Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) libraries have limited capabilities for identification of …

Bacterial anti-phage defense systems are central to microbiology and have applications in biotechnology and medicine. Phage collections are key tools for uncovering and studying these systems. By isol...

Marín-Arraiza and colleagues report the cryo-EM structures of an extracellular contractile injection system from Photorhabdus luminescens in extended and contracted states, providing structural insigh...

Objectives Despite regularly being found in blood cultures, there are few studies of bloodstream infection (BSI) with Citrobacter. In this population-based study, the aim was to explore patient charac...

Human-bacterial interactions play a crucial role in several essential aspects of life. Here, we describe how a secreted protein from the skin commensa…

VAD is a Viral AlphaFold Database of protein monomers and homodimers from viruses infecting hosts across the tree of life.

Staphylococcus aureus remains one of the most elusive targets in bacterial vaccinology, primarily due to its complex immune evasion strategies and the phenomenon of immune imprinting. Despite decades ...

Background. Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are two pathogens that cause persistent airway infections in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). The persistence of P. aeruginosa i...

Background Patients presenting with an acutely painful swollen joint represent a diagnostic challenge. We aimed to develop a clinical prediction model for septic arthritis (SA) in the adult native kne...

We describe the genetic characteristics of a fusidic acid- and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone widespread in Europe, based on whole genome sequences from 317 isolates. The clone is causing impetigo and other skin and soft tissue infections, primarily in young children. Comparison with publicly available S. aureus ST121 sequences showed that the clone is clearly distinct from previously described ST121 clones. European and other international readers should be aware of the emergence of this community-acquired MRSA clone.

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Position Permanent position as Senior Lecturer in Virology based at the Department of Translational Medicine or Department of Laboratory Medicine. The departmental affiliation will be decided at the t

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant health threat for adults. Although conjugate vaccines have reduced pneumococcal CAP incidence in children, Streptococcus pneumoniae-related CAP rema...

Sputum cultures can guide antibiotic therapy, particularly in severe pneumonia or when resistant pathogens are suspected. However, data on how prior a…

Non-β-hemolytic streptococci (NBHS) cause blood stream infections (BSI) which can be complicated by infective endocarditis (IE). To stratify the risk for IE in NBHS BSI and to guide the use of echo...

Short time to positivity (TTP) has been proposed as a prognostic indicator in bloodstream infection (BSI) but results have been conflicting. The aim of this study was to explore the association betwee...

BackgroundVentilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common intensive care unit-acquired infection, yet its diagnosis is complicated by the lack of reliable diagnostic criteria and validated biomarkers. Due to the compartmentalisation of the immune response, host proteins in respiratory tract samples are more likely than serum proteins to accurately identify VAP. However, a reliable biomarker is still missing and it is generally agreed that >90% sensitivity and specificity are required for the introduction of a VAP biomarker into clinical routine.MethodsA structured database search was performed to identify publications aimed at deriving or verifying human respiratory tract VAP biomarkers. The results were screened by two independent reviewers and summarised using statistical and narrative synthesis.Results40 articles were identified, focusing on 29 unique biomarkers with clinical and microbiological diagnoses of VAP as the reference standard. The most frequently studied biomarker was soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell 1 (sTREM-1) (n=16), followed by various interleukins (n=7), neutrophil-related proteins (n=8) and amylase as a surrogate for microaspiration (n=4). The target accuracy of >90% specificity and sensitivity for VAP was reported in four publications on sTREM-1, one on pentraxin-3 (PTX3) and one on heparin-binding protein (HBP). Meta-analysis of sTREM-1 resulted in a sensitivity of 78% (95% CI 61–89%) and specificity of 76% (95% CI 49–91%).DiscussionThis systematic review found that no biomarker can currently be recommended for clinical use due to performance below 90% specificity or sensitivity, or insufficient data (PTX3 and HBP). Accurate clinical phenotyping into VAP subcategories may enable the discovery of VAP biomarkers with higher accuracy.

These infections occur predominantly in elderly men with urinary tract disorders and are associated with urologic and neurologic conditions.