Publications by authors named "Huang Yu-Tsung"

Unlabelled: BluePoint MoldID can identify 43 fungal species through nucleic acid array hybridization and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) can identify 247 filamentous fungi through mass spectrometry. First, 43 standard isolates from the Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Taiwan, and the College of American Pathologists and 41 clinical species isolates confirmed by rDNA-ITS sequencing were analyzed using BluePoint MoldID and Bruker MALDI-TOF MS. BluePoint MoldID accurately identified 79% (34/43) of the standard isolates to the species level but failed to recognize nine isolates absent from its database; additionally, 87.

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Severe pneumonia remains the leading infectious cause of death worldwide. The time-consuming nature and suboptimal sensitivity of sputum cultures hamper prompt pathogen detection for tailored treatments. Advanced techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) offer rapid genetic pathogen detection and identification of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study focused on the genetic and clinical traits of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) that have metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) genes, with a specific look at their resistance to the antibiotic ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA).
  • In 2022, researchers analyzed 146 unique CRE isolates, finding that 35.6% were resistant to CZA, and 31.5% carried MBL genes, impacting their ability to be treated effectively.
  • The study noted high mortality rates linked to key factors such as admission to intensive care units, and revealed a diverse range of CRE strains without predominant clones, highlighting the urgent need for monitoring and treatment strategies
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Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), once considered a harmless commensal, has emerged as a significant concern due to the increased prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains and their association with invasive infections. This study aimed to explore the epidemiology and molecular resistance mechanisms of 51 NTHi isolates collected from patients with invasive infections in northern Taiwan between 2011 and 2020. This investigation revealed substantial genetic diversity, encompassing 29 distinct sequence types and 18 clonal complexes.

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Candida albicans is a leading cause of intravascular catheter-related infections. The capacity for biofilm formation has been proposed to contribute to the persistence of this fungal pathogen on catheter surfaces. While efforts have been devoted to identifying microbial factors that modulate C.

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Background: This study aimed to assess the performance of three commercial panels, the ERIC Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Test (ERIC CRE test), the NG-Test CARBA 5 (NG CARBA 5), and the BD Phoenix CPO Detect Panel (CPO panel), for the detection of main types of carbapenemases among carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE).

Methods: We collected 502 isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) demonstrating intermediate or resistant profiles to at least one carbapenem antibiotic (ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem, or doripenem). Carbapenemase genes and their specific types were identified through multiplex PCR and sequencing methods.

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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to the spread of antimicrobial resistance, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales.

Methods: This study utilized data from the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) surveillance program in Taiwan. Enterobacterales from patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) were collected and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and β-lactamase gene detection using a multiplex PCR assay.

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Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a significant human pathogen that poses a global health concern. However, the development of a GAS vaccine has been challenging due to the multitude of diverse M-types and the risk of triggering cross-reactive immune responses. Our previous research has identified a critical role of PrsA1 and PrsA2, surface post-translational molecular chaperone proteins, in maintaining GAS proteome homeostasis and virulence traits.

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Background: This study aimed to characterize carbapenem-nonsusceptible Acinetobacter (CNSA) isolated from patients with bacteremia from 1997 to 2015.

Methods: A total of 173 CNSA (12.3%) was recovered from 1403 Acinetobacter isolates.

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Objectives: To evaluate the susceptibility of globally pneumonia-causing meropenem-resistant (MEM-R) Acinetobacter baumannii isolates against important antibiotics and estimate appropriate dosages of indicated antibiotics.

Methods: We extracted the 2014-2021 Antimicrobial Testing of Leadership Surveillance database regarding the susceptibility of MEM-R A. baumannii isolates causing pneumonia against important antibiotics.

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This study examined the geographic distribution of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antifungals against Cryptococcus isolates. Data were collected on the MICs of specific antifungals (amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine, fluconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazole) against various Cryptococcus species for the period 2010 to 2020 from the Antimicrobial Testing Leadership and Surveillance database. Cryptococcus isolates were collected from samples of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients hospitalized in different regions worldwide.

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Background: Liver dysfunction is common during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), while its clinical impact and association with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remain uncertain. We aimed to investigate liver dysfunction in COVID-19 patients and its impacts on those with/without CHB.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 patients at National Taiwan University Hospital, stratified according to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) serostatus, with demographics, laboratory data, and hospitalization course reviewed, and clinical outcomes compared through multivariable analyses.

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Objectives: Persistent growth of Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC) in the respiratory system is not uncommon and may indicate continuous infection of MABC lung disease (MABC-LD), but its prevalence, risk factors, and clinical impact have not been investigated.

Methods: The present study was conducted in two medical centers in northern Taiwan. We enrolled patients with MABC-LD and investigated the prevalence and predictors of persistent culture positivity (MABC-PP).

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Background: Dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) mutations may be associated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance in Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) and worse clinical outcomes. However, the clinical significance of DHPS mutations in PCP among non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients remains unclear.

Methods: Patients with PCP in three tertiary referral hospitals in Taiwan between 2016 and 2020 were retrospectively enrolled.

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Patients undergoing kidney transplantation have a poor response to vaccination and a higher risk of disease progression of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The effectiveness of vaccine doses and antibody titer tests against the mutant variant in these patients remains unclear. We retrospectively analyzed the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a single medical center according to vaccine doses and immune responses before the outbreak.

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Background And Purpose: Early laboratory identification of group B Streptococcus (GBS, Streptococcus agalactiae) in the birth canal of pregnant women is critical for prompt administration of antimicrobial therapy and may further reduce the mortality rate due to GBS neonatal infection.

Methods: A total of 164 vaginal/rectal swab specimens collected from pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of gestation were screened for GBS vaginal colonization. The matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS, Bruker Biotyper, Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany) system was used to detect GBS from Carrot broth and LIM broth enrichment using an in-house extraction protocol.

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Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance due to β-lactamase production is a worldwide issue, and β-lactamase inhibitors have been developed to overcome the growing problem. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro activities of two recently introduced carbapenem/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations - imipenem/relebactam and meropenem/vaborbactam - and their comparators against Enterobacterales from patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Methods: Enterobacterales isolates from patients with UTIs in Taiwan and participating in the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) in 2020 were included.

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Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease are at high risk for coronavirus disease 2019. Little is known about immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Method: We prospectively enrolled 306 PD patients receiving two doses of vaccines (ChAdOx1-S: 283, mRNA-1273: 23) from July 2021 at a medical center.

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Background: Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus (SGSP) is a commensal in the intestinal tract and a potential pathogen of neonatal sepsis. During an 11-month period, four consecutive cases of SGSP sepsis were identified in one postnatal care unit (unit A) without evidence of vertical transmission.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae (NTU107224), using genome sequencing and sensitivity tests against 24 antibiotics to assess its resistance profile.
  • It was found that NTU107224 shows significant resistance, only being susceptible to a few antibiotics like amikacin and colistin.
  • Additionally, a conjugative plasmid identified (pNTU107224-1) carries multiple antibiotic resistance genes and increases the virulence of the bacteria, increasing the risk it poses to public health, particularly in China.
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Objectives: The global prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) highlights the need for new anti-enterococcal agents. Here, we assessed the molecular epidemiology of clinical VREfm bacteraemic isolates from a medical centre in northern Taiwan in 2019-2020 and to evaluate their susceptibility to last-line antibiotics and a new antimicrobial agent, SC5005.

Methods: The molecular epidemiology of VREfm was investigated using van genotyping, MLST and PFGE.

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To understand the changes of resistance in clinically commonly encountered fungi, we used the Antimicrobial Testing Leadership and Surveillance (ATLAS) database to explore antifungal susceptibilities against clinically important isolates of and species (collected from intrapulmonary and sterile body areas, respectively). We applied the CLSI antifungal 2020 and the EUCAST antifungal 2020 guidelines. From 2017 to 2020, isolates of intrapulmonary Aspergillus fumigatus ( = 660), Aspergillus niger ( = 107), Aspergillus flavus ( = 96), Aspergillus terreus ( = 40), and Aspergillus nidulans species complex ( = 26) and sterile site-originated isolates of Candida albicans ( = 1,810), Candida glabrata ( = 894), Candida krusei ( = 120), Candida dubliniensis ( = 107), Candida lusitaniae ( = 82), Candida guilliermondii ( = 28), and Candida auris ( = 7) were enrolled in this study.

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Objectives: The association of toll-like receptors (TLRs) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among latent tuberculosis (TB) infection and active TB remained less studied.

Methods: We recruited participants with TB disease (active TB) (n = 400) and TB infection (latent TB infection) (n = 203) in this study. We genotyped SNPs in TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, MMP1, MMP8, MMP9, MMP12, and tissue inhibitor of MMP2.

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