Accurate prediction of antimicrobial resistance and genetic marker of Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates using MALDI-TOF MS and machine learning - across DRIAMS and Taiwan database.

Background: The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time-of-flight mass spectra (MALDI-TOF MS) with machine learning (ML) has been explored for predicting antimicrobial resistance. This study evaluates the effectiveness of MALDI-TOF MS paired with various ML classifiers and establishes optimal models for predicting antimicrobial resistance and the presence of mecA gene among Staphylococcus aureus.

Materials And Methods: Antimicrobial resistance against tier 1 antibiotics and MALDI-TOF MS of S.

Puerperal mastitis caused by limited community-associated methicillin-resistant (CA-MRSA) clones.

Objective: To outline the epidemiology of puerperal mastitis caused by methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and evaluate the effect of an infection control bundle on its incidence.

Methods: A surge in MRSA puerperal mastitis was noted in a community hospital in September 2009. MRSA samples from mastitis cases and the environment underwent typing using multilocus sequence typing (MLST), staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC), gene encoding surface protein A (), accessory gene regulator (), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Endemic melioidosis in central Taiwan-A longitudinal case cohort study.

Background: Melioidosis is a systemic and suppurative disease endemic in the Southeast Asia. In Taiwan, most cases are reported in the southern region and no relevant profiles have been reported in central region. In this study, we performed the epidemiologic and clinical analyses from the melioidosis cases in central Taiwan.

Repurposing Polysaccharide PG2 for Inhibiting ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 Spike Syncytial Formation and Anti-Inflammatory Effects.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a serious threat to global public health. In an effort to develop novel anti-coronavirus therapeutics and achieve prophylactics, we used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for drug screening and identified that polysaccharide (PG2), a mixture of polysaccharides purified from , could effectively reverse COVID-19 signature genes. Further biological assays revealed that PG2 could prevent the fusion of BHK21-expressing wild-type (WT) viral spike (S) protein and Calu-3-expressing ACE2.

A case series report on successful management of patients with COVID-19-associated lymphopenia and potential application of PG2.

Background: Lymphopenia and the resultant high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are hallmark signs of severe COVID-19, and effective treatment remains unavailable. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of COVID-19 in a cohort of 26 patients admitted to Chung Shan Medical University Hospital (Taichung City, Taiwan). Twenty-five of the 26 patients recovered, including 9 patients with mild/moderate illness and 16 patients with severe/critical illness recovered.

Genotyping of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates causing invasive infections using spa typing and their correlation with antimicrobial susceptibility.

Correlation of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns with particular spa types could help physicians select appropriate antibiotics for the treatment of invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. The aim of this study was to investigate invasive MRSA isolates through delineating the molecular typing results and correlating them with antibiotic susceptibility testing results. A total of 670 non-duplicate mecA-positive MRSA isolates from patients with invasive infections were collected from a 5-year nationwide antimicrobial surveillance programme [Tigecycline In vitro Surveillance in Taiwan (TIST)] and 58 spa types were identified among 639 isolates (95.

Molecular epidemiology and phenotypes of invasive methicillin-resistant vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus in Taiwan.

Background: Patients with invasive infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), especially those with an elevated minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of vancomycin (VA), are likely to have treatment failure and poor outcomes. The aim of this study was to delineate and correlate the genotypes and phenotypes of clinical VA-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) from invasive infections in Taiwan.

The Relationship between Long Noncoding RNA H19 Polymorphism and the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Phenotypes on the Clinicopathological Characteristics of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

The aim of the current study is to investigate potential associations among Long Noncoding RNA (LncRNA) H19 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phenotypes on the clinicopathological characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma (LADC). Five loci of LncRNA H19 SNPs (rs217727, rs2107425, rs2839698, rs3024270, and rs3741219) were genotyped by using TaqMan allelic discrimination in 223 LADC patients with wild-type EGFR phenotype and 323 LADC individuals with EGFR mutations. After the statistical analyses, patients with the EGFR mutation were related to a higher distribution frequency of rs217727 SNP CT heterozygote ( = 0.

Astragalus Polysaccharide Injection (PG2) Normalizes the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer Receiving Immunotherapy.

Objectives: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a prognostic marker in patients with cancer receiving immunotherapy. Recent studies have shown that a high NLR was associated with a poor response and decreased survival. However, there is no intervention to reverse abnormally high NLR and improve clinical outcomes.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C regiments containing with recombinant interferon in patients with sustained virological response predicts risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

Given that evidence supporting chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection developed chance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following antiviral agents therapy is controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the risk.We evaluated 20 retrospective and prospective cohort studies published up to 31 December 2017 which investigated the association between sustained virological response (SVR) and incidence of HCC patients treated with monotherapy interferon (IFN) or IFN plus ribavirin (RBV) therapy.

Association of Carbonic Anhydrase 9 Polymorphism and the Epithelial Growth Factor Receptor Mutations in Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients.

Carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) plays a vital role in lung cancer progression. The current study explored the effect of CA9 gene polymorphisms and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations on the clinicopathological characters of lung adenocarcinoma. In this study, three loci of CA9 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs2071676 A>G, rs3829078 A>G, and rs1048638 C>A) were genotyped using the TaqMan allelic discrimination method in 193 EGFR wild type individuals and 281 EGFR mutation subjects.

Association of Drug Metabolic Enzyme Genetic Polymorphisms and Adverse Drug Reactions in Patients Receiving Rifapentine and Isoniazid Therapy for Latent Tuberculosis.

Weekly rifapentine and isoniazid therapy (3HP) is the most frequent treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). However, the association between major adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug metabolic enzyme single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) remains unclear. In this study, 377 participants who received the 3HP regimen were recruited and examined for genotyping of CYP5A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C19, CYP2E1, and NAT2 SNPs.

Maintenance interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients who failed initial antiviral therapy: A meta-analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of pegylated interferon maintenance therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed initial antiviral therapy.

Methods: This is a meta-analysis of 6 randomized controlled trials that met the eligibility criteria. In all, 2438 chronic hepatitis C patients who failed to achieve sustained virologic response after initial treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (antiviral therapy nonresponders or relapsers) were enrolled; 1237 patients received maintenance therapy (Maintenance group) and 1201 received no treatment (Observation group).

Plasma Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor Level as a Predictor of the Severity of Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) mediates various cellular activities and is involved in proteolysis, angiogenesis, and inflammation. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between soluble uPAR (suPAR) levels and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) severity. A commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to measure the plasma suPAR levels in 67 healthy controls and 75 patients with CAP.

Integrated safety summary of phase II and III studies comparing oral nemonoxacin and levofloxacin in community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Nemonoxacin, a novel nonfluorinated quinolone, has broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, including activity against antibiotic-resistant strains, and was developed for treating community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This report provides an integrated safety summary of oral nemonoxacin from two phase II and one phase III clinical studies.

Methods: Patients with mild CAP were randomized for treatment with nemonoxacin 500 mg (NEMO-500MG), nemonoxacin 750 mg (NEMO-750MG), or levofloxacin 500 mg (LEVO), orally, once daily, for 7-10 days.

Bergapten induces G1 arrest and pro-apoptotic cascade in colorectal cancer cells associating with p53/p21/PTEN axis.

Bergapten is a natural compound and has potent anticancer activities. In this study, we explored the cytotoxicity of bergapten on colorectal cancer (CRC) cell DLD-1 and LoVo and its underlying mechanisms. We observed that bergapten (30 and 50 μM) decreased the viability of the CRC cells and induced the G0/G1 and sub-G1 phase arrest.

Human papillomavirus prevalence and behavioral risk factors among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected men who have sex with men in Taiwan.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with cancer and can be prevented through vaccination. Few studies from Taiwan have reported on HPV infection among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of HPV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) with and without HIV infection in Taiwan, and explore the behavioral risk factors thereof.

Circulating level of high mobility group box‑1 predicts the severity of community‑acquired pneumonia: Regulation of inflammatory responses via the c‑Jun N‑terminal signaling pathway in macrophages.

High mobility group box‑1 (HMGB‑1) has been reported to serve significant roles in various inflammatory diseases. However, the correlation between the circulating level of HMGB‑1 and severity of community‑acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains unclear. The present study investigated differential alterations in plasma HMGB‑1 levels of patients with CAP prior to and following antibiotic treatment, and further analyzed the association between CAP severity and HMGB‑1 levels.

Generation of Aptamers from A Primer-Free Randomized ssDNA Library Using Magnetic-Assisted Rapid Aptamer Selection.

Aptamers are oligonucleotides that can bind to specific target molecules. Most aptamers are generated using random libraries in the standard systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). Each random library contains oligonucleotides with a randomized central region and two fixed primer regions at both ends.

Complicated skin and soft tissue infection with Mycobacterium fortuitum following excision of a sebaceous cyst in Taiwan.

Mycobacterium fortuitum group (M. fortuitum), also known as rapidly growing Mycobacteria, can cause pyogenic infections in human beings, most commonly in immunocompromised patients. Herein, we present a 40-year-old immunocompetent male patient who underwent planned excision of a sebaceous cyst in the abdominal wall.

Plasma levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 as a biomarker for disease severity of patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is characterized as an acute inflammation of the lung associated with the activation of macrophages and neutrophils. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is an essential adhesion molecule involved in immune cell recruitment in lung inflammation. We investigated whether ICAM-1 is a useful biomarker for assessing the disease severity of hospitalized adult patients with CAP.