Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Agnieszka Sroka-Oleksiak, Wojciech Pabian, Joanna Sobonska, Kamil Drozdz, Tomasz Bogiel, Monika Brzychczy-Wloch
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of group B Streptococcus (GBS) detection using polymerase chain reaction primers and a preincubation step. Vaginal and rectal swabs were collected from 97 pregnant women and subjected to enrichment broth culture-based diagnostics and amplification using specific primers. The preincubation step increased the sensitivity of GBS detection, and additional GBS cases were identified using nucleic acid amplification techniques. The atr gene primers showed the highest number of true positive results compared to other primers.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sungju Lim, Shilpa Rajagopal, Ye Ryn Jeong, Dumebi Nzegwu, Michelle L. Wright
Summary: This study explored the frequency of GBS reporting in vaginal microbiome literature and found that considerable differences in study design and data formatting methods may contribute to the underrepresentation of GBS and other pathogens in existing literature. Sharing detailed methods, analysis code, and raw data may improve reproducibility and enhance the ability to compare microbial communities across studies more accurately.
Review
Microbiology
Anna Dobrut, Monika Brzychczy-Wloch
Summary: Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a common pathogen that asymptomatically colonizes the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract. GBS carriage in pregnant women can lead to severe infections in newborns, but recommended screening reduces morbidity and mortality. However, antibiotic prophylaxis has led to bacterial resistance. This study reviewed immunogenic GBS proteins that could be used as alternative diagnostic methods.
Article
Microbiology
Daiki Tanno, Kyoichi Saito, Kazutaka Ohashi, Masahiro Toyokawa, Yukio Yamadera, Hiroki Shimura
Summary: This study developed a highly sensitive method for screening Group B Streptococcus (GBS), called MALDI detection with analysis of peaks of TOF (MDAPT). The method can detect GBS directly from cultured broth, providing an alternative for GBS screening in pregnant women and contributing to the prevention of severe GBS infectious diseases in neonates.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jie Zhou, Li Zhang, Yang Zhang, Hui Liu, Kangli Xu, Baohu Zhang, Tianyuan Feng, Shucai Yang
Summary: This study found that 7.9% of GBS strains isolated from the vagina/rectum of pregnant women were CAMP-negative, suggesting that the CAMP test method or primers targeting the cfb gene should not be used as the sole presumptive test for GBS identification.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Preeti P. John, Brady C. Baker, Santosh Paudel, Lauren Nassour, Hayden Cagle, Ritwij Kulkarni
Summary: The study found that exposure to moderate glycosuria significantly increased bacterial growth and virulence characteristics in a mouse model of UTI, enhancing bacterial adhesion to human bladder cells, increasing resistance to antimicrobial peptides, and enhancing bacterial hemolytic ability.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Hidehito Matsui, Jumpei Uchiyama, Masaya Ogata, Tadahiro Nasukawa, Iyo Takemura-Uchiyama, Shin-ichiro Kato, Hironobu Murakami, Masato Higashide, Hideaki Hanaki
Summary: This study demonstrates that treatment with a recombinant endolysin specific to Enterococcus faecalis potentially improves the accuracy of prenatal GBS screening test by enriching Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and increasing the GBS-positive ratio. The presence of commensal bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis in clinical specimens can inhibit GBS growth in selective enrichment culture, leading to false-negative results. The application of originally isolated endolysin in the enrichment culture inhibits unwanted E. faecalis growth, thereby avoiding false-negative results in both experimental settings and tests using vaginal swabs.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sarah Shabayek, Asmaa M. M. Abdellah, Mohammed Salah, Mohammed Ramadan, Nora Fahmy
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between the vaginal microbiome composition and GBS infection in pregnant women in Egypt. The results showed that GBS infection led to changes in the vaginal microbiome composition, including alterations in microbial diversity and abundance. This study provides new insights for the prevention and treatment of GBS infection.
Article
Biophysics
N. Balasubramanian, P. Pounpandi, G. Varatharaju, V. Shanmugaiah, K. Balakrishnan, M. A. Thirunarayan
Summary: This study isolated 21 clinical samples of Streptococcus agalactiae from patients in different states of India and found that these pathogenic strains carry six virulence genes and can form biofilms.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Feiling Wang, Lehui Yi, Fang Ming, Rui Dong, Feng Wang, Ruirui Chen, Xiaoling Hu, Xuri Chen, Bo Sun, Yi-Wei Tang, Yuanfang Zhu, Lijuan Wu
Summary: This study compared the performance of four methods for detecting GBS colonization in rectovaginal specimens, and found that Xpert Xpress GBS had high sensitivity and specificity, as well as a quick and accurate screening process.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Dulmini Nanayakkara Sapugahawatte, Carmen Li, Veranja Liyanapathirana, Chaminda Kandauda, Champika Gihan, Chendi Zhu, Norman Wai Sing Lo, Kam Tak Wong, Margaret Ip
Summary: The molecular epidemiology of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) was investigated in a cohort of pregnant mothers and their newborns in a Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka. The study found that the carriage rate of GBS in pregnant mothers was 11.2% pre-delivery and 19.2% post-delivery, while it was 4.4% in neonates. The predominant serotype of GBS isolates was VI, and multiple drug resistance genes were identified. This study provides important insights for the development of GBS vaccines.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lucia Bocanova, Michal Psenko, Imrich Barak, Nora Halgasova, Hana Drahovska, Gabriela Bukovska
Summary: The endolysin EN534 has the potential to become an antimicrobial agent for treating Streptococcus agalactiae infections, showing good lytic activity and stability.
JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Tahereh Motallebirad, Hossein Fazeli, Ataollah Ghahiri, Dariush Shokri, Saba Jalalifar, Sharareh Moghim, Bahram Nasr Esfahani
Summary: The study revealed a concerning high prevalence of erythromycin-resistant GBS in Iran, as well as the dissemination of the ST-335/CPS-III clone associated with tetracycline and erythromycin resistance in the region. The distribution of capsular and pilus genotypes varies between invasive and colonizing GBS, which could aid in vaccine development.
Article
Fisheries
Tao Zhou, Zhihua Fang, Daniel F. C. Duarte, Stefan A. Fernandes, Ying Lu, Jing Guo, Lang Gui, Liangbiao Chen
Summary: This study investigated the mechanisms of gill damage in tilapia infected with Streptococcus agalactiae. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differentially expressed genes and enriched immune-related gene ontology and pathways. HE staining results showed severe gill damage in tilapia at 9 hours post-infection.
Article
Pediatrics
Lakshmi M. Warrier, Sapna Joy, Raja C. Rajeswari, Rani Ameena Bashir
Summary: The study assessed the prevalence of maternal and neonatal group B Streptococcal colonization, highlighting the need for GBS screening in India due to high colonization rates. The research also examined antibiotic sensitivity and its association with neonatal systemic illness.
INDIAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Karolina Filik, Bozena Szermer-Olearnik, Joanna Niedziolka-Jonson, Ewa Rozniecka, Jaroslaw Ciekot, Anna Pyra, Irwin Matyjaszczyk, Mikael Skurnik, Ewa Brzozowska
Summary: Yersiniosis is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by two enteropathogenic species of Yersinia bacteria. It is usually transmitted to humans through contaminated food. Reliable diagnosis of Yersiniosis is difficult, but phage adhesins may be a promising diagnostic tool.
Article
Microbiology
Anna Dobrut, Dorota Ochonska, Ewa Brzozowska, Sabina Gorska, Jolanta Kaszuba-Zwoinska, Monika Golda-Cepa, Andrzej Gamian, Monika Brzychczy-Wloch
Summary: This study characterized 94 clinical strains of Group B streptococcus (GBS) isolated from adult Polish patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs). The study analyzed their molecular characteristics, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, adherence to bladder endothelial cells, and immunoreactive proteins. The findings revealed high resistance rates to erythromycin and clindamycin among GBS strains, and a correlation between serotypes and Alp genes. Additionally, most of the studied GBS isolates shared common immunoreactive proteins, indicating their potential as immunodiagnostic markers.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kinga Gostomska-Pampuch, Jacek R. Wisniewski, Karol Sowinski, Wieslaw Gruszecki, Andrzej Gamian, Magdalena Staniszewska
Summary: The study found that the glycation product MAGE, generated from the reaction of melibiose with a protein, is more efficiently formed under dry conditions compared to aqueous conditions. Different structures of myoglobin with melibiose were identified, including crosslinking and non-crosslinking modifications. The results suggest that MAGE adduct is initiated by coupling melibiose to a model myoglobin protein and can further rearrange into more advanced structures.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Piotr Kuropka, Anna Leskow, Katarzyna Malolepsza-Jarmolowska, Maciej Dobrzynski, Malgorzata Tarnowska, Jacek Majda, Maciej Janeczek, Katarzyna Zybura-Wszola, Andrzej Gamian
Summary: This study investigated the immunostimulating effect of levamisole on hematological parameters and its impact on the inflammatory response in the rat pleural cavity. The results showed significant modifications in hematological parameters and a reduction in leukocyte infiltrations in the lungs with single and triple doses of levamisole administration.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kamil Litwinowicz, Andrzej Gamian
Summary: Microbiome alterations are important factors influencing the course of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of microbiome alterations associated with AUD and ALD using advanced bioinformatics methods. The results show consistent changes in the abundance of certain microbial families, reduced butyrate-producing families in AUD and further reduction in ALD. There is also an increase in endotoxin-producing Proteobacteria in AUD, with the largest increase observed in the ALD group. These alterations may contribute to intestinal permeability and inflammation in AUD and ALD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bozena Futoma-Koloch, Michal Malaszczuk, Kamila Korzekwa, Malgorzata Steczkiewicz, Andrzej Gamian, Gabriela Bugla-Ploskonska
Summary: Salmonella enterica is a common pathogen that can be used as a model organism for studying bacterial biology. In this study, the researchers investigated the changes in virulence-related phenotypes of Salmonella enterica strains subjected to consecutive passages in human serum. They found that eight passages may not be enough to develop serum resistance, and observed changes in the composition of membrane proteins and binding of complement components. They also observed the development of multi-drug resistance and tolerance to disinfectants in some strains.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Kamil Litwinowicz, Ewa Waszczuk, Aleksandra Kuzan, Agnieszka Bronowicka-Szydelko, Kinga Gostomska-Pampuch, Piotr Naporowski, Andrzej Gamian
Summary: The biochemical mechanisms associated with the progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) to alcoholic hepatitis (AH) remain a challenge. The study found that the novel advanced glycation end-product AGE10 is significantly associated with AH, and showed acceptable diagnostic performance.
Article
Immunology
Svitlana Zubchenko, Iryna Kril, Halyna Potemkina, Anna Havrylyuk, Aleksandra Kuzan, Andrzej Gamian, Valentyna V. Chopyak
Summary: The role of AGEs in allergic inflammation needs further investigation. This study found that allergic rhinitis patients had lower levels of AGEs in their blood, which may be attributed to continuous activation of cells effectively clearing glycation products.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Agnieszka Razim, Sabina Gorska, Andrzej Gamian
Summary: CD is a Gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium that primarily infects hospitalized and elderly individuals who have undergone long-term antibiotic therapy. The increasing elderly population and antibiotic usage suggest that CD infections will continue to rise. Currently, there is no vaccine available for CD. Clinical trials using toxin-based antigens have shown limited efficacy in preventing colonization and transmission between patients. Therefore, a CD vaccine should include antigens from the bacterium or its spores to effectively combat toxins and inhibit patient colonization.
Article
Immunology
Dagmar Srutkova, Hana Kozakova, Tereza Novotna, Sabina Gorska, Petra Petr Hermanova, Tomas Hudcovic, Tereza Svabova, Marek Sinkora, Martin Schwarzer
Summary: The high prevalence of allergic diseases in industrialized countries is believed to be related to changes in microbial exposure. The administration of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Lacticaseibacillus (L.) rhamnosus LOCK900 induces immune responses in the lungs of mice, leading to a reduction in allergic airway inflammation and Th2 cytokine response in sensitized individuals. Furthermore, EPS treatment increases the production of IgA in the lungs of sensitized mice. These findings suggest that EPS derived from L. rhamnosus LOCK900 could be a safe candidate for preventing the development of allergic symptoms in sensitized individuals.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Monika Kozinska, Ewa Augustynowicz-Kopec, Andrzej Gamian, Anna Chudzik, Mariola Pasciak, Przemyslaw Zdziarski
Summary: Cutaneous tuberculosis is a rare disease that accounts for a small percentage of extrapulmonary tuberculosis cases. Its clinical manifestations are diverse and may resemble other dermatoses, making diagnosis challenging. It is important to note that most extrapulmonary tuberculosis cases, including skin tuberculosis, can indicate systemic involvement. This paper presents a case of an immunocompromised patient diagnosed with cutaneous tuberculosis almost a year after the initial dermatological lesions appeared on the lower extremities. Concurrently, a diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis was made due to respiratory symptoms, and radiological and microbiological confirmations were obtained.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ewa Brzozowska, Tomasz Lipinski, Agnieszka Korzeniowska-Kowal, Karolina Filik, Andrzej Gorski, Andrzej Gamian
Summary: Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are widely present in the environment, food, and normal microflora. The human microbiome is a complex network of bacteria, bacteriophages, and human cells. This study aimed to determine the levels of naturally generated antibodies specific to a bacteriophage in human serum using an ELISA-based assay. The results showed that the average level of anti-I11mO19 phage antibodies in human serum was 190 μg/mL, but cross-reactivity with other E. coli phages was also observed.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Katarzyna Pacyga-Prus, Dominika Jakubczyk, Corine Sandstrom, Dagmar Srutkova, Marcelina Joanna Pyclik, Katarzyna Leszczynska, Jaroskaw Ciekot, Agnieszka Razim, Martin Schwarzer, Sabina Gorska
Summary: Bifidobacteria are commonly used probiotics with well-described effects on the immune system. Recently, there is growing interest in biologically active molecules derived from bacteria. We characterized surface antigens of Bifidobacterium adolescentis CCDM 368 and found that Bad368.1 polysaccharide modulates cytokine production, can be transferred between cells, and may have potential in allergic disease modulation.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
