Fungal infection mimicking COVID-19 infection - A case report.

For the last 2 years, one of the most frequent causes of respiratory failure is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The symptoms are not specific. Imaging diagnostics, especially high-resolution computed tomography, is a diagnostic method widely used in the diagnosis of this disease. It is important to emphasize that not only SARS-CoV-2 infection may manifest as interstitial pneumonia. Other diseases such as other viral, fungal, atypical bacterial pneumonia, autoimmune process, and even cancer can also manifest as ground-glass opacities or consolidations in the imaging of the lungs. In this case report, we described a patient who manifested many symptoms that seemed to be COVID-19. However, all performed antigen and polymerase chain reaction tests were negative. The diagnostics must have been extended. Microbiological and mycological blood cultures and sputum cultures were performed. Blood cultures were negative but in sputum, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata were identified. Targeted therapy with fluconazole was implemented with a satisfactory result. The patient was discharged from the hospital in a good general condition with no complaints.

Degradation effect of diepoxide fixation on porcine endogenous retrovirus DNA in heart valves: molecular aspects.

PURPOSE: Xenotransplantations of porcine cells, tissues, and organs involve a risk of zoonotic viral infections in recipients, including by porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs), which are embedded the genome of all pigs. An appropriate preparation of porcine heart valves for transplantation can prevent retroviral infection. Therefore, the present study focuses on the effect of epoxy compounds and glutaraldehyde on the PERV presence in porcine heart valves prepared for clinical use. METHODS: Porcine aortic heart valves were fixed with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EDGE) at 5 °C and 25 °C as well as with glutaraldehyde (GA) for 4 weeks. Salting out was used to isolate genomic DNA from native as well as EDGE- and GA-fixed fragments of valves every week. Quantification of PERV-A, PERV-B, and PERV-C DNA was performed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). RESULTS: All subtypes of PERVs were detected in native porcine aortic heart valves. The reduction of the PERV-A, PERV-B, and PERV-C DNA copy numbers was observed in the heart valves which were EDGE-fixed at both temperatures, and in GA-fixed ones in the following weeks. After 7 and 14 days of EDGE cross-linking, significant differences between the investigated temperatures were found for the number of PERV-A and PERV-B copies. PERV DNA was completely degraded within the first week of EDGE fixation at 25 °C. CONCLUSIONS: EDGE fixation induces complete PERV genetic material degradation in porcine aortic heart valves. This suggests that epoxy compounds may be alternatively used in the preparation of bioprosthetic heart valves in future.