Activity of the old antimicrobial nitroxoline against Mycobacterium abscessus complex isolates.

Objectives: The old antimicrobial nitroxoline is approved to treat urinary tract infection (UTI) and is currently rediscovered for treatment of drug resistant pathogens. Mycobacteria of the Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MYABS) are rapid-growing nontuberculous mycobacteria that are associated with difficult to treat infections of the lungs in patients with pulmonary disorders such as cystic fibrosis. In this study we assessed the in vitro activity of nitroxoline against molecularly characterized drug-resistant MYABS isolates from clinical samples to address potential repurposing of nitroxoline in difficult-to-treat MYABS infection.

The impact of a needs-oriented dental prophylaxis program on bacteremia after toothbrushing and systemic inflammation in children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) still leads to high mortality rates, mainly due to cardiovascular disease. One important influencing factor is persisting low-grade chronic inflammation partly maintained by gingivitis that favors transient bacteremia during daily activities such as toothbrushing.

Methods: To examine whether intensive dental prophylaxis can restore oral health, reduce the prevalence of bacteremia and degree of systemic inflammation indicated by CRP levels, we conducted this pilot study examining 30 CKD patients aged 6-26 years, 15 receiving intensive prophylaxis (IP), 15 receiving treatment as usual (TAU) serving as control group.

Bacteraemia of oral origin in children-A Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objectives: To systematically review the prevalence of bacteraemia, triggered by dental intervention and home oral hygiene practices, in children. The network meta-analysis (NMA) quantitatively compared the risk of bacteraemia triggered by dental extractions and home and professional cleaning procedures.

Materials And Methods: Clinical trials with the outcome "bacteraemia in children" were searched.

Failure of Vitek2 to reliably detect vanB-mediated vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecium.

Objectives: The increasing prevalence of VRE necessitates their reliable detection, especially for low-level resistance mediated by vanB in Enterococcus faecium. In this prospective study we analysed if vanB-mediated vancomycin resistance can be reliably detected by Vitek2.

Methods: One thousand, three hundred and forty-four enterococcal isolates from routine clinical specimens were tested by Vitek2 (bioMérieux, Nürtingen, Germany).

Comparison of Two Commercially Available qPCR Kits for the Detection of .

is an emerging pathogen with resistance to many commonly used antifungal agents. Infections with require rapid and reliable detection methods to initiate successful medical treatment and contain hospital outbreaks. Conventional identification methods are prone to errors and can lead to misidentifications.

Plasma interferon-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) levels correlate with disease severity and paradoxical reactions in extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: With 1.5 million deaths worldwide in 2018, tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global public health problem. While pulmonary TB (PTB) is the most common manifestation, the proportion of extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) is increasing in low-burden countries.

Toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae-Associated Genital Ulceration.

In October 2016, an adolescent boy sought care for acute genital ulceration in Cologne, Germany. We presumed a sexually transmitted infection, but initial diagnostic procedures yielded negative results. He was hospitalized because swab samples from the lesion grew toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae, leading to the diagnosis of possibly sexually transmitted cutaneous diphtheria.

Leptin signaling impairs macrophage defenses against Typhimurium.

The dynamic interplay between metabolism and immune responses in health and disease, by which different immune cells impact on metabolic processes, are being increasingly appreciated. However, the potential of master regulators of metabolism to control innate immunity are less understood. Here, we studied the cross-talk between leptin signaling and macrophage function in the context of bacterial infections.

Severe disseminated tuberculosis in HIV-negative refugees.

In high-income countries, the presentation of tuberculosis is changing, primarily because of migration, and understanding the specific health needs of susceptible populations is becoming increasingly important. Although disseminated tuberculosis is well documented in HIV-positive patients, the disease is poorly described and less expected in HIV-negative individuals. In this Grand Round, we report eight HIV-negative refugees, who presented with extensively disseminated tuberculosis.

Hollow silica capsules for amphiphilic transport and sustained delivery of antibiotic and anticancer drugs.

Hollow mesoporous silica capsules (HMSC) are potential drug transport vehicles due to their biocompatibility, high loading capacity and sufficient stability in biological milieu. Herein, we report the synthesis of ellipsoid-shaped HMSC (aspect ratio ∼2) performed using hematite particles as solid templates that were coated with a conformal silica shell through cross-condensation reactions. For obtaining hollow silica capsules, the iron oxide core was removed by acidic leaching.

Isolation of Salmonella typhimurium-containing Phagosomes from Macrophages.

Salmonella typhimurium is a facultative intracellular bacterium that causes gastroenteritis in humans. After invasion of the lamina propria, S. typhimurium bacteria are quickly detected and phagocytized by macrophages, and contained in vesicles known as phagosomes in order to be degraded.

Surgical Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment of Intestinal Aspergillosis in Pediatric Patients with ALL.

Background:  The incidence of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in children with hematooncological malignancies is increasing as a result of intensive treatment, immunosuppression, and extended use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Infection of the GI tract by spp. is a rare and fatal complication, which often requires surgical diagnostic and therapeutic exploration.

Repurposing QuantiFERON for Detection of Neutralizing Interferon-γ Autoantibodies in Patients With Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections due to autoantibodies targeting interferon-γ are an emerging medical problem. However, case finding is hampered due to highly complex diagnostic procedures not available in routine laboratories. We show that QuantiFERON assays can be exploited as a simple screening tool that may facilitate adequate and timely treatment.

Low prevalence of DHFR and DHPS mutations in Pneumocystis jirovecii strains obtained from a German cohort.

Background: Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is an opportunistic and potentially life-threatening infection of immunocompromised individuals. A combination of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is widely used for prophylaxis and treatment of PCP. Polymorphisms in the drug targets, the dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) or the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) are presumably a reason for treatment failure.

Comparison of Phenotypic Tests and an Immunochromatographic Assay and Development of a New Algorithm for Detection of OXA-48-like Carbapenemases.

OXA-48 is the most prevalent carbapenemase in in Europe and the Middle East, but it is frequently missed because many isolates display low MICs for carbapenems. Furthermore, in contrast to metallo-β-lactamases or carbapenemases (KPC), no specific inhibitor is available for the phenotypic detection of OXA-48. Molecular detection of is the "gold standard" but is not available in many laboratories.

Keim oder kein Keim: Herausforderungen bei der Diagnose mykobakterieller Infektionen der Haut.

Kutane Mykobakteriosen sind in Deutschland selten. Dennoch ist es für eine frühzeitige Diagnose und anschließende wirksame Behandlung erforderlich, dass diese Krankheitsbilder im ärztlichen Bewusstsein verankert sind. Darüber hinaus stehen Infektionen mit Mykobakterien auf der Liste der Differentialdiagnosen vieler Hautkrankheiten.

Bug or no bug: challenges in diagnosing cutaneous mycobacterial infections.

Cutaneous mycobacterioses are rare in Germany. Nevertheless, early diagnosis and subsequent effective treatment requires awareness of these conditions. Moreover, mycobacterial infections are on the differential diagnosis list of many skin diseases.

Imatinib Triggers Phagolysosome Acidification and Antimicrobial Activity against Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guérin in Glucocorticoid-Treated Human Macrophages.

Glucocorticoids are extensively used to treat inflammatory diseases; however, their chronic intake increases the risk for mycobacterial infections. Meanwhile, the effects of glucocorticoids on innate host responses are incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the direct effects of glucocorticoids on antimycobacterial host defense in primary human macrophages.

Evaluation of the Qiagen artus C. difficile QS-RGQ Kit for Detection of Clostridium difficile Toxins A and B in Clinical Stool Specimens.

We compared the Qiagen artus C. difficile QS-RGQ kit, a new nucleic acid amplification test for the detection of Clostridium difficile toxins in stool specimens, with the Cepheid Xpert C. difficile test.

Performance of two MALDI-TOF MS systems for the identification of yeasts isolated from bloodstream infections and cerebrospinal fluids using a time-saving direct transfer protocol.

The rapid and correct identification of pathogens is of paramount importance for the treatment of patients with invasive infections. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) can speed up the identification of bacteria and fungi and has quickly been embraced by medical microbiology laboratories worldwide. Different MALDI-TOF systems have been compared in studies focussing on identification rates of different pathogens.

Therapeutic concentrations of antibiotics inhibit Shiga toxin release from enterohemorrhagic E. coli O104:H4 from the 2011 German outbreak.

Background: The shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O104:H4 caused a major outbreak in Germany in spring 2011. STEC are usually susceptible to common antibiotics.

Reduction of plasma oxalate levels by oral application of Oxalobacter formigenes in 2 patients with infantile oxalosis.

The spectrum of primary hyperoxaluria type I is extremely heterogeneous, ranging from singular to recurrent urolithiasis and early end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In infantile oxalosis, the most devastating form, ESRD occurs as early as within the first weeks of life. No kidney replacement therapy sufficiently removes endogenously overproduced oxalate.