A5039973348- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Hepatitis C virus research
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- Viral Infections and Immunology Research
- Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- Liver Diseases and Immunity
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Virus-based gene therapy research
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Neonatal Respiratory Health Research
- Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Studies
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
Medical University of Vienna
2015-2024
Medical University of Graz
2022
Sigmund Freud University
2022
Universität Hamburg
2011-2014
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
2011-2014
Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital
2014
MSH Medical School Hamburg – University of Applied Sciences and Medical University
2013
Saint Michael's Medical Center
2010
St Anna Children's Hospital
1999-2008
Vienna General Hospital
2006
Superspreading events shaped the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and their rapid identification containment are essential for control. Here, we provide a national-scale analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) superspreading during first wave infections in Austria, country that played major role initial virus transmissions Europe. Capitalizing on Austria's well-developed epidemiological surveillance system, identified SARS-CoV-2 clusters performed deep...
Evidence suggests that B cell-depleting therapy with rituximab (RTX) affects humoral immune response after vaccination. It remains unclear whether RTX-treated patients can develop a and T-cell-mediated against SARS-CoV-2 immunisation.Patients under RTX treatment (n=74) were vaccinated twice either mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2. Antibodies quantified using the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike protein neutralisation tests. SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell...
CD8+ T cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 has been implicated in COVID-19 severity and virus control. Here, we identified nonsynonymous mutations MHC-I-restricted epitopes after deep sequencing of 747 isolates. Mutant peptides exhibited diminished or abrogated MHC-I binding a cell-free vitro assay. Reduced mutant was associated with decreased proliferation, IFN-γ production cytotoxic activity cells isolated from HLA-matched patients. Single RNA ex vivo expanded, tetramer-sorted patients further...
Fewer than 50% of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) develop antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein after 2 doses an mRNA vaccine. Preliminary data suggest that a heterologous vaccination, combining and viral vector vaccines, may increase immunogenicity.To assess effectiveness third dose vs vaccine in KTRs who did not have vaccine.This was single center, single-blinded, 1:1 randomized clinical trial SARS-CoV-2, conducted from June 15 to August 16, 2021, 201 had developed Data...
Dual respiratory viral infections are frequently associated with lower tract illness in infants. This study aimed to determine the impact of a dual infection on specific aspects infant's immune response and clinical course illness.A prospective was performed 772 infants hospitalized from October 2000 through July 2004. Sensitive polymerase chain reaction methodology revealed presence single virus 443 (57%) cases, whereas were identified 153 (20%) cases. From 250 confirmed infection, fresh...
Abstract We comparatively assessed sensitivities and specificities of 4 commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) 2 rapid tests in 77 patients with polymerase chain reaction–confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection, grouped by interval since symptom onset. Although test were low (<40%) within the first 5 days after disease onset, immunoglobulin (Ig) M, IgA, total antibody ELISAs increased sensitivity to >80% between 6 10 The evaluated...
Disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ranges from mild illness to disease and death. In this study, we determined kinetics of viral loads, antibody responses (IgM, IgG, neutralization) SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4 T cells quantifying these parameters in 435 serial blood samples collected a cohort 29 COVID-19 patients with either moderate or during whole period hospitalization until Remarkably, there was no significant difference plateau levels...
SARS-CoV-2-induced COVID-19 has led to exponentially rising mortality, particularly in immunosuppressed patients, who inadequately respond conventional vaccination.In this blinded randomised clinical trial, we compare the efficacy and safety of an additional booster vaccination with a vector versus mRNA vaccine non-seroconverted patients. We assigned 60 patients under rituximab treatment, did not seroconvert after their primary either BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna),...
The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant is the antigenically most distinct to date. As heavily mutated spike protein enables neutralization escape, we studied serum-neutralizing activities of naïve and vaccinated individuals after BA.1 or BA.2 sub-lineage infections in live virus tests with BA.1, BA.2, wildtype (WT, B1.1), Delta (B.1.617.2) strains. Serum samples obtained WT three-dose mRNA vaccinations without prior infection were...
In 2022, Austria experienced a severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic with an earlier-than-usual start (Weeks 35/2021-45/2022) and increased numbers of pediatric patients in emergency departments. This surge came 2 years after season no cases detected as result coronavirus disease 2019 nonpharmaceutical interventions. We analyzed epidemiologic patterns the phylodynamics RSV based on approximately 30 800 specimens collected year-round over 10 from ambulatory hospitalized 248...
Abstract We report SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers in sera of triple-vaccinated individuals who received a booster dose an original monovalent or bivalent BA.1- BA.4/BA.5-adapted vaccine had breakthrough infection with Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2 BA.4/BA.5. A BA.4/BA.5 Omicron-breakthrough induced increased Omicron-neutralization compared the booster. The XBB.1.5 variant effectively evaded neutralizing-antibody responses elicited by current vaccines and/or previous variants.
Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) are considered a valuable marker for measuring humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2. However, live-virus neutralization tests (NTs) require high-biosafety-level laboratories and time-consuming. Therefore, surrogate virus (sVNTs) have been widely applied, but unlike most anti-spike (S) antibody assays, NTs sVNTs not harmonized, requiring further evaluation comparative analyses. This study compared seven commercial anti-S-antibody assays with NT as reference,...
Abstract SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron lineages continue to emerge and evolve into new sublineages, causing infection waves throughout 2022 2023, which has been attributed immune escape. We examined neutralizing antibody responses the recently emerged JN.1 variant in comparison ancestral D614G BA.1, BA.2, BA.5, XBB.1.5 variants. tested 79 human sera from cohorts with different combinations of vaccinations infections, including 23 individuals who had repeatedly exposed Omicron. Individuals a monovalent...
We examined the in vivo cell-mediated immune response infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection order to gain information about pathogenesis of severe RSV disease infancy. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and three-color flow cytometry were used determine levels messenger RNA (mRNA) for interferon (IFN)-gamma peripheral blood mononuclear cells, distribution lymphocyte subsets acute infection. The findings correlated severity patients' illness...
ABSTRACT The degrees of effectiveness reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, virus isolation, and antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection influenza A were evaluated with nasopharyngeal swabs from 150 patients (1 week to 86 years old) infection. RT-PCR had a sensitivity in stock preparations 10 3 times higher than isolation 6 7 ELISA. rate achieved by clinical samples was clearly (93%) that (80%) ELISA (62%). Despite low overall rates ELISA, younger 5 old yielded...
The impairment of immune functions in the elderly (immunosenescence) results post-vaccination antibody titers that are significantly lower than young individuals. It is, however, a controversial question whether also quality antibodies declines with age. In this study, we have therefore investigated age-dependence functional characteristics responses induced by vaccination an inactivated flavivirus vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). For purpose, quantified TBE virus-specific IgG...
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is an important human-pathogenic flavivirus endemic in large parts of Europe and Central Eastern Asia. Neutralizing antibodies specific for the viral envelope protein E are believed to mediate long-lasting protection after natural infection vaccination. To study specificity individual variation human antibody responses, we developed immunoassays with recombinant antigens representing surface domains domain combinations. These allowed us dissect quantify...
Between 28 June and 17 September 2018, 27 cases of human West Nile virus infections were recorded in Austria; four neuroinvasive disease, 11 fever, six detected by blood donation screening imported cases. In addition, 18 Usutu (all donors) recorded. This is the highest number annual Austria since introduction both viruses.
Objective The study was undertaken to assess the impact of B cell depletion on humoral and cellular immune responses severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) vaccination in patients with various neuroimmunologic disorders anti‐CD20 therapy. This included an analysis T vaccine response SARS‐CoV‐2 Delta variant. Methods We investigated prospectively mRNA 82 therapy age‐ sex‐matched healthy controls. For quantification antibodies, Elecsys anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 viral spike (S)...
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is characterized by substantial changes in the antigenic structure of Spike (S) protein. Therefore, antibodies induced primary infection lack neutralizing activity against earlier variants. In this study, we analyzed whether these impact sensitivity commercial anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays. Sera from 37 unvaccinated, convalescent individuals after putative were tested with a panel 20 immunoassays. As controls, used samples 43 ancestral wild-type strain....
Patients under rituximab therapy are at high risk for a severe COVID-19 disease course. Humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination vastly diminished in B-cell-depleted patients, even after third vaccine dose. However, it remains unclear whether these patients benefit from fourth and continued affects antibody development.In this open-label extension trial, 37 rituximab-treated who received dose with either vector or mRNA-based were vaccinated time an (mRNA-1273 BNT162b2). Key...