Ralstonia pickettii is a low-virulence gram-negative bacillus that may be associated with infections related to health care and may cause bacteremia. Ralstonia pickettii bacteremia is uncommon but is related to the contamination of medical products, mainly in immunodepressed patients. We present two cases of patients on chronic hemodialysis with Ralstonia pickettii bacteremia linked to contamination of the dialysis water. Similar cases have been published with links to intravenous fluid administration, medication ampules, and the use of extracorporeal oxygenation membranes, among other factors. The detection of Ralstonia pickettii bacteremia should provoke suspicion and a search for contaminated medical products, fluids, and/or medications.

ObjectiveTo describe the epidemiology of acute kidney injury, its relationship to chronic kidney disease, and the factors associated with its incidence.MethodsA cohort study and follow-up were conducted in an intensive care unit in Montevideo, Uruguay. We included patients admitted between November 2014 and October 2015 who were older than 15 years of age and who had at least two measurements of serum creatinine. We excluded patients who were hospitalized for less than 48 hours, patients who died at the time of hospitalization, and patients with chronic renal disease who were on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. There were no interventions. Acute kidney injury was defined according to the criteria set forth in Acute Kidney Injury Disease: Improving Global Outcomes, and chronic kidney disease was defined according to the Chronic Kidney Disease Work Group.ResultsWe included 401 patients, 56.6% male, median age of 68 years (interquartile range (IQR) 51-79 years). The diagnosis at admission was severe sepsis 36.3%, neurocritical 16.3%, polytrauma 15.2%, and other 32.2%. The incidence of acute kidney injury was 50.1%, and 14.1% of the patients suffered from chronic kidney disease. The incidence of acute septic kidney injury was 75.3%. Mortality in patients with or without acute kidney injury was 41.8% and 14%, respectively (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the most significant variables for acute kidney injury were chronic kidney disease (odds ratio (OR) 5.39, 95%CI 2.04 - 14.29, p = 0.001), shock (OR 3.94, 95%CI 1.72 - 9.07, p = 0.001), and severe sepsis (OR 7.79, 95%CI 2.02 - 29.97, p = 0.003).ConclusionThe incidence of acute kidney injury is high mainly in septic patients. Chronic kidney disease was independently associated with the development of acute kidney injury.

Severe COVID-19 is associated with hyperinflammation and weak T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2. However, the links between those processes remain partially characterized. Moreover, whether and how therapeutically manipulating T cells may benefit patients are unknown. Our genetic and pharmacological evidence demonstrates that the ion channel TMEM176B inhibited inflammasome activation triggered by SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2–related murine β-coronavirus. Tmem176b −/− mice infected with murine β-coronavirus developed inflammasome-dependent T cell dysfunction and critical disease, which was controlled by modulating dysfunctional T cells with PD-1 blockers. In critical COVID-19, inflammasome activation correlated with dysfunctional T cells and low monocytic TMEM176B expression, whereas PD-L1 blockade rescued T cell functionality. Here, we mechanistically link T cell dysfunction and inflammation, supporting a cancer immunotherapy to reinforce T cell immunity in critical β-coronavirus disease.