Lubricating gel influence on vaginal microbiome sampling.

Gel lubrication is routinely used during gynecological examination to prevent or reduce pain, yet its impact on microbial composition during sampling remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether lubricating gel affects the microbial composition of vaginal samples. We included 31 pregnant women presenting during their third trimester to clinics or emergency room and collected 143 unique vaginal samples for 16S amplicon microbial analysis. Vaginal samples were obtained using sterile swabs under various conditions: without gel-immediately frozen (n = 30), with gel-immediately frozen, without gel-at room temperature (RT) for 5 h before freezing, with gel-at RT for 5 h before freezing, and additional sampling after 24 h without gel-immediate freezing. We found that sample collection with gel lubrication influenced specimen quality-half of the gel samples failing to meet processing limitation compared to those without gel. The effect of gel on testing quality dissipated after 24 h. However, when samples met post-sequencing filters, gel lubrication did not alter the microbial composition, individual taxa abundance or alpha and beta diversity. We recommend sampling either before gel exposure or 24 h after. These findings underscore the importance of considering sample collection methodologies in vaginal microbiome studies to ensure high-quality microbial data for accurate analysis.

Long-term metabolic effects of non-nutritive sweeteners.

OBJECTIVE: Excessive consumption of added sugars has been linked to the rise in obesity and associated metabolic abnormalities. Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) offer a potential solution to reduce sugar intake, yet their metabolic safety remains debated. This study aimed to systematically assess the long-term metabolic effects of commonly used NNSs under both normal and obesogenic conditions. METHODS: To ensure consistent sweetness level and controlling for the acceptable daily intake (ADI), eight weeks old C57BL/6 male mice were administered with acesulfame K (ace K, 535.25 mg/L), aspartame (411.75 mg/L), sucralose (179.5 mg/L), saccharin (80 mg/L), or steviol glycoside (Reb M, 536.25 mg/L) in the drinking water, on the background of either regular or high-fat diets (in high fat diet 60% of calories from fat). Water or fructose-sweetened water (82.3.gr/L), were used as controls. Anthropometric and metabolic parameters, as well as microbiome composition, were analyzed following 20-weeks of exposure. RESULTS: Under a regular chow diet, chronic NNS consumption did not significantly affect body weight, fat mass, or glucose metabolism as compared to water consumption, with aspartame demonstrating decreased glucose tolerance. In diet-induced obesity, NNS exposure did not increase body weight or alter food intake. Exposure to sucralose and Reb M led to improved insulin sensitivity and decreased weight gain. Reb M specifically was associated with increased prevalence of colonic Lachnospiracea bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term consumption of commonly used NNSs does not induce adverse metabolic effects, with Reb M demonstrating a mild improvement in metabolic abnormalities. These findings provide valuable insights into the metabolic impact of different NNSs, aiding in the development of strategies to combat obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Diet-omics in the Study of Urban and Rural Crohn disease Evolution (SOURCE) cohort.

Crohn disease (CD) burden has increased with globalization/urbanization, and the rapid rise is attributed to environmental changes rather than genetic drift. The Study Of Urban and Rural CD Evolution (SOURCE, n = 380) has considered diet-omics domains simultaneously to detect complex interactions and identify potential beneficial and pathogenic factors linked with rural-urban transition and CD. We characterize exposures, diet, ileal transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiome in newly diagnosed CD patients and controls in rural and urban China and Israel. We show that time spent by rural residents in urban environments is linked with changes in gut microbial composition and metabolomics, which mirror those seen in CD. Ileal transcriptomics highlights personal metabolic and immune gene expression modules, that are directly linked to potential protective dietary exposures (coffee, manganese, vitamin D), fecal metabolites, and the microbiome. Bacteria-associated metabolites are primarily linked with host immune modules, whereas diet-linked metabolites are associated with host epithelial metabolic functions.

Lack of gut microbiome recovery with spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event that significantly changes daily function and quality of life and is linked to bowel and bladder dysfunction and frequent antibiotic treatment. We aimed to study the composition of the gut microbiome in individuals with SCI during the initial sub-acute rehabilitation process and during the chronic phase of the injury. This study included 100 fecal samples from 63 participants (Median age 40 years, 94% males): 13 cases with SCI in the sub-acute phase with 50 longitudinal samples, 18 cases with chronic SCI, and 32 age and gender-matched controls. We show, using complementary methods, that the time from the injury was a dominant factor linked with gut microbiome composition. Surprisingly, we demonstrated a lack of gut microbial recovery during rehabilitation during the sub-acute phase, with further deviation from the non-SCI control group in the chronic ambulatory SCI group. To generalize the results, we were able to show significant similarity of the signal when comparing to a previous cohort with SCI, to subjects from the American Gut Project who reported low physical activity, and to subjects from another population-based cohort who reported less normal stool consistency. Restoration of the microbiome composition may be another desirable measure for SCI recovery in the future, but further research is needed to test whether such restoration is associated with improved neurological outcomes and quality of life.

Evaluation of the Whiteout During Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing and Examination of Its Correlation with Pharyngeal Residue and Aspiration.

To evaluate the whiteout duration (WOd) and intensity (WOi) during Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and examine their correlation with each other and age, gender, bolus consistencies, residue, and aspiration. Retrospective review of 75 videorecorded FEES. The first swallow of each of the following were scored: "Empty" swallow, semisolids, solids, and liquids (International dysphagia diet standardization initiative (IDDSI) 4, 7, 0, respectively). Data scored for each swallow included WOd, WOi, Penetration and aspiration scale (PAS), Pharyngeal residue (Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale, YPR-SRS), and saliva pooling (Murray Secretion scale, MSS). The highest PAS and YPR-SRS for each consistency during the entire examination were also collected. WOd was significantly longer for stronger WOi in IDDSI4 swallows (p = 0.019). WOi was weaker for IDDSI0 swallows compared to IDDSI7, IDDSI4, and empty swallows (p < 0.05). Patients with saliva pooling had significantly shorter WOd (0.81 ± 0.3 s for MSS = 0 vs. 0.62 ± 0.24 for MSS = 3, p = 0.04). Lower WOi was associated with higher mean age for IDDSI0 (mean ages of 73 ± 12, 64 ± 14, 73 ± 7, 59 ± 16 years for intensity levels 1-4 respectively, p = 0.019). Swallows with weaker WOi and longer WOd had significantly more aspirations in IDDSI7 (28.8% of PAS ≥ 6 for intensity 2 vs 0% for intensity 4, p = 0.003 and 0.77 ± 0.4 s for PAS 1-2 vs. 1.02 ± 0.08 for PAS 6-8, p = 0.049). WOi and WOd are significantly associated with each other. WOi may vary for different bolus consistencies and decreases with age. Longer WOd and weaker WOi are associated with penetration-aspiration. Shorter WOd is associated with saliva pooling.

The impact of iodine deficiency exposure on thyroid nodule cytology and pathology - A single institute, case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: The association between follicular carcinoma and iodine deficiency (ID) is based on epidemiological studies and their inherent biases. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of long-term ID exposure on thyroid nodule cytology and final pathology in a distinct group of patients within a single institution. METHODS: Ethiopian origin patients were compared to an aged-matched group of non-Ethiopian patients. Demographics, risk factors, clinical presentation, cytology and pathology were collected and compared. Final outcomes were cytology and pathology distribution. RESULTS: A total of 489 (246 Ethiopian, 243 control) nodules of 461 patients (230 and 231 respectively) were included. Ethiopian patients had lower rates of thyroid cancer risk factors (p=0.05). Cytology analysis demonstrated significant group differences (p=0.03), as Ethiopian patients had higher rates of benign cytology (85% vs. 75.7%, respectively). Pathology analysis demonstrated a significantly lower malignancy rate among Ethiopian patients (39.2% (20/51) vs. 63.3% (31/49), p=0.027, respectively). The Ethiopian group had a significant higher rate of follicular carcinoma compared to the control group (25% [5/20] vs. 3.2% [1/31], p=0.034, respectively) and lower rates of papillary thyroid carcinoma (25% [5/20] vs. 61.3% [19/31], p=0.017, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The association between ID and FC exists years following immigration and exposure to a better iodine diet, implying that differentiation may be affected in earlier stages and levels of exposure.