Few studies have described the key features and prognostic roles of lung microbiota in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP). We prospectively enrolled consecutive SCAP patients admitted to ICU. Bronchoscopy was performed at bedside within 48 h of ICU admission, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was applied to the collected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The primary outcome was clinical improvements defined as a decrease of 2 categories and above on a 7-category ordinal scale within 14 days following bronchoscopy. Sixty-seven patients were included. Multivariable permutational multivariate analysis of variance found that positive bacteria lab test results had the strongest independent association with lung microbiota (R² = 0.033; P = 0.018), followed by acute kidney injury (AKI; R² = 0.032; P = 0.011) and plasma MIP-1β level (R² = 0.027; P = 0.044). Random forest identified that the families Prevotellaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Staphylococcaceae were the biomarkers related to the positive bacteria lab test results. Multivariable Cox regression showed that the increase in α-diversity and the abundance of the families Prevotellaceae and Actinomycetaceae were associated with clinical improvements. The positive bacteria lab test results, AKI, and plasma MIP-1β level were associated with patients' lung microbiota composition on ICU admission. The families Prevotellaceae and Actinomycetaceae on admission predicted clinical improvements.
Acute Kidney Injury/complications* ; Bacteria/classification* ; Chemokine CCL4/blood* ; Community-Acquired Infections/microbiology* ; Humans ; Lung ; Microbiota/genetics* ; Pneumonia, Bacterial/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*

Kidney diseases are common and the incidence rate is increasing. Gut microbiota is involved in metabolic and immune regulation of the host. Genetic, alimentary and environmental disease factors may change gut flora and increase opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria, contributing to immune or non-immune mediated kidney diseases including IgA nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy. Additionally, bacterial metabolites may be a source of uremic toxins. Thus, identification of diversity, composition, and metabolic and immunologic features of gut bacteria in chronic kidney diseases may help understand pathogenetic mechanism and develop therapy for diseases.
Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; microbiology

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients are susceptible to Helicobacter pylori (HP), and it has been reported that the occurrence of proteinuria is associated with HP infection in T2DM patients; however, this view remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between HP infection and the occurrence of proteinuria in T2DM patients. In addition, we hope to provide some recommendations to readers in clinical or related fields. Methods: Our meta-analysis was conducted with the methodology of the Cochrane Collaboration. Search strategies were formulated by relevant professionals. Case-control studies that compared the occurrence of proteinuria in T2DM patients with and without HP infection were involved in our meta-analysis. Relevant English or Chinese studies were searched on online databases before 2018, including PubMed, the Cochrane library, Medline, Google Scholar, the China National Infrastructure, and Wanfang database. The search strategies were "diabetic proteinuria, diabetic microalbuminuria, diabetic albuminuria, diabetic kidney disease, diabetic renal dysfunction, diabetic renal disease, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic complications, and diabetic mellitus, combined with HP." The quality of these involved articles was separately assessed by two investigators using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted and pooled using fixed-effects models. Results: Seven studies involving 1029 participants were included. The quality of these seven articles was all above five stars as assessed by NOS, and there was no significant publication bias in our meta-analysis. We found that T2DM patients with HP infection had a 2.00 times higher risk of the occurrence of proteinuria than patients without HP infection (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.48-2.69). Conclusions Our analysis showed that HP infection was associated with the occurrence of proteinuria in T2DM patients. HP radical surgery might be a therapeutic option for protecting kidney function in patients with T2DM.
Confidence Intervals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Helicobacter Infections ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Humans ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Proteinuria ; metabolism ; microbiology

Mushroom exposures are increasing worldwide. The incidence and fatality of mushroom poisoning are reported to be increasing. Several new syndromes in mushroom poisoning have been described. Rhabdomyolytic mushroom poisoning is one of new syndromes. Russula subnigricans mushroom can cause delayed-onset rhabdomyolysis with acute kidney injury in the severely poisoned patient. There are few reports on the toxicity of R. subnigricans. This report represents the first record of R. subnigricans poisoning with rhabdomyolysis in Korea, describing a 51-year-old man who suffered from rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, severe hypocalcemia, respiratory failure, ventricular tachycardia, cardiogenic shock, and death. Mushroom poisoning should be considered in the evaluation of rhabdomyolysis of unknown cause. Furthermore, R. subnigricans should be considered in the mushroom poisoning with rhabdomyolysis.
Acute Kidney Injury/*etiology ; Basidiomycota/isolation & purification/*pathogenicity ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Ventricles/physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mushroom Poisoning/*diagnosis/microbiology/mortality ; Rhabdomyolysis/*etiology ; Shock, Cardiogenic/*etiology ; Tachycardia, Ventricular/etiology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has been suggested that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and is associated with increased mortality among patients infected with C. difficile. However, recent studies of the clinical impact of CKD on CDI in Asians are still insufficient. We sought to determine the relationship between CKD and CDI in a Korean population. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective case-control study. In total, 171 patients with CDI were included as cases and 342 age- and gender-matched patients without CDI were used as controls. We compared the prevalence of CKD in the study sample and identified independent risk factors that could predict the development or prognosis of CDI. RESULTS: Independent risk factors for CDI included stage IV to V CKD not requiring dialysis (odds ratio [OR], 2.90) and end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis (OR, 3.34). Patients with more advanced CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30) and CDI showed higher in-hospital mortality and poorer responses to the initial metronidazole therapy. CONCLUSIONS: More advanced CKD is an independent risk factor for CDI and is associated with higher in-hospital mortality and poor treatment responses in CDI patients. Thus, in CKD patients, careful attention should be paid to the occurrence of CDI and its management to improve the outcome of CDI.
Aged ; Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Clostridium difficile/*pathogenicity ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology/mortality ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*complications/diagnosis/therapy ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/*complications/diagnosis/mortality/therapy ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical characteristics, therapeutic measures and risk factors of pulmonary fungal infection in patients after renal transplantation.

METHODSThe clinical data of 176 patients receiving renal allograft transplantation with postoperative infections were retrospectively analyzed. Among the patients, 40 were diagnosed to have pulmonary fungal infection, and their clinical symptoms, signs, radiographic findings, pathogenic bacterial culture, histopathological examination, and treatments were analyzed.

RESULTSThe 40 recipients with postoperative pulmonary fungal infection included 25 male and 15 female patients with a mean age of 49 years. Twenty-eight of the patients developed pulmonary fungal infection within 6 months after transplantation. Positive pathogen cultivation was reported in 19 cases, and Candida albicans was detected in 11 cases, Candida krusei in 2 cases, Candida glabrata in 3 cases, Candida tropicalis in 1 case, aspergillosis in 1 case, and Candida mycoderma in 1 case. Twenty-four of out of the 40 cases were found to have co-infection. All the patients received antifungal drugs and adjuvant treatments, and 38 patients were cured and 2 died.

CONCLUSIONPulmonary fungal infection often occurs within 6 months after renal transplantation. The most common fungal pathogen is Candida albicans, and the patients often had coinfections. Early diagnosis and timely intervention with antifungal drugs and comprehensive measures are critical in the management of pulmonary fungal infection following renal transplantation.

Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Aspergillus ; isolation & purification ; Candida ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Lung Diseases, Fungal ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo study the preventive effect of herbal formulation on experimental murine urinary tract infection (UTI) induced by Dr Escherichia coli 11128.

METHODSE. coli 11128 carrying Dr fimbriae was isolated from patients with chronic pyelonephritis. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of herbal solution for E. coli 11128 was determined for further studies. Forty C3H/HeJ mice were divided into the herb-treated group (n=20, given Chinese herbs by gavage at an average dose of 20 g/kg body weight daily 3 days before inoculation), and control group (n=20, given the same amount of distilled water by gavage). Three and 6 days after infection, bacteria were counted in the urine and the kidneys of the mice. Kidney histopathologic changes were evaluated. Neutrophils infiltration and accumulation were detected.

RESULTSThe MIC value of herbal solution was 0.1 g/mL for the E. coli 11128. In herb-treated mice, there was a significant reduction in bacterial counts in urine and colonization densities of kidneys. Microscopic studies revealed signs of inflammation in kidneys. In herb-treated mice, herbal administration resulted in significantly reduced neutrophilic infiltrates (P<0.05). The semi-quantitative scores for renal lesions were significantly lower (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONProphylactic administration of herbal formulation potentiated the effect in partially preventing experimental murine ascending UTI.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; Escherichia coli Infections ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Female ; Kidney ; drug effects ; pathology ; Mice, Inbred C3H ; Phytotherapy ; Urinary Tract Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; prevention & control

No abstract available.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Choristoma/*complications/radiography ; Escherichia coli Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Female ; Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital/*complications/radiography ; Humans ; *Kidney ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Pyelonephritis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Thoracic Diseases/*complications/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Acute Kidney Injury/microbiology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Kidney/*microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae/drug effects/*isolation & purification ; Nephritis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Skin Diseases, Bacterial/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Vasculitis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels are low in healthy individuals but are elevated in patients with a serious bacterial infection or sepsis. In this study, we examined the ability of serum PCT concentration to diagnose infections in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, and sought to determine an appropriate threshold level. METHODS: Serum PCT levels were measured in ESRD patients on antibiotic therapy for a suspected bacterial infection (ESRD infection [iESRD] group, n = 21), and compared with those of ESRD patients on hemodialysis with no sign of infection (ESRD control [cESRD] group, n = 20). RESULTS: The mean serum PCT concentration of the iESRD group was significantly higher than in the cESRD group (2.95 +/- 3.67 ng/mL vs. 0.50 +/- 0.49 ng/mL, p = 0.006), but serum PCT concentrations did not correlate with severity of infection. The optimized threshold level derived for serum PCT was 0.75 ng/mL, rather than the currently used 0.5 ng/mL; this threshold demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 76.2% and 80.0% for infection and 100% and 60.6% for systemic inflammatory response syndrome, respectively, compared with the cutoff of 0.5 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that serum PCT at a cutoff value of 0.75 ng/mL is an appropriate indicator of infection in ESRD patients.
Adult ; Aged ; Area Under Curve ; Bacterial Infections/*blood/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Biomarkers/blood ; Calcitonin/*blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation Mediators/*blood ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*complications/diagnosis/therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Protein Precursors/*blood ; ROC Curve ; Renal Dialysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Up-Regulation