About the Authors

Giovanni Delogu

Affiliation Istituto di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy

Teresa Chiacchio

Affiliation Translational Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preclinical Research, L. Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI), Rome, Italy

Valentina Vanini

Affiliation Translational Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preclinical Research, L. Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI), Rome, Italy

Ornella Butera

Affiliation Translational Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preclinical Research, L. Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI), Rome, Italy

Gilda Cuzzi

Affiliation Translational Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preclinical Research, L. Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI), Rome, Italy

Alessandra Bua

Affiliation Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Paola Molicotti

Affiliation Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Stefania Zanetti

Affiliation Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Francesco Nicola Lauria

Affiliation Division of Infectious Diseases of the Respiratory Tract, Department of Clinical Research, INMI, Rome, Italy

Susanna Grisetti

Affiliation Third Division of the Clinic, Department of Clinical Research, INMI, Rome, Italy

Nicola Magnavita

Affiliation Istituto di Medicina del Lavoro, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy

Giovanni Fadda

Affiliation Istituto di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy

Enrico Girardi

Affiliation Department of Epidemiology and Preclinical Research, INMI, Rome, Italy

Delia Goletti

delia.goletti@inmi.it

Affiliation Translational Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preclinical Research, L. Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI), Rome, Italy

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: GD DG. Performed the experiments: AB PM TC VV OB. Analyzed the data: GD SZ GF TC VV GC EG DG. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: GD AB PM SZ EG DG. Wrote the paper: GD DG. Contributed to the enrollment of the patients: GC SG NM FNL DG.