9 research outputs found
SPUTNIK-V REACTOGENICITY AND IMMUNOGENICITY IN THE BLOOD AND MUCOSA: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY
Sputnik-V (Gam-COVID-Vac) is a heterologous, recombinant adenoviral (rAdv) vector-based, COVID-
19 vaccine now used in > 70 countries. Yet there is a shortage of data on this vaccine’s performance in
diverse populations. Here, we performed a prospective cohort study to assess the reactogenicity and
immunologic outcomes of Sputnik-V vaccination in Kazakhstan. COVID-19-free participants (n = 82 at
baseline) were followed at day 21 after Sputnik-V dose 1 (rAd5) and dose 2 (rAd26). Self-reported local
and systemic adverse events were captured using questionnaires. Blood and nasopharyngeal swabs
were collected to perform SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic and immunologic assays. We observed that most
of the reported adverse events were mild-to-moderate injection site or systemic reactions, no severe
or potentially life-threatening conditions were reported, and dose 1 appeared to be more reactogenic
than dose 2. The seroconversion rate was 97% post-dose 1, remaining the same post-dose 2. The
proportion of participants with detectable virus neutralization was 83% post-dose 1, increasing to
98% post-dose 2, with the largest relative increase observed in participants without prior COVID-
19 exposure. Dose 1 boosted nasal S-IgG and S-IgA, while the boosting effect of dose 2 on mucosal
S-IgG, but not S-IgA, was only observed in subjects without prior COVID-19. Systemically, vaccination
reduced serum levels of growth regulated oncogene (GRO), which correlated with an elevation
in blood platelet count. Overall, Sputnik-V dose 1 elicited both blood and mucosal SARS-CoV-2
immunity, while the immune boosting effect of dose 2 was minimal. Thus, adjustments to the current
vaccine dosing regimen are necessary to optimize immunization efficacy and cost-effectiveness. While
Sputnik-V reactogenicity is similar to that of other COVID-19 vaccines, the induced alterations to the
GRO/platelet axis warrant investigation of the vaccine’s effects on systemic immunology
Antibiotic Resistance and Genotypes of Nosocomial Strains of Acinetobacter baumannii in Kazakhstan
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of A. baumannii antibiotic-resistant strains in Kazakhstan and to characterize genotypes related to epidemic “high-risk” clones. Two hundred and twenty four A. baumannii isolates from four cities of Kazakhstan in 2011–2019 were studied. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by using broth microdilutions method according to EUCAST (v 11.0) recommendations. The presence of blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-24/40-like,blaOXA-58-like,blaVIM,blaIMP, and blaNDM genes was determined by PCR. Genotyping was performed using high-throughput real-time PCR detection of 21 SNPs at 10 chromosomal loci used in existing MLST schemes. Resistance rates to imipenem, meropenem, amikacin, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin were 81.3%, 78.6%, 79.9%, 65.2%, and 89.3%, respectively. No colistin resistant isolates were detected. The values of the MIC 50% and the MIC 90% of tigecycline were 0.125 mg/L, only four isolates (1.8%) had the ECOFF value >0.5 mg/L. The presence of acquired carbapenemase genes was found in 82.2% strains, including blaOXA-23-like (78.6%) or blaOXA-58-like (3.6%) genes. The spreading of carbapenem resistant A. baumannii strains in Kazakhstan was associated with epidemic “high-risk” clonal groups, predominantly, CG208(92)OXF/CG2PAS (80.8%) and less often CG231(109)OXF/CG1PAS (1.8%)
Flow of liquid metal in a cylindrical crystallizer generating two-dimensional MHD stirring
International audienc
Optimization of technology for production of products of deep drawing sheet steels with the use of lubricants in universal software system ANSYS workbench
The techniques and laboratory tests, simulating the technological process of drawing sheet steels with water soluble lubricant PB-18 with a fractal structure, with the addition of nanopowders of copper and bronze. Given optimization of the stretching process of sheet steels using universal software system of finite-element analysis ANSYS Workbenc
Optimization of technology for production of products of deep drawing sheet steels with the use of lubricants in universal software system ANSYS workbench
The techniques and laboratory tests, simulating the technological process of drawing sheet steels with water soluble lubricant PB-18 with a fractal structure, with the addition of nanopowders of copper and bronze. Given optimization of the stretching process of sheet steels using universal software system of finite-element analysis ANSYS Workbenc
HIGH SARS-COV-2 SEROPREVALENCE IN KARAGANDA, KAZAKHSTAN BEFORE THE LAUNCH OF COVID-19 VACCINATION
COVID-19 exposure in Central Asia appears underestimated and SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence
data are urgently needed to inform ongoing vaccination efforts and other strategies to
mitigate the regional pandemic. Here, in a pilot serologic study we assessed the prevalence
of SARS-CoV-2 antibody-mediated immunity in a multi-ethnic cohort of public university
employees in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Asymptomatic subjects (n = 100) were recruited
prior to their first COVID-19 vaccination. Questionnaires were administered to capture a
range of demographic and clinical characteristics. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected
for SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR testing. Serological assays were performed to detect spike (S)-
reactive IgG and IgA and to assess virus neutralization. Pre-pandemic samples were used
to validate the assay positivity thresholds. S-IgG and -IgA seropositivity rates among SARSCoV-
2 PCR-negative participants (n = 100) were 42% (95% CI [32.2–52.3]) and 59% (95%
CI [48.8–69.0]), respectively, and 64% (95% CI [53.4–73.1]) of the cohort tested positive for
at least one of the antibodies. S-IgG titres correlated with virus neutralization activity, detectable
in 49% of the tested subset with prior COVID-19 history. Serologically confirmed history
of COVID-19 was associated with Kazakh ethnicity, but not with other ethnic minorities present
in the cohort, and self-reported history of respiratory illness since March 2020. Overall,
SARS-CoV-2 exposure in this cohort was ~15-fold higher compared to the reported all-time
national and regional COVID-19 prevalence, consistent with recent studies of excess infection
and death in Kazakhstan. Continuous serological surveillance provides important
insights into COVID-19 transmission dynamics and may be used to better inform the
regional public health response