A case of recurrent meningitis caused by drug resistant Enterococcus fecalis in a patient with ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Background: Iatrogenic meningitis is an important complication in neurosurgery. This infection is not common. This paper presents the first report of recurrent shunt meningitis caused by drug resistant Enterococcus fecalis in Iran. Case report: We report a case with recurrent shunt meningitis caused by Enteroccocus fecalis in a 9-year old girl with ventriculoperitoneal shunt which did not recover by antibiotic therapy until the removal of the infected shunt. Discussion and Conclusion: Patients with hydrocephalus who are treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunts are susceptible to bacterial infections. The rate of this nosocomial infection varies from 2 to 22. It is suggested to pay more attention to symptoms of CNS infections among patients with cerebrospinal fluid drainage

Enteroviruses in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Human enteroviruses (EVs) may have a role as a possible risk factor in the pathogenesis of MI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of enterovirus genomic RNA in peripheral blood samples of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI).Methods: We investigated the presence of enterovirus genomic RNA in the peripheral blood of 115 patients with acute MI hospitalized in the Coronary Care Unit of Imam Reza and Ghaem University Hospitals (Mashhad, Iran) by RT-PCR using the virus specific primers.Results: The subjects' mean (±SD) age was 63.5 (±9.4) years (range: 38-82) and 38.3 % of the subjects were female. Of 115 patient specimens, 3 (2.6%) were positive in RT-PCR.Conclusion: The prevalence of enterovirus in MI patients is considerable. More investigations are needed to determine the causal role of enteroviruses in MI

M-Guard Stent in Stemi Patients with High Thrombus Burden Lesions: A Prospective, Single Arm Study

Introduction: Primary PCI is the preferred modality to restore blood perfusion in STEMI patients, but myocardial reperfusion is sometimes lower than optimal. Distal embolization seems to play the leading role. There is rare evidence suggestive of M-Guard stents; a recent innovation which protects against distal embolization may be beneficial in this circumstance. Materials and Methods:This was a prospective single arm study. Patients with acute STEMI admitted at the Cardiac Emergency Unit of Imam Reza Hospital from July 2011 to November  2012 who had a large bulk of thrombus in their angiogram, underwent M-Guard stenting and were followed up for six months for chest pain and secondary revascularization. Results: The 23 patients, aged between 34 and 84; 65.2%, were male and had undergone primary PCI, mechanical thrombus aspiration, and M-Guard stenting. Left Anterior Descending (LAD) (63.9%) and Right Coronary Artery (RCA) (39.1%) were most commonly involved. 78.2%, 13.1%, and 8.9% of patients had primary Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Thrombus grade five, four, and three. Among them, 86.9% achieved TIMI Flow grade three and 13.04% TIMI Flow grade two. The rate of transient "no-reflow" phenomenon was 21%. One patient died after stenting in the setting of cardiogenic shock. There was one case of in-stent restenosis five months after the procedure. Of the other 15 accessible patients, after six months, none experienced a second angioplasty or any ischemic symptoms. Conclusion: Using M-Guard stents in acute STEMI patients having undergone primary PCI with high thrombus burden is probably associated with lower rates of the "no-reflow" phenomenon and improved vessel reperfusion.

Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 and risk of cardiovascular disease: High‐density lipoprotein dysfunction versus serum HDL‐C concentrations

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is thought to be protective against cardiovascular disease (CVD), and HDL dysfunction is considered to be a risk factor for CVD. It is unclear whether there is an association between Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV1) infection and CVD risk. We have assessed HDL lipid peroxidation (HDLox) as a marker of HDL dysfunction and CVD risk in a subgroup of the MASHAD cohort study. One hundred and sixty two individuals including 50 subjects positive for HTLV1 infection and 112 individuals negative for HTLV1 infection were recruited. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters including serum hs-CRP, fasted lipid profile (HDL-C, LDL, triglycerides, and cholesterol), and fasting blood glucose were determined. Serum HDLox was also measured in the study participants. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the association between serum HDLox and HTLV1 infection. None of the traditional CVD risk factors were associated with HTLV1 infection, including serum HDL-C. However, serum HDLox was independently associated with the presence of HTLV1 infection. Logistic regression analysis showed that subjects who were positive for HTLV1 infection were also significantly more likely than uninfected individuals to have higher HDLox (odds ratio 9.35, 95%CI: 3.5-24.7; P < 0.001). HDLox was increased approximately 20% (P < 0.001) in infected subjects compared to the uninfected group. Serum HDLox is a marker of CVD risk factor and increased in individuals affected by HTLV1 infection compared to healthy subjects. © 2019 BioFactors, 45(3):374-380, 2019