Relevance of Serology for Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection Among Children with Persistent Cough

Abstract Background. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an important cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections. cough and tracheobronchitis are the commonest features of M. pneumoniae infection but diagnosis based on clinical symptoms that may be due to other respiratory pathogens is impossible. Thus laboratory testing for M. pneumoniae is particularly important. correct and rapid diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infections is of prime importance to introduce appropriate antibiotic treatment. Objectives. evaluation of the incidence of IgM and IgG antibodies specific to M. pneumoniae among children with pneumonia and/or chronic cough. Material and Methods. Serum samples from 148 children with a history of chronic cough (lasting at least one month), recurrent respiratory tract infections, allergic rhinitis, and/or inflammatory changes on X-chest ray. first, all sera were screened for specific anti-M. pneumoniae antibodies using agglutination test following the detection of specific IgM and IgG anti-M. pneumoniae antibodies using immunoenzymatic assays. Results. Out of the 148 serum samples, 57 (38.5%) gave positive screening results. However, the presence of M. pneumoniae-specific IgM and/or IgG antibodies was confirmed by immunoenzymatic assays in only 30 (52.6%) of these 57 positive samples. These results indicated that in as many as 27 (47.4%) out of the 57 serum samples screened, false-positive results occurred. Conclusions. evaluation of acute-and convalescent-phase sera is necessary to make possible accurate interpretation of the serological testing results (Adv Clin Exp Med 2014, 23, 2, 185-190)

Posttransplant Solid Organ Malignancies in Lung Transplant Recipients: A Single-center Experience and Review of the Literature

Purpose: Solid-organ tumor incidences are higher in solid organ transplant patients than in the general population. The aim of this study was to analyze solid-organ tumor frequency and characteristics in a population of lung transplant patients and provide a brief review of the literature. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of all patients who underwent a lung transplant in the Lung Transplant Program at the University Hospital of Siena, Italy, from 2001 to 2014 (n = 119). Patients' demographics, pretransplant characteristics, immunosuppressive therapy, and infectious factors were recorded. Results: Nine patients with a median age of 59.0 years (range 50-63) of our cohort developed a solid-organ tumor (7.5%). Most of the patients experienced nonmelanoma skin cancer (44.4%); the others were diagnosed with lung cancer (22.2%), breast cancer (22.2%), and colon-rectal cancer (11.2%). The median time from transplantation to tumor diagnosis was 895.0 days (range 321-2046). No differences in pretransplant characteristics, immunosuppressive therapy, or infectious factors were found between patients who developed solid organ tumors and those who did not. Conclusions: The present study confirmed that de novo malignancies are a major issue in lung transplant patients; in particular, skin and lung cancers demonstrated a higher incidence rate. Oncologic treatment of these patients is complex, requiring close collaboration between the transplant team and oncologist. Strict screening programs are key factors for an early diagnosis and to allow for prompt treatment resulting in a better outcome