Characterization of Gardnerella vaginalis isolates: correlations among clades, biofilm formation and cytokine stimulation.

We characterized 61 Gardnerella vaginalis (GV) strains isolated from women with bacterial vaginosis. GV clade 1 was the most commonly found (52.5%), followed by clade 4 (36.

Gardnerella vaginalis clades in pregnancy: New insights into the interactions with the vaginal microbiome.

Gardnerella vaginalis (GV) is an anaerobic bacterial species involved in the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a condition of vaginal dysbiosis associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. GV strains are categorized into four clades, characterized by a different ability to produce virulence factors, such as sialidase. We investigated the distribution of GV clades and sialidase genes in the vaginal ecosystem of a cohort of pregnant women, assessing the correlations between GV clades and the whole vaginal microbiome.

Meningococcal Carriage in 'Men Having Sex With Men' With Pharyngeal Gonorrhoea.

We assessed the characteristics of pharyngeal carriage in a cohort of 'men having sex with men', including patients with pharyngeal infection. In the period 2017-2019, among all the oropharyngeal samples tested for gonorrhoea from MSM attending a STI Clinic in Bologna (Italy), we randomly selected 244 -positive samples and 403 negatives (n=647). Pharyngeal specimens were tested for presence, by the detection of gene.

Pharyngeal microbiome alterations during Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection.

Pharyngeal gonorrhoea is a common sexually transmitted infection among 'men having sex with other men' (MSM). Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) pharyngeal infections are usually characterized by the absence of symptoms, acting as an important reservoir for their further spread. To the best of our knowledge, no information about the composition of the pharyngeal microbiome during an ongoing NG infection is currently available.

BC5 Interferes With Infectivity Through Integrin Modulation in Cervical Cells.

Lactobacilli play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological equilibrium of the vaginal niche, preventing the colonization of exogenous microorganisms. Although many studies have discussed the mechanisms displayed by lactobacilli in counteracting several urogenital pathogens, a few data are available on the interaction between lactobacilli and . This study aimed to elucidate the molecular bases of the interaction among vaginal lactobacilli, the sexually transmitted pathogen and the epithelial cervical cells.

Impact of meropenem on Klebsiella pneumoniae metabolism.

The aim of this study was to analyze the metabolome of several Klebsiella pneumoniae strains characterized by different resistance patterns. A total of 59 bacterial strains (27 carbapenemase-negative and 32 carbapenemase-positive) were included and their metabolic features were assessed in basal conditions. Moreover, 8 isolates (4 wild-type and 4 KPC-producers) were randomly selected to evaluate the impact of sub-lethal concentrations of meropenem on bacterial metabolism.

Insights Into Vaginal Bacterial Communities and Metabolic Profiles of Infection: Positioning Between Eubiosis and Dysbiosis.

The vaginal microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and functioning of the female genital tract, preventing the colonization of urogenital pathogens and sexually transmitted infections. In this study, we characterized the vaginal bacterial communities and the metabolome associated to infection (CT: 20 women), compared to healthy condition (H: 22 women) and bacterial vaginosis (BV: 19 women). A microarray-based tool (VaginArray), implemented with a real-time PCR for , was used to determine the vaginal bacterial composition, whereas the metabolic profiles were assessed by a proton-based nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) spectroscopy.

Distribution of genital Mollicutes in the vaginal ecosystem of women with different clinical conditions.

Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), Ureaplasma parvum (UP), Mycoplasma hominis (MH) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) are the most common Mollicutes of the female genital tract. Although many studies have addressed their possible role in the vaginal ecosystem, many aspects remain to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vaginal presence of ureaplasmas/mycoplasmas in women with different clinical conditions.

Urine metabolome in women with Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

The aim of this study was to characterize the urine metabolome of women with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) uro-genital infection (n = 21), comparing it with a group of CT-negative subjects (n = 98). By means of a proton-based nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy, we detected and quantified the urine metabolites of a cohort of 119 pre-menopausal Caucasian women, attending a STI Outpatients Clinic in Italy. In case of a CT positive result, CT molecular genotyping was performed by omp1 gene semi-nested PCR followed by RFLP analysis.

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of genital Mollicutes in Italy over a two-year period.

Knowledge of the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of genital Mollicutes is crucial to offer guidelines for empirical treatments. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and the resistance profile of Mycoplasma hominis (MH) and Ureaplasma urealyticum/Ureaplasma parvum (UU/UP) in genital samples over a two-year period in Bologna, Italy. From January 2015 to December 2016, data on all the subjects providing uro-genital specimens for Mollicutes detection by culture were analyzed.

Vaginal Lactobacilli Reduce Viability through Multiple Strategies: An Study.

The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in (GC) underline the need of "antibiotic-free" strategies for the control of gonorrhea. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-gonococcal activity of 14 vaginal strains, belonging to different species (), isolated from healthy pre-menopausal women. In particular, we performed "inhibition" experiments, evaluating the ability of both lactobacilli cells and culture supernatants in reducing GC viability, at two different contact times (7 and 60 min).

Chlamydia trachomatis antimicrobial susceptibility in colorectal and endocervical cells.

Background: Rectal Chlamydia trachomatis infections represent one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the MSM population. Although current treatment guidelines suggest the use of either azithromycin or doxycycline, several clinical studies reported on azithromycin treatment failures in the case of rectal C. trachomatis localizations.