Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by disrupted immune function. Indeed, gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolomic profile alterations, are hallmarks of IBD. In this scenario, metabolite-sensing G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), involved in several biological processes, have emerged as pivotal players in the pathophysiology of IBD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Sequencing variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene (≃300 bp) with Illumina technology is commonly used to study the composition of human microbiota. Unfortunately, short reads are unable to differentiate between highly similar species. Considering that species from the same genus can be associated with health or disease it is important to identify them at the lowest possible taxonomic rank.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased worldwide, and early diagnosis is crucial to reduce mortality rates. Therefore, new noninvasive biomarkers for CRC are required. Recent studies have revealed an imbalance in the oral and gut microbiomes of patients with CRC, as well as impaired gut vascular barrier function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiofilm formation by the pathobiont is associated with human nasopharynx colonization, otitis media in children, and chronic respiratory infections in adults suffering from chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). β-lactam and quinolone antibiotics are commonly used to treat these infections. However, considering the resistance of biofilm-resident bacteria to antibiotic-mediated killing, the use of antibiotics may be insufficient and require being replaced or complemented with novel strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFColorectal cancer (CRC) and periodontitis have recently been related due to the higher incidence of CRC in periodontal patients and the involvement of periodontal pathogens in carcinogenesis, suggesting that leakage from the oral cavity to the gut occurs. However, the magnitude of this pass-through in healthy individuals is controversial, and the effect that periodontitis could play in it is understudied. To evaluate the rate of bacterial leakage from the oral cavity to the gut, we analyzed the microbial composition of saliva, subgingival plaque, and fecal samples in healthy individuals without gastrointestinal disorders, including 20 periodontitis patients and 20 oral healthy controls, using PacBio full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOral and intestinal samples from a cohort of 93 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and 30 healthy controls (non-CRC) were collected for microbiome analysis. Saliva (28 non-CRC and 94 CRC), feces (30 non-CRC and 97 CRC), subgingival fluid (20 CRC), and tumor tissue samples (20 CRC) were used for 16S metabarcoding and/or RNA sequencing (RNAseq) approaches. A differential analysis of the abundance, performed with the ANCOM-BC package, adjusting the P-values by the Holm-Bonferroni method, revealed that Parvimonas was significantly over-represented in feces from CRC patients (P-value < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Low-density Plasmodium falciparum infections prevail in low transmission settings, where immunity is expected to be minimal, suggesting an immune-independent effect on parasite densities. We aimed to describe parasite densities in pregnancy, and determine how gravidity and antibody-mediated immunity affect these, during a period of declining malaria transmission in southern Mozambique.
Methods: We documented P.
Background: Susceptibility of children and adults to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and persistence of antibody response to the virus after infection resolution remain poorly understood, despite their significant public health implications.
Methods: A prospective cross-sectional seroprevalence study with volunteer families that included at least 1 first-reported adult case positive by SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and at least 1 child aged <15 years living in the same household under strict home confinement was conducted in the metropolitan Barcelona Health Region, Spain, during the pandemic period 28 April 2020-3 June 2020. All household members were tested at home using a rapid SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay with finger prick-obtained capillary blood.
The salivary glands actively concentrate plasma nitrate, leading to high salivary nitrate concentrations (5-8 mM) after a nitrate-rich vegetable meal. Nitrate is an ecological factor that can induce rapid changes in structure and function of polymicrobial communities, but the effects on the oral microbiota have not been clarified. To test this, saliva of 12 healthy donors was collected to grow in vitro biofilms with and without 6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: We have developed a standardized, easy-to-use in model to study single- and multiple-species oral biofilms in real time through impedance technology, which elucidates the kinetics of biofilm formation in 96-well plates, without the requirement for any further manipulation. Using this system, biofilms of appear to be sugar-dependent and highly resistant to amoxicilin, an antibiotic to which this oral pathogen is highly sensitive in a planktonic state. Saliva, tongue and dental plaque samples were also used as inocula to form multiple-species biofilms.
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