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Journal of Medical Case Reports May 2023Streptococcus cristatus is a member of the Mitis streptococcus group. Like other members of this group, it resides on mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity. However,...
BACKGROUND
Streptococcus cristatus is a member of the Mitis streptococcus group. Like other members of this group, it resides on mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity. However, little is known about its ability to cause disease as there are only a handful of cases in the literature. Two of these cases involved infective endocarditis with significant complications. However, these cases involved additional microbes, limiting the inferences about the pathogenicity of Streptococcus cristatus.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 59-year-old African American male with end-stage cryptogenic cirrhosis and ascites presented with fatigue and confusion. A paracentesis was negative for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, but two separate blood cultures grew Streptococcus cristatus. Our patient had a history of dental caries and poor oral hygiene, which were likely the source of the infection. Echocardiograms revealed new aortic regurgitation, indicating "possible endocarditis" per the Modified Duke Criteria. However, since his clinical picture and cardiac function were reassuring, we elected against treatment for infective endocarditis. He was treated for bacteremia with a 2-week course of cephalosporins consisting of 8 days of ceftriaxone, transitioning to cefpodoxime after discharge. Despite having end-stage liver disease, our patient did not experience any significant complications from the infection.
CONCLUSION
A patient with end-stage cirrhosis and poor oral hygiene developed bacteremia with an oral bacterium called Streptococcus cristatus. Unlike previous cases in literature, our patient did not meet criteria for a definitive diagnosis of infective endocarditis, and he experienced no other complications from the infection. This suggests coinfectants may have been primarily responsible for the severe cardiac sequelae in prior cases, whereas isolated Streptococcus cristatus infection may be relatively mild.
Topics: Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Oral Hygiene; Dental Caries; Streptococcal Infections; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Endocarditis; Streptococcus pyogenes; Bacteremia
PubMed: 37194080
DOI: 10.1186/s13256-023-03818-z -
Scientific Reports Mar 2023Smoking accelerates periodontal disease and alters the subgingival microbiome. However, the relationship between smoking-associated subgingival dysbiosis and progression...
Smoking accelerates periodontal disease and alters the subgingival microbiome. However, the relationship between smoking-associated subgingival dysbiosis and progression of periodontal disease is not well understood. Here, we sampled 233 subgingival sites longitudinally from 8 smokers and 9 non-smokers over 6-12 months, analyzing 804 subgingival plaque samples using 16 rRNA sequencing. At equal probing depths, the microbial richness and diversity of the subgingival microbiome was higher in smokers compared to non-smokers, but these differences decreased as probing depths increased. The overall subgingival microbiome of smokers differed significantly from non-smokers at equal probing depths, which was characterized by colonization of novel minority microbes and a shift in abundant members of the microbiome to resemble periodontally diseased communities enriched with pathogenic bacteria. Temporal analysis showed that microbiome in shallow sites were less stable than deeper sites, but temporal stability of the microbiome was not significantly affected by smoking status or scaling and root planing. We identified 7 taxa-Olsenella sp., Streptococcus cristatus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus parasanguinis, Prevotella sp., Alloprevotella sp., and a Bacteroidales sp. that were significantly associated with progression of periodontal disease. Taken together, these results suggest that subgingival dysbiosis in smokers precedes clinical signs of periodontal disease, and support the hypothesis that smoking accelerates subgingival dysbiosis to facilitate periodontal disease progression.
Topics: Humans; Dysbiosis; Smoking; Tobacco Smoking; Smokers; Periodontal Diseases; Bacteroidetes
PubMed: 36882425
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30203-z -
Enfermedades Infecciosas Y... May 2023
Topics: Humans; Streptococcus; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Endocarditis
PubMed: 36710165
DOI: 10.1016/j.eimce.2022.08.013 -
Revista Espanola de Quimioterapia :... Feb 2023
Review
Topics: Humans; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Endocarditis; Streptococcus; Bacteremia
PubMed: 36458725
DOI: 10.37201/req/090.2022 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2021Periodontitis disproportionately affects different racial and ethnic populations. In this study, we used qPCR to determine and compare oral microbial profiles in dental...
Periodontitis disproportionately affects different racial and ethnic populations. In this study, we used qPCR to determine and compare oral microbial profiles in dental plaque samples from 191 periodontitis patients of different ethnic/racial backgrounds. We also obtained the periodontal parameters of these patients retrospectively using axiUm and performed statistical analysis using SAS 9.4. We found that in this patient cohort, neighborhood median incomes were significantly higher among Caucasians Americans (CAs) than among African Americans (AAs) and Hispanic Americans (HAs). Levels of total bacteria and , a keystone periodontal pathogen, were not evenly distributed among the three groups. We confirmed our previous findings that reduces virulence potential and likely serves as a beneficial bacterium. We also showed the ratio of to to be significantly higher in CAs than in HAs and AAs. Our results suggest that higher levels of and lower ratios of to may contribute to periodontal health disparities.
Topics: Humans; Periodontitis; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Virulence
PubMed: 34869082
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.789919 -
ACS Chemical Biology Dec 2021is an early colonizer of the oral microbiome with documented bactericidal activity against the oral pathogen . has been observed to possess the typical competence...
is an early colonizer of the oral microbiome with documented bactericidal activity against the oral pathogen . has been observed to possess the typical competence regulon found within most oral streptococci; however, the competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) responsible for QS activation and the regulatory role of the competence regulon is yet to be explored. Herein, we have both confirmed the identity of the CSP and utilized a wide range of phenotypic assays to characterize its regulatory role in competence, biofilm formation, and hydrogen peroxide formation. To determine the importance of each amino acid residue in CSP/ComD binding, we performed systematic replacement of amino acid residues within the CSP and developed a luciferase-based reporter system to assess the ability of these mutated analogues to modulate the competence regulon. Additionally, we performed CD analysis on mutated CSP analogues to determine the correlation between the peptide secondary structure and QS activation. To further explore ' potential as a biotherapeutic against infection, lead QS activators and inhibitors were used in interspecies competition assays to assess the effect of QS modulation on interactions between these two species. Lastly, we have documented a lack of -induced cytotoxicity, highlighting the potential of this native flora as a biotherapeutic with minimal health risks.
Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Biofilms; Hydrogen Peroxide; Peptides; Protein Binding; Regulon; Streptococcus; Streptococcus mutans; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 34860484
DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00746 -
Journal of B.U.ON. : Official Journal... 2021The characteristics of pathogenic microbes are useful for understanding the microbe-driven tumorigenesis. There is a lack of studies on the lung microecology for lung...
PURPOSE
The characteristics of pathogenic microbes are useful for understanding the microbe-driven tumorigenesis. There is a lack of studies on the lung microecology for lung cancer (LC) patients without any respiratory infection. In this work, we aimed to describe the profiles of pathogenic microbes in lung microenvironment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients using pathogen targeted sequencing and 16S rDNA sequencing.
METHODS
A total of 22 NSCLC patients (13 adenocarcinomas and 9 squamous cell carcinomas) without any pulmonary infection were enrolled. Among them, we collected 15 pieces of tumor tissues, 5 pieces of peritumoral tissues, 6 blood serum samples, and 5 broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples. Pathogen targeted sequencingand16S rDNA sequencing was performed for microbial classification.
RESULTS
The pathogen targeted sequencing results showed that 33, 14, 11, and 27 pathogenic microorganisms were detected in tumor tissues, peritumoral tissues, blood samples, and BALF, respectively. No common microorganisms were shared by four sample types. However, some common elements were shared by three sets: Streptococcus cristatus, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheria, Acinetobacter jungii, Haemophilus haemolyticus and Haemophilus parainfluenzae. Based on the 16S rDNA sequencing of two BALF samples, there were 104 OTUs found in one BALF sample and 127 OTUs in the other BALF sample; among them, there were 82 common ones, such as OTU1, OTU10, OTU101, OTU105, OTU106, and so on. Based on the above microbial classification and abundance, there might be enriched function in COG terms like COG1132, COG0438 and COG0745, and KEGG terms like K06147, K02029, and K09687.
CONCLUSION
This study emphasizes the role of the microbiome in LC patients without respiratory infection. These potential biomarkers of LC based on the taxonomic composition of pathogenic microorganisms might have clinical application.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Respiratory Tract Infections; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 34761593
DOI: No ID Found -
Microbiology Spectrum Oct 2021When encountering oxidative stress, organisms selectively upregulate antioxidant genes and simultaneously suppress the translation of most other proteins. Eukaryotes...
When encountering oxidative stress, organisms selectively upregulate antioxidant genes and simultaneously suppress the translation of most other proteins. Eukaryotes employ multiple strategies to adjust translation at both the initiation and elongation stages; however, how prokaryotes modulate translation under oxidative stress remains unclear. Here, we report that upon hydrogen peroxide (HO) challenge, Streptococcus oligofermentans reduced translation via RNase Z (So-RNaseZ) oxidative degradation, thus hindering tRNA maturation. S. oligofermentans encodes all CCA-less tRNAs that require So-RNaseZ for 3' end maturation. A combination of nonreducing SDS-PAGE and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) assays demonstrated that HO oxidation induced Cys38-Cys149 disulfide linkages in recombinant So-RNaseZ protein, and serine substitution of Cys38 or Cys149 abolished these disulfide linkages. Consistently, redox Western blotting also determined intramolecular disulfide-linked So-RNaseZ in HO-treated cells. The disulfide-linked So-RNaseZ and monomer were both subject to proteolysis, whereas C149S mutation alleviated oxidative degradation of So-RNaseZ, suggesting that HO-mediated disulfide linkages substantially contributed to So-RNaseZ degradation. Accordingly, Northern blotting determined that tRNA precursor accumulation and mature tRNA species decrease in HO-treated . Moreover, reduced overall protein synthesis, as indicated by puromycin incorporation, and retarded growth of occurred in an HO concentration-dependent manner. Overexpression of So-RNaseZ not only elevated tRNA precursor processing and protein synthesis but also partly rescued HO-suppressed growth. Moreover, So-RNaseZ oxidative degradation-mediated translation repression elevated survival under high HO stress. Therefore, this work found that So-RNaseZ oxidative degradation-impeded tRNA maturation contributes to streptococcal translation repression and provides the oxidative stress adaptability for . Translation regulation is a common strategy used by organisms to reduce oxidative damage. Catalase-negative streptococci produce as well as tolerate high levels of HO. This work reports a novel translation regulation mechanism employed by Streptococcus oligofermentans in response to HO challenge, in which the key tRNA endonuclease So-RNaseZ is oxidized to form Cys38-Cys149 disulfide linkages and both the disulfide-linked So-RNaseZ and monomers are subject to proteolysis; thus, tRNA maturation, protein translation, and growth are all suppressed. Notably, So-RNaseZ oxidative degradation-mediated translation repression offers oxidative adaptability to and enhances its survival against high HO challenge. So-RNaseZ orthologs and HO-sensitive cysteines (Cys38 and Cys149) are widely distributed in and species genomes, which also encode all CCA-less tRNAs and lack catalase. Therefore, RNase Z oxidative degradation-based translation regulation could be widely employed by these lactic acid bacteria, including pathogenic streptococci, to cope with HO.
Topics: Antioxidants; Disulfides; Endoribonucleases; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Hydrogen Peroxide; Oxidative Stress; Protein Biosynthesis; RNA, Transfer; Streptococcus
PubMed: 34704809
DOI: 10.1128/Spectrum.01167-21 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2021Peri-implantitis (PI) is a relatively frequent pathology that compromises the overall survival of the dental implant. Adjunctive approaches for the conventional...
Peri-implantitis (PI) is a relatively frequent pathology that compromises the overall survival of the dental implant. Adjunctive approaches for the conventional mechanical debridement are being suggested to optimize the treatment of PI. The goal of the study was the assessment of the disinfection potential of the Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser on contaminated titanium implant surfaces. A total of 72 sterile titanium discs were used and divided into three groups: 24 contaminated titanium discs treated with the laser (study Group L), 24 contaminated titanium discs with no treatment (control 1-Group C), and 24 sterile titanium discs with no treatment (control 2-Group S). Multi-species biofilm was used: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and Prevotella intermedia. Commensal bacteria were included also: Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinomyces viscosus, Streptococcus cristatus, Streptococcus gordonii, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus parasanguinis, and Veillonella parvula. Parameters delivered per pulse on the targeted surfaces of the titanium discs were an energy density of 0.597 J/cm each pulse, a pulse power of 270 mW, a laser beam spot of 2.4 mm in diameter, and a rate of repetition of 10 Hertz (Hz) for a pulse duration of 6 nanoseconds (ns). The mode was no contact, and a distance of 500 micrometers was used with a total time of irradiation equal to 2 s (s). The collection of microbiological samples was made for all groups; colony-forming units (CFU) were identified by two different practitioners, and the average of their examinations was considered for each sample. The average of the TBC (CFU/mL) was calculated for each group. Values were 0.000 CFU/mL, 4767 CFU/mL, and 0.000 CFU/mL for Group L, Group C, and Group S, respectively. Therefore, the suggested treatment protocol was able to provoke a total disinfection of the contaminated titanium surfaces. A statistical difference was only found between Group L vs. Group C and between Group S vs. Group C. The difference was not significant between Group S and Group L. In conclusion, the present study confirmed that the Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser under our specific conditions can provide a total disinfection of the contaminated titanium surfaces.
PubMed: 34683666
DOI: 10.3390/ma14206078 -
MicrobiologyOpen Jan 2021To survive within complex environmental niches, including the human host, bacteria have evolved intricate interspecies communities driven by competition for limited...
To survive within complex environmental niches, including the human host, bacteria have evolved intricate interspecies communities driven by competition for limited nutrients, cooperation via complementary metabolic proficiencies, and establishment of homeostatic relationships with the host immune system. The study of such complex, interdependent relationships is often hampered by the challenges of culturing many bacterial strains in research settings and the limited set of tools available for studying the dynamic behavior of multiple bacterial species at the microscale. Here, we utilize a microfluidic-based co-culture system and time-lapse imaging to characterize dynamic interactions between Streptococcus species, Staphylococcus aureus, and Actinomyces species. Co-culture of Streptococcus cristatus or S. salivarius in nanoliter compartments with Actinomyces graevenitzii revealed localized exclusion of Streptococcus and Staphylococcus from media immediately surrounding A. graevenitzii microcolonies. This community structure did not occur with S. mitis or S. oralis strains or in co-cultures containing other Actinomycetaceae species such as S. odontolyticus or A. naeslundii. Moreover, fewer neutrophils were attracted to compartments containing both A. graevenitzii and Staphylococcus aureus than to an equal number of either species alone, suggesting a possible survival benefit together during immune responses.
Topics: Actinomyces; Antibiosis; Biofilms; Coculture Techniques; Host Microbial Interactions; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Microbiota; Microfluidics; Mouth; Neutrophils; Staphylococcus aureus; Streptococcus
PubMed: 33544453
DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1137