Browsing by Author "Crandall, Hillary"

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    Author Correction: Cross-reactive immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is low in pediatric patients with prior COVID-19 or MIS-C
    (Springer Nature, 2022-08-12) Tang, Juanjie; Novak, Tanya; Hecker, Julian; Grubbs, Gabrielle; Zahra, Fatema Tuz; Bellusci, Lorenza; Pourhashemi, Sara; Chou, Janet; Moffitt, Kristin; Halasa, Natasha B.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Zinter, Matt S.; Staat, Mary A.; Gertz, Shira J.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Loftis, Laura L.; Coates, Bria M.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Irby, Katherine; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Kong, Michele; Flori, Heidi R.; Maddux, Aline B.; Shein, Steven L.; Crandall, Hillary; Hume, Janet R.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Tremoulet, Adriana H.; Shimizu, Chisato; Burns, Jane C.; Chen, Sabrina R.; Moon, Hye Kyung; Lange, Christoph; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Khurana, Surender; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Correction to: Nature Communications 10.1038/s41467-022-30649-1, published online 27 May 2022
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    BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccination Against Coronavirus Disease 2019 is Associated With a Decreased Likelihood of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Aged 5-18 Years-United States, July 2021 - April 2022
    (Oxford University Press, 2023) Zambrano, Laura D.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Olson, Samantha M.; Halasa, Natasha B.; Price, Ashley M.; Orzel, Amber O.; Young, Cameron C.; Boom, Julie A.; Sahni, Leila C.; Maddux, Aline B.; Bline, Katherine E.; Kamidani, Satoshi; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Chiotos, Kathleen; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Cullimore, Melissa L.; Heidemann, Sabrina M.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Nofziger, Ryan A.; Pannaraj, Pia S.; Cameron, Melissa A.; Walker, Tracie C.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Michelson, Kelly N.; Coates, Bria M.; Flori, Heidi R.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Smallcomb, Laura; Gertz, Shira J.; Bhumbra, Samina S.; Bradford, Tamara T.; Levy, Emily R.; Kong, Michele; Irby, Katherine; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Zinter, Matt S.; Bowens, Cindy; Crandall, Hillary; Hume, Janet R.; Patel, Manish M.; Campbell, Angela P.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), linked to antecedent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, is associated with considerable morbidity. Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by vaccination might also decrease MIS-C likelihood. Methods: In a multicenter, case-control, public health investigation of children ages 5-18 years hospitalized from 1 July 2021 to 7 April 2022, we compared the odds of being fully vaccinated (2 doses of BNT162b2 vaccine ≥28 days before hospital admission) between MIS-C case-patients and hospital-based controls who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. These associations were examined by age group, timing of vaccination, and periods of Delta and Omicron variant predominance using multivariable logistic regression. Results: We compared 304 MIS-C case-patients (280 [92%] unvaccinated) with 502 controls (346 [69%] unvaccinated). MIS-C was associated with decreased likelihood of vaccination (adjusted OR [aOR]: .16; 95% CI: .10-.26), including among children ages 5-11 years (aOR: .22; 95% CI: .10-.52), ages 12-18 years (aOR: .10; 95% CI: .05-.19), and during the Delta (aOR: .06; 95% CI: .02-.15) and Omicron (aOR: .22; 95% CI: .11-.42) variant-predominant periods. This association persisted beyond 120 days after the second dose (aOR: .08; 95% CI: .03-.22) in 12-18-year-olds. Among all MIS-C case-patients, 187 (62%) required intensive care unit admission and 280 (92%) vaccine-eligible case-patients were unvaccinated. Conclusions: Vaccination with 2 doses of BNT162b2 is associated with reduced likelihood of MIS-C in children ages 5-18 years. Most vaccine-eligible hospitalized patients with MIS-C were unvaccinated.
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    Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Vaccine-Eligible US Children Under-5 Years Hospitalized for Acute COVID-19 in a National Network
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2024) Zambrano, Laura D.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Simeone, Regina M.; Fleming-Dutra, Katherine E.; Halasa, Natasha; Wu, Michael; Orzel-Lockwood, Amber O.; Kamidani, Satoshi; Pannaraj, Pia S.; Chiotos, Kathleen; Cameron, Melissa A.; Maddux, Aline B.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Crandall, Hillary; Kong, Michele; Nofziger, Ryan A.; Staat, Mary A.; Bhumbra, Samina S.; Irby, Katherine; Boom, Julie A.; Sahni, Leila C.; Hume, Janet R.; Gertz, Shira J.; Maamari, Mia; Bowens, Cindy; Levy, Emily R.; Bradford, Tamara T.; Walker, Tracie C.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Guzman-Cottrill, Judith A.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Zinter, Matt S.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Bline, Katherine E.; Hymes, Saul R.; Campbell, Angela P.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background and objectives: In June 2022, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccination was recommended for young children. We examined clinical characteristics and factors associated with vaccination status among vaccine-eligible young children hospitalized for acute COVID-19. Methods: We enrolled inpatients 8 months to <5 years of age with acute community-acquired COVID-19 across 28 US pediatric hospitals from September 20, 2022 to May 31, 2023. We assessed demographic and clinical factors, including the highest level of respiratory support, and vaccination status defined as unvaccinated, incomplete, or complete primary series [at least 2 (Moderna) or 3 (Pfizer-BioNTech) mRNA vaccine doses ≥14 days before hospitalization]. Results: Among 597 children, 174 (29.1%) patients were admitted to the intensive care unit and 75 (12.6%) had a life-threatening illness, including 51 (8.5%) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Children with underlying respiratory and neurologic/neuromuscular conditions more frequently received higher respiratory support. Only 4.5% of children hospitalized for COVID-19 (n = 27) had completed their primary COVID-19 vaccination series and 7.0% (n = 42) of children initiated but did not complete their primary series. Among 528 unvaccinated children, nearly half (n = 251) were previously healthy, 3 of them required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for acute COVID-19 and 1 died. Conclusions: Most young children hospitalized for acute COVID-19, including most children admitted to the intensive care unit and with life-threatening illness, had not initiated COVID-19 vaccination despite being eligible. Nearly half of these children had no underlying conditions. Of the small percentage of children who initiated a COVID-19 primary series, most had not completed it before hospitalization.
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    Cross-reactive immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is low in pediatric patients with prior COVID-19 or MIS-C
    (Springer Nature, 2022-05-27) Tang, Juanjie; Novak, Tanya; Hecker, Julian; Grubbs, Gabrielle; Tuz Zahra, Fatema; Bellusci, Lorenza; Pourhashemi, Sara; Chou, Janet; Moffitt, Kristin; Halasa, Natasha B.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Zinter, Matt S.; Staat, Mary A.; Gertz, Shira J.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Loftis, Laura L.; Coates, Bria M.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Irby, Katherine; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Kong, Michele; Flori, Heidi R.; Maddux, Aline B.; Shein, Steven L.; Crandall, Hillary; Hume, Janet R.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Tremoulet, Adriana H.; Shimizu, Chisato; Burns, Jane C.; Chen, Sabrina R.; Moon, Hye Kyung; Lange, Christoph; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Khurana, Surender; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Neutralization capacity of antibodies against Omicron after a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents is not well studied. Therefore, we evaluated virus-neutralizing capacity against SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron variants by age-stratified analyses (<5, 5-11, 12-21 years) in 177 pediatric patients hospitalized with severe acute COVID-19, acute MIS-C, and in convalescent samples of outpatients with mild COVID-19 during 2020 and early 2021. Across all patients, less than 10% show neutralizing antibody titers against Omicron. Children <5 years of age hospitalized with severe acute COVID-19 have lower neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants compared with patients >5 years of age. As expected, convalescent pediatric COVID-19 and MIS-C cohorts demonstrate higher neutralization titers than hospitalized acute COVID-19 patients. Overall, children and adolescents show some loss of cross-neutralization against all variants, with the most pronounced loss against Omicron. In contrast to SARS-CoV-2 infection, children vaccinated twice demonstrated higher titers against Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron. These findings can influence transmission, re-infection and the clinical disease outcome from emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and supports the need for vaccination in children.
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    Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Characteristics and Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With COVID-19 or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Admitted to U.S. ICUs
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2023) Bembea, Melania M.; Loftis, Laura L.; Thiagarajan, Ravi R.; Young, Cameron C.; McCadden, Timothy P.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Kucukak, Suden; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Maddux, Aline B.; Kolmar, Amanda R.; Irby, Katherine; Heidemann, Sabrina; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Kong, Michele; Crandall, Hillary; Havlin, Kevin M.; Singh, Aalok R.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Hall, Mark W.; Wellnitz, Kari A.; Maamari, Mia; Gaspers, Mary G.; Nofziger, Ryan A.; Lim, Peter Paul C.; Carroll, Ryan W.; Munoz, Alvaro Coronado; Bradford, Tamara T.; Cullimore, Melissa L.; Halasa, Natasha B.; McLaughlin, Gwenn E.; Pannaraj, Pia S.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Zinter, Matt S.; Coates, Bria M.; Horwitz, Steven M.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Dapul, Heda; Graciano, Ana Lia; Butler, Andrew D.; Patel, Manish M.; Zambrano, Laura D.; Campbell, Angela P.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Objectives: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used successfully to support adults with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related cardiac or respiratory failure refractory to conventional therapies. Comprehensive reports of children and adolescents with SARS-CoV-2-related ECMO support for conditions, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and acute COVID-19, are needed. Design: Case series of patients from the Overcoming COVID-19 public health surveillance registry. Setting: Sixty-three hospitals in 32 U.S. states reporting to the registry between March 15, 2020, and December 31, 2021. Patients: Patients less than 21 years admitted to the ICU meeting Centers for Disease Control criteria for MIS-C or acute COVID-19. Interventions: None. Measurements and main results: The final cohort included 2,733 patients with MIS-C ( n = 1,530; 37 [2.4%] requiring ECMO) or acute COVID-19 ( n = 1,203; 71 [5.9%] requiring ECMO). ECMO patients in both groups were older than those without ECMO support (MIS-C median 15.4 vs 9.9 yr; acute COVID-19 median 15.3 vs 13.6 yr). The body mass index percentile was similar in the MIS-C ECMO versus no ECMO groups (89.9 vs 85.8; p = 0.22) but higher in the COVID-19 ECMO versus no ECMO groups (98.3 vs 96.5; p = 0.03). Patients on ECMO with MIS-C versus COVID-19 were supported more often with venoarterial ECMO (92% vs 41%) for primary cardiac indications (87% vs 23%), had ECMO initiated earlier (median 1 vs 5 d from hospitalization), shorter ECMO courses (median 3.9 vs 14 d), shorter hospital length of stay (median 20 vs 52 d), lower in-hospital mortality (27% vs 37%), and less major morbidity at discharge in survivors (new tracheostomy, oxygen or mechanical ventilation need or neurologic deficit; 0% vs 11%, 0% vs 20%, and 8% vs 15%, respectively). Most patients with MIS-C requiring ECMO support (87%) were admitted during the pre-Delta (variant B.1.617.2) period, while most patients with acute COVID-19 requiring ECMO support (70%) were admitted during the Delta variant period. Conclusions: ECMO support for SARS-CoV-2-related critical illness was uncommon, but type, initiation, and duration of ECMO use in MIS-C and acute COVID-19 were markedly different. Like pre-pandemic pediatric ECMO cohorts, most patients survived to hospital discharge.
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    Health Impairments in Children and Adolescents After Hospitalization for Acute COVID-19 or MIS-C
    (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2022) Maddux, Aline B.; Berbert, Laura; Young, Cameron C.; Feldstein, Leora R.; Zambrano, Laura D.; Kucukak, Suden; Newhams, Margaret M.; Miller, Kristen; FitzGerald, Madyson M.; He, Jie; Halasa, Natasha B.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Loftis, Laura L.; Walker, Tracie C.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Gertz, Shira J.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Kong, Michele; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Staat, Mary A.; Zinter, Matt S.; Irby, Katherine; Crandall, Hillary; Flori, Heidi; Cullimore, Melissa L.; Nofziger, Ryan A.; Shein, Steven L.; Glas Gaspers, Mary; Hume, Janet R.; Levy, Emily R.; Chen, Sabrina R.; Patel, Manish M.; Tenforde, Mark W.; Weller, Edie; Campbell, Angela P.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Objectives: To evaluate risk factors for postdischarge sequelae in children and adolescents hospitalized for acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Methods: Multicenter prospective cohort study conducted in 25 United States pediatric hospitals. Patients <21-years-old, hospitalized May 2020 to May 2021 for acute COVID-19 or MIS-C with follow-up 2 to 4 months after admission. We assessed readmissions, persistent symptoms or activity impairment, and new morbidities. Multivariable regression was used to calculate adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Of 358 eligible patients, 2 to 4 month survey data were available for 119 of 155 (76.8%) with acute COVID-19 and 160 of 203 (78.8%) with MIS-C. Thirteen (11%) patients with acute COVID-19 and 12 (8%) with MIS-C had a readmission. Thirty-two (26.9%) patients with acute COVID-19 had persistent symptoms (22.7%) or activity impairment (14.3%) and 48 (30.0%) with MIS-C had persistent symptoms (20.0%) or activity impairment (21.3%). For patients with acute COVID-19, persistent symptoms (aRR, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.04-1.59]) and activity impairment (aRR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.06-1.78]) were associated with more organ systems involved. Patients with MIS-C and pre-existing respiratory conditions more frequently had persistent symptoms (aRR, 3.09 [95% CI, 1.55-6.14]) and those with obesity more frequently had activity impairment (aRR, 2.52 [95% CI, 1.35-4.69]). New morbidities were infrequent (9% COVID-19, 1% MIS-C). Conclusions: Over 1 in 4 children hospitalized with acute COVID-19 or MIS-C experienced persistent symptoms or activity impairment for at least 2 months. Patients with MIS-C and respiratory conditions or obesity are at higher risk of prolonged recovery.
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    Maternal Vaccination and Risk of Hospitalization for Covid-19 among Infants
    (Massachusetts Medical Society, 2022) Halasa, Natasha B.; Olson, Samantha M.; Staat, Mary A.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Price, Ashley M.; Pannaraj, Pia S.; Boom, Julie A.; Sahni, Leila C.; Chiotos, Kathleen; Cameron, Melissa A.; Bline, Katherine E.; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; Maddux, Aline B.; Coates, Bria M.; Michelson, Kelly N.; Heidemann, Sabrina M.; Irby, Katherine; Nofziger, Ryan A.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Smallcomb, Laura; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Gertz, Shira J.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Kamidani, Satoshi; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Bhumbra, Samina S.; Maamari, Mia; Hume, Janet R.; Crandall, Hillary; Levy, Emily R.; Zinter, Matt S.; Bradford, Tamara T.; Flori, Heidi R.; Cullimore, Melissa L.; Kong, Michele; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Gilboa, Suzanne M.; Polen, Kara N.; Campbell, Angela P.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Patel, Manish M.; Overcoming Covid-19 Investigators; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background: Infants younger than 6 months of age are at high risk for complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and are not eligible for vaccination. Transplacental transfer of antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) after maternal Covid-19 vaccination may confer protection against Covid-19 in infants. Methods: We used a case-control test-negative design to assess the effectiveness of maternal vaccination during pregnancy against hospitalization for Covid-19 among infants younger than 6 months of age. Between July 1, 2021, and March 8, 2022, we enrolled infants hospitalized for Covid-19 (case infants) and infants hospitalized without Covid-19 (control infants) at 30 hospitals in 22 states. We estimated vaccine effectiveness by comparing the odds of full maternal vaccination (two doses of mRNA vaccine) among case infants and control infants during circulation of the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant (July 1, 2021, to December 18, 2021) and the B.1.1.259 (omicron) variant (December 19, 2021, to March 8, 2022). Results: A total of 537 case infants (181 of whom had been admitted to a hospital during the delta period and 356 during the omicron period; median age, 2 months) and 512 control infants were enrolled and included in the analyses; 16% of the case infants and 29% of the control infants had been born to mothers who had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 during pregnancy. Among the case infants, 113 (21%) received intensive care (64 [12%] received mechanical ventilation or vasoactive infusions). Two case infants died from Covid-19; neither infant's mother had been vaccinated during pregnancy. The effectiveness of maternal vaccination against hospitalization for Covid-19 among infants was 52% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33 to 65) overall, 80% (95% CI, 60 to 90) during the delta period, and 38% (95% CI, 8 to 58) during the omicron period. Effectiveness was 69% (95% CI, 50 to 80) when maternal vaccination occurred after 20 weeks of pregnancy and 38% (95% CI, 3 to 60) during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Conclusions: Maternal vaccination with two doses of mRNA vaccine was associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization for Covid-19, including for critical illness, among infants younger than 6 months of age.
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    Neurologic Involvement in Children and Adolescents Hospitalized in the United States for COVID-19 or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome
    (AMA, 2021-03) LaRovere, Kerri L.; Riggs, Becky J.; Poussaint, Tina Y.; Young, Cameron C.; Newhams, Margaret M.; Maamari, Mia; Walker, Tracie C.; Singh, Aalok R.; Dapul, Heda; Hobbs, Charlotte V.; McLaughlin, Gwenn E.; Son, Mary Beth F.; Maddux, Aline B.; Clouser, Katharine N.; Rowan, Courtney M.; McGuire, John K.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Gertz, Shira J.; Shein, Steven L.; Munoz, Alvaro Coronado; Thomas, Neal J.; Irby, Katherine; Levy, Emily R.; Staat, Mary A.; Tenforde, Mark W.; Feldstein, Leora R.; Halasa, Natasha B.; Giuliano, John S.; Hall, Mark W.; Kong, Michele; Carroll, Christopher L.; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Doymaz, Sule; Loftis, Laura L.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Babbitt, Christopher J.; Nofziger, Ryan A.; Kleinman, Lawrence C.; Keenaghan, Michael A.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Spinella, Philip C.; Hume, Janet R.; Wellnitz, Kari; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Michelson, Kelly N.; Flori, Heidi R.; Patel, Manish M.; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators; Gaspers, Mary G; Typpo, Katri V; Sanders, Ronald C; Schwarz, Adam J; Harvey, Helen; Zinter, Matt S; Mourani, Peter M; Coates, Bria M; Bhoojhawon, Guru; Havlin, Kevin M; Montgomery, Vicki L; Sullivan, Janice E; Bradford, Tamara T; Bembea, Melania M; Lipton, Susan V; Graciano, Ana Lia; Chen, Sabrina R; Kucukak, Suden; Newburger, Jane W; Carroll, Ryan W; Fernandes, Neil D; Yager, Phoebe H; Marohn, Kimberly L; Heidemann, Sabrina M; Cullimore, Melissa L; McCulloh, Russell J; Horwitz, Steven M; Li, Simon; Walsh, Rowan F; Ratner, Adam J; Soma, Vijaya L; Gillen, Jennifer K; Zackai, Sheemon P; Ackerman, Kate G; Cholette, Jill M; Harwayne-Gidansky, Ilana; Hymes, Saul R; Overby, Philip J; Schwartz, Stephanie P; Lansell, Amanda N; Koncicki, Monica L; Carcillo, Joseph; Fink, Ericka; Kimura, Dai; Bowens, Cindy; Crandall, Hillary; Smith, Lincoln S; Cengiz, Pelin; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Importance Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects the nervous system in adult patients. The spectrum of neurologic involvement in children and adolescents is unclear. Objective To understand the range and severity of neurologic involvement among children and adolescents associated with COVID-19. Setting, Design, and Participants Case series of patients (age <21 years) hospitalized between March 15, 2020, and December 15, 2020, with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 test result (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and/or antibody) at 61 US hospitals in the Overcoming COVID-19 public health registry, including 616 (36%) meeting criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Patients with neurologic involvement had acute neurologic signs, symptoms, or diseases on presentation or during hospitalization. Life-threatening involvement was adjudicated by experts based on clinical and/or neuroradiologic features. Exposures Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Main Outcomes and Measures Type and severity of neurologic involvement, laboratory and imaging data, and outcomes (death or survival with new neurologic deficits) at hospital discharge. Results Of 1695 patients (909 [54%] male; median [interquartile range] age, 9.1 [2.4-15.3] years), 365 (22%) from 52 sites had documented neurologic involvement. Patients with neurologic involvement were more likely to have underlying neurologic disorders (81 of 365 [22%]) compared with those without (113 of 1330 [8%]), but a similar number were previously healthy (195 [53%] vs 723 [54%]) and met criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (126 [35%] vs 490 [37%]). Among those with neurologic involvement, 322 (88%) had transient symptoms and survived, and 43 (12%) developed life-threatening conditions clinically adjudicated to be associated with COVID-19, including severe encephalopathy (n = 15; 5 with splenial lesions), stroke (n = 12), central nervous system infection/demyelination (n = 8), Guillain-Barré syndrome/variants (n = 4), and acute fulminant cerebral edema (n = 4). Compared with those without life-threatening conditions (n = 322), those with life-threatening neurologic conditions had higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (median, 12.2 vs 4.4) and higher reported frequency of D-dimer greater than 3 μg/mL fibrinogen equivalent units (21 [49%] vs 72 [22%]). Of 43 patients who developed COVID-19–related life-threatening neurologic involvement, 17 survivors (40%) had new neurologic deficits at hospital discharge, and 11 patients (26%) died. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, many children and adolescents hospitalized for COVID-19 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children had neurologic involvement, mostly transient symptoms. A range of life-threatening and fatal neurologic conditions associated with COVID-19 infrequently occurred. Effects on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes are unknown.
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    NFKB2 haploinsufficiency identified via screening for IFN-α2 autoantibodies in children and adolescents hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2-related complications
    (Elsevier, 2023) Bodansky, Aaron; Vazquez, Sara E.; Chou, Janet; Novak, Tanya; Al-Musa, Amer; Young, Cameron; Newhams, Margaret; Kucukak, Suden; Zambrano, Laura D.; Mitchell, Anthea; Wang, Chung-Yu; Moffitt, Kristin; Halasa, Natasha B.; Loftis, Laura L.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Gertz, Shira J.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Irby, Katherine; Sanders, Ronald C., Jr.; Kong, Michele; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Staat, Mary A.; Zinter, Matt S.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Coates, Bria M.; Flori, Heidi R.; Dahmer, Mary K.; Crandall, Hillary; Cullimore, Melissa L.; Levy, Emily R.; Chatani, Brandon; Nofziger, Ryan; Overcoming COVID-19 Network Study Group Investigators; Geha, Raif S.; DeRisi, Joseph; Campbell, Angela P.; Anderson, Mark; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background: Autoantibodies against type I IFNs occur in approximately 10% of adults with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The frequency of anti-IFN autoantibodies in children with severe sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is unknown. Objective: We quantified anti-type I IFN autoantibodies in a multicenter cohort of children with severe COVID-19, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and mild SARS-CoV-2 infections. Methods: Circulating anti-IFN-α2 antibodies were measured by a radioligand binding assay. Whole-exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and functional studies of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used to study any patients with levels of anti-IFN-α2 autoantibodies exceeding the assay's positive control. Results: Among 168 patients with severe COVID-19, 199 with MIS-C, and 45 with mild SARS-CoV-2 infections, only 1 had high levels of anti-IFN-α2 antibodies. Anti-IFN-α2 autoantibodies were not detected in patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulin before sample collection. Whole-exome sequencing identified a missense variant in the ankyrin domain of NFKB2, encoding the p100 subunit of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells, aka NF-κB, essential for noncanonical NF-κB signaling. The patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibited impaired cleavage of p100 characteristic of NFKB2 haploinsufficiency, an inborn error of immunity with a high prevalence of autoimmunity. Conclusions: High levels of anti-IFN-α2 autoantibodies in children and adolescents with MIS-C, severe COVID-19, and mild SARS-CoV-2 infections are rare but can occur in patients with inborn errors of immunity.
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    NFKB2 haploinsufficiency identified via screening for IFNα2 autoantibodies in children and adolescents hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2-related complications
    (Elsevier, 2023-04) Bodansky, Aaron; Vazquez, Sara E.; Chou, Janet; Novak, Tanya; Al-Musa, Amer; Young, Cameron; Newhams, Margaret; Kocukak, Suden; Zambrano, Laura D.; Mitchell, Anthea; Wang, Chung-Yu; Moffitt, Kristin; Halasa, Natasha B.; Loftis, Laura L.; Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Walker, Tracie C.; Mack, Elizabeth H.; Fitzgerald, Julie C.; Gertz, Shira J.; Rowan, Courtney M.; Irby, Katherine; Sanders, Ronald C., Jr.; Kong, Michele; Schuster, Jennifer E.; Staat, Mary A.; Zinter, Matt S.; Cvijanovich, Natalie Z.; Tarquinio, Keiko M.; Coates, Bria M.; Flori, Heidi R.; Dahmer, Mary K.; Crandall, Hillary; Cullimore, Melissa L.; Levy, Emily R.; Chatani, Brandon; Nofziger, Ryan; Overcoming COVID-19 Network Study Group Investigators; Geha, Raif S.; DeRisi, Joseph; Campbell, Angela P.; Anderson, Mark; Randolph, Adrienne G.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background Autoantibodies against type I interferons (IFNs) occur in approximately 10% of adults with life-threatening COVID-19. The frequency of anti-IFN autoantibodies in children with severe sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection is unknown. Objective To quantify anti-Type I IFN autoantibodies in a multi-center cohort of children with severe COVID-19, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), and mild SARS-CoV-2 infections. Methods Circulating anti-IFNa2 antibodies were measured by a radioligand binding assay. Whole exome sequencing (WES), RNA-sequencing, and functional studies of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used to study any patients with levels of anti-IFNα2 autoantibodies exceeding the assay’s positive control. Results Among 168 patients with severe COVID-19, 199 with MIS-C, and 45 with mild SARS-CoV-2 infections, only one had high levels of anti-IFNα2 antibodies. Anti-IFNα2 autoantibodies were not detected in patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulin prior to sample collection. WES identified a missense variant in the ankyrin domain of NFKB2, encoding the p100 subunit of NF-kB essential for non-canonical NF-kB signaling. Her peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibited impaired cleavage of p100 characteristic of NFKB2 haploinsufficiency, an inborn error of immunity with a high prevalence of autoimmunity. Conclusions High levels of anti-IFNα2 autoantibodies in children and adolescents with MIS-C, severe COVID-19, and mild SARS-CoV-2 infections are rare, but can occur in patients with inborn errors of immunity. Clinical implications Anti-IFNα2 autoantibodies should prompt diagnostic evaluation for inborn errors of immunity if identified in children or adolescents.