Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel respiratory disease that has led to a global pandemic and created a havoc. The COVID-19 disease severity varies among individuals, depending on fluctuating symptoms. Many infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and dengue hemorrhagic fever have been associated with ABO blood groups. The aim of this study was to explore whether ABO blood groups might serve

Tumors exhibiting DNA mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency and microsatellite instability (MSI) are responsive to immune checkpoint blockade. MSI is frequently diagnosed using five quasimonomorphic mononucleotide (pentaplex) markers; however, the assays have several technical limitations, including the lack of sensitivity of some of the markers. Although markers with increased sensitivity, such as CAT25

Species (spp.) belonging to the genus Fusobacterium are anaerobic commensals colonizing the upper respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, and the genitals. Infections with Fusobacterium spp. have been reported at many anatomical sites, including pneumonias and pleural empyemas; however, there are very few published cases of Fusobacterium spp. causing spondylodiscitis or fistulas. Bone infections

“This is not a biofilm” is a rephrase of René Margritte’s most famous artwork exemplifying that our perception may deviate from reality. Our perception is dependent on mental models, which are preconceived notions that guide how we use and interact with things (Norman. 1983).

Sometimes the distinction between gastric adenocarcinomas and breast carcinomas can be challenging. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-alpha (HNF4A) has been suggested as a potential marker in these cases. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the role of the combined use of HNF4A and GATA3 as immunohistochemical markers in distinction between primary and metastatic breast and gastric carcinomas. This

The reported incidence of pertussis in European countries varies considerably. We aimed to study specific Bordetella pertussis seroprevalence in Europe by measuring serum IgG antibody levels to pertussis toxin (anti-PT IgG). Fourteen national laboratories participated in this study including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) causes superficial and severe endovascular infections. The present in vitro study investigates the anti-SA mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on direct bacterial killing, antibiotic potentiation, and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) enhancement. SA was exposed to isolated human PMNs, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, or benzylpenicillin. HBOT was used as one 90-min

Animal models of human diseases are invaluable and inevitable elements in identifying and testing novel treatments for serious diseases, including severe infections. Planning and conducting investigator-initiated human trials are generally accepted as being enormously challenging. In contrast, it is often underestimated how much planning, including background and modifying experiments, is needed to

First described in 1995 by Meis-Kindbloom et al. as a variant of fibrosarcoma simulating carcinoma, sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is a malignant soft tissue sarcoma characterized by epithelioid cells in dense sclerotic stroma, frequent immunoreactivity for MUC4 and heterogeneous genetic profile with recurrent EWSR1 gene rearrangement. It typically affects middle-age adults with a predilection

We analysed the reproducibility of Ki67 labelling index (LI) between two scorers using the International Ki67 Working Group (IKWG) global methods on an Android application (APP), correlated the APP and eyeball estimate (EBE) with digital image analysis (DIA) scores and determined the prognostic significance of Ki67LI. Global weighted (GW) and global unweighted (GUW) Ki67 app scores of hormone receptor-positive

The key regulator of the polyamine biosynthetic pathway is ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). ODC is activated by antizyme inhibitor 1 (AZIN1) and 2 (AZIN2). AZIN1 and recently AZIN2 have been related to cancer; however, their functions in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) have not been studied. We performed immunohistochemical study on minor salivary and mucous gland ACC tissue samples of patients treated

Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer (CC), but viral infection alone does not guarantee the development of this malignancy. Indeed, deficiencies of dietary micronutrients could favor cervical cancer development in individuals that harbor HR-HPV infections. The status of retinoid levels, natural and synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, is important

A malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) arising from a schwannoma is extremely rare, with limited literature on its clinicopathologic features. Here, we present a case series and literature review on patients with MPNSTs arising from schwannomas. We performed a retrospective review of patients from our institution’s records to identify those with MPNSTs arising from schwannomas. We conducted

Looking back through the last 12 months, the scientific press, lay media, and the worldwide political agenda have been dominated by the pandemic COVID-19 cause by SARS-CoV-2. We have rarely seen an infectious organism causing so much ravage, at least in industrialized countries, with huge impact on world economy and social life. The scientific and medical community have worked extremely hard to explore

The unexpected pandemic with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has challenged the healthcare sector as regards preventing and controlling the virus from spreading between patients and hospital personnel. The massive spread of the pandemic has led state authorities to introduce restrictions on society and public behavior unprecedented in modern times. First, we describe the

The response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by draconian measures and far too many important unknowns, such as the true mortality risk, the role of children as transmitters and the development and duration of immunity in the population. More than a year into the pandemic much has been learned and insights into this novel type of pandemic and options for control are shaping

Microbial co-infections may contribute to the pulmonary deterioration in COVID-19 patients needing intensive care treatment. The present study portrays the extent of co-infections in COVID-19 ICU patients. Conventional culture, molecular detections for atypical aetiologies, QiaStat-Dx® respiratory panel V2 detecting 21 respiratory pathogens and ribosomal DNA genes 16S/18S amplicon-based microbiome

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented demand for real-time surveillance data in order to inform critical decision makers regarding the management of the pandemic. The aim of this review was to describe how the Danish national microbiology database, MiBa, served as a cornerstone for providing data to the real-time surveillance system by linkage to other nationwide health registries. The

Modern combat-related injuries are often associated with acute polytrauma. As a consequence of severe combat-related injuries, a dysregulated immune response results in serious infectious complications. The gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that often causes life-threatening bloodstream, lung, bone, urinary tract, and wound infections following combat-related

Periodontological grafts are materials used in dentistry to regenerate lost gingival soft tissues or bone parts. In the case of direct contact with blood, the possibility of disease transmission from the source to the patient is high. This source can be an animal or a human. Therefore, the sterilization of grafts before implanting to the patient is of significant importance. The purpose of this study

Research on biofilms is predominantly made in in vitro contexts. However, in vivo observation of biofilms in human chronic infections shows distinct differences compared to in vitro biofilm growth. This could imply the use of an inadequate mental model both in research and healthcare practices. Drawing on knowledge from the cognitive sciences, we hypothesise that the predominance of in vitro research

Smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) is an ill‐defined category of neoplasms, which represent a diagnostic challenge. We aimed to assess whether the Stanford parameters, that is, high mitotic index (≥10/10HPF), significant atypia (moderate‐to‐severe), and coagulative tumor cell necrosis (CTCN), even when focal or ambiguous, may be used to stratify the risk of recurrence in gynecological

Melanoma antigen gene A3 (MAGE‐A3) is one of the most immunogenic cancer testis antigens and is common in various types of cancers. In this study, for the first time, we performed immunohistochemical analysis to evaluate the expression of MAGE‐A3 in 153 prostate tissue samples including prostate cancer (PCa), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HPIN)

Pentraxin‐3 (PTX3) is a conserved protein of the innate immune system which has been less studied than the pentraxin C‐reactive protein (CRP), but it is of relevance in, for example, vascular pathology and pregnancy morbidities. Since the interest in salivary biomarkers in general is increasing, we asked whether PTX3 could be detected in saliva and if any substantial diurnal variation occurs. In addition

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are components of innate immunity, but also have a role in carcinogenesis. The prognostic value of TLR5 and TLR8 tumor expression was examined in contrast with known risk markers Ki67 and p53. All HCC patients from Oulu University Hospital with available representative tumor sample were included in this study (n = 182). TLR5, TLR8, Ki67, and p53 expression were investigated

Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae) is an emerging nosocomial pathogen that had acquired antibiotic resistance against multiple classes of antibiotics. The current study was aimed to isolate and characterize lytic bacteriophage against E. cloacae. The bacteriophage EBP was isolated from a sewage water sample using E. cloacae as a host strain by double-layer agar technique. EBP was found stabile at a

The increasing demands for personalized targeted therapy directed against renal cell carcinoma have driven a search for predictive markers. Novel therapies targeting HIF-1α in renal cell carcinoma have been developed, and HIF-1α has been suggested as a novel predictive marker of response to therapy. The surgical resection of a kidney tumor induces tissue ischemia, and HIF-1α is an oxygen-sensitive

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral germline infections. Most HERV sequences are silenced in somatic cells, but interest is emerging on the involvement of HERV derived transcripts and proteins in human physiology and disease. A HERV‐W encoded protein, syncytin‐1, has been co‐opted into fetal physiology, where it plays a role in trophoblast formation. Altered HERV

There is very little knowledge about the immune responses, particularly cellular immunity to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of T helper (Th) cell subtypes, including Th1, Th17, and Treg cells, in moderate‐to‐severe and critical COVID‐19 patients compared to healthy controls. Twenty‐nine moderate‐to‐severe and 13 critical patients

In this article,1 the authors would like to inform the readers that there were errors in the published version of Figure 1. The correct version of the figure is shown below:

Staphylococcus aureus and beta‐hemolytic streptococci of groups A, C or G are the most common pathogens in skin infections e.g. erysipelas (1). Co‐infection of these beta‐hemolytic streptococci with S. aureus is often treated with the combination of penicillin and an isoxazoyl penicillin (2). Single treatment with an isoxazoyl penicillin would be easier and save antibiotics if there was sufficient

Introduction: Looking for lessons in history Amongst the many spiraling effects of the current pandemic has been an intense interest in finding historical frames of reference for our current predicament [1]. Past epidemics, from the Plague to the Spanish Flu, have been brought back to the public consciousness, both to search for instructive patterns and lessons, and perhaps also as a way to cope with

In the efforts to dampen the COVID-19 pandemic, governments are compelled to outweigh disease control efforts to the possible negative consequences of closing large parts of society. Although Denmark and Sweden are alike in political organization and health care, national responses to the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic differed noticeably. Denmark initiated a hard lock down followed by an outbreak control

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created an urgent need for diagnostic tests to detect viral RNA. Commercial RNA extraction kits are often expensive, in limited supply, and do not always fully inactivate the virus. Together, this calls for the development of safer methods for SARS-CoV-2 extraction that utilize readily available reagents and equipment present in most standard laboratories. We optimized and

We aimed to assess whether the presence of atypical mitotic figures (AMF) in smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) of the uterus and uterine adnexa is associated with increased risk of recurrence, and the association of AMF with the Stanford criteria, that is, significant cytologic atypia, mitotic index ≥ 10/10HPF, and coagulative tumor cell necrosis (CTCN). A systematic review

Syntaxin‐1 (STX1) is a recently described highly sensitive and specific neuroendocrine marker. We evaluated the applicability of STX1 as an immunohistochemical marker in pulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). We compared STX1 with established neuroendocrine markers, including insulinoma‐associated protein 1 (INSM1). Typical carcinoids (n = 33), atypical carcinoids (n = 7), small cell lung carcinomas

In the high‐income countries, the amount of cervical adenocarcinomas is on the rise. The pap smear sampling has a low sensitivity and a low specificity for endocervical malignancies, and there are only a few cytomorphological features, that are specifically associated with glandular atypia. In this study, 298 pap smears of 60 patients with endocervical adenocarcinoma or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS)

The aim of this study was to validate prostate cancer‐associated genes on transcript level and to assess the prognostic value of the most promising markers by immunohistochemistry. Based on differentially expressed genes found in a previous study, 84 genes were further validated using mRNA expression data and follow‐up information from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) prostate cancer cohort (n = 497)

Multidrug‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the main opportunistic pathogens causing severe infection. One of the mechanisms involved in the resistance to imipenem in clinical isolates is the loss of the OprD porin. Changes like substitutions, deletions, insertions, or mutations in the oprD gene can modify the conformation of OprD porin or inhibit its presence and generate resistance to carbapenems

This study aimed to evaluated ischemic metabolites in subcutaneous tissue, skeletal muscle, and calcaneal cancellous bone before, during, and after tourniquet application in a simultaneous paired comparison of tourniquet‐exposed and non‐tourniquet‐exposed legs. Ten patients scheduled for hallux valgus or hallux rigidus surgery were included. Microdialysis catheters were placed to simultaneously and

Introduction: Looking for lessons in history Among the many spiraling effects of the current COVID-19, pandemic has been an intense interest in finding historical frames of reference for our current predicament [1]. Past epidemics, from the plague to the Spanish flu, have been brought back to the public consciousness, to search for both instructive patterns and lessons, and perhaps also as a way to

In this descriptive pilot study, we aim to establish a porcine Staphylococcus aureus skin infection model by subcutaneous injection (s.c.) of the porcine S54F9 S. aureus strain in the groin area. Six pigs were used in the study: Five pigs were injected with S. aureus, inocula ranging from 7 × 103 to 5 × 107 colony‐forming units per kg bodyweight; one pig was injected with saline exclusively. Lesions

Animal models of invasive fungal infections have been developed and are applied in a huge number of different animal species for a number of research purposes, for example, the study of pathogenesis, defense mechanisms, and therapeutic strategies. From the different models, which in most cases are based on the same fungal species and often the same strain, as in spontaneous human infections, fundamental

Cholera, a devastating diarrheal disease that caused several global pandemics in the last centuries, may share some similarities with the new COVID-19. Cholera has affected many populations in history and still remains a significant burden in developing countries. The main transmission route was thought to be predominantly through contaminated drinking water. However, revisiting the historical data

Influenza virus and coronavirus pandemics regularly sweep the globe, at great cost of health and economy. Our aim was to conduct a PubMed search for autopsy studies on influenza and coronavirus to investigate the contribution of autopsies during pandemics, focussing on autopsy methods and procedures and the role of autopsy findings in pandemics. The retrieved autopsy studies generally relied on microscopy

A recent article in Journal of Experimental Medicine by Susan Weiss on ‘Forty years with coronaviruses’ is very informative and gives the history of research in this expanding field in a time of pandemic (1). In her Fig. 1, a timeline of these forty years of research is presented with two pathogenic human coronaviruses named for the early years 1960–1970. There are, however, no references given to

The Swedish COVID-19 response has received excessive attention, despite not having distinctively different goals or features than other countries. The overall response has included almost all sectors of society and cannot be described here. Instead, this paper provides a general, brief description of the response from a public health perspective, but hopefully it gives a somewhat more nuanced picture

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by an initial rapid rise in new cases followed by a peak and a more erratic behaviour that varies between regions. This is not easy to reproduce with traditional SIR models, which predict a more symmetric epidemic. Here, we argue that superspreaders and population heterogeneity would predict such behaviour even in the absence of restrictions

A role for incisional biopsy in preoperative prognostication is increasingly being advocated in oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (OTSCC). Biopsies at two locations were compared, and prognostic factors in biopsies and their corresponding resections were evaluated. A total of 138 OTSCC biopsy slides from Finland and Saudi Arabia were compared for size (horizontal and vertical) and invasive front

The potency of a vaccine highly depends upon the nature of the adjuvant used. There are a variety of ineffective vaccines, such as HIV-1 vaccine candidates, that need to be optimized with new adjuvant formulations to improve vaccine potency and efficacy. Studies show the potency of naloxone (NLX)/alum mixture in the induction of Th1/Th2 response for vaccine. However, other immunologic patterns inducing

PD‐L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor expression was evaluated in high‐grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) ovary in the context of the overall immune landscape to determine its prognostic value. Consecutive cases of HGSC, 50 who underwent upfront surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (HGSC‐U) and 50 who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking surgery (HGSC‐PC) were selected

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are related to high mortality and morbidity. Rapid administration of effective antimicrobial treatment is crucial for patient survival. Recently developed rapid methods to identify pathogens directly from blood culture bottles speed up diagnosis of BSIs. The present study compares the performance of two rapid identification methods, FilmArray and direct MALDI‐TOF MS, on

We have earlier proposed that serum ACE (s‐ACE) could be used as a biomarker for severity in COVID‐19 due to an assumed inverse relationship between ACE and ACE2. High s‐ACE could indicate lower ACE2 activity and therefore more widespread and severe SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, owing to virally mediated downregulation of ACE2 (1). Dysregulation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) is found in

A 22% increase in Staphylococcus aureus colonization was observed in Norwegian recruits during first year of military service. The aim was to determine whether specific genotypes caused the increase and to examine carriage status based on genotyping. Characterization of S. aureus from nose, throat and perineum sampled at enrolment and discharge included spa typing, MLVA, detection of PVL genes and

Myoepithelial tumors are rare neoplasms that primarily occur in the salivary gland but over the last decade have also been described in other locations, including soft tissue. Myoepithelial carcinoma of soft tissue has shown to have a recurrence rate of 39–42% and distant metastases in 32–53% of patients. The only known predictor of malignancy in soft tissue myoepithelial tumors described is cytologic

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are responsible for various clinical diseases. Molecular epidemiological studies of respiratory HAdVs are limited in Turkey. To determine the main genotypes and epidemiological characteristics of HAdVs in patients with respiratory symptoms. HAdV PCR‐positive extracts of nasal/nasopharyngeal specimens sent to the Turkish Public Health Institution from various cities of Turkey

The major epidemic and pandemic diseases that have bothered humans since the Neolithic Age and Bronze Age are surveyed. Many of these pandemics are zoonotic infections, and the mathematical modeling of such infections is illustrated. Plague, cholera, syphilis, influenza, SARS, MERS, COVID-19, and new potential epidemic and pandemic infections and their consequences are described and the background

Hypoxia‐induced apoptosis is linked to the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure. Ubiquitin‐specific peptidase 7 (USP7) is related to catabolic/pro‐apoptotic signaling. However, its role in cardiomyocyte injury is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role and the underlying regulatory mechanism of USP7 in MI. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were cultured in hypoxia to establish

The effect of rhinovirus on airway epithelium is very well described. However, its influence on the vascular endothelium is unknown. The current study assesses the effect of rhinovirus HRV16 on the antiviral and inflammatory response in the human vascular endothelial cells (ECs). HRV16 increased IFN‐β, RANTES, and IP‐10 mRNA expression and protein release. HRV16 copy number in ECs reached maximal value

B7 homolog 6 (B7‐H6), a new member of the B7 family, is identified as an activating ligand for cytotoxicity triggering receptor 3 (NKp30) expressing on natural killer cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of B7‐H6 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated B7‐H6 expression by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 90 HCC tumors with clinical follow‐up, the