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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Research on Relevant Clinical Infections
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Research on Relevant Clinical Infections

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 10412

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ludwig Knabl

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Tyrolpath Obrist Brunhuber GmbH, Zams, Austria to VerticalMed Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: immunology; longevity research; virology; infectious diseases; innate and adaptive immune response
Prof. Dr. Johannes Haybaeck

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Diagnostic & Research Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
2. Tyrolpath Obrist Brunhuber GmbH, Zams, Austria
Interests: tumor biology; molecular pathology and oncology; translation initiation factors; protein aggregation diseases; hematopathology
Dr. Silke Huber

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: bacterial infections; bloodstream infections; molecular diagnostics; antimicrobial resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; infectious diseases; immunology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microbial infections have emerged to cause diseases that can be devastating and sometimes fatal to the host. The four main groups of causative pathogens are viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Polymicrobial infections caused by combinations of pathogens are a special case and are becoming more popular. In particular, polymicrobial infections in immunocompromised or very elderly populations continue to pose a serious health threat. However, many infectious diseases are caused by bacterial infections which caused very high mortality rates before antibiotics were discovered. Nowadays, the rapid global spread of pathogens that have acquired new antimicrobial resistance mechanisms is a major global health threat, causing difficult-to-treat infections and are therefore of particular interest to researchers in the clinical setting. Besides tremendous infection-induced mortality rates, especially in children, these diseases often cause severe economic burdens due to prolonged hospital stays, hygiene measurements, and sequels. As a result, there is a significant need to study clinical microbial infections and discover novel tools for their diagnosis and treatment.

This Special Issue aims to present resent findings on various aspect of relevant clinical microbial infections. The main focus points include:

  • Epidemiology and clinical features of microbial infections;
  • Infections in special populations / nosocomial infections;
  • Molecular insights into the pathomechanisms of specific infections;
  • Challenges and advances in the treatment of microbial infections;
  • Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in microbial infections.

Reviews (metanalysis), original research papers, and communications are welcome.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Ludwig Knabl
Prof. Dr. Johannes Haybaeck
Dr. Silke Huber
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infectious disease
  • microbial infections
  • clinical relevance
  • rapid diagnosis
  • advanced therapy

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1465 KiB  
Article
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Microbial Profiles and Clinical Outcomes in Orbital and Preseptal Cellulitis
by Yu-Ting Tsao, Yueh-Ju Tsai, Chau-Yin Chen, Yen-Chang Chu, Yun-Shan Tsai and Yi-Lin Liao
Microorganisms 2024, 12(11), 2262; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12112262 - 8 Nov 2024
Viewed by 547
Abstract
Orbital cellulitis and severe preseptal cellulitis are critical periocular infections with potential vision- and life-threatening implications. The COVID-19 pandemic is hypothesized to have had an influence on their presentation and pathogenesis; however, the real impact remains unclear. In this retrospective multicenter cohort study [...] Read more.
Orbital cellulitis and severe preseptal cellulitis are critical periocular infections with potential vision- and life-threatening implications. The COVID-19 pandemic is hypothesized to have had an influence on their presentation and pathogenesis; however, the real impact remains unclear. In this retrospective multicenter cohort study from January 2017 to December 2022, we analyzed 1285 cases with preseptal or orbital cellulitis in pre-pandemic (2017–2019) and pandemic (2020–2022) cohorts. A notable decrease in hospitalized cases during the pandemic period was observed (97 patients in the pre-pandemic group vs. 54 in the pandemic group, p = 0.004), particularly among individuals aged 30–39 (p = 0.028). Sinusitis remained the leading cause, but odontogenic cases increased (p = 0.025). In addition, microbial diversity decreased during the pandemic, with the effective number of species decreasing from 17.07 to 8.87, accompanied by a rise in antibiotic resistance, notably against erythromycin, oxacillin, penicillin, and metronidazole. While visual outcomes appeared worse in the pandemic group, statistical significance was not reached. These findings suggest that the characteristics, etiology, microbial profiles, resistance patterns, and visual outcomes of orbital and preseptal cellulitis have undergone alterations post-COVID-19 pandemic. Vigilance in clinical management and public health measures is crucial, with further research needed to optimize treatment strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Relevant Clinical Infections)
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15 pages, 2374 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Low HBV-DNA Viral Load on Recurrence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Who Underwent Primary Locoregional Treatment and the Development of a Nomogram Prediction Model
by Yiqi Xiong, Ziling Wang, Jiajun Liu, Kang Li and Yonghong Zhang
Microorganisms 2024, 12(5), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12050976 - 13 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1151
Abstract
(1) Background: HBV-DNA is an essential clinical indicator of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis. Our study aimed to investigate the prognostic implication of a low load of HBV-DNA in HCC patients who underwent local treatment. Additionally, we developed and validated a nomogram to [...] Read more.
(1) Background: HBV-DNA is an essential clinical indicator of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis. Our study aimed to investigate the prognostic implication of a low load of HBV-DNA in HCC patients who underwent local treatment. Additionally, we developed and validated a nomogram to predict the recurrence of patients with low (20–100 IU/mL) viral loads (L-VL). (2) Methods: A total of 475 HBV-HCC patients were enrolled, including 403 L-VL patients and 72 patients with very low (<20 IU/mL) viral loads (VL-VL). L-VL HCC patients were randomly divided into a training set (N = 282) and a validation set (N = 121) at a ratio of 7:3. Utilizing the Lasso–Cox regression analysis, we identified independent risk factors for constructing a nomogram. (3) Results: L-VL patients had significantly shorter RFS than VL-VL patients (38.2 m vs. 23.4 m, p = 0.024). The content of the nomogram included gender, BCLC stage, Glob, and MLR. The C-index (0.682 vs. 0.609); 1-, 3-, and 5-year AUCs (0.729, 0.784, and 0.783, vs. 0.631, 0.634, the 0.665); calibration curves; and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves of the training and validation cohorts proved the excellent predictive performance of the nomogram. There was a statistically significant difference in RFS between the low-, immediate-, and high-risk groups both in the training and validation cohorts (p < 0.001); (4) Conclusions: Patients with L-VL had a worse prognosis. The nomogram developed and validated in this study has the advantage of predicting patients with L-VL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Relevant Clinical Infections)
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12 pages, 3162 KiB  
Communication
Machine Learning to Identify Critical Biomarker Profiles in New SARS-CoV-2 Variants
by Christoph Schatz, Ludwig Knabl, Hye Kyung Lee, Rita Seeboeck, Dorothee von Laer, Eliott Lafon, Wegene Borena, Harald Mangge, Florian Prüller, Adelina Qerimi, Doris Wilflingseder, Wilfried Posch and Johannes Haybaeck
Microorganisms 2024, 12(4), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12040798 - 15 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1246
Abstract
The global dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in the emergence of several variants, including Alpha, Alpha + E484K, Beta, and Omicron. Our research integrated the study of eukaryotic translation factors and fundamental components in general protein synthesis with the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants and [...] Read more.
The global dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in the emergence of several variants, including Alpha, Alpha + E484K, Beta, and Omicron. Our research integrated the study of eukaryotic translation factors and fundamental components in general protein synthesis with the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccination status. Utilizing statistical methods, we successfully differentiated between variants in infected individuals and, to a lesser extent, between vaccinated and non-vaccinated infected individuals, relying on the expression profiles of translation factors. Additionally, our investigation identified common causal relationships among the translation factors, shedding light on the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 variants and the host’s translation machinery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Relevant Clinical Infections)
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20 pages, 6338 KiB  
Article
Immune Characteristic Genes and Neutrophil Immune Transformation Studies in Severe COVID-19
by Zhaoming Zhou, Xin Zeng, Jing Liao, Xinfeng Dong, Yinyun Deng, Yinghui Wang and Meijuan Zhou
Microorganisms 2024, 12(4), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12040737 - 4 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1710
Abstract
As a disease causing a global pandemic, the progression of symptoms to severe disease in patients with COVID-19 often has adverse outcomes, but research on the immunopathology of COVID-19 severe disease remains limited. In this study, we used mRNA-seq data from the peripheral [...] Read more.
As a disease causing a global pandemic, the progression of symptoms to severe disease in patients with COVID-19 often has adverse outcomes, but research on the immunopathology of COVID-19 severe disease remains limited. In this study, we used mRNA-seq data from the peripheral blood of COVID-19 patients to identify six COVID-19 severe immune characteristic genes (FPR1, FCGR2A, TLR4, S100A12, CXCL1, and L TF), and found neutrophils to be the critical immune cells in COVID-19 severe disease. Subsequently, using scRNA-seq data from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from COVID-19 patients, neutrophil subtypes highly expressing the S100A family were found to be located at the end of cellular differentiation and tended to release neutrophil extracellular traps. Finally, it was also found that alveolar macrophages, macrophages, and monocytes with a high expression of COVID-19 severe disease immune characteristic genes may influence neutrophils through intercellular ligand–receptor pairs to promote neutrophil extracellular trap release. This study provides immune characteristic genes, critical immune pathways, and immune cells in COVID-19 severe disease, explores intracellular immune transitions of critical immune cells and pit-induced intercellular communication of immune transitions, and provides new biomarkers and potential drug targets for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 severe disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Relevant Clinical Infections)
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11 pages, 3608 KiB  
Article
L-Ascorbic Acid Restricts Vibrio cholerae Survival in Various Growth Conditions
by Himanshu Sen, Manpreet Kaur and Saumya Ray Chaudhuri
Microorganisms 2024, 12(3), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12030492 - 29 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1686
Abstract
Cholera, a deadly diarrheal disease, continues to ravage various parts of the world. It is caused by Vibrio cholerae, an important member of the gamma-proteobacteria. Based on certain genetic and phenotypic tests, the organism is classified into two major biotypes, namely classical [...] Read more.
Cholera, a deadly diarrheal disease, continues to ravage various parts of the world. It is caused by Vibrio cholerae, an important member of the gamma-proteobacteria. Based on certain genetic and phenotypic tests, the organism is classified into two major biotypes, namely classical and El Tor. The El Tor and its variants are majorly responsible for the ongoing seventh pandemic across the globe. Previously, we have shown that cross-feeding of glucose metabolic acidic by-products of gut commensals can severely affect the viability of the biotypes. In this work, we examined the effect of L-ascorbic acid on the survival of Vibrio cholerae strains belonging to both biotypes and different serotypes. We observed that L-ascorbic acid effectively restricts the growth of all strains under various conditions including strains adapted to acid stress. In addition, L-ascorbic acid is also effective in decreasing bile-induced biofilms of Vibrio cholerae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Relevant Clinical Infections)
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Review

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18 pages, 1063 KiB  
Review
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans: From the Oral Cavity to the Heart Valves
by Jasminka Talapko, Martina Juzbašić, Tomislav Meštrović, Tatjana Matijević, Dora Mesarić, Darko Katalinić, Suzana Erić, Andrea Milostić-Srb, Josipa Flam and Ivana Škrlec
Microorganisms 2024, 12(7), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12071451 - 17 Jul 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2053
Abstract
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetecomitans) is a Gram-negative bacterial species that is an essential component of the oral microbiota. Due to its aggregative properties, it plays a role in the pathogenesis of human diseases. The presence of the surface proteins Fim, Briae, [...] Read more.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetecomitans) is a Gram-negative bacterial species that is an essential component of the oral microbiota. Due to its aggregative properties, it plays a role in the pathogenesis of human diseases. The presence of the surface proteins Fim, Briae, and microvesicles enables the bacterium to adhere to the epithelial surface and the tooth’s surface. The presence of leukotoxin A (LtxA), which plays an important role in the pathogenicity of the bacterium, has been associated with both periodontitis and the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A. actinomycetecomitans is also associated with several other systemic diseases and complications, such as endocarditis and different abscesses. In addition to leukotoxin A, A. actinomycetecomitans possesses several different virulence factors, including bacteriocins, chemotaxis inhibitory factors, cytotoxic factors, Fc-binding proteins, immunosuppressive factors, lipopolysaccharide collagenase, fibroblast inhibitory factors, antibiotic resistance determinants, adhesins, invasive factors and factors that inhibit the function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The ability of A. actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide to induce macrophages to secrete the interleukins IL-1, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is of considerable importance. The primary etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease is the oral biofilm colonized by anaerobic bacteria. Among these, A. actinomycetemcomitans occupies an important place as a facultative anaerobic bacterium. In addition, A. actinomycetemcomitans possesses many virulence factors that contribute to its potential to cause cancer. This article provides an overview of the virulence factors of A. actinomycetecomitans and its association with various systemic diseases, its oncogenic potential, and the treatment options for infections caused by A. actinomycetecomitans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Relevant Clinical Infections)
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