Therapeutic advances in neuroinfectious diseases.

There have been several major advances in therapeutic options for the treatment of neurological infections over the past two decades. These advances encompass both the development of new antimicrobial therapies and the repurposing of existing agents for new indications. In addition, advances in our understanding of the host immune response have allowed for the development of new immunomodulatory strategies in the treatment of neurological infections.

Epigenetic tuning of PD-1 expression improves exhausted T cell function and viral control.

PD-1 is a key negative regulator of CD8 T cell activation and is highly expressed by exhausted T cells in cancer and chronic viral infection. Although PD-1 blockade can improve viral and tumor control, physiological PD-1 expression prevents immunopathology and improves memory formation. The mechanisms driving high PD-1 expression in exhaustion are not well understood and could be critical to disentangling its beneficial and detrimental effects.

Inside the Brain: Cerebrospinal Fluid Insights in Meningitis.

Background Our study focused on meningitis, an infection that can spread through the bloodstream as a primary or secondary infection from other body parts, such as sinuses, ears, and lungs. It can affect patients who have experienced trauma or surgery, as well as those with congenital defects like spina bifida. Specifically, we examined bacterial, viral, and tuberculous meningitis (TBM) cases.

Prevalence and genetic diversity of Parechovirus.

Human parechovirus (HPeV) is a common virus that can cause severe infections in newborns. Due to the limited knowledge of the prevalence of HPeV in different cities in China and the unknown association between HPeV infection and clinical characteristics of newborns, this research investigated the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of HPeV infection in hospitalized neonates in Changsha. From August to October 2023, 145 anal swab samples from 96 newborns and 38 pharyngeal swab samples from 33 newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were collected.

Cerebrospinal fluid-induced stable and reproducible SERS sensing for various meningitis discrimination assisted with machine learning.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-based pathogen or biochemical testing is the standard approach for clinical diagnosis of various meningitis. However, misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis always occur due to the shortages of unusual clinical manifestations and time-consuming shortcomings, low sensitivity, and poor specificity. Here, for the first time, we propose a simple and reliable CSF-induced SERS platform assisted with machine learning (ML) for the diagnosis and identification of various meningitis.

Risk of psychiatric neurodevelopmental disorders after meningitis in childhood: a nationwide, population-based cohort study.

Background: Few studies have investigated the risk of psychiatric neurodevelopmental disorders (PNDD) after childhood meningitis.

Methods: Nationwide population-based cohort study (Denmark, 1995-2021) of children with positive cerebrospinal fluid for bacteria or enterovirus, stratified on age as young infants (0 to <90 days,  = 637) or older children (≥90 days to <17 years,  = 1,218). We constructed a comparison cohort from the general population ( = 18,550), and cohorts of siblings of participants.

A Rare Modality of Concurrent Cryptococcal and Tubercular Meningitis in a Patient Living With HIV.

Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and a low CD4 count have decreased humoral and cellular immunity, predisposing them to opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals due to impaired immune systems, particularly in persons living with HIV/AIDS. Common opportunistic infections in patients living with HIV include bacterial infections such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC); viral infections such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1); fungal infections such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and cryptococcal meningitis; and parasitic infections such as cryptosporidiosis and toxoplasmosis.

Postencephalitic syndrome with immune-mediated psychosis in an adult with meningitis due to : A case report.

Introduction: A first psychotic episode may be related to neurological diseases, especially encephalitis of infectious or autoimmune origin. It is remarkable that an immune-mediated encephalitis triggered by a confirmed subacute bacterial meningitis is documented, and this is the case we will present.

Clinical Case: A 22-year-old woman with no previous medical history, immunocompetent, with three months of behavioral, affective and cognitive symptoms with subsequent compromise of sensory perception and psychosis.

A Case of West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease Presenting With Isolated Diplopia.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a single-stranded RNA virus causing a wide spectrum of diseases. Neuroinvasive conditions such as meningitis and encephalitis are feared complications of WNV infection. Here, we describe the case of a 78-year-old male whose only initial presenting symptoms were fever and transient diplopia, whose initial MRI imaging with and without contrast did not reveal any abnormalities.

An Overview of the Characteristics, Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, and Detection of Human Enterovirus in the Arabian Gulf Region.

Enteroviruses are RNA viruses that initiate infections through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and are associated with enteric illness in individuals of all ages. Most serious infections of enteroviruses are in infants and young children where it is the common cause of aseptic meningitis and other systemic diseases, leading to a high mortality rate. Enteroviruses belong to the small non-enveloped family of the Picornaviridae family.

Diagnostic value of soluble Interleukin-2 receptor in patients suffering neurosarcoidosis: A systematic review.

Background: Neurosarcoidosis is an inflammatory granulomatous disease. Up to 25% of occult sarcoidosis affecting the nervous system are only detected by autopsy. In addition, in recent years the suspicion arose that the soluble Interleukin-2 Receptor (sIL-2R) might be useful in differentiating between neurosarcoidosis and neurosarcoidosis-like diseases such as neurotuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, or cerebral lymphoma.

Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (NPSLE): A Case Report and an Overview of the Diagnosis, Treatment Modalities, and Prognosis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory, multisystem autoimmune disease with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations. Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) refers to neurological and psychiatric symptoms involving the central and peripheral nervous systems.  A 23-year-old African American female with a history of undifferentiated connective tissue disease on hydroxychloroquine and poor medication adherence presented to the emergency department with an altered mental status and generalized headache.

A case report of tuberculous meningitis resulting in irreversible visual impairment due to delayed diagnosis.

Key Clinical Message: Prompt diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is crucial to prevent severe complications like cranial nerve involvement and irreversible visual impairment. Early suspicion and intervention are essential, especially in tuberculosis-endemic regions. Rapid initiation of anti-tuberculosis therapy and vigilant monitoring for complications, such as hydrocephalus, improve patient outcomes and prevent long-term disabilities.

[Community-Acquired Bacterial Meningoencephalitis: The New Guideline].

Updating the vaccination recommendations against meningococci and pneumococci, in particular the introduction of the B vaccine as the standard vaccination for infants from January 2024 and the adaptation of the pneumococcal vaccination strategy for infants and adults aged 60 and over with the latest conjugate vaccines (PCV13, PCV15, PCV20).Emphasis on the need for rapid diagnostic lumbar puncture and simultaneous serum and cerebrospinal fluid analysis to increase diagnostic precision. The introduction of procalcitonin (PCT) in serum as an additional biomarker to differentiate between bacterial and viral meningitis.

Publicly available surveillance data on tick-borne encephalitis in Europe, 2023.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) defines a case of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) as an infection by the TBE virus (TBEV) with clinical manifestations of central nervous system inflammation (e.g., meningitis, encephalitis).