Memory T Cells Subpopulations in a Cohort of COVID-19 Vaccinated or Recovered Subjects.

Following viral infection, antigen-restricted T lymphocytes are activated and recognize infected cells to eliminate them. A subset of T cells differentiates into memory lymphocytes able to counteract viral rechallenge in a faster and enhanced way. SARS-CoV-2 can escape immune responses leading to a poor clinical outcome.

TB specific intracellular cytokines production in Synovial liquid for diagnosis of tuberculous arthritis.

Introduction: Skeletal tuberculosis (TB) accounts for about 10 to 35% of extrapulmonary cases and the knee is the most frequent site after the spine and hip. The diagnosis is difficult and largely clinical.

Case Presentation: This is a case of a young Pakistani man with a history of joint pain for about 4 years, who was diagnosed with chronic arthritis of the right knee.

Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Vaccination in People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

People living with HIV (PLWH) remain at high risk of mortality and morbidity from vaccine-preventable diseases, even though antiretroviral therapy (ART) has restored life expectancy and general well-being. When, which, and how many doses of vaccine should be administered over the lifetime of PLWH are questions that have become clinically relevant. Immune responses to most vaccines are known to be impaired in PLWH.

Use of Monoclonal Antibodies in Pregnant Women Infected by COVID-19: A Case Series.

Background: Monoclonal antibodies are designed to target specific proteins of COVID-19 and can be used as a treatment for people with mild to moderate infection and at a high risk of severe disease. Casirivimab/imdevimab, sotrovimab, and Bamlanivimab/etesevimab have been authorized for emergency use in the treatment of COVID-19. However, during pregnancy, these drugs have not been extensively studied.

Effectiveness, Tolerability and Prescribing Choice of Antiviral Molecules Molnupiravir, Remdesivir and Nirmatrelvir/r: A Real-World Comparison in the First Ten Months of Use.

In 2022, three antiviral drugs-molnupiravir, remdesivir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir-were introduced for treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients. The aim of this study is the evaluation of their effectiveness and tolerability in a real-life setting. A single-center observational study was set up, with the involvement of 1118 patients, with complete follow-up data, treated between the 5th of January and the 3rd of October 2022 at Santa Maria Goretti's hospital in Latina, Central Italy.

Systemic, Mucosal Immune Activation and Psycho-Sexual Health in ART-Suppressed Women Living with HIV: Evaluating Biomarkers and Environmental Stimuli.

Gender medicine is now an approach that can no longer be neglected and must be considered in scientific research. We investigated the systemic and mucosal immune response in a population of women living with HIV (WLWH) who were receiving successful ART and the sexual and psychological repercussions of HIV infection on the women's health. As control group, healthy women (HW) matched for age and sex distribution, without any therapy, were included.

Quality of T-Cell Response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine in ART-Treated PLWH.

We investigated specific humoral and T-cell responses in people living with HIV (PLWH) before (T0), after two (T1) and after six months (T2) from the third dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. Healthy donors (HD) were enrolled. The specific humoral response was present in most PLWH already after the second dose, but the third dose increased both the rate of response and its magnitude.

Longitudinal Virological and Immunological Profile in a Case of Human Monkeypox Infection.

In a male with severe proctitis, monkeypox virus DNA was detected in skin lesions, blood, the nasopharynx, and the rectum, underlying generalized viral spreading. Rectal involvement was still found when skin lesions disappeared. At this early stage, an increase of cytotoxic and activated T cells was observed, while a reduction in CD56dimCD57+ NK cells compared with recovery time point was observed.

Longitudinal Assessment of Multiple Immunological and Inflammatory Parameters during Successful DAA Therapy in HCV Monoinfected and HIV/HCV Coinfected Subjects.

In the direct-acting antiviral (DAA) era, it is important to understand the immunological changes after HCV eradication in HCV monoinfected (mHCV) and in HIV/HCV coinfected (HIV/HCV) patients. In this study, we analyzed sub-populations of monocytes, dendritic cells (DCs), T-lymphocytes and inflammatory biomarkers following initiation of DAA in 15 mHCV and 16 HIV/HCV patients on effective antiretroviral therapy at baseline and after sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12). Fifteen age- and sex-matched healthy donors (HD) were enrolled as a control group.

Role of Tocilizumab in Down Regulating sCD163 Plasmatic Levels in a Cohort of COVID-19 Patients.

Background: CD163, a haptoglobin-hemoglobin scavenger receptor mostly expressed by monocytes and macrophages, is involved in the regulation of inflammatory processes. Following proteolytic cleavage after pro-inflammatory stimulation, CD163 is shed from the cell surface and its soluble form in plasma, sCD163, is a biomarker of monocyte/macrophage lineage activation.The assessment of sCD163 plasmatic levels in an early stage of the disease could have clinical utility in predicting the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Real-life use of tocilizumab with or without corticosteroid in hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 pneumonia: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Tocilizumab (with or without corticosteroids) in a real-life context among moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the Infectious Diseases ward of two hospitals in Lazio region, Italy, during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Method: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among moderate-to-severe COVID-19 pneumonia to assess the influence of tocilizumab (with or without corticosteroids) on: 1) primary composite outcome: risk for death/invasive mechanical ventilation/ICU-transfer at 14 days from hospital admission; 2) secondary outcome: COVID-related death only. Both outcomes were also assessed at 28 days and restricted to baseline more severe cases.

Increased sCD163 and sCD14 Plasmatic Levels and Depletion of Peripheral Blood Pro-Inflammatory Monocytes, Myeloid and Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Patients With Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Background: Emerging evidence argues that monocytes, circulating innate immune cells, are principal players in COVID-19 pneumonia. The study aimed to investigate the role of soluble (s)CD163 and sCD14 plasmatic levels in predicting disease severity and characterize peripheral blood monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs), in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (COVID-19 subjects).

Methods: On admission, in COVID-19 subjects sCD163 and sCD14 plasmatic levels, and peripheral blood monocyte and DC subsets were compared to healthy donors (HDs).

Molecular Identification of New Cases of Human Dirofilariosis () in Italy.

(1) Dirofilariosis is a vector-borne parasitic disease mainly in domestic and wild carnivores caused by () , which is endemic in many countries of the Old World, and , which has a worldwide distribution. In recent years, an increase in the number of human cases has been reported, suggesting that dirofilariosis is an emergent zoonosis. Here, we describe further cases (N = 8), observed in Central Italy during the years 2018-2019.

Impact of IFN-Free and IFN-Based Treatment on Blood Myeloid Dendritic Cell, Monocyte, Slan-DC, and Activated T Lymphocyte Dynamics during HCV Infection.

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection leads to the activation of innate immunity, a key component in HCV fibrosis. In the past, the use of IFN-based treatment regimens did not permit an adequate evaluation of the impact of HCV clearance on immune cells, because of their antiviral and immunomodulatory properties. The recent development of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy, which is associated with high rates of sustained virological response, enables a more accurate analysis of the immunological modifications following HCV eradication.

Myeloid and lymphoid activation markers in AIDS and non-AIDS presenters.

HIV infection is characterized by a state of chronic activation of the immune system, which is not completely reversed by antiretroviral treatment (ART). The aim of this study was to assess myeloid and lymphoid activation markers during HIV infection, before and one year after ART initiation, in AIDS and non-AIDS presenters. Treatment naïve HIV positive patients were enrolled in this study.

Persistent high plasma levels of sCD163 and sCD14 in adult patients with measles virus infection.

Background And Aims: Measles is an infectious disease that represents a serious public health problem worldwide, being associated with increased susceptibility to secondary infections, especially in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. The aim of this study was to evaluate sCD163 and sCD14 levels in measles virus (MV) infected patients, as markers of immune activation, in order to better understand their role in the pathogenesis of the disease. TNF-α plasma levels were also evaluated.

Resistance detected in PBMCs predicts virological rebound in HIV-1 suppressed patients switching treatment.

Background: Genotypic resistance test (GRT) performed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) represents a chance to evaluate resistance in virologically suppressed HIV infected patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of baseline resistance detected through PBMC GRT on virological rebound after switching treatment.

Study Design: Baseline genotypic susceptibility scores (GSS) from PBMC GRT (DNA-GSS) and from previous cumulative plasma GRTs (when available, pRNA-GSS) were evaluated.

Changes in inflammatory biomarkers in HCV-infected patients undergoing direct acting antiviral-containing regimens with or without interferon.

Background And Aims: Increased levels of chemokine interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-inducible protein-10 (CXCL10), soluble CD163 (sCD163) and soluble CD14 (sCD14) have been reported in HCV infection. The aim of this study was to compare, sCD163 and sCD14 levels in HCV-infected patients undergoing direct acting antiviral (DAA)-containing regimens with or without interferon (IFN).

Methods: sCD163, sCD14 and CXCL10 were longitudinally measured by ELISA in 159 plasma samples from 25 HCV-infected patients undergoing IFN-based treatment plus telaprevir or boceprevir and 28 HCV infected subjects treated with DAA IFN-free regimens.

Active HCV infection is associated with increased circulating levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), soluble CD163 and inflammatory monocytes regardless of liver fibrosis and HIV coinfection.

Background And Objective: Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), soluble (s) CD163 and sCD14 play an important role in the pathogenesis of HCV and HIV infection and are involved in inflammation and liver fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate at a single time point, plasma soluble biomarkers and inflammatory monocytes subsets in different groups of subjects: (i) HIV monoinfected patients on suppressive ART; (ii) HIV/HCV coinfected patients on ART, with undetectable HIV viremia (including either subjects who had active HCV replication or those who cleared HCV); (iii) HCV monoinfected individual with active viral replication.

Methods: Hundred and twenty-nine plasma samples were analyzed including HCV and HIV monoinfected patients, HIV/HCV coinfected patients, with active HCV infection (AHI) or with HCV viral clearance (VHC) and healthy donors (HD).

Herpes virus reactivation after initiation of interferon-free antiviral agents in HIV-HCV-coinfected subjects: a new immune restoration disease?

We report four HCV-HIV-coinfected patients who developed herpes zoster or muco-cutaneous herpes virus disease shortly after starting interferon-free antiviral treatment for HCV. We suggest that in our patients the prompt clearance of HCV following direct-acting antivirals leads to a paradoxical effect on the innate and adaptive immune system mediating the reactivation of herpetic infection.