European journal of microbiology & immunology最新文献

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) represent a major global health concern, with certain ethnic communities being disproportionately affected. This review summarizes recent evidence of ethnic disparities in STI prevalence and screening rates, with most data originating from the United States. The findings confirm the fact that certain ethnic communities such as Black and Hispanic display higher prevalence rates of STIs. Yet the data on screening behavior reveal a striking contradiction. While some studies report lower testing rates among these communities, others demonstrate that Black and Hispanic individuals reported the highest testing engagement compared to other ethnic groups. If testing behavior alone explained these disparities, a clearer correlation between screening and infection rates would be expected. Instead, that paradox might suggest a complex interplay with additional factors included in this review such as, for example, institutional racism, socioeconomic inequalities, differences in sexual and healthcare-seeking behavior, traumatic experiences, and limited access to healthcare. In conclusion, given the global burden caused by STIs, the ongoing health disparities in many parts of the world indicate an urgent need for further investigations into the mechanisms behind these disparities and to identify factors that yet may have been overlooked.

Background: Actinomyces spp.-associated bloodstream infections have been infrequently described and repeatedly but not exclusively associated with intra-oral infections. For Actinomyces radicidentis, which has been shown to cause biofilm-forming endodontic infections, bacteremia has only once been reported so far. To elaborate on the scarcely available information on potential etiological relevance of A. radicidentis as a cause of bloodstream infection, we describe another case of A. radicidentis bacteremia.

Case report: A. radicidentis confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing was detected in the bloodstream of an 81-year-old male multimorbid patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of non-germinal center type under chemotherapy as the most critical medical condition. A specific focal infection was not recorded. A concomitantly diagnosed Pseudomonas aeruginosa-associated urinary tract infection was treated with piperacillin/tazobactam for 1 day and meropenem for additional 9 days. While the course of the infection was considered as favorable by the clinicians in charge, an unfavorable course of the underlying malignant disease let to demission of the patients for palliative care at home.

Discussion: Although A. radicidentis bacteremia was not specifically addressed, negative effects on the clinical course were not confirmed.

Conclusions: The etiological relevance of A. radicidentis bacteremia in patients without specific infectious foci remains uncertain.

Background: Ceftriaxone-induced biliary pseudolithiasis is a disease entity frequently observed in children, while it is rarely seen in adult patients. We provide a thorough sonographic workup of the case to guide sonographers confronted with it.

Case report: A 41-years-old male patient with sonographically confirmed, culture-negative endocarditis accompanied by repeated fever episodes received 4g ceftriaxone per day next to ampicillin and gentamicin as an element of his antibiotic therapy. At day 4 of treatment, signs of gall bladder sludge and biliary pseudolithiasis were first seen in sonography. At day 17, abdominal pain over 30 min and increased liver and pancreatic enzymes pointed towards temporal duct obstruction as a complication and ceftriaxone therapy had to be preterm cancelled. A sonographic work-up of the stepwise improvement of the sonographic findings after the end of the ceftriaxone therapy is provided, a reemergence of endocarditis was not observed.

Discussion: The case reminds of a rarely recognized, usually reversible side effect of high-dose ceftriaxone therapy and its complications. The sonographic work-up may serve as guidance for clinicians during follow-up assessments.

Conclusions: Although ceftriaxone allows usually well-tolerated antimicrobial therapies, biliary pseudolithiasis should be kept in mind as a rare but sometimes non-ignorable side effect.

Introduction: The study was conducted to assess the effects of limescale deposits on faucet aerators on the qualitative and quantitative detection of microorganisms from swabbing and first jet water samples.

Methods: Limescale deposits on faucet aerators were categorized into three groups: not / slightly calcified, moderately calcified and heavily calcified. Colonization was assessed by isolating microorganisms from standardized swabbing and water samples. Microorganisms isolated from the aerators were compared with clinical isolates from the same year.

Results: Regardless of the degree of calcification on the faucet aerators, similar numbers and types of microorganisms were found. Except for Staphylococcus epidermidis and the rare occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus and Nacaseomyces glabratus on the aerators, there were no matches between the microorganisms isolated from the aerators and the top ten clinical isolates. Microorganisms frequently isolated from aerators, such as Sphingomonas paucimobilis, were extremely rare in clinical samples. No differences in species were observed based on the degree of calcification of the aerators.

Conclusions: The study did not demonstrate a significant effect of the degree of calcification on the colonization of aerators. Although calcification of aerators as a risk factor for increased microbial transmission cannot be entirely dismissed, its importance appears to be secondary.

Background: Interactions of helminth infections and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to assess the clinical, epidemiological, and immunological characteristics of co-infections involving HIV and selected nematode, trematode and cestode species commonly detected in stool samples.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among people-living-with-HIV (PLWH) with and without anti-retroviral therapy and HIV-negative controls at a tertiary hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Stool samples were analyzed by real-time PCR for the presence of Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma spp. as well as Taenia spp. Diagnostic findings were compared with clinical, demographic, socioeconomic and immunological data.

Results: Low prevalences of helminth infections were observed across the study population, ranging from 1.9% for S. stercoralis to 2.8% for Schistosoma spp. Only weak and infrequent associations were found between helminth infections and HIV status or immunosuppression. Identified risk factors included male sex, younger age, shorter duration since HIV diagnosis, and poor food hygiene in the case of taeniasis.

Conclusions: In this Ghanaian population, co-infections of HIV and helminths were infrequent and showed limited immunological associations. These findings suggest that helminth detection in PLWH is more likely to reflect local endemicity than HIV-related immunosuppression.

Bacterial pathogens, particularly antibiotic-resistant strains may constitute major challenges for the successful treatment of infected patients. Therefore, novel antibiotics or alternative, antibiotics-independent compounds with antimicrobial properties such as phytonutrients are needed. Our systematic literature review summarizes current knowledge on antibacterial effects of sulforaphane (SFN) in vitro and in vivo, including human studies. The isothiocyanate SFN is abundant in plants from the Brassicaceae family including broccoli. The 28 reports reviewed herein revealed that SFN i.) exerted antimicrobial effects against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; ii.) counteracted distinct virulence factors such as biofilm formation and toxin production (e.g. Shiga toxin); iii.) enhanced antibacterial immune cell responses mounting in anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory actions thereby supporting bacterial killing and dampening inflammatory cell and tissue damage; iv.) prevented from aspirin-induced small intestinal cell injury; and v.) alleviated Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis. In conclusion, given its antibacterial, immune-modulatory, and disease-alleviating effects, SFN constitutes a promising alternative antibiotic-independent candidate for the treatment of bacterial infections, warranting further consideration in clinical trials.

Introduction: Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of enteric amebiasis in human patients. Partly controversial hypotheses have been proposed regarding the potential impact of the immunological status of patients as well as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) positivity on the prevalence and clinical course of amebiasis.

Methods: To investigate a potential interplay between the epidemiology of E. histolytica and immunological markers of Ghanaian HIV patients, real-time PCR targeting E. histolytica DNA in stool samples was conducted on a cohort of 595 clinically and immunologically well-characterized adult Ghanaian HIV patients, along with 82 HIV negative control-individuals.

Results: E. histolytica DNA was more prevalent in the HIV-negative control group (12.2%, n = 10/82) compared to the HIV-positive subpopulation (3.5%, n = 21/595, P = 0.001). Among HIV-positive individuals, the prevalence of E. histolytica DNA was 4.2% in subjects with CD4+ T cell counts above 200 cells/µL, 3.3% in case of 50 and 200 cells/µL, and 0% in case of less than 50 cells/µL. In the group of ART-exposed HIV-positive individuals, E. histolytica positivity was associated to lower CD4+/CD8+ cell ratios.

Conclusions: The study suggested a negative association of E. histolytica DNA detections with HIV-positivity and with the degree of HIV infection-associated immunosuppression.

Nipah virus (NiV), a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus, poses a significant public health threat due to its high mortality rate and potential for human-to-human transmission. The attachment (G) and fusion (F) glycoproteins play pivotal roles in viral entry and host-cell fusion, making them prime targets for therapeutic and vaccine development. Recent advances in structural biology have provided high-resolution insights into the molecular architecture and functional dynamics of these glycoproteins, revealing key epitopes and domains essential for neutralizing antibody responses. The G glycoprotein's head domain and the prefusion F ectodomain have emerged as focal points for vaccine design, with multivalent display strategies showing promise in enhancing immunogenicity and breadth of protection. Structural studies have also informed the development of monoclonal antibodies like m102.4, offering potential post-exposure therapies. Additionally, insights from cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography have facilitated the design of structure-based inhibitors and next-generation vaccines, including nanoparticle and multi-epitope formulations. This review highlights recent structural findings on the NiV G and F glycoproteins, their implications for therapeutic strategies, and the challenges in developing effective and targeted interventions. A deeper understanding of these glycoproteins will be crucial for advancing NiV-specific therapeutics and vaccines, ultimately enhancing global preparedness against future outbreaks.

Besides its live-saving properties, antibiotic treatment affects the commensal microbiota facilitating colonization with potentially harmful microorganisms. Here we tested how commonly applied antibiotics induced gut microbiota changes and predisposed to intestinal carriage of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR Psae) upon exposure. Therefore, mice received either vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin plus sulbactam (A/S) or no antibiotics via the drinking water and were perorally challenged with a clinical MDR Psae isolate after antibiotic withdrawal. Whereas 100% of A/S and 55% of ciprofloxacin pretreated mice harbored Psae in their feces seven days post-challenge, intestinal Psae carriage rates were 20.0% and 26.3% in vancomycin pretreated and untreated mice, respectively. Microbiota analyses revealed that immediately before MDR Psae challenge, A/S pretreated mice displayed the lowest total bacterial, lactobacilli and Clostridium leptum fecal loads compared to other cohorts. Seven days following Psae exposure, however, higher numbers of apoptotic colonic epithelial cells were observed in A/S pretreated versus untreated mice that were accompanied by more enhanced innate and adaptive immune cell responses and nitric oxide secretion in colonic and ileal biopsies in the former versus the latter. In conclusion, distinct gut microbiota shifts following A/S pretreatment facilitate pronounced intestinal MDR Psae colonization and pro-inflammatory immune responses upon oral exposure.