Binding antibody levels to vaccine (HPV6/11/16/18) and non-vaccine (HPV31/33/45/52/58) HPV antigens up to 7 years following immunization with either Cervarix® or Gardasil® vaccine

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) bivalent (Cervarix®) and quadrivalent (Gardasil®) vaccines demonstrate robust efficacy against vaccine types and cross-protection against related non-vaccine types. Here we evaluate the breadth, magnitude and durability of the vaccine-induced antibody response against vaccine (HPV6/11/16/18) and non-vaccine (HPV31/33/45/52/58) type antigens up to 7 years following vaccination of 12-15 year old girls in a three dose schedule and contrast these data with the levels of antibody typically seen in natural infection. Vaccine-type antibody levels waned over the 7-year follow up period but remained at least an order of magnitude above the typical antibody levels elicited by natural infection. Seropositivity to non-vaccine types remained high 7 years after initial vaccination, but antibody levels approached those typically generated following natural infection. Empirical data on the breadth, magnitude, specificity and durability of the immune response elicited by the HPV vaccines contribute to improving the evidence base supporting this important public health intervention

Molecular typing of erythromycin-resistant streptococcus pyogenes strains with the M phenotype isolated in Italy

To assess the spread of the new M phenotype, various erythromycin-resistant Streptococcus pyogenes strains from three Italian cities (Verona, Monza, Florence) were characterised. Each strain was analysed for the presence of genes ermAM and mefA, for the ability to accumulate radioactive erythromycin in the absence of sodium arsenate, for the protein T serological type, and for the DNA macrorestriction profile identified by means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. In a number of strains, the presence of the inducible ermAM gene was demonstrated; all these strains were negative in the efflux-pump detection assay, did not possess the mefA gene, and had similar restriction profiles. The strains with the efflux mechanism and mefA gene belonged to different serotypes. Of these, only one serotype, T4, was isolated in all three cities. The restriction profile analysis with SmaI and SfiI revealed a very close correlation between strains with the same serotype

Prevalence of Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance Genes in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated in a Teaching Hospital of Northern Italy

A retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants in uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from inpatients and outpatients in a teaching hospital of northern Italy. The presence of qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, aac(6')-Ib-cr, and qepA was evaluated in 76 and 72 nalidixic acid-resistant E. coli, isolated in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Positivity for the aac(6')-Ib-cr gene was demonstrated in 3 of 76 (3.9%) and 8 of 72 (11%) isolates, respectively; no other PMQR determinant was found. All aac(6')-Ib-cr-positive strains also showed two point mutations in the gyrA and parC genes. Most aac(6')-Ib-cr-positive isolates demonstrated the contemporary presence of bla(CTX-M-15), bla(OXA-1/30), and bla(TEM-1) genes and 4/11 harbored a class 1 integron with a dfrA17-aadA5 gene cassette arrangement. Interestingly, all aac(6')-Ib-cr-positive isolates belonged to B2 phylogenetic group, O25b antigen type, multi locus sequence type 131, and to a cluster of approximately 70% similarity level by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). These findings suggest the circulation of the previously described intercontinentally spreading E. coli O25:H4-ST131 clone in our geographical area since 2004. Hybridization studies of the PFGE profiles showed the aac(6')-Ib-cr gene to be associated with different molecular weight bands (40-350 kb) and interestingly aac(6')-Ib-cr chromosomal integration was demonstrated in one strain by I-Ceu I method. This represents the first report to investigate the presence and diffusion of PMQR determinants in northern Italy and to describe aac(6')-Ib-cr chromosomal integration in E. coli

Durability of the neutralizing antibody response to vaccine and non-vaccine HPV types 7 years following immunization with either Cervarix® or Gardasil® vaccine

Bivalent (Cervarix®) and quadrivalent (Gardasil®) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines demonstrate remarkable efficacy against the targeted genotypes, HPV16 and HPV18, but also a degree of cross-protection against non-vaccine incorporated genotypes, HPV31 and HPV45. These outcomes seem to be supported by observations that the HPV vaccines induce high titer neutralizing antibodies against vaccine types and lower responses against non-vaccine types. Few data are available on the robustness of the immune response against non-vaccine types. We examined the durability of vaccine and non-vaccine antibody responses in a follow up of a head-to-head study of 12–15 year old girls initially randomized to receive three doses of Cervarix® or Gardasil® vaccine. Neutralizing antibodies against both vaccine and non-vaccine types remained detectable up to 7 years following initial vaccination and a mixed effects model was used to predict the decline in antibody titers over a 15 year period. The decline in vaccine and non-vaccine type neutralizing antibody titers over the study period was estimated to be 30% every 5–7 years, with Cervarix® antibody titers expected to remain 3–4 fold higher than Gardasil® antibody titers over the long term. The antibody decline rates in those with an initial response to non-vaccine types were similar to that of vaccine types and are predicted to remain detectable for many years. Empirical data on the breadth, magnitude, specificity and durability of the immune response elicited by the HPV vaccines contribute to improving the evidence base supporting this important public health intervention. Original trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00956553

Chemical profile, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Achillea moschata Wulfen, an endemic species from the Alps

Abstract: Aerial parts of Achillea moschataWulfen (Asteraceae) growing wild in the Italian Rhaetian Alps were investigated to describe, for the first time, their phenolic content, as well as to characterize the essential oil. Inspection of the metabolic profile combining HPLC-DAD and ESI-MS/MS data showed that the methanol extract contained glycosylated flavonoids with luteolin and apigenin as the main aglycones. Among them, the major compound was 7-O-glucosyl apigenin. Caffeoyl derivates were other phenolics identified. The essential oil obtained by steam distillation and investigated by GC/FID and GC/MS showed camphor, 1,8-cineole, and bornylacetate as the main constituents. The antioxidant capacity of three different extracts with increasing polarity and of the essential oil was evaluated by employing ABTS + and DPPH radical scavenging assays. The methanolic extract was the only significantly effective sample against both synthetic radicals. All samples were also tested against Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacterial species using the disk diffusion assay. The non-polar extracts (dichloromethane and petroleum ether) and the essential oil possessed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity expressed according to inhibition zone diameter (8–24 mm)