Cohort study of patients with advanced cancer: outcomes associated with duration of antibiotic therapy for non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia.

In this single-center observational study of 118 older adults with advanced cancer who developed non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia, prolonged antibiotic durations (8-14 and ≥15 vs ≤7 d) were not associated with reduced adjusted odds of 90-day all-cause readmission or death. These data may inform antimicrobial stewardship efforts in palliative care settings.

Optimizing clinical outcomes for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with Zephyr® valves.

Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction treatment with Zephyr one-way valves is an effective guideline-based treatment option for patients with severe emphysema and hyperinflation. However, in some cases the treatment response is less than anticipated or there might be a loss of initial treatment effect. Reasons for the lack of response can include incorrect assessment of collateral ventilation, improper valve placement, or patient related factors. Loss of initial benefit can be due to granulation tissue formation and subsequent valve dysfunction, or there may be side effects such as excessive coughing or infectious problems. Careful follow-up after treatment with valves is important and evaluation with a CT scan and/or bronchoscopy is helpful if there is no improvement after treatment or loss of initial benefit. This paper aims to describe the most important causes and provide a strategy of how to approach and manage these patients.

Dual function of the O-antigen WaaL ligase of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.

Protein glycosylation is critical to the quaternary structure and collagen-binding activity of the extracellular matrix protein adhesin A (EmaA) associated with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. The glycosylation of this large, trimeric autotransporter adhesin is postulated to be mediated by WaaL, an enzyme with the canonical function to ligate the O-polysaccharide (O-PS) antigen with a terminal sugar of the lipid A-core oligosaccharide of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this study, we have determined that the Escherichia coli waaL ortholog (rflA) does not restore collagen binding of a waaL mutant strain of A. actinomycetemcomitans but does restore O-PS ligase activity following transformation of a plasmid expressing waaL. Therefore, a heterologous E. coli expression system was developed constituted of two independently replicating plasmids expressing either waaL or emaA of A. actinomycetemcomitans to directly demonstrate the necessity of ligase activity for EmaA collagen binding. Proper expression of the protein encoded by each plasmid was characterized, and the individually transformed strains did not promote collagen binding. However, coexpression of the two plasmids resulted in a strain with a significant increase in collagen binding activity and a change in the biochemical properties of the protein. These results provide additional data supporting the novel hypothesis that the WaaL ligase of A. actinomycetemcomitans shares a dual role as a ligase in LPS biosynthesis and is required for collagen binding activity of EmaA.

Nonutility of procalcitonin for diagnosing bacterial pneumonia in patients with severe COVID-19.

Background: Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are at significant risk for superimposed bacterial pneumonia. However, diagnosing superinfection is challenging due to its clinical resemblance to severe COVID-19. We therefore evaluated whether the immune biomarker, procalcitonin, could facilitate the diagnosis of bacterial superinfection. Methods: We retrospectively identified 185 patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 who underwent lower respiratory culture; 85 had evidence of bacterial superinfection. Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) analyses were performed to assess the utility of procalcitonin for diagnosing superinfection. Results: This approach demonstrated that procalcitonin measured at the time of culture was incapable of distinguishing patients with bacterial infection (AUC, 0.52). The AUC not affected by exposure to antibiotics, treatment with immunomodulatory agents, or timing of procalcitonin measurement. Conclusion: Static measurement of procalcitonin does not aid in the diagnosis of superinfection in severe COVID-19.

The Liver Tumor Segmentation Benchmark (LiTS).

In this work, we report the set-up and results of the Liver Tumor Segmentation Benchmark (LiTS), which was organized in conjunction with the IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) 2017 and the International Conferences on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) 2017 and 2018. The image dataset is diverse and contains primary and secondary tumors with varied sizes and appearances with various lesion-to-background levels (hyper-/hypo-dense), created in collaboration with seven hospitals and research institutions. Seventy-five submitted liver and liver tumor segmentation algorithms were trained on a set of 131 computed tomography (CT) volumes and were tested on 70 unseen test images acquired from different patients. We found that not a single algorithm performed best for both liver and liver tumors in the three events. The best liver segmentation algorithm achieved a Dice score of 0.963, whereas, for tumor segmentation, the best algorithms achieved Dices scores of 0.674 (ISBI 2017), 0.702 (MICCAI 2017), and 0.739 (MICCAI 2018). Retrospectively, we performed additional analysis on liver tumor detection and revealed that not all top-performing segmentation algorithms worked well for tumor detection. The best liver tumor detection method achieved a lesion-wise recall of 0.458 (ISBI 2017), 0.515 (MICCAI 2017), and 0.554 (MICCAI 2018), indicating the need for further research. LiTS remains an active benchmark and resource for research, e.g., contributing the liver-related segmentation tasks in http://medicaldecathlon.com/. In addition, both data and online evaluation are accessible via https://competitions.codalab.org/competitions/17094.

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for C. difficile Infections Across Academic and Private Clinical Settings.

PURPOSE: Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is increasingly performed for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), although long-term efficacy and safety data are limited and are focused on results from academic medical centers rather than private settings where most patients receive care. METHODS: Medical records of 165 patients who received FMTs for CDI were reviewed from an academic medical center and an adjacent, unaffiliated private practice. Of these patients, 68 also completed a survey regarding their long-term disease course and interval health. RESULTS: CDI resolution occurred in 81.3% (100/123) at the academic center and 95.2% (40/42) in the private setting. Private practice patients were more likely to present with recurrent, rather than refractory, CDI (92.9% vs. 66.7% P <0.001). Those from the academic center were more likely to have comorbid IBD, recent hospitalization, recent proton pump inhibitor use, ongoing immunosuppression, and inpatient FMT (all P values <0.05).Among surveyed patients, 29.4% developed interval comorbidities or changes to pre-existing conditions after a median follow-up of 33.7 months (IQR 13.2 to 44.3 mo). Of 30 patients requiring subsequent antibiotics, 13.3% suffered CDI relapse. All subjects who had initially responded to FMT but had a subsequent CDI (17.9%, 10/56) responded to another FMT. CONCLUSIONS: In a real-world setting, patients who underwent FMT at academic centers differed significantly in clinical characteristics from those treated at a private practice. In both settings, FMT is an effective treatment for CDI not responding to standard therapies, even after subsequent antibiotic use. New diagnoses following FMT, however, are common and merit further exploration.

Prevalence and treatment of postobstructive pneumonia among older adults with advanced cancer.

Among 124 older adults with advanced cancer who were hospitalized with pneumonia, 7.3% met criteria for postobstructive pneumonia. There were no differences in antibiotic duration, antibiotic spectrum, 30-day and 90-day readmissions, or mortality between those with and without postobstructive pneumonia. Bacteria were identified in 5 patients with postobstructive pneumonia.

Medical Students' Knowledge of Plastic Surgery as a Reflection of the Public Perception.

Plastic surgery is a broad field that requires a mixed skillset. Therefore, it is important that students be exposed to all its various subspecialties to make informed career decisions and to properly refer patients in different clinical situations. A nationwide survey was conducted of Israeli medical students to investigate their knowledge and perceptions regarding the field of plastic surgery and its subspecialties, and the impact of a clinical rotation in plastic surgery on these factors. A total of 300 subjects responded. Approximately, 61% of the cohort was female and 70% were enrolled in a 6-year program. About one-third stated that their field of interest was surgical rather than medical. Significant variability was noted in the accuracy of responses to questions about different procedures encompassed in the scope of plastic surgery. Although 90% of the students were aware of some common plastic surgery procedures that are also often thought to be well known to the public, only 50% were able to correctly identify lesser-known surgeries performed by plastic surgeons. Knowledge about plastic surgery was unrelated to an interest in the field. We recommend adjusting preclinical instruction and clinical rotations in plastic surgery to better prepare students to select a specialty best suited to their future goals, as well as to improve their ability to refer patients to other specialists as necessary.

A dual role for CRTH2 in acute lung injury.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening clinical condition defined by rapid onset respiratory failure following acute lung injury (ALI). Its increased incidence due to COVID-19 and high mortality rate (∻40%) make the study of ARDS pathogenesis a crucial research priority. CRTH2 is a G protein-coupled receptor with established roles in type 2 immunity and well-characterized inhibitors. Prior studies have shown it also promotes neutrophilic inflammation, indicating that CRTH2 inhibition may be a potential therapeutic strategy for ARDS. To test this hypothesis, we first examined the expression pattern of CRTH2 on murine neutrophils. We found it is expressed on neutrophils, but only after extravasation into the lung. Next, we showed that extravasated lung neutrophils generate inflammatory responses upon stimulation with the CRTH2-specific agonist DK-PGD2, as demonstrated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This response was abrogated in CRTH2 KO neutrophils. Inhibition of CRTH2 with fevipiprant suppressed baseline ROS production, indicating an autocrine PGD2-CRTH2 signaling loop. We then evaluated the role of CRTH2 in vivo using a murine model of LPS-induced ALI. Despite the pro-inflammatory effects of CRTH2 on neutrophils in vitro, we observed worsening of lung injury in CRTH2-deficient mice in terms of neutrophilic inflammation, vascular leak, and survival. Bulk RNAseq of lung tissue indicated an impairment in type 2 immune signaling; qPCR and ELISA confirmed downregulation of the key type 2 effector cytokine, IL-4. Thus, CRTH2 appears to play a dual role in ALI, directly promoting neutrophil effector responses, but indirectly suppressing lung injury and neutrophilic inflammation through type 2 immunity. These findings reveal a novel protective function for CRTH2 during lung injury and argue against the use of CRTH2 inhibitors in ARDS.

Artificial Intelligence Tool for Assessment of Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules Detected with CT.

Background Limited data are available regarding whether computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) improves assessment of malignancy risk in indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs). Purpose To evaluate the effect of an artificial intelligence-based CAD tool on clinician IPN diagnostic performance and agreement for both malignancy risk categories and management recommendations. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective multireader multicase study performed in June and July 2020 on chest CT studies of IPNs. Readers used only CT imaging data and provided an estimate of malignancy risk and a management recommendation for each case without and with CAD. The effect of CAD on average reader diagnostic performance was assessed using the Obuchowski-Rockette and Dorfman-Berbaum-Metz method to calculate estimates of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity. Multirater Fleiss κ statistics were used to measure interobserver agreement for malignancy risk and management recommendations. Results A total of 300 chest CT scans of IPNs with maximal diameters of 5-30 mm (50.0% malignant) were reviewed by 12 readers (six radiologists, six pulmonologists) (patient median age, 65 years; IQR, 59-71 years; 164 [55%] men). Readers' average AUC improved from 0.82 to 0.89 with CAD (P < .001). At malignancy risk thresholds of 5% and 65%, use of CAD improved average sensitivity from 94.1% to 97.9% (P = .01) and from 52.6% to 63.1% (P < .001), respectively. Average reader specificity improved from 37.4% to 42.3% (P = .03) and from 87.3% to 89.9% (P = .05), respectively. Reader interobserver agreement improved with CAD for both the less than 5% (Fleiss κ, 0.50 vs 0.71; P < .001) and more than 65% (Fleiss κ, 0.54 vs 0.71; P < .001) malignancy risk categories. Overall reader interobserver agreement for management recommendation categories (no action, CT surveillance, diagnostic procedure) also improved with CAD (Fleiss κ, 0.44 vs 0.52; P = .001). Conclusion Use of computer-aided diagnosis improved estimation of indeterminate pulmonary nodule malignancy risk on chest CT scans and improved interobserver agreement for both risk stratification and management recommendations. © RSNA, 2022 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Yanagawa in this issue.

Nonutility of procalcitonin for diagnosing bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19.

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are at significant risk for superimposed bacterial pneumonia. However, diagnosing superinfection is challenging due to its clinical resemblance to severe COVID-19. We therefore evaluated whether the immune biomarker, procalcitonin, could facilitate the diagnosis of bacterial superinfection. To do so, we identified 185 patients with severe COVID-19 who underwent lower respiratory culture; 85 had superinfection. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that procalcitonin at the time of culture was incapable of distinguishing patients with bacterial infection (AUC, 0.52). We conclude that static measurement of procalcitonin does not aid in the diagnosis of superinfection in severe COVID-19.

The Effect of Mindfulness-based Programs on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are increasingly utilized to improve mental health. Interest in the putative effects of MBPs on cognitive function is also growing. This is the first meta-analysis of objective cognitive outcomes across multiple domains from randomized MBP studies of adults. Seven databases were systematically searched to January 2020. Fifty-six unique studies (n = 2,931) were included, of which 45 (n = 2,238) were synthesized using robust variance estimation meta-analysis. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses evaluated moderators. Pooling data across cognitive domains, the summary effect size for all studies favored MBPs over comparators and was small in magnitude (g = 0.15; [0.05, 0.24]). Across subgroup analyses of individual cognitive domains/subdomains, MBPs outperformed comparators for executive function (g = 0.15; [0.02, 0.27]) and working memory outcomes (g = 0.23; [0.11, 0.36]) only. Subgroup analyses identified significant effects for studies of non-clinical samples, as well as for adults aged over 60. Across all studies, MBPs outperformed inactive, but not active comparators. Limitations include the primarily unclear within-study risk of bias (only a minority of studies were considered low risk), and that statistical constraints rendered some p-values unreliable. Together, results partially corroborate the hypothesized link between mindfulness practices and cognitive performance. This review was registered with PROSPERO [CRD42018100904].

Research Productivity among Plastic Surgeons in the State of Israel: h-index and M-quotient Assessment.

The h-index has been proven in the US and Canada to be a solid tool to assess the quality and impact of individual scientific work in the field of plastic surgery. M-quotient is an additional metric that mitigates the h-index's inherent bias toward more seasoned researchers. The objective of this study was evaluating the relationship between h-index and M-quotient and research productivity among plastic surgeons in the state of Israel. METHODS: A list of all Israeli board-certified plastic surgeons registered in the Israeli Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery was obtained from the organization's website. Relevant demographic and academic factors of each surgeon were retrieved. The Scopus database was queried to determine each surgeon's h-index and M-quotient, among other bibliometric parameters. RESULTS: Our study included 173 plastic surgeons, 90% of whom were men. In total, 49.7% were working in academically affiliated hospitals; 14.4% of the surgeons had an academic rank. The mean h-index was 6.13; mean M-quotient was 0.27. Statistical analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between total number of publications (P < 0.0001), total number of citations (P < 0.0001), the surgeon's seniority (P < 0.0001), academic rank (P = 0.007), appointed as past/present plastic surgery department director (P < 0.0001), and working in an academic affiliated hospital (P < 0.025). The same parameters were found to have a positive correlation with M-quotient. CONCLUSIONS: The h-index is an effective measure to compare plastic surgeons' research productivity in Israel. M-quotient is an ancillary tool for the assessment of research productivity among plastic surgeons, with the advent of neutralizing the surgeon's seniority.

Predicting Lymph Node Metastasis in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Prospective External and Temporal Validation of the HAL and HOMER Models.

BACKGROUND: Two models, the Help with the Assessment of Adenopathy in Lung cancer (HAL) and Help with Oncologic Mediastinal Evaluation for Radiation (HOMER), were recently developed to estimate the probability of nodal disease in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as determined by endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). The objective of this study was to prospectively externally validate both models at multiple centers. RESEARCH QUESTION: Are the HAL and HOMER models valid across multiple centers? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This multicenter prospective observational cohort study enrolled consecutive patients with PET-CT clinical-radiographic stages T1-3, N0-3, M0 NSCLC undergoing EBUS-TBNA staging. HOMER was used to predict the probability of N0 vs N1 vs N2 or N3 (N2|3) disease, and HAL was used to predict the probability of N2|3 (vs N0 or N1) disease. Model discrimination was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC-AUC), and calibration was assessed using the Brier score, calibration plots, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. RESULTS: Thirteen centers enrolled 1,799 patients. HAL and HOMER demonstrated good discrimination: HAL ROC-AUC = 0.873 (95%CI, 0.856-0.891) and HOMER ROC-AUC = 0.837 (95%CI, 0.814-0.859) for predicting N1 disease or higher (N1|2|3) and 0.876 (95%CI, 0.855-0.897) for predicting N2|3 disease. Brier scores were 0.117 and 0.349, respectively. Calibration plots demonstrated good calibration for both models. For HAL, the difference between forecast and observed probability of N2|3 disease was +0.012; for HOMER, the difference for N1|2|3 was -0.018 and for N2|3 was +0.002. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was significant for both models (P = .034 and .002), indicating a small but statistically significant calibration error. INTERPRETATION: HAL and HOMER demonstrated good discrimination and calibration in multiple centers. Although calibration error was present, the magnitude of the error is small, such that the models are informative.

Use of a covered self-expanding metal airway stent for severe dynamic collapse within a bronchial aortic graft conduit in a post-lung transplant patient.

We present a novel case in which a self-expanding, covered metal airway stent was utilized for severe dynamic collapse within a cadaveric aortic bronchial graft conduit in a post-lung transplant recipient with thoracic situs inversus.

JAK-inhibitor and type I interferon ability to produce favorable clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The spread of a highly pathogenic, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a once-in-a-century pandemic, having already infected over 63 million people worldwide. Novel therapies are urgently needed. Janus kinase-inhibitors and Type I interferons have emerged as potential antiviral candidates for COVID-19 patients due to their proven efficacy against diseases with excessive cytokine release and their direct antiviral ability against viruses including coronaviruses, respectively. METHODS: A search of MEDLINE and MedRxiv was conducted by three investigators from inception until July 30th 2020 and included any study type that compared treatment outcomes of humans treated with Janus kinase-inhibitor or Type I interferon against controls. Inclusion necessitated data with clearly indicated risk estimates or those that permitted their back-calculation. Outcomes were synthesized using RevMan. RESULTS: Of 733 searched studies, we included four randomized and eleven non-randomized trials. Five of the studies were unpublished. Those who received Janus kinase-inhibitor had significantly reduced odds of mortality (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03-0.39, p< 0.001) and ICU admission (OR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.01-0.26, p< 0.001), and had significantly increased odds of hospital discharge (OR, 22.76; 95% CI, 10.68-48.54, p< 0.00001) when compared to standard treatment group. Type I interferon recipients had significantly reduced odds of mortality (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04-0.85, p< 0.05), and increased odds of discharge bordering significance (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.00-3.59, p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Janus kinase-inhibitor treatment is significantly associated with positive clinical outcomes in terms of mortality, ICU admission, and discharge. Type I interferon treatment is associated with positive clinical outcomes in regard to mortality and discharge. While these data show promise, additional well-conducted RCTs are needed to further elucidate the relationship between clinical outcomes and Janus kinase-inhibitors and Type I interferons in COVID-19 patients.

JAK-Inhibitor and Type I Interferon Ability to Produce Favorable Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background The spread of a highly pathogenic, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a once-in-a-century pandemic, having already infected over 17 million. Novel therapies are urgently needed. Janus kinase-inhibitors and Type I interferons have emerged as potential antiviral candidates for COVID-19 patients for their proven efficacy against diseases with excessive cytokine release and due to direct antiviral ability against viruses including coronaviruses, respectively. We conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of Janus kinase-inhibitors and Type I interferons and their ability to produce positive patient outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Methods A search of MEDLINE and MedRxiv was conducted by three investigators from inception until July 30 th 2020, including any study type that compared treatment outcomes of humans treated with JAK-inhibitor or Type I interferon against controls. Inclusion necessitated data with clearly indicated risk estimates or those that permitted their back-calculation. Outcomes were synthesized using RevMan. Results Of 733 searched studies, we included four randomized and eleven non-randomized trials. Five of the studies were unpublished. Those who received Janus kinase-inhibitor had significantly reduced odds of mortality (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03 - 0.39, p<0.001) and ICU admission (OR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.01 - 0.26, p<0.001), and had significantly increased odds of hospital discharge (OR, 22.76; 95% CI, 10.68 - 48.54, p<0.00001), when compared to standard treatment group. Type I interferon recipients had significantly reduced odds of mortality (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04 - 0.85, p<0.05), and increased odds of discharge bordering significance (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.00 - 3.59, p=0.05). Conclusions Janus kinase-inhibitor treatment is significantly associated with positive clinical outcomes in terms of mortality, ICU admission, and discharge. Type I interferon treatment is associated with positive clinical outcomes in regard to mortality and discharge. While these data show promise, additional well-conducted RCTs are needed to further elucidate the relationship between clinical outcomes and Janus kinase-inhibitors and Type I interferons in COVID-19 patients.

Janus Kinase-Inhibitor and Type I Interferon Ability to Produce Favorable Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has infected over 17 million. Novel therapies are urgently needed. Janus-kinase (JAK) inhibitors and Type I interferons have emerged as potential antiviral candidates for COVID-19 patients for their proven efficacy against diseases with excessive cytokine release and by their ability to promote viral clearance in past coronaviruses, respectively. We conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis to evaluate role of these therapies in COVID-19 patients. Methods MEDLINE and MedRxiv were searched until July 30th, 2020, including studies that compared treatment outcomes of humans treated with JAK-inhibitor or Type I interferon against controls. Inclusion necessitated data with clear risk estimates or those that permitted back-calculation. Results We searched 733 studies, ultimately including four randomized and eleven non-randomized clinical trials. JAK-inhibitor recipients had significantly reduced odds of mortality (OR, 0.12; 95%CI, 0.03-0.39, p=0.0005) and ICU admission (OR, 0.05; 95%CI, 0.01-0.26, p=0.0005), and had significantly increased odds of hospital discharge (OR, 22.76; 95%CI, 10.68-48.54, p<0.00001), when compared to standard treatment group. Type I interferon recipients had significantly reduced odds of mortality (OR, 0.19; 95%CI, 0.04-0.85, p=0.03), and increased odds of discharge bordering significance (OR, 1.89; 95%CI, 1.00-3.59, p=0.05). Conclusions JAK-inhibitor treatment is significantly associated with positive clinical outcomes regarding mortality, ICU admission, and discharge. Type I interferon treatment is associated with positive clinical outcomes regarding mortality and discharge. While these data show promise, additional randomized clinical trials are needed to further elucidate the efficacy of JAK-inhibitors and Type I interferons and clinical outcomes in COVID-19.

Severe respiratory viral infection induces procalcitonin in the absence of bacterial pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: Procalcitonin expression is thought to be stimulated by bacteria and suppressed by viruses via interferon signalling. Consequently, during respiratory viral illness, clinicians often interpret elevated procalcitonin as evidence of bacterial coinfection, prompting antibiotic administration. We sought to evaluate the validity of this practice and the underlying assumption that viral infection inhibits procalcitonin synthesis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalised with pure viral infection (n=2075) versus bacterial coinfection (n=179). The ability of procalcitonin to distinguish these groups was assessed. In addition, procalcitonin and interferon gene expression were evaluated in murine and cellular models of influenza infection. RESULTS: Patients with bacterial coinfection had higher procalcitonin than those with pure viral infection, but also more severe disease and higher mortality (p<0.001). After matching for severity, the specificity of procalcitonin for bacterial coinfection dropped substantially, from 72% to 61%. In fact, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that procalcitonin was a better indicator of multiple indices of severity (eg, organ failures and mortality) than of coinfection. Accordingly, patients with severe viral infection had elevated procalcitonin. In murine and cellular models of influenza infection, procalcitonin was also elevated despite bacteriologic sterility and correlated with markers of severity. Interferon signalling did not abrogate procalcitonin synthesis. DISCUSSION: These studies reveal that procalcitonin rises during pure viral infection in proportion to disease severity and is not suppressed by interferon signalling, in contrast to prior models of procalcitonin regulation. Applied clinically, our data suggest that procalcitonin represents a better indicator of disease severity than bacterial coinfection during viral respiratory infection.