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Prognostic value of left ventricular global constructive work in patients with cardiac amyloidosis Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Jolien Geers, Maria-Luiza Luchian, Andreea-Iulia Motoc, Jari De Winter, Bram Roosens, Maria Bjerke, Ann Van Eeckhaut, Mandy Melissa Jane Wittens, Simke Demeester, Ramses Forsyth, et al.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) and global constructive work (GCW) as prognostic variables in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA).

METHODS: CA patients were retrospectively identified between 2015 and 2021 at a tertiary care hospital. Comprehensive clinical, biochemical, and imaging evaluation including two-dimensional ...

Surfing the Waves: Differences in Hospitalised COVID-19 Patients across 4 Variant Waves in a Belgian University Hospital Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Lucie Seyler, Els Van Nedervelde, Diederik De Cock, Claudia Mann, Karen Pien, Sabine Allard, Thomas Demuyser
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic took the form of successive variant waves, spreading across the globe. We wanted to investigate any shift in hospitalised patients’ profiles throughout the pandemic. For this study, we used a registry that collected data automatically from electronic patient health records. We compared clinical data and severity scores, using the National Institute of Health (NIH) severity scores, from all patients admitted ...

Genotypic resistance determined by whole genome sequencing versus phenotypic resistance in 234 Escherichia coli isolates Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Robin Vanstokstraeten, Denis Pierard, Florence Crombé, Deborah De Geyter, Ingrid Wybo, Astrid Muyldermans, Lucie Seyler, Ben Caljon, Toon Janssen, Thomas Demuyser, et al.

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) enables detailed characterization of bacteria at single nucleotide resolution. It provides data about acquired resistance genes and mutations leading to resistance. Although WGS is becoming an essential tool to predict resistance patterns accurately, comparing genotype to phenotype with WGS is still in its infancy. Additional data and validation are needed. In this retrospective study, we analysed 234 E. coli ...

Molecular characterization of extraintestinal and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli blood isolates Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Robin Vanstokstraeten, Florence Crombé, Denis Pierard, Angela Castillo Moral, Ingrid Wybo, Deborah De Geyter, Toon Janssen, Ben Caljon, Thomas Demuyser

Pathogenic E. coli strains can be classified into two major groups, based on the presence of specific virulence factors: extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) and diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC). Several case reports describe that DEC can cause bloodstream infections in some rare cases. This mainly concerns a few specific sequence types that express virulence factors from both ExPEC and DEC. In this study, we retrospectively analysed 234 E. ...

Genetic profiling of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells after in vitro expansion in clinical grade human platelet lysate Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Ann De Becker, Robbe Heestermans, Wouter De Brouwer, Ken Maes, Ivan Van Riet

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are non-hematopoietic cells that have a broad therapeutic potential. To obtain sufficient cells for clinical application, they must be expanded ex vivo. In the initial expansion protocols described, fetal calf serum (FCS) was used as the reference growth supplement, but more recently different groups started to replace FCS with platelet lysate (PL). We investigated in this study the impact of the culture ...

Liquid Biopsy-Derived DNA Sources as Tools for Comprehensive Mutation Profiling in Multiple Myeloma: A Comparative Study Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Robbe Heestermans, Wouter De Brouwer, Ken Maes, Isabelle Vande Broek, Freya Vaeyens, Catharina Olsen, Ben Caljon, Ann De Becker, M.H.C. Bakkus, Rik, et al.

The analysis of bone marrow (BM) samples in multiple myeloma (MM) patients can lead to the underestimation of the genetic heterogeneity within the tumor. Blood-derived liquid biopsies may provide a more comprehensive approach to genetic characterization. However, no thorough comparison between the currently available circulating biomarkers as tools for mutation profiling in MM has been published yet and the use of extracellular ...

Healthcare-Associated COVID-19 across Five Pandemic Waves Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Thomas Demuyser, Lucie Seyler, Oriane Soetens, Ben Caljon, Joost Boeckmans, Robin Vanstokstraeten, Helena Martini, Florence Crombé, Denis Pierard, Sabine Allard, et al.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 infections need to be explored further. Our study is an analysis of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and ambulatory healthcare workers (aHCWs) with SARS-CoV-2 across the pandemic in a Belgian university hospital.

METHODS: We compared HAIs with community-associated infections (CAIs) to identify the factors associated with having an HAI. We then performed a genomic cluster analysis of HAIs ...

Culturomics to investigate the Endometrial Microbiome: Proof-of-Concept Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Robin Vanstokstraeten, Shari Mackens, Ellen Callewaert, Susanne Blotwijk, Kristof Emmerechts, Florence Crombé, Oriane Soetens, Ingrid Wybo, Kristof Vandoorslaer, Laurence Evelyne Mostert, et al.
Abstract: The microbiome of the reproductive tract has been associated with (sub)fertility and it has been suggested that dysbiosis reduces success rates and pregnancy outcomes. The endome-trial microbiome is of particular interest given the potential impact on the embryo implanta-tion. To date, all endometrial microbiome studies have applied a metagenomics approach. A se-quencing-based technique, however, has its limitations, more specifically ...

Healthcare-Associated SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection after 3 Months with a Phylogenetically Distinct Omicron Variant Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Anke Stoefs, Dimitri Stylemans, Oriane Soetens, Florence Crombé, Ellen Vancutsem, Hideo Imamura, Ingrid Wybo, Deborah De Geyter, Denis Pierard, Astrid Muyldermans, et al.

This case report describes a 60-year-old female patient suffering from systemic sclerosis, for which she received immunomodulatory drugs. Her first SARS-CoV-2-positive nasopharyngeal sample was obtained in the emergency department, on 31 January 2022. Whole genome sequencing confirmed infection with Omicron BA.1.1. Her hospital stay was long and punctuated by many complications, including admission to the intensive care unit. At the beginning ...

Validation of the Colibrí Instrument for Automated Preparation of MALDI-TOF MS Targets for Yeast Identification Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Robbe Heestermans, Pauline Herroelen, Kristof Emmerechts, Kristof Vandoorslaer, Deborah De Geyter, Thomas Demuyser, Ingrid Wybo, Denis Pierard, Astrid Muyldermans
Recently, Copan (Italy) introduced the Colibrí instrument for automated colony picking and preparation of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI-TOF) target plates. Our study aimed to validate this system for yeasts as such testing has not been performed yet and is a missing link needed to implement the system for routine use. Fifty-five Candida strains were selected to evaluate the accuracy of Colibrí. For each ...