Two Cases of Influenza B Virus-Related Fatal Fulminant Pneumonia Complicated With Staphylococcus aureus Infection in China Diagnosed Using Next-Generation Sequencing (2018)

Nucleic acid-based electrochemical biosensor for detection of influenza B by gold nanoparticles

The influenza virus is a pervasive pathogen that exhibits increased prevalence during colder seasons, resulting in a significant annual occurrence of infections. Notably, pharmaceutical interventions effective against influenza A strains often exhibit limited efficacy against influenza B variants. Against this backdrop, the need for innovative approaches to accurately and swiftly differentiate and detect influenza B becomes evident. Biosensors play a pivotal role in this detection process, offering rapid, specific, and sensitive identification of the virus, facilitating timely intervention and containment efforts. Oligonucleotide sequences targeting the conserved B/Victoria/2/87 influenza virus NP region were designed. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from patients suspected of influenza virus infection, and viral RNA was extracted. RNA quality was assessed through one-step PCR. cDNA synthesis was performed using random hexamers, and real-time PCR quantified the influenza genome. Gold nanoparticles were immobilized on a surface to immobilize the specific DNA probe, and electrochemical hybridization was electrochemically followed. The biosensor exhibited high selectivity and effective distinction of complementary sequences from mismatches and influenza virus cDNA genome. The biosensor successfully detected the influenza B virus genome in real samples. Non-influenza samples yielded no significant hybridization signals. The comparison between the results obtained from the biosensor and real-time PCR revealed full agreement of these methods. The biosensor utilized electrochemical detection of hybridization and proved effective in detecting the influenza B virus genome with high specificity, sensitivity, and selectivity. Comparative analysis with real-time PCR underscored the accuracy and potential applicability of the biosensor in rapid and specific virus detection. This innovative approach holds promise for future diagnostic and epidemiological applications in detecting influenza B virus and other pathogens.

Impact on in-hospital mortality of ceftaroline versus standard of care in community-acquired pneumonia: a propensity-matched analysis

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the in-hospital mortality of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated with ceftaroline in comparison with standard therapy. This was a retrospective observational study in two centers. Hospitalized patients with CAP were grouped according to the empiric regimen (ceftaroline versus standard therapy) and analyzed using a propensity score matching (PSM) method to reduce confounding factors. Out of the 6981 patients enrolled, 5640 met the inclusion criteria, and 89 of these received ceftaroline. After PSM, 78 patients were considered in the ceftaroline group (cases) and 78 in the standard group (controls). Ceftaroline was mainly prescribed in cases with severe pneumonia (67% vs. 56%, p = 0.215) with high suspicion of Staphylococcus aureus infection (9% vs. 0%, p = 0.026). Cases had a longer length of hospital stay (13 days vs. 10 days, p = 0.007), while an increased risk of in-hospital mortality was observed in the control group compared to the case group (13% vs. 21%, HR 0.41; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.62, p = 0.003). The empiric use of ceftaroline in hospitalized patients with severe CAP was associated with a decreased risk of in-hospital mortality.

Cross-correlation of virome-bacteriome-host-metabolome to study respiratory health

A comprehensive understanding of the microbiome-host relationship in respiratory diseases can be elucidated by exploring the landscape of virome-bacteriome-host metabolome data through unsupervised 'multi-omics' approaches. Here, we describe how the composition and function of airway and gut virome and bacteriome may contribute to pathogen establishment and propagation in airway districts and how the virome-bacteriome communities may react to respiratory diseases. A new systems medicine approach, including the characterization of respiratory and gut microbiome, may be crucial to demonstrate the likelihood and odds of respiratory disease pathophysiology, opening new avenues to the discovery of a chain of causation for key bacteria and viruses in disease severity.

The clinical significance of simultaneous detection of pathogens from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and blood samples by metagenomic next-generation sequencing in patients with severe pneumonia

Introduction. Bloodstream infection is a common complication in patients with severe pneumonia and is regarded as an independent risk factor for prediction of poor outcome. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been widely applied for pathogen determination of various clinical specimens from patients with infectious diseases. However, the clinical significance of and necessity for simultaneous pathogen detection of both blood samples and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) by mNGS in patients with severe pneumonia remains unclear.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Simultaneous detection of pathogens from both BALF and blood samples in patients with severe pneumonia helps to determine the complication of the bloodstream infection.Aims. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical significance and necessity of pathogen detection simultaneously in both blood samples and BALF samples with the application of mNGS in patients with severe pneumonia.Methods. In this study, 20 patients with severe pneumonia were enrolled and the potential pathogens in both BALF and blood samples were detected simultaneously by conventional microbial examination and mNGS tests. Moreover, multiple consecutive microbial detections were undertaken to investigate the dynamic variation of pathogens during the course of disease progression in two of the 20 patients.Results. In 85 % (17/20) of the patients with severe pneumonia, various pathogens were determined positively in the BALF by mNGS, including 10 cases with bacterial infection, five cases with viral infection and two cases with fungal infection. By contrast, pathogens in 50 % (10/20) of cases could be detected positively in the BALF by conventional microbial tests. Among 17 severe pneumonia patients with mNGS-positive BALF, pathogens were also identified in 10 cases with mNGS-positive blood samples. By contrast, only one patient complicated with a bloodstream infection could be found by conventional bacterial culture. Moreover, the pathogens from BALF were highly consistent with that from blood samples detected by mNGS in the early stage of the disease. With disease progression and after recurrent antibiotic treatment, significant dynamic changes of the microbial species from the BALF and blood samples could be clearly found by mNGS.Conclusions. This study emphasizes the utility of mNGS in the rapid simultaneous detection of pathogens from both BALF and blood samples in patients with severe pneumonia, and could allow determination of bloodstream infection and guide clinicians regarding antimicrobial treatments.