Background: Understanding public knowledge and behaviours related to antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) may inform interventions to reduce inappropriate antibiotics use.
Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey in community-dwelling adults in Hong Kong from 2020 to 2022 to examine knowledge, risk perception on AMR and antibiotics, and behavioural patterns in antibiotic use. Information on demographics, socioeconomic status and general health was examined in relation to the knowledge score, antibiotic use behaviours and preference for antibiotic-free food products in regression models.
Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol
February 2025
There is growing interest in the potential exploitation of the gut microbiome as a diagnostic tool in medicine, but evidence supporting its clinical usefulness is scarce. An increasing number of commercial providers offer direct-to-consumer microbiome diagnostic tests without any consensus on their regulation or any proven value in clinical practice, which could result in considerable waste of individual and health-care resources and potential drawbacks in the clinical management of patients. We convened an international multidisciplinary expert panel to standardise best practices of microbiome testing for clinical implementation, including recommendations on general principles and minimum requirements for their provision, indications, pre-testing protocols, method of analyses, reporting of results, and potential clinical value.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExisting microbiota databases are biased toward adult samples, hampering accurate profiling of the infant gut microbiome. Here, we generated a metagenome-assembled genome inventory for children (MAGIC) from a large collection of bulk and viral-like particle-enriched metagenomes from 0 to 7 years of age, encompassing 3,299 prokaryotic and 139,624 viral species-level genomes, 8.5% and 63.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The primary concern with prolonged hospitalization following birth is the risk of acquiring hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) caused by opportunistic bacteria, which can alter the early establishment of gut microbiota.
Objective: To assess the association between postpartum hospital length of stay (LOS) and the composition of gut microbiota at 3 and 12 months of age according to birth mode.
Methods: In total, 1313 Canadian infants from the CHILD Cohort Study were involved in this study.
Viral infections can cause cellular pathway derangements, cell death, and immunopathological responses, leading to host inflammation. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), produced by the microbiota, have emerged as a potential therapeutic for viral infections due to their ability to modulate these processes. However, SCFAs have been reported to have both beneficial and detrimental effects, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe reproducibility in microbiome studies is limited due to the lack of one gold-standard operating procedure. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of protocol variations on microbiome composition using metagenomic data sets from a single center. We assessed the variation in a data set consisted of 2,722 subjects, including 9 subcohorts harboring healthy subjects and patients with various disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccumulating evidence suggests that gut microbiota alterations influence brain function and could serve as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The potential of using fecal microbiota signatures to aid autism spectrum disorder (ASD) detection is still not fully explored. Here, we assessed the potential of different levels of microbial markers (taxonomy and genome) in distinguishing children with ASD from age and gender-matched typically developing peers ( = 598, ASD vs TD = 273 vs 325).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is an uncommon type of aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. PMBCL shares some clinical and biologic features with nodular sclerosis classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Central nervous system (CNS) relapse is exceedingly rare in cHL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a widely available laboratory index, however its prognostic significance in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is still unclear. We intended to investigate and pool the evidence on the prognostic utility of admission MPV in predicting clinical outcomes in patients with CAD.
Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were the major databases used for literature search.
The impact of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on maternal or infant microbiome trajectory remains poorly understood. Utilizing large-scale longitudinal fecal samples from 264 mother-baby dyads, we present the gut microbiome trajectory of the mothers throughout pregnancy and infants during the first year of life. GDM mothers had a distinct microbiome diversity and composition during the gestation period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary cranial neurolymphomatosis (PCNL) is a rare subtype of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) in which infiltrative lymphomatous involvement is confined to cranial nerves. Here, we report a case of PCNL with successful genomic profiling. A 57-year-old male had a lengthy prediagnostic phase spanning approximately 30 months, characterized by multiple episodes of cranial neuropathies managed by steroids.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: As the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem accelerates, humans and animals are suffering from the consequences of infections with diminishing antimicrobial treatment options. Within the One Medicine and One Health mandate, which denotes a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach to improve medicine and health across human and animal sectors, we investigate how human and veterinary medical practitioners apply their medical and policy knowledge in prescribing antimicrobials. Different regions and locations establish different intermediary policies and programs to support clinicians in that pursuit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccurate volume status monitoring is crucial for effective diuretic therapy in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). While guidelines recommend daily standing body weight measurement as an indicator of volume status, bed scales are commonly used in healthcare facilities. A method-comparison design was used to compare bed and standing scale weights among adults hospitalized with ADHF at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center between March and April 2023.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are characterized by neuronal damage and progressive loss of neuron function. Microbiome-based interventions, such as dietary interventions, biotics, and fecal microbiome transplant, have been proposed as a novel approach to managing symptoms and modulating disease progression. Emerging clinical trials have investigated the efficacy of interventions modulating the GM in alleviating or reversing disease progression, yet no comprehensive synthesis have been done.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare and highly aggressive lymphoma entirely localized in the central nervous system or vitreoretinal space. PCNSL generally initially responds to methotrexate-containing chemotherapy regimens, but progressive or relapsing disease is common, and the prognosis is poor for relapsed or refractory (R/R) patients. PCNSL is often characterized by activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) due to mutations in the B-cell receptor (BCR) or toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways, as well as immune evasion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLancet Reg Health Southeast Asia
July 2024
Background: The UN warns that Myanmar faces the 'triple crises' of mass conflict, uncontrolled COVID-19, and economic collapse. Therefore, we aimed to assess the population mental health burden, healthcare needs, and the associated risk factors in Myanmar.
Methods: We established a nationwide random sample and recruited 1038 adults via random digit dialling from July 3-Aug 9, 2021, during the ongoing conflict since Feb 1, 2021, and surge in SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Dietary fibers are associated with favorable gastrointestinal, immune, and metabolic health outcomes when consumed at sufficient levels. Despite the well-described benefits of dietary fibers, children and adolescents continue to fall short of daily recommended levels. This gap in fiber intake (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChildhood obesity is linked to maternal smoking during pregnancy. Gut microbiota may partially mediate this association and could be potential targets for intervention; however, its role is understudied. We included 1,592 infants from the Canadian Healthy Infants Longitudinal Development Cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Medical professionals such as physicians and veterinarians are responsible for appropriate antimicrobial prescription (AMP) and use. Although seemingly straightforward, the factors influencing antibiotic prescription, a category of antimicrobials, are complex. Many studies have been conducted in the past two decades on this subject.
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