Antonio Cascio

Università degli Studi di Palermo | UNIPA · Department of Scienze per la promozione della Salute "G. D'Alessandro"

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major public health issue, with high mortality rates reported worldwide. It is worth noting that most of the hospitalizations for tuberculosis in the Sicilian region involve Italian-born individuals, underscoring the need to address this problem. Recent research on the geographic area and seasonality...

A systematic review with a meta-analysis was performed to gather available evidence on the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody nirsevimab in the prevention of lower respiratory tract diseases (LRTDs) due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children and newborns (CRD42024540669). Studies reporting on real-world experience and randomized control...

Background: The coexistence of HIV infection and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) presents a significant public health concern due to the increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) reactivation and progression to active disease. The multicenter observational cohort study, TUBHIVIT, conducted in Italy from 2017 to 2023, aimed to assess the prevalence o...

Ventriculitis and nosocomial meningitis caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative and vancomycin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria represent a growing treatment challenge. A case of ventriculitis and bacteremia caused by carbapenem-resistant, KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in a young woman with a...

Background Meropenem-vaborbactam is a recent and promising option for the treatment of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) infections, including those resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of observational data from 19 Italian hospitals on use and outcomes of patients treated with meropenem-vabo...

A systematic review and meta-analysis was designed in order to ascertain the effectiveness of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination in preventing lower respiratory tract diseases (LRTD) in older adults (age ≥ 60 years). Studies reporting on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched for in three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus)...

Background: The coexistence of HIV infection and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) presents a significant public health concern due to the increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) reactivation and progression to active disease. The multicenter observational cohort study, TUBHIVIT, conducted in Italy from 2017 to 2023, aimed to assess the prevalence o...

OBJECTIVES Surgical site infections (SSIs) after cardiac surgery increase morbidity and mortality. This multi-center study aimed to identify mortality risk factors associated with SSIs following heart surgery. METHODS Conducted from January to March 2023, this prospective study included 167 patients aged > 16 with post-heart surgery SSIs. The prim...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is common in people with HIV (PWH), and has great impact in terms of morbidity and mortality. Several intertwined mechanisms are believed to play a role in determining the increased risk of CVD, including the effect of certain antiretrovirals; among these, the role of integrase strand-transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) is yet...

Background: Epidemiological data regarding the incidence and mortality of sepsis are scarcely available. The present study aimed to delineate the epidemiology of sepsis and related mortality among patients hospitalized in Sicily, Italy. Methods: Data on the discharge forms of all patients with sepsis in all Sicilian hospitals from January 2016 to D...

Purpose: Blood culture negative endocarditis (BCNE) presents diagnostic challenges, necessitating precise identification of high-risk patient cohorts. Hence, our objective was to pinpoint high-risk cohorts for BCNE. Methods: The study included adult patients with definite endocarditis. Data was collected via the Infectious Diseases International Re...

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has found the whole world unprepared for its correct management. Italy was the first European country to experience the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the end of February 2020. As a result of hospital overcrowding, the quality of care delivered was not always optimal. A substantial num...

Background Dysbiotic biliary bacterial profile is reported in cancer patients and is associated with survival and comorbidities, raising the question of its effect on the influence of anticancer drugs and, recently, the suggestion of perichemotherapy antibiotics in pancreatic cancer patients colonized by the Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoni...

Human cytomegalovirus infection usually proceeds asymptomatically in immunocompetent patients. In symptomatic forms, mononucleosis syndrome is the most common manifestation. However, atypical cases of cytomegalovirus infections in immunocompetent subjects are reported in the literature. Here, we describe a case of cytomegalovirus-related mononucleo...

Injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine long-acting therapy is a revolutionary new antiretroviral treatment (ART) option for HIV infection in virologically suppressed adults on a stable ART. The aim of this study from SCOLTA multicenter observational prospective database is to describe the first people living with HIV (PWH) who started this regimen...

Tuberculous pericarditis (TBP) is an important cause of pericarditis worldwide while being infrequent in childhood, especially in low-TB-incidence countries. We report a case of TBP and provide a systematic review of the literature, conducted by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane to find cases of TBP in pediatric age published in the English la...

Background During the COVID pandemic, research has shown an increase in candidemia cases following severe COVID infection and the identification of risk factors associated with candidemia. However, there is a lack of studies that specifically explore clinical outcomes and mortality rates related to candidemia after COVID infection. Objectives The...

Human Pseudomonas infections have high morbidity and mortality rates. Pseudomonas bacteria can cause sepsis or septic shock; they produce biofilm and commonly exhibit a multidrug-resistant phenotype. The choice of antimicrobial therapy in many cases is challenging, and deep knowledge of clinical, microbiological, and pharmacological issues is requi...

Syphilis is a re-emerging disease, and an increasing number of cases are being reported in Italy and worldwide. In this report, we present a case of a male patient with secondary syphilis characterized by the heterogenicity of the lesions: hyperkeratosis, psoriasiform-like lesions, papules, macules, and patchy alopecia on the scalp. The patient had...

Background: Our aim was to estimate the rates of not achieving a robust/above-average humoral response to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in people living with HIV (PLWH) who received ≥2 doses and to investigate the role of the CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio in predicting the humoral response. Methods: We evaluated the humoral anti-SARS-CoV-2 response 1-month aft...

Antibiotics are recognized widely for their benefits when used appropriately. However, they are often used inap-propriately despite the importance of responsible use within good clinical practice. Effective antibiotic treatment is an essential component of universal healthcare, and it is a global responsibility to ensure appropriate use. Currently...

Background: Sepsis is a leading cause of in-hospital mortality and morbidity globally. Epidemiological data regarding the incidence and mortality of sepsis are scarcely available. Most reports are based on administrative. Furthermore, sepsis in non-intensive care units has been considered only in a few studies. The present study aimed to describe t...

Background: Syphilis is a worldwide sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum. In most cases, the oral manifestations of syphilis infection are associated with cutaneous involvement. However, the present case report is noteworthy since the oral lesions are the sole clinical sign in an HIV-positive transgender patient. Case prese...

Objectives: identifying high-risk COVID-19 patients is critical for emergency department decision-making. The primary objective of the study was to identify new independent predictors of mortality and their prognostic utility in combination with traditional pneumonia risk assessment scores. Methods: a retrospective study was performed in two Italia...

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania and is transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. In the Mediterranean region, visceral leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania. infantum, and it is usually responsible for symptoms such as fever, pancytopenia and enlargement of the liver and...

Bone and joint infections (BJIs) caused by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria are becoming a concern due to limited therapeutic options. Although not approved for these indications, an ever-growing amount of evidence supports the efficacy and safety of ceftazidime–avibactam as a therapy for osteomyelitis and prosthetic joint infections. Her...

Introduction: Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTI) are one of the most prescribed drug classes for the treatment of HIV infection worldwide. Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide/ Bictegravir (FTC/TAF/BIC) has been evaluated in randomized clinical trials; few studies have verified tolerability and safety in clinical practice. Our aim was to...

Enterococcus hirae is a rare pathogen in human infections, although its incidence may be underestimated due to its difficult isolation. We describe the first known case of E. hirae infective endocarditis (IE), which involves the mitral valve alone, and the seventh E. hirae IE worldwide. Case presentation: a 62-year-old male was admitted to our depa...

Streptococcus mitis, a normal inhabitant of the oral cavity, is a member of Viridans Group Streptococci (VGS). Generally recognized as a causative agent of invasive diseases in immunocompromised patients, S. mitis is considered to have low pathogenic potential in immunocompetent individuals. We present a rare case of sinusitis complicated by mening...

Doravirine (DOR) is a newly approved non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). We aimed to investigate, in a real-life setting, how switching to a DOR-based regimen rather than a rilpivirine (RPV)-based regimen impacted metabolic and hepatic safety. The analysis included 551 antiretroviral treatment (ART)-experienced people living wit...

In humans, Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is a zoonotic infection usually involving immunocompromised subjects, only rarely affecting immunocompetent subjects. Herein, we describe an R. equi infection in a 50-year-old Russian man with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) who presented with pulmonary cavitary lesions and clinical manifestation of...

Bacteraemia during the course of neutropenia is often fatal.We aimed to identify factors predicting mortality to have an insight into better clinical management. The study has a prospective-observational design and pooled data from febrile neutropenia patients with bacteraemia in 41 centres in 16 countries. Polymicrobial bacteraemias were excluded....

Here, we describe the case of a naïve HIV late presenter female African patient with progressive disseminated histoplasmosis and a severe life-threatening clinical picture in a non-endemic area. She had not visited Africa in the past decade. She developed a reactive hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and an acute psychiatric disorder. Histoplasmosi...

Background: With SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests on the market, healthcare providers must be confident that they can use the results to provide actionable information to understand the characteristics and dynamics of the humoral response and antibodies (abs) in SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated patients. In this way, the study of the antibody responses of healthcar...

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) is a new and rare complication of COVID-19 that usually occurs in children. An increasing number of cases of MIS in adults are described in the literature. The condition is associated with high mortality, and treatment is non-standardized. Clinical pictures are heterogeneous, and diagnosis is very challenging...

Aim: DIAMANTE is a retrospective and prospective, non-interventional, cohort study to describe the effectiveness of darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (D/C/F/TAF) in real clinical practice in Italy. Patients & methods: The study enrolled 246 patients: group 1 included patients treated with a darunavir-based regimen (n = 81); g...

Existing literature about peritoneal tuberculosis (TBP) is relatively insufficient. The majority of reports are from a single center and do not assess predictive factors for mortality. In this international study, we investigated the clinicopathological characteristics of a large series of patients with TBP and determined the key features associate...

Background: The abuse of antibiotics during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic might have disrupted efforts to curb the further development and spread of the antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus infection and Staphylococcus spp. coagulase-negative (CoNS) agents of nosocomial bloodstream infections (NBSIs). The purpose of our work was to study th...

Background: Very few data are available in the literature regarding tuberculosis (TB) hospitalization, and few studies have reported the clinical characteristics and comorbidities of admitted patients and burden and cost of hospitalization. In our study, we described the occurrence of TB hospital admissions in the southern Italian region of Sicily...

Fosfomycin in intravenous (IV) formulation has re-emerged as a valuable tool in the treatment of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) infections because of its broad spectrum of antibacterial action and pharmacokinetic characteristics. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate how fosfomycin was used in patients admitted...

Background Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) associated with syphilis has rarely been described in HIV-infected patients. Diagnosis can be challenging because it is not always possible to discern it from a recent infection or a worsening of an undiagnosed one. Case presentation An HIV-positive 42-year-old man with a poor complianc...

Background: Mpox is a rare zoonotic disease caused by the Mpox virus. On May 21, 2022, WHO announced the emergence of confirmed Mpox cases in countries outside the endemic areas in Central and West Africa. Methods: This multicentre study was performed through the Infectious Diseases International Research Initiative network. Nineteen collaborati...

The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and heterologous immunization approaches implemented worldwide for booster doses call for diversified vaccine portfolios. GRAd-COV2 is a gorilla adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate encoding prefusion-stabilized spike. The safety and immunogenicity of GRAd-COV2...

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, mostly in frail patients. Notification is not mandatory in Italy, and data on incidence, risk of death, and recurrence are lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine CDI incidence and risk factors for mortality and recurrence. The “ICD-9 00845” code...

Background Doravirine (DOR) is a newly approved antiretroviral belonging to the class of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI), well tolerated and leading to an improved lipid profile in antiretroviral experienced people living with HIV (PLWH). We aimed at evaluating if the lipid-lowering effect is linked to the drug class, using...

The current carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CR-GN) treatment guidelines lack strong evidence about cefiderocol (CFD) efficacy against CR-GN, especially CRAB. The study’s purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of CFD in a real-life setting. We made a single-center retrospective study of 41 patients who received CFD in our hospital for...

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequent in people with HIV (PWH). The Fibroscan-aspartate aminotransferase (FAST) score was developed to identify patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and significant fibrosis. We investigated prevalence of NASH with fibrosis and the value of FAST score in predicting clinical ou...

Objectives: Bezlotoxumab (BEZ) is a promising tool for preventing recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI). The aim of the study was to emulate, in a real-world setting, the MODIFY trials in a cohort of participants with multiple risk factors for rCDI treated with BEZ in addition to standard of care (SoC) vs. SoC alone. Methods: A...

Objective: Recent reports of excessive weight gain in people living with HIV (PWH) have raised increasing concerns on the possible increase of diabetes mellitus (DM) risk in course of integrase inhibitor (INSTIs) treatment. In this study, we aimed at describing DM incidence in course of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and identifying the factors asso...

In the last years, many antiretroviral drugs (ART) have been developed with increased efficacy. Nowadays, the main reasons for treatment switches are adverse events, proactive strategy or simplification. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the reason for treatment interruption in the last 20 years. We merged data of eight cohor...

Background People with HIV (PWH) are at high risk for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). In the general population, sex differences seem to exist in frequency and severity of MAFLD, with higher prevalence of MAFLD in men, but higher incidence of liver fibrosis in women. Less is known about sex differences in MAFLD and liv...

Autoimmune-Poly-Endocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy (APECED), caused by mutations in the Autoimmune Regulator (AIRE) gene, is an autosomal recessive multi-organ autoimmunity syndrome usually defined by high serum titers of type I Interferon Autoantibodies (Type 1 IFN-Abs). These antibodies have recently been found in individuals in the...

The diagnosis may be challenging, and high suspicion index should be maintained in immunosuppressed patients with unusual mucocutaneous lesions, even in non-endemic areas for mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.

During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an increasing number of fungal infections associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported. Among them, cryptococcosis could be a life-threatening disease. We performed a Systematic Review (PRISMA Statement) of cryptococcosis and COVID-19 co-infection, case report/series were included:...

Background: Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) associated with syphilis has rarely been described in HIV-infected patients. Diagnosis can be challenging because it is not always possible to discern it from a recent infection or a worsening of an undiagnosed one. Case presentation: An HIV-positive 42-year-old man with a poor complian...

Background: Our aim was to analyze mortality attributable to carbapenem-resistant (CR) Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) in patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs). Methods: Prospective multicentric study including patients with GNB-BSI from19 Italian hospitals (June 2018-January 2020). Patients were followed-up to 30 days. Primary outcomes were 3...

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a serious challenge for physicians. The aim of the present study was to consider epidemiology and dynamics of FUO in countries with different economic development. The data of FUO patients hospitalized/followed between 1st July 2016 and 1st July 2021 were collected retrospectively and submitted from referral centers...

Background: There is a scarcity of information in literature regarding the clinical differences and comorbidities of patients affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which could clarify the different prevalence of the outcomes (composite and only death) between several Italian regions. Objective: This study aimed to assess the heterogenei...

Background The availability of molecular techniques has significantly increased our understanding of bacteria of the order Rickettsiales, allowing the identification of distinct species in both vector and host arthropods. However, the literature lacks studies that comprehensively summarize the vast amount of knowledge generated on this topic in rec...

Objectives The development of novel antiviral agents active against Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) might change the natural history of chronic infection, reducing the risk for end-stage liver disease. People living with HIV (PWH) are at risk for bloodborne pathogens infection, but limited data on epidemiology of HDV infection is available in this sett...

Introduction: Influenza is an acute respiratory infection that usually causes a short-term and self-limiting illness. However, in high-risk populations, this can lead to several complications, with an increase in mortality. Aside from the well-known extrapulmonary complications, several studies have investigated the relationship between influenza...

Background The aims of the study were to 1) evaluate the prevalence of multidrug resistant (MDR) /Extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains among hospitalized adults with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections, and 2) examine whether antimicrobial resistance in PA infections is associated with worsening functional status and higher health care resou...

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) significantly reduced Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) morbidity and mortality; nevertheless, stigma still characterises the living with this condition. This study explored patients’ coping experience by integrating narrative medicine (NM) in a non-interventional clinical trial. From June 2018 to September 2020 the st...

Granulicatella spp. are non-motile, non-sporulating, facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive cocci. Throughout the literature, these organisms have been referred to by several names, such as “nutritionally deficient streptococci”, “vitamin-B dependent streptococci” and “pyridoxal-dependent streptococci”, because of their fastidious nutritional requir...

IIntroduction: Influenza is an acute respiratory infection that usually causes a short-term and self-limiting illness. In high-risk populations, this can lead to several complications with an increase in mortality. Several studies have investigated the relationship between influenza and acute cardio and cerebrovascular events. Reviews of the thromb...

Objectives: To describe a case of Shanghai fever disease and to analyze other published reports in non-Asiatic countries, defining clinical characteristics and highlighting that this is not only an Asian disease. Study design: A computerized search without language restriction was conducted using PubMed and Scopus; all references listed were hand-s...

Background Rezafungin is a next-generation, once-a-week echinocandin in development for the treatment of candidaemia and invasive candidiasis and for the prevention of invasive fungal disease caused by Candida, Aspergillus, and Pneumocystis spp after blood and marrow transplantation. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous rezafu...

It is recommended that dentists and oral health providers practicing in the U.S., where the disease burden is highest, should be familiar with this presentation and, at the same time, careful in suspecting a lesion on the oral cavity (acute onset oral ulcers) in high-risk patients, especially if it is coupled with other manifestations such as lymph...

Background SARS-CoV-2 ongoing pandemic and heterologous immunization approaches implemented worldwide for booster doses call for diversified vaccines portfolio. We report safety and immunogenicity of GRAd-COV2, a novel gorilla adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccine, in a phase 2 trial aimed at identifying the appropriate dose and schedule. Method 917 e...

Background In persons living with HIV (PLWH), the burden of non-communicable chronic diseases increased over time, because of aging associated with chronic inflammation, systemic immune activation, and long-term exposure to the combination antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods To explore the association of chronological age, age at first ART, and...

This survey aimed to understand how far Italian Infectious Diseases (ID) specialists are confident in the U=U message and do translate this concept into clinical practice. An anonymous questionnaire collected the opinions of 286 clinicians regarding six situations potentially at risk of HIV transmission between virologically suppressed patients and...

Two teenage illegal migrants from Bangladesh coming from a Libyan port arrived at Lampedusa Island-Italy. The health authorities, having noticed the presence of pustules on the limbs and genitals, suspecting a monkeypox virus infection, have urgently transferred them to the University Hospital of Palermo. They mentioned itching and prior sexual con...