{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,20]],"date-time":"2026-05-20T10:07:27Z","timestamp":1779271647690,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777507200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Percutaneous cable infection of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients is a significant source of morbidity, often caused by biofilm-producing or multidrug-resistant bacteria. We hypothesized that bacteriophage viruses can be identified from biological samples of patients with active driveline infection. Six patients with local percutaneous lead infections were enrolled. Microbiological samples were collected from the infected wound and other skin regions. The isolated viral strains and phages from wastewater samples were then tested against the pathogen bacterial cultures in vitro. Biofilm disruption assay and genetic analysis of the strains were also performed. Bacteriophages with lytic activity could be identified from samples of two patients. One patient contained four strains showing strong efficacy against his own Staphylococcus epidermidis. Furthermore, this bacterium was susceptible to phages identified from another patient and strains from wastewater samples. Genomic analysis suggested lysogenic lifestyle of the phages. However, none of them have shown any microbiological signs of lysogeny. In conclusion, we have been able to prove in vitro lytic activity of bacteriophages originating from the same LVAD patient. We also found effective phages in biological samples of other patients and wastewater samples, suggesting that patients implanted in the same center may share bacteriophage flora.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18050526","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T14:35:53Z","timestamp":1777559753000},"page":"526","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Isolation of Bacteriophages with Lytic Activity from Biological Samples of Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients: An In Vitro Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6829-0548","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Balazs","family":"Sax","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adam","family":"Koppanyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Katalin","family":"Kristof","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0717-3663","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Akos","family":"Kiraly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gyula","family":"Prinz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Istvan","family":"Hartyanszky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0826-4700","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gergely Gyorgy","family":"Nagy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen County Central Hospital and University Teaching Hospital, 3526 Miskolc, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Istvan","family":"Nemet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fluart Innovative Vaccines Ltd., 2097 Pilisborosjeno, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fanni","family":"Temesvari-Kis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fluart Innovative Vaccines Ltd., 2097 Pilisborosjeno, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3161-4518","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Balazs","family":"Kiss","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fluart Innovative Vaccines Ltd., 2097 Pilisborosjeno, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bela","family":"Merkely","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"287","DOI":"10.1097\/MAT.0000000000000684","article-title":"Left Ventricular Assist Device Infections: A Systematic Review","volume":"64","author":"Stulak","year":"2018","journal-title":"ASAIO J."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1137","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healun.2017.06.007","article-title":"An ISHLT consensus document for prevention and management strategies for mechanical circulatory support infection","volume":"36","author":"Kusne","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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