Publications by authors named "L Feghoul"
Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) induces multi-organ pathogenesis in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and kidney transplant (KT) recipients. Effective management involves systematic monitoring for CMV reactivation by quantitative real-time PCR, allowing timely preemptive intervention. However, the optimal blood compartment for CMV surveillance remains undetermined.
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- Predicting COVID-19 severity is challenging, but Torque teno virus (TTV) may help assess infection outcomes as a marker of immunity, especially in transplant patients.
- A study at Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris analyzed TTV levels in nasopharyngeal samples from 295 COVID-19 patients and found higher TTV levels in those admitted to the ICU compared to those discharged or in medical wards.
- Elevated TTV loads, specifically above a threshold of 2.91 log copies/mL, were identified as significant predictors of ICU admission, indicating a potential link between TTV levels and respiratory immune response in infected patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the clinical and immune characteristics of human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infections in patients who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT), reporting on cases from 2010 to 2021.* -
- A total of 35 B19V infections were identified in 33 patients, with a median time from transplant to first positive PCR test being 6.9 months, and the most common symptoms including hematological impairment, rash, and fever.* -
- The findings highlight that B19V can lead to diverse and atypical clinical manifestations, suggesting that the virus is often under-diagnosed due to its varied presentation; targeted tissue PCR may aid in
Article Synopsis
- The study focused on immunocompromised patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) to understand the significance of detecting respiratory viruses in nasopharyngeal swabs.
- It involved analyzing data from 510 patients, with 20.2% testing positive for respiratory viruses, predominantly flu-like viruses, and noted a significant relationship between virus detection and the identified causes of ARF.
- However, no difference was observed in 28-day mortality or the need for invasive mechanical ventilation based on positive viral assay results, although flu-like virus detection correlated with worse outcomes in patients who had received stem cell transplants.
Article Synopsis
- The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has over 50 mutations that may increase transmission and evade immune responses from vaccines or prior infections.
- A study compared viral loads in saliva and nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) during the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron waves, finding lower Ct values in NPS, but higher viral loads in saliva for Omicron.
- The results suggest that current diagnostic methods may need updates to better detect new variants like Omicron, highlighting the need for refined screening strategies.*