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European Spine Journal : Official... Feb 2022Back pain is a major problem worldwide and is linked to intervertebral disc degeneration and Modic change. Several studies report growth of bacteria following extraction... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Back pain is a major problem worldwide and is linked to intervertebral disc degeneration and Modic change. Several studies report growth of bacteria following extraction of degenerate discs at spine surgery. A pathophysiological role for infection in back pain has been proposed.
METHOD
We conducted a PRISMA systematic review. MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched with the terms Modic change, intervertebral dis*, bacteria, microb*, and infect*. Date limits of 2001-2021 were set. Human studies investigating the role of bacteria in disc degeneration or Modic change in vertebrae were included.
RESULTS
Thirty-six articles from 34 research investigations relating to bacteria in human degenerate discs were found. Cutibacterium acnes was identified in pathological disc material. A 'candidate bacterium' approach has been repeatedly adopted which may have biased results to find species a priori, with disc microbial evidence heavily weighted to find C. acnes.
CONCLUSION
Evidence to date implicates C. acnes identified through culture, microscopy and sequencing, with some suggestion of diverse bacterial colonisation in the disc. This review found studies which used culture methods and conventional PCR for bacterial detection. Further agnostic investigation using newer methods should be undertaken.
Topics: Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Intervertebral Disc; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration; Low Back Pain; Lumbar Vertebrae; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Propionibacterium acnes
PubMed: 34862912
DOI: 10.1007/s00586-021-07062-1 -
Medical Hypotheses Jan 2020Acne is a disease unique to humans and is associated with sebaceous glands that are found at high density on the scalp, forehead and face. Despite being a near universal...
Acne is a disease unique to humans and is associated with sebaceous glands that are found at high density on the scalp, forehead and face. Despite being a near universal problem in adolescence, the reason why such troublesome sebaceous glands exist at all is not well understood. Some interesting theories have been postulated including roles for skin maintenance, immunological function and perhaps even pheromones, but pre-pubertal skin which has sebaceous glands that are largely inactive, is healthy. Dystocia, obstructed labour, is unique to humans and no other animal has as much trouble giving birth. This is thought to reflect the relatively large human foetal head and proportionally small maternal pelvis. Noting the high density of sebaceous glands on the face, chest and back; these are exactly the same structures that pose the greatest obstruction during childbirth. Sebaceous glands develop after the fourth month of gestation and are large and well-developed at birth. Sebum production is also relatively high at birth. Having extra lubrication at these sites would help make the baby more slippery for birth conferring a selective advantage to successful delivery, as does the presence of the vernix caseosa, a white creamy substance, unique to humans that coats new-born infants. It is proposed that the sebaceous glands that cause acne are present on the face and forehead as they confer a selective advantage by 'lubricating' the widest parts of the new born baby to ease the passage of childbirth. Later in life, sebaceous glands may be inappropriately and pathologically primed, driven by a combination of hormones, diet and lifestyle to create acne.
Topics: Acne Vulgaris; Adolescent; Androgens; Biofilms; Diet; Dystocia; Female; Hair Follicle; Head; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Inflammation; Models, Biological; Organ Size; Parturition; Pregnancy; Propionibacterium acnes; Scalp; Sebaceous Glands; Sebum; Selection, Genetic; Species Specificity; Vernix Caseosa
PubMed: 31622924
DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109412 -
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology Jan 2024Cutibacterium acnes is a commensal bacterium on the skin that is generally well-tolerated, but different strain types have been hypothesized to contribute to the disease...
Cutibacterium acnes is a commensal bacterium on the skin that is generally well-tolerated, but different strain types have been hypothesized to contribute to the disease acne vulgaris. To understand how some strain types might contribute to skin inflammation, we generated a repository of C. acnes isolates from skin swabs of healthy subjects and subjects with acne and assessed their strain-level identity and capacity to stimulate cytokine release. Phylotype II K-type strains were more frequent on healthy and nonlesional skin of subjects with acne than those isolated from lesions. Phylotype IA-1 C-type strains were increased on lesional skin compared with those on healthy skin. The capacity to induce cytokines from cultured monocyte-derived dendritic cells was opposite to this action on sebocytes and keratinocytes and did not correlate with the strain types associated with the disease. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a linear plasmid in high-inflammatory isolates within similar strain types that had different proinflammatory responses. Single-cell RNA sequencing of mouse skin after intradermal injection showed that strains containing this plasmid induced a higher inflammatory response in dermal fibroblasts. These findings revealed that C. acnes strain type is insufficient to predict inflammation and that carriage of a plasmid could contribute to disease.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Humans; Skin; Acne Vulgaris; Dermatitis; Propionibacterium acnes; Plasmids; Inflammation; Cytokines
PubMed: 37478901
DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.05.029 -
Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) 2024Darier disease is a rare inherited disease with dominant skin manifestations including keratotic papules and plaques on sebaceous and flexural areas. Secondary infection...
INTRODUCTION
Darier disease is a rare inherited disease with dominant skin manifestations including keratotic papules and plaques on sebaceous and flexural areas. Secondary infection of skin lesions is common, and Staphylococcus aureus commonly colonizes these lesions. The aim of the study was to characterize the bacterial microbiome of cutaneous Darier lesions compared to normal-looking skin and disease severity.
METHODS
All patients with a history of Darier followed up at Emek Medical Center were invited to participate in the study. Patients that did not use antibiotics in the past month and signed informed consent had four skin sites sampled with swabs: scalp, chest, axilla, and palm. All samples were analyzed for bacterial microbiome using 16S rDNA sequencing.
RESULTS
Two hundred and eighty microbiome samples obtained from lesional and non-lesional skin of the scalp, chest, axilla, and palm of 42 Darier patients were included in the analysis. The most abundant bacterial genera across all skin sites were Propionibacterium, Corynebacterium, Paracoccus, Micrococcus, and Anaerococcus. Scalp and chest lesions featured a distinct microbiome configuration that was mainly driven by an overabundance of Staphylococci species. Patients with more severe disease exhibited microbiome alterations in the chest, axilla, and palm compared with patients with only mild disease, driven by Peptoniphilus and Moryella genera in scalp and palmar lesions, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Staphylococci were significantly associated with Darier lesions and drove Darier-associated dysbiosis. Severity of the disease was associated with two other bacterial genera. Whether these associations also hold a causative role and may serve as a therapeutic target remains to be determined and requires further investigation.
Topics: Humans; Darier Disease; Male; Female; Dysbiosis; Adult; Middle Aged; Microbiota; Axilla; Skin; Corynebacterium; Young Adult; Propionibacterium; Micrococcus; Severity of Illness Index; Hand; Thorax; Scalp; Aged; Adolescent
PubMed: 38330926
DOI: 10.1159/000537714 -
Journal of Medical Virology Nov 2020We report a review of all the experimental and clinical studies performed in the last 60 years on the antiviral activity of inactivated Corynebacterium parvum... (Review)
Review
We report a review of all the experimental and clinical studies performed in the last 60 years on the antiviral activity of inactivated Corynebacterium parvum (Cutibacterium acnes). This bacterium has been originally investigated and used for its oncolytic properties linked to immunomodulating activity, but the interest to successfully prevent and treat bacterial, fungal, and viral infections and lethality, uprising the innate immunity barriers produced many experimental models and very few clinical studies. The dramatic defenseless situation due to impending CoViD-19 pandemic claims to exhume and highlight this aspecific strategy in preventive and therapeutic settings; as a matter of fact, no new or mutated virus can potentially escape to this strong innate immune surveillance strengthened by adequate C. parvum protocols.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Immunologic Factors; Immunologic Surveillance; Propionibacterium acnes; Virus Diseases
PubMed: 32472706
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26100 -
Scientific Reports Oct 2023Prodigiosin, a red pigment produced by Hahella chejuensis, a marine-derived microorganism, has several biological functions, including antimicrobial activity and...
Prodigiosin, a red pigment produced by Hahella chejuensis, a marine-derived microorganism, has several biological functions, including antimicrobial activity and inflammatory relief. In this study, the antibacterial activity of prodigiosin against skin microorganisms was explored. Paper disc assay on skin bacterial cells revealed that Cutibacterium acnes related to acne vulgaris highly susceptible to prodigiosin. MIC (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration) and MBC (Minimal Bactericidal Concentration) were determined on Cutibacterium species. The RNA-seq analysis of prodigiosin-treated C. acnes cells was performed to understand the antibacterial mechanism of prodigiosin. Among changes in the expression of hundreds of genes, the expression of a stress-responsive sigma factor encoded by sigB increased. Conversely, the gene expression of cell wall biosynthesis and energy metabolism was inhibited by prodigiosin. Specifically, the expression of genes related to the metabolism of porphyrin, a pro-inflammatory metabolite, was significantly reduced. Therefore, prodigiosin could be used to control C. acnes. Our study provided new insights into the antimicrobial mechanism of prodigiosin against C. acnes strains.
Topics: Humans; Prodigiosin; Transcriptome; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Acne Vulgaris; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Propionibacterium acnes
PubMed: 37833344
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44612-7 -
BMC Microbiology Jun 2021Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is the most widely used probiotic, but the mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects remain unresolved. Previous studies typically...
BACKGROUND
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is the most widely used probiotic, but the mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects remain unresolved. Previous studies typically inoculated LGG in hosts with established gut microbiota, limiting the understanding of specific impacts of LGG on host due to numerous interactions among LGG, commensal microbes, and the host. There has been a scarcity of studies that used gnotobiotic animals to elucidate LGG-host interaction, in particular for gaining specific insights about how it modifies the metabolome. To evaluate whether LGG affects the metabolite output of pathobionts, we inoculated with LGG gnotobiotic mice containing Propionibacterium acnes, Turicibacter sanguinis, and Staphylococcus aureus (PTS).
RESULTS
16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples by Ion Torrent and MinION platforms showed colonization of germ-free mice by PTS or by PTS plus LGG (LTS). Although the body weights and feeding rates of mice remained similar between PTS and LTS groups, co-associating LGG with PTS led to a pronounced reduction in abundance of P. acnes in the gut. Addition of LGG or its secretome inhibited P. acnes growth in culture. After optimizing procedures for fecal metabolite extraction and metabolomic liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, unsupervised and supervised multivariate analyses revealed a distinct separation among fecal metabolites of PTS, LTS, and germ-free groups. Variables-important-in-projection scores showed that LGG colonization robustly diminished guanine, ornitihine, and sorbitol while significantly elevating acetylated amino acids, ribitol, indolelactic acid, and histamine. In addition, carnitine, betaine, and glutamate increased while thymidine, quinic acid and biotin were reduced in both PTS and LTS groups. Furthermore, LGG association reduced intestinal mucosal expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1α, IL-1β and TNF-α.
CONCLUSIONS
LGG co-association had a negative impact on colonization of P. acnes, and markedly altered the metabolic output and inflammatory response elicited by pathobionts.
Topics: Animals; Cytokines; Female; Firmicutes; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Germ-Free Life; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Probiotics; Propionibacterium acnes; Staphylococcus aureus
PubMed: 34082713
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02178-2 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2021Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) ATCC 12228 was incubated with 2% polyethylene glycol (PEG)-8 Laurate to yield electricity which was measured by a voltage...
Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) ATCC 12228 was incubated with 2% polyethylene glycol (PEG)-8 Laurate to yield electricity which was measured by a voltage difference between electrodes. Production of electron was validated by a Ferrozine assay. The anti-Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) activity of electrogenic S. epidermidis was assessed in vitro and in vivo. The voltage change (~ 4.4 mV) reached a peak 60 min after pipetting S. epidermidis plus 2% PEG-8 Laurate onto anodes. The electricity produced by S. epidermidis caused significant growth attenuation and cell lysis of C. acnes. Intradermal injection of C. acnes and S. epidermidis plus PEG-8 Laurate into the mouse ear considerably suppressed the growth of C. acnes. This suppressive effect was noticeably reversed when cyclophilin A of S. epidermidis was inhibited, indicating the essential role of cyclophilin A in electricity production of S. epidermidis against C. acnes. In summary, we demonstrate for the first time that skin S. epidermidis, in the presence of PEG-8 Laurate, can mediate cyclophilin A to elicit an electrical current that has anti-C. acnes effects. Electricity generated by S. epidermidis may confer immediate innate immunity in acne lesions to rein in the overgrowth of C. acnes at the onset of acne vulgaris.
Topics: Acne Vulgaris; Animals; Antibiosis; Bacterial Proteins; Coculture Techniques; Culture Media; Cyclophilin A; Disease Models, Animal; Ear; Electricity; Electrodes; Female; Gene Expression; Laurates; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Polyethylene Glycols; Propionibacteriaceae; Skin; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Surface-Active Agents
PubMed: 34099817
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91398-7 -
Nature Communications Feb 2023Acne vulgaris is a common neutrophil-driven inflammatory skin disorder in which Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is known to play a key role. For decades, antibiotics have...
Acne vulgaris is a common neutrophil-driven inflammatory skin disorder in which Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is known to play a key role. For decades, antibiotics have been widely employed to treat acne vulgaris, inevitably resulting in increased bacterial antibiotic resistance. Phage therapy is a promising strategy to combat the growing challenge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, utilizing viruses that specifically lyse bacteria. Herein, we explore the feasibility of phage therapy against C. acnes. Eight novel phages, isolated in our laboratory, and commonly used antibiotics eradicate 100% of clinically isolated C. acnes strains. Topical phage therapy in a C. acnes-induced acne-like lesions mouse model affords significantly superior clinical and histological scores. Moreover, the decrease in inflammatory response was reflected by the reduced expression of chemokine CXCL2, neutrophil infiltration, and other inflammatory cytokines when compared with the infected-untreated group. Overall, these findings indicate the potential of phage therapy for acne vulgaris as an additional tool to conventional antibiotics.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Phage Therapy; Acne Vulgaris; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Skin; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Propionibacterium acnes
PubMed: 36813793
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36694-8 -
Microorganisms Jan 2023Indoor spaces exhibit microbial compositions that are distinctly dissimilar from one another and from outdoor spaces. Unique in this regard, and a topic that has only...
Indoor spaces exhibit microbial compositions that are distinctly dissimilar from one another and from outdoor spaces. Unique in this regard, and a topic that has only recently come into focus, is the microbiome of hospitals. While the benefits of knowing exactly which microorganisms propagate how and where in hospitals are undoubtedly beneficial for preventing hospital-acquired infections, there are, to date, no standardized procedures on how to best study the hospital microbiome. Our study aimed to investigate the microbiome of hospital sanitary facilities, outlining the extent to which hospital microbiome analyses differ according to sample-preparation protocol. For this purpose, fifty samples were collected from two separate hospitals-from three wards and one hospital laboratory-using two different storage media from which DNA was extracted using two different extraction kits and sequenced with two different primer pairs (V1-V2 and V3-V4). There were no observable differences between the sample-preservation media, small differences in detected taxa between the DNA extraction kits (mainly concerning ), and large differences in detected taxa between the two primer pairs V1-V2 and V3-V4. This analysis also showed that microbial occurrences and compositions can vary greatly from toilets to sinks to showers and across wards and hospitals. In surgical wards, patient toilets appeared to be characterized by lower species richness and diversity than staff toilets. Which sampling sites are the best for which assessments should be analyzed in more depth. The fact that the sample processing methods we investigated (apart from the choice of primers) seem to have changed the results only slightly suggests that comparing hospital microbiome studies is a realistic option. The observed differences in species richness and diversity between patient and staff toilets should be further investigated, as these, if confirmed, could be a result of excreted antimicrobials.
PubMed: 36677477
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010185