Lactobacillus spp. isolated from prebiotic-derived raw goat milk: probiotic characteristics, cholesterol assimilation and folate production.

OBJECTIVES: This work provides to evaluate cholesterol assimilation and folic acid production by determining the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from raw goat milk with prebiotic properties. RESULTS: We isolated Lactobacilli from goat milk and identified API 50, CHL, and 16sRNA. Probiotic properties were determined according to bile salt and acidic tolerance, hydrophobicity, hemolytic activity, antibiotic sensitivity, antagonistic effect, and exopolysaccharide production. In addition, the cholesterol assimilation and folate production of cultures were determined. CONCLUSIONS: L. plantarum GM-12 and L. plantarum GM-15 showed the highest folate production and the highest cholesterol assimilation.These two strains are strong candidates for use as potential probiotics and starter cultures.

Probiotic characteristics of Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from tulum cheese.

The aim of this study was to characterize the probiotic characteristics of Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from Tulum cheese. Seven L. fermentum strains were selected among the isolated and identified lactobacillus strains due to their abundance. When the gastric condition was considered, L. fermentum LP3 and LP4 were able to tolerate pH 2.5 and 1% bile salt. All L. fermentum strains had similar enzymatic activity and antibiotic resistance pattern but the highest antagonistic effect was detected within LP3, LP4 and LP6. Cholesterol assimilation amount of L. fermentum strains ranged between 12.1 and 45.3% in MRS and 20.7-71.1% in MRS with bile. The highest cholesterol assimilation in MRS and MRS with bile was occurred by LP3 and LP4, respectively. L. fermentum LP2 adhered to caco-2 cells more than Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG where LP3, LP4 and LP5 adhered at similar level. In conclusion, L. fermentum LP3 and LP4 fulfilled sufficient criteria to be probiotics for use as a starter culture in the production of tulum cheese or other dairy products. Also this study indicated that some food-associated Lactobacillus strains non-predominant for gut biota have significant probiotic potential.

A single center's experience with Candida parapsilosis related long-term central venous access device infections: the port removal decision and its outcomes.

Pediatric cancer patients have an increased risk of potentially life-threatening fungal infections such as Candida parapsilosis, associated with long-term CVADs. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines on Candida catheter-related bloodstream infections recommend systemic antifungal therapy and catheter removal. In this study, we focused on our experience with antifungal failure due to totally implanted catheter-associated C. parapsilosis bloodstream infections. We investigated cases leading to port removal in pediatric malignancy patients and the associated patient outcomes. In the first phase of the study, a retrospective chart review was performed to collect patient information, including primary disease; time from hospitalization to port-related candidemia; antifungal drug choice; and the time at which port removal occurred. During the second phase, antifungal susceptibility tests for C. parapsilosis were performed in our microbiology laboratory. All patients had fevers and were neutropenic at the time of candidemia diagnosis. The mean duration between the first isolation of Candida parapsilosis from the port samples to the port removal was 9.75 ± 5.29 days for 11 patients. Patient fevers lasted for a mean time of 16.22 ± 6.51 days. The median recovery duration from fever after CVC removal was four days (range 2-12 days). The median duration for achieving negative blood cultures, following antifungal treatment was 18 days (range 10-27 days). Our data favored the removal of catheters in the presence of ongoing fever, as suggested by the guidelines, independent of the chosen antifungal treatment. Future studies with large samples are needed to evaluate the effects of catheter removal on mortality rates and patient outcomes.

Probiotic properties of lactobacilli species isolated from children's feces.

In the present research, the 20 lactobacilli isolated from children feces aged 4-15 years old were investigated for their capabilities to survive at pH 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and in the presence of 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75% bile salts, their effect on the growth of pathogens, in addition to their sensitivity against 13 selected antibiotics. All the lactobacilli strains were able to survive in low pH and bile salt conditions at pH 2.0 and 0.25% bile salt for 2 h. Moreover, all lactobacilli strains exhibited inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 11229, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213. In addition, all lactobacilli strains indicated resistance to teicoplanin, vancomycin, and bacitracin. The amount of exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by the strains was 70 and 290 mg/L. The capabilities to autoaggregation and coaggregate with E. coli ATCC 11229 of the strains were also evaluated. High EPS-producing strains indicated significant autoaggregation and coaggregation capability with test bacteria (p < 0.01). The maximum cholesterol removal (76.5%) was observed by strain Lactobacillus pentosus T3, producing a high amount of exopolysaccharide, in 0.3%oxgall concentration (p < 0.05). Our results demonstrate that the capability to EPS production, acid-bile tolerance, antimicrobial activity, antibiotic resistance, aggregation and cholesterol removal of lactobacilli could be utilized for preliminary screening in order to identify potentially probiotic bacteria suitable for human.

Fluconazole-, amphotericin-B-, caspofungin-, and anidulafungin-resistant Candida ciferrii: an unknown cause of systemic mycosis in a child.

Candida ciferrii, which is known as an agent of superficial yeast infection and onychomycosis, has rarely been isolated as an agent of candidemia. Limited reports have suggested different patterns of antifungal sensitivity. We report a rare candidemia case caused by c.ciferrii in an 8-year-old child in which isolated candida species were resistant to amphotericin-B (MIC > 1 µg/ml), fluconazole, (MIC ≥ 64 µg/ml), caspofungin (MIC ≥ 32 µg/ml), and anidulafungin (MIC ≥ 32 µg/ml) but sensitive to voriconazole (MIC ≤ 0.12 µg/ml). As far as we aware, this was the first recorded C. ciferrii candidemia case in children.

Differences between pediatric extra-pulmonary and pulmonary tuberculosis: a warning sign for the future.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem. The childhood tuberculosis has some unique features different which makes the diagnosis more complicated. Here we described the epidemiologic, clinical and microbiologic features of children with extra pulmonary and pulmonary TB. METHODS: The data of the patients <14 years with active TB were collected and compared in pulmonary (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (EXPTB) patients. RESULTS: A total of 128 cases was included. Forty-two cases occurred in children were < 5 years of age; 41 cases between 6-10 years and 45 cases > 10 years. PTB was present in 75,0% of the cases, and EXPTB was present in 25% of cases. There was no significant difference between the EXPTB and PTB by means of distribution of age groups (p=0,201). The rate of patients free of constitutional symptoms were significantly higher in EXPTB compared to PTB(p=0,000). There was no significant difference between EXPTB and PTB by means of sources detection(p=0,069). CONCLUSION: TB is still a major public health problem. EXPTB has an insidious and silent onset without any constitutional symptoms, and both microbiological confirmation and the source by an adult are not frequently found. Moreover, detection of the adult source is mandatory for controlling the TB disease in children.