Lupus and SARS-CoV-2: What have we learned after the pandemic?

After the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, we analysed the relationship between Systemic Lupus Erythematosous (SLE) and COVID-19 from the virologist's perspective based on recent findings. SLE and COVID-19 co-morbidity present unique challenges, as individuals with SLE may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to immune system abnormalities and ongoing therapies. Effective management of both diseases requires careful monitoring, adherence to vaccination programs, preventive measures and approved and patient-tailored therapies.

Enhanced Anti-Herpetic Activity of Valacyclovir Loaded in Sulfobutyl-ether-β-cyclodextrin-decorated Chitosan Nanodroplets.

Valacyclovir (VACV) was developed as a prodrug of the most common anti-herpetic drug Acyclovir (ACV), aiming to enhance its bioavailability. Nevertheless, prolonged VACV oral treatment may lead to the development of important side effects. Nanotechnology-based formulations for vaginal administration represent a promising approach to increase the concentration of the drug at the site of infection, limiting systemic drug exposure and reducing systemic toxicity.

Impact of time-temperature combinations on the anti-Cytomegalovirus activity and biological components of human milk.

Background: There is extensive evidence that Holder pasteurization (HoP) (30 min at 62.5 °C) has harmful effects on the bioactivities of human milk (HM). We previously demonstrated that lowering HoP temperature is sufficient to inactivate Cytomegalovirus (HCMV).

Human milk glycosaminoglycans inhibit cytomegalovirus and respiratory syncytial virus infectivity by impairing cell binding.

Background: The antiviral role of glycosaminoglycans in human milk (HM-GAGs) has been poorly investigated. They are highly sulfated polysaccharides, which were proposed to act as decoy receptors according to their structure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antiviral potential and the mechanism of action of total and individual HM-GAGs against three pediatric clinically relevant viruses: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), cytomegalovirus (HCMV), and rotavirus.

The Peptide A-3302-B Isolated from a Marine Bacterium sp. Inhibits HSV-2 Infection by Preventing the Viral Egress from Host Cells.

Herpesviruses are highly prevalent in the human population, and frequent reactivations occur throughout life. Despite antiviral drugs against herpetic infections, the increasing appearance of drug-resistant viral strains and their adverse effects prompt the research of novel antiherpetic drugs for treating lesions. Peptides obtained from natural sources have recently become of particular interest for antiviral therapy applications.

Analysis of Thermal Sensitivity of Human Cytomegalovirus Assayed in the Conventional Conditions of a Human Milk Bank.

One of the main concerns in human milk banks (HMB) is the transmission of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) that could be present in the milk of infected women. There are consistent data showing that this virus is destroyed by Holder pasteurization (62.5°C for 30 min), but there is a lack of information about the response of the virus to the treatment at lower temperatures in strict HMB conditions.

Punica granatum Leaf Ethanolic Extract and Ellagic Acid as Inhibitors of Zika Virus Infection.

Zika virus, an arthropod-borne flavivirus, is an emerging healthcare threat worldwide. Zika virus is responsible for severe neurological effects, such as paralytic Guillain-Barrè syndrome, in adults, and also congenital malformations, especially microcephaly. No specific antiviral drugs and vaccines are currently available, and treatments are palliative, but medicinal plants show great potential as natural sources of anti-Zika phytochemicals.

Acyclovir-loaded sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin decorated chitosan nanodroplets for the local treatment of HSV-2 infections.

Acyclovir is the gold standard drug for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection treatment. Vaginal topical therapy with acyclovir is hampered due to its poor bioavailability, low retention at the vaginal mucosa, thus requiring high doses and frequent administrations. Nanocarriers have been proposed to overcome the challenges associated with antiviral delivery.

Extracellular Vesicles in Human Preterm Colostrum Inhibit Infection by Human Cytomegalovirus In Vitro.

Breast milk is a complex biofluid that nourishes infants, supports their growth and protects them from diseases. However, at the same time, breastfeeding is a transmission route for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), with preterm infants being at a great risk of congenital disease. The discrepancy between high HCMV transmission rates and the few reported cases of infants with severe clinical illness is likely due to the protective effect of breast milk.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in liver transplant patients in Turin, Italy.

Background: Acute E hepatitis is usually a self-limited non-progressive disease; however, acute liver failure and death can occur in the presence of conditions such as pregnancy and chronic liver diseases. In immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant patients, acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection may evolve to chronic hepatitis with rapid progression to liver decompensation. At our center, serology for HEV is not routinely performed in transplant patients and serological status is investigated only based on clinical judgement.

Evaluation of CMV DNA in dried blood spot.

Cytomegalovirus is the primary viral cause of congenital infection. However, diagnosis may be difficult for clinical and technical reasons. Currently, evaluation of CMV DNA on dried blood spot (DBS) is an important instrument to define a congenital infection.

Anti-zika virus activity of polyoxometalates.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging infectious viral pathogen associated with severe fetal cerebral anomalies and the paralytic Guillain-Barrè syndrome in adults. It was the cause of a recent global health crisis following its entrance into a naïve population in the Americas. Nowadays, no vaccine or specific antiviral against ZIKV is available.

Effect of different non-conventional extraction methods on the antibacterial and antiviral activity of fucoidans extracted from Nizamuddinia zanardinii.

In the current study, fucoidans from brown alga Nizamuddinia zanardinii were isolated with conventional and non-conventional extraction procedures to evaluate the effects of recently introduced technologies on biochemical characteristics and saccharide composition of the extracts, along with their antibacterial, antiviral and cytotoxic properties. The results demonstrated that subcritical water extraction showed the highest fucoidans yield (13.15%), while the lowest yield was obtained using ultrasound extraction method (3.

High Temperature-Short Time Pasteurization Has a Lower Impact on the Antiviral Properties of Human Milk Than Holder Pasteurization.

Holder pasteurization (62. 5°C for 30 min) is recommended by all international human milk bank guidelines to prevent infections potentially transmitted by donor human milk. A drawback is that it affects some human milk bioactive and nutritive components.

Anti-Cytomegalovirus Activity in Human Milk and Colostrum From Mothers of Preterm Infants.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the anti-human cytomegalovirus (CMV) activity of milk from seropositive and seronegative mothers of preterm infants and to analyze its changes throughout the different stages of lactation and after Holder pasteurization, a procedure adopted by donor human milk banks.

Methods: Eighteen mothers of preterm infants were enrolled in the study. Colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk samples were collected and tested for anti-CMV activity.

Inhibition of HSV-2 infection by pure compounds from Thymus capitatus extract in vitro.

Thymus capitatus represents 1 of the 5 Tunisian species of the genus Thymus, which has long‐standing use for flavouring and preserving several food products. Its constituents have been reported to endow antimicrobial properties, but little is known about their antiviral activities. The aim of this study was to examine the antiviral activity of pure compounds from the most bioactive inhibitory T.

Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein B Genotype Distribution in Italian Transplant Patients.

Background: The cytomegalovirus (CMV) UL55 gene encodes for a glycoprotein implicated in virus pathogenesis. Based on UL55 polymorphism, CMV has been divided into 4 genotypes. Previous studies investigated the possible role of genotypes in the clinical outcome of infection in different categories of patients; however, few data are available, particularly in the transplant setting and Italian case records.

The traditional use of Vachellia nilotica for sexually transmitted diseases is substantiated by the antiviral activity of its bark extract against sexually transmitted viruses.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Vachellia (Acacia) nilotica and other plants of this genus have been used in traditional medicine of Asian and African countries to treat many disorders, including sexually transmitted diseases, but few studies were performed to validate their anti-microbial and anti-viral activity against sexually transmitted infections.

Aim Of The Study: The present study was undertaken to explore whether the ethnomedical use of V.nilotica to treat genital lesions is substantiated by its antiviral activity against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Development of an EliSPOT assay for HSV-1 and clinical validation in lung transplant patients.

Cellular immunity plays a major role in the control of HSV-1 infection/reactivation with a potential impact on the clinical-therapeutic management of immunocompromised patients, such as transplant recipients. Herein, we quantitatively evaluated T-cell response directed at HSV-1 by a newly developed IFN-γ EliSPOT assay in 53 patients (including 45 lung transplant recipients and eight subjects in waiting list). Overall, 62.

Prevalence of HPV Infection in Racial-Ethnic Subgroups of Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

The landscape of HPV infection in racial/ethnic subgroups of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients has not been evaluated carefully. In this study, a meta-analysis examined the prevalence of HPV in HNC patients of African ancestry. Additionally, a pooled analysis of subject-level data was also performed to investigate HPV prevalence and patterns of p16 (CDNK2A) expression amongst different racial groups.

Ficus religiosa L. bark extracts inhibit infection by herpes simplex virus type 2 in vitro.

Ficus religiosa extracts have been used in traditional Indian medicine to treat sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and genital ulcers. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiviral activity of F. religiosa extracts against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), the main causative agent of genital ulcers and sores.

Pre-transplant assessment of CMV-specific immune response by Elispot assay in kidney transplant recipients.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) primary infection or re-activation in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, with patients with IgG-CMV D+/R- sero-matching at greater risk. The impact of pre-transplant CMV-specific host cellular immunity on the long-term risk of CMV replication in kidney transplants (KT) was prospectively evaluated in eighty patients by CMV-EliSpot assay. The study population included 54 male and 26 female recipients, with CMV-IgG distribution: 60 D+/R+, 11 D-/R+, 7 D+/R-, 2 D-/R-.

Diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis: limits and potential of currently available procedures.

The diagnostic approaches to viral gastroenteritis have evolved substantially over the past decades because of the advances in detection methods, the emergence of new pathogens, and the increase in diarrhea hospitalizations attributed to viruses, especially in young children in non-industrialized countries. Overall, these factors have lead to a relevant improvement of types and operating characteristics of diagnostic methods (including sensitivity and specificity), as well as turnaround time. In this review, clinical and laboratory approaches to the diagnosis of viruses causing gastroenteritis are presented; in particular, specimen collection and detection methods are reviewed and discussed, taking into account performance and limitations.

Evaluation of CMV-specific cellular immune response by EliSPOT assay in kidney transplant patients.

Background: Immunological monitoring for CMV can be useful in transplant patients; however, few centers perform it on a routine basis.

Objectives: In this study, CMV-specific cellular response was evaluated in a population of kidney transplant recipients and related to viral infection/reactivation and other demographic and clinical features.

Study Design: Three hundred and twenty-eight patients were studied by EliSPOT assay: 201 prospectively monitored in the first year posttransplantation, 127 with a single determination at >1 year.