Variation of clinical manifestations according to culprit drugs in DRESS syndrome.

PURPOSE: Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a rare but serious condition that systematically damages various internal organs through T-cell-mediated immunological drug reactions. We aimed to investigate whether clinical manifestations of DRESS syndrome differ according to culprit drugs. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 123 patients with probable/definite DRESS syndrome based on the RegiSCAR criteria (January 2011 to July 2016). The data were obtained from the Korean Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reaction Registry. Causality was assessed using the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria. The culprit drugs were categorized as allopurinol, carbamazepine, anti-tuberculosis drug, vancomycin, cephalosporins, dapsone, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. RESULTS: Differences were observed among culprit drugs regarding the frequencies of hepatitis (P < 0.01), renal dysfunction (P < 0.0001), lymphadenopathy (P < 0.01), and atypical lymphocyte (P < 0.01). Latency period differed among culprit drugs (P < 0.0001), being shorter in vancomycin and cephalosporin. In terms of clinical severity, admission duration (P < 0.01) and treatment duration (P < 0.05) differed among culprit drugs, being longer in vancomycin and anti-tuberculosis drugs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings, clinical manifestations, including latency period and clinical severity, may differ according to culprit drugs in DRESS syndrome.

Extracellular vesicles derived from Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, induce emphysema mainly via IL-17A-mediated neutrophilic inflammation.

Recent evidence indicates that Gram-negative bacteria-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in indoor dust can evoke neutrophilic pulmonary inflammation, which is a key pathology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Escherichia coli is a ubiquitous bacterium present in indoor dust and secretes nanometer-sized vesicles into the extracellular milieu. In the current study, we evaluated the role of E. coli-derived EVs on the development of COPD, such as emphysema. E. coli EVs were prepared by sequential ultrafiltration and ultracentrifugation. COPD phenotypes and immune responses were evaluated in C57BL/6 wild-type (WT), IFN-γ-deficient, or IL-17A-deficient mice after airway exposure to E. coli EVs. The present study showed that indoor dust from a bed mattress harbors E. coli EVs. Airway exposure to E. coli EVs increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6. In addition, the repeated inhalation of E. coli EVs for 4 wk induced neutrophilic inflammation and emphysema, which are associated with enhanced elastase activity. Emphysema and elastase activity enhanced by E. coli EVs were reversed by the absence of IFN-γ or IL-17A genes. In addition, during the early period, lung inflammation is dependent on IL-17A and TNF-α, but not on IFN-γ, and also on TLR4. Moreover, the production of IFN-γ is eliminated by the absence of IL-17A, whereas IL-17A production is not abolished by IFN-γ absence. Taken together, the present data suggest that E. coli-derived EVs induce IL-17A-dependent neutrophilic inflammation and thereby emphysema, possibly via upregulation of elastase activity.

EVpedia: a community web portal for extracellular vesicles research.

MOTIVATION: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are spherical bilayered proteolipids, harboring various bioactive molecules. Due to the complexity of the vesicular nomenclatures and components, online searches for EV-related publications and vesicular components are currently challenging. RESULTS: We present an improved version of EVpedia, a public database for EVs research. This community web portal contains a database of publications and vesicular components, identification of orthologous vesicular components, bioinformatic tools and a personalized function. EVpedia includes 6879 publications, 172 080 vesicular components from 263 high-throughput datasets, and has been accessed more than 65 000 times from more than 750 cities. In addition, about 350 members from 73 international research groups have participated in developing EVpedia. This free web-based database might serve as a useful resource to stimulate the emerging field of EV research. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The web site was implemented in PHP, Java, MySQL and Apache, and is freely available at http://evpedia.info.

Classification and implementation of asthma phenotypes in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: No attempt has yet been made to classify asthma phenotypes in the elderly population. It is essential to clearly identify clinical phenotypes to achieve optimal treatment of elderly patients with asthma. OBJECTIVES: To classify elderly patients with asthma by cluster analysis and developed a way to use the resulting cluster in practice. METHODS: We applied k-means cluster to 872 elderly patients with asthma (aged ≥ 65 years) in a prospective, observational, and multicentered cohort. Acute asthma exacerbation data collected during the prospective follow-up of 2 years was used to evaluate clinical trajectories of these clusters. Subsequently, a decision-tree algorithm was developed to facilitate implementation of these classifications. RESULTS: Four clusters of elderly patients with asthma were identified: (1) long symptom duration and marked airway obstruction, (2) female dominance and normal lung function, (3) smoking male dominance and reduced lung function, and (4) high body mass index and borderline lung function. Cluster grouping was strongly predictive of time to first acute asthma exacerbation (log-rank P = .01). The developed decision-tree algorithm included 2 variables (percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second and smoking pack-years), and its efficiency in proper classification was confirmed in the secondary cohort of elderly patients with asthma. CONCLUSIONS: We defined 4 elderly asthma phenotypic clusters with distinct probabilities of future acute exacerbation of asthma. Our simplified decision-tree algorithm can be easily administered in practice to better understand elderly asthma and to identify an exacerbation-prone subgroup of elderly patients with asthma.

Synergistic toxicity with copper contributes to NAT2-associated isoniazid toxicity.

Anti-tuberculosis (AT) medications, including isoniazid (INH), can cause drug-induced liver injury (DILI), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify genetic factors that may increase the susceptibility of individuals to AT-DILI and to examine genetic interactions that may lead to isoniazid (INH)-induced hepatotoxicity. We performed a targeted sequencing analysis of 380 pharmacogenes in a discovery cohort of 112 patients (35 AT-DILI patients and 77 controls) receiving AT treatment for active tuberculosis. Pharmacogenome-wide association analysis was also conducted using 1048 population controls (Korea1K). NAT2 and ATP7B genotypes were analyzed in a replication cohort of 165 patients (37 AT-DILI patients and 128 controls) to validate the effects of both risk genotypes. NAT2 ultraslow acetylators (UAs) were found to have a greater risk of AT-DILI than other genotypes (odds ratio [OR] 5.6 [95% confidence interval; 2.5-13.2], P = 7.2 × 10-6). The presence of ATP7B gene 832R/R homozygosity (rs1061472) was found to co-occur with NAT2 UA in AT-DILI patients (P = 0.017) and to amplify the risk in NAT2 UA (OR 32.5 [4.5-1423], P = 7.5 × 10-6). In vitro experiments using human liver-derived cell lines (HepG2 and SNU387 cells) revealed toxic synergism between INH and Cu, which were strongly augmented in cells with defective NAT2 and ATP7B activity, leading to increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, and apoptosis. These findings link the co-occurrence of ATP7B and NAT2 genotypes to the risk of INH-induced hepatotoxicity, providing novel mechanistic insight into individual AT-DILI susceptibility. Yoon et al. showed that individuals who carry NAT2 UAs and ATP7B 832R/R genotypes are at increased risk of developing isoniazid hepatotoxicity, primarily due to the increased synergistic toxicity between isoniazid and copper, which exacerbates mitochondrial dysfunction-related apoptosis.

TNF-α genetic polymorphism -308G/A and antituberculosis drug-induced hepatitis.

BACKGROUND: While the mechanisms underlying the development of drug-induced liver injury are not clear, there is evidence to suggest that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays an important role in drug- or drug metabolite-induced immune responses. We hypothesized that polymorphisms in the TNF-α gene are associated with anti-tuberculosis drug (ATD)-induced hepatitis. METHODS: Patients who suffered from ATD-induced hepatitis were enrolled in the study. ATD-induced hepatitis was defined as an increase in liver transaminase levels that were more than three times the upper limit of normal. ATD-tolerant patients were used as a control. Patients were treated with first line ATD therapies including isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. We compared the genotype frequencies of the TNF-α polymorphism -308G/A in 77 patients with ATD-induced hepatitis and 229 ATD-tolerant patients. RESULTS: The frequency of carrying the variant allele (AG or AA) was significantly higher in patients with ATD-induced hepatitis compared with ATD-tolerant patients [26.0% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.034, OR (95% CI) = 1.94 (1.04–3.64)] and the frequency of the A allele was significantly different between the two groups [0.143 vs. 0.079, P = 0.018, OR (95% CI) = 1.95 (1.11–3.44)]. CONCLUSION: These results reveal that the TNF-α genetic polymorphism -308G/A is significantly associated with ATD-induced hepatitis. This genetic variant may be a risk factor for ATD-induced hepatitis in individuals from Korea.

A new horizon of precision medicine: combination of the microbiome and extracellular vesicles.

Over several decades, the disease pattern of intractable disease has changed from acute infection to chronic disease accompanied by immune and metabolic dysfunction. In addition, scientific evidence has shown that humans are holobionts; of the DNA in humans, 1% is derived from the human genome, and 99% is derived from microbial genomes (the microbiome). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-delimited nanoparticles and key messengers in cell-to-cell communication. Many publications indicate that microbial EVs are both positively and negatively involved in the pathogenesis of various intractable diseases, including inflammatory diseases, metabolic disorders, and cancers. Microbial EVs in feces, blood, and urine show significant differences in their profiles between patients with a particular disease and healthy subjects, demonstrating the potential of microbial EVs as biomarkers for disease diagnosis, especially for assessing disease risk. Furthermore, microbial EV therapy offers a variety of advantages over live biotherapeutics and human cell EV (or exosome) therapy for the treatment of intractable diseases. In summary, microbial EVs are a new tool in medicine, and microbial EV technology might provide us with innovative diagnostic and therapeutic solutions in precision medicine.

Exposure to Crude Oil-Related Volatile Organic Compounds Associated with Lung Function Decline in a Longitudinal Panel of Children.

BACKGROUND: Children in the affected area were exposed to large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the Hebei Spirit oil spill accident. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the lung function loss from the exposure to VOCs in a longitudinal panel of 224 children 1, 3, and 5 years after the VOC exposure event. METHODS: Atmospheric estimated concentration of total VOCs (TVOCs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene for 4 days immediately after the accident were calculated for each village (n = 83) using a modeling technique. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) as an indicator of airway status was measured 1, 3, and 5 years after the exposure in 224 children 4~9 years of age at the exposure to the oil spill. Multiple linear regression and linear mixed models were used to evaluate the associations, with adjustment for smoking and second-hand smoke at home. RESULTS: Among the TVOCs (geometric mean: 1319.5 mg/m3·4 d), xylene (9.4), toluene (8.5), ethylbenzene (5.2), and benzene (2.0) were dominant in the order of air concentration level. In 224 children, percent predicted FEV1 (ppFEV1), adjusted for smoking and second-hand smoke at home, was 100.7% after 1 year, 96.2% after 3 years, and 94.6% after 5 years, and the loss over the period was significant (p < 0.0001). After 1 and 3 years, TVOCs, xylene, toluene, and ethylbenzene were significantly associated with ppFEV1. After 5 years, the associations were not significant. Throughout the 5 years' repeated measurements in the panel, TVOCs, xylene, toluene, and ethylbenzene were significantly associated with ppFEV1. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to VOCs from the oil spill resulted in lung function loss among children, which remained significant up to 5 years after the exposure.

Machine-learning algorithms for asthma, COPD, and lung cancer risk assessment using circulating microbial extracellular vesicle data and their application to assess dietary effects.

Although mounting evidence suggests that the microbiome has a tremendous influence on intractable disease, the relationship between circulating microbial extracellular vesicles (EVs) and respiratory disease remains unexplored. Here, we developed predictive diagnostic models for COPD, asthma, and lung cancer by applying machine learning to microbial EV metagenomes isolated from patient serum and coded by their accumulated taxonomic hierarchy. All models demonstrated high predictive strength with mean AUC values ranging from 0.93 to 0.99 with various important features at the genus and phylum levels. Application of the clinical models in mice showed that various foods reduced high-fat diet-associated asthma and lung cancer risk, while COPD was minimally affected. In conclusion, this study offers a novel methodology for respiratory disease prediction and highlights the utility of serum microbial EVs as data-rich features for noninvasive diagnosis.

Positive and negative associations of HLA class I alleles with allopurinol-induced SCARs in Koreans.

Recent investigations suggest genetic susceptibility of allopurinol-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs). However, the strength of association was variable according to phenotypes and ethnic backgrounds. To explore genetic markers for allopurinol-induced SCARs in Koreans, we genotyped human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles of 25 cases of allopurinol-induced SCARs (20 cases of drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome and five cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis) and 57 patients tolerant to allopurinol. Frequencies of B*5801 [92.0 vs. 10.5%, P(c)=2.45×10(-11), odds ratio (OR)=97.8], Cw*0302 (92.0 vs. 12.3%, P(c)=9.39×10(-11), OR=82.1), and A*3303 (88.0 vs. 26.3%, P(c)=3.31×10(-6), OR=20.5) were significantly higher in SCARs compared with tolerant controls. In contrast, A*0201 was not found in SCARs patients despite relatively high frequency in tolerant controls (29.8%). We found strong positive association of HLA-B*5801 and negative association of HLA-A*0201 with the development of allopurinol-induced SCARs in the Korean population.

NAT2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2E1 genetic polymorphisms in anti-TB drug-induced maculopapular eruption.

PURPOSE: It has been suggested that drug-metabolizing enzymes might play important roles in the development of anti-tuberculosis drug (ATD)-induced maculopapular eruption (MPE), as in ATD-induced hepatitis. We investigated the associations between the genetic polymorphisms of drug-metabolizing enzymes and ATD-induced MPE. METHODS: We enrolled 62 patients with ATD-induced MPE (mean age 47.2 ± 19.0, male 59.7%) and 159 patients without any adverse reactions to ATD (mean age 42.8 ± 17.6, male 65.4%), among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and/or TB pleuritis and treated with first-line anti-TB medications, including isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. We compared the genotype distributions of single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes in four drug-metabolizing enzymes (N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2 C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2E1) among patients with ATD-induced MPE and patients tolerant to ATD using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. These analyses were made without identification of the responsible ATD. RESULTS: -1565 C > T of CYP2C9 showed a significant association with ATD-induced MPE (P = 0.022, OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.78), with a lower frequency of genotypes carrying minor alleles (CT or TT) in the case group than in the controls. Additionally, W212X of CYP2C19 was significantly associated with the risk of ATD-induced MPE (P = 0.042, OR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.09-0.82). In an analysis of the CYP2C19-CYP2C9 haplotypes (-1418 C > T_W212X_-1565 C > T_-1188 C > T), ht3[T-A-T-C] showed a significant association with the development of ATD-induced MPE (P = 0.012, OR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.03-0.57). No significant associations between the other genetic polymorphisms and ATD-induced MPE were observed. CONCLUSIONS: CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 genetic polymorphisms are significantly associated with the risk of developing ATD-induced MPE, and the genetic variants in NAT2 and CYP2E1 are not closely related to the development of this adverse reaction.

A Nationwide Study of Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions Based on the Multicenter Registry in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Because severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) rarely occur, clinical data based on large-scale studies are still lacking. OBJECTIVE: To provide information on culprit drugs and clinical characteristics, including morbidity and mortality of SCARs based on a nationwide registry. METHODS: SCAR cases that occurred from 2010 to 2015 were recruited to the Korean SCAR registry from 34 tertiary referral hospitals. Demographics, causative drugs, causality, and clinical outcomes were collected by reviewing the medical record. RESULTS: A total of 745 SCAR cases (384 SJS/TEN cases and 361 DRESS cases) due to 149 drugs were registered. The main causative drugs were allopurinol (14.0%), carbamazepine (9.5%), vancomycin (4.7%), and antituberculous agents (6.3%). A strong preference for SJS/TEN was observed in carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (100%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (84%), and acetaminophen (83%), whereas dapsone (100%), antituberculous agents (81%), and glycopeptide antibacterials (78%) were more likely to cause DRESS. The mortality rate was 6.6% (SJS/TEN 8.9% and DRESS 4.2%). The median time to death was 19 days and 29 days in SJS/TEN and DRESS respectively, and 89.8% of deaths occurred within 60 days after the onset of the skin symptoms. CONCLUSION: Allopurinol, carbamazepine, vancomycin, and antituberculous agents were the leading causes of SCARs in Korea. Some drugs preferentially caused a specific phenotype. The mortality rate of SCARs was 6.6%, and most of the deaths occurred within 2 months.

A case of hypersensitivity to mosquito bite associated with Epstein-barr viral infection and natural killer cell lymphocytosis.

Hypersensitivity to mosquito bites (HMB) is a disorder characterized by a necrotic skin reaction and generalized symptoms subsequent to mosquito bites. It has been suggested that HMB is associated with chronic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and natural killer cell leukemia/lymphoma. We describe here a Korean child who had HMB associated with chronic EBV infection and natural killer cell lymphocytosis. A 5-yr-old boy was suffered from necrotic skin lesions on the right ear lobe. Type A EB virus was detected from hlood cells and bone marrow biospy recognized hemophagocyrosis.

Perception and attitudes of medical students on clinical clerkship in the era of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been placing severe strain on global healthcare systems and medical education programs, leading to growing demands for medical students to assume the role of preliminary healthcare providers. OBJECTIVES: To assess the perception and attitudes of medical students about clinical clerkship training during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey with web-based 3-fields/14-items questionnaire was conducted, from April 7 to 14, 2020, to evaluate their self-assessed perception and attitudes on clerkship training of hospital practice under the COVID-19 outbreak and spread among 161 (78 on pre-clerkship course, 83 on clinical clerkship course) medical students at Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Republic of Korea. RESULTS: Of the 151 medical students who completed the survey, 81 students (53.7%) considered themselves familiar with COVID-19. Although the students were concerned about the spread of the virus during clinical clerkship training, 118 (78.1%) students preferred the clerkship training in a hospital practice. The students in the clinical clerkship program preferred this over those in the pre-clerkship program (85.7% vs. 70.2%, P = 0.03), primarily because a clinical clerkship could not be replaced by an online class during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, their responses indicated, in order of significance, fear of not completing the clerkship course on time, willingness to participate as a preliminary healthcare provider in pandemic, the potential waste of tuition, and belief that a hospital is rather safe. The change in the academic calendar had not a positive impact on the lifestyles of many students. CONCLUSIONS: In circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, educational strategies to clinical clerkship training for medical students should be developed to provide them with the opportunity to be actively involved in hospital practice under strict safety guidance focused on preventing virus infection and transmission.

Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with pneumonia caused by Raoultella planticola.

BACKGROUND: Raoultella planticola, considered to be an environmental organism, is a rare cause of human infections. Although in recent years the frequency of R. planticola infections reported in the literature has increased, few cases of pneumonia caused by R. planticola have been described. Here, we investigate the clinical characteristics, management, and clinical outcomes of pneumonia caused by R. planticola. METHODS: Consecutive patients with pneumonia caused by R. planticola were included. The medical records of patients with R. planticola pneumonia treated at Dankook University Hospital from January 2011 to December 2017 were collected. RESULTS: A total of 11 adult patients with R. planticola pneumonia were diagnosed and treated [10 males and 1 female; median age, 70 years (range: 51-79 years)]; 5 patients had underlying malignant conditions (45.5%). Antibacterial susceptibility testing showed that all isolates of R. planticola were susceptible to cephalosporins, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and beta-lactams/beta-lactamase inhibitors. Chest imaging revealed consolidation (8/11, 72.7%), ground-glass opacity (5/11, 45.5%), pleural effusion (5/11, 45.5%), and micronodules (3/11, 27.3%). Four patients (36.4%) required mechanical ventilation; three survived but one died of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (principally pneumonia and septic shock). CONCLUSIONS: R. planticola pneumonia occurred mainly in patients with underlying risk factors such as malignant disease, cerebral infarction or hemorrhage, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The organism was sensitive to most antibiotics, and the clinical outcomes were favorable after empirical antibiotic therapy.

Diagnostic Models for Atopic Dermatitis Based on Serum Microbial Extracellular Vesicle Metagenomic Analysis: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Associations between a wide variety of diseases and the microbiome have been extensively verified. Recently, there has been a rising interest in the role the microbiome plays in atopic dermatitis (AD). Furthermore, metagenomic analysis of microbe-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) has revealed the importance and relevance of microbial EVs in human health. METHODS: We compared the diversity and proportion of microbial EVs in the sera of 24 AD patients and 49 healthy controls, and developed a diagnostic model. After separating microbial EVs from serum, we specifically targeted the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rDNA gene for amplification and subsequent sequencing. RESULTS: Alpha and beta diversity between controls and AD patients both differed, but only the difference in beta diversity was significant. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in healthy controls and AD patients, accounting for over 85% of the total serum bacterial EVs. Also, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and Cyanobacteria relative abundances were significantly different between the AD and control groups. At the genus level, the proportions of Escherichia-Shigella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Enterococcus were drastically altered between the AD and control groups. AD diagnostic models developed using biomarkers selected on the basis of linear discriminant analysis effect size from the class to genus levels all yielded area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of value 1.00. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, microbial EVs demonstrated the potential in their use as novel biomarkers for AD diagnosis. Therefore, future work should investigate larger case and control groups with cross-sectional or longitudinal clinical data to explore the utility and validity of serum microbiota EV-based AD diagnosis.

Brain tumor diagnostic model and dietary effect based on extracellular vesicle microbiome data in serum.

The human microbiome has been recently associated with human health and disease. Brain tumors (BTs) are a particularly difficult condition to directly link to the microbiome, as microorganisms cannot generally cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, some nanosized extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from microorganisms can cross the BBB and enter the brain. Therefore, we conducted metagenomic analysis of microbial EVs in both serum (152 BT patients and 198 healthy controls (HC)) and brain tissue (5 BT patients and 5 HC) samples based on the V3-V4 regions of 16S rDNA. We then developed diagnostic models through logistic regression and machine learning algorithms using serum EV metagenomic data to assess the ability of various dietary supplements to reduce BT risk in vivo. Models incorporating the stepwise method and the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) method yielded 12 and 29 significant genera as potential biomarkers, respectively. Models using the selected biomarkers yielded areas under the curves (AUCs) >0.93, and the model using machine learning resulted in an AUC of 0.99. In addition, Dialister and [Eubacterium] rectale were significantly lower in both blood and tissue samples of BT patients than in those of HCs. In vivo tests showed that BT risk was decreased through the addition of sorghum, brown rice oil, and garlic but conversely increased by the addition of bellflower and pear. In conclusion, serum EV metagenomics shows promise as a rich data source for highly accurate detection of BT risk, and several foods have potential for mitigating BT risk.

Lung Disease Diagnostic Model Through IgG Sensitization to Microbial Extracellular Vesicles.

PURPOSE: Recently, there has been a rise in the interest to understand the composition of indoor dust due to its association with lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Furthermore, it has been found that bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) within indoor dust particles can induce pulmonary inflammation, suggesting that these might play a role in lung disease. METHODS: We performed microbiome analysis of indoor dust EVs isolated from mattresses in apartments and hospitals. We developed diagnostic models based on the bacterial EVs antibodies detected in serum samples via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in this analysis. RESULTS: Proteobacteria was the most abundant bacterial EV taxa observed at the phylum level while Pseudomonas, Enterobacteriaceae (f) and Acinetobacter were the most prominent organisms at the genus level, followed by Staphylococcus. Based on the microbiome analysis, serum anti-bacterial EV immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgG1 and IgG4 were analyzed using ELISA with EV antibodies that targeted Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The levels of anti-bacterial EV antibodies were found to be significantly higher in patients with asthma, COPD and lung cancer compared to the healthy control group. We then developed a diagnostic model through logistic regression of antibodies that showed significant differences between groups with smoking history as a covariate. Four different variable selection methods were compared to construct an optimal diagnostic model with area under the curves ranging from 0.72 to 0.81. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that ELISA-based analysis of anti-bacterial EV antibodies titers can be used as a diagnostic tool for lung disease. The present findings provide insights into the pathogenesis of lung disease as well as a foundation for developing a novel diagnostic methodology that synergizes microbial EV metagenomics and immune assays.

Repression of TNF-alpha-induced IL-8 expression by the glucocorticoid receptor-beta involves inhibition of histone H4 acetylation.

Increased expression of a number of proinflammatory genes, including IL-8, is associated with inflammatory conditions such as asthma. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR)beta, one of the GR isoforms, has been suggested to be upregulated in asthma associated with glucocorticoid insensitivity and to work as a dominant negative inhibitor of wild type GRalpha. However, recent data suggest that GRbeta is not a dominant negative inhibitor of GRalpha in the transrepressive process and has its own functional role. We investigated the functional role of GRbeta expression in the suppressive effect of glucocorticoids on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced IL-8 release in an airway epithelial cell line. GRbeta expression was induced by treatment of epithelial cells with either dexamethasone or TNF-alpha. GRbeta was able to inhibit glucocorticoid-induced transcriptional activation mediated by binding to glucocorticoid response elements (GREs). The suppressive effect of dexamethasone on TNF-alpha-induced IL-8 transcription was not affected by GRbeta overexpression, rather GRbeta had its own weak suppressive activity on TNF-alpha-induced IL-8 expression. Overall histone deacetylase activity and histone acetyltransferase activity were not changed by GRbeta overexpression, but TNF-alpha-induced histone H4 acetylation at the IL-8 promoter was decreased with GRbeta overexpression. This study suggests that GRbeta overexpression does not affect glucocorticoid-induced suppression of IL-8 expression in airway epithelial cells and GRbeta induces its own histone deacetylase activity around IL-8 promoter site.