Acute left ventricular failure in a patient with hydroxychloroquine-induced cardiomyopathy

We present the case of a 75-year-old woman with a medical history of rheumatoid arthritis treated with hydroxychloroquine, who was admitted with acute left-sided heart failure due to a hydroxychloroquine-induced cardiomyopathy as supported by endomyocardial biopsy.     

An in vitro study of the susceptibility of mobile and cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi to hydroxychloroquine

In this work the susceptibility of mobile and cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was studied. The minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of HCQ against the mobile spirochetes was >32 μg/ml at 37 °C, and >128 μg/ml at 30 °C. Incubation with HCQ significantly reduced the conversion of mobile spirochetes to cystic forms. When incubated at 37 °C, the MBC for young biologically active cysts (1-day old) was >8 μg/ml, but it was >32 μg/ml for old cysts (1-week old). Acridine orange staining, dark-field microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the contents of the cysts were partly degraded when the concentration of HCQ was ≥MBC. At high concentrations of HCQ (256 μg/ml) about 95% of the cysts were ruptured. When the concentration of HCQ was ≥MBC, core structures did not develop inside the cysts, and the amount of RNA in these cysts decreased significantly. Spirochetal structures inside the cysts dissolved in the presence of high concentrations of HCQ. When the concentration of HCQ was ≥MBC, the core structures inside the cysts were eliminated. These observations may be valuable in the treatment of resistant infections caused by B. burgdorferi, and suggest that a combination of HCQ and a macrolide antibiotic could eradicate both cystic and mobile forms of B. burgdorferi. Electronic Publication     

A review of the effects of ATP and hydroxychloroquine on the phase separation of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein

SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus causing the ongoing pandemic with > 460 millions of infections and > 6 millions of deaths. SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) is the only structural protein which plays essential roles in almost all key steps of the viral life cycle with its diverse functions depending on liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) driven by interacting with various nucleic acids. The 419-residue N protein is highly conserved in all variants including delta and omicron, and composed of both folded N-/C-terminal domains (NTD/CTD) as well as three long intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). Recent results have suggested that its CTD and IDRs are also cryptic nucleic acid–binding domains. In this context, any small molecules capable of interfering in its interaction with nucleic acids are anticipated to modulate its LLPS and associated functions. Indeed, ATP, the energy currency existing at very high concentrations (2–12 mM) in all living cells but absent in viruses, modulates LLPS of N protein, and consequently appears to be evolutionarily hijacked by SARS-CoV-2 to promote its life cycle. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been also shown to specifically bind NTD and CTD to inhibit their interactions with nucleic acids, as well as to disrupt LLPS. Particularly, the unique structure of the HCQ-CTD complex offers a promising strategy for further design of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs with better affinity and specificity. The finding may indicate that LLPS is indeed druggable by small molecules, thus opening up a promising direction for drug discovery/design by targeting LLPS in general.     

The Impact of COVID-19 On Comorbidities: A Review Of Recent Updates For Combating It

Coronavirus disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus first appeared in Wuhan (China) in December 2019 and has spread globally. Till now, it affected 269 million people with 5.3 million deaths in 224 countries and territories. With the emergence of variants like Omicron, the COVID-19 cases grew exponentially, with thousands of deaths. The general symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, sore throat, cough, lung infections, and, in severe cases, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and death. SARS-CoV-2 predominantly affects the lung, but it can also affect other organs such as the brain, heart, and gastrointestinal system. It is observed that 75 % of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have at least one COVID-19 associated comorbidity. The most common reported comorbidities are hypertension, NDs, diabetes, cancer, endothelial dysfunction, and CVDs. Moreover, older and pre-existing polypharmacy patients have worsened COVID-19 associated complications. SARS-CoV-2 also results in the hypercoagulability issues like gangrene, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and other associated complications. This review aims to provide the latest information on the impact of the COVID-19 on pre-existing comorbidities such as CVDs, NDs, COPD, and other complications. This review will help us to understand the current scenario of COVID-19 and comorbidities; thus, it will play an important role in the management and decision-making efforts to tackle such complications.     

解毒通络生津颗粒联合羟基氯喹对原发性干燥综合征患者血液流变学及血清IgG、IgA、CRP水平的影响

目的:探讨解毒通络生津颗粒联合羟基氯喹对原发性干燥综合征(pSS)患者血液流变学及血清免疫球蛋白G(Ig G)、免疫球蛋白A(Ig A)、C-反应蛋白(CRP)水平的影响。方法:选取2017年1月-2017年9月期间我院收治的60例pSS患者为研究对象,采用随机数字表法将患者分为对照组(n=30)和观察组(n=30)。对照组给予硫酸羟基氯喹治疗,观察组在此基础上联合解毒通络生津颗粒治疗,比较两组患者的血液流变学指标、Ig G、Ig A和CRP水平,同时评价两种治疗方案的疗效和不良反应。结果:治疗前两组患者血液流变学指标相比差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后观察组全血高切粘度、全血低切粘度、血浆粘度和红细胞沉降率(ESR)均较治疗前降低,且观察组全血低切粘度和血浆粘度低于对照组(P0.05)。治疗前两组患者Ig G、Ig A和CRP水平相比差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后观察组Ig G、Ig A和CRP水平均较治疗前降低,且低于对照组(P0.05)。观察组的不良反应发生率为13.33%,低于对照组的46.67%,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。对照组总有效率为43.33%,低于观察组的为70.00%,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:解毒通络生津颗粒和硫酸羟基氯喹联合应用能够有效改善pSS患者血液流变学及免疫学指标,增强患者免疫力,且安全性较好,值得进一步推广使用。