Series Of Infections Research Articles

Presence of HPV with overexpression of p16INK4a protein and EBV infection in penile cancer-A series of cases from Brazil Amazon.

In Brazil, penile cancer (PC) is not uncommon. The highest incidence of PC is in the North and Northeast of the country. In addition to phimosis, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Baar Virus (EBV) infections are also related as risk factors for PC. The overexpression of p16INK4a is a surrogate sensitive marker of HPV infection in PC. To correlate p16INK4a overexpression and HPV infection status with EBV infection in a series of PC patients from the Amazon region. Tumor tissues from 47 PC cases were analyzed for the presence of HPV and EBV DNA by PCR. All PC patients were diagnosed between 2013 and 2018 at a public reference cancer center hospital in Manaus, Amazonas-Brazil. HPV was genotyped using E7 HPV16/HPV18 type-specific real-time PCR and the PapilloCheck® HPV-Screening assay. p16INK4a expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using the automated Ventana® BenchMark Ultra. The mean age of patients at the time of diagnosis was 57.4 years ±SD 17.8 ranging from 20 to 90 years old. Most of the patients (64%) came from rural areas of the Amazonas State. Thirty patients had phimosis (64%). Among the patients with phimosis, 43% (13/30) underwent circumcision, three during childhood and 10 in adulthood. 60% of the patients were smokers or ex-smokers. HPV infection was observed in 45% (21/47) of cases. HPV16 was detected in 13 patients (61%). Other HPV types detected were HPV 6, 11, 42, 51, 53, 68 and 44/55. EBV infection was observed in 30% (14/47) of the patients with PC. Co-infection with HPV and EBV was observed in 28% (6/21) cases. p16INK4a was only investigated in 26 samples. The p16INK4a overexpression was observed exclusively in HPV 16 positive cases and four HPV negative cases. In the survival analysis, the follow-up time was 35.4 months/patient. The mortality rate during the follow up time was 38%. p16INK4a positivity presented a high correlation to HPV 16 DNA detection, reinforcing its use as a surrogate marker for HPV-driven cancers. Infection with EBV was quite frequent and its role in epithelial penile oncogenesis needs to be demonstrated.

Pin tract infection with external fixation of pediatric fractures

Background This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and severity of pin tract infections in a series of pediatric trauma patients. Methods All pediatric trauma patients with external fixation who were treated at our institution between 1998 and 2003 were included. The charts of 30 children (20 males; 10 females; mean age, 13.2 years; range, 7-19 years) with 37 episodes of external fixation were reviewed. The average duration of external fixation was 17.5 weeks (range, 1-94 weeks). Pin tract infections were graded using the Dahl classification. Bacterial cultures were obtained in case of drainage from the pin site. Results In 18 (48%) of 37 external fixations, no signs of infection occurred during the treatment period. In the remaining 19 (52%) external fixations, 35 episodes of infection were documented. Most infections were mild or moderate, whereas only 3 (9%) severe deep infections were noted (grade 5). Six (17%) infections healed with local application of rifamycin, whereas 27 (77%) of 35 infections were successfully treated with systemic antibiotics (cefuroxime, clindamycin). The remaining 2 infections (6%) required removal of a pin. Conclusions Pin tract infection occurred in half of the patients who were treated with external fixations. Most of the pin site infections in the present series were mild and could be managed by local or systemic application of antibiotics. The occurrence of pin tract infections did not require a change of the method of stabilization.

Invasive fungal infection in systemic lupus erythematosus: an analysis of 15 cases and a literature review

To analyse 15 cases of invasive fungal infection and mortality parameters in the largest series in the last 35 yrs of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at a single medical centre. Fifteen patients with SLE and invasive fungal infections were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical and laboratory data, fungal species and infected sites, corticosteroid and immunosuppressant doses and SLE disease activity index were assessed retrospectively. Comparison and correlation analyses utilized Fisher's exact test, the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test or the Wilcoxon signed-rank test where appropriate. In contrast to other review reports, Cryptococcus neoformans was the most commonly identified fungus in this Taiwanese series. Notably, the prevalence of autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and positive results for the anti-cardiolipin antibody in this study were significantly higher than those in SLE patients in general (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Fungal infection contributed to cause of death in 7 of 15 (46.7%) patients, of which Cryptococcus neoformans accounted for six of these infections. Low-dose prednisolone (<1 or <0.5 mg/kg/day based on arbitrary division) prior to fungal infection tended to correlate with 1 yr mortality after diagnosis of SLE (P = 0.077 or P = 0.080). However, following fungal infection, patients who died from infection itself had been prescribed with higher prednisolone dose or equivalent than surviving patients (P = 0.016). All SLE patients with fungal infections had active SLE (SLEDAI >7). Cryptococcus neoformans infection accounted for most fatalities in SLE patients with fungal infections in this series. Active lupus disease is probably a risk factor for fungal infection in SLE patients. Notably, low prednisolone doses prior to fungal infection or high prednisolone doses following fungal infection tended to associate with or correlated to fatality, respectively. Therefore, we suggest that different prednisolone doses prescribed at various times impact the incidence of fungal infection and its associated mortality.

BLOOD SERUM TRANSFERRIN POLYMORPHISM AND MASTITIS

Seven hundred and one cows representing 21 herds of the Dairy Herd Analysis Service of Macdonald College were studied. Out of these, 105 cows were in series 1 and the remaining 596 cows were in series 2. Of the 105 cows in the first series, 91.4% were California Mastitis Test (CMT)(+), 50.5% were Streptococcus agalactiae(+) and all the cows were hemolytic staphylococcic(+) at one or more tests in one or more quarters. The corresponding figures for quarters were 28.8%, 6.7% and 35.4%. In the second series, data for mastitis criteria were available for 533 cows only. The incidence of cows in this group with one or more CMT(+) quarters was 64.2%. The incidence of CMT(+) quarters in 2131 quarters from these cows was 39.2%. Out of these CMT(+) quarters, 29.1% were infected with streptococci and 30.7% with hemolytic staphylococci. In both series 1 and 2, the differences in percentage of CMT(+) quarters between transferrin genotypes were significant (series 1, X29 d. f. = 34.44, P &lt; 0.005; series 2, X29 d. f. = 19.00, P &lt; 0.025). In series 1, the percentage of Streptococcus agalactiae (+) and percentage of hemolytic staphylococci (+) quarters were also significantly different from genotype to genotype (P &lt; 0.005). On the other hand, in the second series, only the percentage of streptococci(+) quarters were significantly different between genotypes. The Tf D1D1cows had a higher incidence of Str. agalactiae infection in series 1 and of streptococci in series 2. Tf D1D1cows also had a significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05) mean CMT score and mean total somatic cell count per cow in series 1. Tf EE cows, however, were free of Str. agalactiae infection in series 1 and of streptococci in series 2. Tf EE cows also had a significantly lower (P &lt; 0.05) mean streptococcal score per cow in series 2.

Some Infections Simulating Experimental Typhus in the Guinea Pig 1

SummaryA temperature curve and gross pathology more or less typhus-like have been observed in natural Toxoplasma and Salmonella infections and have been produced experimentally by inoculations of Salmonella and Proteus X 19 cultures in guinea pigs. These infections could be transmitted in series through guinea pigs.Proteus X 19 strains only were agglutinated by typhus immune serum. None of these infections confer immunity against typhus or Rocky Mountain tick fevers. Spontaneous intercurrent infections with the Toxoplasma or the Salmonella strains may kill off and replace typhus strains in guinea pigs unless the purity of the virus is controlled by cultures made at each transfer.The development of a typical temperature curve and gross pathology of typhus in guinea pigs following the inoculation of suspected blood and the ability to transmit such an infection in series is not diagnostic of typhus unless confirmed by cultures or histological examination of the experimental animal, or agglutination tests of Proteus X 19 with the suspected blood.