European journal of microbiology & immunology最新文献

{"title":"Negligible influence of limescale deposits on faucet aerators on measured microorganism loads.","authors":"Philipp Warnke, Moritz Jansson, Ina Antonenko, Hagen Frickmann, Andreas Podbielski","doi":"10.1556/1886.2025.00027","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2025.00027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The study was conducted to assess the effects of limescale deposits on faucet aerators on the qualitative and quantitative detection of microorganisms from swabbing and first jet water samples.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Limescale deposits on faucet aerators were categorized into three groups: not / slightly calcified, moderately calcified and heavily calcified. Colonization was assessed by isolating microorganisms from standardized swabbing and water samples. Microorganisms isolated from the aerators were compared with clinical isolates from the same year.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Regardless of the degree of calcification on the faucet aerators, similar numbers and types of microorganisms were found. Except for Staphylococcus epidermidis and the rare occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus and Nacaseomyces glabratus on the aerators, there were no matches between the microorganisms isolated from the aerators and the top ten clinical isolates. Microorganisms frequently isolated from aerators, such as Sphingomonas paucimobilis, were extremely rare in clinical samples. No differences in species were observed based on the degree of calcification of the aerators.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study did not demonstrate a significant effect of the degree of calcification on the colonization of aerators. Although calcification of aerators as a risk factor for increased microbial transmission cannot be entirely dismissed, its importance appears to be secondary.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"103-112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208179/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144510053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epidemiological, clinical and immunological features of Schistosoma spp., Stronglyoides stercoralis and Taenia spp. infections in Ghanaian HIV patients.","authors":"Hagen Frickmann, Fred Stephen Sarfo, Betty Roberta Norman, Albert Dompreh, Martin Kofi Agyei, Shadrack Osei Asibey, Richard Boateng, Edmund Osei Kuffour, Veronica Di Cristanziano, Ulrike Loderstädt, Tafese Beyene Tufa, Torsten Feldt, Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt","doi":"10.1556/1886.2025.00031","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2025.00031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Interactions of helminth infections and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to assess the clinical, epidemiological, and immunological characteristics of co-infections involving HIV and selected nematode, trematode and cestode species commonly detected in stool samples.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among people-living-with-HIV (PLWH) with and without anti-retroviral therapy and HIV-negative controls at a tertiary hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Stool samples were analyzed by real-time PCR for the presence of Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma spp. as well as Taenia spp. Diagnostic findings were compared with clinical, demographic, socioeconomic and immunological data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Low prevalences of helminth infections were observed across the study population, ranging from 1.9% for S. stercoralis to 2.8% for Schistosoma spp. Only weak and infrequent associations were found between helminth infections and HIV status or immunosuppression. Identified risk factors included male sex, younger age, shorter duration since HIV diagnosis, and poor food hygiene in the case of taeniasis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this Ghanaian population, co-infections of HIV and helminths were infrequent and showed limited immunological associations. These findings suggest that helminth detection in PLWH is more likely to reflect local endemicity than HIV-related immunosuppression.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"113-124"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208184/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144499917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antibacterial effects of sulforaphane - A phytonutrient derived from broccoli as promising candidate in the combat of bacterial infections.","authors":"Valea Pötschke, Stefan Bereswill, Markus M Heimesaat","doi":"10.1556/1886.2025.00028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1556/1886.2025.00028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacterial pathogens, particularly antibiotic-resistant strains may constitute major challenges for the successful treatment of infected patients. Therefore, novel antibiotics or alternative, antibiotics-independent compounds with antimicrobial properties such as phytonutrients are needed. Our systematic literature review summarizes current knowledge on antibacterial effects of sulforaphane (SFN) in vitro and in vivo, including human studies. The isothiocyanate SFN is abundant in plants from the Brassicaceae family including broccoli. The 28 reports reviewed herein revealed that SFN i.) exerted antimicrobial effects against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; ii.) counteracted distinct virulence factors such as biofilm formation and toxin production (e.g. Shiga toxin); iii.) enhanced antibacterial immune cell responses mounting in anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory actions thereby supporting bacterial killing and dampening inflammatory cell and tissue damage; iv.) prevented from aspirin-induced small intestinal cell injury; and v.) alleviated Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis. In conclusion, given its antibacterial, immune-modulatory, and disease-alleviating effects, SFN constitutes a promising alternative antibiotic-independent candidate for the treatment of bacterial infections, warranting further consideration in clinical trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144487491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative epidemiology of Ghanaian individuals with molecular proof of Entamoeba histolytica with and without concomitant human immunodeficiency virus infection.","authors":"Andreas Erich Zautner, Fred Stephen Sarfo, Betty Roberta Norman, Albert Dompreh, Shadrack Osei Asibey, Richard Boateng, Edmund Osei Kuffour, Veronica Di Cristanziano, Tafese Beyene Tufa, Torsten Feldt, Sascha Kahlfuß, Hagen Frickmann, Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt","doi":"10.1556/1886.2025.00030","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2025.00030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of enteric amebiasis in human patients. Partly controversial hypotheses have been proposed regarding the potential impact of the immunological status of patients as well as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) positivity on the prevalence and clinical course of amebiasis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To investigate a potential interplay between the epidemiology of E. histolytica and immunological markers of Ghanaian HIV patients, real-time PCR targeting E. histolytica DNA in stool samples was conducted on a cohort of 595 clinically and immunologically well-characterized adult Ghanaian HIV patients, along with 82 HIV negative control-individuals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>E. histolytica DNA was more prevalent in the HIV-negative control group (12.2%, n = 10/82) compared to the HIV-positive subpopulation (3.5%, n = 21/595, P = 0.001). Among HIV-positive individuals, the prevalence of E. histolytica DNA was 4.2% in subjects with CD4+ T cell counts above 200 cells/µL, 3.3% in case of 50 and 200 cells/µL, and 0% in case of less than 50 cells/µL. In the group of ART-exposed HIV-positive individuals, E. histolytica positivity was associated to lower CD4+/CD8+ cell ratios.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study suggested a negative association of E. histolytica DNA detections with HIV-positivity and with the degree of HIV infection-associated immunosuppression.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"94-102"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208178/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144277046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to: Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses in B cells during Salmonella infection.","authors":"Araceli Perez-Lopez, Gabriela Hernandez-Galicia, Luis Uriel Lopez-Bailon, Ana D Gonzalez-Telona, Roberto Rosales-Reyes, Celia M Alpuche-Aranda, Jose I Santos-Preciado, Vianney Ortiz-Navarrete","doi":"10.1556/1886.2024.11188","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2024.11188","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"137"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208177/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural biology of Nipah virus G and F glycoproteins: Insights into therapeutic and vaccine development.","authors":"Mohd Zulkifli Salleh","doi":"10.1556/1886.2025.00017","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2025.00017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nipah virus (NiV), a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus, poses a significant public health threat due to its high mortality rate and potential for human-to-human transmission. The attachment (G) and fusion (F) glycoproteins play pivotal roles in viral entry and host-cell fusion, making them prime targets for therapeutic and vaccine development. Recent advances in structural biology have provided high-resolution insights into the molecular architecture and functional dynamics of these glycoproteins, revealing key epitopes and domains essential for neutralizing antibody responses. The G glycoprotein's head domain and the prefusion F ectodomain have emerged as focal points for vaccine design, with multivalent display strategies showing promise in enhancing immunogenicity and breadth of protection. Structural studies have also informed the development of monoclonal antibodies like m102.4, offering potential post-exposure therapies. Additionally, insights from cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography have facilitated the design of structure-based inhibitors and next-generation vaccines, including nanoparticle and multi-epitope formulations. This review highlights recent structural findings on the NiV G and F glycoproteins, their implications for therapeutic strategies, and the challenges in developing effective and targeted interventions. A deeper understanding of these glycoproteins will be crucial for advancing NiV-specific therapeutics and vaccines, ultimately enhancing global preparedness against future outbreaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"83-93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208181/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144048673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct antibiotic treatment regimens differentially affect colonization resistance against multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice.","authors":"Markus M Heimesaat, Soraya Mousavi, Nizar W Shayya, Alexandra Bittroff-Leben, Ines Puschendorf, Gernot Reifenberger, Stefan Bereswill","doi":"10.1556/1886.2025.00015","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2025.00015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Besides its live-saving properties, antibiotic treatment affects the commensal microbiota facilitating colonization with potentially harmful microorganisms. Here we tested how commonly applied antibiotics induced gut microbiota changes and predisposed to intestinal carriage of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR Psae) upon exposure. Therefore, mice received either vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin plus sulbactam (A/S) or no antibiotics via the drinking water and were perorally challenged with a clinical MDR Psae isolate after antibiotic withdrawal. Whereas 100% of A/S and 55% of ciprofloxacin pretreated mice harbored Psae in their feces seven days post-challenge, intestinal Psae carriage rates were 20.0% and 26.3% in vancomycin pretreated and untreated mice, respectively. Microbiota analyses revealed that immediately before MDR Psae challenge, A/S pretreated mice displayed the lowest total bacterial, lactobacilli and Clostridium leptum fecal loads compared to other cohorts. Seven days following Psae exposure, however, higher numbers of apoptotic colonic epithelial cells were observed in A/S pretreated versus untreated mice that were accompanied by more enhanced innate and adaptive immune cell responses and nitric oxide secretion in colonic and ileal biopsies in the former versus the latter. In conclusion, distinct gut microbiota shifts following A/S pretreatment facilitate pronounced intestinal MDR Psae colonization and pro-inflammatory immune responses upon oral exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"125-136"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208182/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144046179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Come to the dark side - A review on the health-beneficial and disease-alleviating effects of cocoa-rich dark chocolate.","authors":"Heike Muth, Stefan Bereswill, Markus M Heimesaat","doi":"10.1556/1886.2025.00007","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2025.00007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cocoa that is abundant in dark chocolate is known for its anti-inflammatory effects that are mainly due to biologically active ingredients like polyphenols and methylxanthines. We here provide a comprehensive literature survey of both, in vitro and in vivo studies including clinical trials summarizing recent evidence on the immune-modulatory effects exerted by application of cocoa-rich dark chocolate or distinct cocoa-derived molecules. The survey revealed that dark chocolate and its derivatives could effectively dampen pro-inflammatory including oxidative stress responses in vascular diseases including atherosclerosis, hypertension, and decompression sickness, metabolic morbidities such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, celiac disease, chronic kidney diseases, and polycystic ovary syndrome, enhance gut epithelial barrier function, and modulate pain sensations. On the other hand, dark chocolate consumption intake was found to worsen acne symptoms. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with dark chocolate with high contents of biologically active polyphenols and methylxanthines might be promising adjunct immune-modulatory treatment options of distinct acute as well as chronic inflammatory morbidities that need to be evaluated in more detail in future in vivo including clinical studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"74-82"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208183/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143694938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phagetherapy updates: New frontiers against antibiotic resistance.","authors":"Shiza Malik, Omar Ahsan, Khalid Muhammad, Nayla Munawar, Yasir Waheed","doi":"10.1556/1886.2024.00126","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2024.00126","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antibiotic resistance is a major problem in the healthcare industry, and it presents difficulties in managing bacterial diseases worldwide. The need to find alternative antibiotic-containing methods is thus a major area for the scientific community to work on. Bacteriophage therapy is an interesting alternative that has been used in scientific research for a long time to tackle antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The purpose of this review was to compile the latest data on bacteriophages, which are progressively being used as alternatives to antibiotics, and to identify the mechanisms associated with phage therapy. The results section delves into the growing challenges posed by antibiotics and explores the potential of bacteriophages as therapeutic alternatives. This study discusses how phages can decrease antibiotic resistance, highlighting their role in modulating microbiomes and addressing various complications. This study explored the intriguing question of whether bacteriophages can combat nonbacterial diseases and examined their indirect use in pest control. In addition, this study explores the application of the CRISPR-Cas system in combating antibiotic resistance and specifically addresses phage therapy for secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19. We will further discuss whether bacteriophages are a noteworthy alternative to antibiotics by considering the evolutionary trade-offs between phages and antibiotic resistance. This section concludes by outlining future perspectives and acknowledging limitations, particularly in the context of phage and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated phage therapy. The methodology adopted for this study is a comprehensive research strategy using the Google Scholar and PubMed databases, among others. In conclusion, phage therapy is a promising strategy for tackling antibiotic-resistant bacteria, contributing to improved food production and mitigating secondary health effects. However, effective regulation requires careful selection of phages in conjunction with antibiotics to ensure judicious control of the coevolutionary dynamics between phages and antibiotics.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925186/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143652807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses in B cells during Salmonella infection.","authors":"Araceli Perez-Lopez, Gabriela Hernandez-Galicia, Luis Uriel Lopez-Bailon, Ana D Gonzalez-Telona, Roberto Rosales-Reyes, Celia M Alpuche-Aranda, Jose I Santos-Preciado, Vianney Ortiz-Navarrete","doi":"10.1556/1886.2024.00088","DOIUrl":"10.1556/1886.2024.00088","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>B-cells serve as a niche for Salmonella to establish a chronic infection, enabling bacteria to evade immune responses. One mechanism Salmonella uses to survive inside B-cells involves inhibiting the NLRC4 inflammasome activation, thereby preventing pyroptotic cell death. This study investigates whether Salmonella-infected B-cells can mount bactericidal responses to control intracellular bacteria. Our results show that Salmonella-infected B-cells can produce and release TNFα, IL-6, and IL-10, but not RANTES. Furthermore, priming B-cells with TNFα, IL-1β, or IFNγ enhances their bactericidal activity by promoting the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen production species, reducing intracellular load. These results suggest that B-cells can clear Salmonella infection within a pro-inflammatory environment. However, the concurrent production of IL-10 may counteract the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines, potentially modulating the immune response in the microenvironment.</p>","PeriodicalId":93998,"journal":{"name":"European journal of microbiology & immunology","volume":" ","pages":"32-41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925187/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143607508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}