Effective Neutralizing Antibody Response Against SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Its Omicron BA.1 Variant in Fully Vaccinated Hematological Patients

SARS-CoV-2 and its variants cause CoronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19), a pandemic disease. Hematological malignancies increase susceptibility to severe COVID-19 due to immunosuppression. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies protect against severe COVID-19. This retrospective real-life study aimed to evaluate seropositivity and neutralizing antibody rates against SARS-CoV-2 and its Omicron BA.1 variant in hematological patients. A total of 106 patients with different hematologic malignancies, who have mostly received three or more vaccine doses (73%), were included in this study. Serum was collected between May and June 2022. The primary endpoint was anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response against ancestral (wild type; wt) and Omicron BA.1 virus, defined as a neutralizing antibody titer ≥ 1:10. Adequate neutralizing antibody response was observed in 75 (71%) and 87 (82%) of patients for wt and Omicron BA.1 variants, respectively.However, patients with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders and/or those treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies in the prior 12 months showed a lower seropositivity rate compared to other patients against both Omicron BA.1 variant (73% vs 91%; P = 0.02) and wt virus (64% vs 78%; P = 0.16). Our real-life experience confirmed that full vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 induces adequate neutralizing antibody protection for both the wt virus and Omicron BA.1 variants, even in hematological frail patients. However, protective measures should be maintained in hematological patients, especially those with B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, because these subjects could have a reduced neutralizing antibody production

Effect of blood glucose on left ventricular mass in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus

The aim of our prospective study was to evaluate the influence of blood glucose (BG) on left ventricular mass and diastolic function in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Fifty-six hypertensive patients with type 2 DM and 26 healthy controls were investigated. They were submitted to echocardiography (ECHO) with Doppler and we calculated the mean of their fasting BG values, office blood pressure (OBP), cholesterol and fractions, and triglycerides during the previous 4 years. the diabetic patients were then followed-up for 1 year with OBP, fasting BG, and lipids measured every 2 months. After this period, the patients were again submitted to ECHO and in 22 patients (group I [GI]), reductions greater than 10% in left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were observed (122 +/- 35 nu 89 +/- 23 g/m(2), P 115 +/- 27 g/m(2), P 99 +/- 18 g/m2, NS) in LVMI were detected in the remaining patients. the OBP values did not change during the follow-up. in GI the reduction of LVMI was associated with a BG fall from 178 +/- 36 to 147 +/- 30 mg/dL (P ) (r = 0.48, P < .01). No important changes in left ventricular diastolic function were observed during the follow-up. We concluded that the improvement in glycemic control may contribute to LVH regression in hypertensive patients with type 2 DM. Am J Hypertens 2000; 13:1149-1154 (C) 2000 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.UNIFESP, Div Nephrol, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP, Div Endocrinol, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP, Div Nephrol, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP, Div Endocrinol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Distribution of antibiotic resistance among Enterococcus spp. isolated from 2017 to 2018 at the University Hospital "Luigi Vanvitelli" of Naples, Italy.

In the last decade Enterococcus spp. has become one of the most important nosocomial pathogens. The prevalence of multi-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis responsible for hospital-acquired infections is associated with their ability to acquire and share antimicrobial resistance genes contained in Mobile Genetic Elements (MGE). This study investigated the distribution of antibiotic resistance in Enterococcus spp. isolated from clinical patients in the University Hospital "Luigi Vanvitelli" of Naples, Italy. The aim of the present study was to monitor the antimicrobial drug resistance and spread of nosocomial infection, to allow the optimal choice of antibiotic therapy. From January 2017 to December 2018, 351 Enterococcus spp. isolates were collected from different clinical samples, at the University Hospital “Luigi Vanvitelli”. Bacteria identification was made using MALDI-TOF technology (Bruker Daltonics, Bremen, Germany). Susceptibility to 9 antibiotics was tested using BD Phoenix (Becton, Dickinson and Company). Data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS v.22.0 (IBM SPSS Inc., New York, USA). Among the 351 collected samples, 88 (25.1%) were identified as Enterococcus faecium and 263 (74.9%) were as Enterococcus faecalis. Enterococcus faecalis showed the highest resistance rate to Tetracycline (73,5%) and Erythromycin (88,6%) than the Enterococcus faecium. The Enterococcus faecium has showed increase in resistance rates against Ciprofloxacin and Imipenem. Persistent surveillance of antimicrobial patterns was essential to adopt the empirical treatment guideline to treat infection caused by Enterococcus spp