Tail-specific proteases (Tsp) are members of a widely distributed family of serine proteases that commonly target and process periplasmic proteins in Gram-negative bacteria. The obligately intracellular, Gram-negative encode a highly conserved Tsp homolog whose target and function are unclear. We identified a mutant with a nonsense mutation in .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Transgender men (TGM) are underrepresented in genital microbiome research. Our prospective study in Birmingham, AL investigated genital microbiota changes over time in TGM initiating testosterone, including the development of incident bacterial vaginosis (iBV). Here, we present lessons learned from recruitment challenges encountered during the conduct of this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Identifying microbial targets in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) is challenging due to the dynamic nature of microbiota-metabolite-host interactions. SCFA are key microbial metabolites that modulate intestinal homeostasis and may influence IBS pathophysiology. We aimed to assess microbial features associated with short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and determine if features varied across IBS subtypes and endophenotypes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Cell Infect Microbiol
December 2023
Bacterial vaginosis (BV), a dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiota, is a common coinfection with (Ct), and BV-associated bacteria (BVAB) and their products have been implicated in aiding Ct evade natural immunity. Here, we determined if a non-optimal vaginal microbiota was associated with a higher genital Ct burden and if metronidazole, a standard treatment for BV, would reduce Ct burden or aid in natural clearance of Ct infection. Cervicovaginal samples were collected from women at enrollment and, if testing positive for Ct infection, at a follow-up visit approximately one week later.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal dysbiosis. In this condition, a polymicrobial biofilm develops on vaginal epithelial cells. Accurately quantifying the bacterial burden of the BV biofilm is necessary to further our understanding of BV pathogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
March 2023
Introduction: The effect of testosterone (T) therapy on the vaginal microbiota of transgender men (TGM) is not well characterised, although one cross-sectional study comparing the vaginal microbiota of cisgender women to TGM on T≥1 year found that, in 71% of the TGM, the vaginal microbiota was less likely to be -dominated and more likely to be enriched with >30 other bacterial species, many associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV). This prospective study aims to investigate changes in the composition of the vaginal microbiota over time in TGM who retain their natal genitalia (ie, vagina) and initiate T. In addition, we will identify changes in the vaginal microbiota preceding incident BV (iBV) in this cohort while investigating behavioural factors, along with hormonal shifts, which may be associated with iBV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe origin, composition, and significance of the distal male urethral microbiome are unclear, but vaginal microbiome dysbiosis is linked to new sex partners and several urogynecological syndromes. We characterized 110 urethral specimens from men without urethral symptoms, infections, or inflammation using shotgun metagenomics. Most urethral specimens contain characteristic lactic acid bacteria and Corynebacterium spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany obligate intracellular bacteria, including members of the genus Chlamydia, cannot synthesize a variety of amino acids and acquire these from host cells via largely unknown mechanisms. Previously, we determined that a missense mutation in , a conserved Chlamydia open reading frame of unknown function, mediated sensitivity to interferon gamma. Here, we show evidence that CTL0225 is a member of the SnatA family of neutral amino acid transporters that contributes to the import of several amino acids into Chlamydia cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMycoplasma penetrans is an emerging pathogen with a reduced genome. This bacterium has only previously been cultured from individuals with chronic immunodeficiencies. Here we report the characteristics of 4 M.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr
May 2022
Objectives: There is limited knowledge about the role of esophageal microbiome in pediatric esophageal eosinophilia (EE). We aimed to characterize the esophageal microbiome in pediatric patients with and without EE.
Methods: In the present prospective study, esophageal mucosal biopsies were obtained from 41 children.
Background: In men with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), clinicians and patients rely on clinical cure to guide the need for additional testing/treatment and when to resume sex, respectively; however, discordant clinical and microbiological cure outcomes do occur. How accurately clinical cure reflects microbiological cure in specific sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is unclear.
Methods: Men with NGU were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Trichomonas vaginalis, urethrotropic Neisseria meningitidis ST-11 clade strains, and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU).
Background: Dysmenorrhea is highly prevalent; it places women at risk for other chronic pain conditions. There is a high degree of individual variability in menstrual pain severity, the number of painful sites, and co-occurring gastrointestinal symptoms. Distinct dysmenorrhea symptom-based phenotypes were previously identified, but the biological underpinnings of these phenotypes are less known.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFspp. productively infect mucosal epithelial cells of multiple anatomical sites, including the conjunctiva, lungs, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and urogenital tract. We, and others, previously established that chlamydial GI tropism is mediated by distinct chromosomal and plasmid factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGastric interoception refers to the processing of sensory stimuli originating in the gut. Previous research has found that gastric interoception (measured using a water load task) is associated with drive for thinness in young Western women. However, associations with broader facets of body image and in diverse national groups have not been previously investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentifying pathogen-specific signs or symptoms of nongonococcal urethritis could improve syndromic management accuracy. We evaluated nongonococcal urethritis signs and symptoms in 220 men with single-pathogen infections (Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, or Ureaplasma urealyticum) or idiopathic urethritis. No individual sign or symptom accurately predicted the infectious etiology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUrethritis, or inflammation of the urethra, is one of the most common reasons men seek clinical care. Sexually transmitted pathogens including Neisseria gonorrhoeae are responsible for over half of the symptomatic urethritis cases in U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2; Tylka & Kroon Van Diest, 2013) is a widely-used measure of facets of intuitive eating. We examined the psychometric properties of a Bahasa Malaysia (Malay) translation of the IES-2 in a sample of Malaysian Malay and Chinese adults (N = 921). Participants completed a Malay translation of the IES-2 along with demographic items and measures of psychological well-being, positive and negative body image, and internalisation of appearance ideals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Round Table Cinema Activity (RTCA) is an intervention designed to promote improved multicultural understanding by having different social identity groups watch a carefully-selected film and take part in repeated dialogic exchanges. Here, we examined the efficacy of the RTCA paradigm at improving inter-ethnic understanding and empathy among members of different social identity groups from the same country (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: (CT) and (MG) cause the majority of non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). The role of (UU) in NGU is unclear. Prior case-control studies that examined the association of UU and NGU may have been confounded by mixed infections and less stringent criteria for controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The composition of the small intestinal microbiota has not yet been characterized thoroughly using culture-independent techniques. We compared small intestinal microbial communities in patients with and without small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) using culture-dependent and culture-independent bacterial identification approaches.
Methods: Small bowel aspirate and mucosal samples were collected from patients with suspected SIBO.
The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS; Alleva et al., 2017) is a 7-item measure of an individual's appreciation of their body for what it can do and is capable of doing. To date, its psychometric properties have not been examined beyond the parent study and outside English-speaking samples.
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