Post-operative Aspergillus mediastinitis in a man who was immunocompetent: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p><it>Aspergillus </it>spp. infections mainly affect patients who are immunocompromised, and are extremely rare in immunocompetent individuals.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p><it>Aspergillus </it>post-operative mediastinitis is considered to be a devastating infection, usually affecting patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery with specific predisposing factors. We describe the case of an immunocompetent 68-year-old Caucasian man with severe chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, who underwent pulmonary thromboendarterectomy and developed post-operative mediastinitis due to <it>Aspergillus flavus</it>. The environmental control did not reveal the source of <it>A. flavus </it>infection and, despite combined antifungal therapy, our patient died as a result of septic shock and multiple organ failure.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>Aspergillus </it>mediastinitis mainly affects patients after cardiosurgery operations with predisposing factors, and it is unusual in patients who are immunocompetent. The identification of the <it>Aspergillus </it>spp. source is often difficult, and there are no guidelines for the administration of pre-emptive therapy in this population of at-risk patients.</p

Author Correction:Single human B cell-derived monoclonal anti-Candida antibodies enhance phagocytosis and protect against disseminated candidiasis

We thank the BBSRC, SULSA BioSKAPE and Pfizer Inc. for funding for a studentship for F.M.R. and the Wellcome Trust (086827, 075470, 099215, 099197 and 101873) and a Wellcome Trust ISSF award (105625), MRC CiC (MC_PC_14114) and MRC Centre for Medical Mycology and University of Aberdeen for funding and a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award (097377) and a Wellcome Trust grant 099197MA to T.F. and FCT Investigator IF/00033/2012 and PTDC/QUI-QUI/112537/2009 to A.S.P. We thank Ian Broadbent, Angus McDonald and Ron Gladue for constructive discussions; Chris Boston and Amanda Fitzgerald for advice on antibody expression and purification; Ed Lavallie and Wayne Stochaj for design and expression of the recombinant Hyr1; Louise Walker for high-pressure freezing of samples for TEM analysis; Jeanette Wagener for endotoxin testing of mAbs for in vivo experiments; Yan Liu of the Glycosciences laboratory for insight in the analysis with N-glycan array; Rebecca Hall and Mark Gresnigt for providing fungal strains; Andrew Limper and Theodore J. Kottom for providing Pneumocystis infected lung tissue extracts; David Williams for C. albicans mannoprotein; Christopher Thornton for A. fumigatus mannoprotein; Katie J. Doores for mAb PGT 128; and Gordon Brown for the murine Fc-Dectin-1. We are grateful to Lucinda Wight, Debbie Wilkinson and Kevin MacKenzie in the Microscopy and Histology Core Facility (Aberdeen University) and Raif Yuecel in the Iain Fraser Cytometry Centre (Aberdeen University) for their expert help with microscopy and cytometry experiments. We are also grateful to the staff at the University of Aberdeen Medical Research Facility for assistance with in vivo experiments and members of the Glycosciences Laboratory for their support of the Carbohydrate Microarray Facility. 18 January 2019 - Author Correction: Single human B cell-derived monoclonal anti-Candida antibodies enhance phagocytosis and protect against disseminated candidiasis F. M. Rudkin, I. Raziunaite, H. Workman, S. Essono, R. Belmonte, D. M. MacCallum, E. M. Johnson, L. Silva, A. S. Palma, T. Feizi, A. Jensen, L. P. Erwig & N. A. R. Gow Nature Communicationsvolume 10, Article number: 394 (2019)Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The relationship of telomere length to baseline corticosterone levels in nestlings of an altricial passerine bird in natural populations

Artículo de publicación ISIBackground: Environmental stressors increase the secretion of glucocorticoids that in turn can shorten telomeres via oxidative damage. Modification of telomere length, as a result of adversity faced early in life, can modify an individual's phenotype. Studies in captivity have suggested a relationship between glucocorticoids and telomere length in developing individuals, however less is known about that relationship in natural populations. Methods: In order to evaluate the effect of early environmental stressors on telomere length in natural populations, we compared baseline corticosterone (CORT) levels and telomere length in nestlings of the same age. We collected blood samples for hormone assay and telomere determination from two geographically distinct populations of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) that differed in brood size; nestlings body mass and primary productivity. Within each population we used path analysis to evaluate the relationship between brood size, body mass, baseline CORT and telomere length. Results: Within each distinct population, path coefficients showed a positive relationship between brood size and baseline CORT and a strong and negative correlation between baseline CORT and telomere length. In general, nestlings that presented higher baseline CORT levels tended to present shorter telomeres. When comparing populations it was the low latitude population that presented higher levels of baseline CORT and shorter telomere length. Conclusions: Taken together our results reveal the importance of the condition experienced early in life in affecting telomere length, and the relevance of integrative studies carried out in natural conditions.FONDECYT Grant 11130245 FONDECYT 1140548 USA National Science Foundation Grant IOS-0750540 ICM-005-002 PFB-23-CONICY

Development of a quantitative LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of common propellant powder stabilizers in gunshot residue.

In traditional scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis of gunshot residue (GSR), one has to cope more and more frequently with limitations of this technique due to the use of lead-free ammunition or ammunition lacking heavy metals. New methods for the analysis of the organic components of common propellant powder stabilizers were developed based on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A multiple reactions monitoring scanning method was created for the screening of akardite II, ethylcentralite, diphenylamine, methylcentralite, N-nitrosodiphenylamine, 2-nitrodiphenylamine, and 4-nitrodiphenylamine, present in standards mixtures. Five out of seven of these target compounds can be selectively identified and distinguished from the two others with a high accuracy. Samples from the hands of a shooter were collected by swabbing and underwent solid phase extraction prior to analysis. Detection limits ranging from 5 to 115 mug injected were achieved. Results from several firing trials show that the LC-MS/MS method is suitable for the detection of stabilizers in samples collected following the firing of 9 mm Para ammunitions.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tSCOPUS: ar.jFLWINinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Telomere length analysis and preterm infant health: the importance of assay design in the search for novel biomarkers.

Preterm infants develop an ‘aged’ phenotype in comparison with term-born infants, one component of which is adverse metabolic health and, therefore, long-term health follow-up is warranted to identify morbidity. In light of this, the identification and use of biomarkers to aid with prognosis would be a welcome development. Telomeres are repeat sequences at the ends of each chromosome arm known to shorten as a consequence of cellular aging, and in relation to several disease conditions. The hypothesis that expreterm infants manifest alterations in telomere attrition rate is, therefore, one of interest. Analysis of telomere length maybe a plausible technique to predict prognosis in relation to preterm birth, and early life environmental and nutritional exposures. In this article, we review the literature on telomere length analysis in the preterm infant population and examine the tools available to measure telomere length