Infectious Diseases and Therapy

BackgroundAntibiotic stewardship during stem cell transplantation (SCT) is challenging.. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been employed successfully in critical care patients to safely guide stewardship. However, procalcitonin guided stewardship has not been robustly assessed in SCT recipients. We sought to evaluate the potential utility of PCT to guide antimicrobial de-escalation during engraftment. Methods100 SCT patients were prospectively enrolled in a "strategy trial" and had infectious complicatio...

Key pointsO_LIWe report findings from a phase 2 study of MY008211A among Chinese men and women aged [≥]18 years with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria C_LIO_LIIncreases in hemoglobin of [≥]20 g/L were maintained for up to 44 weeks of treatment with MY008211A in all 34 patientsiv C_LI Explanation of noveltyParoxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is characterized by red blood cell (RBC) destruction and a prothrombotic state.v Treatments exist such as complement 5 inhibitors but these carry th...

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) disease, caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV), poses a significant fatality risk whose underlying pathological mechanisms, including the contribution of coagulation factors imbalances and platelets abnormalities, remain poorly understood. Here we present a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis using clinical data from coagulation assays and platelet parameters as predictive disease indices with the goal of uncovering pathognomonic factors and to pave a path fo...

A multivariant total subclass analysis has been performed for a control cohort (n=15) and a long COVID patient cohort (n=15) measuring the IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4 and IgE response to the following 14 variants of SARS-CoV-2: Wuhan, Alpha, Delta, BA.1, BA.2, BA.5, EG.5.1, XBB.1.5, BA.2.75, CH.1.1, BA.2.12.1, BQ.1.1, JN.1, and KP.3. Significant differences (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005) between concentrations of IgG subclasses by variant were found in 24% of variants and in mean-normalised distributions. ...

BackgroundHospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia (HABP) and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (VABP), particularly those caused by multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs), often require newer antibiotic treatment. The efficacy and safety of newer antibiotics compared to generic antibiotics in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been evaluated before. MethodsIn this systematic review, we searched RCTs in the United States National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Cochrane Central Reg...

BackgroundAccurate and consistent laboratory measurements are essential for reliable diagnosis and clinical decision making. However, variability among automated analyzers can compromise diagnostic reliability and in population studies, instrument-specific differences in estimates hinder meaningful cross-study comparisons. ObjectiveTo evaluate inter-platform variability and interchangeability of laboratory parameters relevant to disease diagnosis across Beckman, Siemens and Roche automated anal...

Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia (PJP) is a potentially life-threatening fungal infection occurring in immunocompromised individuals, particularly those receiving anti-cancer treatment. However, the incidence of PJP among children and young people (CYP) with cancer, cancer-like conditions or haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients is unclear. This systematic review aimed to determine the incidence and impact of PJP in this population. Twelve databases were searched in November 202...

BackgroundPreoperative biliary stenting alters biliary colonization and may reduce the effectiveness of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in pancreatoduodenectomy. Although broader-spectrum regimens have been associated with improved infectious outcomes, their microbiological adequacy in routine clinical practice remains poorly defined. We therefore evaluated the real-world adequacy of a prolonged ampicillin-sulbactam protocol, its association with infectious outcomes and survival, and the po...

AimsTo evaluate the association between platelet indices and platelet count severity in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia during routine post-treatment follow-up. MethodsThis retrospective observational study included patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia followed at a single tertiary care center between 2011 and 2025. Demographic and laboratory data were obtained from medical records. Platelet count severity was categorized as less than 30 x 10^9/L, 30 to 100 x 10^9/L, and ...

BackgroundThe number and timing of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) primary doses can impact infant immune responses. This descriptive post hoc analysis evaluates the immunogenicity of the 20-valent PCV (PCV20) by vaccination timing in healthy infants in 2 key phase 3 trials. MethodsImmunogenicity endpoints from study B7471012 comparing PCV20 to 13-valent PCV (PCV13) in a 2+1 schedule were examined by timing of vaccination subgroup; the 2,4m subgroup (participants vaccinated at 2, 4, and 11...

BackgroundMore than 6.2 million people have died already from COVID-19. Drug resistance and relapse cases from first generation therapeutics calls for development of new drugs in alternative medicine. Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) that include herbal remedies and phytochemicals are usually not fully integrated into mainstream healthcare systems. The study proposes a CAM remedy, a new polyherbal formulation NAOQ19 against the SARS-CoV-2. MethodsThe present study consists of invi...

Annual immunisation against both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza is now becoming standard of care, particularly ahead of anticipated winter waves. These vaccines may be co-administered on the same day or sequentially on separate days. Data on immunogenicity and the impact of consecutive vaccinations on spike-specific humoral and cellular immunity in dialysis patients remain limited. In this real-world observational study, SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses were evaluated in dialysis patients ...

ObjectiveThe objective was to estimate unique patterns of change in fatigue in people with the Post-Covid Syndrome (PCS) over 15 months. Design/SubjectsThe Quebec Action for Post-COVID (QAPC) study was a prospective study designed to provide a patient-centered understanding of symptoms, function, and quality of life in a self-identified Quebec sample. MethodsParticipants were queried every 3 months about symptoms and function. Fatigue was measured with the 10-item Post-COVID Syndrome Fatigue S...

ObjectiveThe main objective was to estimate the potential public health impact and cost-effectiveness of an annual dose of mRNA-1273 (2025/2026 formula) in the United States (US) for the 2025-2026 season compared with no vaccination in the mRNA-1273 licensed population (6 months-64 years with underlying medical conditions and all [&ge;]65 years). mRNA-1273 was also compared to BNT162b2 in high-risk adults ages 18-64 years and all [&ge;]65 years. MethodsAnalyses were conducted using a previously...

BackgroundReliable identification of early predictors of adverse outcomes was essential during the pre-vaccination phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies have comprehensively integrated clinical presentation, laboratory parameters including arterial blood gas analysis, and chest computed tomography (CT) findings within a single well-characterized cohort, particularly in underrepresented regions of Brazil. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 482 consecutive adults (median age 61...

ObjectiveThis study explored the recovery experiences of individuals who report having (largely) recovered from long covid and who attributed their improvement to mind-body approaches. Design, setting and participantsWe conducted an explorative qualitative study using purposive recruitment through social media and snowball sampling. Eighteen adult women (aged 37-62 years), who self-identified as having had long covid and having substantially recovered through mind-body approaches participated i...

BackgroundSARS-COV2 infection has been linked to cardiovascular complications. Previously published data suggested that cardiac injury may be a common disease feature and contribute to morbidity and mortality in severe COVID-19. Since the early days of the pandemic, little data has emerged describing what cardiovascular complications arise from myocardial injury in severe COVID-19 and whether these complications contribute to mortality. ObjectivesDescribe the incidence and nature of cardiovascu...

BackgroundBiological Es PNEUBEVAX 14(R) (BE-PCV14) is a WHO-prequalified 14-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that adds emerging serotypes 22F and 33F to PCV13 coverage. We compared the safety and immunogenicity of a 3p+1 infant schedule of BE-PCV14 versus Prevenar 13(R) (PCV13) in Indian infants. MethodsIn this prospective, open-label, multicentre phase IV trial, PCV-naive infants aged 6-8 weeks received three primary doses of BE-PCV14 or PCV13 followed by a booster at 12-15 months. In the...

Withdrawal StatementThe authors have withdrawn this manuscript because it will undergo major modifications and revisions to improve accuracy and clarity. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.

BackgroundSerotype 3 (S3) has remained a major cause of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) despite its inclusion in 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). In October 2023, a 15-valent PCV (PCV15) including S3 was introduced into the Catalan universal childhood immunization program. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective pre-post surveillance study to compare pediatric IPD incidence in Catalonia during a pre-PCV15 period (October 1, 2022-September 30, 2023) and two post-PCV15 periods (Oct...