Publications by authors named "R Schepp"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates differences in antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 between children and adults, focusing on various Fc-mediated functions like phagocytosis and natural killer cell activation over a 10-month period.
- Results indicate that children exhibit similar, but potentially more durable, antibody responses, particularly in complement deposition, compared to adults, while natural killer cell activation was notably reduced in both groups.
- Understanding these differences is important for developing tailored vaccination strategies against respiratory viruses, highlighting the need for age-specific insights in vaccine design.
Neutralizing antibodies are considered a correlate of protection against severe human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) disease. Currently, HRSV neutralization assays are performed on immortalized cell lines like Vero or A549 cells. It is known that assays on these cell lines exclusively detect neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) directed to the fusion (F) protein.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntibodies to SARS-CoV-2 on the mucosal surfaces of the respiratory tract are understood to contribute to protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to describe the prevalence, levels, and functionality of mucosal antibodies in the general Dutch population. Nasal samples were collected from 778 randomly selected participants, 1-90 years of age, nested within the nationwide prospective SARS-CoV-2 PIENTER corona serosurvey in the Netherlands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common global respiratory virus that is increasingly recognized as a major pathogen in frail older adults and as a cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. There is no single test for RSV in adults that has acceptable diagnostic accuracy. Trials of RSV vaccines have recently shown excellent safety and efficacy against RSV in older adults; defining the frequency of RSV-related community infections and COPD exacerbations is important for vaccine deployment decisions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is especially dangerous for infants, particularly those born very preterm, and the standard prevention method, palivizumab, is costly and used mainly for high-risk newborns.
- A study in the Netherlands found that palivizumab significantly reduced RSV infection rates in very preterm infants during their first year of life, with rates dropping from 48.3% to 18.9% for those receiving the prophylaxis.
- The research suggests that while palivizumab is effective for very preterm infants, further studies are needed to understand non-compliance issues and to compare it with new treatments like nirsevimab to improve health outcomes for preterm infants.