BMC Microbiology最新文献

Background: Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under five years of age worldwide. The association between preterm birth and long-term outcomes is vaguely known. In very preterm infants, the gut microbiome is highly variable and impacted by the neonatal intensive care unit environment. Our objective was to better understand the crosstalk between the gut microbiome and the host at one month of age in very preterm infants and its impact on neurological outcomes at two years of age. We performed a multi-omics analysis of fecal samples collected in 2011 from 73 very preterm French infants at one month of age, grouped according to their neurodevelopment assessed at two years of age using the Ages & Stages questionnaire. Multi-omics profiling and integrative analyses were performed between 2022 and 2023, including fecal microbiome, metabolome, and host transcriptome characterization using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing, LC-MS, and mRNA sequencing, respectively.

Results: The gut microbiome of very preterm infants at one month is mostly driven by either Escherichia or Staphylococcus, which are differentially associated with host immune markers (CAMP), metabolomic pathways, notably the energy pathway due to the presence of various nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NAD+) and two-year neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Conclusion: The gut microbiome at one month of age could be a noninvasive biomarker of gut immaturity and metabolic defects. Escherichia and Staphylococcus proportions were found to be the best indicators of physiological maturity and immaturity, respectively. Escherichia may help the process of intestinal maturation in preterm infants through specific metabolites production and is associated with a better neurodevelopment.

Background: Studying the compositional structure and function of the gut microbiome is essential for evaluating adaptability of wildlife to their environment. Given the high plasticity of the gut microbiome in primates, studying conspecific populations under different habitat quality can provide valuable insights for the conservation and management. To investigate intersite differences in composition and function of the gut microbiome of endangered François' langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi), we employed 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing.

Results: The results showed that higher gut microbiota diversity of François' langurs was associated with higher habitat quality, possibly driven by the dietary diversity. In contrast, François' langurs inhabiting lower-quality habitats had a higher relative abundance of Bacillota and more enriched functional genes related to amino acid metabolism and metabolic pathways than those in higher-quality habitats, which support enhanced fiber degradation to meet energy demands. Additionally, the proportion of tetracycline-related ARGs (tetA(58)) was more abundant in lower-quality habitats, likely due to villagers applying livestock and poultry manure.

Conclusion: Our study concludes that intersite differences in gut microbiome are associated with habitat quality in the François' langurs, underscoring its role in habitat adaptation and necessity for physiological indicators to elucidate the mechanisms by which wildlife responds to human disturbance and ecological variability. In addition, we recommend prioritizing the restoration of native vegetation diversity in the langurs' habitats, which leverages their gut microbiota's adaptive potential to provide a suitable fundamental environment for the langurs' long-term survival.

Background: Overuse of carbapenems and other broad-spectrum antibiotics increases both costs and the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study assessed whether optimizing antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) reports could improve clinical and economic outcomes for hospitalized patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs).

Methods: From June 2022 to May 2023, a series of microbiology laboratory interventions were implemented at the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, including the use of BacT/Alert Virtuo system (bioMérieux, France) for rapid loading, VITEK MS (bioMérieux, France) for rapid microbiology identification (ID), 24-hour laboratory service, and dual AST cards (N335 + XN04) replacing the single card (GN13). Previous simultaneously reported ID and AST results were successfully replaced by a separate reporting process. Data from BSI patients before (June 2021-May 2022) and after (June 2023-May 2024) interventions were retrospectively analyzed for ID and AST reporting time, antibiotic use, length of stay (LOS), and costs.

Results: A total of 256 BSI patients were analyzed (125 pre-intervention; 131 post-intervention). The post-intervention group had significantly shorter times to ID (median 41.26 vs. 74.35 h) and AST reports (56.02 vs. 74.35 h), with earlier opportunities for targeted antibiotic adjustments. Antibiotic modifications occurred ~ 36 h sooner within the first 72 h. Among all agents, carbapenems underwent the most MIC-based changes (20 additions and 10 discontinuations), reflecting improved carbapenem stewardship driven by expanded AST coverage. Post-intervention patients also showed shorter LOS, reduced antibiotic and testing costs, and a potential improvement in survival, especially in ICU cases.

Conclusions: Optimized microbiology workflows, including dual AST cards and faster AST report, significantly accelerated reporting and facilitated timely, precise antimicrobial therapy, particularly carbapenem stewardship, while reducing clinical and economic burdens.