Biofilm-mediated antibiotic tolerance in from spinal cord stimulation device-related infections.

is a predominant cause of infections in individuals with spinal cord stimulation (SCS) devices. Biofilm formation complicates these infections, commonly requiring both surgical and antibiotic treatments. This study explored the biofilm matrix composition and antimicrobial susceptibility of planktonic and biofilm-growing isolates from individuals with SCS-related infections.

Hard-to-heal peripheral wounds infected with : a prospective study.

Objective: To investigate as a nosocomial pathogen infecting hard-to-heal peripheral wounds, such as skin wounds, soft tissue abscesses and osteomyelitis. As of 2023, the medical community were alerted against the risk of emerging systemic and central infections; on the other hand literature on peripheral cutaneous regions is still scarce.

Method: In this study, two groups of patients with similar lesions which were infected were compared: one group with the presence of the coryneform rod, the other without.

Sperm culture and bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics in a large andrological population: prevalence and impact on seminal parameters.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate (i) the prevalence of subjects with a positive sperm culture (SC) for bacteria in subjects with or without genitourinary tract inflammation (GTI); (ii) the actual distribution of the species analysed, according to Gram stain; (iii) the impact on sperm parameters; and (iv) the actual bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics.

Methods: A total of 930 subjects (18-55) years, were retrospectively studied. All the patients underwent SC and in the case of positive tests (CFU > 10), a microbiological susceptibility analysis.

SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Control Measures in the Emergency Department: The Role of Rapid Antigenic Testing in Asymptomatic Subjects.

Limiting transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic people assumes the paramount importance of keeping fragile subjects protected. We evaluated the utility of rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing in asymptomatic subjects attending emergency departments in non-COVID-19 areas, using a single nasopharyngeal swab specimen collected in universal transport medium to perform both rapid antigen testing and rRT-PCR (used as reference standard) in a cohort of 899 patients. In the overall sample, the rapid antigen test had 43.

Challenges in Diagnosis and Clinical Management of COVID-19 in Patient with B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Report of One Case.

We report here a case of a patient affected by B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that developed COVID-19 during the actual SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. The coexistence of CLL and COVID-19 raises many questions regarding the possible increased risk of developing COVID-19 among patients with CLL, the problems in managing therapies for both diseases and, above all, the difficulties in diagnosing COVID-19 in patients affected by CLL. In our patient, an 84-year-old man, the recognition of COVID-19 was delayed because of its atypical clinical presentation and technical problems related to the methods used for the diagnosis.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies persistence after natural infection: a repeated serosurvey in Northern Italy.

Introduction: To evaluate the decline of antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection, the individuals resident in 5 municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Northern Italy, who resulted IgG positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (NC) in May 2020, were tested four months later.

Methods: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NC antibodies were detected using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay. Samples that gave a negative result were re-tested using the Liaison SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay to assess anti-spike (S) S1/S2 antibodies.

Accuracy and Cost-Effectivenss of a Novel Method for Alpha Defensins Measurement in the Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infections.

Background: Two methods for detecting synovial fluids alpha defensins are available: the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the lateral flow test. For both, the proper role and accuracy remain uncertain. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for alpha defensin detection in synovial fluids of patients with total knee arthroplasty/total hip arthroplasty failures.

Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies.

Background: Low T3 syndrome is frequent in patients admitted to intensive care units for critical illness and pneumonia. It has been reported also in patients with COVID-19, Hodgkin disease and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We analyzed the clinical relevance of Low T3 syndrome in COVID-19 patients and, in particular, in those with associated hematological malignancies.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Tc-Polymyxin B for Specific Targeting of Gram-Bacteria.

Background: Infectious diseases are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Nuclear molecular imaging would be of great help to non-invasively discriminate between septic and sterile inflammation through available radiopharmaceuticals, as none is currently available for clinical practice. Here, we describe the radiolabeling procedure and in vitro and in vivo studies of Tc-polymyxin B sulfate (PMB) as a new single photon emission imaging agent for the characterization of infections due to Gram-negative bacteria.

Reduction of Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Bacterial Infections during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms are emerging as some of the main healthcare problems worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures have been adopted to reduce nosocomial microorganism transmission. We performed a case-control study to identify if the incidence of MDR bacterial infections while using pandemic-related preventive measures is lower than in previous years.

Increased kynurenine-to-tryptophan ratio in the serum of patients infected with SARS-CoV2: An observational cohort study.

Immune dysregulation is a hallmark of patients infected by SARS-CoV2 and the balance between immune reactivity and tolerance is a key determinant of all stages of infection, including the excessive inflammatory state causing the acute respiratory distress syndrome. The kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan (Trp) metabolism is activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and drives mechanisms of immune tolerance. We examined the state of activation of the KP by measuring the Kyn:Trp ratio in the serum of healthy subjects (n = 239), and SARS-CoV2-negative (n = 305) and -positive patients (n = 89).

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in an area of northeastern Italy with a high incidence of COVID-19 cases: a population-based study.

Objectives: A seroprevalence study of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was conducted in a high-incidence area located in northeastern Italy.

Methods: All citizens above 10 years of age resident in five municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Trento, with the highest incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, were invited to participate in the study. Among 6098 participants, 6075 sera and a standardized questionnaire administered face-to-face were collected between 5 May and 15 May 2020 and examined.

No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Circulation in Rome (Italy) during the Pre-Pandemic Period: Results of a Retrospective Surveillance.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak recorded over the previous months could be characterized as a pandemic. The first known Italian SARS-CoV-2 positive case was reported on 21 February. In some countries, cases of suspected "COVID-19-like pneumonia" had been reported earlier than those officially accepted by health authorities.

Impact of COVID-19 prevention measures on risk of health care-associated Clostridium difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile is the most common pathogen between health care-associated infections and its incidence has increased during the last years. lack of enough evidence about effective hygiene interventions to prevent this disease. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic, several strategies to reduce microorganism spread were adopted in hospital setting.

Prevalence of Sars-Cov-2 Infection in Health Workers (HWs) and Diagnostic Test Performance: The Experience of a Teaching Hospital in Central Italy.

(1) Background: Health workers (HWs) are at high risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) infections. Therefore, health authorities further recommend screening strategies for SARS-CoV-2 infection in exposed or high-risk HWs. Nevertheless, to date, the best/optimal method to screen HWs for SARS-CoV-2 infection is still under debate, and data on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HWs are still scarce.

The Exponential Phase of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Central Italy: An Integrated Care Pathway.

The Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) pandemic is rapidly spreading across the world, representing an unparalleled challenge for health care systems. There are differences in the estimated fatality rates, which cannot be explained easily. In Italy, the estimated case fatality rate was 12.

Detection of α-defensin in synovial fluids by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry as an innovative and cost-effective assay for improved definition of periprosthetic joint infections.

Rationale: Detection of α-defensins in synovial fluid is gaining more and more interest in the field of correct diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). At present, they can be assessed by a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which is expensive and time-consuming and by a qualitative lateral flow immunoassay which is rapid but quite expensive and whose clinical sensitivity is debated. Thus, developing an alternative rapid, accurate, and low-cost assay for α-defensins is important to make α-defensins actionable as novel key clinical markers.

Carriage meningococcal isolates with capsule null locus dominate among high school students in a non-endemic period, Italy, 2012-2013.

Meningococcal disease incidence in Italy remains quite low in the overall population except for infants. Within a study on carriage isolates among high school students we aimed to define: i) the prevalence of carriage isolates, ii) the phenotypic and iii) the molecular features of meningococci by Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). A total of 1697 pharyngeal samples from undergraduate students (age range 14-19 years) were collected from 2012 to 2013 from six larger cities in Italy.

Cytological diagnostic features of late breast implant seromas: From reactive to anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Late breast implant seroma may be the presentation of a breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BI-ALCL), which claims for a prompt recognition. However, BI-ALCL diagnosis on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) might be challenging for pathologists lacking experience with peri-implant breast effusions. Sixty-seven late breast implant seromas collected by FNA from 50 patients were evaluated by Papanicolaou smear stain and immunocytochemistry on cell blocks.

Klebsiella pneumoniae Is Able to Trigger Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Process in Cultured Airway Epithelial Cells.

The ability of some bacterial pathogens to activate Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition normally is a consequence of the persistence of a local chronic inflammatory response or depends on a direct interaction of the pathogens with the host epithelial cells. In this study we monitored the abilities of the K. pneumoniae to activate the expression of genes related to EMT-like processes and the occurrence of phenotypic changes in airway epithelial cells during the early steps of cell infection.

Persistent occurrence of serogroup Y/sequence type (ST)-23 complex invasive meningococcal disease among patients aged five to 14 years, Italy, 2007 to 2013.

In Italy, the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) has remained stable since 2007 (around 0.3 cases/100,000 inhabitants). However, as reported for other European countries, an increase of serogroup Y Neisseria meningitidis has been observed.

Carbapenem resistance confers to Klebsiella pneumoniae strains an enhanced ability to induce infection and cell death in epithelial tissue-specific in vitro models.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains (KPC-Kp) are emerging worldwide causing different nosocomial infections including those of the urinary tract, lung or skin wounds. For these strains, the antibiotic treatment is limited to only few choices including colistin, whose continuous use led to the emergence of carbapenem-resistant KPC-Kp strains resistant also to this treatment (KPC-Kp Col-R).

Aim: Very little is known about the capacity of the different strains of KPC-Kp to invade the epithelial cells in vitro.

Acute fulminant hepatitis E virus genotype 3e infection: description of the first case in Europe.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most important causative agent of acute hepatitis in developing countries. The disease is usually characterized by a self-limiting, benign course. However, when particular conditions coexist (pregnancy, old age, pre-existing liver disease) it may run an unfavourable course.

Clinical and serological features of patients with suspected Lyme borreliosis.

Serology is currently the method of choice for the laboratory diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis, but it must be interpreted with caution. A total of 954 patients with suspected Lyme borreliosis were evaluated on the basis of clinical and serological data. The seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies was 4.