Future microbiology最新文献

This retrospective study investigated the clinical characteristics and prognosis in 24 children (average age 5.6 ± 4.9 years) with disseminated Staphylococcus aureus bone and joint infections (May 2011-November 2022). Most infections (91.67%) were found to be associated with respiratory system infections. The femur (16 cases) was the most common bone; hip (6 cases) and knee (5 cases) were the most common joints. Notably, 14 cases (58.33%) had infections at > 3 osteoarticular sites, and 6 cases (25.00%) at > 4 sites (maximum 7). Cultures revealed 58.33% methicillin-resistant S. aureus ;(MRSA) and 41.67% methicillin-sensitive S. aureus ;(MSSA). All patients underwent surgery; 6 required secondary procedures. Patients were divided into sequelae (n = 10) and non-sequelae (n = 14) groups. The sequelae group had significantly longer time to surgery (11.20 ± 8.46 vs. 3.50 ± 2.53 days, p = 0.019), higher procalcitonin (27.28 ± 23.98 ng/ml vs. 9.02 ± 9.00 ng/ml, p = 0.043), and greater bacterial load (2760.86 ± 1592.02 vs. 155.25 ± 65.57, p = 0.005). Disseminated S. aureus bone and joint infections in children commonly affect the femur, hip, and knee. Delayed surgery and higher PCT levels are associated with sequelae.

Onychomycosis, a common fungal nail infection, can present unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in special populations including the elderly, children, individuals with diabetes, immunocompromised patients, and those with compromised organ function or psoriasis. These groups face increased susceptibility due to factors such as impaired immunity, vascular insufficiency, comorbidities, and altered nail morphology. Despite its often-benign perception, untreated onychomycosis in these populations can lead to complications, including secondary infection, ulceration, and systemic spread. Accurate diagnosis, requiring mycological confirmation, is important as clinical features may overlap with non-fungal nail disorders. Treatment must be tailored to individual risk profiles, with careful consideration of drug efficacy, safety, and potential interactions with comorbidities and polypharmacy. While systemic antifungals remain the standard for moderate-to-severe disease, their use may be limited by comorbidities, such as renal and hepatic impairment, and drug interactions. Topical antifungals such as efinaconazole, tavaborole, and ciclopirox can be considered for mild to moderate onychomycosis. This review provides an in-depth overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of onychomycosis in special populations, underscoring the importance of individualized care to improve outcomes and reduce recurrence.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of a machine learning approach in developing classification and regression models for antifungal activity against Candida albicans.

Materials & methods: Utilized RF, SVM, and LightGBM algorithms to screen the eMolecules® library. Selected 17 virtual hits for in vitro assays.

Results: Eleven compounds showed activity against C. albicans. Compounds 1 and 17 inhibited C. albicans at 0.51 µM and 0.071 µM, respectively.

Conclusions: The RF model proved effective for virtual screening, demonstrating the success of the physicochemical classification and regression model in identifying new antifungal molecules against C. albicans.

The human oral cavity provides a convenient entry point for viruses and bacteria from the environment. The role of these viral communities remains unclear; however, many of them are bacteriophages that may actively influence the ecology of bacterial communities within the oral cavity. Bacteriophages are abundant and influential components of the oral microbiome and play a crucial role in shaping microbial ecology in oral health. They dynamically interact with oral bacteria, influencing biofilm formation, bacterial population structure, antibiotic resistance, and metabolic functions, thereby affecting disease progression and microbial community dynamics. Recent advances in studies have increased our understanding of oral phages and their impact on the amelioration of oral diseases such as periodontal disease. Nowadays, phage therapy has been identified as a potential therapeutic approach for major oral pathogens. The advantages of phage therapy include low toxicity, high specificity, the ability to penetrate biofilm structures, and the ability to replicate continuously in pathogenic bacteria. Hence, the aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive study about the role of bacteriophages as potential therapeutic target in oral health. Additionally, further studies are necessary to evaluate the role of phages in oral health and to develop safe and effective clinical applications in dentistry.

The rise of antimicrobial resistance has been a significant problem in recent decades, decreasing the effectiveness of antibiotics and making the treatment of infections increasingly difficult. This phenomenon can be acquired through various mechanisms, with antibiotic efflux mediated by proteins known as efflux pumps being one of the most important. Currently, these protein systems are classified into six major families. The resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) superfamily significantly contributes to multidrug resistance, particularly against tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, β-lactams, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones. This is largely due to its broad substrate specificity and widespread distribution among Gram-negative bacteria, including members of the Enterobacterales order and non-fermenting bacilli, with pumps connecting the inner and outer membranes throughout the periplasm and forming complexes that efficiently expel antibiotics from the cell. Given the importance of these efflux proteins in bacterial resistance and physiology, several authors have sought to characterize and report new isolates and emerging pumps worldwide, as awareness of low antimicrobial susceptibility and its contributors can aid decision-making for infection control. Therefore, this study aimed to gather and analyze available data in the literature regarding the functioning and emergence of efflux pumps belonging to the RND family and highlight those with greater clinical importance, along with previously identified inhibitors to combat this resistance mechanism.

Purpose: To evaluate surgical outcomes and prognostic factors related to visual acuity (VA) in endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis (EKE).

Materials and methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with EKE who underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Patients were divided into two groups based on the best-corrected VA (BCVA). Eyes with BCVA worse than counting fingers (CF) were classified as having poor vision, while those with BCVA of CF or better were classified as having good vision. Prognostic factors for poor outcomes were identified using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and logistic regression.

Results: Overall, 64 eyes from 56 patients with EKE were included, of which 51 eyes (43 patients) underwent PPV. At final follow-up, BCVA had improved among patients with PPV. In this subgroup, the mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) VA improved from 2.269 ± 0.570 to 2.092 ± 0.713. The VA preservation rate was 86.667%. LASSO and logistic regression showed that three predictors of poor outcomes: poor initial VA, presence of corneal edema, and delayed PPV.

Conclusions: Early PPV is associated with improved VA outcomes in EKE. Poor initial VA, corneal edema, and delayed surgery were significantly associated with worse visual prognosis.

Objective: Klebsiella pneumoniae commonly causes nosocomial infections, and the rise of colistin-resistant strains poses a significant challenge to public health. This research aims to assess the worldwide prevalence of colistin resistance in K. pneumoniae isolates through a systematic review of scientific literature.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of relevant studies available in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to December 2023. Following this, a meta-analysis was performed using Stata software to determine the overall prevalence of colistin resistance in K. pneumoniae isolates and to conduct subgroup analyses.

Results: This meta-analysis reviewed 682 studies and found a global prevalence of colistin resistance at 13% among all K. pneumoniae isolates. Notably, the data shows an increase in colistin resistance from 6% in 2010 to 18% in 2023.

Conclusion: This study presents evidence of a substantial global prevalence of colistin resistance among clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. It is recommended to conduct regular surveillance and testing for colistin resistance to effectively monitor and address this public health issue.