In recent years, a dramatic increase in the prevalence of
Escherichia coli
strains producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) has been observed — both in the community and in healthcare ...settings. This multicentric study aimed to characterize ESBLs produced by
E. coli
isolates causing hospital-onset and community urinary tract infections, as well as to compare their antimicrobial sensitivity patterns, β-lactamase content and plasmid types. Phenotypic tests for the detection of ESBLs and plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases were initially pursued, followed by molecular detection of resistance genes, plasmid characterization, genotyping with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole genome sequencing (WGS). The isolates exhibited high level of resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC) and carried CTX-M (cefotaximase-Munich) or TEM (Temoniera) β-lactamases. All six representative isolates subjected to WGS belonged to the widespread clone ST131. In conclusion, our study demonstrated dissemination of group 1 CTX-M positive
E. coli
in different geographic regions of Croatia, but also different components of the health care systems (hospitals, nursing homes and the community) and confirmed the switch from SHV-2 (suphydril variant) and SHV-5 ESBLs to the nation-wide predominance of group 1 CTX-M β-lactamases. Different plasmids were shown to be associated with the dissemination of
bla
CTX-M
genes in different geographic regions of Croatia.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) usually affect women in their fertile years and, therefore, have implications for their fertility and pregnancy. The presence of IBD during pregnancy has been shown ...to adversely affect pregnancy outcomes, and increased rates of preterm delivery and of spontaneous abortion have been reported. An onset of acute severe colitis in pregnancy has rarely been seen. We present the case of a 42-year-old woman who conceived after 9 attempts of in vitro fertilization and whose pregnancy was the result of a donated oocyte. Shortly after conception, she was diagnosed with severe active ulcerative colitis, and biologic therapy was introduced in the 28th week of pregnancy. Although therapy for IBD in pregnancy is considered safe for most drugs, this was not very well known in 2015. We also consider our case exceptional because we now have a 5-year follow-up of our patient and her child after having begun biologic therapy during late pregnancy.
Cystinuria is a rare genetic disorder inherited by an autosomal recessive pattern which affects the transmembrane transporter for the base amino acid cystine. It has a general prevalence of 1 in 7000 ...with demographic variations. Patients with cystinuria have excessive urinary excretion of cystine, which can lead to the formation of stones. Up to 70% of patients will develop chronic kidney disease that can progress even to end-stage renal disease. Symptoms usually start in the first two decades of life with a typical presentation consisting of flank pain and renal colic, usually accompanied by urinary tract infection and deterioration of kidney function. Men are typically affected twice as often as women and have a more severe clinical course. Diagnosis is made by spectrophotometric analysis of the stones that are collected after spontaneous expulsion or medical intervention. Genetic testing is not mandatory but is recommended in uncertain cases or as a part of genetic counseling. Treatment consists of diet modification, alkalization of urine, and thiol-based therapies if other measures fail to prevent stone formation. In pregnancy, cystinuria with the formation of cystine stones represents a therapeutic challenge and requires a multidisciplinary approach consisting of an uro-nephrology team and a gynecologist. We present the case of a 34-year-old woman with cystinuria on whom the diagnosis was made by analysis of the expulsed stone. While her previous pregnancies were without complications, her third pregnancy was accompanied by frequent urinary tract infections, acute worsening of kidney function, and urological interventions during pregnancy due to the formation of new stones. Despite the complicated course, the pregnancy was successfully carried to term with the delivery of a healthy female child.
Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) hydrolyse extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC) and aztreonam. As ESBL-producing organisms have been identified in food producing animals, the aim of our study ...was to detect and analyse such
isolates from poultry. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was determined with disk-diffusion and broth microdilution methods. ESBLs were detected with the double-disk synergy and inhibitor-based test with clavulanic acid. The transferability of cefotaxime resistance was determined with conjugation experiments, and genes encoding ESBLs, plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases, and quinolone resistance determinants identified by polymerase chain reaction. The study included 108 faecal samples (cloacal swabs) from 25 different poultry farms in the Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Of these, 75 (69.4 %) were positive for
, of which 27 were resistant to cefotaxime, amoxicillin, cefazoline, and cefriaxone, and susceptible to imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem, and amikacin. All 27 cefotaxime-resistant isolates were positive in double-disk synergy and combined disk tests. Eighteen isolates transferred cefotaxime resistance to
recipient. Twenty-one isolates were positive for the
cluster genes and seven for
. Fourteen were positive for the
genes. The most frequent plasmid incompatibility group was IncFIB, whereas IncFIA and Inc HI1 were present in only a few isolates. Two different sequence types (STs) were identified: ST117 and ST155. The emergence of ESBL-producing
in farm animals presents a public health threat, as they can colonise the intestine and cause infections in humans.
The increase in cancer survival rates has put a focus on ensuring fertility preservation procedures for cancer patients. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation presents the only option for prepubertal girls ...and patients who require immediate start of treatment and, therefore, cannot undergo controlled ovarian stimulation. We aimed to provide an assessment of stem cells' impact on cryopreserved ovarian tissue grafts in regard to the expression of growth factors, angiogenesis promotion, tissue oxygenation, ovarian follicle survival and restoration of endocrine function. For this systematic review, we searched the Scopus and PubMed databases and included reports of trials using murine and/or human cryopreserved ovarian tissue for transplantation or in vitro culture in combination with mesenchymal stem cell administration to the grafting site. Of the 1201 articles identified, 10 met the criteria. The application of stem cells to the grafting site has been proven to support vascular promotion and thereby shorten the period of tissue hypoxia, which is reflected in the increased number of remaining viable follicles and faster recovery of ovarian endocrine function. Further research is needed before implementing the use of stem cells in OT cryopreservation and transplantation procedures in clinical practice. Complex ethical dilemmas make this process more difficult.
Pregnancy can alter the natural course of epilepsy and affect pharmacokinetic profile of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) making therapeutic management more demanding. Since there is no relevant ...population-based study in Croatia to date, we conducted this research with the aim to observe antiepileptic treatment policy in pregnancy and to determine if the number of AEDs affects pregnancy outcomes. The study included all women with epilepsy with singleton pregnancy exposed to one or more AEDs divided into two groups (group 1: one AED and group 2: more than one AED used). Data were collected retrospectively at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zagreb University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia, and included 153 women from January 2010 to December 2018. Primary outcomes included rates of preterm delivery, major fetal malformations, gestational hypertension, cesarean section rate, and appearance of seizures during pregnancy. We found higher rates of all pregnancy complications examined than in the general population, while comparison of the two study groups yielded significant differences. Preterm labor was detected in 30% of deliveries in polytherapy group compared to 16.6% in monotherapy group (p=0.03). Gestational hypertension was recorded in 20% of women in polytherapy group
vs
. 4.90% in monotherapy group (p=0.009). There was also a high rate of cesarean deliveries in polytherapy group (27.5%). Seizures during pregnancy occurred in 48.4% of patients in polytherapy group, which was significantly higher than the rate recorded in monotherapy group (p=0.015). In this single-center retrospective study, women with epilepsy using AEDs during pregnancy had a higher rate of gestational hypertension and preterm delivery than the general population of pregnant women. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Croatia observing antiepileptic treatment policy in pregnancy with regards to AED regimen and perinatal outcome.
Bloodstream infections associated with AmpC-producing Enterobacterales are severe medical conditions which, without prompt and effective treatment, may have dire ramifications. This study aimed to ...assess whether certain comorbidities and previous surgical procedures coincide with resistance determinants of AmpC-producing Enterobacterales associated with bloodstream infections. Antibiotic resistance patterns and therapy outcome were also determined. The patients’ data obtained revealed that the prevalence of recent surgical procedures, solid organ tumors, metabolic diseases, kidney and liver failure, and hematological malignancies do not differ between resistant and susceptible isolates of AmpC-producing Enterobacterales. Furthermore, no difference was reported in mortality rates. Regarding antibiotic resistance, 34.52% of isolates were confirmed to be resistant (AmpC hyperproduction, ESBL, or carbapenemase). More than one in five AmpC hyperproducers were reported amid Providencia spp., K. aerogenes, E. cloacae, and C. freundii. strains. Carbapenemases were mostly noted in Providencia spp. followed by M. morganii and K. aerogenes strains. Serratia marcescens had the highest proportion of ESBLsof ESBLs. Resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins of Providencia spp. and K. aerogenes strains exceeded 50%, and resistance to meropenem over 10% was observed only in C. freundii strains. Enterobacterales’ ever-growing resistance to antibiotics is becoming quite a challenge for clinicians and new treatment options are required.
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