Mitoquinone Mesylate and Mitochondrial DNA in End Organs in Humanized Mouse Model of Chronic Treated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection.

No treatment exists for mitochondrial dysfunction, a contributor to end-organ disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The mitochondrial antioxidant mitoquinone mesylate (MitoQ) attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction in preclinical mouse models of various diseases but has not been used in HIV. We used a humanized murine model of chronic HIV infection and polymerase chain reaction to show that HIV-1-infected mice treated with antiretroviral therapy and MitoQ for 90 days had higher ratios of human and murine mitochondrial to nuclear DNA in end organs compared with HIV-1-infected mice on antiretroviral therapy. We offer translational evidence of MitoQ as treatment for mitochondrial dysfunction in HIV.

Effectiveness of quadrivalent influenza vaccine in pregnant women and infants, 2018-2019.

Influenza is associated with an increased risk for serious illness, hospitalization and/or death in pregnant women and young infants. We prospectively studied the effectiveness of a quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (QIV) in pregnant women and their infants during the 2018-2019 influenza season. A QIV was offered to pregnant women cared in a maternity hospital in Athens. Women were contacted weekly by telephone during the influenza season and PCR test was offered to women or infants who developed influenza-like illness (ILI). We studied 423 pregnant women and 446 infants. Unvaccinated pregnant women had a 7.5% probability to develop laboratory-confirmed influenza compared to 2.1% among vaccinated women (Odds ratio: 3.6; confidence intervals: 1.14-11.34, p-value = 0.029). Infants whose mothers were not vaccinated had a 7.9% probability to develop laboratory-confirmed influenza compared to 2.8% among infants of vaccinated mothers (Odds ratio = 2.849, confidence intervals: 0.892-9.102, p-value = 0.053). Cox regression analyses showed that QIV vaccination was significantly associated with a decreased probability for laboratory-confirmed influenza, ILI, healthcare seeking and hospitalization among pregnant women and a decreased probability for laboratory-confirmed influenza, healthcare seeking and prescription of antibiotics among infants. The effectiveness of QIV against laboratory-confirmed influenza was 72% among pregnant women and 64.5% among infants during the 2018-2019 influenza season. Vaccination of pregnant women with the QIV was associated with a lower risk for laboratory-confirmed influenza for them and their infants during the influenza season. Our findings strongly support the World Health Organization recommendations for vaccinating pregnant women against influenza.

Circulation of Influenza Type B Lineages in Greece During 2005-2015 and Estimation of Their Impact.

The past decades influenza B lineages Victoria and Yamagata cocirculated. Our aim was to estimate the distribution of the two lineages circulating in Greece and any possible mismatching with vaccine influenza B strains. We studied 490 laboratory-confirmed influenza B nonsevere acute respiratory infection (non-SARI) cases diagnosed in the two National Influenza Reference Laboratories by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2015 and 100 influenza B SARI cases diagnosed from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2015. Median matching between the circulating influenza B lineages and the vaccine influenza B strains was 19.2% (range: 0-100%) for non-SARI cases during 2005-2015 and 67.6% (range: 41.2-94.1%) for SARI cases during 2011-2015. In two influenza seasons (2005-2006 and 2006-2007), complete lineage mismatch between influenza B non-SARI cases and influenza B vaccine strains was found. We estimated that 5, 12, or 16 laboratory-confirmed SARI cases could have been prevented by quadrivalent influenza inactivated vaccine (QIV) during the 2011-2012 season and 1, 2, or 3 SARI cases during the 2014-2015 season, with a vaccination coverage rate of 70% and a vaccine effectiveness of 20%, 50%, or 70%, respectively. Significant cocirculation of Victoria and Yamagata B strains and mismatching with vaccine influenza B strains were found during 2005-2015 in Greece. The wide use of a QIV instead of a TIV will confer additional immunity and therefore protection against influenza B, and it is expected to prevent several SARI cases annually. Our findings strongly support the recommendations for using QIV.

HSV1 and 2 detection in the CSF of multiple sclerosis patients by real-time PCR.

AIM: The pathogenic role of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) 1 and 2 in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) still remains obscure. The aim of our study was the assessment of HSV1 and 2 DNA prevalence in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patients compared to patients with other neurological disorders (OND). MATERIALS AND METHODS: HSV1 and HSV2 DNA detection in the CSF of patients was performed by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The genome of HSV1 was present in the CSF of 4.7% of MS patients (4 out of 85), while HSV2 was not detected in any patient. In the sub-group of OND patients, HSV1 was detected in 7.9% of patients (3 out of 38) and HSV2 was detected in 5.3% of patients (2 out of 38). CONCLUSION: Our data are in accordance with a limited number of previous reports, supporting a prevalence of HSV1 genome in less than 5% of MS patients.

Detection of Bacteria Bearing Resistant Biofilm Forms, by Using the Universal and Specific PCR is Still Unhelpful in the Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infections.

Intraoperative conventional bacteriological cultures were compared with different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods in patients with total joint arthroplasties. The isolated bacteria were investigated for biofilm formation, and the biofilm forming strains, in their planktonic and biofilm forms, were further tested for their antimicrobial resistance against several clinically important antimicrobials. Forty four bone and joint samples were included and classified as infected or non-infected according to standard criteria for periprosthetic hip and knee infections. For the bacteriological diagnosis, conventional culture, two types of universal PCR and species specific PCR for three selected pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were applied. Biofilm formation determination was performed by the tissue culture plate method. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the planktonic bacteria was performed by the minimal inhibitory concentration determination and, of the biofilm forms, by the minimal inhibitory concentration for bacterial regrowth from the biofilm. Twenty samples were culture positive, with S. epidermidis, S. aureus, or P. aeruginosa. All PCR methods were very ineffective in detecting only one pathogen. All isolates were biofilm positive and their biofilm forms, were highly resistant. In this study, compared to PCR, culture remains the "gold standard." The biofilm formation by the causative bacteria and the concomitant manifold increased antimicrobial resistance may explain the clinical failure of treatment in some cases and should be considered in the future for therapeutic planning.