scholarly journals Comparison of the Vitreous Fluid Bacterial Microbiomes between Individuals with Post Fever Retinitis and Healthy Controls

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 751
Author(s):  
Kotakonda Arunasri ◽  
Malleswarapu Mahesh ◽  
Gumpili Sai Prashanthi ◽  
Rajagopalaboopathi Jayasudha ◽  
Sama Kalyana Chakravarthy ◽  
...  

Ocular microbiome research has gained momentum in the recent past and has provided new insights into health and disease conditions. However, studies on sight threatening intraocular inflammatory diseases have remained untouched. In the present study, we attempted to identify the bacterial microbiome associated with post fever retinitis using a metagenomic sequencing approach. For this purpose, bacterial ocular microbiomes were generated from vitreous samples collected from control individuals (VC, n = 19) and individuals with post fever retinitis (PFR, n = 9), and analysed. The results revealed 18 discriminative genera in the microbiomes of the two cohorts out of which 16 genera were enriched in VC and the remaining two in PFR group. These discriminative genera were inferred to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and probiotic function. Only two pathogenic bacteria were differentially abundant in 20% of the PFR samples. PCoA and heatmap analysis showed that the vitreous microbiomes of VC and PFR formed two distinct clusters indicating dysbiosis in the vitreous bacterial microbiomes. Functional assignments and network analysis also revealed that the vitreous bacterial microbiomes in the control group exhibited more evenness in the bacterial diversity and several bacteria had antimicrobial function compared to the PFR group.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Zhi Lun ◽  
Wei Qiu ◽  
Wenqi Zhao ◽  
Hua Lin ◽  
Mintao Zhong ◽  
...  

Background: At present, there is no report that the intestinal flora of pregnant women with mild thalassemia is different from that of healthy pregnant women. Objectives: This study compared the composition and changes of the intestinal flora of pregnant women with mild thalassemia to those of healthy pregnant women using metagenomic sequencing technology and evaluated the potential microecological risk for pregnant women and the fetus. Methods: The present study was carried out on 14 mild thalassemia pregnant women with similar backgrounds in the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Fujian, China. In the same period, 6 healthy pregnant women were selected as the control group. The genomic deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from the sable stool samples of pregnant women. Illumina HiSeq sequencing technology was adopted after library preparation. Prodigal software (ver 2.6.3, Salmon software (ver 1.6.0, and Kraken software (ver 2) were used to analyze the sequence data. Moreover, analysis of variance and Duncan’s multiple-comparison test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used as statistical methods. Results: The characteristics of the intestinal flora of pregnant women with mild thalassemia differed significantly from those of healthy pregnant women, showing an increase in some conditionally pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Prevotella stercorea rose and Escherichia coli) and a decrease in some probiotic bacteria, which might affect pregnant women and cause physiological function damage to their offspring by changing metabolic pathways; however, further validation is needed. Conclusions: The diversity and composition of intestinal flora in pregnant women with mild thalassemia vary significantly from those in healthy pregnant women, especially at the genus and species levels, representing more profound alterations in intestinal microecology.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242138
Author(s):  
Kotakonda Arunasri ◽  
Malleswarapu Mahesh ◽  
Gumpili Sai Prashanthi ◽  
Rajagopalaboopathi Jayasudha ◽  
Sama Kalyana Chakravarthy ◽  
...  

Fungi have been associated with various diseases of the eye like keratitis, uveitis and endophthalmitis. Despite this fact, fungal microbiome (mycobiome) studies compared to the bacterial microbiome studies have remained neglected. In the present study, using metagenomic sequencing, the mycobiomes of the vitreous of healthy control individuals (VC, n = 15) and individuals with post fever retinitis + non-PFR uveitis (PFR+, n = 9) were analysed and compared. The results indicated that Ascomycota was the most predominant phylum in both VC and PFR+ groups. Further, at the genera level it was observed that the abundance of 17 fungal genera were significantly different in post fever retinitis (PFR, n = 6) group compared to control group. Of these 17 genera, it was observed that 14 genera were relatively more abundant in PFR group and the remaining 3 genera in the VC group. Genus Saccharomyces, a commensal of the gut and skin, was predominantly present in the vitreous of both the cohorts, however it was significantly less abundant in PFR group. Further, significant increase in the genera that have a pathogenic interaction with the host were observed in PFR group. On the whole the mycobiome in both the groups differed significantly and formed two distinct clusters in the heatmap and Principal co-ordinate analysis. These results demonstrate significant changes in the mycobiome from the vitreous of post fever retinitis patients compared to healthy controls thus implying that dysbiotic changes in the fungal vitreous microbiome are associated with PFR.


Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Hidalgo-Cantabrana ◽  
Rosemary Sanozky-Dawes ◽  
Rodolphe Barrangou

Due to recent advances in next-generation sequencing over the past decade, our understanding of the human microbiome and its relationship to health and disease has increased dramatically. Yet, our insights into the human virome, and its interplay with important microbes that impact human health, is relatively limited. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses are present throughout the human body, comprising a large and diverse population which influences several niches and impacts our health at various body sites. The presence of prokaryotic viruses like phages, has been documented at many different body sites, with the human gut being the richest ecological niche. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and associated proteins constitute the adaptive immune system of bacteria, which prevents attack by invasive nucleic acid. CRISPR-Cas systems function by uptake and integration of foreign genetic element sequences into the CRISPR array, which constitutes a genomic archive of iterative vaccination events. Consequently, CRISPR spacers can be investigated to reconstruct interplay between viruses and bacteria, and metagenomic sequencing data can be exploited to provide insights into host-phage interactions within a niche. Here, we show how the CRISPR spacer content of commensal and pathogenic bacteria can be used to determine the evidence of their phage exposure. This framework opens new opportunities for investigating host-virus dynamics in metagenomic data, and highlights the need to dedicate more efforts for virome sampling and sequencing.


Author(s):  
Oleg Melnikov ◽  
Diana Zabolotnaya ◽  
Alexander Bredun ◽  
Bogdan Bil ◽  
Oksana Rylska ◽  
...  

Introduction: In recently ears factors of innate immunity both cellular and humoral have been paid considerable attention as they are a protective barrier of a fast response and that is why they are largely concentrated at the intersection of the digestive tract and airways. The data concerning the activity level of factors of innate immunity in the upper airways affected by nonspecific inflammatory processes is insufficient and sparse and therefore the purpose of this research was to study the content of humoral factors of innate immunity in the oropharyngeal secretion (ORS) of patients with chronic infectious inflammatory diseases of the upper airways in remission. Materials and Methods: There was an examination of 16 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) of bacterial genesis (15-40 years old), 12 patients with rhinopharyngitis of post-viral genesis (8-16 years old), 12 people with scleroma from 30 tо 52 years of age (atrophic form), 10 patients with chronic tonsillitis in remission (from 10 to 33 years of age) and 11 patients of a control group (practically healthy donors from 12 tо 40 years of age). The content of MIP-1b, defensin-1β, lactoferrin, lysozyme, α-interferon was studied in the nonstimulated OPS. Statistics were carried out using Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: The greatest number of deviations in the decrease in the content of the examined nonspecific protective factors was found in cases of scleroma, chronic tonsillitis and chronic rhinosinusitis (p<0,05). The lack of protective humoral factors of innate immunity can be evidence of local immunodeficiency even in remission, which is a pathophysiological component of the maintenance of chronic inflammation. Conclusion: The decrease int he quantitative composition of factors of innate immunity in the oropharyngeal secretion of patients with chronic infectious inflammatory diseases of the airways is an objective ground not only for a replacement therapy, but also for the use of immune response modifiers from photo-immune modulators to “genuine immune modulators” controlling the state of the factors of both innate immunity and immunoglobulins, primarily of secretory type, the level and functionality of various groups of immunocompetent and accessory cells.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (31) ◽  
pp. 2816-2823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Di Stasio ◽  
Laura Mosca ◽  
Alberta Lucchese ◽  
Donatella Delle Cave ◽  
Hiromichi Kawasaki ◽  
...  

Background: microRNAs play a critical role in auto-immunity, cell proliferation, differentiation and cell death. miRNAs are present in all biological fluids, and their expression is essential in maintaining regular immune functions and preventing autoimmunity, whereas miRNA dysregulation may be associated with the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an inflammatory disease mediated by cytotoxic T cells attack against epithelial cells. The present study aims to perform a specific microRNA expression profile through the analysis of saliva in this disease. Methods: The study group was formed by five patients (mean age 62.8±1.98 years; 3 females/2 males) affected by oral lichen planus and control group by five healthy subjects (mean age 59.8 years±2.3; 3 females/ 2 males); using a low-density microarray analysis, we recorded a total of 98 differentially expressed miRNAs in the saliva of patients with oral lichen planus compared to the control group. The validation was performed for miR-27b with qRT-PCR in all saliva samples of oral lichen planus group. Results: 89 miRNAs were up-regulated and nine down-regulated. In details, levels of miR-21, miR- 125b, miR-203 and miR15b were increased (p<0.001) in study group while levels of miR-27b were about 3.0-fold decreased compared to controls (p<0.001) of miR-27b expression in OLP saliva. QRTPCR validation confirmed the down regulation of miR-27b in all saliva samples. Conclusions: Collecting saliva samples is a non-invasive procedure and is well accepted by all patients. microRNAs can be readily isolated and identified and can represent useful biomarkers of OLP.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Farhang ◽  
Laleh Sharifi ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Soltan Dallal ◽  
Mona Moshiri ◽  
Zahra Norouzbabaie ◽  
...  

Background: The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) play crucial role in the controlling of inflammatory diseases. Due to the vast side effects of NSAIDs, its use is limited. G2013 or &amp;#945;-L-Guluronic Acid is a new NSAID with immunomodulatory features. Objectives: Considering the leading role of TLRs in inflammatory responses, in this study, we aimed to evaluate G2013 cytotoxicity and its effect on the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 molecules. Methods: HEK293-TLR2 and HEK293-TLR4 cells were cultured and seeded on 96-well cell plate, and MTT assay was performed for detecting the viability of the cells after treatment with different concentrations of G2013. HT29 cells were grown and treated with low and high doses of G2013. After total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, quantitative real-time PCR were performed to assess the TLR2 and TLR4 mRNA synthesis. Results: We found that concentrations of ≤125 &amp;#181;g/ml of G2013 had no apparent cytotoxicity effect on the HEK293-TLR2 and -TLR4 cells. Our results indicated that after G2013 treatment (5 &amp;#181;g/ml) in HT29 cells, TLR2 and TLR4 mRNA expression decreased significantly compared with the untreated control group (p=0.02 and p=0.001 respectively). Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that G2013 can down regulate the TLR2 and TLR4 gene expression and exerts its inhibitory effect. Our findings are parallel to our previous finding which showed G2013 ability to down regulate the signaling pathway of TLRs. However, further studies are needed to identify the molecular mechanism of G2013.<p&gt;


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatma Tuğçe Gürağaç Dereli ◽  
Mert Ilhan ◽  
Esra Küpeli Akkol

Background: The fruits with the seeds of Dracunculus vulgaris Schott. (Araceae) are used against inflammatory diseases in Turkey. Objective: Present study was designed to justify this folkloric usage type of the plant. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of D. vulgaris. Methods: Petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were prepared from the fruits, successively. Carrageenan-, serotonin-, and prostaglandin E2-induced hind paw edema; acetic acid–induced capillary permeability and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate–induced mouse ear edema models were used to assess the antiinflammatory activity of the extracts. The analgesic activity was experienced by using p-benzoquinone-induced abdominal constriction test. Results: The petroleum ether extract displayed the highest activities in all of the used test models compared with the control group. Therefore, the constituents of this extract were determined by using gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS). Linoleic acid was found to be major constituent of the petroleum ether extract of D. vulgaris. Conclusion: This study has provided some justification for the folkloric use of the plant.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (9) ◽  
pp. 3741-3757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirosh D Aluthge ◽  
Dana M Van Sambeek ◽  
Erin E Carney-Hinkle ◽  
Yanshuo S Li ◽  
Samodha C Fernando ◽  
...  

Abstract A variety of microorganisms inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of animals including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Pioneers in gut microbiology have stressed the critical importance of diet:microbe interactions and how these interactions may contribute to health status. As scientists have overcome the limitations of culture-based microbiology, the importance of these interactions has become more clear even to the extent that the gut microbiota has emerged as an important immunologic and metabolic organ. Recent advances in metagenomics and metabolomics have helped scientists to demonstrate that interactions among the diet, the gut microbiota, and the host to have profound effects on animal health and disease. However, although scientists have now accumulated a great deal of data with respect to what organisms comprise the gastrointestinal landscape, there is a need to look more closely at causative effects of the microbiome. The objective of this review is intended to provide: 1) a review of what is currently known with respect to the dynamics of microbial colonization of the porcine gastrointestinal tract; 2) a review of the impact of nutrient:microbe effects on growth and health; 3) examples of the therapeutic potential of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics; and 4) a discussion about what the future holds with respect to microbiome research opportunities and challenges. Taken together, by considering what is currently known in the four aforementioned areas, our overarching goal is to set the stage for narrowing the path towards discovering how the porcine gut microbiota (individually and collectively) may affect specific host phenotypes.


Open Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 635-643
Author(s):  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Yingnan Wei ◽  
Huili Liu ◽  
Chunli Wu ◽  
...  

AbstractWe aimed to investigate the CXCL13 concentration of the serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative latent syphilis patients with treatment failure and explore the change in CXCL13 after treatment. Sixty-eight latent syphilis patients with treatment failure (failure group), 68 syphilis patients with successful treatment (seroconversion group) and 18 patients with non-inflammatory diseases of the nervous system (control group) were included and serum and CSF were collected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to detect the CXCL13 in the serum and CSF. Results showed that the serum CXCL13 concentration was comparable among three groups, and the CSF leukocyte count, IgG index and CXCL13 concentration in the failure group were significantly higher than those in the seroconversion group and control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CSF CXCL13 concentration in the failure group was positively related to the CSF leukocyte count (r = 0.3594, P < 0.001). Of the 68 patients in the treatment failure group, neurosyphilis was found in 17 (25.0%). In conclusion, involvement of nervous system is one of the reasons for the treatment failure in patients with latent syphilis. Detection of CSF CXCL13 concentration is helpful for the diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of HIV-negative latent syphilis patients with treatment failure and neurosyphilis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1302
Author(s):  
Patrice D. Cani ◽  
Emilie Moens de Hase ◽  
Matthias Van Hul

The field of the gut microbiota is still a relatively young science area, yet many studies have already highlighted the translational potential of microbiome research in the context of human health and disease. However, like in many new fields, discoveries are occurring at a fast pace and have provided new hope for the development of novel clinical applications in many different medical conditions, not in the least in metabolic disorders. This rapid progress has left the field vulnerable to premature claims, misconceptions and criticism, both from within and outside the sector. Tackling these issues requires a broad collaborative effort within the research field and is only possible by acknowledging the difficulties and challenges that are faced and that are currently hindering clinical implementation. These issues include: the primarily descriptive nature of evidence, methodological concerns, disagreements in analysis techniques, lack of causality, and a rather limited molecular-based understanding of underlying mechanisms. In this review, we discuss various studies and models that helped identifying the microbiota as an attractive tool or target for developing various translational applications. We also discuss some of the limitations and try to clarify some common misconceptions that are still prevalent in the field.


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