Washed microbiota transplantation combined with biological agents promotes histological remission in refractory severe ulcerative colitis with recurrent intestinal infection: A case report.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic non-specific colitis disease. In recent years, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), including improved washed microbiota transplantation (WMT), and biological agents have helped improve the prognosis of patients with UC. However, a significant number of patients with moderate to severe UC do not get relief from glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, and TNF-α antagonists. Patients with severe UC are frequently burdened with opportunistic infections and subsequent surgical interventions. Combined treatment modalities are crucial for patients with severe UC and opportunistic infections. Herein, we reported a case of a 25-year-old female with refractory severe UC complicated with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection and recurrent cytomegalovirus infection for six years. Surgical removal of the affected bowel segment was almost unavoidable. She showed endoscopic and histological recovery after comprehensive WMT and Vedolizumab treatment. The following are our learnings from the case: 1. A combination of WMT and biological agents can potentially obviate the necessity for surgical treatment in patients with refractory severe UC and promote histological remission. 2. Personalized comprehensive treatment and chronic disease management models for patients with UC should be emphasized. 3. WMT can help treat opportunistic infections, which may also strengthen the treatment with gut-targeted biological agents when traditional TNF-α antagonists show poor efficacy.

Research hotspots and trends in biological agents for psoriasis: Visualization and bibliometric analysis.

Psoriasis is a global health concern, and biological therapies have proven to be highly effective in treating psoriatic patients in many countries. We performed a bibliometric analysis of current research on biological agents for the treatments of psoriasis, investigating research patterns and public interest in this area. We conducted a thorough review of articles on biological agents for psoriasis in the Web of Science Core Collection spanning from 2000 to 2022. Our study involved examining the distribution of these articles based on publication year, affiliations, countries, authors, and journals. To visualize this data effectively, we employed bibliometric tools like CiteSpace and the R package bibliometrix. Our analysis encompassed 8,047 publications. The number of papers published sharply increased from 2009, either reaching its peak in 2022 or not yet reaching it. The United States (n = 2,292), Kristian Reich (n = 166), and British Journal of Dermatology (n = 368) emerged as the top countries, author, and journal, respectively, in terms of publication productivity. The burst references predominantly focused on evaluating the safety and efficacy of biological treatments. The keyword citation network identified 11 clusters, with research themes revolving around "double blind", "efficacy", "therapy", "safety", and "psoriatic arthritis" were the research focuses. Additionally, potential future research areas such as "multicenter," "drug survival," and "severity" were emphasized. This study sheds light on the evolving research landscape and public interest in biological agents for psoriasis. The results suggest rapid expansion in this field, with the United States at the forefront. Enhanced international collaboration is recommended, and forthcoming research endeavors may concentrate on predicting treatment outcomes and adverse effects. Researching new biological agents, broadening the indications for biological agent treatment, and creating personalized treatment plans may pave the way for further research.

The Combination of Biochar and Bacillus subtilis Biological Agent Reduced the Relative Abundance of Pathogenic Bacteria in the Rhizosphere Soil of Panax notoginseng.

In the continuous cropping of Panax notoginseng, the pathogenic fungi in the rhizosphere soil increased and infected the roots of Panax notoginseng, resulting in a decrease in yield. This is an urgent problem that needs to be solved in order to effectively overcome the obstacles associated with the continuous cropping of Panax notoginseng. Previous studies have shown that Bacillus subtilis inhibits pathogenic fungi in the rhizosphere of Panax notoginseng, but the inhibitory effect was not stable. Therefore, we hope to introduce biochar to help Bacillus subtilis colonize in soil. In the experiment, fields planted with Panax notoginseng for 5 years were renovated, and biochar was mixed in at the same time. The applied amount of biochar was set to four levels (B0, 10 kg·hm-2; B1, 80 kg·hm-2; B2, 110 kg·hm-2; B3, 140 kg·hm-2), and Bacillus subtilis biological agent was set to three levels (C1, 10 kg·hm-2; C2, 15 kg·hm-2; C3, 25 kg·hm-2). The full combination experiment and a blank control group (CK) were used. The experimental results show that the overall Ascomycota decreased by 0.86%~65.68% at the phylum level. Basidiomycota increased by -73.81%~138.47%, and Mortierellomycota increased by -51.27%~403.20%. At the genus level, Mortierella increased by -10.29%~855.44%, Fusarium decreased by 35.02%~86.79%, and Ilyonectria increased by -93.60%~680.62%. Fusarium mainly causes acute bacterial wilt root rot, while Ilyonectria mainly causes yellow rot. Under different treatments, the Shannon index increased by -6.77%~62.18%, the Chao1 index increased by -12.07%~95.77%, the Simpson index increased by -7.31%~14.98%, and the ACE index increased by -11.75%~96.12%. The good_coverage indices were all above 0.99. The results of a random forest analysis indicated that Ilyonectria, Pyrenochaeta, and Xenopolyscytalum were the top three most important species in the soil, with MeanDecreaseGini values of 2.70, 2.50, and 2.45, respectively. Fusarium, the primary pathogen of Panax notoginseng, ranked fifth, and its MeanDecreaseGini value was 2.28. The experimental results showed that the B2C2 treatment had the best inhibitory effect on Fusarium, and the relative abundance of Fusarium in Panax notoginseng rhizosphere soil decreased by 86.79% under B2C2 treatment; the B1C2 treatment had the best inhibitory effect on Ilyonectria, and the relative abundance of Ilyonectria in the Panax notoginseng rhizosphere soil decreased by 93.60% under B1C2 treatment. Therefore, if we want to improve the soil with acute Ralstonia solanacearum root rot, we should use the B2C2 treatment to improve the soil environment; if we want to improve the soil with yellow rot disease, we should use the B1C2 treatment to improve the soil environment.

Successful guselkumab treatment of a refractory psoriasis patient with Graves' disease: a case report.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. It is associated with many autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and thyroid diseases. Graves' disease (GD) is a common organ-specific autoimmune disease characterized by diffuse goitre and thyrotoxicosis. Management of psoriasis patients with GD is challenging. This current report presents the case of a 34-year-old female patient with refractory psoriasis with GD who was hospitalized for drug eruption and then experienced new-onset erythema and scaling following treatment with adalimumab and secukinumab. Despite the sequential move to phototherapy, tofacitinib and ustekinumab, the erythema and scaling continued unabated and exacerbated. Finally, switching to guselkumab resulted in the psoriasis lesions significantly improving. These findings suggest that guselkumab might be an effective treatment option for refractory psoriasis combined with GD.

Efficacy of anti-interleukin-17A biological agents for palmoplantar psoriasis and palmoplantar pustulosis: A network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The comparative efficacy of anti-IL (interleukin)-17A biological agents in palmoplantar psoriasis (PP) and palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) are not well established. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of different dosage regimens of anti-IL-17A biological agents compared with placebo in PP and PPP. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov, and Embase. Meta-analysis was performed for all outcomes of randomized controlled trials, while network meta-analysis was only performed for the primary outcome. RESULTS: In total, 21 articles exploring the efficacy of 5 treatment options were included, 4 cohort studies were also reviewed. Meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference favoring anti-IL-17A biological agents versus placebo (OR = 6.84, 95 %[CI] [5.34, 8.76]). On-label secukinumab was identified as the most effective treatment option for patients with PP (OR = 33.50, 95 %[CI] [4.37,256.86]). PPP treated with secukinumab 300 mg showed benefit in terms of PPPASI 75 responses over 52 weeks. CONCLUSION: IL-17A biological agents had better PP disease clearance compared with placebo and on-label secukinumab was identified as the most effective treatment option for PP patients. Secukinumab 300 mg showed benefit for PPP patients.

Characteristics of patients with hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapeutic and biological agents and desensitization behavior / Características de pacientes com reações de hipersensibilidade a agentes quimioterápicos e biológicos e comportamento de dessensibilização

Introduction: Hypersensitivity to chemotherapeutic and biological agents has increased in recent years due to their frequent use. Avoidance has been the first line of defense, leading to decreased treatment efficacy and increased adverse events. Objective: To characterize the sociodemographic and clinical aspects of patients with hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapeutic agents who underwent desensitization and biological procedures in a Colombian city. Methods: This observational, descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study was conducted in patients with hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapeutic and biological agents who underwent desensitization. Results: In the 14 included patients with a history of hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapeutic and biological agents (57.1% women; median age 42.5 years), 45 desensitization procedures were performed. The most commonly prescribed drug was rituximab (57%). The skin was the most frequent reaction site (78.6%), and systemic corticosteroids were the most common treatment (78.6%). Breakthrough reactions occurred in 31.1% of the patients and only premedication with corticosteroids was associated with less severe reactions. All cases of desensitization were successful. Conclusions: Desensitization to chemotherapeutic and biological agents proved to be a useful and safe tool in a Colombian population.

Introdução: A hipersensibilidade aos agentes quimioterápicos e biológicos aumentou nos últimos anos devido ao seu uso frequente. Evitar tem sido a primeira linha de ação, levando à diminuição da eficácia do tratamento e ao aumento de eventos adversos. Objetivos: Caracterizar os aspectos sociodemográficos e clínicos de pacientes com reações de hipersensibilidade a agentes quimioterápicos submetidos a dessensibilização e procedimentos biológicos em uma cidade colombiana. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo observacional, descritivo, retrospectivo e multicêntrico em pacientes com reações de hipersensibilidade a agentes quimioterápicos e biológicos submetidos à dessensibilização. Resultados: Foram incluídos 45 procedimentos de dessensibilização em 14 pacientes com histórico de reações de hipersensibilidade a agentes quimioterápicos e biológicos (57,1% mulheres, com mediana de idade de 42,5 anos). O medicamento mais relatado foi o rituximabe (57%). O envolvimento cutâneo foi o mais frequente (78,6%) e os corticosteroides sistêmicos foram o tratamento mais utilizado (78,6%). As reações ocorreram em 31,1% e apenas a pré-medicação com corticosteroides foi associada a uma menor gravidade destas. Todos os casos de dessensibilização foram bem-sucedidos. Conclusões: A dessensibilização a agentes quimioterápicos e biológicos provou ser uma ferramenta útil e segura em uma população colombiana.

Characteristics of a lipase ArEstA with lytic activity against drug-resistant pathogen from a novel myxobacterium, Archangium lipolyticum sp. nov.

Bacteriolytic myxobacteria are versatile micropredators and are proposed as potential biocontrol agents against diverse bacterial and fungal pathogens. Isolation of new myxobacteria species and exploration of effective predatory products are necessary for successful biocontrol of pathogens. In this study, a myxobacterium strain CY-1 was isolated from a soil sample of a pig farm using the Escherichia coli baiting method. Based on the morphological observation, physiological test, 16S rRNA gene sequence, and genomic data, strain CY-1 was identified as a novel species of the myxobacterial genus Archangium, for which the name Archangium lipolyticum sp. nov. was proposed. Subsequent predation tests indicated that the strain efficiently lysed drug-resistant pathogens, with a higher predatory activity against E. coli 64 than Staphylococcus aureus GDMCC 1.771 (MRSA). The lysis of extracellular proteins against ester-bond-containing substrates (tributyrin, tween 80, egg-yolk, and autoclaved drug-resistant pathogens) inspired the mining of secreted predatory products with lipolytic activity. Furthermore, a lipase ArEstA was identified from the genome of CY-1, and the heterologously expressed and purified enzyme showed bacteriolytic activity against Gram-negative bacteria E. coli 64 but not against Gram-positive MRSA, possibly due to different accessibility of enzyme to lipid substrates in different preys. Our research not only provided a novel myxobacterium species and a candidate enzyme for the development of new biocontrol agents but also reported an experimental basis for further study on different mechanisms of secreted predatory products in myxobacterial killing and degrading of Gram-negative and Gram-positive preys.

Predictors of Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 100 response in Korean patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis receiving biologics.

The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 100 response rate after treatment with biologics is reportedly lower in Asians than non-Asians. Large-scale studies evaluating predictors of PASI 100 response in Korean patients with psoriasis are yet to be conducted. To identify predictors of patients achieving PASI 100 response after 48-52 weeks of treatment with a biological agent. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 145 patients with psoriasis treated with a single biological agent for over one year. Clinical features were compared between super-responders (defined as achieving PASI 100 at 48-52 weeks) and non-super-responders. Among the patients included in the study, 61 (42.1%) were super-responders. No statistical difference in demographics and face, scalp, or nail involvement was observed. However, the mean body mass index (BMI) and baseline PASI were lower in super-responders (24.3 kg/m2, 14.3) than in non-super-responders (26.1 kg/m2, 16.2). There were more biologically naïve patients among the super-responders (85.2%) than the non-super-responders (67.9%). In Korean patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, a better PASI 100 response is expected for patients who are biologically naïve with a relatively lower baseline BMI and PASI.

Acidentes de trabalho com exposição a materiais biológicos entre trabalhadores no norte de Minas Gerais / Work accidents with exposure to biological materials betweenworkers in the north of Minas Gerais / Accidentes de trabajo con exposición a materiales biológicos entre trabajadores en el norte de Minas Gerais

Objetivo: Descrever o perfil dos acidentes com exposição a material biológico ocorridos em Minas Gerais. Métodos: estudo epidemiológico, descritivo e transversal realizado por meio da consulta do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação dos municípios do norte de Minas Gerais, no período de 2008-2012. Resultados: dentre os 56 municípios investigados 28 notificaram 1025 acidentes, 46,1% ocorreram entre técnicos e auxiliares de enfermagem, 14,7% por estudantes e pelos médicos com 11,6% das ocorrências. Houve predomínio dos acidentes com profissionais de 30 a 39 anos, em procedimentos cirúrgicos, descarte inadequado de materiais perfuro cortantes e administração de medicamentos. Verificou-se que a exposição percutânea, o sangue como material orgânico e agulhas como agente. Conclusão: as causas dos acidentes mais comumente estão diretamente relacionadas com a maneira em executar as atividades no decorrer do trabalho, desencadeadas por ineficiência dos equipamentos de proteção individuais ou coletivos, percebe-se a fragilidade no cumprimento da norma regulamentadora

Objective:To describe the profile of accidents with exposure to biological material that occurred in Minas Gerais. Methods: an epidemiological, descriptive and cross-sectional study carried out by consulting the Notification Disease Information System of the municipalities of northern Minas Gerais, from 2008-2012. Results: among the 56 municipalities investigated 28 reported 1025 accidents, 46.1% occurred among technicians and nursing assistants, 14.7% by students and doctors with 11.6% of occurrences. There was a predominance of accidents with professionals aged 30 to 39 years, in surgical procedures, improper disposal of sharps and administration of medication. Percutaneous exposure, blood as organic material and needles as agent were found. Conclusion: the causes of accidents most commonly are directly related to the way to perform activities during work, triggered by inefficiency of individual or collective protective equipment, it is perceived the weakness in compliance with the regulatory standard

Objetivo: Describir el perfil de accidentes con exposición a material biológico ocurridos en Minas Gerais. Métodos: un estudio epidemiológico, descriptivo y transversal realizado mediante la consulta del Sistema de Información de Enfermedades de Notificación de los municipios del norte de Minas Gerais, de 2008 a 2012. Resultados: entre los 56 municipios investigados, 28 reportaron 1025 accidentes, 46.1% ocurrieron entre técnicos y auxiliares de enfermería, 14.7% por estudiantes y médicos con 11.6% de incidentes. Predominaron los accidentes con profesionales de 30 a 39 años, en procedimientos quirúrgicos, eliminación inadecuada de objetos punzantes y administración de medicamentos. Se encontraron exposición percutánea, sangre como material orgánico y agujas como agente. Conclusión: las causas de accidentes más comúnmente están directamente relacionadas con la forma de realizar actividades durante el trabajo, desencadenadas por la ineficiencia de los equipos de protección individuales o colectivos, se percibe la debilidad en el cumplimiento de la norma reguladora

Legionelosis

La legionelosis es una enfermedad bacteriana de origen ambiental, con presentación en el ámbito comunitario y hospitalario. De distribución mundial, puede acontecer en forma de brotes y casos aislados o esporádicos. En el estudio se hace un recorrido histórico de la identificación del agente biológico causante (Legionella spp.) y de los principales eventos que condujeron a su descubrimiento. Asimismo, se describen los principales brotes acaecidos desde el inicio de la definición de la enfermedad, la incidencia de ésta última y su importancia relativa a la vigilancia y prevención...

Legionelosis is a bacterial disease of environmental origin present at community and hospital settings. It may appear worldwide in the form of isolated or sporadic outbreaks. A historical account of the identification of the causative biological agent (Legionella spp.) and the main events leading to the discovery was made. Likewise, the main outbreaks from the definition of the disease, its incidence to the importance of surveillance and prevention were all described...

Acidentes ocupacionais com material biológico e equipe de enfermagem de um hospital-escola / Accidentes ocupacionales con material biológico y equipo de enfermería de un hospital escuela / Occupational Accidents with biological material and the nursing team in a teaching hospital

Patógenos podem ser transmitidos mediante exposição percutânea, sendo o sangue o principal veículo de transmissão de micro-organismos. Este estudo descritivo exploratório teve como objetivo avaliar a ocorrência de acidentes com material biológico entre profissionais de enfermagem de um hospital de ensino de grande porte, interior de São Paulo, mediante os registros dos prontuários de trabalhadores acidentados, no período 01 de julho a 31 de dezembro de 2006. Utilizou-se a técnica de análise documental. Dos resultados, destaca-se que a maioria dos acidentes foi percutâneo (85,7%) e em 67,8% das exposições a agulha oca foi o objeto causador mais envolvido. As situações mais frequentes de ocorrência foram punção vascular (26,8%) e administração de medicamentos (13,3%). Verificou-se que 34 (60,89) profissionais usavam equipamentos de proteção individual no momento do acidente.Conclui-se que há necessidade de implementar um programa educacional permanente e novas estratégias que permitam a revisão do processo de trabalho.

Pathogens can be transmitted through percutaneous exposure and blood turns out to be the main transmission vehicle of several microorganisms. This descriptive and exploratory study aimed at evaluating the occurrence of accidents with potentially contaminated biological material among nursing team workers in a large teaching hospital located in the backlands of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It resorted to accident victims’ records within the period of July, 1st to December 31st, 2006. Documentary analysis was used. Results evince that most of the accidents were percutaneous (85.7%) and that hollow needles account for 67.8% of the cases. Venal/arterial puncture head occurrences observed (26.8%) followed by medication administration (13.3%). Thirty-four (60.89%) professionals were found to be using individual protection equipment when the accident occurred. We conclude that a permanent educational program must be implemented and new strategies must be adopted to allow for a review of the work process.

Diversos patógenos pueden ser transmitidos mediante exposición percutánea, siendo la sangre el principal vehículo de transmisión para diferentes microorganismos. La finalidad de este estudio descriptivo exploratorio fue evaluar la ocurrencia de accidentes con material biológico potencialmente contaminado entre profesionales de enfermería de un hospital de enseñanza de gran porte, interior de São Paulo-Brasil, mediante los prontuarios de trabajadores accidentados, entre 1 de julio y 31 de diciembre de 2006. Fue utilizado el análisis documental. Los resultados evidenciaron que la mayoría de los accidentes fue percutánea (85,7%) y que la aguja hueca fue el objeto más involucrado (67,8%). Las situaciones más frecuentes de ocurrencia fueron punción vascular (26,8%) y administración de medicamentos (13,3%). Se verificó que 34 (60,8%) profesionales utilizaban equipos de protección individual cuando ocurrió el accidente. Se concluye que es necesario implementar un programa de educación permanente y adoptar nuevas estrategias que posibiliten la revisión del proceso de trabajo.