Effectiveness and tolerability of dolutegravir/lamivudine in virologically suppressed people with HIV at 96 weeks in a multicentre cohort Inés Suárez‐García, Belén Alejos, Cristina Moreno, Rosa de Miguel, Teresa Aldámiz‐Echevarría, Lucio Jesús García‐Fraile, María Tasias Pitarch, Desirée Pérez Martinez, Antonio Antela, Santiago Moreno, Inma Jarrín, and HIV Medicine, 2026 Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of dolutegravir/lamivudine ( DTG / 3TC ) at 96 weeks in virologically suppressed persons with HIV , both overall and across subgroups, within CoRIS , a large multicenter cohort in Spain, in 2018–2023 Methods We included treatment‐experienced adults with HIV who were virologically suppressed (viral load <50 copies/ mL ) when switching to DTG / 3TC . We calculated the proportion maintaining viral suppression ( VS ), change in CD4 cell counts, virological failure ( VF ; two consecutive viral load ( VL) ≥50 copies/ mL or one ≥1000 copies/ mL ), and discontinuations due to adverse events ( AEs ) up to 96 weeks post‐switch. Outcomes were stratified by sex, age, region of origin, antiretroviral regimen at switch, and previous VF Results Among 2058 participants (22.5% women), 95.9% maintained VS , 2.2% experienced VF , and 2.2% discontinued due to AEs . In multivariable analysis, no significant differences in VS , VF or CD4 change were observed across most subgroups. Participants aged ≥50 years were more likely to maintain VS , had lower VF risk, and a smaller CD4 increase compared with <50 years. Prior VF was associated with lower likelihood of maintaining VS and higher VF risk. Switching from 2NRTIs + PI or 2NRTIs + INSTI increased risk of VF compared with NRTIs + NNRTI Conclusions DTG / 3TC showed high effectiveness and tolerability at 96 weeks, with consistent outcomes across most subgroups. Previous VF reduced the likelihood of sustained VS .
Development and optimization of an easy to interpret loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the identification of bacterial pathogens causing childhood pneumonia Arturo Martínez-Trejo, Andrea Vergara, Giulia Gatti, Elisabet Guiral, Jorge Otero, Alba Sánchez, Anna Rull, Olga Calavia, Andrea Papaleo, Ramón Farré, Jordi Vila Frontiers in Microbiology, 2026 Introduction Pneumonia remains the leading infectious cause of death in children under five, especially in low-resource settings. Reducing mortality requires rapid, accessible, and reliable diagnostic tools. In this regard, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique has emerged as a fast and efficient alternative for simple pathogen detection. This study aimed to standardise and optimize a LAMP assay for detecting the main bacteria causing pneumonia in children, including Streptococcus pneumoniae , Staphylococcus aureus , Haemophilus influenzae , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Mycoplasmoides pneumoniae using a simple visual readout. Methods Several fluorescent and colorimetric dyes were evaluated to identify those providing a clear readout visible to the naked eye. Once achieved, detection conditions for each pathogen in the panel were optimized, and the feasibility of the assay was assessed using respiratory clinical samples, including both confirmed positives and negatives for the bacteria targeted in the panel. Results and discussion SYBR Safe, Calcein-Mn 2+ , and SYTO 9 alone did not show a clear differentiation between positive and negative reactions. In contrast, the combination of hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) and SYTO 9 proved suitable, providing a clear visual readout to the naked eye after optimization of concentrations and reaction conditions. The selected concentrations were 341.25 μM HNB and 0.75 μM SYTO 9, which enabled clear and stable fluorescence-based visualization of LAMP results, remaining visible for several months. The technique showed low detection limits: 3.9 ×10 3 CFU/mL for S. pneumoniae , 1.7 ×10 5 CFU/mL for S. aureus , 8.2 ×10 3 CFU/mL for H. influenzae, and 1.27 ×10 3 genome copies/reaction for M. pneumoniae . Primers designed to detect K. pneumoniae had high specificity and no cross-reactivity with a sensitivity of 1.5 × 10 4 CFU/mL. Detection times over 45 – 50 min may suggest colonization instead of active infection. The evaluation of the technique using clinical samples demonstrated its potential feasibility and applicability in real-world clinical settings. Although standardized under laboratory conditions, this LAMP technique shows promise for detecting major pneumonia-causing bacteria in children and could be particularly valuable in low-resource settings. Its rapid, sensitive, and affordable nature may help improve diagnostics and reduce pneumonia-related mortality. However, larger clinical validation studies are needed to confirm its performance and real-world applicability.
Omics for searching plasma biomarkers associated with unfavorable COVID-19 progression in hypertensive patients Alba Sánchez, Graciano García-Pardo, Anna Martí, Frederic Gómez-Bertomeu, Silvia Chafino, Marta Massanella, Marina Flores-Piñas, Lídia Cedó, Francesc Vidal, Joaquim Peraire, Anna Rull Scientific Reports, 2025 Hypertension is one of the most common risk factors for COVID-19 clinical progression. The identification of plasma biomarkers for anticipating worse clinical outcomes and to better understand the shared mechanisms between hypertension and COVID-19 are needed. A hypothesis-generating study was designed to compare plasma proteomics and metabolomics between 22 hypertensives (HT) and 41 non-hypertensives (nHT) patients with the most unfavorable COVID-19 progression. A total of 43 molecules were significantly differed between HT (n = 22) and nHT (n = 41). Random Forest (RF) analysis identified myo-inositol, gelsolin and phosphatidylcholine (PC) 32:1 as the top molecules for distinguishing between HT and nHT. Plasma myo-inositol and gelsolin were higher (P = 0.03 and P = 0.02, respectively) and plasma PC 32:1 was lower (P = 0.03) in HT compared to nHT. Biological processes like stress response and blood coagulation, along with KEGG pathways including ascorbate and aldarate metabolism (P = 0.021) and linoleic acid metabolism (P = 0.028), were altered in hypertensive patients with the most unfavorable COVID-19 progression. There is a clear link between hypertension and severe COVID-19. Key biological pathways to consider for improving the prognosis and quality of life of hypertensive patients who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 include oxidative stress, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, lipid metabolism, immune system and inflammation.
Impact of the initial administration of an antiretroviral drug with latency reversal properties on the HIV reservoir size Erick De La Torre Tarazona, Elisa Moraga, Raúl Vaquer, Sonsoles Sánchez-Palomino, Elisa de Lazzari, Laura Luna, Sònia Vicens-Artés, Lucio Jesús García Fraile, Joaquim Peraire, Mercedes Garcia-Gasalla, Luz Balsalobre, Sergio Guillén Martínez, Luis Fernando López Cortés, Inma Jarrín, Sergio Serrano-Villar, José Alcamí, Santiago Moreno, , Santiago Moreno, Inma Jarrín, David Dalmau, M. Luisa Navarro, M. Isabel González, Federico Garcia, Eva Poveda, Jose Antonio Iribarren, Félix Gutiérrez, Rafael Rubio, Francesc Vidal, Juan Berenguer, Juan González, M. Ángeles Muñoz-Fernández, Inmaculada Jarrín, Cristina Moreno, Marta Rava, Rebeca Izquierdo, Cristina Marco, Teresa Gómez-García, Mª Ángeles Muñoz-Fernández, Roxana Juárez, Joaquín Portilla, Irene Portilla, Esperanza Merino, Gema García, Iván Agea, José Sánchez-Payá, Juan Carlos Rodríguez, Livia Giner, Sergio Reus, Vicente Boix, Diego Torrus, Verónica Pérez, Julia Portilla, Héctor Pinargote, María Remedios Alemán, Ana López Lirola, Dácil García, Felicitas Díaz-Flores, M. Mar Alonso, Ricardo Pelazas, María Inmaculada Hernández, Lucia Romero, Abraham Bethencourt, Daniel Rodríguez, Víctor Asensi, María Eugenia Rivas-Carmenado, Rebeca Cabo Magadan, Javier Díaz-Arias, Federico Pulido, Rafael Rubio, Otilia Bisbal, M. Asunción Hernando, David Rial, María de Lagarde, Adriana Pinto, Laura Bermejo, Mireia Santacreu, Roser Navarro, Juan Martín Torres, José Antonio Iribarren, M. José Aramburu, Xabier Camino, Miguel Ángel Goenaga, M. Jesús Bustinduy, Harkaitz Azkune, Maialen Ibarguren, Xabier Kortajarena, Ignacio Álvarez-Rodriguez, Leire Gil, Francisco Carmona-Torre, Ana Bayona Carlos, Maialen Lekuona Sanz, Félix Gutiérrez, Catalina Robledano, Mar Masiá, Sergio Padilla, Araceli Adsuar, Rafael Pascual, Marta Fernández, Antonio Galiana, José Alberto García, Xavier Barber, Javier García Abellán, Guillermo Telenti, Lucía Guillén, Ángela Botella, Paula Mascarell, Mar Carvajal, Alba de la Rica, Carolina Ding, Lidia García-Sánchez, Nuria Ena, Leandro López, Jennifer Vallejo, Nieves Gonzalo-Jiménez, Montserrat Ruiz, Christian Ledesma, Santiago López, María Espinosa, Ana Quiles, María Andreo, Juan Carlos López Bernaldo de Quirós, Isabel Gutiérrez, Juan Berenguer, Margarita Ramírez, Paloma Gijón, Teresa Aldamiz-Echevarría, Francisco Tejerina, Cristina Diez, Leire Pérez, Chiara Fanciulli, Saray Corral, Joaquín Peraire, Anna Rull, Anna Martí, Consuelo Viladés, Beatriz Villar, Lluïsa Guillem, Montserrat Olona, Graciano García-Pardo, Frederic Gómez-Bertomeu, Verónica Alba, Silvia Chafino, Alba Sánchez, Marta Montero, María Tasias, Eva Calabuig, Miguel Salavert, Juan Fernández, Rosa Blanes, Juan González-García, Ana Delgado-Hierro, José Ramón Arribas, Víctor Arribas, José Ignacio Bernardino, Carmen Busca, Joanna Cano-Smith, Julen Cadiñanos, Juan Miguel Castro, Luis Escosa, Iker Falces, Pedro Herranz, Víctor Hontañón, Alicia González-Baeza, M. Luz Martín-Carbonero, Mario Mayoral, Rafael Micán, Rosa de Miguel, Rocío Montejano, Mª Luisa Montes, Luis Ramos-Ruperto, Berta Rodés, Talía Sainz, Elena Sendagorta, Eulalia Valencia, M. del Mar Arcos, Alejandro de Gea Grela, Carlos Oñoro López, David Dalmau, Marina Martinez, Angels Jaén, Mireia Cairó, Javier Martinez-Lacasa, Roser Font, Laura Gisbert, Ignacio de los Santos, Alejandro de los Santos, Lucio García-Fraile, Enrique Martín, Ildefonso Sánchez-Cerrillo, Marta Calvet, Ana Barrios, Azucena Bautista, Carmen Sáez, Marianela Ciudad, Ángela Gutiérrez, María Aguilera García, Santiago Moreno, Santos del Campo, José Luis Casado, Fernando Dronda, Ana Moreno, M. Jesús Pérez, Sergio Serrano-Villar, Mª Jesús Vivancos, Javier Martínez-Sanz, Alejandro Vallejo, Matilde Sánchez, José Antonio Pérez-Molina, José Manuel Hermida, Erick De La Torre Tarazona, Elena Moreno, Laura Martín Pedraza, Claudio Díaz García, Jorge Díaz, Alejandro García, Raquel Ron, Enrique Bernal, Antonia Alcaraz, Joaquín Bravo, Ángeles Muñoz, Cristina Tomás, Eva Oliver, David Selva, Eva García, Román González, Elena Guijarro, Rodrigo Martínez, María Dolores Hernández, Federico García, Clara Martínez, Leopoldo Muñoz Medina, Marta Álvarez, Natalia Chueca, David Vinuesa, Adolfo de Salazar, Ana Fuentes, Emilio Guirao, Laura Viñuela, Andrés Ruiz-Sancho, Francisco Anguita, Naya Faro, José Peregrina, Lucia Chaves, Marta Illescas, Valme Sánchez, Jorge Del Romero, Montserrat Raposo, Carmen Rodríguez, Teresa Puerta, Juan Carlos Carrió, Mar Vera, Juan Ballesteros, Oskar Ayerdi, Begoña Baza, Eva Orviz, Melchor Riera, María Peñaranda, MAngels Ribas, Antoni A. Campins, Mercedes Garcia-Gazalla, Francisco J. Fanjul, Javier Murillas, Francisco Homar, Helem H. Vilchez, Luisa Martin, Antoni Payeras, Jesús Santos, María López, Cristina Gómez, Isabel Viciana, Rosario Palacios, Luis Fernando López-Cortés, Nuria Espinosa, Cristina Roca, Silvia Llaves, Juan Manuel Tiraboschi, Arkaitz Imaz, María Saumoy, Julián Olalla, Javier Pérez, Alfonso del Arco, Javier de la Torre, José Luis Prada, Onofre Juan Martínez, Lorena Martinez, Francisco Jesús Vera, Josefina García, Begoña Alcaraz, Antonio Jesús Sánchez Guirao, Álvaro Mena, Berta Pernas, Pilar Vázquez, Soledad López, Brais Castelo, Carlos Galera, Marian Fernández, Helena Albendin, Antonia Castillo, Asunción Iborra, Antonio Moreno, M. Angustias Merlos, Inmaculada Chiclano, Inés Suarez-García, Eduardo Malmierca, Patricia González-Ruano, M. Pilar Ruiz, José Francisco Pascual, Luz Balsalobre, Ángela Somodevilla, José Sanz, Alberto Arranz, Cristina Hernández, María Novella, María José Galindo, Sandra Pérez Gómez, Ana Ferrer, Antonio Rivero Román, Inma Ruíz, Antonio Rivero Juárez, Pedro López, Isabel Machuca, Mario Frias, Ángela Camacho, Ignacio Pérez, Diana Corona, Javier Manuel Caballero, Rafael Rodríguez-Rosado Martinez-Echevarría, Rafael Torres, Juan Macías Sánchez, Pilar Rincón, Luis Miguel Real, Anais Corma, Alejandro González-Serna, Eva Poveda, Alexandre Pérez, Luis Morano, Celia Miralles, Antonio Ocampo, Guillermo Pousada, María Gallego, Jacobo Alonso, Inés Martínez Scientific Reports, 2025 The elimination of the latent viral reservoir remains the main barrier in the quest for a cure for people with HIV (PWH). The administration of latency reversal agents (LRA) at antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation could improve the effectiveness of strategies aimed at HIV remission. This study assessed the impact of maraviroc (MVC), an antiretroviral drug with HIV latency reversal properties, on the viral reservoir size when it is administered at ART initiation. We conducted a longitudinal observational study in PWH initiating ART with a regimen including (MVC-initiation, n = 12) or not including MVC (non-MVC-initiation, n = 22), or switching to an MVC-containing regimen after achieving an undetectable viral load (VL) (MVC-switch, n = 9). The HIV reservoir size was determined via Alu-LTR and Intact Proviral DNA Assay (IPDA) methods, and cell-associated HIV-RNA (ca-HIV-RNA) by nested-qPCR. Comparative analyses employed mixed multivariate linear models. After a median of 90 weeks, the MVC-initiation group showed a greater reduction in integrated and IPDA-total (7.1- and 4.0-fold, respectively), but not IPDA-intact, HIV-DNA reservoir compared to the non-MVC-initiation group. The reductions in integrated, IPDA-total, and IPDA-intact HIV-DNA levels in the MVC-initiation group were also greater compared to the MVC-switch group (from 5.4 to 13.8-fold). Moreover, no significant differences in the HIV transcriptional activity, assessed by ca-HIV-RNA levels or HIV-RNA/HIV-DNA ratios, were observed between the MVC-initiation and non-MVC-initiation groups. In conclusion, starting ART with a drug with HIV latency reversing activity at detectable VL phase may contribute to a greater reduction in the HIV-DNA reservoir. These findings could inform the design of future trials targeting HIV remission via a "kick and kill" strategy.
Immunoglobulins in COVID-19 pneumonia: from the acute phase to the recovery phase Joaquim Peraire, Graciano García-Pardo, Silvia Chafino, Alba Sánchez, Maryluz Botero-Gallego, Montserrat Olona, Sonia Espineira, Laia Reverté, Vasso Skouridou, Óscar M. Peiró, Fréderic Gómez-Bertomeu, Francesc Vidal, Ciara K. O’ Sullivan, Anna Rull European Journal of Medical Research, 2024 Background COVID-19 pneumonia causes hyperinflammatory response that culminates in acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS) related to increased multiorgan dysfunction and mortality risk. Antiviral-neutralizing immunoglobulins production reflect the host humoral status and illness severity, and thus, immunoglobulin (Ig) circulating levels could be evidence of COVID-19 prognosis. Methods The relationship among circulating immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) and COVID-19 pneumonia was evaluated using clinical information and blood samples in a COVID-19 cohort composed by 320 individuals recruited during the acute phase and followed up to 4 to 8 weeks (n = 252) from the Spanish first to fourth waves. Results COVID-19 pneumonia development depended on baseline Ig concentrations. Circulating IgA levels together with clinical features at acute phase was highly associated with COVID-19 pneumonia development. IgM was positively correlated with obesity (ρb = 0.156, P = 0.020), dyslipemia (ρb = 0.140, P = 0.029), COPD (ρb = 0.133, P = 0.037), cancer (ρb = 0.173, P = 0.007) and hypertension (ρb = 0.148, P = 0.020). Ig concentrations at recovery phase were related to COVID-19 treatments. Conclusions Our results provide valuable information on the dynamics of immunoglobulins upon SARS-CoV-2 infection or other similar viruses.
Mitochondrial dysfunction, lipids metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis are key pathways for COVID-19 recovery Alba Sánchez, Graciano García-Pardo, Fréderic Gómez-Bertomeu, Miguel López-Dupla, Elisabet Foguet-Romero, Maria José Buzón, Benito Almirante, Montserrat Olona, Sonia Fernández-Veledo, Francesc Vidal, Silvia Chafino, Anna Rull, Joaquim Peraire Iscience, 2023 The metabolic alterations caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection reflect disease progression. To analyze molecules involved in these metabolic changes, a multiomics study was performed using plasma from 103 patients with different degrees of COVID-19 severity during the evolution of the infection. With the increased severity of COVID-19, changes in circulating proteomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic profiles increased. Notably, the group of severe and critical patients with high HRG and ChoE (20:3) and low alpha-ketoglutaric acid levels had a high chance of unfavorable disease evolution (AUC = 0.925). Consequently, patients with the worst prognosis presented alterations in the TCA cycle (mitochondrial dysfunction), lipid metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and coagulation. Our findings increase knowledge regarding how SARS-CoV-2 infection affects different metabolic pathways and help in understanding the future consequences of COVID-19 to identify potential therapeutic targets.
Intraoperative bacterial contamination and activity of different antimicrobial prophylaxis regimens in primary knee and hip replacement Alba Rivera, Alba Sánchez, Sonia Luque, Isabel Mur, Lluís Puig, Xavier Crusi, José Carlos González, Luisa Sorlí, Aránzazu González, Juan Pablo Horcajada, Ferran Navarro, Natividad Benito Antibiotics, 2021 Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) is important for the prevention of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and must be effective against the microorganisms most likely to contaminate the surgical site. Our aim was to compare different SAP regimens (cefazolin, cefuroxime, or vancomycin, alone or combined with gentamicin) in patients undergoing total knee (TKA) and hip (THA) arthroplasty. In this preclinical exploratory analysis, we analyzed the results of intraoperative sample cultures, the ratio of plasma antibiotic levels to the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for bacteria isolated at the surgical wound and ATCC strains, and serum bactericidal titers (SBT) against the same microorganisms. A total of 132 surgical procedures (68 TKA, 64 THA) in 128 patients were included. Cultures were positive in 57 (43.2%) procedures (mostly for coagulase-negative staphylococci and Cutibacterium spp.); the rate was lower in the group of patients receiving combination SAP (adjusted OR 0.475, CI95% 0.229–0.987). The SAP regimens evaluated achieved plasma levels above the MICs in almost all of intraoperative isolates (93/94, 98.9%) and showed bactericidal activity against all of them (SBT range 1:8–1:1024), although SBTs were higher in patients receiving cefazolin and gentamicin-containing regimens. The potential clinical relevance of these findings in the prevention of PJIs remains to be determined.
