Highlights SARS-CoV-2 mainly enter to CNS via direct (neuronal and hematologic route) and indirect route. SARS-CoV-2 can infect leukocytes within the bloodstream and then cross the blood-brain-barrier via diapedesis. SARS-CoV-2 can invade the vascular endothelium by binding to ACE-2, leading to increased permeability of blood-brain-barrier and then infecting glial cells in the CNS. Future research is desirable to confirm or disprove such hypothesis.

We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and imaging findings between COVID-19 patients with well-controlled diabetes and those with poorly-controlled diabetes. Methods: In this retrospective single-center study, 117 patients with coexistent COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes mellitus were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on HbA1c values. Clinical data and laboratory parameters were collected from patients' medical records. Also, the chest computed tomography (CT) score was defined by the summation of individual scores from 5 lung lobes: scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were respectively assigned for each lobe if pulmonary involvement was 0%, less than 5%, 5%-25%, 26%-49%, 50%-75%, or more than 75% of each region. Results: Among all patients with diabetes, 93 (79.5%) patients had poorly-controlled diabetes and 24 (20.5%) had well-controlled diabetes; 66 (56.4%) patients were male and the median age was 66 years (IQR, 55-75 years). The chest CT severity scores were not significantly different between patients with well-controlled diabetes and those with poorly-controlled diabetes (p = 0.33). Also, the mortality and recovery rates were similar between the two groups (p = 0.54 and p = 0.85, respectively). Conclusion: Based on the results, clinical outcomes and chest CT severity scores are similar between patients with well-controlled and poorly-controlled diabetes among the Iranian population with COVID-19.

BackgroundPseudomonas aeruginosa is an important cause of nosocomial infection and may lead to septicemia and death. We evaluated the immunogenicity of semi-purified exotoxin A from the bacterium in a mouse burn model.MethodsThe toxoid was prepared from exotoxin A taken from toxigenic strains of P. aeruginosa (PA 103). 50 mice were immunized with the toxoid, burned with hot metal and infected with 1 × 108 CFU of toxigenic strains of P. aeruginosa (experimental group); 25 non-immunized mice were also burned and infected (control group). The mortality rate and presence of any exotoxin and P. aeruginosa in the sera, liver and spleen were determined.ResultsIn the experimental group, 2 mice died before the burns were administered and were excluded from the study. The remainder (48 mice) were challenged with a lethal dose of P. aeruginosa and followed for 70 days. 3 of these mice died. Neither P. aeruginosa nor exotoxin A was not detected in the liver, spleen or sera of the surviving mice. The protective efficacy of toxoid vaccination was therefore 93.8%. In the control group, all mice died from bacteremia and septicemia, most (80%) within 6 days, and P. aeruginosa and exotoxin A were isolated from sera, spleen and liver.ConclusionActive immunization of mice using a semi-purified exotoxin A derived from P. aeruginosa was 93.8% effective at protecting mice from subsequent P. aeruginosa infections in a mouse burn model.