A breath-based in vitro diagnostic assay for the detection of lower respiratory tract infections.

An accurate diagnosis is critical to reducing mortality in people with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Current microbiological culture is time-consuming, and nucleic acid amplification-based molecular technologies cannot distinguish between colonization and infection. Previously, we described developing a sampling system for effectively capturing biomolecules from human breath.

A Breath-Based In Vitro Diagnostics for Lower Respiratory Tract Infection.

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTIs) represent the leading cause of death due to infectious diseases. Current diagnostic modalities primarily depend on clinical symptoms and lack specificity, especially in light of common colonization without overt infection. To address this, we developed a noninvasive diagnostic approach that employs BreathBiomics, an advanced human breath sampling system, to detect protease activities induced by bacterial infection in the lower respiratory tract.

Enhanced meat chicken productivity in response to the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H57 is associated with the enrichment of microbial amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis pathways.

Aims: Sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics as a growth promoter in animal diets has either been banned or voluntarily withdrawn from use in many countries to help curb the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Probiotics may be an alternative to antibiotics as a growth promoter. We investigated the effects of a novel probiotic strain, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H57 (H57) on the performance and microbiome-associated metabolic potential.

Human exhaled air diagnostic markers for respiratory tract infections in subjects receiving mechanical ventilation.

Diagnosing respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in critical care settings is essential for appropriate antibiotic treatment and lowering mortality. The current diagnostic method, which primarily relies on clinical symptoms, lacks sensitivity and specificity, resulting in incorrect or delayed diagnoses, putting patients at a heightened risk. In this study we developed a noninvasive diagnosis method based on collecting non-volatile compounds in human exhaled air.

Comparing the potential of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CGMCC18230 with antimicrobial growth promoters for growth performance, bone development, expression of phosphorus transporters, and excreta microbiome in broiler chickens.

Bone health of broiler chickens is essential for welfare and production. In this study, the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA) CGMCC18230 was compared with antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) for its ability to promote growth and bone health. To address this, a total of 180 Arbor Acres (AA) 1-day-old, male, broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups, with 6 replicates, containing 10 chicks in each replicate.

Environmental air sampling for detection and quantification of in clinical settings: Proof of concept.

Objective: Novel approaches are needed to understand and disrupt transmission. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated the use of environmental air samplings to detect and quantify in different clinic settings in a high-burden area.

Design: Cross-sectional, environmental sampling.

MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometric Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using Cellulose Sulfate Ester Enrichment and Hot Acid Treatment.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here we report a novel strategy for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 based on an enrichment approach exploiting the affinity between the virus and cellulose sulfate ester functional groups, hot acid hydrolysis, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Virus samples were enriched using cellulose sulfate ester microcolumns.

Non-volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath particles correspond to active tuberculosis.

Human breath contains trace amounts of non-volatile organic compounds (NOCs) which might provide non-invasive methods for evaluating individual health. In previous work, we demonstrated that lipids detected in exhaled breath aerosol (EBA) could be used as markers of active tuberculosis (TB). Here, we advanced our analytical platform for characterizing small metabolites and lipids in EBA samples collected from participants enrolled in clinical trials designed to identify molecular signatures of active TB.

Molecular mechanisms of growth depression in broiler chickens (Gallus Gallus domesticus) mediated by immune stress: a hepatic proteome study.

Background: Immunological stress decreases feed intake, suppresses growth and induces economic losses. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Label-free liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS) proteomics techniques were employed to investigate effects of immune stress on the hepatic proteome changes of Arbor Acres broilers (Gallus Gallus domesticus) challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Capture and visualization of live Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli from tuberculosis patient bioaerosols.

Interrupting transmission is an attractive anti-tuberculosis (TB) strategy but it remains underexplored owing to our poor understanding of the events surrounding transfer of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) between hosts. Determining when live, infectious Mtb bacilli are released and by whom has proven especially challenging. Consequently, transmission chains are inferred only retrospectively, when new cases are diagnosed.

Avian intestinal ultrastructure changes provide insight into the pathogenesis of enteric diseases and probiotic mode of action.

Epithelial damage and loss of barrier integrity occur following intestinal infections in humans and animals. Gut health was evaluated by electron microscopy in an avian model that exposed birds to subclinical necrotic enteritis (NE) and fed them a diet supplemented with the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain H57 (H57). Scanning electron microscopy of ileal mucosa revealed significant villus damage, including focal erosions of epithelial cells and villous atrophy, while transmission electron microscopy demonstrated severe enterocyte damage and loss of cellular integrity in NE-exposed birds.

Cough-independent production of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis in bioaerosol.

Background: Symptoms of infectious respiratory illnesses are often assumed to drive transmission. However, production and release of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bioaerosols is poorly understood. We report quantitation of Mtb exhaled during specific respiratory manoeuvres.

A novel system for the comprehensive collection of nonvolatile molecules from human exhaled breath.

Characterization of nonvolatile molecules in exhaled breath particles can be used for respiratory disease monitoring and diagnosis. Conventional methods for the collection of nonvolatile molecules in breath heavily rely on the physical properties of exhaled breath particles. Strategies taking advantage of their chemical properties have not yet been explored.

Sensitivity optimisation of tuberculosis bioaerosol sampling.

Introduction: Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in patient-derived bioaerosol is a potential tool to measure source case infectiousness. However, current bioaerosol sampling approaches have reported low detection yields in sputum-positive TB cases. To increase the utility of bioaerosol sampling, we present advances in bioaerosol collection and Mtb identification that improve detection yields.

Correction to: Bioaerosol sampling of patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis: a study protocol.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Bioaerosol sampling of patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis: a study protocol.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is transmitted in bioaerosols containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Despite being central to ongoing TB transmission, no routine diagnostic assay exists to measure Mtb in bioaerosols. Furthermore, published studies of Mtb in bioaerosol samples have been limited to individuals with sputum-positive pulmonary TB.

Modulates the Gut Microbiota of Broilers and Enhances Phosphorus Absorption and Utilization.

Modern broiler chickens have ongoing bone health problems. Phosphorus (P) plays an important role in bone development and increased understanding of P metabolism should improve the skeletal health of broilers. has been widely used as a probiotic in broiler production and is shown to improve skeletal health of rats, but its effect on the bones of broilers remains unclear.

Detection of Tuberculosis by The Analysis of Exhaled Breath Particles with High-resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Tuberculosis remains a global health threat killing over 1 million people per year. Current sputum-based diagnostics are specific but lack sensitivity resulting in treatment of many sputum negative cases. In this proof-of-concept study, we used high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify specific lipids in peripheral lung fluid samples of TB patients and controls, captured using a novel non-invasive sampling system.

Unravelling fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome: 2. Inflammation and pathophysiology.

To study the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of the fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS), mature laying hens were treated with oestrogen (β-oestradiol-17-dipropionate or E) and challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Oestrogen injections induced FLHS, but the incidence and severity of the condition was increased with a combination of E & LPS. Hepatic mRNA levels of the genes encoding key regulators of inflammation, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-18 (IL-18), were evaluated.

Unravelling fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome: 1. Oestrogen and inflammation.

Previous studies have implicated oestrogen as a factor in the induction of fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS). In this study, a refined laying hen model was employed to permit further investigations. Intramuscular (i.

Microwave supported hydrolysis prepares spores for proteomic analysis.

Rapid identification of spores in the environment has depended primarily on a family of small acid soluble proteins (SASPs) as biomarkers. However, SASP sequences and molecular masses are similar or identical in some critical cases. For example, some strains of , and cannot be distinguished from strains of based on SASPs.

Rapid analysis of ricin using hot acid digestion and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Ricin is a protein toxin of considerable interest in forensics. A novel strategy is reported here for rapid detection of ricin based on microwave-assisted hot acid digestion and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Ricin samples are subjected to aspartate-selective hydrolysis, and biomarker peptide products are characterized by mass spectrometry.

Detection of bacilli in bio-aerosols from untreated TB patients.

: Tuberculosis (TB) is predominantly an airborne disease. However, quantitative and qualitative analysis of bio-aerosols containing the aetiological agent, , has proven very challenging. Our objective is to sample bio-aerosols from newly diagnosed TB patients for detection and enumeration of bacilli.

Probiotic (Enterococcus faecium) induced responses of the hepatic proteome improves metabolic efficiency of broiler chickens (Gallus gallus).

Background: The liver plays important roles in nutrient metabolism, detoxification and immunity. Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) is a probiotic that has been shown to have positive effects on broiler production.