Accurate Multiplex qPCR Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus/Cytomegalovirus/BK Virus in Kidney Transplant Patients: Pilot Study.

Chronic kidney disease is a really important heath issue, and transplantation is an intervention that can greatly increase patient quality of life and survival. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the BK virus, CMV, and EBV in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs); to assess the prevalence of infections; and to test if our detection method would be feasible for use in follow-ups with KTRs. A total of 157 KTRs registered at the Clinical Hospital "Dr.

Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Immunocompromised Patients.

The increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a major problem in terms of therapeutic options, especially in immunocompromised patients, such as patients from intensive care units (ICUs), HIV-positive patients, patients with malignancies or transplant patients. Commensal bacteria, especially anaerobes, serve to maintain microbial stability by preventing overpopulation with pathogenic bacteria. In immunocompromised patients, microbiota imbalance caused by antibiotic therapy and decreased host immunity favors intestinal overpopulation with pathogenic species, leading to increased bacterial translocation and susceptibility to systemic infections.

Non-Invasive Prediction Scores for Hepatitis B Virus- and Hepatitis D Virus-Infected Patients-A Cohort from the North-Eastern Part of Romania.

Approximately 62-72 million people are infected worldwide with HDV. Patients with chronic hepatitis D (CHD) have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and an increased mortality rate compared to those with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The stage of liver fibrosis or the risk of developing HCC can also be estimated by non-invasive scores, which are cost effective, easier to apply, and reproducible.

The Clinical Utility of Circulating HPV DNA Biomarker in Oropharyngeal, Cervical, Anal, and Skin HPV-Related Cancers: A Review.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is recognized as being related to a wide variety of known cancers: cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, vaginal, penile, and skin. For some of these cancers, rigorous algorithms for screening, therapeutical interventions, and follow-up procedures have been established. Vaccination using the nonvalent anti-HPV vaccine, which prevents infection regarding the most frequently involved high-risk HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58) and low-risk HPV types (6 and 11), has also extensively prevented, controlled, and even eradicated HPV infections.

The Immune, Inflammatory and Hematological Response in COVID-19 Patients, According to the Severity of the Disease.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the immune and inflammatory responses in COVID-19 patients by dosing specific IgM and IgG total antibodies and interleukin 6, correlating them with the hematological and biochemical blood parameters and comparing them by the form of the disease.

Materials And Methods: One hundred twenty-five patients with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19, hospitalized between 15.03.

Cytokines and Chemokines in Breastmilk of SARS-CoV-2 Infected or COVID-19 Vaccinated Mothers.

Introduction: The COVID-19 disease and anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were accompanied by alterations in several inflammatory markers. The aim of our research was to check to what extent such cytokines are transferred to infants via the breastmilk of SARS-CoV-2-infected or vaccinated mothers. Thus, we wanted to check if breastfeeding is safe during SARS-CoV-2 infection or after COVID-19 mRNA-vaccination.

The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Psychiatric Disorders.

The role of the gut microbiome in mental health has been of great interest in the past years, with several breakthroughs happening in the last decade. Its implications in several psychiatric disorders, namely anxiety, depression, autism and schizophrenia, are highlighted. In this review were included relevant studies on rodents, as well as human studies.

The Optimal Management of Infections.

is one of the most frequent etiologic agents of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). Untreated asymptomatic gonococcal infection in women can lead to spreading of the infection in the sexually active population and could lead to late consequences, such as sterility or ectopic pregnancies. One important issue about is its increasing resistance to antibiotics.

Host mRNA Analysis of Periodontal Disease Patients Positive for , and .

Periodontal disease is a frequent pathology worldwide, with a constantly increasing prevalence. For the optimal management of periodontal disease, there is a need to take advantage of actual technology to understand the bacterial etiology correlated with the pathogenic mechanisms, risk factors and treatment protocols. We analyzed the scientific literature published in the last 5 years regarding the recent applications of mRNA analysis in periodontal disease for the main known bacterial species considered to be the etiological agents: , and We identified new pathogenic mechanisms, therapeutic target genes and possible pathways to prevent periodontal disease.

The Influence of Oncogenic Viruses in Renal Carcinogenesis: Pros and Cons.

Viral infections are major contributors to the global cancer burden. Recent advances have revealed that known oncogenic viruses promote carcinogenesis through shared host cell targets and pathways. The aim of this review is to point out the connection between several oncogenic viruses from the , and families and renal carcinogenesis, highlighting their involvement in the carcinogenic mechanism.

Assessment of the Humoral Immune Response Following COVID-19 Vaccination in Healthcare Workers: A One Year Longitudinal Study.

The continuous variability of SARS-CoV-2 and the rapid waning of specific antibodies threatens the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. We aimed to evaluate antibody kinetics one year after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with an mRNA vaccine in healthcare workers (HCW), with or without a booster. A marked decline in anti-Spike(S)/Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) antibody levels was registered during the first eight months post-vaccination, followed by a transitory increase after the booster.

Diagnostics of HNSCC Patients: An Analysis of Cell Lines and Patient-Derived Xenograft Models for Personalized Therapeutical Medicine.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are very frequent worldwide, and smoking and chronic alcohol use are recognized as the main risk factors. For oropharyngeal cancers, HPV 16 infection is known to be a risk factor as well. By employing next-generation sequencing, both HPV-positive and negative HNSCC patients were detected as positive for PI3K mutation, which was considered an optimal molecular target.

What Doesn't Kill Them Makes Them Stronger: The Impact of the Resistance Patterns of Urinary Isolates in Patients from a Tertiary Hospital in Eastern Europe.

(1) Background: The evolution of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is one of the factors that make infectious pathology an extremely dynamic field, also inducing a significant burden on public health systems; therefore, continuous updates on the bacterial resistance to antibiotics and their particular regional patterns is crucial for the adequate approach of various infectious diseases. (2) Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 354 patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs), determined their antibiotic resistance pattern, thus aiming to correlate them with the outcome and other specific markers of poor prognosis. (3) Results: The most frequent causative agent was , representing 64.

Merkel Cell Polyoma Virus and Cutaneous Human Papillomavirus Types in Skin Cancers: Optimal Detection Assays, Pathogenic Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Vaccination.

Oncogenic viruses are recognized to be involved in some cancers, based on very well-established criteria of carcinogenicity. For cervical cancer and liver cancer, the responsible viruses are well-known (e.g.

Subgingival Periopathogens Assessment and Clinical Periodontal Evaluation of Gastric Cancer Patients-A Cross Sectional Pilot Study.

Oral microbiota have shown a higher bacterial diversity in patients with cancers of the digestive tract, with higher levels of periopathogens. Recent studies have shown that links to gastro-intestinal neoplastic tissue and accelerates its progression, as well as worsening patient outcome. The present pilot study was carried out between February and December 2020 to evaluate the possible association between the abundance of some periopathogens (, , , and ) in subgingival plaque and periodontal status with characteristics of gastric cancer.

Anti-RBD IgA and IgG Response and Transmission in Breast Milk of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinated Mothers.

Unlabelled: The appearance of the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had a significant impact on the balance of public health and social life. The data available so far show that newborns and young children do not develop severe forms of COVID-19, but a small proportion of them will still need hospitalization. Even though young children represent an important vector of the infection, vaccination at such a young age was not yet considered.

Antibiotic resistance of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli isolated at a large Infectious Diseases Hospital in North-Eastern Romania, during an 11-year period.

Introduction: Increased antibiotic resistance of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB) associated with increased morbidity and mortality makes the infections they produce a major public health problem. This study aims to assess the evolution of antibiotic susceptibility and the level of NFGNB antibiotic resistance.

Methods: We carried out a retrospective study on 994 NFGNB strains which had been isolated in the Clinical Laboratory of the "Sf.

Insights into multidrug-resistant urinary tract infections: From susceptibility to mortality.

The incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by has exhibited an increasing trend and has become a high burden for many public health systems, especially in hospital settings. Multidrug resistance associated with the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) among isolates is endemic in Southeastern Europe. We retrospectively analyzed 75 cases admitted to 'St.

Evaluation of Laboratory Predictors for In-Hospital Mortality in Infective Endocarditis and Negative Blood Culture Pattern Characteristics.

Objective: This study aimed to identify possible differences between blood culture-negative and blood culture-positive groups of infective endocarditis (IE), and explore the associations between biological parameters and in-hospital mortality.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients hospitalized for IE between 2007 and 2017. Epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical characteristics, by blood culture-negative and positive groups, were collected.

Indwelling Device-Associated Biofilms in Critically Ill Cancer Patients-Study Protocol.

Health care-associated infections are a leading cause of inpatient complications. Rapid pathogen detection/identification is a major challenge in sepsis management that highly influences the successful outcome. The current standard of microorganism identification relies on bacterial growth in culture, which has several limitations.

Romanian National Guideline on Translating Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Applications related to Clostridioides difficile Infections into the Local Clinical Practice.

Fecal microbiota transplantation involves the infusion of intestinal microorganisms via the transfer of a stool from a healthy individual into a diseased individual, with the intent of restoring normal intestinal flora. Fecal transplant is proposed for the treatment of refractory Clostridioides difficile infection. At present, recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection is the only indication supported by solid scientific evidence.

Role of mucosal high-risk human papillomavirus types in head and neck cancers in Romania.

Background: Limited information is available about the involvement of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) in Romanian patients.

Objective: To evaluate the HPV-attributable fraction in HNSCCs collected in Northeastern Romania.

Materials And Methods: In total, 189 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples (99 oral cavity tumors, 28 oropharynx, 48 pharynx, and 14 larynx/hypopharynx) were analyzed for HPV DNA and RNA using Luminex-based assays, and for overexpression of p16INK4a (p16) by immunohistochemistry.

Detection of Aminoglycoside and Macrolide Resistance Mechanisms in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus can become resistant to many different classes of antibiotics. Objective: To characterize aminoglycoside and macrolide resistance mechanisms in MRSA strains in relation to antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Materials and methods: We tested 86 MRSA strains using multiplex PCR for detection of genes mecA, aac(6′)-Ie/aph(2″), ant(4′)-Ia, aph(3′)-IIIa, ermA, ermC and msrA.