
Clinical Outcomes With Ceftolozane-tazobactam for MDR Pseudomonas Infections
Pseudomonas InfectionsPseudomonas AeruginosaThis study will describe clinical outcomes in patients who received ceftolozane-tazobactam for a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Primary outcomes include 30-day and in-hospital mortality.

The Search for Viral and Bacterial Etiology of Varicocele
VaricoceleViral Infection3 moreThis study is to answer the question is there any relationship between viral ( HSV 1 , HSV 2 , HPV 6/11, CMV, HHV 6 , HHV 8, BKV) or bacterial (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum) infection and occurrence of varicocele in men.

The Value of Infectious Biomarkers for Prediction of Complication After Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery...
Post-operative ComplicationPost operative complication after hepatopancreatobiliary surgery is high as 30-50%,which is the main reason for patient admitted to ICU. Several biomarkers have been shown to be useful in the early diagnosis of sepsis and systemic bacterial infection. The purpose of this study is to assess the predictive value of biomarkers for early complication after hepatopancreatobiliary surgery and assess the effectiveness of anti-infectious therapy.

Study of Human Microbiota in Healthy and Pathological Conditions
Microbial ColonizationThe aim of the present study is to characterize the bacterial composition (microbiota) colonizing to the human body in different physio - pathological conditions (lifestyle, motor activity, surgical operations, probiotic and prebiotic consumption, antibiotic therapies, chemotherapeutic therapies), nervous and musculoskeletal diseases, gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders , oral and vaginal diseases, etc.). In particular, they will be investigate: the changes in the bacterial abundance the potential microbial interactions with the human host the microbial networks describing on the bacterial interactions within a specific composition of the human microbiota

Retrospective Analysis of Ialuril vs. Standard of Care in Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Recurrent Urinary Tract InfectionsThe purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness and costs associated with the intravesical administration of combined hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulphate (CS) compared to the current standard management of recurrent urinary tract infections in adult women diagnosed with recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI).

Novel Biomarkers to Predict Outcome in Clostridium Difficile Infection
Clostridium Difficile InfectionAcquiring diarrhoea in hospital is a serious problem and most frequently occurs when susceptible patients receive antibiotics as part of their (often life-saving) care. The commonest cause is Clostridium difficile - a bacterium that normally lives in up to a third of us but causes no problems. Rates of infection had been falling with increased awareness and improved hygiene but they are starting to creep up again. Clostridium difficile can cause a range of disease from a short-lived mild diarrhoea to severe disease of the bowel with major effects on the whole body and even death. This study aims to identify substances in the stool and in the blood to enable doctors to predict how severe that individual's disease will be. These tests can easily be performed. If they prove accurate in identifying the subsequent severity of the patient's illness due to Clostridium difficile, patients predicted to develop the worst disease can receive the most intensive treatments before they become too unwell to benefit. On the other hand, patients whose disease is predicted by these markers to run its course without causing serious consequences can be spared the side effects and risks of more intensive treatment.

The Role of TLR-4 Polymorphisms in Children With Urinary Track Infections
Urinary Tract InfectionPurpose So far anatomical abnormalities (mostly congenital) were, in the majority of the patients, associated with urinary track infections. In this study the researchers will try to investigate the role of TLRs as molecular interactions between bacterial virulence and host response. TLRs are important mediators in the development of the natural immunity against bacteria. They recognize microbial pathogen associated molecular patterns and alert the host's immune system to the presence of invading microbes

Effects of Dietary Heme/Non-heme Iron and Helicobacter Pylori (Hp) Infection on Maternal Iron-deficiency...
PregnancyHelicobacter Pylori Infection1 moreIron deficiency is considered one of the main nutritional deficiency disorders despite the apparent availability of a high-quality diet even in developed countries, and Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common form of anemia in the world. IDA during pregnancy has been associated with adverse health consequences for both the mother and her developing fetus. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) may be the most common bacterial infection worldwide, infecting almost half of people in developed countries and 80% of people in developing countries. The available data on the prevalence of Hp infection in Taiwan population was 54.4%. We all know that infection with Hp is strongly associated with peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, but recent evidence suggests that Hp is associated with iron deficiency and anemia, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Till now, only few previous studies specifically have addressed a potential role of Hp infection on anemia or iron deficiency during pregnancy. Our previous Research showed, between the Hp infection (+) and Hp infection (-) gravidas, the associations between the Hp infection and iron deficiency were stronger, although not statistically significant. This might be due to that we needed more cases and evidences to prove the relationship between maternal Hp infection and serum iron, ferritin and hemoglobin levels, or we should further consider the interactions of the particular customs or diet preference of the Taiwanese gravidas. This longitudinal study will recruit 140 women from the antenatal care clinics of E-Da Hospital to examine the association between Hp infection and maternal IDA. The standardized interviews of mothers (anthropometric data, socioeconomic status, medical history, obstetric history, alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and history and duration of iron supplementation during pregnancy) will be conducted, Hp infection status will be determined by the urea breath test and IgG enzyme immunoassay, and the measurement of hemoglobin, iron, and ferritin levels will be obtained 5 times at various antepartum and postpartum points of time during pregnancy (routine prenatal visits of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester, puerperium and 2 weeks after delivery). We hope that we could investigate the possible role of Hp infection in iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy in Taiwan, and that early detection and treatment of anemia may reduce the risk of blood transfusion and perinatal and maternal mortality.

The Link Between Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Hypertension
HCMV InfectionHypertensionIt has been reported that mouse cytomegalovirus infection alone can elevate the blood pressure in mice. Since HCMV has uniquely evolved with its human host, with little genetic similarity to the animal CMV counterparts, and it only replicates in human, an epidemiological study is required to define the relevance of HCMV infection and expression of hcmv-miRNA-UL112 to the pathogenesis of essential hypertension. The investigators found that hcmv-miR-UL112, a human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-encoded miRNA, was highly expressed in the hypertensive patients. Among the top miRNA target predictions, the investigators demonstrate that IRF-1 is a direct target gene of hcmv-miR-UL112, along with MICB that has been previously reported. Both IRF-1 and MICB play critical roles in immuno/inflammatory and anti-infection response. Thus, the investigators speculated that IRF-1 and MICB repression by hcmv-miR-UL112 could be considered a unifying mechanism that evades the host response at several levels: antiviral, inflammatory, and immune. In addition, there is an increasing evidence that IRF-1 may be important in apoptosis, angiogenesis, neointima formation and the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. IRF-1 can up-regulate angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AGTR2) that exerts antiproliferative and proapoptotic actions and affects regulation of blood pressure. It has been reported that the targeted disruption of the mouse AGTR2 gene resulted in a significant increase in blood pressure and increased sensitivity to angiotensin II. The nitric oxide synthase expression and NO synthesis in macrophages and distinct cardiomyocytes are induced and controlled by IRF-1 in response to inflammation, important steps in vascular biology that may improve endothelial function and inhibit smooth muscle cell migration, and a key pathophysiological event in hypertension. Collectively, these reports support a strong relationship between IRF-1 regulation and hypertension, indicating a potential role of hcmv-miR-UL112 and HCMV infection in the pathogenesis of hypertension.Thus, the investigators want to investigate the potential link between HCMV infection and essential hypertension.

Surveillance for Nosocomial Infections in Pediatric Cancer Patients
Nosocomial InfectionsBloodstream Infection1 moreThe Oncoped 2006 study implements a multicenter prospective surveillance module for nosocomial infections in pediatric cancer patients.