Examination of Induced Sputum In the Diagnosis of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia

The results of the examination of sputum induced by the inhalation of nebulized hypertonic saline in the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) are presented. In suspected cases of PCP in patients who were either HIV antibody positive or were receiving immunosuppressive therapy, 46 induced sputum specimens were stained using both Grocott's modified Gomori methenamine silver nitrate (GMS) and immunofluorescence staining. In 12 specimens P. carinii cysts were detected by both methods, in four specimens by GMS staining only and in five specimens by immunofluorescence only. The sensitivity of induced sputum examination in the detection of P. carinii cysts was increased by using both of these staining methods on each sputum specimen and the need for more invasive methods of diagnosis was reduced.     

The circulatory small non-coding RNA landscape in community-acquired pneumonia on intensive care unit admission

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major cause of sepsis. Despite several clinical trials targeting components of the inflammatory response, no specific treatment other than antimicrobial therapy has been approved. This argued for a deeper understanding of sepsis immunopathology, in particular factors that can modulate the host response. Small non-coding RNA, for example, micro (mi)RNA, have been established as important modifiers of cellular phenotypes. Notably, miRNAs are not exclusive to the intracellular milieu but have also been detected extracellular in the circulation with functional consequences. Here, we sought to determine shifts in circulatory small RNA levels of critically ill patients with CAP-associated sepsis and to determine the influence of clinical severity and causal pathogens on small RNA levels. Blood plasma was collected from 13 critically ill patients with sepsis caused by CAP on intensive care unit admission and from 5 non-infectious control participants. Plasma small RNA-sequencing identified significantly altered levels of primarily mature miRNAs in CAP relative to controls. Pathways analysis of high or low abundance miRNA identified various over-represented cellular biological pathways. Analysis of small RNA levels against common clinical severity and inflammatory parameters indices showed direct and indirect correlations. Additionally, variance of plasma small RNA levels in CAP patients may be explained, at least in part, by differences in causal pathogens. Small nuclear RNA levels were specifically altered in CAP due to Influenza infection in contrast to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Pathway analysis of plasma miRNA signatures unique to Influenza or Streptococcus pneumoniae infections showed enrichment for specific proteoglycan, cell cycle, and immunometabolic pathways.     

In silico synteny based comparative genomics approach for identification and characterization of novel therapeutic targets in Chlamydophila pneumoniae

Chlamydophila pneumoniae is one of the most important and well studied gram negative bacterial strain with respect to community acquired pneumonia and other respiratory diseases like Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Chronic asthma, Alzheimer''s disease, Atherosclerosis and Multisclerosis which have a great potential to infect humans and many other mammals. According to WHO prediction, COPD is to become the third leading cause of death by 2030. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanisms leading to chronic infections are poorly understood and the difficulty in culturing C pneumoniae in experimental conditions and lack of entirely satisfactory serological methods for diagnosis is also a hurdle for drug discovery and development. We have performed an insilico synteny based comparative genomics analysis of C pneumoniae and other eight Chlamydial organisms to know the potential of C pneumoniae which cause COPD but other Chlamydial organisms lack in potential to cause COPD though some are involved in human pathogenesis. We have identified total 354 protein sequences as non-orthologous to other Chlamydial organisms, except hypothetical proteins 70 were found functional out of which 60 are non homologous to Homo sapiens proteome and among them 18 protein sequences are found to be essential for survival of the C pneumoniae based on BLASTP search against DEG database of essential genes. CELLO analysis results showed that about 80% proteins are found to be cytoplasmic, Among which 5 were found as bacterial exotoxins and 2 as bacterial endotoxins, remaining 11 proteins were found to be involved in DNA binding, RNA binding, catalytic activity, ATP binding, oxidoreductase activity, hydrolase activity and proteolysis activity. It is expected that our data will facilitate selection of C pneumoniae proteins for successful entry into drug design pipelines.     

Host genetic risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia

This study was conducted to establish the contribution of genetic host factors in the susceptibility to community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the Russian population. Patients with CAP (n = 334), volunteers without a previous history of CAP, constantly exposed to infectious agents, control A group (n = 141) and a second control group B consisted of healthy persons (n = 314) were included in the study. All subjects were genotyped for 13 polymorphic variants in the genes of xenobiotics detoxification CYP1A1 (rs2606345, rs4646903, and rs1048943), GSTM1 (Ins/del), GSTT1 (Ins/del), ABCB1 rs1045642); immune and inflammation response IL-6 (rs1800795), TNF-a (rs1800629), MBL2 (rs7096206), CCR5 (rs333), NOS3 (rs1799983), angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE (rs4340), and occlusive vascular disease/hyperhomocysteinemia MTHFR (rs1801133). Seven polymorphic variants in genes CYP1A1, GSTM1, ABCB1, NOS3, IL6, CCR5 and ACE were associated with CAP. For two genes CYP1A1 and GSTM1 associations remained significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Multiple analysis by the number of all risk genotypes showed a highly significant association with CAP (P = 2.4 × 10^− 7, OR = 3.03, 95% CI 1.98–4.64) with the threshold for three risk genotypes. Using the ROC-analysis, the AUC value for multi-locus model was estimated as 68.38.     

Modulation of respiratory dendritic cells during Klebsiella pneumonia infection

Background

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a leading cause of severe hospital-acquired respiratory tract infections and death but little is known regarding the modulation of respiratory dendritic cell (DC) subsets. Plasmacytoid DC (pDC) are specialized type 1 interferon producing cells and considered to be classical mediators of antiviral immunity.

Method

By using multiparameter flow cytometry analysis we have analysed the modulation of respiratory DC subsets after intratracheal Klebsiella pneumonia infection.

Results

Data indicate that pDCs and MoDC were markedly elevated in the post acute pneumonia phase when compared to mock-infected controls. Analysis of draining mediastinal lymph nodes revealed a rapid increase of activated CD103⁺ DC, CD11b⁺ DC and MoDC within 48 h post infection. Lung pDC identification during bacterial pneumonia was confirmed by extended phenotyping for 120G8, mPDCA-1 and Siglec-H expression and by demonstration of high Interferon-alpha producing capacity after cell sorting. Cytokine expression analysis of ex vivo-sorted respiratory DC subpopulations from infected animals revealed elevated Interferon-alpha in pDC, elevated IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-13 in CD103⁺ DC and IL-19 and IL-12p35 in CD11b⁺ DC subsets in comparison to CD11c⁺ MHC-class II^low cells indicating distinct functional roles. Antigen-specific naive CD4⁺ T cell stimulatory capacity of purified respiratory DC subsets was analysed in a model system with purified ovalbumin T cell receptor transgenic naive CD4⁺ responder T cells and respiratory DC subsets, pulsed with ovalbumin and matured with Klebsiella pneumoniae lysate. CD103⁺ DC and CD11b⁺ DC subsets represented the most potent naive CD4⁺ T helper cell activators.

Conclusion

These results provide novel insight into the activation of respiratory DC subsets during Klebsiella pneumonia infection. The detection of increased respiratory pDC numbers in bacterial pneumonia may indicate possible novel pDC functions with respect to lung repair and regeneration.     

非HIV感染/艾滋病患者人肺孢子菌肺炎的临床和预后研究

目的研究非HIV感染者发生人肺孢子菌肺炎(PCP)的临床特点,感染的危险因素,治疗和预后。方法回顾性病例分析。结果在15个月内共诊断非HIV感染的PCP16例。患者的平均年龄为(51.9±23)岁。16例患者中,13例有免疫缺陷的基础疾病,其中结缔组织病者11例、非何杰金淋巴瘤者(NHL)1例、Good综合征者1例。在合并结缔组织病的患者中,所有PCP都发生在接受糖皮质激素治疗的过程中。16例PCP在诊断时都存在呼吸衰竭,其中11例需要气管插管,其余5例接受了无创机械通气治疗。平均急性生理和慢性病评分(APACHE II)为16±5。外周血淋巴细胞计数平均(955±635)/μl。9例患者有CD4+淋巴细胞计数结果,其中6例在诊断时CD4+淋巴细胞<250/μl。LDH平均(551.9±292.6)U/L。16例患者中14例在诊断后接受了TMP-SMZ治疗,除了2例患者外,其他患者同时还接受了糖皮质激素(相当于强的松≥60mg/d)辅助治疗。单因素分析显示有4种因素(高APACHEII评分、合并ALI/ARDS、延迟诊断、合并院内感染)是预后不良的危险因素。结论在免疫缺陷患者中,PCP是一种不太常见,但往往是致命的疾病。临床上的及时诊断和治疗对改善预后是非常重要的。     

高渗盐水雾化吸入治疗儿童支原体肺炎继发哮喘发作及对其T淋巴细胞亚群及Th1、Th2型细胞因子的影响

目的:探讨高渗盐水雾化吸入治疗儿童支原体肺炎继发哮喘发作的临床疗效及对其T淋巴细胞亚群及Th1、Th2型细胞因子的影响。方法:选取我院2015年6月到2017年6月间收治的支原体肺炎继发哮喘发作患儿100例为研究对象。随机分为对照组和观察组,各50例。两组均给予吸氧、抗生素、维持酸碱度、电解质平衡及相应症状等对症治疗,对照组给予生理盐水结合沙丁胺醇进行雾化治疗,观察组采用3%高渗盐水结合沙丁胺醇进行雾化治疗,比较两组患儿发热、咳嗽、肺内啰音、咽部肿痒等症状消失时间及临床疗效;比较两组治疗前后CD3~+、CD4~+、CD8~+、CD4~+/CD8~+、IFN-γ及IL-4水平情况。结果:观察组患儿发热、咳嗽、肺内啰音、咽部肿痒等临床症状消失时间显著早于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);观察组总有效率96.00%明显高于对照组80.00%,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);两组患儿治疗前CD3~+、CD4~+、CD8~+、CD4~+/CD8~+、IFN-γ及IL-4水平比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05);治疗后CD3~+、CD4~+、CD4~+/CD8~+及IFN-γ水平均明显升高,CD8~+及IL-4水平明显降低,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05);且观察组治疗后CD3~+、CD4~+、CD4~+/CD8~+及IFN-γ水平均明显高于对照组,CD8~+及IL-4水平明显低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。结论:高渗盐水雾化吸入能够显著改善支原体肺炎继发哮喘发作患儿临床症状,提高CD3~+、CD4~+、CD4~+/CD8~+及Th1水平,抑制CD8~+及Th2水平,临床疗效确切,值得临床推广应用。     

酚妥拉明联合多巴酚丁胺与多巴胺治疗重症肺炎患儿的有效性及安全性分析

目的:分析和比较酚妥拉明联合多巴酚丁胺与多巴胺治疗重症肺炎患儿的有效性及安全性。方法:选取2014年4月至2019年4月西安交通大学附属儿童医院急诊科收治的96例重症肺炎患儿,根据入院单双号将其分为对照组(n=48)和研究组(n=48)。对照组接受多巴酚丁胺与小剂量多巴胺治疗,研究组在对照组的基础上联合酚妥拉明治疗。比较两组的治疗总有效率、治疗前后各血气指标与炎性因子水平变化以及不良反应的发生情况。结果:治疗后,研究组总有效率显著高于对照组(93.75%vs.79.17%,P0.05);两组的血气指标PaO2、SaO2均显著升高,PaCO2显著降低,且研究组的变化比对照更加显著(P0.05);两组各的炎性因子水平IL-6、IL-8、CRP和TNF-α均显著降低,且研究组显著低于对照组(P0.05)。两组不良反应发生率比较无统计学差异(P0.05)。结论:酚妥拉明联合多巴酚丁胺治疗重症肺炎患儿的临床疗效明显优于酚妥拉明联合多巴胺治疗,且二者安全性相当。