West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease (WNV NID) requires prolonged intensive care treatment, resulting in high mortality and early disability. Long-term results are lacking. We have conducted an ...observational retrospective study with a prospective follow-up of WNV NID patients treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Zagreb, Croatia, 2013-2018. Short-term outcomes were vital status, length of stay (LOS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and disposition at discharge. Long-term outcomes were vital status and mRS at follow-up. Twenty-three patients were identified, 78.3% males, median age 72 (range 33-84) years. Two patients (8.7%) died in the ICU, with no lethal outcomes after ICU discharge. The median ICU LOS was 19 days (range 5-73), and the median hospital LOS was 34 days (range 7-97). At discharge, 15 (65.2%) patients had moderate to severe/mRS 3-5, 6 (26.0%) had slight disability/mRS 2-1, no patients were symptom-free/mRS 0. Ten (47.6%) survivors were discharged to rehabilitation facilities. The median time to follow-up was nine months (range 6-69). At follow-up, seven patients died (30.5%), five (21.7%) had moderate to severe/mRS 3-5, one (4.3%) had slight disability/mRS 2-1, six (26.1%) had no symptoms/mRS 0, and four (17.4%) were lost to follow-up. Briefly, ten (43.5%) survivors improved their functional status, one (4.3%) was unaltered, and one (4.3%) aggravated. In patients with severe WNV NID, intensive treatment in the acute phase followed by inpatient rehabilitation resulted in significant recovery of functional status after several months.
To better understand the ecology and epidemiology of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in its transcontinental spread, we sequenced and analyzed the complete genomes of 36 recent influenza ...A (H5N1) viruses collected from birds in Europe, northern Africa, and southeastern Asia. These sequences, among the first complete genomes of influenza (H5N1) viruses outside Asia, clearly depict the lineages now infecting wild and domestic birds in Europe and Africa and show the relationships among these isolates and other strains affecting both birds and humans. The isolates fall into 3 distinct lineages, 1 of which contains all known non-Asian isolates. This new Euro-African lineage, which was the cause of several recent (2006) fatal human infections in Egypt and Iraq, has been introduced at least 3 times into the European-African region and has split into 3 distinct, independently evolving sublineages. One isolate provides evidence that 2 of these sublineages have recently reassorted.
Establishing the metabolism pathway of the drug undergoing the hepatic biotransformation pathway is one of the most important aspects in the preclinical discovery process since the presence of toxic ...or reactive metabolites may result in drug withdrawal from the market. In this study, we present the structural elucidation of six, not described yet, metabolites of an antipsychotic molecule: molindone. The elucidation of metabolites was supported with a novel photocatalytical approach with the use of WO
and WS
assisted photochemical reactions. An UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF combined system was used for the registration of all obtained metabolite profiles as well as to record the high resolution fragmentation spectra of the observed transformation products. As a reference in the in vitro metabolism simulation method, the incubation with human liver microsomes was used. Chemometric comparison of the obtained profiles pointed out the use of the WO
approach as being more convenient in the field of drug metabolism studies. Moreover, the photocatalysis was used in the direction of the main drug metabolite synthesis in order to further isolation and characterization.
In order to determine the actual prevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds in Bosnia and Herzegovina, extensive surveillance was carried out between October 2005 and April 2006. A ...total of 394 samples representing 41 bird species were examined for the presence of influenza A virus using virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs, PCR, and nucleotide sequencing. AIV subtype H5N1 was detected in two mute swans (Cygnus olor). The isolates were determined to be highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus and the hemagglutinin sequence was closely similar to A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-10/2005 (H5N1). This is the first report of HPAI subtype H5N1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging arbovirus isolated in 1959 (Usutu River, Swaziland). Previously restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, the virus was introduced in Europe in 1996. While the USUV has ...received little attention in Africa, the virus emergence has prompted numerous studies with robust epidemiological surveillance programs in Europe. The natural transmission cycle of USUV involves mosquitoes (vectors) and birds (amplifying hosts) with humans and other mammals considered incidental (“dead-end”) hosts. In Africa, the virus was isolated in mosquitoes, rodents and birds and serologically detected in horses and dogs. In Europe, USUV was detected in bats, whereas antibodies were found in different animal species (horses, dogs, squirrels, wild boar, deer and lizards). While bird mortalities were not reported in Africa, in Europe USUV was shown to be highly pathogenic for several bird species, especially blackbirds (Turdus merula) and great gray owls (Strix nebulosa). Furthermore, neurotropism of USUV for humans was reported for the first time in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Epizootics and genetic diversity of USUV in different bird species as well as detection of the virus in mosquitoes suggest repeated USUV introductions into Europe with endemization in some countries. The zoonotic potential of USUV has been reported in a growing number of human cases. Clinical cases of neuroinvasive disease and USUV fever, as well as seroconversion in blood donors were reported in Europe since 2009. While most USUV strains detected in humans, birds and mosquitoes belong to European USUV lineages, several reports indicate the presence of African lineages as well. Since spreading trends of USUV are likely to continue, continuous multidisciplinary interventions (“One Health” concept) should be conducted for monitoring and prevention of this emerging arboviral infection.
Disruption of the redox balance in the body causes oxidative stress that can initiate many diseases. While antioxidants reduce the level of oxidizing compounds in the medium, prooxidants promote the ...opposite process and have been used in therapies in particular those of cancer diseases. In this study, a series of azolyl lactones, were tested in human serum as a biological matrix and the obtained values of their oxy scores (OS) were compared. The antioxidative properties of these compounds were also tested under conditions of induced oxidative stress using an external prooxidant, t-butylhydroperoxide. The results showed that the sulphur analogue 4-azolyl coumarin 5 has the best antioxidant properties (OS ?2.2), while the halogenated derivatives of pyrazolylcoumarin 7 and 8 act as prooxidants, but successfully resist oxidative stress (OS 2.7 and 2.0, respectively). Related phthalides and isocoumarins showed prooxidative properties, but azolyl isocoumarins 10 and 11 show the strongest resistance to oxidative stress, reflected in their negative oxy score value (OS ?2.1 and ?1.1, respectively). The results demonstrated that combining two pharmacophores with known redox properties can produce potent compounds in both directions, with the antioxidative and the prooxidative characteristics.
This study describes the introduction and spread of avian influenza A (H5N1) subtype in Croatia. Seventeen isolates were identified during the period from October 2005 to March 2006, all originating ...from wild birds. The full-length nucleotide sequence analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of seven representative isolates revealed that three distinct genetic strains involved in the outbreaks, implicating at least three independent introductions of the virus into Croatia during a relatively short period of time. All three genetic strains belonged to clade 2.2 (Qinghai-like viruses) and each strain displayed significant similarity to concurrent H5N1 viruses from other European countries. The dominant strain of the virus was present in all four affected areas and in all three bird species (mute swan, mallard, and black-headed gull), indicating cross-species transmission of the virus. Two other genetic strains were found, together with the dominant strain, only in a marsh at the Adriatic coast during late February and early March 2006, which could be associated with frozen water surfaces in the continental part of Croatia as well as in Eastern Europe in early 2006 and the movement of birds toward warmer areas. This is also the first isolation of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of H5N1 subtype from apparently healthy black-headed gulls.
In the continuation of our study of substituted isocoumarins a series of novel 3-azolyl isocoumarin and their thio derivatives, including some related lactone compounds was prepared and biologically ...profiled against C. albicans showing moderate activity with MIC values in range of 4?60 ?g mL-1, in general. The additional characterisation of selected compounds was carried out by exploring their activity on CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 enzymes, while experiments on mutagenicity were performed by AMES test. The representative isocoumarins 3b, 4a and 4b showed lower inhibitory activity on CYP enzymes, when compared to the reference inhibitors, ketoconazole and quinidine. Compound 4a showed a higher mutagenic potential than the other two compounds. Further characterization included cytotoxicity profiling against normal MRC5 cells.
PDF
