Search results for "beta"

Mitochondrial Changes in β0-Thalassemia/Hb E Disease.

2015

The compound β°-thalassemia/Hb E hemoglobinopathy is characterized by an unusually large range of presentation from essentially asymptomatic to a severe transfusion dependent state. While a number of factors are known that moderate presentation, these factors do not account for the full spectrum of presentation. Mitochondria are subcellular organelles that are pivotal in a number of cellular processes including oxidative phosphorylation and apoptosis. A mitochondrial protein enriched proteome was determined and validated from erythroblasts from normal controls and β°-thalassemia/Hb E patients of different severities. Mitochondria were evaluated through the use of mitotracker staining, analy…

Methylation of cytokines gene promoters in IL-1β-treated human intestinal epithelial cells

2017

Objective and design: Epigenetic regulation is important in the activation of inflammatory cells. In the present study, we evaluated if DNA-methylation variations are involved in Interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced intestinal epithelial cells activation. Materials and methods: Differentiated Caco-2 cells were exposed to IL-1β or to 5-azadeoxycytidine (5-azadC) for 24 or 48 h. Genome-wide methylation status was evaluated, while DNA methylation status at the promoter region of the gene encoding interleukin-6, 8 and 10 (IL-6, 8 and 10) was estimated. The levels of the corresponding gene products as well as DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) quantity were assessed. Results: IL-1β decreased genomic m…

What happens in hospitals does not stay in hospitals: antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital wastewater systems.

2016

Hospitals are hotspots for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) and play a major role in both their emergence and spread. Large numbers of these ARB will be ejected from hospitals via wastewater systems. In this review, we present quantitative and qualitative data of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli, vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in hospital wastewaters compared to community wastewaters. We also discuss the fate of these ARB in wastewater treatment plants and in the downstream environment. Published studies have shown that hospital effluents contain ARB, the burden of these bacteria being dependent on their local prevalence. The…

Molecular Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes of Bacterial Pathogens from Bovine and Caprine Mastitis in Northern Lebanon

2021

Mastitis is an infectious disease encountered in dairy animals worldwide that is currently a growing concern in Lebanon. This study aimed at investigating the etiology of the main mastitis-causing pathogens in Northern Lebanon, determining their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, and identifying their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. A total of 101 quarter milk samples were collected from 77 cows and 11 goats presenting symptoms of mastitis on 45 dairy farms. Bacterial identification was carried out through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Molecula…

(1,3)-β-d-Glucan-based antifungal treatment in critically ill adults at high risk of candidaemia: an observational study.

2016

OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of a strategy that uses serum (1,3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) results for antifungal treatment of ICU patients at high risk of invasive candidiasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Adult patients admitted to the ICU from January 2012 to June 2014 were included if they exhibited sepsis at the time of BDG testing and they met Candida score components ≥3. A retrospective analysis of collected data was performed. RESULTS In total, 198 patients were studied. Of 63 BDG-positive patients, 47 with candidaemia and 16 with probable Candida infection, all [31.8% (63/198)] received antifungal therapy. Of 135 BDG-negative patients, 110 [55.5% (110/198)] did not receive antifungal therapy…

Whole-genome characterization of Shewanella algae strain SYT3 isolated from seawater reveals insight into hemolysis.

2018

Aim: To describe the genomic characteristics of seawater-borne hemolytic Shewanella algae and its resistance genes. Materials & methods: Whole genome sequence of S. algae SYT3 was determined using llumina MiSeq platform. Multiple-database-based analysis was performed to identify the genetic background of its hemolytic activity and the antibiotic resistance genes. Results: S. algae SYT3 possesses a homolog of the hly operon involved in the synthesis of hemolysin. We also identified candidate genes associated with resistance to β-lactam antibiotics (bla OXA-55) and fluoroquinolone (qnrA3). Conclusion: The study provides an insight into the hemolytic activity of S. algae. Our findings als…

Aerobic growth of Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1 using selected naphthenic acids as the sole carbon and energy sources

2018

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are an important group of toxic organic compounds naturally occurring in hydrocarbon deposits. This work shows that Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1 cells not only utilize a mixture of eight different NAs (8XNAs) for growth but they are also capable of marked degradation of two model NAs, cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (CHCA) and cyclopentanecarboxylic acid (CPCA) when supplied at concentrations from 50 to 500 mgL−1 . The growth curves of BCP1 on 8XNAs, CHCA, and CPCA showed an initial lag phase not present in growth on glucose, which presumably was related to the toxic effects of NAs on the cell membrane permeability. BCP1 cell adaptation responses that allowed survi…

Outbreak of ST395 KPC-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Palermo, Italy

2018

Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing and mecA sequencing in methicillin-resistant staphylococci from Algeria: a highly diversified element w…

2016

Genetic mechanisms of methicillin resistance are still relevant in staphylococci. The aims of this study are to assess the possible exchanges of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) among isolates of methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) and to check for known or new mutations in mecA DNA. A total of 35 MRS non-repetitive isolates were recovered, including 20 Staphylococcus haemolyticus, 7 Staphylococcus aureus, 4 Staphylococcus sciuri, 2 Staphylococcus saprophyticus and 1 isolate each of Staphylococcus xylosus and Staphylococcus lentus. Only 16 of the 35 strains were assigned to known SCCmec types: 7 SCCmec VII, 6 SCCmec IV and 3 SCCmec III, with possible horizontal transfer…

Spread of Klebsiella pneumoniae ST395 non-susceptible to carbapenems and resistant to fluoroquinolones in North-Eastern France

2017

Abstract Objectives Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are a potential treatment for infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae that are susceptible to these agents. Methods Owing to increasing non-susceptibility to carbapenems among Enterobacteriaceae, in this study FQ resistance mechanisms were characterised in 36 ertapenem-non-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from North-Eastern France in 2012. The population structure was described by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Results Among the 36 isolates, 13 (36%) carried a carbapenemase encoding-gene. Decreased expression of the OmpK35-encoding gene might be…