Microbial Infections and Sepsis: Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology in Human Health and Disease".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 1211

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237, USA
Interests: bacteriology; molecular biology; sepsis; microbiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sepsis survivors exhibit immune dysfunction, hematological changes, and an increased risk of infection. Clinical and experimental studies indicate that sepsis causes an immunosuppressive state characterized by diminished antimicrobial effector functions that increase susceptibility to infection. Sepsis-induced immunosuppression is multi-factorial and thought to be due to impaired cytokine secretion and diminished phagocytic activity of myeloid cells. However, researchers are still trying to discover whether and how sepsis impacts stem cell location and mobilization long-term, upon recovery from sepsis. In this Special Issue, we aim to accumulate original research articles and review articles related to pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic approaches in sepsis.

Dr. Nirupam Biswas
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • sepsis
  • cytokines
  • inflammation
  • bacteria
  • stem cell
  • molecular biology
  • flow cytometry
  • multiplex
  • MALDI-TOF-MS
  • RT-PCR

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 893 KiB  
Article
A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis from Southern Italy on the Use of T2 Magnetic Resonance Assays as a Point-of-Care Method for Patients with Sepsis
by Mariarita Margherita Bona, Vincenza Maria Carelli, Nicola Serra, Salvatore Amico, Roberta Bartolini, Anna Giammanco, Paola Di Carlo, Teresa Fasciana and Maria Andriolo
Biomedicines 2025, 13(4), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13040999 - 20 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Background: The rapid and accurate identification of the pathogens responsible for sepsis is essential for prompt and effective antimicrobial therapy. The T2Bacteria® Panel (T2B) and T2Candida® Panel (T2C) are rapid molecular tests performed on whole blood that exploit T2 Magnetic [...] Read more.
Background: The rapid and accurate identification of the pathogens responsible for sepsis is essential for prompt and effective antimicrobial therapy. The T2Bacteria® Panel (T2B) and T2Candida® Panel (T2C) are rapid molecular tests performed on whole blood that exploit T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MRsup®) technology. Objectives: This study evaluates the impact of the T2MR system as a point-of-care device for managing sepsis and septic shock patients. Methods: This single-center retrospective study was conducted at the Sant’ Elia Hospital of Caltanissetta from 1 January 2023 to 31 July 2023. The study population was composed of patients with suspected sepsis and septic shock according to the Sepsis-3 criteria and for whom concurrent T2MR and BC samples were requested for diagnosis. Results: A total of 81 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study. Concordant T2/BC results were obtained in 69/81 (85.2%) patients; 58/81 (71.6%) were concordant-negative and 11/81 (13.6%) were concordant-positive. Discordant T2MR+/BC− results were observed in 9/81 patients (11.1%), while T2MR−/BC+ results were detected in 3/81 patients (3.7%). Furthermore, the median time for reporting positive T2MR test results (5.2 h) was significantly shorter than that for BC (122 h). Conclusions: Due to its high reliability, faster detection time, and simple workflow, T2MR in combination with BC improved the etiological diagnosis of sepsis in the enrolled patients. Full article
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19 pages, 3231 KiB  
Article
Observational Study of Microbial Colonization and Infection in Neurological Intensive Care Patients Based on Electronic Health Records
by Alesya S. Gracheva, Artem N. Kuzovlev and Lyubov E. Salnikova
Biomedicines 2025, 13(4), 858; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13040858 - 2 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Patients with central nervous system injuries who are hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) are at high risk for nosocomial infections. Limited data are available on the incidence and patterns of microbial colonization and infection in this patient population. Methods: To fill [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Patients with central nervous system injuries who are hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) are at high risk for nosocomial infections. Limited data are available on the incidence and patterns of microbial colonization and infection in this patient population. Methods: To fill this gap, we performed an electronic health record-based study of 1614 chronic patients with brain injury admitted to the ICU from 2017 to 2023. Results: Among the infectious complications, pneumonia was the most common (n = 879; 54.46%). Sepsis was diagnosed in 54 patients, of whom 46 (85%) were diagnosed with pneumonia. The only pathogen that showed an association with the development of pneumonia and sepsis in colonized patients was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (pneumonia: p = 7.2 × 10−9; sepsis: p = 1.7 × 10−5). Bacterial isolates from patients with and without pneumonia did not differ in pathogen titer or dynamics, but patients with monomicrobial culture were more likely to develop pneumonia than patients with polymicrobial culture (1 vs. 2 pathogens, p = 0.014; 1 + 2 pathogens vs. 3 + 4 pathogens, p = 2.8 × 10−6), although the pathogen titer was lower in monoculture than in polyculture. Bacterial isolates from all patients and all culture sites showed high levels of multidrug resistance (Gram-negative bacteria: 88–100%; Gram-positive bacteria: 48–97%), with no differences in multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) colonization and infection rates. Conclusions: Our results highlight the high burden of MDROs in neurological ICUs and provide novel ecosystem-based insights into mono- and polymicrobial colonization and infection development. These findings may be useful for developing strategies to protect against infections. Full article
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