Exploring Potential COPD Immunosuppression Pathways Causing Increased Susceptibility for MAC Infections among COPD Patients

Additive Effects of Cyclic Peptide [R4W4] When Added Alongside Azithromycin and Rifampicin against Mycobacterium avium Infection

Mycobacterium avium (M. avium), a type of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), poses a risk for pulmonary infections and disseminated infections in immunocompromised individuals. Conventional treatment consists of a 12-month regimen of the first-line antibiotics rifampicin and azithromycin. However, the treatment duration and low antibiotic tolerability present challenges in the treatment of M. avium infection. Furthermore, the emergence of multidrug-resistant mycobacterium strains prompts a need for novel treatments against M. avium infection. This study aims to test the efficacy of a novel antimicrobial peptide, cyclic [R4W4], alongside the first-line antibiotics azithromycin and rifampicin in reducing M. avium survival. Colony-forming unit (CFU) counts were assessed after treating M. avium cultures with varying concentrations of cyclic [R4W4] alone or in conjunction with azithromycin or rifampicin 3 h and 4 days post-treatment. M. avium growth was significantly reduced 4 days after cyclic [R4W4] single treatment. Additionally, cyclic [R4W4]-azithromycin and cyclic [R4W4]-rifampicin combination treatments at specific concentrations significantly reduced M. avium survival 3 h and 4 days post-treatment compared with single antibiotic treatment alone. These findings demonstrate cyclic [R4W4] as a potent treatment method against M. avium and provide insight into novel therapeutic approaches against mycobacterium infections.

[New therapeutic advances in patients with lung cancer immunosuppressed with chronic lung diseases in the period 2014-2022 from the review of the literature.]

Lung cancer is a malignant neoplasm with a high prevalence and mortality, more so in patients with respiratory comorbidities, whose cells have a massive proliferation capacity in the lung tissue, managing to invade other organs, which deteriorates the patient's physical and emotional state, decreasing their quality of life and defense system; therefore, treatment today is not sufficient for patient survival and there has been evidence of a certain evolution in the treatment of the disease or early detection to prevent it. This article aimed to analyze the new therapeutic advances in patients with lung cancer associated with chronic lung diseases in the period 2014-2022 based on a review of the literature. Several parameters were used to limit the search, extrapolating the articles of interest, validating fifty three articles, six doctoral theses and two books, which were in Spanish and English.The various search strategies used were keywords, subject and author follow-up. The sections developed in this review are the concept of Lung Cancer (LC), clinical manifestations, risk factors, relationship between LC and chronic lung diseases, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and new therapeutic advances. All the filtered information of the selected articles shows us the importance that the use of various biomarkers is taking for its early detection; however, the transfer of antitumor T cells in patients with underlying lung disease had an efficiency of 48.

Protective Efficacy of BCG Vaccine against Mycobacterium leprae and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infections

The genus mycobacterium includes several species that are known to cause infections in humans. The microorganisms are classified into tuberculous and non-tuberculous based on their morphological characteristics, defined by the dynamic relationship between the host defenses and the infectious agent. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) include all the species of mycobacterium other than the ones that cause tuberculosis (TB). The group of NTM contains almost 200 different species and they are found in soil, water, animals—both domestic and wild—milk and food products, and from plumbed water resources such as sewers and showerhead sprays. A systematic review of Medline between 1946 and 2014 showed an 81% decline in TB incidence rates with a simultaneous 94% increase in infections caused by NTM. Prevalence of infections due to NTM has increased relative to infections caused by TB owing to the stringent prevention and control programs in Western countries such as the USA and Canada. While the spread of typical mycobacterial infections such as TB and leprosy involves human contact, NTM seem to spread easily from the environment without the risk of acquiring from a human contact except in the case of M. abscessus in patients with cystic fibrosis, where human transmission as well as transmission through fomites and aerosols has been recorded. NTM are opportunistic in their infectious processes, making immunocompromised individuals such as those with other systemic infections such as HIV, immunodeficiencies, pulmonary disease, or usage of medications such as long-term corticosteroids/TNF-α inhibitors more susceptible. This review provides insight on pathogenesis, treatment, and BCG vaccine efficacy against M. leprae and some important NTM infections.