A flow cytometric approach to quantify biofilms.

Since biofilms are important in many clinical, industrial, and environmental settings, reliable methods to quantify these sessile microbial populations are crucial. Most of the currently available techniques do not allow the enumeration of the viable cell fraction within the biofilm and are often time consuming. This paper proposes flow cytometry (FCM) using the single-stain viability dye TO-PRO(®)-3 iodide as a fast and precise alternative.

Importance of biofilm formation and dipeptidyl peptidase IV for the pathogenicity of clinical Porphyromonas gingivalis isolates.

The ability of Porphyromonas gingivalis to cause adult periodontitis is determined by its arsenal of virulence factors. Here, we investigated the importance of biofilm formation and bacterial dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) for the pathogenicity of clinical P. gingivalis isolates.

Evaluation of the anti-adhesive effect of milk fat globule membrane glycoproteins on Helicobacter pylori in the human NCI-N87 cell line and C57BL/6 mouse model.

Background:  The interest in non-antibiotic therapies for Helicobacter pylori infections in man has considerably grown because increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant strains are being reported. Intervention at the stage of bacterial attachment to the gastric mucosa could be an approach to improve the control/eradication rate of this infection.

Materials And Methods:  Fractions of purified milk fat globule membrane glycoproteins were tested in vitro for their cytotoxic and direct antibacterial effect.

An alternative, sensitive method to detect Helicobacter pylori DNA in feces.

Background:  Despite the high sensitivity and specificity of PCR, detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in feces is still challenging. Fecal samples contain inhibitory molecules that can prevent amplification of the target DNA. Even by using specific DNA extraction kits for stools, monitoring of infection by analyzing stool samples remains problematic and endorses the need for improved diagnostic methods.