Candida orthopsilosis represents a closely related cryptic genospecies of Candida parapsilosis complex-misidentified in routine diagnostic assays. This is emerging in settings where central venous catheters, invasive medical interventions, and echinocandin treatments are most likely to be used. A 59-year-old, non-neutropenic male patient, was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) due to respiratory distress syndrome, following a partial gastrectomy. As a result of duodenal stump leakage, re-laparotomy was required, abdominal drains were provided and central line catheters were exchanged. Multiple isolates of Candida orthopsilosis drawn from consecutive blood cultures were identified, despite ongoing echinocandin therapy and confirmed in vitro echinocandins susceptibility of the isolated strain. Species identification was verified via ITS region sequencing. Herein, we report the well-documented—per clinical data and relevant laboratory diagnosis—first case of a bloodstream infection caused by Candida orthopsilosis in Poland.

The aim of this study was to determine the possibilities of using cold-plasma technology in counteracting the development of denture stomatitis (DS) in patients using different kinds of prosthetic restorations. The study focused mainly on the effect of cold atmospheric plasma on prosthetic materials, such as acryl (AR), acetal (AT), and a prosthetic metal alloy (MA). The materials were tested in terms of the effect of the plasma exposure time (5, 10, and 20 min) on changes in the chemical composition, morphology, and surface topography (FT-IR, SEM-EDS, optical profilometer) as well as changes in the color and contact angle (spectrophotometer, goniometer) after the plasma process. Furthermore, the ability of reference fungi (C. albicans and C. glabrata) to adhere to non-modified and cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)-modified dental materials was examined to evaluate the susceptibility of dental material surfaces to 12 h fungal contamination. The obtained results demonstrate that CAP appears viable for the surface modification of the acetal resin and the metal alloy, not compromising their structural integrity while variably limiting fungal overgrowth involved in the development of DS, whereas its application to the acrylic resin may be inadvisable due to morphological and optical alterations.

Background and Objectives: BK virus (BKPyV) is a common latent pathogen in humans, but it becomes particularly insidious in kidney transplant recipients, where reactivation may contribute to allograft loss. The immune mechanisms controlling BKPyV latency in immunocompromised hosts remain incompletely understood. We assume the urinary immune proteome reflects local immune response in the kidney and the urinary tract. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether the presence of BKPyV alters the urinary immune-related proteomic profile of kidney transplant recipients and shifts it away to that observed in healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: 137 urine samples were collected from kidney recipients, both BKPyV-positive and BKPyV-negative, patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease, and healthy controls. Targeted proteomic analysis was performed using the proximity extension assay, followed by heatmapping, principal component analysis, random forest, and linear regression modeling. Results: The urinary proteome of BKPyV-positive recipients remained more distinct from healthy controls than that of BKPyV-negative ones. Among the 33 proteins detected across all samples, 17 showed significant intergroup differences, with KLRD1 (CD94) uniquely upregulated in all transplant recipients, but downregulated in BKPyV-positive samples. Conclusions: We conclude that the presence of BKPyV in the urinary tract of kidney recipients notably interplays with the local immune response even in the absence of clinical disease.

In clinical practice, healthcare providers encounter a rising incidence of aspergillosis, which significantly affects morbidity and mortality in vulnerable patients. Over the past few decades, molds have increasingly affected patients with underlying pleuropulmonary, hematological, or oncological diseases undergoing cytotoxic treatment or immunosuppression, leading to impaired cell-mediated immunity and an increased risk of postoperative complications. Although the spectrum of Aspergillus infection is variable, ranging from allergic to chronic, invasive manifestation, pleural involvement is rarely reported. Pleural aspergillosis is an extrapulmonary manifestation of invasive aspergillosis, associated with thoracic surgical procedures and with a bronchopleural fistula, not necessarily combined with pulmonary aspergillosis. An elective or emergency thoracic surgery in immunocompromised patients increases the risk of postoperative infectious complications. Herein, we report a case of isolated postoperative pleural aspergillosis in a 28-year-old immunocompromised man with metastatic synovial sarcoma in the lungs, who underwent pleurodesis for pneumothorax, lobectomy for lung metastasis, and subsequently required decortication and thoracoplasty to achieve effective control of infection. To address this, the patient responded well to aggressive surgical debridement along with both systemic and intrapleural antifungal agent instillation. The essential in vitro diagnostics, including microscopy, microbiological culture and histopathological examination, both from necrotic pleural specimens, detected Aspergillus fumigatus, a global priority species of invasive aspergillosis. Postoperative aspergillosis with pleural involvement and bronchopleural fistula, in immunocompromised patients with sarcoma, is rarely reported, requiring a combination of surgical approach and optimized antifungal treatment regimens. The current knowledge on pleural aspergillosis management remains limited, and highlights the need for case reporting to refine expertise.

Human echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by accidental ingestion of tapeworm eggs of the genus Echinococcus, shed in the feces of animal definitive host. In the human duodenum, these eggs release oncospheres, which penetrate the intestinal wall and via the bloodstream reach the liver—the most common site for development of cysts. However, it is important to remember that any other organ can be affected via the bloodstream, due to larvae size. In Europe, the most diagnostically relevant species are Echinococcus granulosus, with a median incidence of 0.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and Echinococcus multilocularis, with 0.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This article aims to describe an exceptionally unusual location of human cystic echinococcosis in the anterior mediastinum. We describe the role of multidisciplinary diagnostics in establishing the definitive diagnosis. The pathomorphological examination, radiological imaging and serological testing for diagnosing cystic echinococcosis are hereby described. It is particularly important to avoid reporting unspecified Echinococcus (NOS) if possible, as the management and treatment of patients with echinococcosis varies depending on the species.