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Marine Drugs May 2024, a notable pathogen behind respiratory infections, employs specialized proteins to adhere to the respiratory epithelium, an essential process for initiating infection....
, a notable pathogen behind respiratory infections, employs specialized proteins to adhere to the respiratory epithelium, an essential process for initiating infection. The role of glycosaminoglycans, especially heparan sulfate, is critical in facilitating pathogen-host interactions, presenting a strategic target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we assembled a glycan library comprising heparin, its oligosaccharide derivatives, and a variety of marine-derived sulfated glycans to screen the potential inhibitors for the pathogen-host interactions. By using Surface Plasmon Resonance spectroscopy, we evaluated the library's efficacy in inhibiting the interaction between adhesion proteins and heparin. Our findings offer a promising avenue for developing novel therapeutic strategies against infections.
Topics: Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Heparin; Polysaccharides; Aquatic Organisms; Humans; Adhesins, Bacterial; Bacterial Adhesion; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Animals; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Sulfates
PubMed: 38786623
DOI: 10.3390/md22050232 -
Biosensors May 2024Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a global concern because approximately 1 million new cases emerge daily. Most STDs are curable, but if left untreated, they can...
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a global concern because approximately 1 million new cases emerge daily. Most STDs are curable, but if left untreated, they can cause severe long-term health implications, including infertility and even death. Therefore, a test enabling rapid and accurate screening and genotyping of STD pathogens is highly awaited. Herein, we present the development of the DNA-based 6STD Genotyping 9G Membrane test, a lateral flow strip membrane assay, for the detection and genotyping of six STD pathogens, including , , , , , and . Here, we developed a multiplex PCR primer set that allows PCR amplification of genomic materials for these six STD pathogens. We also developed the six ssDNA probes that allow highly efficient detection of the six STD pathogens. The 6STD Genotyping 9G Membrane test lets us obtain the final detection and genotyping results in less than 30 m after PCR at 25 °C. The accuracy of the 6STD Genotyping 9G membrane test in STD genotyping was confirmed by its 100% concordance with the sequencing results of 120 clinical samples. Therefore, the 6STD Genotyping 9G Membrane test emerges as a promising diagnostic tool for precise STD genotyping, facilitating informed decision-making in clinical practice.
Topics: Humans; Chlamydia trachomatis; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Genotype; Trichomonas vaginalis; Genotyping Techniques; Mycoplasma hominis; Ureaplasma urealyticum; DNA; Mycoplasma genitalium; Biosensing Techniques; DNA, Bacterial; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
PubMed: 38785734
DOI: 10.3390/bios14050260 -
Health Informatics Journal 2024Mycoplasma pneumonia may lead to hospitalizations and pose life-threatening risks in children. The automated identification of mycoplasma pneumonia from electronic...
Mycoplasma pneumonia may lead to hospitalizations and pose life-threatening risks in children. The automated identification of mycoplasma pneumonia from electronic medical records holds significant potential for improving the efficiency of hospital resource allocation. In this study, we proposed a novel method for identifying mycoplasma pneumonia by integrating multi-modal features derived from both free-text descriptions and structured test data in electronic medical records. Our approach begins with the extraction of free-text and structured data from clinical records through a systematic preprocessing pipeline. Subsequently, we employ a pre-trained transformer language model to extract features from the free-text, while multiple additive regression trees are used to transform features from the structured data. An attention-based fusion mechanism is then applied to integrate these multi-modal features for effective classification. We validated our method using clinic records of 7157 patients, retrospectively collected for training and testing purposes. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed multi-modal fusion approach achieves significant improvements over other methods across four key performance metrics.
Topics: Humans; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma; Electronic Health Records; Child; Retrospective Studies; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Female; Male; Child, Preschool
PubMed: 38779978
DOI: 10.1177/14604582241255818 -
BMC Pulmonary Medicine May 2024Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is prevalent in paediatric patients and can progress to refractory mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP).
INTRODUCTION
Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is prevalent in paediatric patients and can progress to refractory mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP).
OBJECTIVE
To assess the predictive value of bronchoscopy combined with computed tomography (CT) score in identifying RMPP in children.
METHODS
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 244 paediatric patients with MP, categorising them into RMPP and general mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (GMPP) groups. A paired t-test compared the bronchitis score (BS) and CT score before and after treatment, supplemented by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
RESULTS
The RMPP group showed higher incidences of extrapulmonary complications and pleural effusion (58.10% and 40%, respectively) compared with the GMPP group (44.60%, p = 0.037 and 18.71%, p < 0.001, respectively). The CT scores for each lung lobe were statistically significant between the groups, except for the right upper lobe (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis between the total CT score and total BS yielded r = 0.346 and p < 0.001. The ROC for BS combined with CT score, including area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, and cut-off values, were 0.82, 0.89, 0.64, and 0.53, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The combined BS and CT score method is highly valuable in identifying RMPP in children.
Topics: Humans; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma; Male; Female; Retrospective Studies; Child; Bronchoscopy; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Child, Preschool; ROC Curve; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Predictive Value of Tests; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Adolescent; Sensitivity and Specificity; Lung; Bronchitis
PubMed: 38778338
DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-02996-w -
PloS One 2024Mycoplasmal pneumonia in sheep and goats usually result covert but huge economic losses in the sheep and goat industry. The disease is prevalent in various countries in...
Mycoplasmal pneumonia in sheep and goats usually result covert but huge economic losses in the sheep and goat industry. The disease is prevalent in various countries in Africa and Asia. Clinical manifestations in affected animals include anorexia, fever, and respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea, polypnea, cough, and nasal discharge. Due to similarities with other respiratory infections, accurate diagnosis can be challenging, and isolating the causative organism is often problematic. However, the utilization of molecular techniques, such as PCR, allows for rapid and specific identification of pathogens. Thus, a goat infection model with Mycoplasma was established and the pathogen was tested using PCR. The results indicated that this approach could be effectively utilized for the rapid detection of mycoplasma in clinical settings. Additionally, the prevalence of contagious pleuropneumonia of sheep in Qinghai Province was further investigated through PCR analysis. A total of 340 nasal swabs were collected from 17 sheep farms in Qinghai province. Among these samples, 84 tested positive for Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri (Mmc) and 148 tested positive for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi), resulting in positive rates of 24.71% and 43.53% respectively. Furthermore, our investigation revealed positive PCR results for nasal swabs, trachea, and lung samples obtained from sheep exhibiting symptoms suggestive of mycoplasma infection. Moreover, three distinct strains were isolated from these positive samples. Additionally, the inflammatory cytokines of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were assessed using RT-PCR. The findings demonstrated a high susceptibility of sheep to Movi in Qinghai province, with infected sheep displaying an inflammatory response. Consequently, the outcomes of this study will furnish valuable epidemiological insights for the effective prevention and control of this disease within Qinghai Province.
Topics: Animals; Sheep; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma; Sheep Diseases; China; Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae; Goats; Prevalence; Polymerase Chain Reaction
PubMed: 38771810
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299928 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2024() belongs to the class , characterized by a very small genome size, reduction of metabolic pathways, including transcription factors, and the absence of a cell wall....
INTRODUCTION
() belongs to the class , characterized by a very small genome size, reduction of metabolic pathways, including transcription factors, and the absence of a cell wall. Despite this, they adapt well not only to specific niches within the host organism but can also spread throughout the body, colonizing various organs and tissues. The adaptation mechanisms of , as well as their regulatory pathways, are poorly understood. It is known that, when adapting to adverse conditions, can undergo phenotypic switches that may persist for several generations.
METHODS
To investigate the adaptive properties of related to survival in the host, we conducted a comparative phenotypic and proteogenomic analysis of eight clinical isolates of obtained from patients with urogenital infections and the laboratory strain H-34.
RESULTS
We have shown that clinical isolates differ in phenotypic features from the laboratory strain, form biofilms more effectively and show resistance to ofloxacin. The comparative proteogenomic analysis revealed that, unlike the laboratory strain, the clinical isolates possess several features related to stress survival: they switch carbon metabolism, activating the energetically least advantageous pathway of nucleoside utilization, which allows slowing down cellular processes and transitioning to a starvation state; they reconfigure the repertoire of membrane proteins; they have integrative conjugative elements in their genomes, which are key mediators of horizontal gene transfer. The upregulation of the methylating subunit of the restriction-modification (RM) system type I and the additional components of RM systems found in clinical isolates suggest that DNA methylation may play a role in regulating the adaptation mechanisms of in the host organism. It has been shown that based on the proteogenomic profile, namely the genome sequence, protein content, composition of the RM systems and additional subunits HsdM, HsdS and HsdR, composition and number of transposable elements, as well as the sequence of the main variable antigen Vaa, we can divide clinical isolates into two phenotypes: typical colonies (TC), which have a high growth rate, and atypical (aTC) mini-colonies, which have a slow growth rate and exhibit properties similar to persisters.
DISCUSSION
We believe that the key mechanism of adaptation of in the host is phenotypic restructuring, leading to a slowing down cellular processes and the formation of small atypical colonies. This is due to a switch in carbon metabolism and activation the pathway of nucleoside utilization. We hypothesize that DNA methylation may play a role in regulating this switch.
Topics: Humans; Mycoplasma hominis; Proteogenomics; Mycoplasma Infections; Adaptation, Physiological; Biofilms; Genome, Bacterial; Phenotype; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Proteins; Drug Resistance, Bacterial
PubMed: 38756231
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1398706 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2024Exploring the effect of SJQJD on the pulmonary microbiota of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rats through 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing.
OBJECTIVE
Exploring the effect of SJQJD on the pulmonary microbiota of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rats through 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing.
METHODS
A COPD rat model was constructed through smoking and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, and the efficacy of SJQJD was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbnent Assay (ELISA). The alveolar lavage fluid of rats was subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing. The diversity of lung microbiota composition and community structure was analyzed and differential microbiota were screened. Additionally, machine learning algorithms were used for screening biomarkers of each group of the microbiota.
RESULTS
SJQJD could improve lung structure and inflammatory response in COPD rats. 16s rRNA sequencing analysis showed that SJQJD could significantly improve the abundance and diversity of bacterial communities in COPD rats. Through differential analysis and machine learning methods, potential microbial biomarkers were identified as , , and .
CONCLUSION
SJQJD could improve tissue morphology and local inflammatory response in COPD rats, and its effect may be related to improve pulmonary microbiota.
Topics: Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Animals; Microbiota; Lung; Rats; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Disease Models, Animal; Male; Bacteria; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
PubMed: 38746785
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1379831 -
Parasites & Vectors May 2024Feline-associated hemotropic Mycoplasma (hemoplasmas) are believed to be transmitted by two primary mechanisms: (1) direct transmission via fighting and (2) vector-borne... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Feline-associated hemotropic Mycoplasma (hemoplasmas) are believed to be transmitted by two primary mechanisms: (1) direct transmission via fighting and (2) vector-borne transmission by the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). While the efficiency of transmission by C. felis appears low, most manuscripts focus on the prevalence of hemoplasmas in wild-caught fleas and report either a very low (< 3%) or a high (> 26%) prevalence. Therefore, we aimed to assess the influence of sample processing and PCR methods on C. felis hemoplasma infection prevalence.
METHODS
A systemic review of PubMed articles identified 13 manuscripts (1,531 fleas/flea pools) that met the inclusion criteria (performed PCR for >1 hemoplasma on C. felis collected from cats). Risk of bias was assessed utilizing the ROBINS-E tool. Meta-analysis performed in R of these manuscripts found that not washing samples and a common set of 16S rRNA primers first published in Jensen et al. 2001 were associated with increased hemoplasma prevalence. To evaluate the influence of washing on newly collected fleas, we assessed the hemoplasma status of 20 pools of 5 C. felis each, half of which were washed and half not washed.
RESULTS
Flea washing did not influence the detection of hemoplasma but instead amplified Spiroplasma. To assess non-specific amplification with the Jensen et al. 2001 primers, 67 C. felis samples (34% previously reported hemoplasma infected) were subject to PCR and sequencing. By this method, hemoplasma was detected in only 3% of samples. In the remaining "hemoplasma infected" fleas, PCR amplified Spiroplasma or other bacteria.
CONCLUSIONS
Therefore, we concluded that hemoplasma infection in C. felis is rare, and future flea prevalence studies should sequence all positive amplicons to validate PCR specificity. Further investigation of alternative methods of feline-associated hemoplasma transmission and the ability of C. felis to maintain hemoplasma infection is necessary.
Topics: Animals; Mycoplasma; Ctenocephalides; Cats; Cat Diseases; Mycoplasma Infections; Flea Infestations; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 38720359
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06292-8 -
The Veterinary Quarterly Dec 2024Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of different treatments for BRD on health and welfare in fattening bulls. A total of 264 bulls were enrolled. Welfare was assessed...
Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of different treatments for BRD on health and welfare in fattening bulls. A total of 264 bulls were enrolled. Welfare was assessed on day 2 (T0) and day 15 (T1) after arrival. A decrease in the welfare level was observed from T0 to T1. All bulls were inspected clinically at T0 and T1 revealing an increase of skin lesions and lameness in T1. In both periods, a high incidence of respiratory disease was observed. A prevalence of 79.55% and 95.45% of using RT-PCR and culture at T0 and T1 respectively was observed. Blood samples were collected for haematology at T0 and T1. At T0, 36 animals were individually treated for BRD with an antimicrobial (IT), 54 received a metaphylactic treatment with tulathromycin (M), 150 received a metaphylactic treatment with tulathromycin plus a second antimicrobial (M + IT) whereas 24 were considered healthy and therefore not treated (NT). Additionally, 128 were treated with a non-steroid anti-inflammatory (NSAID). Neutrophils of M + IT were significantly higher than groups NT and M and the lymphocytes of M + IT were significantly lower than that of IT. White blood cells, neutrophils and N/L ratio of animals treated with an NSAID was significantly higher than that not treated. Lung inspection of 172 bulls at the abattoir indicated that 92.43% presented at least one lung lesion. A statistically significant effect of the NSAID treatment on the lung lesions was observed. Our findings indicate that BRD was a major welfare and health concern and evidence the difficulties of antimicrobial treatment of .
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Male; Cross-Sectional Studies; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Animal Welfare; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Disaccharides; Cattle Diseases; Mycoplasma bovis; Anti-Infective Agents; Mycoplasma Infections; Heterocyclic Compounds; Macrolides
PubMed: 38711265
DOI: 10.1080/01652176.2024.2347928 -
Veterinary Immunology and... Jun 2024The Mycoplasma hyorhinis (Mhr) variable lipoprotein (Vlp) family, comprising Vlps A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, are highly variable in expression, size, and cytoadhesion...
The Mycoplasma hyorhinis (Mhr) variable lipoprotein (Vlp) family, comprising Vlps A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, are highly variable in expression, size, and cytoadhesion capabilities across Mhr strains. The 'Vlp system' plays a crucial role in cytoadhesion, immune evasion, and in eliciting a host immunologic response. This pilot study described the development of Vlp peptide-based ELISAs to evaluate the antigenic reactivity of individual Vlps against Mhr antisera collected throughout a longitudinal study focused on Mhr strain 38983, reproducing Mhr-associated disease under experimental conditions. Specifically, serum samples were collected at day post-inoculation 0, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 from Mhr- and mock (Friis medium)-inoculated cesarean-derived, colostrum-deprived pigs. Significant Mhr-specific IgG responses were detected at specific time points throughout the infection, with some variations for each Vlp. Overall, individual Vlp ELISAs showed consistently high accuracy rates, except for VlpD, which would likely be associated with its expression levels or the anti-Vlp humoral immune response specific to the Mhr strain used in this study. This study provides the basis and tools for a more refined understanding of these Vlp- and Mhr strain-specific variations, which is foundational in understanding the host immune response to Mhr.
Topics: Animals; Lipoproteins; Mycoplasma hyorhinis; Mycoplasma Infections; Swine; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Pilot Projects; Antibodies, Bacterial; Antigens, Bacterial; Swine Diseases; Immunoglobulin G; Female; Bacterial Proteins; Longitudinal Studies
PubMed: 38703559
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2024.110768