Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yang Liu, Xiaoning Wang, Jun Xu, Qiwen Yang, Huadong Zhu, Jing Yang
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) compared to other commonly used diagnostic methods. The results showed that mNGS had similar sensitivity and specificity to PCR, but had the advantage of detecting co-pathogens. GMS staining had inferior sensitivity compared to mNGS. The combination of mNGS with serum BG improved the diagnostic efficacy.
ANNALS OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Margot Salse, Victor Mercier, Marie-Jose Carles, Catherine Lechiche, Milene Sasso
Summary: The study evaluated the performance of the RealStar(R) P jirovecii PCR kit for PCP diagnosis, showing excellent concordance with an in-house PCR. The kit performed well in samples from patients with proven and probable PCP, but had a lower percentage of positive samples in the possible PCP category.
Article
Microbiology
Anthony Lieu, Todd C. Lee, Alexander Lawandi, Raymond Tellier, Matthew P. Cheng, Philippe J. Dufresne
Summary: Bronchoalveolar lavage is commonly used for molecular diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii, but it requires a specialized procedure. In this retrospective study comparing nasopharyngeal and bronchoscopy specimens, nasopharyngeal specimens had a high negative percent agreement but a lower positive percent agreement.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Romain Lecuyer, Nahema Issa, Benoit Tessoulin, Rose-Anne Lavergne, Florent Morio, Frederic Gabriel, Emmanuel Canet, Celine Bressollette-Bodin, Aurelie Guillouzouic, David Boutoille, Francois Raffi, Raphael Lecomte, Paul Le Turnier, Colin Deschanvres, Fabrice Camou, Benjamin Jean Gaborit
Summary: Respiratory cytomegalovirus (CMV) coinfection at diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PcP) is independently associated with increased 90-day mortality, specifically in HIV-negative patients. This suggests that CMV coinfection may have an adverse impact on the prognosis of PcP patients.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sarah Delliere, Samia Hamane, Nesrine Aissaoui, Maud Gits-Muselli, Stephane Bretagne, Alexandre Alanio
Summary: Optimal sensitivity in detecting low Pneumocystis loads is crucial for preventing Pneumocystis pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. A new commercial RTqPCR was found to be more sensitive and faster in detecting Pneumocystis in respiratory samples compared to routine in-house qPCR assays in this study.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Daniele Roberto Giacobbe, Silvia Dettori, Vincenzo Di Pilato, Erika Asperges, Lorenzo Ball, Enora Berti, Ola Blennow, Bianca Bruzzone, Laure Calvet, Federico Capra Marzani, Antonio Casabella, Sofia Choudaly, Anais Dartevel, Gennaro De Pascale, Gabriele Di Meco, Melissa Fallon, Louis-Marie Galerneau, Miguel Gallego, Mauro Giacomini, Adolfo Gonzalez Saez, Luise Haensel, Giancarlo Icardi, Philipp Koehler, Katrien Lagrou, Tobias Lahmer, P. Lewis White, Laura Magnasco, Anna Marchese, Cristina Marelli, Mercedes Marin-Arriaza, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Armand Mekontso-Dessap, Malgorzata Mikulska, Alessandra Mularoni, Anna Nordlander, Julien Poissy, Giovanna Russelli, Alessio Signori, Carlo Tascini, Louis-Maxime Vaconsin, Joel Vargas, Antonio Vena, Joost Wauters, Paolo Pelosi, Jean-Francois Timsit, Matteo Bassetti
Summary: This study describes the characteristics of ICU patients undergoing diagnostic workup for PJP, and finds that PJP is most common in non-HIV patients. The results also suggest that combining serum BDG with respiratory Pneumocystis PCR can improve the accuracy of PJP diagnosis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tae-Ok Kim, Jae-Kyeong Lee, Yong-Soo Kwon, Yu-Il Kim, Sung-Chul Lim, Min-Seok Kim, Bo Gun Kho, Cheol-Kyu Park, In-Jae Oh, Young-Chul Kim, Ha Young Park, Hong-Joon Shin
Summary: This study compared the clinical characteristics and prognoses between patients with and without immunocompromised conditions who developed Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP). The findings revealed that patients without immunocompromised conditions had higher mortality rates and delayed anti-PCP treatment was associated with increased 90-day mortality.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jie Yi, Nan Wang, Jie Wu, Yueming Tang, Jingjia Zhang, Lingxiang Zhu, Xiao Rui, Yong Guo, Yingchun Xu
Summary: This study developed a ddPCR method for detecting P. jirovecii DNA in respiratory specimens and evaluated its sensitivity against qPCR. The results showed that ddPCR was more sensitive than qPCR, especially in detecting low-pathogen-load P. jirovecii, making it a useful, viable, and reliable alternative to qPCR in testing P. jirovecii in patients with immunodeficiency.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Cristina Veintimilla, Ana Alvarez-Uria, Pablo Martin-Rabadan, Maricela Valerio, Marina Machado, Belen Padilla, Roberto Alonso, Cristina Diez, Patricia Munoz, Mercedes Marin
Summary: This study compared the performance of real-time PCR and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) in a large microbiology laboratory. The PCR test showed higher sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for diagnosing PJP compared to the IFA. Therefore, PCR is a robust and reliable method for diagnosing PJP.
Article
Microbiology
Dora Pungan, Taylor Eddens, Kejing Song, Meredith A. Lakey, Nicolle S. Crovetto, Simran K. Arora, Shahid Husain, Jay K. Kolls
Summary: Pneumocystis jirovecii is an important etiological agent of pneumonia, but its diagnosis often goes undetected. A newly developed NGS-based genotyping assay can be used for genotyping Pneumocystis and provides a more accurate method for non-bronchoscopic diagnosis.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ying Liu, Huanhuan Zhu, Yinan Zheng
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics of non-HIV PCP in infants with severe pneumonia in a PICU. The researchers analyzed the microbial composition in the lower respiratory tract using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). They found that non-HIV PCP had a higher incidence in infants with severe pneumonia, especially those with underlying diseases or immunocompromised conditions. The study also highlighted the usefulness of BALF analysis in early and accurate diagnosis of PCP.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Yangqing Zhan, Xiaoqing Gao, Shaoqiang Li, Yeqi Si, Yuanxiang Li, Xu Han, Wenjun Sun, Zhengtu Li, Feng Ye
Summary: This study demonstrates that the CRISPR/Cas13-based diagnostics technique has good performance for the accurate and specific diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Francesca Gioia, Hanan Albasata, Seyed M. Hosseini-Moghaddam
Summary: This systematic review evaluated studies on concurrent COVID-19 and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). The study found that patients with both infections were severely ill, with a high mortality rate. Three patterns of concurrent infection were identified, with PJP superinfection and coinfection associated with poor outcomes.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mohammad Y. Alshahrani, Mohammed Alfaifi, Mesfer Al Shahrani, Abdulaziz S. Alshahrani, Ali G. Alkhathami, Ayed A. Dera, Irfan Ahmad, Shadma Wahab, Mirza M. A. Beg, Ali Hakamy, Mohamed E. Hamid
Summary: This study evaluated the role of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13 cytokine mRNA expression in suspected P. jirovecii infection. It found that higher expression of these cytokines in confirmed cases of P. jirovecii may indicate infection severity and aid in patient management.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Flora Marzia Liotti, Brunella Posteraro, Giulia De Angelis, Riccardo Torelli, Elena De Carolis, Domenico Speziale, Giulia Menchinelli, Teresa Spanu, Maurizio Sanguinetti
Summary: In the study, a PCR assay targeting the Pneumocystis jirovecii DHFR gene was developed and showed good analytical performance. Testing BAL fluid samples from suspected PCP patients with the PCR assay provided more accurate determination of PCP compared to the IFA method.
Article
Immunology
Angela M. Bengtson, Jennifer Pellowski, Stephen McGarvey, Rae McGinty, Maresa Botha, Tiffany Burd, David Burgner, Toby Mansell, Heather J. Zar
Summary: This prospective cohort study aimed to assess whether in-utero HIV exposure is associated with adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes among children aged 5-8. The study included HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU) and HIV-unexposed children from a South African birth cohort. The results showed minimal differences in growth and metabolic outcomes between HEU and HIV-unexposed children, suggesting overall reassuring findings. However, continued monitoring of cardiometabolic health is important as these children enter adolescence and establish long-term risk trajectories.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Guillaume Emeriaud, Yolanda Lopez-Fernandez, Narayan Prabhu Iyer, Melania M. Bembea, Asya Agulnik, Ryan P. Barbaro, Florent Baudin, Anoopindar Bhalla, Werther Brunow de Carvalho, Christopher L. Carroll, Ira M. Cheifetz, Mohammod J. Chisti, Pablo Cruces, Martha A. Q. Curley, Mary K. Dahmer, Heidi J. Dalton, Simon J. Erickson, Sandrine Essouri, Analia Fernandez, Heidi R. Flori, Jocelyn R. Grunwell, Philippe Jouvet, Elizabeth Y. Killien, Martin C. J. Kneyber, Sapna R. Kudchadkar, Steven Kwasi Korang, Jan Hau Lee, Duncan J. Macrae, Aline Maddux, Vicent M. Alapont, Brenda M. Morrow, Vinay M. Nadkarni, Natalie Napolitano, Christopher J. L. Newth, Marti Pons-Odena, Michael W. Quasney, Prakadeshwari Rajapreyar, Jerome Rambaud, Adrienne G. Randolph, Peter Rimensberger, Courtney M. Rowan, L. Nelson Sanchez-Pinto, Anil Sapru, Michael Sauthier, Steve L. Shein, Lincoln S. Smith, Katerine Steffen, Muneyuki Takeuchi, Neal J. Thomas, Sze Man Tse, Stacey Valentine, Shan Ward, R. Scott Watson, Nadir Yehya, Jerry J. Zimmerman, Robinder G. Khemani
Summary: This study is an international consensus conference aiming to update the guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS), considering new evidence and previously unaddressed topics. The study involved 11 subgroups addressing 11 topic areas, resulting in 146 recommendations and statements that will facilitate the implementation and adherence to the best clinical practice.
PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Brenda Morrow, Asya Agulnik, Werther Brunow de Carvalho, Mohammod Jobayer Chisti, Jan Hau Lee
Summary: This study conducted a review to optimize the recognition of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) in resource-limited settings (RLS) and provided recommendations for clinical practice and future research in these settings. The study found that PARDS remains poorly described in RLS and future studies are urgently needed to describe the epidemiology, management, and outcomes of PARDS in RLS.
PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Christopher L. Carroll, Natalie Napolitano, Marti Pons-Odena, Narayan Prabhu Iyer, Steven Kwasi Korang, Sandrine Essouri
Summary: This study developed evidence-based recommendations for the effectiveness of noninvasive respiratory support for pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS), including considerations of timing, duration, disease severity, and treatment delivery. The study found that noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is widely used for respiratory failure in children and may be beneficial for some patients with PARDS, but close monitoring is required for worsening disease and NIV failure.
PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ilhaam Abrahams, Angela Dramowski, Kedisaletse Moloto, Lizel Lloyd, Andrew Whitelaw, Adrie Bekker
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, treatment methods and outcomes of neonates with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infections in a neonatal unit in South Africa, as well as the adverse reactions related to colistin. The results showed that colistin was used for premature infants with lower gestational age and lower birth weight, but the mortality rate was high. In addition, the outbreak isolates were found to be blaNDM-1 prevalent strains.
SOUTHERN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Sarah J. J. Heany, Andrew J. J. Levine, Maia Lesosky, Nicole Phillips, Jean-Paul Fouche, Landon Myer, Heather J. J. Zar, Dan J. J. Stein, Steve Horvath, Jacqueline Hoare
Summary: This study examines the long-term patterns of epigenetic ageing in perinatally HIV-infected adolescents and its association with cognition and brain structure changes. The results show that the association between HIV infection and accelerated epigenetic ageing remains over a 36-month period. Epigenetic ageing is positively associated with viral load and negatively associated with CD4 ratio, and it is also associated with changes in whole brain grey matter volume and white matter integrity. However, there is no association between epigenetic ageing and cognitive function in the PHIV + group.
JOURNAL OF NEUROVIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Shantelle Claassen-Weitz, Sugnet Gardner-Lubbe, Yao Xia, Kilaza S. Mwaikono, Stephanie Harris Mounaud, William C. Nierman, Lesley Workman, Heather J. Zar, Mark P. Nicol
Summary: The composition of nasopharyngeal bacterial profiles in infants from low-income households in South Africa changed rapidly within the first few months of life, with Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus being replaced by Moraxella or Haemophilus. The dynamics of these changes were largely independent of various exposures, but were influenced by season and antibiotic exposure.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Petrus J. W. Naude, Dan J. Stein, Jue Lin, Heather J. Zar
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the associations between prenatal psychological stressors and distress with maternal and early-life telomere length (TL), and the associations between TL and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of age in a low-income African population. The results showed that prenatal psychological stressors and distress were not significantly associated with TL in mothers or their children at birth or at 2 years. However, longer TL in children at 2 years was associated with higher motor functioning.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Yanshan Zhu, Flavia Jacqueline Almeida, J. Kenneth Baillie, Asha C. Bowen, Philip N. Britton, Martin Eduardo Brizuela, Danilo Buonsenso, David Burgner, Keng Yih Chew, Kulkanya Chokephaibulkit, Cheryl Cohen, Stephania A. Cormier, Nigel Crawford, Nigel Curtis, Camila G. A. Farias, Charles F. Gilks, Anne von Gottberg, Diana Hamer, Daniel Jarovsky, Waasila Jassat, Ana Rita Jesus, Lisa S. Kemp, Benjawan Khumcha, Georgina McCallum, Jessica E. Miller, Rosa Morello, Alasdair P. S. Munro, Peter J. M. Openshaw, Srivatsan Padmanabhan, Wanatpreeya Phongsamart, Gary Reubenson, Nicole Ritz, Fernanda Rodrigues, Supattra Rungmaitree, Fiona Russell, Marco A. P. Safadi, Christoph Saner, Malcolm G. Semple, Daniella Gregoria Bomfim Prado da Silva, Laise Marine Moura de Sousa, Marilia Diogo Moco Souza, Kirsten Spann, Sibongile Walaza, Nicole Wolter, Yao Xia, Daniel K. Yeoh, Heather J. Zar, Petra Zimmermann, Kirsty R. Short
Summary: This study investigates the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized children. The results suggest that while ICU admissions decrease across all age groups, ventilatory and oxygen support generally do not decrease significantly over time in children aged younger than 5 years.
Article
Neurosciences
Simone R. Williams, Frances C. Robertson, Catherine J. Wedderburn, Jessica E. Ringshaw, Layla Bradford, Charmaine N. Nyakonda, Nadia Hoffman, Shantanu H. Joshi, Heather J. Zar, Dan J. Stein, Kirsten A. Donald
Summary: This study found that decreased levels of glutamate in the parietal gray matter and lower choline ratios in the parietal white matter were observed in children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (CHEU), suggesting regional alterations and myelin loss. Additionally, the study revealed associations between neurometabolite profiles and motor developmental outcomes in CHEU.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Pediatrics
Adewale Adetunji, Priya Gajjar, Valerie Luyckx, Deveshni Reddy, Peter Nourse, Ashton Coetzee, Nicole Collison, Theresa Abdo, Taryn Pienaar, Christel Du Buisson, Jonathan Buckley, Brenda Morrow, Mignon McCulloch
PEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Tanyia Pillay, Heather J. Zar, Shyam Sunder B. Venkatakrishna, Savvas Andronikou
Summary: This study aimed to report the feasibility and quality of fast MRI for detecting lymphadenopathy in non-sedated children with suspected TB. The results showed that 86% of the fast MRI scans were successfully completed within 10 minutes, and it was also feasible for children below 6 years of age.
PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Luis Garcia-Marcos, Chen-Yuan Chiang, M. Innes Asher, Guy B. Marks, Asma El Sony, Refiloe Masekela, Karen Bissell, Eamon Ellwood, Philippa Ellwood, Neil Pearce, David P. Strachan, Kevin Mortimer, Eva Morales
Summary: This study aimed to assess asthma medicine use, management plan availability, and disease control in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood across different country settings. The study found variations in asthma medicine use, low utilization of management plans, and inadequate disease control. Strategies should be implemented to improve adherence to asthma treatment guidelines worldwide, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, with a focus on access to affordable and quality-assured essential asthma medicines.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Nicola Chiwandire, Waasila Jassat, Michelle Groome, Tendesayi Kufa, Sibongile Walaza, Nicole Wolter, Anne von Gottberg, Heather J. Zar, Gary Reubenson, Stefano Tempia, Joy Ebonwu, Nevashan Govender, Genevie Ntshoe, Andronica Moipone Shonhiwa, Lucille Blumberg, Cheryl Cohen
Summary: Children and adolescents in South Africa had lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and admissions compared to adults in the four waves. However, in the fourth wave, there was an increase in hospitalization rates among infants, highlighting the need to prioritize vaccination for the subgroup with underlying comorbidities.
JOURNAL OF THE PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Monica Miranda-Schaeubinger, Hermon Miliard Derbew, Alexandra Ramirez, Maretta Smith, Mohammad Jalloul, Savvas Andronikou, Hansel J. Otero
Summary: The prevalence of abnormal chest radiographs in patients with positive purified protein derivative (PPD) test was very low in a tertiary pediatric center in the United States. No cases of severe disease were identified, and patients with abnormal findings did not require a change in treatment according to current WHO guidelines.
