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Journal of Dairy Science May 2021The objective of this prospective cohort study was to explore associations between intramammary infection (IMI) in late-lactation cows and postcalving udder health and...
Postcalving udder health and productivity in cows approaching dry-off with intramammary infections caused by non-aureus Staphylococcus, Aerococcus, Enterococcus, Lactococcus, and Streptococcus species.
The objective of this prospective cohort study was to explore associations between intramammary infection (IMI) in late-lactation cows and postcalving udder health and productivity. Cows (n = 2,763) from 74 US dairy herds were recruited as part of a previously published cross-sectional study of bedding management and IMI in late-lactation cows. Each herd was visited twice for sampling. At each visit, aseptic quarter milk samples were collected from 20 cows approaching dry-off (>180 d pregnant), which were cultured using standard bacteriological methods and MALDI-TOF for identification of isolates. Quarter-level culture results were used to establish cow-level IMI status at enrollment. Cows were followed from enrollment until 120 d in milk (DIM) in the subsequent lactation. Herd records were used to establish whether subjects experienced clinical mastitis or removal from the herd, and DHIA test-day data were used to record subclinical mastitis events (somatic cell count >200,000 cells/mL) and milk yield (kg/d) during the follow-up period. Cox regression and generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the associations between IMI and the outcome of interest. The presence of late-lactation IMI caused by major pathogens was positively associated with postcalving clinical mastitis [hazard ratio = 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2, 2.0] and subclinical mastitis (risk ratio = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.9). Species within the non-aureus Staphylococcus (NAS) group varied in their associations with postcalving udder health, with some species being associated with increases in clinical and subclinical mastitis in the subsequent lactation. Late-lactation IMI caused by Streptococcus and Streptococcus (Strep)-like organisms, other than Aerococcus spp. (i.e., Enterococcus, Lactococcus, and Streptococcus spp.) were associated with increases in postcalving clinical and subclinical mastitis. Test-day milk yield from 1 to 120 DIM was lower (-0.9 kg, 95% CI: -1.6, -0.3) in late-lactation cows with any IMI compared with cows without IMI. No associations were detected between IMI in late lactation and risk for postcalving removal from the herd within the first 120 DIM. Effect estimates reported in this study may be less than the underlying quarter-level effect size for IMI at dry-off and postcalving clinical and subclinical mastitis, because of the use of late-lactation IMI as a proxy for IMI at dry-off and the use of cow-level exposure and outcome measurements. Furthermore, the large number of models run in this study (n = 94) increases the chance of identifying chance associations. Therefore, confirmatory studies should be conducted. We conclude that IMI in late lactation may increase risk of clinical and subclinical mastitis in the subsequent lactation. The relationship between IMI and postcalving health and productivity is likely to vary among pathogens, with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., and Lactococcus spp. being the most important pathogens identified in the current study.
Topics: Aerococcus; Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Cell Count; Cross-Sectional Studies; Enterococcus; Female; Lactation; Lactococcus; Mammary Glands, Animal; Mastitis, Bovine; Milk; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Staphylococcus; Streptococcus
PubMed: 33685704
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-19288 -
Biology Open Aug 2021In recent years, the clinical significance of Aerococcus urinae has been increasingly recognized. A. urinae has been implicated in cases of urinary tract infection (UTI;...
In recent years, the clinical significance of Aerococcus urinae has been increasingly recognized. A. urinae has been implicated in cases of urinary tract infection (UTI; acute cystitis and pyelonephritis) in both male and female patients, ranging from children to older adults. Aerococcus urinae can also be invasive, causing urosepsis, endocarditis, and musculoskeletal infections. Mechanisms of pathogenesis in A. urinae infections are poorly understood, largely due to the lack of an animal model system. In response to this gap, we developed a model of A. urinae urinary tract infection in mice. We compared A. urinae UTI in female C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice and compared four clinical isolates of A. urinae isolated from patients with UTI, urgency urinary incontinence, and overactive bladder. Our data demonstrate that host genetic background modulates A. urinae UTI. Female C57BL/6 female mice rapidly cleared the infection. Female C3H/HeN mice, which have inherent vesicoureteral reflux that flushes urine from the bladder up into the kidneys, were susceptible to prolonged bacteriuria. This result is consistent with the fact that A. urinae infections most frequently occur in patients with underlying urinary tract abnormalities or disorders that make them susceptible to bacterial infection. Unlike uropathogens such as E. coli, which cause infection and inflammation both of the bladder and kidneys in C3H/HeN mice, A. urinae displayed tropism for the kidney, persisting in kidney tissue even after clearance of bacteria from the bladder. Aerococcus urinae strains from different genetic clades displayed varying propensities to cause persistent kidney infection. Aerococcus urinae infected kidneys displayed histological inflammation, neutrophil recruitment and increased pro-inflammatory cytokines. These results set the stage for future research that interrogates host-pathogen interactions between A. urinae and the urinary tract.
Topics: Aerococcus; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Susceptibility; Genetic Background; Genome, Bacterial; Genomics; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Phylogeny; Urinary Tract Infections
PubMed: 34387311
DOI: 10.1242/bio.058931 -
Analytical Chemistry Nov 2019Currently, there is a severe shortage of donor kidneys that are fit for transplantation, due in part to a lack of adequate viability assessment tools for transplant...
Currently, there is a severe shortage of donor kidneys that are fit for transplantation, due in part to a lack of adequate viability assessment tools for transplant organs. This work presents the integration of a novel wireless two-channel amperometric potentiostat with microneedle-based glucose and lactate biosensors housed in a 3D printed chip to create a microfluidic biosensing system that is genuinely portable. The wireless potentiostat transmits data via Bluetooth to an Android app running on a tablet. The whole miniaturized system is fully enclosed and can be integrated with microdialysis to allow continuous monitoring of tissue metabolite levels in real time. We have also developed a wireless portable automated calibration platform so that biosensors can be calibrated away from the laboratory and in transit. As a proof of concept, we have demonstrated the use of this portable analysis system to monitor porcine kidneys for the first time from organ retrieval, through warm ischemia, transportation on ice, right through to cold preservation and reperfusion. The portable system is robust and reliable in the challenging conditions of the abattoir and during kidney transportation and can detect clear physiological changes in the organ associated with clinical interventions.
Topics: Aerococcus; Animals; Aspergillus niger; Bacterial Proteins; Biosensing Techniques; Dialysis Solutions; Fungal Proteins; Glucose; Glucose Oxidase; Kidney; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Lactic Acid; Microdialysis; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Mixed Function Oxygenases; Monitoring, Physiologic; Proof of Concept Study; Swine
PubMed: 31647870
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b03774 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jun 2024There is a growing evidence suggesting the association of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and cognitive impairment. In this study we evaluated the possible involvement of gut...
There is a growing evidence suggesting the association of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and cognitive impairment. In this study we evaluated the possible involvement of gut microbiota in the cognitive impairments mediated by VDD and investigated the effects of pharmacological treatment with the oxazoline derivative of the aliamide palmitoylethanolamide, 2-Pentadecyl-2-oxazoline (PEA-OXA). Mice were submitted to behavioural, biochemical and electrophysiological analysis to assess whether their vitamin D status affected cognitive performance together with gut microbiota composition. In VDD mice we found cognitive malfunctioning associated with reduced neuroplasticity, indicated by impaired long term potentiation, and neuroinflammation at the hippocampal level. Importantly, PEA-OXA counteracted the cognitive impairments and modified the biochemical and functional changes induced by VDD. Additionally, PEA-OXA treatment enhanced gut microbiota diversity, which tended to be decreased by VDD only in female mice, elevated the relative abundance of lactic and butyric acid-producing families, i.e. Aerococcaceae and Butyricicoccaceae, and reversed the VDD-induced decrease of butyrate-producing beneficial genera, such as Blautia in female mice, and Roseburia in male mice. These data provide novel insights for a better understanding of the cognitive decline induced by VDD and related gut dysbiosis and its potential therapeutic treatment.
Topics: Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Cognitive Dysfunction; Male; Female; Mice; Vitamin D Deficiency; Hippocampus; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Ethanolamines; Dysbiosis; Amides; Cognition; Disease Models, Animal
PubMed: 38670046
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116600 -
Journal of Nutritional Science 2022Colostrum quality is of paramount importance in the management of optimal ruminant growth and infectious disease prevention in early life. Live yeast supplementation...
A live yeast supplementation to gestating ewes improves bioactive molecule composition in colostrum with no impact on its bacterial composition and beneficially affects immune status of the offspring.
Colostrum quality is of paramount importance in the management of optimal ruminant growth and infectious disease prevention in early life. Live yeast supplementation effect during the last month of gestation was evaluated on ewes' colostrum composition. Two groups of ewes ( = 14) carrying twin lambs were constituted and twins were separated into groups (mothered or artificially fed) 12 h after birth. Nutrient, oligosaccharides (OS), IgG and lactoferrin concentrations were measured over 72 h after lambing, and bacterial community was described in colostrum collected at parturition (T0). Immune passive transfer was evaluated through IgG measurement in lamb serum. In both groups, colostral nutrient, OS concentrations and IgG concentrations in colostrum and lamb serum decreased over time ( < 0⋅01), except for lactose, which slightly increased ( < 0⋅001), and lactoferrin, which remained stable. Bacterial population was stable over time with high relative abundances of Aerococcaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae and Staphylococcaceae in T0 colostrum. No effect of supplementation was observed in nutrient and lactoferrin concentrations. In supplemented ewes, the level of colostral IgG was higher at T0 and a higher level of serum IgG was observed in lambs born from supplemented mothers and artificially fed, while no effect of supplementation was observed in the mothered lamb groups. Using a metabolomic approach, we showed that supplementation affected OS composition with significantly higher levels of colostral Neu-5Gc compounds up to 5 h after birth. No effect of supplementation was observed on bacterial composition. Our data suggest that live yeast supplementation offsets the negative impact of early separation and incomplete colostrum feeding in neonate lambs.
Topics: Animals; Colostrum; Dietary Supplements; Female; Pregnancy; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Sheep
PubMed: 35291274
DOI: 10.1017/jns.2022.3 -
BMJ Case Reports Jun 2021is a nutritional variant streptococcus, with affinity for endovascular structures that cannot be cultured on non-supplemented media, leading to a delay in diagnosis....
is a nutritional variant streptococcus, with affinity for endovascular structures that cannot be cultured on non-supplemented media, leading to a delay in diagnosis. This case describes a 36-year-old woman with a previously known bicuspid aortic valve that presented with asthenia, myalgias and anorexia with 2-month onset. On admission, we documented fever and a systolic murmur. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed an oscillating mass attached to the aortic valve. The patient was admitted with a possible diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Later, blood cultures were positive for Due to severe aortic regurgitation and congestive heart failure, she underwent surgical aortic valve replacement. After 6 weeks of antimicrobial therapy, the patient experienced full recovery. Despite of its rarity, endocarditis is associated with significant morbidity with mortality and physicians must have a high level of suspicion to ensure a prompt diagnosis and provide the appropriate treatment.
Topics: Abiotrophia; Adult; Endocarditis; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Female; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans
PubMed: 34155014
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2021-241964 -
Journal of Microbiology and... Jan 2020A bacterial strain inhibiting the growth of , the causative agent of vibriosis, was isolated from fish intestines. The isolated strain HS36 was identified as based on...
A bacterial strain inhibiting the growth of , the causative agent of vibriosis, was isolated from fish intestines. The isolated strain HS36 was identified as based on the characteristics of the genus according to and by 16S rRNA sequencing. The growth rate and antibacterial activity of strain HS36 in shaking culture were higher than those in static culture, while the optimal pH and temperature for antibacterial activity were 7.0 and 30°C, respectively. The active antibacterial substance was purified from a culture broth of HS36 by Sephadex G-75 gel chromatography, Sephadex G-25 gel chromatography, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Its molecular weight, as estimated by Tricine SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was approximately 1,000 Da. The antibacterial substance produced by strain HS36 was stable after incubation for 1 h at 100°C. Although its antibacterial activity was optimal at pH 6-8, activity was retained at a pH range from 2 to 11. The purified antibacterial substance was inactivated by proteinase K, papain, and β-amylase treatment. The newly purified antibacterial substance, classified as a class II bacteriocin, inhibited the growth of , , and .
Topics: Aerococcus; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiosis; Bacteria; Bacteriocins; Chromatography, Gel; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Fishes; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Klebsiella pneumoniae; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Salmonella enterica; Temperature; Vibrio
PubMed: 31693836
DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1910.10015 -
Congenital Heart Disease 2014Infective endocarditis is extremely rare in children with structurally normal hearts. The most common etiological agents are staphylococcal and streptococcal species.... (Review)
Review
Infective endocarditis is extremely rare in children with structurally normal hearts. The most common etiological agents are staphylococcal and streptococcal species. Nutritionally variant streptococci also classified as Abiotrophia species are a group of fastidious organisms that account for only 5% to 6% of all cases of culture-negative infective endocarditis. Only seven cases of Abiotrophia infective endocarditis have been previously reported in children with no underlying structural heart disease. We report two cases of Abiotrophia infective endocarditis in children without any predisposing factors. Both patients presented with nonspecific symptoms leading to delay in diagnosis. While bacteriological clearance was achieved in both cases, both had a complicated course including development of brain mycotic aneurysms, splenic infarction, renal failure, and irreversible damage to the mitral valve. Both patients required surgical removal of the native mitral valve and replacement. We also present review of seven cases with similar diagnosis published previously in literature and highlight important differences. Our cases highlight special challenges in management of Abiotrophia endocarditis in pediatric patients. As the organism may not be isolated in routine culture media, may present with atypical clinical symptoms and may have a complicated course even without antibiotic failure, a high index of suspicion should be maintained in children with subacute symptoms even with no underlying structural cardiac disease.
Topics: Abiotrophia; Adolescent; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Child; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Female; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mitral Valve; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome; Ultrasonography; Virulence
PubMed: 23682722
DOI: 10.1111/chd.12095 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science Jul 2021Swine abortion caused by viruses as well as bacteria has caused many economic losses in domestic farms over the years; however, bacterial abortion has not yet been...
Swine abortion caused by viruses as well as bacteria has caused many economic losses in domestic farms over the years; however, bacterial abortion has not yet been studied in Korea. Several bacterial species were isolated from aborted fetuses (n = 103) for which the cause of death was not viral abortion. Among them, we focused on Aerococcus viridans, which had the highest positive rate within three provinces (Gangwon, Jeonnam and Gyeongnam). A total of 16 isolates were identified as A. viridans by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and 13 were characterized by both antibiotic resistance and 16S rRNA gene analysis. Based on antibiotic susceptibility testing result, eight antimicrobials could not effectively eliminate the present isolation (more than 40% of isolates can resist these antibiotics), while all except two strains were susceptible to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Molecular analysis indicated genetic variation among these strains. This study is the first report detecting A. viridans from aborted fetuses in Korean domestic farms.
Topics: Aerococcus; Animals; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Farms; Genetic Variation; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Prevalence; RNA, Bacterial; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Republic of Korea; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Sus scrofa; Swine; Swine Diseases
PubMed: 33624943
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.456 -
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical... Jul 2018Dynamic establishment of the nasal microbiota in early life influences local mucosal immune responses and susceptibility to childhood respiratory disorders.
BACKGROUND
Dynamic establishment of the nasal microbiota in early life influences local mucosal immune responses and susceptibility to childhood respiratory disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this case-control study was to monitor, evaluate, and compare development of the nasal microbiota of infants with rhinitis and wheeze in the first 18 months of life with those of healthy control subjects.
METHODS
Anterior nasal swabs of 122 subjects belonging to the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) birth cohort were collected longitudinally over 7 time points in the first 18 months of life. Nasal microbiota signatures were analyzed by using 16S rRNA multiplexed pair-end sequencing from 3 clinical groups: (1) patients with rhinitis alone (n = 28), (2) patients with rhinitis with concomitant wheeze (n = 34), and (3) healthy control subjects (n = 60).
RESULTS
Maturation of the nasal microbiome followed distinctive patterns in infants from both rhinitis groups compared with control subjects. Bacterial diversity increased over the period of 18 months of life in control infants, whereas infants with rhinitis showed a decreasing trend (P < .05). An increase in abundance of the Oxalobacteraceae family (Proteobacteria phylum) and Aerococcaceae family (Firmicutes phylum) was associated with rhinitis and concomitant wheeze (adjusted P < .01), whereas the Corynebacteriaceae family (Actinobacteria phylum) and early colonization with the Staphylococcaceae family (Firmicutes phylum; 3 weeks until 9 months) were associated with control subjects (adjusted P < .05). The only difference between the rhinitis and control groups was a reduced abundance of the Corynebacteriaceae family (adjusted P < .05). Determinants of nasal microbiota succession included sex, mode of delivery, presence of siblings, and infant care attendance.
CONCLUSION
Our results support the hypothesis that the nasal microbiome is involved in development of early-onset rhinitis and wheeze in infants.
Topics: Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Microbiota; Nasal Mucosa; Respiratory Sounds; Rhinitis; Singapore
PubMed: 29452199
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.01.032