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

PD‐L1 immune check‐point inhibitor expression was evaluated in high grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) ovary in the context of the overall immune landscape to determine its prognostic value.

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.

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

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, i.e. significant cytologic atypia, mitotic index≥10/10HPF and coagulative tumor cell necrosis (CTCN).

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.

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).

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

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

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

We aimed to use serum metabolomics to discriminate infants with severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis who later developed subsequent recurrent wheezing from those who did not and to investigate the relationship between serum metabolome and host immune responses with regard to the subsequent development of recurrent wheezing. Fifty‐one infants who were hospitalized during an initial

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

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

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

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

To assess the performance of the drop test for polymyxin B resistance detection among Enterobacterales and non‐fermentative gram‐negative rods resistant to carbapenems. Seven hundred and fifteen carbapenem‐resistant isolates were tested: 628 Enterobacterales species and 87 non‐fermentative gram‐negative rods. For the polymyxin drop test, concentrations range from 0.25 to 8.0 µg/mL. Broth microdilution

The major epidemics 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 modelling of such infections are illustrated. Plague, cholera, syphilis, influenza, SARS, MERS, COVID‐19 and new potential epidemic and pandemic infections and their consequences are described and the background

The carcinogenic effects of microorganisms have been discovered in multiple cancer types. In urology, the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder due to the parasitic infection with Schistosoma Mansoni is widely accepted. The oncogenic potential of biofilms has been studied in colorectal cancer and experimental studies have shown that bacteria such as Escherichia coli drive the development

The greater wax moth Galleria mellonella is an increasingly popular and consolidated alternative infection model to assess microbial virulence and the effectiveness of antimicrobial compounds. The lack of G. mellonella suppliers aiming at scientific purposes and a lack of well‐established protocols for raising and testing these animals may impact results and reproducibility between different laboratories

Surgeons, who documented what they had seen and felt in the abdomen of the patient, made the earliest descriptions of Crohn’s disease (CD). Dalziel wrote the first pathology description in 1913. Crohn and his coworkers reinvented what Dalziel had written about and called it by a different name, ‘regional enteritis’. Later others elaborated on the histologic features, at first the lymphoid follicles

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) is an immune checkpoint receptor which plays an important role in a patient's immune responses to microbial and cancer antigens. It is expressed in tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) with many different malignancies. The aim of the study was to evaluate PD‐1 expression and its prognostic value in tongue cancer. The data of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC)

High‐risk HPVs (HR‐HPVs) are DNA viruses considered as primary etiologic factors in malignancies of the low female genital tract. Their presence has also been documented in oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancers. However, HPV infection is considered a necessary but not sufficient cause of tumoral development; meantime, increasing evidences on the tumorigenic role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been

In late 2019, pneumonia due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) emerged in Wuhan, China, which has immediately spread around the world. The major clinical manifestations of COVID‐19 include a range from asymptomatic presentation to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (1). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients usually manage with immunosuppressive agents; hence, they

Circulating biological markers, such as miRNAs, hold the greatest possibilities to complement tissue biopsy and clinical diagnostic tests. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative abundance of three circulating miRNAs in serum from 17 HPV16‐positive patients with early cervical lesions known as Low‐Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (LSILs). The expression of circulating microRNAs

T cells play vital roles in the development and progression of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), including cytotoxicity mediated by CD8+ T cells and immunoregulatory activity mediated by CD4+ T cells. Interleukin (IL)‐9‐secreting CD4+ T cells (Th9 cells) were recently found to be involved in the onset of ACS. We investigated regulatory role of Th9 cells to CD8+ T cells in patients with stable angina

Coronaviridae family includes pathogen viruses for humans, that lead to clinical conditions with main respiratory involvement; many of these viruses have notoriously a neuroinvasive potential, as demonstrated by published data on SARS‐CoV and MERS‐CoV epidemics, as well by results obtained in experimental models. During pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), it is noticed that the central

The MAPK signalling genes KRAS, NRAS and BRAF and the PIK3CA gene are routinely investigated for mutations in the diagnostic routine of colorectal cancer. Few studies have reported co‐existing mutations in these genes with clinical relevance, while some have been previously regarded as mutually exclusive. We set to investigate the frequency and co‐occurrent mutations in these targets, and the occurrence

Salivary gland tumours (SGT) are a vast and heterogenous group of neoplasms. There is a relative lack of comprehensive nationwide epidemiological studies on the subject. The aim of this nationwide analysis was to gain insight into epidemiological traits, such as site, incidence and histological subtypes of SGT in general. Patients diagnosed with a primary SGT between 1986 and 2015 were identified from

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are often diagnosed from the metastases of an unknown primary tumor. Specific immunohistochemical (IHC) markers indicating the location of a primary tumor are needed. The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 2 (PCSK2) is found in normal neural and neuroendocrine cells, and known to express in NETs. We investigated the tissue microarray (TMA) of 86 primary tumors

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene status and overexpression, occurring in ~ 13.6% of primary breast cancers, is essential for identifying patients likely to benefit from biological treatment. In this method of evaluation study, we tested and compared the HER2 gene–protein assay (GPA) with routine HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The GPA

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune‐mediated inflammatory disease which affects the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study, the in vivo effects of ATRA, calcitriol, and their combinations on the expression of murine CD4+ T cell cytokines and their specific transcription factors in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)‐induced mice were explored. Thirty‐two EAE induced inbred

Induction of broad Th1 cellular immune responses and cytokines is crucial characteristics for vaccines against intracellular infections such as hepatitis C virus (HCV). Plants (especially oilseed tissues) and plant‐immunomodulators (like oil bodies) offer cost‐effective and scalable possibilities for the production of immunologically relevant and safe vaccine antigens and adjuvants, respectively. Herein

During chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, interplay between pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs; e.g. lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA)) and damage‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs; e.g. extracellular heat shock protein 70 (eHsp70) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)) might influence patient’s outcome. Nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain‐like

Extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is a rare malignant skin neoplasm characterized by intraepidermal proliferation of tumor cells. The tumor cells of EMPD may sometimes invade into the dermis or metastasize into the regional lymph nodes. Several studies have proposed mechanisms underlying the increased invasiveness of EMPD; however, molecular markers indicating invasiveness have yet to be well characterized

The Hippo pathway is a tumor suppressive pathway regulating Yes‐associated protein‐TEA domain‐containing sequence‐specific transcription factor (YAP‐TEAD) complex. VGLL (Vestigial‐like) proteins are transcriptional cofactors competing with YAP for TEAD binding and interfering oncogenic activity of YAP‐TEAD complex. We evaluated the expression of VGLL4, YAP, and TEAD4 and assessed their correlations

Barbour‐Stoenner‐Kelly II (BSK‐II) and BSK‐H media were used for cultivation and isolation of fastidious Borrelia species ‐ the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis. Culture media have a limited shelf life and require adequate storage. Our goal was to assess how the growth of Borrelia would be affected by prolonged storage of media and inadequate storage conditions (BSK‐H stored at +4 °C for 2.5 years

The recent French observation that daily tobacco smokers have a substantially reduced risk of developing symptomatic infection with COVID‐19 (1) is intriguing, since no healthcare professional would recommend smoking. So, what are the mechanisms and could something else be at play than tobacco smoking? The French study suggested that nicotine may be the protective agent in tobacco, as nicotine has

The aim of this study was to investigate the appearance of a disturbed oropharyngeal microbiota during hospitalization and explore the patient characteristics that maybe associated with such a disturbance. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from 134 patients at hospital admission and every 3–4 days thereafter. The samples were cultivated to determine the presence of a disturbed microbiota, which, in

The Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) is a molecular assay used for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in clinical specimens. In this study, we aimed to assess the accuracy of the Xpert assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in TB suspected patients from the northern region of Iran. The obtained results were compared with the culture method. The sputum specimens were examined using

Superficial fungal infections of the skin, nails, hair and mucocutaneus membranes are common(1, 2) and the treatment depends on the aetiology.Treatment options include e.g. azoles, allylamines, and polyenes(3).Antifungal resistance isan increasing world‐wideproblem possibly caused by anincreased use of antifungals both as prophylactic and empiric therapy in a medical care setting as well as through

The article by Jakobsen et al. (1) titled “Implants induce a new niche for microbiomes” published in the Journal of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology is of great interest. They found that 66% of 106 clinically uninfected implants were colonized by bacteria, whereas 40% of those implants were colonized by fungi (1). Moreover, among 20 implants of patients with healed fractures, 19 (95%) showed

Peripheral nerve sheath tumors may occur sporadically or related to neurofibromatosis (NF). Unless the mechanisms of tumorigenesis in NF related malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are better understood, it remained unclear in sporadic cases. We aimed to investigate the genetic route for malignancy in both individuals with NF‐1 and sporadic ones to open a way for targeted therapies in

Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease that is still to be fully understood. In female breast cancer, molecular subtyping by gene expression has proven its significance. In this study, we characterize a consecutive cohort of MBC patients surgically treated from 1997 to 2017, identified at our institution (N = 37), and report the association between molecular subtypes found by a surrogate panel

Despite the interest of researchers in IgG4‐related disease (IgG4‐RD), many questions still remain unanswered regarding the thyroid gland. We aimed to clarify the relationship between IgG4‐positive plasma cells and the histopathological pattern in the Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) in a Finnish series. HT specimens (n = 280) were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, Fimlab Laboratories. After re‐evaluation

IL‐2 is a pro‐inflammatory and a Th1 inducing cytokine, which is important for activation of the cell‐mediated immunity. IL‐2 in serum and sputum has been observed to be reduced in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The present IL‐2 treatment study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) lung infected mice was performed in order to evaluate the effect of IL‐2 supplement. One hundred‐and‐twenty female BALB/c mice

Metastatic thyroid cancers are more difficult to treat and have a significantly worse prognosis than localized thyroid cancers. Previous studies have shown that follicular helper T cells (Tfh) may participate in antitumor immune responses. Here, we investigated the characteristics of Tfh cells in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) at various severities, including patients with localized

Primary high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) DNA testing has been introduced in several countries worldwide, including The Netherlands. The objective of this study was to compare three automated workflow procedures for hrHPV testing of which the hrHPV detection assays meet the international guidelines for HPV testing. To mimic a realistic screening situation, we aimed to process 15 000 residual PreservCyt

This case report discusses a patient with nephrotic syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, and repeated episodes of infections. He had a history of intravenous drug abuse. Kidney biopsy revealed the rare finding of numerous foam cells, mainly in glomeruli. The solvent used for the drugs is thought to be responsible for the foam cells. In line with previous reports, we suspect that the pulmonary hypertension

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major health threat compromising the gonorrhoea treatment globally. AMR surveillance including whole genome sequencing (WGS)‐based epidemiology provides ideal resolution to identify and describe AMR gonococcal clones, AMR determinants and populations, which can inform management guidelines and antimicrobial stewardship policies. Our aims

Acinetobacter baumannii , one of the most life‐threatening nosocomial drug‐resistant pathogens, imposes high morbidity and mortality rates, thus highlighting immunization‐based treatments or prevention measures. The selection of appropriate antigens can elicit protective immunity. The gene encoding a fimbrial protein introduced via reverse vaccinology was cloned, expressed and evaluated for immunogenicity

Coronaviruses are a class of RNA viruses that can cause respiratory and intestinal infections in animals and humans. SARS‐CoV, MERS‐CoV, and a novel coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2 [2019‐nCoV]) belong to the family Coronaviridae and the genus Betacoronavirus. At present, the understanding of SARS‐CoV‐2 is getting deeper and deeper. In order to better prevent and treat SARS‐CoV‐2, this article compares the

Bacteria and viruses were analysed in the upper respiratory tract of symptomatic pig farmers and their domestic pigs. Eighty six human nasal and 495 (50 pools) porcine snout swabs were collected in Schleswig‐Holstein, Germany. Staphylococcus (S.) aureus (62.8%, 54/86), human rhino‐ and coronaviruses (HRV, 29.1%, 25/86; HCoV, 16.3%, 14/86) were frequently detected in humans, while Haemophilus parasuis

Pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of disease requiring treatment and hospitalization (1,2). The standard procedure for confirming pneumococcal pneumonia is positive culture of S. pneumoniae from blood. However, it is estimated that only around 25% of cases are culture positive (1,2). Detection of pneumococcal antigens in urine is recommended as an alternative method, which

Infection with Helicobacter pylori is associated with the development of gastric cancer. Although the prevalence of gastric cancer has declined throughout years due to improvement in early screening strategy, mortality due to gastric cancer has not changed. Incidence and mortality due to gastric cancer are higher in developing countries as compared to developed countries. Diagnosis and prognosis of

Exhausted and dysfunctional T cells triggered by infection and cancer render the immune system unable to eliminate these pathogens. Pharmacologic blockade of the surface receptors that inhibit T-cell function has shown remarkable success in patients with various malignancies. In this Review, we discuss the emerging evidence of inhibiting checkpoint pathways as a potential role in controlling or clearing

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the association between gut microbiota and prognosis after colorectal cancer surgery. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. Studies examining the association between gut microbiota and survival after colorectal cancer surgery were identified

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a rare heterogeneous disease group with a dismal prognosis and limited treatment options. The mutational landscape consists of genetic aberrations both shared by and characteristic for anatomical location. Here, we present exome sequencing data on 22 genes from a phase 2 trial using a clinically validated panel used in patients with colorectal cancer. A total of 56 patients

Atherogenesis is associated with chronic gut infections; however, the mechanisms are not clear. The aim of the study was to determine whether lipopolysaccharide of E. coli (E. coli LPS) may affect endothelial barrier and modify IL-10 expression in dendritic cells (DCs). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and monocyte-derived DCs were treated with E. coli LPS, apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100)