Sequencing Analysis of Invasive Carbapenem-Resistant Isolates Secondary to Gastrointestinal Colonization.

represent a common invasive infection etiological agent, whose potential carbapenem-resistance and hypermucoviscosity complicate the patient's management. Infection development often derives from gastrointestinal colonization; thus, it is fundamental to monitor asymptomatic colonization through surveillance protocols, especially for intensive care and immunocompromised patients. We described a six-month routine screening protocol from the Policlinico of Catania (Italy), while blood samples were collected from the same patients only in cases of a systemic infection suspicion.

Isavuconazole and Amphotericin B Synergic Antifungal Activity: In Vitro Evaluation on Pulmonary Aspergillosis Molds Isolates.

Pulmonary aspergillosis is a severe respiratory infection caused by spp., whose resistance profiles and invasive attitude complicate therapeutical strategies. Several aspergillosis cases emerged as superinfections during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic when isavuconazole and amphotericin B became essential antifungal alternatives.

Antifungal Susceptibility Data and Epidemiological Distribution of spp.: An In Vitro Five-Year Evaluation at University Hospital Policlinico of Catania and a Comprehensive Literature Review.

Background: Invasive fungal infections represent a concerning healthcare issue, with spp. reported as the main aetiological agent. spp.

The volatile organic compounds detection in MDR Gram-negatives antimicrobial susceptibility testing: Results from a four-month laboratory experience.

Systemic bacterial infections represent a significant clinical challenge due to the increasing resistance rate towards antimicrobials. An essential key to controlling antimicrobial resistance spread is to administer targeted therapy after a precise minimum inhibitory concentration reporting. Among the available fast technologies for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), the VITEK REVEAL™ (Biomerieux, Florence, Italy) proposes volatile organic compounds (VOC) colourimetric arrays to discriminate between susceptible and resistant Gram-negative isolates directly from positive blood cultures.

The molecular detection of carbapenem markers with a two-levels amplification screening protocol: epidemiological and resistome insights.

Objectives: Carbapenem-resistance is a challenging healthcare concern and require specific stewardship programs. Monitoring workflows include the identification from surveillance samples, such as rectal swabs. Although culture assays represent the gold standard, data report a significant effectiveness in detecting carbapenemases genes directly from rectal swabs.

The Rapid Phenotypic Susceptibility Testing in Real-Life Experience: How the MIC Values Impact on Sepsis Fast Diagnostic Workflow.

The MIC value definition faithfully reflects antimicrobial sensitivity, profoundly impacting the infection's clinical outcome. Our study aimed to evaluate the Accelerate Pheno System in defining the importance of fast phenotypic susceptibility data. A number of 270 monomicrobial samples simultaneously underwent standard procedures and fast protocols after a contemporary Gram stain.

Multiplex real-time PCR for skin fungal infections: The diagnostic reliability in a one-year non-interventional study.

The skin fungal infection diagnostic workflow currently includes microscopic and culture-based methods as the gold standard. Recent published data described the possible limitations of these conventional techniques documenting the possibility of reducing response time intervals. The present study reports an evaluation of the DermaGenius® (DG) multiplex kit (PathoNostics) for rapid C.

Evaluation of the liquid colony for identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing directly from positive blood cultures.

Background: Sepsis represents a time-sensitive disease requiring early therapeutical intervention to avoid adverse patient outcomes. Rapid microbiological diagnosis is essential to investigate sepsis aetiological agents. The FAST™ system (Qvella, ON, Canada) provides a concentrated microbial suspension, known as a Liquid Colony™ (LC), directly from positive blood samples (PBCs) in 30-40 min to perform rapid identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST).

Papillomavirus Infection as Potential Cause of Miscarriage in the Early Gestational Age: A Prospective Study.

The possible association between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and negative pregnancy outcomes has been debated in the literature, with conflicting results from clinical trials. While some authors support a link between HPV and miscarriage, others argue that the mere detection of the virus does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship with negative pregnancy outcomes. In this study, we conducted a prospective, controlled investigation of the potential association between HPV infection and miscarriage.

Comparison between EUCAST Broth Microdilution and MIC Strip Test in Defining Isavuconazole In Vitro Susceptibility against and Rare Yeast Clinical Isolates.

Isavuconazole is a new broad-spectrum triazole, with significant in vitro activity against yeasts. Isavuconazole in vitro susceptibility can be evaluated through broth microdilution as a reference method. Considering difficulties in equipping such methods in a laboratory routine, a commercial MIC Strip test has been designed.

Prevalence of Onychomycosis in Diabetic Patients: A Case-Control Study Performed at University Hospital Policlinico in Catania.

Diabetes is characterized by an increased rate of serum glucose due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both conditions. Glucose excesses can lead to extended cellular damage, with the consequence of several infectious and non-infectious skin disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the toenail onychomycosis incidence in diabetic patients and healthy ones.

Use of real time multiplex PCR for the diagnosis of dermatophytes onychomycosis in patients with empirical antifungal treatments.

Background: Onychomycosis is a nail fungal infection mainly caused by dermatophytes. Diagnostic confirmation is conventionally made by direct microscopy and culture, which suffer from low or moderate sensitivity. Several molecular methods have been used for dermatophytes detection and identification directly from nail samples.

Discriminatory Weight of SNPs in Spike SARS-CoV-2 Variants: A Technically Rapid, Unambiguous, and Bioinformatically Validated Laboratory Approach.

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has assumed considerable importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its mutation rate is high, involving the spike (S) gene and thus there has been a rapid spread of new variants. Herein, we describe a rapid, easy, adaptable, and affordable workflow to uniquely identify all currently known variants through as few analyses.

Competing endogenous RNA network mediated by circ_3205 in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new member of the Betacoronaviridae family, responsible for the recent pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. To start exploring the molecular events that follow host cell infection, we queried VirusCircBase and identified a circular RNA (circRNA) predicted to be synthesized by SARS-CoV-2, circ_3205, which we used to probe: (i) a training cohort comprised of two pools of cells from three nasopharyngeal swabs of SARS-CoV-2 infected (positive) or uninfected (negative, UCs) individuals; (ii) a validation cohort made up of 12 positive and 3 negative samples. The expression of circRNAs, miRNAs and miRNA targets was assayed through real-time PCR.

Resistance to Echinocandins Complicates a Case of Bloodstream Infection: A Case Report.

Invasive candidiasis is known to be one of the most common healthcare-associated complications and is caused by several species. First-line drugs, particularly echinocandins, are effective, but there are increasing reports of resistance to these molecules, though rarely related to . Even though the rate of echinocandins resistance remains low (<3%), sporadic cases are emerging.

Conservative management of CIN2 p16 positive lesions in women with multiple HPV infection.

Background: According to the 2006 American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology guidelines, positive CIN2 p16 in women over the age of 25 should be managed with excisional treatment. However, excisional treatment is associated with physical, psychological and obstetric morbidity and can have a negative impact on sexual function. In our study we sought to identify a clear management strategy, addressing the impact of routine use of p16 immunohistochemistry in this population and identify appropriate criteria for patient selection with the aim of reducing over-treatment.

In vitro fosfomycin study on concordance of susceptibility testing methods against ESBL and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Objectives: The increasing emergence and diffusion of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria, both in hospital and community settings, is inducing clinicians to reconsider old antibiotics, such as fosfomycin, to overcome the difficulties posed by these microorganisms. Recent studies have reported good in vitro activity of fosfomycin against extended spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. The aim of this study was to assess thein vitro activity of fosfomycin by different methods against 120 clinical MDR isolates.

Sensitivity assessment of droplet digital PCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) is the gold standard method for the diagnosis of COVID‑19 infection. Due to pre‑analytical and technical limitations, samples with low viral load are often misdiagnosed as false‑negative samples. Therefore, it is important to evaluate other strategies able to overcome the limits of RT‑qPCR.

Multiple HPV 16 infection with two strains: a possible marker of neoplastic progression.

Background: We studied the cases of single and multiple HPV infection and analyzed the correlation with negative cases, and preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix with the aim of making a contribution to the prognostic factor under discussion.

Methods: Nine hundred nine women undergoing second level screening because they had been positive at cervical cytology were enrolled. All the patients underwent colposcopy and cervical biopsy with viral genotyping.

Myiasis from Sarcophaga spp in a patient with cutaneous lymphoma.

Human autochthonous myiasis is uncommonly reported in Europe. This report describes a case of myiasis of a wound caused by Sarcophaga spp. Suffering from cutaneous lymphoma, the patient showed, at the level of his scalp lesions, the presence of larvae that were removed during curettage surgery; they were subsequently identified as belonging to the genus Sarcophaga.

Molecular diagnosis of kerion celsi caused by in a Italian child.

is an anthropophilic dermatophyte causing several clinical variants of tinea capitis including the Kerion celsi that can be often unrecognised or confused with other lesions. We report a case of Kerion celsi caused by in a child following an excoriation to the scalp caused by a fall in a public park. The use of multiplex PCR assay has enabled rapid diagnosis of tinea capitis from with a result in less than 48 hours and therefore the possibility of quickly starting antifungal therapy.

Diagnostic surveillance by Candida albicans germ tube antibody in intensive care unit patients.

Background: The diagnosis of Invasive Candidiasis (IC) presents serious problems, mainly associated with the absence of pathognomonic symptoms of the disease and the difficulty of isolating the fungus in blood culture. Candida albicans germ tube antibody (CAGTA) provides a rapid and simple test for diagnosis of IC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic role of the CAGTA in the monitoring of critically-ill patients at risk of developing IC.

Environmental Isolates of Multi-Azole-Resistant spp. in Southern Italy.

Azole resistance in spp. has been increasingly reported worldwide. Acquired azole resistance is probably linked to environmental exposure to fungicides used in agriculture.