Copper plays a key role in host-pathogen interaction. We find that during Leishmania major infection, the parasite-harboring macrophage regulates its copper homeostasis pathway in a way to facilitate copper-mediated neutralization of the pathogen. Copper-ATPase ATP7A transports copper to amastigote-harboring phagolysosomes to induce stress on parasites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this single-center observational study of 118 older adults with advanced cancer who developed non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia, prolonged antibiotic durations (8-14 and ≥15 vs ≤7 d) were not associated with reduced adjusted odds of 90-day all-cause readmission or death. These data may inform antimicrobial stewardship efforts in palliative care settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPDZ protein interacting specifically with Tc10 or PIST is a mammalian trans-Golgi resident protein that regulates subcellular sorting of plasma membrane receptors. PIST has recently emerged as a key player in regulating viral pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the involvement of PIST in parasitic infections remains unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol
December 2023
Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol
October 2023
The growing number of people living with dementia (PLWD) requires a coordinated clinical response to deliver pragmatic, evidence-based interventions in frontline care settings. However, infrastructure to support such a response is lacking. Moreover, there are too few researchers conducting rigorous embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) to make the vision of high quality, widely accessible dementia care a reality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeishmania parasites are heavily dependent on efficient iron acquisition from a tightly regulated host iron pool for survival and virulence. Prior studies uncovered multiple strategies adopted by the parasite to hijack the iron-regulatory network of macrophages. Despite these extensive studies with infected macrophages, there is limited knowledge of the effect of Leishmania infection on systemic iron homeostasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnnual prevalences of antimicrobial resistance among urine isolates (3,913 isolates and 1,736 isolates) from home-based primary care patients with dementia were high between 2014 and 2018 (ciprofloxacin, 18%-23% and 5%-7%, respectively; multidrug resistance, 9%-11% and 5%-6%, respectively). Multidrug resistance varied by region. Additional studies of antimicrobial resistance in home-care settings are needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Older adults with advanced cancer are exposed to antibiotics but estimates of adverse drug events associated with antibiotic therapy are lacking.
Aim: Evaluate the association of antibiotic therapy with adverse drug events in older adults with advanced cancer.
Design: Cohort study where the exposure was the ratio of days of therapy of an oral or intravenous antibiotic per patient-day and the outcome was an adverse drug event, defined as cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, infection, or new detection of a multidrug-resistant organism.
Background: Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are at significant risk for superimposed bacterial pneumonia. However, diagnosing superinfection is challenging due to its clinical resemblance to severe COVID-19. We therefore evaluated whether the immune biomarker, procalcitonin, could facilitate the diagnosis of bacterial superinfection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol
September 2022
Between 2016 and 2021, we retrospectively identified 42 patients receiving ≥1 dose of dalbavancin for osteomyelitis, skin and soft-tissue infection, endocarditis or bacteremia, or septic arthritis. Median antibiotic duration prior to dalbavancin administration was 7 days. Within 90 days, 93% achieved clinical cure, 12% were readmitted, 12% developed hepatotoxicity, and 5% died.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Over 7 million older Americans are homebound. Managing infections in homebound persons presents unique challenges that are magnified among persons living with dementia (PLWD). This work sought to characterize antibiotic use in a national cohort of PLWD who received home-based primary care (HBPC) through the Veterans Health Administration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients hospitalized with COVID-19 are at significant risk for superimposed bacterial pneumonia. However, diagnosing superinfection is challenging due to its clinical resemblance to severe COVID-19. We therefore evaluated whether the immune biomarker, procalcitonin, could facilitate the diagnosis of bacterial superinfection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis
July 2022
Mucopolysaccharidosis type VII (MPS VII) is a recessively inherited lysosomal storage disorder caused due to β-glucuronidase (β-GUS) enzyme deficiency. Prominent clinical symptoms include hydrops fetalis, musculoskeletal deformities, neurodegeneration and hepatosplenomegaly leading to premature death in most cases. Apart from these, MPS VII is also characterized as adipose storage deficiency disorder although the underlying mechanism of this lean phenotype in the patients or β-GUS-deficient mice still remains a mystery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance And Objective: The aim of this pragmatic, embedded, adaptive trial was to measure the effectiveness of the subcutaneous anti-IL-6R antibody sarilumab, when added to an evolving standard of care (SOC), for clinical management of inpatients with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease.
Design: Two-arm, randomized, open-label controlled trial comparing SOC alone to SOC plus sarilumab. The trial used a randomized play-the-winner design and was fully embedded within the electronic health record (EHR) system.
Copper (Cu) is essential for all life forms; however, in excess, it becomes toxic. Toxic properties of Cu are known to be utilized by host species against various pathogenic invasions. Leishmania, in both free-living and intracellular forms, exhibits appreciable tolerance toward Cu stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe evaluated adverse drug events (ADEs) by chart review in a random national sample of 428 veterans with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who received tocilizumab (n = 173 of 428). ADEs (median time, 5 days) occurred in 51 of 173 (29%) and included hepatoxicity (n = 29) and infection (n = 13). Concomitant medication discontinuation occurred in 22% of ADE patients; mortality was 39%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Prior studies of universal masking have not measured face-mask compliance. We performed a quality improvement study to monitor and improve face-mask compliance among healthcare personnel (HCP) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Design: Mixed-methods study.