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Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) discovered through indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) method throughout serious COVID-19 infection; future roadmap for laboratory diagnosis.
rains were resistant to caspofungin and fluconazole, respectively. Conclusion As the findings revealed, the majority of VVC cases were caused by non-albicans Candida species which were often more resistant to antifungal agents. Candida lusitaniae generally had fluconazole MICs above the ECV. Given the propensity of C. lusitaniae to develop resistance under drug pressure, antifungals should be administered with caution. The emergence of these species justify the epidemiological surveillance surveys to watch out the distribution of yeast species. © 2019, Published by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences on behalf of Iranian Society of Medical Mycology and Invasive Fungi Research Center.Background and Purpose Despite the various applications of Satureja species, there are limited data in this domain. Regarding this, the present study was conducted to investigate the essential oil (EO) biological activity of S. macrosiphon species in Iran. Materials and Methods The EO of S. macrosiphon flowers was obtained by hydrodistillation. Chemical compositions of the EO were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were measured by means of the broth microdilution method. The estimation of antibiofilm and cytotoxic activities was also accomplished using the tetrazolium salt and MTT assays, respectively. Results A total of 26 components were identified in the EO with linalool as the main constituent (28.46%). A MIC range value of 0.25-8 μL/mL was obtained against all of the tested fungi. The EO inhibited the biofilm development of the Candida tested strains at a concentration of 4-8 μL/mL. Cytotoxicity (IC50) of EO against the HeLa cell was greater than the MIC concentration (6.49 μL/mL). Conclusion Based on the findings, it was concluded that the EO of S. macrosiphon has the potential for further use as an antifungal agent. © 2019, Published by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences on behalf of Iranian Society of Medical Mycology and Invasive Fungi Research Center.Background and Purpose Incidence of fungal infections caused by opportunistic fungal pathogens, such as yeasts and yeast-like species, has undergone an increase in otherwise healthy individuals. These pathogens account for high mortality and show reduced susceptibility to the routine antifungal drugs. Accordingly, antifungal susceptibility testing is an urgent need in the determination of the susceptibility spectrum of antifungals and selection of appropriate antifungal agents for the management of patients with fungal infection. Materials and Methods The present study was conducted on 110 yeast strains belonging to 15 species recovered from clinical specimens. Susceptibility of the isolates to four antifungal drugs (i.e., fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole) was tested according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines M27-A3 and M27-S4. Results Fluconazole exhibited no activity against 4.3% (n=2) of C. albicans isolates, whereas the remaining 44 isolates had a miniMedical Mycology and Invasive Fungi Research Center.Background and Purpose Encapsulation can lead to improved efficacy and safety of antifungal compounds. The attention of scientists has recently turned to biocompatible lipids as the carriers for the delivery of antifungal drugs, such as fluconazole. Although several research reports have already been published on fluconazole loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (FLZ-SLNs) and fluconazole loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (FLZ-NLCs), the possible advantages of NLCs over SLNs have not yet been fully established. Studies performed so far have given several contradictory results. Materials and Methods Both formulations of fluconazole were synthesized using probe ultrasonication method and the characteristics were analyzed. Antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) was performed with FLZ, FLZ-SLNs, and FLZ-NLCs using CLSI document M60 against some common fluconazole-resistant Candida species. Results A significant decrease was observed in minimum inhibitory concentration values when both formulations were applied. Nonetheless, FLZ-NLCs were significantly more effective (P less then 0.05). However, three species groups were not statistically different in terms of the activity of FLZ-NLCs. Conclusion Based on the obtained results, FLZ-NLCs could reverse the azole-resistance phenomenon in the most common Candida species more effectively, as compared to FLZ-SLNs. © 2019, Published by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences on behalf of Iranian Society of Medical Mycology and Invasive Fungi Research Center.Background and Purpose Itraconazole therapy has been reported to control asthma in severe therapy-resistant asthma with fungal sensitization. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of anti-fungal therapy on the treatment of severe asthma, irrespective of sensitization. Materials and Methods This active comparator clinical trial was performed on 110 therapy-resistant asthmatic patients who were randomly assigned into two groups of case and control. The patients in the case group were administered 200 mg itraconazole twice a day and the control group received 10 mg prednisolone after breakfast for 4 months. The asthma control test (ACT) which was used as a marker for the global evaluation of treatment effectiveness (GETE) was applied as the primary endpoint parameter. Cough, dyspnea, and sleep disturbance were measured on a scale of 1-4, with 1 representing no symptom and 4 indicating severe exhausting disturbance. Results Based on the obtained results, 71% of the itraconazole group demonstrated a marked improvement in the GETE score after a four-month treatment. Itraconazole was able to suppress clinical symptoms, including cough, dyspnea, and night symptoms, and their physical exam was indicative of normalization in 60% of the patients. On the other hand, the patients in the parallel group "prednisolone" were only able to control dyspnea. The ACT score represented a notable improvement with itraconazole (mean 14 before the trial and >20 after the trial) and spirometry parameters underwent a considerable change from obstructive pattern to normal. Furthermore, adverse effects were only detected in 6% of itraconazole users. Selleck Caerulein Conclusion The results of this clinical trial indicted the effectiveness of antifungal therapy for the control of the clinical condition of a subgroup of patients with severe steroid-refractory asthma. © 2019, Published by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences on behalf of Iranian Society of Medical Mycology and Invasive Fungi Research Center.Introduction There are rare reports of the occurrence of acute transverse myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome after various surgical procedures and general/epidural anaesthesia. The concomitant occurrence of these pathologies is very rare and is called Guillain-Barré and acute transverse myelitis overlap syndrome. In this article, we present the case of a second trimester pregnant patient who developed Guillain-Barré and acute transverse myelitis overlap syndrome. Case presentation We report the case of a 16-year-old female patient who underwent a therapeutic termination of pregnancy two weeks prior to the onset of the disease with gradual development of a motor deficit with walking and sensitivity disorders, fecal incontinence. The diagnosis was based on clinical exam, electroneurography and spinal magnetic resonance imaging. Endocrinopathies, infectious diseases, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, neoplastic diseases and vitamin deficiencies were ruled out. Our patient attended five sessions of therapeutic plasma exchange, followed by steroid treatment, intravenous immunoglobulin with minimum recovery of the motor deficit in the upper limbs, but without significant evolution of the motor deficit in the lower limbs. The patient was discharged on maintenance corticotherapy and immunosuppressive treatment with azathioprine. Conclusions We report a very rare association between Guillain-Barré syndrome and acute transverse myelitis triggered by a surgical intervention with general anaesthesia. The overlap of Guillain-Barré syndrome and acute transverse myelitis makes the prognosis for recovery worse, and further studies are needed to establish the first-line therapy in these cases. © 2020 Adina Stoian, Anca Motataianu, Zoltan Bajko, Adrian Balasa, published by Sciendo.Introduction Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) is a known, but a rare cause of out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). It results in the development of non-shockable rhythms such as asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Case Report A 77- years old male had an OHCA without any prodrome. An emergency medical services (EMS) team responded to an emergency call and intubated the patient at the site before transporting him to the Acute Care Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. On admission, a non-contrast computed tomography scan of the head revealed a large cerebellar haemorrhage. Non-traumatic ICH is a rare cause of OHCA. Although subarachnoid haemorrhage causing cardiac arrest has been described in the literature, cerebellar haemorrhage leading to cardiac arrest is rare. The mechanism by which ICH patients develop cardiac arrest is likely explained by a massive catecholamine surge leading to cardiac stunning. Conclusion A non-shockable rhythm in the seting of a sudden cardiac arrest should raise alarms for a primary non-cardiac ethology, especially a primary cerebrovascular event. The absence of brainstem reflexes increases the likelihood of an intracranial process. © 2020 Ankit Agrawal, Maria Cardinale, Douglas Frenia, Aveek Mukherjee, published by Sciendo.Introduction Community-acquired Escherichia coli ventriculitis is considered a rare condition. Central nervous system (CNS) infection due to gram-negative bacilli is usually associated with previous neurosurgical interventions. The recent publication of cases of Escherichia coli meningitis and ventriculitis suggests its prevalence may be underestimated by the literature. Case presentation A case of community-acquired Escherichia coli CNS infection on a 58 year old patient presenting with altered consciousness but without neck stiffness, nor significant past medical history is reported. Imaging and lumbar puncture findings suggested a complex case of meningitis with associated ventriculitis and vasculitis. Escherichia coli was later identified in cultures. Subsequent multi-organ support in Intensive Care was required. The patient was treated with a prolonged course of intravenous antimicrobials guided by microbiology, resulting in some neurological recovery. The main challenges encountered in the management of the patient were the lack of clear recommendations on the duration of treatment and the potential development of multi-resistant organisms. Conclusion Bacterial central nervous system infections can have an atypical presentation, and an increasing number of cases of community-acquired ventriculitis have been reported. Early consideration should be given to use magnetic resonance imaging to help guide treatment. A long course of antibiotics is often required for these patients; however, the optimal duration for antimicrobial treatment is not well defined. © 2020 Barbara Ribeiro, Peter Bishop, Sima Jalili, published by Sciendo.
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