LPS Guides Distinct Patterns of Training and Tolerance in Mast Cells.

Mast cells (MCs) are tissue-resident, long lived innate immune cells with important effector and immunomodulatory functions. They are equipped with an eclectic variety of receptors that enable them to sense multiple stimuli and to generate specific responses according on the type, strength and duration of the stimulation. Several studies demonstrated that myeloid cells can retain immunological memory of their encounters - a process termed 'trained immunity' or 'innate immune memory'.

Risk Factors and Outcome of Infection after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Patients who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) are at major risk of (CD) infection (CDI), the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea. We conducted a retrospective study, which enrolled 481 patients who underwent autologous (220) or allogeneic HSCT (261) in a 5-year period, with the aim of identifying the incidence, risk factors and outcome of CDI between the start of conditioning and 100 days after HSCT. The overall cumulative incidence of CDI based upon clinical evidence was 5.

Orthopoxvirus Seroprevalence in Cats and Veterinary Personnel in North-Eastern Italy in 2011.

Orthopoxviruses (OPV) are emerging zoonotic pathogens, and an increasing number of human infections is currently reported in Europe and in other continents, warranting heightened attention on this topic. Following two OPV infections reported in veterinarians scratched by sick cats in 2005 and 2007 in North-Eastern-Italy, involving a previously undescribed OPV, a similar strain was isolated by a sick cat from the same territory in 2011, i.e.

Mast Cells Respond to Infections and Modulate Macrophages Phagocytosis of the Fungus.

Mast cells (MCs) are long-lived immune cells widely distributed at mucosal surfaces and are among the first immune cell type that can get in contact with the external environment. This study aims to unravel the mechanisms of reciprocal influence between mucosal MCs and as commensal/opportunistic pathogen species in humans. Stimulation of bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) with live forms of induced the release of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-13, and IL-4.

Epidemiological and clinical features of imported malaria at the three main hospitals of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, Italy.

Background: Imported malaria cases continue to occur in non-endemic regions among travellers returning from tropical and subtropical countries. At particular risk of acquiring malaria is the group of travellers identified as immigrants who return to their home country with the specific intent of visiting friends or relatives (VFRs) and who commonly believe they are immune to malaria and fail to seek pre-travel advice. Our aim was to review the current trends of imported malaria in the three main hospitals of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region (FVG), North Eastern Italy, focusing in particular on patient characteristics and laboratory findings.

Determination of PCT on admission is a useful tool for the assessment of disease severity in travelers with imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) may be useful to predict complicated forms of malaria. A total of 30 consecutive travelers diagnosed with Plasmodium falciparum malaria over a two-year period were included in the study. Patients with complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria showed higher levels of parasitemia (P = 0.

Antifungal activity of cathelicidin peptides against planktonic and biofilm cultures of Candida species isolated from vaginal infections.

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a frequent gynecological condition caused by Candida albicans and a few non-albicans Candida spp. It has a significant impact on the quality of life of the affected women also due to a considerable incidence of recurrent infections that are difficult to treat. The formation of fungal biofilm may contribute to the problematic management of recurrent VVC due to the intrinsic resistance of sessile cells to the currently available antifungals.

Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of Clostridium difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is considered to be the main cause of bacterial infectious diarrhea in nosocomial settings. Since the beginning of the new century a continuous rise in the incidence of severe CDI has been observed worldwide. Even though some CDI cases are not associated with previous antibiotic exposure, this remains as the principal risk factor for the development of CDI.

Acute renal failure due to visceral leishmaniasis by Leishmania infantum successfully treated with a single high dose of liposomal amphotericin B.

We report a visceral leishmaniasis case in an immunocompetent immigrant with acute renal failure. Parasites were demonstrated in bone marrow, peripheral blood, and kidney samples. A collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis was documented, which was successfully treated with a single infusion of 10 mg/kg liposomal amphotericin B.

Trends in antibiotic sensitivity pattern and molecular detection of tet(O)-mediated tetracycline resistance in campylobacter jejuni isolates from human and poultry sources.

This study was conducted to determine the trends in Campylobacter antibiotic resistance occurring in our setting and to assess the differences in the isolates using patterns of plasmid profiles. One hundred Campylobacter jejuni strains of human and poultry origin isolated in 2002-2003 (phase A) and 2005-2006 (phase B) in the Kingdom of Bahrain were evaluated. Susceptibility to erythromycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was determined, and plasmid extraction and polymerase chain reaction detection of the tet(O) gene was carried out.

Human papillomavirus infection among women attending health facilities in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Objective: To investigate the occurrence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the associated risk factors in Bahrain's female population.

Methods: This study was carried out between March to December 2004, which includes cervical scrapings for Pap smear and HPV-DNA testing using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, obtained from 100 women attending the Gynecology Clinic at Salmaniya Medical Center and Sheikh Sabah Health Center in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We distributed questionnaires that include the sociodemographic data as well as information on risk factors such as smoking, parity, and the contraceptive used.

African trypanosomiasis gambiense, Italy.

African trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense has not been reported in Italy. We report 2 cases diagnosed in the summer of 2004. Theses cases suggest an increased risk for expatriates working in trypanosomiasis-endemic countries.

Antimicrobial activity of SMAP-29 against the Bacteroides fragilis group and clostridia.

Objectives: The cathelicidin-derived peptide SMAP-29 exerts rapid and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against aerobic bacteria and fungi. In this study, the effects of the peptide against the Bacteroides fragilis group, including antibiotic-resistant isolates, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile reference and clinical isolates, were investigated.

Methods: The microbicidal activity of SMAP-29 against eight reference and 100 clinical anaerobic strains from a national collection was assessed using a microdilution susceptibility assay, and by determining the killing kinetics on selected strains.

Detection of human papillomavirus DNA and p53 gene mutations in esophageal cancer samples and adjacent normal mucosa.

Background/aim: There is evidence of a possible etiological role of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in the development of esophageal tumors. Loss of function of the wild-type p53 tumor suppressor gene product by binding to E6 oncoproteins of high-risk HPVs is considered an important event in tumor development. The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of HPV infection and p53 mutation in esophageal tumor tissue samples and in the adjacent normal mucosa in patients from a high-risk area in Italy.

Detection of tetQ and ermF antibiotic resistance genes in Prevotella and Porphyromonas isolates from clinical specimens and resident microbiota of humans.

Gram-negative anaerobes belonging to the genera Fusobacterium, Prevotella and Porphyromonas were investigated for the presence of tetQ and ermF, which have been shown to be spread by conjugal elements. One hundred isolates from either sites of infection or various body sites in healthy subjects were studied. PCR was used to detect tetQ, and DNA-DNA hybridization studies on EcoRI chromosomal digests were undertaken to detect the presence of tetQ and ermF.

Diagnostic anaerobic bacteriology in Italy: state of the art. Italian Anaerobic Study Group.

A total of 220 microbiology departments in 205 general hospitals, 12 university hospitals, and 3 military hospitals were surveyed by questionnaire during the period March-May 1996 in order to evaluate the status of diagnostic anaerobic bacteriology in Italy. Responses were received from 47 laboratories (21.3%).

Recovery of Bilophila wadsworthiafrom Clinical Specimens in Italy.

This report is the first survey in Italy to evaluate the incidence of recovery of Bilophila wadsworthia in clinical situations. The survey was carried out at the departments of Microbiology in two Northern Italian hospitals over a one-year period. Tests for B.

Characterization of a putative new HPV genomic sequence from a cervical lesion using L1 consensus primers and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Various methods have been proposed for HPV detection and typing. Prevalence and distribution among types have varied depending upon the methods used and the populations studied. We have applied the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by a Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis using the MY09/MY11 primers for detection of HPV in cervicovaginal lavages obtained from 323 patients who were referred to our Clinical Department either for genital complaints or an abnormal PAP smear.

Rapid polymerase chain reaction method for specific detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile.

A rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile directly from fecal samples by amplification of toxin A gene fragments was investigated. The technique was applied to monitor the spread of the microorganism in a long-term care ward with a relatively high incidence of overt episodes of diarrhea. The PCR approach has several advantages over traditional methods, rapidly allowing the specific detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains from stool samples in both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects with toxigenic strains.

Role of structural and extracellular virulence factors in gram-negative anaerobic bacteria.

Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria belonging to the genera Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Porphyromonas represent the most common cause of endogenous, usually mixed, infections occurring after abdominal or gynecologic surgery. Anaerobes are important pathogens in oral-cavity infections as well as in systemic infections that originate from the mouth. Clinical interest in these organisms is linked to the therapeutic problems usually encountered in treating mixed infections.

Evaluation of an automated system for identification of anaerobic bacteria.

A fully automated computer-assisted system (ATB system, bioMérieux, France) which uses disposable microenzymatic panels was evaluated for its ability to identify 215 strains of anaerobic bacteria (clinical isolates and reference strains). All strains were examined using conventional identification protocols and by gas chromatographic analysis of short-chain fatty acids. Automated reading of Rapid ID32A test kits (bioMérieux, France) by the ATB system gave correct identification for 195 strains (90.