Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mustapha Abdeljalil Brai, Nadji Hannachi, Nabila El Gueddari, Jean-Pierre Baudoin, Abderrhamane Dahmani, Hubert Lepidi, Gilbert Habib, Laurence Camoin-Jau
Summary: The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) has increased in the past decade, with changes in the causative bacteria. The role of bacterial interaction with human platelets in the pathogenesis of IE is crucial but not yet fully understood. This review explores the involvement of platelets in endocarditis, their role in vegetation formation depending on bacterial species, and investigates platelet therapy advancements and future research avenues to understand the mechanistic enigma of bacteria-platelet interaction for preventive and curative medicine.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Lauren Freeman, Ashley Milkovits, Lauren McDaniel, Nathan Everson
Summary: This study compared the rates of treatment modifications and failures between A + C therapy and A + G therapy for Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis (EFIE). The results showed that A + C therapy had lower rates of treatment modifications and adverse events, with the most common adverse event being nephrotoxicity, while the A + G therapy had a higher incidence of acute kidney injury.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Laura Herrera-Hidalgo, Jose Manuel Lomas-Cabezas, Luis Eduardo Lopez-Cortes, Rafael Luque-Marquez, Luis Fernando Lopez-Cortes, Francisco J. Martinez-Marcos, Javier de la Torre-Lima, Antonio Plata-Ciezar, Carmen Hidalgo-Tenorio, Maria Victoria Garcia-Lopez, David Vinuesa, Alicia Gutierrez-Valencia, Maria Victoria Gil-Navarro, Aristides De Alarcon
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of three AC regimens for the treatment of Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis. The results suggest that ACjoined may be a feasible and effective alternative in outpatient parenteral antibiotic treatment programs, while AC24 regimen showed an unexpected failure rate.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Karl Oldberg, Rebecca Thoren, Bo Nilson, Patrik Gilje, Malin Inghammar, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: Time to blood culture positivity (TTP) is an indirect measure of bacterial concentration in blood. A short TTP has been linked to infective endocarditis (IE) and poor prognosis in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Factors associated with IE were investigated, and TTP remained associated with IE when adjusted for age, gender, comorbidity, and nosocomial acquisition, with no association between TTP and mortality.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Raluca Ecaterina Haliga, Victorita Sorodoc, Bianca Codrina Morarasu, Adorata Elena Coman, Alexandr Ceasovschih, Oana Sirbu, Catalina Lionte, Cristina Bologa, Alexandra Stoica, Mihai Constantin, Gabriela Puha, Ovidiu Rusalim Petris, Minerva Codruta Badescu, Daniela Crisu, Andreea Nicoleta Catana, Ioana Bianca Haliga, Laurentiu Sorodoc
Summary: The article presents a case-based narrative review of Enterococcus faecalis double valve endocarditis involving both the aortic native and prosthetic mitral valve, discussing its clinical characteristics, treatment, and complications. It highlights the rarity of simultaneous double valve or multivalvular involvement in infective endocarditis.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Laura Herrera-Hidalgo, Aristides de Alarcon, Luis Eduardo Lopez-Cortes, Rafael Luque-Marquez, Luis Fernando Lopez-Cortes, Alicia Gutierrez-Valencia, Maria Victoria Gil-Navarro
Summary: This pharmacokinetic study aimed to investigate the efficacy of ceftriaxone in the treatment of Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis in OPAT programs. The results showed a low proportion of patients maintaining the recommended drug concentration under the current regimen.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Soheila Shahroodian, Maryam Mirshekar, Malihe Talebi, Alireza Torki, Nour Amirmozafari
Summary: The study investigated the characteristics of Enterococcus faecalis in semen from infertile and fertile men, showing a significant relationship between virulence genes and biofilm formation ability with male fertility.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Parvathy Venkateswaran, Priya M. Lakshmanan, Sudhiksha Muthukrishnan, Hema Bhagavathi, Sahana Vasudevan, Prasanna Neelakantan, Adline P. Solomon
Summary: Enterococcus faecalis, a commensal in the human gastrointestinal tract, is a known cause of nosocomial infections. Its transition from a planktonic to a sessile state, along with the acquisition of multidrug resistance, poses challenges for treatment. Several key genes and molecular pathways, including quorum sensing, aggregation substance, surface adhesions, stress-related response, and sex pheromones, play critical roles in the sessile state. It is crucial to decode the hidden agenda of E. faecalis and understand the factors influencing biofilm formation in order to develop novel strategies to combat infections.
FUTURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Dagmara Stepien-Pysniak, Fabrizio Bertelloni, Marta Dec, Giulia Cagnoli, Dorota Pietras-Ozga, Renata Urban-Chmiel, Valentina Virginia Ebani
Summary: The study suggests that pet dogs may act as carriers and spreaders of multidrug-resistant and virulent enterococci, posing a potential risk to other animals and owners.
Article
Immunology
G. Royer, L. Roisin, V. Demontant, S. Lo, L. Coutte, P. Lim, J. M. Pawlotsky, H. Jacquier, R. Lepeule, C. Rodriguez, P. L. Woerther
Summary: The study found considerable genomic microdiversity in Enterococcus faecalis isolates from patients with infective endocarditis (IE), with deletions of virulence factors and other key genes. Mutations in genes related to cell cycle and metabolism suggest an evolutionary convergence in these isolates. These modifications impact phenotypic heterogeneity, growth, and early biofilm production, potentially allowing adaptation to antibiotic and immune pressures and promoting relapses.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Pierre Danneels, Jean Francois Hamel, Lea Picard, Scheherazade Rezig, Pauline Martinet, Aurelien Lorleac'h, Jean Philippe Talarmin, Rodolphe Buzele, Thomas Guimard, Gwenael Le Moal, Julia Brochard-Libois, Aurelie Beaudron, Julien Letheulle, Cyrielle Codde, Rachel Chenouard, David Boutoille, Adrien Lemaignen, Louis Bernard, Vincent Cattoir, Vincent Dubee
Summary: This study investigates the impact of antibiotic regimen on the risk of relapse in Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis (EFIE). The results show that cardiac surgery and antibiotic combination are crucial for preventing relapse. The retrospective multicenter study of 279 EFIE patients reveals a relapse rate of 9.3%, with relapses occurring more than 1 year after the initial episode.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Niyati H. Shah, Kathleen A. Shutt, Yohei Doi
Summary: This study compared the efficacy of AC and AG in treating EIE patients, finding no significant difference in 90-day mortality between the two groups. However, adverse events were more common in the AG group, and more patients in the AG cohort needed to switch antibiotic regimens.
OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Laura Escola-Verge, Nuria Fernandez-Hidalgo, Maria Nieves Larrosa, Ruben Fernandez-Galera, Benito Almirante
Summary: The study showed an increasing prevalence of E. faecalis as a causative agent of infective endocarditis (EFIE) over the past decade, along with clinical changes including older patient age, fewer surgical indications, and a slightly decreased in-hospital mortality rate. Additionally, there was an increase in the percentage of echocardiograms performed in patients with EFMB and EFIE diagnoses. Further investigations into the factors driving these clinical changes in EFIE are warranted.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Franziska Woitschach, Marlen Kloss, Karsten Schlodder, Alexander Borck, Niels Grabow, Emil Christian Reisinger, Martina Sombetzki
Summary: Biofilm-associated implant infections are a major challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Enterococcus faecalis is the most common bacterium causing such infections. This study aimed to evaluate the colonization and biofilm formation of E. faecalis on different implant materials. The results showed that the investigated materials did not have any antimicrobial effect against E. faecalis, indicating that the antimicrobial effects of novel implant materials may not apply to all bacterial strains.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jianyan Qi, Min Gong, Rui Zhang, Yumeng Song, Qian Liu, Hongyan Zhou, Jue Wang, Yufeng Mei
Summary: Tea tree essential oil (TTO) is known for its traditional medicinal uses and earlier research has shown its effectiveness in inhibiting oral microorganisms. This study found that TTO can destroy cell membrane, inhibit biofilm formation, and eliminate mature biofilms of E. faecalis, suggesting its potential as a novel antibacterial drug.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jonas Bjork, Carl Bonander, Mahnaz Moghaddassi, Magnus Rasmussen, Ulf Malmqvist, Malin Inghammar, Fredrik Kahn
Summary: We compared the effectiveness of vaccines against severe COVID-19 during the period of December 2021 to March 2022, when Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants were dominant in Scania county, Sweden. The effectiveness remained above 80% for individuals with at least three vaccine doses, but decreased to 54% for those with only two doses. Protection from prior infection was also lower after the transition to BA.2. Booster vaccination appears to be necessary to maintain sufficient protection.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Andreas Berge, Ludvig Arkel, Bo Nilson, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: The management and outcome of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) and monomicrobial Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia (EfsB) were studied. Extraction of the CIED was found to be unnecessary if no structural changes were found on the CIED.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Blerand Berisha, Sigurdur Ragnarsson, Lars Olaison, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: The microbiology of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) can vary depending on the type of prosthetic valve and timing of diagnosis. This study found that S. aureus infections are more common in patients with mechanical valves, while bioprosthetic valves are more susceptible to infections caused by alpha-hemolytic streptococci, enterococci, and CoNS.
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Helena Lindberg, Emma Lofstrom, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: This study validated six risk stratification scores for their predictive ability in identifying endocarditis in patients with Gram-positive bacteraemia, and investigated the utilization of echocardiography. The results showed that these scores had high negative predictive values, suggesting that they are reasonable screening tools for early detection of endocarditis.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Anna Blackberg, Stina Svedevall, Katrina Lundberg, Bo Nilson, Fredrik Kahn, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: This study aimed to determine the association between time to blood culture positivity (TTP) and outcome in Streptococcus pyogenes bacteremia. The results showed that shorter TTP was associated with higher 30-day mortality. However, there was no significant difference in TTP between patients with sepsis or disease deterioration.
OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Letter
Immunology
Magnus Rasmussen, Andreas Berge
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Andreas Berge, Casper Carlsen, Alexandros Petropoulos, Fredrik Gadler, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: A study in Sweden examined patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB), finding that 14% of patients were diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE). A predictive score for IE was constructed and validated in a separate cohort of patients, showing high sensitivity and negative predictive value.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anna Blackberg, Katrina Lundberg, Stina Svedevall, Bo Nilson, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: A study in Skane, Sweden found that the time to positivity from blood cultures may be a prognostic indicator for 30-day mortality in invasive infections caused by Streptococcus dysgalactiae. Shorter time to positivity was associated with higher mortality, while no significant association was found with the development of sepsis or disease deterioration.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Gustav Johansson, Torgny Sunnerhagen, Sigurdur Ragnarsson, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: This study aimed to analyze the microbiological results of patients undergoing heart valve surgery and 16S-rDNA PCR and sequencing (16S-analysis) on the excised valves, and to investigate its diagnostic benefits. The study found that 16S-analysis can provide diagnostic help in cases of blood culture negative endocarditis and in situations where there are discrepancies between valve and blood cultures. Furthermore, the study found a high degree of concordance between blood cultures and 16S-analyses, indicating a high sensitivity and specificity of the latter for the etiological diagnosis of endocarditis in patients undergoing heart valve surgery.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Letter
Immunology
Helena Lindberg, Ulrika Snygg-Martin, Andreas Berge, Magnus Rasmussen
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Letter
Immunology
Torgny Sunnerhagen, Erik Senneby, Magnus Rasmussen
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chaitanya Tellapragada, Helena Ostlund, Christian Giske, Magnus Rasmussen, Andreas Berge
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the clinical presentation of patients with Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia (EfsB), focusing on the risk of recurrent infection and infective endocarditis (IE), as well as identifying potential improvements in management. Retrospective analysis of a cohort of patients with monomicrobial EfsB episodes revealed 69 patients with IE and 43 with recurrent infections. Factors significantly associated with IE included prolonged symptoms, growth in all blood cultures, unknown origin of infection, heart murmur, and predisposition for IE. Whole genome sequencing and multilocus sequence typing of E. faecalis isolates from multiple episodes in the same patient showed identical sequence types in 28 of 31 patients. Episodes of EfsB in patients later diagnosed with IE displayed characteristics of IE already in the first episodes and were likely true relapses. Risk factor analysis should guide the use of echocardiography.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Roni Lohikoski, Karl Oldberg, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: Bacteraemia caused by non-faecalis and non-faecium Enterococcus (NFE) is rare and often polymicrobial. Biliary tract infections are the common focus of NFE bacteraemia, while infective endocarditis and urinary tract infections are uncommon.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Raluca Jumatate, Peter Hammarlund, Madlene Holmqvist, Arash Mokhtari, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: This article reports a case of A. sanguinicola infection in a 68-year-old man, leading to severe aortic valve insufficiency and rapid death. It highlights the potential severity and valve destruction caused by this type of infection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Markus Alden, Francisko Olofsson Falla, Daowei Yang, Mohammad Barghouth, Cheng Luan, Magnus Rasmussen, Yang De Marinis
Summary: This study investigated the impact of BNT162b2 on human liver cells and found that it rapidly enters the cells and leads to changes in gene expression and distribution.
CURRENT ISSUES IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
