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Liedig C, Neupane P, Lashnits E, Breitschwerdt EB, Maggi RG. Blood Supplementation Enhances Bartonella henselae Growth and Molecular Detection of Bacterial DNA in Liquid Culture. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0512622. [PMID: 37227273 PMCID: PMC10269525 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05126-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Bartonella, a member of the Alphaproteobacteria, are fastidious, Gram-negative, aerobic bacilli that comprise numerous species, subspecies, and genotypes. Bartonella henselae, with a worldwide distribution, infects cats, dogs, horses, humans, and other mammals. Diagnostically, direct detection of Bartonella henselae in patient blood specimens by culture or molecular methods is required to confirm infection with this bacterium. Enrichment blood culture combined with quantitative PCR (qPCR) or ddPCR enhances the sensitivity of direct detection. The addition of sheep blood to liquid culture media increased the Bartonella henselae DNA concentration compared to controls, additionally improving PCR direct detection sensitivity. IMPORTANCE This study aims to improve diagnostic detection of Bartonella henselae. Patient samples are combined with enriched bacterial cultures aimed at growing Bartonella henselae for the best possible chance at detection. However, current Bartonella growth methods could be improved. The DNA extraction method used by most laboratories should also be optimized. Sheep blood was added to increase the growth of Bartonella henselae and multiple DNA extraction methods were to be compared to each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chance Liedig
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, and the Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Pradeep Neupane
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Erin Lashnits
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Edward B. Breitschwerdt
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, and the Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ricardo G. Maggi
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, and the Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To explore and critically appraise the published data on the current and emerging treatment modalities for neuroretinitis. RECENT FINDINGS The optimum treatment strategy for neuroretinitis due to Bartonella henselae in immunocompetent individuals is not clear and a matter of debate. The role of systemic corticosteroids in infectious neuroretinitis and the optimum immunosuppressive regimen for use in recurrent idiopathic neuroretinitis also remains ill defined. There is no class 1 evidence to support a specific treatment strategy for neuroretinitis. For uncomplicated B. henselae-associated neuroretinitis in immunocompetent patients, initiation of antibiotic and corticosteroid therapy remains controversial. In patients with severe vision loss and/or moderate to severe systemic symptoms, a 4- to 6-week regimen of doxycycline or azithromycin with rifampin may provide some benefit. The routine use of systemic corticosteroids in infectious neuroretinitis is not recommended. Targeted antimicrobial agents should be instituted in cases of neuroretinitis due to specific infectious etiologies (e.g., syphilis, Lyme disease, tuberculosis). Azathioprine may be beneficial in cases of recurrent idiopathic neuroretinitis. There is a need for collaborative, multicenter prospective studies to provide definitive guidelines regarding the use of antibiotics and corticosteroids and to evaluate future therapies in infectious and recurrent idiopathic neuroretinitis.
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Kell DB, Pretorius E. No effects without causes: the Iron Dysregulation and Dormant Microbes hypothesis for chronic, inflammatory diseases. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1518-1557. [PMID: 29575574 PMCID: PMC6055827 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Since the successful conquest of many acute, communicable (infectious) diseases through the use of vaccines and antibiotics, the currently most prevalent diseases are chronic and progressive in nature, and are all accompanied by inflammation. These diseases include neurodegenerative (e.g. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's), vascular (e.g. atherosclerosis, pre-eclampsia, type 2 diabetes) and autoimmune (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis) diseases that may appear to have little in common. In fact they all share significant features, in particular chronic inflammation and its attendant inflammatory cytokines. Such effects do not happen without underlying and initially 'external' causes, and it is of interest to seek these causes. Taking a systems approach, we argue that these causes include (i) stress-induced iron dysregulation, and (ii) its ability to awaken dormant, non-replicating microbes with which the host has become infected. Other external causes may be dietary. Such microbes are capable of shedding small, but functionally significant amounts of highly inflammagenic molecules such as lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acid. Sequelae include significant coagulopathies, not least the recently discovered amyloidogenic clotting of blood, leading to cell death and the release of further inflammagens. The extensive evidence discussed here implies, as was found with ulcers, that almost all chronic, infectious diseases do in fact harbour a microbial component. What differs is simply the microbes and the anatomical location from and at which they exert damage. This analysis offers novel avenues for diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B. Kell
- School of ChemistryThe University of Manchester, 131 Princess StreetManchesterLancsM1 7DNU.K.
- The Manchester Institute of BiotechnologyThe University of Manchester, 131 Princess StreetManchesterLancsM1 7DNU.K.
- Department of Physiological SciencesStellenbosch University, Stellenbosch Private Bag X1Matieland7602South Africa
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiological SciencesStellenbosch University, Stellenbosch Private Bag X1Matieland7602South Africa
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Vieira-Damiani G, Ericson ME, da Silva MN, Gupta K, Soares TB, de Almeida AR, Pelegati VB, Baratti MO, Cesar CL, Cintra ML, Velho PENF. Bartonella henselae initial infection of mature human erythrocytes observed in real time using bacterial endogenous fluorescence. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 4. [PMID: 29034332 DOI: 10.4172/2329-891x.1000207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bartonella henselae is a causative agent of anemia, cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, recurrent fever, hepatitis, endocarditis, chronic lymphadenopathy, joint and neurological disorders. B. henselae are intra-erythrocytic bacteria. The goal of this study was to visualize the B. henselae invasion into enucleated human red blood cells in real time using bacterium endogenous fluorescence. We took advantage of the unique fluorescence emission spectral profile of the bacteria. We used a linear unmixing approach to separate the fluorescence emission spectra of human erythrocytes from native B. henselae when excited at 488nm. Human blood samples were inoculated with B. henselae and incubated for 60 hours. 3-D live images were captured at select intervals using multi-photon laser scanning microscopy. Uninfected blood samples were also analyzed. This study revealed bacteria entering mature erythrocytes over a 60 hour time period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gislaine Vieira-Damiani
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, State University of Campinas, Medical Sciences School, Campinas, Brazil.,Parana Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology
| | - Marna Elise Ericson
- Department of Dermatology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Marilene Neves da Silva
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, State University of Campinas, Medical Sciences School, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Kalpna Gupta
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Tânia Benetti Soares
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, State University of Campinas, Medical Sciences School, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Amanda Roberta de Almeida
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, State University of Campinas, Medical Sciences School, Campinas, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Ozello Baratti
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology (INFABIC)
| | - Carlos Lenz Cesar
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology (INFABIC)
| | - Maria Letícia Cintra
- Department of Pathology, State University of Campinas, Medical Sciences School, Campinas, Brazil
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Kell D, Potgieter M, Pretorius E. Individuality, phenotypic differentiation, dormancy and 'persistence' in culturable bacterial systems: commonalities shared by environmental, laboratory, and clinical microbiology. F1000Res 2015; 4:179. [PMID: 26629334 PMCID: PMC4642849 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.6709.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
For bacteria, replication mainly involves growth by binary fission. However, in a very great many natural environments there are examples of phenotypically dormant, non-growing cells that do not replicate immediately and that are phenotypically 'nonculturable' on media that normally admit their growth. They thereby evade detection by conventional culture-based methods. Such dormant cells may also be observed in laboratory cultures and in clinical microbiology. They are usually more tolerant to stresses such as antibiotics, and in clinical microbiology they are typically referred to as 'persisters'. Bacterial cultures necessarily share a great deal of relatedness, and inclusive fitness theory implies that there are conceptual evolutionary advantages in trading a variation in growth rate against its mean, equivalent to hedging one's bets. There is much evidence that bacteria exploit this strategy widely. We here bring together data that show the commonality of these phenomena across environmental, laboratory and clinical microbiology. Considerable evidence, using methods similar to those common in environmental microbiology, now suggests that many supposedly non-communicable, chronic and inflammatory diseases are exacerbated (if not indeed largely caused) by the presence of dormant or persistent bacteria (the ability of whose components to cause inflammation is well known). This dormancy (and resuscitation therefrom) often reflects the extent of the availability of free iron. Together, these phenomena can provide a ready explanation for the continuing inflammation common to such chronic diseases and its correlation with iron dysregulation. This implies that measures designed to assess and to inhibit or remove such organisms (or their access to iron) might be of much therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Kell
- School of Chemistry and The Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, Lancashire, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Marnie Potgieter
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa
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Kell D, Potgieter M, Pretorius E. Individuality, phenotypic differentiation, dormancy and 'persistence' in culturable bacterial systems: commonalities shared by environmental, laboratory, and clinical microbiology. F1000Res 2015; 4:179. [PMID: 26629334 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.6709.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
For bacteria, replication mainly involves growth by binary fission. However, in a very great many natural environments there are examples of phenotypically dormant, non-growing cells that do not replicate immediately and that are phenotypically 'nonculturable' on media that normally admit their growth. They thereby evade detection by conventional culture-based methods. Such dormant cells may also be observed in laboratory cultures and in clinical microbiology. They are usually more tolerant to stresses such as antibiotics, and in clinical microbiology they are typically referred to as 'persisters'. Bacterial cultures necessarily share a great deal of relatedness, and inclusive fitness theory implies that there are conceptual evolutionary advantages in trading a variation in growth rate against its mean, equivalent to hedging one's bets. There is much evidence that bacteria exploit this strategy widely. We here bring together data that show the commonality of these phenomena across environmental, laboratory and clinical microbiology. Considerable evidence, using methods similar to those common in environmental microbiology, now suggests that many supposedly non-communicable, chronic and inflammatory diseases are exacerbated (if not indeed largely caused) by the presence of dormant or persistent bacteria (the ability of whose components to cause inflammation is well known). This dormancy (and resuscitation therefrom) often reflects the extent of the availability of free iron. Together, these phenomena can provide a ready explanation for the continuing inflammation common to such chronic diseases and its correlation with iron dysregulation. This implies that measures designed to assess and to inhibit or remove such organisms (or their access to iron) might be of much therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Kell
- School of Chemistry and The Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, Lancashire, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Marnie Potgieter
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa
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Pitassi LHU, de Paiva Diniz PPV, Scorpio DG, Drummond MR, Lania BG, Barjas-Castro ML, Gilioli R, Colombo S, Sowy S, Breitschwerdt EB, Nicholson WL, Velho PENF. Bartonella spp. bacteremia in blood donors from Campinas, Brazil. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003467. [PMID: 25590435 PMCID: PMC4295888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella species are blood-borne, re-emerging organisms, capable of causing prolonged infection with diverse disease manifestations, from asymptomatic bacteremia to chronic debilitating disease and death. This pathogen can survive for over a month in stored blood. However, its prevalence among blood donors is unknown, and screening of blood supplies for this pathogen is not routinely performed. We investigated Bartonella spp. prevalence in 500 blood donors from Campinas, Brazil, based on a cross-sectional design. Blood samples were inoculated into an enrichment liquid growth medium and sub-inoculated onto blood agar. Liquid culture samples and Gram-negative isolates were tested using a genus specific ITS PCR with amplicons sequenced for species identification. Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana antibodies were assayed by indirect immunofluorescence. B. henselae was isolated from six donors (1.2%). Sixteen donors (3.2%) were Bartonella-PCR positive after culture in liquid or on solid media, with 15 donors infected with B. henselae and one donor infected with Bartonella clarridgeiae. Antibodies against B. henselae or B. quintana were found in 16% and 32% of 500 blood donors, respectively. Serology was not associated with infection, with only three of 16 Bartonella-infected subjects seropositive for B. henselae or B. quintana. Bartonella DNA was present in the bloodstream of approximately one out of 30 donors from a major blood bank in South America. Negative serology does not rule out Bartonella spp. infection in healthy subjects. Using a combination of liquid and solid cultures, PCR, and DNA sequencing, this study documents for the first time that Bartonella spp. bacteremia occurs in asymptomatic blood donors. Our findings support further evaluation of Bartonella spp. transmission which can occur through blood transfusions. Bartonella is a genus of small bacteria with worldwide distribution, transmitted by blood-sucking insects, and is capable of causing disease in humans and animals. Some of the clinical presentations of Bartonella spp., such as cat scratch disease, trench fever, and bacillary angiomatosis are well documented; however, novel presentations have been described in the last two decades, ranging from cyclic flu-like syndrome to neurologic disease and life-threatening endocarditis. Asymptomatic human infection is possible and accidental blood transmission has been reported. Bacterium isolation is very difficult because they grow slowly and require special culture media and procedures. Serology testing poorly predicts active Bartonella infection, except in infection of cardiac valves. Therefore, diagnosis is generally challenging. However, when molecular detection techniques are coupled with special culture protocols, enhanced sensitivity and specificity can be achieved. We investigated Bartonella spp. infection prevalence in a large blood donor population and confirmed bacteremia in 1.2% of the subjects. Bloodstream infection was detected with at least three different molecular methods in 3.2% of donors. These results indicate that Bartonella is a genus of importance for transfusion medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Helena Urso Pitassi
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Diana Gerardi Scorpio
- Department of Molecular & Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Marina Rovani Drummond
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Grosselli Lania
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Lourdes Barjas-Castro
- Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia (HEMOCENTRO), Department of Medicine, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rovilson Gilioli
- Laboratory of Animal Quality Control, Multidisciplinary Center of Biological Investigation (CEMIB), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia Colombo
- Department of Virology, Adolfo Lutz Institute (IAL), Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Stanley Sowy
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona California, United States of America
| | - Edward B. Breitschwerdt
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - William L. Nicholson
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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Forrestel AK, Naujokas A, Martin JN, Maurer TA, McCalmont TH, Laker-Opwonya MO, Mulyowa G, Busakhala N, Amerson EH. Bacillary angiomatosis masquerading as Kaposi's sarcoma in East Africa. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care 2014; 14:21-5. [PMID: 24718378 DOI: 10.1177/2325957414521497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is a rare manifestation of infection caused by Bartonella species, which leads to vasoproliferative lesions of skin and other organs. Bacillary angiomatosis affects individuals with advanced HIV disease or other immunocompromised individuals. In sub-Saharan Africa, despite the high prevalence of HIV infection and documentation of the causative Bartonella species in humans, mammalian hosts, and arthropod vectors, BA has only rarely been described. METHODS Three adult patients from Uganda and Kenya with deep purple dome-shaped papules or nodules of the skin underwent punch biopsies for histopathologic diagnosis. The biopsies of all 3 patients were sent to a local pathologist as well as to a dermatopathologist at the University of California, San Francisco. RESULTS All 3 patients were clinically suspected to have Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), and local pathologists had interpreted the lesions as KS in 2 of the cases and nonspecific inflammation in the third. Histologic examination by dermatopathologists in the United States revealed nodular dermal proliferations of irregular capillaries lined by spindled to epithelioid endothelial cells. The surrounding stroma contained a mixed inflammatory infiltrate with lymphocytes, eosinophils, and neutrophils. Extracellular deposits of pale amphophilic granular material were noted in the surrounding stroma. A Warthin-Starry stain highlighted clumps of bacilli, confirming the diagnosis of BA. CONCLUSIONS These 3 cases, to our knowledge, are the first reports of BA in East Africa in the biomedical literature. Each had been originally incorrectly diagnosed as KS. We speculate BA is underdiagnosed and underreported in resource-poor regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, that have high endemic rates of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Forrestel
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - A Naujokas
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J N Martin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - T A Maurer
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - T H McCalmont
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M O Laker-Opwonya
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Infectious Diseases Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - G Mulyowa
- Skin Clinic, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - N Busakhala
- Moi University School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Erin H Amerson
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Evidence of Bacteroides fragilis protection from Bartonella henselae-induced damage. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49653. [PMID: 23166739 PMCID: PMC3499472 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae is able to internalize endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are resistant to the infection of other common pathogens. Bacteroides fragilis is a gram-negative anaerobe belonging to the gut microflora. It protects from experimental colitis induced by Helicobacter hepaticus through the polysaccharide A (PSA). The aim of our study was to establish: 1) whether B. fragilis colonization could protect from B. henselae infection; if this event may have beneficial effects on EPCs, vascular system and tissues. Our in vitro results establish for the first time that B. fragilis can internalize EPCs and competes with B. henselae during coinfection. We observed a marked activation of the inflammatory response by Real-time PCR and ELISA in coinfected cells compared to B. henselae-infected cells (63 vs 23 up-regulated genes), and after EPCs infection with mutant B. fragilis ΔPSA (≅90% up-regulated genes) compared to B. fragilis. Interestingly, in a mouse model of coinfection, morphological and ultrastructural analyses by hematoxylin-eosin staining and electron microscopy on murine tissues revealed that damages induced by B. henselae can be prevented in the coinfection with B. fragilis but not with its mutant B. fragilis ΔPSA. Moreover, immunohistochemistry analysis with anti-Bartonella showed that the number of positive cells per field decreased of at least 50% in the liver (20±4 vs 50±8), aorta (5±1 vs 10±2) and spleen (25±3 vs 40±6) sections of mice coinfected compared to mice infected only with B. henselae. This decrease was less evident in the coinfection with ΔPSA strain (35±6 in the liver, 5±1 in the aorta and 30±5 in the spleen). Finally, B. fragilis colonization was also able to restore the EPC decrease observed in mice infected with B. henselae (0.65 vs 0.06 media). Thus, our data establish that B. fragilis colonization is able to prevent B. henselae damages through PSA.
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Braga MDSCDO, Diniz PPVDP, André MR, de Bortoli CP, Machado RZ. Molecular characterisation of Bartonella species in cats from São Luís, state of Maranhão, north-eastern Brazil. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2012; 107:772-7. [DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762012000600011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2011] [Accepted: 03/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Corrêa FG, Pontes CLS, Verzola RMM, Mateos JCP, Velho PENF, Schijman AG, Selistre-de-Araujo HS. Association of Bartonella spp bacteremia with Chagas cardiomyopathy, endocarditis and arrhythmias in patients from South America. Braz J Med Biol Res 2012; 45:644-51. [PMID: 22584639 PMCID: PMC3854270 DOI: 10.1590/s0100-879x2012007500082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2011] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection with Bartonella spp may cause cardiac arrhythmias, myocarditis and endocarditis in humans. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a possible association between Bartonella spp bacteremia and endocarditis, arrhythmia and Chagas cardiomyopathy in patients from Brazil and Argentina. We screened for the presence of bacterial 16S rRNA in human blood by PCR using oligonucleotides to amplify a 185-bp bacterial DNA fragment. Blood samples were taken from four groups of subjects in Brazil and Argentina: i) control patients without clinical disease, ii) patients with negative blood-culture endocarditis, iii) patients with arrhythmias, and iv) patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy. PCR products were analyzed on 1.5% agarose gel to visualize the 185-bp fragment and then sequenced to confirm the identity of DNA. Sixty of 148 patients (40.5%) with cardiac disease and 1 of 56 subjects (1.8%) from the control group presented positive PCR amplification for Bartonella spp, suggesting a positive association of the bacteria with these diseases. Separate analysis of the four groups showed that the risk of a Brazilian patient with endocarditis being infected with Bartonella was 22 times higher than in the controls. In arrhythmic patients, the prevalence of infection was 45 times higher when compared to the same controls and 40 times higher for patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of the association between Bartonella spp bacteremia and Chagas disease. The present data may be useful for epidemiological and prevention studies in Brazil and Argentina.
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Affiliation(s)
- F G Corrêa
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brasil
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12
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Drummond MR, Pitassi LHU, Lania BG, Dos Santos SRC, Gilioli R, Velho PENF. Detection of Bartonella henselae in defibrinated sheep blood used for culture media supplementation. Braz J Microbiol 2011; 42:430-2. [PMID: 24031650 PMCID: PMC3769854 DOI: 10.1590/s1517-83822011000200003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2009] [Revised: 10/06/2010] [Accepted: 01/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae was detected in defibrinated sheep blood employed in supplementing a selective bacteria culture medium by nested PCR. We recommended that highly sensitive technical tests be run to ensure a sterile culture medium for Bartonella spp. isolation, since infected blood samples used in preparation could lead to false-positive results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Rovani Drummond
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas , Campinas, SP , Brasil
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13
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Tsai KH, Huang CG, Fang CT, Shu PY, Huang JH, Wu WJ. Prevalence of Rickettsia felis and the first identification of Bartonella henselae Fizz/CAL-1 in cat fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) from Taiwan. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2011; 48:445-452. [PMID: 21485388 DOI: 10.1603/me10022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis [Bouché]) are the primary ectoparasites of dog and cat populations. In this study, we report the monthly population dynamics of Rickettsia felis and Bartonella spp. (two zoonotic pathogens that can cause human disease) in cat fleas collected from dogs and cats in Taipei, Taiwan, from December 2006 to December 2007. Natural R. felis infection in individual cat fleas was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using pRF-, ompB-, and gltA-specific primer pairs. Samples positive by PCR were confirmed with DNA sequencing. R. felis was detected in cat fleas year round, and the average infection rate was 21.4% (90 of 420) in 2007. Cat fleas also play an important role in the transmission of Bartonella between reservoirs and other mammalian hosts. In this study, we used primer pairs specific for the Bartonella gltA and rpoB genes to detect Bartonella infections. Of the 420 cat fleas tested, 38 were positive by PCR for Bartonella. Sequence similarities to Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, and Bartonella koehlerae were observed in 6.2% (26 of 420), 2.1% (9 of 420), and 0.7% (3 of 420) of the fleas, respectively. Based on the pap31 gene sequence, several amplicons of the B. henselae detected in the cat fleas could be subgrouped into three strains: Fizz/CAL-1 (n = 18), Marseille (n = 5), and Houston-1 (n = 3). These results demonstrate that cat fleas infected with R. felis are endemic to Taiwan, and highlight the role of C. felis in Bartonella transmission between reservoirs and other mammal hosts and demonstrate the genetic variability of B. henselae in Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Hsien Tsai
- Infectious Diseases Research and Education Center, Department of Health, Executive Yuan and National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the current understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis (feline infectious anemia). DATA SOURCES Manuscripts published on hemotropic mycoplasmosis in cats and other animal species, based on a search of PubMed using the search terms 'hemoplasmas,''haemoplasmas,''hemotropic,''haemotropic,' and 'Haemobartonella,' as well as references published within manuscripts accessed. HUMAN DATA SYNTHESIS Although hemotropic bacteria such as Bartonella bacilliformis have been recognized in humans for over 100 years, it has only been in recent years that some of these have been identified as hemotropic mycoplasmas. VETERINARY DATA SYNTHESIS Three species of hemotropic mycoplasmas have been documented in cats worldwide, Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis,' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum.' These organisms were previously known as Haemobartonella felis, but are now known to be mycoplasmas. M. haemofelis is the most pathogenic species, and causes anemia in immunocompetent cats. Although 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' may be more capable of causing anemia in immunosuppressed cats, their pathogenicity remains controversial. Assays based on polymerase chain reaction technology are the most sensitive and specific diagnostic tests available for these organisms, because they remain uncultivable in the laboratory setting. Blood smears are unreliable for diagnosis of hemoplasmosis because of their lack of sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS Cats presenting to emergency/critical care specialists with hemolytic anemia should be tested using polymerase chain reaction assays for hemotropic mycoplasmas before instituting antimicrobial therapy. Positive test results for M. haemofelis suggest involvement of this organism in hemolytic anemia. Other differential diagnoses for hemolytic anemia should be considered in cats testing positive for 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum,' because the presence of these organisms is not always associated with anemia. Blood from infected cats should be handled with care because of the potential zoonotic nature of this infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Sykes
- Department of Medicine & Epidemiology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
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15
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Pitassi LHU, Cintra ML, Ferreira MRM, Magalhães RF, Velho PENF. Blood cell findings resembling Bartonella spp. Ultrastruct Pathol 2010; 34:2-6. [PMID: 20070147 DOI: 10.3109/01913120903372761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Some Bartonella species are able to invade red blood cells (RBC) and may cause persistent infection in the susceptible host. Use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrates, inside erythrocytes, the typical triple-walled agents. However, when examining ultrathin sections of blood cells, the authors have, on several occasions, detected intraerythrocytic abnormalities that mimic but are not typical of Bartonella spp. Small endovesicles, pseudoinclusions, cavities, and irregular hemoglobin granules distribution, resulting in regions of increased or decreased electron density, may be observed in the erythrocytes and platelets, which may be confused with bartonellas. So far, detailed ultrastructural findings of Bartonella spp. in blood cells have not yet been described. Aiming to improve TEM interpretation of blood cells changes, in routine examination of blood sections of patients with suspected bartonellosis, the authors studied the morphological findings they have observed, and present their putative nature, according to information in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Helena Urso Pitassi
- Department of Dermatology, Medical School, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil.
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16
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Magalhães RF, Pitassi LHU, Lania BG, Barjas-Castro ML, Velho PENF. Bartonellosis as Cause of Death After Red Blood Cell Unit Transfusion. Ultrastruct Pathol 2009. [DOI: 10.3109/01913120902785567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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17
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Mogollon-Pasapera E, Otvos L, Giordano A, Cassone M. Bartonella: emerging pathogen or emerging awareness? Int J Infect Dis 2009; 13:3-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2008.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2007] [Revised: 01/26/2008] [Accepted: 04/14/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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18
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Magalhães RF, Pitassi LHU, Salvadego M, de Moraes AM, Barjas-Castro ML, Velho PENF. Bartonella henselaesurvives after the storage period of red blood cell units: is it transmissible by transfusion? Transfus Med 2008; 18:287-91. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3148.2008.00871.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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19
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Vermeulen MJ, Diederen BMW, Verbakel H, Peeters MF. Low sensitivity of Bartonella henselae PCR in serum samples of patients with cat-scratch disease lymphadenitis. J Med Microbiol 2008; 57:1049-1050. [PMID: 18628513 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.2008/001024-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marijn J Vermeulen
- VU University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bram M W Diederen
- Regional Laboratory of Public Health, Boerhaavelaan 26, 2035 RC Haarlem, The Netherlands
| | - Harold Verbakel
- Regional Laboratory of Public Health, PO Box 747, 5000 AS Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel F Peeters
- Regional Laboratory of Public Health, PO Box 747, 5000 AS Tilburg, The Netherlands
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