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Given the various clinical manifestations that characterize Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the scientific community is constantly searching for biomarkers with prognostic value. Surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D) are collectins that play a crucial role in ensuring proper alveolar function and an alteration of their serum levels was reported in several pulmonary diseases characterized by Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis. Considering that such clinical manifestations can also occur during Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we wondered if these collectins could act as prognostic markers. In this regard, serum levels of SP-A and SP-D were measured by enzyme immunoassay in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 51) at admission (T0) and after seven days (T1) and compared with healthy donors (n = 11). SP-D increased in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls during the early phases of infection, while a significant reduction was observed at T1. Stratifying SARS-CoV-2 patients according to disease severity, increased serum SP-D levels were observed in severe compared to mild patients. In light of these results, SP-D, but not SP-A, seems to be an eligible marker of COVID-19 pneumonia, and the early detection of SP-D serum levels could be crucial for preventive clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) commonly infect the anogenital mucosa; most infections are transient, but a fraction of those caused by high-risk (HR) types persist and may lead to anogenital cancer. The epidemiology of HPV genotypes in anal infections in groups at different risk for anal cancer has not been well described in Italy. This retrospective study reports the results of HPV DNA testing and complete genotyping performed on anal swabs from 691 female and male patients attending proctology clinics in Rome during 2012–2021; one-third had repeated testing. Cumulative HPV positivity in 1212 anal swabs was approximately 60%, was not age related, and showed an increasing trend over the study period. HPV rates differed significantly by sex and HIV status: HIV-negative women had the lowest (43.6%) and HIV-positive men the highest (83.5%) HPV prevalence. HIV-positive men had more oncogenic HPV genotypes detected, more multiple infections, and the highest frequency of persistent infections. Two-thirds of all infections were vaccine-preventable. This study found that anal HPV infection rates are still elevated and even increasing in groups at low and high risk of developing anal cancer. Prevention programs need to be improved to reduce rates of anal infection in young women and men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]