15 research outputs found
ENHANCED INVITRO BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF AMIKACIN COMBINED WITH LATAMOXEF, CEFOTAXIME AND AZTREONAM AGAINST MULTI-RESISTANT ENTEROBACTER-CLOACAE
No full textEvaluation of a particle enhanced turbidimetric assay for the measurement of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in plasma and urine on Architect-8000: Analytical performance and establishment of reference values
No full textObjectives: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising biomarker for acute kidney injury. NGAL can be measured in both blood and urine. Apart from kidney injury, NGAL levels in both plasma and urine can be influenced by various pathological situations. Accurate evaluation and comparison of results deriving from clinical studies require robust assays, appropriate specimen handling and reference intervals that will reflect its levels in a healthy population for both biological matrices. Methods: We report the analytical validation of a latex particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (PETIA) aimed to measure NGAL in plasma and urine on an automated biochemistry analyzer (ABBOTT-Architect-8000). Assay performance characteristics were evaluated using standard protocols. Urine and plasma specimen storage requirements were determined and reference ranges for blood and urine were determined using healthy controls. Results: The assay is precise (total CV% < 4.8%), and sensitive (limit of quantification: 8.4 ng/mL for plasma and 9.0 ng/mL for urine), showing no hook effect. Calibration is stable for at least 30. days. The assay showed excellent linearity over the studied interval (20-4450. ng/mL). The analyte is stable at 4 °C for at least 5 days, and at 20 °C for 4 h. Gender specific reference ranges for plasma (male: 38.7-157.6 ng/mL, female: 24.4-142.5 ng/mL) and unisex for urine (< 9.0-49.41 ng/mL) are proposed. Conclusion: Our data indicate that NGAL can be measured with adequate precision and sensitivity on automated biochemistry analyzers and its measurement could easily be added to a standard panel to screen kidney diseases. © 2015 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists
Impact of cefuroxime administration on endotoxin (LPS) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) blood levels in patients suffering from acute pyelonephritis: a preliminary report
No full textIt has been suggested that treatment of systemic infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria with beta-lactam agents might add to the inflammatory process by resulting in the release of endotoxins (LPS) upon death of the Gram-negative bacteria. To evaluate that hypothesis, 25 patients with acute pyelonephritis of Gram-negative aetiology were given intravenous cefuroxime 1.5 g tid. Blood samples were collected at various time intervals for blood culture and for the determination of LPS, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and cefuroxime levels. LPS remained elevated at levels equal to those before the administration of cefuroxime over the first 24 h of therapy. A positive correlation was detected between LPS and drug levels 6 h after the initiation of therapy. Fever persisted in 50, 37.5 and 16.7% of patients 48, 72 and 96 h after the start of treatment, respectively, followed by a rise of LPS at levels above the baseline. Blood cultures taken at the same time were sterile. A wide range of TNF alpha levels were found at similar times of sampling, indicating that LPS triggers considerable TNF alpha production in the serum of some patients but not in others. It is concluded that antibiotic-induced endotoxaemia is a phenomenon that might be observed in patients receiving cefuroxime and that might be responsible for the persistence of fever despite negative blood cultures. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved
Plasma Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in the Differential Diagnosis of Intracerebral Hemorrhage
No full textBackground and Purpose - Plasma GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein) has recently emerged as a potential biomarker for the differentiation of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) from acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We prospectively assessed the diagnostic accuracy of GFAP in the differential diagnosis of ICH. Methods - Consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department within 6 hours from symptom onset were evaluated. All patients underwent extensive diagnostic work-up and were classified according to discharge diagnosis in AIS, ICH, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and stroke mimics. GFAP was also measured in healthy volunteers (controls). Baseline stroke severity was evaluated using National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to identify the optimal cutoff point for the differentiation between subgroups. Correlation analyses of GFAP plasma concentrations with baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and onset to sampling time were performed with the nonparametric Spearman rank test and fractional polynomial regression, respectively. Results - Our study population consisted of 270 individuals (AIS: 121, ICH: 34, stroke mimics: 31, subarachnoid hemorrhage: 5, controls: 79). No differences on baseline stroke severity and onset to sampling time were detected between AIS and ICH. Higher median plasma GFAP values were documented in ICH compared with AIS, stroke mimics, and controls (P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis highlighted a cutoff value of 0.43 ng/mL as the optimal threshold for the differentiation between ICH and AIS (sensitivity: 91%, specificity: 97%). No association was detected between plasma GFAP concentrations and baseline stroke severity for both AIS (P=0.515) and ICH (P=0.387). In the fractional polynomial analysis, the association between GFAP concentration and onset to sampling time was best described by a J-shaped curve for AIS and an inverted U-shaped curve for ICH, with a peak at 2 hours. Conclusions - Plasma GFAP seems to be a sensitive and specific biomarker for the differentiation of ICH from both AIS and other acute neurological disorders, with the optimal diagnostic yield being present in the second hour from symptom onset. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc
Presence of human herpes virus-8 in saliva and non-lesional oral mucosa in HIV-infected and oncologic immunocompromised patients
No full textBackground/Aim: Human Herpes Virus-8 (HHV-8) is a recently identified virus etiologically associated with Kaposi's sarcoma. Studies regarding its presence in the oral cavity have given variable results. This study attempted to determine the oral presence of HHV-8 in an area where classic Kaposi's sarcoma is primarily found such as Greece. Methods: Three groups of patients were studied: 10 immunocompromised with hematologic malignancies, 10 immunocompromised with HIV infection and 20 immunocompetent as controls. Whole unstimulated saliva and scrapes from the lingual and the buccal mucosa were collected and polymerase chain reaction was applied to amplify HHV-8 DNA. Results: None of the patients in any group had oral lesions. In the control group, all samples tested negative (0/60). HHV-8 DNA was detected in 5/30 (17%) of all samples from HIV-positive patients (the mean value of their CD4 + T-lymphocytes being 385/mm3) and in 13/30 (43%) of all samples from oncologic patients (mean CD4+ T-lymphocytes 51/mm 3). HHV-8 DNA was found in 10% of saliva samples and 40% of lingual and buccal scrapes both of HIV-infected and of oncologic patients. Conclusions: HHV-8 is present in the saliva and the non-lesional oral mucosa (not simultaneously) of patients with impaired immunity, with or without HIV co-infection. The oral epithelium seems to represent an independent location of viral residency and may be of viral replication; the clinical implications need further clarification
Increase in transmitted resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors among newly diagnosed HIV-1 infections in Europe
No full textBackground: One out of ten newly diagnosed patients in Europe was infected with a virus carrying a drug resistant mutation. We analysed the patterns over time for transmitted drug resistance mutations (TDRM) using data from the European Spread program.Methods: Clinical, epidemiological and virological data from 4317 patients newly diagnosed with HIV-1 infection between 2002 and 2007 were analysed. Patients were enrolled using a pre-defined sampling strategy.Results: The overall prevalence of TDRM in this period was 8.9% (95% CI: 8.1-9.8). Interestingly, significant changes over time in TDRM caused by the different drug classes were found. Whereas nucleoside resistance mutations remained constant at 5%, a significant decline in protease inhibitors resistance mutations was observed, from 3.9% in 2002 to 1.6% in 2007 (p = 0.001). In contrast, resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) doubled from 2.0% in 2002 to 4.1% in 2007 (p = 0.004) with 58% of viral strains carrying a K103N mutation. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these temporal changes could not be explained by large clusters of TDRM.Conclusion: During the years 2002 to 2007 transmitted resistance to NNRTI has doubled to 4% in Europe. The frequent use of NNRTI in first-line regimens and the clinical impact of NNRTI mutations warrants continued monitoring. © 2014 Frentz et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd
Evolution of epidemiological characteristics of infective endocarditis in Greece
No full textObjective: The clinical profile, management and outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) may be influenced by socioeconomic issues. Methods: A nationwide prospective study evaluated IE during the era of deep economic crisis in Greece. Epidemiological data and factors associated with 60-day mortality were analyzed through descriptive statistics, logistic and Cox-regression models. Results: Among 224 patients (male 72.3%, mean age 62.4 years), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 62; methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) 33.8%) predominated in the young without impact on mortality (p = 0.593), whilst Enterococci (n = 36) predominated in the elderly. Complications of IE were associated with mortality: heart failure [OR 2.415 (95% CI: 1.159–5.029), p = 0.019], stroke [OR 3.206 (95% CI: 1.190–8.632), p = 0.018] and acute kidney injury [OR 2.283 (95% CI: 1.085–4.805), p = 0.029]. A 60-day survival benefit was solely related to cardiac surgery for IE during hospitalization [HR 0.386 (95% CI: 0.165–0.903), p = 0.028] and compliance with antimicrobial treatment guidelines [HR 0.487 (95% CI: 0.259–0.916), p = 0.026]. Compared with a previous country cohort study, history of rheumatic fever and native valve predisposition had declined, whilst underlying renal disease and right-sided IE had increased (p < 0.0001); HIV infection had emerged (p = 0.002). No difference in rates of surgery and outcome was assessed. Conclusions: A country-wide survey of IE highlighted emergence of HIV, right-sided IE and predominance of MRSA in the youth during a severe socioeconomic crisis. Compliance with treatment guidelines promoted survival. © 2021 The Author
Prevalence of resistance-associated mutations in newly diagnosed HIV-1 patients in Greece
No full textThe prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance mutations in native patients has been previously shown to differ greatly with the geographic origin. The purpose of this study was to prospectively estimate the prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance in Greece by analyzing a representative sample of newly HIV-1 diagnosed patients, as part of the SPREAD collaborative study. Protease (PR) and partial reverse transcriptase (RT) sequences were determined from 101 newly diagnosed HIV-1 patients, in Greece, during the period September 2002-August2003, representing one-third of the total newly diagnosed HIV-1 patients in the same time period. The prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance was estimated according to the IAS-USA mutation table taking into account a] I mutations in RT and only major mutations in PR region. The overall prevalence of resistance was 9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.2-16.2%]. The prevalence of mutations associated with resistance to NRTIs was 5% (95% Cl: 1.6-11.2%), for NNRTIs was 4% (95% CI: 1. 1-9.8%), while no major resistance mutations were found in PR. No multi-class resistance was detected in the study population. The prevalence of resistant mutations in the recent seroconverters was 22%. For two individuals, there was clear evidence for transmitted resistance based on epidemiological information for a known source of HIV-I transmission. The prevalence of the HIV-1 non-B subtypes and recombinants was 52%. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Prevalence of resistance-associated mutations in newly diagnosed HIV-1 patients in Greece
No full textPrimary resistance to integrase strand-transfer inhibitors in Europe
No full textObjectives: The objective of this study was to define the natural genotypic variation of the HIV-1 integrase gene across Europe for epidemiological surveillance of integrase strand-transfer inhibitor (InSTI) resistance. Methods: This was a multicentre, cross-sectional study within the European SPREAD HIV resistance surveillance programme. A representative set of 300 samples was selected from 1950 naive HIV-positive subjects newly diagnosed in 2006-07. The prevalence of InSTI resistance was evaluated using quality-controlled baseline population sequencing of integrase. Signature raltegravir, elvitegravir and dolutegravir resistance mutations were defined according to the IAS-USA 2014 list. In addition, all integrase substitutions relative to HXB2 were identified, including those with a Stanford HIVdb score=10 to at least one InSTI. To rule out circulation of minority InSTIresistant HIV, 65 samples were selected for 454 integrase sequencing. Results: For the population sequencing analysis, 278 samples were retrieved and successfully analysed. No signature resistance mutations to any of the InSTIswere detected. Eleven (4%) subjects hadmutations at resistance-associated positions with an HIVdb score =10. Of the 56 samples successfully analysed with 454 sequencing, no InSTI signature mutationsweredetected, whereas integrase substitutionswithanHIVdbscore=10were found in8(14.3%) individuals. Conclusions:No signature InSTI-resistant variantswere circulating in Europe before the introduction of InSTIs. However, polymorphisms contributing to InSTI resistancewere not rare. As InSTI use becomes more widespread, continuous surveillance of primary InSTI resistance is warranted. These data will be key to modelling the kinetics of InSTI resistance transmission in Europe in the coming years. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved
