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BACKGROUNDInitial reports from the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic described children as being less susceptible to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) than adults. Subsequently, a severe and novel pediatric disorder termed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) emerged. We report on unique hematologic and immunologic parameters that distinguish between COVID-19 and MIS-C and provide insight into pathophysiology.METHODSWe prospectively enrolled hospitalized patients with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and classified them as having MIS-C or COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 were classified as having either minimal or severe disease. Cytokine profiles, viral cycle thresholds (Cts), blood smears, and soluble C5b-9 values were analyzed with clinical data.RESULTSTwenty patients were enrolled (9 severe COVID-19, 5 minimal COVID-19, and 6 MIS-C). Five cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) contributed to the analysis. TNF-α and IL-10 discriminated between patients with MIS-C and severe COVID-19. The presence of burr cells on blood smears, as well as Cts, differentiated between patients with severe COVID-19 and those with MIS-C.CONCLUSIONPediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2 are at risk for critical illness with severe COVID-19 and MIS-C. Cytokine profiling and examination of peripheral blood smears may distinguish between patients with MIS-C and those with severe COVID-19.FUNDINGFinancial support for this project was provided by CHOP Frontiers Program Immune Dysregulation Team; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; National Cancer Institute; the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Cookies for Kids Cancer; Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer; Children's Oncology Group; Stand UP 2 Cancer; Team Connor; the Kate Amato Foundations; Burroughs Wellcome Fund CAMS; the Clinical Immunology Society; the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology; and the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a representative neglected tropical disease (NTD) with increased morbidity and mortality but is ignored and overlooked in developed countries. Serological and radiographic findings are helpful in distinguishing these parasites; however, conflicting results of these can make it difficult to diagnose if medical knowledge of hepatic parasitic disease, including the etiology, features of imaging, and immunodiagnostic test, is not acquired. We report the case of a male patient with dyspepsia and right epigastric pain who had positive results for cysticercosis antibodies on immunodiagnostic examination. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed two huge communicating cystic lesions measuring 8-11 cm. Further evaluations for cysticercosis of the brain (neurocysticercosis) and eyes (intraocular cysticercosis) were unremarkable throughout the brain imaging test and fundus examination. A laparoscopic right hemi-hepatectomy was performed for diagnosis and treatment. On histopathological examination, diverse stages of Echinococcus granulosus were identified. Albendazole was administered postoperatively, and the patient was also followed up. We should be aware of the etiologies that have been prevalent in parasite infection thought to be the cause of hepatic cysts. Moreover, we make an effort to ascertain the patient's nationality, past travel experiences, and immediate environment, including any animals and pets. We present the case of a patient who was worried about the possibility of liver invasion of cysticercus due to the positivity of the cysticercosis antibody and was ultimately diagnosed with CE.

BACKGROUNDPediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection can be complicated by a dangerous hyperinflammatory condition termed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The clinical and immunologic spectrum of MIS-C and its relationship to other inflammatory conditions of childhood have not been studied in detail.METHODSWe retrospectively studied confirmed cases of MIS-C at our institution from March to June 2020. The clinical characteristics, laboratory studies, and treatment response were collected. Data were compared with historic cohorts of Kawasaki disease (KD) and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS).RESULTSTwenty-eight patients fulfilled the case definition of MIS-C. Median age at presentation was 9 years (range: 1 month to 17 years); 50% of patients had preexisting conditions. All patients had laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Seventeen patients (61%) required intensive care, including 7 patients (25%) who required inotrope support. Seven patients (25%) met criteria for complete or incomplete KD, and coronary abnormalities were found in 6 cases. Lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevation in inflammatory markers, D-dimer, B-type natriuretic peptide, IL-6, and IL-10 levels were common but not ubiquitous. Cytopenias distinguished MIS-C from KD and the degree of hyperferritinemia and pattern of cytokine production differed between MIS-C and MAS. Immunomodulatory therapy given to patients with MIS-C included intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) (71%), corticosteroids (61%), and anakinra (18%). Clinical and laboratory improvement were observed in all cases, including 6 cases that did not require immunomodulatory therapy. No mortality was recorded in this cohort.CONCLUSIONMIS-C encompasses a broad phenotypic spectrum with clinical and laboratory features distinct from KD and MAS.FUNDINGThis work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Rheumatology Research Foundation Investigator Awards and Medical Education Award; Boston Children's Hospital Faculty Career Development Awards; the McCance Family Foundation; and the Samara Jan Turkel Center.

Acanthamoeba spp. is the causative agent of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a vision-threatening parasitic disease whose primary risk factor has been attributed to poor contact lens hygiene. Unfortunately, differential diagnosis of AK is challenging as the clinical manifestations for AK are similar to those of bacterial, fungal, or even viral keratitis. Since delayed AK diagnosis can incur permanent vision impairment, a rapid and sensitive diagnostic method is urgently needed. Here, the diagnostic potential of polyclonal antibodies targeting the chorismate mutase (CM) of Acanthamoeba spp. was evaluated in AK animal models. CM antibody specificity against Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts was confirmed by immunocytochemistry after co-culturing Acanthamoeba with Fusarium solani, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, and human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed using CM-specific immune sera raised in rabbits, which demonstrated that the antibodies specifically interacted with the Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts in a dose-dependent manner. To evaluate the diagnostic potential of the CM antibody, AK animal models were established by incubating contact lenses with an inoculum containing A. castellanii trophozoites and subsequently overlaying these lenses onto the corneas of BALB/c mice for 7 and 21 days. The CM antibody specifically detected Acanthamoeba antigens in the murine lacrimal and eyeball tissue lysates at both time points. Our findings underscore the importance of antibody-based AK diagnosis, which could enable early and differential AK diagnosis in clinical settings.

Due to their high specificity and scalability, Monoclonal IgY antibodies have emerged as a valuable alternative to traditional polyclonal IgY antibodies. This abstract provides an overview of the production and purification methods of monoclonal IgY antibodies, highlights their advantages over polyclonal IgY antibodies, and discusses their recent applications. Monoclonal recombinant IgY antibodies, in contrast to polyclonal IgY antibodies, offer several benefits. such as derived from a single B-cell clone, monoclonal antibodies exhibit superior specificity, ensuring consistent and reliable results. Furthermore, it explores the suitability of monoclonal IgY antibodies for low- and middle-income countries, considering their cost-effectiveness and accessibility. We also discussed future directions and challenges in using polyclonal IgY and monoclonal IgY antibodies. In conclusion, monoclonal IgY antibodies offer substantial advantages over polyclonal IgY antibodies regarding specificity, scalability, and consistent performance. Their recent applications in diagnostics, therapeutics, and research highlight their versatility. Plain language summary Chicken egg yolk antibodies (IgY) and monoclonal antibodies: advancements and limitations for immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy applications Chicken egg yolk antibodies (IgY antibodies) and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are two types of antibodies used in medical applications. IgY antibodies are cost-effective, stable, and specific, with the advantage of not triggering harmful immune responses. However, they may have limitations in identifying certain target areas and availability. On the other hand, mAbs are highly specific and can detect multiple target areas on antigens, but their production is expensive and may cause immune responses. Despite these drawbacks, both IgY antibodies and mAbs show promise in various applications such as infectious disease diagnosis, cancer treatment, and autoimmune disorders. Ongoing developments in antibody technology are likely to expand their applications in immunology. This review provides an overview of the strengths and limitations of IgY antibodies and mAbs in immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy, as well as their role in pandemic control.

The CdSe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell quantum dots (QDs) with strong exciton confinement have manifested themselves as competitive light-emitting materials in electrochemiluminescence (ECL). However, cathodic ECL generation by these QDs requires the injection of electron and hole from solid electrode and electrogenerated radicals (for example SO 4 •− ), which is inevitably influenced by not only the inorganic structure of QDs but also the organic ligands on the surface. In this work we aimed at studying the impact of surface organic ligands on ECL performance of CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs. When changing the surface ligand from oleate to acetate, we phenomenologically observed the positive shift of ECL onset potential by ca. 200 mV and the increase of ECL intensity by ∼ 100 times, suggesting that a short ligand is more favorable for ECL generation. To further comprehend the ligand effect, we measured the charge injection kinetics using potential-modulated, time-resolved photoluminescence, and thin-layer spectroelectrochemistry techniques. The electron and hole injection into QDs were found to be accelerated by 2–20 times if shortening the ligand from oleate to acetate, confirming the significant impact of surface ligands on ECL performance of QDs. The study is expected to provide guidance on how to design surface functionalized QDs for specific applications such as ECL immunodiagnosis, photocatalysis, and photovoltaics.

Current immunodiagnostic tests for tuberculosis (TB) are based on the detection of an immune response toward mycobacterial antigens injected into the skin or following an simulation in interferon gamma-release assays. Both tests have limited sensitivity and are unable to differentiate between tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis disease (aTB). To overcome this, the use of novel ( stage-specific antigens for the diagnosis of LTBI and aTB has gained interest in recent years. This review summarizes current evidence on novel antigens used for the immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis and discrimination of LTBI and aTB. In addition, results on measured biomarkers after stimulation with novel antigens were also reviewed. A systematic literature review was performed in Pubmed, EMBASE and web of science searching articles from 2000 up until December 2017. Only articles reporting studies in humans using novel antigens were included. Of 1,533 articles screened 34 were included in the final analysis. A wide range of novel antigens expressed during different stages and types of LTBI and aTB have been assessed. antigens Rv0081, Rv1733c, Rv1737c, Rv2029c, Rv2031 and Rv2628, all encoded by the dormancy of survival regulon, were among the most widely studied antigens and showed the most promising results. These antigens have been shown to have best potential for differentiating LTBI from aTB. In addition, several studies have shown that the inclusion of cytokines other than IFN-γ can improve sensitivity. There is limited evidence that the inclusion of novel antigens as well as the measurement of other biomarkers than IFN-γ may improve sensitivity and may lead to a discrimination of LTBI from aTB.

The aim of this study was to develop a noninvasive serological diagnostic approach in identifying and evaluating a panel of candidate autoantibodies to tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs) based on protein microarray technology for early detection of ovarian cancer (OC). Protein microarray based on 154 proteins encoded by 138 cancer driver genes was used to screen candidate anti‐TAA autoantibodies in a discovery cohort containing 17 OC and 27 normal controls (NC). Indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the content of candidate anti‐TAA autoantibodies in sera from 140 subjects in the training cohort. Differential anti‐TAA autoantibodies were further validated in the validation cohort with 328 subjects. Subsequently, 112 sera from the patients with ovarian benign diseases with 104 OC sera and 104 NC sera together were recruited to identify the specificity of representative autoantibodies to OC among ovarian diseases. Five TAAs (GNAS, NPM1, FUBP1, p53, and KRAS) were screened out in the discovery phase, in which four of them presented higher levels in OC than controls (P < .05) in the training cohort, which was consistent with the result in the subsequent validation cohort. An optimized panel of three anti‐TAA (GNAS, p53, and NPM1) autoantibodies was identified to have relatively high sensitivity (51.2%), specificity (86.0%), and accuracy (68.6%), respectively. This panel can identify 51% of OC patients with CA125 negative. This study supports our assumption that anti‐TAA autoantibodies can be considered as potential diagnostic biomarkers for detection of OC; especially a panel of three anti‐TAA autoantibodies could be a good tool in immunodiagnosis of OC. We developed a noninvasive serological diagnostic approach of ovarian cancer (OC). Autoantibodies can be considered as potential biomarkers for the detection of OC. A panel of three anti‐TAA (GNAS, p53, and NPM1) autoantibodies was identified.