Short-course antibiotic therapy of 5 days in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP5): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The optimal duration of antibiotic therapy for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is unsettled. Short-course therapy has proved successful in clinical trials but is not yet implemented in everyday clinical practice. Validation of results from randomised controlled trials is crucial to evaluate existing evidence and provide clinicians with assurance of using new treatment strategies. In a pragmatic framework, we aim to assess the use of short-course antibiotic therapy guided by the onset of clinical stability in patients hospitalised with CAP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a randomised controlled trial with a non-inferiority design that will examine the efficacy of short-course antibiotic therapy in patients hospitalised with CAP. From six hospitals across Denmark, we plan to enrol 564 patients between 2019 and 2024. Within 3-5 days after initiating antibiotic therapy, participants will be randomised 1:1 to parallel treatment arms: (1) short-course antibiotic therapy of 5 days or (2) antibiotic therapy of at least 7 days. The primary outcome will be 90-day readmission-free survival and will be estimated as an absolute risk difference with a predefined non-inferiority margin of -6%. Secondary outcomes will comprise other safety measures including new antibiotics, adverse events, length of hospital stay and postdischarge outpatient visits. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses will be performed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark (identifier number: H-19014479). Trial data will be made available in anonymous form when the trial has ended. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04089787, ClinicalTrials.Gov.

Short course antibiotic treatment of Gram-negative bacteraemia (GNB5): a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Prolonged use of antibiotics is closely related to antibiotic-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance and adverse drug events. The optimal duration of antibiotic treatment for Gram-negative bacteremia (GNB) with a urinary tract source of infection is poorly defined. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Investigator-initiated multicentre, non-blinded, non-inferiority randomised controlled trial with two parallel treatment arms. One arm will receive shortened antibiotic treatment of 5 days and the other arm will receive antibiotic treatment of 7 days or longer. Randomisation will occur in equal proportion (1:1) no later than day 5 of effective antibiotic treatment as determined by antibiogram. Immunosuppressed patients and those with GNB due to non-fermenting bacilli (Acinetobacter spp, Pseudomonas spp), Brucella spp, Fusobacterium spp or polymicrobial growth are ineligible.The primary endpoint is 90-day survival without clinical or microbiological failure to treatment. Secondary endpoints include all-cause mortality, total duration of antibiotic treatment, hospital readmission and Clostridioides difficile infection. Interim safety analysis will be performed after the recruitment of every 100 patients. Given an event rate of 12%, a non-inferiority margin of 10%, and 90% power, the required sample size to determine non-inferiority is 380 patients. Analyses will be performed on both intention-to-treat and per-protocol populations. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study is approved by the Danish Regional Committee on Health Research (H-19085920) and the Danish Medicines Agency (2019-003282-17). The results of the main trial and each of the secondary endpoints will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.Gov:NCT04291768.

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of convalescent plasma for adults hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Passive immunotherapy with convalescent plasma may be the only available agent during the early phases of a pandemic. Here, we report safety and efficacy of high-titer convalescent plasma for COVID-19 pneumonia. Double-blinded randomized multicenter placebo-controlled trial of adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia. The intervention was COVID-19 convalescent plasma and placebo was saline allocated 2:1. The primary outcome was clinical status 14 days after the intervention evaluated on a clinical ordinal scale. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.Gov, NCT04345289, 14/04/2020. The CCAP-2 trial was terminated prematurely due to futility. Of 147 patients randomized, we included 144 patients in the modified intention-to-treat population. The ordinal clinical status 14 days post-intervention was comparable between treatment groups (odds ratio (OR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-2.09). Results were consistent when evaluating clinical progression on an individual level 14 days after intervention (OR 1.09; 95% CI 0.46-1.73). No significant differences in length of hospital stay, admission to ICU, frequency of severe adverse events or all-cause mortality during follow-up were found between the intervention and the placebo group. Infusion of convalescent plasma did not influence clinical progression, survival or length of hospitalization in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Comparable Effectiveness of Cefuroxime and Piperacillin-Tazobactam as Empirical Therapy for Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

Our objective was to examine whether empirical antimicrobial therapy (EAT) against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (MS-SAB) with piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP), cefuroxime or combination therapy with one of these was differentially associated with 7-, 30-, and 90- day all-cause mortality or MS-SAB relapse. A multicenter retrospective cohort study of adults with MS-SAB from 2009 through 2018 was used, and 7-, 30-, 90-day mortality and relapse within 90 days were assessed and expressed as hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Matching of the two monotherapy groups was performed using propensity score matching. In total, 1158 MS-SAB cases were included and received one of three EAT regimens: TZP (n = 429), cefuroxime (n = 337), or TZP or cefuroxime with one or more additional effective antimicrobial (n = 392). The overall 30-day mortality was 28.0% (25.5 to 30.3%). After adjustment and matching, there was no significant difference in 7-, 30-, or 90-day mortality between the therapy groups. The matched HR of death was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.38 to 1.76) at 7 days, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.47 to 1.46) at 30 days, and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.50 to 1.32) at 90 days for TZP compared with cefuroxime. Adjusted HR of 90-day relapse was insignificant between the three therapy groups: TZP: 1.55 (95% CI, 0.54 to 4.43); combination therapy: 1.73 (95% CI, 0.62 to 4.80) compared to cefuroxime. There was no significant difference in 7-, 30-, or 90-day mortality or relapse between MS-SAB patients treated with empirical TZP or cefuroxime after adjustment and matching of covariables. IMPORTANCE This multicenter retrospective matched cohort study evaluated the effect of empirical antimicrobial therapy on the clinical outcome of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (MS-SAB) in >1100 adult patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest study to date evaluating the effect of empirical treatment on the MS-SAB outcome. Importantly, the study found no significant difference in either short- or long-term mortality nor relapse between patients with MS-SAB receiving empirical treatment with cefuroxime or piperacillin-tazobactam. As such, this study provides crucial contemporary data supporting the widespread clinical practice of initiating empirical antimicrobial therapy of sepsis with ß-lactam-ß-lactamase-inhibitor.

Proteomic Characterization of Colorectal Cancer Tissue from Patients Identifies Novel Putative Protein Biomarkers.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death over the world. There is a great need for biomarkers capable of early detection and as targets for treatment. Differential protein expression was investigated with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) followed by identification with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in CRC patient tissue from (i) the peripheral part of the tumor, (ii) the central part of the tumor as well as from (iii) a non-involved part of the colorectal tissue. The expression patterns of six identified proteins were further evaluated by one-dimensional Western blot (1D-WB) analysis of the CRC tissue. Proteins that were perturbed in expression level in the peripheral or in the central part of the tumor as compared with the non-involved part included S100A11, HNRNPF, HNRNPH1 or HNRNPH2, GSTP1, PKM and FABP1. These identified markers may have future diagnostic potential or may be novel treatment targets after further evaluation in larger patient cohorts.

Comparable Outcomes of Short-Course and Prolonged-Course Therapy in Selected Cases of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Pooled Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The recommended duration of antimicrobial treatment for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a minimum of 14 days. We compared the clinical outcomes of patients receiving short-course (SC; 6-10 days), or prolonged-course (PC; 11-16 days) antibiotic therapy for low-risk methicillin-susceptible SAB (MS-SAB). METHODS: Adults with MS-SAB in 1995-2018 were included from 3 independent retrospective cohorts. Logistic regression models fitted with inverse probability of treatment weighting were used to assess the association between the primary outcome of 90-day mortality and treatment duration for the individual cohorts as well as a pooled cohort analysis. RESULTS: A total of 645, 219, and 141 patients with low-risk MS-SAB were included from cohorts I, II, and III. Median treatment duration in the 3 SC groups was 8 days (interquartile range [IQR], 7-10), 9 days (IQR, 8-10), and 8 days (IQR, 7-10). In the PC groups, patients received a median therapy of 14 days (IQR, 13-15), 14 days (IQR, 13-15), and 13 days (IQR, 12-15). No significant differences in 90-day mortality were observed between the SC and PC group in cohort I (odds ratio [OR], 0.85 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .49-1.41]), cohort II (OR, 1.24 [95% CI, .60-2.62]), or cohort III (OR, 1.15 [95% CI, .24-4.01]). This result was consistent in the pooled cohort analysis (OR, 1.05 [95% CI, .71-1.51]). Furthermore, duration of therapy was not associated with the risk of relapse. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with low-risk MS-SAB, shorter courses of antimicrobial therapy yielded similar clinical outcomes as longer courses of therapy.

Proteomic Characterization of Colorectal Cancer Cells versus Normal-Derived Colon Mucosa Cells: Approaching Identification of Novel Diagnostic Protein Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer.

In the western world, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Survival is closely related to the stage of cancer at diagnosis striking the clinical need for biomarkers capable of early detection. To search for possible biological parameters for early diagnosis of CRC we evaluated protein expression for three CREC (acronym: Cab45, reticulocalbin, ERC-55, calumenin) proteins: reticulocalbin, calumenin, and ERC-55 in a cellular model consisting of a normal derived colon mucosa cell line, NCM460, and a primary adenocarcinoma cell line of the colon, SW480. Furthermore, this cellular model was analyzed by a top-down proteomic approach, 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for novel putative diagnostic markers by identification of differentially expressed proteins between the two cell lines. A different colorectal carcinoma cell line, HCT 116, was used in a bottom-up proteomic approach with label-free quantification (LFQ) LC-MS/MS. The two cellular models gave sets of putative diagnostic CRC biomarkers. Various of these novel putative markers were verified with increased expression in CRC patient neoplastic tissue compared to the expression in a non-involved part of the colon, including reticulocalbin, calumenin, S100A6 and protein SET. Characterization of these novel identified biological features for CRC patients may have diagnostic potential and therapeutic relevance in this malignancy characterized by a still unmet clinical need.

[Management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia].

In this review, we discuss Staphylococcus aureus bac-teraemia (SAB), which is a frequent and severe condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Despite these facts, high-quality data on diagnostic approach, treatment and management of SAB remain scarce. Consequently, evidence-based guidelines concerning antibiotic therapy including the optimal choice of antibiotic drug, route of administration and treatment duration are not available. Thus, controlled clinical trials are urgently needed to increase evidence and to potentially improve the outcome for patients with SAB.

Efficacy of seven and fourteen days of antibiotic treatment in uncomplicated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB7): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is frequently encountered in the hospital setting, and current guidelines recommend at least 14 days of antibiotic treatment for SAB in order to minimize risks of secondary deep infections and relapse. However, evidence to support these treatment recommendations remains scarce. Patients with uncomplicated SAB are known to have a low of risk of recurrence and death. Reducing treatment length in uncomplicated SAB would reduce the total consumption of antibiotics, duration of hospital admission, and potentially the risk of adverse events. With SAB7 we seek to determine if 7 days of antibiotic treatment in patients with uncomplicated SAB is non-inferior to 14 days of treatment. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is designed as a randomized, non-blinded, non-inferiority, multicenter interventional study. Primary measure of outcome will be 90-day survival without clinical or microbiological failure to treatment or relapse. Secondary outcomes include the prevalence of severe adverse effects, in particular secondary infection with Clostridium difficile, all-cause mortality, as well as public health related costs. Patients identified with uncomplicated SAB who have received 7 days of protocol-approved antibiotics will be eligible for inclusion and randomized 1:1 in two parallel arms to either (i) discontinue antibiotic treatment at day 7 or (ii) to continue antibiotic treatment for a total of 14 days. Main exclusion criteria include signs of complicated SAB, such as the presence of secondary deep infections, persistent bacteremia, and implantable devices. Patients are followed for 6 months with clinical examinations, consecutive blood tests, and registration of adverse events. A total of 284 patients are to be included at ten centers across Denmark. The primary endpoint will be tested with a statistical non-inferiority margin of 10 percentage points. DISCUSSION: SAB 7 will determine if 7 days of antibiotic treatment in patients with uncomplicated SAB is sufficient and safe. Results of the study will provide important knowledge on optimized SAB management and could potentially modify the current treatment recommendations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrails.gov, H-17027414 . Registered on May 2, 2018. The Danish Medicines Agency (EudraCT), 2017-003529-13. Registered on October 30, 2017.

Age-Dependent Increase in Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia, Denmark, 2008-2015.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a major cause of illness and death worldwide. We analyzed temporal trends of SAB incidence and death in Denmark during 2008-2015. SAB incidence increased 48%, from 20.76 to 30.37 per 100,000 person-years, during this period (p<0.001). The largest change in incidence was observed for persons >80 years of age: a 90% increase in the SAB rate (p<0.001). After adjusting for demographic changes, annual rates increased 4.0% (95% CI 3.0-5.0) for persons <80 years of age, 8.4% (95% CI 7.0-11.0) for persons 80-89 years of age, and 13.0% (95% CI 9.0-17.5) for persons >90 years of age. The 30-day case-fatality rate remained stable at 24%; crude population death rates increased by 53% during 2008-2015 (p<0.001). Specific causes and mechanisms for this rapid increase in SAB incidence among the elderly population remain to be clarified.

Proteomic analysis of tissue from α1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout mice reveals that a wide variety of proteins and protein fragments change expression level.

A barrier in a pig-to-man xenotransplantation is that the Galα1-3Galß1-4GlcNAc-R carbohydrate (α-Gal epitope) expressed on pig endothelial cells reacts with naturally occurring antibodies in the recipient's blood leading to rejection. Deletion of the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene prevents the synthesis of the α-Gal epitope. Therefore, knockout models of the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene are widely used to study xenotransplantation. We have performed proteomic studies on liver and pancreas tissues from wild type and α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene knockout mice. The tissues were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The analyses revealed that a wide variety of proteins and protein fragments are differentially expressed suggesting that knockout of the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene affects the expression of several other genes.