Article
Microbiology
Alexandra Tikhomirova, Erin B. Brazel, Kimberley T. McLean, Hannah N. Agnew, James C. Paton, Claudia Trappetti
Summary: The LuxS protein is required for the production of AI-2 in Streptococcus pneumoniae, which regulates cellular processes and adherence to host epithelial cells. In the context of S. pneumoniae causing otitis media, luxS plays an important role.
Article
Biology
Asher Preska Steinberg, Mingzhi Lin, Edo Kussell
Summary: Recombination plays a key role in microbial evolution and affects antibiotic resistance, antigenic variation, and adaptation to different environments. This study quantifies the impact of homologous recombination on core and accessory genes in bacteria using a computationally efficient approach. The results show that core genes have higher recombination rates compared to accessory genes, and in some bacterial species, this difference is pronounced. Additionally, gene frequency and homologous recombination rate are positively correlated in some species.
Article
Microbiology
Cristina Gavrilovici, Elena-Lia Spoiala, Ingrith-Crenguta Miron, Iuliana Magdalena Starcea, Codruta Olimpiada Iliescu Halitchi, Irina Nicoleta Zetu, Vasile Valeriu Lupu, Carmen Panzaru
Summary: Acute otitis media (AOM) remains a major reason for antibiotic use in children, despite the availability of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. A study conducted in a pediatric emergency hospital in Romania found that Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae were the most common bacteria associated with AOM. Alarmingly, a high proportion of the Streptococcus pneumoniae strains were resistant to multiple drugs. This highlights the importance of addressing antimicrobial resistance to minimize the negative impact on healthcare costs.
Article
Immunology
Chinh C. Ngo, Helen M. Massa, Brent A. McMonagle, Christopher F. Perry, Michael D. Nissen, Theo P. Sloots, Ruth B. Thornton, Allan W. Cripps
Summary: This study identified Streptococcus pneumoniae, non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), and rhinovirus as the predominant bacteria and viruses in the upper respiratory tract of children in South-East Queensland, Australia, with and without a clinical history of otitis media. The presence of bacterial otopathogens within the middle ear was found to be more predictive of concurrent upper respiratory tract infection than viruses. The study also confirmed the complex polymicrobial environment within adenoid tissues in children, regardless of otitis media history.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Ravinder Kaur, Minh Pham, Karl O. A. Yu, Michael E. Pichichero
Summary: The study found that antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from children improved initially after the introduction of PCV13, but began to decrease from 2013 onwards due to the emergence of new serotypes not included in PCV13. These new strains exhibit reduced susceptibility to multiple commonly used antibiotics, compared to the pre-PCV13 era.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Martina Janouskova, Megan Laura Straw, Yu-Ching Su, Kristian Riesbeck
Summary: This review discusses the multifaceted gene regulation mechanisms employed by S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and M. catarrhalis during middle ear infection. Through phase variation- and quorum sensing-dependent gene regulation, these pathogens control their virulence phenotypes for survival and host adaptation. Understanding the gene expression regulation mechanisms during the onset of OM may lead to the development of new antimicrobial agents to combat antimicrobial resistance.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jennifer Jorissen, Marianne F. L. van den Broek, Ilke De Boeck, Wannes Van Beeck, Stijn Wittouck, An Boudewyns, Paul Van de Heyning, Vedat Topsakal, Vincent Van Rompaey, Ine Wouters, Liesbet Van Heirstraeten, Pierre Van Damme, Surbi Malhotra-Kumar, Heidi Theeten, Olivier M. Vanderveken, Sarah Lebeer
Summary: This study found that besides Haemophilus influenzae, other microbes were commonly detected in the ear canal of chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) patients. Healthy controls had more Streptococci of the salivarius group and Acinetobacter lwoffii in their nasopharynx. Additionally, tested Streptococcus salivarius isolates showed potential to inhibit the growth of respiratory pathobionts in OME patients.
Article
Hematology
Friederike Wiebe, Stefan Handtke, Jan Wesche, Annabel Schnarre, Raghavendra Palankar, Martina Wolff, Kristin Jahn, Franziska Voss, Sabrina Weismueller, Joerg Schuettrumpf, Andreas Greinacher, Sven Hammerschmidt
Summary: Platelets play a crucial role in the development of respiratory distress, and the toxin pneumolysin produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae can impair platelet function. This study shows that both polyvalent immunoglobulin preparations are effective in inhibiting pneumolysin-induced platelet destruction and maintaining platelet function.
THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gabriel Carrasquilla, Alexandra Porras-Ramirez, Sandra Martinez, Rodrigo DeAntonio, Raghavendra Devadiga, Carla Talarico, Diana C. Caceres, Maria M. Castrejon, Patricia Juliao
Summary: After the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in Colombia, overall reductions in disease outcomes were observed in most cities and nationwide. However, in some cities, there was an increase in the incidence of otitis media despite the decrease in pneumonia incidence.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Elisa Ramos-Sevillano, Giuseppe Ercoli, Jose Afonso Guerra-Assuncao, Philip Felgner, Rafael Ramiro de Assis, Rie Nakajima, David Goldblatt, Kevin Kweku Adjei Tetteh, Robert Simon Heyderman, Stephen Brian Gordon, Daniela Mulari Ferreria, Jeremy Stuart Brown
Summary: The study evaluated the protective efficacy of nasopharyngeal administration of unencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae strains in murine infection models, showing that these strains were significantly attenuated in virulence in invasive infection models and had reduced ability to colonize the nasopharynx. Serological responses to colonization with these strains were weaker. Mice previously colonized with these strains were protected against septicaemic pneumonia, but did not prevent recolonization with S. pneumoniae.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Alessandra Lochen, James E. Truscott, Nicholas J. Croucher
Summary: The study describes Bayesian models for analyzing opportunistic pathogens, estimating progression rates of different pathogen strains to understand the risk of causing disease and identify potential high-risk strains. This is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of public health interventions and identifying new highly invasive variants.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tzu Yu Chen, John D. F. Hale, John R. Tagg, Rohit Jain, Abigail L. Voss, Nikki Mills, Emma J. Best, Duncan S. Stevenson, Philip A. Bird, Tony Walls
Summary: This study assessed the in vitro inhibitory activity of Streptococcus salivarius BLIS K12 against otitis media pathogens, showing that 48% of isolates were inhibited by S. salivarius BLIS K12. This bacteriocin is effective in inhibiting the growth of the most common otitis media pathogens.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cuneyt M. Alper, Miriam Teixeira, Ellen Mandel, J. Douglas Swarts
Summary: The objective of this study was to develop a diagnostic approach for differentiating the different types of Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) and guiding clinicians in selecting targeted treatments. The examination and testing results were analyzed to categorize the different types of ETD. A systematic approach of examination and testing can determine the underlying mechanisms of specific ETD types and provide targeted treatment guidance.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Gowrisankar Rajam, Kate L. Hicks, Joseph M. Antonello, Yuhua Zhang, Sarah Irey, Julia Kelly, Stephanie Cooper, Leonard J. Rubinstein
Summary: In this study, an innovative multiplex immuno-molecular assay was developed and validated to screen and detect 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15) vaccine serotypes in acute otitis media (AOM) clinical samples. The assay involved two-step testing using PCR and immunological methods. The results demonstrated the feasibility of combining molecular and immunological assays for diagnosing AOM caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGICAL METHODS
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Esra Ekinci, Stefanie Desmet, Liesbet Van Heirstraeten, Colette Mertens, Ine Wouters, Philippe Beutels, Jan Verhaegen, Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar, Heidi Theeten
Summary: A study in Belgium found similar rates of pneumococcal carriage and density in young children with AOM and healthy children in daycare centers. Certain serotypes not included in PCV vaccines were more frequently carried in children with AOM, suggesting a potential relationship between these serotypes and AOM.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Eileen M. Dunne, Yinglei Hua, Rasheed Salaudeen, Ilias Hossain, Malick Ndiaye, Belinda D. Ortika, E. Kim Mulholland, Jason Hinds, Sam Manna, Grant A. Mackenzie, Catherine Satzke
Summary: We investigated the pathogenesis of pneumococcal pneumonia using clinical samples. Results demonstrated that pneumococci in the lung originated from the nasopharynx and suggested that changes in pneumococcal gene expression in the lung are a feature of pneumococcal pneumonia.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Kh Tohidul Islam, Sudanthi Wijewickrema, Stephen O'Leary
Summary: This paper proposes a solution for brain tumor segmentation, involving enhancing MRI dataset with synthetic CT images and optimizing CNN architecture. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over existing methods.
Letter
Immunology
Paul Turner, Raquel Sa-Leao, Andrew Greenhill, Amanda Leach, Catherine Satzke
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Michiko Toizumi, Chisei Satoh, Billy J. Quilty, Hien Anh Thi Nguyen, Lina Madaniyazi, Lien Thuy Le, Chris Fook Sheng Ng, Minoru Hara, Chihiro Iwasaki, Mizuki Takegata, Noriko Kitamura, Monica Larissa Nation, Catherine Satzke, Yoshihiko Kumai, Hung Thai Do, Minh Xuan Bui, Kim Mulholland, Stefan Flasche, Duc Anh Dang, Kenichi Kaneko, Lay-Myint Yoshida
Summary: The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is associated with a reduction in the prevalence of otitis media with effusion (OME) in infants, but not in older children.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
George Qian, Michiko Toizumi, Sam Clifford, Lien Thuy Le, Tasos Papastylianou, Catherine Satzke, Billy Quilty, Chihiro Iwasaki, Noriko Kitamura, Mizuki Takegata, Minh Xuan Bui, Hien Anh Thi Nguyen, Duc Anh Dang, Albert Jan van Hoek, Lay Myint Yoshida, Stefan Flasche
Summary: This study investigates pneumococcal transmission routes to infants in Nha Trang, Vietnam, and finds that preschool-age children may be the largest reservoir for pneumococcal transmission to infants.
Article
Microbiology
Sam Manna, Leena Spry, Ashleigh Wee-Hee, Belinda D. Ortika, Laura K. Boelsen, Steven Batinovic, Nadia Mazarakis, Rebecca L. Ford, Stephanie W. Lo, Stephen D. Bentley, Fiona M. Russell, Christopher C. Blyth, William S. Pomat, Steve Petrovski, Jason Hinds, Paul V. Licciardi, Catherine Satzke
Summary: Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an important human pathogen with various serotypes. This study investigated the accuracy of serotyping methods for identifying serotype 14 variants in pneumococci samples from children in Papua New Guinea. The results showed that molecular methods produced different serotyping results compared to phenotypic methods. It was also found that the serotype 14 variants were capable of evading vaccine-induced protection. This study emphasizes the importance of phenotypic testing and highlights the need for monitoring pneumococcal population biology to identify vaccine escape strains.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Respiratory System
Eileen M. Dunne, Catia Cilloniz, Claire von Mollendorf, Joseph Lewnard, Lindsay R. Grant, Mary P. E. Slack, Luis Jodar, Christian Theilacker, Bradford D. Gessner
Summary: This narrative review compared the effectiveness of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in adults. The study found that PCV13 was more effective than PPV23 in preventing pneumococcal disease and respiratory infections. The sequential PCV13/PPV23 vaccination showed little benefit over PCV13 alone. The results support the use of pneumococcal vaccines to protect against pneumococcal disease and respiratory infections in adults.
ARCHIVOS DE BRONCONEUMOLOGIA
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Monica Larissa Nation, Sam Manna, Hau Phuc Tran, Cattram Duong Nguyen, Le Thi Tuong Vy, Doan Y. Uyen, Tran Linh Phuong, Vo Thi Trang Dai, Belinda Daniela Ortika, Ashleigh Christina Wee-Hee, Jemima Beissbarth, Jason Hinds, Kathryn Bright, Heidi Smith-Vaughan, Thuong Vu Nguyen, Kim Mulholland, Beth Temple, Catherine Satzke
Summary: The implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decrease in invasive pneumococcal disease. This reduction in disease risk may be attributed to the decrease in pneumococcal transmission and density due to NPIs. Additionally, the suppression of respiratory viruses by NPIs may also contribute to the observed decline in pneumococcal disease.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Isatou Jagne, Claire von Mollendorf, Ashleigh Wee-Hee, Belinda Ortika, Catherine Satzke, Fiona M. Russell
Summary: This systematic literature review on the effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) on pneumococcal colonisation density in children under five years old revealed inconsistent findings. Some studies reported an increase in density, some found a decrease, while others found no effect. Standardised methods are recommended for evaluating the impact of PCVs on density.
Review
Respiratory System
Eileen M. Dunne, Marta C. Nunes, Mary P. E. Slack, Christian Theilacker, Bradford D. Gessner
Summary: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) provide protection against vaccine-type pneumococcal disease and may also reduce pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infections, and viral-associated respiratory diseases. Clinical studies have investigated the role of PCVs in reducing coronavirus disease, including endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Possible mechanisms for PCV protection include preventing viral pneumococcal co-infections and modifying the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2. Knowledge gaps and further questions on the potential role of PCVs during the COVID-19 pandemic are also identified.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Heidi Smith-Vaughan, Beth Temple, Vo Thi Trang Dai, Pham Thi Hoan, Ho Nguyen Loc Thuy, Thanh V. Phan, Kathryn Bright, Nguyen Trong Toan, Doan Y. Uyen, Cattram Duong Nguyen, Jemima Beissbarth, Belinda Daniela Ortika, Monica Larissa Nation, Eileen Margaret Dunne, Jason Hinds, Jana Lai, Catherine Satzke, Tran Ngoc Huu, Kim Mulholland
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of different pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) schedules on carriage rates and found that the 3 + 1, 2 + 1, 3 + 0, and two-dose schedules were effective in reducing vaccine-type carriage. In Vietnam, there were no discernible differences in carriage rates between the 2 + 1 and 3 + 0 schedules during the first two years of life.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-WESTERN PACIFIC
(2023)
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Nathan J. Creber, Hayden T. Eastwood, Amy J. Hampson, Stephen J. O'Leary
Summary: This study investigates the impact of systemic administration of dexamethasone on steroid distribution and uptake following cochlear implantation. The results show that systemic administration of dexamethasone after surgery can enhance its distribution in the inner ear, providing a rationale for the use of perioperative systemic steroids in hearing preservation surgery.
ACTA OTO-LARYNGOLOGICA
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Tayla Razmovski, Kate M. Brody, Dimitra Stathopoulos, Dongcheng Zhang, Ellie Cho, Amy J. Hampson, Aaron Collins, Christofer Bester, Stephen O'Leary
Summary: Intraoperative trauma leading to bleeding during cochlear implantation negatively impacts residual hearing of cochlear implant recipients. This preclinical study investigated the implementation of an intra-cochlear flushing protocol for the removal of blood, which resulted in better auditory function and reduced subsequent fibrosis in the basal region of the cochlea.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Kirsten Fagerli, Mukhchuluun Ulziibayar, Bujinlkham Suuri, Dashtseren Luvsantseren, Dorj Narangerel, Purevsuren Batsaikhan, Bilegtsaikhan Tsolmon, Bradford D. Gessner, Eileen M. Dunne, Anneke C. Grobler, Cattram D. Nguyen, Tuya Mungun, Kim Mulholland, Claire von Mollendorf
Summary: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate community-acquired pneumonia cases in Ulaanbaatar. It was found that males and individuals with underlying medical conditions had a higher risk of developing severe pneumonia. The study highlights the importance of vaccination and other preventive strategies, especially for older adults and those with underlying medical conditions.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-WESTERN PACIFIC
(2023)