Potential role of short-chain fatty acids in the pathogenesis and management of acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy of highly proliferative lymphoblasts. ALL is the most common cancer in children, and is typically treated with combination chemotherapy. The 5-year survival of ALL improved significantly in recent decades with this treatment approach.

The Impact of Social Isolation and Environmental Deprivation on Blood Pressure and Depression-Like Behavior in Young Male and Female Mice.

Social isolation (SI) and loneliness are major adult and adolescent health concerns, particularly in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. Recent prospective cohort studies indicate that older women who experienced both SI and loneliness had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Hypertension, a well-established risk factor for CVD, is more prevalent in elderly women than men.

Microbial and host factors contribute to bloodstream infection in a pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia mouse model.

Background: Hematological malignancies are the most common cancers in the pediatric population, and T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (T-ALL) is the most common hematological malignancy in children. Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a commonly occurring complication in leukemia due to underlying conditions and therapy-induced neutropenia. Several studies identified the gut microbiome as a major source of BSI due to bacterial translocation.

Rapid DNA visual detection of polymicrobial bloodstream infection using filter paper.

Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a major complication in patients with cancers due to therapy-induced neutropenia and underlying conditions, which increases hospitalization time and mortality rate. Targeted and timely antimicrobial management is crucial to save the patients' lives and reduce the social and economic burdens. Blood culture is a routine clinical diagnostic method of BSI with a long turnaround time, and generally identifies monomicrobial BSI.

Cross-sectional comparisons of gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acid levels among children with varied weight classifications.

Background: Limited studies associate changes in microbiota composition and metabolites among children and adolescents with obesity. Decreases in compositional diversity, increases in the proportion of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes (F/B ratio) and increases in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have been proposed as contributing factors in the pathophysiology of obesity.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to characterize the faecal microbiota composition, diversity, F/B ratio and SCFA levels in different weight categories (lean, overweight, obesity classes 1-3) of children ages 5 to 12 years.

The Microbiota in Hematologic Malignancies.

There are approximately 1.2 million new hematologic malignancy cases resulting in ~ 690,000 deaths each year worldwide, and hematologic malignancies remain the most commonly occurring cancer in children. Even though advances in anticancer treatment regimens in recent decades have considerably improved survival rates, their cytotoxic effects and the resulting long-term complications pose a significant burden on the patients and the health care system.

Microbiota changes in a pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia mouse model.

Hematological malignancies are the most common type of pediatric cancers, and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequently occurring hematological malignancy during childhood. A major cause of mortality in leukemia is bloodstream infection (BSI). The aim of the current study was to explore the gut microbiota in ALL and its potential functional alterations.

Rapid DNA detection using filter paper.

Point-of-care (POC) detection is crucial in clinical diagnosis in order to provide timely and specific treatment. Combining polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer, p-phenylene diisothiocyanate (PDITC) and superparamagnetic beads, a novel method to activate the surface of filter paper to bind DNA molecules has been developed. The method is based on the primary amination of the filter paper surface with PAMAM dendrimer, followed by generation of isothiocyanate groups via PDITC, and subsequent repetition of these two steps.

Visual detection of bacterial DNA using activated paper stripe.

A rapid and accurate detection of pathogens is essential for bedside or on-site diagnosis. Filter paper is an ideal diagnostic tool as it requires no equipment, possesses a high surface-area-to-volume ratio and a high capacity of capillary force. The functionalization of the surface of cellulose filter paper was explored by using glutaric anhydride, N-hydroxysuccinimide, and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide.

Optimized detection of bacteria in bloodstream infections.

Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the presence of pathogens in the blood. It is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and has to be treated promptly as mortality increases with every hour of delayed treatment. Therefore, rapid and sensitive diagnosis of BSI is essential.

Bacterial translocation in acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Bloodstream infection (BSI) is the major cause of mortality in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Causative pathogens in BSI originate from the gut microbiota due to an increase in intestinal permeability, a process known as bacterial translocation (BT). The gut microbiota in physiological conditions is controlled by a large number of immune cells as part of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT).

Bacterial Landscape of Bloodstream Infections in Neutropenic Patients via High Throughput Sequencing.

Background: Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a common and potentially life-threatening complication in patients with hematological malignancies and therapy-induced neutropenia. Administration of broad spectrum antibiotics has substantially decreased the mortality rate in febrile neutropenia, but bacterial infection is documented in only one-third or fewer of the cases. BSI is typically diagnosed by blood culture; however, this method can detect only culturable pathogens.

Glucose sensing by GABAergic neurons in the mouse nucleus tractus solitarii.

Changes in blood glucose concentration alter autonomic function in a manner consistent with altered neural activity in brain regions controlling digestive processes, including neurons in the brain stem nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), which process viscerosensory information. With whole cell or on-cell patch-clamp recordings, responses to elevating glucose concentration from 2.5 to 15 mM were assessed in identified GABAergic NTS neurons in slices from transgenic mice that express EGFP in a subset of GABA neurons.

Nuclease-assisted suppression of human DNA background in sepsis.

Sepsis is a severe medical condition characterized by a systemic inflammatory response of the body caused by pathogenic microorganisms in the bloodstream. Blood or plasma is typically used for diagnosis, both containing large amount of human DNA, greatly exceeding the DNA of microbial origin. In order to enrich bacterial DNA, we applied the C0t effect to reduce human DNA background: a model system was set up with human and Escherichia coli (E.

Visual detection of DNA on paper chips.

On-site DNA analysis for diagnostic or forensic purposes is much anticipated in the future of molecular testing. Yet the challenges to achieve this goal remain large with rapid and inexpensive detection and visualization being key factors for any portable analysis system. We have developed a filter paper-based nucleic acid assay, which is able to identify and distinguish dog and human genomic and mitochondrial samples in a forensic setting.

Characterization of two low pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated in Hungary in 2007.

Two low pathogenic (LP) avian influenza virus strains, A/mallard/Hungary/19616/07 (H3N8) and A/mute swan/Hungary/5973/07 (H7N7), isolated as part of the National Surveillance Program in Hungary, were fully sequenced and characterized. The two viruses showed the closest phylogenetic relationship regarding their acidic polymerase genes. The H7N7 Hungarian virus and some H5N2 influenza viruses isolated from Korean pigs appeared to have their basic polymerase gene 1 from a relatively recent common ancestor.

Molecular analysis and characterization of swine and human influenza viruses isolated in Hungary in 2006–2007.

In order to provide additional information to the epidemiological situation in Middle Europe and open further possibilities to investigate the transmission of influenza viruses between species, the viral genomes of three influenza A virus isolates (one human and two swine) collected from North-East Hungary in 2006–2007 have been fully sequenced and characterized. The sequence analysis reveals strong geographical relationships between the internal genes of the two swine viruses; the human isolate shows strict conservation to recent H1N1 strains, while the swine strains demonstrate and reflect a mixed avian–human origin, a characteristic of European swine influenza viruses. No evidence of interspecies interaction has been found among the studied isolates.

Phylogenetic analysis of the non-structural (NS) gene of influenza A viruses isolated from mallards in Northern Europe in 2005.

Background: Although the important role of the non-structural 1 (NS) gene of influenza A in virulence of the virus is well established, our knowledge about the extent of variation in the NS gene pool of influenza A viruses in their natural reservoirs in Europe is incomplete. In this study we determined the subtypes and prevalence of influenza A viruses present in mallards in Northern Europe and further analysed the NS gene of these isolates in order to obtain a more detailed knowledge about the genetic variation of NS gene of influenza A virus in their natural hosts.

Results: A total number of 45 influenza A viruses of different subtypes were studied.

Molecular characterization of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses isolated in Sweden in 2006.

Background: The analysis of the nonstructural (NS) gene of the highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 avian influenza viruses (AIV) isolated in Sweden early 2006 indicated the co-circulation of two sub-lineages of these viruses at that time. In order to complete the information on their genetic features and relation to other HP H5N1 AIVs the seven additional genes of twelve Swedish isolates were amplified in full length, sequenced, and characterized.

Results: The presence of two sub-lineages of HP H5N1 AIVs in Sweden in 2006 was further confirmed by the phylogenetic analysis of approximately the 95% of the genome of twelve isolates that were selected on the base of differences in geographic location, timing and animal species of origin.

Simultaneous genotyping of all hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subtypes of avian influenza viruses by use of padlock probes.

A subtyping assay for both the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) surface antigens of the avian influenza virus (AIV) has been developed. The method uses padlock probe chemistry combined with a microarray output for detection. The outstanding feature of this assay is its capability to designate both the HA and the NA of an AIV sample from a single reaction mixture.

Genetic characterization of the NS gene indicates co-circulation of two sub-lineages of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of H5N1 subtype in Northern Europe in 2006.

The non-structural (NS) gene of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the H5N1 subtype (HPAI-H5N1) isolated in Baltic Sea area of Sweden in 2006 was studied. The phylogenetic analysis data demonstrated that two distinct sub-lineages of HPAI-H5N1 were circulating during the outbreak in Northern Europe in Spring 2006. Sub-lineage I viruses fell into the same clade as viruses found in Denmark and Germany and formed a sub-clade which also included viruses isolated in the Russian Federation in late 2005.

Universal detection of hepatitis E virus by two real-time PCR assays: TaqMan and Primer-Probe Energy Transfer.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of food- and waterborne diseases in countries with poor sanitation. Furthermore, travellers to such countries are also at risk of contracting the virus. Noteworthily, during the last decade an increasing number of non-travel-related cases were recorded even in countries with high sanitary standards.

Microarray-based molecular detection of foot-and-mouth disease, vesicular stomatitis and swine vesicular disease viruses, using padlock probes.

The World Organization for Animal Health (Office International des Epizooties, OIE) includes the diseases caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV), and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), as "Diseases Notifiable to the OIE". Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks have severe economical as well as social effects and cannot be differentiated from the diseases caused by the other two viruses on the basis of clinical symptoms. Efficient laboratory techniques are therefore required for detection and identification of the viruses causing similar vesicular symptoms in swine.