Publications by authors named "Kayoko Kennedy"
Background: Human Papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPC) incidence is increasing among men in the United States. Poor dental health has previously been associated with risk of head and neck cancers, oral HPV infection, and persistence but it is not understood whether dental health is associated with outcomes. We sought to determine the association of dental health with progression free survival and overall mortality among men with an HPV-OPC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer patients are at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection and have a decreased immune response to vaccination. We conducted a study measuring both the neutralizing and total antibodies in cancer patients following a third dose of the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine. Immune responses were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and neutralization assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The role of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralizing antibody response from natural infection and vaccination, and the potential determinants of this response are poorly understood. Characterizing this antibody response and the factors associated with neutralization can help inform future prevention efforts and improve clinical outcomes in those infected.
Objectives: The goals of this study were to prospectively evaluate SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels and the neutralizing antibody responses among naturally infected adults and to determine demographic and behavioral factors independently associated with these responses.
Article Synopsis
- Cancer patients face a higher risk of serious issues after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their immune response to mRNA vaccines is generally lower than that of healthy individuals, prompting research into the effects of a third booster dose.
- In a study with 284 adults with various cancers, administering a third dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine significantly increased SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity from 81.7% to 94.4% over 28 days, with a 19-fold increase in antibody levels.
- While most patients experienced mild side effects, those with specific treatments or lower immune cell counts had reduced antibody responses, and 69.2% of initially seronegative patients developed antibodies after the booster dose
Article Synopsis
- The rise of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) linked to HPV in men emphasizes the urgent need for effective early screening tests, especially since recurrence and metastasis rates are high.
- A previous study identified a significant correlation between the methylation of the EPB41L3 tumor suppressor gene and HPV16 in the oral gargle of OPC patients, with higher levels found in those with the cancer compared to healthy controls.
- Expanding research to include 228 OPC cases reinforced the utility of HPV16/EPB41L3 methylation as a potential biomarker, achieving a sensitivity of 76% for early cases; however, the need for additional biomarkers remains to enhance early detection capabilities.
Estimating the actual extent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is challenging because virus test positivity data undercount the actual number and proportion of persons infected. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence is a marker of past SARS-CoV-2 infection regardless of presence or severity of symptoms and therefore is a robust biomarker of infection period prevalence. We estimated SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among residents of Hillsborough County, Florida, USA, to determine factors independently associated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody status overall and among asymptomatic antibody-positive persons.
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