Lemonia Skoura

AHEPA University Hospital

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

H-Index

i-10 index

Research Trends

Author Order

Document Type

Co-Authors

Efthymia Protonotariou

AHEPA University Hospital

Georgios Meletis

AHEPA University Hospital

Symeon Metallidis

AHEPA University Hospital

Areti Tychala

AHEPA University Hospital

ΟT

Οlga Tsachouridou

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Paraskevi Mantzana

AHEPA University Hospital

Dimitrios Pilalas

AHEPA University Hospital

Pantelis Zebekakis

AHEPA University Hospital

Dimitrios Chatzidimitriou

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Spyros Pournaras

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Cooperative Institutions

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

366

AHEPA University Hospital

244

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

122

Hippocration General Hospital

Ippokrateio General Hospital of Thessaloniki

University General Hospital Attikon

G. Papanikolaou General Hospital

Papageorgiou General Hospital

University of Crete

University of Thessaly

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

H-Index

i-10 index

Research Field

The Micronaut–AM antifungal susceptibility testing method does not overestimate amphotericin B resistance in Candida auris

Microbiology Spectrum (2024)

Paraskevi Mantzana Efthymia Protonotariou Georgios Meletis Areti Tychala Lemonia Skoura

Candida auris

10.1128/spectrum.00490-24

Cite

Citations (1)

In Vitro Synergistic Activity of Antimicrobial Combinations against Carbapenem- and Colistin-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae

Antibiotics (2023)

Paraskevi Mantzana Efthymia Protonotariou Angeliki Kassomenaki Georgios Meletis Areti Tychala

Polymyxins are commonly used as the last resort for the treatment of MDR Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae nosocomial infections; however, apart from the already known toxicity issues, resistance to these agents is emerging. In the present study, we assessed the in vitro synergistic activity of antimicrobial combinations against carbapenem-resistant and colistin-resistant A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae in an effort to provide more options for their treatment. Two hundred A. baumannii and one hundred and six K. pneumoniae single clinical isolates with resistance to carbapenems and colistin, recovered between 1 January 2021 and 31 July 2022,were included. A. baumannii were tested by the MIC test strip fixed-ratio method for combinations of colistin with either meropenem or rifampicin or daptomycin. K. pneumoniae were tested for the combinations of colistin with meropenem and ceftazidime/avibactam with aztreonam. Synergy was observed at: 98.99% for colistin and meropenem against A. baumannii; 91.52% for colistin and rifampicin; and 100% for colistin and daptomycin. Synergy was also observed at: 73.56% for colistin and meropenem against K. pneumoniae and; and 93% for ceftazidime/avibactam with aztreonam. The tested antimicrobial combinations presented high synergy rates, rendering them valuable options against A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae infections.

Colistin

Acinetobacter baumannii

Aztreonam

Carbapenem

10.3390/antibiotics12010093

Cite

Citations (17)

Antibody response after two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine among healthcare workers of a Greek Covid 19 referral hospital: A prospective cohort study

Heliyon (2022)

Areti Tychala Eleni Sidiropoulou Sofia Dionysopoulou Ioanna Gkeka Georgios Meletis

The global vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 has highlighted the need of assessing vaccines' immunogenicity against COVID-19. To evaluate humoral immunity induced by the BNT162b2 vaccine, we enrolled health care workers at AHEPA University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece to measure Anti-S SARS-CoV-2, anti-RBD SARS-CoV-2 and neutralizing antibodies. A total of 955 individuals with a median age of 50 years, were included in the study. Median values of antibodies were 1947.27 BAU/mL (Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant), 2064.98 BAU/mL (MAGLUMI SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD IgG) and 2464.63 IU/mL (MAGLUMI SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies). Individuals previously infected had greater antibody responses than infection naive ones and a 7-fold higher neutralizing antibodies titre. Antibodies degreased by age but not sex. Spearman's correlation coefficient among the three assays ranged from 0.903 to 0.969. The BNT162b2 vaccine was highly immunogenic in our cohort. Further research is needed to evaluate the vaccine's immunogenicity through time as well as in different populations.

10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09438

Cite

Citations (2)

Evaluation of a 10color protocol as part of a 2tube screening panel for flow cytometric assessment of peripheral blood leukocytic subsets

Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation (2019)

Evdoxia Gounari Vasiliki Tsavdaridou Aliki Ioakeimidou Anna‐Bettina Haidich Lemonia Skoura

Peripheral blood (PB) immunophenotyping is commonly required for initial evaluation of various suspected disease entities. Several approaches have been proposed. The objective of this work is to explore the value of a 10color protocol developed in our laboratory for flow cytometric assessment of PB leukocytic subsets, as part of a 2tube screening panel. A combination of CD16/CD56/CD34/CD33/CD19/CD4/CD8/CD3/CD20/CD45 antibodies in 1 tube was applied routinely during flow cytometric analysis of PB samples for diagnostic purposes. The protocol was systematically complemented by a 2nd tube with anti-kappa, anti-lambda, CD5, CD19, and CD45 antibodies for adults and selected pediatric patients, and specifically oriented panels when necessary. 25 samples with no detectable neoplastic PB involvement and 31 samples with a hematolymphoid disorder were investigated retrospectively. The contribution of CD33 in the separation of leukocytic populations, as well as the benefits from the simultaneous assessment of CD20/CD19/CD45, CD16/CD56 and the detection of CD34+ cells were examined. The gating strategy with the use of CD33 provided additional information in certain cases. The protocol enabled recognition of differential expression of CD20 and CD45 in CD19+ cells with chronic lymphocytic leukemia phenotype, overall evaluation of NK and NK like T cells, estimation of CD16- granulocytes and CD56/CD16 expression in monocytes, as well as identification of minor cell subsets, such as CD34+ cells. The proposed 10color combination of antibodies analyzed in a standardized manner can offer significant information in the initial evaluation of PB samples, thus, guiding subsequent investigation if needed.

10.1080/00365513.2019.1661007

Cite

Citations (0)

Prognostic Implications of Clinical, Laboratory and Echocardiographic Biomarkers in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction—Rationale and Design of the ‘‘CLEAR-AMI Study’’

Journal of Clinical Medicine (2023)

Stylianos Daios Vasileios Anastasiou Dimitrios V. Moysidis Matthaios Didagelos Αndreas S. Papazoglou

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a major cause of death worldwide. Survivors of AMI are particularly at high risk for additional cardiovascular events. Consequently, a comprehensive approach to secondary prevention is necessary to mitigate the occurrence of downstream complications. This may be achieved through a multiparametric tailored risk stratification by incorporating clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic parameters.The ''CLEAR-AMI Study'' (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05791916) is a non-interventional, prospective study including consecutive patients with AMI without a known history of coronary artery disease. All patients satisfying these inclusion criteria are enrolled in the present study. The rationale of this study is to refine risk stratification by using clinical, laboratory and novel echocardiographic biomarkers. All the patients undergo a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic assessment, including strain and myocardial work analysis of the left and right heart chambers, within 48 h of admission after coronary angiography. Their laboratory profile focusing on systemic inflammation is captured during the first 24 h upon admission, and their demographic characteristics, past medical history, and therapeutic management are recorded. The angioplasty details are documented, the non-culprit coronary lesions are archived, and the SYNTAX score is employed to evaluate the complexity of coronary artery disease. A 24-month follow-up period will be recorded for all patients recruited.The ''CLEAR-AMI" study is an ongoing prospective registry endeavoring to refine risk assessment in patients with AMI without a known history of coronary artery disease, by incorporating echocardiographic parameters, biochemical indices, and clinical and coronary characteristics in the acute phase of AMI.

Interventional cardiology

10.3390/jcm12175726

Cite

Citations (1)

Outpatient management after hospitalisation for acute decompensation of cirrhosis: A practical guide

World Journal of Hepatology (2024)

Άδωνις Πρωτοπαπάς Alexandra Tsankof Ioanna Papagiouvanni Georgia Kaiafa Lemonia Skoura

Acute decompensation in cirrhotic patients signifies the onset of clinically evident events due to portal hypertension. The transition from compensated to decompensated cirrhosis involves hemodynamic changes leading to multiorgan dysfunction, managed predominantly in outpatient settings with regular monitoring. The mortality risk is elevated in decompensated patients. Therefore, diligent outpatient management should focus on regular medical follow-ups, medication adjustments, patient education, addressing emergent issues and evaluation for liver transplantation. The ultimate goal is to improve quality of life, prevent disease progression, reduce complications, and assess possible recompensation. This guide provides valuable recommendations for medical experts managing decompensated cirrhotic patients post-hospitalization.

Decompensation

Liver disease

10.4254/wjh.v16.i12.1377

Cite

Citations (0)

Mortality Due to Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteremia in an Endemic Region: No Better Than a Toss of a Coin

Microorganisms (2023)

Οlga Tsachouridou Dimitrios Pilalas Sideris Nanoudis A. Antoniou Isidora Bakaimi

The incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bloodstream infections (BSIs) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Little evidence exists regarding the epidemiology of BSIs and the use of appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy in endemic regions. Novel diagnostic tests (RDTs) may facilitate and improve patient management. Data were assessed from patients with MDR Gram-negative bacteremia at a university tertiary hospital over a 12-month period. In total, 157 episodes of MDR Gram-negative BSI were included in the study. The overall mortality rate was 50.3%. Rapid molecular diagnostic tests were used in 94% of BSI episodes. In univariate analysis, age (OR 1.05 (95% CI 1.03, 1.08) p < 0.001), Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 1.51 (95% CI 1.25, 1.83) p < 0.001), procalcitonin ≥ 1(OR 3.67 (CI 95% 1.73, 7.79) p < 0.001), and monotherapy with tigecycline (OR 3.64 (95% CI 1.13, 11.73) p = 0.030) were the only factors associated with increased overall mortality. Surprisingly, time to appropriate antimicrobial treatment had no impact on mortality. MDR pathogen isolation, other than Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumanii, was associated with decreased mortality (OR 0.35 (95% CI 0.16, 0.79) p = 0.011). In multivariate analysis, the only significant factor for mortality was procalcitonin ≥ 1 (OR 2.84 (95% CI 1.13, 7.11) p = 0.025). In conclusion, in an endemic area, mortality rates in MDR BSI remain notable. High procalcitonin was the only variable that predicted death. The use of rapid diagnostics did not improve mortality rate.

Procalcitonin

Tigecycline

Bacteremia

Univariate analysis

10.3390/microorganisms11071711

Cite

Citations (5)

Hospital outbreak due to a Klebsiella pneumoniae ST147 clonal strain co-producing KPC-2 and VIM-1 carbapenemases in a tertiary teaching hospital in Northern Greece

International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (2018)

Efthymia Protonotariou Aggeliki Poulou Lida Politi I Sgouropoulos Symeon Metallidis

Multilocus sequence typing

10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2018.04.004

Cite

Citations (41)

Predominance of international clone 2 OXA-23-producing- Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates in Greece, 2015: results of a nationwide study

International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (2017)

Spyros Pournaras Konstantina Dafopoulou Mariateresa Del Franco Olympia Zarkotou Evangelia Dimitroulia

Multilocus sequence typing

Acinetobacter baumannii

Tigecycline

Colistin

Broth microdilution

Sulfamethoxazole

10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2017.01.028

Cite

Citations (66)

Evaluation of the Advanta Dx SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Assay, a High-Throughput Extraction-Free Diagnostic Test for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Saliva: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study

Diagnostics (2021)

Sofia Balaska Dimitrios Pilalas Anna Takardaki Paraskevoula Koutra Eleftheria Parasidou

Nasopharyngeal swab specimen (NPS) molecular testing is considered the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection. However, saliva is an attractive, noninvasive specimen alternative. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Advanta Dx SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR saliva-based assay against paired NPS tested with either NeumoDxTM SARS-CoV-2 assay or Abbott Real Time SARS-CoV-2 assay as the reference method. We prospectively evaluated the method in two settings: a diagnostic outpatient and a healthcare worker screening convenience sample, collected in November-December 2020. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 27.7% (61/220) of diagnostic samples and in 5% (10/200) of screening samples. Overall, saliva test in diagnostic samples had a sensitivity of 88.5% (77.8-95.3%) and specificity of 98.1% (94.6-99.6%); in screening samples, the sensitivity was 90% (55.5-99.7%) and specificity 100% (98.1-100%). Our data suggests that the Fluidigm Advanta Dx RT-PCR saliva-based assay may be a reliable diagnostic tool for COVID-19 diagnosis in symptomatic individuals and screening asymptomatic healthcare workers.

Gold standard (test)

Roche Diagnostics

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

10.3390/diagnostics11101766

Cite

Citations (7)