Reduced Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii levels in the gut microbiota of children with allergic asthma

Introduction and objectives: The amounts of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in gut microbiota are reduced in patients with allergic diseases compared to healthy controls. We aimed to quantify levels of A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii amounts using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the gut microbiota of children with allergic asthma and in healthy controls. Materials and methods: In total, 92 children between the ages of three and eight who were diagnosed with asthma and 88 healthy children were included in the study and bacterial DNA was isolated from the stool samples using the stool DNA isolation Kit. qPCR assays were studied with the microbial DNA qPCR Kit for A. muciniphila and microbial DNA qPCR Kit for F. prausnitzii. Results: Both bacterial species showed a reduction in the patient group compared to healthy controls. A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii were found to be 5.45 ± 0.004, 6.74 ± 0.01 and 5.71 ± 0.002, 7.28 ± 0.009 in the stool samples of the asthma and healthy control groups, respectively. Conclusions: F. prausnitzii and A. muciniphila may have induced anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and prevented the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-12. These findings suggest that A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii may suppress inflammation through its secreted metabolites

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Reduced Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii levels in the gut microbiota of children with allergic asthma.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The amounts of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in gut microbiota are reduced in patients with allergic diseases compared to healthy controls. We aimed to quantify levels of A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii amounts using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the gut microbiota of children with allergic asthma and in healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 92 children between the ages of three and eight who were diagnosed with asthma and 88 healthy children were included in the study and bacterial DNA was isolated from the stool samples using the stool DNA isolation Kit. qPCR assays were studied with the microbial DNA qPCR Kit for A. muciniphila and microbial DNA qPCR Kit for F. prausnitzii. RESULTS: Both bacterial species showed a reduction in the patient group compared to healthy controls. A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii were found to be 5.45±0.004, 6.74±0.01 and 5.71±0.002, 7.28±0.009 in the stool samples of the asthma and healthy control groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: F. prausnitzii and A. muciniphila may have induced anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and prevented the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-12. These findings suggest that A. muciniphila and F. prausnitzii may suppress inflammation through its secreted metabolites.

The protective role of Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein in childhood asthma

Background: Helicobacter pylori quantity and HP-NAP gene expression were evaluated in the faeces of healthy and asthmatic children. Methods: H. pylori DNAs and RNAs were isolated from the stool samples of 92 asthmatic children (AC; 3-8 years) and 88 healthy controls (HC). Quantitative PCR was used to determine the quantity of H. pylori and HP-NAP expression relative to the 16S rRNA (reference gene). Gene expression was analysed using the delta delta-Ct method. Results: H. pylori DNA was detected in the stool samples of 18 (20.4%) of the 88 HC (p < 0.0001, OR = 0.79) and none of AC. No meaningful statistical differences were found between individuals with positive and negative family histories for asthma in AC and HC (p > 0.05). H. pylori quantity was higher in seven of 18 H. pylori-positive samples, but HP-NAP expression levels were low in four of these seven samples. Based on a multivariate logistic regression analysis of these three variables together, only males displayed a significant difference based on gender differences (p < 0.02) and it was determined that, based on the OR value of 0.46 and the 95% CI range of 0.241-0.888, male gender was an independent protective factor in asthma. Conclusions: HP-NAP levels vary to the relative concentrations of bacteria in the stationary or late logarithmic phases. Different napA expression levels may be caused by different endogenous napA gene expression or different environmental conditions (AU)

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Neopterin and soluble CD14 levels as indicators of immune activation in cases with low anti-HCV reactivity and true HCV infection.

Neopterin and soluble CD14 (sCD14) are detected at high levels in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. We aimed to evaluate the role of these plasma immune activation biomarkers, for the indirect assessment of immune activation status of patients with low anti-HCV reactivity and a HCV infection. Low anti-HCV reactivity group (LRG, n: 70), true positive HCV infection group (THG, 30) and healthy control group (HCG, 30) were analyzed in this study. We have used ELISA, HCV RIBA/LIA and HCV-RNA methods. Mean neopterin levels were significantly lower in LRG than THG (p <0.001). In contrast, those values were not significantly different from those of HCG (p >0.05). Mean sCD14 were significantly higher in LRG than THG and HCG (p <0.05, p <0.001). Values of 3.95 µg/ml and 5.36 nmol/l for sCD14 and neopterin resulted in the maximum area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), which were 0.859 (95% CI, 0.745 to 0.935; <0.0001) and 0.788 (95% CI, 0.663 to 0.883; <0.0001), respectively. These cut-offs corresponded to a sensitivity of 73.3% and a specificity of 73.3% for neopterin and of 100% and 76.7% for sCD14. Our results suggest that a specific immunoactivation might be caused by true positive HCV infection. Due to the significant results sCD14 in LRG might be non-specifically affected by some underlying atypical immunohematological pathologies. Only neopterin might be used to exclude low anti-HCV reactivity from a true HCV infection. The use of neopterin but not sCD14 in combination with fourth-generation EIA/CMIA combo tests will be useful when nucleic acid tests are not available for screening blood donors at blood banks.

The protective role of Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein in childhood asthma.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori quantity and HP-NAP gene expression were evaluated in the faeces of healthy and asthmatic children. METHODS: H. pylori DNAs and RNAs were isolated from the stool samples of 92 asthmatic children (AC; 3-8 years) and 88 healthy controls (HC). Quantitative PCR was used to determine the quantity of H. pylori and HP-NAP expression relative to the 16S rRNA (reference gene). Gene expression was analysed using the delta delta-Ct method. RESULTS: H. pylori DNA was detected in the stool samples of 18 (20.4%) of the 88 HC (p<0.0001, OR=0.79) and none of AC. No meaningful statistical differences were found between individuals with positive and negative family histories for asthma in AC and HC (p>0.05). H. pylori quantity was higher in seven of 18 H. pylori-positive samples, but HP-NAP expression levels were low in four of these seven samples. Based on a multivariate logistic regression analysis of these three variables together, only males displayed a significant difference based on gender differences (p<0.02) and it was determined that, based on the OR value of 0.46 and the 95% CI range of 0.241-0.888, male gender was an independent protective factor in asthma. CONCLUSIONS: HP-NAP levels vary to the relative concentrations of bacteria in the stationary or late logarithmic phases. Different napA expression levels may be caused by different endogenous napA gene expression or different environmental conditions.