Pub Date : 2024-06-01Epub Date: 2024-04-29DOI: 10.1097/im9.0000000000000145
Alexandra Stream, Ross Corriden, Simon Döhrmann, Richard L Gallo, Victor Nizet, Ericka L Anderson
Vitamin A and its biologically active derivative, retinoic acid (RA), are important for many immune processes. RA, in particular, is essential for the development of immune cells, including neutrophils, which serve as a front-line defense against infection. While vitamin A deficiency has been linked to higher susceptibility to infections, the precise role of vitamin A/RA in host-pathogen interactions remains poorly understood. Here, we provided evidence that RA boosts neutrophil killing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). RA treatment stimulated primary human neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species, neutrophil extracellular traps, and the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin (LL-37). Because RA treatment was insufficient to reduce MRSA burden in an in vivo murine model of skin infection, we expanded our analysis to other infectious agents. RA did not affect the growth of a number of common bacterial pathogens, including MRSA, Escherichia coli K1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; however, RA directly inhibited the growth of group A Streptococcus (GAS). This antimicrobial effect, likely in combination with RA-mediated neutrophil boosting, resulted in substantial GAS killing in neutrophil killing assays conducted in the presence of RA. Furthermore, in a murine model of GAS skin infection, topical RA treatment showed therapeutic potential by reducing both skin lesion size and bacterial burden. These findings suggest that RA may hold promise as a therapeutic agent against GAS and perhaps other clinically significant human pathogens.
维生素 A 及其生物活性衍生物视黄酸（RA）对许多免疫过程都很重要。尤其是视黄酸，它对包括中性粒细胞在内的免疫细胞的发育至关重要，而中性粒细胞是抵御感染的第一道防线。虽然维生素 A 缺乏与感染易感性增高有关，但人们对维生素 A/RA 在宿主与病原体相互作用中的确切作用仍然知之甚少。在这里，我们提供的证据表明，RA 能增强中性粒细胞对耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）的杀伤力。RA治疗刺激原代人中性粒细胞产生活性氧、中性粒细胞胞外捕获物和抗菌肽cathelicidin（LL-37）。由于在体内小鼠皮肤感染模型中，RA 治疗不足以减轻 MRSA 的负担，因此我们将分析范围扩大到了其他感染病原体。RA 不影响一些常见细菌病原体的生长，包括 MRSA、大肠杆菌 K1 和铜绿假单胞菌；但 RA 能直接抑制 A 组链球菌（GAS）的生长。这种抗菌作用可能与 RA 介导的中性粒细胞增殖相结合，在有 RA 存在的情况下进行的中性粒细胞杀伤试验中，GAS 被大量杀死。此外，在小鼠皮肤感染 GAS 的模型中，局部 RA 治疗通过减少皮损面积和细菌负担而显示出治疗潜力。这些研究结果表明，RA 有可能成为一种治疗 GAS 的药物，或许还能治疗其他临床上常见的人类病原体。
{"title":"The Effect of Retinoic Acid on Neutrophil Innate Immune Interactions With Cutaneous Bacterial Pathogens.","authors":"Alexandra Stream, Ross Corriden, Simon Döhrmann, Richard L Gallo, Victor Nizet, Ericka L Anderson","doi":"10.1097/im9.0000000000000145","DOIUrl":"10.1097/im9.0000000000000145","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vitamin A and its biologically active derivative, retinoic acid (RA), are important for many immune processes. RA, in particular, is essential for the development of immune cells, including neutrophils, which serve as a front-line defense against infection. While vitamin A deficiency has been linked to higher susceptibility to infections, the precise role of vitamin A/RA in host-pathogen interactions remains poorly understood. Here, we provided evidence that RA boosts neutrophil killing of methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA). RA treatment stimulated primary human neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species, neutrophil extracellular traps, and the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin (LL-37). Because RA treatment was insufficient to reduce MRSA burden in an in vivo murine model of skin infection, we expanded our analysis to other infectious agents. RA did not affect the growth of a number of common bacterial pathogens, including MRSA, <i>Escherichia coli</i> K1 and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>; however, RA directly inhibited the growth of group A <i>Streptococcus</i> (GAS). This antimicrobial effect, likely in combination with RA-mediated neutrophil boosting, resulted in substantial GAS killing in neutrophil killing assays conducted in the presence of RA. Furthermore, in a murine model of GAS skin infection, topical RA treatment showed therapeutic potential by reducing both skin lesion size and bacterial burden. These findings suggest that RA may hold promise as a therapeutic agent against GAS and perhaps other clinically significant human pathogens.</p>","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"6 2","pages":"65-73"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11216695/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141478097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-22DOI: 10.1097/IM9.0000000000000134
Zi-Hao Hu, Ying Wang, Long Yang, Qing-Yi Cao, Ming Ling, Xiao-Hua Meng, Yao Chen, Shu-Jun Ni, Zhi Chen, Cheng-Zhi Liu, Kun-Kai Su
Abstract Bacterial genome sequencing is a powerful technique for studying the genetic diversity and evolution of microbial populations. However, the detection of genomic variants from sequencing data is challenging due to the presence of contamination, sequencing errors and multiple strains within the same species. Several bioinformatics tools have been developed to address these issues, but their performance and accuracy have not been systematically evaluated. In this study, we compared 10 variant detection pipelines using 18 simulated and 17 real datasets of high-throughput sequences from a bundle of representative bacteria. We assessed the sensitivity of each pipeline under different conditions of coverage, simulation and strain diversity. We also demonstrated the application of these tools to identify consistent mutations in a 30-time repeated sequencing dataset of Staphylococcus hominis. We found that HaplotypeCaller, but not Mutect2, from the GATK tool set showed the best performance in terms of accuracy and robustness. CFSAN and Snippy performed not as well in several simulated and real sequencing datasets. Our results provided a comprehensive benchmark and guidance for choosing the optimal variant detection pipeline for high-throughput bacterial genome sequencing data.
{"title":"Evaluation of 10 Different Pipelines for Bacterial Single-Nucleotide Variant Detection","authors":"Zi-Hao Hu, Ying Wang, Long Yang, Qing-Yi Cao, Ming Ling, Xiao-Hua Meng, Yao Chen, Shu-Jun Ni, Zhi Chen, Cheng-Zhi Liu, Kun-Kai Su","doi":"10.1097/IM9.0000000000000134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/IM9.0000000000000134","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Bacterial genome sequencing is a powerful technique for studying the genetic diversity and evolution of microbial populations. However, the detection of genomic variants from sequencing data is challenging due to the presence of contamination, sequencing errors and multiple strains within the same species. Several bioinformatics tools have been developed to address these issues, but their performance and accuracy have not been systematically evaluated. In this study, we compared 10 variant detection pipelines using 18 simulated and 17 real datasets of high-throughput sequences from a bundle of representative bacteria. We assessed the sensitivity of each pipeline under different conditions of coverage, simulation and strain diversity. We also demonstrated the application of these tools to identify consistent mutations in a 30-time repeated sequencing dataset of Staphylococcus hominis. We found that HaplotypeCaller, but not Mutect2, from the GATK tool set showed the best performance in terms of accuracy and robustness. CFSAN and Snippy performed not as well in several simulated and real sequencing datasets. Our results provided a comprehensive benchmark and guidance for choosing the optimal variant detection pipeline for high-throughput bacterial genome sequencing data.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"238 5","pages":"172 - 179"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139248155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-24DOI: 10.1097/im9.0000000000000131
Qiao Yang, Fangping Xu, Yi Shen, Borui Pi, Fangfang Lv
Abstract This study aimed to review the trends of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment over the past decade and to analyze the effectiveness of sofosbuvir (SOF)-based direct-acting antiviral regimens in the heterogeneous population of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in clinical practice. This retrospective cohort study included CHC patients attending the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2022. All of the 194 patients treated with SOF-based regimens completed 12 weeks of treatment and were followed up for at least 12 weeks after completion of the therapy. Sustained virologic response (SVR) 12 weeks after the end of treatment was the primary endpoint. A total of 194 patients treated with SOF-based regimens were included, among which 121, 56, 10 and 7 patients received SOF + velpatasvir±ribavirin, SOF + daclatasvir, SOF + ledipasvir or SOF + ribavirin, respectively. With 36.1%, HCV genotype 1 predominated in CHC patients treated with SOF-based regimens, followed by genotype 2a with 17.5% and genotype 3 with 14.9%. Comorbidities among patients included hypertension (4.1%), diabetes (2.1%), depression (1.0%) and neoplastic disease (2.6%). All patients treated with SOF-based regimens achieved SVR. There was no association between SVR and factors such as HCV genotype, sex, age, presence of cirrhosis or previous treatment history. There were no reports of any serious adverse events in the study. This single-center retrospective study represented the latest 10-year treatment trends for HCV in real-world clinical practice and provided useful information on the excellent efficacy of SOF-based direct-acting antiviral regimens for treatment of CHC patients in Eastern China.
{"title":"A Ten-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of Real-World Effectiveness of Sofosbuvir-Based Regimens for Hepatitis C in a Single Center in China","authors":"Qiao Yang, Fangping Xu, Yi Shen, Borui Pi, Fangfang Lv","doi":"10.1097/im9.0000000000000131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/im9.0000000000000131","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study aimed to review the trends of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment over the past decade and to analyze the effectiveness of sofosbuvir (SOF)-based direct-acting antiviral regimens in the heterogeneous population of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in clinical practice. This retrospective cohort study included CHC patients attending the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2022. All of the 194 patients treated with SOF-based regimens completed 12 weeks of treatment and were followed up for at least 12 weeks after completion of the therapy. Sustained virologic response (SVR) 12 weeks after the end of treatment was the primary endpoint. A total of 194 patients treated with SOF-based regimens were included, among which 121, 56, 10 and 7 patients received SOF + velpatasvir±ribavirin, SOF + daclatasvir, SOF + ledipasvir or SOF + ribavirin, respectively. With 36.1%, HCV genotype 1 predominated in CHC patients treated with SOF-based regimens, followed by genotype 2a with 17.5% and genotype 3 with 14.9%. Comorbidities among patients included hypertension (4.1%), diabetes (2.1%), depression (1.0%) and neoplastic disease (2.6%). All patients treated with SOF-based regimens achieved SVR. There was no association between SVR and factors such as HCV genotype, sex, age, presence of cirrhosis or previous treatment history. There were no reports of any serious adverse events in the study. This single-center retrospective study represented the latest 10-year treatment trends for HCV in real-world clinical practice and provided useful information on the excellent efficacy of SOF-based direct-acting antiviral regimens for treatment of CHC patients in Eastern China.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"60 7-8","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135265937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-24DOI: 10.1097/im9.0000000000000132
Gasmelseed Y. Ahmed, Chandni Saha, Eman M. Almusalami, Ali A. Rabaan, Saad Alhumaid, Abdelraheem A. Ali, AbdAllah A. Basheer, Yousra Babikir, Ziyad Fahad Aljofan, Abbas Al Mutair
Abstract We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of depression among elderly people living with HIV. We searched electronic databases and included 12 observational studies that reported on depression among people who were 50 years of age or older and had HIV. The studies were mostly hospital-based and from Western and African countries. They included a total of 5868 older people with HIV, of whom 1667 had depression. Pooled prevalence of depression was 28% with heterogeneity of 95.2%. Prevalence ranged from 14.5% in the Netherlands to 42.4% in South Africa. Although there was asymmetry in the funnel plot, the Egger’s test showed no significant publication bias. Our meta-analysis found a high burden of depression among older people with HIV. Comprehensive health services addressing psychosocial needs and interventions to prevent and treat depression are needed, especially in community settings. Healthcare providers and policymakers should address the prevalence of depression in such communities.
{"title":"Prevalence of Depression in Elderly People Living with HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis","authors":"Gasmelseed Y. Ahmed, Chandni Saha, Eman M. Almusalami, Ali A. Rabaan, Saad Alhumaid, Abdelraheem A. Ali, AbdAllah A. Basheer, Yousra Babikir, Ziyad Fahad Aljofan, Abbas Al Mutair","doi":"10.1097/im9.0000000000000132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/im9.0000000000000132","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of depression among elderly people living with HIV. We searched electronic databases and included 12 observational studies that reported on depression among people who were 50 years of age or older and had HIV. The studies were mostly hospital-based and from Western and African countries. They included a total of 5868 older people with HIV, of whom 1667 had depression. Pooled prevalence of depression was 28% with heterogeneity of 95.2%. Prevalence ranged from 14.5% in the Netherlands to 42.4% in South Africa. Although there was asymmetry in the funnel plot, the Egger’s test showed no significant publication bias. Our meta-analysis found a high burden of depression among older people with HIV. Comprehensive health services addressing psychosocial needs and interventions to prevent and treat depression are needed, especially in community settings. Healthcare providers and policymakers should address the prevalence of depression in such communities.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"12 6","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135265777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a facultative anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, gram-positive bacillus. It is a zoonotic pathogen that rarely infects humans, but causes swine erysipelas. The disease caused by E. rhusiopathiae can manifest in three main forms: erysipeloid, diffuse cutaneous infections, and bacteremia with or without endocarditis. In this article, we present the case study of a healthy Chinese man who developed erysipeloid and an E. rhusiopathiae bloodstream infection after being stabbed by a crab. Additionally, we conducted a thorough review of the available literature on E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia within the past two decades, and provided a summary of the key findings. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are crucial in mitigating recurrence risk and avoiding sepsis. Understanding the risk factors for death from E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia is essential, and appropriate personal protective equipment should be used to prevent occupational exposure to this bacterium.
{"title":"Erysipeloid and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Bacteremia Secondary to a Crab Stab Wound: A Case Report and Literature Review","authors":"Chaowen Deng, Xin Li, Defu Liu, Linlin Sun, Haiyan Ye, Fanfan Xing","doi":"10.1097/im9.0000000000000133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/im9.0000000000000133","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a facultative anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, gram-positive bacillus. It is a zoonotic pathogen that rarely infects humans, but causes swine erysipelas. The disease caused by E. rhusiopathiae can manifest in three main forms: erysipeloid, diffuse cutaneous infections, and bacteremia with or without endocarditis. In this article, we present the case study of a healthy Chinese man who developed erysipeloid and an E. rhusiopathiae bloodstream infection after being stabbed by a crab. Additionally, we conducted a thorough review of the available literature on E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia within the past two decades, and provided a summary of the key findings. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are crucial in mitigating recurrence risk and avoiding sepsis. Understanding the risk factors for death from E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia is essential, and appropriate personal protective equipment should be used to prevent occupational exposure to this bacterium.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"82 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135265935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-12DOI: 10.1097/im9.0000000000000130
Rajadurai Arulenthiran, Arumugam Murugananthan, Kanchana P. Amarasinghe, Umashankar Mathivathani
Abstract The study aimed to examine the clinical and epidemiological patterns of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in patients attending the Dermatology Unit, District General Hospital in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. A total of 77 patients clinically suspected for CL were interviewed through a structured questionnaire and skin-lesion samples were obtained between January 2016 and January 2017. The definitive diagnosis of CL was made through microscopic identification of smears, histopathological examination of biopsies and kDNA PCR. Treatment modalities were chosen based on the location of the lesions on the body and complexity of the lesions. Of 77 suspected patients, 68 were confirmed for CL, with a mean age of 34.6 (±12.7) years, and included 54 males (79.4%) and 14 females (20.6%). Being a male was a significant risk factor ( P = 0.032, OR = 4.82) associated with CL. Lesions were observed mainly on the exposed areas of the body, of which the forearm (22.1%) was the most commonly affected site. Single lesions (75.0%) and ulcerated nodules with central crust (39.7%) were the prominent features among the infected group. The age-group of 21-40 years was significantly associated with healing lesions ( P = 0.028, ME = 0.55). However, a significant negative relationship was detected between ulcerated nodular lesions and lesion healing ( P = 0.0436, ME = -0.375). Males are at higher risk of CL. Early diagnosis and specific treatment, along with preventive measures such as protective clothing and sand fly repellents can limit the spread of the disease. There is a need for a comprehensive approach to prevent and control the transmission of CL.
摘要:本研究旨在调查斯里兰卡瓦武尼亚区总医院皮肤科患者皮肤利什曼病(CL)的临床和流行病学模式。2016年1月至2017年1月，通过结构化问卷对77例临床怀疑为CL的患者进行访谈，并获取皮肤病变样本。通过涂片显微镜鉴定，活检组织病理学检查和kDNA PCR确诊CL。治疗方式是根据病变在身体上的位置和病变的复杂性来选择的。77例疑似患者中，68例确诊为CL，平均年龄34.6(±12.7)岁，其中男性54例(79.4%)，女性14例(20.6%)。男性是与CL相关的显著危险因素(P = 0.032, OR = 4.82)。病变主要发生在身体暴露部位，其中以前臂(22.1%)最为常见。感染组以单发病变(75.0%)和溃疡结节伴中心结皮(39.7%)为主要特征。21 ~ 40岁年龄组与愈合病灶显著相关(P = 0.028, ME = 0.55)。然而，溃疡结节病变与病变愈合呈显著负相关(P = 0.0436, ME = -0.375)。男性患CL的风险更高。早期诊断和特异性治疗，加上防护服和驱蚊剂等预防措施，可限制该病的传播。有必要采取综合措施来预防和控制艾滋病毒的传播。
{"title":"The Quest for Understanding Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Northern Province, Sri Lanka: An Analysis of Clinical Data from the District General Hospital, Vavuniya","authors":"Rajadurai Arulenthiran, Arumugam Murugananthan, Kanchana P. Amarasinghe, Umashankar Mathivathani","doi":"10.1097/im9.0000000000000130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/im9.0000000000000130","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The study aimed to examine the clinical and epidemiological patterns of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in patients attending the Dermatology Unit, District General Hospital in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. A total of 77 patients clinically suspected for CL were interviewed through a structured questionnaire and skin-lesion samples were obtained between January 2016 and January 2017. The definitive diagnosis of CL was made through microscopic identification of smears, histopathological examination of biopsies and kDNA PCR. Treatment modalities were chosen based on the location of the lesions on the body and complexity of the lesions. Of 77 suspected patients, 68 were confirmed for CL, with a mean age of 34.6 (±12.7) years, and included 54 males (79.4%) and 14 females (20.6%). Being a male was a significant risk factor ( P = 0.032, OR = 4.82) associated with CL. Lesions were observed mainly on the exposed areas of the body, of which the forearm (22.1%) was the most commonly affected site. Single lesions (75.0%) and ulcerated nodules with central crust (39.7%) were the prominent features among the infected group. The age-group of 21-40 years was significantly associated with healing lesions ( P = 0.028, ME = 0.55). However, a significant negative relationship was detected between ulcerated nodular lesions and lesion healing ( P = 0.0436, ME = -0.375). Males are at higher risk of CL. Early diagnosis and specific treatment, along with preventive measures such as protective clothing and sand fly repellents can limit the spread of the disease. There is a need for a comprehensive approach to prevent and control the transmission of CL.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135830564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-07DOI: 10.1097/IM9.0000000000000128
Kanchana P. Amarasinghe, A. Murugananthan, P. T. Amalraajan, Mithusha Thavaththurai, Gayathri Ravindran, K. Murugananthan, Shakila K. Gunathilake
Abstract Identification of gene targets by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR) is considered as the gold standard for diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Although many commercial rRT-PCR kits are currently used in Sri Lanka, analytical performance of these kits have not been investigated adequately. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the analytical performance of rRT-PCR kits used in the laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna (five kits). Performance of the five rRT-PCR kits selected for this study was compared with the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel as reference standard. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Cohen’s κ coefficient of the five different commercial kits were analyzed. SARS-CoV-2 positive (62) and negative (32) respiratory samples collected respectively from symptomatic individuals and asymptomatic healthy individuals were used in this study. Comparison of the cycle threshold (Ct) values of the five commercial kits revealed heterogeneity. Among them, the TaqPathTM kit showed the highest sensitivity (98.4%) and interrater reliability (0.976). The HBRT-COVID-19 kit showed the lowest sensitivity (91.9%), specificity (93.7%) and interrater reliability (0.838). Although the five RT-PCR kits exhibited varying sensitivity, specificity and Ct values, all of them are suitable for the routine diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections as all values were higher than 90%.
{"title":"Comparative Evaluation of RT-PCR Kits Available in Sri Lanka for Diagnosis of COVID-19","authors":"Kanchana P. Amarasinghe, A. Murugananthan, P. T. Amalraajan, Mithusha Thavaththurai, Gayathri Ravindran, K. Murugananthan, Shakila K. Gunathilake","doi":"10.1097/IM9.0000000000000128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/IM9.0000000000000128","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Identification of gene targets by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR) is considered as the gold standard for diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Although many commercial rRT-PCR kits are currently used in Sri Lanka, analytical performance of these kits have not been investigated adequately. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the analytical performance of rRT-PCR kits used in the laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna (five kits). Performance of the five rRT-PCR kits selected for this study was compared with the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel as reference standard. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Cohen’s κ coefficient of the five different commercial kits were analyzed. SARS-CoV-2 positive (62) and negative (32) respiratory samples collected respectively from symptomatic individuals and asymptomatic healthy individuals were used in this study. Comparison of the cycle threshold (Ct) values of the five commercial kits revealed heterogeneity. Among them, the TaqPathTM kit showed the highest sensitivity (98.4%) and interrater reliability (0.976). The HBRT-COVID-19 kit showed the lowest sensitivity (91.9%), specificity (93.7%) and interrater reliability (0.838). Although the five RT-PCR kits exhibited varying sensitivity, specificity and Ct values, all of them are suitable for the routine diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections as all values were higher than 90%.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"5 1","pages":"152 - 158"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47940461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-24DOI: 10.1097/IM9.0000000000000127
Xiankai Cao, K. Kokou, Shi Yu, Mengdan Chen, Junling Niu, H. Lecoeur, É. Prina, G. Späth, Guangxun Meng
Abstract Leishmania parasites mainly infect macrophages and may cause severe immunopathologies in their host, which are called leishmaniases. In the current work, we infected human and mouse macrophages in vitro with Leishmania major, an etiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis, and found that inhibition or deletion of the transforming growth factor β–activated kinase 1 (TAK1) gene resulted in increased parasite loads. In vivo, following a challenge with L. major, mice with a macrophage-specific deletion of TAK1 showed increased clinical signs and higher parasite loads compared with wild-type controls. TAK1 deficiency in mouse macrophages led to biased Th2 cell responses during the acute stage of infection, characterized by a decrease in interferon-γ expression, and increased expression of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10. Finally, we found that, in the late stage of L. major infection, excessive Th2-related cytokines led to high arginase 1 expression in mouse tissues and a significant reduction of NO production both locally and systemically, resulting in compromised control of Leishmania. These findings suggest that TAK1 plays a vital role in host resistance to Leishmania infection.
{"title":"TAK1 Deficiency in Macrophages Increases Host Susceptibility to Leishmania Infection","authors":"Xiankai Cao, K. Kokou, Shi Yu, Mengdan Chen, Junling Niu, H. Lecoeur, É. Prina, G. Späth, Guangxun Meng","doi":"10.1097/IM9.0000000000000127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/IM9.0000000000000127","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Leishmania parasites mainly infect macrophages and may cause severe immunopathologies in their host, which are called leishmaniases. In the current work, we infected human and mouse macrophages in vitro with Leishmania major, an etiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis, and found that inhibition or deletion of the transforming growth factor β–activated kinase 1 (TAK1) gene resulted in increased parasite loads. In vivo, following a challenge with L. major, mice with a macrophage-specific deletion of TAK1 showed increased clinical signs and higher parasite loads compared with wild-type controls. TAK1 deficiency in mouse macrophages led to biased Th2 cell responses during the acute stage of infection, characterized by a decrease in interferon-γ expression, and increased expression of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10. Finally, we found that, in the late stage of L. major infection, excessive Th2-related cytokines led to high arginase 1 expression in mouse tissues and a significant reduction of NO production both locally and systemically, resulting in compromised control of Leishmania. These findings suggest that TAK1 plays a vital role in host resistance to Leishmania infection.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"5 1","pages":"127 - 136"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45975731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-24DOI: 10.1097/IM9.0000000000000126
Feiyang Liu, Zi-Bei Dong, Min Zhao, Yanfei Gao, Xiang Li, Ya-Nan Jiang, Yi-Ming Li, Yu-Xin Zheng, Zhen Wang, Yansheng C. Feng, Ya-Li Liu
Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the quality of sleep for various populations, causing anxiety and depression worldwide. COVID-19–related insomnia (COVIDRI) appears to be more common in certain populations, including females, urban residents and other individuals who reside in high-risk COVID-19–related areas, lack higher socioeconomic and educational levels, have a history of underlying mental illness, have no access to social support and work, or have been mandated for isolation. Among vulnerable populations, pregnant women, adolescents and children are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, which leads to irregular sleep-wake cycles and significantly poor sleep quality. Insomnia in COVID-19 patients is associated with decreased immune levels, excessive psychological stress and severe anxiety. The COVIDRI incidence and severity among frontline healthcare workers is high, especially among females and those working in isolation wards and intensive care units. The factors related to COVIDRI for college students during home study are stress from upcoming graduation, disharmonious family relationships and inadaptability to online education. For military personnel, anxiety and depression are the main causes of poor sleep quality. Based on the characteristics of different populations, active Chinese and Western medications, non-drug therapy, psychological counseling and suitable sleep management are vital measures to strengthen immunity, alleviate insomnia and limit recurrence.
{"title":"COVID-19–Related Insomnia Populations Research and Management Strategies: A Review","authors":"Feiyang Liu, Zi-Bei Dong, Min Zhao, Yanfei Gao, Xiang Li, Ya-Nan Jiang, Yi-Ming Li, Yu-Xin Zheng, Zhen Wang, Yansheng C. Feng, Ya-Li Liu","doi":"10.1097/IM9.0000000000000126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/IM9.0000000000000126","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the quality of sleep for various populations, causing anxiety and depression worldwide. COVID-19–related insomnia (COVIDRI) appears to be more common in certain populations, including females, urban residents and other individuals who reside in high-risk COVID-19–related areas, lack higher socioeconomic and educational levels, have a history of underlying mental illness, have no access to social support and work, or have been mandated for isolation. Among vulnerable populations, pregnant women, adolescents and children are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, which leads to irregular sleep-wake cycles and significantly poor sleep quality. Insomnia in COVID-19 patients is associated with decreased immune levels, excessive psychological stress and severe anxiety. The COVIDRI incidence and severity among frontline healthcare workers is high, especially among females and those working in isolation wards and intensive care units. The factors related to COVIDRI for college students during home study are stress from upcoming graduation, disharmonious family relationships and inadaptability to online education. For military personnel, anxiety and depression are the main causes of poor sleep quality. Based on the characteristics of different populations, active Chinese and Western medications, non-drug therapy, psychological counseling and suitable sleep management are vital measures to strengthen immunity, alleviate insomnia and limit recurrence.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"5 1","pages":"120 - 126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45247619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-24DOI: 10.1097/IM9.0000000000000125
Bingyi Wang, Xin Peng, Leiwen Fu, Xinyi Li, Tong-xin Shi, B. Liang, Tian Tian, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Zhen Lu, Weijie Zhang, Junye Bian, Xin Xiao, Ying Wang, Yunlong Ao, Ouyang Lin, Yong Cai, M. Yu, Guohui Wu, Linghua Li, X. Meng, H. Zou
Abstract Sexual lifestyles are closely related to overall human health and well-being. Few studies have focused on sexual lifestyles among older adults living with HIV (OALHIV), especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study is a part of the sexual well-being among older adults in China (SWELL) study, which is a multicenter cross-sectional study focused on sexual health among older adults aged 50 years and older. Participants were 680 OALHIV (≥50 years old) from the SWELL study conducted from June 2020 to December 2022. Data were collected through one-on-one interviews. We used logistic regression to assess the correlates of sexual activity and sexual satisfaction. Among all participants, 37.1% were sexually active. Being older, male, in a steady relationship and employed were associated with being sexually active. The prevalence of sexual satisfaction was 69.8% among sexually active OALHIV. Being homosexual and reporting a better general health status were associated with sexual satisfaction. The OALHIV who have depressive symptoms were less likely to report sexual satisfaction. To support holistic healthy aging among OALHIV, it is important for healthcare providers to be educated about the importance of enquiring about sexual activity, satisfaction and problems and addressing concerns while conveying sex-positive attitudes during clinical reviews, as these are still critical aspects of their health and well-being.
{"title":"Correlates of Sexual Lifestyles Among Older Adults Living With HIV in China: Findings From the Sexual Well-being (SWELL) Study","authors":"Bingyi Wang, Xin Peng, Leiwen Fu, Xinyi Li, Tong-xin Shi, B. Liang, Tian Tian, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Zhen Lu, Weijie Zhang, Junye Bian, Xin Xiao, Ying Wang, Yunlong Ao, Ouyang Lin, Yong Cai, M. Yu, Guohui Wu, Linghua Li, X. Meng, H. Zou","doi":"10.1097/IM9.0000000000000125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/IM9.0000000000000125","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Sexual lifestyles are closely related to overall human health and well-being. Few studies have focused on sexual lifestyles among older adults living with HIV (OALHIV), especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study is a part of the sexual well-being among older adults in China (SWELL) study, which is a multicenter cross-sectional study focused on sexual health among older adults aged 50 years and older. Participants were 680 OALHIV (≥50 years old) from the SWELL study conducted from June 2020 to December 2022. Data were collected through one-on-one interviews. We used logistic regression to assess the correlates of sexual activity and sexual satisfaction. Among all participants, 37.1% were sexually active. Being older, male, in a steady relationship and employed were associated with being sexually active. The prevalence of sexual satisfaction was 69.8% among sexually active OALHIV. Being homosexual and reporting a better general health status were associated with sexual satisfaction. The OALHIV who have depressive symptoms were less likely to report sexual satisfaction. To support holistic healthy aging among OALHIV, it is important for healthcare providers to be educated about the importance of enquiring about sexual activity, satisfaction and problems and addressing concerns while conveying sex-positive attitudes during clinical reviews, as these are still critical aspects of their health and well-being.","PeriodicalId":73374,"journal":{"name":"Infectious microbes & diseases","volume":"5 1","pages":"145 - 151"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46551245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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