Nocardia Asteroides Research Articles

Small gut intestine microbiota in adolescent girls with obesity

Aim. To characterize the small intestine microbiome in adolescent girls with obesity according to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of microbial markers (CMSMM). Material and Methods. The research involved 72 adolescents (girls) 12-17 years old, half of the children (group 1) were obese, the other half (group 2) were not obese, as well as did not have any chronic diseases. Microbial markers in blood samples were examined by the CMSMM method. In order to examine correlation between the small intestine microbiota and obesity, a logistic model was formed. ROC analysis was used to determine possible effects of microorganisms on obesity. Results. There were found significant differences in the small intestine microbiome of obese girls, and alike microbiocenosis of children with normal body weight. Obese adolescent girls had higher levels of Nocardia asteroides 504.14[296; 1015] cells/g×10⁵ and Candida spp 241.85[198.09;629.97] cells/g×10⁵. Microorganisms of the opportunistic flora such as Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and microscopic fungi, as well as herpesviruses were significantly deficient. Conclusions. Nocardia asteroides and Candida spp. are associated with obesity. The risk of obesity in adolescent girls increases with a growing number of above-mentioned microorganisms.

WarA, a remote homolog of NpmA and KamB from Nocardia wallacei, confers broad spectrum aminoglycoside resistance in Nocardia and Mycobacteria

ObjectivesAminoglycoside resistance in bacteria is typically conferred by specific drug-modifying enzymes. Infrequently, such resistance is achieved through 16S ribosomal RNA methyltransferases, such as NpmA and KamB encoded by Escherichia coli and Streptoalloteichus tenebrarius, respectively. These enzymes are not widespread and have not been described in Nocardia species to date. MethodsWe report the genomic mining of 18 Nocardia wallacei isolates that were found to be specifically and substantially resistant to amikacin. ResultsWe identified a gene coding for a protein with very distant homology to NpmA and KamB. However, 3-D modeling revealed that the tertiary structure of these three proteins was highly similar. Cloning and expressing this gene in two susceptible bacteria Nocardia asteroides, and Mycobacterium smegmatis (another Actinobacterium) led to high-level, pan-aminoglycoside resistance in both cases. We named this gene warA (Wallacei Amikacin Resistance A). ConclusionsThis is the first description and experimental characterization of a gene of this family in Nocardia, and the first demonstration that such activity could lead to pan-aminoglycoside resistance in Mycobacteria as well. The discovery of this novel gene has important biotechnology and clinical implications.

Primary Cutaneous Nocardiosis due to Nocardia asteroides Presenting as Mycetoma of Back in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Rare Presentation.

Primary Cutaneous Nocardiosis due to Nocardia asteroides Presenting as Mycetoma of Back in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Rare Presentation.

Impact of immune status on the clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes and mortality of pulmonary nocardiosis: a retrospective analysis in a tertiary care hospital from a low- to middle-income country.

Nocardiosis is an opportunistic infection that primarily targets the immunosuppressed. We investigated the differences in demographics and characteristics between immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients with nocardiosis in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Retrospective records were reviewed for patients diagnosed with pulmonary nocardiosis between 2010 and 2020. Immunosuppressed individuals were identified as those with autoimmune diseases, hematologic diseases and malignancies, HIV, immunosuppressant therapy, etc. Data collected included basic demographics, comorbid conditions, medication history, clinical presentation, radiological and microbiological data, and nocardiosis outcomes and complications. A total of 66 patients with nocardiosis were included in this study, of whom 48 were immunosuppressed and 18 were immunocompetent. Both groups were compared for a number of variables, including patient characteristics, underlying conditions, radiological findings, treatment regimen, and outcomes. Immunosuppressed individuals were younger and had higher rates of diabetes, chronic renal disease, chronic liver disease, higher platelet counts, surgical intervention, and longer hospital stays. Fever, dyspnea, and sputum production were the most common presentations. Nocardia asteroides was found to be the most common species of Nocardia overall. Nocardiosis presents differently in immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients, which is consistent with previous studies. Nocardiosis should be considered in any patient presenting with treatment-resistant pulmonary or neurological symptoms.

Efficiency of surface inactivation disinfectants for bacteria studied in an aquaculture microbiology laboratory

Routine microbial inactivation procedures used in microbiology laboratories must be verified. In this study, the efficacy of surface disinfection using 70% Isopropanol, 0.45% Presept, and 1% Virkon was tested against 24 bacterial strains commonly handled in aquaculture microbiology laboratories. Isopropanol was ineffective against Nocardia asteroides NCIMB 1290, while Virkon was not effective against Aeromonas eucrenophila NCIMB 74 or Pediococcus acidilacti R52037.

First report of nocardiosis due to Nocardia asteroides in a domestic canary (Serinus canaria domestica) in Mexico

Nocardiosis is a multi-systemic disease that has been reported in several species of birds. It is characterized by the development of granulomatous inflammation in several organs, mainly affecting the respiratory system. An adult male domestic canary (Serinus canaria domestica) weighing 14.5 g was received for examination. Multiple nodules were identified in the epicardium, air sacs, and lungs. Histologically these nodules corresponded to granulomas, in which numerous thin, filamentous branching bacteria were identified. Gram stains of the epicardium, air sacs, and lungs revealed many filamentous branching Gram-positive bacteria. These bacteria were also strongly acid-fast positive by Fite-Faraco stain. PCR end-point analysis and sequencing using total DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of lungs, heart, and air sacs confirmed the presence of Nocardia asteroides. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report of nocardiosis associated with Nocardia asteroides in a Domestic Canary (Serinus canaria domestica) in Mexico.

HISTOPATHOLOGICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE IUNG OF GUINEA PIGS EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH NOCARDIA ASTEROIDES '

The pathological and histochemical changes inthe lung of ten guinea pigs have been investigated after using viable Nocardia asteroides in a dose of 1.5*108 cfc, thebacteria was injected intrapulmonary. Lesions of pyogranuloma were developed. Histochemical studies showed that the granules of goblet cells and mucos glands of lung contain a mixture of neutral and sialomucin normal animal , these types of mucin changed to sialomucin and sulfomucin inthe infected animals.

Efficient biodegradation of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate by a novel strain Nocardia asteroides LMB-7 isolated from electronic waste soil

The di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) degrading strain LMB-7 was isolated from electronic waste soil. According to its biophysical/biochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA gene analysis, the strain was identified as Nocardia asteroides. Optimal pH and temperature for DEHP degradation were 8.0 and 30 °C, respectively, and DEHP removal reached 97.11% after cultivation for 24 h at an initial concentration of 400 mg/L. As degradation intermediates, di-butyl phthalates, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and 2-ethylhexanol could be identified, and it could be confirmed that DEHP was completely degraded by strain LMB-7. To our knowledge, this is a new report of DEHP degradation by a strain of Nocardia asteroides, at rates higher than those reported to date. This finding provides a new way for DEHP elimination from environment.

A fatal case of disseminated nocardiosis due to Nocardia otitidiscaviarum resistant to trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole: case report and literature review

BackgroundDisseminated nocardiosis still causes significant morbidity and mortality and is often caused by Nocardia asteroides, N. basiliensis, and N. farcinica and are often treated with trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (TMP–SMX). Nocardia otitidiscaviarum (N. otitidiscaviarum) rarely causes disseminated disease and resistance to TMP–SMX is even more rare.Case presentationA 37-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer and right ear deafness with recent occupational gardening and manipulating soil, presented to the hospital with first time seizure and multiple skin nodules. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed ring enhancing lesions, biopsy of the skin and brain lesions grew N. otitidiscaviarum. She was empirically treated with TMP–SMX and Imipenem–Cilastatin, however, almost three weeks into therapy, susceptibility results revealed it to be resistant to both antimicrobials, she was subsequently changed to Amikacin, Linezolid, Moxifloxacin, and Doxycycline but ultimately died.ConclusionsThis case report highlights the importance of suspecting a rare Nocardia species in patients at risk with proper occupational exposure, moreover, TMP–SMX resistance should be suspected with lack of clinical response, this may have important implications on clinical practice when facing similar infections.

Bacteriophage Isolation, Characterization and Bioinformatic Genetic Analyses against Actinomycetes Gordonia rubripertincta and Nocardia asteroides

Two of the biggest issues in the healthcare system today are antibiotic resistant bacteria and biofilms. Antibiotic‐resistant bacterial strains are increasing, and current treatment options have become limited forcing medical facilities to search for alternatives. Recent studies utilizing phage therapy have provided promising results supporting the use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections. (Hatfull, 2021). A bacteriophage is a virus that only infects prokaryotic bacterial cells and therefore, potentially used to treat bacterial infections without risk of infecting the patient’s eukaryotic cells. This research focuses on the isolation and microbiological characterization of bacteriophages isolated from environmental samples against the Actinomycete host, Gordonia rubripertincta. Gordonia species are typically found in soil and aquatic habitats and have recently been identified as primary agents of infections in both humans and animals (Pope, et al., 2020). Due to these organisms’ ability to form biofilms, infections have been found following various surgical procedures and applications of catheters (Arenskötter, et al., 2004). Following a Gordonia‐enrichment protocol, standard viral lab techniques such as serial dilutions, pick‐a‐plaque, and spot‐plating were performed resulting in pure viral colonies. Genomic DNA was isolated and sequenced by the Pittsburgh Bacteriophage Institute. Genomes were annotated using Phamerator™, PECAAN™, and NCBI BLAST bioinformatics programs. Host‐range specificity studies and gene knock‐out experiments were conducted using phylogenetically‐related Actinomycetes to assist understanding of the molecular interactions between phage and host throughout the infection cycle. Several bacteriophages were identified which exhibit both lytic and temperate life cycles against known clinical, biofilm‐producing Actinomycete bacteria Nocardia asteroides and N. corallina.This research exemplifies the potential of using phage therapy to create an alternative treatment for antibiotic‐resistant bacteria and biofilms within the healthcare system.

A case report of Nocardia spp. infective endocarditis in an injection drug user

BackgroundNocardia-related endocarditis is rare. Intravenous drug use with nonsterile injection practices is a potential risk factor for nocardia infection. Disseminated nocardiosis with endovascular involvement is rarely reported in immunocompetent individuals.Case presentationA 54-year-old male was diagnosed with infective endocarditis due to Nocardia asteroides with septic emboli in the brain and spleen. The use of a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) rapid diagnostic system was beneficial in identifying the causative organism. He was empirically treated with combination therapy consisting of three antibiotics. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated that all three antibiotics had favorable minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Due to his clinical status, he was not a surgical candidate. Patient passed away after discharge to hospice.ConclusionsThis case demonstrates unique challenges in the identification, diagnosis, and management of Nocardia-related infective endocarditis. A detailed history of injection practices should guide clinicians in assessing the risk for environmental pathogens. Valvular surgery and combination antibiotic therapy should be recommended for all eligible patients to improve the chances of survival.

Diagnosing Disseminated Nocardiosis in a Patient With COVID-19 Pneumonia

Signs and symptoms of atypical pneumonia include fever, shortness of breath, cough, and chest pain. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, identifying other causes of febrile respiratory illness in patients who tested positive for COVID-19 has been very challenging. Concerns over infecting healthcare personnel and other patients can impede further evaluations like bronchial lavage, lung biopsies, and other invasive tests. A very high index of suspicion, perhaps unreasonably so, is required to perform invasive tests to investigate alternative possible causes of the illness. We present the case of a 63-year-old man who presented to the hospital with dyspnea. Chest X-ray demonstrated a consolidation in the left lower lobe lung field with a possible underlying mass, and the patient tested positive for COVID-19. He received the standard treatment for COVID pneumonia at the time in our institution (remdesivir and dexamethasone), empiric antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia, and was eventually discharged home with supplemental oxygen. Several days later, the patient returned to the hospital again with worsening dyspnea and was readmitted. Persistent illness and worsening imaging prompted bronchoscopy. The bronchoscopy showed narrowing of the airway in the left upper lobe, and Nocardia asteroides was isolated from bronchial aspirate. The isolation of Nocardia prompted an investigation for central nervous system involvement with an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head. The MRI demonstrated multiple bilateral ring-enhancing lesions in the brain. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of disseminated nocardiosis superimposed on COVID-19 pneumonia.

A case report of Nocardia asiatica in a renal transplant recipient

Nocardiosis is a life-threatening disease in solid organ transplant recipients. It is an uncommon but important infection in these patients. Nocardiosis is caused by a Gram-positive, weakly acid fast, branching filamentous aerobic bacteria belonging to the order Actinomycetales. It causes pulmonary and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. The common species of Nocardia causing infections are Nocardia asteroids, Nocardia brasiliensis, Nocardia farscinica, and Nocardia nova. Here, we report a case of a 32-year-old female postrenal transplant recipient developing pulmonary nocardiosis by a rare species of Nocardia called Nocardia asiatica. A modified Ziehl–Neelsen stain using 1% H2SO4 in the endotracheal (ET) secretion revealed numerous acid fast branching filamentous organisms morphologically resembling Nocardia spp., and the culture grew Nocardia and it was confirmed as N. asiatica by MALDI TOF. Our patient had cytomegalovirus co-infection. The patient was started on trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. This case shows the importance of keeping nocardiosis as a differential diagnosis in immunocompromised patients.

Development of a SYBR Green Multiplex Real Time PCR for Simultaneous Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Nocardia Asteroides in Respiratory Samples.

Nocardia asteroides and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are worldwide-distributed bacteria. These infectious agents can cause many infections in humans, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Pulmonary infections are more common and have similar clinical symptoms. Proper diagnosis and treatment of these patients are important for accurate treatment and could be lifesaving. In this study, a multiplex real-time PCR assay was established for the simultaneous detection of the N. asteroides and M. tuberculosis. Both this homemade multiplex real time PCR and routine commercial tuberculosis tests were performed on 150 pulmonary specimens collected from individuals suspected to have tuberculosis. From 150 specimens, 20 samples were acid fast positive, 14 positives for M. tuberculosis by singleplex real time PCR, 10 positives for N. asteroides by singleplex real time PCR and 2 positives for M. tuberculosis and N. asteroides by multiplex real time PCR whereas 14 samples were positive for M. tuberculosis with commercial test. Differential diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is useful for their proper treatment. Our test had good performance for differential diagnosis of tuberculosis and nocardiosis. Therefore, it is recommended to be used to diagnose such patients.

THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITIES OF GARLIC CONSTITUENT PHYTOCHEMICALS

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) has medicinal value but also an important dietary component for centuries. It belongs to the family of Liliaceae, which is mostly grown and found in Ethiopia and Africa. Ethiopian garlic has been mostly used in traditional medicines. Inhibitory activity of garlic extract has been reported by various researchers for Lactobacillus acidophilus, Staphyloccocus aureus, Nocardia asteroids, pseudomonas aeruginosa, actinomyces viscosus, veillonella alcaligens bacterial strains. The garlic paste and lime was used for mouth sore, sore throat and also can be used in toothpaste to prevent dental caries. The present review describes the potential of garlic phytochemicals for the improvement of the immune system against diseases in humans.

A novel defensin-like peptide contributing to antimicrobial and antioxidant capacity of the tick Dermacentor silvarum (Acari: Ixodidae).

Defensins are the most diverse groups of antimicrobial peptides in invertebrate animals. In ticks, defensins show great potential as targets for tick control, and display future prospect for therapeutic drug development. In the present study, a novel defensin-like gene (Ds-defensin) contributing to the antimicrobial and antioxidant capacity of the tick Dermacentor silvarum was characterized. The full-length of the Ds-defensin gene was 382 bp, which displayed tissue-specific expression and was highly abundant in the salivary glands and carcasses of the adults. It encodes a 71-amino acid defensin-like protein, and the protein precursor is characterized by a 22-amino acid signal peptide and a 34-amino acid mature peptide. The peptide displayed potent activity against most of the tested gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, S. carnosus and Nocardia asteroides, and one tested gram-negative bacterium, Psychrobacter faecalis. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the cell wall and surface of treated bacteria became rough and gradually formed pores after a 30-min exposure to the Ds-defensin peptide. Additionally, the peptide also showed significant antioxidant capacity. The above results implied that the defensin-like peptide may play an important role in tick defense and the interaction with microorganisms.

Pulmonary nocardiosis in a patient with pemphigus foliaceus: case report and literature review

BackgroundNocardiosis is an uncommon opportunistic infection seen in immunocompromised patients or those with a dysfunctional immune system. Nocardia asteroides infection in patients with Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) has never been reported.Case presentationWe report an interesting case of nocardiosis-characterized by pulmonary intra-cavitary infection, in a 54-year-old man with PF and diabetes mellitus. The man finally recovered from the infection.ConclusionsThis is the first case reporting pulmonary nocardiosis in a patient with PF. We recommend that physicians be aware of nocardiosis in patients with pemphigus as a possible cause of underlying infectious disease to avoid misdiagnoses and mismanagement.

Nocardiosis at an Organ Transplant Center in Saudi Arabia: 15 years' experience.

Background:Nocardiosis is a rare infection that affects immunocompromised patients on immunosuppressive medications used for transplantation and cancer therapy. Such therapies are becoming more widely available in the Middle East region. Yet, reports on nocardiosis are scarce.Materials and Methods:This was a retrospective analysis of patients who were diagnosed with nocardiosis from 2004 to 2018 at a transplantation and cancer center. Nocardiosis were defined per the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria.Results:During the study period, 35 patients with nocardiosis (male: 68.5%) were identified. The most common underlying associated condition was transplantation 11 (31.4%), followed by malignancy 7 (20%), connective tissue disease and sarcoidosis 7 (20%), chronic lung disease 5 (14%), miscellaneous conditions 4 (11%), and one patient with human immunodeficiency virus. Nocardia was disseminated in 8 patients (22.9%) and isolated in 27 (77.1%); the latter included 13 patients (37.1%) with bronchial form, 11 (31.4%) with isolated visceral form, and 3 (8.6%) with cutaneous form. Pulmonary involvement occurred in 90% of the cases with cough, fever, and dyspnea being the most common symptoms. The main strain isolate was Nocardia asteroides, and the cure rate was 90%. Mortality related to nocardiosis occurred in 3 transplant patients (8.6%).Conclusion:Wider use of immunosuppressive therapy warrants vigilance to nocardiosis, which can present in a myriad of clinical forms. In our series, mortality was confined to the transplantation group, probably because of the relatively heavy immunosuppression. Nonetheless, prognosis is favorable if the infection is recognized and treated early.

Nocardia abscessus brain abscess in an immunocompetent host

Background: Nocardia brain abscesses are a rare central nervous system infection with high morbidity and mortality. They typically occur in immunocompromised patients. The most frequent agents involved are Nocardia asteroids complex and Nocardia brasiliensis. Case description: We present the case of a 42-year-old man who was admitted with a 1-week history of headache and incoherent speech, gradually worsened during this period. The patient did not report either fever, chills, weakness or numbness in the limbs. He was a construction worker and lived in a rural environment. He had been recently hospitalized and diagnosed with a solitary pulmonary nodule, still under study in another hospital. The initial finding in CT was an intra-axial, left temporal posterior space-occupying lesion with extensive surrounding oedema, which was presumed to be a metastasis from a possible lung cancer. The patient had a normal neutrophil function test, lymphocyte count and normal immunoglobulin levels. He was negative for human immunodeficiency virus. After admission, the patient underwent a craniotomy with stereotactic biopsy of the lesion. During the surgery, turbid pus was drained and a cerebral abscess was diagnosed. Empiric parenteral antibiotics were started with Ceftriaxone 2 g bid and Metronidazole 500 mg tid. After identifying Nocardia abscessus in the pus culture, the antibiotic regimen was changed to SMX-TMP (15 mg/kg/day of the TMP component) and Meropenem 2 g tid. In the absence of clinical and radiologic improvement, amikacin was added to the treatment, but no surgical re-intervention was performed. During hospitalisation, he also developed a pulmonary invasive aspergillosis, treated with parenteral Voriconazole 4 mg/kg bid. The patient's response to treatment was slow but effective. He was discharged with oral SMX-TMP and Voriconazole therapy. Discussion: Despite several difficulties in diagnosis of a Nocardia infection, there are some characteristics that can suggest the presence of this bacteria. Treatment should be instituted as soon as possible, regarding both surgical and medical approaches. Conclusion: Nocardial brain abscesses are a rare condition that needs to be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients with brain lesions, even in immunocompetent hosts.

Microbial degradation of organophosphorus pesticides using whole cells and enzyme extracts.

The use of microbial phosphotriesterases in the degradation of organophosphorus compounds employed as pesticides, plasticizers and petroleum additives is a sustainable alternative for bioremediation of water and soils, decontamination of particular foods and as poisoning antidote. Whole cells of six wild type microorganisms-Streptomyces phaeochromogenes, Streptomyces setonii, Nocardia corynebacterioides, Nocardia asteroides and two Arthrobacter oxydans-selected in our lab as phosphotriesterase sources, were further tested as biocatalysts in the hydrolysis of paraoxon, methyl paraoxon, methyl parathion, coroxon, coumaphos, dichlorvos and chlorpyrifos, highlighting 98% conversion of chlorpyrifos into its hydrolysis products using whole cells of S. phaeochromogenes at pH 8 and 40 °C. Immobilized whole cells and enzyme extracts were also assessed, observing as a general trend, that there is no significant variation in hydrolytic activity between them. These results suggest that according to the circumstances, immobilized whole cells (avoiding cellular disruption and centrifugation) or enzyme extracts (which can be handled more easily) could be used.