Production of a monoclonal antibody against a galactose-binding protein of Acanthamoeba castellanii and its cytotoxicity.

In this study, it was confirmed whether the galactose-binding protein (GBP) was present in Acanthamoeba castellanii, and its function on a target cell was confirmed by production of an antibody against the GBP. Since the genes for GBP have not yet been identified at all, the purification of GBP was done using galactose-beads from amoebial lysates, and monoclonal antibodies were produced using cell fusion. GBP was confirmed to have a size of about 35 kDa. After the third immunization with purified GBP in BALB/c mice, monoclonal antibody production was analyzed. The clone cultured before limiting dilution was named 2AB2 and showed the highest antibody titer in the culture supernatant of a 24-well plate. AF6 clone cultured after limiting dilution showed an antibody titer of 0.259 in a 75-T flask. Antibodies generated by collecting ascites by injecting monoclonal colonies into the abdominal cavity of mice were confirmed through gel analysis and were observed to belong to the isotype of the IgM having kappa chains. Since the cytotoxicity of A. castellanii was inhibited by about 26% by the monoclonal antibody against GBP, it was confirmed that the antibody against GBP had an inhibitory effect on cytotoxicity. This study was the first report on GBP isolated and purified from A. castellanii, and similarly to a mannose-binding protein (MBP), its involvement in contact-dependent cytotoxicity was demonstrated with monoclonal antibody production.

Management and outcomes of Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteremia in patients without cystic fibrosis: a retrospective observational study.

Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) is an emerging pathogen of nosocomial infection in chronic or critically ill patients without cystic fibrosis (CF). The objective was to evaluate the management and outcomes of BCC bacteremia in patients without CF. We conducted a retrospective study of non-CF adult patients with BCC bacteremia between January 1997 and December 2016 at 4 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. A total of 216 non-CF patients with BCC bacteremia were identified. Most cases were hospital-acquired (79.2%), and the most common source was a central venous catheter (CVC) (42.1%). The rates of susceptibility to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and piperacillin-tazobactam of BCC isolates were high as 92.8% and 90.3%, respectively. The rates of susceptibility to ceftazidime, meropenem, and levofloxacin were 75.5%, 72.3%, and 64.1%, respectively. The 14-day, 30-day, and in-hospital mortality rate was 19.4%, 23.1%, and 31.0%, respectively. Female (OR = 3.1; 95% CI, 1.4-6.8), liver cirrhosis (OR = 6.2; 95% CI, 1.6-16.6), septic shock (OR = 11.2; 95% CI, 5.1-24.8), and catheter-related infection (OR = 2.6, 95% CI, 1.2-5.8) were the independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. The outcome did not differ according to type of antibiotics used. Among 91 patients with CVC-related BCC bacteremia, delayed CVC removal (> 3 days) had a higher rate of persistent bacteremia (54.5 vs. 26.1%; P = 0.03) and lower rate of clinical response (49.0 vs. 71.9%; P = 0.04), compared with early CVC removal (within 3 days). BCC bacteremia occurring in non-CF patients was mostly hospital-acquired and CVC-related. Early removal of the catheter is crucial in treatment of CVC-related BCC bacteremia.

Effects of sub-inhibitory concentrations of nafcillin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampin on biofilm formation of clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are often difficult to treat because of their biofilm-forming ability and antimicrobial resistance. We investigated the effects of sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibiotics on MRSA biofilm formation. Clinical MRSA isolates were grown with sub-MICs (1/256-1/2 × MICs) of nafcillin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampin. The biofilm biomass was measured using crystal violet staining. Of the 107 MRSA isolates tested, 63 (58.9%) belonged to sequence type 5 (ST5), and 44 (41.1%) belonged to ST72. The MIC50/MIC90 values of nafcillin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampin were 256/512, 1/2, 64/512, and 0.008/0.03 mg/L, respectively. The sub-MICs of nafcillin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampin promoted biofilm formation in 75 (70.1%), 49 (45.8%), 89 (83.2%), and 89 (83.2%) isolates, respectively. At sub-MICs of nafcillin, the factors associated with strong biofilm induction were the ST5 strain (P = 0.001) and agr dysfunction (P = 0.005). For the sub-MICs of ciprofloxacin, the associated factors were the ST5 strain (P = 0.002), staphylococcal protein A type t002 strain (P < 0.001), and ciprofloxacin resistance (P < 0.001). Among the sub-MICs of rifampin, only ST5 was associated with strong biofilm induction (P = 0.006). Because the sub-MICs of rifampin were much lower than clinically relevant concentrations, we further tested the capability of biofilm induction in 0.03[Formula: see text]32 mg/L of rifampin. At these concentrations, rifampin-induced biofilm formation was rare in rifampin-susceptible MRSA [1.0% (1 of 100)] but common in rifampin-resistant MRSA [71.4% (5 of 7), P < 0.001]. Induction of biofilm biomass at sub-MICs of antibiotics is common in clinical MRSA isolates and is differentially affected by the MRSA strain and antibiotic class. IMPORTANCE: Bacteria can be exposed to sub-MICs of antibiotics at the beginning and end of a dosing regimen, between doses, or during low-dose therapies. Growing evidence suggests that sub-MICs of antimicrobials can stimulate MRSA biofilm formation and alter the composition of the biofilm matrix. Pevious studies have found that sub-MICs of oxacillin, methicillin, and amoxicillin promote biofilm formation in some community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA). We evaluated biofilm induction by sub-MICs of four different classes of antibiotics in 44 CA-MRSA and 63 healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) strains. Our study indicated that sub-MICs of nafcillin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampin frequently promote biofilm induction in clinical MRSA isolates. Strong biofilm induction in sub-MICs of nafcillin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampin was more frequent in HA-MRSA than in CA-MRSA. Antibiotic-induced biofilm formation depends on the antibiotic class, MRSA strain, and antibiotic resistance. Our results emphasize the importance of maintaining effective bactericidal concentrations of antibiotics to treat biofilm-related infections.

Impact of multidrug resistance on outcomes in hematologic cancer patients with bacterial bloodstream infections.

Despite the improved outcomes in patients with hematological malignancies, infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) pose a new threat to these patients. We retrospectively reviewed the patients with hematological cancer and bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) at a tertiary hospital between 2003 and 2022 to assess the impact of MDROs on outcomes. Among 328 BSIs, 81 (24.7%) were caused by MDROs. MDRO rates increased from 10.3% (2003-2007) to 39.7% (2018-2022) (P < 0.001). The 30-day mortality rate was 25.0%, which was significantly higher in MDRO-infected patients than in non-MDRO-infected patients (48.1 vs. 17.4%; P < 0.001). The observed trend was more pronounced in patients with newly diagnosed diseases and relapsed/refractory disease but less prominent in patients in complete remission. Among MDROs, carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria exhibited the highest mortality, followed by vancomycin-resistant enterococci, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Multivariate analysis identified independent risk factors for 30-day mortality as age ≥ 65 years, newly diagnosed disease, relapsed/refractory disease, MDROs, polymicrobial infection, CRP ≥ 20 mg/L, and inappropriate initial antibiotic therapy. In conclusion, MDROs contribute to adverse outcomes in patients with hematological cancer and bacterial BSIs, with effects varying based on the underlying disease status and causative pathogens. Appropriate initial antibiotic therapy may improve patient outcomes.

Altered small-world property of a dynamic metabolic network in murine left hippocampus after exposure to acute stress.

The acute stress response is a natural and fundamental reaction that balances the physiological conditions of the brain. To maintain homeostasis in the brain, the response is based on changes over time in hormones and neurotransmitters, which are related to resilience and can adapt successfully to acute stress. This increases the need for dynamic analysis over time, and new approaches to examine the relationship between metabolites have emerged. This study investigates whether the constructed metabolic network is a realistic or a random network and is affected by acute stress. While the metabolic network in the control group met the criteria for small-worldness at all time points, the metabolic network in the stress group did not at some time points, and the small-worldness had resilience after the fifth time point. The backbone metabolic network only met the criteria for small-worldness in the control group. Additionally, creatine had lower local efficiency in the stress group than the control group, and for the backbone metabolic network, creatine and glutamate were lower and higher in the stress group than the control group, respectively. These findings provide evidence of metabolic imbalance that may be a pre-stage of alterations to brain structure due to acute stress.

Clostridium difficile infection after orthopedic surgery: Incidence, associated factors, and impact on outcome.

BACKGROUND: To identify the incidence, associated factors, and impact of hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) among patients who have undergone orthopedic surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all adults patients who underwent orthopedic surgery from January 2016 through December 2017 at a tertiary hospital. RESULTS: Of 7,363 patients who underwent orthopedic surgical procedures, 52 (0.7%) developed hospital-acquired CDI. The independent factors associated with CDI were age ≥65 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.4; P < .001), preoperative hospital stay ≥3 days (aOR, 3.7; P < .001), operating time ≥3 hours (aOR, 2.5; P < .005), and antibiotic use for infection treatment (aOR, 4.3; P < .001). After adjusting for the timing of CDI using a multistate model, the mean excess LOS attributable to CDI was 2.8 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4-5.3). The impact of CDI on excess LOS was more evident among patients aged ≥65 years (4.4 days; 95% CI, 1.8-7.0) and those with any comorbidity (5.6 days; 95% CI, 3.0-8.1). CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of CDI after orthopedic surgery was 0.7%. The occurrence of CDI after orthopedic surgery contributes to increased LOS. The greatest impact of CDI on LOS occurs among elderly patients and patients with comorbidities.

Efficient and cost-effective non-invasive population monitoring as a method to assess the genetic diversity of the last remaining population of Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) in the Russia Far East.

Small populations of the endangered species are more vulnerable to extinction and hence require periodic genetic monitoring to establish and revisit the conservation strategies. The Amur leopard is critically endangered with about 100 individuals in the wild. In this study, we developed a simple and cost-effective noninvasive genetic monitoring protocol for Amur leopards. Also, we investigated the impact of fecal sample's age, storage, and collection season on microsatellite genotyping success and data quality. We identified 89 leopard scats out of the 342 fecal samples collected from Land of the Leopard between 2014-2019. Microsatellite genotyping using 12 markers optimized in 3 multiplex PCR reactions reveals presence of at least 24 leopard individuals (18 males and 6 females). There was a significant difference in the success rate of genotyping depending on the time from feces deposition to collection (p = 0.014, Fisher's exact test), with better genotyping success for samples having <2 weeks of environmental exposure. Amur leopard genetic diversity was found low (Ho- 0.33, HE- 0.35, and NA- 2.57) with no visible population substructure and recent bottleneck signature. Although a historical bottleneck footprint was observed. Mitochondrial DNA diversity was also found low with two haplotypes differing by a point mutation reported in 1,769 bp of investigated sequence covering parts of cytochrome b gene (846 bp), NADH-5 gene (611 bp) and control region (312 bp). We recommend periodic genetic monitoring of wild Amur leopards following the proposed methodology to achieve cost effectiveness and efficiency.

Clinical impact of early reinsertion of a central venous catheter after catheter removal in patients with catheter-related bloodstream infections.

OBJECTIVE: Early replacement of a new central venous catheter (CVC) may pose a risk of persistent or recurrent infection in patients with a catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI). We evaluated the clinical impact of early CVC reinsertion after catheter removal in patients with CRBSIs. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of adult patients with confirmed CRBSIs in 2 tertiary-care hospitals over a 7-year period. RESULTS: To treat their infections, 316 patients with CRBSIs underwent CVC removal. Among them, 130 (41.1%) underwent early CVC reinsertion (≤3 days after CVC removal), 39 (12.4%) underwent delayed reinsertion (>3 days), and 147 (46.5%) did not undergo CVC reinsertion. There were no differences in baseline characteristics among the 3 groups, except for nontunneled CVC, presence of septic shock, and reason for CVC reinsertion. The rate of persistent CRBSI in the early CVC reinsertion group (22.3%) was higher than that in the no CVC reinsertion group (7.5%; P = .002) but was similar to that in the delayed CVC reinsertion group (17.9%; P > .99). The other clinical outcomes did not differ among the 3 groups, including rates of 30-day mortality, complicated infection, and recurrence. After controlling for several confounding factors, early CVC reinsertion was not significantly associated with persistent CRBSI (OR, 1.59; P = .35) or 30-day mortality compared with delayed CVC reinsertion (OR, 0.81; P = .68). CONCLUSIONS: Early CVC reinsertion in the setting of CRBSI may be safe. Replacement of a new CVC should not be delayed in patients who still require a CVC for ongoing management.

Genetic and phylogenetic structure of Hynobius quelpaertensis, an endangered endemic salamander species on the Korean Peninsula.

BACKGROUND: The Korean Peninsula is a small but unique area showing great endemic Hynobius diversity with H. quelpaertensis, H. yangi, H. unisacculus and three species candidates (HC1, HC3 and HC4). H. quelpaertensis is distributed in the southern part and in Jeju Island, while the remaining species have extremely narrow distributions. OBJECTIVES: To examine the genetic structure of H. quelpaertensis and the phylogenetic placement in Hynobius. METHODS: Three mitochondrial and six microsatellite loci were genotyped for 204 Hynobius quelpaertensis, three H. leechii, three H. yangi, three HC1, two H. unisacculus, three HC3, three HC4 and ten Japanses H. lichenatus. RESULTS: A high level of mitochondrial diversity was found in H. quelpaertensis. Our mitochondrial data showed evidence of a historical link between inland and Jeju Island despite the signature of founder effect likely experienced by the early island populations. However, our microsatellite analysis showed the fairly clear signature of isolation history between in- and island populations. Upon phylogenetic analysis, H. quelpaertensis, H. unisacculus and HC1 formed a cluster, whereas H. yangi belonged to a separate cluster. HC3 and HC4 were clustered with either H. quelpaertensis or H. yangi depending on the locus used. CONCLUSION: Our results show at least partially the historical imprints engraved by dispersal of Korean endemic Hynobius during Pleistocene, potentially providing a fundamental basis in determining the conservation units and finding management strategies for these species.

Microbial Etiology of Pyogenic Vertebral Osteomyelitis According to Patient Characteristics.

BACKGROUND: It is difficult to select an appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment regimen for patients with culture-negative pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO). Having knowledge of the distribution of microorganisms according to patient characteristics can help clinicians make informed choices regarding empirical antibiotics. The aim of this study was to determine the microbial distribution among individuals with PVO according to their demographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients admitted to our hospital with culture-confirmed PVO between January 2005 and December 2017 and collected data on demographics, underlying diseases, and radiographic and microbiological results. Statistical analysis was performed to identify associations between specific bacteria and specific patient characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 586 patients were included in the study. The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus infections was higher in young patients than in old patients, while gram-negative bacterial infections and Enterococcus were more prevalent in older patients. Gram-negative bacterial infections were more common in women than in men (32.1% vs 16.4%; P < .05), in patients with cirrhosis than in those without (32.7% vs 21.1%; P < .05), and in patients with a solid tumor than in those without (31.0% vs 20.7%; P < .05). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections were more prevalent in patients with chronic renal disease than in those without (34.4% vs 14.7%; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The microbial etiology of PVO varies according to patient characteristics. Patient characteristics should thus be considered when choosing empirical antibiotics in patients with culture-negative PVO.

Altered structural brain network resulting from white matter injury in obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess, using fractional anisotropy (FA) analysis, alterations of brain network connectivity in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Abnormal networks could mediate clinical functional deficits and reflect brain tissue injury. METHODS: Structural brain networks were constructed using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) from 165 healthy (age 57.99 ± 6.02 years, male 27.9%) and 135 OSA participants (age 59.01 ± 5.91 years, male 28.9%) and global network properties (strength, global efficiency, and local efficiency) and regional efficiency were compared between groups. We examined MRI biomarkers of brain tissue injury using FA analysis and its effect on the network properties. RESULTS: Differences between groups of interest were noted in global network properties (p-value < 0.05, corrected), and regional efficiency (p-value < 0.05, corrected) in the left middle cingulate and paracingulate gyri, right posterior cingulate gyrus, and amygdala. In FA analysis, OSA participants showed lower FA values in white matter (WM) of the right transverse temporal, anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri, and left postcentral, middle frontal and medial frontal gyri, and the putamen. After culling fiber tracts through WM which showed significant differences in FA, we observed no group difference in network properties. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in WM integrity and structural connectivity are present in OSA participants. We found that the integrity of WM affected brain network properties. Brain network analysis may improve understanding of neurocognitive deficits in OSA, enable longitudinal tracking, and provides explanations for specific symptoms and recovery kinetics.

Selection of an appropriate empiric antibiotic regimen in hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis.

BACKGROUND: Empiric antibiotic therapy for suspected hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis (HVO) should be initiated immediately in seriously ill patients and may be required in those with negative microbiological results. The aim of this study was to inform the appropriate selection of empiric antibiotic regimens for the treatment of suspected HVO by analyzing antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated bacteria from microbiologically proven HVO. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective chart review of adult patients with microbiologically proven HVO in five tertiary-care hospitals over a 7-year period. The appropriateness of empiric antibiotic regimens was assessed based on the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of isolated bacteria. RESULTS: In total, 358 cases of microbiologically proven HVO were identified. The main causative pathogens identified were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (33.5%), followed by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) (24.9%), Enterobacteriaceae (19.3%), and Streptococcus species (11.7%). Extended spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and anaerobes accounted for only 1.7% and 1.4%, respectively, of the causative pathogens. Overall, 73.5% of isolated pathogens were susceptible to levofloxacin plus rifampicin, 71.2% to levofloxacin plus clindamycin, and 64.5% to amoxicillin-clavulanate plus ciprofloxacin. The susceptibility to these oral combinations was lower in cases of healthcare-associated HVO (52.6%, 49.6%, and 37.6%, respectively) than in cases of community-acquired HVO (85.8%, 84.0%, and 80.4%, respectively). Vancomycin combined with ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, or cefepime was similarly appropriate (susceptibility rates of 93.0%, 94.1%, 95.8%, and 95.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our susceptibility data, vancomycin combined with a broad-spectrum cephalosporin or fluoroquinolone may be appropriate for empiric treatment of HVO. Fluoroquinolone-based oral combinations may be not appropriate due to frequent resistance to these agents, especially in cases of healthcare-associated HVO.

Topological Properties of the Structural Brain Network in Autism via ϵ-Neighbor Method.

OBJECTIVE: Topological characteristics of the brain can be analyzed using structural brain networks constructed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). When a brain network is constructed by the existing parcellation method, the structure of the network changes depending on the scale of parcellation and arbitrary thresholding. To overcome these issues, we propose to construct brain networks using the improved $\varepsilon $-neighbor construction, which is a parcellation free network construction technique. METHODS: We acquired DTI from 14 control subjects and 15 subjects with autism. We examined the differences in topological properties of the brain networks constructed using the proposed method and the existing parcellation between the two groups. RESULTS: As the number of nodes increased, the connectedness of the network decreased in the parcellation method. However, for brain networks constructed using the proposed method, connectedness remained at a high level even with an increase in the number of nodes. We found significant differences in several topological properties of brain networks constructed using the proposed method, whereas topological properties were not significantly different for the parcellation method. CONCLUSION: The brain networks constructed using the proposed method are considered as more realistic than a parcellation method with respect to the stability of connectedness. We found that subjects with autism showed the abnormal characteristics in the brain networks. These results demonstrate that the proposed method may provide new insights to analysis in the structural brain network. SIGNIFICANCE: We proposed the novel brain network construction method to overcome the shortcoming in the existing parcellation method.

Feasibility of a 3D-printed anthropomorphic patient-specific head phantom for patient-specific quality assurance of intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

This study evaluated the feasibility of utilizing a 3D-printed anthropomorphic patient-specific head phantom for patient-specific quality assurance (QA) in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Contoured left and right head phantoms were converted from DICOM to STL format. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) was used to construct an anthropomorphic patient-specific head phantom with a 3D printer. An established QA technique and the patient-specific head phantom were used to compare the calculated and measured doses. When the established technique was used to compare the calculated and measured doses, the gamma passing rate for γ ≤ 1 was 97.28%, while the gamma failure rate for γ > 1 was 2.72%. When the 3D-printed patient-specific head phantom was used, the gamma passing rate for γ ≤ 1 was 95.97%, and the gamma failure rate for γ > 1 was 4.03%. The 3D printed patient-specific head phantom was concluded to be highly feasible for patient-specific QA prior to complicated radiotherapy procedures such as IMRT.

Impact of sleep restriction on the structural brain network.

Sleep restriction (SR) is defined as the condition of not having enough sleep, and it can cause brain injury. In this study, we examined the impact of SR on the structural brain network. We obtained diffusion MRI (dMRI) data for the SR group of fourteen participants who got less than or equal to 5.5 h of sleep for the last 1 month and normal group of the same number of participants who got 7 h of sleep. We constructed the structural brain networks from the dMRI data and analyzed them using graph theoretical approaches. In comparison with the normal group, the SR group showed higher vulnerability to the targeted node attack and alterations of regional efficiency in the brain regions such as the bilateral orbital part of the frontal gyri, superior occipital gyri, left insula, fusiform, right supplementary motor area, and cingulate gyrus. These findings indicate that SR may cause the reduction of the potential alternative neuronal pathways in the brain and rewiring of neuronal fibers in the structural brain networks, which may result in potential functional impairments, as well as alterations of the structural brain connectivity. Therefore, investigating the structural brain network offers new insight into how SR influences the human brain.

Diffusion tensor imaging to determine the potential motor network connectivity between the involved and non-involved hemispheres in stroke.

Hemiparetic stroke is a common motor network disorder that affects a wide range of functional movements due to cortical and subcortical network lesions in stroke patients. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to examine structural brain damage, but the integrity and connectivity of the whole brain are poorly understood. Hence, advanced neuroimaging with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been developed to better localize fiber architecture and connectivity in the motor network or pathways that are responsible for motor impairments in hemiparetic stroke. To ascertain motor network connectivity between the involved and non-involved hemispheres in stroke patients, we analyzed the DTI data from all right hemiparetic stroke patients using fractional anisotropy (FA) and network parameters, including node degree and edge betweenness centrality (EBC). The FA values were substantially lower in the left hemisphere than the right hemisphere. Similarly, the node degree and EBC were significantly lower in the left hemisphere than the right hemisphere. The present brain network analysis may provide a useful neuropathway marker for accurate diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.