BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The human nasal passages host major human pathogens. Recent research suggests that the microbial communities inhabiting the epithelial surfaces of the nasal passages play a key factor in maintaining a healthy microenvironment by affecting both resistance to pathogens and immunological responses. Colonization of the nasal cavity by different pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella aerogenes, is associated with a higher postoperative infection morbidity. Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) as an antiseptic has been proven to display high antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties even at low concentrations, and was shown to be effective in the control of infections to limit their impact and spread. It can be used as a topical antiseptic for skin decontamination and wound management, as a nasal spray, or as a gargle. There are different methods in testing the efficacy of potential antimicrobial suspensions. This study aimed to determine the concentration of PVP-I that is most effective in nasal decolonization using microsuspension test and colorimetric minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination assays, resazurin microtiter assay (REMA), and Dey-Engley (D/E) neutralizer assay. The findings of this study will contribute to knowledge regarding the intended use of PVP-I in microbial control, particularly in bacterial infections.

Several dilutions (2.0%, 1.0%, 0.5%, 0.25%, 0.1% and 0.09%) of commercially bought 10% (10 mg per 100 ml) povidone-iodine were prepared and tested against a standardized inoculum (1x105) of Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella aerogenes at different contacttimes (5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes). Microdilution suspension test was performed to determine the log reduction per variable, while REMA and D/E neutralizer assay were used to determine the MIC. A value of greater than or equal to 5 log reduction was considered effective for microdilution suspension test. Estimates of agreement statistics were used to interpret the results of the assay in which the overall percent agreement (OPA), positive percent agreement (PPA), negative percent agreement (NPA), and Cohen’s kappa statistics were calculated.

Povidone-iodine concentration of 0.25% exhibited ?5 log reduction against K. aerogenes at the minimum contact time of 5 seconds. On the other hand,  a slightly higher PVP-I concentration was required to achieve ?5 log reduction for S. aureus at 0.5% concentration and a minimum contact time of 1 minute. There was an observed concordance of the results of REMA and D/E neutralizer as MIC colorimetric indicators, which yielded an overall test percent agreement of 90.30% (95% CI: 84.73–94.36), and a strong level of agreement (? = 0.8, pCONCLUSION

Low povidone-iodine concentrations (i.e., 0.5% against S. aureus and 0.25% against K. aerogenes) were observed to have bactericidal activity of at least 5 log reduction as rapid as the minimum contact time of 5 seconds. Furthermore, D/E and REMA, as colorimetric indicators, had comparable performance (OPA = 90.30%; ? = 0.8, p
Human ; Bacteria ; Povidone-iodine ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Anti-infective Agents, Local ; Enterobacter Aerogenes ; Staphylococcus Aureus

BACKGROUND: Owing to the high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) in China, bismuth-containing quadruple therapies have been recommended for H. pylori eradication. This study compared the efficacy and safety of quadruple regimens containing vonoprazan vs . esomeprazole for H. pylori eradication in a patient population in China. METHODS: This was a phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind study. Patients with confirmed H. pylori infection were randomized 1:1 to receive quadruple therapy for 14 days: amoxicillin 1000 mg and clarithromycin 500 mg after meals, bismuth potassium citrate 600 mg before meals, plus either vonoprazan 20 mg or esomeprazole 20 mg before meals, all twice daily. The primary outcome was the eradication rate of H. pylori , evaluated using a 13 C urea breath test at 4 weeks after treatment. The non-inferiority margin was at 10%. RESULTS: The study included 510 patients, 506 of whom completed the follow-up assessment. The primary analysis revealed eradication rates of 86.8% (210/242) and 86.7% (208/240) for vonoprazan and esomeprazole therapy, respectively (treatment difference: 0.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -5.95, 6.17; non-inferiority P  = 0.0009). Per-protocol analysis showed eradication rates of 87.4% for vonoprazan and 86.3% for esomeprazole (treatment difference: 1.2%; 95% CI: -5.03, 7.36; non-inferiority P  = 0.0004). Vonoprazan and esomeprazole were well tolerated, with similar safety profiles. CONCLUSION: Vonoprazan was found to be well-tolerated and non-inferior to esomeprazole for eradicating H. pylori in patients from China. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04198363.
Humans ; Esomeprazole/therapeutic use* ; Double-Blind Method ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Helicobacter pylori/pathogenicity* ; Pyrroles/therapeutic use* ; Sulfonamides/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Clarithromycin/therapeutic use* ; Amoxicillin/therapeutic use* ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Pyrrolidines/therapeutic use* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of 1% povidone-iodine mouthwash combined with scaling and root planing in patients with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ class A/B periodontitis, and to provide a basis for the clinical application of povidone-iodine mouthwash. METHODS: Seventy-five subjects were included in this trial and randomly divided into three groups. After full-mouth ultrasonic supragingival cleansing, scaling and root planing, the placebo group was treated with sodium chloride injection (NaCl group), the control group was treated with compound chlorhexidine mouthwash (CHX group), and the experimental group was treated with 1% povidone-iodine mouthwash (PVP-I group), and rinsed their mouths for 1 week, respectively. Subjects were tested at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after dosing for clinical indicators, microbial composition of supragingival plaque, gingival crevicular fluid inflammatory marker levels, and patient-reported outcomes. RESULTS: Sixty-three subjects completed the follow-up. After treatment, the clinical indicators, microbial indicators, and inflammatory indicators were all significantly improved (P<0.05). Comparisons among the groups showed that one week after treatment, the bleeding index and plaque index of the CHX group and the PVP-I group were lower than those of the NaCl group, and the plaque index of the CHX group was lower than that of the PVP-I group (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the other clinical indicators among the groups (P>0.05). Twelve weeks after treatment, the Shannon index of the CHX group was lower than that of the NaCl group (P<0.05), and there were no statistically significant differences in the other microbial indicators among the groups (P>0.05). Twelve weeks after treatment, the interleukin-10 concentration of the CHX group was higher than that of the NaCl group (P<0.05), and there were no statistically significant differences in the other inflammatory indicators among the groups (P>0.05). The PVP-I group had the highest scores in terms of taste and oral odor. There was no obvious staining on the tooth surfaces and mucosa in all three groups. CONCLUSIONS 1% PVP-I mouthwash combined with scaling and root planing can effectively reduce gingival inflammation and dental plaque, improve clinical symptoms in the short term. While its efficacy is not significantly inferior to that of chlorhexidine, PVP-I mouthwash is more acceptable to patients than chlorhexidine.
Humans ; Povidone-Iodine/administration & dosage* ; Mouthwashes/therapeutic use* ; Dental Scaling ; Root Planing ; Periodontitis/microbiology* ; Gingival Crevicular Fluid/chemistry* ; Anti-Infective Agents, Local/therapeutic use* ; Female ; Male ; Chlorhexidine/therapeutic use* ; Dental Plaque/microbiology* ; Middle Aged ; Adult

: Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) differentiated by degree of skin detachment. Common triggers include anticonvulsants, sulfonamides, antibiotics (penicillin, cephalosporin, quinolones) and acetaminophen. Reports of clindamycin causing cutaneous complications are rare with only 6 published reports, none of which were reported in the Philippines. Though uncommon, it is an important consideration in patients presenting with erythematous to violaceous purpuric macules that progress to full thickness epidermal exfoliation. : A 59-year-old female who presented with erythematous maculopapular rash on both hands, dry crusted lesions on the mouth and positive Nikolsky sign within 28 days of administration of Clindamycin. Algorithm for assessment of drug causality in SJS and TENS (ALDEN) was done and Clindamycin scored 6 points, which points to a definite drug causality of SJS/TEN. : A female in her late 50s presented with fatigue, malaise, and sore throat. Initially managed as a case of sepsis peritonsillar abscess right but later in the course of admission, presented with erythematous maculopapular rash on both hands and dry crusted lesions on the mouth. Patient was clinically diagnosed with Steven-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal syndrome and was given a course of intravenous hydrocortisone. Patient unfortunately expired due to overwhelming sepsis. Severe cutaneous adverse reaction induced by clindamycin are rare but important life-threatening conditions which needs prompt recognition and treatment. SJS/TEN as a secondary diagnosis leads to a delay in management, therefore a high index of suspicion and the utility of validated scoring tools should be maintained throughout the course of treatment.
Clindamycin

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics, common pathogens in children with vulvovaginitis. Methods: This was a retrospective cases study. A total of 3 268 children with vulvovaginitis were enrolled, who visited the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2009 to December 2019. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the age of <7, 7-<10 and 10-18 years. Patients were also divided in to 4 groups according to the season of first visit. The pathogen distribution characteristics of infective vulvovaginitis were compared between the groups. Their clinical data were collected and then analyzed by χ² test. Results: The were 3 268 girls aged (6.2±2.5) years. There were 1 728 cases (52.9%) aged <7 years, 875 cases (26.8%) aged 7-<10 years, and 665 cases (20.3%) aged 10-18 years. Of these cases, 2 253 cases (68.9%) were bacterial vulvovaginitis, 715 cases (21.9%) were fungal vulvovaginitis and 300 cases (9.2%) were vulvovaginitis infected with other pathogens. Bacterial culture of vaginal secretions was performed in 2 287 cases, and 2 287 strains (70.0%) of pathogens were detected, of which the top 5 pathogens were Streptococcus pyogenes (745 strains, 32.6%), Haemophilus influenzae (717 strains, 31.4%), Escherichia coli (292 strains, 12.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (222 strains, 9.7%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (67 strains, 2.9%). Regarding different age groups, H.influenzae was the most common in children under 7 years of age (40.3%, 509/1 263), S.pyogenes (41.9%, 356/849) was predominantly in children aged 7 to 10 years, and E.coli was predominant in children aged 10 to 18 years (26.3%, 46/175). Susceptibility results showed that S.pyogenes was susceptible to penicillin G (610/610, 100.0%), ceftriaxone (525/525, 100.0%), and vancomycin (610/610, 100.0%); the resistance rates to erythromycin and clindamycin were 91.9% (501/545)and 90.7% (495/546), respectively. For H.influenzae, 32.5% (161/496) produced β-elactamase, and all strains were sensitive to meropenem (489/489, 100.0%) and levofloxacin (388/388, 100.0%), while 40.5% (202/499) were resistant to ampicillin. Among E.coli, all strains were sensitive to imipenem(100%, 175/175). The resistance rates of E.coli to levofloxacin and ceftriaxone were 29.1% (43/148) and 35.1% (59/168), respectively. A total of 48 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were isolated with a proportion of 28.3% (45/159) in 3 268 patients. The results of drug susceptibility test showed that all MRSA strains were sensitive to linezolid 100.0% (40/40), vancomycin (45/45, 100.0%), and tigecycline (36/36, 100.0%); the resistance rates of MRSA to penicillin G, erythromycin and clindamycin were 100% (45/45), 95.6% (43/45) and 88.9% (40/45), respectively. All methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) strains were sensitive to oxacillin (114/114, 100.0%), linezolid (94/94, 100.0%), vancomycin (114/114, 100.0%), and tigecycline (84/84, 100.0%); it's resistance rates to penicillin G, erythromycin and clindamycin were 78.1% (89/114), 59.7% (68/114) and 46.5% (53/114), respectively. The drug resistance rate of MSSA to penicillin G, erythromycin and clindamycin were lower than those of MRSA (χ²=11.71,19.74,23.95, respectively, all P<0.001). Conclusions: The age of consultation for pediatric infectious vulvovaginitis is mainly around 6 years. The most common pathogens are S.pyogenes, H.influenzae and Escherichia coli. Third generation cephalosporins can be used as the first choice of empirical anti-infection drugs. However, the results of drug susceptibility should be considered for targeted treatment.
Female ; Adolescent ; Child ; Humans ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Vancomycin/therapeutic use* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Clindamycin/therapeutic use* ; Ceftriaxone/therapeutic use* ; Tigecycline/therapeutic use* ; Linezolid/therapeutic use* ; Levofloxacin/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcal Infections/drug therapy* ; Erythromycin/therapeutic use* ; Methicillin ; Penicillin G/therapeutic use* ; Escherichia coli ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial

This study aims to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Kushen Gelatum combined with antibiotics for treating bacterial vaginosis. The randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Kushen Gelatum for treating bacterial vaginosis were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, and Cochrane Library with the time interval from inception to January 2023. Data were extracted from the included RCT by 2 investigators, including the sample size, characteristics of patients, interventions and controls, outcome indicators, and adverse effects. The Cochrane collaboration network's bias risk assessment tool was used for methodolo-gical quality evaluation of the included trials. RevMan 5.4 was employed to perform the Meta-analysis. A total of 19 RCTs were inclu-ded, involving 1 980 patients with bacterial vaginosis. Meta-analysis showed that, compared with nitroimidazoles alone, Kushen Gelatum + nitroimidazoles improved the total response rates in terms of clinical symptoms and laboratory tests(RR=1.24, 95%CI[1.13, 1.36], P<0.000 01), laboratory tests(RR=1.16, 95%CI[1.06, 1.26], P=0.000 9), and clinical symptoms(RR=1.26, 95%CI[1.08, 1.46], P=0.003), and reduced the leukocyte esterase positive rate(RR=0.29, 95%CI[0.17, 0.48], P<0.000 01) and the recurrence rate(RR=0.37, 95%CI[0.23, 0.58], P<0.000 1). Compared with lincomycin antibiotics(clindamycin) alone, Kushen Gelatum + lincomycin antibiotics(clindamycin) improved the total response rates in terms of clinical symptoms and laboratory tests(RR=1.18, 95%CI[1.06, 1.31], P=0.003) and laboratory tests(RR=1.27, 95%CI[1.04, 1.54], P=0.02), reduced the recurrence rate(RR=0.20, 95%CI[0.05, 0.75], P=0.02), and shortened the time to relief of burning sensation(MD=-1.70, 95%CI[-2.15,-1.26], P<0.000 01), vaginal itching(MD=-0.82, 95%CI[-1.30,-0.34], P=0.000 8), and abnormal leucorrhea(MD=-1.52, 95%CI[-1.98,-1.06], P<0.000 01). Compared with nitroimidazoles + probiotics, Kushen Gelatum + nitroimidazoles + probiotics improved the total response rate in terms of clinical symptoms and laboratory tests(RR=1.18, 95%CI[1.02, 1.36], P=0.03) and reduced the recurrence rate(RR=0.27, 95%CI[0.09, 0.76], P=0.01). Kushen Gelatum combined with antibiotics demonstrates a potential therapeutic effect on bacterial vaginosis, whereas the number and quality of the relevant clinical studies remain to be improved. The process of clinical trial should be standardized to improve the quality of evidence, so as to provide strong evidence to guide the application of Kushen Gelatum in clinical practice.
Female ; Humans ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/adverse effects* ; Clindamycin/adverse effects* ; Vaginosis, Bacterial/chemically induced* ; Nitroimidazoles/adverse effects*

A wealth of evidence has suggested that gastrointestinal dysfunction is associated with the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanisms underlying these links remain to be defined. Here, we investigated the impact of deregulation of intestinal dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) signaling in response to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Dopamine/dopamine signaling in the mouse colon decreased with ageing. Selective ablation of Drd2, but not Drd4, in the intestinal epithelium, caused a more severe loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra following MPTP challenge, and this was accompanied by a reduced abundance of succinate-producing Alleoprevotella in the gut microbiota. Administration of succinate markedly attenuated dopaminergic neuronal loss in MPTP-treated mice by elevating the mitochondrial membrane potential. This study suggests that intestinal epithelial DRD2 activity and succinate from the gut microbiome contribute to the maintenance of nigral DA neuron survival. These findings provide a potential strategy targeting neuroinflammation-related neurological disorders such as PD.
1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine/adverse effects* ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dopamine ; Dopaminergic Neurons/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neuroprotection ; Parkinson Disease ; Pyrrolidines ; Receptors, Dopamine D2/metabolism* ; Substantia Nigra ; Succinates

An increased level of reactive oxygen species is a key factor in neuronal apoptosis and epileptic seizures. Irisin reportedly attenuates the apoptosis and injury induced by oxidative stress. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of exogenous irisin in a kainic acid (KA)-induced chronic spontaneous epilepsy rat model. The results indicated that exogenous irisin significantly attenuated the KA-induced neuronal injury, learning and memory defects, and seizures. Irisin treatment also increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), which were initially reduced following KA administration. Furthermore, the specific inhibitor of UCP2 (genipin) was administered to evaluate the possible protective mechanism of irisin. The reduced apoptosis, neurodegeneration, and spontaneous seizures in rats treated with irisin were significantly reversed by genipin administration. Our findings indicated that neuronal injury in KA-induced chronic epilepsy might be related to reduced levels of BDNF and UCP2. Moreover, our results confirmed the inhibition of neuronal injury and epileptic seizures by exogenous irisin. The protective effects of irisin may be mediated through the BDNF-mediated UCP2 level. Our results thus highlight irisin as a valuable therapeutic strategy against neuronal injury and epileptic seizures.
Rats ; Animals ; Kainic Acid/toxicity* ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism* ; Fibronectins/metabolism* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Epilepsy/metabolism* ; Seizures/prevention & control*

Anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis, is a non-contagious infectious disease that affects a wide range of animal species (primarily ruminants) including humans. Due to the often-fatal outcome in humans, quick administration of definitely effective antimicrobials is crucial either as prophylaxis or as a clinical case therapy. In this study, 110 B. anthracis strains, temporally, geographically, and genetically different, isolated during anthrax outbreaks in Italy from 1984 to 2017, were screened using a broth microdilution method to determine their susceptibility to 16 clinically relevant antimicrobial agents. The strains were isolated from various matrices (human, animal, and environmental samples) and were representative of thirty distinct genotypes previously identified by 15-loci multiple-locus variable-number of tandem repeats analysis. The antimicrobials tested were gentamicin, ceftriaxone, streptomycin, penicillin G, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin, linezolid, cefotaxime, tetracycline, erythromycin, rifampin, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and trimethoprim. All isolates were susceptible to most of the tested antimicrobials, with the exception of trimethoprim for which all of them showed high minimal inhibitory concentration values. An intermediate level of susceptibility was recorded for ceftriaxone and cefotaxime. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the use of doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, penicillin G, and amoxicillin for treatment of human cases and for post-exposure prophylaxis to anthrax spores, this study shows a high degree of in vitro susceptibility of B. anthracis to many other antimicrobials, suggesting the possibility of an alternative choice for prophylaxis and therapy.
Amoxicillin ; Animals ; Anthrax ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Bacillus anthracis ; Bacillus ; Cefotaxime ; Ceftriaxone ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Chloramphenicol ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clindamycin ; Communicable Diseases ; Disease Outbreaks ; Doxycycline ; Erythromycin ; Genotype ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Italy ; Linezolid ; Methods ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Penicillin G ; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis ; Rifampin ; Spores ; Streptomycin ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; Tetracycline ; Trimethoprim ; Vancomycin

Background: One of the most common complications of episiotomy is infection. Most infections will resolve with local perineal care. Hence, episiotomy wound care is important. In preventing wound infection cleansing the vulva and external genital area with an antiseptic solution prior to, and several days after the procedure until the wound is healed is potentially beneficial. Objective: To compare the efficacy and patients? satisfaction of commercially prepared guava extract with povidone iodine as external genital antiseptic wash in women who underwent vaginal delivery and had episiorraphy in a Tertiary Hospital. Results: There were 248 women who underwent episiotomy and randomized to the guava leaf extract (n=122) and povidone-iodine (n=126) feminine wash groups. Episiotomy wound infection rate between guava (0.81%) and povidone iodine (2.38%) feminine wash, was not significantly different (p=0.33). Occurrence of adverse event was lower in the guava leaf extract (1, 0.81%) as compared to povidone iodine (4, 3.17%) feminine wash group, but is not statistically significant (p=0.19). The mean patient satisfaction score for the guava feminine wash is 4.4 which was significantly higher than the mean score of those in the povidone iodine feminine wash which is 3.6 (p< 0.001). Conclusion The efficacy in preventing episiotomy wound infection and rate of adverse reaction with the use of commercially prepared guava leaf extract is comparable with povidone iodine as an external genital antiseptic. With regards to patients? satisfaction and cost this was found to favor the use of commercially prepared guava leaf extract external genital wash
Human ; Female ; Episiotomy ; Wound Infection ; Guava Leaf Extract ; Povidone Iodine Feminine Wash ; Antiseptic External Genital Wash