Adverse Events Following the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Introduction: In February 2021, New Zealand began its largest ever immunisation programme with the BNT162b2 mRNA coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine.

Objective: We aimed to understand the association between 12 adverse events of special interest (AESIs) and a primary dose of BNT162b2 in the New Zealand population aged ≥5 years from 19 February 2021 through 10 February 2022.

Methods: Using national electronic health records, the observed rates of AESIs within a risk period (1-21 days) following vaccination were compared with the expected rates based on background data (2014-2019).

Thrombotic events following the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) in Aotearoa New Zealand: A self-controlled case series study.

Background: An association between thrombotic events and SARS-CoV-2 infection and the adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccines has been established, leading to concern over the risk of thrombosis after BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of arterial thrombosis, cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), splanchnic thrombosis, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) following BNT162b2 vaccination in New Zealand.

Methods: This was a self-controlled case series using national hospitalisation and immunisation records to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR).

Lipophilic glucose monoesters and glycosides are potent human Mincle agonists.

Macrophage inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) is a pattern recognition receptor on myeloid cells that represents a promising target for Th1-stimulating adjuvants. We report on the synthesis of branched and aromatic glucose monoesters and glycosides and their activation of mouse and human Mincle. In studies using mMincle, derivatives containing aromatic groups in the 6--acyl chain were poor Mincle agonists, while analogues with branched lipophilic groups at the glucose 6-position and anomeric hydroxy or methoxy groups exhibited better Mincle-mediated agonist activity than compounds with a docosyl group at the anomeric position.

Cholesteryl glucosides signal through the carbohydrate recognition domain of the macrophage inducible C-type lectin (mincle).

Cholesteryl α-d-glucosides (αGCs) are unique metabolic products of the cancer-causing human pathogen Helicobacter pylori. Via signalling through the Macrophage inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) and the induction of a pro-inflammatory response, they are thought to play a role in the development of gastric atrophy. Herein, we prepared the first library of steryl d-glucosides and determined that they preferentially signal through the carbohydrate recognition domain of human Mincle, rather than the amino acid consensus motif.

Identification and Biological Activity of Synthetic Macrophage Inducible C-Type Lectin Ligands.

The macrophage inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) is a pattern recognition receptor able to recognize both damage-associated and pathogen-associated molecular patterns, and in this respect, there has been much interest in determining the scope of ligands that bind Mincle and how structural modifications to these ligands influence ensuing immune responses. In this review, we will present Mincle ligands of known chemical structure, with a focus on ligands that have been synthetically prepared, such as trehalose glycolipids, glycerol-based ligands, and 6-acylated glucose and mannose derivatives. The ability of the different classes of ligands to influence the innate, and consequently, the adaptive, immune response will be described, and where appropriate, structure-activity relationships within each class of Mincle ligands will be presented.