Population-based laboratory surveillance for tribe Proteeae isolates in a large Canadian health region

The tribe Proteeae comprises the genera Proteus, Morganella and Providencia. Few studies have specifically investigated the epidemiology of infections caused by the Proteeae, and none has been conducted in a large non-selected population. The present study was a population-based laboratory surveillance in the Calgary Health Region (population 1.2 million), Canada during 2000-2005 that aimed to define the incidence, demographical risk-factors for acquisition and antimicrobial susceptibilities of Proteeae isolates. In total, 5047 patients were identified from whom Proteeae isolates were obtained (an annual incidence of 75.9/100 000), with females and the elderly being at highest risk. Incidence rates were 64.8, 7.7 and 3.4/100,000/year for the genera Proteus, Morganella and Providencia, respectively. Overall, 85% of infections were community-onset, and the overall rate of bacteraemic disease was 2.0/100,000. Compared with other species, Proteus mirabilis occurred at a much higher frequency, especially among females, and was less likely to be isolated from hospital-onset infections or to be part of a polymicrobial infection. Among isolates from community-onset infections, Providencia spp. were less likely to be from outpatients and more likely to be from nursing home residents. There were low overall rates of resistance to ciprofloxacin (4%) and gentamicin (5%), with Prot. mirabilis generally being the most susceptible. Members of the Proteeae were isolated frequently in both the community and hospital settings, but were infrequent causes of invasive disease. The occurrence, demographical risk-factors and microbiology of Proteeae isolates varied according to the individual species.     

The molecular immunology of human susceptibility to fungal diseases: lessons from single gene defects of immunity

Introduction: Fungal diseases are a threat to human health. Therapies targeting the fungus continue to lead to disappointing results. Strategies targeting the host response represent unexplored opportunities for innovative treatments. To do so rationally requires the identification and neat delineation of critical mechanistic pathways that underpin human antifungal immunity. The study of humans with single-gene defects of the immune system, i.e. inborn errors of immunity (IEIs), provides a foundation for these paradigms.

Areas covered: A systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and abstracts of international congresses was performed to review the history of genetic resistance/susceptibility to fungi and identify IEIs associated with fungal diseases. Immunologic mechanisms from relevant IEIs were integrated with current definitions and understandings of mycoses to establish a framework to map out critical immunobiological pathways of human antifungal immunity.

Expert opinion: Specific immune responses non-redundantly govern susceptibility to their corresponding mycoses. Defining these molecular pathways will guide the development of host-directed immunotherapies that precisely target distinct fungal diseases. These findings will pave the way for novel strategies in the treatment of these devastating infections.     

Two new mutations and three novel polymorphisms in the<Emphasis Type="Italic"> RB1</Emphasis> gene in Ecuadorian patients

RB1 is the gene responsible for retinoblastoma, the most common malignant intraocular tumor of infancy and early childhood. There are no reports about this gene in Ecuadorian populations, and only a few studies have been published in Latin America about this subject. There is a spectrum of more than 370 mutations described in the RB1 gene mutation database (http://www.d-lohmann.de/Rb/mutations.html), and alterations have been found in 25 of the 27 exons. During the exon-by-exon analysis of 31 tumor and blood samples from Ecuadorian patients, we found two new mutations and three novel polymorphisms. One of the polymorphisms is located in intron 26 where no alterations of the gene have been described previously. The polymorphisms were found in all of the patients tumor samples, but not in normal population, suggesting there might be a relationship between these polymorphisms and the development of retinoblastoma in the Ecuadorian population.The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the GenBank database under the accession numbers: AY243567, AY260472, AY260473, AY273783     

Molecular analysis of HLA-D region genes in seropositive rheumatoid arthritis

Analysis of HLA DRB1 and DQB1 Bam HI RFLPs revealed four DRB1 (4.8, 5.2, 6.0 and 7.0 kb) fragments and a 3.2 kb DQB1 fragment to be significantly increased in Caucasians with seropositive RA compared to healthy individuals. The 4.8, 5.2 and 7.0 kb DRB1 fragments were found in 86.5% of RA patients and in 56% of the controls (p = 10(-3), relative risk (RR) = 5.0), while the 6.0 kb fragment was found in 79% of RA patients compared to 32% of controls (p = 2 x 10(-5), RR = 8.0). The 3.2 kb DQB1 fragment was observed in 63.5% of RA patients versus 38.0% of controls (p = 10(-2), RR = 2.8). Analysis of these fragments relative to HLA phenotypes revealed that the 4.8, 5.2 and 7.0 kb DRB1 fragments were strongly correlated with DR4, -7, -9 and -w53 serotypes, the 6.0 kb RFLP with DR4 and the 3.2 kb DQB1 fragment with DR1 and DQw1. Using probes specific for the 5' or 3' regions of the DRB1 gene, the 5.2 and 6.0 kb DRB RFLPs were mapped to the 5' end and the 4.8 and 7.0 kb RFLPs to the 3' end of the DRB1 gene. A probe generated from the second exon of the DRB4 (DRw53) gene recognized only the 5.2 and the 6.0 kb RFLPs corroborating the 5' location of these RFLPs. Family studies further confirmed that these RFLP's segregated with HLA phenotypes.     

全国细菌耐药监测网2014—2019年尿标本细菌耐药监测报告

目的探讨全国尿标本分离细菌菌种分布及耐药变迁。方法按照全国细菌耐药监测网(CARSS)技术方案,应用WHONET5.6软件对2014—2019年所有CARSS成员单位上报的尿标本分离细菌及药敏结果数据进行分析。结果男性患者尿标本分离细菌居前5位者分别为大肠埃希菌(33.1%~34.6%)、粪肠球菌(9.2%~10.2%)、肺炎克雷伯菌(9.0%~9.4%)、屎肠球菌(7.8%~10.2%)和铜绿假单胞菌(5.6%~6.9%),女性患者尿标本分离细菌居前5位者分别为大肠埃希菌(57.0%~57.4%)、肺炎克雷伯菌(7.5%~8.3%)、屎肠球菌(6.8%~8.7%)、粪肠球菌(5.5%~6.0%)和奇异变形杆菌(3.3%~3.5%)。男性和女性患者尿标本分离粪肠球菌对氨苄西林和呋喃妥因耐药率分别<12%和7%,对万古霉素耐药率<3%;屎肠球菌对氨苄西林、左氧氟沙星耐药率均为90%左右,对万古霉素耐药率<4%。大肠埃希菌对头孢曲松耐药率>47%,对头孢哌酮/舒巴坦、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦、呋喃妥因耐药率≤8%,对于β-内酰胺类耐药率男性比女性高,其中头孢曲松的耐药率高12个百分点左右。男性患者分离肺炎克雷伯菌对头孢曲松耐药率为58%左右,女性患者耐药率为45%左右。男性和女性患者尿标本分离铜绿假单胞菌对头孢哌酮/舒巴坦和哌拉西林/他唑巴坦的耐药率均<14%,对碳青霉烯类耐药率为15%左右。鲍曼不动杆菌对头孢哌酮/舒巴坦和米诺环素耐药率分别<27%和22%,对碳青霉烯类耐药率,男性为31.7%~47.7%,女性为26.5%~41.2%。结论尿标本分离细菌在不同性别构成上有所不同,且部分肠杆菌目细菌耐药率不同性别间也有一定差异,不同年度间部分细菌的耐药率也有一定变化。尿标本分离细菌的耐药监测,可为尿路感染抗菌药物合理应用提供参考数据。     

Experimental SARS-CoV-2 Infection of Bank Voles

After experimental inoculation, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection was confirmed in bank voles by seroconversion within 8 days and detection of viral RNA in nasal tissue for up to 21 days. However, transmission to contact animals was not detected. Thus, bank voles are unlikely to establish effective transmission cycles in nature.     

Genomic and Pathologic Findings for Prototheca cutis Infection in Cat

Severe nasal Prototheca cutis infection was diagnosed postmortem for an immunocompetent cat with respiratory signs. Pathologic examination and whole-genome sequencing identified this species of algae, and susceptibility testing determined antimicrobial resistance patterns. P. cutis infection should be a differential diagnosis for soft tissue infections of mammals.     

广西壮族人群血清HBsAg阳性与 ABO血型相关性研究

目的 探讨广西壮族人群血清HBsAg与ABO血型分布之关系。方法 采用卡方（x^2）检验方法与Woolf统计方法对578例HBsAg阳性携带者血清的ABO血型分布及男女性别的关系进行系统分析。结果 男性携带者血型呈O＞B＞A＞AB型分布,女性携带者呈O＞A＞B＞AB型分布。A、B、O和AB血型人相对危险率分别为1．1531、1．0458、0．9238和0．7365。结论：血清HBsAg阳性携带者与ABO血型间存在一定关系且与性别有关,尤以A型血女性感染乙肝病毒的危险性更大,具有重要流行病学意义。     

脑梗死患者脂蛋白氧化水平分析

目的 :了解脑梗死患者血清脂蛋白氧化易感性。　方法 :采用密度梯度超速离心分离 38例脑梗死患者的血清脂蛋白组分 (VL DL、L DL、HDL) ,用 A2 34 nm光吸收鉴定脂蛋白氧化易感性 ,硫代巴比妥酸值 (TBARS)分析脂蛋白脂质过氧化程度 ,并与 40例正常人进行了比较。　结果 :脑梗死患者 VL DL 组分脂质过氧化程度明显高于正常人 (P<0 .0 0 1) ,氧化延滞时间明显缩短 (P<0 .0 0 1) ,L DL 组分脂质过氧化程度高于正常人 (P<0 .0 5 ) ,氧化延滞时间缩短 (P<0 .0 5 )。　结论 :脑梗死患者 VL DL、L DL 组分氧化易感性增加