The Gut Microbiota-Derived Immune Response in Chronic Liver Disease.

In chronic liver disease, the causative factor is important; however, recently, the intestinal microbiome has been associated with the progression of chronic liver disease and the occurrence of side effects. The immune system is affected by the metabolites of the microbiome, and diet is the primary regulator of the microbiota composition and function in the gut-liver axis. These metabolites can be used as therapeutic material, and postbiotics, in the future, can increase or decrease human immunity by modulating inflammation and immune reactions. Therefore, the excessive intake of nutrients and the lack of nutrition have important effects on immunity and inflammation. Evidence has been published indicating that microbiome-induced chronic inflammation and the consequent immune dysregulation affect the development of chronic liver disease. In this research paper, we discuss the overall trend of microbiome-derived substances related to immunity and the future research directions.

Diet-Regulating Microbiota and Host Immune System in Liver Disease.

The gut microbiota has been known to modulate the immune responses in chronic liver diseases. Recent evidence suggests that effects of dietary foods on health care and human diseases are related to both the immune reaction and the microbiome. The gut-microbiome and intestinal immune system play a central role in the control of bacterial translocation-induced liver disease. Dysbiosis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, translocation, endotoxemia, and the direct effects of metabolites are the main events in the gut-liver axis, and immune responses act on every pathways of chronic liver disease. Microbiome-derived metabolites or bacteria themselves regulate immune cell functions such as recognition or activation of receptors, the control of gene expression by epigenetic change, activation of immune cells, and the integration of cellular metabolism. Here, we reviewed recent reports about the immunologic role of gut microbiotas in liver disease, highlighting the role of diet in chronic liver disease.

Implementation of a short course of prophylactic antibiotic treatment for prevention of postoperative infections in clean orthopaedic surgeries.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis constitutes the bulk of antimicrobial consumption in any hospital. This study was conducted at a level 1 Trauma Centre of a tertiary care hospital of India to assess the efficacy of a short (24 h) course of perioperative antibiotic prophylactic regimen in preventing surgical site infections (SSI) in open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of closed fractures of limbs and to assess if the same can be implemented as a general policy. METHODS: Patients of either sex, aged 18 yr or more, who were scheduled for ORIF and were willing and able to give informed consent, were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups. Group 1 (n=100) received 3 doses of 1 g i.v. cefuroxime perioperatively spaced 12 h apart and group 2 (n=97) received the conventional existing regimen [5 days of i.v. antibiotics (cefuroxime 1 g twice daily along with amikacin 15 mg/kg in 2 divided doses), followed by oral cefuroxime, 500 mg twice daily till suture removal]. RESULTS: Of the 197 patients, four patients developed a surgical site infection (three with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and one Acinetobacter baumanii). Of these, two patients were in group 1 and the remaining two in group 2. These patients were treated with i.v. antibiotics based on the culture and antimicrobial sensitivity reports. The cost of the short course treatment was ` 150 per patient as compared to ` 1,900 per patient for conventional regimen. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in rates of SSI among the two groups in our study. Cost evaluation revealed that shorter course was less expensive than conventional long course regimen. Implementation of a short course perioperative regimen will go a long way in reducing antimicrobial resistance, cost and adverse reactions to antimicrobials.

Procalcitonin as a predictor of sepsis and outcome in severe trauma patients: a prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the advances in medical sciences, the morbidity and mortality due to sepsis in severe trauma patients remains high; hence the need for early and accurate diagnosis. Very few prospective studies are available in a country like India, which tried to analyze the prediction of sepsis using serum procalcitonin (PCT) in such a large scale among trauma patients. This study explores the role of the biomarker PCT in early diagnosis of sepsis and prediction of outcomes in severe trauma cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied the patient population prospectively in two different groups. One with acute trauma but no clinical evidence of sepsis and the second group with clinical evidence of sepsis and are followed. Bronchoalveolar lavage, tracheal aspirates, pus, urine, body fluids from sterile body sites, etc., were collected including blood for culture and serum for PCT assays. Such assays were done on samples collected on days 1 and 4 and then compared. Additionally, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were also tested. Antimicrobial sensitivity tests were carried out for all the isolates from the clinical samples and correlated with the clinically suspected cases of sepsis. Outcomes of the patients were noted. RESULTS: Patients with high initial PCT levels (>2 ng/ml) in severe trauma cases had poor outcomes and risk of developing complications. Its correlation with severe outcomes was better marked as compared with CRP and ESR levels. The difference in PCT levels between days 1 and 4 in group two patients was statistically significant (P = 0.006) but were not statistically significant for CRP (P = 0.646) and ESR (P = 0.935). The study also shows that PCT levels fall in response to appropriate antimicrobial treatment. CONCLUSION: PCT is a useful biomarker for early and accurate prediction of sepsis in severe trauma patients. If used in adjunct to clinical findings, it proves to be a good biomarker for early diagnosis, treatment and for monitoring response to therapy in confirmed cases of sepsis. It will prove to be a good supportive indicator of sepsis in early stages for the trauma patients in a low resource country like India.