Reinfections from SARS-CoV-2: A Retrospective Study from the Gyncentrum Genetic Laboratory in Sosnowiec, Poland, April 2020 to July 2022.

BACKGROUND The increasing number of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfections has opened a new research direction related to analyzing long-term immune response and accurately characterizing individual cases of reinfection to understand its mechanism and estimate the risk of widespread reinfection both locally and globally. This retrospective study from the Gyncentrum Genetic Laboratory in Sosnowiec, Poland aimed to evaluate reinfections from SARS-CoV-2 between April 2020 and July 2022. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study extended the previously published report on SARS-CoV-2 infection cases in Poland by analyzing 8041 reinfections diagnosed with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay.

Clinical significance of asymptomatic [i]Clostridium difficile[/i] colonisation in patients undergoing antibiotic treatment.

Background: [i]Clostridium difficile[/i] infections become a serious problem in terms of nosocomial infections, as well as a consequence of common use of antibiotics.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate [i]Clostridium difficile[/i] carriage in patients admitted to the Clinical Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology without acute or chronic diarrhea and to assess the impact of antibiotic treatment on the development of enteritis in hospital. Other factors that may affect the risk of infection were also analyzed.

Lymphocyte-To-Monocyte Ratio as the Best Simple Predictor of Bacterial Infection in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of new morphology-related indices and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores during hospitalization in predicting the onset of bacterial infection in patients with liver cirrhosis. : A total of 171 patients (56.9% males; median age 59 years; total number of hospitalizations 209) with liver cirrhosis were included in this observational study.

Predictive power of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease and Child-Turcotte-Pugh score for mortality in cirrhotic patients.

Aim Of The Study: To assess the performance of Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores' kinetics during hospitalization in predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Material And Methods: One hundred and seventy-four cases of hospitalized liver cirrhosis patients were selected. The diagnosis of cirrhosis was made based on clinical, biochemical, ultrasonic, histological, and endoscopic findings and results.

Efficacy of HCV treatment in Poland at the turn of the interferon era - the EpiTer study.

The Aim Of The Study: Was to analyze the efficacy achieved with regimens available for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Poland between 2013 and 2016.

Material And Methods: Data were collected from 29 centers and included 6786 patients with available sustained virologic response (SVR) data between 1 January 2013 and 31 March 2016.

Results: The sustained virologic response rate for genotypes (G) 1a, 1b, 2, 3 and 4 was 62%, 56%, 92%, 67% and 56% respectively; 71% patients ( = 4832) were treated with pegylated interferon α (Peg-IFNα) and ribavirin (RBV), with SVR rates of 58%, 49%, 92%, 67% and 55% respectively.

Bacterial infections and hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis-prophylaxis and treatment.

Infections are common among patients with liver cirrhosis. They occur more often in cirrhotic patient groups than in the general population and result in higher mortality. One reason for this phenomenon is bacterial translocation from the intestinal lumen that occurs as a consequence of intestinal bacterial overgrowth, increased permeability and decreased motility.

Cerebrospinal fluid ferritin concentration in patients with purulent, bacterial meningitis – own observations.

The Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ferritin concentration assessment in adults with purulent, bacterial meningoencephalitis.

Material And Methods: The investigation was performed in 18 subjects hospitalized at the Clinical Ward of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Silesia in Bytom from 2008 through 2012, for purulent, bacterial meningoencephalitis. The patients were divided into two groups, according to severity of their clinical condition: Group I – very severe course of the disease, group II – moderate and mild course of the disease.

The epidemiological and clinical analysis of Clostridium difficile infections in patients hospitalized due to the infection at the Department of Infectious Diseases in Bytom.

Unlabelled: Clostridium difficile infections are becoming a more serious problem as hospital-acquired infections and the consequence of common antibiotic therapy, also on an out-patient basis.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of the study was the epidemiological and clinical analysis of patients with Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) at the Clinical Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Bytom in 2014.

Material And Methods: A retrospective analysis of the medical documentation of patients with the diagnosis of CDAD was performed.

Chemokine CXCL13 concentration in cerebrospinal fluid in patients with neuroborreliosis--own observations.

The Aim: of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of cerebrospinal fluid chemokine CXCL13 concentration assay in diagnostics of neuroborreliosis in adults.

Material And Methods: Investigations were carried out in 22 patients treated for neuroborreliosis , manifested as lymphocytic meningitis, at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Silesia, in Bytom between 2011-2013. Based on the presence or absence of anti-borrelial antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid, the examined individuals were divided into two groups on the day of admission: group I--patients with antiborrelial antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (confirmed diagnosis of neuroborreliosis), group II--patients without antiborrelial antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (possible diagnosis of neuroborreliosis).

Increased concentration of interferon lambda-3, interferon beta and interleukin-10 in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tick-borne encephalitis.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has a wide clinical spectrum, from asymptomatic to severe encephalitis, and host-dependent factors determining the outcome remain elusive. We have measured concentrations of pro-inflammatory/Th1 interferon-γ (IFNγ), immunomodulatory/Th2 interleukin-10 (IL-10), anti-viral type I (IFNβ) and type III (IFNλ3) interferons in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) and serum of 18 TBE patients, simultaneously genotyped for polymorphisms associated with the expression of genes IFNL3 (coding IFNλ3), IL10, CD209 and CCR5. IL-10, IFNβ and IFNλ3 were up-regulated in csf, with IFNλ3 level higher in patients with the milder clinical presentation (meningitis) than in meningoencephalitis.

Cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 concentration in patients with purulent, bacterial meningitis - own observations.

Aim: This study aimed at evaluating the usefulness of determining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration in adults with purulent, bacterial meningoencephalitis.

Materialand Methods: A study group consisted of 16 patients hospitalized in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Medical University of Silesia in Bytom in 2008 - 2012 due to purulent, bacterial meningoencephalitis. All of them were classified into two groups based on clinical severity, assessed on admission: group I - severe condition, group II - moderately severe or mild condition.

Distribution of HCV genotypes in Poland.

Unlabelled: Available data on prevalence of HCV genotypes in Poland are insufficient. The aim of the study was the analysis of distribution of HCV genotypes in Poland over the period of recent 10 years regarding the age of patients and the regions of the country.

Material And Methods: Analysis of HCV genotypes in Poland was carried out between 2003 and 2012, and included 14 651 patients from 22 centers where patients with chronic viral hepatitis C are diagnosed and treated.

HIV-1 integrase resistance among antiretroviral treatment naive and experienced patients from Northwestern Poland.

Background: HIV integrase inhibitor use is limited by low genetic barrier to resistance and possible cross-resistance among representatives of this class of antiretrovirals. The aim of this study was to analyse integrase sequence variability among antiretroviral treatment naive and experienced patients with no prior integrase inhibitor (InI) exposure and investigate development of the InI drug resistance mutations following the virologic failure of the raltegravir containing regimen.

Methods: Sequencing of HIV-1 integrase region from plasma samples of 80 integrase treatment naive patients and serial samples from 12 patients with observed virologic failure on raltegravir containing treatment whenever plasma vireamia exceeded >50 copies/ml was performed.

IL28B CC genotype is associated with higher all-cause mortality in antiretroviral-treated HIV-infected patients.

Il28B single nucleotide polymorphisms were found to influence interferon λ expression, resulting in changes in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA serum levels as well as the HIV-RNA set point prior to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). To date, there is limited information on the influence of this polymorphism on survival in HIV-infected, treatment-naïve, and antiretroviral-treated patients. Longitudinal data from 484 patients diagnosed with HIV infection (including 406 on cART) were analyzed to investigate the association between Il28B rs 1979860 variants and all-cause mortality.

Genotypic tropism of antiretroviral-treated patients with drug resistant HIV-1.

CCR5 inhibitors remain an attractive antiretroviral treatment option for HIV-infected patients; however, tropism testing should be utilized prior their introduction. This study analyzed genotypic HIV-1 tropisms in patients with evidence of genotypic drug resistance to antiretroviral therapies in Northwest Poland. V3 loop sequences were analyzed from plasma samples obtained from patients presenting with virologic treatment failure while on combined antiretroviral treatment and with evidence of genotypic drug resistance.

Risk of all-cause mortality in HIV infected patients is associated with clinical, immunologic predictors and the CCR5 Δ32 deletion.

Objective: Investigation of the interplay between the CCR5 Δ32/wt genotype and demographic, epidemiological, clinical and immunological factors associated with mortality in the cART era.

Design: Longitudinal data from 507 HIV-infected patients following the Δ32 allele detection were analyzed.

Methods: Cumulative 15 years mortality was calculated using Kaplan-Meyer methodology.