Publications by authors named "Huissoon A"

Background: Acquired angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency (AAE-C1-INH) is very rare compared to its prototype, hereditary angioedema. An updated characterisation of the AAE-C1-INH cohort in UK is required to inform management.

Objectives: To describe the disease burden of AAE-C1-INH, long-term prophylaxis (LTP) and the clinical, immunochemical and treatment profiles of AAE-associated diseases in UK.

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The global polio eradication campaign has had remarkable success in reducing wild-type poliovirus infection, largely built upon the live attenuated Sabin oral poliovirus vaccine. Whilst rare, vaccine poliovirus strains may cause infection and subsequently revert to a neurovirulent type, termed vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV). Persistent, vaccine derived infection may occur in an immunocompromised host (iVDPV), where it is a recognised complication following receipt of the Sabin vaccine.

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Background: Granulomatous and lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (gl-ILD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with common variable immunodeficiency. Corticosteroids are recommended as first-line treatment for gl-ILD, but evidence for their efficacy is lacking.

Objectives: This study analyzed the effect of high-dose corticosteroids (≥0.

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Background: Individuals with primary and secondary immunodeficiency (PID/SID) were shown to be at risk of poor outcomes during the early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines demonstrate reduced immunogenicity in these patients.

Objectives: To understand whether the risk of severe COVID-19 in individuals with PID or SID has changed following the deployment of vaccination and therapeutics in the context of the emergence of novel viral variants of concern.

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Currently, there is no guideline to support the use of immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT) in primary and secondary immunodeficiency disorders in UK. The UK Primary Immunodeficiency Network (UK-PIN) and the British Society of Immunology (BSI) joined forces to address this need. Given the paucity of evidence, a modified Delphi approach was used covering statements for the initiation, monitoring, discontinuation of IgRT as well as home therapy programme.

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Background: Patients with primary and secondary antibody deficiency are vulnerable to COVID-19 and demonstrate diminished responses following two-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine schedules. Third primary vaccinations have been deployed to enhance their humoral and cellular immunity.

Objectives: To determine the immunogenicity of the third primary SARS-CoV-2 immunisation in a heterogeneous cohort of patients with antibody deficiency.

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Article Synopsis
  • In March 2020, the UK Primary Immunodeficiency Network created a registry to track outcomes of individuals with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PID) and Secondary Immunodeficiency Diseases (SID) after infection with SARS-CoV-2, reporting 310 cases.
  • The overall mortality rate was 17.7%, with certain groups experiencing higher rates; for example, Common Variable Immunodeficiency Disease (CVID) had an infection fatality rate (IFR) of 18.3%.
  • Individuals with PID and SID faced greater risks in terms of inpatient mortality and generally died at younger ages than the broader population, with risk factors including older age, low lymphocyte count before infection, and existing co-morbidities
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Background: Vaccination prevents severe morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 in the general population. The immunogenicity and efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in patients with antibody deficiency is poorly understood.

Objectives: COVID-19 in patients with antibody deficiency (COV-AD) is a multi-site UK study that aims to determine the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in patients with primary or secondary antibody deficiency, a population that suffers from severe and recurrent infection and does not respond well to vaccination.

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  • Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that negatively affects adults' quality of life (QoL), but there are currently no validated tools to measure this impact.
  • This study aimed to create and evaluate the reliability and validity of a new QoL scale specifically for adults with anaphylaxis called the Anaphylaxis Quality of Life Scale for Adults (A-QoL-Adults).
  • The A-QoL-Adults scale consists of 21 items with strong reliability and identifies three key areas (Emotional Impact, Social Impact, and Limitations on Life) that correlate significantly with general QoL and levels of anxiety, depression, and stress.
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Background: In several countries, extended interval COVID-19 vaccination regimens are now used to accelerate population coverage, but the relative immunogenicity of different vaccines in older people remains uncertain. In this study we aimed to assess the antibody and cellular responses of older people after a single dose of either the BNT162b2 vaccine (tozinameran; Pfizer-BioNTech) or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (Oxford University-AstraZeneca).

Methods: Participants aged 80 years or older, who did not live in a residential or care home or require assisted living, and had received a single dose of either the BNT162b2 vaccine or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine were eligible to participate.

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Background: Berotralstat (BCX7353) is an oral, once-daily inhibitor of plasma kallikrein recently approved for prevention of angioedema attacks in adults and adolescents with hereditary angioedema (HAE). The objective of this report is to summarize results from an interim analysis of an ongoing long-term safety study of berotralstat in patients with HAE.

Methods: APeX-S is an ongoing, phase 2, open-label study conducted in 22 countries (ClinicalTrials.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study developed an improved ELISA test that focuses on trimeric spike glycoprotein, leading to better detection of low antibody levels in serum and saliva from non-hospitalized subjects.
  • * Results showed that while hospitalized patients had detectable antibody responses using various antigens, saliva tests were effective for only some symptomatic individuals, indicating that combining saliva and serum testing can enhance understanding of immune responses post-infection.
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Background: Frequently SARS-CoV-2 results in mild or moderate disease with potentially lower concentrations of antibodies compared to those that are hospitalised. Here, we validated an ELISA using SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike glycoprotein, with targeted detection of IgG, IgA and IgM (IgGAM) using serum and dried blood spots (DBS) from adults with mild or moderate disease.

Methods: Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike, a combined anti-IgG, IgA and IgM serology ELISA assay was developed using 62 PCR-confirmed non-hospitalised, mild or moderate COVID-19 samples, ≥14 days post symptom onset and 624 COVID-19 negative samples.

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Background: Assessment of pure polysaccharide response to the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) can be biased by previous exposure to the conjugate vaccine (PCV). We applied pre-analytical modification to the existing ELISA by pre-incubating serum with PCV.

Methods: PCV-adsorbed and non-adsorbed sera were prepared before measuring the concentration of anti-pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (PCP) IgG antibodies by the whole pneumococcal ELISA.

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Article Synopsis
  • Detecting antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for understanding the virus's spread and the immune response, especially since assessing responses in mild or asymptomatic cases is challenging.
  • An optimized ELISA assay was developed to measure antibody responses in serum and saliva from both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, revealing that anti-spike antibodies were more effective than nucleocapsid antibodies in low responders.
  • The study found that antibody responses in saliva were independent of symptom severity, suggesting that testing both saliva and serum is the best way to assess exposure to the virus and immune responses following infection.
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  • Primary immunodeficiency (PID) leads to serious health issues like recurrent infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancers, presenting challenges for diagnosis and treatment, especially when patients are adults with no known family history.
  • A study analyzing whole-genome sequencing in 1,318 PID patients found that 10.3% had identified mutations in known genes, along with new candidate genes and deletions in regulatory regions that contribute to PID.
  • The research also explored the genetic interplay of high-penetrance variants with common variants, shedding light on how these factors affect the diverse symptoms and severity seen in PID, highlighting the potential of whole-genome sequencing in improving diagnosis and understanding of immune disorders.
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SARS-CoV-2 serological tests are a subject of intense interest and have the potential to significantly enhance the diagnostic capability of healthcare services in the current pandemic. However, as with all novel assays, significant validation is required to understand the clinical relevance of results. We present the first study to assess clinician interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 serology scenarios.

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Inhibitors of the tyrosine kinase Btk have been proposed as novel antiplatelet agents. In this study we show that low concentrations of the Btk inhibitor ibrutinib block CLEC-2-mediated activation and tyrosine phosphorylation including Syk and PLCγ2 in human platelets. Activation is also blocked in patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) caused by a deficiency or absence of Btk.

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Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was introduced in the 1990s, as a minimally invasive procedure for staging the axilla with less morbidity to the traditional axillary lymph node dissection and is now standard management of the axilla in the early breast cancer. SLNB using the combined technique of blue dye and radioisotope is currently the recommended method for lymphatic mapping, and studies have shown high identification rates (IR) (>95%) and low false-negative rates (FNR) 5-10%. However, there are several reports raising awareness regarding patent blue V dye-induced peri-operative anaphylaxis.

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Advances in genomic medicine have elucidated an increasing number of genetic etiologies for patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). However, there is heterogeneity in clinical and immunophenotypic presentations and a limited understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of many cases. The primary defects in CVID may extend beyond the adaptive immune system, and the combined defect in both the myeloid and lymphoid compartments suggests the mechanism may involve bone marrow output and earlier progenitors.

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