1.Antibody Detection in Healthcare Workers after Vaccination with Two Doses of the BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 Vaccine
Kyoung Ho ROH ; Heun CHOI ; HeeKyoung CHOI ; Miseon YOON ; Jongha YOO ; Yoonseon PARK
Annals of Clinical Microbiology 2022;25(3):91-101
Background:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2020, many pharmaceutical companies have developed vaccines. To determine the efficacy of AstraZeneca's and Pfizer's vaccines, which were the first and second vaccines to be approved in Korea, respectively, we developed a method to measure their antibody-generating efficacies using immunology analyzers and a rapid antibody test available in Korea.
Methods:
The antibody-stimulating efficacies of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were evaluated using Centaur® XPT SARS-CoV-2 (Siemens Healthineers, Germany), Elecsys® AntiSARS-CoV-2 S (Roche Diagnostics, Germany), and STANDARD F SARS-CoV-2 nAb FIA (SD Biosensor, Korea). Healthcare workers were enrolled in two groups: the Pfizer (121) and AstraZeneca (117) groups. Antibody levels were measured pre-vaccination, three weeks after vaccination, and 16 weeks after vaccination.
Results:
The Pfizer group comprised 41 males and 80 females, while the AstraZeneca group comprised 38 males and 79 females. Antibody results were analyzed after excluding four individuals who had recovered from COVID-19. Between weeks 3 and 16, there was no significant difference (P= 0.5, 1.0) between the results of the Roche and Siemens antibody tests in the Pfizer vaccine group. However, the SD biosensor results comparing with the Roche and Siemens antibody tests at three weeks after the initial vaccination showed a significant difference (P < 0.0001). Analysis of the Roche antibody test results before, at three weeks, and at 16 weeks after the administration of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines revealed a statistically significant difference between before and at three weeks after the first injection (P < 0.0001).
Conclusion
After two doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, antibody formation was above the 90 th percentile of the measurement range in all subjects.
2.Notch1 Has an Important Role in β-Cell Mass Determination and Development of Diabetes
Young Sil EOM ; A-Ryeong GWON ; Kyung Min KWAK ; Jin-Young YOUN ; Heekyoung PARK ; Kwang-Won KIM ; Byung-Joon KIM
Diabetes & Metabolism Journal 2021;45(1):86-96
Notch signaling pathway plays an important role in regulating pancreatic endocrine and exocrine cell fate during pancreas development. Notch signaling is also expressed in adult pancreas. There are few studies on the effect of Notch on adult pancreas. Here, we investigated the role of Notch in islet mass and glucose homeostasis in adult pancreas using Notch1 antisense transgenic (NAS). Western blot analysis was performed for the liver of 8-week-old male NAS mice. We also conducted an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test in 8-week-old male NAS mice and male C57BL/6 mice (control). Morphologic observation of pancreatic islet and β-cell was conducted in two groups. Insulin secretion capacity in islets was measured by glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and perifusion. NAS mice showed higher glucose levels and lower insulin secretion in IPGTT than the control mice. There was no significant difference in insulin resistance. Total islet and β-cell masses were decreased in NAS mice. The number of large islets (≥250 µm) decreased while that of small islets (<250 µm) increased. Reduced insulin secretion was observed in GSIS and perifusion. Neurogenin3, neurogenic differentiation, and MAF bZIP transcription factor A levels increased in NAS mice. Our study provides that Notch1 inhibition decreased insulin secretion and decreased islet and β-cell masses. It is thought that Notch1 inhibition suppresses islet proliferation and induces differentiation of small islets. In conclusion, Notch signaling pathway may play an important role in β-cell mass determination and diabetes.
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