Publications by authors named "Melinda Benard"

Article Synopsis
  • About 20% of neonates with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) experience long-term health issues, making early prediction of outcomes crucial for treatment and counseling.
  • The study followed 227 neonates diagnosed with cCMV to identify predictive markers; key findings showed maternal primary infection during the first trimester greatly increased the risk of negative outcomes.
  • A model using normal hearing, platelet count, and cranial ultrasound at birth showed high specificity and can help clinicians tailor care for cCMV-affected neonates.
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Objectives: The study aimed to describe the dynamics and risk factors of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) acquisition in preterm infants.

Methods: This prospective multicenter French study included mothers hospitalized for preterm delivery and their newborns, followed until hospital discharge. Maternal feces and vaginal fluids at delivery, and neonatal feces from birth to discharge were tested for cultivable GNB, potential acquired resistance, and integrons.

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Objective: To evaluate cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral load dynamics in blood and saliva during the first 2 years of life in symptomatic and asymptomatic infected infants and to identify whether these kinetics could have practical clinical implications.

Study Design: The Cymepedia cohort prospectively included 256 congenitally infected neonates followed for 2 years. Whole blood and saliva were collected at inclusion and months 4 and 12, and saliva at months 18 and 24.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study explores how human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) affects small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) produced by first trimester placenta cells, revealing an increase in the quantity and changes in protein content of sEVs following infection.
  • - Researchers used various techniques, including biochemistry and microscopy, to demonstrate that sEVs from hCMV-infected cells enhance infection in fetal-derived cells, suggesting a mechanism for viral spread.
  • - The findings imply that placental sEVs may play a crucial role in facilitating the transmission of hCMV to the fetal brain during early stages of pregnancy.
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Article Synopsis
  • Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play important roles in various physiological and disease conditions, including pregnancy, serving as biomarkers and communicators between the placenta and both mother and fetus.
  • The study focuses on isolating small EVs from first trimester placental explants, investigating both normal conditions and those affected by human cytomegalovirus infection.
  • Findings revealed that infection alters several surface marker expressions but does not impact EV secretion or integrity, setting the stage for understanding EV functions in early pregnancy and identifying new biomarkers for congenital infections.
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Purpose: While enhanced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and their derived metabolites is associated with breast cancer (BC) risk, the precise link between BC carcinogenesis and enhanced inflammatory activity remains to be clarified. Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) may induce expression of COX-2 and 5-LO and is frequently found in breast cancer biopsies. Thus, we investigated whether there is an association between HCMV proteins and expression of COX-2 and 5-LO in human BC tissue and BC cell lines.

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Background: The known relationship between the gestational age at maternal primary infection an the outcome of congenital CMV is based on small, retrospective studies conducted between 1980 and 2011. They reported that 32% and 15% of cases had sequelae following a maternal primary infection in the first and second or the third trimester, respectively. We aimed to revisit this relationship prospectively between 2011 and 2017, using accurate virological tools.

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Human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) is a beta herpesvirus that establishes lifelong infection. Although the virus does not usually cause overt clinical symptoms in immunocompetent individuals it can have deleterious effects in immunocompromised patients, such as those on post-transplant medication or with HIV infection. hCMV is the most common congenital infection and can lead to serious fetal sequelae.

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Introduction: Congenital infection by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a leading cause of congenital abnormalities of the central nervous system. Placenta infection by HCMV allows for viral spread to fetus and may result in intrauterine growth restriction, preeclampsia-like symptoms, or miscarriages. We previously reported that HCMV activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) for its own replication in cytotrophoblasts.

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