Alterations in composition of human gut microbiome can lead to its dysbiosis. It is associated with gastrointestinal side effects during anti-cancer treatment, antibiotics administration, or ...infectious agents. There are studies confirming positive effect of consuming Lactobacillus plantarum 299v on intestinal microflora. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the role of L. plantarum 299v in supporting treatment of selected diseases, such as cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and Clostridium difficile infection. The immunomodulating properties of L. plantarum 299v include an increase in the level of anti-inflammatory cytokines, which reduce the risk of cancer and improve the efficacy of regimens. The intake of L. plantarum 299v provides benefits for IBS patients, mainly due to normalization of stool and relief of abdominal pain, which significantly improves the quality of life of IBS patients. In addition, the intake of L. plantarum 299v prevents C. difficile-associated diarrhea among patients receiving antibiotic treatment. Due to the limited possibilities of treating these diseases and numerous complications of cancer treatment, there is a need for new therapeutic strategies. The administration of L. plantarum 299v seems to be useful in these cases.
Aging is a complex phenomenon leading to numerous changes in the physiological systems of the body. One of the most important changes, called immunosenescence, occurs in the immune system. ...Immunosenescence covers changes in the innate and the adaptive immune systems and is associated with a low-grade inflammation called inflammaging. Aging, likely via inflammaging, is also associated with the emergence of chronic diseases including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and diabetes mellitus type 2. The origin of this inflammaging is not known with certainty, but several concurrent contributing factors have been suggested, such as aging-associated changes in the innate and adaptive immune response, chronic antigenic stimulation, the appearance of endogenous macromolecular changes, and the presence of senescent cells exhibiting a senescence-associated secretory phenotype. A better understanding of the multiple biological phenomena leading to these diseases via the immunosenescence associated with inflammaging provides a powerful target for interventions to increase the healthspan of elderly subjects.
Low proliferation rate of bacterial populations was recently assumed to be a reason for higher resistance to antibiotics and appearance of many chronic infections. Slowly growing populations, called ...‘small colony variants’ (SCVs) have been described in many bacterial species to make from as low as 0·02% up to 46% of population. Thirty enterococcal strains from urine and faeces of renal transplant recipients with asymptomatic, insignificant bacteriuria were studied. Growth characteristics were estimated by microculture and OD reading after 1, 3 and 5 h of culture. At the same time, penicillin binding and changes of aggregation of the cells were analysed by flow cytometry. The results of our study showed high diversity of the proliferation rates among studied isolates. Based on proliferation rates and aggregation, six of studied strains (20%) could be considered as SCVs‐like. Significantly lower binding of penicillin was also observed for these SCV‐like strains.
Significance and Impact of the Study
This study provides relevant information about prevalence of enterococcal strains with low proliferation rate (likely small colony variant (SCV)) among kidney transplant recipients. Percentage of such strains in this cohort was relatively high (20%). Additionally, penicillin binding of these strains measured even at the beginning of proliferation (after 1 and 3 h of incubation), was significantly lower than among other strains. Finally, all of them were determined as penicillin resistant, with minimal inhibitory concentration value above 256 μg ml−1. As the risk of systemic infections caused by such strains is probably higher than in case of other strains, screening for the SCVs in this group of patients should be recommended.
Significance and Impact of the Study: This study provides relevant information about prevalence of enterococcal strains with low proliferation rate (likely small colony variant (SCV)) among kidney transplant recipients. Percentage of such strains in this cohort was relatively high (20%). Additionally, penicillin binding of these strains measured even at the beginning of proliferation (after 1 and 3 h of incubation), was significantly lower than among other strains. Finally, all of them were determined as penicillin resistant, with minimal inhibitory concentration value above 256 μg ml−1. As the risk of systemic infections caused by such strains is probably higher than in case of other strains, screening for the SCVs in this group of patients should be recommended.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients experience a wide range of symptoms that deteriorate their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aimed to estimate the prevalence and severity of lower ...gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in non-dialysis CKD adult outpatients, and to summarize the relationships between these symptoms and HRQoL, laboratory test results, and clinical data. The protocol of the study was preregistered (PROSPERO CRD42021255122). We searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and grey literature sources from the databases’ inception up until 27 November 2021. Wide citation chasing was conducted. Single proportions (prevalence of functional constipation, self-reported constipation, diarrhea, abdominal bloating, fecal incontinence, and abdominal/rectal pain) were pooled using generalized linear mixed models. A total of 37 studies with 12,074 patients were included. We found that lower GI symptoms, especially self-reported abdominal bloating CKD G1–2: 48.45% (95% CI: 43.5–53.4%; 2 studies); G3: 46.95% (95% CI: 45.0–48.9%; 2 studies), G4–5: 36.1% (95% CI: 25.4–48.5%; 8 studies) and constipation CKD G1–2: 31.8% (95% CI: 13.9–54.9%); G3: 29.8% (95% CI: 21.2–40.1%; 4 studies); G4–5: 38.8% (95% CI: 30.9–47.4%); 22 studies), were common in non-dialysis CKD patients. The severity of the symptoms was limited. Self-reported constipation was most consistently associated with worse HRQoL, whereas hard stool consistency was associated with higher uremic toxins levels. To conclude, since lower GI symptoms are common in CKD, using symptom questionnaires that do not take them into account cannot provide full insight into the patient’s experience. Further studies are needed to cover identified knowledge gaps, including the exploration of the pathophysiology of GI symptoms in CKD with multi-omics data.
•Development of ATD involves complex interaction of immune cells and cytokines.•Different T cells subpopulations play a direct or indirect role in ATD pathogenesis.•Thyroid infiltration by T, B and ...NK cells causes direct follicle destruction in ATD.•The balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines is disturbed in ATD.
Autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) is a chronic autoimmune thyroiditis with a complex pathogenesis including environmental factors, genetic background and immune system actions. Despite the large-scale research and discovery of new subpopulations of lymphocytes, cytokines, chemokines and their functions in the human body, the ethiology of ATD in many aspects remains a mystery. This article tries to summarize mostly the immunological aspects of this disease, including the roles of different cells types (dendritic cells, B cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, NK cells and regulatory T cells) and of different cytokines (secreted by Th1/Th2/Th17/Th22 lymphocyte subpopulations and other, including the IL-23 and CXCL10). We describe the role of immunological abnormalities in the ATD pathogenesis and show that for some cells and cytokines their respective roles are not clear, and bi-directional action is possible. Finally, we propose a network of interactions between the immune cells and thyrocytes in the course of ATD.
Proteodynamics and aging of eukaryotic cells Witkowski, Jacek M.; Bryl, Ewa; Fulop, Tamas
Mechanisms of ageing and development,
March 2021, 2021-03-00, 20210301, Letnik:
194
Journal Article
Recenzirano
All aspects of each protein existence in the eukaryotic cells, starting from the pre-translation events, through translation, multiple different post-translational modifications, functional life and ...eventual proteostatic removal after loss of functionality and changes in physico-chemical properties, can be collectively called the proteodynamics. With aging, passing of time as well as accumulating effects of exposures, interactions and wearing-off lead to problems at each of the above mentioned stages, eventually leading to general malfunction of the proteome. This work briefly reviews and summarizes current knowledge concerning this important topic.
Lactulose is a disaccharide used in clinical practice since 1957 and has since been tested in the treatment of many human disorders, including chronic constipation, hepatic encephalopathy, and ...chronic kidney disease. Its mode of action is based on the lactulose fermentation by intestinal microbiota. Based on in silico, in vitro and in vivo studies we comprehensively review here the impact of lactulose on human gut/fecal and vaginal microbiota composition and both fecal and blood metabolomes. However, both in vitro and in vivo studies summarized in this review have revealed that the effects of lactulose on human microbiota composition are both patient- and dose-dependent. This highlights the need of heterogeneity indication in clinical trials.
•Lactulose is widely used to treat chronic constipation and hepatic encephalopathy.•Lactulose can be metabolized by a number of gut commensal, not only bifidobacteria.•The individual's BMI, physical condition and age affect prebiotic effect of lactulose.•Lactulose affects human metabolome and the gut microbiota in dose-dependent manner.•Health benefits of lactulose fermentation products (SCFAs, H2) were reported.
The mechanisms of maintenance of adequate numbers of B lymphocytes and of protective levels of immunoglobulins in the absence of antigenic (re)stimulation remain not fully understood. Meanwhile, our ...results presented here show that both peripheral blood naive and memory B cells can be activated strongly and non-specifically (in a mitogen-like fashion) in 5-day in vitro cultures of anti-CD3- or concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy people. This polyclonal, bystander activation of the B cells includes multiple divisions of most of them (assessed here by the flow cytometric technique of dividing cell tracking) and significant antibody immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG secretion. Observed proliferation of the CD19(+) B cells depends on contact with stimulated T helper (Th) cells (via CD40-CD40L interaction) and on the response of B cells to secreted interleukins IL-5, IL-10 and IL-4, and is correlated with the levels of these Th-derived molecules, while it does not involve the ligation of the BCR/CD19 complex. We suggest that the effect might reflect the situation occurring in vivo as the homeostatic proliferation of otherwise non-stimulated, peripheral B lymphocytes, providing an always ready pool for efficient antibody production to any new (or cognate) antigen challenge.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent form of dementia among elderly. Despite the vast amount of literature on non-specific immune mechanisms in AD there is still little information about the ...potential antigen-specific immune response in this pathology. It is known that early stages of AD include β-amyloid (Aβ)- reactive antibodies production and inflammatory response. Despite some evidence gathered proving cellular immune response background in AD pathology, the specific reactions of CD4+ and CD8+ cells remain unknown as the previous investigations yielded conflicting results. Here we investigated the CD4+CD28+ population of human peripheral blood T cells and showed that soluble β-amyloids alone were unable to stimulate these cells to proliferate significantly, resulting only in minor, probably antigen-specific, proliferative response. On the other hand, the exposure of in vitro pre-stimulated lymphocytes to soluble Aβ peptides significantly enhanced the proliferative response of these cells which had also lead to increased levels of TNF, IL-10 and IL-6. We also proved that Aβ peptide-enhanced proliferative response of CD4+CD28+ cells is autonomous and independent from disease status while being associated with the initial, ex vivo activation status of the CD4+ cells. In conclusion, we suggest that the effect of Aβ peptides on the immune system of AD patients does not depend on the specific reactivity to Aβ epitope(s), but is rather a consequence of an unspecific modulation of the cell cycle dynamics and cytokine production by T cells, occurring simultaneously in a huge proportion of Aβ peptide-exposed T lymphocytes and affecting the immune system performance.
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