Eleftheria Kampouri, Gemma Reynolds, Benjamin W Teh, Joshua A Hill
{"title":"Chimeric antigen receptor-T-cell therapies going viral: latent and incidental viral infections.","authors":"Eleftheria Kampouri, Gemma Reynolds, Benjamin W Teh, Joshua A Hill","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001066","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Infections are the leading cause of non-relapse mortality following chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy, with viral infections being frequent both in the early and late phases post-infusion. We review the epidemiology of viral infections and discuss critical approaches to prevention and management strategies in this setting.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Herpesviruses dominate the early period. herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus infections are rare due to widespread antiviral prophylaxis, but cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is increasingly observed, particularly in high-risk groups including B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-CAR-T-cell therapy recipients and patients receiving corticosteroids. While CMV end-organ disease is rare, CMV is associated with increased mortality, emphasizing the need to evaluate the broader impact of CMV on long-term hematological, infection, and survival outcomes. Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) has also emerged as a concern, with its diagnosis complicated by overlapping symptoms with neurotoxicity, underscoring the importance of considering viral encephalitis in differential diagnoses. Respiratory viruses are the most common late infections with a higher incidence after BCMA CAR-T-cell therapy. Vaccination remains a critical preventive measure against respiratory viruses but may be less immunogenic following CAR-T-cell therapy. The optimal timing, type of vaccine, and dosing schedule require further investigation.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>A better understanding of viral epidemiology and preventive trials are needed to improve infection prevention practices and outcomes following CAR-T-cell therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"526-535"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142364753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"When antimicrobial stewardship begins with microbiological test requests: the case of asymptomatic bacteriuria.","authors":"Hannah Imlay, Alistair Thorpe, Valerie M Vaughn","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001057","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>We aim to review the rationale, methods, and experiences with diagnostic stewardship targeted at urinary tract infection (UTI) and related urinary syndromes.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>In the last 18 months, several articles have demonstrated the impact of diagnostic stewardship interventions at limiting inappropriate diagnosis of UTIs or inappropriate antibiotic-prescribing, targeting the urinary tract. Antimicrobial stewardship programs may create and implement interventions at the point of urine test ordering, urine test resulting, or at the point of prescribing antibiotics after results have returned. Specific design and implementation of stewardship interventions depends on context. To maximize their impact, interventions should be accompanied by education and garner buy-in from providers.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Diagnostic stewardship can decrease unnecessary antibiotics and inappropriate diagnosis of UTI with multifaceted interventions most likely to be effective. Remaining questions include how to reduce ASB treatment in new populations, such as those with immune compromise, and persistent unknowns regarding UTI diagnosis and diagnostics.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"565-572"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141893073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Not all carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains are alike: tailoring antibiotic therapy based on resistance mechanisms.","authors":"Marco Falcone, Valentina Galfo, Giusy Tiseo","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001044","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001044","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>To correlate the resistance mechanisms and the susceptibility to new antibiotics in Pseudomonas aeruginosa .</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Definition of antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is still debated. Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) and difficult-to-treat resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (DTR-PA) are used but which of them better correlate with the risk of mortality remains debated. Mechanisms underlying resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa are complex and may be combined, resulting in unpredictable phenotype and cross-resistance. Thus, not all CRPA are alike and tailoring antibiotic therapy on resistance mechanisms is challenging.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Current guidelines recommend the use of new antipseudomonal agents for CRPA or DTR-PA infections but they don't provide specific information on how tailoring antibiotic therapy on underlying resistance mechanisms. This review may be useful to understand which mechanisms are involved in CRPA and may have practical implications helping clinicians to select an appropriate antibiotic regimen. Several antibiotics are now available for Pseudomonas aeruginosa but their rational use is important to avoid development of future resistance. The knowledge of local epidemiology and most common resistance mechanisms may guide empirical therapy, but targeted antibiotic therapy should be re-evaluated as soon as susceptibility testing profile is available and selected according to Pseudomonas aeruginosa phenotype.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"594-601"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11556876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141987610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Therapeutic agents for the treatment of human mpox.","authors":"Maxwell Braddick, Kasha Priya Singh","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001069","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001069","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The aim of this study was to summarize the current knowledge of therapeutic options for mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in the context of recent outbreaks and the ongoing evolution of the virus.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Multiple therapeutic agents, including tecovirimat, cidofovir, brincidofovir, and vaccinia immune globulin, have been used during the multicountry outbreak of mpox caused by Clade 2b monkeypox virus that began in 2022. Tecovirimat has been most extensively used, based on efficacy against mpox lethal challenge in animal models, and human safety data. Real-world observational evidence has further supported safety with minimal adverse events in large cohorts and mixed reports of reductions in time to lesion resolution. Several prospective randomized controlled trials using tecovirimat are underway with headline results from a study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo showing no difference in lesion resolution compared to placebo. Other studies including in outpatient settings are underway in Europe and the Americas. Cidofovir and brincidofovir, limited by adverse event profiles, have been less extensively studied. Vaccinia immune globulin has been used predominantly in salvage therapy for severe mpox, with no large observational series available.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>The 2022 multicountry outbreak of mpox marked a public health emergency. Agents approved for smallpox management were widely used for mpox, supported by animal and in-vitro evidence, and human safety data. The large number of human cases has allowed retrospective observational study of these agents and facilitated recruitment in prospective trials. The ongoing evolution of the virus may pose challenges for therapeutic interventions, necessitating rigorous randomized controlled trials to guide clinical use.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"518-525"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142388758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Preethi Chandrasekaran, Han-Shin Lee, Lisa Hui, Mark R Schleiss, Valerie Sung
{"title":"Prenatal and postnatal antiviral therapies for the prevention and treatment of congenital cytomegalovirus infections.","authors":"Preethi Chandrasekaran, Han-Shin Lee, Lisa Hui, Mark R Schleiss, Valerie Sung","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001067","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001067","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) is the leading infectious cause of sensorineural hearing loss and lifelong neurodevelopmental disabilities. Studies suggest antiviral therapy can prevent fetal infection after maternal primary infection, as well as halt the progression of hearing loss and neurodevelopmental disabilities in newborns with symptomatic cCMV. With growing worldwide momentum on early detection and diagnosis of cCMV, this review describes the exciting recent advances in antiviral therapies in CMV infected pregnant mothers and babies, as well as emerging evidence on anti-CMV vaccines.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>New opportunities for prenatal and neonatal interventions have driven a rising interest in screening and identification of asymptomatic CMV infection. Routine screening of pregnant women to identify primary infection in first trimester is now advocated in Western Europe but has yet to be examined from a public health perspective in other regions. Evidence is emerging for maternal valaciclovir therapy to prevent fetal infection after a maternal primary CMV infection in the first trimester of pregnancy. For those infants who are born with symptomatic cCMV, a 6-month course of valganciclovir, started within the first 4 weeks of life, and possibly up to 13 weeks of life, is the current recommended therapy. However, there is unclear evidence for the benefit of treatment for asymptomatic cCMV and cCMV with isolated hearing loss. Research to identify more effective antivirals and an effective CMV vaccine continues.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>More research is needed to determine the region-specific applicability of the new European recommendations for routine CMV screening in pregnancy. Areas of uncertainty in postnatal management include timing of initiation, duration of treatment and identifying pediatric subgroups that benefit from modification of the standard treatment recommendations.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"494-505"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142460018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Antiviral combination treatment strategies for SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised patients.","authors":"Chiara Sepulcri, Claudia Bartalucci, Malgorzata Mikulska","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001070","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The purpose of this review is to report the available evidence regarding the use of combination regimens of antivirals and/or antibody-based therapy in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in immunocompromised patients.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Literature search identified 24 articles, excluding single case reports, which included mainly patients with hematological malignancies and/or B-cell depletion. Data were divided based on the timing and reason for administration of combination treatment, that is, early treatment to prevent progression to severe COVID-19 and treatment of prolonged or relapsed infection. We described the treated populations, treatment duration and composition of combination treatment. We briefly addressed new treatment options and we proposed an algorithm for the management of COVID-19 infection in patients affected by hematological malignancies.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Combination treatment seems an effective (73-100%) and well tolerated (<5% reported bradycardia, hepatotoxicity, neutropenia) strategy for treating prolonged/relapsed SARS-CoV-2 infections in the immunocompromised host, although its optimal composition and duration cannot be defined based on the currently available evidence. The role of combination treatment as an early treatment strategy for immunocompromised patients at a high risk of progression to severe disease/persistent shedding requires further evidence from comparison with monotherapy, even though high efficacy was reported for combinations of antivirals plus mAbs in case of previous viral variants.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"506-517"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142496667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effective strategies for managing trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and levofloxacin-resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections: bridging the gap between scientific evidence and clinical practice.","authors":"David Mokrani, Charles-Edouard Luyt","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001039","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>To discuss the therapeutic options available for the management of difficult-to-treat strains of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ( Sma ), namely those resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and fluoroquinolones.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Recent pharmacological studies have highlighted the fact that current breakpoints for first-line antibiotics against Sma are too high. In light of these data, it is likely that the prevalence of difficult-to-treat (DTR) Sma is underestimated worldwide. Two promising alternatives for treating DTR strains are cefiderocol and the combination of aztreonam and an L2 inhibitor. However, clinical trials are currently very limited for these antibiotics and no comparative studies have been carried out to date. It is important to note that the clinical efficacy of cefiderocol appears to be inferior to that initially anticipated from in-vitro and animal studies. Consequently, minocycline and ceftazidime may remain viable options if they are used against strains with a low minimum inhibitory concentration. We advise against the use of intravenous polymyxins and tigecycline. Finally, recent literature does not support the systematic use of combination therapy or long-course treatments. In the coming years, phage therapy may become a promising approach against DTR Sma infections.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Overall, clinical comparative studies focused on DTR strains are required in order to provide more accurate and actionable information for therapeutic decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"554-564"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141855069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Violet Z Zhu, Miles B Horton, Gabrielle M Haeusler, Michelle K Yong
{"title":"The emergence of letermovir and maribavir drug-resistant mutations: from clinical trials to real-world studies.","authors":"Violet Z Zhu, Miles B Horton, Gabrielle M Haeusler, Michelle K Yong","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001065","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is associated with severe clinical disease and high morbidity in immunocompromised hosts. Letermovir and maribavir, are two recently developed antiviral drugs used in the prevention and treatment of resistant and refractory CMV. Following the publication of landmark randomized trials and increased use, both clinical trial data and real-world experience has reported the development of antiviral drug resistance. The aim of this review was to comprehensively review the published literature on letermovir and maribavir drug resistance and to describe the clinical scenarios in which they may emerge.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>For letermovir, the most frequently detected resistance mutations occur in the UL56 gene (C325Y/W/F) and confer total resistance. Maribavir resistance mutations most often occur in the UL97 gene and resistance-associated variants (RAVs) T409M, H411Y, C480F have all been detected. The clinical context in which letermovir and maribavir resistance occurs include high viral loads at initiation, intensified immunosuppression, subtherapeutic drug exposure because of poor adherence, drug interactions, and inadequate central nervous system (CNS) penetration. Emergence of resistance mutations generally occurs within the first 3 months of initiation.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>The detection of letermovir and maribavir resistance mutations highlights an ongoing clinical challenge in the management of CMV.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"536-546"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142343296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maddalena Peghin, Elena Graziano, Paolo Antonio Grossi
{"title":"Interpreting and managing preservation fluids positive for Gram-negative bacteria.","authors":"Maddalena Peghin, Elena Graziano, Paolo Antonio Grossi","doi":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001058","DOIUrl":"10.1097/QCO.0000000000001058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Culturing preservation fluids of solid organs before transplantation is not a standardized procedure. In this review, we aim to describe the state-of-the-art of literature evidence in this debated setting with a special focus on Gram-negative bacteria (GNB).</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Contamination of preservation fluids is frequent, but preservation fluids related infections are rare and most commonly caused by high-risk pathogens, including GNB. GNB preservation fluids related infections are characterized by high morbidity and mortality. Recent studies showed improved outcomes in solid organ transplant recipients receiving antibiotic therapy tailored according to preservation fluids cultures especially when multidrug-resistant GNB are found. A robust procurement network is needed to alert recipients' centers in cases of positivity and the support of transplant infectious diseases specialists is essential to choose the best therapy.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Culturing preservation fluids is a further step into preventing donor-derived infections. Interpreting and managing GNB positivity require a multidisciplinary team with specific skills. Standardized randomized trials are needed for insight into the real utility of preservation fluids cultures, the role of preservation fluids positivity, and the impact of antimicrobial therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":10880,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"589-593"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141897032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}