Investigation of Effects of Novel ssp. on Gastrointestinal Microbiota and Blood Serum Parameters in a Conventional Mouse Model.

Representatives of the genus are widely used as probiotics to modulate the gut microbiome and alleviate various health conditions. The action mechanisms of probiotics rely on their direct effect on the gut microbiota and the local and systemic effect of its metabolites. The main purpose of this animal experiment was to assess the biosafety of the strain BIOCC1719.

Effect of early directed implementation of family-integrated care measures on colonisation with in preterm neonates in NICU.

Background: Hospital-acquired strains (HASs) and multiresistant strains in neonatal intensive care unit often harbour virulence and resistance mechanisms, carrying the risk of invasive infections. We describe colonisation with in neonates receiving early directed versus routine family-integrated care (FIC) within the first month of life.

Methods: A prospective cohort study included neonates with a gestational age below 34 weeks.

Aerobic vaginitis in the third trimester and its impact on pregnancy outcomes.

Background: Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a vaginal inflammation characterized by disruption of the lactobacillus microbiota and increased counts of different aerobic bacteria. AV may result in severe complications, especially during pregnancy, including preterm delivery, neonatal and maternal infections. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of AV in the third trimester of pregnancy, and the relationship between AV and pregnancy outcomes.

Maternal breast milk microbiota and immune markers in relation to subsequent development of celiac disease in offspring.

The potential impact of the composition of maternal breast milk is poorly known in children who develop celiac disease (CD). The aim of our study was to compare the microbiota composition and the concentrations of immune markers in breast milk from mothers whose offspring carried the genetic predisposition to CD, and whether they did or did not develop CD during follow-up for the first 3 years of life. Maternal breast milk samples [CD children (n = 6) and healthy children (n = 18)] were collected 3 months after delivery.

Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiota in Centenarians and Young People: Impact of Eating Habits and Childhood Living Environment.

The composition of centenarians' gut microbiota has consistently been used as a model for healthy aging studies. However, there is an incomplete understanding of how childhood living conditions and eating habits affect the development and composition of gastrointestinal microbiota in centenarians with good cognitive functions. We compared the gut microbiota as well as the living and eating habits of the oldest-old group and the young people group.

Changes in adipokine levels and metabolic profiles following bariatric surgery.

Background: Bariatric surgery is considered to be the most effective treatment option for weight reduction in obese patients. Abdominal obesity is frequently accompanied by metabolic syndrome (MS). Adipokines are cell signaling proteins that have direct impact upon the metabolic homeostasis.

The complex microbiome from native semen to embryo culture environment in human in vitro fertilization procedure.

Background: Only a few microbial studies have conducted in IVF (in vitro fertilization), showing the high-variety bacterial contamination of IVF culture media to cause damage to or even loss of cultured oocytes and embryos. We aimed to determine the prevalence and counts of bacteria in IVF samples, and to associate them with clinical outcome.

Methods: The studied samples from 50 infertile couples included: raw (n = 48), processed (n = 49) and incubated (n = 50) sperm samples, and IVF culture media (n = 50).

Impact of polyols on Oral microbiome of Estonian schoolchildren.

Background: Oral microbiome has significant impact on both oral and general health. Polyols have been promoted as sugar substitutes in prevention of oral diseases. We aimed to reveal the effect of candies containing erythritol, xylitol or control (sorbitol) on salivary microbiome.

Genetic relatedness of Gram-negative bacteria colonizing gut and skin of neonates and mother's own milk.

Objective: We described colonization of mother's own milk with Gram-negative bacteria and its relationship with neonatal colonization.

Study Design: Gram-negative bacteria isolated from weekly collected stool, skin and mother's own milk of hospitalized preterm (n = 49) and healthy term neonates (n = 20) were genotyped. Colonization-related factors were determined by logistic regression.

The Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in Estonian Bariatric Surgery Patients.

() is one of the most important human pathogens that can cause duodenal and gastric ulcers, gastritis and stomach cancer. infection is considered to be a cause of limiting access to bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of in patients with obesity going into bariatric surgery and to reveal the relationship between and clinical data.

The Influence of Different Maternal Microbial Communities on the Development of Infant Gut and Oral Microbiota.

Very few studies have analyzed how the composition of mother's microbiota affects the development of infant's gut and oral microbiota during the first months of life. Here, microbiota present in the mothers' gut, vagina, breast milk, oral cavity, and mammary areola were compared with the gut and oral microbiota of their infants over the first six months following birth. Samples were collected from the aforementioned body sites from seven mothers and nine infants at three different time points over a 6-month period.

Characterisation of probiotic properties in human vaginal lactobacilli strains.

Background: Vaginal lactobacilli offer protection against recurrent urinary infections, bacterial vaginosis, and vaginal candidiasis.

Objective: To characterise the isolated vaginal lactobacilli strains for their probiotic properties and to compare their probiotic potential.

Methods: The Lactobacillus strains were isolated from vaginal samples by conventional culturing and identified by sequencing of the 16S rDNA fragment.

Biodiversity of Intestinal Lactic Acid Bacteria in the Healthy Population.

The complex ecosystem of the gastrointestinal tract involves tight interrelations among host cells, diet, and billions of microbes, both beneficial and opportunistic pathogens. In spite of advanced genomic, metagenomic, and metabonomic approaches, knowledge is still quite limited regarding the biodiversity of beneficial microbiota, including Lactobacillus spp., and its impact on the main biomarkers of general health.

New insights into the impact of Lactobacillus population on host-bacteria metabolic interplay.

We aimed at evaluating the association between intestinal Lactobacillus sp. composition and their metabolic activity with the host metabolism in adult and elderly individuals. Faecal and plasma metabolites were measured and correlated to the Lactobacillus species distribution in healthy Estonian cohorts of adult (n = 16; < 48 y) and elderly (n = 33; > 65 y).

Differences in Gut Microbiota Between Atopic and Healthy Children.

Although gut microbiota has been studied relatively extensively in the context of allergic diseases, there have been several contradictions between these studies. By applying high-throughput sequencing, we aimed to analyze the differences in gut microbiota between atopic and healthy children at 5 and 12 years of age. 51 stool samples were collected from 14 atopic and 15 healthy children and analyzed with 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.

The development of gut microbiota in critically ill extremely low birth weight infants assessed with 16S rRNA gene based sequencing.

Objective: An increasing number of studies that are using high-throughput molecular methods are rapidly extending our knowledge of gut microbial colonization in preterm infants whose immaturity and requirement for extensive treatment may result in altered colonization process. We aimed to describe the profile of gut microbiota in 50 extremely low birth weight (<1200 g) critically ill infants at three different time points during the first two months of life by using 16S rRNA gene specific sequencing.  

Patients And Methods: Stool samples were collected at the age of one week, one month and two months.

Detection of carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae in the baltic countries and st. Petersburg area.

The spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is a global problem; however, no exact data on the epidemiology of carbapenemase in the Baltic countries and St. Petersburg area is available. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in the Baltic States and St.

Coryneform bacteria in human semen: inter-assay variability in species composition detection and biofilm production ability.

Background: Coryneform bacteria constitute an important segment of male urogenital microbiota. They have been generally considered as saprophytes, although some species have been associated with prostatitis as well. At the same time, biofilm infections have been suspected as a cause of prostatitis.

Hypocaloric diet supplemented with probiotic cheese improves body mass index and blood pressure indices of obese hypertensive patients--a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study.

Background: Gut lactobacilli can affect the metabolic functions of healthy humans. We tested whether a 1500 kcal/d diet supplemented with cheese containing the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum TENSIA (Deutsche Sammlung für Mikroorganismen, DSM 21380) could reduce some symptoms of metabolic syndrome in Russian adults with obesity and hypertension.

Methods: In this 3-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel pilot study, 25 subjects ingested probiotic cheese and 15 ingested control cheese.

The Escherichia coli phylogenetic group B2 with integrons prevails in childhood recurrent urinary tract infections.

The aim of our study was to characterize the phylogenetic groups of Escherichia coli, antibiotic resistance, and containment of class 1 integrons in the first attack of pyelonephritis and in subsequent recurrences in young children. Altogether, 89 urine E. coli isolates from 41 children with urinary tract infection (UTI) were studied for prevalence and persistence of phylogenetic groups by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), antibacterial resistance by minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and class 1 integrons by PCR.

In vitro synergy of oxacillin and gentamicin against coagulase-negative staphylococci from blood cultures of neonates with late-onset sepsis.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the leading cause of late-onset sepsis (LOS) in neonates. Increasing resistance of CoNS to beta-lactams and aminoglycosides has led to widespread use of vancomycin, which in turn may lead to resistance to vancomycin. Thus, combination therapy of LOS has been advocated.

Quantification of Clostridium difficile in antibiotic-associated-diarrhea patients.

Comparing culture- and non-culture-based methods for quantifying Clostridium difficile in antibiotic-associated-diarrhea patients, we found that the real-time PCR method correlated well with quantitative culture and was more sensitive. A positive association between the population levels of C. difficile and the presence of its toxins was found.

Intestinal lactoflora in Estonian and Norwegian patients with antibiotic associated diarrhea.

The disruption of intestinal microbiota is an important risk factor for the development of Clostridium difficile caused antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD). The role of intestinal lactoflora in protection against C. difficile is unclear.