Volume 222, Issue 12, 15 December 2020

Coronavirus vaccines have sensitized animals to enhanced disease during live virus challenge. Predominant infection of parenchymal not myeloid cells lessens risk of intrinsic vaccine antibody-dependent enhanced disease. Rubella or measles inactivated vaccine-like–hypersensitivity reactions threaten.

Recommendations are offered for addressing the significant disparities and challenges faced in access to testing, messaging around the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and provision of care based on geographic location, especially in communities of color and rural and low-income areas.

Using a rapid, microsphere-based assay, the authors quantified the ability of coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma to inhibit binding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein to its receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme, demonstrating inhibition in >90% of recovered patients.

Evaluation of antibody avidity from potential convalescent plasma donors and hospitalized COVID-19 patients suggests increased SARS-CoV-2 IgG avidity is associated with being older, male, and hospitalized. Avidity is correlated with neutralizing titers offering a potential screening parameter for convalescent donors.

Unsupervised mapping of leukocyte surface markers identified a granulocytic COVID-19 signature comprising eosinophil and basophil CRTH2 downregulation, increased counts of CD15⁺CD16⁺ neutrophils, and decreased granulocytic CD11b expression, while PD-L1 checkpoint expression in basophils and eosinophils was associated with severity.

An NIH working group developed a series of recommendations to address ethical issues arising in US-based HIV phylogenetic analysis, including recommendations on study design; data access, security, and management; legal issues; community engagement; and communication and dissemination of findings.

Our results suggest a role of TLR2 germline variants in HIV-1 disease progression rate. Analysis of the TLR2 promoter -196 to -174 deletion links lower levels of TLR2 and diminished CD4⁺ T-cell counts and worse prognosis, probably due to a lower activation of the immune system.

A time-series study of the 2018–2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo found both Ebola-targeted and untargeted violence increased transmission, though targeted violence, primarily driven by civilian-involved events, had the largest impact.

Serial stool samples from Malawian children with rotavirus gastroenteritis tested for rotavirus using polymerase chain reaction had high levels of viral shedding despite vaccination. High and persistent rotavirus shedding among vaccinated children with breakthrough disease may contribute to ongoing transmission.

Virus infections are linked to atherosclerosis but the mechanisms are unclear. We found that the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor is induced in macrophages during plaque formation in arterial walls, suggesting a mechanism for how enterovirus infect cells in atherosclerotic plaques.

Among 1767 men who have sex with men and transgender women aged 18–26 years in US cities during 2016–2018, vaccine-type HPV prevalence was lower among vaccinated (22.9%) compared with unvaccinated (31.6%) participants, suggesting real-world effectiveness of HPV vaccination.

The histone methyltransferase suppressor of variegation 3–9 homolog 1 (SUV39h1) was upregulated by long term hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Their upregulation could enhance HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis by activating their functions through the interaction with HBV X (HBx) protein.

We describe the changing epidemiology of MRSA in Ontario, Canada. CC5 MRSA strains were replaced by CC8 strains, thereby shifting antimicrobial resistance patterns. Genome sequencing revealed a large strain diversity and few genomic clusters.

Phylogenetically and metabolically diverse Prevotella interacted with human 3D endometrial epithelial cells (EEC) in a species-specific manner. P. disiens was cytotoxic to the EEC. P. timonensis exhibited high sialidase activity altered membrane-associated mucins more than P. bivia and other species.

Clinical management of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is complicated by difficulty in discriminating between latent infection and active disease. Here profiling antibody features and multivariate modeling highlight Fc domain glycosylation as a top discriminatory feature.