1,721,748 research outputs found
Biofilm Development and Approaches to Biofilm Inhibition by Exopolysaccharides
No full text: Bacteria biofilm consists of microorganisms, accounting for 5-35% of the biofilm volume, and of the extracellular matrix (65-95%), made of water (97%), proteins (2%), polysaccharides (1-2%) and nucleic acids (DNA/RNA, both <1%). The physiology of bacteria in the biofilms entails adaptive changes with expression of genes which are different from those translated in the planktonic state. While most of our applied knowledge on bacterial biology stems from the study in the planktonic state, an increasing interest is currently paid to bacterial behaviour as biofilm generators, as it is estimated that 65% of all bacterial infections are associated with bacterial biofilms. Infections of both upper and lower airways, bacterial endocarditis, chronic otitis media, urinary tract infections, periodontitis, ocular infections and chronic wound infections (including diabetic foot ulcer) are all associated with biofilm formation. The role of biofilm is also relevant in case of infections taking place on abiotic surfaces, as in the case of infections occurring on prostheses and several other medical devices. Here, we review current knowledge on biofilm formation and its impact on human infections, discussing recent means for its inhibition, with particular emphasis on an interesting anti-biofilm activity exerted by exopolysaccharides derived from marine strains of Bacillus licheniformis
Infezione da HIV: trattamento del paziente naïve
No full textRecently, the approach to initial therapy in naive patients has profoundly changed. The trend in 2008 suggests that HAART be started earlier than previously held. HAART should also be considered in selected patients with a CD4(+) count falling in the range 350-400 cells/microliter and in all subjects with a TCD4 (+) lower than 350 cells/microliter. Initial HAART provides a sufficiently broad range of choices, undoubtedly destined to further improve in the near future. However, such a choice has to take into account the patient's specific requirements and clinical picture, including comorbidity, risk factors for cardiovascular metabolic complications, simplicity and convenience of therapeutic regimen, and long-term tolerability
Lowering SARS-CoV-2 viral load might affect transmission but not disease severity in secondary cases
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Elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide for the treatment of HIV in adults
No full textTenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is is a novel tenofovir prodrug with a 90% reduction in plasma tenofovir concentrations as compared to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and such property suggests that TAF-containing regimens can improve renal and bone safety compared with TDF-containing regimens. Single tablet regimen elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/TAF (E/C/F/TAF) is the first coformulation that includes TAF in place of TDF. This review aims to provide an overview of its role in the treatment of HIV infection. Areas covered: This review covers pre-clinical and clinical data serached through Medline and Pubmed up to August 2015. Expert opinion: In terms of efficacy, E/C/F/TAF was found to be non inferior to E/C/F/TDF in naive patients, and more effective in patients switching from TDF-based regimens with efavirenz or boosted PI. In safety analyses, E/C/F/TAF was constantly found to be associated with significant improvement of renal function and urinary markers of proximal tubulopathy, and significant improvement of bone mineral density (BMD) as compared to TDF-containing regimens. E/C/F/TAF, as a new single tablet regimen, appeared to be promising for optimization of cART tolerability in HIV-infected patients
Sequential therapy with entecavir and pegylated interferon in a cohort of young patients affected by chronic hepatitis B
No full textThe treatment of patients affected by active chronic hepatitis B (CHB) could performed using a finite-time therapy with pegylated-interferon alpha (PEG-IFN) or indefinite time treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs). Current practice guidelines do not provide the combined use of PEG-IFN and NAs, but some studies analyzed various combined approach with NAs and PEG-IFN with encouraging result. In this perspective study we have treated 39 patients with different hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes, hepatitis B "e" antigen (HBeAg)-positive/negative using a sequential therapy with entecavir (ETV) 0.5 mg/day monotherapy for 12 weeks followed by combination of ETV and PEG-IFN α-2a 180μg/week for 12 weeks, then PEG-IFN monotherapy for 36 weeks. HBeAg seroconversion rate was 68.2%; HBsAg loss was 33.3%; sustained virological response (SVR) was 64.1%; primary non-response was observed in 8 patients (20.5%) after 12 weeks of PEG-IFN therapy; virological relapse was reported in 6 (15.3%) patients. Viral genotype and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) decline were the most important predictive factor for PEG-IFN response. The stopping rule after 12 weeks of PEG-IFN therapy is useful for identify the non-responders. Our study offers interesting and promising results using a sequential combined therapy with ETV and PEG-IFN in a cohort of young patient with active CHB. These results, however, should not be generalized and further investigations are required for the confirmation of advantage of this combination approach. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Further considerations on the use of cerebrospinal fluid C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 in the diagnosis of neurosyphilis among people with HIV
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