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Microbial communities of lycaenid butterflies do not correlate with larval diet

2016

Herbivores possess many counteradaptations to plant defenses, and a growing body of research describes the role of symbiotic gut bacteria in mediating herbivorous diets among insects. However, persistent bacterial symbioses have not been found in Lepidoptera, despite the fact that perhaps 99% of the species in this order are herbivorous. We surveyed bacterial communities in the guts of larvae from 31 species of lycaenid butterflies whose caterpillars had diets ranging from obligate carnivory to strict herbivory. Contrary to our expectations, we found that the bacterial communities of carnivorous and herbivorous caterpillars do not differ in richness, diversity, or composition. Many of the o…

Unconventional diagnostic tests for Lyme borreliosis: a systematic review

2019

Abstract Background Lyme borreliosis (LB) diagnosis currently relies mainly on serological tests and sometimes PCR or culture. However, other biological assays are being developed to try to improve Borrelia-infection diagnosis and/or monitoring. Objectives To analyse available data on these unconventional LB diagnostic assays through a systematic literature review. Methods We searched PubMed and Cochrane Library databases according to the PRISMA-DTA method and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We analysed controlled and uncontrolled studies (published 1983–2018) on biological tests for adults to diagnose LB according to the European Study Group for Lyme Borrelio…

Field performance of the Abbott RealTime MTB assay for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in a low-prevalence setting

2020

Introduction: The sensitivities of conventional mycobacterial culture in solid or liquid media and acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear microscopy for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) detection in extrapulmonary specimens are suboptimal. We evaluated the field performance of the Abbott RealTime MTB assay for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in a low-prevalence setting. Methods: The total number of extrapulmonary specimens with mycobacterial culture and PCR results was 566: sterile fluids (n = 278), non-sterile fluids (n = 147), lymph node material (n = 69) tissue biopsies (n = 63), and abscess aspirates (n = 9). A composite standard consisting of mycobacterial culture results,…

Therapeutic strategies for severe COVID-19: a position paper from the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (SIMIT)

2021

Abstract Scope Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has become pandemic, reaching almost one million death worldwide. At present standard treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not well defined because the evidence, either from randomized or observational studies, with conflicting results, has led to rapid changes in treatment guidelines. Our aim was to narratively summarize the available literature on the management of COVID-19 in order to combine current evidence and interpretation of the data by experts who are treating patients in the frontline setting. Methods The panel conducted a detailed review of the literature and eventual press rele…

Systemic Candidiasis and TLR2 Agonist Exposure Impact the Antifungal Response of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells.

2018

We have previously demonstrated that Candida albicans induces differentiation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) toward the myeloid lineage both in vitro and in vivo in a TLR2- and Dectin-1-dependent manner, giving rise to functional macrophages. In this work, we used an ex vivo model to investigate the functional consequences for macrophages derived from HSPCs in vivo-exposed to Pam3CSK4 (a TLR2 agonist) or C. albicans infection. Short in vivo treatment of mice with Pam3CSK4 results in a tolerized phenotype of ex vivo HSPC-derived macrophages, whereas an extended Pam3CSK4 treatment confers a trained phenotype. Early during candidiasis, HSPCs give rise to macrophages trained…

Enhancement of Antigen Presentation by Deletion of Viral Immune Evasion Genes Prevents Lethal Cytomegalovirus Disease in Minor Histocompatibility Ant…

2020

Hematoablative treatment followed by hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for reconstituting the co-ablated immune system is a therapeutic option to cure aggressive forms of hematopoietic malignancies. In cases of family donors or unrelated donors, immunogenetic mismatches in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and/or minor histocompatibility (minor-H) loci are unavoidable and bear a risk of graft-vs.-host reaction and disease (GvHR/D). Transient immunodeficiency inherent to the HCT protocol favors a productive reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) that can result in multiple-organ CMV disease. In addition, there exists evidence from a mouse model of MHC class-I-mismatched GvH…

Insufficient Antigen Presentation Due to Viral Immune Evasion Explains Lethal Cytomegalovirus Organ Disease After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Trans…

2020

Reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) poses a clinical problem in transiently immunocompromised recipients of hematopoietic cell (HC) transplantation (HCT) by viral histopathology that results in multiple organ manifestations. Compared to autologous HCT and to syngeneic HCT performed with identical twins as HC donor and recipient, lethal outcome of CMV infection is more frequent in allogeneic HCT with MHC/HLA or minor histocompatibility loci mismatch between donor and recipient. It is an open question if a graft-versus-host (GvH) reaction exacerbates CMV disease, or if CMV exacerbates GvH disease (GvHD), or if interference is mutual. Here we have used a mouse model of experimental HC…

Selection of New Probiotics for Endometrial Health

2019

Microbiota is a crucial player in gynecologic health, in which bacteria can shift to a dysbiotic state triggering a pathogenic process. Based on an ecological understanding of the problem, the aim of this study is to select a potential probiotic strain to improve female reproductive tract based on its capacity to initially lower pH and to promote the reduction of pathogenic bacteria. Based on this rationale, strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus BPL005 was initially selected for its capacity to reduce in vitro pH levels and produce organic acids. Subsequently, strain L. rhamnosus BPL005 (CECT 8800) was demonstrated to have a protective role on endometrial infections in an in vitro model of bacteri…

Antibiotics and the Human Gut Microbiome: Dysbioses and Accumulation of Resistances

2016

The human microbiome is overly exposed to antibiotics, due, not only to their medical use, but also to their utilization in farm animals and crops. Microbiome composition can be rapidly altered by exposure to antibiotics, with potential immediate effects on health, for instance through the selection of resistant opportunistic pathogens that can cause acute disease. Microbiome alterations induced by antibiotics can also indirectly affect health in the long-term. The mutualistic microbes in the human body interact with many physiological processes, and participate in the regulation of immune and metabolic homeostasis. Therefore, antibiotic exposure can alter many basic physiological equilibri…

2020

Coxsackievirus B (CVB) enteroviruses are common pathogens that can cause acute and chronic myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, aseptic meningitis, and they are hypothesized to be a causal factor in type 1 diabetes. The licensed enterovirus vaccines and those currently in clinical development are traditional inactivated or live attenuated vaccines. Even though these vaccines work well in the prevention of enterovirus diseases, new vaccine technologies, like virus-like particles (VLPs), can offer important advantages in the manufacturing and epitope engineering. We have previously produced VLPs for CVB3 and CVB1 in insect cells. Here, we describe the production of CVB3-VLPs with enhanced pro…