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Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) represents an important pathogen of clinical relevance, causing a wide variety of symptoms. The broad distribution of multidrug-resistant strains necessarily demands new antibacterial agents for the treatment of S. aureus infections. The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial activity of plant-derived compounds, pure 4,5″-dihydroxy-anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid (Rhein), against standard and clinical isolated S. aureus strains. The hemolysis and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays were used to determine the cytotoxicity on human erythrocytes and bronchial epithelial cells after treatment with Rhein. The antibacterial effect was assessed via disk diffusion test, broth microdilution methods, time-killing assays and live–dead evaluation (50–0.39 µg/mL). Rhein effect on the hemolytic activity of α-toxin and catalase were estimated. Moreover, crystal violet (CV) assay evaluated its impact on biofilm biomass. The compound exhibited 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) and 50% hemolysis concentration (EC50) of 43.6 and >50 µg/mL, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Rhein was 12.5 µg/mL for all tested strains, exerting bacteriostatic action. MIC and sub-MIC concentrations of Rhein significantly reduced hemolytic and catalase activities, impairing the major virulence factors of S. aureus strains. Rhein also reduced biofilm biomass in a dose-dependent manner, reaching rates of about 50% eradication at a dose of 50 µg/mL. These findings suggest that Rhein could represent a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of S. aureus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has been conducted on the Gram-negative bacteria lipopolysaccharide whish utilizes CD14 and CD11a/18 as cellular receptors in inducing cytokine expression and release. Results indicate that the stimulation mechanism by THP-1 cell porins enriched in the CD14 receptor is independent of this receptor but dependent on CD11a/CD18 integrins.

The study objective is to examine epidemiological and microbiological aspects of aerobic vaginitis in female patients admitted to University Hospital of Campania "L. Vanvitelli" over five years. The most represented strains were E. coli (n = 153), Citrobacter spp. increasing from 2020, E. faecalis (n = 149), S. haemolitycus (n = 61), and Candida albicans (n = 87). The susceptibility patterns of a selection of gram-negative and gram-positive representative bacterial isolates were examined. Carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and fosfomycin were most effective against gram-negative bacteria, whereas vancomycin, daptomycin, and linezolid exhibited greater efficacy against gram-positive bacteria. None of the E. coli and Citrobacter spp. isolates produced extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, and the S. haemolyticus strains were methicillin-resistant. In gram-positive isolates, gentamicin susceptibility increased in 2020 and 2021 compared to clindamycin; erythromycin showed high resistance rates in 2020. Our findings indicate that integrating proper microbiological cultures into clinical practice could improve the management of aerobic vaginitis. Moreover, they highlight the necessity of establishing a nationwide surveillance guideline to mitigate antimicrobial resistance. Improvement actions in antimicrobial diagnostic stewardship must be considered when seeking the appropriate diagnosis and treatment for aerobic vaginitis.

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and epidemiology distribution of K. pneumoniae isolated at University Hospital of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," including the susceptibility evolution profile. Data on resistant phenotype strains, such as extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) producers and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRE) isolates, were also reported. K. pneumoniae strains were collected at the Complex Operative Unit (UOC) of Virology and Microbiology from different colonization and infection sites from January 2016 to December 2020. The highest rates of isolation were in urinary samples and in respiratory and wound swabs. Antibiotics susceptibility patterns showed more than 50% of the isolates resistant to cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and penicillin. On the other hand, from 20% to 40% of K. pneumoniae strains were resistant to carbapenems and aminoglycosides. Based on our analysis, fosfomycin, ceftazidime/avibactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam are still therapeutic alternatives. Data analysis on carbapenem class evolution in 2016-2020 showed a significant increase in resistance rates (p<0.05). Increased rates in CRE and ESBL producing K. pneumoniae since 2017 were reported. Providing information on clinical characteristics and epidemiology data on contemporary K. pneumoniae evolution could help mitigate the spread of these isolates in our hospital and avert the endemic levels that have been observed in Southern Italy and in other European countries.

Viral hepatitis still represents a significant worldwide public health issue, being an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of our study is to evaluate the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers from serologic analysis of hospitalized patients at University Hospital of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" and also to investigate the prevalence of HBV/HCV coinfection. We screened serum Anti-Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), and antibody to Hepatitis C Virus (Anti-HCV) Anti-HCV from January to December 2020. Analyses of HBV serological profile based on age showed that the 51-60 age group was the most numerous and with the highest cases of HBsAg. The 61-70 age group recorded the highest prevalence of anti-HBc while age groups 0-10 years and 31-40 years the highest cases of anti-HBs. Antibody levels decline with time. In subjects older than 20 years, compared to vaccinated cohort individuals, anti-HBc seropositive prevalence increased linearly. This study underlined, in our geographic region, the decreased incidence of hepatitis B and high immunogenicity in the young population. Therefore, administration of HBV vaccine booster dose should be considered for the population rather than vaccination in the first year of life. In conclusion, our findings reaffirm the importance of health surveillance in hospitalized subjects, stressing the need to improve immunized subjects to increase the general population's health.

A poly(amide)-based dendrimer was synthesized and functionalized with the membrane-interacting peptide gH(625-644) (gH625) derived from the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) envelope glycoprotein H, which has previously been shown to assist in delivering large cargoes across the cellular membrane. We demonstrate that the attachment of the gH625 peptide sequence to the termini of a dendrimer allows the conjugate to penetrate into the cellular matrix, whereas the unfunctionalized dendrimer is excluded from translocation. The peptide-functionalized dendrimer is rapidly taken into the cells mainly through a non-active translocation mechanism. Our results suggest that the presented peptidodendrimeric scaffold may be a promising material for efficient drug delivery., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The diagnosis of cutaneous Mycobacterium marinum infection is frequently presumptive, as detection by conventional methods is difficult. We describe a patient with granulomatous skin lesions on the right dorsal hand and forearm. Histological examinations were presumptive for mycobacterium lesions. We identified Mycobacterium marinum directly in the patient's lesional skin biopsy combining polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using Mycobacterium genus-specific primers, and subsequent restriction enzyme analysis enabling identification to the species level. The symptoms were no longer present after specific therapy, thereby confirming the initial diagnosis.