Tick-borne spotted fever rickettsioses (SFRs) continue to cause severe illness and death in otherwise-healthy individuals due to lack of a timely and reliable diagnostic laboratory test. We recently identified a diagnostic biomarker for SFRs, the putative N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidase RC0497. Here, we developed a prototype laboratory test that targets RC0497 for diagnosis of SFRs. The concentrations… Continue reading Development of a rapid antigen-based lateral flow assay for tick-borne spotted fever #rickettsioses
Category: Infectivology
The influence of mechanical #ventilation and portable air cleaners upon aerosol spread in a hospital outpatients clinic
The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic has highlighted the risk of nosocomial infections of airborne viruses to patient populations around the world. Increased use of mechanical ventilation and portable air cleaners (PACs) have been suggested as methods to mitigate this risk, but the introduction of new air flows to indoor areas can have complex and potentially unforeseen… Continue reading The influence of mechanical #ventilation and portable air cleaners upon aerosol spread in a hospital outpatients clinic
The physicochemical properties of #lipopolysaccharide chemotypes regulate activation of the contact pathway of blood coagulation
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the primary pathogenic factor in Gram-negative sepsis. While the presence of LPS in the bloodstream during infection is associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation, the mechanistic link between LPS and blood coagulation activation remains ill-defined. The contact pathway of coagulation—a series of biochemical reactions that initiates blood clotting when plasma factors XII (FXII)… Continue reading The physicochemical properties of #lipopolysaccharide chemotypes regulate activation of the contact pathway of blood coagulation
The Immunologic Downsides Associated with the Powerful Translation of Current #COVID-19 Vaccine #mRNA Can Be Overcome by Mucosal Vaccines
The action of mRNA-based vaccines requires the expression of the antigen in cells targeted by lipid nanoparticle–mRNA complexes. When the vaccine antigen is not fully retained by the producer cells, its local and systemic diffusion can have consequences depending on both the levels of antigen expression and its biological activity. A peculiarity of mRNA-based COVID-19… Continue reading The Immunologic Downsides Associated with the Powerful Translation of Current #COVID-19 Vaccine #mRNA Can Be Overcome by Mucosal Vaccines
Biomarker-Guided Antibiotic Duration for Hospitalized Patients With Suspected #SepsisThe ADAPT-Sepsis Randomized Clinical Trial
Question Do critically ill adult patients hospitalized for suspected sepsis and treated with intravenous antibiotics based on procalcitonin (PCT) or C-reactive protein (CRP) protocols, have a safe reduction in treatment duration compared with standard care?Findings In this multicenter, randomized trial of 2760 patients, the daily PCT-guided protocol reduced total antibiotic duration and had noninferior all-cause… Continue reading Biomarker-Guided Antibiotic Duration for Hospitalized Patients With Suspected #SepsisThe ADAPT-Sepsis Randomized Clinical Trial
OpenSAFELY: Effectiveness of #COVID-19 #vaccination in #children and sadolescents
Background Children and adolescents in England were offered BNT162b2 as part of the national COVID-19 vaccine roll out from September 2021. We assessed the safety and effectiveness of first and second dose BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination in children and adolescents in England.Methods With the approval of NHS England, we conducted an observational study in the OpenSAFELY-TPP… Continue reading OpenSAFELY: Effectiveness of #COVID-19 #vaccination in #children and sadolescents
Association of #SARS-CoV-2 immunoserology and #vaccination status with #myocardial infarction severity and outcome
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the severity and prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) caused by atherothrombosis (type 1 MI). The effect, if any, of COVID-19 vaccination and natural SARS-CoV2 serologic immunity in these patients is unclear. Our aim was to analyze the association between the severity and outcome of patients with type… Continue reading Association of #SARS-CoV-2 immunoserology and #vaccination status with #myocardial infarction severity and outcome
#Antibiotics damage the #colonic mucus barrier in a #microbiota-independent manner
Antibiotic use is a risk factor for development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). IBDs are characterized by a damaged mucus layer, which does not separate the intestinal epithelium from the microbiota. Here, we hypothesized that antibiotics affect the integrity of the mucus barrier, which allows bacterial penetrance and predisposes to intestinal inflammation. We found that… Continue reading #Antibiotics damage the #colonic mucus barrier in a #microbiota-independent manner
#Spike Protein Impairs #Mitochondrial Function in Human Cardiomyocytes: Mechanisms Underlying #Cardiac Injury in COVID-19
Background: COVID-19 has a major impact on cardiovascular diseases and may lead to myocarditis or cardiac failure. The clove-like spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 facilitates its transmission and pathogenesis. Cardiac mitochondria produce energy for key heart functions. We hypothesized that S1 would directly impair the functions of cardiomyocyte mitochondria, thus causing cardiac dysfunction.Methods: Through the Seahorse Mito… Continue reading #Spike Protein Impairs #Mitochondrial Function in Human Cardiomyocytes: Mechanisms Underlying #Cardiac Injury in COVID-19
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