(1) Background: In patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia, especially moderate and severe forms, a cytokine storm may occur, characterized by the worsening of symptoms and the alteration of biological parameters on days 8–12 of the disease. The therapeutic options for cytokine storms are still controversial, requiring further clarification; (2) Methods: Our study included 344 patients with moderate and severe pneumonia admitted to the internal medicine department who developed a cytokine storm (diagnosed by clinical and biochemical criteria). In group A, 149 patients were treated with Remdesivir and Tocilizumab (together with other drugs, including corticosteroids, antibiotics and anticoagulants), and in group B, 195 patients received Remdesivir and Anakinra. Patients were monitored clinically and by laboratory tests, with the main biochemical parameters being CRP (C-reactive protein), LDH (lactic dehydrogenase) and ferritin; (3) Results: Patients were followed up from a clinical point of view and also by the measurement of CRP, LDH and ferritin at the beginning of therapy, on days three to four and on the tenth day. In both groups, we registered a clinical improvement and a decrease in the parameters of the cytokine storm. In group A, with the IL-6 antagonist Tocilizumab, the beneficial effect occurred faster; in group B, with the IL-1 antagonist Anakinra, the beneficial effect was slower. (4) Conclusions: The use of the immunomodulators, Tocilizumab and Anakinra, in the cytokine storm showed favorable effects, both clinical and biochemical.
A major public health threat that affects humans is recognized worldwide as an occurrence of antibiotic resistance regarding bacterial pathogen. Multidrug resistant microorganisms appeared in the hospitals and in the community settings respectively insinuating that the antibiotic-resistant bacteria are present even outside the hospital environment. First stage of bacterial adaptation and the top of evolution is represented by the bacterial response to the drug assault. Then, the survival of the fittest is a consequence of the biochemical and genetically alteration. Therefore, of extreme importance are the innovative methods and devices for therapeutic approaches against antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
Recently, nanotechnology research studies have been proven that use of various nanoparticles as drug delivery systems to target and to annihilate pathogenic microorganisms may be a good solution for prevention and treatment of severe infection. In the last few years, antimicrobial drug encapsulation into nano-sized systems has materialized as a promising alternative that increased drug efficacy and minimized adverse effects. Physicochemical properties of erythromycin-loaded polymer nanoparticles were assessed using particle size distribution, HPLC, FTIR, TG/DTA, and SEM characterization techniques. The as-prepared samples exhibited an average particle size of 340 and 270 nm, respectively, with erythromycin content of 99.7% in both samples. From the release profile of erythromycin from PLA/PLGA, a prolonged drug release can be observed from both Ery-PLA and Ery-PLGA nanostructures. Morphology images exhibited spherical, rigid, and ring-shaped nanoparticles. Thermal analytical study in the case of Ery-PLA and Ery-PLGA samples showed that pure drug has an endothermic peak at around 150 °C assigned to a melting point. The antibiotic melting peak disappeared for both antibiotic-loaded PLA and PLGA nanoparticles thermographs, denoting the presence of erythromycin. This indicates that the antibiotic is uniformly dispensed throughout the host polymer matrix at nanometer scale. FTIR spectra of Ery-PLA and Ery-PLGA nano-architectures with almost similar peaks indicated no alteration in chemical structure of drug-loaded polymer nanoparticles.
Preventing diseases is deemed to be the major goal of our century especially when an excessive fluoride in drinking water can cause dental fluorosis, bone stiffness, rheumatism and skeletal fluorosis. Fluoride uptake from groundwater implies a worldwide multidisciplinary effort in order to develop renewable, cheap, human friendly materials. Among other materials, hydrotalcites could be good candidates for an efficient fluoride removal from water due to their adsorption, anion exchange and reconstruction properties. These nanostructured materials were synthesized using co-precipitation method in controlled conditions. Presence of anions in the interlayer structure and morphological aspects were performed by FTIR and SEM techniques. Thermal treatment of hydrotalcites showed good adsorption capacities for water defluoridation mostly due to their tendency to restore the original structure.
Modern medicine has a vast set of antibiotics frequently prescribed in therapeutic practice. Beta-lactam antibiotics are often indicated in prophylaxis and treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible microorganisms. This work concerned on analysis of antibiotic structure influence on antibiotic resistance knowing that a wide variety of bacteria developed different mechanism that make bacteria resistant to some or to nearly all antibiotics. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is a relevant area of study in medical practice. Furthermore, multi-drug resistance is a worldwide healthcare issue tightly connected to hospital acquired infections.
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