Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lucia Canamero, Adalberto Benito-Hernandez, Elena Gonzalez, Clara Escagedo, Maria Rodriguez-Vidriales, Maria del Mar Garcia-Saiz, Rosalia Valero, Lara Belmar, Maria Angeles de Cos, Maria Victoria Francia, Juan Carlos Ruiz, Emilio Rodrigo
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between Torque Teno Virus (TTV) load and exposure to immunosuppressive drugs in kidney transplantation (KTx) patients. The results showed that TTV load was not related to the exposure to maintenance immunosuppression drugs such as mycophenolic acid (MPA) and tacrolimus. However, TTV load could be a useful marker for predicting the risk of opportunistic infections after KTx.
Review
Virology
A. L. van Rijn, R. Roos, F. W. Dekker, J. Rotmans, M. C. W. Feltkamp
Summary: This review and meta-analysis found an association between blood TTV-load measured within the first 2 years after solid organ transplantation (SOT) and the risk of infection and allograft rejection. However, caution should be taken in interpreting the results due to substantial risk of bias in the included studies. These findings provide a rationale for larger, prospective studies on TTV as a marker of infection and rejection after SOT.
REVIEWS IN MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Gustaf Leijonhufvud, Amanj Bajalan, Tatiany Aparecida Teixeira Soratto, Britt Gustafsson, Gordana Bogdanovic, Annelie Bjerkner, Tobias Allander, Gustaf Ljungman, Bjorn Andersson
Summary: TTV is a group of chronically persisting viruses with a wide sequence diversity, and studies suggest that it is more common than detected by conventional qPCR assays. Analysis of TTV genome sequences reveals that some strains may not be detected by qPCR designed on a conserved region of the TTV genome.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Phoebe Uhl, Andreas Heilos, Gregor Bond, Elias Meyer, Michael Boehm, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stoeckl, Klaus Arbeiter, Thomas Mueller-Sacherer, Dagmar Csaicsich, Christoph Aufricht, Krisztina Rusai
Summary: TTV viral load is associated with the strength of immunosuppression in kidney-transplanted patients, making it a potential tool for monitoring IS in order to evaluate clinical outcomes.
PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Natalia Redondo, Isabel Rodriguez-Goncer, Patricia Parra, Eliseo Albert, Estela Gimenez, Tamara Ruiz-Merlo, Francisco Lopez-Medrano, Rafael San Juan, Esther Gonzalez, Angel Sevillano, Amado Andres, David Navarro, Jose Maria Aguado, Mario Fernandez-Ruiz
Summary: The minor G allele of CD209 (rs4804803) may have a protective effect against TTV infection in non-immunocompromised patients, but no associations were observed between the analyzed SNPs and post-transplant kinetics of TTV DNAemia. The findings suggest that post-transplant TTV replication is mainly influenced by immunosuppressive therapy rather than genetic predisposition, emphasizing its clinical application as a biomarker of adaptive immunity.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Virology
Lorena Forque, Eliseo Albert, Estela Gimenez, Ignacio Torres, Nieves Carbonell, Jose Ferreres, Maria Luisa Blasco, David Navarro
Summary: This study found that monitoring plasma TTV DNA load may help predict the occurrence of severe nosocomial infections and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
N. S. Reyes, G. Laham, N. Boccia, G. Garcia, R. Jara, E. Hermida, C. Ricarte, C. Diaz, G. Soler Pujol, F. A. Poletta, M. Echavarria
Summary: This study aimed to determine the correlation between a Home-Brew TTV PCR and a commercial PCR (R-GENE®PCR); the TTV viral load kinetics in renal transplant recipients and the association with graft rejection. The results showed a high agreement and correlation between the two PCR methods. TTV viral load reached a peak at 3 months post-transplantation and remained significantly higher than the initial baseline at 6 months. Patients with graft rejection had significantly lower TTV viral load at 181-270 days post-transplantation.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Alexandre Mendes Batista, Matheus W. Caetano, Maria A. Stincarelli, Ana C. Mamana, Rodrigo Melim Zerbinati, Dmitry J. S. Sarmento, Marina Gallottini, Rafael A. Caixeta, Jose Medina-Pestana, Bengt Hasseus, Louise Zanella, Tania R. Tozetto-Mendoza, Simone Giannecchini, Paulo H. Braz-Silva
Summary: This study investigated the correlation between TTV viral load and immune function in paired saliva and plasma samples from kidney transplant patients. Results showed higher TTV-DNA viral load in plasma compared to saliva, suggesting that saliva samples could be a fast non-invasive option to assess immune functionality in SOT populations.
JOURNAL OF ORAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hui Liu, Jiajia Zhao, Liu Yang, Chuwei Yang, Yufei Liu
Summary: This study presents the first reported case of meningoencephalitis in an adult male with X-linked agammaglobulinemia caused by a probable Torque teno virus (TTV) infection. The detection of TTV in cerebrospinal fluid suggests that TTV can have a pathogenic effect on patients with severe immunodeficiency disease and can lead to severe clinical symptoms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Tanya Juneja, Maria Kazmi, Michael Mellace, Reza F. Saidi
Summary: Organ transplants are a life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure. However, the long-term outcomes for these patients are poor due to the use of immunosuppressants, which increase the risk of infections and damage. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are being investigated as a potential treatment to minimize rejection and prevent negative outcomes.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Peter Jaksch, Irene Goerzer, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stoeckl, Gregor Bond
Summary: Potent immunosuppressive drugs are important in clinical care for organ transplant recipients. It is now necessary to optimize their efficacy through individual-level guidance. Recent advancements in tools for assessing immune function have led to the proposal of using the plasma load of a non-pathogenic virus, torque teno virus (TTV), as a measure of immune function. Although this approach has not been widely implemented, ongoing trials are testing the safety and efficacy of TTV-guided immunosuppression.
Review
Virology
Jun Zeng, Yangming Tang, Tao Lin, Turun Song
Summary: Torque teno virus (TTV) has the potential to be a novel marker for evaluating acute rejection (AR) and posttransplant infection in kidney transplant recipients. The diagnostic accuracy of TTV for AR is modest, but it performs poorly in discriminating posttransplant infection.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Yifat Eldar-Yedidia, Efrat Ben-Shalom, Miriam Hillel, Ruth Belostotsky, Orli Megged, Yossi Freier-Dror, Yaacov Frishberg, Yechiel Schlesinger
Summary: This study found that children with low TTV and total AV titers 5-6 months post-transplantation are at increased risk for graft rejection within a year after transplantation.
PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Floriane Gallais, Benjamin Renaud-Picard, Morgane Solis, Elodie Laugel, Eric Soulier, Sophie Caillard, Romain Kessler, Samira Fafi-Kremer
Summary: This study investigated the antibody response after three doses of mRNA vaccine in lung transplant recipients (LTR) and found that COVID-19-naive LTR have a poor response to three doses of mRNA vaccine, especially those with high TTV VL. Future studies could further evaluate TTV VL as a biomarker for vaccine strategies.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Felipe Bueno, Eliseo Albert, Jose Luis Pinana, Ariadna Perez, Carlos ubeda, Maria Dolores Gomez, Juan Carlos Hernandez-Boluda, Eva Maria Gonzalez-Barbera, Juan Montoro, Estela Gimenez, Manuel Guerreiro, Aitana Balaguer-Rosello, Rafael Hernani, Jaime Sanz, Carlos Solano, David Navarro
Summary: The decrease in TTV DNA load from baseline in stool specimens may help identify patients at risk of acute intestinal graft versus host disease (aIGvHD) according to the hypothesis-generating study.
TRANSPLANT INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Lorena Forque, Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Eliseo Albert, Estela Gimenez, Carolina Monzo, Javier Chaves, Natalia Redondo, Isabel Rodriguez-Goncer, Tamara Ruiz-Merlo, Patricia Parra, Amado Andres, Jose Maria Aguado, David Navarro
Summary: This study investigates the genetic diversity and clinical correlates of the Anelloviridae family after kidney transplantation. The dominant genus was Alphatorquevirus, followed by Betatorquevirus and Gammatorquevirus. Changes in the predominant genus were observed in some patients. Overall, the levels of Anelloviridae DNA increased after transplantation and were associated with the use of T-cell depleting agents. However, there were no associations between the dominant genus or total Anelloviridae DNA levels and clinical outcomes.
Article
Immunology
Patricia Montiel Villalonga, Itziar Martinez-Alpuente, Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Oscar Len, Marta Bodro, Ibai Los-Arcos, Jose Moya, Braulio de la Calle, Manuela Cid-Cumplido, Gerard Sanchez-Etayo, Ana Avila, Gabriel Moreno-Gonzalez, Elisabeth Coll, Beatriz Dominguez-Gil
Summary: This nationwide prospective study explored the utilization of non-lung organs from deceased donors with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. The results supported the safety of this policy, as the transplant recipients did not get infected with the virus and showed no symptoms of COVID-19 prior to transplantation.
TRANSPLANT INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Marta Bodro, Isabel Gutierrez Martin, Regino Rodriguez-Alvarez, Maria Ruiz-Ruigomez, Nuria Sabe, Teresa Lopez-Vinau, Maricela Valerio, Aitziber Illaro, Jesus Fortun, Sonsoles Salto-Alejandre, Elisa Cordero, Maria del Carmen Farinas, Patricia Munoz, Elisa Vidal, Jordi Carratala, Josune Goikoetxea, Antonio Ramos-Martinez, Asuncion Moreno, Jose Maria Aguado
Summary: Retrospective study shows that isavuconazole is a safe and effective treatment option for invasive mold disease in solid organ transplantation recipients. Clinical response was achieved in over 50% of patients by weeks 6 and 12, and adverse events were relatively low.
Article
Surgery
Elena Perez-Nadales, Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Alejandra M. Natera, Belen Gutierrez-Gutierrez, Alessandra Mularoni, Giovanna Russelli, Ligia Camera Pierrotti, Maristela Pinheiro Freire, Marco Falcone, Giusy Tiseo, Mario Tumbarello, Francesca Raffaelli, Edson Abdala, Marta Bodro, Elena Gervasi, Maria Carmen Farinas, Elena M. Seminari, Juan Jose Caston, Juan Antonio Marin-Sanz, Victor Galvez-Soto, Meenakshi M. Rana, Belen Loeches, Pilar Martin-Davila, Alvaro Pascual, Jesus Rodriguez-Bano, Jose Maria Aguado, Luis Martinez-Martinez, Julian Torre-Cisneros, REIPI INCREMENT-SOT Study Grp
Summary: This study compared the efficacy of ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) and the best available therapy (BAT) in treating solid organ transplant recipients with bloodstream infection caused by carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. The results showed that patients treated with CAZ-AVI had higher clinical success rates at 14-day and 30-day and lower 30-day mortality compared to those receiving BAT.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Jose Maria Aguado
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Virology
Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Natalia Redondo, Patricia Parra, Tamara Ruiz-Merlo, Isabel Rodriguez-Goncer, Natalia Polanco, Esther Gonzalez, Francisco Lopez-Medrano, Rafael San Juan, David Navarro, Amado Andres, Jose Maria Aguado
Summary: This study compares two methods (intracellular cytokine staining and interferon-gamma release assay) in predicting immune protection among kidney transplant recipients. The results suggest that intracellular cytokine staining performs slightly better in predicting immune protection at the time of discontinuation of prophylaxis.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Laura Corbella, Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Maria Ruiz-Ruigomez, Isabel Rodriguez-Goncer, Jose Tiago Silva, Pilar Hernandez-Jimenez, Francisco Lopez-Medrano, Manuel Lizasoain, Jennifer Villa, Jose Maria Aguado, Rafael San-Juan
Summary: The production of OXA-48 carbapenemase is independently associated with poor outcomes in Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. The study found lower clinical cure rates and higher 30-day all-cause mortality in OXA-48-Kp cases compared to non-OXA-48-Kp cases. Multivariate analysis confirmed the independent association between OXA-48-Kp infection and the lack of 14-day clinical cure.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Estefani Garcia-Rios, Natalia Redondo, Isabel Rodriguez-Goncer, Tamara Ruiz-Merlo, Patricia Parra, Virginia Sandonis, Francisco Lopez-Medrano, Rafael San Juan, Esther Gonzalez, Natalia Polanco, Amado Andres, David Navarro, Jose Maria Aguado, Pilar Perez-Romero
Summary: This study investigates the impact of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific antibodies on infection in kidney transplant recipients. The results suggest that CMV-AbNEIs do not have a protective role in preventing CMV infection.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Beatriz Sanchez Moreno, Javier Santiago Almeda, Isabel Rodriguez-Goncer, Tamara Ruiz-Merlo, Natalia Redondo, Francisco Lopez-Medrano, Rafael San Juan, Amado Andres, Jose Maria Aguado
Summary: Previous statin therapy had no apparent protective effect on the outcome of post-transplant bloodstream infection among kidney transplant recipients. The time to clinical cure and secondary outcomes such as fever resolution, ICU admission or renal replacement therapy requirement, and 30-day all-cause mortality did not differ significantly between statin and non-statin groups.
TRANSPLANT INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Blanca D. Lopez-Ayllon, Ana de Lucas-Rius, Laura Mendoza-Garcia, Transito Garcia-Garcia, Raul Fernandez-Rodriguez, Jose M. Suarez-Cardenas, Fatima Milhano Santos, Fernando Corrales, Natalia Redondo, Federica Pedrucci, Sara Zaldivar-Lopez, Angeles Jimenez-Marin, Juan J. Garrido, Maria Montoya
Summary: The study found that SARS-CoV-2 encodes eleven accessory proteins in its genome, and their roles during infection are not fully understood. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that WNT5A and IL11 were significantly up-regulated in A549 cells expressing certain accessory proteins from SARS-CoV-2. Bioinformatics analysis and functional assays confirmed the involvement of WNT5A and IL11 in pulmonary fibrosis, and altered profibrotic gene expression was observed in lung cell lines infected with SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 patients' lung biopsies. These findings suggest that targeting these accessory proteins could be a potential therapeutic approach against COVID-19.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Iago Justo, Viviana Vega, Alberto Marcacuzco, Oscar Caso, Maria Garcia-Conde, Alejandro Manrique, Jorge Calvo, Alvaro Garcia-Sesma, Rafael San Juan, Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Cristina Rivas, Maria Rosa Calero, Carlos Jimenez-Romero
Summary: A retrospective study found that the presence of underlying biliary disease or an intra-abdominal tumor and the duration of symptoms for less than 10 days upon presentation are risk factors that indicate the need for surgical therapy (ST).
LANGENBECKS ARCHIVES OF SURGERY
(2023)
Letter
Surgery
Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Patricia Parra, Tamara Ruiz-Merlo, Natalia Redondo, Isabel Rodriguez-Goncer, Amado Andres, Jose Maria Aguado
TRANSPLANT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mario Agreda Fernandez, Julia Origuen, Isabel Rodriguez-Goncer, Rafael San Juan, Francisco Lopez-Medrano, Patricia Parra, Tamara Ruiz-Merlo, Natalia Redondo, Maria Angeles Orellana, Jose Maria Aguado, Mario Fernandez-Ruiz
Summary: Measuring fecal calprotectin (FC) and lactoferrin (FL) levels in patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) can predict recurrence and severity of the disease. By modifying the thresholds for assay positivity, these biomarkers can be used to individualize CDI management.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Transplantation
Mario Fernandez-Ruiz, Patricia Almendro-Vazquez, Natalia Redondo, Tamara Ruiz-Merlo, Sandra Abella, Adan Somoza, Francisco Lopez-Medrano, Rafael San Juan, Carmelo Loinaz, Amado Andres, Estela Paz-Artal, Jose Maria Aguado
Summary: The BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent booster vaccine generated strong subvariant-specific responses among SOT recipients, but the booster-induced cell-mediated immunity remained lower than in immunocompetent individuals.
TRANSPLANTATION DIRECT
(2023)