Association of early and current life factors with telomere length in preterm-born children.

Background: Telomeres shorten after each cell division. Since preterm-born babies are delivered early and often suffer from inflammatory conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), their telomere length may be altered.

Objectives: We assessed associations of early and current life factors with telomere length in saliva samples obtained from 7-12-year-old children born at ≤34 weeks' gestation and term-born controls.

Baseline azithromycin resistance in the gut microbiota of preterm born infants.

Background: Macrolides, including azithromycin, are increasingly used in preterm-born infants to treat Ureaplasma infections. The baseline carriage of macrolide resistance genes in the preterm stool microbiota is unknown.

Objectives: Identify carriage of azithromycin resistant bacteria and the incidence of macrolide resistant genes.

Dissemination of genetically diverse NDM-1, -5, -7 producing-Gram-negative pathogens isolated from pediatric patients in Pakistan.

To determine the prevalence of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing Gram-negative pathogens isolated from children's samples. Carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates (n = 117) were confirmed by VITEK 2 compact system, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight and multilocus sequence typing. MIC (μg/ml) of various antibiotics was determined by VITEK 2 compact system.

In vitro activity of apramycin against multidrug-, carbapenem- and aminoglycoside-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter baumannii.

Objectives: Widespread antimicrobial resistance often limits the availability of therapeutic options to only a few last-resort drugs that are themselves challenged by emerging resistance and adverse side effects. Apramycin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, has a unique chemical structure that evades almost all resistance mechanisms including the RNA methyltransferases frequently encountered in carbapenemase-producing clinical isolates. This study evaluates the in vitro activity of apramycin against multidrug-, carbapenem- and aminoglycoside-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter baumannii, and provides a rationale for its superior antibacterial activity in the presence of aminoglycoside resistance determinants.

The polymyxin derivative NAB739 is synergistic with several antibiotics against polymyxin-resistant strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii.

The antibiotic crisis has reinstated polymyxins, once abandoned because of their toxicity. Now, preclinical studies have revealed better tolerated and more effective derivatives of polymyxins such as NAB739. Simultaneously, polymyxin-resistant (PMR) strains such as the mcr-1 strains have received lots of justified publicity, even though they are still very rare.

Clinical Validation of SensiTest Colistin, a Broth Microdilution-Based Method To Evaluate Colistin MICs.

The global spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria has led to the return of colistin for treating severe infections. Recently, different plasmid-mediated genes conferring resistance to this drug were described and reported worldwide. International committees (EUCAST/CLSI) reevaluated inconsistencies surrounding colistin antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), concluding that broth microdilution (BMD) should serve as the reference method for AST.

Isolation of Separate Ureaplasma Species From Endotracheal Secretions of Twin Patients.

Isolation of Ureaplasma spp. from preterm neonates and the association with development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia has been previously investigated. However, few studies have contrasted the nature of infection in twins.

Differential recognition of the multiple banded antigen isoforms across Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum species by monoclonal antibodies.

Two separate species of Ureaplasma have been identified that infect humans: Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum. Most notably, these bacteria lack a cell wall and are the leading infectious organism associated with infection-related induction of preterm birth. Fourteen separate representative prototype bacterial strains, called serovars, are largely differentiated by the sequence of repeating units in the C-terminus of the major surface protein: multiple-banded antigen (MBA).

Random insertion and gene disruption via transposon mutagenesis of Ureaplasma parvum using a mini-transposon plasmid.

While transposon mutagenesis has been successfully used for Mycoplasma spp. to disrupt and determine non-essential genes, previous attempts with Ureaplasma spp. have been unsuccessful.

Correction: Synergic Activation of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 2/6 and 9 in Response to Ureaplasma parvum & urealyticum in Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Synergic activation of toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/6 and 9 in response to Ureaplasma parvum & urealyticum in human amniotic epithelial cells.

Ureaplasma species are the most frequently isolated microorganisms inside the amniotic cavity and have been associated with spontaneous abortion, chorioamnionitis, premature rupture of the membranes (PROM), preterm labour (PL) pneumonia in neonates and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonates. The mechanisms by which Ureaplasmas cause such diseases remain unclear, but it is believed that inappropriate induction of inflammatory responses is involved, triggered by the innate immune system. As part of its mechanism of activation, the innate immune system employs germ-lined encoded receptors, called pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) in order to "sense" pathogens.