Cross-protection by MF59-adjuvanted influenza vaccine: neutralizing and haemagglutination-inhibiting antibody activity against A(H3N2) drifted influenza viruses.

Adjuvants enhance antibody response against vaccination. We compared the ability of MF59-adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted subunit influenza vaccines, containing A/Wyoming/3/03(H3N2), to confer cross-protection against four consecutive drifted strains in the elderly. Neutralizing and haemagglutination-inhibiting antibody were measured.

Molecular epidemiology and case-control approaches for management of an outbreak of hepatitis A in Liguria, Italy.

Introduction And Methods: Hepatitis A remains an important public health problem in low endemicity areas, because of the social and economic high burden of cyclical outbreaks. In this study we described an outbreak of HAV infection occurred in the city of Genoa and in its proximity and the viral circulation in the post-epidemic period. In order to identify risk factors associated to the illness and to determine the source of infection and the dynamics of virus evolution, we conducted an epidemiological and molecular investigation by a case-control study and by sequence analysis of high variable regions of the genome.

Burden of rotavirus-associated and non-rotavirus-associated diarrhea among nonhospitalized individuals in central Italy: a 1-year sentinel-based epidemiological and virological surveillance.

A community sentinel pediatrician-based epidemiological and virological surveillance study was conducted to estimate the incidence of gastroenteritis and laboratory-confirmed rotavirus-associated disease. The 1-year cumulative incidence of gastroenteritis in the cohort of children aged 0-5 years was 21%, with the highest rates in the 7-12-month and 13-18-month age groups (41.1% and 41.

Safety and immunogenicity of two influenza virus subunit vaccines, with or without MF59 adjuvant, administered to human immunodeficiency virus type 1-seropositive and -seronegative adults.

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare both the safety and tolerability and the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses for two influenza virus subunit vaccines, one with MF59 adjuvant (Fluad) and one without an adjuvant (Agrippal), in healthy and in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected adult individuals. To achieve this aim, an open, randomized, comparative clinical trial was performed during the 2005-2006 season. A total of 256 subjects were enrolled to receive one dose of vaccine intramuscularly.

Hepatitis A incidence and hospital-based seroprevalence in Italy: a nation-wide study.

To define the pattern of HAV infection in Italy and to study the differences among geographic areas (northern, central and southern Italy) and age-classes, we performed HAV antibody testing on sera collected in 1996-1997 from a large sample of the Italian population and compared the results with those of other seroprevalence studies and with incidence data for the period 1985-2005, calculated by a surveillance system specific for acute viral hepatitis based on symptomatic cases. A total of 3,561 sera, collected by hospital-based reference laboratories in 18 out of 20 Italian Regions, were tested; 1,138 (32%, 95% CI: 30.5-33.

HIV incidence estimate among non-nationals in Italy.

We estimated the incidence of new HIV infections among non-nationals living in Italy for the period 1992-2004, calculated as the number of new diagnoses among legally and illegally residing non-nationals out of the number of new residence permits (which does not include illegal non-nationals). This incidence was compared to that among Italians by calculating the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) by age and gender. There were 17,309 new diagnoses; 19.

Relationship between laboratory parameters and intensive care unit stay post-liver transplantation: proposal of a model.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to create a model that forecasted the stay in the intensive care unit in post-liver transplantation.

Methods: Twenty-three consecutive patients who underwent liver transplantation provided samples for serum sodium, serum creatinine, total bilirubin, cholesterol, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, and platelet count for correlation together with age at transplantation in a Pearson correlation model with intensive care unit stay. Multivariate analysis used a regression model to evaluate the relationship between the dependent variable "intensive care unit stay" and the predictor variables that were correlated by a Pearson correlation test.

Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus in infants and children: relationship with attendance at a paediatric emergency unit and characteristics of the circulating strains.

A study was carried out on 2,696 Italian children, aged 0-14 years. The goals were: (1) to define the age-related impact of acute respiratory infections (ARI), measured as the risk of attendance at the Paediatric Emergency Room, (2) to better define the importance and proportion of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections and (3) to acquire deeper knowledge of the influenza strains circulating in infants and children. A standardised emergency unit attendance risk (EUAR) was calculated, by age group for ARI.

The European Sero-Epidemiology Network 2: standardization of assay results for hepatitis B virus.

The aim of the European Sero-Epidemiology Network 2 was to coordinate and standardize the serological surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases in Europe. In this study, the standardization of hepatitis B virus (HBV) results is described. The 15 participating national laboratories tested a unique panel of 172 sera established by the Greek reference centre for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and/or to the HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) by assay methods of their choice.

Performance testing of two new one-step real time PCR assays for detection of human influenza and avian influenza viruses isolated in humans and respiratory syncytial virus.

Introduction And Methods: Two real time one-step RT-PCR assays were developed for simultaneous detection and typing of influenza A and B viruses and detection of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). As regard influenza, primers were designed to amplify specific sequences of gene M of A/H1N1, A/H3N2, A/H5N1, A/H7N7 and A/H9N2 viruses and of gene NP of type B viruses belonging both Yamagata and Victoria lineage. Specificity, analytical and clinical sensitivity, dynamic range, linearity of the new assays were evaluated.

Molecular characterization of a new variant of rotavirus P[8]G9 predominant in a sentinel-based survey in central Italy.

Rotavirus P[8]G9 was recognized as the most widespread genotype during a sentinel-based survey in Italy; phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 and VP4 genes showed that Italian isolates constituted a closely related genetic cluster distinct from the other G9 strains recently isolated in other European countries, America, and Asia.

An outbreak of influenza in a residential drug-rehabilitation community.

Influenza outbreaks can be difficult to control in confined settings where high-risk individuals are concentrated. Following the occurrence of a large number of cases of influenza-like illness in a rehabilitation community for drug users, between February and March 2004, surveillance activities were implemented. Attack rates of influenza-like illness were calculated, and risk factors for the development of disease and complications were evaluated through the use of relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Neutralizing and hemagglutination-inhibiting activities of antibodies elicited by the 2004-2005 influenza vaccine against drifted viruses.

Evaluation of the antibody responses induced by the 2004-2005 influenza vaccine strain against the homologous variant, the 2004-2005 field isolates, and a previous circulating strain showed that a correlation between neutralizing and hemagglutination-inhibiting activities exists only when the antigen is very close to the vaccine strain.

Combination hepatitis C virus antigen and antibody immunoassay as a new tool for early diagnosis of infection.

Reduction of the window period of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents an important goal in the transfusional and diagnostic setting. A prototype assay designed to simultaneously detect circulating HCV antigen and anti-HCV, has been developed. Aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of this new assay in terms of specificity and sensitivity and to compare its efficacy with commercial assays.

Effectiveness of a 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine in preventing pneumonia and non-invasive pneumococcal infection in elderly people: a large-scale retrospective cohort study.

This retrospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in reducing hospital admission for pneumonia, otitis media and exacerbation of asthma or other syndromes due to Streptococcus pneumoniae in 9170 high-risk individuals. Cohort members were followed from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2002. With regard to preventing hospitalization due to pneumonia, we observed a decrease in the incidence of 1/10000 person-months and a reduction in the relative risk of 38% in the vaccinated cohort compared with the non-vaccinated subjects.

Different seroprevalence and molecular epidemiology patterns of hepatitis C virus infection in Italy.

The epidemiological picture of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population is largely unknown, even in developed countries. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and genotype distribution of HCV amongst a large sample of the Italian general population. A total of 3,577 serum samples were collected and screened for anti-HCV antibodies.

Antigenic characterisation of influenza B virus with a new microneutralisation assay: comparison to haemagglutination and sequence analysis.

Although the haemagglutination inhibition assay is considered the "gold standard" for antigenic characterisation of influenza viruses, some limitations of this technique are well known. A new microneutralisation assay, as a tool for antigenic characterisation of influenza B viruses, has been standardised and its performance evaluated in comparison with the haemagglutination inhibition test in the light of molecular characterisation of the haemagglutinin. Twelve B viruses belonging to the two lineages and the four sub-lineages discriminated by phylogenetic analysis of HA were tested.