Novel TLR4-Activating Vaccine Adjuvant Enhances the Production of Enterococcus faecium-binding Antibodies.

Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine. Due to their safer profile, the latest investigations usually focus on subunit vaccines. However, the active component often needs to be coupled with an adjuvant to be effective and properly trigger an immune response. We are developing a new synthetic monosaccharide-based TLR4 agonist, such as glucosamine-derived compounds FP18 and FP20, as a potential vaccine adjuvant. In this study, we present a new FP20 derivative, FP20Hmp, with a hydroxylated ester linked to the glucosamine core. We show that the modification introduced improves the activity of the adjuvant and its solubility. This study presents the synthesis of FP20Hmp, its in vitro characterization, and in vivo activity while coupled with the ovalbumin antigen or in formulation with an enterococcal antigen. We show that FP20Hmp enables increased production of antigen-specific antibodies that bind to the whole bacterium.

Identification of a capsular polysaccharide from Enterococcus faecium U0317 using a targeted approach to discover immunogenic carbohydrates for vaccine development.

Enterococcus faecium, a gram-positive opportunistic pathogen, has become a major concern for nosocomial infections due to its resistance to several antibiotics, including vancomycin. Finding novel alternatives for treatment prevention, such as vaccines, is therefore crucial. In this study, we used various techniques to discover a novel capsular polysaccharide. Firstly, we identified an encapsulated E. faecium strain by evaluating the opsonophagocytic activity of fifteen strains with antibodies targeting the well-known lipoteichoic acid antigen. This activity was attributed to an unknown polysaccharide. We then prepared a crude cell wall glycopolymer and fractionated it, guided by immunodot-blot analysis. The most immunoreactive fractions were used for opsonophagocytic inhibition assays. The fraction containing the inhibitory polysaccharide underwent structural characterization using NMR and chemical analyses. The elucidated structure presents a branched repeating unit, with the linear part being: →)-ß-d-Gal-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-d-Glc-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-d-Gal-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-d-GlcNAc-(1→, further decorated with a terminal α-d-Glc and a d-phosphoglycerol moiety, attached to O-2 and O-3 of the 4-linked Gal unit, respectively. This polysaccharide was conjugated to BSA and the synthetic glycoprotein used to immunize mice. The resulting sera exhibited good opsonic activity, suggesting its potential as a vaccine antigen. In conclusion, our effector-function-based approach successfully identified an immunogenic capsular polysaccharide with promising applications in immunotherapy.

Enterococcal Membrane Vesicles as Vaccine Candidates.

Enterococcus faecium is a leading cause of nosocomial infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The rise of multidrug-resistant E. faecium, including Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE), is a major concern. Vaccines are promising alternatives to antibiotics, but there is currently no vaccine available against enterococci. In a previous study, we identified six protein vaccine candidates associated with extracellular membrane vesicles (MVs) produced by nosocomial E. faecium. In this study, we immunized rabbits with two different VRE-derived MV preparations and characterized the resulting immune sera. Both anti-MV sera exhibited high immunoreactivity towards the homologous strain, three additional VRE strains, and eight different unrelated E. faecium strains representing different sequence types (STs). Additionally, we demonstrated that the two anti-MV sera were able to mediate opsonophagocytic killing of not only the homologous strain but also three unrelated heterologous VRE strains. Altogether, our results indicate that E. faecium MVs, regardless of the purification method for obtaining them, are promising vaccine candidates against multidrug-resistant E. faecium and suggest that these naturally occurring MVs can be used as a multi-antigen platform to elicit protective immune responses against enterococcal infections.

Advances in Catchment Science, Hydrochemistry, and Aquatic Ecology Enabled by High-Frequency Water Quality Measurements.

High-frequency water quality measurements in streams and rivers have expanded in scope and sophistication during the last two decades. Existing technology allows in situ automated measurements of water quality constituents, including both solutes and particulates, at unprecedented frequencies from seconds to subdaily sampling intervals. This detailed chemical information can be combined with measurements of hydrological and biogeochemical processes, bringing new insights into the sources, transport pathways, and transformation processes of solutes and particulates in complex catchments and along the aquatic continuum. Here, we summarize established and emerging high-frequency water quality technologies, outline key high-frequency hydrochemical data sets, and review scientific advances in key focus areas enabled by the rapid development of high-frequency water quality measurements in streams and rivers. Finally, we discuss future directions and challenges for using high-frequency water quality measurements to bridge scientific and management gaps by promoting a holistic understanding of freshwater systems and catchment status, health, and function.

Epitope Recognition of a Monoclonal Antibody Raised against a Synthetic Glycerol Phosphate Based Teichoic Acid.

Glycerol phosphate (GroP)-based teichoic acids (TAs) are antigenic cell-wall components found in both enterococcus and staphylococcus species. Their immunogenicity has been explored using both native and synthetic structures, but no details have yet been reported on the structural basis of their interaction with antibodies. This work represents the first case study in which a monoclonal antibody, generated against a synthetic TA, was developed and employed for molecular-level binding analysis using TA microarrays, ELISA, SPR-analyses, and STD-NMR spectroscopy. Our findings show that the number and the chirality of the GroP residues are crucial for interaction and that the sugar appendage contributes to the presentation of the backbone to the binding site of the antibody.

Development of Opsonic Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies against Multidrug-Resistant Enterococci.

Multidrug-resistant enterococci are major causes of hospital-acquired infections. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeting bacterial antigens would be a valuable treatment option in this setting. Here, we describe the development of two MAbs through hybridoma technology that target antigens from the most clinically relevant enterococcal species. Diheteroglycan (DHG), a well-characterized capsular polysaccharide of Enterococcus faecalis, and the secreted antigen A (SagA), an immunogenic protein from Enterococcus faecium, are both immunogens that have been proven to raise opsonic and cross-reactive antibodies against enterococcal strains. For this purpose, a conjugated form of the native DHG with SagA was used to raise the antibodies in mice, while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and opsonophagocytic assay were combined in the selection process of hybridoma cells producing immunoreactive and opsonic antibodies targeting the selected antigens. From this process, two highly specific IgG1(κ) MAbs were obtained, one against the polysaccharide (DHG.01) and one against the protein (SagA.01). Both MAbs exhibited good opsonic killing against the target bacterial strains: DHG.01 showed 90% killing against E. faecalis type 2, and SagA.01 showed 40% killing against E. faecium 11231/6. In addition, both MAbs showed cross-reactivity toward other E. faecalis and E. faecium strains. The sequences from the variable regions of the heavy and light chains were reconstructed in expression vectors, and the activity of the MAbs upon expression in eukaryotic cells was confirmed with the same immunological assays. In summary, we identified two opsonic MAbs against enterococci which could be used for therapeutic or prophylactic approaches against enterococcal infections.

Targeting Type IV Secretion System Proteins to Combat Multidrug-Resistant Gram-positive Pathogens.

For many gram-positive pathogens, conjugative plasmid transfer is an important means of spreading antibiotic resistance . Therefore, the search for alternative treatments to fight and prevent infections caused by these bacteria has become of major interest. In the present study, we evaluated the protein TraM, from the conjugative plasmid pIP501, as a potential vaccine candidate. Anti-TraM antiserum mediated in vitro opsonophagocytic killing of the strain harboring the pIP501 plasmid and also proved to be cross-reactive against other clinically relevant enterococcal and staphylococcal strains. Specificity of antibodies toward TraM was confirmed by results of an opsonophagocytic inhibition assay and Western blot. In addition, conjugative transfer experiments proved that TraM is essential for the transfer of pIP501. Finally, immunization with either TraM or anti-TraM antiserum reduced significantly the colony counts in mice livers, demonstrating that TraM is a promising vaccine candidate against enterococci and other gram-positive pathogens.

[Evaluation of cardiovascular risk in HIV positive patients in a specialized center at Santiago, Chile]. / Evaluación del riesgo cardiovascular en pacientes con infección por VIH en un centro de atención de salud especializado en Santiago de Chile.

UNLABELLED: Antiretroviral therapy has changed the course of HIV epidemic, as consequence, the patients present the same medical conditions than the rest ofthe population, including cardiovascular diseases. AIM: To describe the evolution of cardiovascular risk of HIV positive patients attending to a HIV/AIDS integral clinical center. Clinical charts were reviewed, looking for cardiovascular risk markers. Our findings showed a deficient evaluation of the cardiovascular basal risks at first medical control and patients had important metabolic alterations despite hypolipidemic treatment. Given the higher cardiovascular risk of this population, increasing the effort on diagnosis and treatment of HIV patients is required.

Deletion of fabN in Enterococcus faecalis results in unsaturated fatty acid auxotrophy and decreased release of inflammatory cytokines.

The Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis can cause life-threatening infections and is resistant to several commonly used antibiotics. The type II fatty acid pathway in bacteria is discussed as a potential target for antimicrobial therapy. However, it was shown that inhibition or deletion of its enzymes can be rescued in Gram-positive bacteria by supplementation with fatty acids. Here we show that by deletion of the fabN gene, which is essential for unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) synthesis in E. faecalis, growth is impaired but can be rescued by supplementation with oleic acid or human serum. Nonetheless, we demonstrate alterations of the UFA profile after supplementation with oleic acid in the ΔfabN mutant using a specific glycolipid. In addition, we demonstrate that cytokine release in vitro is almost abolished after stimulation of mouse macrophages by the mutant in comparison to the wild type. The results indicate that fabN is not a suitable target for antimicrobials as UFA auxotrophy can be overcome. However, deletion of fabN resulted in a decreased inflammatory response indicating that fabN and resulting UFA synthesis are relevant for virulence.

Characterization of Two Metal Binding Lipoproteins as Vaccine Candidates for Enterococcal Infections.

BACKGROUND: Enterococcus faecium and faecalis are Gram-positive opportunistic pathogens that have become leading causes of nosocomial infections over the last decades. Especially multidrug resistant enterococci have become a challenging clinical problem worldwide. Therefore, new treatment options are needed and the identification of alternative targets for vaccine development has emerged as a feasible alternative to fight the infections caused by these pathogens. RESULTS: We extrapolate the transcriptomic data from a mice peritonitis infection model in E. faecalis to identify putative up-regulated surface proteins under infection conditions in E. faecium. After the bionformatic analyses two metal binding lipoproteins were identified to have a high homology (>72%) between the two species, the manganese ABC transporter substrate-binding lipoprotein (PsaAfm,) and the zinc ABC transporter substrate-binding lipoprotein (AdcAfm). These candidate lipoproteins were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The recombinant proteins were used to produce rabbit polyclonal antibodies that were able to induce specific opsonic antibodies that mediated killing of the homologous strain E. faecium E155 as well as clinical strains E. faecium E1162, Enterococcus faecalis 12030, type 2 and type 5. Mice were passively immunized with the antibodies raised against recombinant lipoproteins, showing significant reduction of colony counts in mice livers after the bacterial challenge and demonstrating the efficacy of these metal binding lipoproteins as promising vaccine candidates to treat infections caused by these enterococcal pathogens. CONCLUSION: Overall, our results demonstrate that these two metal binding lipoproteins elicited specific, opsonic and protective antibodies, with an extensive cross-reactivity and serotype-independent coverage among these two important nocosomial pathogens. Pointing these two protein antigens as promising immunogens, that can be used as single components or as carrier proteins together with polysaccharide antigens in vaccine development against enterococcal infections.

Isolation of highly active monoclonal antibodies against multiresistant gram-positive bacteria.

Multiresistant nosocomial pathogens often cause life-threatening infections that are sometimes untreatable with currently available antibiotics. Staphylococci and enterococci are the predominant Gram-positive species associated with hospital-acquired infections. These infections often lead to extended hospital stay and excess mortality. In this study, a panel of fully human monoclonal antibodies was isolated from a healthy individual by selection of B-cells producing antibodies with high opsonic killing against E. faecalis 12030. Variable domains (VH and VL) of these immunoglobulin genes were amplified by PCR and cloned into an eukaryotic expression vector containing the constant domains of a human IgG1 molecule and the human lambda constant domain. These constructs were transfected into CHO cells and culture supernatants were collected and tested by opsonophagocytic assay against E. faecalis and S. aureus strains (including MRSA). At concentrations of 600 pg/ml, opsonic killing was between 40% and 70% against all strains tested. Monoclonal antibodies were also evaluated in a mouse sepsis model (using S. aureus LAC and E. faecium), a mouse peritonitis model (using S. aureus Newman and LAC) and a rat endocarditis model (using E. faecalis 12030) and were shown to provide protection in all models at a concentration of 4 µg/kg per animal. Here we present a method to produce fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibodies that are opsonic in vitro and protective in vivo against several multiresistant Gram-positive bacteria. The monoclonal antibodies presented in this study are significantly more effective compared to another monoclonal antibody currently in clinical trials.

Identification of peptidoglycan-associated proteins as vaccine candidates for enterococcal infections.

Infections by opportunistic bacteria have significant contributions to morbidity and mortality of hospitalized patients and also lead to high expenses in healthcare. In this setting, one of the major clinical problems is caused by Gram-positive bacteria such as enterococci and staphylococci. In this study we extract, purify, identify and characterize immunogenic surface-exposed proteins present in the vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) strain Enterococcus faecium E155 using three different extraction methods: trypsin shaving, biotinylation and elution at high pH. Proteomic profiling was carried out by gel-free and gel-nanoLC-MS/MS analyses. The total proteins found with each method were 390 by the trypsin shaving, 329 by the elution at high pH, and 45 using biotinylation. An exclusively extracytoplasmic localization was predicted in 39 (10%) by trypsin shaving, in 47 (15%) by elution at high pH, and 27 (63%) by biotinylation. Comparison between the three extraction methods by Venn diagram and subcellular localization predictors (CELLO v.2.5 and Gpos-mPLoc) allowed us to identify six proteins that are most likely surface-exposed: the SCP-like extracellular protein, a low affinity penicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP5), a basic membrane lipoprotein, a peptidoglycan-binding protein LysM (LysM), a D-alanyl-D-alanine carboxypeptidase (DdcP) and the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PpiC). Due to their close relationship with the peptidoglycan, we chose PBP5, LysM, DdcP and PpiC to test their potential as vaccine candidates. These putative surface-exposed proteins were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies raised against the purified proteins were able to induce specific opsonic antibodies that mediated killing of the homologous strain E. faecium E155 as well as clinical strains E. faecium E1162, Enterococcus faecalis 12030, type 2 and type 5. Passive immunization with rabbit antibodies raised against these proteins reduced significantly the colony counts of E. faecium E155 in mice, indicating the effectiveness of these surface-related proteins as promising vaccine candidates to target different enterococcal pathogens.

Synthetic teichoic acid conjugate vaccine against nosocomial Gram-positive bacteria.

Lipoteichoic acids (LTA) are amphiphilic polymers that are important constituents of the cell wall of many Gram-positive bacteria. The chemical structures of LTA vary among organisms, albeit in the majority of Gram-positive bacteria the LTAs feature a common poly-1,3-(glycerolphosphate) backbone. Previously, the specificity of opsonic antibodies for this backbone present in some Gram-positive bacteria has been demonstrated, suggesting that this minimal structure may be sufficient for vaccine development. In the present work, we studied a well-defined synthetic LTA-fragment, which is able to inhibit opsonic killing of polyclonal rabbit sera raised against native LTA from Enterococcus faecalis 12030. This promising compound was conjugated with BSA and used to raise rabbit polyclonal antibodies. Subsequently, the opsonic activity of this serum was tested in an opsonophagocytic assay and specificity was confirmed by an opsonophagocytic inhibition assay. The conjugated LTA-fragment was able to induce specific opsonic antibodies that mediate killing of the clinical strains E. faecalis 12030, Enterococcus faecium E1162, and community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus strain MW2 (USA400). Prophylactic immunization with the teichoic acid conjugate and with the rabbit serum raised against this compound was evaluated in active and passive immunization studies in mice, and in an enterococcal endocarditis rat model. In all animal models, a statistically significant reduction of colony counts was observed indicating that the novel synthetic LTA-fragment conjugate is a promising vaccine candidate for active or passive immunotherapy against E. faecalis and other Gram-positive bacteria.

Hepatitis B prevalence and influence on HIV treatment outcome and mortality in the Chilean AIDS Cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection and its influence on mortality and treatment outcome within a large AIDS cohort in Chile. METHODS: Clinical and epidemiological data from the Chilean AIDS Cohort were retrospectively analyzed. Adult patients tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during the time period of October 2001 to October 2007 were included. RESULTS: Of 5115 cohort patients, 1907 met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of HBV co-infection was 8.4%. Overall mortality rates were 2.15 and 1.77 per 100 person-years for HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative HIV patients, respectively, with a mortality rate ratio of 1.22 (95% confidence interval 0.58-2.54). Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analysis did not show significant differences between the groups. Virological and immunological responses to antiretroviral therapy (ART) were not influenced by HBsAg status, but in co-infected patients, initial ART was more frequently changed. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hepatitis B co-infection was 8.4%, indicating a markedly elevated hepatitis B risk compared to the general population in Chile. Neither treatment outcome nor overall mortality was influenced by hepatitis B co-infection. Still, patients with hepatitis B co-infection had less stable ART regimens, which might be related to a higher risk of hepatotoxic drug effects.

Comunicacion persuasiva y cambio de actitudes hacia la seguridad de transito en peatones / Persuasive communication and attitude change towards road safety in pedestrians

Con base en la teoría del comportamiento planificado y para probar la influencia en las actitudes de dos avisos experimentales en seguridad de tránsito - uno de contenidos predominantemente cognitivos y otro predominantemente emotivo- fue diseñado y desarrollado un experimento de tipo pre y post test con grupo de control en una muestra de 60 jóvenes peatones universitarios de Chile. Como indicador del cambio de actitudes se utilizó la escala de Actitud hacia el Comportamiento Infractor (EACI) y también se solicitó escribir un listado de pensamientos para comprender mejor del proceso de respuestas encubiertas y su eventual relación con el cambio actitudinal. Se contrasta un conjunto de hipótesis relativas a los efectos de los tratamientos sobre las actitudes de los observadores. Aunque los resultados muestran que ambos tratamientos experimentales generan cambios en la dirección de la antitransgresión, si consideramos el número de aspectos de la actitud modificados, el tratamiento cognitivo resulta más efectivo que el emotivo. El listado de pensamientos por su parte, muestra que el tratamiento experimental general más pensamientos favorables que desfavorables hacia los mensajes de seguridad de ambos avisos y destaca la identificación como el principal proceso persuasivo