SARS-CoV-2 Infection of Airway Epithelium Triggers Pulmonary Endothelial Cell Activation and Senescence Associated with Type I IFN Production.

Airway epithelial cells represent the main target of SARS-CoV-2 replication but several pieces of evidence suggest that endothelial cells (ECs), lining pulmonary blood vessels, are key players in lung injury in COVID-19 patients. Although in vivo evidence of SARS-CoV-2 affecting the vascular endothelium exists, in vitro data are limited. In the present study, we set up an organotypic model to dissect the crosstalk between airway epithelium and pulmonary endothelial cells during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

lncRNA HOTAIR functions and therapeutic perspectives.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert central pathophysiological roles through the regulation of gene expression both at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The characterization of lncRNAs' interactome is disclosing several new mechanisms that control disease onset and progression thus opening the way to the development of new pioneering therapeutic approaches. Regarding the lncRNA HOTAIR, found upregulated in several cancers and in liver fibrosis, it has been proved as a potential therapeutic target.

Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 circulation using saliva testing in school children in Rome, Italy.

Objectives: To describe the trend of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva samples from children attending nine schools in Rome in the local surveillance unit RM3 during the period of September 2021-March 2022, in parallel with the trend of SARS-CoV-2 RNA observed in nasopharyngeal swabs (NPSs) from the population in the same catchment area that was routinely tested at our laboratory in the same period.

Methods: Saliva samples were collected using the Copan LolliSponge device and analyzed by Aptima® SARS-CoV-2 Assay on the Panther® System. NPSs were tested using either Aptima® SARS-CoV-2 Assay or Alinity m SARS-CoV-2 Assay.

Common bone marrow signature in COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: A first-wave small case series experience.

The hyper-inflammatory response, also known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), represents a major concern in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We report bone marrow features of three patients with MIS-C who were diagnosed during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A bone marrow evaluation was performed at onset of the inflammatory condition in order to exclude secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH).

Virological efficacy of switch to DTG plus 3TC in a retrospective observational cohort of suppressed HIV-1 patients with or without past M184V: the LAMRES study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of dolutegravir plus lamivudine (DTG+3TC) in a large set of virologically suppressed HIV-1 infected individuals with or without past M184V mutation.

Methods: This observational study included individuals who switched to DTG+3TC with ≥1 genotype before switch. Survival analysis was used to evaluate the role of past M184V on virological rebound (VR) or blips after DTG+3TC switch.

Evidence of Maternal Antibodies Elicited by COVID-19 Vaccination in Amniotic Fluid: Report of Two Cases in Italy.

With SARS-CoV-2 infection, pregnant women may be at a high risk of severe disease and adverse perinatal outcomes. A COVID-19 vaccination campaign represents the key strategy to combat the pandemic; however, public acceptance of maternal immunization has to be improved, which may be achieved by highlighting the promising mechanism of passive immunity as a strategy for protecting newborns against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We tested the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response following COVID-19 full-dose vaccination in the serum and amniotic fluid of two pregnant women who presented between April and June 2021, at the Center for the Treatment and Prevention of Infections in Pregnancy of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "L.

Antibiotics and Infectious Respiratory Diseases.

Respiratory infectious diseases (rIDs) remain among the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and, in the era of COVID-19, they have come into major focus in the scientific world and global health approaches [...

25-Hydroxyvitamin D Plasma Levels in Natural Populations of Pigmented and Partially Pigmented Land Iguanas from Galápagos ( spp.).

We report the first data on 25-hydroxyvitamin D plasma levels in natural populations of three species of land iguana endemic to the Galápagos Islands (, , and ). The pigment is present throughout the whole body in the skin of and . On the contrary, pigment is not present in the skin of an extended part of the body in .

Next RNA Therapeutics: The Mine of Non-Coding.

The growing knowledge on several classes of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and their different functional roles has aroused great interest in the scientific community. Beyond the Central Dogma of Biology, it is clearly known that not all RNAs code for protein products, and they exert a broader repertoire of biological functions. As described in this review, ncRNAs participate in gene expression regulation both at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and represent critical elements driving and controlling pathophysiological processes in multicellular organisms.

Durlobactam in the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Infections: A Systematic Review.

is a frequent cause of difficult-to-treat healthcare-associated infections. The use of a novel beta-lactamase inhibitor, durlobactam, has been proposed against multidrug-resistant . A systematic review of studies assessing the efficacy and safety of durlobactam in the treatment of multidrug-resistant infections was carried out.

Pillars for prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections: an Italian expert opinion statement.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a relevant problem for all healthcare facilities, because they involve both the care aspect and the economic management of the hospital. Most HAIs are preventable through effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures. Implementation and improvement of IPC programs are critical to reducing the impact of these infections and the spread of multi-resistant microorganisms.

Cysteamine exerts in vitro antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants.

The novel SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) represent a considerable global alarm because their mutations are known to affect transmissibility and cause immune escape. While preventing severe disease and deaths, the available vaccines do not avoid infection; therefore, COVID-19 disease management still requires effective therapies. We have recently reported that the aminothiol cysteamine, a drug already applied to humans, exerts direct antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and has in vitro immunomodulatory effect.

Humoral and T-Cell Immune Response After 3 Doses of Messenger RNA Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccines in Fragile Patients: The Italian VAX4FRAIL Study.

Background: Patients with solid or hematological tumors or neurological and immune-inflammatory disorders are potentially fragile subjects at increased risk of experiencing severe coronavirus disease 2019 and an inadequate response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination.

Methods: We designed a prospective Italian multicenter study to assess humoral and T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients (n = 378) with solid tumors (ST), hematological malignancies (HM), neurological disorders (ND), and immunorheumatological diseases (ID). A group of healthy controls was also included.

Rifapentine access in Europe: growing concerns over key tuberculosis treatment component.

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Impact of Vitamin D in Prophylaxis and Treatment in Tuberculosis Patients.

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in many infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB), that remains one of the world's top infectious killers with 1.5 million deaths from TB in 2021. Vitamin D suppresses the replication of in vitro and showed a promising role in TB management as a result of its connection with oxidative balance.

Analysis of Secreted Proteins from Prepubertal Ovarian Tissues Exposed In Vitro to Cisplatin and LH.

It is well known that secreted and exosomal proteins are associated with a broad range of physiological processes involving tissue homeostasis and differentiation. In the present paper, our purpose was to characterize the proteome of the culture medium in which the oocytes within the primordial/primary follicles underwent apoptosis induced by cisplatin (CIS) or were, for the most part, protected by LH against the drug. To this aim, prepubertal ovarian tissues were cultured under control and in the presence of CIS, LH, and CIS + LH.

mRNA-COVID19 Vaccination Can Be Considered Safe and Tolerable for Frail Patients.

Background: Frail patients are considered at relevant risk of complications due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and, for this reason, are prioritized candidates for vaccination. As these patients were originally not included in the registration trials, fear related to vaccine adverse events and disease worsening was one of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Herein, we report the safety profile of the prospective, multicenter, national VAX4FRAIL study (NCT04848493) to evaluate vaccines in a large trans-disease cohort of patients with solid or hematological malignancies and neurological and rheumatological diseases.

Peroxiredoxin 6 Modulates Insulin Secretion and Beta Cell Death a Mitochondrial Dynamic Network.

In pancreatic beta cells, mitochondrial metabolism controls glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) by ATP production, redox signaling, and calcium (Ca) handling. Previously, we demonstrated that knockout mice for peroxiredoxin 6 ( ), an antioxidant enzyme with both peroxidase and phospholipase A2 activity, develop a mild form of diabetes mellitus with a reduction in GSIS and in peripheral insulin sensitivity. However, whether the defect of GSIS present in these mice is directly modulated by Prdx6 is unknown.

Platelets accumulate in lung lesions of tuberculosis patients and inhibit T-cell responses and Mycobacterium tuberculosis replication in macrophages.

Platelets regulate human inflammatory responses that lead to disease. However, the role of platelets in tuberculosis (TB) pathogenesis is still unclear. Here, we show that patients with active TB have a high number of platelets in peripheral blood and a low number of lymphocytes leading to a high platelets to lymphocytes ratio (PL ratio).

Country-specific approaches to latent tuberculosis screening targeting migrants in EU/EEA* countries: A survey of national experts, September 2019 to February 2020.

BackgroundMigrants in low tuberculosis (TB) incidence countries in the European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) are an at-risk group for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and are increasingly included in LTBI screening programmes.AimTo investigate current approaches and implement LTBI screening in recently arrived migrants in the EU/EEA and Switzerland.MethodsAt least one TB expert working at a national level from the EU/EEA and one TB expert from Switzerland completed an electronic questionnaire.