Genetic diversity and biofilm formation of invasive and noninvasive Streptococcus agalactiae isolates: Emergence of hypervirulent CC19 strains in Tehran, Iran.

The prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae infections in adult populations is increasing. The current study aimed to characterize the genetic features of S. agalactiae strains responsible for different infections. A cross-sectional study was performed on 65 S. agalactiae strains (30 invasive and 35 noninvasive) isolated from non-pregnant women. All S. agalactiae isolates were confirmed by atr and dltS PCR assays. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns were determined using the disk diffusion method. Biofilm production was investigated by microtiter plate assay. PCR was done to detect resistance determinants. Isolates were characterized using the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method. cMLSB, iMLSB, and M phenotypes accounted for 47.7%, 30.8%, and 6.2%, respectively. MDR was detected in 15.4% of noninvasive and 44.6% of invasive isolates. MtP assay indicated that 80% of isolates were biofilm producers. Biofilm formation was common among noninvasive compared with invasive strains (94.3% versus 66.7%). tet (M) (46.2%) and erm (B) (69.2%) were the most prevalent tetracycline and macrolide-resistance genes. The most prevalent serotype was type III (50.8%), followed by Ia (18.4%), II (15.4%), V (12.3%), and IV (3.1%). The frequency of serotype III among biofilm producer strains (81.8%) was found to be significantly higher than that of non-producer isolates (18.2%) (P < 0.05). S. agalactiae was resolved within four clonal complexes, including CC19 (46.2%; in both invasive and noninvasive), followed by CC23 (30.8%; only noninvasive isolates), CC1 (15.4%; only noninvasive isolates) and CC17 (7.6%; only invasive isolates). The main sequence types (STs) found were ST19 (27.7%), ST17 (7.7%), ST27 (6.2%), and ST28 (4.6%) linked with invasive infections and ST23 (18.4%), ST933 (12.3%), ST644 (9.2%), ST19 (7.7%), ST1 (6.2%) found in noninvasive infections. The high prevalence of CC19 and CC23 clones among S. agalactiae strains reflects the emergence of these lineages as successful clones in Iran.

Evaluation of the epidemiologic, clinical, radiologic, and treatment methods of patients with subacute and chronic meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Meningitis is known as a meningeal inflammation accompanied by pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and can be classified into acute, subacute, and chronic meningitis based on symptoms duration of ≤ 5 days, ≥ 5 days and ≥ 4 weeks, respectively. Subacute and chronic meningitis are caused mainly by indolent infectious agents and noninfectious causes such as autoimmune, and neoplastic. In this study, we investigated the characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of subacute and chronic meningitis. METHODS: We extracted the medical records of patients with chronic and subacute meningitis who were referred to three tertiary centers from Jun 2011 to Jun 2021. Initially, 2050 cases of meningitis were screened, and then 79 patients were included in the study. RESULTS: Headache (87.3%), nausea and vomiting (74.7%), fever (56.4%), and visual impairments (55.7%) were the most prevalent symptoms. The most common signs were nuchal rigidity (45.3%), altered mental status (26.9%), and papillary edema (37.5%). Brain computed tomography (CT) was normal in 68.6% of the patients while 22.9% of the cases had hydrocephalus. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal in 60.0% of the patients. The most common abnormal MRI findings were leptomeningeal enhancement (16.0%) and hydrocephalus (16.0%). We had a 44.3% definite diagnosis with bacterial (n:25, 31.6%) and neoplastic (n:8, 10.1%) being the most prevalent etiologies. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (60%) and Brucella spp. (12%) were the most prevalent bacterial pathogens. CONCLUSIONS: The most common etiologies include infectious, neoplastic, and immunologic. Due to insidious presentation and uncommon etiologies, establishing a proper diagnosis, and providing timely targeted treatment for patients with subacute and chronic meningitis remains a challenge for clinicians.

Neurological features and outcome in COVID-19: dementia can predict severe disease.

The COVID-19 pandemic has infected more than 22 million people worldwide. Although much has been learned about COVID-19, we do not know much about its neurological features and their outcome. This observational study was conducted on the patients of Imam Hossein Hospital, and 361 adult patients (214 males) with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 from March 5, 2020 to April 3, 2020, were enrolled. Data was gathered on age, sex, comorbidities, initial symptoms, symptoms during the disease course, neurological symptoms, and outcome. The mean age of the patients was 61.90 ± 16.76 years. The most common initial symptoms were cough, fever, and dyspnea. In 21 patients (5.8%), the initial symptom was neurological. History of dementia was associated with severe COVID-19 disease (odds ratio = 1.28). During the course of the disease, 186 patients (51.52%) had at least one neurological symptom, the most common being headache (109 [30.2%]), followed by anosmia/ageusia (69, [19.1%]), and dizziness (54, [15%]). Also, 31 patients had neurological complications (8.58%). Anosmia, ageusia, dizziness, and headache were associated with favorable outcome (P < 0.001), while altered mental status and hemiparesis were associated with poor outcome. The mortality rate of patients who had neurological complications was more than twice than that of patients without neurological complication (P = 0.008). Almost half of the patients experienced at least one neurological symptom, which may be the initial presentation of COVID-19. Dementia appears to be associated with severe COVID-19. Mortality was higher in patients with neurological complications, and these patients needed more intensive care.

Emergence of CC8/ST239- SCCmec III/t421 tigecycline resistant and CC/ST22-SCCmec IV/t790 vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from wound: A two-year multi-center study in Tehran, Iran.

Staphylococcus aureus as an opportunistic bacterial pathogen with intrinsic and acquired resistance to many antibiotics is a worldwide problem. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the resistance pattern, and determine the genetic types of multidrug-resistant S. aureus isolated from wound. This cross-sectional study was conducted over the period of two years (from December 2018 to November 2020) at the hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. In present study, 75 multidrug-resistant S. aureus isolates collected from wound infections were investigated. Phenotypic resistance was assessed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Conventional PCR was performed for the detection of virulence encoding genes. Genotyping of strains was performed based on coa gene polymorphism using multiplex-PCR assay. SCCmec typing, spa typing and MLST were also used to characterize the genotype of the mupirocin, tigecycline and vancomycin resistant multidrug-resistant S. aureus isolates. All 75 multidrug-resistant S. aureus isolates in the study were confirmed as MRSA. Coagulase typing distinguished isolates into five genotypic patterns including III (40%), I (24%), IVb (16%), V (10.7%) and type X (9.3%). Resistance to tigecycline was detected in 4% of MDR-MRSA isolates and all belonged to CC8/ST239- SCCmec III/t421 lineage. According to our analysis, one VRSA strain was identified that belonged to coa type V and CC/ST22-SCCmec IV/t790 lineage. Resistance to mupirocin was detected in 9.3% of strains. All 7 mupirocin resistant MDR-MRSA isolates exhibited resistance to mupirocin in high level. Of these, 4 isolates belonged to CC/ST8-SCCmec IV/t008 (57.1%), 2 isolates belonged to CC/ST8-SCCmec IV/t064 (28.6%) and one isolate to CC/ST22-SCCmec IV/t790 (14.3%). Altogether, current survey provides a snapshot of the characteristics of S. aureus strains isolated from patients. Our observations highlighted type III as predominant coa type among multidrug-resistant MDR strains indicating low heterogeneity of these isolates. Our study also indicates the importance of continuous monitoring of the genotypes of MDR-MRSA isolates to prevent nosocomial outbreaks and the spread of MDR isolates.

A laboratory-based cross-sectional study about helicobacter pylori infection and diabetes.

Background: Despite the numerous articles discussing the relationship between diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) and chronic Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection the results have been inconsistent, necessitating further research. This study investigated the coexistence of Helicobacter pylori infection and DMT2. Methods: We conducted a study in selected laboratories in Tehran, measuring the H.Pylori stool antigen (HpSA) in individuals referred by physicians for a glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test. Results: Out of the 2500 patients who were referred to randomly selected laboratories, a total of 2025 (81%) patients had serum HbA1c levels above 6.5%. of 2025 patients with HbA1c levels above 6.5%, 1321 (52.84%) had HpSA in their stool. No significant gender difference was observed, with a mean age ± SD, 48.65 ± 7.55. HpSA was positive in 52.84% of the DM group, while in the non-DM group, HpSA was positive in 37.36% of cases. Fecal antigen titers are not related to gender (P = 0.274) but are related to age (r = 0.213, P=0.034). Conclusion: Long-term infection with Helicobacter pylori may be significantly associated with elevated HgA1c.Testing for H. pylori infection, regular monitoring of blood sugar and HbA1c levels in high-risk people can prevent DMT2.

The investigation of the frequency of COVID-19 in patients with a history of stroke.

Introduction: The emergence of the coronavirus in 2019 became a global epidemic disease. According to the World Health Organization, people with a history of chronic diseases such as brain stroke are among the main groups at risk of contracting COVID-19. Therefore, this study was performed with the aim of the determination amount of the frequency of contracting COVID-19 in stroke patients. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 100 patients with a history of stroke referred to Imam Hossein Hospital in Tehran (Iran) between 2019 and 2022, which had all the inclusion criteria in the study. The demographic information including (gender, weight, height) and clinical information was collected by a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS version 24 software. Results: The average age of the studied patients was 63 years. Among them, 53 people (53%) were infected with COVID-19. The most of underlying diseases were related to high blood pressure. All cases of stroke in patients with COVID-19 were associated with thrombotic type, and half of the other cases included involvement in large cerebral vessels. Lymphocyte count, CRP, and ESR levels were relatively higher in stroke patients with COVID-19, but there were observed no cases of pleural effusion and pericardial effusion associated with COVID-19 in stroke patients. In all of the patients with COVID-19, pulmonary involvement was observed in the Peripheral/Perihillar area. Discussion and Conclusion: According to the results and data of this research, the probability of infecting COVID-19 is higher in people with a history of stroke, and these patients have more severe strokes and more mortality than stroke patients without contracting COVID-19.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from otitis externa: Emergence of CC30-spa t019-SCCmec IV carrying PVL as major genotype.

The increasing emergence of Staphylococcus aureus as the primary causative agent of otitis externa has been noted; however, detailed information regarding the molecular characteristics of these strains in Iran remains scarce. The current study aims to investigate both genotypic and phenotypic attributes of S. aureus strains implicated in ear infections. In the present work, we analyzed 60 S. aureus strains isolated from cases of otitis externa over a period of 45 months. The resistance patterns were determined using disk diffusion and microbroth dilution methods. All S. aureus isolates were confirmed by the nucA polymerase chain reaction assay, and their biofilm production was assessed by a microtiter plate assay. Molecular characterization of the isolates was performed using the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec, multilocus sequence typing, and staphylococcus protein A typing methods. Overall, the results indicated that 44 out of 60 S. aureus isolates (73.3 %) were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Resistance to mupirocin and vancomycin was observed in 13.3 % and 1.7 % of the tested isolates, respectively. Furthermore, out of the 60 S. aureus isolates, 56 strains (93.4 %) were classified as positive biofilm strains at different levels. Twelve distinct clonal lineages were identified. The vast majority of S. aureus isolates belonged to CC30/ST30-MRSA IV/t019 (41.7 %). Among the 31 strong biofilm producers, the majority (64.5 %) belonged to CC30/ST30-MRSA IV/t019 clone. Biofilm negative isolates belonged to CC22/ST22 (2 isolates), CC8/ST585 (one isolate), and CC8/ST8 (one isolate). Our result revealed that about three-quarters of PVL-positive strains belonged to CC30/ST30. Our data confirmed the presence of MSSA strains among CC30/ST30 and CC22/ST22 isolates. The mupirocin resistant isolates (n = 8) belonged to CC8/ST585-MRSA III/t713 (37.5 %), CC8/ST239-MRSA III/t030 (25 %), CC8/ST8-MRSA IV/t008 (12.5 %), CC8/ST239-MRSA III/t037 (12.5 %), and CC22/ST22-MRSA IV/t790 (12.5 %) lineages. The VRSA strain belonged to the CC8/ST8-MRSA IV/t008 lineage, carrying the vanA determinant. iMLSB phenotypes (n = 14) were distributed across different lineages, including CC30/ST30-MRSA IV/t019 (21.5 %), CC30/ST30-MSSA/t021 (21.5 %), CC22/ST22-MSSA/t005 (14.3 %), CC8/ST239-MRSA III/t030 (14.3 %), CC22/ST22-MSSA/t1869 (7.1 %), CC22/ST22-MRSA IV/t790 (7.1 %), CC8/ST239-MRSA III/t037 (7.1 %), and CC1/ST772-MRSA IV/t10795 (7.1 %). These findings highlight significant genotypic diversity and high biofilm formation among our isolates. The frequent occurrence of the CC/ST30 clone in S. aureus strains isolated from otitis externa reflects the emergence of these lineages as a predominant clone in Iran, posing a significant public health concern.

Insights into Organochlorine Pesticides Exposure in the Development of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review.

Many human diseases such as cancer, neurological diseases, autism and diabetes are associated with exposure to pesticides, especially organochlorine pesticides. However, pesticide exposure is also associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause of death worldwide. In this systematic review, results on the link between organochlorine pesticide pollution and CVD were collected from databases (Medline (PubMed), Scopus and Science Direct) in May 2022 from studies published between 2010 and 2022. A total of 24 articles were selected for this systematic review. Sixteen articles were extracted by reviewers using a standardized form that included cross-sectional, cohort, and ecological studies that reported exposure to organochlorine pesticides in association with increased CVD risk. In addition, eight articles covering molecular mechanisms organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on cardiovascular effects were retrieved for detailed evaluation. Based on the findings of the study, it seems elevated circulating levels of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs increase the risk of coronary heart disease, especially in early life exposure to these pesticides and especially in men. Changes in the regulatory function of peroxisome proliferator-activated γ receptor (PPARγ), reduction of paroxonase activity (PON1), epigenetic changes of histone through induction of reactive oxygen species, vascular endothelial inflammation with miR-expression 126 and miR-31, increased collagen synthesis enzymes in the extracellular matrix and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and fibrosis are mechanisms by which PCBs increase the risk of CVD. According to this systematic review, organochlorine pesticide exposure is associated with increased risk of CVD and CVD mortality through the atherogenic and inflammatory molecular mechanism involving fatty acid and glucose metabolism.

Emerging Challenges in Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections: Insights from Coagulase Typing, Toxin Genes, and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns.

Background: The incidence of complications and mortality associated with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bloodstream infections has been increasing significantly, particularly in developing countries where control strategies against this virulent pathogen and its resistance to antibacterial agents are insufficient. The aim of this study was to investigate coagulase typing, the prevalence of toxin genes, and the antibiotic resistance profile of S. aureus isolated from bloodstream infections. Methods: Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was determined by the disk diffusion method. The prevalence of toxin genes was determined using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Genetic variability of isolates was determined using multiplex PCR based on coagulase gene polymorphism. Results: Out of 120 strains, 55 (46%) were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and 65 (54%) were methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). All isolates were susceptible to linezolid and teicoplanin but showed varying levels of resistance to other antibiotics. The highest resistance was observed for ampicillin (92.5%), gentamicin (69.2%), and amikacin (68.3%). Multidrug resistance was observed in all isolates. PCR analysis revealed a higher prevalence of toxin genes in MRSA (tst: 38%, pvl: 29.1%, eta: 10%, and etb: 4.1%) than that in MSSA. According to the coa typing, the most prevalent types were coa III (29.2%), coa II (26.7%), and coa VI (10%). Conclusion: The presence of genetic variability and widespread multidrug resistance in our hospitals emphasizes the circulation of various coa types. Therefore, it is crucial to implement antimicrobial stewardship and infection control measures to prevent and control the spread of these strains.

Mupirocin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Iran: A Biofilm Production and Genetic Characteristics.

The spread of mupirocin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in hospitals and communities is a universal challenge. Limited data is available on the genetic features of high-level mupirocin resistant- (HLMUPR-) S. aureus isolates in Tehran. In the present research, we investigated 48 high-level mupirocin resistance S. aureus by antimicrobial activity, virulence analysis, biofilm formation, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and staphylocoagulase (SC) typing. All the HLMUPR strains were positive for mupA gene. The frequency of multidrug resistance was 97.9%. Twenty-one (43.8%) were toxinogenic with 14 producing pvl (29.2%), 5 tst (10.4%), and two eta (4.2%). Among the HLMUPR isolates, biofilm production was detected in 45 (89.6%) isolates with complete dominance clfB, clfA genes, and a noticeably high frequency fnbA (95.8%), followed by fnbB (93.8%), eno and icaD (each 83.3%), sdrC (81.3%), ebps (79.2%), icaA (75%), sdrD (66.7%), fib (60.4%), sdrE (50%), cna (41.7%), and bap (4.2%). Coagulase typing distinguished isolates into four genotypic patterns including III (50%), II (27.1%), and type IVa (22.9%). A total of three clonal complexes (CCs) and 4 sequence types (STs) including CC/ST22 as the most prevalent (52.1%), CC8/ST239 (20.8%), CC/ST8 (16.7%), and CC/ST5 (10.4%) were identified in current work. According to our analysis, nonbiofilm producer isolates belonged to CC8/ST239 (6.3%) and CC/ST8 (4.2%). Fusidic acid-resistant isolates belonged to CC/ST45 (n = 3) and CC8/ST239 (n = 1). Observations highlighted the circulation of the CC/ST22 HLMUPR S. aureus strains with strong biofilm-production ability in our hospitals, indicating the possibility of transmission of this type between community and hospital.

Comparing the Characteristics of Mucormycosis Between Cases with and without COVID-19; a Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Mucormycosis as a rare but life-threatening disease with 46-96% mortality, which challenged the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to compare the characteristics of mucormycosis between cases with and without COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in two referral hospitals, Imam Hossein and Labbafinezhad Hospitals, Tehran, Iran, between 21 March to 21 December 2021. Data related to all hospitalized adults subject with the diagnosis of mucormycosis during the study period was collected from patients' profiles and they were divided into two groups of with and without COVID-19 based on the results of real time PCR. Then demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings as well as outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: 64 patients with the mean age of 53.40±10.32 (range: 33-74) years were studied (53.1% male). Forty-three (67.2%) out of the 64 subjects had a positive COVID-19 PCR test. The two groups had significant differences regarding some symptoms (cough (p < 0.001), shortness of breath (p = 0.006)), acute presentation (p = 0.027), using immunosuppressive (p = 0.013), using corticosteroid (p < 0.001), and outcomes (mortality (p = 0.018), need for intubation (p < 0.001)). 22 (34.3%) patients expired during hospital admission. Univariate analysis showed the association of in-hospital mortality with need for ventilation (p < 0.001), sinus involvement (p = 0.040), recent use of dexamethasone (p = 0.011), confirmed COVID-19 disease (p = 0.025), mean body mass index (BMI) (p =0.035), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (p = 0.022), and median of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (p =0.034). Based on the multivariate model, confirmed COVID-19 disease (OR = 5.01; 95% CI: 1.14-22.00; p = 0.033) and recent use of dexamethasone (OR= 4.08, 95% CI: 1.05-15.84, p = 0.042) were independent predictors of mortality in this series. Conclusion: The mucormycosis cases with concomitant COVID-19 disease had higher frequency of cough and shortness of breath, higher frequency of acute presentation, higher need for immunosuppressive, corticosteroid, and ventilator support, and higher mortality rate. The two groups were the same regarding age, gender, BMI, risk factors, underlying diseases, symptoms, and sites of involvement.

Evaluation of HIV-Related Cardiomyopathy in HIV-Positive Patients in Bushehr, Iran.

Objectives In 2020, according to the UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS), more than 37 million people lived with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection worldwide. The disease is known to affect several organs, and one of the most affected organs is the heart. Cardiac diseases are highly prevalent among HIV-infected individuals, and recent findings suggest that this could be due to the damage caused by the virus. HIV patients are subject to advanced immunosuppression, which may lead to cardiac muscle damage and, in turn, cardiomyopathy. We aimed to study the incidence of HIV-related cardiomyopathy. Methods A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted to assess cardiomyopathy among 200 HIV patients who presented to the Heart Center, Bushehr, Iran. Patients' files were used to determine the demographic data including age, gender, education, marital status, history of illicit drug use, unsafe/unprotected sexual contact, and whether the patient was a prisoner. Several laboratory data were also collected from these files. Physical examination of the cardiovascular system and echocardiography were also included as part of the evaluation. Results Although at least four out of five patients presented with some kind of cardiac damage, including valvular damage and pericardial effusion, none was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. Valvular dysfunction was detected in 88.5% of the patients. Diastolic dysfunction was found in 7.7% of them. The mean ejection fraction was found to be 58%. In addition to cardiomyopathy, none of the patients developed systolic dysfunction, wall motion abnormality, intra-cardiac mass, or vegetation. Conclusions Cardiovascular complications are common among HIV-infected patients. Cardiomyopathy was not detected in our patients. In addition, the most common manifestations that were detected among our patients were valvular heart diseases and pericardial effusion.

Isolation and Chemical Characterization of an Alpha-Helical Peptide, Dendrocin-ZM1, Derived from Zataria multiflora Boiss with Potent Antibacterial Activity.

Today, resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics has become a major challenge. To overcome this problem, development of new drugs, besides research on their antibacterial activity, is essential. Among chemical components, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibit antibacterial activity and can be selected as suitable antimicrobial candidates. In this study, a novel antimicrobial peptide, called dendrocin-ZM1, with a molecular weight of ~3716.48 Da, was isolated from Zataria multiflora Boiss (ZM) and purified via precipitation with ammonium sulfate and reverse-phase HPLC chromatography; it was then sequenced via Edman degradation. The in silico method was used to examine the physicochemical properties of dendrocin-ZM1. In this study, four reference strains (gram-positive and gram-negative) and one clinical vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain were used to survey the antimicrobial activities. Moreover, to examine cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity, a HEK-293 cell line and human red blood cells (RBCs) were used, respectively. Evaluation of the physicochemical properties of dendrocin-ZM1, as an AMP, indicated a net charge of + 7 and a hydrophobicity percentage of 54%. This peptide had an amphipathic alpha-helical conformation. It exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activities against the tested strains at minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 4-16 µg/mL. Besides, this peptide showed negligible hemolysis and cytotoxicity in the MIC range. It also exhibited heat stability at temperatures of 20 to 80 °C and was active in a broad pH range (from 6.0 to 10.0). Overall, the present results suggested dendrocin-ZM1 as a remarkable antimicrobial candidate.

A randomized controlled clinical trial on efficacy and safety of anakinra in patients with severe COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperinflammatory state has a role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Anakinra could reduce inflammation and help to combat the condition. In this study, we aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of anakinra (PerkinRA®) in severe COVID-19. METHOD: The study was an open-label, randomized, controlled trial conducted in Imam Hossein Medical Center from May to July 2020. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included in this study. We administered anakinra 100 mg daily intravenously. All patients received COVID-19 pharmacotherapy based on the represented national guideline. The need for invasive mechanical ventilation is considered the primary outcome. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included in this study, and 15 of them received Anakinra. Nineteen patients were male (63.3%), and 11 were female (36.7%). The mean age of patients was 55.77 ± 15.89 years. In the intervention group, the need for invasive mechanical ventilation was significantly reduced compared to the control group (20.0% vs. 66.7%, p = .010). Also, these patients had a significantly lower length of hospital stay (p = .043). No significant higher rate of infection was recorded. CONCLUSION: Anakinra as an immunomodulatory agent has been associated with the reduced need for mechanical ventilation in patients admitted to intensive care units because of severe COVID-19. The medication reduced the hospital length of stay. Furthermore, no increased risk of infection was observed. Further randomized placebo-controlled trials with a larger sample size are needed to confirm these findings.

Effect of Underlying Cardiovascular Disease on the Prognosis of COVID-19 Patients; a Sex and Age-Dependent Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Adults with underlying medical disorders are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. This study aimed to compare the effect of underlying diseases on the mortality of male and female patients as a primary objective. We also evaluated the effect of drugs previously used by COVID-19 patients on their outcome. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was carried out on confirmed cases of COVID-19 who were admitted to a teaching hospital in Tehran, Iran. Data was gathered from patients' files. Log binomial model was used for investigating the association of underlying diseases and in-hospital mortality of these patients. RESULTS: A total of 991 patients (mean age 61.62±17.02; 54.9% male) were recruited. Hypertension (41.1%), diabetes mellitus (30.6%), and coronary artery disease (19.6%) were the most common underlying diseases. The multivariable model showed that hypertension (RR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.22-2.14, p = 0.001) in male patients over 55 years old and coronary artery disease (RR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.24-4.46, p = 0.009) in female patients under 65 years old were risk factors of mortality. In females over 65 years old, the history of taking Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) (RR = 0.272; 95% CI: 0.17-0.41, p = 0.001) was a significant protective factor for death. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 patients with a history of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and coronary artery disease, especially those in specific age and sex groups, are high-risk patients for in-hospital mortality. Additionally, a previous history of taking ACEi and ARB medications in females over 65 tears old was a protective factor against in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients.

Association between vitamin D level and prognostic factors among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate the presence of any relationship between vitamin D and prognostic factors among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among patients admitted from March to August 2020 in a referral hospital, Tehran, Iran. All patients aged 18-65 who had not any comorbidity participated in the study. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was established using the rRT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Then the incidence of lung involvement and biochemical markers including vitamin D level, c-reactive protein, D-dimer, lymphocyte count, platelet count, white blood cell count, and lactic acid dehydrogenase, were extracted through medical records. RESULTS: Altogether, 84 patients met our study criteria, and the information of 68 (80.9%) participants were collected. Among all 68 patients, 45 (66.2%) were male. The mean (SD) age of all participants was 52.4 (10.4) years old. Among 24 (35.2%) clients who died due to SARS-CoV-2, 20 (83.3%) patients were male (p=0.02). The mean (SD) of vitamin D level was 24.1 (13.6) ng/dL. No association between vitamin D level and prognostic factors, including CRP, lymphocyte count, D-dimer, LDH, and HRCT scan score, was observed. Also, the vitamin D level of the dead patients was not significantly different from that of the treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated no significant relationship between vitamin D level and prognostic factors or outcomes of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Low-Dose Whole-Lung Irradiation for COVID-19 Pneumonia: Final Results of a Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Radiation therapy (RT), commonly used in cancer management, has been considered as one of the potential treatments for COVID-19 pneumonia. Here, we present the results of the pilot trial evaluating low-dose whole-lung irradiation (LD-WLI) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: Ten patients with moderate COVID-19 pneumonia were treated with LD-WLI in a single fraction of 0.5 or 1.0 Gy along with the national protocol. The primary endpoint was an improvement in Spo2. The secondary endpoints were the number of days of hospital/intensive care unit stay, the number of intubations after RT, 28-day mortality, and changes in biomarkers. The response rate (RR) was defined as an increase in Spo2 upon RT with a rising or constant trend in the next 2 days, clinical recovery (CR) including patients who were discharged or acquired Spo2 ≥93% on room air, and 28-day mortality rate defined based on days of RT. RESULTS: The median age was 75 years (80% male). Five, 1, and 4 patients received single-dose 0.5 Gy, two-dose 0.5 Gy, and single-dose 1.0 Gy LD-WLI, respectively. The mean improvement in Spo2 at days 1 and 2 after RT was 2.4% (±4.8%) and 3.6% (±6.1%), respectively, with improvement in 9 patients after 1 day. Five, 1, and 4 patients were discharged, opted out of the trial, and died in the hospital, respectively. Two of 5 discharged patients died within 3 days at home. Among discharged patients, the Spo2 at discharge was 81% to 88% in 3 patients and 93% in the other 2 patients. Overall, the RR and CR were 63.6% and 55.5%, respectively. The RR, CR, and 28-day mortality of the single 0.5 Gy and 1.0 Gy WLI groups were 71.4% versus 50% (P = .57), 60% versus 50% (P = .64), and 50% versus 75% (P = .57), respectively. CONCLUSION: LD-WLI with a single fraction of 0.5 Gy or 1 Gy is feasible. A randomized trial with patients who do not receive radiation is required to assess the efficacy of LD-WLI for COVID-19.

Correlation between Chest Computed Tomography Scan Findings and Mortality of COVID-19 Cases; a Cross sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Predicting the outcomes of COVID-19 cases using different clinical, laboratory, and imaging parameters is one of the most interesting fields of research in this regard. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between chest computed tomography (CT) scan findings and outcomes of COVID-19 cases. METHODS: This cross sectional study was carried out on confirmed COVID-19 cases with clinical manifestations and chest CT scan findings based on Iran's National Guidelines for defining COVID-19. Baseline and chest CT scan characteristics of patients were investigated and their correlation with mortality was analyzed and reported using SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: 380 patients with the mean age of 53.62 ± 16.66 years were evaluated (66.1% male). The most frequent chest CT scan abnormalities were in peripheral (86.6%) and peribronchovascular interstitium (34.6%), with ground glass pattern (54.1%), and round (53.6%) or linear (46.7%) shape. There was a significant correlation between shape of abnormalities (p = 0.003), CT scan Severity Score (CTSS) (p <0.0001), and pulmonary artery CT diameter (p = 0. 01) with mortality. The mean CTSS of non-survived cases was significantly higher (13.68 ± 4.59 versus 8.72 ± 4.42; <0.0001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of CTSS in predicting the patients' mortality was 0.800 (95% CI: 0.716-0.884). The best cut off point of chest CTSS in this regard was 12 with 75.82% (95% CI: 56.07%-88.98%) sensitivity and 75.78% (95% CI: 70.88%-80.10%) specificity. The mean main pulmonary artery diameter in patients with CTSS ≥ 12 was higher than cases with CTSS < 12 (27.89 ± 3.73 vs 26.24 ± 3.14 mm; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the present study it seems that there is a significant correlation between chest CT scan characteristics and mortality of COVID-19 cases. Patients with lower CTSS, lower pulmonary artery CT diameter, and round shape opacity had lower mortality.

Antibiotic Prescribing Trends Before and After Implementation of an Audit and Feedback Program in Internal Ward of a Tertiary Hospital in Tehran.

We implemented a post prescribing review and feedback program to investigate its effect on appropriateness of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial consumption rate. A pre-post interventional study conducted in internal ward of Imam Hossein teaching hospital. For nine months of intervention phase, medical file of all patients who received intravenous antibiotic were reviewed by a clinical pharmacy specialist. Discrepancies from international and local guidelines were discussed with physicians. Outcome measures included appropriateness of antimicrobial usage, length of stay, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial usage rate. A total of 198 antibiotic courses (154 in intervention phase and 44 in pre-intervention phase) were reviewed. One-hundred sixty-seven recommendations in treatment course of 75.3% of patients were made. The most common recommendations were discontinuing antibiotics and changing from intravenous to oral therapy (35% and 22%). The acceptance rate was 80.2%. Rate of discrepancies from guidelines was compared between pre-intervention and two last months of intervention period which showed a significant reduction in antibiotic choosing (47%, P-value < 0.001), de-escalation (48%, P-value < 0.001), on time changing intravenous to oral therapy (60%, P-value < 0.001) and dosing schedule (30%, P-value = 0.003). Hospital length of stay showed a significant reduction from 16.1 days to 11.6 days (P-value < 0.05) between pre-intervention and post-intervention group. Mortality rate was not different in the patients that intervention in their treatment was accepted vs. rejected (P-value = 1.00). There was a reduction trend in consumption rate of Carbapenems, Vancomycin, and Ciprofloxacin. Therefore, prospective audit and feedback program effectively decreased inappropriate treatment and hospital length of stay with no effect on mortality.

Comparison of Intravenous Ampicillin-sulbactam Plus Nebulized Colistin with Intravenous Colistin Plus Nebulized Colistin in Treatment of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Caused by Multi Drug Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii: Randomized Open Label Trial.

The purpose of this study was evaluating the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) ampicillin-sulbactam plus nebulized colistin in the treatment of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) caused by MDR Acinetobacter (MDRA) in ICU patients as an alternative to IV plus nebulized colistin. In this single-blinded RCT, one group received IV colistin and another group IV ampicillin-sulbactam (16 and 12 patients from total 28 patients, respectively) for 14 days or since clinical response. Both groups received nebulized colistin by mesh nebulizer. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in baseline characteristics and previous antibiotic therapy. In follow up period, no significant difference was observed between 2 groups in rate of microbiological eradication, clinical signs of VAP improvement, survival rate and length of hospital as well as ICU stays. Although we have found no significant differences in Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) incidence between two groups, comparison of cumulative patient-days with stages 2 and 3 AKI with days with no or stage 1 AKI, according to AKIN criteria, revealed significant difference in IV colistin versus IV ampicillin-sulbactam group (p = 0.013). The results demonstrated that the high dose IV ampicillin-sulbactam plus nebulized colistin regimen has comparable efficacy with IV plus nebulized colistin in the treatment of VAP caused by MDRA, with sensitivity to colistin only, with probably lower incidence of kidney injury.