Impact of genital hair removal on female skin microenvironment: barrier disruption and risk of infection, a literature review / Impacto da depilação genital no microambiente da pele feminina: ruptura de barreira e risco de infecção, uma revisão da literatura / Impacto de la depilación genital en el microambiente de la piel femenina: interrupción de la barrera y riesgo de infección, una revisión de la literatura

Abstract Genital hair is one of the secondary sexual traits that marks the beginning of puberty; its removal has been part of human culture since ancient times. This practice may lead to modifications in vaginal microbiome with potential repercussions on skin health and balance. We conducted a narrative review with the purpose of describing normal skin microbiota, its impact under microenvironment changes and genital hair removal. Menses, pathological conditions and pubic hair removal may alter vaginal microbiota, being the latter of special relevance giving the risk of hair microtrauma, irritations and potential spread of infectious agents. MÉD.UIS.2019;32(3):27-33

Resumo O cabelo genital é um dos traços sexuais secundários que marcam o início da puberdade; sua remoção faz parte da cultura humana desde os tempos antigos. Essa prática pode levar a modificações no microbioma vaginal com possíveis repercussões na saúde e equilíbrio da pele. Realizamos uma revisão narrativa com o objetivo de descrever a microbiota normal da pele, seu impacto nas alterações do microambiente e na remoção de pelos genitais. A menstruação, as condições patológicas e a remoção de pelos pubianos podem alterar a microbiota vaginal, sendo esta última de especial relevância dando o risco de microtraumatismo capilar, irritações e potencial disseminação de agentes infecciosos. MÉD.UIS.2019;32(3): 27-33

Resumen El vello genital es uno de los rasgos sexuales secundarios que marca el comienzo de la pubertad; su eliminación ha sido parte de la cultura humana desde la antigüedad. Esta práctica puede conducir a modificaciones en el microbioma vaginal con posibles repercusiones potenciales en la salud y el equilibrio de la piel. Realizamos una revisión narrativa con el propósito de describir la microbiota cutánea normal, su impacto bajo los cambios del microambiente y la depilación genital. La menstruación, las condiciones patológicas y la depilación púbica pueden alterar la microbiota vaginal, siendo esta última de especial relevancia dado el riesgo de microtraumatismos, irritaciones y posible propagación de agentes infecciosos. MÉD.UIS.2019;32(3): 27-33

Endocarditis bacteriana por Kocuria kristinae en un paciente inmunocompetente. Reporte de caso / Bacterial endocarditis by Kocuria kristinae in an immunocompetent patient. Case report

Los miembros del género Kocuria corresponden a cocos Gram positivos ubicuos, generalmente inocuos y que hacen parte de la flora saprófita de un porcentaje importante de la población; ocasionalmente han sido descritos como los agentes responsables de patologías infecciosas, principalmente dentro del contexto de pacientes que concomitantemente cursan con enfermedades crónicas y estados de inmunosupresión. Son escasos los casos reportados como causa de endocarditis en pacientes inmunocompetentes a nivel global por especies de este género. Se expone el caso de una mujer inmunocompetente de 44 años, sin antecedentes de importancia, en quien solo el diagnóstico microbiológico permitió confirmar la presencia de Kocuria kristinae como agente causal de su endocarditis infecciosa; la literatura señala la dificultad existente al momento de diferenciar la endocarditis producida por Staphylococcus spp. versus Kocuria kristinae por su evolución clínica similar, indicando la importancia de la microbiología al momento de identificar y diagnosticar apropiadamente.

Members of the genus Kocuria correspond to ubiquitous, generally harmless, Gram-positive cocci that are part of the saprophytic flora of a significant percentage of the population; occasionally they have been described as the agents responsible for infectious pathologies, mainly in the context of patients who concomitantly have chronic diseases and are under an immunosuppression state. There are few cases reported as a cause of endocarditis in immunocompetent patients globally by species of this genus. We present the case of a 44-year-old immunocompetent woman, with no relevant history, in whom only the microbiological diagnosis confirmed the presence of Kocuria kristinae as the causative agent of her infectious endocarditis; Literature points out the difficulty existing when differentiating endocarditis produced by Staphylococcus spp. versus Kocuria kristinae because of their similar clinical evolution, indicating the importance of microbiology when identifying and diagnosing accurately.

Development of biodegradation process for Poly(DL-lactic acid) degradation by crude enzyme produced by Actinomadura keratinilytica strain T16-1

Background: Plastic waste is a serious problem because it is difficult to degrade, thereby leading to global environment problems. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, and it can be degraded by various enzymes produced by microorganisms. This study focused on the scale-up and evaluated the bioprocess of PLA degradation by a crude microbial enzyme produced by Actinomadura keratinilytica strain T16-1 in a 5 L stirred tank bioreactor. Results: PLA degradation after 72 h in a 5 L bioreactor by using the enzyme of the strain T16-1 under controlled pH conditions resulted in lactic acid titers (mg/L) of 16,651 mg/L and a conversion efficiency of 89% at a controlled pH of 8.0. However, the PLA degradation process inadvertently produced lactic acid as a potential inhibitor, as shown in our experiments at various concentrations of lactic acid. Therefore, the dialysis method was performed to reduce the concentration of lactic acid. The experiment with a dialysis bag achieved PLA degradation by weight loss of 99.93%, whereas the one without dialysis achieved a degradation of less than approximately 14.75%. Therefore, the dialysis method was applied to degrade a commercial PLA material (tray) with a conversion efficiency of 32%, which was 6-fold more than that without dialysis. Conclusions: This is the first report demonstrating the scale-up of PLA degradation in a 5 L bioreactor and evaluating a potential method for enhancing PLA degradation efficiency.

Poly(DL-lactide)-degrading enzyme production by immobilized Actinomadura keratinilytica strain T16-1 in a 5-L fermenter under various fermentation processes

Background: Poly(DL-lactic acid), or PDLLA, is a biodegradable polymer that can be hydrolyzed by various types of enzymes. The protease produced by Actinomadura keratinilytica strain T16-1 was previously reported to have PDLLA depolymerase activity. However, few studies have reported on PDLLA-degrading enzyme production by bacteria. Therefore, the aims of this study were to determine a suitable immobilization material for PDLLA-degrading enzyme production and optimize PDLLA-degrading enzyme production by using immobilized A. keratinilytica strain T16-1 under various fermentation process conditions in a stirrer fermenter. Results: Among the tested immobilization materials, a scrub pad was the best immobilizer, giving an enzyme activity of 30.03 U/mL in a shake-flask scale. The maximum enzyme activity was obtained at aeration 0.25 vvm, agitation 170 rpm, 45°C, and 48 h of cultivation time. Under these conditions, a PDLLA-degrading enzyme production of 766.33 U/mL with 15.97 U/mL·h productivity was observed using batch fermentation in a 5-L stirrer fermenter. Increased enzyme activity and productivity were observed in repeated-batch (942.67 U/mL and 19.64 U/mL·h) and continuous fermentation (796.43 U/mL and 16.58 U/mL·h) at a dilution rate of 0.013/h. Scaled-up production of the enzyme in a 10-L stirrer bioreactor using the optimized conditions showed a maximum enzyme activity of 578.67 U/mL and a productivity of 12.06 U/mL·h. Conclusions: This research successfully scaled-up the enzyme production to 5 and 10 L in a stirrer fermenter and is helpful for many applications of poly(lactic acid).

Draft genome analysis of Dietzia sp. 111N12-1, isolated from the South China Sea with bioremediation activity

Abstract Dietzia sp. 111N12-1, isolated from the seawater of South China Sea, shows strong petroleum hydrocarbons degradation activity. Here, we report the draft sequence of approximately 3.7-Mbp genome of this strain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first genome sequence of Dietzia strain isolated from the sea. The genome sequence may provide fundamental molecular information on elucidating the metabolic pathway of hydrocarbons degradation in this strain.

A novel pH-stable, endoglucanase (JqCel5A) isolated from a salt-lake microorganism, Jonesia quinghaiensis

Background: Endoglucanase, one of three type cellulases, can randomly cleave internal p-1,4-linkages in cellulose polymers. Thus, it could be applied in agricultural and industrial processes. Results: A novel endoglucanase gene (JqCel5A) was cloned from Jonesia quinghaiensis and functionally expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3). It contained 1722 bp and encoded a 573-residue polypeptide consisting of a catalytic domain of glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5) and a type 2 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM2), together with a predicted molecular mass of 61.79 kD. The purified JqCel5A displayed maximum activity at 55°C and pH 7.0, with 21.7 U/mg, 26.19 U/mg and 4.81 U/mg towards the substrate carboxymethyl cellulose, barley glucan and filter paper, respectively. Interestingly, JqCel5A exhibited high pH stability over a broad pH range of pH (3-11), and had good tolerance to a wide variety of deleterious chemicals including heavy metals and detergent. The catalytic mechanism of JqCel5A was also investigated by site mutagenesis and homology-modeling in this study. Conclusions: It was believed that these properties might make JqCel5A to be potentially used in the suitable industrial catalytic condition, which has a broad pH fluctuation and/or chemical disturbance.

Transcriptional profiling of genes involved in n-hexadecane compounds assimilation in the hydrocarbon degrading Dietzia cinnamea P4 strain

The petroleum-derived degrading Dietzia cinnamea strain P4 recently had its genome sequenced and annotated. This allowed employing the data on genes that are involved in the degradation of n-alkanes. To examine the physiological behavior of strain P4 in the presence of n-alkanes, the strain was grown under varying conditions of pH and temperature. D. cinnamea P4 was able to grow at pH 7.0-9.0 and at temperatures ranging from 35 ºC to 45 ºC. Experiments of gene expression by real-time quantitative RT-PCR throughout the complete growth cycle clearly indicated the induction of the regulatory gene alkU (TetR family) during early growth. During the logarithmic phase, a large increase in transcriptional levels of a lipid transporter gene was noted. Also, the expression of a gene that encodes the protein fused rubredoxin-alkane monooxygenase was enhanced. Both genes are probably under the influence of the AlkU regulator.

Dermatofilosis humana y animal. Presentación de un caso atípico y revisión de la literatura / Human and animal dermatophilosis. An unusual case report and review of the literature

La dermatofilosis es una infección causada por una bacteria Gram positiva perteneciente al orden de los Actinomycetales, llamada Dermatophilus congolensis. Se presenta como una dermatosis de carácter agudo, subagudo o crónico que afecta preferentemente al ganado pero también a una amplia variedad de animales domésticos y salvajes y al hombre. Tiene distribución universal, pero con mayor prevalencia en climas húmedos, tropicales y subtropicales. Es considerada una zoonosis menor que puede causar grandes perjuicios económicos en la industria del ganado y el cuero. Se realiza una revisión del tema junto con la presentación de un caso clínico sumamente atípico.

Dermatophilosis is an acute, subacute or chronic skin disease affecting a wide range of species of animals and man. It is caused by a Gram (+) bacteria of the order of the Actinomycetales named Dermatophilus congolensis. Presenting as an acute, subacute or chronic dermatosis affecting primarily cattle, but a wide variety of domestic and wild animals, and humans, as well. It is distributed worldwide but more prevalent in the humid tropical and subtropic areas. It is essential to emphasize the importance of this disease in livestock industry and leather production. The disease is reviewed and an unusual case is reported.

Micetoma por Actinomadura madurae en el pie: reporte de un caso en Chile / Actinomadura madurae mycetoma of the foot: report of one case

Mycetoma is a chronic infection that affects skin, subcutaneous tissue and bone. Its etiology can be mycotic or bacterial. It affects mainly the lower extremities ofmiddie age men livingin tropical climates. We repon a 44 year-old male ¡ivingin a template zone, consulting for swelling and pain in the left foot, lasting for 10 years. Physical examination showed a swollen left foot with hyperpigmented skin and a few crustedpapules. Radiology showed an extensive bone involvement of the midfoot with several oval and radiolucid images. Magnetic resonance showed son and bone tissue involvement, with múltiple oval and low intensity images in TI and T2. The biopsy was compatible with an unspecific chronic osteomyelitis. A bacterial identification by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing in the biopsy determined the presence of an Actinomadura madurae. Treatment with cotrimoxazol was started).

Abscessos dentários periapicais em leitões com síndrome multissistêmica do definhamento / Dental periapical abscesses in piglets affected by postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome PMWS

Duzentos e oitenta leitões, entre 40 e 70 dias de idade, afetados pela sindrome multissistêmica do definhamento (SMD) foram examinados após eutanásia para pesquisa de lesões dentárias. Pelo menos um abscesso periapical foi observado em 58 leitões (20,7 por cento), dos quais 12 apresentaram abscessos múltiplos. Terceiros incisivos superiores, 3os incisivos inferiores, caninos superiores, caninos inferiores e outros dentes apresentaram respectivamente 22 (31,4 por cento), 16 (22,9 por cento), 4 (5,7 por cento), 23 (32,9 por cento) e 5 (7,1 por cento) abscessos periapicais. A maior prevalência de abscessos observada nos dentes 3os incisivos e caninos inferiores está provavelmente associada com a maior área de corte ou desgaste que sofrem esses dentes. Entre as bactérias isoladas de amostras de 65 abscessos, Streptococcus sp. foi a mais prevalente e esteve presente em 21,48 por cento e 27,7 por cento dos isolados em aerobiose e anaerobiose, respectivamente. Na segunda posição em prevalência estiveram as bactérias corineformes, as quais foram mais freqüentemente isoladas em atmosfera anaeróbica do que aeróbica. Houve preponderância de isolamentos de bactérias Gram-positivas. Não foi possível determinar se as co-infecções bacterianas predispuseram às lesões características de SMD ou foram conseqüentes à imunossupressão causada pela infecção com PCV2.

Swine producers have historically resected needle teeth of newborn pigs to prevent potential injuries to the sow mammary gland and faces of littermates. However, the possible impact of this practice on pig performance has been questioned. As part of a study, 280 PMWS affected piglets, with 40-70 days of age, were examined for the presence of dental lesions immediately after euthanasia. Most pigs were confirmed as PMWS by the detection of typical microscopic lesions and immunohistochemical pattern. At least one periapical abscess was observed in 58 piglets (20.7 percent), of which 12 had multiple abscesses. There were 22 (31.4 percent), 16 (22.9 percent), 4 (5.7 percent), 23 (32.9 percent), and 5 (7.1 percent) abscesses in 3rd upper incisives, 3rd lower incisives, upper canines, lower canines, and other teeth, respectively. The higher prevalence of dental abscesses observed in 3rd incisives and lower canines is probably associated with the wider area of grinding or clipping to which these teeth were subjected. Among bacteria isolated from samples collected from 65 abscesses, Streptococcus sp. was the most prevalent bacteria and was present in 21.48 percent and 27.7 percent of the aerobic and anaerobic isolates, respectively. In the second most frequent group were coryneform microorganisms, which showed higher rate of isolation under anaerobic atmosphere than in aerobic culture. There was preponderance of Gram-positive isolates. It could not be determined whether these bacterial co-infections predisposed pigs to development of PMWS-type lesions or if were subsequent to the PCV2 infection.

Estudio clínico y microbiológico de los micetomas observados en el Hospital de Infecciosas Francisco J. Muñiz en el período 1989-2004 / Clinical and microbiological study of mycetomas at the Muñiz Hospital of Buenos Aires between 1989 and 2004

Se presentan las características clínicas, microbiológicas y los resultados del tratamiento de 76 casos de micetomas observados en el período 1989-2004 en el Hospital Muñiz. Cuarenta y nueve fueron varones y 27 mujeres, con una edad promedio de 43,4 años. La mayor parte de los pacientes adquirió la infección en nuestro país, las provincias más afectadas fueron Santiago del Estero con 31 casos y el Chaco con 11; 8 enfermos procedían del exterior, 6 de Bolivia y 2 de Paraguay. El promedio de evolución de la enfermedad fue de 9,2 años. Las localizaciones más comunes fueron las de los miembros inferiores: pies 63, tobillos 3 y rodillas 2. Se comprobó compromiso óseo en 48 casos y adenomegalias en 5. Fueron identificados los siguientes agentes causales: Madurella grisea 29 casos, Actinomadura madurae 26, Scedosporium apiospermum 5, Nocardia brasiliensis 5, Acremoniun spp. 4 (Acremonium falciforme 2, Acremonium kiliense 1 y Acremonium recifei 1), Madurella mycetomatis 3, Fusarium solani 2, Nocardia asteroides y Streptomyces somaliensis 1 caso cada uno. Los tratamientos más frecuentemente utilizados fueron ketoconazol o itraconazol en los micetomas maduromicósicos y la asociación de cotrimoxazol con ciprofloxacina o amicacina en los micetomas actinomicéticos. La amputación del miembro afectado se realizó en 6 casos, 25 pacientes alcanzaron la remisión clínica completa y 34 presentaron mejorías importantes.

This work presents clinical, microbiological and outcome data collected from 76 patients with mycetomas at the Muñiz Hospital from 1989 to 2004. Forty-nine patients were male and 27 female; the mean age was 43.4 years. The majority of the patients acquired the infection in Argentina: the most affected provinces were Santiago del Estero with 31 cases, and Chaco with 11; 8 cases came from other countries (Bolivia 6 and Paraguay 2). The mean evolution of the disease was 9.2 years. The most frequently observed sites were: feet 63 cases, ankles 3, and knees 2. Forty-eight patients had bone lesions and 5, adenomegalies. The following etiological agents were identified: Madurella grisea 29 cases, Actinomadura madurae 26, Scedosporium apiospermum 5, Nocardia brasiliensis 5, Acremonium spp. 4 (Acremonium falciforme 2, Acremonium kiliense 1, Acremonium recifei 1), Madurella mycetomatis 3, Fusarium solani 2, Nocardia asteroides 1 and Streptomyces somaliensis 1. The main drugs used in the treatments were ketoconazole and itraconazole for maduromycotic mycetomas, and cotrimoxazole associated with ciprofloxacin or amikacin for actinomycetic mycetoma. Six patients had to undergo amputation, 25 cases achieved complete clinical remission and 34 showed remarkable improvement.

Estudios sobre Rothia dentocariosa en pacientes con caries dental / Studies on Rothia dentocariosa in patients with dental caries

Tomando en consideración que la caries dental es una enfermedad producida por muchos de los microorganismos que conforman la placa dental, entre ellos Rothia dentocariosa, se decidió identificar a esta bacteria en pacientes que presentaban dicha entidad. En este estudio se seleccionaron 65 pacientes de la Facultad de Odontología de la UCV, los cuales fueron divididos en 2 grupos: del primer grupo (32 pacientes con caries dental), se tomaron muestras de las lesiones cariosas; se tomó además una muestra de placa a una paciente que jamás había tenido caries dental. Todas las muestras fueron transportadas al laboratorio en el medio de caldo tripticasa de soya para allí ser sembradas en tripticasa de soya en condiciones de anaerobiosis. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que se puedo identificar Rothia dentocariosa en 6 pacientes del primer grupo (18 por ciento), en 3 pacientes del segundo grupo (9 por ciento), en tanto que no fue posible aislar dicha especie en la paciente sin caries dental. Cabe destacar que esta es la primera vez que se ha podido identificar a este microorganismos en nuestro país.

Antibióticos antifúngicos produzidos por actinomicetos do Brasil e sua determinação preliminar nos meios experimentais / Antifungal antibiotics produced by Brazilian actinomycetes and its preliminary determination in experimental media

Várias amostras de solo do Brasil foram semeadas em placas de ágar e diversas cepas de actinomicetos produtoras de antibióticos antifúngicos foram isoladas. Foram desenvolvidos meios para eliciação da biossíntese dos antibióticos e métodos para determinação rápida do seu rendimento. Ao todo, foram isoladas 41 cepas de actinomicetos aeróbios produtoras de metabólitos antifúngicos. Destes, 11 (26,8 por cento) eram macrolídeos tetraênicos, 13 (31,7 por cento) macrolídeos pentaênicos, 1 (2,4 por cento) macrolídeo oxopentaênico, 1 (2,4 por cento) macrolídeo hexaênico e 6 (14,6 por cento) macrolídeos heptaênicos. Os antibióticos antifúngicos produzidos pelas restantes 9 cepas ativas (21,9 por cento) não eram poliênicos

Algunas consideraciones sobre Rothia dentocariosa como microorganismo residente / Some considerations on Rothia dentocariosa as a resident microorganism

Rothia dentocariosa es una bacteria que ha sido implicada en la etiologÝa de diferentes procesos infecciosos. Esta especie se ha asociado con la caries dental y la enfermedad periodontal, por lo que se han realizado algunas investigaciones para determinar la naturaleza de esta relación. La presente revisión incluye algunos de los aspectos relacionado con la historia, taxonomÝa, ecologÝa y cultivo de este microorganismo. TambiÚn se informa sobre la morfologÝa, fisiologÝa e inmunologÝa, asÝ como sobre diversas consideraciones en relación con su patogÚnesis, a fin de establecer su participación como microorganismo oportunista en algunas enfermedades infecciosas

Screening for exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria from sub-tropical polluted groundwater

A selection of exopolysaccharide (EPS) -- producing bacterial strains was conducted in groundwater adjacent to an old controlled landfill in the City of Säo Carlos (Säo Paulo, Brazil). The strains were isolated in P and E media under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions at 25øC. A total of 26 strains were isolated and based on the mucoid mode of the colonies, 6 were selected and their morphological, physiological and biochemical aspects were characterized. All strains presented pigmentation, ranging from yellow to orange and from pink to salmon, with a shiny glistening aspect in all tested media. Strains Lb, Lc and Lg, which excelled the others with regard to the mucoid mode of the colonies, were selected to be cultured in E medium with alternate sucrose and glucose as carbon sources in anaerobiosis at 25øC to analyze the production of EPS. Strains Lc and Lg were classified as being of order Actinomycelates, suborder Corynebacterineae. Lg strain was identified as Gordonia polyisoprenivorans and Lc strain did not correspond to a known description and therefore a more detailed study is under preparation. Considering all ecological aspects and the metabolic potential associated with the microorganisms of the environment studied, as well as the capacity to produce pigment and EPS, and the presence of G. polyisoprenivorans, a rubber degrader bacterium, the potential of the groundwater analyzed is evident as a source of microorganisms to be utilized in studies related to environmental remediation

Primer aislamiento clínico de Rhodococcus equi en Costa Rica / First isolation clinics of Rhodococcus equi in Costa Rica

Se reporta el primer aislamiento de Rhodococcus equi en nuestro país. Se trata de una niña que después de nacer en el Hospital San Juan de Dios fue trasladada al Servicio de Neonatología del Hospital Nacional de Niños con diagnóstico de neumonía severa. De hemocultivo se aisló un bacilo Gram positivo cuyas características morfológicas y bioquímicas permitieron clasificarlo como Rhodococcus equi. Se comentan detalles de su clasificación, su comportamiento ante los antimicrobianos y la rápida evolución clínica hacia la muerte de la niña. Se hace revisión de literatura

Microbial counts of dark red latosol samples stored at different temperatures

The number of colony forming units (CFU) of different groups of bacteria and fungi in samples stored at temperatures of 5 to -12§C for 0-32 weeks was evaluated. The number of CFU obtained after the different periods of storage of red latossol soil was compared with the number of colonies obtained immediately after removal of soil samples (time zero). The number of total bacteria and actinomycetes in the samples remained pratically unchanged throughout the storage period. The number of Gram-negative bacteria decreased by as much as 69 per cent compared to control, while the number of Bacillus spp and of fungi increased 1.9 to 4.9 times starting from the 12th week in sample stored at 5§C. Except for the variations observed in fungal counts, the remaining groups of bacteria pratically showed the same variation in number of colonies in soil samples stored at 5§C and -12§.