Bacterial Origin Research Articles

Reactive arthritis

Reactive arthritis (ReA) is adisease caused by an extra-articular infection that manifests as asterile joint inflammation. In contrast to bacterial septic arthritis no pathogens can be cultured from the joint in ReA but pathogen components, such as antigens or DNA are more frequently detectable in the joint, suggesting an intra-articular culture-negative persistent infection or at least an intra-articular interaction between the host and pathogen components. The primary extra-articular infection in classical ReA is of bacterial origin and usually affects either the urogenital, gastrointestinal or, less frequently, the respiratory tract. Chlamydia (C.trachomatis and less frequently C.pneumoniae) and enterobacteria are among the most common pathogens causing ReA. The prevalence of ReA is estimated at 40/100,000 and the incidence at 5/100,000. Typical clinical manifestations are mostly self-limiting peripheral arthritis (monoarticular or oligoarticular), dactylitis and, more rarely, axial involvement and in half of the cases, there is an association with HLA-B27. Due to these similarities, classical ReA is categorized as aform of spondyloarthritis (SpA). The diagnosis is made on the basis of atypical clinical picture, evidence of aprevious or persistent infection and the exclusion of other causes of arthritis. Treatment includes physical measures, the use of anti-inflammatory agents such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) or glucocorticoids, in the case of persistent arthritis, immunomodulating substances such as sulphasalazine, methotrexate and in individual cases biologics and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) are used. In general, antibiotic treatment of ReA does not shorten the duration of the disease.

Community Pharmacists’ Knowledge in Managing Minor Ailments: A Focus on Childhood Gastroenteritis in Saudi Arabia Using a Simulated Patient Approach

Background: Community pharmacists are frequently approached by patients seeking health advice for minor ailments, particularly for common childhood diseases like diarrhea. Globally, approximately two million children under five years of age die each year due to diarrhea, which remains a significant health concern, especially in developing countries. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the skills of community pharmacists in addressing and prescribing for simple viral diarrhea in children. Methods: A hundred community pharmacies were visited by simulated clients following a standard scenario of inquiring about simple childhood diarrhea. Subsequently, they filled out a standardized form after each visit to assess the skills of the community pharmacists. Results: It was found that 98% of the pharmacists were males. Approximately 80% of them inquired about the child’s age, while only 29% asked about the presence of fever. Around 2–6% of them only asked about the stool nature, child’s feeding behavior, and family symptoms. Around 10% of them suggested a potential bacterial origin, and 24% recommended the use of antibiotics. Only 43% of the community pharmacists suggested the use of oral rehydration solution, while 15–56% recommended using antidiarrheals, anti-emetics, and spasmolytics. The mean knowledge score of the pharmacists was 9.06 out of 17. Conclusions: The results indicated a relatively low level of knowledge about managing simple viral childhood diarrhea, which may reflect a similar level of knowledge about dealing with minor ailments in general.

Molecular Identification of Etiological Agents in Fungal and Bacterial Skin Infections: United States, 2020-2024.

Background/Objectives: Cutaneous infections of fungal and bacterial origins are common. An accurate diagnosis-especially concerning pathogens that are difficult to isolate on culture-can be achieved using molecular methods (PCR) with a short turnaround time. Methods: We reviewed records of skin specimens (superficial scrapings) submitted by dermatologists across the United States with a clinically suspected dermatitis. As per physician's order, specimens were tested for infections either fungal (N = 4262) or bacterial (N = 1707) in origin. All unique specimens (one per patient) were subjected to real-time PCR assays where cases suspected of a fungal etiology were tested for dermatophytes, Malassezia and Candida, and cases suspected of a bacterial etiology were tested for Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and the mecA gene potentially conferring β-lactam resistance. Results: Fungal agents were detected in 32.8% (SD: 4.5) of the submitted specimens, with most attributed to dermatophytes (19.3% (SD: 4.9)), followed by Malassezia (8.7% (SD: 2.8)) and Candida (2.9% (SD: 1.0)). Dermatophyte detection was more common in the elderly (≥65 years) compared to young adults (18-44 years) (OR: 1.8 (95% CI: 1.5, 2.2)), whereas Malassezia was more commonly detected in younger age groups (12.1-13.6%) than the elderly (5.6%). Candida was more frequently observed in females while dermatophytes and Malassezia were more frequently observed in males. Approximately one quarter of the submitted skin specimens tested positive for S. aureus (23.6% (SD: 3.4)), of which 34.4% (SD: 9.8) exhibited concurrent detection of the mecA gene. An S. aureus detection was more frequently observed in males (OR: 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2, 1.9)) and in children (OR: 1.7 (95% CI: 1.2, 2.5)). Streptococcus pyogenes was rarely detected. Among specimens positive for dermatophytes, 12.0% (20/166) showed co-detection of S. aureus and mecA, which is in contrast to 6.8% (70/1023) detected in samples without a fungal co-detection and 6.2% (8/130) in samples positive for Malassezia. Conclusions: PCR testing, when available, can be valuable as a part of routine care for diagnosing patients with clinically suspected skin infections. Further studies are warranted to survey the prevalence of resistant S. aureus isolates in dermatology outpatients, in particular with regard to the association with dermatophyte infections.

Proteomic Insights Into Gingival Crevicular Extracellular Vesicles in Periodontitis and Gestational Diabetes: An Exploratory Study.

To characterize the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) and explore their proteomic cargo in healthy pregnant women compared to those with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and periodontitis. One-hundred and four pregnant women were recruited at 24-30 gestation weeks. GDM was diagnosed by an oral glucose tolerance test. GCF and plasma samples were obtained to isolate EVs and characterized by nanoparticle tracking, immunoassays, electron microscopy and mass spectrometry. Of the recruits,17.3% women were healthy, 50% had periodontitis and 32.7% had both GDM and periodontitis. Probing depth, clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing were more severe in GDM and periodontitis pregnancies (p < 0.0001). Additionally, this group showed an increase concentration of total, small and large GCF-EVs (p = 0.0015, p = 0.0011 and p = 0.0008, respectively), with decreased expression of CD9, CD81 and CD81/CD63 ratio (p = 0.0461, p = 0.0164 and p = 0.0005, respectively). No differences were observed in plasmatic EVs concentration or markers expression. Proteomic analysis of GCF-EVs showed peptides of both host and bacterial origin. Gene ontology analysis revealed that proteins of GCF-EVs participate in immune inflammatory responses, glucose metabolism and insulin response mechanisms. GCF-EVs were increased in both GDM and periodontitis, and their proteomic cargo suggest their involvement in immune inflammatory response, glucose metabolism and insulin pathways during pregnancy.

Barriers and Strategies for Rotavirus and Cholera Vaccine Uptake: A Systematic Review of Community-based Interventions in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan

Background: Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children and poses a major threat to public health. It is mainly caused by pathogenic organisms of viral, bacterial, or fungal origin, two of which has been preventable via vaccination and has been identified as rotavirus and cholera. In 2020, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh were among the top 10 South Asian countries with the highest mortality rates from childhood diarrhea. India and Pakistan are further listed by the WHO among the top five countries with the highest recorded mortality among children under five years old. Bangladesh has experienced the highest number of cholera epidemics. Vaccination is recommended as a potent preventive approach against rotavirus and cholera induced diarrhea and is considered the most cost-effective prevention method. However, despite their proven effectiveness, other factors appear to affect the impact of vaccination strategies in these countries. Therefore, this study aimed to explore these nonclinical factors. Methods: This study was conducted as a systematic review which involved the systematic search and selection of qualitative data from primary studies concerning the research topic which was developed using the SPIDER framework. The PRISMA tool was used to carry out this process, and the CASP was used to evaluate the methodological quality of each study. The combined data were then harmonized using meta-synthesis and analyzed thematically. Findings: Four themes emerged from the analysis of the study data: pre-vaccination strategy experience, post-vaccination strategy impact, opportunities for vaccination strategies, and threats to successful implementation of vaccination strategies. This formed the basis of the study discussion and expounded on the impact of vaccine strategies in the selected countries. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that providing the participants with correct information, vaccine education, willingness to learn despite poor knowledge, and access to vaccination are important solutions to the factors that surround the uptake and coverage of cholera and rotavirus vaccines in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan as critical influencers of the prevalence of childhood diarrhea induced by rotavirus and cholera pathogens, respectively.

Rapidly Developing and Elusive Rhino-Orbital-Cerebral Mucormycosis

Purpose: To report a case of rapidly progressing rhino-orbital cerebral mucormycosis that was particularly difficult to diagnose, initially presenting as orbital apex syndrome. Major findings: In this case, a 59-year-old male patient with uncontrolled diabetes presented with a history of facial pain with no ocular involvement. Within 1 day of hospitalization, the patient developed complete ophthalmoplegia and total visual impairment of the right eye. Over the course of 2 hospital stays, several biopsies resulted in no significant histopathological findings, and several cultures resulted in growth of only a single colony of rhizopus mucor from the sinonasal mucosa. Given the high clinical suspicion of an invasive fungal infection, a universal PCR test was performed from a rapidly developing abscess in the frontal lobe and confirmed a diagnosis of mucormycosis. Conclusions: Orbital apex syndrome is a significant diagnosis that can be caused by a variety of factors, including those of fungal, bacterial, neoplastic, or inflammatory origin. Fungal infections, are a particularly concerning cause of orbital apex syndrome, given their ability to penetrate in and through the orbit to the brain, often resulting in an alarmingly high mortality rate. Mucormycosis, specifically rhino-orbital cerebral mucormycosis, is a very severe opportunistic invasive fungal infection, most often afflicting the immunocompromised. A clinician must be very thorough in their workup so as to not miss such a devastating diagnosis. Histopathology and cell cultures are currently the gold standard for diagnosis, with the potential to augment their technical success through the use of molecular techniques, such as universal PCR.

Overview on Current Selectable Marker Systems and Novel Marker Free Approaches in Fruit Tree Genetic Engineering.

Selectable marker genes are useful for recognizing which cells have integrated specific sequences in their genome after genetic transformation processes. They are especially important for fruit trees genetic transformation to individuate putatively genetically modified events, because most of the protocols used to genetic engineer these species are often unsuccessful or with low efficiency. Traditional selectable marker genes, mainly of bacterial origin, confer antibiotics/herbicides-resistance or metabolic advantages to transformed cells. Genes that allow the visual recognition of engineered tissues without using any selective agent, such as morphogenic regulators and reporter genes, are also used as selection tools to in vitro identify genetically modified regenerated lines. As final step, genetic engineered plants should be tested in field conditions, where selectable marker genes are no longer necessary, and strongly unpopular especially for the commercial development of the new products. Thus, different approaches, mainly based on the use of site-specific recombinases and/or editing nucleases, are being now used to recover marker-free fruit crops. This review describes and comments the most used and suitable selection tools of interest, particularly for fruit tree genetic engineering. Lastly, a spotlight highlights the biosafety aspects related to the use of selectable marker genes exploited for fruit species genetic engineering.

A simple synthesis of bio-based cathode catalyst of microbial fuel cell with bio-oil recovery through pyrolysis of defatted yeast-biomass

Biomass of plant, yeast and bacterial origin is a promising source of activated biochar or carbon for electrode and catalytic material applications, as it is abundant, diverse, and inexpensive. In this work, the defatted biomass of Meyerozyma caribbica, an oleaginous yeast, was used as the feedstock for biochar production. Activated yeast biochar that was synthesized by using KOH in a single-step one-pot process carried out at 700 °C was found to have a honeycomb-like structure with a surface area of around 412 m2/g. The porous activated-biochar exhibited good electrical properties when applied as a cathode-catalyst material of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). Both coulombic and COD removal efficiencies increased by 1.9 and 1.3 times, respectively, as compared to bare carbon-felt as the cathode. In contrast, the internal resistance of the MFC using activated-biochar-based cathode decreased by 2.6-fold as compared to MFC using carbon felt as cathode. The investigation suggested that defatted yeast-based modified bio-charcoal could be a promising carbon-enriched biomaterial for synthesizing cathode catalyst for application in MFCs. This one-pot process of synthesizing cathode catalyst is based on a net zero-discharge approach with concomitant bio-oil recovery.

A novel immunopharmacological biocompound

The publication is devoted to topical issues of experimental study of new biocompounds, based on the creation of a consortium of biological composite compounds – biological active substances (metabiotics) produced by strains 59T and 60T of saprophytic compounds of the genus Bacillus subtilis. These strains are very promising for the creation of hepatopicts, new medicinal substances, in the creation and development of a new pharmacological class of hepatoprotectors. Previous studies have shown the safety and hepatoprotective effect of biologically active drugs. It is worth noting that the very effective compounds are the produced biologically active substances – metabolites of bacterial origin, on the basis of which it seems appropriate to create a new class of drugs – metabiotics. The absence of vegetative probiotic cells in such compounds will reduce the additional immune load on the body. The combined use of these compounds provides a potentiated pharmacological effect. In this regard, it seemed appropriate, under the conditions of modeling toxic liver damage by carbon tetrachloride, to conduct an experimental assessment of the immunotropic effect of biologically active substances (BAS) on laboratory animals in order to confirm the effect on cellular factors of immunity. The purpose of the study was to study the effect of the combined use of dietary supplements produced by Bacillus subtilis microorganisms on indicators of cellular immunity in laboratory animals with toxic liver damage. Acute toxic hepatitis was reproduced in white laboratory rats with repeated intragastric administration of carbon tetrachloride. The comparison drug was a registered hepatoprotective drug – ursosan. The immunotropic effect was assessed using factors such as: phagocytic activity of macrophages and neutrophils (FA), NBT test, quantitative assessment of antibody-forming cells, T and B lymphocytes. As a result of the studies performed, reliable data were obtained on an increase in the number of T and B lymphocytes, antibody-forming cells, as well as an increase in FA, which confirms the activation of all parts of cellular immunity in conditions of acute toxic liver damage. The data obtained allow us to recommend the studied biocompound for the creation of new drug candidates of microbiological origin, hepatoprotective agents with immunotropic effects.

Rare Earth Elements in Fe oxyhydroxides from biofilms containing iron-oxidizing bacteria

Fe oxyhydroxides extracted from modern-day biofilms with iron-oxidizing bacteria Arthrobacter spp., Gallionella spp и Leptothrix ochracea in the north-west of the East European platform display the enhanced content of rare earth elements – up to 1100 ppm. REE concentration in bacterial oxyhydroxides increase by one order in magnitude during 1 year suggesting the high sorption capacity of newly formed Fe mineral phases. La/YbN, Ce and Y anomalies in bacterial oxyhydroxides are consistent with geochemistry of the surface water facies where bacterial communities live. Isotopic composition of Nd in studied bacterial oxyhydroxides is controlled by the lithology of the Q-R underlying sediment and ambient water. 143Nd/144Nd values in Fe minerals of bacterial origin vary from 0.511570 to 0.512220 (eNd(0) from –21.8 to –9.2), the high proportion of radiogenic Nd is typical for the samples located on platform cover with Palaeozoic carbonate sediment.

Viruses and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegeneration and Cognition: An Evolutionary Perspective

Mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses with bacterial evolutionary origins, play a pivotal role in maintaining neuronal function and cognitive health. Several viruses have developed sophisticated mechanisms to target and disrupt mitochondrial function which contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. The interplay between viruses and mitochondria might be traced to their co-evolutionary history with bacteria and may reflect ancient interactions that have shaped modern mitochondrial biology.

The Roles of Mitochondria in Human Being's Life and Aging.

The universe began 13.8 billion years ago, and Earth was born 4.6 billion years ago. Early traces of life were found as soon as 4.1 billion years ago; then, ~200,000 years ago, the human being was born. The evolution of life on earth was to become individual rather than cellular life. The birth of mitochondria made this possible to be the individual life. Since then, individuals have had a limited time of life. It was 1.4 billion years ago that a bacterial cell began living inside an archaeal host cell, a form of endosymbiosis that is the development of eukaryotic cells, which contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound compartments. The bacterium started to provide its host cell with additional energy, and the interaction eventually resulted in a eukaryotic cell, with both archaeal (the host cell) and bacterial (mitochondrial) origins still having genomes. The cells survived high concentrations of oxygen producing more energy inside the cell. Further, the roles of mitochondria in human being's life and aging will be discussed.

Poder diagnóstico de infección bacteriana de LIAISON MeMed BV® en los pacientes adultos atendidos en urgencias por sospecha de infección

To analyze the diagnostic accuracy of the new MeMed® test to predict bacterial infection in adult patients seen in emergency departments (ED) with clinical suspicion of infection, as well as to compare its performance with other commonly used biomarkers (protein C reactive-PCR-, procalcitonin -PCT-). A prospective, observational and analytical study was carried out on adult patients who were treated in an ED with the clinical diagnosis of an infectious process. Follow-up was carried out for 30 days. The diagnosis of bacterial infection (BI) was considered as the dependent variable. The predictive ability was analyzed with the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (COR) and the values of sensitivity (Se), specificity (Es), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the PCR, PCT, leukocyte count and the LIAISON® MeMed® test. The study included 258 patients, 54 (15.6%) of whom died within 30 days of visiting the ED. The mean age was 68.28 (SD 19.53) years, 57.4% (148) were men. At 30 days, the group with the IB diagnosis had 137 patients, the viral infection group 68 cases and 17 in the indeterminate group. The AUC-COR achieved by MeMed® in the group that analyzes all patients was 0.920 (95% CI: 0.877-0.962) and the PCT was 0.811 (95% CI: 0.754-0.867). With a cut-off point (PC) > 65 points of the MeMed® test, achieves a Se: 79.2% and Es: 91.2% and with PC > 90 points a Se: 57% and Es: 95.9%. Applying the Youden index, the PC > 50 points achieves Se:84.1% and Es:88.2%. In adult patients treated with clinical suspicion of infection in the ED, the LIAISON MeMed® test has a great ability to diagnose its bacterial origin and achieves better performance than PCT, PCR and leukocyte count.

Adrenomedullin as a New Prosperous Biomarker in Infections: Current and Future Perspectives

Adrenomedullin has emerged as a promising biomarker in the field of viral diseases. Numerous studies have demonstrated its potential in assessing disease severity, predicting clinical outcomes, and monitoring treatment response. Adrenomedullin (AM) is a multifaceted peptide implicated in vasodilation, hormone secretion, antimicrobial defense, cellular growth, angiogenesis, and, importantly, chronic pain. AM and related peptides interface with cytoskeletal proteins within neuronal contexts, influencing microtubule dynamics. AM has primarily been utilized in diagnosing diseases of bacterial origin, including sepsis. Nevertheless, there are reports suggesting its utility in diseases of viral origin, and this is the focus of the present study. Furthermore, adrenomedullin has been shown to be elevated in various viral infections, suggesting its role in immune response modulation. Furthermore, AM may contribute to neuronal dysfunction through mechanisms involving immune and inflammatory responses, apoptosis, and disruptions in calcium homeostasis. This review aims to consolidate current knowledge regarding AM and its potential implications in viral diseases, elucidating its diverse roles in neurological pathophysiology. This review highlights the growing importance of adrenomedullin as a biomarker in viral diseases and the need for further functional studies to understand the underlying mechanisms involved.

Evaluation of long-term stability of L-asparaginase encapsulated PLL-g-PEG nanoparticles in solution to aid in therapeutic delivery

Abstract L-asparaginase (L-ASNase) is a therapeutic enzyme that is widely used for the treatment of hematopoietic diseases such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphomas. L-ASNase destroys asparagine dependent tumors by degrading circulating L-asparagine and thereby destroying malignant cells. As a protein drug, L-ASNase carries a few inherent drawbacks including short circulating half-life, low stability, and low catalytic activity under physiological conditions. Moreover, due to the bacterial origin of L-ASNase used in treatments, there have been reports with high frequency of hypersensitivity reactions in patients. The use of this drug in adult cancer populations has largely been hindered not only due to its immunological side effects but also due to non-immunogenic toxicities such as pancreatitis, liver toxicities, coagulopathy, and neurotoxicity. Therefore, it is vital to find new methods to decrease its immunogenic/toxicity profile while increasing the stability and half-life. The purpose of this study is to achieve a new L-ASNase polymer nanocarrier to improve stability of the enzyme while masking it from the immune system of the host. We designed and characterized a nanoparticle (NP) where a poly-L-lysine-grafted-poly(ethylene) glycol co-polymer was used to encapsulate L-ASNase. The primary focus of the study was to evaluate the stability and encapsulation efficiency of this NP construct over time. There was no aggregation of NPs observed during the study period of 6 months in solution and NPs had a 0.436 mV surface charge. L-ASNase NPs showed a percent asparaginase activity of 31% compared to free L-ASNase. Under physiological conditions NPs were found to be intact and retained the encapsulated proteins for up to 6 months in solution. Together, these results demonstrate that L-ASNase loaded PLL-g-PEG NPs may serve as a fundamental platform to design nanocarriers to prolong stability in solution.

Community-Acquired Pneumonia of Bacterial Origin in Paediatrics: Delphi Method about Symptoms, Aetiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment in Colombia

Community-Acquired Pneumonia of Bacterial Origin in Paediatrics: Delphi Method about Symptoms, Aetiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment in Colombia

Newborn Screening for Sickle Cell Disease in Catalonia between 2015 and 2022-Epidemiology and Impact on Clinical Events.

In 2015, Catalonia introduced sickle cell disease (SCD) screening in its newborn screening (NBS) program along with standard-of-care treatments like penicillin, hydroxyurea, and anti-pneumococcal vaccination. Few studies have assessed the clinical impact of introducing NBS programs on SCD patients. We analyzed the incidence of SCD and related hemoglobinopathies in Catalonia and the change in clinical events occurring after introducing NBS. Screening 506,996 newborns from 2015 to 2022, we conducted a retrospective multicenter study including 100 screened (SG) and 95 unscreened (UG) SCD patients and analyzed SCD-related clinical events over the first six years of life. We diagnosed 160 cases of SCD, with an incidence of 1 in 3169 newborns. The SG had a significantly lower median age at diagnosis (0.1 y vs. 1.68 y, p < 0.0001), and initiated penicillin prophylaxis (0.12 y vs. 1.86 y, p < 0.0001) and hydroxyurea treatment earlier (1.42 y vs. 4.5 y, p < 0.0001). The SG experienced fewer median SCD-related clinical events (vaso-occlusive crisis, acute chest syndrome, infections of probable bacterial origin, acute anemia requiring transfusion, acute splenic sequestration, and pathological transcranial Doppler echography) per year of follow-up (0.19 vs. 0.77, p < 0.0001), a reduced number of annual emergency department visits (0.37 vs. 0.76, p < 0.0001), and fewer hospitalizations (0.33 vs. 0.72, p < 0.0001). SCD screening in Catalonia's NBS program has effectively reduced morbidity and improved affected children's quality of life.

Potential New Methods to Analyze Basal and Total Endogenous Protein Losses of Host and Bacterial Origin in Pigs

BackgroundCurrent systems for assessing protein quality such as the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score correct apparent amino acid (AA) digestibility for basal endogenous protein losses (bEPL), ignoring the potential influence of the diet on these losses. However, the quantification of total endogenous protein losses (tEPL) poses a challenge. ObjectivesTo evaluate different methods for quantifying tEPL and bEPL, and to assess their potential in discriminating between tEPL originating from bacteria and host. MethodsUsing an incomplete Youden square design, 12 ileal cannulated pigs received 10 different protein sources, and a nitrogen-free (NF) diet. Ileal digesta were collected on days 6 and 7 of each 1-wk feeding period, to quantify endogenous protein losses (EPL) and analyze apparent ileal digestibility. Ileal EPL were estimated based on 1) 16S-+18S gene copy quantitative polymerase chain reaction, 2) diaminopimelic acid (DAPA)+18S, 3) differential AA profiles in digesta, EPL, and bacteria, equaling tEPL, and 4) an NF diet and 5) whey protein isolate (WPI), equaling bEPL. ResultsIleal bEPL based on the NF and WPI method correlated moderately to highly (r = 0.69, P < 0.05), but the NF method probably underestimated bEPL. In pigs fed the WPI diet, EPL based on the WPI and AA profile method were highly correlated (r = 0.88, P < 0.01). Overall, tEPL based on the AA profile method were moderately correlated with the 16S+18S method (r = 0.58, P < 0.001), and DAPA+18S (r = 0.57, P < 0.001). Low correlations were observed between bacterial tEPL based on the AA profile method and 16S or DAPA. Host tEPL based on the AA profile method and 18S were weakly correlated (r = 0.39, P < 0.001). ConclusionsThe AA profile method seems the most appropriate method for tEPL quantification, whereas the WPI method is preferred for bEPL quantification. Despite challenges in distinguishing between bacterial and host EPL, it is evident that bacterial proteins substantially (on average 37%–83%, depending on method) contribute to the EPL.

Knowledge and Practices Among Livestock Owners Regarding Brucellosis- A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Brucellosis is one of the earliest identified and most prevalent zoonotic diseases of bacterial origin with 5, 00, 000 human cases every year globally. Cases reported are only the tip of the iceberg because of the non-specificity in clinical manifestations and chronicity in complications. The study was conducted to determine the knowledge and practices regarding brucellosis among livestock owners and to determine the sero-prevalence of brucellosis in livestock owners. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 256 livestock owners. Knowledge and practices were assessed using two-point assessment. Anti-brucellosis IgG and IgM antibodies were tested by slide agglutination test and in turn, were confirmed by standard tube agglutination test. Results: Almost 70% of participants had poor knowledge and followed poor practices. Participants with intermittent fever (aOR: 0.2465), joint pains (aOR: 0.1418), and a history of abortions in their animals (aOR: 0.2303) were less likely to have poor knowledge. Illiterate participants (aOR: 11.9512) and those without a cowshed (aOR: 7.1445) were more likely to have poor knowledge about brucellosis. Participants with low socio-economic status (aOR: 17.3726), those who had heard about brucellosis through radio/television (aOR: 3.7746), those with primary-level education (aOR: 13.9779), and illiterate participants (aOR: 43.9506) more likely to follow poor practices. Participants with a history of symptoms like intermittent fever (aOR: 0.1338) and a history of abortions in their animals (aOR: 0.052) were less likely to follow poor practices related to brucellosis. (p&lt; 0.05). Conclusion: The study participants had a poor understanding of brucellosis and high levels of risky practices, all of which contributed to the risk of contracting brucellosis.

The influence of a composition based on exometabolites of Saccharomyces boulardii in relation to the pathogenic and persistent properties of fungi of the genus Candida

Clinical manifestations of mycoses vary widely from mild mucosal damage to severe invasive forms. Currently, the pharmaceutical market offers a wide range of antimycotic drugs, including oral and injectable drugs for systemic and external and local use. Varying degrees of effectiveness are due to the chemical structure and pharmacokinetics. A significant problem is the recurrence of mucosal candidiasis. One of the possible solutions to this problem can be considered the use of exometabolites of bacterial or fungal origin, affecting the morphofunctional structures of fungi of the genus Candida spp. The purpose of the study was to obtain cell-free supernatant of Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) and herbal extracts, which are the basis of a composition with a preventive effect against fungi of the genus Candida. The authors proposed a composition based on the exometabolite of S. boulardii and herbal extracts for the prevention of candidiasis. Propylene glycol served as a control. The effectiveness of the composition was assessed on clinical isolates of C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei isolated from the vaginal biotope at a dilution of 103-106 CFU/mL. At the first stage, we studied the effect of S. boulardii metabolites on the biological properties of fungi. Next, the fungicidal activity of metabolites and extracts was determined by serial dilution against micromycete isolates. At the final stage, the effect of the composition with the most effective extracts was studied. Under the influence of the supernatant of S. boulardii, micromycetes lost the ability to form growth tubes, and a decrease in the catalase activity of Candida spp. was observed both during carriage and disease. Exometabolites significantly reduced the ability to form film in cultures isolated from patients with vaginal candidiasis. The most effective among the extracts were the extracts of St. John’s wort and coriander. The fungicidal properties of the composition were maintained for 12 hours after co-incubation with all isolates of Candida spp. Thus, the composition is effective against both C. albicans and C. non-albicans carriage and disease.