Identification of pathways to high-level vancomycin resistance in Clostridioides difficile that incur high fitness costs in key pathogenicity traits.

Clostridioides difficile is an important human pathogen, for which there are very limited treatment options, primarily the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin. In recent years, vancomycin resistance has emerged as a serious problem in several gram-positive pathogens, but high-level resistance has yet to be reported for C. difficile, although it is not known if this is due to constraints upon resistance evolution in this species. Here, we show that resistance to vancomycin can evolve rapidly under ramping selection but is accompanied by fitness costs and pleiotropic trade-offs, including sporulation defects that would be expected to severely impact transmission. We identified 2 distinct pathways to resistance, both of which are predicted to result in changes to the muropeptide terminal D-Ala-D-Ala that is the primary target of vancomycin. One of these pathways involves a previously uncharacterised D,D-carboxypeptidase, expression of which is controlled by a dedicated two-component signal transduction system. Our findings suggest that while C. difficile is capable of evolving high-level vancomycin resistance, this outcome may be limited clinically due to pleiotropic effects on key pathogenicity traits. Moreover, our data identify potential mutational routes to resistance that should be considered in genomic surveillance.

Molecular methods enhance the detection of pyoderma-related Streptococcus pyogenes and emm-type distribution in children.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pyogenes-related skin infections are increasingly implicated in the development of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in lower-resourced settings, where they are often associated with scabies. The true prevalence of S. pyogenes-related pyoderma may be underestimated by bacterial culture. METHODS: A multiplex qPCR for S. pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Sarcoptes scabiei was applied to 250 pyoderma swabs from a cross-sectional study of children <5 years in The Gambia. Direct PCR-based emm-typing was used to supplement previous whole genome sequencing (WGS) of cultured isolates. RESULTS: Pyoderma lesions with S. pyogenes increased from 51% (127/250) using culture to 80% (199/250) with qPCR. Compared to qPCR, the sensitivity of culture was 95.4% for S. pyogenes (95% CI 77.2-99.9) in samples with S. pyogenes alone (22/250, 9%), but 59.9% (95% CI 52.3-67.2) for samples with S. aureus co-infection (177/250, 71%). Direct PCR-based emm-typing was successful in 50% (46/92) of cases, identifying 27 emm-types, including six not identified by WGS (total 52 emm-types). CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial culture significantly underestimates the burden of S. pyogenes in pyoderma, particularly when co-infected with S. aureus. Molecular methods should be used to enhance the detection of S. pyogenes in surveillance studies and clinical trials of preventative measures in RHD-endemic settings.

Streptococcus pyogenes Colonization in Children Aged 24-59 Months in the Gambia: Impact of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine and Associated Serological Responses.

BACKGROUND: Immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes in high burden settings is poorly understood. We explored S. pyogenes nasopharyngeal colonization after intranasal live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) among Gambian children aged 24-59 months, and resulting serological response to 7 antigens. METHODS: A post hoc analysis was performed in 320 children randomized to receive LAIV at baseline (LAIV group) or not (control). S. pyogenes colonization was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on nasopharyngeal swabs from baseline (day 0), day 7, and day 21. Anti-streptococcal IgG was quantified, including a subset with paired serum before/after S. pyogenes acquisition. RESULTS: The point prevalence of S. pyogenes colonization was 7%-13%. In children negative at day 0, S. pyogenes was detected at day 7 or 21 in 18% of LAIV group and 11% of control group participants (P = .12). The odds ratio (OR) for colonization over time was significantly increased in the LAIV group (day 21 vs day 0 OR, 3.18; P = .003) but not in the control group (OR, 0.86; P = .79). The highest IgG increases following asymptomatic colonization were seen for M1 and SpyCEP proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic S. pyogenes colonization appears modestly increased by LAIV, and may be immunologically significant. LAIV could be used to study influenza-S. pyogenes interactions. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT02972957.

Impact of intra-partum azithromycin on carriage of group A streptococcus in the Gambia: a posthoc analysis of a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a major human pathogen and an important cause of maternal and neonatal sepsis. Asymptomatic bacterial colonization is considered a necessary step towards sepsis. Intra-partum azithromycin may reduce GAS carriage. METHODS: A posthoc analysis of a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized-trial was performed to determine the impact of 2 g oral dose of intra-partum azithromycin on maternal and neonatal GAS carriage and antibiotic resistance. Following screening, 829 mothers were randomized who delivered 843 babies. GAS was determined by obtaining samples from the maternal and newborn nasopharynx, maternal vaginal tract and breastmilk. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of GAS isolates was performed using the Illumina Miseq platform. RESULTS: GAS carriage was lower in the nasopharynx of both mothers and babies and breast milk among participants in the azithromycin arm. No differences in GAS carriage were found between groups in the vaginal tract. The occurrence of azithromycin-resistant GAS was similar in both arms, except for a higher prevalence in the vaginal tract among women in the azithromycin arm. WGS revealed all macrolide-resistant vaginal tract isolates from the azithromycin arm were Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis expressing Lancefield group A carbohydrate (SDSE(A)) harbouring macrolide resistant genes msr(D) and mef(A). Ten of the 45 GAS isolates (22.2%) were SDSE(A). CONCLUSIONS: Oral intra-partum azithromycin reduced GAS carriage among Gambian mothers and neonates however carriage in the maternal vaginal tract was not affected by the intervention due to azithromycin resistant SDSE(A). SDSE(A) resistance must be closely monitored to fully assess the public health impact of intrapartum azithromycin on GAS. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01800942.

WDR26 Haploinsufficiency Causes a Recognizable Syndrome of Intellectual Disability, Seizures, Abnormal Gait, and Distinctive Facial Features.

We report 15 individuals with de novo pathogenic variants in WDR26. Eleven of the individuals carry loss-of-function mutations, and four harbor missense substitutions. These 15 individuals comprise ten females and five males, and all have intellectual disability with delayed speech, a history of febrile and/or non-febrile seizures, and a wide-based, spastic, and/or stiff-legged gait. These subjects share a set of common facial features that include a prominent maxilla and upper lip that readily reveal the upper gingiva, widely spaced teeth, and a broad nasal tip. Together, these features comprise a recognizable facial phenotype. We compared these features with those of chromosome 1q41q42 microdeletion syndrome, which typically contains WDR26, and noted that clinical features are consistent between the two subsets, suggesting that haploinsufficiency of WDR26 contributes to the pathology of 1q41q42 microdeletion syndrome. Consistent with this, WDR26 loss-of-function single-nucleotide mutations identified in these subjects lead to nonsense-mediated decay with subsequent reduction of RNA expression and protein levels. We derived a structural model of WDR26 and note that missense variants identified in these individuals localize to highly conserved residues of this WD-40-repeat-containing protein. Given that WDR26 mutations have been identified in ∼1 in 2,000 of subjects in our clinical cohorts and that WDR26 might be poorly annotated in exome variant-interpretation pipelines, we would anticipate that this disorder could be more common than currently appreciated.

BCL11A Haploinsufficiency Causes an Intellectual Disability Syndrome and Dysregulates Transcription.

Intellectual disability (ID) is a common condition with considerable genetic heterogeneity. Next-generation sequencing of large cohorts has identified an increasing number of genes implicated in ID, but their roles in neurodevelopment remain largely unexplored. Here we report an ID syndrome caused by de novo heterozygous missense, nonsense, and frameshift mutations in BCL11A, encoding a transcription factor that is a putative member of the BAF swi/snf chromatin-remodeling complex. Using a comprehensive integrated approach to ID disease modeling, involving human cellular analyses coupled to mouse behavioral, neuroanatomical, and molecular phenotyping, we provide multiple lines of functional evidence for phenotypic effects. The etiological missense variants cluster in the amino-terminal region of human BCL11A, and we demonstrate that they all disrupt its localization, dimerization, and transcriptional regulatory activity, consistent with a loss of function. We show that Bcl11a haploinsufficiency in mice causes impaired cognition, abnormal social behavior, and microcephaly in accordance with the human phenotype. Furthermore, we identify shared aberrant transcriptional profiles in the cortex and hippocampus of these mouse models. Thus, our work implicates BCL11A haploinsufficiency in neurodevelopmental disorders and defines additional targets regulated by this gene, with broad relevance for our understanding of ID and related syndromes.

Mosaic Turner syndrome shows reduced penetrance in an adult population study.

PURPOSE: Many women with X chromosome aneuploidy undergo lifetime clinical monitoring for possible complications. However, ascertainment of cases in the clinic may mean that the penetrance has been overestimated. METHODS: We characterized the prevalence and phenotypic consequences of X chromosome aneuploidy in a population of 244,848 women over 40 years of age from UK Biobank, using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array data. RESULTS: We detected 30 women with 45,X; 186 with mosaic 45,X/46,XX; and 110 with 47,XXX. The prevalence of nonmosaic 45,X (12/100,000) and 47,XXX (45/100,000) was lower than expected, but was higher for mosaic 45,X/46,XX (76/100,000). The characteristics of women with 45,X were consistent with the characteristics of a clinically recognized Turner syndrome phenotype, including short stature and primary amenorrhea. In contrast, women with mosaic 45,X/46,XX were less short, had a normal reproductive lifespan and birth rate, and no reported cardiovascular complications. The phenotype of women with 47,XXX included taller stature (5.3 cm; SD = 5.52 cm; P = 5.8 × 10-20) and earlier menopause age (5.12 years; SD = 5.1 years; P = 1.2 × 10-14). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the clinical management of women with 45,X/46,XX mosaicism should be minimal, particularly those identified incidentally.

Maternal variants in NLRP and other maternal effect proteins are associated with multilocus imprinting disturbance in offspring.

BACKGROUND: Genomic imprinting results from the resistance of germline epigenetic marks to reprogramming in the early embryo for a small number of mammalian genes. Genetic, epigenetic or environmental insults that prevent imprints from evading reprogramming may result in imprinting disorders, which impact growth, development, behaviour and metabolism. We aimed to identify genetic defects causing imprinting disorders by whole-exome sequencing in families with one or more members affected by multilocus imprinting disturbance. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing was performed in 38 pedigrees where probands had multilocus imprinting disturbance, in five of whom maternal variants in NLRP5 have previously been found. RESULTS: We now report 15 further pedigrees in which offspring had disturbance of imprinting, while their mothers had rare, predicted-deleterious variants in maternal effect genes, including NLRP2, NLRP7 and PADI6. As well as clinical features of well-recognised imprinting disorders, some offspring had additional features including developmental delay, behavioural problems and discordant monozygotic twinning, while some mothers had reproductive problems including pregnancy loss. CONCLUSION: The identification of 20 putative maternal effect variants in 38 families affected by multilocus imprinting disorders adds to the evidence that maternal genetic factors affect oocyte fitness and thus offspring development. Testing for maternal-effect genetic variants should be considered in families affected by atypical imprinting disorders.

Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology of Staphylococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome in the United Kingdom.

Staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS) was originally described in menstruating women and linked to TSS toxin 1 (TSST-1)-producing Staphylococcus aureus. Using UK national surveillance data, we ascertained clinical, molecular and superantigenic characteristics of TSS cases. Average annual TSS incidence was 0.07/100,000 population. Patients with nonmenstrual TSS were younger than those with menstrual TSS but had the same mortality rate. Children <16 years of age accounted for 39% of TSS cases, most caused by burns and skin and soft tissue infections. Nonmenstrual TSS is now more common than menstrual TSS in the UK, although both types are strongly associated with the tst+ clonal complex (CC) 30 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus lineage, which accounted for 49.4% of all TSS and produced more TSST-1 and superantigen bioactivity than did tst+ CC30 methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains. Better understanding of this MSSA lineage and infections in children could focus interventions to prevent TSS in the future.

The DNases of pathogenic Lancefield streptococci.

DNases are abundant among the pathogenic streptococci, with most species harbouring genes for at least one. Despite their prevalence, however, the role for these extracellular enzymes is still relatively unclear. The DNases of the Lancefield group A Streptococcus, S. pyogenes are the best characterized, with a total of eight DNase genes identified so far. Six are known to be associated with integrated prophages. Two are chromosomally encoded, and one of these is cell-wall anchored. Homologues of both prophage-associated and chromosomally encoded S. pyogenes DNases have been identified in other streptococcal species, as well as other unique DNases. A major role identified for streptococcal DNases appears to be in the destruction of extracellular traps produced by immune cells, such as neutrophils, to ensnare bacteria and kill them. These traps are composed primarily of DNA which can be degraded by the secreted and cell-wall-anchored streptococcal DNases. DNases can also reduce TLR-9 signalling to dampen the immune response and produce cytotoxic deoxyadenosine to limit phagocytosis. Upper respiratory tract infection models of S. pyogenes have identified a role for DNases in potentiating infection and transmission, possibly by limiting the immune response or through some other unknown mechanism. Streptococcal DNases may also be involved in interacting with other microbial communities through communication, bacterial killing and disruption of competitive biofilms, or control of their own biofilm production. The contribution of DNases to pathogenesis may therefore be wide ranging and extend beyond direct interference with the host immune response.

Scarlet Fever Upsurge in England and Molecular-Genetic Analysis in North-West London, 2014.

Scarlet fever notifications surged across the United Kingdom in spring 2014. Molecular epidemiologic investigation of Streptococcus pyogenes infections in North-West London highlighted increased emm4 and emm3 infections coincident with the upsurge. Unlike outbreaks in other countries, antimicrobial resistance was uncommon, highlighting an urgent need to better understand the drivers of scarlet fever activity.

Maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 20: a novel imprinting disorder of growth failure.

PURPOSE: Maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 20 (UPD(20)mat) has been reported in only four patients, three of whom also had mosaicism for complete or partial trisomy of chromosome 20. We sought to evaluate the clinical significance of isolated UPD(20)mat in eight individuals. METHODS: We evaluated phenotypic and genomic findings of a series of eight new patients with UPD(20)mat. RESULTS: All eight individuals with UPD(20)mat had intrauterine growth restriction, short stature, and prominent feeding difficulties with failure to thrive. As a common feature, they often required gastric tube feeds. Genomic data in most patients are indicative of UPD as a result of trisomy rescue after meiosis II nondisjunction. CONCLUSION: We describe the first natural history of the disorder and the results of therapeutic interventions, including the frequent requirement of direct gastric feedings only during the first few years of life, and propose that growth hormone supplementation is probably safe and effective for this condition. We suggest that UPD(20)mat can be regarded as a new imprinting disorder and its identification requires specialized molecular testing, which should be performed in patients with early-onset idiopathic isolated growth failure.Genet Med 18 4, 309-315.

RocA truncation underpins hyper-encapsulation, carriage longevity and transmissibility of serotype M18 group A streptococci.

Group A streptococcal isolates of serotype M18 are historically associated with epidemic waves of pharyngitis and the non-suppurative immune sequela rheumatic fever. The serotype is defined by a unique, highly encapsulated phenotype, yet the molecular basis for this unusual colony morphology is unknown. Here we identify a truncation in the regulatory protein RocA, unique to and conserved within our serotype M18 GAS collection, and demonstrate that it underlies the characteristic M18 capsule phenotype. Reciprocal allelic exchange mutagenesis of rocA between M18 GAS and M89 GAS demonstrated that truncation of RocA was both necessary and sufficient for hyper-encapsulation via up-regulation of both precursors required for hyaluronic acid synthesis. Although RocA was shown to positively enhance covR transcription, quantitative proteomics revealed RocA to be a metabolic regulator with activity beyond the CovR/S regulon. M18 GAS demonstrated a uniquely protuberant chain formation following culture on agar that was dependent on excess capsule and the RocA mutation. Correction of the M18 rocA mutation reduced GAS survival in human blood, and in vivo naso-pharyngeal carriage longevity in a murine model, with an associated drop in bacterial airborne transmission during infection. In summary, a naturally occurring truncation in a regulator explains the encapsulation phenotype, carriage longevity and transmissibility of M18 GAS, highlighting the close interrelation of metabolism, capsule and virulence.

Inside the 8p23.1 duplication syndrome; eight microduplications of likely or uncertain clinical significance.

The 8p23.1 duplication syndrome (8p23.1 DS) is a recurrent genomic condition with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 58,000. The core 3.68 Mb duplication contains 32 genes of which five are currently candidates for the phenotypic features. Here we describe four patients and five families with eight microduplications of 8p23.1 ranging from 187 to 1082 kb in size and one atypical duplication of 4 Mb. These indicate that a minimal region of overlap (MRO) in medial 8p23.1 can give rise to features of 8p23.1 DS including developmental delay, dysmorphism, macrocephaly and otitis media, but not congenital heart disease (CHD). This MRO spans 776 kb (chr8:10,167,881-10,943,836 hg19) and contains SOX7 and seven of the other 32 core 8p23.1 DS genes. In centromeric 8p23.1, microduplications including GATA4 can give rise to non-syndromic CHD but the clinical significance of two smaller centromeric microduplications without GATA4 was uncertain due to severe neurological profiles not usually found in 8p23.1 DS. The clinical significance of three further 8p23.1 microduplications was uncertain due to additional genetic factors without which the probands might not have come to medical attention. Variable expressivity was indicated by the almost entirely unaffected parents in all five families and the mildly affected sibling in one. Intronic interruptions of six genes by microduplication breakpoint intervals had no apparent additional clinical consequences. Our results suggest that 8p23.1 DS is an oligogenetic condition largely caused by the duplication and interactions of the SOX7 and GATA4 transcription factors.

Monoterpene separation by coupling proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry with fastGC.

Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) is a well-established technique for real-time analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although it is extremely sensitive (with sensitivities of up to 4500 cps/ppbv, limits of detection <1 pptv and the response times of approximately 100 ms), the selectivity of PTR-MS is still somewhat limited, as isomers cannot be separated. Recently, selectivity-enhancing measures, such as manipulation of drift tube parameters (reduced electric field strength) and using primary ions other than H3O(+), such as NO(+) and O2 (+), have been introduced. However, monoterpenes, which belong to the most important plant VOCs, still cannot be distinguished so more traditional technologies, such as gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), have to be utilised. GC-MS is very time consuming (up to 1 h) and cannot be used for real-time analysis. Here, we introduce a sensitive, near-to-real-time method for plant monoterpene research-PTR-MS coupled with fastGC. We successfully separated and identified six of the most abundant monoterpenes in plant studies (α- and ß-pinenes, limonene, 3-carene, camphene and myrcene) in less than 80 s, using both standards and conifer branch enclosures (Norway spruce, Scots pine and black pine). Five monoterpenes usually present in Norway spruce samples with a high abundance were separated even when the compound concentrations were diluted to 20 ppbv. Thus, fastGC-PTR-ToF-MS was shown to be an adequate one-instrument solution for plant monoterpene research.

Next generation sequencing of chromosomal rearrangements in patients with split-hand/split-foot malformation provides evidence for DYNC1I1 exonic enhancers of DLX5/6 expression in humans.

OBJECTIVE: Split-hand/foot malformation type 1 is an autosomal dominant condition with reduced penetrance and variable expression. We report three individuals from two families with split-hand/split-foot malformation (SHFM) in whom next generation sequencing was performed to investigate the cause of their phenotype. METHODS AND RESULTS: The first proband has a de novo balanced translocation t(2;7)(p25.1;q22) identified by karyotyping. Whole genome sequencing showed that the chromosome 7 breakpoint is situated within the SHFM1 locus on chromosome 7q21.3. This separates the DYNC1I1 exons recently identified as limb enhancers in mouse studies from their target genes, DLX5 and DLX6. In the second family, X-linked recessive inheritance was suspected and exome sequencing was performed to search for a mutation in the affected proband and his uncle. No coding mutation was found within the SHFM2 locus at Xq26 or elsewhere in the exome, but a 106 kb deletion within the SHFM1 locus was detected through copy number analysis. Genome sequencing of the deletion breakpoints showed that the DLX5 and DLX6 genes are disomic but the putative DYNC1I1 exon 15 and 17 enhancers are deleted. CONCLUSIONS: Exome sequencing identified a 106 kb deletion that narrows the SHFM1 critical region from 0.9 to 0.1 Mb and confirms a key role of DYNC1I1 exonic enhancers in normal limb formation in humans.

Molecular characterization of Streptococcus pyogenes (StrepA) non-invasive isolates during the 2022-2023 UK upsurge.

At the end of 2022 into early 2023, the UK Health Security Agency reported unusually high levels of scarlet fever and invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (StrepA or group A Streptococcus). During this time, we collected and genome-sequenced 341 non-invasive throat and skin S. pyogenes isolates identified during routine clinical diagnostic testing in Sheffield, a large UK city. We compared the data with that obtained from a similar collection of 165 isolates from 2016 to 2017. Numbers of throat-associated isolates collected peaked in early December 2022, reflecting the national scarlet fever upsurge, while skin infections peaked later in December. The most common emm-types in 2022-2023 were emm1 (28.7 %), emm12 (24.9 %) and emm22 (7.7 %) in throat and emm1 (22 %), emm12 (10 %), emm76 (18 %) and emm49 (7 %) in skin. While all emm1 isolates were the M1UK lineage, the comparison with 2016-2017 revealed diverse lineages in other emm-types, including emm12, and emergent lineages within other types including a new acapsular emm75 lineage, demonstrating that the upsurge was not completely driven by a single genotype. The analysis of the capsule locus predicted that only 51 % of throat isolates would produce capsule compared with 78% of skin isolates. Ninety per cent of throat isolates were also predicted to have high NADase and streptolysin O (SLO) expression, based on the promoter sequence, compared with only 56% of skin isolates. Our study has highlighted the value in analysis of non-invasive isolates to characterize tissue tropisms, as well as changing strain diversity and emerging genomic features which may have implications for spillover into invasive disease and future S. pyogenes upsurges.

Streptococcus pyogenes carriage and infection within households in The Gambia: a longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pyogenes causes more than 500 000 deaths per year globally, which occur disproportionately in low-income and middle-income countries. The roles of S pyogenes skin and pharyngeal carriage in transmission are unclear. We aimed to investigate the clinical epidemiology and household transmission dynamics of both S pyogenes asymptomatic carriage and infection in a high-burden setting. METHODS: We did a 1-year prospective, longitudinal, household cohort study, recruiting healthy participants from households in Sukuta, The Gambia. Households were eligible if they comprised at least three members, including one child younger than 18 years, and were excluded if more than half of household members declined to participate. Households were identified by random GPS coordinates derived from census data. At monthly visits, pharyngeal and normal skin swabs were collected for S pyogenes culture, and sociodemographic data were recorded by interview. Incident pharyngitis and pyoderma infections were captured. Cultured isolates underwent emm genotyping. The primary outcome measures were incidence of S pyogenes carriage and disease. Additional outcomes were prevalence of S pyogenes skin and pharyngeal carriage, S pyogenes skin and pharyngeal clearance time, S pyogenes emm type, risk factors for carriage and disease events, household secondary attack rate, and emm-linked household transmission events. The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05117528. FINDINGS: Between July 27, 2021, and Sept 28, 2022, 442 participants were enrolled from 44 households. The median age was 15 years (IQR 6-28) and 233 (53%) were female. We identified 17 pharyngitis and 99 pyoderma events and 49 pharyngeal and 39 skin S pyogenes carriage acquisition events. Mean monthly prevalence was 1·4% (95% CI 1·1-1·9) for S pyogenes pharyngeal carriage and 1·2% (0·9-1·6) for S pyogenes skin carriage. Incidence was 120 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 87-166) for S pyogenes pharyngeal carriage, 124 per 1000 person-years (90-170) for S pyogenes skin carriage, 51 per 1000 person-years (31-84) for S pyogenes pharyngitis, and 263 per 1000 person-years (212-327) for S pyogenes pyoderma. Pharyngeal carriage risk was higher during the rainy season (HR 5·67, 95% CI 2·19-14·69) and in larger households (per additional person: 1·03, 1·00-1·05), as was pharyngitis risk (rainy season: 3·00, 1·10-8·22; household size: 1·04, 1·02-1·07). Skin carriage risk was not affected by season or household size, but was lower in female than in male participants (0·45, 0·22-0·92) and highest in children younger than 5 years compared with adults (22·69, 3·08-167·21), with similar findings for pyoderma (female sex: 0·34, 0·19-0·61; age <5 years: 7·00, 2·78-17·64). Median clearance time after carriage acquisition was 4·0 days for both skin (IQR 3·5-7·0) and pharynx (3·5-7·3). The mean household secondary attack rate was 4·9 (95% CI 3·5-6·3) for epidemiologically linked S pyogenes events and 0·74 (0·3-1·2) for emm-linked S pyogenes events. Of the 204 carriage and disease events, emm types were available for 179 (88%). Only 18 emm-linked between-visit household transmission events were identified. Pyoderma was the most common source of S pyogenes household transmissions in 11 (61%) of 18 emm-linked transmissions. Both pharynx to skin and skin to pharynx transmission events were observed. INTERPRETATION: S pyogenes carriage and infection are common in The Gambia, particularly in children. Most events are non-household acquisitions, but skin carriage and pyoderma have an important role in S pyogenes household transmission and bidirectional transmission between skin and pharynx occurs. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust, Chadwick Trust, Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (Belgium), European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, and Medical Research Council (UK).

International survey on invasive lobular breast cancer identifies priority research questions.

There is growing awareness of the unique etiology, biology, and clinical presentation of invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC), but additional research is needed to ensure translation of findings into management and treatment guidelines. We conducted a survey with input from breast cancer physicians, laboratory-based researchers, and patients to analyze the current understanding of ILC, and identify consensus research questions. 1774 participants from 66 countries respondents self-identified as clinicians (N = 413), researchers (N = 376), and breast cancer patients and advocates (N = 1120), with some belonging to more than one category. The majority of physicians reported being very/extremely (41%) to moderately (42%) confident in describing the differences between ILC and invasive breast cancer of no special type (NST). Knowledge of histology was seen as important (73%) and as affecting treatment decisions (51%), and most agreed that refining treatment guidelines would be valuable (76%). 85% of clinicians have never powered a clinical trial to allow subset analysis for histological subtypes, but the majority would consider it, and would participate in an ILC clinical trials consortium. The majority of laboratory researchers, reported being and very/extremely (48%) to moderately (29%) confident in describing differences between ILC and NST. They reported that ILCs are inadequately presented in large genomic data sets, and that ILC models are insufficient. The majority have adequate access to tissue or blood from patients with ILC. The majority of patients and advocates (52%) thought that their health care providers did not sufficiently explain the unique features of ILC. They identified improvement of ILC screening/early detection, and identification of better imaging tools as top research priorities. In contrast, both researchers and clinicians identified understanding of endocrine resistance and identifying novel drugs that can be tested in clinical trials as top research priority. In summary, we have gathered information from an international community of physicians, researchers, and patients/advocates that we expect will lay the foundation for a community-informed collaborative research agenda, with the goal of improving management and personalizing treatment for patients with ILC.