Journal of Current Biomedical Reports (J Curr Biomed Rep)
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Nanoemulsions as emerging antifungal carriers: Potential beyond conventional boundaries
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Predicting critical care outcomes in acute respiratory infections: The interplay between host comorbidities and immune status
Full text linkAcute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of global critical illness and remain a leading reason for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality. While pathogen-related factors and treatment timing have long dominated prognostic research, recent evidence highlights the decisive influence of host characteristics, particularly comorbidities and immune competence, on clinical outcomes. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, chronic kidney or liver disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease substantially modify the course of ARIs by amplifying systemic inflammation, altering immune regulation, and impairing pulmonary and multi-organ recovery. Similarly, primary and secondary immunosuppression arising from malignancy, transplantation, or therapeutic interventions further increase the risk of severe infection, ventilator dependency, and mortality. Despite these associations, current prognostic models in respiratory critical care largely depend on physiologic or pathogen-specific variables, overlooking the complex host interplay that determines disease severity and treatment response. This narrative review synthesizes contemporary evidence on how comorbidities and immune alterations shape outcomes in critically ill patients with ARIs, with a focus on mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, and ICU length of stay. It addresses key research questions regarding the relative contribution of host versus pathogen factors, the prognostic value of immune-inflammatory biomarkers, and the potential integration of host data into predictive models. Understanding this interplay is essential for advancing precision critical care, guiding individualized management, and informing the development of ethical, host-inclusive frameworks for ICU triage and resource allocation in increasingly multimorbid populations
Recent developments in vaccine research:Novel platforms and applications in global health
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From environment to dental plaque: The emerging impact of microplastics on oral cavity
Full text linkMicroplastics (MPs) have emerged as pervasive environmental contaminants, raising increasing concern for human exposure and health risks. These particles are now detected in multiple daily sources, including drinking water, food products, indoor and outdoor air, and certain oral-care formulations, making the oral cavity one of the earliest and most consistent points of contact. Evidence from environmental, marine, and gastrointestinal microbiology demonstrates that MPs readily act as abiotic substrates capable of supporting microbial attachment, promoting biofilm formation, and altering microbial behavior. Recent studies suggest that similar processes may occur within the oral environment, where MPs can integrate into dental plaque, modify its structural organization, and influence interactions among bacterial and fungal communities. MPs may also affect microbial virulence, extracellular polymeric substance production, and horizontal gene transfer, raising concerns regarding their potential to exacerbate cariogenic or periodontal dysbiosis. Despite these emerging insights, current knowledge remains limited by the lack of in vivo studies, insufficient mechanistic investigation in oral tissues, and major analytical challenges in reliably detecting MPs within complex oral samples. These gaps hinder the ability to assess causal pathways and clinical significance. This review synthesizes current interdisciplinary evidence on the interaction between MPs and oral biofilms and highlights priority areas for translational research. A deeper understanding of these interactions is essential to clarify the role of MPs as novel environmental determinants of oral disease and to inform future preventive and regulatory strategies
From empirical to precision therapy in ICUs: Rethinking antibiotic use after COVID-19
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Targeting inflammation: Implications for chronic disease and cancer therapy
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Post-COVID-19 invasive fungal infections in pulmonary ICU patients: Diagnosis, management, and clinical challenge
Full text linkInvasive fungal infections (IFIs) are among the most significant and challenging complications in critically ill patients, particularly those with underlying pulmonary diseases. Common causative organisms include Aspergillus, Candida, and Mucorales, which are associated with high morbidity and mortality due to delayed diagnosis, nonspecific clinical presentation, and host immune suppression. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic methods, therapeutic options, and clinical challenges of pulmonary IFIs in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Risk factors, advances and limitations in imaging, laboratory diagnostics including cultures, biomarkers, and molecular techniques, as well as antifungal treatment strategies are discussed. The review also addresses emerging issues such as antifungal resistance, adjunctive therapies, and the critical role of early recognition in improving clinical outcomes. The aim is to guide ICU clinicians in the effective management of critically ill pulmonary patients with invasive fungal infections while highlighting future research directions
Impact of Helicobacter pylori infection on diabetes: A cross-sectional investigation in Northern Iran
Full text linkGlobally, Helicobacter pylori represents one of the leading chronic infections, and is suspected to contribute to extra-digestive diseases, notably diabetes mellitus (DM). Despite growing interest, data from Middle Eastern populations are limited. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of diabetes and explore its relationship with H. pylori infection. This analytical cross-sectional study included 383 patients with histologically confirmed H. pylori infection admitted to a tertiary care center in the North of Iran, between March 2021 and March 2023. Demographic records, diabetes status, fasting blood glucose (FBS), and gastritis severity were extracted from medical archives. Diabetes was defined using international diagnostic criteria. Among the 383 patients, 90 (23.5%) had diabetes. Diabetic patients were significantly older than non-diabetics (63.5 ± 10.8 vs. 56.3 ± 17.8 years, p<0.001), and diabetes prevalence increased with age, reaching 36.7% in patients ≥70 years. FBS was markedly higher in diabetic patients compared with non-diabetics (173.8 ± 48.5 vs. 100.6 ± 14.4 mg/dL, p<0.001). No significant association was observed between diabetes and gender (p=0.059) or gastritis severity (p=0.692). Duration of diabetes did not differ significantly across gastritis grades (p=0.352). Nearly one-quarter of patients with H. pylori infection in Northern Iran had diabetes, with older age and higher FBS significantly associated with its presence. Our analysis did not reveal a significant link between diabetes and the histological severity of gastritis. These results underscore the necessity for prospective research to elucidate the causal mechanisms linking H. pylori infection and diabetes
Evaluation of prevalence and phylogenetic analysis of Wolbachia pipientis isolated from Dirofilaria immitis of canids in northern Iran
Full text linkDirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens, two mosquito-borne filarial nematodes, are the primary causes of subcutaneous and cardiopulmonary dirofilariasis in humans and canines. Wolbachia pipientis infection is widespread among arthropods and nematodes globally. One safe, cost-effective, and efficient way to avoid dirofilariasis infections is to eradicate Wolbachia. So, herein we determined the prevalence and phylogenetic analysis of W. pipientis strains isolated from D. immitis of canids in northern Iran. A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study from March 2019 to April 2020 in Guilan province, north of Iran, was conducted. Sampling consisted of 32 road-killed carnivores (12 Canis familiaris and 20 Canis aureus) were gathered and necropsied for this study. The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was the basis for the molecular analysis. D. immitis infection was discovered in 7/20 (35%) of the jackals and 9/12 (75%) of the dogs. The W. pipientis infection was present in all 16 of the infected dogs and jackals. In this study, 16S rRNA sequences had 100% similarity with previously submitted W. pipientis sequences from the USA, Russia, Myanmar, and Italy. This paper hopes to provide a new vision for further studies on the symbiotic relationship between D. immitis and Wolbachia, providing an advance in the therapeutic and diagnostic approach. There is no report of molecular identification for Wolbachia spp. isolated from D. immitis in northern Iran. So, to fill this study gap, herein we determined the prevalence and phylogenetic analysis of W. pipientis strains isolated from D. immitis of canids in northern Iran
Vitamin D status and ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients: A case-control study in northern Iran
Full text linkVentilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major contributor to illness and death among patients in intensive care units (ICUs). While vitamin D deficiency is known to compromise immune defenses and elevate the risk of infections, its specific association with VAP has yet to be clearly established. So, we aimed to evaluate vitamin D in patients with VAP admitted to the ICU. In this case-control study, 141 ICU patients from two hospitals in northern Iran were enrolled. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured within 48 hours of ICU admission. VAP diagnosis was based on clinical and microbiological criteria ≥48 hours after mechanical ventilation. Demographic data, laboratory parameters, and mechanical ventilation duration were recorded. Vitamin D insufficiency was present in 73.7% of patients. The mean serum vitamin D level did not differ significantly between VAP and non-VAP groups; however, sufficiency was nearly twice as common in the non-VAP group. Multivariate analysis identified elevated white blood cell count (OR = 2 per 1000 cells/µL, p < 0.001) and reduced platelet count (OR = 0.98, p = 0.005) as independent predictors of VAP, while vitamin D status was not statistically significant. Vitamin D deficiency is highly predominant in ICU patients but was not an independent predictor of VAP in this study. Nevertheless, the observed trend toward higher vitamin D sufficiency in non-VAP patients, along with previous evidence, suggests potential benefits of supplementation. Larger randomized controlled trials are warranted to clarify its preventive role in VAP