) immunoglobulin G (IgG) was measured using an in-house ELISA.

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The ultimate vaccine against infections caused by Nipah virus should be capable of providing protection at the respiratory tract─the most probable port of entry for this pathogen. Intranasally delivered vaccines, which target nasal-associated lymphoid tissue and induce both systemic and mucosal immunity, are attractive candidates for enabling effective vaccination against this lethal disease. Herein, the water-soluble polyphosphazene delivery vehicle assembles into nanoscale supramolecular constructs with the soluble extracellular portion of the Hendra virus attachment glycoprotein─a promising subunit vaccine antigen against both Nipah and Hendra viruses.

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To accommodate waning COVID-19 vaccine immunity to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, variant-adapted mRNA vaccines have been introduced. Here, we examine serological responses to the BA.1 and BA.

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Infection with BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a common opportunistic infection after kidney transplantation (KT) and may affect graft function. We aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of BKPyV DNAemia in a prospective cohort of 601 KT recipients transplanted from 2012 to 2020. BKPyV PCR on plasma was performed at days 60, 90, 180, 270, and 360 post-KT.

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Background: Kidney transplant recipients receive maintenance immunosuppressive therapy to avoid allograft rejection resulting in increased risk of infections and infection-related morbidity and mortality. Approximately 98% of adults are infected with varicella zoster virus, which upon reactivation causes herpes zoster. The incidence of herpes zoster is higher in kidney transplant recipients than in immunocompetent individuals, and kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk of severe herpes zoster-associated disease.

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We investigated the humoral response to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) vaccine in patients with myasthenia gravis on or off immunosuppressants and compared this to the response in healthy individuals. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG response and neutralizing capacity were measured in 83 patients (57 on immunosuppressants) and 332 healthy controls at baseline, three weeks, and two and six months after the vaccine. We found that the proportion of positive humoral response was lower in patients on immunosuppressants vs.

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The heterogeneity of the SARS-CoV-2 immune responses has become considerably more complex over time and diverse immune imprinting is observed in vaccinated individuals. Despite vaccination, following the emergence of the Omicron variant, some individuals appear more susceptible to primary infections and reinfections than others, underscoring the need to elucidate how immune responses are influenced by previous infections and vaccination. IgG, IgA, neutralizing antibodies and T-cell immune responses in 1,325 individuals (955 of which were infection-naive) were investigated before and after three doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine, examining their relation to breakthrough infections and immune imprinting in the context of Omicron.

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We tested the effects of prolonged voluntary wheel running on the muscle function of mdx mice treated with one of two different microdystrophin constructs. At 7 weeks of age mdx mice were injected with a single dose of AAV9-CK8-microdystrophin with (gene therapy 1, GT1) or without (gene therapy 2, GT2) the nNOS-binding domain and were assigned to one of four gene therapy treated groups: mdxRGT1 (run, GT1), mdxGT1 (no run, GT1), or mdxRGT2 (run,GT2), mdxGT2 (no run, GT2). There were two mdx untreated groups injected with excipient: mdxR (run, no gene therapy) and mdx (no run, no gene therapy).

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Background: We investigated long-term durability of humoral and cellular immune responses to third dose of BNT162b2 in people with HIV (PWH) and controls.

Methods: In 378 PWH with undetectable viral replication and 224 matched controls vaccinated with three doses of BNT162b2, we measured IgG-antibodies against the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein three months before third dose of BNT162b2, and four and eleven months after. In 178 PWH and 135 controls, the cellular response was assessed by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release in whole blood four months after third dose.

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Objectives: Initial responses to coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination are impaired in patients with hematological malignancies. We investigated immune responses after three or four doses of BNT162b2 in patients with myeloid and lymphoid malignancies compared to controls, and identified risk factors for humoral and cellular nonresponse 1 year after first vaccination.

Methods: In 407 hematological patients (45 myeloid, 362 lymphoid) and 98 matched controls, we measured immunoglobulin G (IgG) and neutralizing antibodies specific for the receptor-binding domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at baseline, 3 weeks, 2, 6, and 12 months, and interferon-γ release at 12 months.

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Background: Life-long immunosuppressive treatment after liver transplantation (LT) prevents graft rejection but predisposes the LT recipient to infections. Herpesvirus infections are associated with morbidity and mortality among LT recipients. Among those, especially cytomegalovirus (CMV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) pose challenges after LT.

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Knowledge about the effect of vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on immunity reflected in the saliva is sparse. We examined the antibody response in saliva compared to that in serum 2 and 6 months after the first vaccination with the BNT162b2 vaccine. Four hundred fifty-nine health care professionals were included in a prospective observational study measuring antibody levels in saliva and corresponding serum samples at 2 and 6 months after BNT162b2 vaccination.

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Introduction: We investigated humoral and T-cell responses within 12 months after first BNT162b2 vaccine in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients and controls who had received at least three vaccine doses. Furthermore, we compared the immune response in participants with and without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: We included adult liver, lung, and kidney transplant recipients, and controls were selected from a parallel cohort of healthcare workers.

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Background: mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have short- and long-term efficacy in healthy individuals, but their efficacy in patients with psoriasis receiving immunomodulatory therapy is less studied.

Objectives: To investigate long-term immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with psoriasis receiving immunomodulatory therapy.

Methods: A prospective cohort study including patients (n = 123) with psoriasis receiving methotrexate (MTX) or biologics and controls (n = 226).

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Worldwide, an increase in cases and severity of domestic violence (DV) has been reported as a result of social distancing measures implemented to decrease the spreading of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). As one's language can provide insight in one's mental health, this pre-registered study analyzed word use in a DV online support group, aiming to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on DV victims in an ex post facto research design. Words reflecting social support and leisure activities were investigated as protective factors against linguistic indicators of depression in 5,856 posts from the r/domesticviolence subreddit and two neutral comparison subreddits (r/changemyview & r/femalefashionadvice).

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Anxiety and obesity are prevalent health concerns that are affected by diet in rodents and humans. How diet influences the development and maintenance of anxiety and obesity has been challenging to characterize, in part, due to methodological differences in chosen experimental and control diets. Within the same experiment, anxiety- and obesity-related effects were characterized in rats fed a Western diet (WD) relative to two control diets.

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Study Objectives: The current study investigated nightmare frequency and distress during the pandemic and associated factors.

Methods: Participants (n = 1,718) completed a survey, 747 of which were youth. The MADRE dream questionnaire was used to collect self-reported data on nightmare frequency and distress.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with a high risk of adverse outcomes in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients in the pre-vaccination era. In this retrospective cohort study, we examined the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in kidney and liver transplant recipients in Denmark in the post-vaccination era, from December 27, 2020, to December 27, 2021. We included 1428 SOT recipients with 143 cases of first-positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test.

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Introduction: Responses to COVID-19 vaccination in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases are poorly characterised. We aimed to describe humoral responses following two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and identify risk factors for impaired responses.

Methods: Prospective cohort study including adults with chronic pulmonary diseases and healthcare personnel as controls (1:1).

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