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Importance of the intestinal microbiota in ocular inflammatory diseases: A review.
Lin, P
Clinical & experimental ophthalmology. 2019;(3):418-422
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to review the literature on relationships between the intestinal microbiota and ocular inflammatory disease, specifically non-infectious uveitis and age-related macular degeneration. The importance of the intestinal microbiota in uveitis pathogenesis has been shown by multiple groups demonstrating that alterations in the microbiota induced by certain oral antibiotics results in reduced uveitis severity, and another group demonstrating that a commensal intestinal bacterial antigen activates retina-specific autoreactive T cells, potentially indicating a commensal trigger for uveitis. Additionally, commensal intestinal bacterial metabolite short chain fatty acids can be utilized to suppress autoimmune uveitis. Age-related macular degeneration is associated with intestinal dysbiosis, which is partially influenced by genetic risk alleles and AREDS supplementation. Strategies for therapeutically targeting the intestinal microbiota might involve several approaches, including the use of antibiotics, dietary changes, drugs that supplement beneficial bacterial metabolites or target causative bacterial strains, dietary strategies or faecal microbial transplantation. In summary, the intestinal microbiota are at the cross-roads of genetic and environmental factors that can promote ocular conditions such as non-infectious uveitis and age-related macular degeneration, partially via its dynamic influence on mucosal and systemic immunity. The intestinal microbiome thus represents a salient potential target for therapeutic modulation to treat these potentially blinding conditions.
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Lactulose: Patient- and dose-dependent prebiotic properties in humans.
Ruszkowski, J, Witkowski, JM
Anaerobe. 2019;:100-106
Abstract
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.
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Integration of microbiology, molecular pathology, and epidemiology: a new paradigm to explore the pathogenesis of microbiome-driven neoplasms.
Hamada, T, Nowak, JA, Milner, DA, Song, M, Ogino, S
The Journal of pathology. 2019;(5):615-628
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Abstract
Molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE) is an integrative transdisciplinary field that addresses heterogeneous effects of exogenous and endogenous factors (collectively termed 'exposures'), including microorganisms, on disease occurrence and consequences, utilising molecular pathological signatures of the disease. In parallel with the paradigm of precision medicine, findings from MPE research can provide aetiological insights into tailored strategies of disease prevention and treatment. Due to the availability of molecular pathological tests on tumours, the MPE approach has been utilised predominantly in research on cancers including breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal carcinomas. Mounting evidence indicates that the microbiome (inclusive of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites) plays an important role in a variety of human diseases including neoplasms. An alteration of the microbiome may be not only a cause of neoplasia but also an informative biomarker that indicates or mediates the association of an epidemiological exposure with health conditions and outcomes. To adequately educate and train investigators in this emerging area, we herein propose the integration of microbiology into the MPE model (termed 'microbiology-MPE'), which could improve our understanding of the complex interactions of environment, tumour cells, the immune system, and microbes in the tumour microenvironment during the carcinogenic process. Using this approach, we can examine how lifestyle factors, dietary patterns, medications, environmental exposures, and germline genetics influence cancer development and progression through impacting the microbial communities in the human body. Further integration of other disciplines (e.g. pharmacology, immunology, nutrition) into microbiology-MPE would expand this developing research frontier. With the advent of high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies, researchers now have increasing access to large-scale metagenomics as well as other omics data (e.g. genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) in population-based research. The integrative field of microbiology-MPE will open new opportunities for personalised medicine and public health. Copyright © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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An integrated metagenomic/metaproteomic investigation of microbiota in dajiang-meju, a traditional fermented soybean product in Northeast China.
Xie, M, Wu, J, An, F, Yue, X, Tao, D, Wu, R, Lee, Y
Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.). 2019;:414-424
Abstract
Dajiang-meju have been used as major ingredients for the preparation of traditional spontaneously fermented soybean paste in Northeast China. In this work, we sequenced and analyzed the metagenome of 12 dajiang-meju samples. To complement the metagenome analysis, we analyzed the taxonomic and functional diversity of the microbiota by metaproteomics (LC-MS/MS). The analysis of metagenomic data revealed that the communities were primarily dominated by Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Citrobacter and Leclercia. Moreover, changes in the functional levels were monitored, and metaproteomic analysis revealed that most of the proteins were mainly expressed by members of Rhizopus, Penicillium and Geotrichum. The number of sequences allocated to fungi in the fermentation process decreased, whereas the number of sequences assigned to bacteria increased with time of fermentation. In addition, functional metagenomic profiling indicated that a series of sequences related to carbohydrates and amino acids metabolism were enriched. Additionally, enzymes associated with glycolysis metabolic pathways were presumed to contribute to the generation of flavor in dajiang-meju. Proteins from different dajiang-meju samples involved in global and overview maps, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleic acid metabolism and energy metabolism were differentially expressed. This information improves the understanding of microbial metabolic patterns with respect to the metaproteomes of dajiang-meju and provides a powerful tool for studying the fermentation process of soybean products.
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Supporting a Healthy Microbiome for the Primary Prevention of Eczema.
Szari, S, Quinn, JA
Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology. 2019;(2):286-293
Abstract
Eczema is increasing worldwide with associated increases in health costs and decreases in quality of life. There are many factors that are speculated to interact in the development of eczema including genetics and environmental exposures. Prevention of the development of eczema may prevent the further development of food allergies and asthma. This concept has prompted a variety of research into the area of primary prevention of eczema in infants. This exploration includes a growing body of research examining infants supplemented with probiotics, prebiotics, or both (synbiotics) often compared with their breastfed counterparts. The goal of this paper is to examine the evidence for manipulating the microbiome in the prevention of eczema. Several strains of probiotics, compositions of prebiotics, and varied combinations of both are commercially available. Evidence supports altering the microbiome in infants at high risk of atopy who are not able to breastfeed with Lactobacillus strains when given both prenatally followed by prolonged use (greater than 6 months) postnatally for the primary prevention of eczema. Prebiotics have also been shown beneficial for primary prevention of eczema in formula-fed infants with prolonged use greater than 6 months. These findings are in keeping with the World Allergy Organization (WAO) recommendations that support interventions to manipulate the microbiome with both probiotics and prebiotics.
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Maternal Microbiome and Metabolic Health Program Microbiome Development and Health of the Offspring.
Calatayud, M, Koren, O, Collado, MC
Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM. 2019;(10):735-744
Abstract
Maternal nutritional, metabolic, and physiological states, as well as exposure to various environmental factors during conception, gestation, and lactation, have a fundamental role in the health programming of the offspring. Therefore, alterations affecting the maternal microbiota might indirectly influence fetal development. In addition, such alterations could be transmitted to the progeny at different stages of infant development (e.g., preconception, prenatal, or postnatal), thereby favoring the development of an altered microbiota in the neonate. Microbial changes of this kind have been linked to an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including obesity and metabolic syndrome, allergy-related problems, and diabetes. In this review, we summarize the relevance of the maternal microbiota to fetal-neonatal health programming, with a focus on maternal nutritional and metabolic states.
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The Ocular Microbiome: Molecular Characterisation of a Unique and Low Microbial Environment.
Ozkan, J, Willcox, MD
Current eye research. 2019;(7):685-694
Abstract
Aim: The ocular surface is continually exposed to bacteria from the environment and traditional culture-based microbiological studies have isolated a low diversity of microorganisms from this region. The use of culture-independent methods to define the ocular microbiome, primarily involving 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing studies, have shown that the microbial communities present on the ocular surface have a greater diversity than previously reported. Method: A review of the literature on ocular microbiome research in health and disease. Results: Molecular techniques have been used to investigate the effect of contact lens wear and disease on the microbiota of the ocular surface and eyelids and the immunoregulatory role of the ocular surface microbiota. Studies have shown that compositional changes in the microbiota occur in ocular surface disorders such as blepharitis, trachoma and dry eye and also suggest a role of the ocular and non-ocular microbiome in retinal disease including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, uveitis and diabetic retinopathy. However, ocular microbiome studies need to recognise the potential for contamination to impact findings and carefully control each stage of the experimental procedure and to utilise statistical methods to identify contamination signals. Conclusion: The healthy ocular surface is characterised by a relatively stable, comparatively low diversity microbiome with recent findings that the bacteria of the ocular surface appear to have a role in maintaining homeostasis by modulating immune function.
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Yeast prion-based metabolic reprogramming induced by bacteria in fermented foods.
Watanabe, D, Takagi, H
FEMS yeast research. 2019;(6)
Abstract
Microbial communities of yeast and bacterial cells are often observed in the manufacturing processes of fermented foods and drinks, such as sourdough bread, cheese, kefir, wine and sake. Community interactions and dynamics among microorganisms, as well as their significance during the manufacturing processes, are central issues in modern food microbiology. Recent studies demonstrated that the emergence of a yeast prion termed [GAR+] in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is induced by coculturing with bacterial cells, resulting in the switching of the carbon metabolism. In order to facilitate mutualistic symbiosis among microorganisms, this mode of microbial interaction is induced between yeasts and lactic acid bacteria species used in traditional sake making. Thus, yeast prions have attracted much attention as novel platforms that govern the metabolic adaptation of cross-kingdom ecosystems. Our minireview focuses on the plausible linkage between fermented-food microbial communication and yeast prion-mediated metabolic reprogramming.
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Human microbiota in aging and infection: A review.
Stavropoulou, E, Bezirtzoglou, E
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2019;(4):537-545
Abstract
In most developed countries, ageing of the population started more than a century ago and it seems to be emerged in a wide range of developing countries as well. Moreover, research into ageing has moved forward in extremely rapidly rhythms nowadays, and the scientific area is of great interest, as implications for nearly all sectors of society, including work, social, economic features, in addition to nutrition and health issues which are involved. The fragile elder population is affected and experienced more frequently infections than the younger population. Infections in elderly patients are of major medical importance because of hormonal changes, increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, abnormalities of the telomeres which could cause a dysfunction of the immune system called immunosenescence and malnutrition.
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Potential impacts of horizontal gene transfer on human health and physiology and how anthropogenic activity can affect it.
Boto, L, Pineda, M, Pineda, R
The FEBS journal. 2019;(20):3959-3967
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Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is widespread among prokaryotes driving their evolution. In this paper, we review the potential impact in humans of the HGT between prokaryotes living in close association with humans in two scenarios: horizontal transfer in human microbiomes and transfer between microbes living in human managed environments. Although our vision is focused on the possible impact of these transfers in the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes or pathogenicity determinants, we also discuss possible human physiological adaptations via gene transfer between resident and occasional bacteria in the human microbiome.