Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates resist complement-mediated lysis by inhibiting the complement cascade and improperly depositing MAC.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a gram-negative opportunistic bacterium that causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised hosts. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the high mortality and increasing antimicrobial resistance of A. baumannii and calls for new treatment options.

The incidence of radiologically verified community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalisation in adults living in southern Sweden, 2016-2018: a population-based study.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was one of the most common causes of death in the European Union in 2017. Severity and mortality of CAP increase with age and an aging European population will require increased planning for prevention, control, and management of CAP. The purpose of this study was to provide an updated population-based estimate of the incidence of CAP requiring hospitalization in Northern Europe.

Blood levels of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)antigen-triggered immune markers in people exposed to tuberculosis with regard to Mtb infection status and receipt of tuberculosis preventive therapy.

Background: Interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) for tuberculosis infection (TBI) cannot distinguish different stages of the TBI spectrum (including spontaneously cleared infection). We investigated patterns of Mtb-specific blood mediators in people with and without TBI during tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT).

Methods: Individuals with likelihood of recent Mtb exposure, aged 15-25 years, with valid IGRA results, in whom tuberculosis (TB) had been excluded, were included.

C4b-Binding Protein and Factor H Attenuate NLRP3 Inflammasome-Mediated Signalling Response during Group A Streptococci Infection in Human Cells.

Introduction: Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus; GAS) is a pathogen causing over half a million deaths annually worldwide. Human immune cells respond to GAS infection by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome leading to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that control infection. We investigated the role of C4b-binding protein (C4BP) and factor H (FH) in the inflammasome response to GAS, as they are recruited by GAS to prevent complement deposition and limit phagocytosis.

Pandrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from Ukrainian war victims are hypervirulent.

Objectives: Carbapenem- and colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from war victims treated in hospitals in Ukraine. The question was whether these pandrug-resistant K. pneumoniae are pathogenic and capable of causing disease in a broader context.