Usefulness of daptomycin lock therapy in children with catheter-related bacteremia after failed vancomycin lock therapy.

PURPOSE: Catheter-related bacteremia (CRB) is a significant cause of morbidity, resource expenditure and prolonged hospital stays in patients with long-term catheters, whose numbers have increased considerably in recent years. Antibiotic lock therapy reaches high concentrations in the catheter, allowing good penetration into the biofilm, being vancomycin the most commonly used one in gram-positive infections. Several authors have recently reported the superior in vitro efficacy of daptomycin compared with vancomycin, especially for eradicating biofilms. Although there is some data on the use of daptomycin for antibiotic lock in animal models and adults, there are no data on its use in children. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted in a tertiary hospital, including patients younger than 16 years in whom daptomycin lock therapy was employed between 2018 and 2022. RESULTS: We report three pediatric patients in whom CRB was confirmed on admission by paired blood cultures positive for CoNS sensitive to vancomycin, daptomycin and linezolid. All patients started vancomycin lock therapy and systemic antibiotic therapy with proven sensitivity for the isolated bacteria, without achieving negative blood cultures. Due to the persistence of positive cultures, vancomycin lock therapy was replaced by daptomycin, and blood cultures turned negative, with no relapses or need for catheter removal. CONCLUSION: The use of daptomycin lock therapy could be considered in children with CoNS catheter infection, especially when other antibiotic lock therapy had failed.

Treatments for multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children - discharge, fever, and second-line therapies.

Scarce evidence exists about the best treatment for multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). We analyzed the effects of steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and their combination on the probability of discharge over time, the probability of switching to second-line treatment over time, and the persistence of fever 2 days after treatment. We did a retrospective study to investigate the effect of different treatments on children with MIS-C from 1 March 2020 to 1 June 2021. We estimated the time-to-event probability using a Cox model weighted by propensity score to balance the baseline characteristics. Thirty of 132 (22.7%) patients were initially treated with steroids alone, 29/132 (21.9%) with IVIG alone, and 73/132 (55%) with IVIG plus steroids. The probability of early discharge was higher with IVIG than with IVIG plus steroids (hazard ratio [HR] 1.65, 95% CI 1.11-2.45, p = 0.013), but with a higher probability of needing second-line therapy compared to IVIG plus steroids (HR 3.05, 95% CI 1.12-8.25, p = 0.028). Patients on IVIG had a higher likelihood of persistent fever than patients on steroids (odds ratio [OR] 4.23, 95% CI 1.43-13.5, p = 0.011) or on IVIG plus steroids (OR 4.4, 95% CI 2.05-9.82, p < 0.001). No differences were found for this endpoint between steroids or steroids plus IVIG.    Conclusions: The benefits of each approach may vary depending on the outcome assessed. IVIG seemed to increase the probability of earlier discharge over time but also of needing second-line treatment over time. Steroids seemed to reduce persistent fever, and combination therapy reduced the need for escalating treatment. What is Known: • Steroids plus intravenous immunoglobulin, compared with intravenous immunoglobulin alone for multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) might reduce the need for hemodynamic support and the duration of fever, but the certainty of the evidence is low. What is New: • Intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids, and their combination for MIS-C may have different outcomes. • In this study, intravenous immunoglobulin increased the probability of discharge over time, steroids reduced persistent fever, while combination therapy reduced the need for second-line treatments.

Ex vivo effect of JAK inhibition on JAK-STAT1 pathway hyperactivation in patients with dominant-negative STAT3 mutations.

PURPOSE: STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) and dominant-negative (DN) STAT3 syndromes share clinical manifestations including infectious and inflammatory manifestations. Targeted treatment with Janus-kinase (JAK) inhibitors shows promising results in treating STAT1 GOF-associated symptoms while management of DN STAT3 patients has been largely supportive. We here assessed the impact of ruxolitinib on the JAK-STAT1/3 pathway in DN STAT3 patients' cells. METHODS: Using flow cytometry, immunoblot, qPCR, and ELISA techniques, we examined the levels of basal STAT1 and phosphorylated STAT1 (pSTAT1) of cells obtained from DN STAT3, STAT1 GOF patients, and healthy donors following stimulation with type I/II interferons (IFNs) or interleukin (IL)-6. We also describe the impact of ruxolitinib on cytokine-induced STAT1 signaling in these patients. RESULTS: DN STAT3 and STAT1 GOF resulted in a similar phenotype characterized by increased STAT1 and pSTAT1 levels in response to IFNα (CD3+ cells) and IFNγ (CD14+ monocytes). STAT1-downstream gene expression and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 secretion were higher in most DN STAT3 patients upon stimulation compared to healthy controls. Ex vivo treatment with the JAK1/2-inhibitor ruxolitinib reduced cytokine responsiveness and normalized STAT1 phosphorylation in DN STAT3 and STAT1 GOF patient' cells. In addition, ex vivo treatment was effective in modulating STAT1 downstream signaling in DN STAT3 patients. CONCLUSION: In the absence of effective targeted treatment options for AD-HIES at present, modulation of the JAK/STAT1 pathway with JAK inhibitors may be further explored particularly in those AD-HIES patients with autoimmune and/or autoinflammatory manifestations.

Impact of cytomegalovirus infection prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children with inborn errors of immunity.

The presence of active viral infections has an impact on the prognosis of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Nevertheless, the number of reports of cytomegalovirus infection in patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) who undergo HSCT is relatively low. To analyze the effect of cytomegalovirus infection acquired prior to curative treatment on patient survival in 123 children with IEI. An observational and retrospective study was performed with patients younger than 18 years diagnosed with IEI who were candidates for HSCT, gene therapy, or thymus transplantation at five hospitals in Spain between 2008 and 2019. We included 123 children, 25 infected by cytomegalovirus prior to undergoing curative treatment (20.3%). At IEI diagnosis, 24 of the patients were already infected, 21 of whom had symptomatic cytomegalovirus disease (87%), while the other three patients developed disease before undergoing curative treatment. The patients with cytomegalovirus infection had higher mortality than those without (p = 0.006). Fourteen patients developed refractory cytomegalovirus infection (56%), all of whom died, while no patients with non-refractory infection died (p = 0.001) All deaths that occurred before curative treatment and three of the five after the treatment were attributed to cytomegalovirus. Patients with refractory cytomegalovirus disease had the highest pre-HSCT mortality rate (64.3%), compared with the non-infected children and those with non-refractory cytomegalovirus disease (10.1%) (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Prevention and prompt control of cytomegalovirus infection, together with early HSCT/gene therapy, are crucial for improving the prognosis in children with IEI. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Cytomegalovirus is the most frequent viral infection in children with inborn errors of immunity who are candidates to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). • Active viral infections at the time of HSCT lead to worse prognosis. WHAT IS NEW: • In children with inborn errors of immunity and indication of HSCT, refractory cytomegalovirus disease is associated with a very high mortality rate, compared with non-infected children and those with non-refractory cytomegalovirus disease. • In patients with novel transplantation indications, the presence and treatment response of CMV infection should be considered to decide the best possible moment for HSCT.

Multi-inflammatory Syndrome in Children Related to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Spain.

Some clusters of children with a multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have been reported. We describe the epidemiological and clinical features of children with MIS-C in Spain. MIS-C is a potentially severe condition that presents in children with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Variants in CASP10, a diagnostic challenge: Single center experience and review of the literature.

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome is a primary immunodeficiency caused by variants in FAS-mediated apoptosis related genes and is characterized by lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly and autoimmunity. A total of six different variants in CASP10 have been described as potential causative of disease, although two of them have recently been considered polymorphisms. The high allele frequency of these variants in healthy population in addition to the broad clinical spectrum of the disease difficult the interpretation of their pathogenicity. Here, we describe the clinical and analytical findings of three new patients carrying variants in CASP10 and summarize 12 more cases from the literature. Autoimmune cytopenias, adenopathies and increment of TCRαß+CD4-CD8- cells have been the most common findings, being possibly the FAS-mediated apoptosis pathway the pathogenic mechanism of this disease. The clinical impact and the consequences of CASP10 variants are not fully elucidated, therefore the description of new cases will contribute to solve this issue.

Failure of Viral-Specific T Cells Administered in Pre-transplant Settings in Children with Inborn Errors of Immunity.

PURPOSE: Use of adoptive immunotherapy with virus-specific T cells (VST) in patients with inborn errors of immunity prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been reported in few patients. We report our experience, reviewing all the cases previously reported. METHODS: We report four children with inborn errors of immunity who received VST infusion in a pre-HSCT setting in two reference centers in Spain and review all inborn errors of immunity cases previously reported. RESULTS: Taking into account our four cases, nine children have been reported to receive VST prior to HSCT to date: 3 severe combined immunodeficiency, 2 CTPS1 deficiency, 1 dyskeratosis congenital, 1 ORAI1 deficiency, 1 Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, and 1 combined immunodeficiency without confirmed genetic defect. In four patients, immunotherapy resulted in clinical improvement, allowing to proceed to HSCT. In these cases, the infusion was started closely to viral diagnosis [mean time 28 days (IQR; 17-52 days)], and the VST was followed shortly thereafter by HSCT [mean time 28 days (IQR; 10-99 days)]. Viremia was controlled after HSCT in two cases (performed 7 and 36 days after the infusion). Multiple infusions were required in many cases. Five out of nine patients died before receiving HSCT. These patients presented with a prolonged and uncontrolled infection before VST administration [mean time from viral diagnosis to VST infusion was 176 days (IQR; 54-1687)]. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with inborn errors of immunity, the efficacy of VST for treating disseminated viral infections in pre-transplant settings seems to have a limited efficacy. However, this therapy could be used in a pre-emptive setting before severe viral disease occurs or closely to HSCT.

Interferon-Gamma Release Assays Differentiate between Mycobacterium avium Complex and Tuberculous Lymphadenitis in Children.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the performance of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) in the differential diagnosis between Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and tuberculosis (TB) in children affected with subacute/chronic submandibular/cervical lymphadenitis. STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter observational study comparing children with microbiologically confirmed MAC lymphadenitis from the European NontuberculouS MycoBacterial Lymphadenitis in childrEn study with children with TB lymphadenitis from the Spanish Network for the Study of Pediatric TB database. RESULTS: Overall, 78 patients with MAC and 34 with TB lymphadenitis were included. Among MAC cases, 44 out of 74 (59.5%) had positive tuberculin skin test (TST) results at the 5-mm cut-off, compared with 32 out of 33 (97%) TB cases (P < .001); at the 10-mm cut-off TST results were positive in 23 out of 74 (31.1%) vs 26 out of 31 (83.9%), respectively (P < .001). IGRA results were positive in only 1 out of 32 (3.1%) patients with MAC who had undergone IGRA testing, compared with 21 out of 23 (91.3%) TB cases (P < .001). Agreement between TST and IGRA results was poor in MAC (23.3%; κ = 0.017), but good in TB cases (95.6%; κ = 0.646). IGRAs had a specificity of 96.9% (95% CI 84.3%-99.8%), positive predictive value of 95.4% (95% CI 78.2%-99.8%), and negative predictive value of 93.9% (95% CI 80.4%-98.9%) for TB lymphadenitis. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to TST, IGRAs have high specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value for TB lymphadenitis in children with subacute/chronic lymphadenopathy, and consequently can help to discriminate between TB and MAC disease. Therefore, IGRAs are useful tools in the diagnostic work-up of children with lymphadenopathy, particularly when culture and polymerase chain reaction results are negative.

Compassionate use of remdesivir in children with COVID-19.

Children represent a minority of total COVID-19 cases, but studies have reported severe disease and death in pediatric patients. Remdesivir (RDV) has recently demonstrated promising results in adults with COVID-19, but few data have been reported to date in children.A nationwide multicenter observational study was conducted on children with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 receiving compassionate treatment with RDV in Spain. Eight patients were included in the study, four infants and four older children [median age 5 years old; IQR 4 months-11.6 years old]. Half of them had complex underlying medical conditions, and the rest were mostly infants (3/4). Six out of eight children needed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Admission. No RDV-related adverse outcomes were observed in our patients. Seven have reached successful clinical outcome, but one patient with serious clinical status died due to complications. However, she received RDV very late after the first COVID-19 symptom.Conclusions: In our cohort, most of the patients achieved successful clinical outcome, without observing adverse events. Clinical trials of RDV therapy for children with COVID-19 are urgently needed, to assess the safety, tolerability, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of RDV in children, as this could be an effective treatment in severe cases. What is Known: • Remdesivir has not been approved to treat COVID-19 in children under 12 years old, although the drug is currently being prescribed in critically ill children. • Remdesivir has recently demonstrated promising results in adults with COVID-19, but few data have been reported to date in paediatric population. What is New: • We report a multicentre cohort of children with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 and severe COVID-19 disease receiving remdesivir during the first month of the pandemic in Spain. • No remdesivir-related adverse outcomes were observed in most of the cases. Seven patients reached successful clinical outcome, and one died due to complications (bacterial sepsis).

The clinical relevance of the microbiome when managing paediatric infectious diseases-Narrative review.

In recent years, the field of infectious diseases has been hit by the overwhelming amount of information generated while the human microbiome is being disentangled. Based on the interaction between the microbiota and the immune system, the implications regarding infectious diseases are probably major and remain a challenge. AIMS: This review was conceived as a comprehensive tool to provide an overview of the available evidence regarding the influence of the microbiome on infectious diseases in children. METHODS: We present the main findings aroused from microbiome research in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease under a paediatric perspective, to inform clinicians of the potential relevance of microbiome-related knowledge for translation to clinical practice. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The evidence shown in this review highlights the numerous research gaps ahead and supports the need to move forward to integrating the so-called microbiome thinking into our routine clinical practice.

Risk factors for gentamicin-resistant E. coli in children with community-acquired urinary tract infection.

According to many guidelines, gentamicin is the empirical parenteral treatment for children with community-acquired urinary tract infection (CA-UTI). However, increasing resistance rates are reported. The purpose of this study is to analyze risk factors for presenting with a UTI caused by a community-acquired gentamicin-resistant Escherichia coli in children in our hospital and to describe their clinical outcome. A retrospective case-control local study was performed in a tertiary care hospital from January 2014 to December 2016. Cases and controls were children below 14 years old diagnosed in the Emergency Department with febrile CA-UTI caused by gentamicin-resistant and gentamicin-susceptible febrile E. coli strains, respectively. During the study period, 54 cases were included and compared with 98 controls. Patients with chronic conditions were more likely to present with a UTI due to gentamicin-resistant E. coli (OR 3.27; 95% CI 1.37-7.8, p < 0.05), as well as children receiving antibiotic prophylaxis (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.2-10.1, p < 0.05). Cases had longer hospital stays than controls (5.8 ± 5 days vs. 4.4 ± 4 days, p = 0.017). Gentamicin-resistant strains associated higher rates of cefuroxime (29% vs. 3%), cefotaxime (27% vs. 0%), and quinolone resistance (40.7% vs. 6%) (p < 0.01) and produced more frequently extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) (20% vs. 0%, p < 0.01) and carbapenemases (7.4% vs. 0%; p = 0.015). All gentamicin-resistant strains were amikacin-sensitive. The presence of chronic conditions and antibiotic prophylaxis could be potential risk factors for gentamicin-resistant E. coli CA-UTI in children. Simultaneous resistance to cephalosporins, quinolones, and ESBL/carbapenemase production is frequent in these strains.

Treatment and outcomes in children with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 32,000 children develop multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB; Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to isoniazid and rifampin) each year. Little is known about the optimal treatment for these children. METHODS AND FINDINGS: To inform the pediatric aspects of the revised World Health Organization (WHO) MDR-TB treatment guidelines, we performed a systematic review and individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis, describing treatment outcomes in children treated for MDR-TB. To identify eligible reports we searched PubMed, LILACS, Embase, The Cochrane Library, PsychINFO, and BioMedCentral databases through 1 October 2014. To identify unpublished data, we reviewed conference abstracts, contacted experts in the field, and requested data through other routes, including at national and international conferences and through organizations working in pediatric MDR-TB. A cohort was eligible for inclusion if it included a minimum of three children (aged <15 years) who were treated for bacteriologically confirmed or clinically diagnosed MDR-TB, and if treatment outcomes were reported. The search yielded 2,772 reports; after review, 33 studies were eligible for inclusion, with IPD provided for 28 of these. All data were from published or unpublished observational cohorts. We analyzed demographic, clinical, and treatment factors as predictors of treatment outcome. In order to obtain adjusted estimates, we used a random-effects multivariable logistic regression (random intercept and random slope, unless specified otherwise) adjusted for the following covariates: age, sex, HIV infection, malnutrition, severe extrapulmonary disease, or the presence of severe disease on chest radiograph. We analyzed data from 975 children from 18 countries; 731 (75%) had bacteriologically confirmed and 244 (25%) had clinically diagnosed MDR-TB. The median age was 7.1 years. Of 910 (93%) children with documented HIV status, 359 (39%) were infected with HIV. When compared to clinically diagnosed patients, children with confirmed MDR-TB were more likely to be older, to be infected with HIV, to be malnourished, and to have severe tuberculosis (TB) on chest radiograph (p < 0.001 for all characteristics). Overall, 764 of 975 (78%) had a successful treatment outcome at the conclusion of therapy: 548/731 (75%) of confirmed and 216/244 (89%) of clinically diagnosed children (absolute difference 14%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8%-19%, p < 0.001). Treatment was successful in only 56% of children with bacteriologically confirmed TB who were infected with HIV who did not receive any antiretroviral treatment (ART) during MDR-TB therapy, compared to 82% in children infected with HIV who received ART during MDR-TB therapy (absolute difference 26%, 95% CI 5%-48%, p = 0.006). In children with confirmed MDR-TB, the use of second-line injectable agents and high-dose isoniazid (15-20 mg/kg/day) were associated with treatment success (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.9, 95% CI 1.0-8.3, p = 0.041 and aOR 5.9, 95% CI 1.7-20.5, p = 0.007, respectively). These findings for high-dose isoniazid may have been affected by site effect, as the majority of patients came from Cape Town. Limitations of this study include the difficulty of estimating the treatment effects of individual drugs within multidrug regimens, only observational cohort studies were available for inclusion, and treatment decisions were based on the clinician's perception of illness, with resulting potential for bias. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that children respond favorably to MDR-TB treatment. The low success rate in children infected with HIV who did not receive ART during their MDR-TB treatment highlights the need for ART in these children. Our findings of individual drug effects on treatment outcome should be further evaluated.

Tuberculosis in infants less than 3 months of age. / Tuberculosis en lactantes menores de 3 meses.

A review was conducted on infants less than 3 months of age diagnosed with tuberculosis between 1978 and 2014. Eight patients were diagnosed (1.4% of paediatric tuberculosis cases): 3 confirmed congenital tuberculosis, 3 suspected (endometrial biopsy was not performed), and 2 postnatal tuberculosis. Tuberculin skin test was negative in two patients. Diagnostic performance of culture (7/7, 100%) and PCR (3/3, 100%) of gastric aspirates was higher than that of acid-fast bacilli smears (5/8, 62%) and IGRA test (1/3, 33%). Three patients developed miliary disease, and one died. In conclusion, tuberculosis in this age group is rare, severe, and difficult to diagnose. In cases lacking known postnatal contacts, maternal genital tuberculosis should be ruled out by endometrial biopsy.

The role of veterinarians in zoonosis prevention: Advising families of immunocompromised children with pets.

Background: Pet ownership is widespread, offering numerous benefits to individuals and families. However, the risk of zoonotic diseases must be carefully considered, especially for immunosuppressed patients. Knowledge gaps in preventive measures for zoonoses have been identified, underscoring the vital role of veterinarians in addressing this issue. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and recommendations of veterinarians regarding pet ownership by immunocompromised individuals. Additionally, we compared these insights with responses from European healthcare professionals specializing in pediatric transplant recipients. Methods: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study involving small animal veterinarians in Spain. An online survey was administered to gather information on veterinarians' knowledge of zoonoses and their recommendations for immunocompromised pet owners. Results: A survey of 514 individuals was collected from experienced veterinarians mainly working in primary care clinics. Surprisingly, 63% of respondents did not routinely inquire about the presence of immunocompromised individuals among pet owners, although 54% offered specific recommendations for this group. Most respondents adhered to deworming guidelines for pets owned by immunocompromised individuals and demonstrated sound practices in Leishmania and Leptospira prevention, as well as the avoidance of raw food. However, gaps were noted concerning Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccination. Notably, veterinarians outperformed medical professionals in their knowledge of zoonotic cases and identification of zoonotic microorganisms. The presence of specific recommendations in veterinary clinics was viewed positively by nearly all respondents. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that veterinarians possess a superior understanding of zoonotic pathogens and exhibit greater proficiency in diagnosing zoonoses compared with physicians. They stay well-informed about recommendations outlined in established guidelines and are more likely to provide written recommendations in their clinics than physicians. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps among veterinarians emphasize the need for enhanced communication between medical and veterinary professionals. Reinforcing the "One Health" concept is imperative, with veterinarians playing a pivotal role in this collaborative effort.