36 research outputs found
Yersinia enterocolitica in Italy. A case of septicemia and abdominal aortic aneurysm infection
We report a case of Yersinia enterocolitica septicemia in a 63-year-old patient admitted to the Vascular Surgery Department of Umberto I Hospital (Rome, Italy) for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The microorganism, recovered from both peripheral blood cultures and aneurysmatic aortic wall specimens, was identified as Y. enterocolitica using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight analysis (MALDI-TOF MS) and 16S rDNA gene sequencing. The isolate responsible for septicemia belonged to the O:9 serotype (biogroup 2). A genetic screening of the isolate made it possible to detect the presence of both the yst and ail genes, encoding a heat-stable enterotoxin and a protein involved in invasion/adherence and serum resistance, respectively. Our case contributes in enriching epidemiological data concerning Y. enterocolitica infections, which might represent severe complications in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, this study, together with the others, should be regarded as valuable and useful tools for monitoring the rate of infections worldwide
Effect of ceftazidime/avibactam plus fosfomycin combination on 30 day mortality in patients with bloodstream infections caused by KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. Results from a multicentre retrospective study
Introduction The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate the effect on 30 day mortality of the combination ceftazidime/avibactam + fosfomycin in the treatment of bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp). Materials and methods From October 2018 to March 2021, a retrospective, two-centre study was performed on patients with KPC-Kp BSI hospitalized at Sapienza University (Rome) and ISMETT-IRCCS (Palermo) and treated with ceftazidime/avibactam-containing regimens. A matched cohort (1:1) analysis was performed. Cases were patients receiving ceftazidime/avibactam + fosfomycin and controls were patients receiving ceftazidime/avibactam alone or in combination with in vitro non-active drugs different from fosfomycin (ceftazidime/avibactam +/- other). Patients were matched for age, Charlson comorbidity index, ward of isolation (ICU or non-ICU), source of infection and severity of BSI, expressed as INCREMENT carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) score. Results Overall, 221 patients were included in the study. Following the 1:1 match, 122 subjects were retrieved: 61 cases (ceftazidime/avibactam + fosfomycin) and 61 controls (ceftazidime/avibactam +/- other). No difference in overall mortality emerged between cases and controls, whereas controls had more non-BSI KPC-Kp infections and a higher number of deaths attributable to secondary infections. Almost half of ceftazidime/avibactam + fosfomycin patients were prescribed fosfomycin without MIC fosfomycin availability. No difference in the outcome emerged after stratification for fosfomycin susceptibility availability and dosage. SARS-CoV-2 infection and ICS >= 8 independently predicted 30 day mortality, whereas an appropriate definitive therapy was protective. Conclusions Our data show that fosfomycin was used in the treatment of KPC-Kp BSI independently from having its susceptibility testing available. Although no difference was found in 30 day overall mortality, ceftazidime/avibactam + fosfomycin was associated with a lower rate of subsequent KPC-Kp infections and secondary infections than other ceftazidime/avibactam-based regimens
Increased prevalence of Human Polyomavirus JC viruria in Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases patients in treatment with anti-TNF α: a 18 month follow-up study.
Chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRDs) are immune-mediated pathologies
involving joints. To date, TNFα-blocking agents administration is the most promising
therapy, although these treatments are associated with an increased Polyomavirus
JC (JCPyV) reactivation, the etiological agent of the Progressive Multifocal
Leukoencephalopathy (PML). The aim of this study was the recruitment and the
analysis of a CIRDs cohort in order to investigate a possible correlation between
JCPyV presence and the influence of anti-TNF-α agents on viral loads. Blood and urine
samples were collected from 34 CIRDs subjects prior the first anti-TNF-α infusion (T0)
and after 3 (T3), 6 (T6), 12 (T12), and 18 (T18) months. Results showed persistent JC
viruria significantly higher than JC viremia throughout the 18 month follow-up study
(p=0.002). In JCPyV positive samples, the non-coding control region (NCCR) was
analyzed. Results evidenced archetypal structures (type II-S) in all isolates with the
exception of a sequence isolated from a plasma sample, that corresponds to the type
II-R found in PML subjects. Finally, the viral protein 1 (VP1) genotyping was performed
and results showed the prevalence of the European genotypes 1A, 1B, and 4. Since
only few studies have been carried out to understand whether there is a PML risk in
CIRDs population infected by JCPyV, this study contributes to enrich literature insight on
JCPyV biology in this cluster. Further investigations are necessary in order to recognize
the real impact of biologics on JCPyV life cycle and to identify possible and specific viral
variants related to increased virulence in CIRDs patient
La ricerca dell’antigene fecale dell’Helicobacter Pylori come test non invasivo in confronto al 13C-urea Breath-Test. Esperienza personale
Scopo dello studio è stato quello di confrontare l’utilizzo di due
test non invasivi per la ricerca dell’infezione da Helicobacter Pylori:
il 13C-urea Breath-Test, considerato il “gold standard”, e l’HpSa che
ricerca l’antigene dell’Helicobacter Pylori nelle feci.
Gli Autori hanno studiato 30 pazienti che presentavano sinto -
matologia dispeptica e mai sottoposti a terapia antibiotica eradicante
l’Helicobacter Pylori, concludendo che a tutt’oggi il 13C-urea
B r e a t h -Test è il metodo con maggiore sensibilità e specificità per lo
screening pre-endoscopico dei pazienti dispeptici, che comunque
l’HpSA è una metodica da migliorar
Impact of High Diversity of Achromobacter Populations within Cystic Fibrosis Sputum Samples on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
Modification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factors by sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics.
ROLE OF INFECTIOUS PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS IN LUNG TRANSPLANTATION FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS: 10 YEARS FOLLOW-UP
Precipitating Pseudomonas aeruginosa antibodies and antimicrobial therapy in cystic fibrosis patients.
COS-7-based model: methodological approach to study John Cunningham virus replication cycle
John Cunningham virus (JCV) is a human neurotropic polyomavirus whose replication in the Central Nervous System
(SNC) induces the fatal demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). JCV propagation and
PML investigation have been severely hampered by the lack of an animal model and cell culture systems to propagate
JCV have been very limited in their availability and robustness. We previously confirmed that JCV CY strain efficiently
replicated in COS-7 cells as demonstrated by the progressive increase of viral load by quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) during
the time of transfection and that archetypal regulatory structure was maintained, although two characteristic point
mutations were detected during the viral cycle. This short report is an important extension of our previous efforts in
defining our reliable model culture system able to support a productive JCV infection.
Supernatants collected from transfected cells have been used to infect freshly seeded COS-7 cell line. An infectious viral
progeny was obtained as confirmed by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay. During infection, the archetype
regulatory region was conserved.
Importantly, in this study we developed an improved culture system to obtain a large scale production of JC virus in
order to study the genetic features, the biology and the pathogenic mechanisms of JC virus that induce PML