Antibacterial Activity of Conifer Green Needle Complex Against Corynebacteria

Traditionally, preservatives have been used in cosmetic products to minimize bacterial contamination. Some opportunistic Corynebacterium spp. have become resistant to these preservatives and other alternatives are required. A potential candidate is Conifer Green Needle Complex (CGNC), a pharmaceutical-grade complex substance from the green verdure of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies with antibacterial, antimycotic, and antitrichomonal activity. The susceptibility of Corynebacterium xerosis and Corynebacterium flavescens to CGNC (3.5, 7, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, and 500 mg/mL) was evaluated using broth dilution and agar methods. The antibacterial effect of CGNC was also evaluated after exposure for 30 minutes and 1, 3, and 24 hours at concentrations of 0, 3.5, 7, 30, 125, and 500 mg/mL. Corynebacteria xerosis was inhibited when exposed to low levels of CGNC (1560 mg/mL), whereas an antibacterial effect on C. flavescens was observed at slightly higher levels (60 and 125 mg/mL). CGNC also inhibited the growth of C. xerosis and C. flavescens at various incubation time points. The most prominent effect was observed after 24 hours where all growth was inhibited at all concentrations. However, CGNC inhibited or decreased the growth of Corynebacterium spp. even at lower exposure times. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that CGNC is an effective bactericidal agent against C. xerosis and C. flavescens isolated from clinical samples and may have potential as an alternative to preservatives currently used in cosmetic products.

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SARS-CoV-2 within-host diversity and transmission

Science ◽

10.1126/science.abg0821 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 372 (6539) ◽

pp. eabg0821 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Katrina A. Lythgoe ◽

Matthew Hall ◽

Luca Ferretti ◽

Mariateresa de Cesare ◽

George MacIntyre-Cockett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Phylogenetic Tree ◽

Immune Escape ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Diversity Patterns ◽

Host Diversity ◽

Viral Loads ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Low Levels

Extensive global sampling and sequencing of the pandemic virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have enabled researchers to monitor its spread and to identify concerning new variants. Two important determinants of variant spread are how frequently they arise within individuals and how likely they are to be transmitted. To characterize within-host diversity and transmission, we deep-sequenced 1313 clinical samples from the United Kingdom. SARS-CoV-2 infections are characterized by low levels of within-host diversity when viral loads are high and by a narrow bottleneck at transmission. Most variants are either lost or occasionally fixed at the point of transmission, with minimal persistence of shared diversity, patterns that are readily observable on the phylogenetic tree. Our results suggest that transmission-enhancing and/or immune-escape SARS-CoV-2 variants are likely to arise infrequently but could spread rapidly if successfully transmitted.

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Functional study of multidrug resistance with fluorescent dyes. Limits of the assay for low levels of resistance and application in clinical samples

Cancer Letters ◽

10.1016/0304-3835(96)04301-7 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 106 (1) ◽

pp. 59-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Yvan Canitrot ◽

Sylvie Lahmy ◽

Jean-Jacques Buquen ◽

Damien Canitrot ◽

Dominique Lautier

Keyword(s):

Multidrug Resistance ◽

Fluorescent Dyes ◽

Functional Study ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Low Levels

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DRAFT: Young Children’s Prosocial Behavior Protects Against Academic Risk in Neighborhoods Facing Adversity

10.31234/osf.io/zpd27 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Emma Armstrong-Carter ◽

Jonas G. Miller ◽

Liam Hill ◽

Benjamin Domingue

Keyword(s):

Academic Achievement ◽

At Risk ◽

Prosocial Behavior ◽

Neighborhood Disadvantage ◽

Prosocial Behaviors ◽

Academic Risk ◽

Time Points ◽

Disadvantaged Neighborhoods ◽

Low Levels ◽

Diverse Children

Children born into neighborhood adversity are at risk for low academic achievement. Identifying factors that help children from disadvantaged neighborhoods thrive is critical for reducing inequalities. We investigated whether children’s prosocial behavior buffers concurrent and subsequent academic risk in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Bradford, UK. Diverse children (N = 1,185) were followed from before birth to age seven, with measurements taken at four time points. We used governmental indexes of neighborhood adversity, teachers observations of prosocial behaviors, and direct assessments of academic achievement. Neighborhood disadvantage was associated with lower academic achievement only among children who displayed low levels of prosocial behavior. Findings were robust to sensitivity and sub-group analyses. Prosocial behavior may mitigate early academic risk in contexts of neighborhood disadvantage.

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Real-Time PCR Detection ofBurkholderia cepaciain Pharmaceutical Products Contaminated with Low Levels of Bacterial Contamination

PDA Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology ◽

10.5731/pdajpst.2017.007971 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 72 (1) ◽

pp. 73-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Luis Jimenez ◽

Theranda Jashari ◽

Jenifer Vasquez ◽

Stephanie Zapata ◽

Joy Bochis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Bacterial Contamination ◽

Pharmaceutical Products ◽

Pcr Detection ◽

Low Levels

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Tracking SARS-CoV-2 in Sewage: Evidence of Changes in Virus Variant Predominance during COVID-19 Pandemic

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v12101144 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 1144 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Javier Martin ◽

Dimitra Klapsa ◽

Thomas Wilton ◽

Maria Zambon ◽

Emma Bentley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Viral Rna ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Environmental Surveillance ◽

Rna Sequences ◽

Virus Variant ◽

First Case ◽

Low Levels ◽

South East England ◽

Wastewater Samples ◽

Rna Concentration

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, is frequently shed in faeces during infection, and viral RNA has recently been detected in sewage in some countries. We have investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater samples from South-East England between 14th January and 12th May 2020. A novel nested RT-PCR approach targeting five different regions of the viral genome improved the sensitivity of RT-qPCR assays and generated nucleotide sequences at sites with known sequence polymorphisms among SARS-CoV-2 isolates. We were able to detect co-circulating virus variants, some specifically prevalent in England, and to identify changes in viral RNA sequences with time consistent with the recently reported increasing global dominance of Spike protein G614 pandemic variant. Low levels of viral RNA were detected in a sample from 11th February, 3 days before the first case was reported in the sewage plant catchment area. SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration increased in March and April, and a sharp reduction was observed in May, showing the effects of lockdown measures. We conclude that viral RNA sequences found in sewage closely resemble those from clinical samples and that environmental surveillance can be used to monitor SARS-CoV-2 transmission, tracing virus variants and detecting virus importations.

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Multiplexed genotyping using a novel digitally inscribed bead-based system

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2007.25.18_suppl.21089 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽

pp. 21089-21089

Author(s):

S. M. Lipkin ◽

J. Yeakley ◽

E. Chao ◽

J. Velasquez ◽

M. Lopez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Samples ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Sample Material ◽

Msh2 Gene ◽

Goldengate Assay ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

System A ◽

Qpcr Analysis ◽

Low Levels ◽

Reference Samples

21089 Background: Genotyping of clinical samples has been limited to low levels of multiplexing, ranging from one to a few dozen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) per sample. By increasing multiplexing levels, a clinical lab can increase information content per sample, decreasing costs and sample material requirements. Methods: We have adapted the GoldenGate® Assay for simultaneously genotyping 96 to 1,536 SNPs to the BeadXpress™ System, a new high-throughput platform that utilizes digitally inscribed VeraCode™ beads in a compact fluidic instrument. Genotyping on this platform ranges from 96 to 384 multiplexing, using the same GoldenGate Assay that has proven highly robust for millions of genotypes. In preliminary tests, we have observed greater than 99% call rates, and greater than 99.5% rates for reproducibility and heritability. In a test of 96 SNP genotypes chosen for a study of colorectal cancer, a point mutation in the MSH2 gene, previously implicated in predisposition to several cancers, was correctly genotyped when compared to qPCR analysis of the same samples. Conclusion: Together with genotyping data from reference samples, the GoldenGate Assay on the BeadXpress System has yielded highly reproducible and accurate genotypes, suggesting that this approach will prove useful for rapid refinement of SNPs for development of clinical genotyping tests. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

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Expression of soluble DC-HIL/gpnmb receptor in the blood of metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma treated with anti-PD1/PDL1 monoclonal antibodies.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.e14038 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e14038-e14038

Author(s):

Jin-Sung Chung ◽

Vijay Ramani ◽

Masato Kobayashi ◽

Vinita Popat ◽

Ponciano D Cruz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Advanced Nsclc ◽

Soluble Form ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Blood Levels ◽

Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽

Excellent Outcome ◽

Ifn Γ ◽

Low Levels ◽

Nsclc Patients

e14038 Background: Anti-PD1/PDL1 therapy benefits only a minority (10-20%) of treated NSCLC. Identifying markers distinguishing responders vs. non-responders will improve management of NSCLC. DC-HIL receptor is a new checkpoint whose inhibitory mechanisms are divergent from the PD1 pathway. Tumor cells express DC-HIL receptor and its soluble form (sDC-HIL). We tested whether sDC-HIL expression regulates NSCLC response to anti-PD1/PDL1 Ab using animal models and human clinical samples. Methods: Tet-Off controlled sDC-HIL-transfected LL2 lung cancer cells were i.v. injected into mice (lung mets) and treated with doxycycline (Dox). Day 6, mice were sorted into 2 groups with/without Dox and treated with i.p. 200 μg Ab, every 2 d /6 shots. Day 18, # of lung-LL2 cells were counted by FACS and IFN-γ+ T cells in tumors analyzed. Advanced NSCLC patients (n = 51) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors were every 6 weeks evaluated for partial response (PR), stable (SD) and progressive disease (PD) by RECIST. Serum were collected on weeks 0, 2, and 6 and assayed for sDC-HIL amounts by ELISA. Results: In mice treated with Dox (halt sDC-HIL expression), anti-PDL1 Ab treatment markedly reduced lung mets and increased IFN-γ+ T cells (p < 0.001), whereas this excellent outcome was not noted in Dox-untreated mice (induce sDC-HIL). For NSCLC, PD1/PDL1 therapy produced PR (n = 3), SD (n = 25) and PD (n = 23) at week 6. sDC-HIL blood levels at week 0 did not correlate with tumor size, but the levels at week 6 of PD patients were significantly higher than PR/SD patients (8.4 ± 5.6 vs. 4.0 ± 1.6 ng/ml, p = 0.001, Mann-Whitney test) and healthy donors (2.6 ± 0.9 ng/ml). Most patients (26 out of 30 cases) showed fluctuation in sDC-HIL levels during treatment. PD-patients (14/15 cases) showed increasing or persistently elevated levels ( > 4 ng/ml), with one case at low levels ( < 4 ng/ml). SD/PR-patients (13/15) had decreasing or persistently low levels, with 2 exceptions with high levels in all time points. Conclusions: sDC-HIL blood level may serve as a biomarker to indicate tumor-resistance of advanced NSCLC patients to PD1/PDL1 therapy. The degree and direction of sDC-HIL fluctuation may be useful to predict prognosis for NSCLC.

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Low levels of ABCG2 expression in adult AML blast samples

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2002-01-0271 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 100 (13) ◽

pp. 4594-4601 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

Brian L. Abbott ◽

Anne-Marie Colapietro ◽

Yuxiao Barnes ◽

Frank Marini ◽

Michael Andreeff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Drug Resistance ◽

Mrna Expression ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Cell Subpopulation ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Cancer Resistance ◽

Clonal Cell Lines ◽

Low Levels

Previous reports have suggested that the adenosine triphosphate–binding cassette protein ABCG2 (breast cancer resistance protein [BCRP], mitoxantrone resistance [MXR]) is associated with drug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The aims of this study were to determine the level of ABCG2 mRNA expression necessary to produce drug resistance and to define the ABCG2 levels in normal bone marrow (BM), peripheral blood (PB), cord blood (CB), and adult AML blast cell populations. First, using transduced clonal cell lines expressing varying levels of ABCG2, we found that ABCG2 expression conferred resistance to mitoxantrone and topotecan, but not to idarubicin. Next, we developed a real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction assay for measuring ABCG2 mRNA expression levels in clinical samples. Normal BM and PB contained low levels of ABCG2 mRNA, while higher levels were measured in CB mononuclear cells, CD34+, and Ac133+populations, consistent with the known stem cell enrichment in these populations. Next, we studied the ABCG2 mRNA levels in 40 specimens from newly diagnosed adult AML patients. Only 7% of these samples contained ABCG2 mRNA levels within the range of our drug-resistant clone, although another 78% were higher than normal blood and bone marrow. Flow cytometry revealed very small subpopulations of ABCG2-expressing cells in the cases we examined. Our data suggest that high levels of ABCG2 mRNA expression in adult AML blast specimens are relatively uncommon and that ABCG2 expression may be limited to a small cell subpopulation in some cases.

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Is it necessary to use tobramycin-dexamethasone eye ointment prophylactically in eyes at the end of intraocular surgery?

10.21203/rs.2.21553/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wei Zhang ◽

Han Han ◽

Kang Feng ◽

Xiaohong Wang ◽

Mei Du ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Foreign Body ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Bacterial Contamination ◽

Contamination Rate ◽

Time Points ◽

Intraocular Surgery ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Medical University ◽

Antibiotic Ointment

Abstract Background: There are no data available regarding the complications associated with using antibiotic ointment at the end of intraocular surgery. This study aimed to explore the necessity of using ocular tobramycin-dexamethasone prophylactically at the end of intraocular surgery.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who received intraocular surgery at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from January 2015 to December 2017. The patients were grouped according to whether they received tobramycin-dexamethasone eye ointment or not after surgery. The Tobramycin dexamethasone eye ointment was sampled to observe bacterial contamination pathogens at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 6, 8, 24, 36, 48, 72, and 168 h after being opened.Results: A total of 3811 eyes in 3811 patients (mean age of 63±12 years) were included: 2397 eyes that received prophylactic tobramycin-dexamethasone eye ointment and 1414 eyes that did not. The overall rate of endophthalmitis was 0.08% (3/3811) in our study, all in the eye ointment group (0.12%, 3/2397); no patients developed endophthalmitis in the non-ointment group (0%, 0/1414)(P=0.184). The anterior chamber reactions 1 day after surgery were more serious in the eye ointment group compared with the non-ointment group (all P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences at 1 month postoperatively (all P>0.05). The contamination rate was 0% at all time points over 7 days.Conclusion: We did not observe a statistically significant difference in the incidence of endophthalmitis in patients with or without prophylactic tobramycin-dexamethasone eye ointment. And tobramycin-dexamethasone eye ointment seemed to increase some side effects such as eye secretions increasing and foreign body feeling.

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Occurrence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and pathogenic factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in canine clinical samples

Veterinary World ◽

10.14202/vetworld.2021.978-985 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 978-985

Author(s):

Jasmine Hattab ◽

Francesco Mosca ◽

Cristina Esmeralda Di Francesco ◽

Giovanni Aste ◽

Giuseppe Marruchella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Ear Canal ◽

Intrinsic Resistance ◽

Clinical Specimens ◽

Gradient Diffusion ◽

Pathogenic Factors ◽

Wide Range ◽

Low Levels

Background and Aim: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a relevant opportunistic and difficult to treat pathogen due to its widespread environmental diffusion, intrinsic resistance to many classes of antimicrobials, high ability to acquire additional resistance mechanisms, and wide range of pathogenic factors. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in canine clinical samples, the antimicrobial susceptibility against antipseudomonal antibiotics, and the presence of extracellular pathogenic factors of the isolates, as well as their ability to produce biofilm. Materials and Methods: Overall, 300 clinical specimens from dogs with pyoderma or abscesses (n=58), otitis (n=59), and suspected bladder infection (n=183) were analyzed by standard bacteriological methods. P. aeruginosa isolates were tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility by disk and gradient diffusion methods to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations. The ability of the isolates to produce biofilm was investigated by a microtiter plate assay, while virulence genes coding for elastase (lasB), exotoxin A (toxA), alkaline protease (aprA), hemolytic phospholipase C (plcH), and exoenzyme S (ExoS) were detected by polymerase chain reaction method. Results: A total of 24 isolates of P. aeruginosa were found in clinical specimens (urine n=3, skin/soft tissue n=6, and ear canal n=15). No resistance was found to ceftazidime, gentamicin, aztreonam, and imipenem (IMI), while low levels of resistance were found to enrofloxacin (ENR) (4.2%) and piperacillin-tazobactam (8.3%). However, 41.7% and 29.2% of the isolates showed intermediate susceptibility to ENR and IMI, respectively. Disk and gradient diffusion methods showed high concordance. The majority of the isolates revealed a weak (33.3%) or intermediate (45.8%) ability to form biofilm, while the strong biofilm producers (20.8%) derived exclusively from the ear canal samples. All isolates (100%) were positive for lasB, aprA, and plcH genes, while exoS and toxA were amplified in 21 (87.5%) and 22 (91.7%) isolates, respectively. Conclusion: In the present study, P. aeruginosa isolates from canine clinical samples were characterized by low levels of antimicrobial resistance against antipseudomonal drugs. However, the high presence of isolates with intermediate susceptibility for some categories of antibiotics, including carbapenems which are not authorized for veterinary use, could represent an early warning signal. Moreover, the presence of isolates with strong ability to produce biofilm represents a challenge for the interpretation of the antimicrobial susceptibility profile. In addition, the high prevalence of the extracellular pathogenic factors was indicative of the potential virulence of the isolates.

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