Publications by authors named "D T Loots"
The use of archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for biochemical analyses is problematic because of the formation of a Schiff base, leading to low protein and metabolite yields during analytical extractions. Here, we overcome this issue using a unified protocol on FFPE tissue for metabolomics and proteomics analyses. Using 20 mg of wet mass tissue, this protocol consistently extracted more than 50 metabolites (across 11 classes of metabolites) and over 900 proteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effect of Tyloxapol on the metabolome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
J Microbiol Methods
November 2024
The use of detergents when culturing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) are essential to prevent clumping. However, these detergents may influence research outcomes by impacting bacterial morphology and metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a serious form of tuberculosis that primarily affects infants and children, and the current diagnosis relies on an invasive lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid analysis, which can be insufficient.
- In a study involving 32 TBM patients and 39 control subjects, researchers used a proton magnetic resonance (H-NMR) metabolomics approach to analyze urine samples and identify metabolites that could aid in diagnosing TBM.
- They found five significant metabolites with good diagnostic potential, particularly for severe TBM, indicating that urine analysis could be a less invasive alternative for diagnosing this condition.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the unknown reasons behind treatment failure in tuberculosis (TB) by using a specialized H NMR technique to analyze TB drug levels and their metabolites in the urine of patients.
- - Urine samples were taken from patients at different stages of TB treatment and analyzed to compare drug concentrations between those who were cured and those who experienced treatment failure.
- - Results indicated that metabolites of isoniazid (INH) were higher in patients who did not respond effectively to treatment, suggesting that factors beyond genetics, like environmental influences and variations in metabolic pathways, may play a significant role in treatment failure.
Background: HIV can invade the central nervous system (CNS) early during infection, invading perivascular macrophages and microglia, which, in turn, release viral particles and immune mediators that dysregulate all brain cell types. Consequently, children living with HIV often present with neurodevelopmental delays.
Methods: In this study, we used proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) spectroscopy to analyze the neurometabolic profile of HIV infection using cerebrospinal fluid samples obtained from 17 HIV+ and 50 HIV- South African children.