Legionella spp. contamination in indoor air: preliminary results of an Italian multicenter study

AbstractOBJECTIVE: To propose a standardized protocol for the evaluation of Legionella contamination in air.DESIGN: A bathroom having a Legionella contamination in water >1,000 cfu/l was selected in 10 different healthcare facilities. Air contamination was assessed by active (Surface Air System, SAS) and passive (Index of Microbial Air, IMA) sampling for 8 hours, about 1 m away from the floor and 50 cm from the tap water. Two hundred liters of air were sampled by SAS every 12 min, after flushing water for 2 min. The IMA value was calculated as the mean value of colony forming units/16 plates exposed during sampling (2 plates/hour). Water contamination was evaluated at T0, after 4 and 8 hours, according to the standard methods.RESULTS: Air contamination by Legionella was found in three healthcare facilities (one with active and two with passive sampling), showing a concomitant tap water contamination (median=40,000; range 1,100-43,000 cfu/l). The remaining seven hospitals isolated Legionella spp. exclusively from water samples (median=8,000; range 1,200-70,000 cfu/l).CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that environmental Legionella contamination cannot be assessed only through the air sampling, even in the presence of an important water contaminatio

Evaluation of fungal contamination in operating rooms using a dusting cloth pad: comparison among different sampling methods

Background. To evaluate microbial contamination in hospitals environments, several methods are available, each one having its limitations. Therefore the choice of system to use is open. Aim. To compare the ability of a dusting cloth pad (DC pad), with two other methods (Rodac contact plate and air sampling) to detect a contamination due to filamentous fungi (FF) in operating rooms (ORs). Methods. 110 sampling campaigns were carried out in ORs of hospitals of three Italian cities: Bari, Rome and Sassari. Surface samples were collected from the upper surface of scialytic lamps: half with two Rodac contact plates and other half was all rubbed with one DC pad and the dust captured was inoculated on a Petri plate. Next to the surgical table 540 liters of air were sampled, using SAS sampler. Air and Rodac plates sampling follow standard methods for detecting fungi. Finding. Overall, 96% (90/94) of the DC pad samples were positive compared with 51% (48/94) of Rodac plates (p<0.0001) and 35% (33/94) of air samples (p<0.0001). The difference persists stratifying by venue, with the exception of Sassari, due to a high percentage of positive samples with all methods. Conclusion. The DC pad improves the ability to detect an environmental contamination of FF

Macrophage stimulating protein may promote tubular regeneration after acute injury.

Macrophage-stimulating protein (MSP) exerts proliferative and antiapoptotic effects, suggesting that it may play a role in tubular regeneration after acute kidney injury. In this study, elevated plasma levels of MSP were found both in critically ill patients with acute renal failure and in recipients of renal allografts during the first week after transplantation. In addition, MSP and its receptor, RON, were markedly upregulated in the regenerative phase after glycerol-induced tubular injury in mice. In vitro, MSP stimulated tubular epithelial cell proliferation and conferred resistance to cisplatin-induced apoptosis by inhibiting caspase activation and modulating Fas, mitochondrial proteins, Akt, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase. MSP also enhanced migration, scattering, branching morphogenesis, tubulogenesis, and mesenchymal de-differentiation of surviving tubular cells. In addition, MSP induced an embryonic phenotype characterized by Pax-2 expression. In conclusion, MSP is upregulated during the regeneration of injured tubular cells, and it exerts multiple biologic effects that may aid recovery from acute kidney injury