Publications by authors named "Botond Lakatos"

(1) Background: The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in chronic immune activation associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pathogenesis, non-AIDS-related comorbidities, and mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH). The effects of antiretroviral therapy on the microbiome remain underexplored. This study aims to map the evidence of the impact of integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) on the gut microbiota of PLWH.

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Article Synopsis
  • Thromboinflammation and immunothrombosis influence diseases like TTP and COVID-19, but TTP's cytokine profiles are not well-studied compared to COVID-19's cytokine storms.
  • A study measured 33 soluble mediators in patients with TTP and COVID-19 to identify unique and shared features of thromboinflammation.
  • The findings revealed that TTP has a more anti-inflammatory profile during acute phases with fewer immune markers, while COVID-19 shows increased pro-inflammatory markers with severity, suggesting distinct mechanisms between the two diseases.
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Purpose: Invasive Listeria monocytogenes infection is rare, but can lead to life-threatening complications among high-risk patients. Our aim was to assess characteristics and follow-up of adults hospitalized with invasive L. monocytogenes infection.

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The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has precipitated a global pandemic with substantial long-term health implications, including the condition known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), commonly referred to as Long COVID. PASC is marked by persistent symptoms such as fatigue, neurological issues, and autonomic dysfunction that persist for months beyond the acute phase of COVID-19. This review examines the potential role of herpesvirus reactivation, specifically Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), in the pathogenesis of PASC.

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Introduction: Expert opinion is widely used in clinical guidelines. No research has ever been conducted investigating the use of expert opinion in international infectious disease guidelines. This study aimed to create an analytical map by describing the prevalence and utilization of expert opinion in infectious disease guidelines and analyzing the methodological aspects of these guidelines.

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  • The study examined socio-demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, and outcomes of mpox patients across 14 Central and Eastern European countries.
  • Nearly all of the 154 diagnosed patients were males, primarily men who have sex with men (MSM), with a significant proportion also living with HIV, who engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors.
  • The findings suggest a need for effective contact tracing and vaccination strategies to manage mpox outbreaks, as the majority of cases presented favorable outcomes despite some complications.
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Introduction: Over the past decade, enterococcal bloodstream infection (BSI) shows increasing incidence globally among the elderly and in patients with comorbidities. In this study, we aimed to assess microbiological and clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of BSIs caused by Enterococcus spp. in adult patients with and without active onco-hematological malignancies hospitalized at a national referral institute.

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Baricitinib is considered a first-line treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected adult patients with an associated cytokine storm syndrome (CSS). Our objective was to compare rates of secondary infections and long-term outcomes of elderly and non-elderly patients who received baricitinib for COVID-19. We conducted a single-centre observational study between November 2020 and September 2023, focusing on hospitalized adult SARS-CoV-2 patients with CSS, categorized as elderly (≥ 65 years) and non-elderly (< 65 years).

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Background: During the COVID pandemic, research has shown an increase in candidemia cases following severe COVID infection and the identification of risk factors associated with candidemia. However, there is a lack of studies that specifically explore clinical outcomes and mortality rates related to candidemia after COVID infection.

Objectives: The aim of this international study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and identify factors influencing mortality in patients who developed candidemia during their COVID infection.

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Background: To date there remains much ambiguity in the literature regarding the immunological interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and HIV and the true risk posed to coinfected individuals. There has been little conclusive data regarding the use of CD4 cell count and HIV viral load stratification as predictors of COVID-19 severity in this cohort.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational cohort study on people living with HIV (PLWH) who contracted COVID-19 in central and eastern Europe.

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The optimal approach for adult patients hospitalized with severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), non-responsive to antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs, is not well established. Our aim was to evaluate feasibility and safety of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in this setting. A prospective, single-center investigational study was performed between 2021 and 2022 at a tertiary referral center for COVID-19.

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Background: Nearly 10% of COVID-19 cases will require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Our aim was to assess the clinical and microbiological outcomes of secondary infections among critically ill COVID-19 adult patients treated with/without immunomodulation.

Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was performed between 2020 and 2022 at a single ICU.

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Objectives: Bacteraemia during the course of neutropenia is often fatal. We aimed to identify factors predicting mortality to have an insight into better clinical management.

Methods: The study has a prospective, observational design using pooled data from febrile neutropenia patients with bacteraemia in 41 centres in 16 countries.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mortality rates among immunocompromised patients, accentuating the need for novel, targeted therapies. Transplant recipients, with their inherent immune vulnerabilities, represent a subgroup at significantly heightened risk. Current conventional therapies often demonstrate limited effectiveness in these patients, calling for innovative treatment approaches.

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Hereditary complement deficiencies are relatively rare worldwide, they account for about 1-10% of primary immunodeficiencies. Acquired complement deficiencies are more prevalent and with the more frequent use of complement inhibitor therapy, the incidence of patients with iatrogenic complement deficiency is increasing. Alike in the inherited forms, patients have a high risk of severe and life-threatening infections caused by encapsulated bacteria (sepsis, meningitis).

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Article Synopsis
  • Mpox is a zoonotic disease due to the Mpox virus, which was first noted outside its typical regions in Central and West Africa on May 21, 2022.
  • A study involving 647 patients across 16 countries found the majority of cases were young males, mostly homosexual-bisexual, with symptoms like rashes, fever, and lymphadenopathy.
  • The findings highlight the need for increased awareness and swift public health responses to manage Mpox’s spread beyond endemic regions.
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(1) Background: Viral hepatitis C (HCV) and viral hepatitis B (HBV) are common co-infections in people living with HIV (PLWH). All PLWH should be vaccinated against HBV and hepatitis A (HAV) and treated for HBV and HCV. We aimed to compare testing, prophylaxis and treatment of viral hepatitis in PLWH in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in 2019 and 2022.

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Introduction: While complement is a contributor to disease severity in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, all three complement pathways might be activated by the virus. Lectin pathway activation occurs through different pattern recognition molecules, including mannan binding lectin (MBL), a protein shown to interact with SARS-CoV-2 proteins. However, the exact role of lectin pathway activation and its key pattern recognition molecule MBL in COVID-19 is still not fully understood.

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Emerging evidence suggests that remdesivir might improve clinical outcome of high-risk outpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our aim was to evaluate characteristics and outcomes of nonhospitalised adults diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated with early remdesivir therapy during the omicron wave. A single-centre prospective cohort study was performed among adult patients between February and June 2022, during the circulation of phylogenetic assignment of named global outbreak (PANGO) subvariants BA.

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With no expected vaccine for HIV in the near future, we aimed to define the current situation and challenges for pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The Euroguidelines CEE Network Group members were invited to respond to a 27-item survey including questions on PrEP (response rate 91.6%).

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Convalescent plasma therapy might be a feasible option for treatment of novel infections. During the early phases of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, several promising results were published with convalescent plasma therapy, followed by more disappointing findings of randomised controlled trials. In our single-centre, open-label, prospective, cohort study, we assessed the findings of 180 patients treated with convalescent plasma during the first four waves of the pandemic in Hungary.

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