Epidemiology and outcome of systemic infections due to saprochaete capitata: case report and review of the literature.

A case of systemic infection due to Saprochaete capitata in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia is described. A review of the literature was conducted to identify all reported cases of this infection described between 1977 and August 2013. One hundred and four cases (included the present one) were identified. The median age of the patients was 56 years and 56% were males. Comorbidities included acute myeloid leukemia (52%), acute lymphoid leukemia (22%), other hematological malignancies (13%) and non-hematological diseases (9%). At the time of the infection, 82% of the patients were neutropenic. In 75% of the cases, the yeast was isolated from blood culture, in 25% from other sterile sites. Empirical treatment was done in 36% of the cases. Fifty-eight percent of the individual cases were treated with a combination or a sequential antifungal therapy. Amphotericin B was the antifungal drug most commonly used, followed by voriconazole and itraconazole. The overall crude mortality was 60%. Saprochaete capitata causes life-threatening infections in neutropenic patients. This comprehensive literature review may help the clinician to optimize the management of this rare infection.

Changing characteristics and risk factors of patients with and without incident HCV infection among HIV-infected individuals.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has become a leading cause of non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related morbidity and mortality for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. Despite injection drug use (IDU) remaining the main route of HCV infection, recent reports indicate outbreaks of acute HCV infection among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) and sexually transmitted infections in the absence of IDU. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of behavioural and demographic factors of patients with and without incident HCV infection among HIV-infected individuals followed at the AIDS Clinic of the Infectious Disease Department of the University of Ancona from 1989 to 2011. RESULTS: Overall, 440 patients were considered; a total of 145 patients had initial positive HCV antibody test results (HCV+); a total of 295 patients had initial negative HCV antibody test results (HCV-). In the latter population, 14 seroconverted to HCV antibody (neoHCV), with an overall incidence of 0.59 per 100 person-years. While IDU was the principal risk factor of HCV+, the main route of transmission of incident HCV infection was sexual transmission. The HCV- group was significantly older than the other two groups and showed a significantly lower CD4 count at HIV diagnosis than neoHCV. Being Italian and having a low level of education were significantly more represented in HCV+. Younger age at HIV infection, IDU and additional risk factors other than sexual transmission significantly affected the probability of being HCV+. The cumulative probability of developing HCV infection in the HCV- group was calculated to be 6% at 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiology of the newly acquired HCV in HIV+ persons is changing. Therefore, a frequent and constant counselling about HCV infection is desirable and a periodical screening test is mandatory.

Influence of night-shift and napping at work on urinary melatonin, 17-ß-estradiol and clock gene expression in pre-menopausal nurses.

Night-workers experience disruption of the sleep-wake cycle and light at night which may increase breast cancer risk by suppressing the nocturnal melatonin surge, resulting in higher levels of circulating estrogens. Night-work may also deregulate peripheral clock genes which have been found to be altered in breast cancer. This study investigated urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), serum 17-beta-estradiol levels in premenopausal shift nurses at the end of the night-shift compared to a control group of daytime nurses. Peripheral clock gene expression in lymphocytes were also investigated. All participants were sampled in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. The effect of nurses’ ability to take a short nap during the night-shift was also explored. The shift-work group had significantly lower aMT6s levels than daytime nurses independently of a nap. Night-shift napping significantly influences 17-beta-estradiol levels resulting in higher outcomes in nurses who do not take a nap compared to napping group and daytime workers. Peripheral clock genes expression investigated was not significantly different among the groups. Our findings suggest that shift nurses experience changes in aMT6s levels after a night-shift. Napping habits influence 17-beta-estradiol levels at the end of a night-shift. These findings might be related to the increased cancer risk reported in night-shift workers and suggest that a short nap during night-shifts may exert a positive effect.

In vitro activity and in vivo efficacy of tigecycline alone and in combination with daptomycin and rifampin against Gram-positive cocci isolated from surgical wound infection.

The aim of this work was to determine the in vitro activity of tigecycline and its bactericidal effect for a large number of Gram-positive cocci, as well as to investigate its in vitro interaction with six clinically used antibiotics. In vivo, a wound model was established through the panniculus carnosus of BALB/c mice, and then inoculated with 5 × 10(7) colony-forming units (CFU) of Staphylococcus aureus or Enterococcus faecalis. For each bacterial strain, the study included an infected or non-infected group that did not receive any treatment, three groups singly treated with tigecycline, rifampin, and daptomycin, and two groups that received tigecycline treatment plus rifampin or daptomycin. In the in vitro studies, tigecycline, daptomycin, and teicoplanin were active against all of the 48 Gram-positive isolates. The combination of tigecycline with rifampicin and daptomycin was synergistic against S. aureus and Enterococcus spp. In the in vivo studies, all groups treated with single drugs showed statistically significant results compared to the control group. The two groups treated with a combination of drugs showed the highest antimicrobial efficacy. In conclusion, our results suggested a strong activity of tigecycline alone and in combination with other antimicrobial agents against multi-resistant Gram-positive organisms isolated from wound infections.

[Sinonasal carcinoma and exposure to wood and leather dust: analysis of 36 cases]. / Neoplasie naso-sinusali da esposizione occupazionale a polveri di legno e cuoio: analisi retrospettiva di 36 casi.

In order to define the best strategies of prevention and diagnosis of sinonasal cancer, the aim of our study was the investigation of the etiological and prognostic factors related to 36 cases. The enrolled cases were composed mostly of men working in the footwear industry, with a mean age of 63.7 years and mean exposure of 34.6 years. The period between the start of exposure and the appearance of the neoplasm was of 44.6 years, the time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis was of 10.8 months. Our results suggest that a diagnosis within 6 months after the onset of symptoms is associated with a lower tumor stage, a better survival and to a lower rate of recurrence. Nasal obstruction (58.3%) and epistaxis (52.7%) are the main initial symptoms. In order to obtain an early diagnosis, in addition to periodic clinical controls, a proper information of workers is required.

alpha-Tocopheryl succinate promotes selective cell death induced by vitamin K3 in combination with ascorbate.

BACKGROUND: A strategy to reduce the secondary effects of anti-cancer agents is to potentiate the therapeutic effect by their combination. A combination of vitamin K3 (VK3) and ascorbic acid (AA) exhibited an anti-cancer synergistic effect, associated with extracellular production of H(2)O(2) that promoted cell death. METHODS: The redox-silent vitamin E analogue alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS) was used in combination with VK3 and AA to evaluate their effect on prostate cancer cells. RESULTS: Prostate cancer cells were sensitive to alpha-TOS and VK3 treatment, but resistant to AA upto 3.2 mM. When combined, a synergistic effect was found for VK3-AA, whereas alpha-TOS-VK3 and alpha-TOS-AA combination showed an antagonist and additive effect, respectively. However, sub-lethal doses of AA-VK3 combination combined with a sub-toxic dose of alpha-TOS showed to induce efficient cell death that resembles autoschizis. Associated with this cell demise, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, cytoskeleton alteration, lysosomal-mitochondrial perturbation, and release of cytochrome c without caspase activation were observed. Inhibition of lysosomal proteases did not attenuate cell death induced by the combined agents. Furthermore, cell deaths by apoptosis and autoschizis were detected. CONCLUSION: These finding support the emerging idea that synergistic combinations of some agents can overcome toxicity and other side-effects associated with high doses of single drugs creating the opportunity for therapeutically relevant selectivity.

Osteomyelitis caused by Aspergillus species: a review of 310 reported cases.

Aspergillus osteomyelitis is a rare infection. We reviewed 310 individual cases reported in the literature from 1936 to 2013. The median age of patients was 43 years (range, 0-86 years), and 59% were males. Comorbidities associated with this infection included chronic granulomatous disease (19%), haematological malignancies (11%), transplantation (11%), diabetes (6%), pulmonary disease (4%), steroid therapy (4%), and human immunodeficiency virus infection (4%). Sites of infection included the spine (49%), base of the skull, paranasal sinuses and jaw (18%), ribs (9%), long bones (9%), sternum (5%), and chest wall (4%). The most common infecting species were Aspergillus fumigatus (55%), Aspergillus flavus (12%), and Aspergillus nidulans (7%). Sixty-two per cent of the individual cases were treated with a combination of an antifungal regimen and surgery. Amphotericin B was the antifungal drug most commonly used, followed by itraconazole and voriconazole. Several combination or sequential therapies were also used experimentally. The overall crude mortality rate was 25%.