ASVAC2022 : 8th Asian Vaccine Conference

HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS19

ASVAC2022 : 8th Asian Vaccine Conference

Aiming to further the Immunization Partners in Asia Pacific (IPAP)’s vision of a world where no one suffers from a vaccine preventable disease, the 8th Asian Vaccine Conference (ASVAC 2022) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka and virtually from 15 to 18, September 2022 (www.asianvaccine.com). This conference followed those held in Siem Reap, Cambodia (2009), Manila, Philippines (2010), Jakarta, Indonesia (2011), Cebu, Philippines (2013), Hanoi, Vietnam (2015), Singapore (2017) and Naypyidaw and Yangon, Myanmar (2019). The ASVAC2022 themed “Immunization: in Era of Pandemics,” commenced with the EPI Managers’ Workshop, followed by pre-conference workshops and Vaccinology Masterclass, followed by the main conference featuring 5 plenary lectures, 6 partner-led symposia, free paper and poster presentations, and industry-supported lunch and evening sessions. There were over 1830 registered participants, with 112 attending in person and 998 virtually from 63 countries. The conference was organized by IPAP and hosted by the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Forum of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka College of Pediatricians, Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists and College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka, with the support of the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka. The 9th ASVAC is scheduled to be held in Davao City, Philippines in late 2023

Preliminary study on chronic granulomatous disease in Sri Lanka

Abstract Background Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency of the phagocytic cells, which results in absent or diminished levels of microbicidal reactive oxygen species. The disease occurs due to germline mutations in the genes encoding the five subunits of NADPH oxidase complex. The present study is a pilot study to understand the clinical and genetic aspects of CGD in Sri Lanka. Methods Clinical records of thirteen CGD patients were analysed and compared with similar studies performed in different countries and regions to identify patterns in demographics, clinical manifestations and infectious agents. Genomic DNA and cDNA were analysed in eight patients to identify mutations in CYBB and NCF1 genes, thereby to ascertain the potential X-linked and autosomal recessive (AR) CGD patients. Results The onset of symptoms in the patient cohort was very early (mean 4.6 months) compared to 20 months in India and 23.9 months in Latin America. Similarly, the age at diagnosis was lower (mean 1.6 years after birth) compared to other studies; 4.5 years in India and 6.1 years in Europe. Pulmonary manifestations were the most common (85%), followed by skin/subcutaneous infections (77%) and lymphadenopathy (62%). The death rate of local patients (38%) was higher than other countries (India 35%, Europe 20%). Majority (77%) were treated for tuberculosis at some point in life. Genetic analysis confirmed six out of eight patients as X-linked CGD cases with mutations in CYBB gene. A novel splice site mutation was identified in P-07 at position c.141+6 which resulted in the deletion of entire exon 2. Two siblings (P-05 and P-06) from consanguineous parents, were identified with AR-CGD based on the homozygous GT deletion mutation in NCF1 gene. Conclusions The clinical presentation, manifestations and genetic subtypes in the local cohort, appear to be comparable with global trends. Mycobacterial infections should be investigated and treated with more prominence. Effective treatment options are required to control the high mortality rate