Article
Immunology
Shyam Sundar, Jitendra Singh, Anju Dinkar, Neha Agrawal
Summary: This study assessed the safety and effectiveness of miltefosine for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. The cure rate was 76%, but a significant number of patients experienced ocular complications.
OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aakriti Singh, Ganesh Yadagiri, Manorma Negi, Anurag Kumar Kushwaha, Om Prakash Singh, Shyam Sundar, Shyam Lal Mudavath
Summary: In this study, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) grafted lipid nanoformulations were prepared as an efficient carrier for amphotericin B (AmB) to treat leishmaniasis. The nanoformulations showed good physicochemical characteristics, controlled drug release, and high antileishmanial activity without causing toxicity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Surendra Rajit Prasad, Prakash Kumar, Saptarshi Mandal, Anu Mohan, Radhika Chaurasia, Ashish Shrivastava, Pallaprolu Nikhil, Dande Aishwarya, P. Ramalingam, Rahul Gajbhiye, Shriya Singh, Arunava Dasgupta, Mukesh Chourasia, V. Ravichandiran, Prolay Das, Debabrata Mandal
Summary: In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of different types of saturated medium-chain fatty acids against Leishmania. We found that caprylic acid (CA) showed the most potent anti-leishmanial effect. Further investigation revealed that CA mediates cell death by depleting ergosterol through inhibiting the enzyme mevalonate kinase (MevK) in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. This study provides insights into the mechanism of CA against visceral leishmaniasis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Tingting Cui, Jingshi Wang, Zhao Wang
Summary: This paper presents a case of a 44-year-old man with antisynthetase antibody syndrome who developed HLH secondary to Leishmania infection. Early etiological screening is essential in treating Leishmania-related HLH, and treatment with Ruxolitinib and Amphotericin B has proven effective in alleviating symptoms.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Camila S. Freitas, Joao A. Oliveira-da-Silva, Daniela P. Lage, Rafaella R. Costa, Debora V. C. Mendonca, Vivian T. Martins, Thiago A. R. Reis, Luciana M. R. Antinarelli, Amanda S. Machado, Grasiele S. V. Tavares, Fernanda F. Ramos, Vinicio T. S. Coelho, Rory C. F. Brito, Fernanda Ludolf, Miguel A. Chavez-Fumagalli, Bruno M. Roatt, Gabriela S. Ramos, Jennifer Munkert, Flaviano M. Ottoni, Priscilla R. V. Campana, Maria V. Humbert, Elaine S. Coimbra, Fernao C. Braga, Rodrigo M. Padua, Eduardo A. F. Coelho
Summary: Treatment for visceral leishmaniasis is challenging due to drug toxicity, high cost, and parasite resistance. In this study, the use of the cardenolide digitoxigenin (DIGI) from Digitalis lanata leaves showed promising antileishmanial activity against Leishmania infantum, with potential as a therapeutic agent. Formulation of DIGI in polymeric micelles improved its efficacy in reducing parasite load and inducing an immune response in infected mice, outperforming the current control drug miltefosine. Future studies on DIGI as a treatment for VL are warranted.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Antonio Lipa Castro, Sebastien Pomel, Catherine Cailleau, Natalie Fournier, Indira Dennemont, Philippe M. Loiseau, Gillian Barratt
Summary: This article describes the in-vivo evaluation of AmB-loaded, lipid-based cochleate systems designed for the oral route. The study found that cochleate formulations based on Lipoid PSP70 show promising antiparasitic activity for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yihong Zhou, Yuanyuan Qin, Yanqiu Lu, Jing Yuan, Jingmin Nie, Min Liu, Qun Tian, Ke Lan, Guoqiang Zhou, Yingmei Qin, Kaiyin He, Jianhua Yu, Zhongsheng Jiang, Jun Liu, Shuiqing Liu, Vijay Harypursat, Yaokai Chen
Summary: This study compared the efficacy of amphotericin B deoxycholate and voriconazole in treating talaromycosis. The results showed that these two drugs had similar efficacy in terms of all-cause mortality rate over a 48-week observation period. However, in the induction therapy without ART subgroup, amphotericin B deoxycholate had a more significant effect on clinical resolution and fungal clearance. There was no significant difference in clinical resolution and fungal clearance between the two drugs in the induction therapy combined with ART subgroup.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Sakib Burza, Raman Mahajan, Shahwar Kazmi, Neal Alexander, Deepak Kumar, Vikash Kumar, Estrella Lasry, Amit Harshana, Alan de Lima Pereira, Pradeep Das, Neena Verma, Vidya Nand Ravi Das, Chandra Shekhar Lal, Bharat Rewari, Vishal Goyal, Suman Rijal, Fabiana Alves, Naresh Gill, Krishna Pandey
Summary: This study conducted in a hospital in India compared two different treatment regimens for 150 patients with HIV and VL. The results showed that combination therapy is safe, well-tolerated, effective, and reduces treatment duration.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Kevin Matha, Brice Calvignac, Jean-Pierre Gangneux, Jean-Pierre Benoit
Summary: Visceral leishmaniasis is a neglected disease in many countries, but nanomedicine has shown success in treating it, particularly with liposomal amphotericin B's remarkable cure rates. However, developing more efficient strategies like targeting functionalization, oral formulations, or combined therapies face numerous obstacles and raise many questions.
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG DELIVERY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Shobha Kumari, Vikash Kumar, Ritesh Kumar Tiwari, Vidyanand Ravidas, Krishna Pandey, Ashish Kumar
Summary: Visceral leishmaniasis, caused by the leishmania parasite, is a vector-borne disease. In India, Amphotericin B is the first-line medication for treating this disease. Liposomal AmB is a more widely accepted option for treatment, but there is a need for more efficient, less toxic, and affordable drugs.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Guilherme S. Ramos, Virginia M. R. Vallejos, Gabriel S. M. Borges, Raquel M. Almeida, Izabela M. Alves, Marta M. G. Aguiar, Christian Fernandes, Pedro P. G. Guimaraes, Ricardo T. Fujiwara, Philippe M. Loiseau, Lucas A. M. Ferreira, Frederic Frezard
Summary: This study developed a formulation of PEGylated liposomal AmB and compared its efficacy to AmBisome (R) in a murine model of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). The results showed that the PEGylated formulation significantly reduced lesion growth and parasite load in the treatment of CL, both through parenteral and oral routes.
Article
Dermatology
Tugba Erat, Isa An
Summary: The efficacy and safety of liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) in pediatric cutaneous leishmaniasis patients were evaluated in this study. The results showed a low treatment success rate with the L-AmB dose used in the study.
DERMATOLOGIC THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wetpisit Chanmol, Padet Siriyasatien, Nuchpicha Intakhan
Summary: This study evaluated the anti-Leishmania activity of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQN) and its synergistic effect with amphotericin B (AmB) against L. martiniquensis. The results showed that 8HQN exhibited anti-Leishmania activity and had a synergistic effect with AmB, suggesting its potential as an alternative treatment for leishmaniasis.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Rebekah N. Duffin, Philip C. Andrews
Summary: Six novel organogallium complexes have been synthesized and characterized, showing promising anti-leishmanial activity and selectivity.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Reza Boshrouyeh, Samar Amari, Mohammad Boshrouyeh Ghandashtani, Seyed Ebrahim Alavi, Hasan Ebrahimi Shahmabadi
Summary: This study aimed to improve the solubility and permeability of Amphotericin B (AmB) for the topical treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major. Two formulations of AmB, Lip-AmB and PEG-Lip-AmB, were developed using liposomes and polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated liposomes. The results showed that PEG-Lip-AmB was more effective in reducing drug toxicity and increasing therapeutic effects compared to Lip-AmB. In vivo studies also demonstrated that PEG-Lip-AmB-Gel could significantly reduce lesion size and parasite burden compared to Lip-AmB-Gel. These findings suggest that PEG-Lip-AmB-Gel is a promising carrier for improving the properties of AmB for topical treatment of CL.
JOURNAL OF SOL-GEL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
John Nicolet, Yolanda Mueller, Paola Paruta, Julien Boucher, Nicolas Senn
Summary: This study analyzes the carbon footprint of primary care practices in western Switzerland and highlights the importance of optimizing structural and organizational aspects of practice work to decrease carbon emissions without major changes in medical activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Antonio Leidi, Amandine Berner, Roxane Dumont, Richard Dubos, Flora Koegler, Giovanni Piumatti, Nicolas Vuilleumier, Laurent Kaiser, Jean-Francois Balavoine, Didier Trono, Didier Pittet, Francois Chappuis, Omar Kherad, Delphine Sophie Courvoisier, Andrew S. Azman, Maria Eugenia Zaballa, Idris Guessous, Silvia Stringhini
Summary: This cohort study found that anti-SARS-CoV-2 seropositive essential workers had a reduced risk of subsequent infection, confirming the protective effect of previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 regardless of their occupational sector, even 6 months after infection.
OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Aude Richard, Ania Wisniak, Javier Perez-Saez, Henri Garrison-Desany, Dusan Petrovic, Giovanni Piumatti, Helene Baysson, Attilio Picazio, Francesco Pennacchio, David De Ridder, Francois Chappuis, Nicolas Vuilleumier, Nicola Low, Samia Hurst, Isabella Eckerle, Antoine Flahault, Laurent Kaiser, Andrew S. Azman, Idris Guessous, Silvia Stringhini
Summary: The study assessed the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 during the first epidemic wave in Geneva, Switzerland, finding that the highest seroprevalence was among 18-49 year-olds, while female retirees, unemployed men, and smokers had lower seropositivity rates. The most strongly associated symptom with seropositivity was anosmia/dysgeusia.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Helene Baysson, Francesco Pennachio, Ania Wisniak, Maria Eugenia Zabella, Nick Pullen, Prune Collombet, Elsa Lorthe, Stephane Joost, Jean-Francois Balavoine, Delphine Bachmann, Andrew Azman, Didier Pittet, Francois Chappuis, Omar Kherad, Laurent Kaiser, Idris Guessous, Silvia Stringhini
Summary: The objective of this study is to conduct a long-term follow-up of adult participants in serosurveys, monitoring COVID-19 related symptoms, SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion, and the overall impact of the pandemic on health and socioeconomic factors over a period of at least 2 years.
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Ravikar Ralph, Mohammad Abul Faiz, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, Isabela Ribeiro, Francois Chappuis
BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Emmanuel Bottieau, Lukas Van Duffel, Sayda El Safi, Kanika Deshpande Koirala, Basudha Khanal, Suman Rijal, Narayan Raj Bhattarai, Thong Phe, Kruy Lim, Deby Mukendi, Jean-Roger Lilo Kalo, Pascal Lutumba, Barbara Barbe, Jan Jacobs, Marjan Van Esbroeck, Nikki Foque, Achilleas Tsoumanis, Philippe Parola, Cedric P. Yansouni, Marleen Boelaert, Kristien Verdonck, Francois Chappuis
Summary: This study investigated the frequencies and diagnostic predictors of the ubiquitous priority infections causing persistent fever in the tropics. The results showed that leptospirosis, rickettsiosis, and enteric fever accounted for a substantial proportion of the persistent fever cases across all tropical areas, in addition to malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. However, very few discriminative features were identified, and rapid diagnostic tests for leptospirosis and Salmonella Typhi infection performed poorly.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Florian Desgranges, Eliana Tadini, Aline Munting, Jean Regina, Paraskevas Filippidis, Benjamin Viala, Eleftherios Karachalias, Veronique Suttels, David Haefliger, Eleftheria Kampouri, Mathias Van Singer, Jonathan Tschopp, Laurence Rochat Stettler, Simeon Schaad, Thomas Brahier, Olivier Hugli, Yolanda Mueller, Alexandre Gouveia, Onya Opota, Pierre-Nicolas Carron, Benoit Guery, Matthaios Papadimitriou-Olivgeris, Noemie Boillat-Blanco
Summary: More than half of outpatients with mild COVID-19 report persistent symptoms up to 10 months after the disease. Only four symptoms were found to be associated with COVID-19 status. Female gender and overweight/obesity were identified as predictors of persistent symptoms among COVID-positive patients.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mayssam Nehme, Olivia Braillard, Francois Chappuis, Delphine S. Courvoisier, Laurent Kaiser, Paola M. Soccal, Jean-Luc Reny, Frederic Assal, Guido Bondolfi, Aglae Tardin, Christophe Graf, Dina Zekry, Silvia Stringhini, Herve Spechbach, Frederique Jacquerioz, Julien Salamun, Frederic Lador, Matteo Coen, Thomas Agoritsas, Lamyae Benzakour, Riccardo Favale, Stephane Genevay, Kim Lauper, Philippe Meyer, Nana K. Poku, Basile N. Landis, Stephanie Baggio, Marwene Grira, Jose Sandoval, Julien Ehrsam, Simon Regard, Camille Genecand, Garance Kopp, Ivan Guerreiro, Gilles Allali, Pauline Vetter, Idris Guessous
Summary: Persistent symptoms, including fatigue, dyspnea, headache, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating, can be observed in COVID-19 patients up to 12 months after infection. Functional impairment is also commonly reported in these individuals. These symptoms have the potential to significantly impact an individual's quality of life.
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Debashish Das, Ranitha Vongpromek, Thanawat Assawariyathipat, Ketsanee Srinamon, Kalynn Kennon, Kasia Stepniewska, Aniruddha Ghose, Abdullah Abu Sayeed, M. Abul Faiz, Rebeca Linhares Abreu Netto, Andre Siqueira, Serge R. Yerbanga, Jean Bosco Ouedraogo, James J. Callery, Thomas J. Peto, Rupam Tripura, Felix Koukouikila-Koussounda, Francine Ntoumi, John Michael Ong'echa, Bernhards Ogutu, Prakash Ghimire, Jutta Marfurt, Benedikt Ley, Amadou Seck, Magatte Ndiaye, Bhavani Moodley, Lisa Ming Sun, Laypaw Archasuksan, Stephane Proux, Sam L. Nsobya, Philip J. Rosenthal, Matthew P. Horning, Shawn K. McGuire, Courosh Mehanian, Stephen Burkot, Charles B. Delahunt, Christine Bachman, Ric N. Price, Arjen M. Dondorp, Francois Chappuis, Philippe J. Guerin, Mehul Dhorda
Summary: The EasyScan Go microscopy device shows promising results in automated parasite detection and quantification. It achieves a high level of accuracy in parasite species identification, but improvement is needed in sensitivity for low parasite density and parasite density estimation.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Veronique Suttels, Mathias Van Singer, Lauren Catherine Clack, Catherine Pluess-Suard, Anne Niquille, Yolanda Mueller, Noemie Boillat Blanco
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is driven by inappropriate antibiotic use, particularly in primary care settings. However, antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities are not well developed in primary care and factors influencing their implementation are poorly understood. This review aims to summarize the literature on the nature and impact of AMS interventions in primary care and the factors influencing their implementation. The study found a lack of information on the factors supporting or hindering the implementation of AMS in primary care settings.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jose Knuesli, Loic Lhopitallier, Andreas Kronenberg, Jean-Yves Meuwly, Onya Opota, Marc-Antoine Perrenoud, Marie-Anne Page, Kevin C. Kain, Aline Mamin, Valerie D'Acremont, Nicolas Senn, Yolanda Mueller, Isabella Locatelli, Noemie Boillat-Blanco
Summary: In a clinical trial in Switzerland, one-third of patients with low procalcitonin level received antibiotics, which was associated with the socio-demographic characteristics of the physicians. This highlights the importance of continuous medical education and communication training for successful implementation of procalcitonin point-of-care tests for antibiotic stewardship.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mona Savoy, Benoit Kopp, Aziz Chaouch, Christine Cohidon, Alexandre Gouveia, Patrick Lombardo, Muriel Maeder, Sylvie Payot, Jean Perdrix, Jolle Schwarz, Nicolas Senn, Yolanda Mueller
Summary: This study assessed the diagnostic performance of patient symptoms and the clinical course of RT-PCR-positive and RT-PCR-negative patients in primary care. The most sensitive symptoms were cough, myalgia, and a history of fever, while the most specific symptoms were fever for >= 4 days, hypo/anosmia, and hypo/ageusia. Almost half of the SARS-CoV-2-positive patients still reported symptoms at least 28 days after the initial consultation.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Muriel Maeder, Diane Auderset, Bernard Borel, Eric Masserey, Joelle Schwarz, Yolanda Mueller
Summary: The COVID-FM project in Vaud, Switzerland aimed to monitor COVID-related activity in family medicine practices during 2021. Through online data collection and surveillance, valuable information was obtained to guide public health action.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Iza Lehmann, Arnaud Peytremann, Yolanda Mueller
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in adherence to infection prevention and control measures in private practices, including improved mask wearing and hand hygiene, as well as better management of symptomatic patients and enhanced ventilation and cleaning.
SWISS MEDICAL WEEKLY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Gabriel Alcoba, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, Isabelle Bolon, Carlos Ochoa, Sara Babo Martins, Manish Subedi, Bhupendra Shah, Anup Ghimire, Etienne Gignoux, Francisco Luquero, Rafael Ruiz de Castaneda, Nicolas Ray, Francois Chappuis
Summary: This study provides the first epidemiological estimates of snakebite envenoming in humans and domestic animals across Nepal's Terai lowlands. It calls for a strengthening of preventive measures and better access to life-saving treatments.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2022)