ABSTRACT
AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence, molecular characteristics, antimicrobial susceptibility, and epithelial invasion of Streptococcus agalactiae strains isolated from pregnant women and newborns in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 67 S. agalactiae isolates, 48 isolates from pregnant women and 19 from neonates, were analyzed. Capsular type Ia and V were predominant (35.8%/each). The multilocus sequence typing analysis revealed the presence of 19 STs grouped into 6 clonal complexes with prevalence of CC17/40.3% and CC23/34.3%. The lmb and iag virulence genes were found in 100% of isolates. Four S. agalactiae strains, belonging to CC17/ST1249 and CC23/ST23, were able to adhere to A549 respiratory epithelial cells. Antimicrobial resistance was verified mainly to tetracycline (85%), erythromycin (70.8%), and clindamycin (58.3%). Four S. agalactiae isolates were multidrug resistant. The resistance genes tested were found in 92.5% of isolates for tetM, 58.2% for ermB, 28.4% for mefAE, and 10.4% for tetO. CONCLUSION: The study showed a high prevalence of virulence and antimicrobial genes in S. agalactiae strains isolated from pregnant women and newborns, supporting the idea that continued surveillance is necessary to identify risk factors and perform long-term follow-up in pregnant women and neonates in Rio de Janeiro.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Epithelial Cells , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Multilocus Sequence Typing , Streptococcal Infections , Streptococcus agalactiae , Streptococcus agalactiae/genetics , Streptococcus agalactiae/drug effects , Streptococcus agalactiae/isolation & purification , Female , Humans , Brazil , Pregnancy , Streptococcal Infections/microbiology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Infant, Newborn , Epithelial Cells/microbiology , Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics , Adult , Virulence Factors/genetics , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/microbiology , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/genetics , Virulence/geneticsABSTRACT
Sepsis is a generalized disease characterized by an extreme response to a severe infection. Moreover, challenges remain in the diagnosis, treatment and management of septic patients. In this mini-review we demonstrate developments on cellular pathogenesis and the role of Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in sepsis. Studies have shown that Cav-1 has a significant role in sepsis through the regulation of membrane traffic and intracellular signaling pathways. In addition, activation of apoptosis/autophagy is considered relevant for the progression and development of sepsis. However, how Cav-1 is involved in sepsis remains unclear, and the precise mechanisms need to be further investigated. Finally, the role of Cav-1 in altering cell permeability during inflammation, in sepsis caused by microorganisms, apoptosis/autophagy activation and new therapies under study are discussed in this mini-review.