BACKGROUND: Widespread use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has reduced vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). We describe the serotype distribution of IPD after extensive use of ten-valent PCV (PCV10; Synflorix, GSK) and 13-valent PCV (PCV13; Prevenar 13, Pfizer) globally. METHODS: IPD data were obtained from surveillance sites participating in the WHO-commissioned Pneumococcal Serotype Replacement and Distribution Estimation (PSERENADE) project that exclusively used PCV10 or PCV13 (hereafter PCV10 and PCV13 sites, respectively) in their national immunisation programmes and had primary series uptake of at least 70%. Serotype distribution was estimated for IPD cases occurring 5 years or more after PCV10 or PCV13 introduction (ie, the mature period when the serotype distribution had stabilised) using multinomial Dirichlet regression, stratified by PCV product and age group (<5 years, 5-17 years, 18-49 years, and ≥50 years). FINDINGS: The analysis included cases occurring primarily between 2015 and 2018 from 42 PCV13 sites (63 362 cases) and 12 PCV10 sites (6806 cases) in 41 countries. Sites were mostly high income (36 [67%] of 54) and used three-dose or four-dose booster schedules (44 [81%]). At PCV10 sites, PCV10 serotypes caused 10·0% (95% CI 6·3-12·9) of IPD cases in children younger than 5 years and 15·5% (13·4-19·3) of cases in adults aged 50 years or older, while PCV13 serotypes caused 52·1% (49·2-65·4) and 45·6% (40·0-50·0), respectively. At PCV13 sites, PCV13 serotypes caused 26·4% (21·3-30·0) of IPD cases in children younger than 5 years and 29·5% (27·5-33·0) of cases in adults aged 50 years or older. The leading serotype at PCV10 sites was 19A in children younger than 5 years (30·6% [95% CI 18·2-43·1]) and adults aged 50 years or older (14·8% [11·9-17·8]). Serotype 3 was a top-ranked serotype, causing about 9% of cases in children younger than 5 years and 14% in adults aged 50 years or older at both PCV10 and PCV13 sites. Across all age and PCV10 or PCV13 strata, the proportion of IPD targeted by higher-valency PCVs beyond PCV13 was 4·1-9·7% for PCV15, 13·5-36·0% for PCV20, 29·9-53·8% for PCV21, 15·6-42·0% for PCV24, and 31·5-50·1% for PCV25. All top-ten ranked non-PCV13 serotypes are included in at least one higher-valency PCV. INTERPRETATION: The proportion of IPD due to serotypes included in PCVs in use was low in mature PCV10 and PCV13 settings. Serotype distribution differed between PCV10 and PCV13 sites and age groups. Higher-valency PCVs target most remaining IPD and are expected to extend impact. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the WHO Pneumococcal Vaccines Technical Coordination Project.

• MeSH
• Global Health MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Immunization Programs MeSH
• Pneumococcal Infections * prevention & control   epidemiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Pneumococcal Vaccines * administration & dosage   MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Serogroup * MeSH
• Streptococcus pneumoniae * classification   immunology   MeSH
• Vaccines, Conjugate administration & dosage   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) that are ten-valent (PCV10) and 13-valent (PCV13) became available in 2010. We evaluated their global impact on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence in all ages. METHODS: Serotype-specific IPD cases and population denominators were obtained directly from surveillance sites using PCV10 or PCV13 in their national immunisation programmes and with a primary series uptake of at least 50%. Annual incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated comparing the incidence before any PCV with each year post-PCV10 or post-PCV13 introduction using Bayesian multi-level, mixed-effects Poisson regressions, by site and age group. All site-weighted average IRRs were estimated using linear mixed-effects regression, stratified by product and previous seven-valent PCV (PCV7) effect (none, moderate, or substantial). FINDINGS: Analyses included 32 PCV13 sites (488 758 cases) and 15 PCV10 sites (46 386 cases) in 30 countries, primarily high income (39 sites), using booster dose schedules (41 sites). By 6 years after PCV10 or PCV13 introduction, IPD due to PCV10-type serotypes and PCV10-related serotype 6A declined substantially for both products (age <5 years: 83-99% decline; ≥65 years: 54-96% decline). PCV7-related serotype 19A increases before PCV10 or PCV13 introduction were reversed at PCV13 sites (age <5 years: 61-79% decline relative to before any PCV; age ≥65 years: 7-26% decline) but increased at PCV10 sites (age <5 years: 1·6-2·3-fold; age ≥65 years: 3·6-4·9-fold). Serotype 3 IRRs had no consistent trends for either product or age group. Non-PCV13-type IPD increased similarly for both products (age <5 years: 2·3-3·3-fold; age ≥65 years: 1·7-2·3-fold). Despite different serotype 19A trends, all-serotype IPD declined similarly between products among children younger than 5 years (58-74%); among adults aged 65 years or older, declines were greater at PCV13 (25-29%) than PCV10 (4-14%) sites, but other differences between sites precluded attribution to product. INTERPRETATION: Long-term use of PCV10 or PCV13 reduced IPD substantially in young children and more moderately in older ages. Non-vaccine-type serotypes increased approximately two-fold to three-fold by 6 years after introduction of PCV10 or PCV13. Continuing serotype 19A increases at PCV10 sites and declines at PCV13 sites suggest that PCV13 use would further reduce IPD at PCV10 sites. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the WHO Pneumococcal Vaccines Technical Coordination Project.

• MeSH
• Global Health * MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Incidence MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Pneumococcal Infections * prevention & control   epidemiology   MeSH
• Pneumococcal Vaccines * administration & dosage   MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Serogroup MeSH
• Streptococcus pneumoniae * classification   immunology   MeSH
• Vaccines, Conjugate administration & dosage   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Despite national guidelines and use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP), Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococci (GBS)) is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns in Europe and the United States. The European DEVANI (Design of a Vaccine Against Neonatal Infections) program assessed the neonatal GBS infection burden in Europe, the clinical characteristics of colonized women and microbiological data of GBS strains in colonized women and their infants with early-onset disease (EOD). METHODS: Overall, 1083 pregnant women with a GBS-positive culture result from eight European countries were included in the study. Clinical obstetrical information was collected by a standardized questionnaire. GBS strains were characterized by serological and molecular methods. RESULTS: Among GBS carriers included in this study after testing positive for GBS by vaginal or recto-vaginal sampling, 13.4% had at least one additional obstetrical risk factor for EOD. The five most common capsular types (i.e., Ia, Ib, II, III and V) comprised ~ 93% of GBS carried. Of the colonized women, 77.8% received any IAP, and in 49.5% the IAP was considered appropriate. In our cohort, nine neonates presented with GBS early-onset disease (EOD) with significant regional heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Screening methods and IAP rates need to be harmonized across Europe in order to reduce the rates of EOD. The epidemiological data from eight different European countries provides important information for the development of a successful GBS vaccine.

• MeSH
• Antibiotic Prophylaxis MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Pregnancy Complications, Infectious * epidemiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Carrier State epidemiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Streptococcus agalactiae * isolation & purification   classification   MeSH
• Streptococcal Infections * epidemiology   microbiology   prevention & control   MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Vagina microbiology   MeSH
• Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical statistics & numerical data   prevention & control   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Infant, Newborn MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH

BACKGROUND: Since the incidence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is increasing and treatment options remain limited, we aimed to investigate the epidemiology of vancomycin- and tigecycline-resistant enterococci in a university hospital using whole genome sequencing (WGS). METHODS: Between April and December 2021, 102 VRE isolates were collected from a single tertiary care hospital in the Czech Republic. Forty selected isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing and WGS (Illumina short reads and long reads with MinION in selected isolates). RESULTS: All Enterococcus faecium isolates were resistant to ampicillin, carrying the PBP5_Met485Ala, PBP5_Glu629Val, and fluoroquinolones carrying the GyrA_Ser83Ile and ParC_Ser80Ile substitutions. The vanA operon was found on pELF2-like plasmids and plasmids carrying rep17 and/or rep18b genes. The novel Tn1546 structural variants were identified in vanA-carrying isolates. The vanB operon was located on the chromosome within a Tn1549 structural variant. Linezolid resistance was detected in one isolate carrying the 23S rDNA_G2576T substitution. Twenty-two isolates were resistant to tigecycline (tet(L), tet(M) and rpsJ_del 155-166 or RpsJ_Lys57Arg). Discrepancies between phenotypic and genotypic resistance profiles were observed for daptomycin (RpoB_Ser491Phe), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (dfrG gene), nitrofurantoin (NmrA_Gln48Lys substitution without the EF0404 and EF0648 genes) and tetracycline (truncated TetM). The two multilocus sequence typing (MLST) schemes identified different numbers of STs: 5 STs, with ST117 as the predominant one (n = 32, 80%), versus 10 STs, with ST138 (27.5%), ST136 (25%), and ST1067 (20%) being the most frequent, respectively. The whole genome MLST revealed clonal clustering (0-7 allele differences) among isolates of the same ST. When comparing ST117 isolates from our study with 2,204 ST117 isolates from 15 countries, only one Czech isolate clustered closely with strains from Germany and the Netherlands, differing by just 16 alleles. CONCLUSIONS: The spread of E. faecium isolates ST117 resistant to vancomycin and tigecycline was identified. The discrepancies between resistance genotypes and phenotypes highlight the importance of combining molecular and phenotypic surveillance in antimicrobial resistance monitoring.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents * pharmacology   MeSH
• Bacterial Proteins genetics   MeSH
• Enterococcus faecium * genetics   drug effects   isolation & purification   classification   MeSH
• Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci * genetics   drug effects   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Genome, Bacterial MeSH
• Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections * microbiology   epidemiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial genetics   MeSH
• Multilocus Sequence Typing MeSH
• Vancomycin Resistance genetics   MeSH
• Whole Genome Sequencing MeSH
• Tigecycline * pharmacology   MeSH
• Vancomycin * pharmacology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

BACKGROUND: Human milk harbors diverse bacterial communities that contribute to infant health. Although pumping and storing milk is a common practice, the viable bacterial composition of pumped milk and the impact of storage practice on these bacteria remains under-explored. This metagenomic observational study aimed to characterize viable bacterial communities in freshly pumped human milk and its changes under different storage conditions. METHODS: In 2023, twelve lactating mothers from the CELSPAC: TNG cohort (Czech Republic) provided freshly pumped milk samples. These samples were stored under various conditions (refrigeration for 24 h, 48 h, or freezing for six weeks) and treated with propidium monoazide (PMA) to selectively identify viable cells. The DNA extracted from individual samples was subsequently analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing on the Illumina platform. RESULTS: The genera Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Diaphorobacter, Cutibacterium, and Corynebacterium were the most common viable bacteria in fresh human milk. The median sequencing depth and Shannon index of fresh human milk samples treated with PMA (+ PMA) were significantly lower than in untreated (-PMA) samples (p < 0.05 for all), which was true also for each time point. Also, significant changes in these parameters were observed between fresh human milk samples and their paired frozen samples (p < 0.05), while no differences were found between fresh human milk samples and those refrigerated for up to 48 h (p > 0.05). Of specific genera, only + PMA frozen human milk samples showed a significant decrease in the central log-ratio transformed relative abundances of the genera Diaphorobacter and Cutibacterium (p < 0.05) in comparison to + PMA fresh human milk samples. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that the bacterial profiles significantly differed between human milk samples treated with PMA, which represent only viable bacteria, and those untreated. While storage at 4 °C for up to 48 h did not significantly alter the overall diversity and composition of viable bacteria in human milk, freezing notably affected both the viability and relative abundances of some bacterial genera.

• MeSH
• Azides MeSH
• Bacteria * isolation & purification   genetics   classification   MeSH
• Refrigeration MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Milk, Human * microbiology   MeSH
• Microbiota * MeSH
• Propidium analogs & derivatives   MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 16S MeSH
• Food Storage * methods   MeSH
• Freezing MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Observational Study MeSH

BACKGROUND: Since 2022, an increasing number of invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections have been reported, with increasing severity and lethality. We aimed to compare the frequency and characteristics of bacteraemic GAS infections in adults before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study of adult patients with Streptococcus pyogenes bacteraemia in two periods, January 2017 to December 2019 and October 2022 to December 2023. Demographics, clinical presentation, antibiotic treatment, therapeutic response, complications and outcome were analysed. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients with Streptococcus pyogenes bacteraemia in the 3-year pre-pandemic group were compared with 36 patients in the 15-month post-pandemic group. The median ages in the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic groups were 65 (IQR = 28) and 64.5 (IQR = 31) years, respectively. The proportions of males and females in the pre-pandemic group were 69% and 31%, respectively, compared with 33% and 67%, respectively, in the post-pandemic group. Skin and soft tissue infections occurred in 77% and 53%, respectively (p = 0.032). Rare manifestations, such as pneumonia and meningitis, were diagnosed in the post-pandemic group. Septic shock was significantly less common in the pre-pandemic group, with rates of 26% vs. 56% (p = 0.011). Treatment response was good in 74% of the pre-pandemic group compared to 58% of the post-pandemic group (p = 0.155). Lethality was not significantly higher in the post-pandemic group (26% vs. 33%, p = 0.482) but the number of deaths per year was more than three times higher in the post-pandemic group. CONCLUSIONS: In the post-pandemic period, the frequency of bacteraemic GAS infections in adults increased significantly. A higher proportion of women, a decrease in the age of women and an increase in the age of men, rare clinical manifestations, poor response to therapy and increased severity and number of deaths were the new features of adult disease observed in the post-pandemic period.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents therapeutic use   MeSH
• Bacteremia * epidemiology   microbiology   drug therapy   MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Streptococcus pyogenes * MeSH
• Streptococcal Infections * epidemiology   drug therapy   microbiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Observational Study MeSH

Úvod: Akutní mastoiditida je hnisavý zánět sliznice mastoidních sklípků s rozpadem mezisklípkových kostěných sept. Je to nejčastější intratemporální zánětlivá komplikace středoušního zánětu u dětí. Včasná diagnostika a léčba jsou klíčové pro prevenci šíření zánětu ze spánkové kosti extraa intrakraniálně. Cíl práce: Cílem této retrospektivní studie je analyzovat případy akutní mastoiditidy u dětí na našem pracovišti. Studie se zaměřuje na vyhodnocení incidence akutní mastoiditidy u dětské populace, identifikaci hlavních etiologických agens odpovědných za tuto infekci a analýzu současných terapeutických přístupů, prevence a její afektivity. Materiál a metody: Formou retrospektivní studie byla zpracována data pacientů ošetřených a hospitalizovaných na dětském oddělení a na oddělení ORL KZ, a. s. – Nemocnice Děčín, o.z., v období 1. 1. 2015 – 1. 9. 2022 se stanovenou diagnózou akutní mastoiditida – H-700 dle MKN-10, vyhledáno pomocí nemocničního informačního systému. Výsledky: Do hodnoceného souboru bylo zahrnuto 23 pacientů. Sledovaní pacienti v souboru byli převážně ve věku 12–18 let. Nejméně dětí bylo ve věkové skupině do 6 let. Nejčetnějším původcem v uvedené studii byl Streptococcus pneumoniae se subtypy 3 a 8, na které, jak ukázala studie, vakcína Synflorix není účinná. Všem sledovaným pacientům byla nasazena empirická antibiotická terapie. Ve skupině případů od 12 do 18 let byla terapie antibiotiky zahájena v monoterapii. U mladších pacientů sestávala antibiotická terapie vždy z dvojkombinace antibiotik, jednalo se zejména o dvojkombinaci clindamycin + gentamycin. U 13 z 23 případů byla indikována chirurgická terapie. Ve většině případů se délka hospitalizace nezměnila v závislosti na věku, ani na etiologickém agens, či místě bydliště. Nebyla nalezena závislost mezi typem léčby akutní mastoiditidy a původcem onemocnění či ovlivněním sluchu. Závěr: V naší retrospektivní studii jsme zjistili, že incidence akutní mastoiditidy koreluje se všeobecně známou incidencí v rámci České republiky a celosvětovými daty. Studie prokazuje, že jako nejčastější patogen akutní mastoiditidy u dětí je identifikován Streptococcus pneumoniae. Analýza ukázala, že vakcína Prevenar 13 vykazuje lepší účinnost v prevenci akutní mastoiditidy ve srovnání s vakcínou Synflorix. Tyto výsledky naznačují, že přehodnocení používané vakcinační strategie by mohlo přispět k dalšímu snížení incidence akutní mastoiditidy. Lze konstatovat, že délka rekonvalescence a možné ovlivnění sluchu po léčbě akutní mastoiditidy nemusí záviset na typu mikrobiálního původce. Doporučujeme pokračovat v monitorování a hodnocení účinnosti vakcín a klinických přístupů ke zlepšení prevence a léčby této závažné komplikace středoušního zánětu.

Introduction: Acute mastoiditis is a purulent inflammation of the mastoid mucosa with disintegration of the interstitial bone septa. It is the most common intratemporal inflammatory complication of otitis media in children. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent the spread of inflammation from the temporal bone extraand intracranially. Aim of the study: The aim of this retrospective study is to analyze the cases of acute mastoiditis in children in our department. The study aims to evaluate the incidence of acute mastoiditis in the pediatric population, identify the main etiological agents responsible for this infection, and analyze current therapeutic approaches, prevention, and its effectiveness. Materials and methods: The data of patients treated and hospitalized in the children‘s ward and ENT department of KZ, a. s. – Hospital Děčín, o.z., from 1 January 2015 – 1 September 2022 with the diagnosis – acute mastoiditis – H-700 according to ICD-10, were searched using the hospital information system, and were processed in the form of a retrospective study. Results: 23 patients were included in the evaluated cohort. The study population was mainly aged 12–18 years. The smallest number of children were in the age group under 6 years. Streptococcus pneumoniae with subtypes 3 and 8 was the most frequent causative agent in the study, for which the Synflorix vaccine was shown to be ineffective. Empiric antibiotic therapy was administered to all patients studied. In the group of cases aged 12 to 18 years, antibiotic therapy was started in monotherapy. In younger patients, antibiotic therapy always consisted of a double combination of antibiotics, in particular Clindamycin and Gentamycin. Surgical therapy was indicated in 13 of 23 cases. In most cases, the length of hospital stay did not vary with age, etiologic agent, or place of residence. No dependence was found between the type of treatment for acute mastoiditis or the causative agent of the disease or the effect on hearing. Conclusion: In our retrospective study, we found that the incidence of acute mastoiditis correlates with the generally known incidence in the Czech Republic and global data.The study shows that Streptococcus pneumoniae is identified as the most common pathogen of acute mastoiditis in children. The analysis showed that the Prevenar 13 vaccine showed better efficacy in preventing acute mastoiditis compared to the Synflorix vaccine. These results suggest that reassessment of the vaccination strategy used could contribute to further reduction in the incidence of acute mastoiditis. It can be concluded that the length of recovery and possible impact on hearing after treatment of acute mastoiditis may not depend on the type of microbial agent. We recommend continued monitoring and evaluation of vaccine efficacy and clinical approaches to improve prevention and treatment of this serious complication of otitis media.

• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Incidence MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mastoiditis * etiology   therapy   MeSH
• Pneumococcal Infections complications   prevention & control   MeSH
• Pneumococcal Vaccines MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening disease, with its mortality rate varying depending on the infectious agent. Streptococci are among the most common causes of infective endocarditis. However, Streptococcus vestibularis has rarely been associated with human infections, typically affecting patients with underlying conditions such as immunosuppressive diseases, valve replacement, rheumatic heart disease, and hemodialysis. We present the case of a 26-year-old man who presented with fever, unanticipated weight loss, and fatigue. Although no typical risk factors for infective endocarditis were identified at admission, transesophageal echocardiography revealed a bicuspid aortic valve with calcification, paravalvular aortic abscess formation, and vegetations on the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. Blood cultures grew S. vestibularis, which was initially sensitive to benzylpenicillin but developed emergent resistance on the third day of the antibiotic treatment. Subsequently, ceftriaxone therapy was initiated, and blood cultures became sterile on day 10. The patient eventually underwent aortic valve replacement. We report the first known case of native aortic and mitral valve endocarditis caused by S. vestibularis, accompanied by a paravalvular abscess around the native aortic valve, in a patient who had no typical risk factors for infective endocarditis, except for a bicuspid aortic valve.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents therapeutic use   MeSH
• Aortic Valve Insufficiency * microbiology   surgery   MeSH
• Endocarditis, Bacterial * complications   diagnosis   drug therapy   microbiology   MeSH
• Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease * complications   surgery   MeSH
• Third Generation Cephalosporins therapeutic use   MeSH
• Ceftriaxone therapeutic use   MeSH
• Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mitral Valve * microbiology   MeSH
• Penicillin G therapeutic use   MeSH
• Penicillin Resistance MeSH
• Streptococcal Infections * complications   diagnosis   drug therapy   microbiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Case Reports MeSH

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Microbial selenium (Se) supplementation is an essential area of biotechnological research due to differences in the bioavailability and toxicity of different forms of selenium. To date, research has focused mainly on the use of selenized yeast. However, in recent years, scientific interest has also increased in other microorganisms, such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which have several unique properties that can affect the quality and bioavailability of selenium. LAB, unlike yeast, can also act as probiotics, which may bring additional health benefits related to improving the intestinal microbiota and supporting the health of the gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: This study investigates the in vitro bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Se from two lactic acid bacterial strains, Streptococcus thermophilus CCDM 144 and Enterococcus faecium CCDM 922 A. We evaluated Se accumulation, speciation, and stability during simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Se permeation through a Caco-2 cell monolayer model. RESULTS: Both strains accumulated Se, metabolizing it predominantly into selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs, 64-77 % of total Se), with only a minor fraction (<5 % of total Se) of organic Se species. Experiments revealed that while organic Se species had high bioavailability (up to 90 %), their bioaccessibility during digestion was very low (<0.1 % of total Se). In contrast, SeNPs showed high bioaccessibility (∼90 %) and moderate transport efficiency through the intestinal model (16-19 % after 4 hours). CONCLUSION: These results highlight the potential of SeNPs produced by lactic acid bacteria as a bioaccessible form of Se for dietary supplementation. Further research is required to explore the behavior of SeNPs within the human body to fully understand how they can be used safely and effectively in nutrition or other applications.

• MeSH
• Biological Availability * MeSH
• Models, Biological MeSH
• Caco-2 Cells MeSH
• Intestinal Barrier Function MeSH
• Lactobacillales metabolism   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Permeability MeSH
• Selenium * metabolism   MeSH
• Streptococcus thermophilus metabolism   MeSH
• Digestion MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Human and animal skin is colonized by a complex microbial population. An imbalance of these microorganisms is often associated with dermatological diseases. METHODS: The aim of this work was to describe the skin bacterial microbiota composition of healthy dogs and dogs with inflammatory skin lesions. Genomic DNA was sequenced using primers that target the V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Superficial skin swabs were collected from eight body areas of six healthy dogs (n = 48) and directly from inflammatory altered canine skin (n = 16). RESULTS: The skin of healthy dogs was predominantly colonized by phylum Bacillota (34.4 ± 27.2%), followed by Actinomycetota (32.2 ± 20.3%), Pseudomonadota (16.4 ± 12.2%), and Bacteroidota (8.7 ± 11.6%). At the level of genera, Streptococcus spp. (19.4 ± 26.1%) was the most abundant genus across all samples collected from healthy skin, followed by Curtobacterium (5.4 ± 12.1%), Bacteroides (5.2 ± 11.1%) and Corynebacterium_1 (4.3 ± 13.2%). More specifically, Streptococcus spp. was the most abundant on the chin (49.0 ± 35.5%), nose (37.9 ± 32.1%), perianal region (21.1 ± 28.2%), abdomen (11.0 ± 12.8%), dorsal back (12.4 ± 10.3%) and interdigital area (5.5 ± 2.2%). Curtobacterium spp. was predominant on inner pinna (17.8 ± 24.8%) and axilla (6.7 ± 10.8%). Alpha diversity analysis (Shannon index) showed maximum on interdigital area but minimum on a chin (p-value: 0.0416). Beta diversity analysis showed clustering across samples from the individual skin sites but also across samples collected from individual dogs. Staphylococcus spp. was the most abundant genus in 12/16 samples collected from inflammatory skin. In addition, a lower bacterial diversity was observed in samples from skin lesions compared to samples from healthy canine skin. DISCUSSION: The results confirm the fact that the microbiome of healthy skin is very diverse. Compared to other studies, streptococci predominated on healthy canine skin. Shannon index showed only minor differences in diversity between different parts of canine skin. Results of beta-diversity showed the fact that the main force driving the skin microbiota composition is the individual, followed by the skin site. On the area of skin lesions, dysbiosis was observed with a significant predominance of staphylococci.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH