Microbiota Diversity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Gut and Mouth Cavity Microbiota Diversity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

Lung malignancies have a substantial impact on cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. Even though many factors involved in the development of the disease are known, many questions remain unanswered. Previous studies suggest that the intestinal microbiota may have a role in developing malignant diseases.

[Ga]Ga-Ornibactin for complex Infection Imaging Using Positron Emission Tomography.

Bacteria from the complex are generally considered to be non-pathogenic to the healthy population. However, some of these species may cause serious nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients; as such, it is essential to diagnose these infections rapidly so that adequate treatment can be initiated. We report here the use of a radiolabeled siderophore, ornibactin (ORNB), for positron emission tomography imaging.

Cyclomodulins and Hemolysis in as Potential Low-Cost Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer Screening.

The frequent occurrence of positive for cyclomodulins such as colibactin (CLB), the cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF), and the cytolethal distending factor (CDT) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients published so far provides the opportunity to use them as CRC screening markers. We examined the practicability and performance of a low-cost detection approach that relied on culture followed by simplified DNA extraction and PCR in isolates recovered from 130 CRC patients and 111 controls. Our results showed a statistically significant association between CRC and the presence of colibactin genes and , the gene, and newly, the hemolytic phenotype of isolates.

Which bacterial toxins are worthy of validation as markers in colorectal cancer screening? A critical review.

Appropriate screening of early asymptomatic cases can reduce the disease burden and mortality rate of sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) significantly. Currently, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is able to detect up to 80% of asymptomatic cases in the population aged 50+. Therefore, there is still a demand for new screening tests that would complement FOBT, mainly by detecting at least a part of the FOBT-negative CRC and adenoma cases, or possibly by identifying person at increased risk of sporadic CRC in order to offer them tailored follow-up.

Ga-labelled desferrioxamine-B for bacterial infection imaging.

Purpose: With the increase of especially hospital-acquired infections, timely and accurate diagnosis of bacterial infections is crucial for effective patient care. Molecular imaging has the potential for specific and sensitive detection of infections. Siderophores are iron-specific chelators recognized by specific bacterial transporters, representing one of few fundamental differences between bacterial and mammalian cells.

Candida albicans culture from a rectal swab can be associated with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer.

Plenty of metagenomic studies have suggested possible associations between microbiome composition and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, these techniques are not economic enough for routine use so far. Therefore, we explored the possibility to detect species associated with colorectal cancer by conventional culture from rectal swab.

Antibiotic susceptibility and production of endotoxin by Ochrobactrum anthropi isolated from environment and from patients with cystic fibrosis.

The aim of this work was to compare production of endotoxin and to determine susceptibility to antibiotics in two groups of specimens-wild-type strains Ochrobactrum anthropi isolated from the environment and the strains isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis. The determination of the endotoxin produced by the test strains was carried on by using a limulus amebocyte lysate test (LAL test). Determination of ATB sensitivity was accomplished by means of a broth dilution method in a microtiter plate (MIC).

Genome sequence of the opportunistic human pathogen Magnusiomyces capitatus.

The yeast Magnusiomyces capitatus is an opportunistic human pathogen causing rare yet severe infections, especially in patients with hematological malignancies. Here, we report the 20.2 megabase genome sequence of an environmental strain of this species as well as the genome sequences of eight additional isolates from human and animal sources providing an insight into intraspecies variation.

Imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection with Ga-68 labelled pyoverdine for positron emission tomography.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an increasingly prevalent opportunistic pathogen that causes a variety of life-threatening nosocomial infections. Novel strategies for the development of new antibacterial treatments as well as diagnostic tools are needed. One of the novel diagnostic strategies for the detection of infection could be the utilization of siderophores.

Are we any closer to screening for colorectal cancer using microbial markers?A critical review.

The role of gut microbiota in the development of sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) is supported by a number of studies, however, the conclusiveness of published metagenomic studies is questioned by technical pitfalls and limited by small cohort sizes. In this review, we evaluate the current knowledge critically and outline practical solutions. We also list candidate CRC risk markers that are - in our opinion - well supported by available data and thus deserve clinical validation.

McRAPD unlike MALDI-TOF MS is a suitable candidate for routine discrimination of new Haemophilus influenzae strain acquisition in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis.

Background And Aims: Haemophilus influenzae new strain acquisition has been demonstrated to increase the relative risk of acute exacerbation fourfold in contrast to colonisation or chronic infection by the same strain in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Unfortunately, molecular typing techniques are not suitable for routine use due to cost, labour-intensity and need for special expertise. We tested two techniques potentially useful for routine typing, namely the newly available MALDI-TOF MS and the modified McRAPD compared to MLST as the gold standard.

NAS agar is more suitable than McKay agar for primary culture of Streptococcus milleri group (SMG) fastidious bacteria, S. intermedius in particular.

Streptococcus milleri group (SMG) is a group of three streptococcal species (S. anginosus, intermedius and constellatus) that act as opportunist pathogens, among others in cystic fibrosis. Due to their fastidious character, they are both difficult to cultivate and to differentiate from less pathogenic streptococcal species, therefore being most probably underdiagnosed.

Performance of pyrosequencing versus MALDI-TOF MS in bacteria identification in chronic lung disease.

Rapid identification of the etiological agent in bacterial infection is necessary for correct diagnosis and appropriate therapy. In general, identification of pure cultures of bacteria using conventional phenotyping techniques requires 4-24 hours. Recently available new molecular technologies offer the potential of same day species identification once pure culture is available.

[Prolonged culture in a humid chamber increases the yields of pathogenic bacteria from the respiratory tract samples of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis].

Current standards of care for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients lack unequivocal recommendations concerning the duration of primary culture of bacteriological samples. With the exception of Burkholderia cepacia (5 days), the minimum recommended duration of primary culture varies between 48 and 72 hours. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of an extended 10-day period of primary culture in a humid chamber in samples acquired from the respiratory tract of patients suffering from CF.

The Streptococcus milleri group in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background And Aims: S. anginosus, constellatus and intermedius, also known as the Streptococcus milleri group (SMG) are three streptococcal species more frequently detected in cases of invasive disease, abscesses and empyema in particular. Recent research suggests they play a role in exacerbations of cystic fibrosis (CF).

Usefulness of PCR-HRMA in identification of non-fermentative Gram-negative rods recovered from patients suffering from cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Adequate treatment of microbial infections requires rapid and accurate identification of the etiological agent. In routine diagnostics, identification of bacteria conventionally relies on phenotypic testing, which can be hindered by phenotypic variations. Therefore, genotyping techniques should perform faster and more accurately.

The CRZ1/SP1-like gene links survival under limited aeration, cell integrity and biofilm formation in the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans.

Aims: Limited aeration has been demonstrated to cause slowdown in proliferation and delayed budding, resulting eventually in a unique unbudded G2-arrest in the obligate aerobic pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. Also, the ability to adapt to decreased oxygen levels during pathogenesis has been identified as a virulence factor in C. neoformans.

Possibilities in identification of genomic species of Burkholderia cepacia complex by PCR and RFLP.

The strains belonging to Burkholderia cepacia complex are important opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients and cause serious diseases. It is possible to obtain isolates from soil, water, plants and human samples. Taxonomy of this group is difficult.

The potential of high resolution melting analysis (hrma) to streamline, facilitate and enrich routine diagnostics in medical microbiology.

Background: Routine medical microbiology diagnostics relies on conventional cultivation followed by phenotypic techniques for identification of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. This is not only due to tradition and economy but also because it provides pure culture needed for antibiotic susceptibility testing. This review focuses on the potential of High Resolution Melting Analysis (HRMA) of double-stranded DNA for future routine medical microbiology.

Usefulness of McRAPD for typing and importance of biofilm production in a case of nosocomial ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection caused by Candida lusitaniae.

A case report of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection caused by Candida lusitaniae in a 6-year-old patient with cerebral astrocytoma and obstructive hydrocephalus is presented briefly with emphasis on the course of antifungal treatment. Seven isolates recovered subsequently from the cerebrospinal fluid were studied retrospectively. To confirm identity, isolates were typed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and melting curve of random amplified polymorphic DNA (McRAPD).

[Current options for antifungal therapy of invasive candidiasis in intensive care units].

Candidemia and invasive candidiasis are the most frequent mycoses in critically ill patients in intensive care units. Recently, the number of systemic antifungal agents has increased, leading to improved treatment options. Yet these infections remain to be characterized by poor prognosis and high mortality rates.

Performance of optimized McRAPD in identification of 9 yeast species frequently isolated from patient samples: potential for automation.

Background: Rapid, easy, economical and accurate species identification of yeasts isolated from clinical samples remains an important challenge for routine microbiological laboratories, because susceptibility to antifungal agents, probability to develop resistance and ability to cause disease vary in different species. To overcome the drawbacks of the currently available techniques we have recently proposed an innovative approach to yeast species identification based on RAPD genotyping and termed McRAPD (Melting curve of RAPD). Here we have evaluated its performance on a broader spectrum of clinically relevant yeast species and also examined the potential of automated and semi-automated interpretation of McRAPD data for yeast species identification.

Hypoxia sensing in cryptococcus neoformans: biofilm-like adaptation for dormancy?

Background: Cryptococcus neoformans is an obligate aerobic pathogenic yeast causing lung infection typically followed by spread to the central nervous system. During pathogenesis, it relies on well-established virulence factors. This review focuses on the emerging role of cryptococcal adaptation to hypoxia in pathogenesis.

A case of endocarditis caused by the yeast Pichia fabianii with biofilm production and developed in vitro resistance to azoles in the course of antifungal treatment.

Pichia fabianii, a yeast rarely causing human infections, was isolated from the blood of a patient with aortic valve endocarditis. The isolates were initially identified biochemically as Candida pelliculosa, but based on direct sequencing of the ITS2 region of rRNA, they were subsequently reidentified as P. fabianii.