Characterization of Aspergillus spp. isolated from patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is an important complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and while there are case reports and epidemiological studies, few studies have isolated Aspergillus strains from patients. Therefore, we analyzed the strains, sensitivities, and genetic homology of Aspergillus spp. Isolated from patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We investigated the Aspergillus strains detected from patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital from December 2020 to June 2021. A molecular epidemiological analysis of Aspergillus spp. was performed using drug susceptibility tests and TRESPERG typing, and data on patient characteristics were collected from electronic medical records. RESULTS: Twelve strains of Aspergillus were detected in 11 of the 122 patients (9%) with COVID-19. A. fumigatus was the most common species detected, followed by one strain each of Aspergillus aureolus, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus. A. aureolus was resistant to voriconazole, and no resistance was found in other strains. All A. fumigatus strains were genetically distinct strains. Six of the 11 patients that harbored Aspergillus received antifungal drug treatment and tested positive for ß-D-glucan and/or Aspergillus galactomannan antigen. The results indicated that Aspergillus infections were acquired from outside the hospital and not from nosocomial infections. CONCLUSION: Strict surveillance of Aspergillus spp. is beneficial in patients at high-risk for IPA. When Aspergillus is detected, it is important to monitor the onset of IPA carefully and identify the strain, perform drug sensitivity tests, and facilitate early administration of therapeutic agents to patients with IPA.

Impact of antimicrobial stewardship with the Xpert MRSA/SA BC assay at a tertiary hospital in Japan.

INTRODUCTION: Genetic testing is gaining increasing importance as a part of antimicrobial stewardship (AS). Rapid identification and determination of methicillin susceptibility using the Xpert MRSA/SA BC assay can improve the management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) and reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. However, few reports have described the effectiveness of this approach. METHODS: The present study aimed to assess the influence of AS using the Xpert MRSA/SA BC assay. Cases were classified into the pre-intervention group (n = 98 patients), in which SAB was identified by traditional culture (November 2017 to November 2019), and the post-intervention group (n = 97 patients), in which the Xpert MRSA/SA BC assay was performed when necessary (December 2019 to December 2021). RESULTS: Patient characteristics, prognosis, duration of antimicrobial use, and length of hospital stay were compared between the groups. The Xpert assay was performed in 66 patients in the post-intervention group (68.0%). The two groups showed no significant differences in severity and mortality. The rate of cases treated with anti-MRSA agents reduced following the intervention (65.3% vs. 40.4%, p = 0.008). The number of cases involving definitive therapy within 24 h was higher in the post-intervention group (9.2% vs. 24.7%, p = 0.007). The hospitalization rate at >60 days was lower in Xpert implementation cases among MRSA bacteremia cases (28.6% vs. 0%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the Xpert MRSA/SA BC assay has potential as an AS tool, especially for early definitive treatment to SAB and reduction of long-term hospitalization in MRSA bacteremia cases.

Anti-Apo B-100 Autoantibody is a Marker of Unstable Coronary Plaque.

AIMS: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a global leading cause of mortality. However, few biomarkers are available to predict future coronary plaque rupture. We have recently demonstrated that low levels of anti-apolipoprotein B-100 autoantibody (anti-apo B-100 Ab) correlated with an increased CVD risk in Japanese patients with diabetes. In the present study, we examined the relationship between serum anti-apo B-100 Ab levels and coronary plaque characteristics in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: We conducted iMAP®-intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in 88 Japanese male patients undergoing elective PCI, and the five consecutive slices of IVUS images at the center of the most stenotic culprit lesion were used for identifying the plaque characteristics. The serum levels of anti-apo B-100 Ab against synthetic peptides (p45 or p210) were measured using a homemade enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Serum IgG levels of anti-apo B-100 Ab against both native p45 and p210 (IgG N-p45 and IgGN-p210) and malondialdehyde (MDA)-modified p45 and p210 (IgGMDA-p45 or IgGMDA-p210) showed a negative correlation with plaque burden in total male patients undergoing elective PCI. Additionally, both IgGN-p45 and IgGN-p210, but neither IgGMDA-p45 nor IgGMDA-p210, correlated negatively with necrotic and positively with fibrotic components of iMAP®-IVUS plaque characteristics in the patients with ＜1 month statin treatment before elective PCI ("statin-untreated" group). There was no significant correlation between anti-apo B-100 Ab and any plaque characteristics in the patients with statin treatment for 1 month or more before elective PCI ("statin-treated" group). CONCLUSION: Measuring serum levels of anti-apo B-100 Ab might be helpful in the evaluation of unstable coronary plaque in male CVD patients without statin treatment.

Serum Anti-Apo B Antibody Level as Residual CVD Marker in DM Patients under Statin Treatment.

AIM: In the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, autoantibodies have two-facedness of progression and protection. Previous reports have indicated that low autoantibody levels against apolipoprotein B-100 (apo B-100) could increase the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in healthy subjects. In this study, we investigated the relationship between circulating anti-apo B-100 autoantibodies and the clinical parameters in Japanese diabetic patients with or without CVD. METHODS: We measured the serum levels of anti-apo B-100 autoantibodies against native and malondialdehyde (MDA)-modified p45 or p210 epitopes, as well as anti-apo E autoantibodies, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: In patients with CVD, the circulating levels of IgG against native p45, MDA-modified p45, and MDA-modified p210 (IgGN-45, IgGMDA-45, and IgGMDA-210) were significantly lower than those in patients without CVD, whereas no difference was observed in anti-apo E autoantibody levels. In addition, IgMN-45, IgMMDA-45, and IgGMDA-45 were negatively correlated with LDL-C levels, whereas IgGN-45 and IgGN-210 were positively correlated with HbA1c levels. No correlation was observed between autoantibody levels and diabetic microangiopathy. In the statin-treated subgroup, IgGMDA-45 and IgGMDA-210 were significantly lower in patients with CVD than in those without CVD. CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum anti-apo B-100 autoantibodies can be useful for the evaluation of CVD risk in patients with diabetes receiving statin treatment.