SARS­CoV­2 infection and associated risk factors for clinical cases of cerebral venous thrombosis: A case series.

The present study focused on examining the association between the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, and cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), a specific form of stroke that affects the brain's vessels and sinuses. While COVID-19 is primarily recognized for its respiratory impact, it may also affect other organs, including the brain. One notable aspect of COVID-19 is its association with coagulopathy, an abnormal condition of blood clotting. Coagulopathy may result in various complications, including neurological ones such as stroke. The study analyzed data obtained from patients admitted to a neurology department who had confirmed neurological pathologies along with COVID-19. It specifically examined the cases of three patients with neurological conditions and COVID-19, discussing their risk factors and how their conditions progressed clinically. The study concluded that COVID-19 infection increases the likelihood of stroke, particularly within the initial 10 days after infection. CVT in particular is strongly linked to COVID-19 and its underlying mechanisms involve immune systemic processes, cytokine storms, increased blood thickness, thrombogenesis, hypercoagulability and inflammation. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection may worsen the procoagulant cascade, thereby affecting the clinical condition of patients with CVT. The study underscores the importance of recognizing this uncommon but treatable consequence of COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, it highlights the uniqueness of the study in evaluating COVID-19 infection in patients with CVT from Romania and South-East Europe. The findings support the existence of neurological disorders, including clotting complications in the brain's sinuses and vessels, in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Several risk factors contribute to the development of CVT, such as infections, oral contraceptives, pregnancy, hematological disorders, trauma, autoimmune disorders and malignancies.

Boutonneuse Fever in Southeastern Romania.

Boutonneuse fever (BF) is an eruptive disease and is classified as a spotted fever, which is endemic in the Mediterranean basin (i.e., Marseille fever or Mediterranean spotted fever) and the Black Sea, caused by Rickettsia conorii, with dog ticks being a vector (i.e., Rhipicephalus sanguineus). In Romania, although the first reported outbreak of BF occurred during the summer of 1931 in Constanta, the disease was discovered in 1910. Although the disease has occurred most frequently in the two counties of the Dobruja region (Constanta and Tulcea), a region of the Balkan Peninsula, during the last few years, other counties in southeastern Romania have started to report BF cases. In a period of 9 years, 533 cases were registered in Constanta county, while in a period of 11 years, 339 cases were registered in Bucharest county. In this review, we describe the bacterial tick-borne disease caused by R. conorii in southeastern Romania, focusing on its history and epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical aspects, diagnosis, treatment and preventive measures in the context of climate changes. Although R. conorii is the principal etiologic agent of BF in southeastern Romania, we should take into consideration that other Rickettsia spp. could be present and involved in disease transmission.

Clinical Perspectives of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Kidney Disease: Where Do We Stand?

The gut microbiota (GM) plays a vital role in human health, with increasing evidence linking its imbalance to chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease. Although the exact methods underlying kidney-GM crosstalk are not fully understood, interventions targeting GM were made and lay in three aspects: diagnostic, predictive, and therapeutic interventions. While these interventions show promising results in reducing uremic toxins and inflammation, challenges remain in the form of patient-specific GM variability, potential side effects, and safety concerns. Our understanding of GMs role in kidney disease is still evolving, necessitating further research to elucidate the causal relationship and mechanistic interactions. Personalized interventions focusing on specific GM signatures could enhance patient outcomes. However, comprehensive clinical trials are needed to validate these approaches' safety, efficacy, and feasibility.

Development of Gut Microbiota in the First 1000 Days after Birth and Potential Interventions.

The first 1000 days after birth represent a critical window for gut microbiome development, which is essential for immune system maturation and overall health. The gut microbiome undergoes major changes during this period due to shifts in diet and environment. Disruptions to the microbiota early in life can have lasting health effects, including increased risks of inflammatory disorders, autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders, and obesity. Maternal and environmental factors during pregnancy and infancy shape the infant gut microbiota. In this article, we will review how maintaining a healthy gut microbiome in pregnancy and infancy is important for long-term infant health. Furthermore, we briefly include fungal colonization and its effects on the host immune function, which are discussed as part of gut microbiome ecosystem. Additionally, we will describe how potential approaches such as hydrogels enriched with prebiotics and probiotics, gut microbiota transplantation (GMT) during pregnancy, age-specific microbial ecosystem therapeutics, and CRISPR therapies targeting the gut microbiota hold potential for advancing research and development. Nevertheless, thorough evaluation of their safety, effectiveness, and lasting impacts is crucial prior to their application in clinical approach. The article emphasizes the need for continued research to optimize gut microbiota and immune system development through targeted early-life interventions.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Transient Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus-2 Case Reports and Literature Review.

Neonatal diabetes mellitus is a rare genetic disease that affects 1 in 90,000 live births. The start of the disease is often before the baby is 6 months old, with rare cases of onset between 6 months and 1 year. It is characterized by low or absent insulin levels in the blood, leading to severe hyperglycemia in the patient, which requires temporary insulin therapy in around 50% of cases or permanent insulin therapy in other cases. Two major processes involved in diabetes mellitus are a deformed pancreas with altered insulin-secreting cell development and/or survival or faulty functioning of the existing pancreatic beta cell. We will discuss the cases of two preterm girls with neonatal diabetes mellitus in this research. In addition to reviewing the literature on the topic, we examined the different mutations, patient care, and clinical outcomes both before and after insulin treatment.

Relationship between Gut Microbiota and Allergies in Children: A Literature Review.

The intestinal microbiota is a diverse and complex microecosystem that lives and thrives within the human body. The microbiota stabilizes by the age of three. This microecosystem plays a crucial role in human health, particularly in the early years of life. Dysbiosis has been linked to the development of various allergic diseases with potential long-term implications. Next-generation sequencing methods have established that allergic diseases are associated with dysbiosis. These methods can help to improve the knowledge of the relationship between dysbiosis and allergic diseases. The aim of this review paper is to synthesize the current understanding on the development of the intestinal microbiota in children, the long-term impact on health, and the relationship between dysbiosis and allergic diseases. Furthermore, we examine the connection between the microbiome and specific allergies such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, and food allergies, and which mechanisms could determine the induction of these diseases. Furthermore, we will review how factors such as mode of delivery, antibiotic use, breastfeeding, and the environment influence the development of the intestinal flora, as well as review various interventions for the prevention and treatment of gut microbiota-related allergies.

Fetal Growth Restriction and Clinical Parameters of Newborns from HIV-Infected Romanian Women.

Background and Objectives: The present study assessed the fetal growth restriction and clinical parameters of both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative and HIV-positive newborns from HIV-infected mothers in two HIV-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome regional centers (RCs) in Constanta and Craiova, Romania, in order to evaluate the adverse birth-related outcomes. Materials and Methods: These represent a retrospective study conducted between 2008 and 2019, in which 408 pregnant HIV-positive women, 244 from Constanta RC and 164 from Craiova RC, were eligible to participate in the study. Consecutive singleton pregnancies delivered beyond 24 weeks of pregnancy were included. Growth restriction in newborns was defined as the birth weight (BW) being less than the third percentile, or three out of the following: BW < 10th percentile; head circumference (HC) < 10th percentile; birth length (BL) < 10th percentile; prenatal diagnosis of fetal growth restriction; and maternal pregnancy information. Of the 244 newborns delivered in Constanta, RC, 17 were HIV-positive, while in Craiova, RC, of the 164 newborns, 9 were HIV-positive. All HIV-positive women were on combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) during pregnancy, similar to all HIV-positive newborns who received ARTs for the first six weeks. We search for the influence of anthropometrical parameters (i.e., HC, BL, and BW), as well as clinical parameters (i.e., newborn sex and Apgar score) for both HIV-negative and HIV-positive newborns, along with the survival rate of HIV-positive newborns. Results: There were no differences in the sex of the newborns within either group, with more than 50% being boys. Similarly, the Apgar score did not show any statistically significant values between the two groups (i.e., p = 0.544 for HIV-positive newborns vs. p = 0.108 for HIV-negative newborns). Interestingly, our results showed that in Craiova, RC, there was a chance of 2.16 to find an HIV-negative newborn with an HC < 10th percentile and a 2.54 chance to find an HIV-negative newborn with a BL < 10th percentile compared to Constanta, RC, without any significant differences. On the contrary, Constanta, RC, represented a higher risk of death (i.e., 3.049 times, p = 0.0470) for HIV-positive newborns compared to Craiova, RC. Conclusions: Our results support the idea that follow-up of fetal growth restriction should be part of postnatal care in this high-risk population to improve adverse birth-related outcomes.

HPV and HIV Coinfection in Women from a Southeast Region of Romania-PICOPIV Study.

Background and Objectives: Romania faces one of the highest cervical cancer burdens in Europe though it is a preventable cancer through population screening by cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) detection. Also, it has one of the highest incidences of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. HPV and HIV coinfection are frequently encountered. The aim of study was to establish the prevalence of HPV infection among HIV-positive women in Southeast Region of Romania, to genotype high risk HPV types -and to correlate the results with clinical data and cytological cervical lesions. Materials and Methods: 40 HIV-positive women were screened for HPV types and for cytological cervical lesions. The findings were evaluated in correlation with CD4 cell counts, HIV viral load, age at first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, vaginal candidiasis, and Gardnerella using statistical methods. Results: 19/40 (47.5%) women were positive for HPV types, 63.15% infected with single HPV type and 36.85% with multiple HPV types. The most frequent types were type: 31 (42.1%), 56 (31.57%), 53 (15.78%). On cytology, 34 (85%) women were found with NILM of which 38.23% were HPV-positive. Fifteen percent of women had abnormal cytology (three ASC-US, three LSIL), and all of them were HPV-positive. Through analyzing the value of CD4 count, women with CD4 count ≤ 200 cells/µL were found to be significantly more likely to be infected with HPV; meanwhile there was no correlation between the detection of HPV types and HIV viral load. Candida or Gardnerella were more often associated with HIV-positive women with HPV, than in women without HPV. Conclusions: Infection with HPV types is common among HIV-positive women in the Southeast Region of Romania and it is associated with age at the beginning of sexual life, number of sexual partners, CD4 value, vaginal candidiasis, and Gardnerella infection.

Clinical and Biological Risk Factors Associated with Increased Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Two South-East HIV-AIDS Regional Centers in Romania.

Background and Objectives: The occurrence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in children in Romania has been reported since 1989. This retrospective study was aimed at assessing clinical and biological risk factors for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in two HIV-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) Regional Centers (RCs), Constanta and Craiova in Romania. Materials and Methods: During the study period (2008-2019), 408 HIV-positive pregnant women, 244 from Constanta RC and 164 from Craiova RC who attended antenatal visits, were included. All HIV-positive pregnant women were under combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) during pregnancy and childbirth, being followedup with their infants up to 18 months after delivery. We investigated the clinical as well as biological risk factorsassociated with increased MTCT of HIV. Results: Comparing different variables of HIV-positive pregnant women from the two HIV-AIDS CRs, we find that there are significant differences between the mean value of hemoglobin, CD4 level, environmental area, marital and amniotic membranes status, and HIV patient stage in the last trimester of pregnancy (p < 0.05), but without any differences in mother's mean age, education level, type of delivery, breastfeeding, the duration of cART administration, HIV viral load, and survival rate. Conclusions: In 408 HIV-positive pregnant women followed up at two HIV-AIDS RCs in Romania, the most important clinical and biological risk factors associated with increased MTCT of HIV are represented by anemia, CD4 level, and HIV patient stage.

Case Reports of Pregnancy-Related Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in the Neurology Department of the Emergency Clinical Hospital in Constanta.

Cerebral venous thrombosis accounts for 0.5-1% of all cerebrovascular events and is one type of stroke that affects the veins and cerebral sinuses. Females are more affected than males, as they may have risk factors, such as pregnancy, first period after pregnancy, treatment with oral contraceptives treatment with hormonal replacement, or hereditary thrombophilia. This neurological pathology may endanger a patient's life. However, it must be suspected in its acute phase, when it presents with variable clinical characteristics, so that special treatment can be initiated to achieve a favorable outcome with partial or complete functional recovery. The case study describes the data and the treatment of two patients with confirmed cerebral venous thrombosis with various localizations and associated risk factors, who were admitted to the neurology department of the Sf. Apostol Andrei Emergency Hospital in Constanta. The first patient was 40 years old and affected by sigmoid sinus and right lateral sinus thrombosis, inferior sagittal sinus, and right sinus thrombosis, associated with right temporal subacute cortical and subcortical hemorrhage, which appeared following a voluntary abortion. The second case was a patient aged 25 who was affected by left parietal cortical vein thrombosis, associated with ipsilateral superior parietal subcortical venous infarction, which appeared following labor. The data are strictly observational and offer a perspective on clinical manifestations and clinical and paraclinical investigations, including the treatment of young patients who had been diagnosed with cerebral venous thrombosis and admitted to the neurology department.

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of xyloglucan and gelose for the treatment of acute diarrhea in children.

BACKGROUND: Oral rehydration is the main treatment of acute diarrhea in children. This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of xyloglucan and gelose (agar-agar) plus oral rehydration solution (ORS) compared with placebo and ORS for reduction of acute diarrhea symptoms in children. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, children with acute gastroenteritis received xyloglucan/gelose plus ORS (n = 50) or placebo plus ORS (n = 50) for 5 days. Demographic, clinical, anthropometric and laboratory parameters were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Xyloglucan/gelose plus ORS reduced the total number of type 7 and 6 stools on the Bristol Stool Form scale (p = 0.040 and p = 0.015, respectively, compared to placebo plus ORS), and had a rapid onset of action, evident 6 hours post-treatment. Xyloglucan/gelose plus ORS also improved associated clinical symptoms (apathy, vomiting, flatulence, and blood in stool). compared with placebo plus ORS. Except for a generalized rash of unknown causality in a patient receiving placebo plus ORS, all other adverse events (dehydration, n = 7, cough, n = 1, exacerbation of vomiting, n = 1) were deemed unrelated to study medication. CONCLUSIONS: Xyloglucan/gelose plus ORS was effective and safe in treating acute diarrhea in children.

Fatal rare case of measles complicated by bilateral pulmonary embolism: a case report and short literature review.

Different endemic outbreaks of measles have been diagnosed worldwide during the last several years. Some have had severe and fatal complications, possibly because of decreasing vaccination rates. The present case report describes an unvaccinated boy aged 2 years 11 months who was diagnosed with severe measles complicated by pulmonary embolism (PE). Clinical examination revealed a maculopapular rash, hyperemic pharynx, Koplik's spots, upper respiratory airway obstruction, and tachycardia with no meningeal signs of irritation. Laboratory investigations showed leukocytosis, anemia, normal liver enzyme levels, a moderately high C-reactive protein level (26 mg/L), a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (65 mm/h), and immunoglobulin M positivity for measles. The patient was treated with antibiotic therapy (meropenem at 20 mg/kg every 8 hours) and supportive measures (anti-inflammatory drugs and intravenous rehydration). On the fourth day of hospitalization, the patient's general condition became profoundly altered; although cardiorespiratory resuscitation maneuvers were initiated, the child died. Autopsy revealed bilateral pleural effusion with serous citrine fluid, acute purulent bronchopneumonia, bilateral hilar adenopathy, and bilateral PE. Additional research is needed to establish optimal care for pediatric patients with measles, especially when complicated by PE.

Birth outcome in HIV vertically-exposed children in two Romanian centers.

BACKGROUND: The Romanian HIV epidemic is characterized by a high prevalence among children born in the late '80s, perinatally infected. The impact of long-term treatment on their offspring is unknown. We evaluated the influence of prenatal care on the rate of premature birth among the HIV-exposed children of heavily treated HIV-infected mothers in two Romanian centers. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data on all patients born by HIV-infected mothers between 2006 and 2012 followed up in two main regional centers. We compared the rate of premature birth and the differences between the sites regarding children and maternal demographic characteristics and antiretroviral exposure in pregnant women. RESULTS: A total of 358 children born to 315 women were enrolled between 2006-2012, 262 children from the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Prof. Dr. Matei Bals" Bucharest (NIID) and 96 children from the Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital Constanta (IDHC). Gender rate in newborns and mean age in mothers were similar. We recorded statistically significant differences between centers in the rate of HIV vertical transmission (16.8% vs. 6.2%, p=0.002) and prematurity (25.2 vs. 14.6%, p=0.023). The most used antiretroviral combination during pregnancy in IDHC was boosted lopinavir and fixed dose zidovudine-lamivudine (66% of cases), while in NIID a greater diversity of antiretrovirals were used. Women from IDHC were more frequently treated during pregnancy (83.3% vs. 68.6%, p=0.004). HCV coinfection and illegal drug use were associated with prematurity in the NIID cohort (p=0.037, p=0.024). CONCLUSION: We found a higher rate of premature birth and HIV infection in NIID. In IDHC we found a higher rate of low birth weight in children and a higher rate of heavily treated women. Prematurity was associated with hepatitis C infection and illegal drug use in the NIID cohort.

Pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in an AIDS patient.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (PIMT) is a rare disease that occurs more frequently in younger patients. Its etiopathogeny remains debated whether this is an inflammatory lesion characterized by uncontrolled cell growth or a true neoplasm. AIM: To present a case of PIMT in a young men, HIV-positive since childhood. Patient, Methods and Results: We report the case of an HIV-positive patient, aged 21 years, with collapsed immunity (CD4=23 cells/mm3), which in the second half of 2009 was clinically and radiologically diagnosed with recurrent right pneumonia. Serological tests were negative for Mycoplasma, Epstein-Barr and HHV-8 and positive for cytomegalovirus (CMV). Further monitoring of this episode raises imaging suspicion of the tumor in right upper pulmonary lobe. A lung wedge biopsy by thoracotomy was performed. The result of histopathological examination was suggestive for Kaposi sarcoma but required an immunohistochemical examination (vimentin, smooth muscle actin, CD34, anaplastic lymphoma kinase, CK7, L26/CD20, CD38, CD68), which established diagnosis of PIMT. In our case, we noticed a favorable evolution under antiretroviral treatment (by increasing CD4 count - immunity slowly improved), broad-spectrum antibiotics, and steroidal anti-inflammatory treatment, with regression of PIMT over eight months. CONCLUSIONS: Although inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary tumoral lesions in young adults. This is the first PIMT case in an HIV-positive patient described in Romania. Even good response in such cases was noticed after surgical treatment, in our case we achieved complete remission of the disease with anti-inflammatory steroidal therapy and combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). As other infectious etiologies, CMV also could represent a trigger for developing a pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.

Parental environmental tobacco smoking and the prevalence of respiratory diseases in primary school children.

INTRODUCTION: The inhaling tobacco smoke to which a child is exposed, in a home environmental area, could affect respiratory system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The aim of the study consists in detecting the prevalence of respiratory diseases in home exposure to secondhand smoke among primary school children. A 6-month prospective case-control study based on questionnaire survey was carried out among school children of "Spiru Haret" Primary School, Medgidia, Romania, with absences for respiratory diseases, related to exposure to parental passive smoking, in their home environmental. 136 school children and their families informed, consented to complete the questionnaire and were surveyed for respiratory diseases and domestic environmental tobacco smoking, from the 1st of October, 2011 to the 31st March, 2012. The method consists in collecting data about any respiratory illness events, correlating them with the questionnaire --reports of parental smoking in home environmental. RESULTS: Participants were divided in 88 cases exposed to SHS (E) and 48 controls without exposure (NE). The most sick children with more than one episode of respiratory illness were among cases (n = 61/88; 69.31% vs 19/48; 39.58%; OR = 3.45; RR = 1.62; chi2 = 12.25; p < 0.0008). The most important source of parental passive smoking is the father (n = 67/88; 76.13%), being a single parent in most of the cases (n = 46/88; 57.95%). The prevalence of bronchial asthma was 0.34% in cases, being related with prenatal maternal smoking exposure (1.11%). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of respiratory diseases is higher among children with environmental parental tobacco exposure, in particular, smoking father.