Microorganisms
June 2023
Probiotics play an important role against infectious pathogens, such as (), mainly through the production of antimicrobial compounds and their immunomodulatory effect. This protection can be detected both on the live probiotic microorganisms and in their inactive forms (paraprobiotics). Probiotics may affect different cells involved in immunity, such as macrophages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Prolactin (PRL) is a hormone expressed in lactotrophs cells of the pituitary gland in primates. Extra pituitary expression of PRL has been reported, including the eye; however, expression in the developing eye of primates is limited. The aim of the study was determining the expression of and receptor () (mRNAs and proteins) in adult and fetal baboon () ocular tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Coinfections with fungi and bacteria in ocular pathologies are increasing at an alarming rate. Two of the main etiologic agents of infections on the corneal surface, such as and , can form a biofilm. However, mixed fungal-bacterial biofilms are rarely reported in ocular infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Vis
December 2021
Purpose: Viral infections such as herpetic keratitis (HSK) activate the innate immune response in the cornea triggering opacity and loss of vision. This condition is performed mainly by myofibroblasts that exacerbate secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) reduces ocular opacity and scarring inhibiting secretion of inflammatory cytokines and proliferation of myofibroblasts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open Ophthalmol
June 2021
Aim: It's been reported that pro-inflammatory cytokines are elevated in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR); this may contribute to the pathophysiology of the disease. The aim of this study is to measure the concentration of various inflammatory cytokines from the main CD4+ T helper inflammatory responses in blood serum from Mexican patients with DR in different stages using cytometric bead array (CBA) technology and correlate them with the presence and severity of DR in order to find possible DR biomarkers that serve as diagnostic or therapeutic predictors.
Methods: 64 subjects were included in the study, 16 in the control group, 16 in the type 2 diabetes mellitus no DR (NDR) group, 16 in the non-proliferative DR (NPDR) group and 16 in the proliferative DR (PDR) group.
Background: Infectious keratitis is the main cause of preventable blindness worldwide, with about 1.5-2.0 million new cases occurring per year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExtremophiles
July 2020
In Mexico little is known about high-altitude glacial psychrotolerant or psychrophilic fungal species, with most glacial fungi isolated from polar environments or Alpine glaciers. It has been documented that some of these species may play an important role in bioremediation of contaminated environments with heavy metals. In the present study, 75 fungi were isolated from glaciers in Citlaltépetl (5675 masl) and Iztaccíhuatl (5286 masl) volcanoes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne of the main characteristics of probiotics is their ability to stimulate and modulate the immune response regardless of their viability. (Lc) can stimulate local and systemic immunity, in addition to the activation of macrophages at sites distant from the intestine. Activated macrophages limit the replication of intracellular protozoa, such as , through the production of nitric oxide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To report the characterization and analysis of the biofilm formation in mixed keratitis induced by the coinfection of Staphylococcus aureus and Fusarium falciforme in a novel murine model.
Methods: Clinical ocular microbial isolates and female BALB/c mice were used to develop the murine model. Immunosuppression was achieved with cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone.
Microb Pathog
October 2019
The interactions between prokaryotes and eukaryotes are abundant in nature. These microorganisms also interact in the human body. Fungal-bacteria interactions are present in many diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobiol Resour Announc
March 2019
Little is known about extremophilic microorganisms from glaciers found in subtropical regions, and to our knowledge, no reports have identified glacial bacteria in this ecosystem in Mexico. Herein, we report a 16S rRNA gene amplicon data set demonstrating bacterial diversity of three samples from the Iztaccihuatl volcanic complex (Mexico) with a total of 115,701 to 138,805 high-quality reads. The bacterial population was classified at the phylum level in all samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To report a novel clinical presentation of corneal biofilms, consisting of formation of superficial and recurrent corneal plaques.
Methods: Interventional case report. A 9-year-old boy presented with subepithelial, whitish, avascular, and recurrent corneal plaques without any clinical manifestations of active corneal inflammation and/or infection.
Biofilms are structures that confer adaptive ability to and facilitate the virulence of fungal pathogens. Certain multi-functional proteins have been shown to be involved in fungal pathogenesis and these proteins may also be implicated in biofilm formation. The aim of this study was to identify a fungal agent isolated from the human cornea, to analyze the ability of this organism to form biofilms in vitro and to investigate protein expression in this condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn humans, the polygenic growth hormone (GH) locus is located on chromosome 17 and contributes with three types of proteins: pituitary GH which consists of at least two isoforms one of 22 kDa and the other of 20 kDa, placental GH, which also exhibits isoforms, and chorionic somatomammotropin hormone (CSH). While pituitary GH results from the expression of the GH-1 (GH-N) gene, placental GH is produced by the expression of the GH-2 (GH-V) gene and CSH is contributed by expression of the CSH-1 and CSH-2 genes. The location where GH-1 is expressed is the anterior pituitary and the rest of the genes in the locus are expressed in placenta.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In recent years, human keratitis caused by fungal plant pathogens has become more common. Biofilm is a structure that confers adaptations and virulence to fungi in keratitis. Neoscytalidium spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The aim of this paper is to present the case report of a patient developing endophthalmitis after penetrating keratoplasty caused by a multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, detected only in the contralateral donor tissue.
Case Report: A 77-year-old man underwent an uneventful penetrating keratoplasty with a preoperative culture-negative donor cornea; however, the fellow cornea grew multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The patient developed and was treated for endophthalmitis after penetrating keratoplasty, and aqueous and vitreous taps grew P.
Introduction/aims: In recent years, it has been shown that free fatty acids receptors (FFAR) of whose function in the cell surface plays a significant role in the regulation of cell function and nutrition as well are activated by various endogenous ligands, but mainly by fatty acids. Within FFAR of our interest are GPR 41, 43 and 120. The functions of these receptors are varied and dependent on the tissue where they are.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFibroblasts are present in all tissues but predominantly in connective tissues. Some of their functions include contractility, locomotion, collagen and elastin fiber production, and the regulation and degradation of the extracellular matrix. Also, fibroblasts act as sentinels to produce inflammatory mediators in response to several microorganisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The olfactomedin-like domain (OLFML) is present in at least four families of proteins, including OLFML2A and OLFML2B, which are expressed in adult rat retina cells. However, no expression of their orthologous has ever been reported in human and baboon.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of OLFML2A and OLFML2B in ocular tissues of baboons (Papio hamadryas) and humans, as a key to elucidate OLFML function in eye physiology.
Objective: To determine the characteristics of infectious keratitis caused by Kocuria spp.
Methods: Retrospective case series. Information included demographic data, medical history, risk factors associated with infectious keratitis, clinical characteristics, microbiological results and drug sensitivity, clinical course, management, and visual outcomes.
Purpose: To report the distribution and trends in microbiological and antibiotic sensitivity patterns of infectious keratitis in a 10-year period at a reference center in Mexico City.
Methods: In this retrospective observational case series, samples were obtained from corneas with a diagnosis of infectious keratitis from January 2002 to December 2011 at the Institute of Ophthalmology "Conde de Valenciana" in Mexico City. Results of cultures, stains, and specific sensitivity/resistance antibiograms for each microorganism were analyzed.
Corneal damage observed in a viral infection such as herpetic stromal keratitis is mainly caused by proinflammatory molecules released by resident cells in the response to viral antigens. There are pattern recognition receptors like MDA5, RIG-1, and TLR3, that recognize viral dsRNA and after activation, the innate immune response is exacerbated inducing the synthesis and secretion of inflammatory cytokines through NF-κB activation. Amniotic membrane (AM) has demonstrated to reduce inflammation by several mechanisms, however the effect of AM on innate immune receptors such as MDA5, RIG-1, and TLR3 has not been reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To describe the clinical characteristics of ocular involvement in patients with pemphigus at an ophthalmological referral center.
Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients with the immunopathological diagnosis of pemphigus examined between 1 January 2000 and 1 April 2010. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), best corrected distance visual acuity (BCVA), ocular symptoms, and ocular surface inflammatory and scarring changes were assessed.
Background: Infectious keratitis is a sight-threatening condition for children. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical profile, risk factors and microbiological profile of infectious keratitis in children.
Methods: Retrospective review of clinical records of patients under 16 years of age with history of microbial keratitis seen at a tertiary referral center.
Pterygium is one of the most frequent pathologies in ophthalmology, and is a benign, fibrovascular lesion originating from the bulbar conjunctiva. It is composed of an epithelium and highly vascular, subepithelial, loose connective tissue. The etiology of pterygium is not clearly understood; the most widely recognized originating factor is ultraviolet radiation.
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