Mycobacteriophage Derived Lipoarabinomannan Binding Protein for Recognizing Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacteria.

Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) is one family of pathogens usually leading to nosocomial infections. Exploration of high-performance biological recognition agent plays a pivotal role for the development of point-of-care testing device and kit for detecting NTM. Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smegmatis) is a NTM which has been frequently applied as an alternative model for highly pathogenic mycobacteria. Herein, a recombinant tail protein derived from mycobacteriophage SWU1 infecting M. smegmatis was expressed with Escherichia coli system and noted as GP89. It shows a fist-like structure according to the results of homology modeling and ab initio modeling. It is confirmed as a lipoarabinomannan (LAM) binding protein, which can recognize studied NTM genus since abundant LAM constructed with d-mannan and d-arabinan is distributed over the mycobacterial surface. Meanwhile an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP)-fused GP89 protein was acquired with a fusion expression technique. Then GP89 and eGFP-fused GP89 were applied to establish a sensitive and rapid method for fluorescent detection of M. smegmatis with a broad linear range of 1.0 × 102 to 1.0 × 106 CFU mL-1 and a low detection limit of 69 CFU mL-1. Rapid and reliable testing of antimicrobial susceptibility was achieved by the GP89-based fluorescent method. The present work provides a promising recognition agent for studied NTM and opens an avenue for clinical diagnosis of NTM-induced infections.

Differential effects of hyperhomocysteinemia on the lipid profiles and lipid ratios between patients with and without coronary artery disease: A retrospective observational study.

This study aimed to investigate the differential effects of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) on lipid profiles and lipid ratios between patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and without CAD. The data of 872 CAD patients and 774 non-CAD controls were extracted from the information system of hospitalized patients. Serum homocysteine (Hcy), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein (Apo) AI, and ApoB concentrations were detected. HHcy was defined as a serum level of Hcy ≥ 15 µmol/L. The CAD patients had lower levels of HDL-C and ApoAI and higher levels of Hcy than the controls (P < .05). Serum TGs and HDL-C were negatively correlated with Hcy in controls. Serum HDL-C and ApoAI were negatively correlated with Hcy, and the ratios of TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, LDL/HDL-C, and ApoB/ApoAI were positively correlated with Hcy in the CAD patients (P < .05). Although the trends for HHcy to decrease the lipid profiles were not different between the CAD and controls (Pinteraction > 0.05), CAD with HHcy had lower HDL-C and ApoAI levels than those of subjects with normal Hcy; controls with HHcy had lower TC, LDL-C, and ApoB levels than those of subjects with normal Hcy (P < .05). There were different HHcy trends affecting the ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL/HDL-C between the CAD patients and controls (Pinteraction for TC/HDL-C = 0.025; Pinteraction for LDL/HDL-C = 0.033). CAD patients with HHcy had a higher ratio of TC/HDL-C (P = .022) and LDL/HDL-C (P = .045) than those of patients with normal Hcy, but in the controls, the subjects with HHcy exhibited a trend toward a decreased ratio of TC/HDL-C (P = .481) and LDL/HDL-C (P = .303). There were differential effects of HHcy on the lipid ratios between CAD and non-CAD patients. HHcy was related to higher ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL/HDL-C in patients with CAD.

Sex-Specific Influence of the SCARB1 Rs5888 SNP on the Serum Lipid Response to Atorvastatin in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown that there are sex differences in blood lipid levels and lipid responses to statins. Previous studies have shown that the rs5888 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SCARB1) gene is associated with serum lipid levels in a sex-specific manner. The present study was undertaken to detect the sex-specific influence of the SCARB1 rs5888 SNP on the serum lipid response to atorvastatin in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A total of 158 unrelated ACS patients (108 males, 50 females) were enrolled, and all patients received atorvastatin 20 mg/daily after PCI. Genotyping of the rs5888 SNP was performed by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. Serum lipid profiles were determined before treatment and after an average follow-up time of one year. RESULTS: The baseline serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein (Apo)AI levels were higher in females than in males (P<0.05). After treatment with atorvastatin, serum TC, LDL-C, and ApoB were decreased, and ApoAI was increased (P<0.05). The effects of atorvastatin on serum lipid levels were different between males and females, and females had greater decreases in TC, LDL-C and ApoB levels than males (P<0.05). The genotypic frequencies of the rs5888 SNP were not different between males and females. The atorvastatin response was not associated with the rs5888 SNP in males (P > 0.05). Nonetheless, in female individuals carrying the rs5888 T-allele, we observed a greater reduction in TC, LDL-C, and ApoB levels after the use of 20 mg/day atorvastatin (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the SCARB1 rs5888 T-allele was associated with a greater reduction in serum TC, LDL-C, and ApoB after atorvastatin treatment in female patients with ACS undergoing PCI.