Aim: To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac vaccine in patients with cancer receiving active systemic therapy. Methods: This multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted with 47 patients receiving active systemic therapy for cancer. CoronaVac was administered as two doses (3 μg/day) on days 0 and 28. Antibody level higher than 1 IU/ml was defined as ‘immunogenicity.’ Results: The immunogenicity rate was 63.8% (30/47) in the entire patient group, 59.5% (25/42) in those receiving at least one cytotoxic drug and 100% (five of five) in those receiving monoclonal antibody or immunotherapy alone. Age was an independent predictive factor for immunogenicity (odds ratio: 0.830; p = 0.043). Conclusion: More than half of cancer patients receiving active systemic therapy developed immunogenicity.

Background/aim: To investigate the relative frequency of biopsied nonneoplastic oral mucosal lesions in Ankara, Turkey. Materials and methods:Biopsy records of a single center from 2000-2012 were retrospectively collected. Diagnosis was recorded and evaluated with respect to patient demographics (age, sex) and location of the lesion. Results:Of 11,980 biopsies, 1732 (14.5%) were mucosal nonneoplastic lesions. Hyperplastic lesions (n = 1000, 57.7%) with fibroepithelial hyperplasia in 30.9% of patients were the most common type of oral nonneoplastic lesions. The mean age of patients differed with respect to type of mucosal lesion, tending to be lower in patients with reactive lesions. Dermatoses showed a female predominance. Conclusion:Our findings revealed that hyperplastic lesions were the most common among nonneoplastic oral mucosa lesions. Geographic and ethnic differences of patients with various types of oral mucosal lesions require further investigation.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in long-term psychiatric symptoms because of the immunologic response to the virus itself as well as fundamental life changes related to the pandemic. This immune response leads to altered tryptophan (TRP)–kynurenine (KYN) pathway (TKP) metabolism, which plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of mental illnesses. We aimed to define TKP changes as a potential underlying mechanism of psychiatric disorders in post-COVID-19 patients. We measured plasma levels of several TKP markers, including KYN, TRP, kynurenic acid (KYNA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), and quinolinic acid (QUIN), as well as the TRP/KYN, KYNA/3-HK, and KYNA/QUIN ratios, in 90 post-COVID-19 patients (on the first day of hospitalization) and 59 healthy controls (on the first admission to the Check-Up Center). An online questionnaire that included the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was used 6 months after the initial assessment in both groups. A total of 32.2% of participants with COVID-19 showed depressive symptoms, 21.1% exhibited anxiety, and 33.3% had signs of stress at follow-up, while 6.6% of healthy controls exhibited depressive and anxiety symptoms and 18.6% had signs of stress. TRP and 3-HK were negative predictors of anxiety and stress, but KYN positively predicted anxiety and stress. Moreover, TRP negatively predicted depression, while KYNA/3-HK was a negative predictor of anxiety. The correlation between depression, anxiety, and stress and TKP activation in COVID-19 could provide prospective biomarkers, especially the reduction in TRP and 3HK levels and the increase in KYN. Our results suggest that the alteration of TKP is not only a potential biomarker of viral infection-related long-term psychiatric disorders but also that the therapy targets future viral infections related to depression and anxiety. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00702-022-02525-1.

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Background: In chronic hepatitis B patients with or exposed to the risk of osteoporosis or renal dysfunction, switching from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) to tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) or entecavir (ETV) may be the right choice. Objectives: This study aimed to present real-life data in terms of the efficacy and safety of a TAF/ETV treatment change while receiving TDF. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 344 adult patients from 10 centers. The data of patients who had changed to ETV (n = 107) and TAF (n = 237) while receiving TDF were analyzed. The data collected at 0 and 6 months of treatment were analyzed. The virological response was assessed based on undetected hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values were used to evaluate the biochemical response. For renal function, serum creatinine and phosphorus, as well as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), were recorded. Moreover, lumbar spine and hip T-scores along with the serum lipid profile were evaluated. Results: The mean age of patients was 41.14 ± 13.46 years, and 224 (65.1%) of the participants were male. The treatment arms were not significantly different in terms of demographic characteristics, comorbid diseases, infection duration, family history of HBV infection, blood platelet count, serum biomarkers, such as ALT, phosphorus, creatinine, total bilirubin, albumin, lipid profile, and HBV DNA levels at the beginning. No statistically significant difference was found between the proportion of undetectable HBV DNA of the two treatment groups after 6 months (P = 0.221). The ALT normalization in the ETV and TAF groups at the sixth month compared to the baseline levels was not significantly different (P = 0.853, P = 0.330, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between the two treatment arms regarding changes in eGFR, creatinine, phosphorus, hip, and spine T-scores from baseline to 6 months (P = 0.296, P = 0.78, P = 0.141, P = 0.832, P = 0.947, respectively). In those who switched to TAF or ETV, low-density lipoproteins cholesterol were observed to be significantly higher after 6 months compared to baseline values (P = 0.002, P = 0.049, respectively). The TC increased significantly in the TAF group (P = 0.035). Conclusions: Our study showed that switching to ETV and TAF sustained the viral suppression and biochemical response achieved by TDF therapy. The treatment switch to TAF of ETV can control renal dysfunction and reduce bone mineral density caused by TDF.

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