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Biomedical subjects

F Ader

Publications and source records attributed to F Ader.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

[Vaccination against influenza: results of a study on vaccination coverage among health care workers in the Croix-Rousse Hospital (Hospitals of Lyon)].

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the vaccinal status among Croix-Rousse Hospital workers, attitude towards this vaccination, and the information delivered in order to promote this vaccination. METHODS: Questionnaires were delivered by electronic mailing. RESULTS: Six hundred (and) twenty-nine questionnaires were analyzed (26.7% of hospital workers); 30.7% of responders were vaccinated against influenza, 89.2% of responders were aware of influenza and vaccine. Vaccine coverage was lower in younger workers, non health-care workers, non physician health-care workers, and surgeons who responded. Motivation and reserve varied according to the status, position, and age, with some discrepancies. CONCLUSION: These results suggest implementing a better targeted vaccination campaign, according to the various categories of personnel.

Adolescent↗

Fulminant Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) hepatitis in a young immunocompetent subject.

We report a case of fulminant hepatitis related to a primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in an immunocompetent 15-year-old male patient. The main causes of fulminant hepatitis are viral infections, drugs, and autoimmune diseases. Primary Epstein-Barr virus infection is usually a benign, self-limited disease in pediatrics but can exceptionally be fatal.

Adolescent↗

[Quorum sensing: a new clinical target for Pseudomonas aeruginosa?].

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacteria causing a wide variety of infections. The bacterial virulence depends on a large panel of cell-associated and extracellular factors. Quorum sensing (QS) allows cell-to-cell communication: sensing the environment, this system coordinates the expression of various genes within the bacterial population. QS is based on an interaction between a small diffusible molecule, an acylhomoserine lactone (AHL), and a transcriptionnal activator. Two QS systems, the las and rhl systems, have been identified in P. aeruginosa. The las system associates the transcriptionnal activator protein LasR and LasI responsible for the synthesis of a specific AHL: C12-HSL. This system was shown to activate the expression of a large number of virulence factors. Similarly, the rhl system associates the transcriptionnal activator protein RhlR with RhlI, which is responsible for the synthesis of another AHL: C4-HSL. Synthesis and secretion of a number of virulence factors are controlled by QS. Utilization of different animals models showed the crucial role of QS in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa infections. The discovery of QS has given a new opportunity to treat bacterial infection by another means than growth inhibition. New drugs inhibiting QS were recently discovered: furanone compounds can repress a large number of QS-regulated genes, including numerous P. aeruginosa virulence factor genes. Furanone administration to mice infected with P. aeruginosa significantly reduced lung bacterial load compared with the control group.

Cell Communication↗

[Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in bone and joint infections].

The medical treatment of many bone and joint infections (including chronic osteomyelitis, prosthetic joint infection, and septic arthritis) requires prolonged intravenous antimicrobial therapy. For some patients, this treatment could be administered outside the hospital in a program that offers outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). In France, we have no registry of patients receiving OPAT. Initiation of this program requires specific criteria based on a patient evaluation and selection, and an interdisciplinary team of professionals committed to high-quality patient care. Various vascular access devices and infusion pump therapy are used to administer OPAT. The most common parenteral agents for OPAT are beta-lactams and glycopeptids (specifically vancomycin). Antimicrobial courses are stopped prematurely in 3 to 10% of the cases because of an adverse reaction or vascular access complications. Several published studies demonstrate the effectiveness of OPAT and higher patient satisfaction than hospital care. In addition, OPAT is clearly more cost-effective than intravenous therapy provided in the hospital setting. Some diagnoses, such as cellulites, community-acquired pneumonia, and endocarditis may be managed with OPAT.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Acute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in chronic lung disease--a review].

INTRODUCTION: Apart from malignancies and solid organ transplant, chronic lung disease, in particular chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a third important predisposing factor for acute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. STATE OF THE ART: COPD is present in 2% of patients dying from invasive aspergillosis. This opportunistic infection occurs because of an immunodeficiency linked both to altered local immunity and to systemic factors such as long term steroid treatment and malnutrition. In patients whose sputum and/or endotracheal aspirate specimens contain hyphal forms of filamentous Aspergillus, half will have a clinically significant aspergillus infection. Diagnostic tests include serum galactomannan antigen test, serum antibody titre, thoracic CT scan and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). The identification of fungal hyphae in BAL fluid by microscopy and/or on culture is critical for a positive diagnosis. The mortality rate for acute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in chronic lung diseases reaches almost 100%. Antifungal monotherapy is still recommended as a first line treatment. Combined treatment can be used in refractory aspergillosis as a salvage therapy. The question of maintaining, decreasing or interrupting steroid treatment must be considered. PERSPECTIVES: Prospective studies are needed to evaluate a standardised diagnostic strategy such as exists for patients with haematological disease. Whether this will improve prognosis remains to be seen. CONCLUSION: Acute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis complicating chronic lung disease is not rare. Improved diagnosis procedures and recent therapeutic advances may have a positive impact on patient prognosis.

Antifungal Agents↗

[Cervical spondylodiscitis: one pathogen may hide another].

A 54-year-old man presented with tuberculous spondylodiscitis associated to E. coli found in an intervertebral disc space needle biopsy. The enterobacteria came from a cholecystitis. The patient was cured by medical treatment, consisting in a non-surgical immobilization, antitubercular quadritherapy in association with a specific antibiotic treatment. No other case of spondylodiscitis caused by a mycobacterial coinfection pathogen has been reported so far.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Impact of fluoroquinolone use on multidrug-resistant bacteria emergence].

During the last two decades, fluoroquinolone use has significantly increased in Europe and in the USA. This could be explained by the arrival of newer fluoroquinolones with antipneumoccal activity. Increased use of fluoroquinolones is associated with higher rates of bacterial resistance to these antibiotics. Resistance of Gram-negative bacilli to fluoroquinolones is increasing in industrialized countries. In addition, fluoroquinolone use has been identified as a risk factor for colonization and infection to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumanni, extending-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Gram negative bacilli, and multidrug-resistant bacteria. Nosocomial infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria are associated with higher mortality and morbidity rates. This could be related to more frequent inappropriate initial antibiotic treatment in these patients. Limiting the use of fluoroquinolones, limiting the duration of treatment with fluoroquinolones, and using appropriate dosage of these antibiotics could be suggested to reduce resistance to these antibiotics and to reduce the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an emerging fungal pathogen.

Acute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis occurs predominantly in immunocompromised hosts, with increasing numbers of cases of invasive aspergillosis among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) being reported. Among 13 cases of invasive aspergillosis diagnosed in COPD patients admitted to the intensive care unit with acute respiratory distress, the only risk factor for invasive fungal infection was corticosteroid treatment. Invasive aspergillosis should be suspected in COPD patients receiving steroid treatment who have extensive pulmonary infiltrates. Survival depends on rapid diagnosis and early appropriate treatment. A decrease or interruption of steroid treatment should be considered as part of the overall therapeutic strategy.

Aspergillosis↗

Alveolar response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa: role of the type III secretion system.

The type III secretion system (TTSS) is a specialized cytotoxin-translocating apparatus of gram-negative bacteria which is involved in lung injury, septic shock, and a poor patient outcome. Recent studies have attributed these effects mainly to the ExoU effector protein. However, few studies have focused on the ExoU-independent pathogenicity of the TTSS. For the present study, we compared the pathogenicities of two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a murine model of acute lung injury. We compared the CHA strain, which has a functional TTSS producing ExoS and ExoT but not ExoU, to an isogenic mutant with an inactivated exsA gene, CHA-D1, which does not express the TTSS at all. Rats challenged with CHA had significantly increased lung injury, as assessed by the wet/dry weight ratio for the lungs and the protein level in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) at 12 h, compared to those challenged with CHA-D1. Consistent with these findings, the CHA strain was associated with increased in vitro cytotoxicity on A549 cells, as assessed by the release of lactate dehydrogenase. CHA was also associated at 12 h with a major decrease in polymorphonuclear neutrophils in BALF, with a proinflammatory response, as assessed by the amounts of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1beta, and with decreased bacterial clearance from the lungs, ultimately leading to an increased mortality rate. These results demonstrate that the TTSS has a major role in P. aeruginosa pathogenicity independent of the role of ExoU. This report underscores the crucial roles of ExoS and ExoT or other TTSS-related virulence factors in addition to ExoU.

Animals↗

[Is bone infection of endogenous or exogenous origin? A pathophysiological approach].

Osteomyelitis is a bacterial implant in bone matrix. Infection occurs as a result of a bacteremia, an inoculation during aseptic or orthopedic surgery, or a contiguous infectious focus. Persistent and relapsing infection may be due to three situations: underlying conditions such as diabetes mellitus or rheumatoid arthritis, presence of foreign surgical implant, and a causative bacterial strain. The pathogenesis of osteomyelitis has been explored through various experimental models, involving mostly Staphylococcus (S. aureus, S. epidermidis) and has given new insights. Bacterial adherence to implanted devices or bone matrix via surface proteins is critical for bacterial survival. Further bacterial growth depends on various mechanisms: the capacity to exhibit matrix-embedded lifestyle known as biofilm and the ability for bacterial subpopulations to switch to a dormant metabolic state known as small colony variants. In addition to bacterial factors, the presence of foreign material induces a defect in local inflammatory response partly responsible for the high susceptibility to infection.

Bacteremia↗

Cefepime-induced neurotoxicity: an underestimated complication of antibiotherapy in patients with acute renal failure.

OBJECTIVES: To describe five new cases of life-threatening cefepime-induced neurotoxicity observed in a 2-year period. SETTING: A university intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Five patients recently treated with cefepime, admitted for seizures and coma. All suffered from acute renal failure, induced by sepsis and combined aminoside therapy, or by cefepime itself in one case. INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent hemodialysis, which led to complete neurological improvement in four of them. One patient remained comatose and subsequently died. MEASUREMENTS: Blood and CSF cefepime levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography before and after hemodialysis. CONCLUSION: The frequency of cefepime-induced neurotoxicity is probably underestimated. Monitoring of renal function and close neurological survey in treated patients should allow an early diagnosis of this complication. Urgent hemodialysis seems the best therapeutic method to obtain a rapid neurological improvement.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

Keratinocyte growth factor protects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced lung injury.

We have previously reported that keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) attenuates alpha-naphthylthiourea-induced lung injury by upregulating alveolar fluid transport. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of KGF pretreatment in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. A 5% bovine albumin solution with 1 microCi of (125)I-labeled human albumin was instilled into the air spaces 4 or 24 h after intratracheal instillation of P. aeruginosa, and the concentration of unlabeled and labeled proteins in the distal air spaces over 1 h was used as an index of net alveolar fluid clearance. Alveolocapillary barrier permeability was evaluated with an intravascular injection of 1 microCi of (131)I-albumin. In early pneumonia, KGF increased lung liquid clearance (LLC) compared with that in nonpretreated animals. In late pneumonia, LLC was significantly reduced in the absence of KGF but increased above the control value with KGF. KGF pretreatment increased the number of polymorphonuclear cells recovered in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and decreased bacterial pulmonary translocation. In conclusion, KGF restores normal alveolar epithelial fluid transport during the acute phase of P. aeruginosa pneumonia and LLC in early and late pneumonia. Host response is also improved as shown by the increase in the alveolar cellular response and the decrease in pulmonary translocation of bacteria.

Albumins↗

[Variations in circulating bradykinin and its precursor during treatment with ethanol and disulfiram in the dog].

Blood variations of bradykininogen and bradykinin have been measured in the Dog after single or combined treatments with ethanol and disulfiram. Ethanol only induces hyperbradykinnemia and chronic disulfiram decreases plasmatic level of bradykinnogen without modifying bradykinn. During associated treatment disulfiram-ethanol, physiological disturbances are observed in bradykinin formation; these disturbances can explain partly vasomotor reaction following treatments.

Animals↗