Differential role of sphingomyelin in influenza virus, rhinovirus and SARS-CoV-2 infection of Calu-3 cells.

Host cell lipids play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of respiratory virus infection. However, a direct comparison of the lipidomic profile of influenza virus and rhinovirus infections is lacking. In this study, we first compared the lipid profile of influenza virus and rhinovirus infection in a bronchial epithelial cell line. Most lipid features were downregulated for both influenza virus and rhinovirus, especially for the sphingomyelin features. Pathway analysis showed that sphingolipid metabolism was the most perturbed pathway. Functional study showed that bacterial sphingomyelinase suppressed influenza virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication, but promoted rhinovirus replication. These findings suggest that sphingomyelin pathway can be a potential target for antiviral therapy, but should be carefully evaluated as it has opposite effects on different respiratory viruses. Furthermore, the differential effect of sphingomyelinase on rhinovirus and influenza virus may explain the interference between rhinovirus and influenza virus infection.

[Peculiarities of bronchopulmonary pathology in HIV-patients].

The causes of hospitalization of HIV-infected patients during of medical treatment in a multidisciplinary health care setting (Military Medical Academy) are analyzed. Leading causes of death in medical institutions among patients with HIV are diseases, which are not associated with HIV infection: burns, combined injuries, toxic substances poisoning. It was found that HIV infection worsens prognosis for patients hospitalized with respiratory diseases and leads to earlier development of nosocomial infections, exacerbation of bronchopulmonary diseases and short-term mortality.

[Bronchial involvement in an immunocompetent adult with varicella pneumonia]. / Atteinte bronchique au cours d'une pneumonie varicelleuse chez un adulte immunocompétent.

INTRODUCTION: Pneumonitis caused by varicella infection is a serious and potentially life-threatening complication of the disease when it occurs in adults. The incidence of this complication has increased in the last 10 years. OBSERVATION: We report the case of a non-immunocompromised patient admitted to hospital because of varicella pneumonia not requiring intensive care. Bronchoscopy revealed vesicular lesions on the bronchial mucosa. The patient made a full recovery with anti-viral therapy. CONCLUSION: Vesicular lesions can be observed on the bronchial mucosa of adult patients with varicella zoster infection.

Pitfalls in the diagnosis of herpes simplex infection in respiratory cytology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and potential pitfalls in making an accurate diagnosis of respiratory herpetic infection. STUDY DESIGN: Eighteen cases with the diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection were identified from a total of 7,501 (0.24%) respiratory specimens. All cases were evaluated for classic cytomorphologic features of HSV infection and associated cytologic findings. The parameters studied included number of cells with HSV cytopathic effect, intranuclear inclusions, multinucleation, presence of atypical squamous cells, reparative changes, presence and degree of inflammation and associated obscuring factors. RESULTS: Only a minority of cases (28%) had numerous cells with classic viral cytopathic change. Four (22%) of 18 cases showed atypical squamous cells, and 5 (28%) revealed reparative changes. The majority of the cases were associated with inflammation, which was severe in 4 cases (22%). Blood and degenerative changes obscured the cytologic findings in 3 cases (17%). One case showed a necrotic background. CONCLUSION: Due to the low prevalence of HSV infection in respiratory cytology, a high index of suspicion is necessary for an HSV diagnosis. Pitfalls for a false negative diagnosis include limited number of cells with viral cytopathic change, only mononuclear cells with viral changes and obscuring inflammation or blood. Pitfalls for a false positive diagnosis of malignancy include atypical keratinized squamous cells, atypical repair, cellular degeneration and necrotic background.

[Swyer-James or Macleod syndrome or unilateral translucent lung]. / Syndrome de Swyer-James ou Macleod ou poumon clair unilatéral.

The syndrome, described by Swyer and James in 1953 and by Macleod in 1954 is a specific entity within a much larger group of radiological conditions brought together under the term of unilateral translucent lung. Generally acquired in childhood subsequent to viral bronchopulmonary infections, the syndrome is caused by predominantly unilateral obliteration of the distal bronchi. The lung is usually small as the infection during childhood inhibited the normal growth pattern. Two elements found in all patients are trapped air and distal bronchiol obstruction. Pulmonary vascularization is greatly reduced leading to radiological translucency. Clinical signs are usually absent. We report two cases illustrating late diagnosis in adults and focus on the novel aspects of this syndrome as well as recent pathogenic hypotheses and diagnostic approach.

[Associated infections in acute bronchopulmonary infections in children]. / Assotsiativnaia infektsiia pri ostrykh bronkholegochnykh zabolevaniiakh u detei.

A total of 189 children with bacterial complications of the acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI)--primarily with pneumonia and bronchitis--were dynamically examined for typical and atypical pneumotropic causative agents of the infection process (Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia spp., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Pneumocystis carini, and Citomegalovirus). A high frequency rate of the associative infection involving mycoplasmas and pneumocysts was registered (45-50%); it was lower in the cases involving Chlamydias, hemophilic bacteria, pneumococcus, and cytomegalovirus--up to 25-30%. No sharp difference was found between the indices of an infection degree and those of an active clinical infectious process involving the same pneumotropic agent: the biggest difference was observed in Chlamydia infections (9.4%) and the lowest one--in mycoplasma infections (3%). A dynamic comparison of different classes of immunoglobulins revealed that, in acute bronchitis and pneumonias, the Chlamydia and cytomegalovirus infections are, primarily, of the persistent nature; the hemophilic and pneumocystic infections are of a mixed nature; and the pneumococcus one is of the acute nature. The Mycoplasma infection, which is more often encountered in pre-school children, is of the primary type with a trend towards a prolonged clinical course. All pneumonias had a typical clinical course; the clinical picture was compared in 128 patients with the etiological factor (including a description of characteristic symptoms).

Endobronchial pseudo-tumour caused by herpes simplex.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes tracheobronchitis and pneumonitis; however, to date, there has only been one report of an endobronchial mass caused by HSV type II. This case study describes a 68-yr-old female with severe kyphoscoliosis who was intubated for acute on chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure and developed blood-tinged endotracheal secretions. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy demonstrated an endobronchial mass in the right middle lobe. Cultures grew HSV type I and biopsy specimens demonstrated cytopathological changes consistent with HSV infection. This is the first reported case of HSV type I presenting as an endobronchial tumour.

Bronchocentric granulomatosis associated with influenza-A virus infection.

Bronchocentric granulomatosis is an unusual pathologic entity that is characterized by a necrotizing granulomatous inflammation surrounding the airways. The diagnosis is usually made retrospectively, after histopathologic examination of an open-lung biopsy or resection of a pulmonary lesion. Although the aetiology has not been fully elucidated, the current pathogenetic mechanism is considered to be an immunologic reaction against endobronchial antigens, since most patients exhibit signs of bronchial asthma, eosinophilia and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. However, non-asthmatic patients may develop bronchocentric granulomatosis without signs for endobronchial fungal infections, but probably as a consequence of other pulmonary infections. An 80-year-old female patient presented with high fever and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and nodules. After extensive investigations and open-lung biopsy, the diagnosis bronchocentric granulomatosis was established that was possibly associated with an influenza-A virus infection. Treatment consisted of immunosuppressive drugs (prednisone and cyclophosphamide), which led to complete clinical and radiological recovery.

Etiologia viral en afecciones broncopulmonares agudas y recidivantes de la infancia / Viral etiology in acute bronchopulmonary and recidivant diseases in childhood

Se estudiaron 289 casos clínicos diagnosticados como: bronquiolitis, bronquitis obstructiva recidivante y neumonitis durante los años 1974 y desde 1978 hasta 1982 inclusive. La edad se distribuyó desde 1 mes a preescolares y todos fueron casos hospitalizados. Los casos de bronquiolitis se encontraron en el grupo menor de 6 meses; las bronquitis obstructivas recidivantes predominaron en el grupo de 6-11 meses y las neumonitis en los dos grupos menores de 1 año de edad. Se estudiaron los sueros pareados, agudo y convalesciente de dichos casos, reacciones de microtécnica de inhibición de la hemaglutinación y fijación de complemento para una batería de antígenos virales respiratorios y M. Pneumoniae. En 141 casos se obtuvo un alza diagnóstica destacando como agente principal el VRS, en los 3 diagnósticos estudiados, seguido de parainfluenza y virus influenza A y B. En menor grado se encontraron casos de adenovirus y de M. pneumoniae