Zinc and its impact on human health in conditions of covid-19 pandemic: What's new?.

The article is devoted to the role of the micronutrient zinc in maintaining health as well as in the formation of diseases. The data on the effect of zinc on the immune system, its participation in metabolic processes are presented, its anti-inflammatory effects and the effect on anti-infectious protection are highlighted. The reasons for the development of zinc-deficiency states, their clinical manifestations, as well as recommendations for correction are considered. On the base of modern research, the authors present the advantages of using zinc in SARS, including the prospects for its use in case of COVID-19.Copyright © 2021, Professionalnye Izdaniya. All rights reserved.

Zinc and its impact on human health in conditions of covid-19 pandemic: What's new?.

The article is devoted to the role of the micronutrient zinc in maintaining health as well as in the formation of diseases. The data on the effect of zinc on the immune system, its participation in metabolic processes are presented, its anti-inflammatory effects and the effect on anti-infectious protection are highlighted. The reasons for the development of zinc-deficiency states, their clinical manifestations, as well as recommendations for correction are considered. On the base of modern research, the authors present the advantages of using zinc in SARS, including the prospects for its use in case of COVID-19.Copyright © 2021, Professionalnye Izdaniya. All rights reserved.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern;Transition from Resistivity to Susceptibility

Objective: The study aimed to assess the antibiotic resistance pattern before and after the pandemic to provide the physicians with general guidance for antibiotic prescribing. Material and Methods: The yearly antibiograms of different tertiary care hospitals were extracted from Pakistan Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Network. The data timeline observed was from January 2016 to December 2020. The data were scrutinized to the most common organism studied with the most recurring antimicrobial used. Results: Among the Gram-positive organisms, increased resistivity against penicillin was observed against both the organism, while a good susceptibility was observed against vancomycin. Among the Gram-negative organisms, the highest resistance was observed in Ceftriaxone, Ciprofloxacin, and Cotrimoxazole. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli are the most prevalent organisms in tertiary care hospitals. Conclusion: While satisfactory susceptibility was observed in Amikacin and Piperacillin/Tazobactam. The post-pandemic era resulted in a decrease in AMR due to significant changes in antibiotic prescribing patterns. This report may guide future antibiotic prescribing.

Influence of Anti-Infective Periodontal Therapy on Subgingival Microbiota Evaluated by Chair-Side Test Compared to qPCR-A Clinical Follow-Up Study.

A chair-side test (CST) for five periodontal pathogens (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, A.a.; Porphyromonas gingivalis, P.g.; Prevotella intermedia, P.i.; Treponema denticola, T.d.; Tannerella forsythia, T.f.) was compared with qPCR in a previous clinical study on 100 periodontitis patients at first diagnosis (T0). Following non-surgical treatment alone (SRP) or in combination with systemic or local antibiotics, 74 patients (57.4 ± 13.5 years) were again tested at the same sites from 14 to 24 months after T0. Bacterial elimination (%; compared to T0) was determined for each single species and compared between both test systems. In all patients, all five pathogens could not be fully eliminated regardless of therapy or test method. Tested with CST, the mean elimination ranged from 90% for SRP + Amoxicillin/Metronidazole to 59.13% for SRP only. The corresponding qPCR values were 30% and 29.6%. Only A.a. was eradicated in 100% by SRP + Amoxicillin/Metronidazole tested by CST, and it was 80% when qPCR was the test method. CST agreed with qPCR in 98.7% in the detection of A.a., and 74.3%, 78.4%, 73.0%, and 48.7% for P.g., P.i., T.d., and T.f., respectively. Neither conventional treatment nor the additional use of antibiotics-even with the correct indication-could completely eradicate the tested pathogens or prevent pocket reinfection.

The Use of Translational Modelling and Simulation to Develop Immunomodulatory Therapy as an Adjunct to Antibiotic Treatment in the Context of Pneumonia.

The treatment of respiratory tract infections is threatened by the emergence of bacterial resistance. Immunomodulatory drugs, which enhance airway innate immune defenses, may improve therapeutic outcome. In this concept paper, we aim to highlight the utility of pharmacometrics and Bayesian inference in the development of immunomodulatory therapeutic agents as an adjunct to antibiotics in the context of pneumonia. For this, two case studies of translational modelling and simulation frameworks are introduced for these types of drugs up to clinical use. First, we evaluate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship of an experimental combination of amoxicillin and a TLR4 agonist, monophosphoryl lipid A, by developing a pharmacometric model accounting for interaction and potential translation to humans. Capitalizing on this knowledge and associating clinical trial extrapolation and statistical modelling approaches, we then investigate the TLR5 agonist flagellin. The resulting workflow combines expert and prior knowledge on the compound with the in vitro and in vivo data generated during exploratory studies in order to construct high-dimensional models considering the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the compound. This workflow can be used to refine preclinical experiments, estimate the best doses for human studies, and create an adaptive knowledge-based design for the next phases of clinical development.