bacterial arthritis

UNLABELLED: Previous studies have profiled the gut microbiota among psoriatic patients compared to that among healthy individuals. However, a comprehensive understanding of the magnitude, direction, and detailed compositional and functional profiles remains limited. Additionally, research exploring the gut microbiota in the context of both plaque psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is lacking. To assess the taxonomic and functional characteristics of the gut microbiota in PsO and PsA patients and investigate potential links between the gut microbiota and disease pathogenesis...

Neutrophilic dermatosis of the hands (NDDH) is a localized variant of Sweet's syndrome which has been recently introduced. Strutton et al.in 1996 and then in Galaria et al. in 2000 reported cases with violaceous papulonodules on the dorsal surfaces of the hands with histopathological findings of a neutrophilic dermatosis in association with leukocytoclasia, but clinically and histologically without true vasculitis findings. Eventually, they proposed the term NDDH for these lesions (1,2). A 46-year-old man was referred to our outpatient dermatology clinic with a painful ulcerative lesion on the dorsal side of the left hand that had been present for one year...

OBJECTIVES: Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used in SSc for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, there is little evidence to support their empirical use and long-term safety has been questioned. Our objective was to better describe clinicians' attitudes toward PPIs prescription and use in SSc patients. METHODS: Clinicians involved in the care of SSc patients were invited through international physician networks and social media to participate in an online survey...

BACKGROUND: Currently, there has been observed a significant alteration in the composition of the gut microbiome (GM) and serum metabolites in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) compared to healthy individuals. However, previous observational studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the alteration of gut microbiota/metabolites. In order to shed light on this matter, we utilized Mendelian randomization to determine the causal effect of GM/metabolites on PsA. METHODS: We retrieved summary-level data of GM taxa/metabolites and PsA from publicly available GWAS statistics...

INTRODUCTION: The recent surge in joint replacement surgeries in India, particularly total knee and hip replacements, is notable. The majority of patients undergoing these procedures suffered from knee osteoarthritis or femoral head avascular necrosis. However, this increase in joint replacements has also led to a rise in periprosthetic joint infections (PJI), a severe and costly complication. PJI is responsible for 25% of total knee arthroplasty failures and 15% of total hip arthroplasty failures...

This symposium offered up-to-date perspectives on field experiences and the latest research on significant viral and bacterial diseases affecting poultry. A highlight was the discussion on the use of enteroids as advanced in vitro models for exploring disease pathogenesis. Outcomes of this symposium included identifying the urgent need to improve the prevention and control of avian influenza by focusing research on vaccine effectiveness. In this regard, efforts should focus on enhancing the relatedness of vaccine antigen to the field (challenge) virus strain and improving immunogenicity...

BACKGROUND: Molecular mimicry is hypothesized to be a mechanism by which autoimmune diseases are triggered. It refers to sequence or structural homology between foreign antigens and self-antigens, which can activate cross-reactive lymphocytes that attack host tissues. Elucidating the role of molecular mimicry in human autoimmunity could have important clinical implications. OBJECTIVE: To review evidence for the role of molecular mimicry in major autoimmune diseases and discuss potential clinical implications...

CrAss-like phages are a diverse group of bacteriophages genetically similar to the prototypical crAssphage (p-crAssphage), which was discovered in the human gut microbiome through a metagenomics approach. It was identified as a ubiquitous and highly abundant bacteriophage group in the gut microbiome. Initial co-occurrence analysis postulated Bacteroides spp. as the prospective bacterial host. Subsequent studies have confirmed multiple host species under Phylum Bacteroidetes and some Firmicutes. Detection of crAss-like phages in sewage-contaminated environmental water and robust correlation with enteric viruses and bacteria has culminated in their adoption as a microbial source tracking (MST) marker...

Hyperuricemia induces inflammatory arthritis and accelerates the progression of renal and cardiovascular diseases. Gut microbiota has been linked to the development of hyperuricemia through unclear mechanisms. Here, we show that the abundance and centrality of Alistipes indistinctus are depleted in subjects with hyperuricemia. Integrative metagenomic and metabolomic analysis identified hippuric acid as the key microbial effector that mediates the uric-acid-lowering effect of A. indistinctus. Mechanistically, A...

Septic arthritis, characterized as one of the most aggressive joint diseases, is primarily attributed to Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) and often results from hematogenous dissemination. Even with prompt treatment, septic arthritis frequently inflicts irreversible joint damage, leading to sustained joint dysfunction in a significant proportion of patients. Despite the unsatisfactory outcomes, current therapeutic approaches for septic arthritis have remained stagnant for decades. In the clinical context, devising innovative strategies to mitigate joint damage necessitates a profound comprehension of the pivotal disease mechanisms...

OBJECTIVES: Assessing the therapeutic potential of a novel antimicrobial pseudopeptide, Pep16, both in vitro and in vivo for the treatment of septic arthritis caused by Staphylococcus aureus . METHODS: Seven clinical isolates of S. aureus (two MRSA and five MSSA) were studied. MICs of Pep16 and comparators (vancomycin, teicoplanin, daptomycin and levofloxacin) were determined through the broth microdilution method. The intracellular activity of Pep16 and levofloxacin was assessed in two models of infection using non-professional (osteoblasts MG-63) or professional (macrophages THP-1) phagocytic cells...

Reactive arthritis (ReA) is defined as arthritis resulting from infections in other body parts, such as the gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. The primary clinical manifestations involve acute-onset and self-limiting asymmetric large joint inflammation in the lower limbs. Although bacterial or chlamydia infections have long been recognized as playing a pivotal role in its pathogenesis, recent studies suggest that antibiotic treatment may perpetuate rather than eradicate chlamydia within the host, indicating an involvement of other mechanisms in Reactive arthritis...

Brucella is a zoonotic intracellular bacterium that poses threats to human health and economic security. Intracellular infection is a hallmark of the agent Brucella and a primary cause of distress, through which the bacterium regulates the host intracellular environment to promote its own colonization and replication, evading host immunity and pharmaceutical killing. Current studies of Brucella intracellular processes are typically premised on bacterial phenotype such as intracellular bacterial survival, followed by biochemical or molecular biological approaches to reveal detailed mechanisms...

Equine brucellosis significantly impacts the health and functionality of horses, leading to complications such as bursitis infection, septic tenosynovitis, septic arthritis, and non-specific lameness resulting from joint infections. In the present study, we used the Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBPT), serum agglutination test (SAT), and the 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) assays to find equine brucellosis. From June 2018 to September 2022, 876 blood samples were randomly taken from apparently healthy racing horses in certain parts of Iran, such as Kerman, Isfahan, Tehran, Qom, and Kurdistan...

The purpose of this research was to characterize the microbiota of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to compare the relationship between the microbiota and peripheral lymphocyte subsets and cytokines. We collected stool samples from 13 PsA patients and 26 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) and researched the gut microbiota by sequencing the V3-V4 variable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene with the Illumina Miseq PE300 system. Flow cytometry was used to assess the peripheral lymphocyte subsets in these participants...

IMPORTANCE: Diagnostic delays are common in the emergency department (ED) and may predispose to worse outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of annual pediatric volume in the ED with delayed diagnosis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study included all children younger than 18 years treated at 954 EDs in 8 states with a first-time diagnosis of any of 23 acute, serious conditions: bacterial meningitis, compartment syndrome, complicated pneumonia, craniospinal abscess, deep neck infection, ectopic pregnancy, encephalitis, intussusception, Kawasaki disease, mastoiditis, myocarditis, necrotizing fasciitis, nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage, orbital cellulitis, osteomyelitis, ovarian torsion, pulmonary embolism, pyloric stenosis, septic arthritis, sinus venous thrombosis, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, stroke, or testicular torsion...

Fundamental functions of the intestinal epithelium include the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and its ability to act as the first barrier against intruding microbes. Campylobacter jejuni is a major zoonotic pathogen accounting for a substantial portion of bacterial foodborne illnesses. The germ colonizes the intestines of birds and is mainly transmitted to humans through the consumption of contaminated poultry meat. In the human gastrointestinal tract, the bacterium triggers campylobacteriosis that can progress to serious secondary disorders, including reactive arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and Guillain-Barré syndrome...

BACKGROUND: Nearly half of all pediatric musculoskeletal infections (MSKIs) are culture- negative. Plasma microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) sequencing is non-invasive and not prone to the barriers of culture. We evaluated the performance of plasma mcfDNA sequencing in identifying a pathogen, and examined the duration of pathogen detection in children with MSKIs. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of children, aged 6 months to 18 years, hospitalized from July 2019 to May 2022 with MSKIs, in whom we obtained serial plasma mcfDNA sequencing samples and compared the results with cultures...

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is an important porcine pathogen causing meningitis, arthritis, and septicemia. Serotypes 2 and 14 are the most common zoonotic ones worldwide, whereas serotypes 2, 9, and 7 are very important in pigs in Europe. To cause invasive infections S. suis needs to enter the bloodstream. Consequently, the immune response in blood represents an important line of defense and bacteremia plays a key role in the pathogenesis of invasive S. suis infections. We investigated the working hypothesis that S...

Disc degeneration and vertebral endplate bone marrow lesions called Modic changes are prevalent spinal pathologies found in chronic low back pain patients. Their pathomechanisms are complex and not fully understood. Recent studies have revealed that complement system proteins and interactors are dysregulated in disc degeneration and Modic changes. The complement system is part of the innate immune system and plays a critical role in tissue homeostasis. However, its dysregulation has also been associated with various pathological conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis...