Blood-Brain Barrier Models for Neuroinfectious Diseases: A Narrative Review.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a complex, dynamic, and adaptable barrier between the peripheral blood system and the central nervous system. While this barrier protects the brain and spinal cord from inflammation and infection, it prevents most drugs from reaching the brain tissue. With the expanding interest in the pathophysiology of BBB, the development of BBB models has dramatically evolved.

Genomics data of strain HP364 and strain SC295 isolated from rodents captured from human leptospirosis outbreak areas in Selangor, Malaysia.

We report complete genome sequences of two isolates, strain HP364 and strain SC295. The genome sizes of strain HP364 and strain SC295 were 3,874,738 bp and 4,063,712 bp, respectively. Both genomes have been deposited in NCBI GenBank.

Distribution of Causative Microorganisms in Diabetic Foot Infections: A Ten-Year Retrospective Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central Malaysia.

Diabetes mellitus is a global pandemic, especially in Southeast Asia. Diabetic foot infection (DFI) is a common complication of this condition and causes significant morbidity and mortality in those affected. There is a lack of locally published data on the types of microorganisms and empirical antibiotics being prescribed.

Limosilactobacillus reuteri 29A Cell-Free Supernatant Antibiofilm and Antagonistic Effects in Murine Model of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis.

Vaginal dysbiosis advocates burgeoning of devious human vaginal pathobionts like Candida species that possess multiple virulence properties and metabolic flexibility to cause infections. Inevitably, antifungal resistance may emerge due to their innate nature (e.g.

Media composition to revive leptospires stored at -80 °C.

Leptospires are preserved by frequent sub-culturing in semisolid media due to the challenge of low recovery by freezing or liquid nitrogen methods. The present study evaluated three liquid EMJH medium compositions (Medium A: Leptospira medium base EMJH, Leptospira enrichment EMJH, 5-fluorouracil (3%), rabbit serum (1%) and calf serum (1%); Medium B: same as Medium A but without 5-fluorouracil; Medium C: same as Medium B but with the addition of sodium pyruvate) for the revival of leptospires after storage at -80 °C. A total of 18 Leptospira serovars cultured in Medium A was aliquoted into cryogenic vials and directly stored at -80 °C.

Impact of Gene Disruption: Decreasing Staphylococcal Biofilm and Alteration of Transcriptomic and Proteomic Profiles.

expresses diverse proteins at different stages of growth. The immunodominant staphylococcal antigen A (IsaA) is one of the proteins that is constitutively produced by during colonisation and infection. SACOL2584 (or ) is the gene that encodes this protein.

Microarray Analysis of the Genomic Effect of Eugenol on Methicillin-Resistant .

is a highly adaptive human pathogen responsible for serious hospital- and community-acquired infectious diseases, ranging from skin and soft tissue infections, to complicated and life-threatening conditions such as endocarditis and toxic shock syndrome (TSS). The rapid development of resistance of this organism to available antibiotics over the last few decades has necessitated a constant search for more efficacious antibacterial agents. Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) belongs to the class of chemical compounds called phenylpropanoids.

Pulmonary haemorrhage as the earliest sign of severe leptospirosis in hamster model challenged with Leptospira interrogans strain HP358.

Background: Severe leptospirosis is challenging as it could evolve rapidly and potentially fatal if appropriate management is not performed. An understanding of the progression and pathophysiology of Leptospira infection is important to determine the early changes that could be potentially used to predict the severe occurrence of leptospirosis. This study aimed to understand the kinetics pathogenesis of Leptospira interrogans strain HP358 in the hamster model and identify the early parameters that could be used as biomarkers to predict severe leptospirosis.

A versatile isothermal amplification assay for the detection of leptospires from various sample types.

Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus that affects both humans and animals worldwide. Early detection of the pathogen in humans is crucial for early intervention and control of the progression of the disease to a severe state. It is also vitally important to be able to detect the presence of the pathogen in carrier animals to control the spread of the disease from the environment.

Proteomic analysis revealed the biofilm-degradation abilities of the bacteriophage UPMK_1 and UPMK_2 against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Objective: The degradation activity of two bacteriophages UPMK_1 and UPMK_2 against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus phages were examined using gel zymography.

Methods: The analysis was done using BLASTP to detect peptides catalytic domains. Many peptides that are related to several phage proteins were revealed.

and Virulence Analysis of Species Isolated From Environments and Rodents in Leptospirosis Outbreak Areas in Malaysia.

The zoonotic disease leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic species of the genus . With the advancement of studies in leptospirosis, several new species are being reported. It has always been a query, whether species, serovars, and strains isolated from different geographical locations contribute to the difference in the disease presentations and severity.

Predictors of severe leptospirosis: a multicentre observational study from Central Malaysia.

Background: Leptospirosis is a re-emerging disease with vast clinical presentations, that ranges from subclinical or mild to severe and fatal outcomes. Leptospirosis can be managed well if diagnosed earlier, however, similar clinical presentations by several other febrile illnesses or co-infections, and laboratory diagnostic challenges due to the biphasic nature of the illness, often result in mis- or underdiagnosis, thereby lead to severe illness. Identification of clinical predictors for the severe form of the disease plays a crucial role in reducing disease complication and mortality.

Local Trends of Antibiotic Prescriptions for Necrotizing Fasciitis Patients in Two Tertiary Care Hospitals in Central Malaysia.

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rapidly progressive inflammatory infection of the soft tissue (also known as the fascia) with a secondary necrosis of the subcutaneous tissues, leading to a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), shock and eventually death despite the availability of current medical interventions. The clinical management of this condition is associated with a significant amount of morbidity with a high rate of mortality. The prognosis of the disease is affected by multiple factors, which include the virulence of the causative pathogen, local host immunity, local wound factors and empirical antibiotics used.

Genomic data of HP358 isolated from rodent captured from the human leptospirosis suspected areas of Selangor state, Malaysia.

The data provided in this article is the genomic sequence of new isolate, strain HP358 ( HP358) isolated from rodent, , captured from the human leptospirosis suspected area, in forest environment, Hulu Perdik, Selangor. The kidney of the rodent was cultured, and the genomic DNA of pure isolate was extracted and sequenced. The assembly of genome generated 118 contigs with N50 of 133,176bp.

Evaluation of diagnostic accuracy of loop-mediated isothermal amplification method (LAMP) compared with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Leptospira spp. in clinical samples: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test is widely used in molecular diagnostics as a point-of-care technique alternative to traditional PCR especially in resource-limited countries. LAMP has been recently used to diagnose leptospirosis. Therefore, we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the accuracy of LAMP with PCR in the diagnosis of leptospirosis.

and are later heterotypic synonyms of and .

and were recently described as novel species and published almost concurrently with and . Genome comparisons based on average nucleotide identity of the type strain genomes indicate that and are conspecific with and , respectively. Based on the rules of priority, should be reclassified as a later heterotypic synonym of , and should be reclassified as a later heterotypic synonym of .

Seroprevalence of infection in occupational risk groups in North Khorasan province, Iran.

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic bacterial disease caused by spp. Earlier studies from North Khorasan province (Iran) reported the presence of in wild canines and rodents. To date, there is no data on the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among humans in this province.

Necrotizing fasciitis, causative agents and management: a five-year retrospective study in two tertiary care hospitals in Central Malaysia.

Purpose: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rapidly progressive inflammatory infection of the fascia, with secondary necrosis of the subcutaneous tissues. The severity of the disease depends on the virulence of the organism and host immunity. There is a paucity of reports on the prevalence of NF causing pathogens and management.

Combined PCR and MAT improves the early diagnosis of the biphasic illness leptospirosis.

The diagnosis of leptospirosis remains a challenge due to its non-specific symptoms and the biphasic nature of the illness. A comprehensive diagnosis that includes both molecular (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) and serology is vital for early detection of leptospirosis and to avoid misdiagnosis. However, not all samples could be subjected to both tests (serology and molecular) due to budget limitation, infrastructure, and technical expertise at least in resource-limited countries.

Leptospira interrogans and Leptospira kirschneri are the dominant Leptospira species causing human leptospirosis in Central Malaysia.

Background: Leptospirosis, commonly known as rat-urine disease, is a global but endemic zoonotic disease in the tropics. Despite the historical report of leptospirosis in Malaysia, the information on human-infecting species is limited. Determining the circulating species is important to understand its epidemiology, thereby to strategize appropriate control measures through public health interventions, diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccine development.

Isolation of from early onset neonatal sepsis patients in Malaysia.

Background: The term early onset neonatal septicaemia (EONS) refers to invasive bacterial infections that primarily involve the blood stream of neonates during the first 3 days of life. Although early onset neonatal septicaemia is relatively uncommon, it may be associated with case fatality rates of 15-30% and substantial morbidity in surviving infants.

Objectives: This study describes an unusual septicaemia cases with in neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Leptospiral Culture without 5'-Fluorouracil Revealed Improved Isolation from Febrile Patients in North-Eastern Malaysia.

: Isolation of by culture represents a definitive growth and confirmation of the disease, yet it is hampered with its nature of slow growth. With slight modification of culture method, the study aims to isolate and characterize spp. from patients with acute febrile illness.

Twitching motility of under iron limitation: , phenotypic and proteomic approaches.

This study investigates the twitching ability of 28 clinical and five environmental strains of grown under iron-depleted condition through , phenotypic and proteomics approaches. Rapid Annotations using Subsystem Technology (RAST) analysis revealed the presence of 21 targets of type IV pilus shared across strains K279a, R551-3, D457 and JV3. The macroscopic twitching assay showed that only clinical isolates produced a zone of twitching with a mean of 22.

Genomic analyses of two novel biofilm-degrading methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus phages.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm producers represent an important etiological agent of many chronic human infections. Antibiotics and host immune responses are largely ineffective against bacteria within biofilms. Alternative actions and novel antimicrobials should be considered.

Revisiting the taxonomy and evolution of pathogenicity of the genus Leptospira through the prism of genomics.

The causative agents of leptospirosis are responsible for an emerging zoonotic disease worldwide. One of the major routes of transmission for leptospirosis is the natural environment contaminated with the urine of a wide range of reservoir animals. Soils and surface waters also host a high diversity of non-pathogenic Leptospira and species for which the virulence status is not clearly established.