Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a widespread viral pathogen, responsible for a significant burden of cervical and other cancers worldwide. Over the past decades, the development and widespread adoption of prophylactic HPV vaccines have dramatically reduced the incidence of HPV-related diseases. However, despite the efficacy of these vaccines, global immunization efforts still face several obstacles, including low vaccination coverage in low- and middle-income countries, vaccine hesitancy, and disparities in access to healthcare. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of HPV vaccines, including their mechanisms of action, safety profiles, and real-world efficacy. We will explore the impact of HPV vaccines on cancer prevention, examine the challenges related to vaccine distribution and uptake, and assess the role of public health policies in improving global vaccination rates. Additionally, the review will highlight the latest advancements in therapeutic HPV vaccines, ongoing research into next-generation vaccines, and the potential of HPV vaccination strategies in the context of personalized medicine. By examining these factors, we aim to provide insights into the future directions of HPV vaccination and its role in global public health.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the circulation, seasonality, and disease burden of viral respiratory infections. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the frequency of viral respiratory infections at a teaching hospital in Southern Italy by comparing data from before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic and by investigating how the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 affected the circulation and seasonality of other respiratory viruses. This retrospective and prospective study was performed on de-identified nasopharyngeal specimens classified as pre-COVID-19 (before 15 March 2020), during-COVID-19 (from 16 March 2020 to 5 May 2023), and post-COVID-19 (from 6 May 2023 to 31 December 2024). Overall, 790 out of 3930 (20%) patient samples tested positive for at least one respiratory virus. The mean age of patients was 60 ± 19 years, with significant positivity rates observed in the 65–98 age group (p ≤ 0.05) across all periods. In the pre-COVID-19 period, the most prevalent virus was influenza A (47.5%, 47/99), followed by the human rhinovirus (19.2%, 19/99). During the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 was the most prevalent (64.9%, 290/447), before decreasing to 38% (92/244) after the pandemic, while influenza A’s positivity prevalence increased to 14.3% (35/244). Rhinovirus/enterovirus remained relatively stable throughout all periods. The pandemic notably altered viral co-infection dynamics, with its effects lasting into the post-COVID-19 period. Specifically, a marked decrease in influenza A circulation was observed, while respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemiology remained stable and significant co-circulation of rhinovirus/enterovirus with SARS-CoV-2 persisted. Therefore, since COVID-19 and influenza affect the same high-risk groups, those individuals must be vaccinated against both viruses.

Background: Sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both developed and limited-resource countries. Despite over a century of research, accurate biomarkers for reliable diagnosis and prognosis in critically ill patients have yet to be established. Methods: This multicenter retrospective observational study aims to evaluate serum levels of Calprotectin, Azurocidin, cytokines, chemokines, procalcitonin (PCT) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) in 15 healthy volunteers (controls), 15 non-infectious SIRS patients, 92 alive septic patients (Sepsis_A) and 29 dead septic patients (Sepsis_D). Results: Most biomarkers showed significantly higher serum concentrations in septic patients compared with controls, with IL-4 being increased only in the Sepsis_D group. In addition, several markers, including Calprotectin, Azurocidin, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and IL-35, were progressively elevated from SIRS to Sepsis_A and Sepsis_D cohorts, reflecting disease severity. All biomarkers showed good diagnostic performance for predicting Gram-negative bacteremia, although their accuracy in discriminating survivors from non-survivors was relatively low. Conclusions: In conclusion, calprotectin, azurocidin, IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-35 may assist clinicians in identifying Gram-negative bacteremia in septic patients; however, their prognostic value appears to be limited.

Background/Objectives: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) remain frequent and increase morbidity, mortality, and resource use. Preoperative risk scores (ARISCAT, NSQIP-derived calculators) use mostly static variables and may miss the dynamic perioperative host response preceding respiratory deterioration or infection. We address the gap in clinically interpretable syntheses of perioperative blood biomarker trajectories that distinguish infectious from non-infectious PPCs and clarify bedside-ready versus exploratory markers. Methods: We conducted a narrative review with a structured Medline search (inception to 1 November 2025) plus reference screening. We included English-language adult surgical studies (observational or interventional) evaluating perioperative blood biomarkers in relation to PPCs or postoperative pulmonary infection; case reports, editorials, and reviews were excluded. No formal risk-of-bias assessment or quantitative meta-analysis was performed. Results: Across 298 cited publications, serial patterns of routinely available biomarkers (C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, lactate, albumin, and leukocyte-derived indices) were most consistently associated with PPC risk and helped separate expected postoperative inflammation from evolving infection when interpreted longitudinally rather than as single values. Mechanistic biomarkers (cytokines/immune-function assays, endothelial injury and coagulation/fibrinolysis markers, oxidative stress indicators) add biological insight but are limited by assay availability, heterogeneous sampling windows, and absent standardized cut-offs. Omics signatures and machine learning models combining biomarker kinetics with clinical variables are promising but require prospective, transportable validation. Conclusions: Key barriers to implementation include biological variability, non-specificity across postoperative syndromes, heterogeneous sampling windows, and lack of standardized cut-offs. Integrating multimarker panels into validated, dynamic predictive frameworks represents a promising direction for perioperative precision medicine.

Background: Acute Infectious Diarrhea (AID) and the short- and long-term complications associated with it are major causes of hospitalization worldwide. In Italy, due to a lack of robust surveillance programs, only limited data has been collected on their prevalence and circulation. This study aims to evaluate the resistance pattern of enteric pathogens and their epidemiological trends over a six-year period. Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted from January 2018 to December 2023. Stool samples were analyzed during routine diagnosis with culture methods, syndromic molecular tests, and enzyme immunoassay. Results: Bacteria were the most isolated enteric pathogens (62.2%), followed by fungi (29.0%), viruses (8.2%), and parasites (0.6%). Most bacteria were isolated from outpatients (29.5%) and from patients in the Oncology ward (26.2%). The most prevalent target was EPEC (11.1%), followed by C. difficile toxin A/B-producing strains (8.3%), C. jejuni (2.5%), and S. enterica, (1%.). Norovirus and Candida spp. were the most prevalent in pediatric patients (6.5% and 39.6%, respectively). In the last years, enteric pathogens have been a frequent cause of infections characterized by a problematic resistance to common antimicrobials. In our study, S. enterica showed resistance to amikacin, gentamicin, ampicillin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. C. jejuni was susceptible to all tested drugs. Conclusion: Timely notification of gastroenteric infections is crucial in identifying potential outbreak sources and ensuring strict adherence to food safety and hygiene practices, so as to protect the most vulnerable populations. The present study offers insights into the epidemiological characteristics and the antibiotic susceptibility of the main enteric AID pathogens in order to implement infection control measures in health care settings.