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Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic reliability and practicability of self-collected oropharyngeal swab samples for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection as self-sampling could enable broader testing availability and reduce both personal protective equipment and potential exposure. Methods Hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected patients were asked to collect two oropharyngeal swabs (SC-OPS1/2), and an additional oropharyngeal swab was collected by a health care professional (HCP-OPS). SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing for samples from 58 participants was performed, with a 48-h delay in half of the self-collected samples (SC-OPS2). The sensitivity, probability of concordance, and interrater reliability were calculated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess predictive factors. Practicability was evaluated through a questionnaire. Results The test sensitivity for HCP-OPS, SC-OPS1, and SC-OPS2 was 88%, 78%, and 77%, respectively. Combining both SC-OPS results increased the estimated sensitivity to 88%. The concordance probability between HCP-OPS and SC-OPS1 was 77.6% and 82.5% between SC-OPS1 and SC-OPS2, respectively. Of the participants, 69% affirmed performing future self-sampling at home, and 34% preferred self-sampling over HCP-guided testing. Participants with both positive HCP-OPS1 and SC-OPS1 indicating no challenges during self-sampling had more differences in viral load levels between HCP-OPS1 and SC-OPS1 than those who indicated challenges. Increasing disease duration and the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgG correlated with negative test results in self-collected samples of previously confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals. Conclusion Oropharyngeal self-sampling is an applicable testing approach for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. Self-sampling tends to be more effective in early versus late infection and symptom onset, and the collection of two distinct samples is recommended to maintain high test sensitivity.

Abstract. Despite major contributions to the current molecular understanding of autophagy, a recycling process for intracellular components to maintain homeostatic balance, relatively little is known about the interacting networks. To address this issue, the current study investigated the role of autophagy in primary and established glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells and its interplay with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the standard chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (TMZ). TMZ treatment leads to an upregulation of autophagy, predominantly in primary GBM cells. The interaction between EGFR and Beclin-1, an important protein in initiating autophagy, was assessed using a cancer cell line transfected with EGFR vIII , and by stimulation with EGF. The results of the current study suggest that Beclin-1 and EGFR do not interact directly in either primary or established GBM cells. To enable the limited efficacy of patient treatment strategies of GBM to potentially be enhanced through the application of autophagy regulators, the multiple cellular interactions of autophagy require further elucidation.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for rapid serological tests that allow multiplexing emerged, as antibody seropositivity can instruct about individual immunity after an infection with SARS-CoV-2 or after vaccination. As many commercial antibody tests are either time-consuming or tend to produce false negative or false positive results when only one antigen is considered, we developed an automated, flow-based chemiluminescence microarray immunoassay (CL-MIA) that allows for the detection of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), spike protein (S1 fragment), and nucleocapsid protein (N) in human serum and plasma in less than 8 min. The CoVRapid CL-MIA was tested with a set of 65 SARS-CoV-2 serology positive or negative samples, resulting in 100% diagnostic specificity and 100% diagnostic sensitivity, thus even outcompeting commercial tests run on the same sample set. Additionally, the prospect of future quantitative assessments (i.e., quantifying the level of antibodies) was demonstrated. Due to the fully automated process, the test can easily be operated in hospitals, medical practices, or vaccination centers, offering a valuable tool for COVID-19 serosurveillance.

Prosthetic joint infections are a devastating complication of joint replacement surgery. Consequently, novel therapeutics are needed to thwart the significant morbidity and enormous financial ramifications that are associated with conventional treatments. One such promising adjuvant therapeutic is bacteriophage therapy given its antibiofilm activity and its ability to self-replicate. Herein we discuss the case of a 70-year-old female who had a recalcitrant MRSA prosthetic knee and femoral lateral plate infection who was successfully treated with adjuvant bacteriophage therapy. Moreover, this case discusses the importance of propagating bacteriophage therapeutics on bacteria that are devoid of toxins and the need to ensure bacteriophage activity to all bacterial morphologies. Overall, this case reinforces the potential benefit of using personalized bacteriophage therapy for recalcitrant prosthetic joint infections, but more translational research is needed to thereby devise effective, reproducible clinical trials.

Introduction The major stress-inducible heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is induced after different stress stimuli. In tumors, elevated intracellular Hsp70 levels were associated on the one hand with radio- and chemotherapy resistance and on the other hand with a favorable outcome for patients. This study was undertaken to investigate cytosolic Hsp70 (cHsp70) as a potential biomarker for progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with primary glioblastomas (GBM). Methods The cHsp70 expression in tumor tissue of 60 patients diagnosed with primary GBM was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The cHsp70 expression was correlated to the PFS and OS of the patients. Results A high cHsp70 expression was associated with a prolonged PFS (hazard ratio = 0.374, p = 0.001) and OS (hazard ratio = 0.416, p = 0.014) in GBM patients treated according to the standard Stupp protocol with surgery, radiotherapy and temozolomide. Conclusions These data suggest that the intracellular Hsp70 expression might serve as a prognostic marker in patients with primary GBM.

Background and AimIn contrast to the first peak of multi‐organ failure in acute pancreatitis, the second peak is mostly triggered by septic complications. Our aim was to analyze the spectrum of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance development in relation to the time‐course of the disease and its clinical outcome.MethodsOne hundred twenty‐two patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis undergoing pancreas puncture at two tertiary academic medical centers in Germany were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsAt species level, there was a change in spectrum from Enterococcus faecalis (∆d150 − d1 = 14.6% − 16.7% = −2.1%) to Enterococcus faecium (∆d150 − d1 = 93.1% − 16.3% = 76.8%) (P < 0.001) and from Candida albicans (∆d150 − d1 = 39.7% − 23.6% = 16.1%) to non‐albicans Candida spp. (∆d150 − d1 = 43.5% − 6.4% = 37.1%) (P = 0.005). Time‐to‐event analysis of acquired antimicrobial resistance showed that the overall number of patients with Enterobacteriaceae presented an antimicrobial susceptibility decrease by 59.7% (∆d1 − d100 = 87.0% − 27.3% = 59.7%). The cumulative incidence of multi‐resistant bacteria increased with length of hospital stay (∆d150 − d1 = 49.1% − 3.1% = 46.0%) (P = 0.004). Multivariable logistic regression analysis in relation to the pathogen spectrum and antimicrobial resistance development showed a significantly higher mortality for non‐albicans Candida spp. (P = 0.039, odds ratio [OR] = 3.32 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–10.35]), E. faecium (P = 0.009, OR = 3.73 [95% CI: 1.38–10.05]), and multi‐resistant bacteria (P = 0.007, OR = 5.08 [95% CI: 1.55–16.66]).ConclusionsAntimicrobial treatment of infected pancreatic necrosis becomes more challenging over time, owing to a change in spectrum favoring difficult‐to‐treat pathogens and an increase in multi‐resistant bacteria associated with worse clinical outcomes (World Health Organization trial registration number: DRKS00014785).