Impact of systematic diabetes screening on peri-operative infections in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Detection of high glycated hemoglobin (A1c) is associated with worse postoperative outcomes, including predisposition to develop systemic and local infectious events. Diabetes and infectious Outcomes in Cardiac Surgery (DOCS) study is a retrospective case-control study aimed to assess in DM and non-DM cardiac surgery patients if a new screening and management model, consisting of systematic A1c evaluation followed by a specialized DM consult, could reduce perioperative infections and 30-days mortality. Effective July 2021, all patients admitted to the cardiac surgery of IRCCS ISMETT were tested for A1c.

MicroRNA Expression Levels in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Positive Individuals and Relationship with Different Levels of Viral Suppression.

The persistence of low human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in individuals undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART) still threatens their health. Previous findings have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) could interfere with several steps of the viral life cycle. Herein, we set out to investigate the expression of miR-150, miR-223, miR-382, miR-324-5p, miR-33a-5p, miR-34a, and miR-132 in the whole peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) population from people living with HIV-1 showing different levels of viral suppression.

Odontogenic-Related Head and Neck Infections: From Abscess to Mediastinitis: Our Experience, Limits, and Perspectives-A 5-Year Survey.

Background: Head and neck infections are commonly caused by affections with an odontogenic origin. Untreated or non-responsive to treatment odontogenic infections can cause severe consequences such as localized abscesses, deep neck infections (DNI), and mediastinitis, conditions where emergency procedures such as tracheostomy or cervicotomy could be needed.

Methods: An epidemiological retrospective observational study was performed, and the objective of the investigation was to present a single-center 5-years retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to the emergency department of the hospital Policlinico Umberto I "Sapienza" with a diagnosis of odontogenic related head and neck infection, observing the epidemiological patterns, the management and the type of surgical procedure adopted to treat the affections.

Virus-like particle - mediated delivery of the RIG-I agonist M8 induces a type I interferon response and protects cells against viral infection.

Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) are nanostructures that share conformation and self-assembly properties with viruses, but lack a viral genome and therefore the infectious capacity. In this study, we produced VLPs by co-expression of VSV glycoprotein (VSV-G) and HIV structural proteins (Gag, Pol) that incorporated a strong sequence-optimized 5'ppp-RNA RIG-I agonist, termed M8. Treatment of target cells with VLPs-M8 generated an antiviral state that conferred resistance against multiple viruses.

Computational design and characterization of a multiepitope vaccine against carbapenemase-producing strains, derived from antigens identified through reverse vaccinology.

is a Gram-negative pathogen of clinical relevance, which can provoke serious urinary and blood infections and pneumonia. This bacterium is a major public health threat due to its resistance to several antibiotic classes. Using a reverse vaccinology approach, 7 potential antigens were identified, of which 4 were present in most of the sequences of Italian carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates.

Analysis of viral nucleic acids in duodenal biopsies from adult patients with celiac disease.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of Adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), HHV-6 and cytomegalovirus (CMV) nucleic acids in the gastrointestinal biopsies from active CD patients.

Methods: Gastrointestinal biopsies of 40 active CD patients and 40 non-CD patients were collected during the endoscopic investigation of gastrointestinal symptoms.

Results: HHV-6B was found in 62.

Molecular Analysis With 16S rRNA PCR/Sanger Sequencing and Molecular Antibiogram Performed on DNA Extracted From Valve Improve Diagnosis and Targeted Therapy of Infective Endocarditis: A Prospective Study.

Background: Molecular analysis (MA) on heart valve (HV) improves the microbiologic diagnosis of infectious endocarditis (IE). The main drawback of MA is the lack of antimicrobial susceptibility information.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort observational study of consecutive adult patients from April 2012 to May 2021 who underwent valve surgery at our hospital.

Specific Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses After Booster Dose of BNT162b2 Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA-Based Vaccine: Integrated Study of Adaptive Immune System Components.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is modifying human activity all over the world with significant health and economic burden. The advent of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic prompted the scientific community to learn the virus dynamics concerning transmissibility, epidemiology, and usefulness of vaccines in fighting emerging health hazards. Pieces of evidence suggest that the first and second doses of mRNA vaccines induce a significant antibody response in vaccinated subjects or patients who recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection, demonstrating the importance of the previously formed memory.

A retrospective molecular epidemiological scenario of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates in a Sicilian transplantation hospital shows a swift polyclonal divergence among sequence types, resistome and virulome.

In this work, we assessed and characterized the epidemiological scenario of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains (CR-Kp) at IRCCS-ISMETT, a transplantation hospital in Palermo, Italy, from 2008 to 2017. A total of 288 K. pneumoniae clinical isolates were selected based on their resistance to carbapenems.

Pneumonia in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: First Report of Two Cases.

Emerging fungal infections are a major challenge in solid organ transplantation (SOT) and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. We report two cases of pneumonia in SOT recipients. Infections were diagnosed with molecular analysis and histology.

Liver Transplantation for Unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: The Role of Sequencing Genetic Profiling.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a rare and aggressive primary liver tumor, characterized by a range of different clinical manifestations and by increasing incidence and mortality rates even after curative treatment with radical resection. In recent years, growing attention has been devoted to this disease and some evidence supports liver transplantation (LT) as an appropriate treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; evolving work has also provided a framework for better understanding the genetic basis of this cancer. The aim of this study was to provide a clinical description of our series of patients complemented with Next-Generation Sequencing genomic profiling.

Antiviral Potential of the Antimicrobial Drug Atovaquone against SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Variants of Concern.

The antimicrobial medication malarone (atovaquone/proguanil) is used as a fixed-dose combination for treating children and adults with uncomplicated malaria or as chemoprophylaxis for preventing malaria in travelers. It is an inexpensive, efficacious, and safe drug frequently prescribed around the world. Following anecdotal evidence from 17 patients in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, Canada, suggesting that malarone/atovaquone may present some benefits in protecting against COVID-19, we sought to examine its antiviral potential in limiting the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in cellular models of infection.

Type I Interferons in COVID-19 Pathogenesis.

Among the many activities attributed to the type I interferon (IFN) multigene family, their roles as mediators of the antiviral immune response have emerged as important components of the host response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Viruses likewise have evolved multiple immune evasion strategies to circumvent the host immune response and promote virus propagation and dissemination. Therefore, a thorough characterization of host-virus interactions is essential to understand SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.

Comparison of FTD SARS-CoV-2 Assay and RealStar RT-PCR kit 1.0 for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical performance of FTD SARS-CoV-2 compared to the RealStar RT-PCR kit 1.0. The analysis of 100 nasopharyngeal swabs showed an overall agreement of 88 %.

Severe Odontogenic Infections during Pregnancy and Related Adverse Outcomes. Case Report and Systematic Literature Review.

Odontogenic infections have the potential to develop into deep-space infections and may cause severe diseases with possible life-threatening complications. Dental infections during pregnancy require special attention in terms of possible complications and treatments due to the potential to affect the lives of two individuals. A case of a 36-year-old pregnant patient with a submandibular abscess caused by an odontogenic infection is reported, followed by a comprehensive systematic review of the literature in order to retrieve information regarding severe odontogenic infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Microbiological Surveillance of Endoscopes in a Southern Italian Transplantation Hospital: A Retrospective Study from 2016 to 2019.

Endoscopes are medical instruments that are used routinely in health structures. Due to their invasive nature and contact with many patients, they may cause hospital-acquired infections if not disinfected correctly. To ensure a high-level disinfection procedure or reprocessing, since the methods currently adopted in our institute are adequate, we evaluated retrospectively the presence of microorganisms in our endoscopes after reprocessing.

Dolutegravir-Based Regimen for Maintenance of Viral Suppression in People Living with HIV: 48-Week Results in Real-Life Setting.

To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of switching to a dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimen in a cohort of virological suppressed HIV-infected patients who have previously been treated with different antiretroviral combination. The dynamics of total HIV-DNA and levels of high-sensitivity c-reactive protein, interleukin-6, soluble-CD14, and D-Dimer were also analyzed. Ninety-six individuals who switched to a DTG-containing regimen were followed up for 48 weeks.

Differential induction of type I and III interferon genes in the upper respiratory tract of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The natural course of type I and III interferon (IFN) response in the respiratory tract of COVID-19 patients needs to be better defined. We showed that type I/III IFNs, IFN-regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), and IFN stimulated genes (ISGs), are highly expressed in the oropharyngeal cells of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients compared to healthy controls. Notably, the subgroup of critically-ill patients that required invasive mechanical ventilation had a general decrease in expression of IFN/ISG genes.

Vitamin D levels in liver transplantation recipients and early postoperative outcomes: Prospective observational DLiverX study.

Background & Aims: In critically ill patients with liver disease, vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher disease severity, increased frequency of infections, and worse outcomes. This study sought to describe the trend of vitamin D in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) recipients and its association with outcomes.

Methods: Prospective observational study of 67 consecutive OLT recipients enrolled between September, 2016 and August, 2017 at IRCCS-ISMETT, Palermo (Italy).

Detection of SARS-COV N2 Gene: Very low amounts of viral RNA or false positive?

Background: The detection of a low amount of viral RNA is crucial to identify a SARS-CoV-2 positive individual harboring a low level of virus, especially during the convalescent period. However, the detection of one gene at high Cycle threshold (Ct) has to be interpreted with caution. In this study we address this specific issue and report our real-life experience.