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Comparative genomic analysis of hyper-ammonia producing Acetoanaerobium sticklandii DSM 519 with purinolytic Gottschalkia acidurici 9a and pathogenic Peptoclostridium difficile 630. Genomics 2021; 113:4196-4205. [PMID: 34780936 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Acetoanaerobium sticklandii DSM519 (CST) is a hype-ammonia producing non-pathogenic anaerobe that can use amino acids as important carbon and energy sources through the Stickland reactions. Biochemical aspects of this organism have been extensively studied, but systematic studies addressing its metabolic discrepancy remain scant. In this perspective, we have intensively analyzed its genomic and metabolic characteristics to comprehend the evolutionary conservation of amino acid catabolism by a comparative genomic approach. The whole-genome data indicated that CST has shown a phylogenomic similarity with hyper-ammonia producing, purinolytic, and proteolytic pathogenic Clostridia. CST has shown to common genomic context sharing across the purinolytic Gottschalkia acidurici 9a and pathogenic Peptoclostridium difficile 630. Genome syntenic analysis described that syntenic orthologs might be originated from the recent ancestor at a slow evolution rate and syntenic-out paralogs evolved from either CDF or CAC via α-event and β-event. Collinearity of either gene orders or gene families was adjusted with syntenic out-paralogs across these genomes. The genome-wide metabolic analysis predicted 11 unique putative metabolic subsystems from the CST genome for amino acid catabolism and hydrogen production. The in silico analysis of our study revealed that a characteristic system for amino acid catabolism-directed biofuel synthesis might have slowly evolved and established as a core genomic content of CST.
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Mondal SI, Draper LA, Ross RP, Hill C. Bacteriophage endolysins as a potential weapon to combat Clostridioides difficile infection. Gut Microbes 2020; 12:1813533. [PMID: 32985336 PMCID: PMC7524323 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1813533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of health-care-associated infection throughout the developed world and contributes significantly to patient morbidity and mortality. Typically, antibiotics are used for the primary treatment of C. difficile infections (CDIs), but they are not universally effective for all ribotypes and can result in antibiotic resistance and recurrent infection, while also disrupting the microbiota. Novel targeted therapeutics are urgently needed to combat CDI. Bacteriophage-derived endolysins are required to disrupt the bacterial cell wall of their target bacteria and are possible alternatives to antibiotics. These lytic proteins could potentially replace or augment antibiotics in CDI treatment. We discuss candidate therapeutic lysins derived from phages/prophages of C. difficile and their potential as antimicrobials against CDI. Additionally, we review the antibacterial potential of some recently identified homologues of C. difficile endolysins. Finally, the challenges of endolysins are considered with respect to the development of novel lysin-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakhinur Islam Mondal
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland,Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Department, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Lorraine A. Draper
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland,School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - R Paul Ross
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland,School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland,Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland,School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland,CONTACT Colin Hill APC Microbiome Ireland & School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Moradi M, Mansouri S, Nakhaee N, Sarafzadeh F, Zarandi ER. Toxin A and B genes expression of Clostridium difficile in the sub-minimum inhibitory concentration of clindamycin, vancomycin and in combination with ceftazidime. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY 2020; 12:18-24. [PMID: 32322375 PMCID: PMC7163043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Antibiotics prescribed for infections have diverse effects on microbiota and the pathogen Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) as the most important antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This study aims to determine the gene expression of toxins A and B at the transcription level in the sub-MIC of vancomycin (VAN), clindamycin (CLI), and ceftazidime (CAZ) alone and in combination. MATERIALS AND METHODS The MIC and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) of two C. difficile samples (a clinical isolate and ATCC 9689) were determined by microdilution and checkerboard microdilution methods, respectively. The total RNA was extracted from the medium inoculated with ∼106 CFU/mL of fresh bacteria in the pre-reduced medium containing ½ MIC of antibiotics alone and ½ FIC of antibiotics in combination. Real-time PCR was performed by sybrGreen methods in triplicate, and the data were analyzed by the comparative ΔΔCT method. RESULTS All antibiotics except CAZ (alone and in combination) decreased the gene expression of toxins A and B within 24 hours. VAN and CLI reduced toxin gene expression within 24 and 48 hours. However, CAZ alone and in combination with VAN as well as CLI increased the gene expression of toxins A and B. CONCLUSION The results confirmed toxin gene transcription and toxin production are associated with the type of isolates and antibiotics, as well as the combined form of antibiotics. This could be the reason which can explain the occurrence of C. difficile infection among patients who were treated with the third generation of cephalosporins alone and in combination with another antibiotic in the form of combinational therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Moradi
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Shahla Mansouri
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Nouzar Nakhaee
- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Farhad Sarafzadeh
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Rezazadeh Zarandi
- Immunology of Infection of Diseases Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran,Corresponding author: Ebrahim Rezazadeh Zarandi, PhD, Immunology of Infection of Diseases Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran. Tel: +98-9133919624, Fax: +98-3431315003,
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Candel-Pérez C, Ros-Berruezo G, Martínez-Graciá C. A review of Clostridioides [Clostridium] difficile occurrence through the food chain. Food Microbiol 2019; 77:118-129. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Peng Z, Wang S, Gide M, Zhu D, Lamabadu Warnakulasuriya Patabendige HM, Li C, Cai J, Sun X. A Novel Bacteriophage Lysin-Human Defensin Fusion Protein Is Effective in Treatment of Clostridioides difficile Infection in Mice. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3234. [PMID: 30687250 PMCID: PMC6336692 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of worldwide antibiotics-associated diarrhea. In this study, we report the construction and evaluation of a novel bacteriophage lysin-human defensin fusion protein targeting C. difficile. The fusion protein, designated LHD, is composed of two parts connected by a 3-repeating unit linker "(GGGGS)3": the catalytic domain of a lysin protein from a C. difficile bacteriophage phiC2 (LCD), and the functional domain of a human defensin protein HD5. Lytic assays showed that LHD protein had a potent lytic activity against different types of clinical C. difficile strains, including the epidemic 027, 078, 012, and 087 strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of LHD was 0.78 μg/ml, which was lower than the MIC of the protein LCD (1.56 μg/ml), and the MICs of metronidazole (4 μg/ml) and vancomycin (4 μg/ml). In addition, the LHD protein could lyse C. different strains in different pHs (6.0, 7.0, and 8.0). Evaluation of LHD potency in vivo using mouse model of C. difficile infection (CDI) showed that administration of the LHD protein (twice daily for 7 days) was effective in mitigating the symptoms and reducing the death from CDI. Treatment with LHD also significantly decreased the number of C. difficile spores and the toxin level in feces from the infected mice. Our data suggest that this novel lysin-human defensin fusion protein has a potential on CDI control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Peng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shaohui Wang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Mussie Gide
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Duolong Zhu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | | | - Chunhui Li
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Jianfeng Cai
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Xingmin Sun
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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Cabal A, Jun SR, Jenjaroenpun P, Wanchai V, Nookaew I, Wongsurawat T, Burgess MJ, Kothari A, Wassenaar TM, Ussery DW. Genome-Based Comparison of Clostridioides difficile: Average Amino Acid Identity Analysis of Core Genomes. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 76:801-813. [PMID: 29445826 PMCID: PMC6132499 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1155-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Infections due to Clostridioides difficile (previously known as Clostridium difficile) are a major problem in hospitals, where cases can be caused by community-acquired strains as well as by nosocomial spread. Whole genome sequences from clinical samples contain a lot of information but that needs to be analyzed and compared in such a way that the outcome is useful for clinicians or epidemiologists. Here, we compare 663 public available complete genome sequences of C. difficile using average amino acid identity (AAI) scores. This analysis revealed that most of these genomes (640, 96.5%) clearly belong to the same species, while the remaining 23 genomes produce four distinct clusters within the Clostridioides genus. The main C. difficile cluster can be further divided into sub-clusters, depending on the chosen cutoff. We demonstrate that MLST, either based on partial or full gene-length, results in biased estimates of genetic differences and does not capture the true degree of similarity or differences of complete genomes. Presence of genes coding for C. difficile toxins A and B (ToxA/B), as well as the binary C. difficile toxin (CDT), was deduced from their unique PfamA domain architectures. Out of the 663 C. difficile genomes, 535 (80.7%) contained at least one copy of ToxA or ToxB, while these genes were missing from 128 genomes. Although some clusters were enriched for toxin presence, these genes are variably present in a given genetic background. The CDT genes were found in 191 genomes, which were restricted to a few clusters only, and only one cluster lacked the toxin A/B genes consistently. A total of 310 genomes contained ToxA/B without CDT (47%). Further, published metagenomic data from stools were used to assess the presence of C. difficile sequences in blinded cases of C. difficile infection (CDI) and controls, to test if metagenomic analysis is sensitive enough to detect the pathogen, and to establish strain relationships between cases from the same hospital. We conclude that metagenomics can contribute to the identification of CDI and can assist in characterization of the most probable causative strain in CDI patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Cabal
- Molecular Microbiology and Genomics Consultants, Tannenstrasse 7, 55576, Zotzenheim, Germany
| | - Se-Ran Jun
- Arkansas Center for Genomic Epidemiology and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Str., Slot 782, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Piroon Jenjaroenpun
- Arkansas Center for Genomic Epidemiology and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Str., Slot 782, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Visanu Wanchai
- Arkansas Center for Genomic Epidemiology and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Str., Slot 782, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Intawat Nookaew
- Arkansas Center for Genomic Epidemiology and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Str., Slot 782, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Thidathip Wongsurawat
- Arkansas Center for Genomic Epidemiology and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Str., Slot 782, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Mary J Burgess
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Atul Kothari
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Trudy M Wassenaar
- Molecular Microbiology and Genomics Consultants, Tannenstrasse 7, 55576, Zotzenheim, Germany
- Arkansas Center for Genomic Epidemiology and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Str., Slot 782, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - David W Ussery
- Arkansas Center for Genomic Epidemiology and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Str., Slot 782, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA.
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Peng Z, Addisu A, Alrabaa S, Sun X. Antibiotic Resistance and Toxin Production of Clostridium difficile Isolates from the Hospitalized Patients in a Large Hospital in Florida. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2584. [PMID: 29312258 PMCID: PMC5744170 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is an important cause of nosocomial acquired antibiotic-associated diarrhea causing an estimated 453,000 cases with 29,000 deaths yearly in the U.S. Both antibiotic resistance and toxin expression of C. difficile correlate with the severity of C. difficile infection (CDI). In this report, a total of 139 C. difficile isolates from patients diagnosed with CDI in Tampa General Hospital (Florida) in 2016 were studied for antibiotic resistance profiles of 12 types of antibiotics and toxin production. Antibiotic resistance determined by broth microdilution method showed that strains resistant to multi-antibiotics are common. Six strains (4.32%) showed resistance to six types of antibiotics. Twenty strains (14.39%) showed resistance to five types of antibiotics. Seventeen strains (12.24%) showed resistance to four types of antibiotics. Thirty-nine strains (28.06%) showed resistance to three types of antibiotic. Thirty-four strains (24.46%) showed resistance to two types of antibiotics. While, all isolates were susceptible to metronidazole, and rifaximin, we found that one isolate (0.72%) displayed resistance to vancomycin (MIC ≥ 8 μg/ml), and another one was resistant to fidaxomicin (MIC >1 μg/ml). The percentage of isolates resistant to cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, gatifloxacin, and moxifloxacin was 75.54, 10.79, 5.76, 67.63, 82.70, 45.32, 28.06, and 28.78%, respectively. Toxin profiling by PCR showed the isolates include 101 (72.66%) A+B+CDT-strains, 23 (16.55%) A+B+CDT+ strains, 3 (2.16%) A-B+CDT+ strains, 1 (0.72%) A-B+CDT-strains, and 11 (7.91%) A-B-CDT-strains. Toxin production determined by ELISA using supernatants of bacterial culture harvested at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of post inoculation (hpi) showed that the toxins were mainly produced between 48 and 72 hpi, and toxin B (TcdB) was produced faster than toxin A (TcdA) during the experimental time (72 hpi). In addition, the binary-positive strains were likely to yield more toxins compared to the binary-negative strains. This work contributes to the current understanding of the antibiotic resistance and virulence of C. difficile clinical strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Peng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Anteneh Addisu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Sally Alrabaa
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Xingmin Sun
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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Peng Z, Liu S, Meng X, Liang W, Xu Z, Tang B, Wang Y, Duan J, Fu C, Wu B, Wu A, Li C. Genome characterization of a novel binary toxin-positive strain of Clostridium difficile and comparison with the epidemic 027 and 078 strains. Gut Pathog 2017; 9:42. [PMID: 28794800 PMCID: PMC5547579 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-017-0191-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic Gram-positive spore-forming gut pathogen that causes antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. A small number of C. difficile strains express the binary toxin (CDT), which is generally found in C. difficile 027 (ST1) and/or 078 (ST11) in clinic. However, we isolated a binary toxin-positive non-027, non-078 C. difficile LC693 that is associated with severe diarrhea in China. The genotype of this strain was determined as ST201. To understand the pathogenesis-basis of C. difficile ST201, the strain LC693 was chosen for whole genome sequencing, and its genome sequence was analyzed together with the other two ST201 strains VL-0104 and VL-0391 and compared to the epidemic 027/ST1 and 078/ST11 strains. Results The project finally generated an estimated genome size of approximately 4.07 Mbp for strain LC693. Genome size of the three ST201 strains ranged from 4.07 to 4.16 Mb, with an average GC content between 28.5 and 28.9%. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the ST201 strains belonged to clade 3. The ST201 genomes contained more than 40 antibiotic resistance genes and 15 of them were predicted to be associated with vancomycin-resistance. The ST201 strains contained a larger PaLoc with a Tn6218 element inserted than the 027/ST1 and 078/ST11 strains, and encoded a truncated TcdC. In addition, the ST201 strains contained intact binary toxin coding and regulation genes which are highly homologous to the 027/ST1 strain. Genome comparison of the ST201 strains with the epidemic 027 and 078 strain identified 641 genes specific for C. difficile ST201, and a number of them were predicted as fitness and virulence associated genes. The presence of those genes also contributes to the pathogenesis of the ST201 strains. Conclusions In this study, the genomic characterization of three binary toxin-positive C. difficile ST201 strains in clade 3 was discussed and compared to the genomes of the epidemic 027 and the 078 strains. Our analysis identified a number fitness and virulence associated genes/loci in the ST201 genomes that contribute to the pathogenesis of C. difficile ST201. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13099-017-0191-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei China
| | - Sidi Liu
- Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008 Hunan China
| | - Xiujuan Meng
- Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008 Hunan China
| | - Wan Liang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei China
| | - Zhuofei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei China
| | - Biao Tang
- Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Yuanguo Wang
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912 USA
| | - Juping Duan
- Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008 Hunan China.,Department of Pharmacy, Changsha Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410000 Hunan China
| | - Chenchao Fu
- Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008 Hunan China
| | - Bin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei China
| | - Anhua Wu
- Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008 Hunan China
| | - Chunhui Li
- Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008 Hunan China
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Advances in the Microbiome: Applications to Clostridium difficile Infection. J Clin Med 2016; 5:jcm5090083. [PMID: 27657145 PMCID: PMC5039486 DOI: 10.3390/jcm5090083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing over 400,000 infections and approximately 29,000 deaths in the United States alone each year. C. difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in the developed world, and, in recent years, the emergence of hyper-virulent (mainly ribotypes 027 and 078, sometimes characterised by increased toxin production), epidemic strains and an increase in the number of community-acquired infections has caused further concern. Antibiotic therapy with metronidazole, vancomycin or fidaxomicin is the primary treatment for C. difficile infection (CDI). However, CDI is unique, in that, antibiotic use is also a major risk factor for acquiring CDI or recurrent CDI due to disruption of the normal gut microbiota. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative, non-antibiotic therapeutics to treat or prevent CDI. Here, we review a number of such potential treatments which have emerged from advances in the field of microbiome research.
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