Phantom cytomegalovirus infection in vasculitis patients: what it means and what to do

We report our experience and hypothesis on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with vasculitis who are simultaneously diagnosed with serum-positive cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulin (Ig)M antibodies and negative CMV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It remains unknown how to treat this kind of phantom CMV infection. In a patient diagnosed with Henoch-Schönlein vasculitis, CMV IgM titers were increased while angiitis and renal function deteriorated. Empiric treatment of phantom CMV infection with ganciclovir in this CMV IgM-positive and PCR-negative patient resulted in complete vasculitis remission, serum CMV antibody seroconversion, and renal function improvement. These results imply something more than coincidence.     

High prevalence of autonomous cortisol and aldosterone secretion from adrenal adenomas

Objectives Previous studies based on standard endocrine testing have shown a variable incidence of autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) or autonomous aldosterone secretion (AAS) in patients with single adrenal adenomas (SAA). We tested whether the use of appropriate controls and modification of standard testing, aiming at eliminating interference from endogenous ACTH, reveals previously undetected subtle ACS and AAS by SAA. Design Case control study. Patients We investigated 151 patients with SAA and 72 matched controls with normal adrenal computerized tomography. Measurements All participants had arterial blood pressure recorded, and serum cortisol and aldosterone measured before and after intravenous administration of 250 μg of ACTH, and following dexamethasone administration. Eighty‐three patients and all the controls had serum aldosterone and renin measured before and after saline infusion, and after a second saline infusion following dexamethasone administration. Results Using the mean + 2 SD values obtained from controls after dexamethasone administration and saline infusion following dexamethasone administration, normal cut‐off values for cortisol (30·11 nm ), aldosterone (67·59 pm ), and aldosterone/renin ratio (9·74 pm /mU/l) were developed. Using these cut‐off values, the estimated incidence of ACS and AAS in patients with SAA was 56·63% and 24·10%, respectively, whereas 12·05% had autonomous secretion of both cortisol and aldosterone. Systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure correlated significantly with the aldosterone/renin ratio following ΑCTH stimulation (P < 0·0002 and P < 0·001, respectively), and after saline infusion following dexamethasone administration (P < 0·003 and P < 0·002, respectively). Conclusions By applying new cut‐offs, ACS and AAS in patients with a SAA is very common, and aldosterone secretion correlates with arterial blood pressure.     

In situ assessment of PI3K and PTEN alterations in mycosis fungoides: correlation with clinicopathological features

Deregulated signalling through phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) pathway plays a critical role in tumour initiation and progression. We have already shown that AKT is activated in skin lesions in Mycosis Fungoides (MF) and we herein further investigate the frequency and clinical significance of PTEN and PI3K at the protein and at the DNA level as well as the presence of AKT1 mutations in skin lesions from 50 patients with MF clinical stages I‐IV in relation to clinicopathological features. Increased p‐AKT expression correlated with poor prognosis in plaques (P = 0.0198), whereas p‐AKT was an independent predictor of poor survival in the entire cohort (P = 0.017, HR = 1.012). PTEN cytoplasmic expression was found low or absent in all 77.3% of cases and inversely correlated with advanced clinical stages (P = 0.0744). Molecular analysis showed no AKT1 mutation, no PI3KCA copy number gain, only 1 case with PI3KCA mutation in exon 9 and 3 cases with PTEN mutations (7%) in exons 7, 8 and 5. The latter correlated with disease (P = 0.0253) and progression (P < 0.0001) free survival in tumour stage. Although activation of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway due to PTEN alterations is rarely attributed to abnormalities in PTEN, PI3K, and AKT1 genes, PTEN mutations exert a negative effect on patients’ prognosis with tumours.     

The role of the post-anaesthesia care unit in the management of high-risk obstetric patients

Introduction

High-risk obstetric patients in the immediate postpartum period are frequently admitted to the intensive care unit, but the necessity of this practice has recently been doubted. Herein we describe the efficiency of utilizing the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) as an intermediate intensive care facility for those patients.

Material and methods

We retrospectively described the reasons for admission, duration of stay, the anaesthetic used, main interventions and outcome for all obstetric admissions in the PACU during a period of 4 years in a university hospital.

Results

During the 4-year period 47 women were admitted to the PACU after delivery. The frequency of admission to the PACU was 15.3 per 1000 deliveries, while obstetric cases represented 4.4 per 1000 admissions to the PACU. The majority represented caesarean sections (81%). The main reasons for admission to the PACU were haemorrhage (49%), cardiovascular problems (19%) and preeclampsia/eclampsia (17%). Mean length of stay in the PACU was 14.5 ±11.6 h, being significantly less in women having received epidural anaesthesia (8.2 ±5.6 h) compared to those who delivered with general anaesthesia (19.0 ±13.6 h, p < 0.05). General anaesthesia was used in 85% of cases in which emergency delivery was indicated, but only in 27% of cases without emergency indications for delivery (p < 0.01). No death or admission to the intensive care unit occurred during the study period.

Conclusions

The PACU can offer an intermediate intensive care facility for high-risk obstetric patients, thus reducing unnecessary admissions to the intensive care unit.     

Imported Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae clones in a Greek hospital: impact of infection control measures for restraining their dissemination

The recent emergence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strains represents a major threat for hospitalized patients. We document the dissemination and control of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clones in a Greek hospital. During a 3-year study period (January 2009 to December 2011), carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae strains were isolated from clinical samples from 73 individual patients. Phenotyping and molecular testing confirmed that 52 patients were infected with K. pneumoniae carbapenemase 2 (KPC-2) producers, 12 were infected with VIM-1 producers, and the remaining 9 were infected with isolates producing both KPC-2 and VIM-1 enzymes. Twenty-eight of these clinical cases were characterized as imported health care associated, and 23 of these were attributed to KPC producers and 5 were attributed to KPC and VIM producers. The remaining 45 cases were deemed hospital acquired. In the second year of the study, intensified infection control intervention was implemented, followed by active surveillance and carrier isolation in the third year. The incidence of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae patient cases decreased from 0.52/1,000 patient days in 2009 to 0.32/1,000 patient days in 2010 (P = 0.075). Following these additional infection control measures, the incidence fell to 0.21/1,000 patient days in 2011 and differed significantly from that in 2009 (P = 0.0028). Despite the fact that the imported cases of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae were equally distributed over this 3-year period, the incidence of hospital-acquired cases decreased from 0.36/1,000 patient days in 2009 to 0.19/1,000 patient days in 2010 (P = 0.058) and to 0.1/1,000 patient days in 2011 (P = 0.0012). Our findings suggest that rigorous infection control measures and active surveillance can effectively reduce the incidence of secondary transmission due to KPC-producing pathogens.