Endemic Systemic Mycoses in Italy: A Systematic Review of Literature and a Practical Update.

Endemic systemic mycoses such as blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, talaromycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis are emerging as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We conducted a systematic review on endemic systemic mycoses reported in Italy from 1914 to nowadays. We found out: 105 cases of histoplasmosis, 15 of paracoccidioidomycosis, 10 of coccidioidomycosis, 10 of blastomycosis and 3 of talaromycosis. Most cases have been reported in returning travelers and expatriates or immigrants. Thirtytwo patients did not have a story of traveling to an endemic area. Fortysix subjects had HIV/AIDS. Immunosuppression was the major risk factor for getting these infections and for severe outcomes. We provided an overview on microbiological characteristics and clinical management principles of systemic endemic mycoses with a focus on the cases reported in Italy.

Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis reveals many novel genotypes and a high level of genetic diversity in Candida tropicalis isolates from Italy and Africa.

BACKGROUND: Candida tropicalis is a human pathogenic yeast frequently isolated in Latin America and Asian-Pacific regions, although recent studies showed that it is also becoming increasingly widespread throughout several African and south-European countries. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about its global patterns of genetic variation as most of existing multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data come from Asia and there are no genotyped African isolates. OBJECTIVES: We report detailed genotyping data from a large set of C. tropicalis isolates recovered from different clinical sources in Italy, Egypt and Cameroon in order to expand the allele/genotype library of MLST database (https://pubmlst.org/ctropicalis), and to explore the genetic diversity in this species. METHODS: A total of 103 C. tropicalis isolates were genotyped using the MLST scheme developed for this species. All isolates were also tested for in vitro susceptibility to various antifungals to assess whether certain genotypes were associated with drug-resistance. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A total of 104 different alleles were detected across the MLST-loci investigated. The allelic diversity found at these loci resulted in 51 unique MLST genotypes of which 36 (70.6%) were novel. Global optimal eBURST analysis identified 18 clonal complexes (CCs) and confirm the existence of a specific Italian-cluster (CC36). Three CCs were also statistically associated with fluconazole resistance, which was elevated in Cameroon and Egypt. Our data show high genetic diversity in our isolates suggesting that the global population structure of C. tropicalis is still poorly understood. Moreover, its clinical impact in Italy, Egypt and Cameroon appears to be relevant and should be carefully considered.

HIV-associated psoriasis: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management.

People living with HIV (PLWH) are affected by a higher incidence skin disorders, which are often associated with high morbidity and mortality. In particular, psoriasis affects PLWH severely and for a longer time than the general population. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is characterized by a progressive decrease in CD4+ T-cell count, and it could seem paradoxical that psoriasis exacerbations are more frequent in this subset of patients than the general population, even though it is commonly observed at any stage of infection. For a long time, there have been limited therapeutic choices for PLWH affected by psoriasis. The introduction of the combined antiretroviral therapy dramatically changed the natural course of both HIV and psoriasis in PLWH, leading to an improvement of quality and duration of life. However, the clinical severity of psoriasis in PLWH often requires the use of immunosuppressant drugs. Knowledge about their safety and efficacy are limited to case-reports, small case-series and studies, therefore their use has not yet entered the routine. Further studies are needed to determine if immunosuppressive drugs can be safely and effectively used in PLWH affected by psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders.

Anti-infective management of infected skin ulcers.

Infected skin ulcers represent a frequent and intricate clinical challenge, necessitating prompt and comprehensive multidisciplinary interventions to avert complications. Anti-infective therapy constitutes a cornerstone in the therapeutic paradigm. This manuscript delineates our approach to anti-infective management of infected ulcers, encompassing insights into clinical classifications, diagnostic features, exampless of early clinical decision-making in anti-infective treatment, comprehensive evaluation of infectious diseases encompassing host clinical considerations and potential interventions, determination of antibiotic therapy duration, methodologies for assessing clinical response, identification of potential causes for lack of clinical response, as well as strategies for outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy and a diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm.

Relevance of microbiological cultures of cord blood and placental swabs in the rapid diagnosis of preterm newborn infection due to Listeria monocytogenes: A case report.

Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a Gram-positive bacterium causing listeriosis, a rare but severe foodborne infection, particularly impactful during pregnancy. Maternal-fetal transmission can lead to adverse fetal outcomes, yet symptoms in mothers may be nonspecific, delaying intervention. Despite the severity, the mechanisms of vertical transmission remain unclear. This report describes a case of rapid Lm diagnosis in a preterm newborn using cord blood and placental swabs. A 31-week pregnant woman presented with abdominal pain, diarrhea, and reduced fetal movements after consuming raw sushi. Laboratory findings indicated infection, and she vaginally delivered a live infant with placental and fetal abscesses. Cultures confirmed Lm, with swift diagnosis aided by molecular syndromic testing. The neonate received appropriate antibiotics and was asymptomatic by the end of treatment. This case underscores the need for the rapid diagnosis of maternal-fetal listeriosis, as it poses significant risks during pregnancy, including preterm birth and neonatal complications. Current diagnostic methods often delay treatment. This report emphasizes the use of innovative molecular techniques for early diagnosis, which is crucial in managing neonatal infections, especially in preterm newborns.

Forensic Microbiology: When, Where and How.

Forensic microbiology is a relatively new discipline, born in part thanks to the development of advanced methodologies for the detection, identification and characterization of microorganisms, and also in relation to the growing impact of infectious diseases of iatrogenic origin. Indeed, the increased application of medical practices, such as transplants, which require immunosuppressive treatments, and the growing demand for prosthetic installations, associated with an increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance, have led to a rise in the number of infections of iatrogenic origin, which entails important medico-legal issues. On the other hand, the possibility of detecting minimal amounts of microorganisms, even in the form of residual traces (e.g., their nucleic acids), and of obtaining gene and genomic sequences at contained costs, has made it possible to ask new questions of whether cases of death or illness might have a microbiological origin, with the possibility of also tracing the origin of the microorganisms involved and reconstructing the chain of contagion. In addition to the more obvious applications, such as those mentioned above related to the origin of iatrogenic infections, or to possible cases of infections not properly diagnosed and treated, a less obvious application of forensic microbiology concerns its use in cases of violence or violent death, where the characterization of the microorganisms can contribute to the reconstruction of the case. Finally, paleomicrobiology, e.g., the reconstruction and characterization of microorganisms in historical or even archaeological remnants, can be considered as a sister discipline of forensic microbiology. In this article, we will review these different aspects and applications of forensic microbiology.

Case Report: Canakinumab for the Treatment of a Patient With COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Severe cases of COVID-19 present with serious lung inflammation, acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiorgan damage. SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with high cytokine levels, including interleukin-6 and certain subsets of immune cells, in particular, NK, distinguished according to the cell surface density of CD56. Cytokine levels are inversely correlated with lymphocyte count, therefore cytokine release syndrome may be an impediment to the adaptive immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Canakinumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-1ß is under investigation for the treatment of severe SAR-CoV-2 infection. An 85 year old male presenting in our hospital with COVID-19, whose condition was complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome and cardiac and renal failure (with oliguria) after 25 days of hospitalization, was intubated and received canakinumab for compassionate use. On the next day, diuresis recovered and conditions improved: high IL-6 levels and NK cells expressing CD56 bright (associated with cytokine relase) were significantly reduced giving rise to NK CD56 dim . Patient died on day 58 with pulmonary bacterial superinfection and persistent SARS-CoV-2 positivity. In conclusion, canakinumab rescued a high risk, very elderly patient, from multiorgan damage complicating COVID-19. It may represent an useful treatment in severe cases.

Carbon nanotubes and central nervous system: Environmental risks, toxicological aspects and future perspectives.

Due to their morphological and physicochemical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enhance the structural properties of several materials and are produced in great volumes. The production and the manufacturing of CNTs-incorporated products can lead to the potential environmental release of CNTs. For these reasons, CNTs can represent a serious concern for human health. Humans are exposed to nanoparticles through inhalation, ingestion and skin uptake. After their entrance, the particles can reach the Central Nervous System (CNS) through three different pathways: the systemic, olfactory and trigeminal pathways. In the first, through systemic blood circulation, nanoparticles cross both the blood-brain and blood-spinal cord barriers, which are highly selective semipermeable barriers that protect the CNS compartments. The second is the step from the nose to brain route and occurs along axons and via nerve bundles that cross the cribriform plate to the olfactory bulb. In the third, the compounds diffuse through the nasal cavity mucosa to reach the branches of the trigeminal nerve in the olfactory and respiratory regions, and they reach brain stem via axonal transport. After their entrance, CNTs reach the CNS where they may cause cytotoxicity of selected neurons in several CNS regions, impairing molecular pathways and contributing to the onset and progression of chronic brain inflammation, microglia activation and white matter abnormalities with an increased risk for autism spectrum disorders, lower IQ in children, neurodegenerative diseases and stroke. The large surface area to mass ratio of CNTs greatly increases surface reactivity. Despite this property considerable contributes to their toxicological profile in biological systems, also makes CNTs very attractive in the medical field, where they can be used as carriers of bioactive molecules, contrast agents, biological platforms and for many other applications in medicine.

Investigational drugs in HIV: Pros and cons of entry and fusion inhibitors (Review).

Despite the profound changes and improvements reached in the field of HIV treatment, tolerability and adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy remains a challenge. Furthermore, multi-experienced patients could take advantage of drugs with different mechanisms of action to combat the spread of resistance to actual therapy. For these reasons identification of new HIV drugs is crucial. Among all the molecules that at present are under investigation, entry and fusion inhibitors pose an interesting class owing to their peculiar characteristics, including prevention of entry of the virus into the human cells. In this study, we reviewed articles, clinical trials, and conference communications about all the drugs under investigation belonging to the class of entry and fusion inhibitors that are at least in phase I clinical trials.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation with human papillomavirus in people living with HIV: a systematic review.

Over the last 20 years we assisted to an increase in the mean age of People Living with HIV and their comorbidities. Especially, there was an increase in Human Papillomavirus-related head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Despite their increasing incidence in HIV-positive people, mechanisms that lead to their development and progression are only partially understood. The aim of this review is to identify key data and factors about HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in HIV-seropositive patients. Systematic search and review of the relevant literature-peer-reviewed and grey-was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We included in our review only the 35 full-text articles we considered the most substantial. It is mandatory to improve our knowledge about the interactions existing between HPV and HIV, and about their actions on oral mucosa immune system.

A case of Candida septic arthritis with rice body formation in a 2-month-old infant.

We present a case of rice body formation in the left knee joint of a 2-month-old infant affected by Candida albicans septic arthritis which has never been reported before. Rice body formation has been described in association with rheumatoid or tuberculous arthritis and is very rare in Candida arthritis. After three weeks of therapy with amphotericin B administered intravenously, the infant recovered fully from infection. Septic arthritis is a serious cause of morbidity and for proper evaluation and treatment fungal septic arthritis should be included in the differential diagnosis.