Identifying latently infected individuals is crucial for the elimination of tuberculosis (TB). We evaluated for the first time the performance of a new type of interferon-γ release assay, ...QuantiFERON-TB Plus (QFT-Plus), which includes an additional antigen tube (TB2), stimulating both CD4
and CD8
T-cells in contacts of TB patients.Contacts were screened for latent TB infection by tuberculin skin test, QFT-Plus and QuantiFERON-TB Gold in Tube (QFT-GIT).In 119 TB contacts, the overall agreement between QFT-Plus and QFT-GIT was high, with a Cohen's κ of 0.8. Discordant results were found in 12 subjects with negative QFT-GIT and positive QFT-Plus results. In analyses of markers of TB exposure and test results, the average time spent with the index case was the strongest risk factor for positivity in each of these tests. The difference in interferon-γ production between the two antigen tubes (TB2-TB1) was used as an estimate of CD8
stimulation provided by the TB2. TB2-TB1 values >0.6 IU·mL
were significantly associated with proximity to the index case and European origin.QFT-Plus has a stronger association with surrogate measures of TB exposure than QFT-GIT in adults screened for latent TB infection. Interferon-γ response in the new antigen tube used an indirect estimate of specific CD8
response correlates with increased Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure, suggesting a possible role in identifying individuals with recent infection.
Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and management in special populations remain challenging. Data about TB and transgender individuals is scarce, and strategies aimed at reducing the TB burden in this ...at-risk group are needed. We conducted an observational monocentric study from a national reference center for TB, including transgender individuals with active TB in a low-TB burden country (Italy), over 34 years (1990-2023). Sixty-six transgender males and two transgender females (median age 30 years, interquartile range 26-38 years, 65 migrants) were included. Most patients (38/66, 57.6%) lived in poor social conditions. 65.2% (43/66) of patients were people living with HIV. Multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis and isoniazid-resistant TB were diagnosed in five (7.6%) and three (4.5%) patients, respectively. The overall treatment success rate was 72.7% (48/66 patients), with differences observed according to social conditions. Our study highlights the need for a tailored approach to increase treatment success in this at-risk population.
Over the last ten years an increasing prevalence and incidence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been reported among patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) Viviani (J Cyst Fibros, 15(5):619-623, ...2016). NTM pulmonary disease has been associated with negative clinical outcomes and often requires pharmacological treatment. Although specific guidelines help clinicians in the process of diagnosis and clinical management, the focus on the multidimensional assessment of concomitant problems is still scarce.
This review aims to identify the treatable traits of NTM pulmonary disease in people with CF and discuss the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in order to detect and manage all the clinical and behavioral aspects of the disease. The multidisciplinary complexity of NTM pulmonary disease in CF requires careful management of respiratory and extra-respiratory, including control of comorbidities, drug interactions and behavioral factors as adherence to therapies.
The treatable trait strategy can help to optimize clinical management through systematic assessment of all the aspects of the disease, providing a holistic treatment for such a multi-systemic and complex condition.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
4.
Mycobacterium chimaera infections: An update Riccardi, Niccolò; Monticelli, Jacopo; Antonello, Roberta Maria ...
Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy,
March 2020, 2020-Mar, 2020-03-00, 20200301, Letnik:
26, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Mycobacterium chimaera is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium belonging to the Mycobacterium avium complex, described for the first time in 2004. It acts as an opportunistic pathogen, with infections, ...usually respiratory illnesses, occurring more frequently in immunocompromised patients or in patients with underlying respiratory diseases. During the last decade Mycobacterium chimaera disseminated infections following cardiothoracic surgery, especially open-heart surgery, have been increasingly reported worldwide. From a pathogenic standpoint, Mycobacterium chimaera is acquired during cardiopulmonary bypass via bioaerosols emitted from contaminated heater-cooler units water systems. Due to non-specific symptoms and long latency, postoperative Mycobacterium chimaera infections may not be promptly diagnosed and treated, and may become life-threatening. The indication for revision surgery needs to be carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and antibiotic therapy should be based on drug susceptibility testing results. Our review aims to provide an updated account of microbiological characteristics, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of Mycobacterium chimaera infections, with a special focus on those developing after cardiothoracic surgery.
The increased incidence of drug-resistant TB is a major challenge for effective TB control. Limited therapeutic options and poor treatment outcomes of DR-TB may increase drug-resistance rates. The ...objective of the study is to retrospectively compare MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB treatment regimens and outcomes in two large TB reference centres in Italy from January 2000 to January 2015.
A retrospective, multicentre study was conducted at the Regional TB Reference Centre Villa Marelli Institute (Milan) and at the Reference Center for MDR-TB and HIV-TB, Eugenio Morelli Hospital (Sondalo). The supra-national Reference Laboratory in Milan performed DST. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥ 18 and culture-confirmed diagnosis of MDR- or pre-XDR TB. Chi-square or Fisher exact test was used to detect differences in the comparison between treatment outcomes, therapeutic regimens, and drug-resistances. Computations were performed with STATA 15.
A total of 134 patients were selected. Median (IQR) age at admission was 33 (26-41) years and 90 patients (67.2%) were male. Pulmonary TB was diagnosed in 124 (92.5%) patients. MDR- and pre-XDR-TB cases were 91 (67.9%) and 43 (32.1%), respectively. The WHO shorter MDR-TB regimen could have been prescribed in 16/84 (19.1%) patients. Treatment success was not statistically different between MDR- and pre-XDR-TB (81.3% VS. 81.4%; P = 0.99). Mortality in MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB groups was 4.4 and 9.3%, respectively (P = 0.2). Median duration of treatment was 18 months and a total of 110 different regimens were administered. Exposure to linezolid, meropenem, and amikacin was associated with a better outcome in both groups (P = 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.004, respectively).
Tailored treatment regimens based on DST results can achieve successful outcomes in patients with pre-XDR-TB.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
To tackle the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, in 2014 the World Health Organization launched the End TB Strategy, which includes action to prevent latent TB infection (LTBI) reactivation. Available ...preventive treatments (PT) are based on either isoniazid (INH) alone or rifampicin (RIF)-containing regimens. This study aims to assess and compare PT completion rates, the occurrence of adverse events, and the time of dropout among those receiving INH-alone or RIF-containing regimens at Villa Marelli Institute, Milan, Italy, covering the period from 1992 to 2018. A total of 19670 subjects, belonging to various risk groups-mainly young (median age of 29 years), foreign-born (73.3%), and males (58.8%)-with presumed LTBI were prescribed PT (79.3% INH-alone and 20.7% RIF-containing regimens). The treatment completion rate was 79.4% on average, with higher rates among those receiving RIF-containing regimens (85.6%) compared to those that were prescribed INH-alone (77.8%) (
< 0.0001). Notably, some of the high-risk groups for progression of LTBI were more likely to complete PT from RIF-containing regimens. These groups included recent TB contact (89.9%,
< 0.0001), healthcare workers (93.5%,
< 0.0001), and homeless people (76.6%,
< 0.0001). Irrespectively of the chosen PT regimen, most of the dropouts occurred between the start of the treatment and the first follow-up visit (14.3%, 15.2% for those on INH-alone vs. 11.1% for those on RIF-containing regimens). Further shortening of the PT regimen is therefore an aim to ensure adherence, even though it might need further efforts to enhance the patient's attitude towards starting and carrying out PT.
•Tuberculosis in foreign-born immunocompetent individuals.•Cardiac tuberculosis is a rare condition.•High incidence of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in migrant patients.
An immunocompetent migrant with ...chest pain was admitted to an Italian hospital. Computed tomography showed a left pectoral abscess and osteomyelitis of the sternum. The infection had spread into the anterior mediastinum near to the pericardium and the heart, where an atrial mass was confirmed by echocardiography. Disseminated tuberculosis was diagnosed.
Koch’s Bacillus bovis (Mycobacterium bovis) was made avirulent by special culture conditions, i.e., 230 passages on medium containing potatoes treated with bile salts. It has been used mainly to ...prevent tuberculosis. The vaccine was named after the bacteriologist Albert Calmette and the veterinarian Camille Guérin, i.e., Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). These researchers worked at the Pasteur Institute in Lille and launched the vaccine in 1921.Recently, BCG was used also for its non-specific immunostimulant action. Intravesical administration of BCG is an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of bladder cancer, which does not invade the muscle wall.We will discuss the clinical case of a patient who had fever of unknown origin for about 2 months and was resistant to treatment with multiple lines of antibiotics.
Although interest in nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection has increased in the last decades, published data vary according to different geographical areas, diagnostic facilities and quality of ...study design. This study aims at assessing both prevalence and incidence of NTM infection and NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) among adults with bronchiectasis, to describe patients' characteristics, therapeutic options and clinical outcomes.
Bronchiectasis adults who had been tested for NTM were enrolled at the Bronchiectasis Program of the Policlinico Hospital in Milan, Italy, from 2016 to 2018.
Among the 373 patients enrolled, 26.1% had at least one respiratory sample positive for NTM and 12.6% reached a diagnosis of NTM-PD. Incidence rates for NTM infection and NTM-PD were 13 (95% CI 10-16) and 4 (95% CI 2-6) per 100 person-years, respectively. The most prevalent NTM species causing NTM-PD were
(38.3%),
(34.0%),
(8.5%) and
(8.5%). Once treatment for NTM-PD was initiated, a favourable outcome was documented in 52.2% of the patients, while a negative outcome was recorded in 32.6%, including recurrence (17.4%), treatment failure (10.9%), re-infection (2.2%) and relapse (2.2%). Treatment halted was experienced in 11 (23.9%) patients.
NTM infection is frequent in bronchiectasis patients and the presence of NTM-PD is relevant. The low success rate of NTM-PD treatment in bronchiectasis patients requires a call to action to identify new treatment modalities and new drugs to improve patients' outcomes.
A substantial increase in pulmonary and extra-pulmonary diseases due to non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been documented worldwide, especially among subjects suffering from chronic respiratory ...diseases and immunocompromised patients. Many questions remain regarding the epidemiology of pulmonary disease due to NTM (NTM-PD) mainly because reporting of NTM-PD to health authorities is not mandated in several countries, including Italy. This manuscript describes the protocol of the first Italian registry of adult patients with respiratory infections caused by NTM (IRENE).
IRENE is an observational, multicenter, prospective, cohort study enrolling consecutive adult patients with either a NTM respiratory isolate or those with NTM-PD. A total of 41 centers, including mainly pulmonary and infectious disease departments, joined the registry so far. Adult patients with all of the following are included in the registry: 1) at least one positive culture for any NTM species from any respiratory sample; 2) at least one positive culture for NTM isolated in the year prior the enrolment and/or prescribed NTM treatment in the year prior the enrolment; 3) given consent to inclusion in the study. No exclusion criteria are applied to the study. Patients are managed according to standard operating procedures implemented in each IRENE clinical center. An online case report form has been developed to collect patients' demographics, comorbidities, microbiological, laboratory, functional, radiological, clinical, treatment and outcome data at baseline and on an annual basis. An IRENE biobank has also been developed within the network and linked to the clinical data of the registry.
IRENE has been developed to inform the clinical and scientific community on the current management of adult patients with NTM respiratory infections in Italy and acts as a national network to increase the disease's awareness.
Clinicaltrial.gov: NCT03339063.
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