Microbiota, Prostatitis, and Fertility: Bacterial Diversity as a Possible Health Ally

Background. In health, microorganisms have been associated with the disease, although the current knowledge shows that the microbiota present in various anatomical sites is associated with multiple benefits. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the genitourinary microbiota of chronic prostatitis symptoms patients and fertile men. Materials and Methods. In this preliminary study, ten volunteers have included 5 volunteers with symptoms of chronic prostatitis (prostatitis group) and five fertile volunteers, asymptomatic for urogenital infections (control group) matched by age. Bacterial diversity analysis was performed using the 16S molecular marker to compare the microbiota present in urine and semen samples from chronic prostatitis symptoms and fertile volunteers. Seminal quality, nitric oxide levels, and seminal and serum concentration of proinflammatory cytokines were quantified. Results. Fertile men present a greater variety of operational taxonomical units-OTUs in semen (67.5%) and urine (17.6%) samples than chronic prostatitis symptoms men. Chronic prostatitis symptoms men presented a higher concentration of IL-12p70 in seminal plasma. No statistically significant differences were observed in conventional and functional seminal parameters. The species diversity in semen samples was similar in healthy men than prostatitis patients, inverted Simpson index median 5.3 (5.0–10.7) vs. 4.5 (2.1–7.8, p = 0.1508 ). Nevertheless, the microbiota present in the semen and urine samples of fertile men presents more OTUs. Less microbial diversity could be associated with chronic prostatitis symptoms. The presence of bacteria in the genitourinary tract is not always associated with the disease. Understanding the factors that affect the microbiota can implement lifestyle habits that prevent chronic prostatitis. Conclusion. Chronic prostatitis does not seem to affect male fertility; however, studies with a larger sample size are required. Our preliminary results strengthen the potential role; the greater bacterial diversity is a protective factor for chronic prostatitis.

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Application of Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Adults with Moderate to Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Preliminary Study

International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1697988 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (01) ◽

pp. e5-e10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Francesco Ciodaro ◽

Francesco Freni ◽

Giuseppe Alberti ◽

Marco Forelli ◽

Francesco Gazia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials ◽

Control Group ◽

Case Group ◽

High Incidence ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

And Control

Abstract Introduction The cochlea and the vestibular receptors are closely related in terms of anatomy and phylogeny. Patients with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss (MPSHL) should have their vestibular organ functions tested. Objective To evaluate the incidence of vestibular abnormalities in patients with MPSHL and to study the correlation between the etiology of hearing loss (HL) and a possible damage to the labyrinth. Methods A case-control retrospective study was performed. In the case group, 20 adults with MPSHL of known etiology were included. The control group was composed of 15 adults with normal hearing. The case group was divided into 4 subgroups based on the etiology (bacterial meningitis, virus, vascular disease, congenital). Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) were used to rate the saccular function and lower vestibular nerve. Results The study was performed in 70 ears, and it highlighted the presence of early biphasic P1-N1 complex in 29 (71.5%) out of 40 ears in the study group, and in all of the 30 ears in the control group (p = 0.001). Regarding the presence or absence of cVEMPs among the four subgroups of patients with MPSHL, the data were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The comparison between the latencies and amplitude of P1-N1 in case and control groups from other studies and in the four subgroups of cases in the present study did not detect statistically significant differences. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that patients with MPSHL have a high incidence of damage to the labyrinthine organs, and it increases the current knowledge about the etiopathogenesis of sensorineural HL, which is often of unknown nature.

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Neurotoxic and Neuroprotective Role of Exosomes in Parkinson’s Disease

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612825666191113103537 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (42) ◽

pp. 4510-4522 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Biancamaria Longoni ◽

Irene Fasciani ◽

Shivakumar Kolachalam ◽

Ilaria Pietrantoni ◽

Francesco Marampon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Potential Role ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Biological Fluids ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Target Cells ◽

Cellular Debris ◽

The Brain

: Exosomes are extracellular vesicles produced by eukaryotic cells that are also found in most biological fluids and tissues. While they were initially thought to act as compartments for removal of cellular debris, they are now recognized as important tools for cell-to-cell communication and for the transfer of pathogens between the cells. They have attracted particular interest in neurodegenerative diseases for their potential role in transferring prion-like proteins between neurons, and in Parkinson’s disease (PD), they have been shown to spread oligomers of α-synuclein in the brain accelerating the progression of this pathology. A potential neuroprotective role of exosomes has also been equally proposed in PD as they could limit the toxicity of α-synuclein by clearing them out of the cells. Exosomes have also attracted considerable attention for use as drug vehicles. Being nonimmunogenic in nature, they provide an unprecedented opportunity to enhance the delivery of incorporated drugs to target cells. In this review, we discuss current knowledge about the potential neurotoxic and neuroprotective role of exosomes and their potential application as drug delivery systems in PD.

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Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Opportunistic Infections after Kidney Allograft Transplantation in the Era of Modern Immunosuppression: A Monocentric Cohort Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8050594 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 594 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Philippe Attias ◽

Giovanna Melica ◽

David Boutboul ◽

Nathalie De Castro ◽

Vincent Audard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Opportunistic Infections ◽

Control Group ◽

Kidney Allograft ◽

Extended Criteria Donor ◽

Allograft Transplantation ◽

Kidney Recipients ◽

Independent Risk Factors ◽

Kidney Transplantations

Epidemiology of opportunistic infections (OI) after kidney allograft transplantation in the modern era of immunosuppression and the use of OI prevention strategies are poorly described. We retrospectively analyzed a single-center cohort on kidney allograft adult recipients transplanted between January 2008 and December 2013. The control group included all kidney recipients transplanted in the same period, but with no OI. We analyzed 538 kidney transplantations (538 patients). The proportion of OI was 15% (80 and 72 patients). OI occurred 12.8 (6.0–31.2) months after transplantation. Viruses were the leading cause (n = 54, (10%)), followed by fungal (n = 15 (3%)), parasitic (n = 6 (1%)), and bacterial (n = 5 (0.9%)) infections. Independent risk factors for OI were extended criteria donor (2.53 (1.48–4.31), p = 0.0007) and BK viremia (6.38 (3.62–11.23), p < 0.0001). High blood lymphocyte count at the time of transplantation was an independent protective factor (0.60 (0.38–0.94), p = 0.026). OI was an independent risk factor for allograft loss (2.53 (1.29–4.95), p = 0.007) but not for patient survival. Post-kidney transplantation OIs were mostly viral and occurred beyond one year after transplantation. Pre-transplantation lymphopenia and extended criteria donor are independent risk factors for OI, unlike induction therapy, hence the need to adjust immunosuppressive regimens to such transplant candidates.

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Synaptic Reshaping and Neuronal Outcomes in the Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22083860 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (8) ◽

pp. 3860

Author(s):

Elisa Ren ◽

Giulia Curia

Keyword(s):

Animal Models ◽

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ◽

Temporal Lobe ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Focal Epilepsy ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Hippocampal Sclerosis ◽

Control Group ◽

Epileptogenic Zone ◽

Epileptiform Discharges

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common types of focal epilepsy, characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures originating in the temporal lobe(s), with mesial TLE (mTLE) as the worst form of TLE, often associated with hippocampal sclerosis. Abnormal epileptiform discharges are the result, among others, of altered cell-to-cell communication in both chemical and electrical transmissions. Current knowledge about the neurobiology of TLE in human patients emerges from pathological studies of biopsy specimens isolated from the epileptogenic zone or, in a few more recent investigations, from living subjects using positron emission tomography (PET). To overcome limitations related to the use of human tissue, animal models are of great help as they allow the selection of homogeneous samples still presenting a more various scenario of the epileptic syndrome, the presence of a comparable control group, and the availability of a greater amount of tissue for in vitro/ex vivo investigations. This review provides an overview of the structural and functional alterations of synaptic connections in the brain of TLE/mTLE patients and animal models.

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Surgical Treatment of Vulvar HSIL: Adjuvant HPV Vaccine Reduces Recurrent Disease

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9020083 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 83

Author(s):

Alessandro Ghelardi ◽

Roberto Marrai ◽

Giorgio Bogani ◽

Francesco Sopracordevole ◽

Paola Bay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surgical Treatment ◽

Hpv Vaccine ◽

Recurrent Disease ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Hpv Vaccination ◽

Clinical Effectiveness ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Control Group ◽

Hpv Test ◽

Significant Difference

Data suggest that adjuvant human papillomavirus (HPV)-vaccination in women treated for cervical HPV diseases reduces recurrent disease. This study investigates adjuvant HPV-vaccination and the rate of recurrence in women undergoing surgery for vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). From January 2013 to April 2020, we enrolled 149 women in a prospective case-control study. The control group (NV-group) was treated by standard surgery alone, while the study group received adjuvant vaccination soon after surgery (V-group). A follow-up was performed by vulvoscopy and HPV test. Statistical analysis was performed by Fisher’s exact test. HSIL recurrence was observed in 24/76 (32%) patients in NV-group and in 8/42 patients (19%) of the vaccinated group. By analysing the recurrence rate related to the incident and reactivated latent HPV infection, we found a significant difference between (17/76) 22.3% in NV-group and (2/42) 4.8% in V-group (p = 0.01). A reduction of 78.5% in incident/reactivated HPV infections was demonstrated. Data results add to the current knowledge about the mechanism of post-surgical adjuvant HPV vaccination. Our prospective study is the first to document the vaccine clinical effectiveness in preventing “reactivation” of latent HPV infections. Quadrivalent HPV vaccine administered after the surgical treatment for vulvar HSIL appears to be useful in preventing recurrent disease.

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Exosomes Derived From Senescent Cells Promote Cellular Senescence

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.435 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 132-133

Author(s):

Genxiang Mao ◽

Xiaogang Xu

Keyword(s):

Current Knowledge ◽

Fetal Lung ◽

Notch Signaling Pathway ◽

Cell Senescence ◽

Control Group ◽

Cell Cycle Distribution ◽

Young Control ◽

Intracellular Ros ◽

Associated Proteins

Abstract Exosomes are one type of small-cell extracellular vesicles (sEVs), which together with the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) mainly constitute the senescent microenvironment and perform remotely intercellular communication. However, the effects of senescence on exosomes biosynthesis and secretion and its role in the cell senescence are still obscure. Here, we used human fetal lung diploid fibroblasts (2BS) passaged to PD50 to construct the senescent cells model in vitro, which were confirmed by senescence-related β-galactosidase staining, cell cycle distribution, and intracellular ROS levels. PD30 2BS was used as young control. We evaluated the exosomes derived from senescence and young control group respectively and investigated their regulation of senescence. We found that exosomes released from 2BS had typical sizes and cup-shapes morphology and their surface presented typical exosome-associated proteins. The number of exosomes secreted by senescent cells was significantly higher than that of young cells. Moreover, exosomal markers Alix, TSG101, and CD63 were all more expressed than young cells. Furthermore, we treat young cells with exosomes secreted by senescent cells, which can induce senescence-like changes in young cells, including increased SA-β-Gal activity, up-regulated p16 protein expression, and activation of the Notch signaling pathway. The above results imply that exosomes derived from senescent cells can promote cell senescence. The ﬁndings expand the current knowledge on exosomes-mediated aging and provide a novel understanding of the relationship between SASP and senescence. This study is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81771520 and 31702144).

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Affective Temperaments and Illness Severity in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina57010054 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 54

Author(s):

Mario Luciano ◽

Luca Steardo ◽

Gaia Sampogna ◽

Vito Caivano ◽

Carmen Ciampi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Control Group ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Long Term Outcome ◽

Affective Temperaments

Background and objectives: Bipolar disorder (BD) is one of the most burdensome psychiatric illnesses, being associated with a negative long-term outcome and the highest suicide rate. Although affective temperaments can impact on BD long-term outcome, their role remains poorly investigated. The aims of the present study are to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with BD more frequently associated with the different affective temperaments and to assess the relation between affective temperaments and severity of clinical picture in a sample of patients with BD. Materials and Methods: A total of 199 patients have been recruited in the outpatients units of two university sites. Patients’ psychiatric symptoms, affective temperaments, and quality of life were investigated through validated assessment instruments. Results: Predominant cyclothymic and irritable temperaments are associated to higher number of relapses, poorer quality of life, higher rates of aggressive behaviors, and suicide attempts. Conversely, the predominant hyperthymic disposition was a protective factor for several outcome measures, including relapse rate, severity of anxiety, depressive and manic symptoms, suicidality, and earlier age at onset. One limitationo of the present study is that the recruitment took place in two university sites; therefore, our findings cannot be fully generalized to the whole community of BD patients. Other limitations are the lack of a control group and the cross-sectional design of the study. Conclusions: The early identification of affective temperaments can help clinicians to identify those BD patients who are more likely to show a poor long-term outcome. An early screening of affective temperaments can be useful to develop targeted integrated pharmacological and psychosocial interventions.

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Wideband Absorbance in Ears with Retraction Pockets and Cholesteatomas: A Preliminary Study

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1719130 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sreedevi Aithal ◽

Venkatesh Aithal ◽

Joseph Kei ◽

Shane Anderson

Keyword(s):

Prospective Study ◽

Roc Curve ◽

Operating Characteristic ◽

Peak Pressure ◽

Clinical Sample ◽

Ambient Pressure ◽

Control Group ◽

Retraction Pockets ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

The Difference

Abstract Objectives The objective of this study was to describe wideband absorbance (WBA) findings in patients with cholesteatomas and retraction pockets (RPs). Design In this prospective study, tympanometry, audiometry, and wideband tympanometry (WBT) were performed on 27 ears with an RP (eight with epitympanic RP and 19 ears with mesotympanic RP), 39 ears with a cholesteatoma (23 ears with epitympanic and 16 ears with mesotympanic cholesteatomas [MCs]), and 49 healthy ears serving as controls. Results Mean WBA at ambient pressure (WBAamb) of both experimental groups was reduced significantly between 0.8 and 5 kHz relative to the control group. The difference between mean WBAamb and mean WBA at tympanometric peak pressure (WBATPP) was greater for the RP (0.12–0.16 between 0.5 and 1.5 kHz) than for the cholesteatoma group (0.03–0.11 between 0.6 and 3 kHz). Mean WBAamb of both epitympanic RP (ERP) and epitympanic cholesteatoma (EC) subgroups was significantly lower than that of the control group. Mean WBATPP of the ERP subgroup attained normal levels as per the control group, while mean WBATPP of EC subgroup was significantly lower than that of the control group at 0.8 to 1.5 kHz and 4 to 5 kHz. In contrast, both mesotympanic RP and MC subgroups demonstrated similar mean WBAamb and WBATPP values. No significant differences in WBAamb and WBATPP results between the RP and cholesteatomas groups were observed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses indicated that the area under the ROC curve for distinguishing between the RP and cholesteatomas groups ranged from 0.44 to 0.60, indicating low accuracy in separating the two groups. Conclusion While it is not possible to distinguish between the RP and cholesteatomas groups based on the WBAamb and WBATPP results, it is potentially feasible to differentiate between the EC and ERP conditions. Further study using a large clinical sample is recommended to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the WBA test to identify the EC and ERP conditions.

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Immune response of calves inoculated with proteins ofAnaplasma marginale bound to an immunostimulant complex

Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária ◽

10.1590/s1984-29612013000200044 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 253-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marcela Ribeiro Gasparini ◽

Rafael Felipe da Costa Vieira ◽

Denise Amaral Gomes do Nascimento ◽

João Luis Garcia ◽

Odilon Vidotto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Surface Proteins ◽

Control Group ◽

Humoral Immune ◽

The Third ◽

Additional Testing ◽

Major Surface Proteins ◽

Cattle Herds ◽

Major Surface

Despite our current knowledge of the immunology, pathology, and genetics of Anaplasma marginale, prevention in cattle is currently based on old standbys, including live attenuated vaccines, antibiotic treatment, and maintaining enzootic stability in cattle herds. In the present study, we evaluated the use of an immunostimulant complex (ISCOMATRIX) adjuvant, associated with a pool of recombinant major surface proteins (rMSP1a, rMSP1b, rMSP4 and rMSP5) to improve the humoral immune response triggered in calves mainly by IgG2. Ten calves were divided in three groups: 4 calves were inoculated with the ISCOMATRIX/rMSPs (G1); 2 calves were inoculated with ISCOMATRIX adjuvant (G2); and 4 calves received saline (G3). Three inoculations were administered at 21-day intervals. In G1, the calves showed significant increases in total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 levels 21 days after the second inoculation, compared to the control group (p < 0.05), and G1 calves remained above the cut-off value 28 days after the third inoculation (p < 0.05). The post-immunized sera from calves in G1 reacted specifically for each of the rMSPs used. In conclusion, the ISCOMATRIX/rMSPs induced antigen-specific seroconversion in calves. Therefore, additional testing to explore the protection induced by rMSPs, both alone and in conjunction with proteins previously identified as subdominant epitopes, is warranted.

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A preliminary study of bowel rest strategy in the management of Clostridioides difficile infection

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79211-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hiroshi Sugimoto ◽

Ayaka Yoshihara ◽

Takao Yamamoto ◽

Keisuke Sugimoto

Keyword(s):

Secondary Outcome ◽

Control Group ◽

Matched Cohort ◽

Full Cohort ◽

Clostridioides Difficile ◽

Significant Difference ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Clostridioides Difficile Infection ◽

Bowel Rest ◽

Preliminary Study

AbstractClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is an important nosocomial infection and is the leading cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients. We aimed to assess the effect of bowel rest on the management of CDI. A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted. The primary outcome was the composite of the all-cause mortality and CDI recurrence within 30 days. The main secondary outcome was switching from metronidazole to vancomycin. Of the 91 patients with CDI enrolled as the full cohort, 63 patients (69%) and 28 patients (31%) constituted the control group and the bowel rest group, respectively. After one-to-one propensity score matching, a total of 46 patients were included as the matched cohort. In the full cohort, the composite outcome occurred in 19.0% and 14.3% of the patients in the control and the bowel rest group, respectively (p = 0.768). In the matched cohort, it was 17.4% in each group. Although there was no statistically significant difference, the trend of switching was lower in the bowel rest group. The bowel rest may not affect the all-cause mortality and CDI recurrence within 30 days. However, in those prescribed bowel rest, switching from metronidazole to vancomycin may reduce.

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