More Like this

1. Impact of Nystatin Oral Rinse on Salivary and Supragingival Microbial Community among Adults with Oral Candidiasis

   https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11061497  

   Zhang, Lanxin; Manning, Samantha; Wu, Tong Tong; Zeng, Yan; Lee, Aaron; Wu, Yan; Paster, Bruce J.; Chen, George; Fiscella, Kevin; Xiao, Jin (June 2023, Microorganisms)

   This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Nystatin oral rinse on salivary and supragingival microbiota in adults with oral candidiasis and identify predictive factors related to individuals’ responses to Nystatin. The trial involved twenty participants who used 600,000 International Units/application of Nystatin oral rinse for seven days, four times a day, and were followed up at one week and three months after the rinse. The salivary and plaque microbiome of the participants were assessed via 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Overall, salivary and plaque microbiomes remained stable. However, among the participants (53 percent) who responded to Nystatin rinse (defined as free of oral Candida albicans post treatment), Veillonella emerged as a core genus alongside Streptococcus and Actinomyces in supragingival plaque at the 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, statistical models were fit to identify predictive factors of Nystatin rinse success (elimination of C. albicans) or failure (remaining C. albicans). The results revealed that an increased level of salivary Interferon (IFN)-γ-inducible protein (IP-10), also known as C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), was an indicator of a failure of responding to Nystatin rinse. Future clinical trials are warranted to comprehensively assess the impact of antifungal treatment on the oral flora. 

   more » « less
2. Longitudinal changes in objective sleep parameters during pregnancy

   https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057231190952  

   Guo, Yuqing; Xu, Qi; Dutt, Nikil; Kehoe, Priscilla; Qu, Annie (January 2023, Women's Health)

   Background:Sleep disturbances are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Thus, it is necessary to understand the continuous patterns of sleep during pregnancy and how moderators such as maternal age and pre-pregnancy body mass index impact sleep. Objective:This study aimed to examine the continuous changes in sleep parameters objectively (i.e. sleep stages, total sleep time, and awake time) in pregnant women and to describe the impact of maternal age and/or pre-pregnancy body mass index as moderators of these objective sleep parameters. Design:This was a longitudinal observational design. Methods:Seventeen women with a singleton pregnancy participated in this study. Mixed model repeated measures were used to describe weekly patterns, while aggregated changes describe these three pregnancy periods (10–19, 20–29, and 30–39 gestational weeks). Results:For the weekly patterns, we found significantly decreased deep (1.26 ± 0.18 min/week, p < 0.001), light (0.72 ± 0.37 min/week, p = 0.05), and total sleep time (1.56 ± 0.47 min/week, p < 0.001) as well as increased awake time (1.32 ± 0.34 min/week, p < 0.001). For the aggregated changes, we found similar patterns to weekly changes. Women (⩾30 years) had an even greater decrease in deep sleep (1.50 ± 0.22 min/week, p < 0.001) than those younger (0.84 ± 0.29 min/week, p = 0.04). Women who were both overweight/obese and ⩾30 years experienced an increase in rapid eye movement sleep (0.84 ± 0.31 min/week, p = 0.008), but those of normal weight (<30 years) did not. Conclusion:This study appears to be the first to describe continuous changes in sleep parameters during pregnancy at home. Our study provides preliminary evidence that sleep parameters could be potential non-invasive physiological markers predicting perinatal outcomes. 

   more » « less
3. Hospital antimicrobial stewardship: profiling the oral microbiome after exposure to COVID-19 and antibiotics

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1346762  

   Buendia, Patricia; Fernandez, Krystal; Raley, Castle; Rahnavard, Ali; Crandall, Keith A; Castro, Jose Guillermo (February 2024, Frontiers in Microbiology)

   IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 Delta variant surge, the CLAIRE cross-sectional study sampled saliva from 120 hospitalized patients, 116 of whom had a positive COVID-19 PCR test. Patients received antibiotics upon admission due to possible secondary bacterial infections, with patients at risk of sepsis receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSA). MethodsThe saliva samples were analyzed with shotgun DNA metagenomics and respiratory RNA virome sequencing. Medical records for the period of hospitalization were obtained for all patients. Once hospitalization outcomes were known, patients were classified based on their COVID-19 disease severity and the antibiotics they received. ResultsOur study reveals that BSA regimens differentially impacted the human salivary microbiome and disease progression. 12 patients died and all of them received BSA. Significant associations were found between the composition of the COVID-19 saliva microbiome and BSA use, between SARS-CoV-2 genome coverage and severity of disease. We also found significant associations between the non-bacterial microbiome and severity of disease, withCandida albicansdetected most frequently in critical patients. For patients who did not receive BSA before saliva sampling, our study suggestsStaphylococcus aureusas a potential risk factor for sepsis. DiscussionOur results indicate that the course of the infection may be explained by both monitoring antibiotic treatment and profiling a patient’s salivary microbiome, establishing a compelling link between microbiome and the specific antibiotic type and timing of treatment. This approach can aid with emergency room triage and inpatient management but also requires a better understanding of and access to narrow-spectrum agents that target pathogenic bacteria. 

   more » « less
4. DNA methylation age at birth and childhood: performance of epigenetic clocks and characteristics associated with epigenetic age acceleration in the Project Viva cohort

   https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-023-01480-2  

   Bozack, Anne K.; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L.; Gold, Diane R.; Laubach, Zachary M.; Perng, Wei; Hivert, Marie-France; Cardenas, Andres (December 2023, Clinical Epigenetics)

   Abstract BackgroundEpigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and epigenetic gestational age acceleration (EGAA) are biomarkers of physiological development and may be affected by the perinatal environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate performance of epigenetic clocks and to identify biological and sociodemographic correlates of EGAA and EAA at birth and in childhood. In the Project Viva pre-birth cohort, DNA methylation was measured in nucleated cells in cord blood (leukocytes and nucleated red blood cells, N = 485) and leukocytes in early (N = 120, median age = 3.2 years) and mid-childhood (N = 460, median age = 7.7 years). We calculated epigenetic gestational age (EGA; Bohlin and Knight clocks) and epigenetic age (EA; Horvath and skin & blood clocks), and respective measures of EGAA and EAA. We evaluated the performance of clocks relative to chronological age using correlations and median absolute error. We tested for associations of maternal-child characteristics with EGAA and EAA using mutually adjusted linear models controlling for estimated cell type proportions. We also tested associations of Horvath EA at birth with childhood EAA. ResultsBohlin EGA was strongly correlated with chronological gestational age (Bohlin EGAr = 0.82,p < 0.001). Horvath and skin & blood EA were weakly correlated with gestational age, but moderately correlated with chronological age in childhood (r = 0.45–0.65). Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with higher skin & blood EAA at birth [B(95% CI) = 1.17 weeks (− 0.09, 2.42)] and in early childhood [0.34 years (0.03, 0.64)]. Female newborns and children had lower Bohlin EGAA [− 0.17 weeks (− 0.30, − 0.04)] and Horvath EAA at birth [B(95% CI) = − 2.88 weeks (− 4.41, − 1.35)] and in childhood [early childhood: − 0.3 years (− 0.60, 0.01); mid-childhood: − 0.48 years (− 0.77, − 0.18)] than males. When comparing self-reported Asian, Black, Hispanic, and more than one race or other racial/ethnic groups to White, we identified significant differences in EGAA and EAA at birth and in mid-childhood, but associations varied across clocks. Horvath EA at birth was positively associated with childhood Horvath and skin & blood EAA. ConclusionsMaternal smoking during pregnancy and child sex were associated with EGAA and EAA at multiple timepoints. Further research may provide insight into the relationship between perinatal factors, pediatric epigenetic aging, and health and development across the lifespan. 

   more » « less
5. Extreme weather events and maternal health in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review

   https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079361  

   Pappas, Anna; Kovats, Sari; Ranganathan, Meghna (June 2024, BMJ Open)

   BackgroundDespite global efforts to improve maternal health and healthcare, women throughout the world endure poor health during pregnancy. Extreme weather events (EWE) disrupt infrastructure and access to medical services, however little is known about their impact on the health of women during pregnancy in resource-poor settings. ObjectivesThis review aims to examine the current literature on the impact of EWE on maternal health to identify the pathways between EWE and maternal health in low-income and middle-income countries to identify gaps. Eligibility criteriaStudies were eligible for inclusion if they were published before 15 December 2022 and the population of the studies included pregnant and postpartum women (defined at up to 6 weeks postpartum) who were living in low-income and middle-income countries. The exposure of the included study must be related to EWE and the result to maternal health outcomes. Sources of evidenceWe searched the literature using five databases, Medline, Global Health, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL in December 2022. We assessed the results using predetermined criteria that defined the scope of the population, exposures and outcomes. In total, 15 studies were included. Charting methodsWe identified studies that fit the criteria and extracted key themes. We extracted population demographics and sampling methodologies, assessed the quality of the studies and conducted a narrative synthesis to summarise the key findings. ResultsFifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The quantitative studies (n=4) and qualitative (n=11) demonstrated an association between EWE and malnutrition, mental health, mortality and access to maternal health services. ConclusionEWE negatively impact maternal health through various mechanisms including access to services, stress and mortality. The results have demonstrated concerning effects, but there is also limited evidence surrounding these broad topics in low-resource settings. Research is necessary to determine the mechanisms by which EWE affect maternal health. PROSPERO registration numberCRD42022352915. 

   more » « less