Project description:Objective. We compared laboratory developed real-time PCR assays for detection of Mycoplasma hominis and for detection and differentiation of Ureaplasma urealyticum and parvum to culture using genitourinary specimens submitted for M. hominis and Ureaplasma culture. Methods. 283 genitourinary specimens received in the clinical bacteriology laboratory for M. hominis and Ureaplasma species culture were evaluated. Nucleic acids were extracted using the Total Nucleic Acid Kit on the MagNA Pure 2.0. 5 μL of the extracts were combined with 15 μL of each of the two master mixes. Assays were performed on the LightCycler 480 II system. Culture was performed using routine methods. Results. M. hominis PCR detected 38/42 M. hominis culture-positive specimens, as well as 2 that were culture negative (sensitivity, 90.5%; specificity, 99.2%). Ureaplasma PCR detected 139/144 Ureaplasma culture-positive specimens, as well as 9 that were culture negative (sensitivity, 96.5%; specificity, 93.6%). Of the specimens that tested positive for Ureaplasma species, U. urealyticum alone was detected in 33, U. parvum alone in 109, and both in 6. Conclusion. The described PCR assays are rapid alternatives to culture for detection of M. hominis and Ureaplasma species, and, unlike culture, the Ureaplasma assay easily distinguishes U. urealyticum from parvum.
Project description:Bronchoalveolar lavage samples collected from lung transplant recipients. Numeric portion of sample name is an arbitrary patient ID and AxBx number indicates the perivascular (A) and bronchiolar (B) scores from biopsies collected on the same day as the BAL fluid was collected. Several patients have more than one sample in this series and can be determined by patient number followed by a lower case letter. Acute rejection state is determined by the combined A and B score - specifically, a combined AB score of 2 or greater is considered an acute rejection. Keywords = Bronchoalveolar lavage Keywords = lung transplant Keywords: other
Project description:Urea cycle disorders with hyperammonemia remain difficult to treat and eventually necessitate liver transplantation. An ornithine transcarbamylase defect (Otcspf-ash) mouse model, a model of urea cycle disorder, was used to test whether knockdown of a key glutamine metabolism enzyme glutaminase 2 (Gls2) or glutamine dehydrogenase 1 (Glud1) could rescue the hyperammonemia and associated lethality induced by a high protein diet. Reduced hepatic expression of Gls2, but not Glud1, by AAV8-mediated delivery of a short hairpin RNA in Otcspf-ash mice diminished hyperammonemia, reduced body weight loss, and reduced lethality. These data suggest that Gls2 hepatic knockdown could help alleviate risk for hyperammonemia and other clinical manifestations of patients suffering from defects in the urea cycle.
Project description:We present a method for detecting the presence of Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma parvum, and Ureaplasma urealyticum organisms, which are thought to be associated with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) and other genitourinary infections, in clinical samples. This method consists of PCR amplification of a part of the 16S rRNA gene followed by 96-well microtiter plate hybridization assay using four species-specific capture probes to detect the targets. To test the efficacy of this method, we applied it to the detection of the four species in the urine of patients with NGU. There were no cross-reactions with other human mycoplasmas or ureaplasmas, and the PCR-microtiter plate hybridization assay detected as few as 10 copies of the 16S rRNA gene of each of the four species. Based on these results, this PCR-microtiter plate hybridization assay can be considered an effective tool for the diagnosis of genitourinary infections with mycoplasmas or ureaplasmas.
Project description:Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) continues to be a major cause of early death after lung transplantation. Moreover, there remains a lack of accurate pre-transplant molecular markers for predicting PGD. To identify distinctive gene expression signatures associated with PGD, we profiled human donor lungs using microarray technology prior to the graft implantation. The genomic profiles of 10 donor lung samples from patients who subsequently developed clinically defined severe PGD were compared with 16 case-matched donor lung samples from those who had a favorable outcome without PGD. Matched factors used were: recipient age (± 10 years), recipient gender, recipient lung disease, and type of transplantation (single or bilateral). Keywords: Observational case-control study Matched case-control observational study: 10 primary graft dysfunction cases vs 16 Good outcome cases. One replicate per array.
Project description:Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) continues to be a major cause of early death after lung transplantation. Moreover, there remains a lack of accurate pre-transplant molecular markers for predicting PGD. To identify distinctive gene expression signatures associated with PGD, we profiled human donor lungs using microarray technology prior to the graft implantation. The genomic profiles of 10 donor lung samples from patients who subsequently developed clinically defined severe PGD were compared with 16 case-matched donor lung samples from those who had a favorable outcome without PGD. Matched factors used were: recipient age (± 10 years), recipient gender, recipient lung disease, and type of transplantation (single or bilateral). Keywords: Observational case-control study
Project description:Severe COVID-19 may progress into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with high mortality risk. Its exact pathological mechanism, therapeutic obstacles and the clinical sequelae are critical and unresolved issues. Here, we reported a representative COVID-19 induced ARDS case experienced initially stable, then suddenly deteriorating up to final respiratory failure courses, until his death despite of lung transplantation. His lung pathology showed necrosis of parenchymal tissues, extensive immune cell infiltration and lung fibrosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed various immune cell populations were largely expanded in his lung, and manifested inflammatory/activated functions. We also showed that cell-crosstalk between lung macrophages and fibroblasts promoted pulmonary fibrosis through IL-1B and TGF-Β signaling pathways. Although SARS-CoV-2 RNA remained undetectable in his respiratory tract specimens including BALF at the later stage of his disease, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 was definitely confirmed in his lung tissues. Thus, this case indicates the pathological mechanism of severe COVID-19 includes pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 persistence, deranged inflammation and the extensive lung fibrosis which set the barriers for effective treatments and indicate potential health complications for severe COVID-19 patients.
2020-12-01 | GSE149878 | GEO
Project description:Oropharyngeal dysbiosis in advanced lung disease and following lung transplantation
Project description:Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction (CLAD) is the main limitation to long-term survival after lung transplantation. Although CLAD is usually not responsive to treatment, earlier identification may improve treatment prospects. In a nested case control study, 1-year post transplant surveillance bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples were obtained from incipient CLAD (n=9) and CLAD free (n=8) lung transplant recipients. Incipient CLAD cases were diagnosed with CLAD within 2 years, while controls were free from CLAD for at least 4 years following bronchoscopy. Transcription profiles in the BAL cell pellets were assayed with the HG-U133 Plus 2.0 microarray (Affymetrix). Differential gene expression analysis was performed to identify a candidate list of differentially expressed probe sets.