Draft genome sequence of a Shiga toxin-producing strain from deer meat showing an IS-element integration in the B-subunit of the Shiga toxin Stx2b gene.

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) are important food-borne pathogens. Here we report sequence data of the STEC strain BfR-EC-18960, which has integrated IS elements in the B-subunit of the Shiga toxin Stx2b gene. The strain was isolated from deer meat at a local butchery in Germany in 2021.

Exploring Long-Read Metagenomics for Full Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing in Presence of Commensal .

The characterization of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) is necessary to assess their pathogenic potential, but isolation of the strain from complex matrices such as milk remains challenging. In previous work, we have shown the potential of long-read metagenomics to characterize -positive STEC from artificially contaminated raw milk without isolating the strain. The presence of multiple strains in the sample was shown to potentially hinder the correct characterization of the STEC strain.

Multicenter Preparedness Exercise Enables Rapid Development of Cluster-Specific PCR-Based Screening Assays from Bacterial Genomic Data.

PCR-based screening assays targeting strain-specific genetic markers allow the timely detection and specific differentiation of bacterial strains. Especially in situations where an infection cluster occurs, fast assay development is crucial for supporting targeted control measures. However, the turnaround times (TATs) for assay setup may be high due to insufficient knowledge about screening assay methods, workflows, and software tools.

A step forward for Shiga toxin-producing identification and characterization in raw milk using long-read metagenomics.

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) are a cause of severe human illness and are frequently associated with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) in children. It remains difficult to identify virulence factors for STEC that absolutely predict the potential to cause human disease. In addition to the Shiga-toxin ( genes), many additional factors have been reported, such as intimin ( gene), which is clearly an aggravating factor for developing HUS.

[Assessment of available and currently applied typing methods of zoonotic pathogens using the example of Shiga toxin-producing and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (STEC/EHEC)].

Introduction: In order to improve patient care and to increase food safety within the framework of One Health, the project "Integrated Genomic Surveillance of Zoonotic Agents (IGS-Zoo)" aims to develop concepts for a genomic surveillance of Shiga toxin(Stx)-producing and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (STEC/EHEC) in Germany.

Methods: An online survey was conducted to assess the currently available and applied STEC/EHEC typing methods in the federal laboratories of veterinary regulation, food control, and public health service.

Results: Twenty-six questionnaires from 33 participants were evaluated with regard to STEC/EHEC.

Chicken Skin Decontamination of Thermotolerant spp. and Hygiene Indicator Assessed by Viability Real-Time PCR.

Thermotolerant spp. are fecal contaminants of chicken meat with serious implications for human health. is considered as hygiene indicator since, in contrast to .

Interactions between risk assessors and risk managers during three major food incidents in Europe.

Risk analysis consists of risk assessment (RA), risk management (RM), and risk communication (RC). In most countries, RA and RM of food safety are separated to achieve a high scientific integrity, and typically occur in sequential order. However, in case of a food safety incident, even though being separate processes, RA and RM are performed simultaneously due to great time pressure and expected high impacts.

Genetic diversity and pathogenic potential of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) derived from German flour.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) can cause severe human illness, which are frequently linked to the consumption of contaminated beef or dairy products. However, recent outbreaks associated with contaminated flour and undercooked dough in the United States and Canada, highlight the potential of plant based food as transmission routes for STEC. In Germany STEC has been isolated from flour, but no cases of illness have been linked to flour.

Wildlife as Sentinels of Antimicrobial Resistance in Germany?

The presence of bacteria carrying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in wildlife is an indicator that resistant bacteria of human or livestock origin are widespread in the environment. In addition, it could represent an additional challenge for human health, since wild animals could act as efficient AMR reservoirs and epidemiological links between human, livestock and natural environments. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and the antibiotic resistance patterns of several bacterial species in certain wild animals in Germany, including wild boars (), roe deer () and wild ducks (family Anatidae, subfamily Anatinae) and geese (family Anatidae, subfamily Anserinae).

Using hydrochloric acid and bile resistance for optimized detection and isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from sprouts.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in sprouts have caused large scale outbreaks in the past involving severe illness. The combination of this very diverse pathogen and a food matrix with high numbers of background microbiota poses a particular challenge for detection and isolation. An acid treatment of the enrichment before plating on agar has been shown to improve the recovery of STEC from sprouts.

APRIL and BAFF: novel biomarkers for central nervous system lymphoma.

Background: Early diagnosis of CNS lymphoma (CNSL) is essential for successful therapy of this rapidly progressing brain tumor. However, in patients presenting with focal brain lesions, fast and reliable diagnosis of PCNSL remains a challenge. A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) and B cell activating factor (BAFF) are important factors in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and prognosis of systemic B cell malignancies.

PET Imaging of Astrogliosis and Tau Facilitates Diagnosis of Parkinsonian Syndromes.

Neurodegenerative parkinsonian syndromes comprise a number of disorders that are characterized by similar clinical features but are separated on the basis of different pathologies, i.e., aggregates of α-synuclein or tau protein.

MCC950 blocks enhanced interleukin-1β production in patients with NLRP3 low penetrance variants.

Objective: To determine the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome by using the selective NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 in patients with NLRP3 low penetrance variants and clinical symptoms suggestive for an autoinflammatory syndrome including central nervous system (CNS) involvement.

Methods: Nineteen symptomatic patients with low penetrance NLRP3 variants (Q703K n = 17, V198M n = 2) recruited between 2011 and 2017 were included in this monocentric study. A functional inflammasome activation assay was performed in patients in comparison to healthy controls (HC), including the determination of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion in the presence of the NLRP3 selective small-molecule inhibitor MCC950.

Abundant glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-reactive B cells in gad-antibody-associated neurological disorders.

High levels of antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) are observed in patients with different neurological disorders, but cells producing these autoantibodies are largely unexplored. We detect circulating GAD-reactive B cells in peripheral blood that readily differentiate into antibody-producing cells. These cells are highly elevated in most patients with GAD-antibody-associated disorders (n = 15) compared to controls (n = 19).

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics of Retinal Vasculopathy with Cerebral Leukoencephalopathy and Systemic Manifestations.

Background: Retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy and systemic manifestations (RVCL-S) is a rare hereditary disease presenting with distinct imaging features in middle-aged adults. This article describes the typical imaging features focusing on the longitudinal course of RVCL-S lesions.

Methods: In this study six subjects (five male, five related) with RVCL-S were retrospectively included from two university hospitals.

Determination of virulence and fitness genes associated with the , and integration sites of LEE-negative food-borne Shiga toxin-producing strains.

Background: In the current study, nine foodborne "Locus of Enterocyte Effacement" (LEE)-negative Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) strains were selected for whole genome sequencing and analysis for yet unknown genetic elements within the already known LEE integration sites , and . Foreign DNA ranging in size from 3.4 to 57 kbp was detected and further analyzed.

Pathogenicity of human antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein.

Objective: Autoantibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) occur in a proportion of patients with inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). We analyzed their pathogenic activity by affinity-purifying these antibodies (Abs) from patients and transferring them to experimental animals.

Methods: Patients with Abs to MOG were identified by cell-based assay.

Electrical synapses mediate synergism between pheromone and food odors in .

In , the sex pheromone produced by males, -vaccenyl acetate (cVA), evokes a stereotypic gender-specific behavior in both males and females. As adults feed, mate, and oviposit on food, they perceive the pheromone as a blend against a background of food odors. Previous studies have reported that food odors enhance flies' behavioral response to cVA, specifically in virgin females.

Safety and efficacy of targeted hyperthermia treatment utilizing gold nanorod therapy in spontaneous canine neoplasia.

Background: Hyperthermia is an established anti-cancer treatment but is limited by tolerance of adjacent normal tissues. Parenteral administration of gold nanorods (NRs) as a photosensitizer amplifies the effects of hyperthermia treatment while sparing normal tissues. This therapy is well tolerated and has demonstrated anti-tumor effects in mouse models.

Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Display and Shed B Cell Maturation Antigen upon TLR Engagement.

The BAFF-APRIL system is best known for its control of B cell homeostasis, and it is a target of therapeutic intervention in autoimmune diseases and lymphoma. By analyzing the expression of the three receptors of this system, B cell maturation Ag (BCMA), transmembrane activator and CAML interactor, and BAFF receptor, in sorted human immune cell subsets, we found that BCMA was transcribed in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) in both blood and lymphoid tissue. Circulating human pDCs contained BCMA protein without displaying it on the cell surface.

Myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein (MOG) autoantibodies as potential markers of severe optic neuritis and subclinical retinal axonal degeneration.

Antibodies against conformation-dependent epitopes of myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein (MOG-abs) are present in subgroups of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), recurrent optic neuritis (rON), multiple sclerosis (MS), and anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Using optical coherence tomography (OCT) we assessed whether MOG-abs might serve as potential marker of retinal axonal degeneration. We investigated a clinically heterogeneous cohort of 13 MOG-abs-positive patients (4 MOG-abs-positive rON, 4 MOG-abs-positive adult MS, 3 MOG-abs-positive relapsing encephalomyelitis, 2 MOG-abs-positive aquaporin-4-abs-negative NMOSD).

Autoantibodies to MOG in a distinct subgroup of adult multiple sclerosis.

Objectives: To evaluate the presence of antibodies to conformation-intact myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) in a subgroup of adult patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) preselected for a specific clinical phenotype including severe spinal cord, optic nerve, and brainstem involvement.

Methods: Antibodies to MOG were investigated using a cell-based assay in 3 groups of patients: 104 preselected patients with MS (group 1), 55 age- and sex-matched, otherwise unselected patients with MS (group 2), and in 22 brain-biopsied patients with demyelinating diseases of the CNS (n = 19 with MS), 4 of whom classified as MS type II (group 3). Recognized epitopes were identified with mutated variants of MOG.

Features of Human CD3+CD20+ T Cells.

Monoclonal Abs against CD20 reduce the number of relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS); commonly this effect is solely attributed to depletion of B cells. Recently, however, a subset of CD3(+)CD20(+) T cells has been described that is also targeted by the anti-CD20 mAb rituximab. Because the existence of cells coexpressing CD3 and CD20 is controversial and features of this subpopulation are poorly understood, we studied this issue in detail.

Cryopyrin-associated periodic fever syndrome manifesting as Tolosa-Hunt syndrome.

Background: Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) is characterized by unilateral orbital pain, ipsilateral oculomotor paresis and a prompt response to treatment with corticosteroids. Several reports have demonstrated that the clinical features of THS are not specific to one causal aetiology and can lead to misdiagnosis.

Case Report: We report the case of a patient diagnosed with THS after an episode of unilateral orbital pain and diplopia with demonstration of granulomatous inflammation of both cavernous sinus on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and an immediate response to treatment with corticosteroids.