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Jandl B, Dighe S, Gasche C, Makristathis A, Muttenthaler M. Intestinal biofilms: pathophysiological relevance, host defense, and therapeutic opportunities. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024:e0013323. [PMID: 38995034 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00133-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYThe human intestinal tract harbors a profound variety of microorganisms that live in symbiosis with the host and each other. It is a complex and highly dynamic environment whose homeostasis directly relates to human health. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and polymicrobial biofilms have been associated with gastrointestinal diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, and colorectal cancers. This review covers the molecular composition and organization of intestinal biofilms, mechanistic aspects of biofilm signaling networks for bacterial communication and behavior, and synergistic effects in polymicrobial biofilms. It further describes the clinical relevance and diseases associated with gut biofilms, the role of biofilms in antimicrobial resistance, and the intestinal host defense system and therapeutic strategies counteracting biofilms. Taken together, this review summarizes the latest knowledge and research on intestinal biofilms and their role in gut disorders and provides directions toward the development of biofilm-specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Jandl
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Satish Dighe
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christoph Gasche
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Loha for Life, Center for Gastroenterology and Iron Deficiency, Vienna, Austria
| | - Athanasios Makristathis
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Muttenthaler
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Kassem S, Hijazi N, Stein N, Zaina A, Ganaim M. Clinical outcomes of clostridioides difficile infection in the very elderly. Intern Emerg Med 2024; 19:1041-1049. [PMID: 38615301 PMCID: PMC11186863 DOI: 10.1007/s11739-024-03580-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) causes considerable morbidity, mortality, and economic cost. Advanced age, prolonged stay in healthcare facility, and exposure to antibiotics are leading risk factors for CDI. Data on CDI clinical outcomes in the very elderly patients are limited. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized between 2016 and 2018 with CDI. We evaluated demographic clinical and laboratory parameters. Major clinical outcomes were evaluated including duration of hospital stay, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), in-hospital mortality, 30 days post-discharge mortality, and readmission/mortality composite outcome. We compared patients aged up to 80 years (elderly) to those of 80 years old or more (very elderly). RESULTS Of 196 patients included in the study, 112 (57%) were very elderly with a mean age of 86 versus 67 years in the elderly group. The duration of hospital stays, and intensive care unit admission frequency were significantly reduced in the very elderly (13 vs. 22 days p = 0.003 and 1.8% vs. 10.7% p = 0.01, respectively). No significant difference was found in the frequencies of in-hospital and in 30 days post-discharge mortality. CONCLUSIONS In our cohort, the duration of hospital stay seemed to be shorter in the very elderly with no increase of in-hospital and post-discharge mortality. Although admitted less frequently to ICU, the in-hospital survival of the very elderly was not adversely affected compared to the elderly, suggesting that very advanced age per se should not be a major factor to consider in determining the prognosis of a patient with CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Kassem
- Department of Internal Medicine, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Centre, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Medical School, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Michal 7, 3436212, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Nizar Hijazi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Centre, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Medical School, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Michal 7, 3436212, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nili Stein
- Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Adnan Zaina
- Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Zvulon Medical Center, Clalit Health Services and Azrieli School of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Mohammad Ganaim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Centre, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Medical School, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Michal 7, 3436212, Haifa, Israel
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Pourliotopoulou E, Karampatakis T, Kachrimanidou M. Exploring the Toxin-Mediated Mechanisms in Clostridioides difficile Infection. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1004. [PMID: 38792835 PMCID: PMC11124097 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12051004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and colitis, with increasing incidence and healthcare costs. Its pathogenesis is primarily driven by toxins produced by the bacterium C. difficile, Toxin A (TcdA) and Toxin B (TcdB). Certain strains produce an additional toxin, the C. difficile transferase (CDT), which further enhances the virulence and pathogenicity of C. difficile. These toxins disrupt colonic epithelial barrier integrity, and induce inflammation and cellular damage, leading to CDI symptoms. Significant progress has been made in the past decade in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of TcdA, TcdB, and CDT, which provide insights into the management of CDI and the future development of novel treatment strategies based on anti-toxin therapies. While antibiotics are common treatments, high recurrence rates necessitate alternative therapies. Bezlotoxumab, targeting TcdB, is the only available anti-toxin, yet limitations persist, prompting ongoing research. This review highlights the current knowledge of the structure and mechanism of action of C. difficile toxins and their role in disease. By comprehensively describing the toxin-mediated mechanisms, this review provides insights for the future development of novel treatment strategies and the management of CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evdokia Pourliotopoulou
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | | | - Melania Kachrimanidou
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece;
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Shen Y, Lin S, You P, Chen Y, Luo Y, Song X, Chen Y, Jin D. Rapid discrimination between clinical Clostridioides difficile infection and colonization by quantitative detection of TcdB toxin using a real-time cell analysis system. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1348892. [PMID: 38322317 PMCID: PMC10844495 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1348892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives It is important to accurately discriminate between clinical Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and colonization (CDC) for effective antimicrobial treatment. Methods In this study, 37 stool samples were collected from 17 CDC and 20 CDI cases, and each sample were tested in parallel through the real-time cell analysis (RTCA) system, real-time PCR assay (PCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results RTCA-measured functional and toxical C. difficile toxin B (TcdB) concentrations in the CDI group (302.58 ± 119.15 ng/mL) were significantly higher than those in the CDC group (18.15 ± 11.81 ng/mL) (p = 0.0008). Conversely, ELISA results revealed no significant disparities in TcdB concentrations between the CDC (26.21 ± 3.57 ng/mL) and the CDI group (17.07 ± 3.10 ng/mL) (p = 0.064). PCR results indicated no significant differences in tcdB gene copies between the CDC (774.54 ± 357.89 copies/μL) and the CDI group (4,667.69 ± 3,069.87 copies/μL) (p = 0.407). Additionally, the functional and toxical TcdB concentrations secreted from C. difficile isolates were measured by the RTCA. The results from the CDC (490.00 ± 133.29 ng/mL) and the CDI group (439.82 ± 114.66 ng/mL) showed no significant difference (p = 0.448). Notably, RTCA-measured functional and toxical TcdB concentration was significantly decreased when mixed with pooled CDC samples supernatant (p = 0.030). Conclusion This study explored the novel application of the RTCA assay in effectively discerning clinical CDI from CDC cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Shen
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnosis Translation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Ageing Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shan Lin
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnosis Translation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Peijun You
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnosis Translation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Chen
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnosis Translation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yun Luo
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiaojun Song
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yunbo Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dazhi Jin
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnosis Translation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
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Vuotto C, Donelli G, Buckley A, Chilton C. Clostridioides difficile Biofilm. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1435:249-272. [PMID: 38175479 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-42108-2_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), previously Clostridium difficile infection, is a symptomatic infection of the large intestine caused by the spore-forming anaerobic, gram-positive bacterium Clostridioides difficile. CDI is an important healthcare-associated disease worldwide, characterized by high levels of recurrence, morbidity, and mortality. CDI is observed at a higher rate in immunocompromised patients after antimicrobial therapy, with antibiotics disrupting the commensal microbiota and promoting C. difficile colonization of the gastrointestinal tract.A rise in clinical isolates resistant to multiple antibiotics and the reduced susceptibility to the most commonly used antibiotic molecules have made the treatment of CDI more complicated, allowing the persistence of C. difficile in the intestinal environment.Gut colonization and biofilm formation have been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis and persistence of C. difficile. In fact, biofilm growth is considered as a serious threat because of the related antimicrobial tolerance that makes antibiotic therapy often ineffective. This is the reason why the involvement of C. difficile biofilm in the pathogenesis and recurrence of CDI is attracting more and more interest, and the mechanisms underlying biofilm formation of C. difficile as well as the role of biofilm in CDI are increasingly being studied by researchers in the field.Findings on C. difficile biofilm, possible implications in CDI pathogenesis and treatment, efficacy of currently available antibiotics in treating biofilm-forming C. difficile strains, and some antimicrobial alternatives under investigation will be discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Vuotto
- Microbial Biofilm Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Anthony Buckley
- Microbiome and Nutritional Sciences Group, School of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Caroline Chilton
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Section of Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute for Medical Research at St James, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Valdés-Varela L, Gueimonde M, Ruas-Madiedo P. Probiotics for Prevention and Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1435:101-116. [PMID: 38175473 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-42108-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Probiotics have been claimed as a valuable tool to restore the balance in the intestinal microbiota following a dysbiosis caused by, among other factors, antibiotic therapy. This perturbed environment could favor the overgrowth of Clostridium difficile, and in fact, the occurrence of C. difficile-associated infections (CDI) is increasing in recent years. In spite of the high number of probiotics able to in vitro inhibit the growth and/or toxicity of this pathogen, its application for treatment or prevention of CDI is still scarce since there are not enough well-defined clinical studies supporting efficacy. Only a few strains, such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii, have been studied in more extent. The increasing knowledge about the probiotic mechanisms of action against C. difficile, some of them reviewed here, makes promising the application of these live biotherapeutic agents against CDI. Nevertheless, more effort must be paid to standardize the clinical studies conducted to evaluate probiotic products, in combination with antibiotics, in order to select the best candidate for C. difficile infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Valdés-Varela
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Instituto de Productos Lacteos de Asturias - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientıficas (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Miguel Gueimonde
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Instituto de Productos Lacteos de Asturias - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientıficas (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Patricia Ruas-Madiedo
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Instituto de Productos Lacteos de Asturias - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientıficas (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.
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Qian Y, Birhanu BT, Yang J, Ding D, Janardhanan J, Mobashery S, Chang M. A Potent and Narrow-Spectrum Antibacterial against Clostridioides difficile Infection. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13891-13899. [PMID: 37732641 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium that colonizes the gut of patients treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. The normal gut microflora prevents C. difficile colonization; however, dysbiosis by treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics causes recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI) in 25% of patients. There are no fully effective antibiotics for multiple recurrent CDIs. We report herein that oxadiazole antibiotics exhibit bactericidal activity against C. difficile vegetative cells. We screened a library of 75 oxadiazoles against C. difficile ATCC 43255. The findings from this collection served as the basis for the syntheses of an additional 58 analogs, which were tested against the same strain. We report a potent (MIC50 = 0.5 μg/mL and MIC90 = 1 μg/mL values for 101 C. difficile strains) and narrow-spectrum oxadiazole (3-(4-(cyclopentyloxy)phenyl)-5-(4-nitro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole; compound 57), which is not active against common gut bacteria or other tested organisms. Compound 57 is selectively bactericidal against C. difficile and targets cell-wall synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Qian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Biruk T Birhanu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Jingdong Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Derong Ding
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Jeshina Janardhanan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Shahriar Mobashery
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Mayland Chang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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Janardhanan J, Kim C, Qian Y, Yang J, Meisel J, Ding D, Speri E, Schroeder V, Wolter W, Oliver A, Mobashery S, Chang M. A dual-action antibiotic that kills Clostridioides difficile vegetative cells and inhibits spore germination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304110120. [PMID: 37155891 PMCID: PMC10193928 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304110120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most lethal of the five CDC urgent public health treats, resulting in 12,800 annual deaths in the United States alone [Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2019 (2019), www.cdc.gov/DrugResistance/Biggest-Threats.html]. The high recurrence rate and the inability of antibiotics to treat such infections mandate discovery of new therapeutics. A major challenge with CDI is the production of spores, leading to multiple recurrences of infection in 25% of patients [C. P. Kelly, J. T. LaMont, N. Engl. J. Med. 359, 1932-1940 (2008)], with potentially lethal consequence. Herein, we describe the discovery of an oxadiazole as a bactericidal anti-C. difficile agent that inhibits both cell-wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis and spore germination. We document that the oxadiazole binds to the lytic transglycosylase SleC and the pseudoprotease CspC for prevention of spore germination. SleC degrades the cortex peptidoglycan, a critical step in the initiation of spore germination. CspC senses germinants and cogerminants. Binding to SleC is with higher affinity than that to CspC. Prevention of spore germination breaks the nefarious cycles of CDI recurrence in the face of the antibiotic challenge, which is a primary cause of therapeutic failure. The oxadiazole exhibits efficacy in a mouse model of recurrent CDI and holds promise in clinical treatment of CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeshina Janardhanan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Choon Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Yuanyuan Qian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Jingdong Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Jayda E. Meisel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Derong Ding
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Enrico Speri
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Valerie A. Schroeder
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - William R. Wolter
- Freimann Life Sciences Center, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Allen G. Oliver
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Shahriar Mobashery
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Mayland Chang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
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Characterization of the virulence of three novel clade 2 Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile strains and a two-year screening in animals and humans in Brazil. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273013. [PMID: 36026500 PMCID: PMC9416996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI) is an evolving global healthcare problem, and owing to the diverse and dynamic molecular epidemiology of C. difficile, new strains continue to emerge. In Brazil, only two cases of CDI due to the so called hypervirulent PCR ribotype (RT) 027 belonging to clade 2 have ever been reported, whereas incidence of CDI due to another “hypervirulent” RT078 (clade 5) has not yet been reported. In contrast, novel clade 2 strains have been identified in different hospitals. To better understand the epidemiology of CDIs in Brazil, this study aimed to genotypically and phenotypically characterize three novel Brazilian clade 2 strains (RT883, 884, and 885) isolated from patients with confirmed CDI. In addition, to better understand the circulating RTs, a two-year sampling was conducted in patients from the same hospital and in several domestic and wild animal species. The three strains examined showed lower production of A/B toxins than the control RT027, although two of these strains harbored a truncated tcdC gene. All strains showed swimming motility similar to that of RT027, while RT883 showed higher spore production than the reference strain. In the in vivo hamster model, the lethality of all strains was found to be similar to that of RT027. Both cgMLST and cgMLSA analyses revealed a high genetic similarity among the three-novel clade 2 isolates. In the two-year survey in animals and humans, RT883, 884, and 885 were not detected; however, three new RTs (RT988, RT989, and RT990) were isolated, two of which were genetically related to the three previously reported clade 2 strains. RT106 and RT126 were most frequently detected in humans (47.9%) and animals (57.9%), respectively. Furthermore, RT027 and RT078 were not detected in humans. The results of this study suggest that these novel clade 2 strains have virulence potential and that new strains from clade 2 continue to emerge in our setting, indicating the need for long-term local surveillance.
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Acuña-Amador L, Quesada-Gómez C, Rodríguez C. Clostridioides difficile in Latin America: A comprehensive review of literature (1984-2021). Anaerobe 2022; 74:102547. [PMID: 35337973 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This narrative review summarizes literature on C. difficile and C. difficile infections (CDI) that emerged from Latin America (LA) between 1984 and 2021. The revised information includes papers in English, Spanish, or Portuguese that were retrieved from the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scielo, and Lilacs. Information is presented chronologically and segregated in subregions, focusing on clinical presentation, risk factors, detection and typing methods, prevalence and incidence rates, circulating strains, and, when available, phenotypic traits, such as antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Studies dealing with cases, clinical aspects of CDI, and performance evaluations of diagnostic methods predominated. However, they showed substantial differences in case definitions, measuring units, populations, and experimental designs. Although a handful of autochthonous strains were identified, predominantly in Brazil and Costa Rica, the presentation and epidemiology of CDI in LA were highly comparable to what has been reported in other regions of the world. Few laboratories isolate and type this bacterium and even less generate whole genome sequences or perform basic science on C. difficile. Less than ten countries lead academic productivity on C. difficile or CDI-related topics, and information from various countries in Central America and the Caribbean is still lacking. The review ends with a global interpretation of the data and recommendations to further develop and consolidate this discipline in LA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Acuña-Amador
- Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Anaerobia (LIBA), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
| | - Carlos Quesada-Gómez
- Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Anaerobia (LIBA), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
| | - César Rodríguez
- Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Anaerobia (LIBA), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
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Xu X, Bian Q, Luo Y, Song X, Lin S, Chen H, Liang Q, Wang M, Ye G, Zhu B, Chen L, Tang YW, Wang X, Jin D. Comparative Whole Genome Sequence Analysis and Biological Features of Clostridioides difficile Sequence Type 2 ‡. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:651520. [PMID: 34290677 PMCID: PMC8287029 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.651520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile sequence type 2 (ST2) has been increasingly recognized as one of the major genotypes in China, while the genomic characteristics and biological phenotypes of Chinese ST2 strains remain to be determined. We used whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to investigate the genomic features of 182 ST2 strains, isolated between 2011 and 2017. PCR ribotyping (RT) was performed, and antibiotic resistance, toxin concentration, and sporulation capacity were measured. The core genome Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis showed that ST2 strains were distinctly segregated into two genetically diverse lineages [L1 (67.0% from Northern America) and L2], while L2 further divided into two sub-lineages, SL2a and SL2b (73.5% from China). The 36 virulence-related genes were widely distributed in ST2 genomes, but in which only 11 antibiotic resistance-associated genes were dispersedly found. Among the 25 SL2b sequenced isolates, RT014 (40.0%, n = 10) and RT020 (28.0%, n = 7) were two main genotypes with no significant difference on antibiotic resistance (χ2 = 0.024-2.667, P > 0.05). A non-synonymous amino acid substitution was found in tcdB (Y1975D) which was specific to SL2b. Although there was no significant difference in sporulation capacity between the two lineages, the average toxin B concentration (5.11 ± 3.20 ng/μL) in SL2b was significantly lower in comparison to those in L1 (10.49 ± 15.82 ng/μL) and SL2a (13.92 ± 2.39 ng/μL) (χ2 = 12.30, P < 0.05). This study described the genomic characteristics of C. difficile ST2, with many virulence loci and few antibiotic resistance elements. The Chinese ST2 strains with the mutation in codon 1975 of the tcdB gene clustering in SL2b circulating in China express low toxin B, which may be associated with mild or moderate C. difficile infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingxing Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiao Bian
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yun Luo
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiaojun Song
- Centre of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shan Lin
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Microorganism Technology and Bioinformatics Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.,NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing and Risk Warning of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qian Liang
- Key Laboratory of Microorganism Technology and Bioinformatics Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.,NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing and Risk Warning of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meixia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Microorganism Technology and Bioinformatics Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.,NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing and Risk Warning of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guangyong Ye
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, Untied States.,Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ, Untied States
| | - Yi-Wei Tang
- Cepheid, Danaher Diagnostic Platform, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianjun Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dazhi Jin
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.,Centre of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
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12
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Pal R, Dai M, Seleem MN. High-throughput screening identifies a novel natural product-inspired scaffold capable of inhibiting Clostridioides difficile in vitro. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10913. [PMID: 34035338 PMCID: PMC8149678 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90314-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is an enteric pathogen responsible for causing debilitating diarrhea, mostly in hospitalized patients. The bacterium exploits on microbial dysbiosis induced by the use of antibiotics to establish infection that ranges from mild watery diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis. The increased prevalence of the disease accompanied by exacerbated comorbidity and the paucity of anticlostridial drugs that can tackle recurrence entails novel therapeutic options. Here, we report new lead molecules with potent anticlostridial activity from the AnalytiCon NATx library featuring natural product-inspired or natural product-derived small molecules. A high-throughput whole-cell-based screening of 5000 synthetic compounds from the AnalytiCon NATx library helped us identify 10 compounds capable of inhibiting the pathogen. Out of these 10 hits, we found 3 compounds with potent activity against C. difficile (MIC = 0.5-2 μg/ml). Interestingly, these compounds had minimal to no effect on the indigenous intestinal microbial species tested, unlike the standard-of-care antibiotics vancomycin and fidaxomicin. Further in vitro investigation revealed that the compounds were nontoxic to Caco-2 cell line. Given their potent anticlostridial activity, natural product-inspired scaffolds may suggest potential avenues that can address the unmet needs in preventing C. difficile mediated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rusha Pal
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Mingji Dai
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
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13
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Leslie JL, Jenior ML, Vendrov KC, Standke AK, Barron MR, O'Brien TJ, Unverdorben L, Thaprawat P, Bergin IL, Schloss PD, Young VB. Protection from Lethal Clostridioides difficile Infection via Intraspecies Competition for Cogerminant. mBio 2021; 12:e00522-21. [PMID: 33785619 PMCID: PMC8092246 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00522-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile, a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium, is the primary cause of infectious nosocomial diarrhea. Antibiotics are a major risk factor for C. difficile infection (CDI), as they disrupt the gut microbial community, enabling increased germination of spores and growth of vegetative C. difficile To date, the only single-species bacterial preparation that has demonstrated efficacy in reducing recurrent CDI in humans is nontoxigenic C. difficile Using multiple infection models, we determined that precolonization with a less virulent strain is sufficient to protect from challenge with a lethal strain of C. difficile, surprisingly even in the absence of adaptive immunity. Additionally, we showed that protection is dependent on high levels of colonization by the less virulent strain and that it is mediated by exclusion of the invading strain. Our results suggest that reduction of amino acids, specifically glycine following colonization by the first strain of C. difficile, is sufficient to decrease germination of the second strain, thereby limiting colonization by the lethal strain.IMPORTANCE Antibiotic-associated colitis is often caused by infection with the bacterium Clostridioides difficile In this study, we found that reduction of the amino acid glycine by precolonization with a less virulent strain of C. difficile is sufficient to decrease germination of a second strain. This finding demonstrates that the axis of competition for nutrients can include multiple life stages. This work is important, as it is the first to identify a possible mechanism through which precolonization with C. difficile, a current clinical therapy, provides protection from reinfection. Furthermore, our work suggests that targeting nutrients utilized by all life stages could be an improved strategy for bacterial therapeutics that aim to restore colonization resistance in the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhansi L Leslie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Matthew L Jenior
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kimberly C Vendrov
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Alexandra K Standke
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Madeline R Barron
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tricia J O'Brien
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lavinia Unverdorben
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Pariyamon Thaprawat
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ingrid L Bergin
- The Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Patrick D Schloss
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Vincent B Young
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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14
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Badilla-Lobo A, Rodríguez C. Microbiological features, epidemiology, and clinical presentation of Clostridioidesdifficile strains from MLST Clade 2: A narrative review. Anaerobe 2021; 69:102355. [PMID: 33711422 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2021.102355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is an emerging One Health pathogen and a common etiologic agent of diarrhea, both in healthcare settings and the community. This bacterial species is highly diverse, and its global population has been classified in eight clades by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The C. difficile MLST Clade 2 includes the NAP1/RT027/ST01 strain, which is highly recognized due to its epidemicity and association with severe disease presentation and mortality. By contrast, the remaining 83 sequence types (STs) that compose this clade have received much less attention. In response to this shortcoming, we reviewed articles published in English between 1999 and 2020 and collected information for 27 Clade 2 STs, with an emphasis on STs 01, 67, 41 and 188/231/365. Our analysis provides evidence of large phenotypic differences that preclude support of the rather widespread notion that ST01 and Clade 2 strains are "hypervirulent". Moreover, it revealed a profound lack of (meta)data for nearly 70% of the Clade 2 STs that have been identified in surveillance efforts. Targeted studies aiming to relate wet-lab and bioinformatics results to patient and clinical parameters should be performed to gain a more in-depth insight into the biology of this intriguing group of C. difficile isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Badilla-Lobo
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, and Master's Program in Microbiology, Parasitology, Clinical Chemistry and Immunology, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
| | - César Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, and Master's Program in Microbiology, Parasitology, Clinical Chemistry and Immunology, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
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15
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Bajinka O, Darboe A, Tan Y, Abdelhalim KA, Cham LB. Gut microbiota and the human gut physiological changes. ANN MICROBIOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1186/s13213-020-01608-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The human gut can be colonized by number of microorganisms. The most studied are bacteria, which changes from birth to newborn born into adult-like gut microbiota. Much is known about the effects of dietary, medications, and lifestyles on the bacterial composition. However, the host physiological changes influencing the gut microbiota, the immediate consequences, and the possible gut microbiota therapy are not studied at length. This review is based profoundly on animal model studies through experimentation and some human clinical trials for the past 20 years.
Forward
The physiological factors studied to influences gut microbiota are bacterial mucosal receptors, mucin glycosylation, mucus, epithelial microvilli, and tight junction. Host secretions and immune response such as immunity, secretory A (sIgA), inflammasome, innate immunity, immune response, glycans, bile acids, peristalsis, microRNA, and adhesion to intestinal glycans are as well found to confer variety of alterations on gut microbial flora.
Conclusion
Despite the resilience of the gut microbiota in response to changes, chain of events causes the imbalance microbiota. Increased pro-inflammatory potential with the help of cell barriers, host secretions, and immune response mediate gut recovery.
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16
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Speri E, Janardhanan J, Masitas C, Schroeder VA, Lastochkin E, Wolter WR, Fisher JF, Mobashery S, Chang M. Discovery of a Potent Picolinamide Antibacterial Active against Clostridioides difficile. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:2362-2368. [PMID: 32786277 PMCID: PMC7716698 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge for chemotherapy of bacterial infections is perturbation of the intestinal microbiota. Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive bacterium of the gut that can thrive under this circumstance. Its production of dormant and antibiotic-impervious spores results in chronic disruption of normal gut flora and debilitating diarrhea and intestinal infection. C. difficile is responsible for 12,800 deaths per year in the United States. Here, we report the discovery of 2-(4-(3-(trifluoromethoxy)phenoxy)picolinamido)benzo[d]oxazole-5-carboxylate as an antibacterial with potent and selective activity against C. difficile. Its MIC50 and MIC90 (the concentration required to inhibit the growth of 50% and 90% of all the tested strains, respectively) values, documented across 101 strains of C. difficile, are 0.12 and 0.25 μg/mL, respectively. The compound targets cell wall biosynthesis, as assessed by macromolecular biosynthesis assays and by scanning electron microscopy. Animals infected with a lethal dose of C. difficile and treated with compound 1 had a similar survival compared to treatment with vancomycin, which is the frontline antibiotic used for C. difficile infection.
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17
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Korbmacher M, Fischer S, Landenberger M, Papatheodorou P, Aktories K, Barth H. Human α-Defensin-5 Efficiently Neutralizes Clostridioides difficile Toxins TcdA, TcdB, and CDT. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1204. [PMID: 32903430 PMCID: PMC7435013 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections with the pathogenic bacterium Clostridioides (C.) difficile are coming more into focus, in particular in hospitalized patients after antibiotic treatment. C. difficile produces the exotoxins TcdA and TcdB. Since some years, hypervirulent strains are described, which produce in addition the binary actin ADP-ribosylating toxin CDT. These strains are associated with more severe clinical presentations and increased morbidity and frequency. Once in the cytosol of their target cells, the catalytic domains of TcdA and TcdB glucosylate and thereby inactivate small Rho-GTPases whereas the enzyme subunit of CDT ADP-ribosylates G-actin. Thus, enzymatic activity of the toxins leads to destruction of the cytoskeleton and breakdown of the epidermal gut barrier integrity. This causes clinical symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis. Therefore, pharmacological inhibition of the secreted toxins is of peculiar medical interest. Here, we investigated the neutralizing effect of the human antimicrobial peptide α-defensin-5 toward TcdA, TcdB, and CDT in human cells. The toxin-neutralizing effects of α-defensin-5 toward TcdA, TcdB, and CDT as well as their medically relevant combination were demonstrated by analyzing toxins-induced changes in cell morphology, intracellular substrate modification, and decrease of trans-epithelial electrical resistance. For TcdA, the underlying mode of inhibition is most likely based on the formation of inactive toxin-defensin-aggregates whereas for CDT, the binding- and transport-component might be influenced. The application of α-defensin-5 delayed intoxication of cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Due to its effect on the toxins, α-defensin-5 should be considered as a candidate to treat severe C. difficile-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Korbmacher
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stephan Fischer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Marc Landenberger
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Aktories
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Holger Barth
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
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18
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Albarrak AA, Romana BS, Uraz S, Yousef MH, Juboori AA, Tahan V. Clostridium Difficile Infection in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2020; 19:929-935. [PMID: 30827274 DOI: 10.2174/1871530319666190301120558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rising incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the general population has been recognized by health care organizations worldwide. The emergence of hypervirulent strains has made CDI more challenging to understand and treat. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are at higher risk of infection, including CDI. OBJECTIVE A diagnostic approach for recurrent CDI has yet to be validated, particularly for IBD patients. Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for toxins A and B, as well as glutamate dehydrogenase EIA, are both rapid testing options for the identification of CDI. Without a high index of suspicion, it is challenging to initially differentiate CDI from an IBD flare based on clinical evaluation alone. METHODS Here, we provide an up-to-date review on CDI in IBD patients. When caring for an IBD patient with suspected CDI, it is appropriate to empirically treat the presumed infection while awaiting further test results. RESULTS Treatment with vancomycin or fidaxomicin, but not oral metronidazole, has been advocated by an expert review from the clinical practice update committee of the American Gastroenterology Association. Recurrent CDI is more common in IBD patients compared to non-IBD patients (32% versus 24%), thus more aggressive treatment is recommended for IBD patients along with early consideration of fecal microbiota transplant. CONCLUSION Although the use of infliximab during CDI has been debated, clinical experience exists supporting its use in an IBD flare, even with active CDI when needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulmajeed A Albarrak
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States
| | - Bhupinder S Romana
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States
| | - Suleyman Uraz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States
| | - Mohamad H Yousef
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States
| | - Alhareth A Juboori
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States
| | - Veysel Tahan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States
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19
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Fischer S, Ückert AK, Landenberger M, Papatheodorou P, Hoffmann-Richter C, Mittler AK, Ziener U, Hägele M, Schwan C, Müller M, Kleger A, Benz R, Popoff MR, Aktories K, Barth H. Human peptide α-defensin-1 interferes with Clostridioides difficile toxins TcdA, TcdB, and CDT. FASEB J 2020; 34:6244-6261. [PMID: 32190927 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902816r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The human pathogenic bacterium Clostridioides difficile produces two exotoxins TcdA and TcdB, which inactivate Rho GTPases thereby causing C. difficile-associated diseases (CDAD) including life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis. Hypervirulent strains produce additionally the binary actin ADP-ribosylating toxin CDT. These strains are hallmarked by more severe forms of CDAD and increased frequency and severity. Once in the cytosol, the toxins act as enzymes resulting in the typical clinical symptoms. Therefore, targeting and inactivation of the released toxins are of peculiar interest. Prompted by earlier findings that human α-defensin-1 neutralizes TcdB, we investigated the effects of the defensin on all three C. difficile toxins. Inhibition of TcdA, TcdB, and CDT was demonstrated by analyzing toxin-induced changes in cell morphology, substrate modification, and decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance. Application of α-defensin-1 protected cells and human intestinal organoids from the cytotoxic effects of TcdA, TcdB, CDT, and their combination which is attributed to a direct interaction between the toxins and α-defensin-1. In mice, the application of α-defensin-1 reduced the TcdA-induced damage of intestinal loops in vivo. In conclusion, human α-defensin-1 is a specific and potent inhibitor of the C. difficile toxins and a promising agent to develop novel therapeutic options against C. difficile infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Fischer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anna-Katharina Ückert
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Marc Landenberger
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Ann-Katrin Mittler
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ulrich Ziener
- Institute of Organic Chemistry III, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Marlen Hägele
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Carsten Schwan
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Müller
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Kleger
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Roland Benz
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Michel R Popoff
- Department of Anaerobic Bacteria, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France
| | - Klaus Aktories
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Holger Barth
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
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20
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Kong KY, Kwong TNY, Chan H, Wong K, Wong SSY, Chaparala AP, Chan RCY, Zhang L, Sung JJY, Yu J, Hawkey PM, Ip M, Wu WKK, Wong SH. Biological characteristics associated with virulence in Clostridioides difficile ribotype 002 in Hong Kong. Emerg Microbes Infect 2020; 9:631-638. [PMID: 32183606 PMCID: PMC7144233 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1739564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a common cause of nosocomial diarrhea and can sometimes lead to pseudo-membranous colitis and toxic megacolon. We previously reported that the PCR ribotype 002 was a common C. difficile ribotype in Hong Kong that was associated with increased mortality. In this study, we assessed in vitro bacteriological characteristics and in vivo virulence of ribotype 002 compared to other common ribotypes, including ribotypes 012, 014 and 046. We observed significantly higher toxin A (p < 0.05) and toxin B (p < 0.05) production, sporulation (p < 0.001) and germination rates (p < 0.0001) in ribotype 002 than other common ribotypes. In a murine model of C. difficile infection, ribotype 002 caused significantly more weight loss (p < 0.001) and histological damage (p < 0.001) than other common ribotypes. These findings may have contributed to the higher prevalence and mortality observed, and provided mechanistic insights that can help public surveillance and develop novel therapeutics to combat against this infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Yi Kong
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Thomas N. Y. Kwong
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Hung Chan
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Kristine Wong
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Samuel S. Y. Wong
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Anu P. Chaparala
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Raphael C. Y. Chan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Joseph J. Y. Sung
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Peter M. Hawkey
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Margaret Ip
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - William K. K. Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sunny H. Wong
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
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21
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Performance Evaluation of the Luminex Aries C. difficile Assay in Comparison to Two Other Molecular Assays within a Multihospital Health Care Center. J Clin Microbiol 2019; 57:JCM.01092-19. [PMID: 31413082 PMCID: PMC6813007 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01092-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remain a serious issue in the United States. Fast and accurate diagnosis of CDI is paramount to achieve immediate infection control initiation, triaging, and isolation, as well as appropriate antibiotic treatment. However, both, over- and underdiagnosis can lead to adverse patient outcomes, such as unnecessary administration of antibiotics or unwanted spread of spores in any hospital setting, respectively. Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remain a serious issue in the United States. Fast and accurate diagnosis of CDI is paramount to achieve immediate infection control initiation, triaging, and isolation, as well as appropriate antibiotic treatment. However, both, over- and underdiagnosis can lead to adverse patient outcomes, such as unnecessary administration of antibiotics or unwanted spread of spores in any hospital setting, respectively. In this prospective study, we evaluated the FDA-cleared Aries C. difficile assay and compared its performance and workflow characteristics to those of the BD Max Cdiff and Xpert C. difficile/Epi assays. Out of 302 samples tested, 55 (18.2%) samples were positive, and 234 (77.5%) samples were negative for C. difficile by all three testing methods. Comparison results showed a positive and negative percent agreement (PPA and NPA, respectively) between the Aries and Xpert assays of 95.2% (59/62) and 99.2% (238/240), respectively. The PPA and NPA between the Aries and BD Max assays were 91.8% (56/61) and 96.6% (230/238), respectively. Invalid result rates were determined to be 2.6% for the BD Max assay, 1.0% for the Aries assay, and 0% for the Xpert assay. Hands-on time (HoT) and total turnaround time (TAT) varied considerably depending on the sample number and instrument throughput. The HoT ranged from 1.2 to 3.5 min per sample, and the TAT was 1 to 2.3 h. Overall, the results demonstrated that the Aries assay is a rapid and sensitive method for the diagnosis of CDI in clinical laboratories.
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Peng Z, Simeon R, Mitchell SB, Zhang J, Feng H, Chen Z. Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein (DARPin) Neutralizers of TcdB from Clostridium difficile Ribotype 027. mSphere 2019; 4:e00596-19. [PMID: 31578248 PMCID: PMC6796971 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00596-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea. In recent decades, the emergence of the "hypervirulent" BI/NAP1/027 strains of C. difficile significantly increased the morbidity and mortality of CDI. The pathogenesis of CDI is primarily mediated by the action of two toxins, TcdA and TcdB, with TcdB being the major virulent factor in humans. In this report, we describe the engineering of a panel of designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) that potently neutralize TcdB from the BI/NAP1/027 strains (e.g., TcdBUK1). The most effective DARPin, D16, inhibits TcdBUK1 with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 0.5 nM, which is >66-fold lower than that of the FDA-approved anti-TcdB antibody bezlotoxumab (EC50, ∼33 nM). Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) showed that D16 blocks interactions between TcdB and its receptor, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4). The dimeric DARPin U3D16, which pairs D16 with DARPin U3, a disrupter of the interaction of TcdB with Frizzled 1/2/7 receptor, exhibits 10-fold-to-20-fold-enhanced neutralization potency against TcdB from C. difficile strains VPI 10463 (laboratory strain) and M68 (CF/NAP9/017) but identical activity against TcdBUK1 relative to D16. Subsequent ELISAs revealed that TcdBUK1 did not significantly interact with Frizzled 1/2/7. Computation modeling revealed 4 key differences at the Frizzled 1/2/7 binding interface which are likely responsible for the significantly reduced binding affinity.IMPORTANCE We report the engineering and characterization of designed ankyrin proteins as potent neutralizers of TcdB toxin secreted by a hypervirulent ribotype 027 strain of Clostridium difficile We further show that although TcdB toxins from both ribotype 027 and VPI 10461 interact efficiently with TcdB receptors CSPG4 and Pvrl3, TcdB027 lacks significant ability to bind the only known physiologically relevant TcdB receptor, Frizzled 1/2/7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Peng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Rudo Simeon
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Samuel B Mitchell
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Junjie Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Hanping Feng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Zhilei Chen
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, USA
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23
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Muñoz M, Restrepo-Montoya D, Kumar N, Iraola G, Camargo M, Díaz-Arévalo D, Roa-Molina NS, Tellez MA, Herrera G, Ríos-Chaparro DI, Birchenall C, Pinilla D, Pardo-Oviedo JM, Rodríguez-Leguizamón G, Josa DF, Lawley TD, Patarroyo MA, Ramírez JD. Integrated genomic epidemiology and phenotypic profiling of Clostridium difficile across intra-hospital and community populations in Colombia. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11293. [PMID: 31383872 PMCID: PMC6683185 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47688-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile, the causal agent of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, has a complex epidemiology poorly studied in Latin America. We performed a robust genomic and phenotypic profiling of 53 C. difficile clinical isolates established from diarrheal samples from either intrahospital (IH) or community (CO) populations in central Colombia. In vitro tests were conducted to evaluate the cytopathic effect, the minimum inhibitory concentration of ten antimicrobial agents, the sporulation efficiency and the colony forming ability. Eleven different sequence types (STs) were found, the majority present individually in each sample, however in three samples two different STs were isolated. Interestingly, CO patients were infected with STs associated with hypervirulent strains (ST-1 in Clade-2). Three coexistence events (two STs simultaneously detected in the same sample) were observed always involving ST-8 from Clade-1. A total of 2,502 genes were present in 99% of the isolates with 95% of identity or more, it represents a core genome of 28.6% of the 8,735 total genes identified in the set of genomes. A high cytopathic effect was observed for the isolates positive for the two main toxins but negative for binary toxin (TcdA+/TcdB+/CDT- toxin production type), found only in Clade-1. Molecular markers conferring resistance to fluoroquinolones (cdeA and gyrA) and to sulfonamides (folP) were the most frequent in the analyzed genomes. In addition, 15 other markers were found mostly in Clade-2 isolates. These results highlight the regional differences that C. difficile isolates display, being in this case the CO isolates the ones having a greater number of accessory genes and virulence-associated factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Muñoz
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Posgrado Interfacultades Doctorado en Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Daniel Restrepo-Montoya
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
| | - Nitin Kumar
- Host-Microbiota Interactions Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Gregorio Iraola
- Microbial Genomics Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Center for Integrative Biology, Universidad Mayor, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Milena Camargo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Diana Díaz-Arévalo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia
- Faculty of Animal Sciences, Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (UDCA), Bogotá, Colombia
- Hygea group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Boyacá, Tunja, Colombia
| | - Nelly S Roa-Molina
- Centro de Investigaciones Odontológicas, Facultad de Odontología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mayra A Tellez
- Centro de Investigaciones Odontológicas, Facultad de Odontología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Giovanny Herrera
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- PhD Programme in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics/School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Dora I Ríos-Chaparro
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Claudia Birchenall
- Hospital Universitario Mayor - Méderi, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Darío Pinilla
- Hospital Universitario Mayor - Méderi, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan M Pardo-Oviedo
- Hospital Universitario Mayor - Méderi, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | | | - Trevor D Lawley
- Host-Microbiota Interactions Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Manuel A Patarroyo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
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Chen P, Lam KH, Liu Z, Mindlin FA, Chen B, Gutierrez CB, Huang L, Zhang Y, Hamza T, Feng H, Matsui T, Bowen ME, Perry K, Jin R. Structure of the full-length Clostridium difficile toxin B. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2019; 26:712-719. [PMID: 31308519 PMCID: PMC6684407 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0268-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is an opportunistic pathogen that establishes in the colon when the gut microbiota are disrupted by antibiotics or disease. C. difficile infection (CDI) is largely caused by two virulence factors, TcdA and TcdB. Here, we report a 3.87-Å-resolution crystal structure of TcdB holotoxin that captures a unique conformation of TcdB at endosomal pH. Complementary biophysical studies suggest that the C-terminal combined repetitive oligopeptides (CROPs) domain of TcdB is dynamic and can sample open and closed conformations that may facilitate modulation of TcdB activity in response to environmental and cellular cues during intoxication. Furthermore, we report three crystal structures of TcdB-antibody complexes that reveal how antibodies could specifically inhibit the activities of individual TcdB domains. Our studies provide novel insight into the structure and function of TcdB holotoxin and identify intrinsic vulnerabilities that could be exploited to develop new therapeutics and vaccines for the treatment of CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Chen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Kwok-Ho Lam
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Zheng Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Frank A Mindlin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Baohua Chen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Craig B Gutierrez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lan Huang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Yongrong Zhang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Therwa Hamza
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hanping Feng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tsutomu Matsui
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Mark E Bowen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Kay Perry
- NE-CAT and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA
| | - Rongsheng Jin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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25
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Pizarro-Guajardo M, Chamorro-Veloso N, Vidal RM, Paredes-Sabja D. New insights for vaccine development against Clostridium difficile infections. Anaerobe 2019; 58:73-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2019.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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26
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Hong S, Knight DR, Chang B, Carman RJ, Riley TV. Phenotypic characterisation of Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 251, an emerging multi-locus sequence type clade 2 strain in Australia. Anaerobe 2019; 60:102066. [PMID: 31260740 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2019.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The global emergence of epidemic Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype (RT) 027 prompted enhanced surveillance of emerging strains. Recently, there have been reports of severe C. difficile infection in Australia caused by an unusual strain of C. difficile not seen previously. Identified as PCR RT251, this strain produces toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB), as well as binary toxin (CDT), and shares a common phylogenetic lineage with RT027. In this study, C. difficile RT251 strains were sourced from various geographical locations and potential virulence factors were evaluated and compared to that of control strains, CD630, VPI10463 and R20291 invitro. C. difficile RT251 strains were motile, germinated and sporulated efficiently, despite producing significantly less TcdA and TcdB compared to all control strains. Genomic analyses revealed three multi-locus sequence types (MLSTs 188, 231 and 365) with four to five loci variants compared to RT027 (ST1) all MLST clade 2. C. difficile RT251 strains were susceptible to metronidazole, vancomycin and moxifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial to which RT027 strains are often resistant. Further studies using whole-genome sequencing are required to determine additional virulence factors that may contribute to the pathogenicity of C. difficile RT251 strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey Hong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Daniel R Knight
- Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6105, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Barbara Chang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Robert J Carman
- TechLab Inc., 2001 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24060-6359, USA
| | - Thomas V Riley
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia; Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6105, Western Australia, Australia; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, 6027, Western Australia, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia.
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27
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Knight DR, Riley TV. Genomic Delineation of Zoonotic Origins of Clostridium difficile. Front Public Health 2019; 7:164. [PMID: 31281807 PMCID: PMC6595230 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is toxin-producing antimicrobial resistant (AMR) enteropathogen historically associated with diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis in hospitalized patients. In recent years, there have been dramatic increases in the incidence and severity of C. difficile infection (CDI), and associated morbidity and mortality, in both healthcare and community settings. C. difficile is an ancient and diverse species that displays a sympatric lifestyle, establishing itself in a range of ecological niches external to the healthcare system. These sources/reservoirs include food, water, soil, and over a dozen animal species, in particular, livestock such as pigs and cattle. In a manner analogous to human infection, excessive antimicrobial exposure, particularly to cephalosporins, is driving the expansion of C. difficile in livestock populations worldwide. Subsequent spore contamination of meat, vegetables grown in soil containing animal feces, agricultural by-products such as compost and manure, and the environment in general (households, lawns, and public spaces) is contributing to a persistent community source/reservoir of C. difficile and the insidious rise of CDI in the community. The whole-genome sequencing era continues to redefine our view of this complex pathogen. The application of high-resolution microbial genomics in a One Health framework (encompassing clinical, veterinary, and environment derived datasets) is the optimal paradigm for advancing our understanding of CDI in humans and animals. This approach has begun to yield critical insights into the genetic diversity, evolution, AMR, and zoonotic potential of C. difficile. In Europe, North America, and Australia, microevolutionary analysis of the C. difficile core genome shows strains common to humans and animals (livestock or companion animals) do not form distinct populations but share a recent evolutionary history. Moreover, for C. difficile sequence type 11 and PCR ribotypes 078 and 014, major lineages of One Health importance, this approach has substantiated inter-species clonal transmission between animals and humans. These findings indicate either a zoonosis or anthroponosis. Moreover, they challenge the existing paradigm and the long-held misconception that CDI is primarily a healthcare-associated infection. In this article, evolutionary, and zoonotic aspects of CDI are discussed, including the anthropomorphic factors that contribute to the spread of C. difficile from the farm to the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Knight
- Medical, Molecular, and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Thomas V Riley
- Medical, Molecular, and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Nedlands, WA, Australia
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28
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Differential effects of Clostridium difficile toxins on ion secretion and cell integrity in human intestinal cells. Pediatr Res 2019; 85:1048-1054. [PMID: 30851723 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-019-0365-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxin A (TcdA), toxin B (TcdB), and binary toxin (CDT) produced by Clostridium difficile (CD) are thought to play a key role in inducing diarrhea. The aim of this study was to investigate the individual and combined roles of CD toxins in inducing enterotoxic and cytotoxic effect. METHODS Ion secretion and epithelial damage were evaluated in the Ussing chambers as measure of enterotoxic or cytotoxic effect, respectively, in human-derived intestinal cells. RESULTS When added to the mucosal side of Caco-2 cells, TcdB, but not TcdA, induced ion secretion and its effects increased in the presence of TcdA. CDT also induced ion secretion when added to either the mucosal or serosal compartment. Serosal addition of TcdB induced epithelial damage consistent with its cytotoxic effect. However, mucosal addition of TcdB had similar effects, but only in the presence of TcdA. CDT induced epithelial damage when added to the serosal side of cell monolayers, and this was associated with a late onset but prolonged effect. All data were replicated using human colon biopsies. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that CD, through the combined and direct activity of its three toxins, induces integrated and synergic enterotoxic and cytotoxic effects on the intestinal epithelium.
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Mileto S, Das A, Lyras D. Enterotoxic Clostridia: Clostridioides difficile Infections. Microbiol Spectr 2019; 7:10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0015-2018. [PMID: 31124432 PMCID: PMC11026080 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0015-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore forming pathogen of both humans and animals and is the most common identifiable infectious agent of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Infection can occur following the ingestion and germination of spores, often concurrently with a disruption to the gastrointestinal microbiota, with the resulting disease presenting as a spectrum, ranging from mild and self-limiting diarrhea to severe diarrhea that may progress to life-threating syndromes that include toxic megacolon and pseudomembranous colitis. Disease is induced through the activity of the C. difficile toxins TcdA and TcdB, both of which disrupt the Rho family of GTPases in host cells, causing cell rounding and death and leading to fluid loss and diarrhea. These toxins, despite their functional and structural similarity, do not contribute to disease equally. C. difficile infection (CDI) is made more complex by a high level of strain diversity and the emergence of epidemic strains, including ribotype 027-strains which induce more severe disease in patients. With the changing epidemiology of CDI, our understanding of C. difficile disease, diagnosis, and pathogenesis continues to evolve. This article provides an overview of the current diagnostic tests available for CDI, strain typing, the major toxins C. difficile produces and their mode of action, the host immune response to each toxin and during infection, animal models of disease, and the current treatment and prevention strategies for CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mileto
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 3800
| | - A Das
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 3800
| | - D Lyras
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 3800
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30
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Yong C, Lim J, Kim B, Park D, Oh S. Suppressive effect ofLactobacillus fermentumLim2 onClostridioides difficile027 toxin production. Lett Appl Microbiol 2019; 68:386-393. [DOI: 10.1111/lam.13124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C.C. Yong
- Division of Animal Science Chonnam National University Gwangju Korea
| | - J. Lim
- Division of Animal Science Chonnam National University Gwangju Korea
| | - B.‐K. Kim
- Korea Food Research Institute Jeollabuk‐do Korea
| | - D.‐J. Park
- Korea Food Research Institute Jeollabuk‐do Korea
| | - S. Oh
- Division of Animal Science Chonnam National University Gwangju Korea
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31
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Sartelli M, Di Bella S, McFarland LV, Khanna S, Furuya-Kanamori L, Abuzeid N, Abu-Zidan FM, Ansaloni L, Augustin G, Bala M, Ben-Ishay O, Biffl WL, Brecher SM, Camacho-Ortiz A, Caínzos MA, Chan S, Cherry-Bukowiec JR, Clanton J, Coccolini F, Cocuz ME, Coimbra R, Cortese F, Cui Y, Czepiel J, Demetrashvili Z, Di Carlo I, Di Saverio S, Dumitru IM, Eckmann C, Eiland EH, Forrester JD, Fraga GP, Frossard JL, Fry DE, Galeiras R, Ghnnam W, Gomes CA, Griffiths EA, Guirao X, Ahmed MH, Herzog T, Kim JI, Iqbal T, Isik A, Itani KMF, Labricciosa FM, Lee YY, Juang P, Karamarkovic A, Kim PK, Kluger Y, Leppaniemi A, Lohsiriwat V, Machain GM, Marwah S, Mazuski JE, Metan G, Moore EE, Moore FA, Ordoñez CA, Pagani L, Petrosillo N, Portela F, Rasa K, Rems M, Sakakushev BE, Segovia-Lohse H, Sganga G, Shelat VG, Spigaglia P, Tattevin P, Tranà C, Urbánek L, Ulrych J, Viale P, Baiocchi GL, Catena F. 2019 update of the WSES guidelines for management of Clostridioides ( Clostridium) difficile infection in surgical patients. World J Emerg Surg 2019; 14:8. [PMID: 30858872 PMCID: PMC6394026 DOI: 10.1186/s13017-019-0228-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last three decades, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased in incidence and severity in many countries worldwide. The increase in CDI incidence has been particularly apparent among surgical patients. Therefore, prevention of CDI and optimization of management in the surgical patient are paramount. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts from the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) updated its guidelines for management of CDI in surgical patients according to the most recent available literature. The update includes recent changes introduced in the management of this infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Sartelli
- Department of Surgery, Macerata Hospital, Via Santa Lucia 2, 62100 Macerata, Italy
| | - Stefano Di Bella
- Infectious Diseases Department, Trieste University Hospital, Trieste, Italy
| | - Lynne V. McFarland
- Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Sahil Khanna
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Luis Furuya-Kanamori
- Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Acton, ACT Australia
| | - Nadir Abuzeid
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Omdurman Islamic University, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Fikri M. Abu-Zidan
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Luca Ansaloni
- Department of General Surgery, Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, Italy
| | - Goran Augustin
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Centre Zagreb and School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Miklosh Bala
- Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Unit, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Offir Ben-Ishay
- Department of General Surgery, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Walter L. Biffl
- Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Stephen M. Brecher
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury MA and BU School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - Adrián Camacho-Ortiz
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Dr. José E. González, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Miguel A. Caínzos
- Department of Surgery, University of Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Shirley Chan
- Department of General Surgery, Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham, Kent UK
| | - Jill R. Cherry-Bukowiec
- Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Jesse Clanton
- Department of Surgery, West Virginia University Charleston Division, Charleston, WV USA
| | | | - Maria E. Cocuz
- Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University, Infectious Diseases Hospital, Brasov, Romania
| | - Raul Coimbra
- Riverside University Health System Medical Center and Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Moreno Valley, CA USA
| | | | - Yunfeng Cui
- Department of Surgery, Tianjin Nankai Hospital, Nankai Clinical School of Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jacek Czepiel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Zaza Demetrashvili
- Department of Surgery, Tbilisi State Medical University, Kipshidze Central University Hospital, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Isidoro Di Carlo
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Cannizzaro Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Salomone Di Saverio
- Department of Surgery, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Irina M. Dumitru
- Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, Ovidius University, Constanta, Romania
| | - Christian Eckmann
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, Klinikum Peine, Hospital of Medical University Hannover, Peine, Germany
| | | | | | - Gustavo P. Fraga
- Division of Trauma Surgery, Hospital de Clinicas, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Jean L. Frossard
- Service of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Geneva University Hospital, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Donald E. Fry
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL USA
- University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | - Rita Galeiras
- Critical Care Unit, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña (CHUAC), Sergas, Universidade da Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Wagih Ghnnam
- Department of Surgery Mansoura, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Carlos A. Gomes
- Surgery Department, Hospital Universitario (HU) Terezinha de Jesus da Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas e da Saude de Juiz de Fora (SUPREMA), Hospital Universitario (HU) Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | | | - Xavier Guirao
- Unit of Endocrine, Head, and Neck Surgery and Unit of Surgical Infections Support, Department of General Surgery, Parc Taulí, Hospital Universitari, Sabadell, Spain
| | - Mohamed H. Ahmed
- Department of Medicine, Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire UK
| | - Torsten Herzog
- Department of Surgery, St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jae Il Kim
- Department of Surgery, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Tariq Iqbal
- Department of Gastroenterology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Arda Isik
- General Surgery Department, Magee Womens Hospital, UPMC, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Kamal M. F. Itani
- Department of Surgery, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston University and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | | | - Yeong Y. Lee
- School of Medical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Kelantan Malaysia
| | - Paul Juang
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, St Louis College of Pharmacy, St Louis, MO USA
| | - Aleksandar Karamarkovic
- Faculty of Mediine University of Belgrade Clinic for Surgery “Nikola Spasic”, University Clinical Center “Zvezdara” Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Peter K. Kim
- Department of Surgery, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY USA
| | - Yoram Kluger
- Department of General Surgery, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ari Leppaniemi
- Abdominal Center, Helsinki University Hospital Meilahti, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Varut Lohsiriwat
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Gustavo M. Machain
- Department of Surgery, Universidad Nacional de Asuncion, Asuncion, Paraguay
| | - Sanjay Marwah
- Department of Surgery, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, India
| | - John E. Mazuski
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, USA
| | - Gokhan Metan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ernest E. Moore
- Department of Surgery, University of Colorado, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO USA
| | | | - Carlos A. Ordoñez
- Department of Surgery, Fundación Valle del Lili, Hospital Universitario del Valle, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Leonardo Pagani
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Bolzano Central Hospital, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Nicola Petrosillo
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases - INMI - Lazzaro Spallanzani IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francisco Portela
- Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Kemal Rasa
- Department of Surgery, Anadolu Medical Center, Kocaali, Turkey
| | - Miran Rems
- Department of Abdominal and General Surgery, General Hospital Jesenice, Jesenice, Slovenia
| | | | | | - Gabriele Sganga
- Division of Emergency Surgery, Department of Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Vishal G. Shelat
- Department of Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Patrizia Spigaglia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Pierre Tattevin
- Infectious Diseases and Intensive Care Unit, Pontchaillou University Hospital, Rennes, France
| | - Cristian Tranà
- Department of Surgery, Macerata Hospital, Via Santa Lucia 2, 62100 Macerata, Italy
| | - Libor Urbánek
- First Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University Brno and University Hospital of St. Ann Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Ulrych
- First Department of Surgery, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pierluigi Viale
- Clinic of Infectious Diseases, St Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gian L. Baiocchi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Fausto Catena
- Emergency Surgery Department, Maggiore Parma Hospital, Parma, Italy
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Evaluation of protective effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 on toxicity and colonization of Clostridium difficile in human epithelial cells in vitro. Anaerobe 2018; 55:142-151. [PMID: 30576791 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2018] [Revised: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile infection is a range of toxin - mediated intestinal diseases that is often acquired in hospitals and small communities in developed countries. The main virulence factors of C. difficile are two exotoxins, toxin A and toxin B, which damage epithelial cells and manifest as colonic inflammation and mild to severe diarrhea. Inhibiting C. difficile adherence, colonization, and reducing its toxin production could substantially minimize its pathogenicity and lead to faster recovery from the disease. This study investigated the efficacy of probiotic secreted bioactive molecules from Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, in decreasing C. difficile attachment and cytotoxicity in human epithelial cells in vitro. L. acidophilus La-5 cell-free supernatant (La-5 CFS) was used to treat the hypervirulent C. difficile ribotype 027 culture with subsequent monitoring of cytotoxicity and adhesion. In addition, the effect of pretreating cell lines with La-5 CFS in protecting cells from the cytotoxicity of C. difficile culture filtrate or bacterial cell attachment was examined. La-5 CFS substantially reduced the cytotoxicity and cytopathic effect of C. difficile culture filtrate on HT-29 and Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, La-5 CFS significantly reduced attachment of the C. difficile bacterial cells on both cell lines. It was also found that pretreatment of cell lines with La-5 CFS effectively protected cell lines from cytotoxicity and adherence of C. difficile. Our study suggests that La-5 CFS could potentially be used to prevent and cure C. difficile infection and relapses.
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Increased sporulation underpins adaptation of Clostridium difficile strain 630 to a biologically-relevant faecal environment, with implications for pathogenicity. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16691. [PMID: 30420658 PMCID: PMC6232153 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35050-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile virulence is driven primarily by the processes of toxinogenesis and sporulation, however many in vitro experimental systems for studying C. difficile physiology have arguably limited relevance to the human colonic environment. We therefore created a more physiologically–relevant model of the colonic milieu to study gut pathogen biology, incorporating human faecal water (FW) into growth media and assessing the physiological effects of this on C. difficile strain 630. We identified a novel set of C. difficile–derived metabolites in culture supernatants, including hexanoyl– and pentanoyl–amino acid derivatives by LC-MSn. Growth of C. difficile strain 630 in FW media resulted in increased cell length without altering growth rate and RNA sequencing identified 889 transcripts as differentially expressed (p < 0.001). Significantly, up to 300–fold increases in the expression of sporulation–associated genes were observed in FW media–grown cells, along with reductions in motility and toxin genes’ expression. Moreover, the expression of classical stress–response genes did not change, showing that C. difficile is well–adapted to this faecal milieu. Using our novel approach we have shown that interaction with FW causes fundamental changes in C. difficile biology that will lead to increased disease transmissibility.
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Ransom EM, Kaus GM, Tran PM, Ellermeier CD, Weiss DS. Multiple factors contribute to bimodal toxin gene expression in Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:533-549. [PMID: 30125399 PMCID: PMC6446242 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile produces two major toxins, TcdA and TcdB, upon entry into stationary phase. Transcription of tcdA and tcdB requires the specialized sigma factor, σTcdR , which also directs RNA Polymerase to transcribe tcdR itself. We fused a gene for a red fluorescent protein to the tcdA promoter to study toxin gene expression at the level of individual C. difficile cells. Surprisingly, only a subset of cells became red fluorescent upon entry into stationary phase. Breaking the positive feedback loop that controls σTcdR production by engineering cells to express tcdR from a tetracycline-inducible promoter resulted in uniform fluorescence across the population. Experiments with two regulators of tcdR expression, σD and CodY, revealed neither is required for bimodal toxin gene expression. However, σD biased cells toward the Toxin-ON state, while CodY biased cells toward the Toxin-OFF state. Finally, toxin gene expression was observed in sporulating cells. We conclude that (i) toxin production is regulated by a bistable switch governed by σTcdR , which only accumulates to high enough levels to trigger toxin gene expression in a subset of cells, and (ii) toxin production and sporulation are not mutually exclusive developmental programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M. Ransom
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Gabriela M. Kaus
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Phuong M. Tran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Craig D. Ellermeier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - David S. Weiss
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
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Chen P, Tao L, Liu Z, Dong M, Jin R. Structural insight into Wnt signaling inhibition by Clostridium difficile toxin B. FEBS J 2018; 286:874-881. [PMID: 30347517 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased significantly worldwide, causing substantial morbidity and mortality. One of the major virulence factor, TcdB, manages to enter the colonic epithelia via the human frizzled proteins (FZDs), which are physiological receptors for Wnt morphogens. Binding of TcdB to FZDs inhibits Wnt signaling, which may contribute to pathogenesis of CDI. Here, we review the structural mechanism by which TcdB exploits to recognize FZDs for cell entry and inhibiting Wnt signaling, which reveals new strategies to modulate Wnt signaling for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Chen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Liang Tao
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zheng Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Min Dong
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rongsheng Jin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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Effect of natural products on the production and activity of Clostridium difficile toxins in vitro. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15735. [PMID: 30356168 PMCID: PMC6200812 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33954-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile infection is a toxin-mediated disease of the colon. C. difficile virulence is primarily attributed to the production of toxin A and toxin B; thus this study was aimed to investigate the effect of a range of natural products on the production and activity of C. difficile toxins in vitro. Twenty-two natural products were investigated against four C. difficile strains. The activity of products against toxins was determined using Vero and HT-29 cells cytotoxicity and neutral red uptake assays. The indirect effect of products on toxin-mediated cytotoxicity was determined using the same cell lines. The effect of seven products on toxin production by C. difficile was determined using ELISA. Zingerone (0.3 mg/ml) protected both cell lines from C. difficile cytopathic effects, confirmed by the neutral red uptake assay (P < 0.05). Three Leptospermum honeys (4% w/v), fresh onion bulb extract (12.5% v/v) and trans-cinnamaldehyde (0.005% v/v) all reduced toxin production and activity significantly (P ≤ 0.023). Garlic clove powder (4.7 mg/ml) only reduced toxin activity (P ≤ 0.047). Overall, several natural products had activity against C. difficile toxins in vitro encouraging further investigation against C. difficile toxins in vivo.
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Kinoshita K. [Preclinical and clinical properties of Bezlotoxumab (ZINPLAVA ® 25 mg/mL concentrate for solution for infusion), novel therapeutic agent for Clostridium difficile infection]. Nihon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2018; 152:39-50. [PMID: 29998951 DOI: 10.1254/fpj.152.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), an enterobacteria, flourishes and produces potent toxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), after the disruption of the normal colonic microbiota by antibiotic therapy. C. difficile infection (CDI) may induce life-threatening complications such as fulminant colitis through damage of the intestinal wall by the toxins, therefore the prevention of CDI recurrence is the most important in CDI treatment. Bezlotoxumab is a human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the activity of TcdB directly. The antibody inhibited cytotoxicity by TcdB derived from various ribotypes of C. difficile at a concentration (EC50) of 1/150 or less of the serum concentration (Cmax: 169 μg/mL) in CDI patients at the clinical dose. Moreover the anti-cytotoxicity effects of the antibody were also observed against 81 clinically isolated C. difficile strains (incl. 018 [smz] and 369 [trf]: Japanese prevalent ribotypes; 027: hypervirulent ribotype) obtained in Japan and western countries. The antibody prolonged survival time of hamster and rat CDI models in a dose-dependent manner. In clinical phase III studies (MODIFY I and II), the recurrence rate of CDI up to 12 weeks after administration of the bezlotoxumab group was significantly lower (P<0.0001) than the placebo group. Bezlotoxumab is the world's first drug with an indication for reduce recurrence of CDI. In Japan, bezlotoxumab was approved for marketing in September, and launched in December in 2017. Bezlotoxumab is effective for broad ribotypes of C. difficile, therefore it expects to contribute to CDI treatment through the reduce recurrence of the CDI.
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Popoff MR. Clostridium difficile and Clostridium sordellii toxins, proinflammatory versus anti-inflammatory response. Toxicon 2018; 149:54-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Probiotics for Prevention and Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1050:161-176. [PMID: 29383669 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-72799-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Probiotics have been claimed as a valuable tool to restore the balance in the intestinal microbiota following a dysbiosis caused by, among other factors, antibiotic therapy. This perturbed environment could favor the overgrowth of Clostridium difficile and, in fact, the occurrence of C. difficile-associated infections (CDI) is being increasing in recent years. In spite of the high number of probiotics able to in vitro inhibit the growth and/or toxicity of this pathogen, its application for treatment or prevention of CDI is still scarce since there are not enough well-defined clinical studies supporting efficacy. Only a few strains, such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii have been studied in more extent. The increasing knowledge about the probiotic mechanisms of action against C. difficile, some of them reviewed here, makes promising the application of these live biotherapeutic agents against CDI. Nevertheless, more effort must be paid to standardize the clinical studied conducted to evaluate probiotic products, in combination with antibiotics, in order to select the best candidate for C. difficile infections.
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Zhang Y, Li S, Yang Z, Shi L, Yu H, Salerno-Goncalves R, Saint Fleur A, Feng H. Cysteine Protease-Mediated Autocleavage of Clostridium difficile Toxins Regulates Their Proinflammatory Activity. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 5:611-625. [PMID: 29930981 PMCID: PMC6009800 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2018.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Clostridium difficile toxin A (TcdA) and C difficile toxin toxin B (TcdB), the major virulence factors of the bacterium, cause intestinal tissue damage and inflammation. Although the 2 toxins are homologous and share a similar domain structure, TcdA is generally more inflammatory whereas TcdB is more cytotoxic. The functional domain of the toxins that govern the proinflammatory activities of the 2 toxins is unknown. METHODS Here, we investigated toxin domain functions that regulate the proinflammatory activity of C difficile toxins. By using a mouse ilea loop model, human tissues, and immune cells, we examined the inflammatory responses to a series of chimeric toxins or toxin mutants deficient in specific domain functions. RESULTS Blocking autoprocessing of TcdB by mutagenesis or chemical inhibition, while reducing cytotoxicity of the toxin, significantly enhanced its proinflammatory activities in the animal model. Furthermore, a noncleavable mutant TcdB was significantly more potent than the wild-type toxin in the induction of proinflammatory cytokines in human colonic tissues and immune cells. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we identified a novel mechanism of regulating the biological activities of C difficile toxins in that cysteine protease-mediated autoprocessing regulates toxins' proinflammatory activities. Our findings provide new insight into the pathogenesis of C difficile infection and the design of therapeutics against the disease.
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Key Words
- 3D, 3-dimensional
- ACPD, CPD domain of TcdA
- Autoprocessing
- Bgt, GTD of TcdB
- Br, RBD of TcdB
- C difficile
- CDI, Clostridium difficile infection
- CPD, cysteine protease domain
- Cysteine Protease
- GT, glucosyltransferase
- GTD, glucosyltransferase domain
- IL, interleukin
- Inflammation
- InsP6, inositol hexakisphosphate
- MPO, myeloperoxidase
- PBMC, peripheral blood mononuclear cell
- PBS, phosphate-buffered saline
- PCR, polymerase chain reaction
- RBD, receptor binding domain
- TER, transepithelial electrical resistance
- TcdA, Clostridium difficile toxin A
- TcdB, Clostridium difficile toxin B
- Toxins
- aTcdA, GTD deficient TcdA
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrong Zhang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Zhiyong Yang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lianfa Shi
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hua Yu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rosangela Salerno-Goncalves
- Department of Pediatrics and Center for Vaccine Development, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ashley Saint Fleur
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hanping Feng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Hanping Feng, PhD, 650 W Baltimore Street, Room 7211, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. fax: (410) 706-6511.
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Cejas D, Ríos Osorio NR, Quirós R, Sadorin R, Berger MA, Gutkind G, Fernández Canigia L, Radice M. Detection and molecular characterization of Clostridium difficile ST 1 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Anaerobe 2018; 49:14-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Muñoz M, Ríos-Chaparro DI, Herrera G, Soto-De Leon SC, Birchenall C, Pinilla D, Pardo-Oviedo JM, Josa DF, Patarroyo MA, Ramírez JD. New Insights into Clostridium difficile (CD) Infection in Latin America: Novel Description of Toxigenic Profiles of Diarrhea-Associated to CD in Bogotá, Colombia. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:74. [PMID: 29441053 PMCID: PMC5797639 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile (CD) produces antibiotic associated diarrhea and leads to a broad range of diseases. The source of CD infection (CDI) acquisition and toxigenic profile are factors determining the impact of CD. This study aimed at detecting healthcare facility onset- (HCFO) and community-onset (CO) CDI and describing their toxigenic profiles in Bogotá, Colombia. A total of 217 fecal samples from patients suffering diarrhea were simultaneously submitted to two CDI detection strategies: (i) in vitro culture using selective chromogenic medium (SCM; chromID, bioMérieux), followed verification by colony screening (VCS), and (ii) molecular detection targeting constitutive genes, using two conventional PCR tests (conv.PCR) (conv.16S y conv.gdh) and a quantitative test (qPCR.16s). The CD toxigenic profile identified by any molecular test was described using 6 tests independently for describing PaLoc and CdtLoc organization. High overall CDI frequencies were found by both SCM (52.1%) and conv.PCR (45.6% for conv.16S and 42.4% for conv.gdh), compared to reductions of up to half the frequency by VCS (27.2%) or qPCR.16S (22.6%). Infection frequencies were higher for SCM and conv.16S regarding HCFO but greater for CO concerning conv.gdh, such differences being statistically significant. Heterogeneous toxigenic profiles were found, including amplification with lok1/3 primers simultaneously with other PaLoc markers (tcdA, tcdB or tcdC). These findings correspond the first report regarding the differential detection of CDI using in vitro culture and molecular detection tests in Colombia, the circulation of CD having heterogeneous toxigenic profiles and molecular arrays which could affect the impact of CDI epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Muñoz
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Programa de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Bogotá, Colombia.,Posgrado Interfacultades Doctorado en Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Dora I Ríos-Chaparro
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Programa de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Giovanny Herrera
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Programa de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Sara C Soto-De Leon
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Darío Pinilla
- Hospital Universitario Mayor-Méderi, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | | | - Manuel A Patarroyo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.,Universidad del Rosario, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan D Ramírez
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Programa de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Bogotá, Colombia
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Nagy E. What do we know about the diagnostics, treatment and epidemiology of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection in Europe? J Infect Chemother 2017; 24:164-170. [PMID: 29289484 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile, recently reclassified as Clostridioides difficile is responsible for a significant part of diarrheal diseases in the hospitals and in the community. Besides the main pathogenic factors, toxin A, toxin B and the binary toxin, several other putative virulence factors have been investigated. This manuscript summarize recent findings in Europe concerning source of infection, epidemiology of CDI, the changing pattern of PCR ribotypes of C. difficile strains in different European countries, recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Nagy
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
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45
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Larabee JL, Hauck GD, Ballard JD. Cell-penetrating peptides derived from Clostridium difficile TcdB2 and a related large clostridial toxin. J Biol Chem 2017; 293:1810-1819. [PMID: 29247010 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.815373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile TcdB (2366 amino acid residues) is an intracellular bacterial toxin that binds to cells and enters the cytosol where it glucosylates small GTPases. In the current study, we examined a putative cell entry region of TcdB (amino acid residues 1753-1851) for short sequences that function as cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). To screen for TcdB-derived CPPs, a panel of synthetic peptides was tested for the ability to enhance transferrin (Tf) association with cells. Four candidate CPPs were discovered, and further study on one peptide (PepB2) pinpointed an asparagine residue necessary for CPP activity. PepB2 mediated the cell entry of a wide variety of molecules including dextran, streptavidin, microspheres, and lentivirus particles. Of note, this uptake was dramatically reduced in the presence of the Na+/H+ exchange blocker and micropinocytosis inhibitor amiloride, suggesting that PepB2 invokes macropinocytosis. Moreover, we found that PepB2 had more efficient cell-penetrating activity than several other well-known CPPs (TAT, penetratin, Pep-1, and TP10). Finally, Tf assay-based screening of peptides derived from two other large clostridial toxins, TcdA and TcsL, uncovered two new TcdA-derived CPPs. In conclusion, we have identified six CPPs from large clostridial toxins and have demonstrated the ability of PepB2 to promote cell association and entry of several molecules through a putative fluid-phase macropinocytotic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason L Larabee
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
| | - Garrett D Hauck
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
| | - Jimmy D Ballard
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
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Zhang Y, Yang Z, Gao S, Hamza T, Yfantis HG, Lipsky M, Feng H. The role of purified Clostridium difficile glucosylating toxins in disease pathogenesis utilizing a murine cecum injection model. Anaerobe 2017; 48:249-256. [PMID: 29031928 PMCID: PMC5792825 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Most pathogenic Clostridium difficile produce two major exotoxins TcdA and TcdB, in the absence of which the bacterium is non-pathogenic. While it is important to investigate the role of each toxin in the pathogenesis of C. difficile infection (CDI) using isogenic strains, it is impossible to precisely control the expression levels of individual toxins and exclude bacterial factors that may contribute to the toxins' effects during infection. In this study, we utilized an acute intestinal disease model by injecting purified toxins directly into mouse cecum after a midline laparotomy. We evaluated the physical condition of mice by clinical score and survival, and the intestinal tissue damage and inflammation by histology. Depending on the dose of the toxins, mice developed mild to severe colitis, experienced diarrhea or rapidly died. We found that both purified TcdA and TcdB were able to induce clinical disease, intestinal inflammation, and tissue damage that resembled CDI. TcdA was significantly faster in inducing intestinal inflammation and tissue damage, and was approximately five times more potent than TcdB in terms of inducing severe gut disease and death outcomes in mice. Moreover, we found that the two toxins had significant synergistic effects on disease induction. Comparison of the in vivo toxicity of TcdB from clinical strains revealed that TcdB from an epidemic RT 027 strain was more toxic than the others. Our study thus demonstrates that both TcdA and TcdB, independent of other factors from C. difficile bacterium, are able to cause disease that resembles CDI and highlights the importance of targeting both toxins for vaccines and therapeutics against the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrong Zhang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zhiyong Yang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Si Gao
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Therwa Hamza
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Harris G Yfantis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, VAMHCS, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Lipsky
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hanping Feng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Muñoz M, Camargo M, Ríos-Chaparro DI, Gómez P, Patarroyo MA, Ramírez JD. Community-acquired infection with hypervirulent Clostridium difficile isolates that carry different toxin and antibiotic resistance loci: a case report. Gut Pathog 2017; 9:63. [PMID: 29151897 PMCID: PMC5680771 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-017-0212-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) leads to the onset of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and a wide range of gastrointestinal pathologies. Currently, CDI is one of the most important opportunistic infections at the intrahospital level and an exponential increase in community-acquired infections has been reported. Herein, we evaluated the relationships (at phylogenetic and genetic population structure levels), as well as the molecular toxigenic and antibiotic resistance profiles of a set of isolates established from a case of community acquired-CDI. Case presentation A 30-year-old woman with no history of hospitalization who was exposed to antibiotics (ampicillin/sulbactam and metronidazole) after a cat-bite wound was presented. The patient had a continuous episode of diarrhea; a stool sample was then collected and community acquired-CDI was confirmed by molecular tests and in vitro culture. Seven isolates were established and subsequently subjected to: (i) Multilocus sequence typing, all isolates belonging to ST-1 (associated with hypervirulent strain (027/BI/NAP1); (ii) description of their toxigenic profile: two of the isolates (Gcol.49 and Gcol.91) were positive for the genes coding for the major toxins (tcdA and tcdB) and their negative regulator (tcdC). All isolates were positive for the cdtB gene encoding one of the binary toxin subunits, while only two (Gcol.51 and Gcol.52) were positive for cdtA; and (iii) identification of antibiotic resistance molecular markers, where there was no difference in gyrA or gyrB gene polymorphisms (related to quinolone resistance), but rather at loci presence/absence, being just one isolate negative, whereas the others showed a differential presence of the tet, ermB and Tn916 regions. The former was associated with resistance to tetracycline and the other two for erythromycin/clindamycin. Conclusions This case represents the first report of community acquired-CDI in Colombia associated with hypervirulent strains and shows that isolates obtained from a single patient can carry different toxin and antibiotic resistance loci. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13099-017-0212-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Muñoz
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Programa de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Bogotá, Colombia.,Posgrado Interfacultades Doctorado en Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Milena Camargo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Dora Inés Ríos-Chaparro
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Programa de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Paula Gómez
- Universidad del Rosario, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.,Universidad del Rosario, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Programa de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Bogotá, Colombia
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Gleaning Insights from Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and Probiotic Studies for the Rational Design of Combination Microbial Therapies. Clin Microbiol Rev 2017; 30:191-231. [PMID: 27856521 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00049-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Beneficial microorganisms hold promise for the treatment of numerous gastrointestinal diseases. The transfer of whole microbiota via fecal transplantation has already been shown to ameliorate the severity of diseases such as Clostridium difficile infection, inflammatory bowel disease, and others. However, the exact mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplant efficacy and the particular strains conferring this benefit are still unclear. Rationally designed combinations of microbial preparations may enable more efficient and effective treatment approaches tailored to particular diseases. Here we use an infectious disease, C. difficile infection, and an inflammatory disorder, the inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis, as examples to facilitate the discussion of how microbial therapy might be rationally designed for specific gastrointestinal diseases. Fecal microbiota transplantation has already shown some efficacy in the treatment of both these disorders; detailed comparisons of studies evaluating commensal and probiotic organisms in the context of these disparate gastrointestinal diseases may shed light on potential protective mechanisms and elucidate how future microbial therapies can be tailored to particular diseases.
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49
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Prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection and colonization in a tertiary hospital and elderly community of North-Eastern Peninsular Malaysia. Epidemiol Infect 2017; 145:3012-3019. [PMID: 28891459 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268817002011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Asia. The aims of our study were to explore (i) the prevalence, risk factors and molecular epidemiology of CDI and colonization in a tertiary academic hospital in North-Eastern Peninsular Malaysia; (ii) the rate of carriage of C. difficile among the elderly in the region; (iii) the awareness level of this infection among the hospital staffs and students. For stool samples collected from hospital inpatients with diarrhea (n = 76) and healthy community members (n = 138), C. difficile antigen and toxins were tested by enzyme immunoassay. Stool samples were subsequently analyzed by culture and molecular detection of toxin genes, and PCR ribotyping of isolates. To examine awareness among hospital staff and students, participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. For the hospital and community studies, the prevalence of non-toxigenic C. difficile colonization was 16% and 2%, respectively. The prevalence of CDI among hospital inpatients with diarrhea was 13%. Out of 22 C. difficile strains from hospital inpatients, the toxigenic ribotypes 043 and 017 were most common (both 14%). In univariate analysis, C. difficile colonization in hospital inpatients was significantly associated with greater duration of hospitalization and use of penicillin (both P < 0·05). Absence of these factors was a possible reason for low colonization in the community. Only 3% of 154 respondents answered all questions correctly in the awareness survey. C. difficile colonization is prevalent in a Malaysian hospital setting but not in the elderly community with little or no contact with hospitals. Awareness of CDI is alarmingly poor.
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Weiss GA, Hennet T. Mechanisms and consequences of intestinal dysbiosis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:2959-2977. [PMID: 28352996 PMCID: PMC11107543 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2509-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 325] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The composition of the gut microbiota is in constant flow under the influence of factors such as the diet, ingested drugs, the intestinal mucosa, the immune system, and the microbiota itself. Natural variations in the gut microbiota can deteriorate to a state of dysbiosis when stress conditions rapidly decrease microbial diversity and promote the expansion of specific bacterial taxa. The mechanisms underlying intestinal dysbiosis often remain unclear given that combinations of natural variations and stress factors mediate cascades of destabilizing events. Oxidative stress, bacteriophages induction and the secretion of bacterial toxins can trigger rapid shifts among intestinal microbial groups thereby yielding dysbiosis. A multitude of diseases including inflammatory bowel diseases but also metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes type II are associated with intestinal dysbiosis. The characterization of the changes leading to intestinal dysbiosis and the identification of the microbial taxa contributing to pathological effects are essential prerequisites to better understand the impact of the microbiota on health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Adrienne Weiss
- Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thierry Hennet
- Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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