Review
Immunology
Jessica E. Buddle, Robert P. Fagan
Summary: Clostridioides difficile is a common cause of hospital-associated diarrhea, with high recurrence, morbidity, and mortality rates. Antibiotics are both the main treatment and a major risk factor for infection. The increasing multidrug resistance of C. difficile poses an urgent threat to global health. This review focuses on the virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance, and genome plasticity that enable the pathogenesis and persistence of this important pathogen.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Tijerina-Rodriguez, Elvira Garza-Gonzalez, Adrian Martinez-Melendez, Rayo Morfin-Otero, Adrian Camacho-Ortiz, Esteban Gonzalez-Diaz, Hector Raul Perez-Gomez, Licet Villarreal-Trevino, Hector Maldonado-Garza, Sergio Esparza-Ahumada, Eduardo Rodriguez-Noriega
Summary: This study evaluated risk factors associated with severe-complicated and recurrent outcomes in different age groups of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) patients. Female gender and lymphoma were identified as risk factors for severe-complicated CDI, while mature adulthood, previous rifampicin use, and neoplasm were risk factors for recurrent infection. Autoimmune disorders, leukemia, lymphoma, and previous colistin treatment were found to be risk factors for 30-day mortality.
BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jianfeng Wang, Chu Yang, Chao Zhang, Xiaoyan Mao, An Lizhe
Summary: In this study, the genome of Clostridium difficile was studied using metagenomic technology, revealing its gene sequence information and potential toxicological genes. Through gene function analysis and pathogenicity analysis, the metabolism activity, catalytic activity, carbohydrate-active enzyme genes and other aspects of the bacterium were understood, and an assessment was made on its virulence genes.
Article
Parasitology
Lei Deng, Huiyi Tay, Guangneng Peng, Jonathan W. J. Lee, Kevin S. W. Tan
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence and subtype characteristics of Blastocystis in patients with suspicion of C. difficile infection in Singapore. The study found a Blastocystis positivity rate of 10.1%, with the predominant subtype being ST7. Co-infection of Blastocystis and C. difficile was observed in five patients, with subtypes ST7, ST1, and ST3 identified.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gamze Boluk, Dario Arizala, Shefali Dobhal, Jingxin Zhang, John Hu, Anne M. Alvarez, Mohammad Arif
Summary: In this study, two high-quality complete genomes of novel strains of the bacterial plant pathogen Dickeya zeae were sequenced, revealing genomic differences among different hosts and providing insights into the pathogenicity determinants and genomic heterogeneity of the pathogen, which will contribute to understanding its virulence mechanisms and aggressiveness.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Surgery
Emmanuel Nwachuku, Yizhi Shan, Prabhu Senthil-Kumar, Todd Braun, Ryan Shadis, Orlando Kirton, Thai Q. Vu
Summary: This case series reports 9 surgical patients with CDI who did not experience diarrhea prior to diagnosis. While all patients tested positive for C. difficile toxin, some presented with minimal bowel movements or constipation instead. These findings highlight the importance of considering CDI as a potential diagnosis in patients with atypical gastrointestinal symptoms even in the absence of diarrhea.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ashleigh S. Paparella, Briana L. Aboulache, Rajesh K. Harijan, Kathryn S. Potts, Peter C. Tyler, Vern L. Schramm
Summary: Clostridium difficile produces toxins TcdA and TcdB causing diarrhea by affecting host cell functions using UDP-glucose, leading to disease onset. Researchers identified potential therapeutic approach using transition state analogue iminosugars.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Bilal Ahmed Abbasi, Aishwarya Dharan, Astha Mishra, Devansh Saraf, Irsad Ahamad, Prashanth Suravajhala, Jayaraman Valadi
Summary: In this study, the genomes of six strains of Clostridium difficile were annotated and characterized using in silico approaches. The functional properties of proteins involved in the pathophysiology of the disease were identified, providing valuable information for understanding the biological nature of the strains and developing pharmaceutical targets.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Su-Chen Lim, Deirdre A. Collins, Korakrit Imwattana, Daniel R. Knight, Sicilia Perumalsamy, Natasza M. R. Hain-Saunders, Papanin Putsathit, David Speers, Thomas Riley
Summary: The study found that Clostridium difficile infection is mainly imported from the community into hospitals rather than spreading within the healthcare system. These findings suggest that developing community-based infection prevention and control strategies could significantly lower rates of CDI in the hospital setting.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Shaohui Wang, Joshua Heuler, Ishani Wickramage, Xingmin Sun
Summary: Symptoms of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) are mainly caused by two toxins, TcdA and TcdB. The engineered strain CCUG37785 shows potential as an oral mucosal vaccine carrier against CDI, providing protection and treatment against the infection.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Deying Zou, Jiang Chang, Shiying Lu, Jianfeng Xu, Pan Hu, Kai Zhang, Xiaoli Sun, Wei Guo, Yansong Li, Zengshan Liu, Honglin Ren
Summary: This study compared the proteomes of A. baumannii strains and identified potential virulence factors associated with enhanced pathogenicity through protein-protein interaction network analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and animal infection models. The results showed that the pathogenicity of strain CCGGD201101 was increased by 180.5-fold compared to the standard strain. The study helps to better understand the mechanisms of virulence enhancement.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
B. Roja, S. Saranya, P. Chellapandi
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms underlying virulence and pathogenesis of Clostridium botulinum type A by comparing the genomic contexts across species, serotypes, and subtypes. The results show genomic proximity of type A strains to group I strains, but variations within subtypes. Gene abundance analysis reveals the key roles of genes involved in biofilm formation, cell-cell communication, human diseases, and drug resistance in type A strains.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Gui-Lin Wen, Shi-Hong Li, Zhe Qin, Ya-Jun Yang, Li-Xia Bai, Wen-Bo Ge, Xi-Wang Liu, Jian-Yong Li
Summary: This study isolated and characterized Clostridium difficile strains from clinical diseased dogs and cats, and found that the bacteria were quietly prevalent in pets with varying toxicities and genotypes. The isolates were highly susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole but resistant to erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. The study highlights the importance of studying and paying attention to CDI in pets.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rachid Selmi, Hanene Belkahia, Mokhtar Dhibi, Hedi Abdelaali, Samia Lahmar, Mourad Ben Said, Lilia Messadi
Summary: Wild rodents in Tunisia were found to be potential carriers of zoonotic vector-borne bacteria. Molecular screening revealed infections with Anaplasma, Rickettsia, and Bartonella spp. in rodents, highlighting a serious risk of bacterial transmission and the necessity of controlling rodent populations.
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Aarzoo Gupta, F. N. U. Savanti, Balvender Singh, Priyanka Sachdev, Deepak Raj, Ishan Garg, Suraj K. Aruwani, Faizan Shaukat
Summary: The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been alarmingly increasing, with older age, hospitalization, recent use of proton pump inhibitors, and antibiotics identified as significant risk factors. Additionally, factors like increased body mass index, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and malignancy are associated with a higher incidence of CDI.
CUREUS JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2021)