Chronic tonsillitis (CT) is a global health issue which can impair patient’s quality of life and has an important socioeconomic impact due to the nonrational use of antibiotics, increased antimicrobial resistance and frequent need for surgical treatment. In order to isolate and identify the causing agents of CT, a total of 79 postoperative palatine and adenoid tissue samples were obtained from the ENT Clinic, KBC Zvezdara, Belgrade, Serbia. Culture identification was performed by MALDI-TOF MS and the Staphylococcus aureus isolates were tested for biofilm forming capability and antibiotic susceptibility. Additionally, a histological examination of palatine and adenoid tissue was performed in order to detect the presence of CT-causing bacteria. The slight majority of participants were females with median age of 28 years for adult patients (group I) and 6 years for children (group II). Analysis of the incidence of bacteria isolated from tissue samples in both groups showed the highest prevalence of S. aureus, Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus parasanquinis. In addition to interfollicular hyperplasia, colonies of species S. aureus were detected in histological material. The presence of biofilm might be the reason for the recurrence of infection. Therefore, searching for a new treatment of CT is of great importance.

Four heteroaromatic compounds bearing nitrate esters were selected using a virtual-screening procedure as putative sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) Candida albicans inhibitors. Compounds were examined for their inhibition on C. albicans growth and biofilm formation as well as for their toxicity. NMR spectroscopy studies, in silico docking, and molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate further the selectivity of these compounds to fungal CYP51. All compounds exhibited good antimicrobial properties, indicated with low minimal inhibitory concentrations and ability to inhibit formation of fungal biofilm. Moreover, all of the compounds had the ability to inhibit growth of C. albicans cells. N-(2-Nitrooxyethyl)-1Η-indole-2-carboxamide was the only compound with selectivity on C. albicans CYP51 that did not exhibit cytotoxic effect on cells isolated from liver and should be further investigated for selective application in new leads for the treatment of candidiasis.

: Infections of the upper respiratory tract include inflammations of the nose, sinuses (sinusitis), pharynx (tonsillitis, pharyngitis) and larynx (laryngitis) with bacteria or viruses as the main cause of these conditions. Due to their repetitive nature, chronic respiratory infections represent a global problem which is often a result of an improper treatment. If not treated adequately, these conditions may have serious consequences. On the other hand, mis – and overuse of antibiotics has reduced their efficiency and accelerated the development of resistant bacterial strains, which further complicates the treatment of infections. This literature review will focus on current knowledge regarding medicinal plants and mushrooms which have been traditionally used in treatment of infections caused by chronic sinusitis and tonsillitis commonly linked bacteria – Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. The present literature overview might be considered as a starting point for the development of novel, natural antimicrobial products with potential practical use in the treatment of chronic tonsillitis and sinusitis.

Introduction/Aim. The infectious condition named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was caused by coronavirus2 (SARS-Cov-2). Patients with COVID-19 disease may have symptoms which can range from mild to severe clinical condition. The aim of this study was to observe and analyze the presence of otorhinolaryngology symptoms in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease. Methods. The descriptive clinical study analyzed data from medical records in 230 hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia at Zvezdara University Medical Center, Belgrade, Serbia. Otorhinolaryngology symptoms as well as generalized COVID-19 related symptoms were analyzed from medical records during the year 2021. SARS-CoV-2 virus infection was previously confirmed in all patients with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and/or rapid antigen (Ag) test. Results. The mean age of 230 patients included in this study was 64 years. The most common general symptoms were cough 72%, fever 52%, dyspnea 46%, malaise 46% while to lesser extent were observed myalgia 19%, vomitus 3% and diarrhea 3%. The distribution of otorhinolaryngological symptoms showed that the most frequent symptom was anosmia 22%, while the throat pain was present in 20% and ageusia in 19% of patients. The otorhinolaryngological symptoms which were present in lower frequencies were headache in16% of patients, tinnitus in 6%, vertigo in 5%, and hearing loss in 3% of patients. Comorbidities were observed more often in patients older than 50 years. Hypertension was the most common chronic disease in 60%, followed by diabetes in 23%, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 7%, malignancy in 7%, hypothyroidism in 6%, and renal disease in 4% of patients. Conclusion. Otorhinolaryngological conditions that should be the subject of further post COVID survey are prolonged anosmia, ageusia or hypogeusia, auditory dysfunction and vertiginous complaints.