Background
Neonatal sepsis remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The ability to quickly and accurately diagnose neonatal sepsis based on clinical assessments and laboratory blood tests remains difficult, where haemoculture is the gold standard for detecting bacterial sepsis in blood culture. It is also very difficult to study because neonatal samples are lacking.
Methods
Forty-eight newborns suspected of sepsis admitted to the Neonatology Department of the Mother-Child Specialized Hospital of Tlemcen. From each newborn, a minimum of 1–2 ml of blood was drawn by standard sterile procedures for blood culture. The miRNA-23b level in haemoculture was evaluated by RT-qPCR.
Results
miR-23b levels increased in premature and full-term newborns in early onset sepsis (p < 0.001 and p < 0.005 respectively), but lowered in late onset sepsis in full-term neonates (p < 0.05) compared to the respective negative controls. miR-23b levels also increased in late sepsis in the negative versus early sepsis negative controls (p < 0.05). miR-23b levels significantly lowered in the newborns who died from both sepsis types (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05 respectively). In early sepsis, miR-23b and death strongly and negatively correlated (correlation coefficient = − 0.96, p = 0.0019). In late sepsis, miRNA-23b and number of survivors (correlation coefficient = 0.70, p = 0.506) positively correlated.
Conclusions
Lowering miR-23b levels is an important factor that favours sepsis development, which would confirm their vital protective role, and strongly suggest that they act as a good marker in molecular diagnosis and patient monitoring.
Background
Currently, Candida auris is among the most serious emerging pathogens that can be associated with nosocomial infections and outbreaks in intensive care units. Clinicians must be able to identify and manage it quickly.
Objective
Here, we report for the first time in Algeria seven cases of C. auris infection or colonisation.
Methods and Results
The strains were isolated from clinical sites including bronchial aspirates (n = 4), wound swabs (n = 1), urine sample (n = 1) and peritoneal fluid (n = 1), in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Candida auris was identified both by MALDI‐TOF and by sequencing the ITS region and the D1/D2 domain. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using the E‐test method. Non‐wildtype susceptibility was observed for five strains against fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole and caspofungin. Genotyping showed the presence of four clades (I–IV) in one hospital.
Conclusions
Appropriate antifungal treatments with rapid and accurate microbial identification are the cornerstone for the management and control of C. auris infections.
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