Zika virus infection in pregnancy: Establishing a case definition for clinical research on pregnant women with rash in an active transmission setting.

Defining cases of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is a critical challenge for epidemiological research. Due to ZIKV's overlapping clinical features and potential immunologic cross-reactivity with other flaviviruses and the current lack of an optimal ZIKV-specific diagnostic assay, varying approaches for identifying ZIKV infections have been employed to date. This paper presents the laboratory results and diagnostic criteria developed by the Microcephaly Epidemic Research Group for defining cases of maternal ZIKV infection in a cohort of pregnant women with rash (N = 694) recruited during the declining 2015-2017 epidemic in northeast Brazil. For this investigation, we tested maternal sera for ZIKV by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), and Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT50). Overall, 23.8% of participants tested positive by qRT-PCR during pregnancy (range of detection: 0-72 days after rash onset). However, the inter-assay concordance was lower than expected. Among women with qRT-PCR-confirmed ZIKV and further testing, only 10.1% had positive IgM tests within 90 days of rash, and only 48.5% had ZIKV-specific PRNT50 titers ≥20 within 1 year of rash. Given the complexity of these data, we convened a panel of experts to propose an algorithm for identifying ZIKV infections in pregnancy based on all available lines of evidence. When the diagnostic algorithm was applied to the cohort, 26.9% of participants were classified as having robust evidence of a ZIKV infection during pregnancy, 4.0% as having moderate evidence, 13.3% as having limited evidence of a ZIKV infection but with uncertain timing, and 19.5% as having evidence of an unspecified flavivirus infection before or during pregnancy. Our findings suggest that integrating longitudinal data from nucleic acid and serologic testing may enhance diagnostic sensitivity and underscore the need for an on-going dialogue regarding the optimization of strategies for defining cases of ZIKV in research

Association between Zika virus infection and microcephaly in Brazil, January to May, 2016: preliminary report of a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The microcephaly epidemic, which started in Brazil in 2015, was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO in 2016. We report the preliminary results of a case-control study investigating the association between microcephaly and Zika virus infection during pregnancy. METHODS: We did this case-control study in eight public hospitals in Recife, Brazil. Cases were neonates with microcephaly. Two controls (neonates without microcephaly), matched by expected date of delivery and area of residence, were selected for each case. Serum samples of cases and controls and cerebrospinal fluid samples of cases were tested for Zika virus-specific IgM and by quantitative RT-PCR. Laboratory-confirmed Zika virus infection during pregnancy was defined as detection of Zika virus-specific IgM or a positive RT-PCR result in neonates. Maternal serum samples were tested by plaque reduction neutralisation assay for Zika virus and dengue virus. We estimated crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs using a median unbiased estimator for binary data in an unconditional logistic regression model. We estimated ORs separately for cases with and without radiological evidence of brain abnormalities. FINDINGS: Between Jan 15, 2016, and May 2, 2016, we prospectively recruited 32 cases and 62 controls. 24 (80%) of 30 mothers of cases had Zika virus infection compared with 39 (64%) of 61 mothers of controls (p=0·12). 13 (41%) of 32 cases and none of 62 controls had laboratory-confirmed Zika virus infection; crude overall OR 55·5 (95% CI 8·6-∞); OR 113·3 (95% CI 14·5-∞) for seven cases with brain abnormalities; and OR 24·7 (95% CI 2·9-∞) for four cases without brain abnormalities. INTERPRETATION: Our data suggest that the microcephaly epidemic is a result of congenital Zika virus infection. We await further data from this ongoing study to assess other potential risk factors and to confirm the strength of association in a larger sample size. FUNDING: Brazilian Ministry of Health, Pan American Health Organization, and Enhancing Research Activity in Epidemic Situations

Zika-related adverse outcomes in a cohort of pregnant women with rash in Pernambuco, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: While Zika virus (ZIKV) is now widely recognized as a teratogen, the frequency and full spectrum of adverse outcomes of congenital ZIKV infection remains incompletely understood. METHODS: Participants in the MERG cohort of pregnant women with rash, recruited from the surveillance system from December/2015-June/2017. Exposure definition was based on a combination of longitudinal data from molecular, serologic (IgM and IgG3) and plaque reduction neutralization tests for ZIKV. Children were evaluated by a team of clinical specialists and by transfontanelle ultrasound and were classified as having microcephaly and/or other signs/symptoms consistent with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). Risks of adverse outcomes were quantified according to the relative evidence of a ZIKV infection in pregnancy. FINDINGS: 376 women had confirmed and suspected exposure to ZIKV. Among evaluable children born to these mothers, 20% presented with an adverse outcome compatible with exposure to ZIKV during pregnancy. The absolute risk of microcephaly was 2.9% (11/376), of calcifications and/or ventriculomegaly was 7.2% (13/180), of additional neurologic alterations was 5.3% (13/245), of ophthalmologic abnormalities was 7% (15/214), and of dysphagia was 1.8% (4/226). Less than 1% of the children experienced abnormalities across all of the domains simultaneously. Interpretation: Although approximately one-fifth of children with confirmed and suspected exposure to ZIKV in pregnancy presented with at least one abnormality compatible with CZS, the manifestations presented more frequently in isolation than in combination. Due to the rare nature of some outcomes and the possibility of later manifestations, large scale individual participant data meta-analysis and the long-term evaluation of children are imperative to identify the full spectrum of this syndrome and to plan actions to reduce damages

Association between microcephaly, Zika virus infection, and other risk factors in Brazil: final report of a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: A Zika virus epidemic emerged in northeast Brazil in 2015 and was followed by a striking increase in congenital microcephaly cases, triggering a declaration of an international public health emergency. This is the final report of the first case-control study evaluating the potential causes of microcephaly: congenital Zika virus infection, vaccines, and larvicides. The published preliminary report suggested a strong association between microcephaly and congenital Zika virus infection. METHODS: We did a case-control study in eight public maternity hospitals in Recife, Brazil. Cases were neonates born with microcephaly, defined as a head circumference of 2 SD below the mean. Two controls without microcephaly were matched to each case by expected date of delivery and area of residence. We tested the serum of cases and controls and the CSF of cases for detection of Zika virus genomes with quantitative RT-PCR and for detection of IgM antibodies with capture-IgM ELISA. We also tested maternal serum with plaque reduction neutralisation assays for Zika and dengue viruses. We estimated matched crude and adjusted odds ratios with exact conditional logistic regression to determine the association between microcephaly and Zika virus infection. FINDINGS: We screened neonates born between Jan 15 and Nov 30, 2016, and prospectively recruited 91 cases and 173 controls. In 32 (35%) cases, congenital Zika virus infection was confirmed by laboratory tests and no controls had confirmed Zika virus infections. 69 (83%) of 83 cases with known birthweight were small for gestational age, compared with eight (5%) of 173 controls. The overall matched odds ratio was 73·1 (95% CI 13·0-∞) for microcephaly and Zika virus infection after adjustments. Neither vaccination during pregnancy or use of the larvicide pyriproxyfen was associated with microcephaly. Results of laboratory tests for Zika virus and brain imaging results were available for 79 (87%) cases; within these cases, ten were positive for Zika virus and had cerebral abnormalities, 13 were positive for Zika infection but had no cerebral abnormalities, and 11 were negative for Zika virus but had cerebral abnormalities. INTERPRETATION: The association between microcephaly and congenital Zika virus infection was confirmed. We provide evidence of the absence of an effect of other potential factors, such as exposure to pyriproxyfen or vaccines (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis, measles and rubella, or measles, mumps, and rubella) during pregnancy, confirming the findings of an ecological study of pyriproxyfen in Pernambuco and previous studies on the safety of Tdap vaccine administration during pregnancy. FUNDING: Brazilian Ministry of Health, Pan American Health Organization, and Enhancing Research Activity in Epidemic Situations

Placental transfer and kineticis of maternal transferred dengue-specific antibodies in a cohort of children during the first year.

Submitted by Stephany Silva ([email protected]) on 2016-09-23T14:03:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016castanha-pms.pdf: 1456214 bytes, checksum: 8fc7b4fe1efd0a8f729a4d6d9904da42 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Adagilson Silva ([email protected]) on 2016-09-23T19:45:38Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016castanha-pms.pdf: 1456214 bytes, checksum: 8fc7b4fe1efd0a8f729a4d6d9904da42 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-23T19:45:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016castanha-pms.pdf: 1456214 bytes, checksum: 8fc7b4fe1efd0a8f729a4d6d9904da42 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilAnticorpos antidengue materno transferidos têm sido implicados na imunopatogênese da dengue grave em lactentes. Postula-se que esses anticorpos possuam um papel distinto durante os primeiros anos de vida: ao nascimento, anticorpos antidengue materno adquiridos conferem proteção, e em seguida declinam a níveis subneutralizantes capazes de facilitar a infecção pelo vírus dengue (DENV) mediante o mecanismo de ADE (Antibody dependent enhancement), aumentando o risco de ocorrência das formas graves da dengue. Estudos prospectivos conduzidos em lactentes Asiáticos têm mostrado que o pico de anticorpos materno adquiridos com a capacidade de mediar aumento da infecção pelo DENV ocorre entre o sexto e o nono mês de vida, o que correlaciona com a epidemiologia da dengue grave em lactentes dessa região. Esta tese descreve o perfil de imunidade materna antidengue e a transferência placentária de anticorpos dengue-específicos em pares mãe-cordão recrutados em um estudo de coorte prospectivo conduzido na cidade do Recife, Nordeste do Brasil. Adicionalmente, esse trabalho analisa o papel dos níveis de IgG total maternos e da imunidade antidengue materna na transferência de anticorpos ao feto. Na coorte de lactentes, a tese avalia a cinética de declínio dos anticorpos antidengue materno-transferidos e sua capacidade de mediar ADE durante os primeiros anos de vida. Níveis de IgG DENV-especifico e de anticorpos neutralizantes sorotipo específicos (DENV1-4) foram determinados em 376 pares mãe-cordão. A cinética de anticorpos materno transferidos neutralizantes e/ou mediadores de ADE foi investigada em uma subamostra das crianças inseridas na coorte. A maior parte das gestantes apresentava imunidade ao sorotipo DENV-3 (53,7 por cento) ou a combinação DENV-3/ DENV-4 (30,6 por cento). Níveis de IgG DENV-específico e de anticorpos neutralizantes para os sorotipos DENV-3 e DENV-4 foram significativamente maiores nas amostras do cordão umbilical do que nas respectivas amostras maternas. Mães imunes a apenas um sorotipo do vírus transferiram maiores níveis de IgG DENV-especifico (p=0,02) e de anticorpos neutralizantes para o DENV-3 (p=0,04) quando comparado a mães imunes a múltiplos sorotipos do DENV. Níveis de anticorpos materno transferidos para o DENV-3 foram indetectáveis em 90 por cento das crianças aos 4 meses de idade. O pico de atividade ADE foi detectado no segundo mês de vida (p0,0001) e rapidamente declinou no quarto mês de vida (p=0,0035). Diferente do observado em lactentes asiáticas, o pico de atividade ADE mediado pelos anticorpos maternos transferidos ocorreu mais nos lactentes Brasileiros. Esses resultados possuem importantes implicações para a imunopatogênese da dengue durante a infância e para o estabelecimento de futuros esquemas vacinais antidengue nos primeiros anos de vida (AU

Serotype specific antibodies antidengue in a baseline study polulacional held in Recife, Pernambuco

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-07T13:16:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 521.pdf: 1271118 bytes, checksum: 875497805ab7b1625a92ed477fad5b66 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilDengue é considerada a mais importante arbovirose, constituindo um grave problema de saúde pública no mundo. A doença é causada por um Flavivirus com quatro sorotipos (DENV-1, 2, 3 e 4) antigenicamente similares, mas imunologicamente distintos. A circulação simultânea desses sorotipos é apontada como um importante fator de risco para determinação dos casos graves da doença, pois aumenta a probabilidade de ocorrência de infecções secundárias e o surgimento de genótipos mais virulentos. Inquérito sorológico de base populacional conduzido na cidade do Recife, Pernambuco, entre 2005-2006, em 2.833 indivíduos com idades entre 05 e 64 anos, residentes em três áreas com condições sócio-econômicas distintas encontrou prevalência global superior a 80 por cento, indicando elevada transmissão da infecção no município. Esse estudo investigou a imunidade antidengue sorotipo específica em uma amostra aleatória de 324 participantes com sorologia positiva (IgG) de uma das áreas investigadas. Além disso, estimou-se a proporção de susceptíveis aos diferentes sorotipos na população, com base na extrapolação dos resultados da amostra. O teste de neutralização por redução do número de placas (PRNT) foi utilizado na sorotipagem. A freqüência de infecções monotípicas e multitípicas foram analisadas de acordo com grupo etário, sexo, dengue auto-referida e busca por atendimento. Observou-se elevada proporção de indivíduos imunes ao DENV-3 (35,6 por cento; IC: 86,7-96,6) e de infecções multitípicas (61,6 por cento), não tendo sido observado diferenças entre os grupos etários (p=0,395). Houve maior proporção de susceptíveis aos sorotipos DENV-1 (15 ano

Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of congenital Zika virus syndrome and diaphragmatic unilateral palsy: case report

Abstract Introduction: several birth defects associated to congenital Zika virus infection have been reported, although the clinical features have not been fully characterized. Description: this is the first case report on unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis diagnosed on a neonate with congenital Zika confirmed by the examination of the amniotic fluid through polymerase chain reaction (ZIKV RT-PCR) and the examination of cerebrospinal fluid by serological test (IgM ZIKV-ELISA) after birth. The main manifestations detected by intrauterine ultrasound were: microcephaly, ventriculomegaly, intracranial calcifications, enlarged cisterna magna, increased amniotic fluid index and fetal akinesia syndrome. The newborn had acute respiratory failure in the first hours of life, requiring mechanical ventila-tion. The X- ray of the chest showed unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis and cardiomegaly. Discussion: diaphragmatic palsy in congenital Zika has not been previously reported, the etiopathogenic mechanisms of this event in congenital Zika virus needs to be elucidated

Potent and broad neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) including omicron sub-lineages BA.1 and BA.2 by biparatopic human VH domains

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) requires the development of next-generation biologics with high neutralization breadth. Here, we characterized a human VH domain, F6, which we generated by sequentially panning large phage-displayed VH libraries against receptor binding domains (RBDs) containing VOC mutations. Cryo-EM analyses reveal that F6 has a unique binding mode that spans a broad surface of the RBD and involves the antibody framework region. Attachment of an Fc region to a fusion of F6 and ab8, a previously characterized VH domain, resulted in a construct (F6-ab8-Fc) that broadly and potently neutralized VOCs including Omicron. Additionally, prophylactic treatment using F6-ab8-Fc reduced live Beta (B.1.351) variant viral titers in the lungs of a mouse model. Our results provide a new potential therapeutic against SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron and highlight a vulnerable epitope within the spike that may be exploited to achieve broad protection against circulating variants.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCBiochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department ofReviewedFacult