Multiplex array analysis of circulating cytokines and chemokines in COVID-19 patients during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Milan, Italy.

Background: The systemic inflammatory syndrome called "cytokine storm" has been described in COVID-19 pathogenesis, contributing to disease severity. The analysis of cytokine and chemokine levels in the blood of 21 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients throughout the phases of the pandemic has been studied to understand immune response dysregulation and identify potential disease biomarkers for new treatments. The present work reports the cytokine and chemokine levels in sera from a small cohort of individuals primarily infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Milan (Italy).

Assessing the Association between Biomarkers and COVID-19 Mortality Using the Joint Modelling Approach.

We evaluated the association between biomarkers and COVID-19 mortality. Baseline characteristics of 403 COVID-19 patients included sex and age; biomarkers, measured throughout the follow-up, included lymphocytes, neutrophils, ferritin, C-reactive protein, glucose, and LDH. Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% credible intervals (CIs) were estimated through joint models (JMs) using a Bayesian approach.

Longitudinal study of human polyomaviruses viruria in kidney transplant recipients.

Introduction: Immunosuppression after kidney transplantation (KTx) exposes recipients to Human Polyomaviruses (HPyVs) infections, whose natural history is still misunderstood.

Methods: Allograft biopsies, and urine from 58 donor-recipient pairs were collected before KTx (T0) and 1 (T1), 15 (T2), 30 (T3), 60 (T4), 90 (T5), 180 (T6), 270 (T7), 360 (T8), and 540 (T9) days after transplant. Specimens were tested for JC (JCPyV) and BK (BKPyV), by quantitative Real-Time PCR.

Antiparasitic Drugs against SARS-CoV-2: A Comprehensive Literature Survey.

More than two years have passed since the viral outbreak that led to the novel infectious respiratory disease COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Since then, the urgency for effective treatments resulted in unprecedented efforts to develop new vaccines and to accelerate the drug discovery pipeline, mainly through the repurposing of well-known compounds with broad antiviral effects. In particular, antiparasitic drugs historically used against human infections due to protozoa or helminth parasites have entered the main stage as a miracle cure in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.

In Vitro Study Evaluating the Effect of Different Immunosuppressive Agents on Human Polyomavirus BK Replication.

Background: Human polyomavirus BK (BKPyV) is the etiologic agent of polyomavirus-associated nephropathy, a leading cause of kidney transplant dysfunction. Because of the lack of antiviral therapies, immunosuppression minimization is the recommended treatment. This strategy offers suboptimal outcomes and entails a significant risk of rejection.

In Vitro SARS-CoV-2 Infection of Microvascular Endothelial Cells: Effect on Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine and Chemokine Release.

In the novel pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019, high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines lead to endothelial activation and dysfunction, promoting a pro-coagulative state, thrombotic events, and microvasculature injuries. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on pro-inflammatory cytokines, tissue factor, and chemokine release, with Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HMEC-1). ACE2 receptor expression was evaluated by western blot analysis.

Circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Variants among Children from November 2020 to January 2022 in Trieste (Italy).

Introduction: The ongoing coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak involves the pediatric population, but to date, few reports have investigated the circulation of variants among children.

Material And Methods: In this retrospective study, non-hospitalized pediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2-positive nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) were enrolled at the Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste (Italy), from November 2020 to January 2022. SARS-CoV-2 variants were identified by in vitro viral isolation, amplification, automatic sequencing of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike coding gene, and subsequent next-generation sequencing.

Longitudinal, virological, and serological assessment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Here we described the virological and serological assessment of 23 COVID-19 patients hospitalized and followed up in Milan, Italy, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Nasopharyngeal (NPS), anal swabs, and blood samples were collected from 23 COVID-19 patients, at hospital admission, and periodically up to discharge, for a median time of 20 days (3-83 days). RNA was isolated and tested for SARS-CoV-2 by qRT-PCR; anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibody titers were evaluated in serum samples by ELISA.

Promastigotes Enhance Neutrophil Recruitment through the Production of CXCL8 by Endothelial Cells.

Endothelial cells represent one of the first cell types encountered by promastigotes when inoculated into the skin of the human hosts by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. However, little is known on their role in the early recruitment of phagocytic cells and in the establishment of the infection. Initially, neutrophils, rapidly recruited to the site of promastigotes deposition, phagocytize promastigotes, which elude the killing mechanisms of the host cells, survive, and infect other phagocytic cells.

Prosthetic joint infections and legal disputes: a threat to the future of prosthetic orthopedics.

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) represent one of the major problems in orthopedic prosthetic surgery. The incidence of PJIs varies according to the site of intervention, and different published case studies report occurrence at 0.5 to 3.

Design and development of plastic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 RBD based on molecularly imprinted polymers that inhibit virus infection.

The present research study reports the development of plastic antibodies based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) capable of selectively binding a portion of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Indeed, molecular imprinting represents a very promising and attractive technology for the synthesis of MIPs characterized by specific recognition abilities for a target molecule. Given these characteristics, MIPs can be considered tailor-made synthetic antibodies obtained by a templating process.

Isolation of SARS-CoV-2 strains carrying a nucleotide mutation, leading to a stop codon in the ORF 6 protein.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was isolated from the oro/pharyngeal swabs of two Italian COVID-19 patients, physicians in a COVID-19 division hospital, with different courses of the disease. The complete genome sequences show that the two isolates belong to the B1.1 lineage, but contain a nucleotide mutation in the ORF6, leading to a stop codon and to the deletion of 6 amino acids in the C terminus.

Viral Genomic Characterization and Replication Pattern of Human Polyomaviruses in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Human Polyomavirus (HPyV) infections are common, ranging from 60% to 100%. In kidney transplant (KTx) recipients, HPyVs have been associated with allograft nephropathy, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and skin cancer. Whether such complications are caused by viral reactivation or primary infection transmitted by the donor remains debated.

Management of surgical working in an Italian neighborhood hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The novel SARS-CoV-2 pandemic arose in China in the late 2019 and soon after spread in the rest of the world. The management of SARS-CoV-2 is a serious challenge for all the healthcare professionals. The management of this disease has caused an epochal change in all of the hospitals.

The Obesity-Related Gut Bacterial and Viral Dysbiosis Can Impact the Risk of Colon Cancer Development.

An incorrect food regimen from childhood is suggested to negatively impact the gut microbiome composition leading to obesity and perhaps to colon rectal cancer (CRC) in adults. In this study, we show that the obesity and cancer gut microbiota share a characteristic microbial profile with a high colonization by mucin degraders species, such as and . In addition, the species a bacterium associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and inflammation, has been associated with the presence of oncogenic Human Polyomaviruses (HPyVs).

The Use of Antimalarial Drugs against Viral Infection.

In recent decades, drugs used to treat malaria infection have been shown to be beneficial for many other diseases, including viral infections. In particular, they have received special attention due to the lack of effective antiviral drugs against new emerging viruses (i.e.

Oncogenic Virome Benefits from the Different Vaginal Microbiome-Immune Axes.

The picture of dynamic interaction between oncogenic viruses and the vaginal bacteria-immune host milieu is incomplete. We evaluated the impact of , , and oncoviruses on the vaginal Community State Types (CSTs) and host immune response in reproductive-age women. In our cohort, only and were detected and were associated with changes in the resident bacteria of CST I and IV ( < 0.

Sequential LASER ART and CRISPR Treatments Eliminate HIV-1 in a Subset of Infected Humanized Mice.

Elimination of HIV-1 requires clearance and removal of integrated proviral DNA from infected cells and tissues. Here, sequential long-acting slow-effective release antiviral therapy (LASER ART) and CRISPR-Cas9 demonstrate viral clearance in latent infectious reservoirs in HIV-1 infected humanized mice. HIV-1 subgenomic DNA fragments, spanning the long terminal repeats and the Gag gene, are excised in vivo, resulting in elimination of integrated proviral DNA; virus is not detected in blood, lymphoid tissue, bone marrow and brain by nested and digital-droplet PCR as well as RNAscope tests.

Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Is Associated with Anal Infections in Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Background: Viral infections of the anal/rectal tract of men who have sex with men (MSM) have been poorly studied.

Methods: In total, 158 swab samples (81 anal/rectal, 65 throat/oral and 12 urethral) were collected from 126 MSM. DNA was isolated and subjected to real-time PCR assays for the detection of the sexually transmitted (ST) pathogens , and , human papillomavirus (HPV) and six human polyomaviruses (HPyVs; JCPyV, BKPyV, Merkel cell PyV⁻MCPyV-, HPyV-6, HPyV-7 and HPyV-9).

Characterization of an in vitro model to study the possible role of polyomavirus BK in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common male neoplasms in the Western world. Various risk factors may lead to carcinogenesis, including infectious agents such as polyomavirus BK (BKPyV), which infects the human renourinary tract, establishes latency, and encodes oncoproteins. Previous studies suggested that BKPyV plays a role in PCa pathogenesis.