Meningococcal Carriage in ‘Men Having Sex With Men’ With Pharyngeal Gonorrhoea

We assessed the characteristics of Neisseria meningitidis pharyngeal carriage in a cohort of ‘men having sex with men’, including patients with pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection. In the period 2017-2019, among all the oropharyngeal samples tested for gonorrhoea from MSM attending a STI Clinic in Bologna (Italy), we randomly selected 244 N. gonorrhoeae-positive samples and 403 negatives (n=647). Pharyngeal specimens were tested for N. meningitidis presence, by the detection of sodC gene. N. meningitidis-positive samples were further grouped by PCR tests for the major invasive genogroups (i.e., A, B, C, W, and Y). A molecular assay, targeting capsule transporter gene, was used to determine meningococcal capsular status. Overall, 75.8% (491/647) of samples tested positive for sodC gene, indicating a pharyngeal meningococcal carriage. Meningococcal colonisation was significantly more frequent in younger subjects (P=0.009), with no association with HIV infection. Non-groupable meningococci represented most of pharyngeal carriages (about 71%). The commonest N. meningitidis serogroup was B (23.6%), followed by C (2.1%), Y (1.8%) and W (1.1%). Meningococci were often characterized by the genetic potential of capsule production. Interestingly, a negative association between N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae was found: pharyngeal gonorrhoea was significantly more present in patients without meningococcal carriage (P=0.03). Although preliminary, our data added knowledge on the epidemiology of meningococcal carriage in MSM communities at high risk of gonococcal infections, gaining new insights into the interactions/dynamics between N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae.

The Impact of the Serotonin Transporter Gene Promoter DNA Methylation on Anorexia Nervosa：A Preliminary Longitudinal Study

BackgroudThe serotonin system has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN). The promoter region of serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), also called 5-HTTLPR, responsible for serotonin reuptake, has received much attention, especially 5-HTTLPR methylation, which was associated with abnormal eating behaviors. The study was aimed to explore the association between 5-HTTLPR methylation and AN, as well as its predictive effect on therapeutic response.Methods91 AN patients and 87 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Only 30 patients completed the 12-week follow-up. 5-HTTLPR methylation levels and clinical symptoms were assessed at baseline for all participants, at the fourth and the twelfth week for follow-up patients. 5-HTTLPR methylation was measured by MassArray methods and clinical symptoms were mainly evaluated by the EDE-Q6.0 scale. ResultsAN patients had higher methylation at CpG 11, CpG 24.25, CpG 31.32 and CpG_mean than healthy controls (P=0.039, 0.042, 0.018, 0.001). Furthermore, it was the binge/purging subtype that revealed significant hypermethylation at CpG4 and CpG_mean (P=0.027, 0.031). However, it failed to discover significant differences between AN-R and AN-BP groups at all units. Besides, CpG 11 methylation level was positively correlated with EDEQ-6.0 total score in patients (r=0.226, P=0.047). The methylation level of CpG11, CpG26.27.28, CpG31.32, CpG33.34.35.36 and CpG_mean decreased after treatment, but not significantly. 5-HTTLPR methylation was not significantly different between the two groups after treatment.ConclusionsOur study provided preliminary evidence that 5-HTTLPR methylation played vital roles in AN pathogenesis. The characteristic of 5-HTTLPR among untreated AN patients was hypermethylation. However, whether it is the biomarker to distinguish the subtypes and therapeutic response of AN needs further investigation.

Yeast Double Transporter Gene Deletion Library for Identification of Xenobiotic Carriers in Low or High Throughput

Our library of double transporter deletion strains is a powerful tool for rapid identification of potential drug import and export routes, which can aid in determining the chemical groups necessary for transport via specific carriers. This information may be translated into a better design of drugs for optimal absorption by target tissues and the development of drugs whose utility is less likely to be compromised by the selection of resistant mutants.