Dottorato in Fisiopatologia Medica

Contatti

Supervisore

Curriculum vitae

Tesi di dottorato

Impact of gut Microbioma on clinical management of critical patients.

Background. By the end of February 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic had maintained its severity despite diverse strategies and increased vaccination rates worldwide; Although clinical studies have revealed that adults and immunocompromised patients present with more severe disease, SARS-CoV-2 infection has also significantly impacted the pediatric population. Whilst hospitalization, ICU stays and mortality rates have also been lowered in this patient cohort, COVID-19 can cause a long-term complication, so-called Multiple Systemic Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). MIS-C is a severe inflammatory disease characterized by fever, rash, conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal symptoms and myocardial dysfunction in children/infants who have SARS-COV-2 positivity or a history of exposure approximately 4–6 weeks before the onset of symptoms. An autoimmune-mediated inflammatory process after infection, a cytokine storm initiated by a superantigen response, and a dysregulated immune response to exposure to SARS-CoV-2 viral antigens have been proposed as theories to explain its pathogenesis. Moreover, it has been shown that infections in the gastrointestinal and respiratory districts, have effects on microbiota composition.

Although the functional properties of the complex gut microbiome still remain not fully understood, it is thought that microbial composition may play a role in the development, prognosis and evolution of MIS-C after COVID-19 infection. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate gut microbiome composition in order to clarify a possible correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infection and development of MIS-C.

Objectives. Aim of this work is the analysis of Gut Microbiome in MIS-C and COVID-19 patients and the evaluation of potential differences in terms of α and β diversity, microbial richness in order to define a correlation between development of MIS-C and viral infection. The analysis will be useful to define an in-depth evaluation of this ciritical inflammatory condition.

Study design. For each enrolled children enrolled with MIS-C or COVD-19 infection, a stool samples was collected in order to evaluate the change in gut microbiome relating to disease conditionds. Cumulative results of the two subsets will be compared between them and related to patients’ clinical condition and outcome. The expected number of patients involved in the present study will be 80 in the first 20 months.

Expected results and relevance for the national health service. Results obtained from correlation of dysbiosis of MIS-C/COVID-19 patients and pathophysiological outcome should be useful to understand risk factors and predictors related to the disease development.

The overall results of this analysis could be useful to better understand the interactions between gut microbiome and clinical outcome of this inflammatory severe disease, thus allowing a better management of patients with MIS-C.

Attività di ricerca

Activity of clinical microbiology and diagnostic in the following fields:

• Bacteriology;
• Molecular biology;
• Virology;
• Parassitology;
• Mycology.

Collaboration and scientific consultancy with biomedical companies for testing and developing of diagnostic tests.

Support to molecular biology activities during COVID-19 pandemic.

Activiy of research in the following fields:

• Molecular biology;
• Sequencing;
• NGS and microbiome;
• Whole Genome Sequencing;
• Viral infections;
• High-Throughput diagnostic automated platforms.

Pubblication of research product (articles, posters, abstracts) on national and international journals and partecipation to microbiology congress and theoretical/pratical training courses.

Pubblicazioni