Archive
Reviews
- ReviewMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management
Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) remains among the most morbid bacterial infections, with mortality estimates ranging from 40% to 80%. The proportion of PVE cases due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has grown in recent decades, to account for more than...
- ReviewThe Enterococcus: a Model of Adaptability to Its Environment
The genus Enterococcus comprises a ubiquitous group of Gram-positive bacteria that are of great relevance to human health for their role as major causative agents of health care-associated infections. The enterococci are resilient and versatile species able to survive under harsh conditions, making them well adapted to the health care environment.
- ReviewEscherichia coli Pathobionts Associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Gut bacteria play a key role in initiating and maintaining the inflammatory process in the gut tissues of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, by supplying antigens or other stimulatory factors that trigger immune cell activation. Changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in IBD patients compared to that in healthy controls and a reduced diversity of intestinal microbial species are linked to the pathogenesis of IBD...
- ReviewPhage Therapy in the Postantibiotic Era
Antibiotic resistance is arguably the biggest current threat to global health. An increasing number of infections are becoming harder or almost impossible to treat, carrying high morbidity, mortality, and financial cost.
- ReviewEchinococcosis: Advances in the 21st Century
Echinococcosis is a zoonosis caused by cestodes of the genus Echinococcus (family Taeniidae). This serious and near-cosmopolitan disease continues to be a significant public health issue, with western China being the area of highest endemicity for both the cystic (CE) and alveolar (AE) forms of echinococcosis.
- ReviewFactors That Influence the Immune Response to Vaccination
There is substantial variation between individuals in the immune response to vaccination. In this review, we provide an overview of the plethora of studies that have investigated factors that influence humoral and cellular vaccine responses in humans.
- ReviewTreating Polymicrobial Infections in Chronic Diabetic Wounds
This review provides a comprehensive summary of issues associated with treating polyclonal bacterial biofilms in chronic diabetic wounds. We use this as a foundation and discuss the alternatives to conventional antibiotics and the emerging need for suitable drug delivery systems.
- ReviewCandida parapsilosis: from Genes to the Bedside
Patients with suppressed immunity are at the highest risk for hospital-acquired infections. Among these, invasive candidiasis is the most prevalent systemic fungal nosocomial infection.
- ReviewNDM Metallo-β-Lactamases and Their Bacterial Producers in Health Care Settings
New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) is a metallo-β-lactamase able to hydrolyze almost all β-lactams. Twenty-four NDM variants have been identified in >60 species of 11 bacterial families, and several variants have enhanced carbapenemase activity.