Relapsing insulin-induced lipoatrophy, cured by prolonged low-dose oral prednisone: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Circumscript, progressing lipoatrophy at the insulin injection sites is an unexplained, however rare condition in diabetes mellitus.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a case of severe localised lipoatrophy developing during insulin pump-treatment (continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion) with the insulin analogue lispro (Humalog^®) in a woman with type-1 diabetes mellitus. After 11 months of progressing lipoatrophy at two spots on the abdomen, low-dose prednisone (5-10 mg) p.o. was given at breakfast for 8 months, whereby the atrophic lesions centripetally re-filled with subcutaneous fat tissue (confirmed by MRI) despite ongoing use of insulin lispro. However, 4 weeks after cessation of prednisone, lipoatrophy relapsed, but resolved after another 2 months of low-dose prednisone. No further relapse was noted during 12 months of follow-up on insulin-pump therapy with Humalog^®.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Consistent with an assumed inflammatory nature of the condition, low-dose oral prednisone appeared to have cured the lipoatrophic reaction in our patient. Our observation suggests a temporary intolerance of the subcutaneous fat tissue to insulin lispro (Humalog^®), triggered by an unknown endogenous mechanism.</p

Adaptive immunity and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern following vaccination in patients with cancer: the CAPTURE study

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antiviral response in a pan-tumor immune monitoring (CAPTURE) (NCT03226886) is a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 immunity in patients with cancer. Here we evaluated 585 patients following administration of two doses of BNT162b2 or AZD1222 vaccines, administered 12 weeks apart. Seroconversion rates after two doses were 85% and 59% in patients with solid and hematological malignancies, respectively. A lower proportion of patients had detectable titers of neutralizing antibodies (NAbT) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOC) versus wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2. Patients with hematological malignancies were more likely to have undetectable NAbT and had lower median NAbT than those with solid cancers against both SARS-CoV-2 WT and VOC. By comparison with individuals without cancer, patients with hematological, but not solid, malignancies had reduced neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses. Seroconversion showed poor concordance with NAbT against VOC. Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection boosted the NAb response including against VOC, and anti-CD20 treatment was associated with undetectable NAbT. Vaccine-induced T cell responses were detected in 80% of patients and were comparable between vaccines or cancer types. Our results have implications for the management of patients with cancer during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Functional antibody and T cell immunity following SARS-CoV-2 infection, including by variants of concern, in patients with cancer: the CAPTURE study

Patients with cancer have higher COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Here we present the prospective CAPTURE study, integrating longitudinal immune profiling with clinical annotation. Of 357 patients with cancer, 118 were SARS-CoV-2 positive, 94 were symptomatic and 2 died of COVID-19. In this cohort, 83% patients had S1-reactive antibodies and 82% had neutralizing antibodies against wild type SARS-CoV-2, whereas neutralizing antibody titers against the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants were substantially reduced. S1-reactive antibody levels decreased in 13% of patients, whereas neutralizing antibody titers remained stable for up to 329 days. Patients also had detectable SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells and CD4+ responses correlating with S1-reactive antibody levels, although patients with hematological malignancies had impaired immune responses that were disease and treatment specific, but presented compensatory cellular responses, further supported by clinical recovery in all but one patient. Overall, these findings advance the understanding of the nature and duration of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with cancer

Functional antibody and T cell immunity following SARS-CoV-2 infection, including by variants of concern, in patients with cancer: the CAPTURE study

Patients with cancer have higher COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Here we present the prospective CAPTURE study, integrating longitudinal immune profiling with clinical annotation. Of 357 patients with cancer, 118 were SARS-CoV-2 positive, 94 were symptomatic and 2 died of COVID-19. In this cohort, 83% patients had S1-reactive antibodies and 82% had neutralizing antibodies against wild type SARS-CoV-2, whereas neutralizing antibody titers against the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants were substantially reduced. S1-reactive antibody levels decreased in 13% of patients, whereas neutralizing antibody titers remained stable for up to 329 days. Patients also had detectable SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells and CD4+ responses correlating with S1-reactive antibody levels, although patients with hematological malignancies had impaired immune responses that were disease and treatment specific, but presented compensatory cellular responses, further supported by clinical recovery in all but one patient. Overall, these findings advance the understanding of the nature and duration of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with cancer

Adaptive immunity and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern following vaccination in patients with cancer: the CAPTURE study

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antiviral response in a pan-tumor immune monitoring (CAPTURE) (NCT03226886) is a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 immunity in patients with cancer. Here we evaluated 585 patients following administration of two doses of BNT162b2 or AZD1222 vaccines, administered 12 weeks apart. Seroconversion rates after two doses were 85% and 59% in patients with solid and hematological malignancies, respectively. A lower proportion of patients had detectable titers of neutralizing antibodies (NAbT) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOC) versus wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2. Patients with hematological malignancies were more likely to have undetectable NAbT and had lower median NAbT than those with solid cancers against both SARS-CoV-2 WT and VOC. By comparison with individuals without cancer, patients with hematological, but not solid, malignancies had reduced neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses. Seroconversion showed poor concordance with NAbT against VOC. Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection boosted the NAb response including against VOC, and anti-CD20 treatment was associated with undetectable NAbT. Vaccine-induced T cell responses were detected in 80% of patients and were comparable between vaccines or cancer types. Our results have implications for the management of patients with cancer during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Design and development of an indigenous 55 HP wankel engine

During the last decade, a number of developmental projects have been initiated both in civil as well as military aviation, for Powered Hang Gliders for aerial spraying of pesticides, Small Aircraft, Pilot-less Target Aircrafts and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The requirements for all these applications are similar in that the power to weight ratio should be high, specific fuel consumption (sfc) should be low, noise and vibration levels must be low, thermal efficiency must be reasonably higher and maintenance and serviceability should be acceptable. A prominent contender that can meet all the above requirements is the Wankel engine. In recent years, they are found increasingly in roles where their compact size and quiet running is important, notably in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).13; At present, the National Aerospace Laboratories is involved in the indigenous development of Wankel engines to support the nationx2019;s UAVs program. A 55 hp single rotor, liquid cooled, Wankel engine was designed, developed and the 1st Proto type (PT1) was successfully tested. This paper describes the developmental work carried out on the Wankel engine and the performance validation of the engine