The esophageal microbiome has been proposed to be involved in a range of diseases including the esophageal adenocarcinoma cascade; however, little is currently known about its function and ...relationship to the host. Here, the esophageal microbiomes of 106 prospectively recruited patients were assessed using 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing as well as shotgun sequencing, and associations with age, gender, proton pump inhibitor use, host genetics, and disease were tested.
The esophageal microbiome was found to cluster into functionally distinct community types (esotypes) defined by the relative abundances of Streptococcus and Prevotella. While age was found to be a significant factor driving microbiome composition, bacterial signatures and functions such as enrichment with Gram-negative oral-associated bacteria and microbial lactic acid production were associated with the early stages of the esophageal adenocarcinoma cascade. Non-bacterial microbes such as archaea, Candida spp., and bacteriophages were also identified in low abundance in the esophageal microbiome. Specific host SNPs in NOTCH2, STEAP2-AS1, and NREP were associated with the composition of the esophageal microbiome in our cohort.
This study provides the most comprehensive assessment of the esophageal microbiome to date and identifies novel signatures and host markers that can be investigated further in the context of esophageal adenocarcinoma development.
The morbidity and mortality resulting from acute gastroenteritis and associated chronic sequelae represent a substantial burden on health care systems worldwide. Few studies have investigated changes ...in the gut microbiome following an episode of acute gastroenteritis. By using nondirected 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, the fecal microbiota of 475 patients with acute gastroenteritis was examined. Patient age was correlated with the overall microbial composition, with a decrease in the abundance of
being observed in older patients. We observed the emergence of a potential
-dominated enterotype in a subset of patients, and this enterotype was predicted to be more proinflammatory than the other common enterotypes, with the latter being dominated by
or
The increased abundance of
did not appear to be associated with infection with an agent of a similar sequence similarity. Stool color and consistency were associated with the diversity and composition of the microbiome, with deviations from the norm (not brown and solid) showing increases in the abundances of bacteria such as
and
Analysis of enriched outliers within the data identified a range of genera previously associated with gastrointestinal diseases, including
,
,
,
,
,
,
, and
Our data represent the first in-depth analysis of gut microbiota in acute gastroenteritis. Phenotypic changes in stool color and consistency were associated with specific changes in the microbiota. Enriched bacterial taxa were detected in cases where no causative agent was identified by using routine diagnostic tests, suggesting that in the future, microbiome analyses may be utilized to improve diagnostics.
Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A high prevalence of Campylobacter concisus was previously detected in paediatric CD and ...adult UC. Currently, the prevalence of C. concisus in adult CD and the preferential colonization sites of Campylobacter species in the human intestine are unknown. In this study, we examined the prevalence of Campylobacter species in biopsies collected from multiple anatomic sites of adult patients with IBD and controls.
Three hundred and one biopsies collected from ileum, caecum, descending colon and rectum of 28 patients IBD (15 CD and 13 UC) and 33 controls were studied. Biopsies were used for DNA extraction and detection of Campylobacter species by PCR-sequencing and Campylobacter cultivation.
A significantly higher prevalence of C. concisus in colonic biopsies of patients with CD (53%) was detected as compared with the controls (18%). Campylobacter genus-PCR positivity and C. concisus positivity in patients with UC were 85% and 77% respectively, being significantly higher than that in the controls (48% and 36%). C. concisus was more often detected in descending colonic and rectal biopsies from patients with IBD in comparison to the controls. C. concisus was isolated from patients with IBD.
The high intestinal prevalence of C. concisus in patients with IBD, particularly in the proximal large intestine, suggests that future studies are needed to investigate the possible involvement of C. concisus in a subgroup of human IBD. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the association between adult CD and C. concisus as well as the first study of the preferential colonization sites of C. concisus in the human intestine.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We investigated whether informal meditation practice (i.e., self-reported application of meditative techniques outside a period of formal meditation) was associated with outcomes in smartphone-based ...loving-kindness and compassion training. Meditation-naïve participants (n = 351) with clinically elevated symptoms completed measures of psychological distress, loneliness, empathy, and prosociality at baseline and following a two-week intervention. Informal practice, psychological distress, and loneliness were also assessed daily. Steeper increases in informal practice had small associations with pre-post improvements in distress (r = −.18, p = .008) and loneliness (r = −.19, p = .009) but not empathy or prosociality. Using a currently recommended approach for establishing cross-lagged effects in longitudinal data (latent curve model with structured residuals), higher current-day informal practice was associated with decreased next-day distress with a very small effect size (βs = −.06 to −.04, p = .018) but not decreased next-day loneliness. No cross-lagged associations emerged from distress or loneliness to informal practice. Findings suggest that further investigation into a potential causal role of informal practice is warranted. Future studies experimentally manipulating informal practice are needed.
•Increased informal practice was correlated with pre-post reductions in distress.•Increased informal practice was correlated with pre-post reductions in loneliness.•Higher current-day informal practice predicted lower next-day distress.•No cross-lagged effects of distress or loneliness on informal practice.•Further investigation into a causal role of informal practice is warranted.
Poultry represent an important source of foodborne enteropathogens, in particular thermophilic Campylobacter species. Many of these organisms colonize the intestinal tract of broiler chickens as ...harmless commensals, and therefore, often remain undetected prior to slaughter. The exact reasons for the lack of clinical disease are unknown, but analysis of the gastrointestinal microbiota of broiler chickens may improve our understanding of the microbial interactions with the host.
In this study, the fecal microbiota of 31 market-age (56-day old) broiler chickens, from two different farms, was analyzed using high throughput sequencing. The samples were then screened for two emerging human pathogens, Campylobacter concisus and Helicobacter pullorum, using species-specific PCR.
The gastrointestinal microbiota of chickens was classified into four potential enterotypes, similar to that of humans, where three enterotypes have been identified. The results indicated that variations between farms may have contributed to differences in the microbiota, though each of the four enterotypes were found in both farms suggesting that these groupings did not occur by chance. In addition to the identification of Campylobacter jejuni subspecies doylei and the emerging species, C. concisus, C. upsaliensis and H. pullorum, several differences in the prevalence of human pathogens within these enterotypes were observed. Further analysis revealed microbial taxa with the potential to increase the likelihood of colonization by a number of these pathogens, including C. jejuni.
Depletion of these taxa and the addition of taxa that compete with these pathogens, may form the basis of competitive exclusion strategies to eliminate them from the gastrointestinal tract of chickens.
The enrichment of Gram-negative bacteria of oral origin in the esophageal microbiome has been associated with the development of metaplasia. However, to date, no study has comprehensively assessed ...the relationships between the esophageal microbiome and the host.
Here, we examine the esophageal microenvironment in gastro-esophageal reflux disease and metaplasia using multi-omics strategies targeting the microbiome and host transcriptome, followed by targeted culture, comparative genomics, and host-microbial interaction studies of bacterial signatures of interest.
Profiling of the host transcriptome from esophageal mucosal biopsies revealed profound changes during metaplasia. Importantly, five biomarkers showed consistent longitudinal changes with disease progression from reflux disease to metaplasia. We showed for the first time that the esophageal microbiome is distinct from the salivary microbiome and the enrichment of Campylobacter species as a consistent signature in disease across two independent cohorts. Shape fitting and matrix correlation identified associations between the microbiome and host transcriptome profiles, with a novel co-exclusion relationship found between Campylobacter and napsin B aspartic peptidase. Targeted culture of Campylobacter species from the same cohort revealed a subset of isolates to have a higher capacity to survive within primary human macrophages. Comparative genomic analyses showed these isolates could be differentiated by specific genomic features, one of which was validated to be associated with intracellular fitness. Screening for these Campylobacter strain-specific signatures in shotgun metagenomics data from another cohort showed an increase in prevalence with disease progression. Comparative transcriptomic analyses of primary esophageal epithelial cells exposed to the Campylobacter isolates revealed expression changes within those infected with strains with high intracellular fitness that could explain the increased likelihood of disease progression.
We provide a comprehensive assessment of the esophageal microenvironment, identifying bacterial strain-specific signatures with high relevance to progression of metaplasia.
SUMMARY
Background
Fibrinogen replacement is critical in major obstetric haemorrhage (MOH). Purified, pasteurised fibrinogen concentrate appears to have benefit over cryoprecipitate in ease of ...administration and safety but is unlicensed in pregnancy. In July 2009, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service replaced cryoprecipitate with fibrinogen.
Objectives
To examine the impact of this externally imposed change on blood product use and clinical outcomes in MOH.
Methods
Women with MOH requiring fibrinogen between 1 January 2009 and 30 June 2011 were identified from an MOH database. Aetiology of MOH, medical treatments, blood product use and clinical outcomes were compared between the cryoprecipitate and fibrinogen groups.
Results
Of 21 614 deliveries, 77 cases of MOH were identified. Of the 77 cases, 34 (44%) received cryoprecipitate (n = 14) or fibrinogen concentrate (n = 20). The mean (±SEM) dose utilised was 2·21 ± 0·35 pools of cryoprecipitate and 4 ± 0·8 g of fibrinogen. There was a stronger correlation between the increase in fibrinogen level and dose of fibrinogen (Pearson co‐efficient 0·5; P = 0·03) than dose of cryoprecipitate (Pearson co‐efficient 0·32; P = 0·3). Mean (±SEM) estimated blood loss (EBL), red cell concentrate (RCC) and Octaplas transfused were greater (but not significantly) in the cryoprecipitate group compared with the fibrinogen group; EBL = 5·2 ± 1·1 vs 3·3 ± 0·5 L (P = 0·1); RCC = 7·2 ± 1·2 vs 5·9 ± 1·0 U (P = 0·4); Octaplas = 4·1 ± 0·7 vs 3·2 ± 0·7 U (P = 0·36), respectively. Haemostasis was secured, and there were no adverse reactions or thrombotic complications.
Conclusion
Purified virally inactivated fibrinogen concentrate is as efficacious as cryoprecipitate in correcting hypofibrinogenaemia in MOH.
Meditation apps are the most commonly used mental health apps. However, the optimal dosing of app-delivered meditation practice has not been established. We examined whether the distribution of ...meditation practices across a day impacted outcomes in a distressed population. We investigated the effects of meditation practice frequency in a 2-week compassion-based meditation intervention delivered via the Healthy Minds Program app. Undergraduates with clinically elevated depression and/or anxiety (N = 351) were randomized to a massed (one 20-min meditation per day) or distributed condition (two 10-min meditations per day). Psychological distress (primary outcome; composite of depression and anxiety), experiential avoidance, fear of missing out, loneliness, and self-compassion were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Psychological distress, loneliness, and informal meditation practice were also assessed daily. Practice time and frequency were assessed using app data. Results support feasibility of the study design, success of the manipulation, and acceptability of the intervention. Pooled across conditions, participants exhibited pre-post improvements on all outcomes (absolute value of ds = 0.12-0.63, p ≤ .010) and trajectories of improvement on daily distress and loneliness (p ≤ .010). No between-group differences were observed on changes in pre-post or daily measures (ps = .158-.729). When total amount of meditation practice per day is held constant, the distribution of practice may not influence outcomes for distressed beginners. Although only a first test of dose frequency effects, findings support flexibility in the distribution of meditation throughout the day, which may increase accessibility.
Public Significance Statement
This study suggests practicing meditation with a smartphone-based meditation app once per day for 20 min or twice per day for 10 min each time is associated with equivalent improvements on psychological distress and other outcomes. This supports the possibility that meditation practice may be flexibly distributed across a day and will produce similar outcomes, at least in the context of a meditation app intervention.
Objectives
Despite the well-documented psychological benefits of meditation practice, limited research has examined factors associated with meditation practice persistence. Like other health ...behaviors (e.g., exercise), non-persistence may undermine the effectiveness of meditation.
Method
We examined rates and correlates of meditation persistence using a population-based sample (
n
= 953) in the USA. Persistence was operationalized in two ways: number of lifetime practice sessions (i.e., lifetime persistence) and current practice frequency (i.e., current persistence). Consistent with the National Health Interview Survey, we defined meditation as mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, and spiritual meditation. We examined factors related to the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA), a theory that has been used to explain adherence to health behaviors.
Results
Almost half of the sample (49.3%) indicated lifetime exposure to meditation and a third (35.0%) indicated practice in the past year. Factors positively associated with persistence (lifetime and/or current) included having spoken with a meditation teacher, higher perceived effectiveness of meditation, higher meditation-positive subjective norms, lower perceived barriers, higher conscientiousness, higher well-being growth mindset, and retreat experience. Factors negatively associated with persistence included first exposure through various forms of technology and having a mental health motivation for practice. First exposure through a smartphone app and first exposure through friends and family were not associated with lifetime or current persistence. Findings were unchanged after controlling for demographics and applying a false discovery rate
p
-value adjustment.
Conclusions
These findings provide insights into factors that may promote persistence with meditation, which can guide the delivery of meditation training.
Preregistration
This study was preregistered at the Open Science Framework (
https://osf.io/4h86s
).
Climate variability and the rapid warming of seas undoubtedly have huge ramifications for biological processes such as reproduction. As such, gametogenesis and spawning were investigated at two sites ...over 200 km apart on the south coast of Ireland in an ecosystem engineer, the common cockle, Cerastoderma edule. Both sites are classed as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), but are of different water quality. Cerastoderma edule plays a significant biological role by recycling nutrients and affecting sediment structure, with impacts upon assemblage biomass and functional diversity. It plays a key role in food webs, being a common foodstuff for a number of marine birds including the oystercatcher. Both before and during the study (early 2010–mid 2011), Ireland experienced its two coldest winters for 50 years. As the research demonstrated only slight variation in the spawning period between sites, despite site differences in water and environmental quality, temperature and variable climatic conditions were the dominant factor controlling gametogenesis. The most significant finding was that the spawning period in the cockle extended over a greater number of months compared with previous studies and that gametogenesis commenced over winter rather than in spring. Extremely cold winters may impact on the cockle by accelerating and extending the onset and development of gametogenesis. Whether this impact is positive or negative would depend on the associated events occurring on which the cockle depends, that is, presence of primary producers and spring blooms, which would facilitate conversion of this extended gametogenesis into successful recruitment.
This research demonstrated only slight variation in the spawning period between two sites over 200 km apart; despite site differences in water and environmental quality, it suggested that temperature and climatic conditions might be the dominant factor in controlling gametogenesis. The most significant finding was that the spawning period in the cockle has extended over a greater number of months compared with previous studies and that gametogenesis extended into the winter.
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