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Pino A, Mazza T, Matthews MAH, Castellana S, Caggia C, Randazzo CL, Gelbfish GA. Antimicrobial activity of bovine lactoferrin against Gardnerella species clinical isolates. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1000822. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1000822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gardnerella species play a key role in the development and recurrence of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), a common imbalance of the vaginal microbiota. Because of the high rates of BV recurrence reported after treatment with standard of care antibiotics, as well as the emergence of antibiotic-resistant BV, the development of alternative treatment approaches is needed. Bovine lactoferrin, a well studied iron-binding glycoprotein with selective antimicrobial activity, may ameliorate vaginal dysbiosis either alone or in combination with antibiotics. The present study evaluated the antimicrobial resistance/susceptibility profile of seventy-one presumptive G. vaginalis clinical isolates to metronidazole and clindamycin. In addition, the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Metrodora Therapeutics bovine Lactoferrin (MTbLF) against the tested clinical isolates, both alone and in combination with metronidazole and clindamycin, was in depth evaluated using defined-iron culture conditions. All 71 presumptive G. vaginalis clinical isolates exhibited resistance to metronidazole, with MIC values greater than 256 μg/ml. Different susceptibility profiles were detected for clindamycin. In detail, the vast majority of the tested strains (45%), exhibiting MIC lower than 2 μg/ml, were considered sensitive; 18 strains (25%) with MIC higher or equal to 8 μg/ml, were classified as resistant, whereas the remaining 21 (30%) were classified as intermediate. MTbLF was tested in culture medium at different concentrations (32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, and 0.5 mg/ml) showing ability to inhibit the growth of the tested presumptive G. vaginalis clinical isolates, including those metronidazole-resistant, in a dose-dependent and not in a strain-dependent manner. MTbLF, at concentrations ranging from 32 to 8 mg/ml, exerted a statistically different antimicrobial activity compared with lower concentrations (4, 2, 1, and 0.5 mg/ml). A synergistic effect between MTbLF (8 and 4 mg/ml) and clindamycin was revealed for all the tested strains. When tested in the absence of other sources of iron, MTbLF did not support the growth of the tested presumptive G. vaginalis clinical isolates. Bovine lactoferrin may be a potential candidate to treat Gardnerella species infection.
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Roberts SA, Brabin L, Diallo S, Gies S, Nelson A, Stewart C, Swinkels DW, Geurts-Moespot AJ, Kazienga A, Ouedraogo S, D'Alessandro U, Tinto H, Brabin BJ. Mucosal lactoferrin response to genital tract infections is associated with iron and nutritional biomarkers in young Burkinabé women. Eur J Clin Nutr 2019; 73:1464-1472. [PMID: 31168085 PMCID: PMC6842079 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-019-0444-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The iron-binding affinity of vaginal lactoferrin (Lf) reduces iron available to genital pathogens. We describe host reproductive, nutritional, infection and iron biomarker profiles affecting vaginal Lf concentration in young nulliparous and primigravid women in Burkina Faso. SUBJECTS/METHODS Vaginal eluates from women who had participated in a randomized, controlled periconceptional iron supplementation trial were used to measure Lf using a competitive double-sandwich ELISA. For this analysis samples from both trial arms were combined and pregnant and non-pregnant cohorts compared. Following randomization Lf was measured after 18 months (end assessment) for women remaining non-pregnant, and at two antenatal visits for those becoming pregnant. Associations between log Lf levels and demographic, anthropometric, infection and iron biomarker variables were assessed using linear mixed models. RESULTS Lf samples were available for 712 non-pregnant women at end assessment and for 303 women seen at an antenatal visit. Lf concentrations of pregnant women were comparable to those of non-pregnant, sexually active women. Lf concentration increased with mid-upper-arm circumference, (P = 0.047), body mass index (P = 0.018), Trichomonas vaginalis (P < 0.001) infection, bacterial vaginosis (P < 0.001), serum C-reactive protein (P = 0.048) and microbiota community state types III/IV. Adjusted Lf concentration was positively associated with serum hepcidin (P = 0.047), serum ferritin (P = 0.018) and total body iron stores (P = 0.042). There was evidence that some women maintained persistently high or low Lf concentrations from before, and through, pregnancy. CONCLUSION Lf concentrations increased with genital infection, higher BMI, MUAC, body iron stores and hepcidin, suggesting nutritional and iron status influence homeostatic mechanisms controlling vaginal Lf responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Roberts
- Centre for Biostatistics, Division of Population Health, Health Services Research and Primary Care, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - L Brabin
- Division of Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - S Diallo
- Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (URCN/IRSS), Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - S Gies
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium and Medical Mission Institute, Würzburg, Germany
| | - A Nelson
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Northumbria, Northumberland Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - C Stewart
- Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - D W Swinkels
- Department of Laboratory Medicine (TLM 830), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Hepcidinanalysis.com., Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A J Geurts-Moespot
- Department of Laboratory Medicine (TLM 830), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A Kazienga
- Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (URCN/IRSS), Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - S Ouedraogo
- Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (URCN/IRSS), Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - U D'Alessandro
- Medical Research Council Unit (MRC), Fajara, The Gambia.,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - H Tinto
- Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (URCN/IRSS), Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - B J Brabin
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. .,Global Child Health Group, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Castro J, Jefferson KK, Cerca N. Innate immune components affect growth and virulence traits of bacterial-vaginosis-associated and non-bacterial-vaginosis-associated Gardnerella vaginalis strains similarly. Pathog Dis 2018; 76:5289865. [PMID: 30649289 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/fty089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucosal surfaces of the female reproductive tract contain a variety of antimicrobial components that provide the first line of defense against bacteria involved in the development of bacterial vaginosis (BV). Microbiological analysis of BV has shown Gardnerella vaginalis to be a prominent species in BV development. However, G. vaginalis colonization does not always lead to BV. Over the last decade, phenotypic and genotypic studies have demonstrated the existence of strain variants. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate if the major components of the vaginal immune response, specifically lysozyme, lactoferrin and β-defensin 2, differently affected virulence traits of G. vaginalis strains isolated from healthy women or from women with BV. Gardnerella vaginalis strains were first genotyped by the clade classification system and then phenotypically characterized. Our results revealed that key differences in initial adhesion existed among the isolates but that these differences could not be predicted using the clade-genotyping approach. Importantly, we found that growth, initial adhesion and biofilm formation were strongly affected by lysozymes, but at similar levels in both groups, suggesting that the response to host immune components is not a distinguishing characteristic of isolates from women with BV versus those from healthy women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Castro
- Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), Laboratory of Research in Biofilms Rosário Oliveira (LIBRO), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Kimberly K Jefferson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0678, USA
| | - Nuno Cerca
- Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), Laboratory of Research in Biofilms Rosário Oliveira (LIBRO), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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Hajishengallis G, Russell MW. Innate Humoral Defense Factors. Mucosal Immunol 2015. [PMCID: PMC7149745 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-415847-4.00015-x] [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] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although innate immunity came into the research spotlight in the late 1990s when its instructive role in the adaptive immune response was recognized, innate humoral defense factors have a much older history. The exocrine secretions of the body contain a plethora of distinct soluble factors (lysozyme, lactoferrin, peroxidases, proline-rich proteins, histatins, etc.) that protect the body from mucosal microbial pathogens. More recent studies have established that the humoral arm of innate immunity contains a heterogeneous group of pattern-recognition molecules (e.g., pentraxins, collectins, and ficolins), which perform diverse host-defense functions, such as agglutination and neutralization, opsonization, control of inflammation, and complement activation and regulation. These pattern-recognition molecules, which act as functional predecessors of antibodies (“ante-antibodies”), and the classic soluble innate defense factors form an integrated system with complementary specificity, action, and tissue distribution, and they are the subject of this chapter.
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Brabin L, Brabin BJ, Gies S. Influence of iron status on risk of maternal or neonatal infection and on neonatal mortality with an emphasis on developing countries. Nutr Rev 2013; 71:528-40. [PMID: 23865798 PMCID: PMC3721428 DOI: 10.1111/nure.12049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection is a major cause of neonatal death in developing countries. This review investigates whether host iron status affects the risk of maternal and/or neonatal infection, potentially contributing to neonatal death, and summarizes the iron acquisition mechanisms described for pathogens causing stillbirth, preterm birth, and congenital infection. In vitro evidence shows that iron availability influences the severity and chronicity of infections that cause these negative outcomes of pregnancy. In vivo evidence is lacking, as relevant studies of maternal iron supplementation have not assessed the effect of iron status on the risk of maternal and/or neonatal infection. Reducing iron-deficiency anemia among women is beneficial and should improve the iron stores of babies; moreover, there is evidence that iron status in young children predicts the risk of malaria and, possibly, the risk of invasive bacterial diseases. Caution with maternal iron supplementation is indicated in iron-replete women who may be at high risk of exposure to infection, although distinguishing between iron-replete and iron-deficient women is currently difficult in developing countries, where a point-of-care test is needed. Further research is indicated to investigate the risk of infection relative to iron status in mothers and babies in order to avoid iron intervention strategies that may result in detrimental birth outcomes in some groups of women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loretta Brabin
- Academic Unit of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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León-Sicairos N, Reyes-López M, Canizalez-Román A, Bermúdez-Cruz RM, Serrano-Luna J, Arroyo R, de la Garza M. Human hololactoferrin: endocytosis and use as an iron source by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2006; 151:3859-3871. [PMID: 16339932 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.28121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Entamoeba histolytica is an enteric protozoan that exclusively infects human beings. This parasite requires iron for its metabolic functions. Lactoferrin is a mammalian glycoprotein that chelates extracellular iron on mucosal surfaces, including the surface of the large intestine, where E. histolytica initiates infection. This work examined the interaction in vitro of E. histolytica trophozoites with human hololactoferrin (iron-saturated lactoferrin). A minimum concentration of 50 microM Fe from hololactoferrin supported growth of the amoeba. Amoebic binding sites for hololactoferrin were different from those for human apolactoferrin, holotransferrin and haemoglobin. One amoebic hololactoferrrin-binding polypeptide of 90 kDa was found, which was not observed after treatment of trophozoites with trypsin. Hololactoferrin-binding-protein levels increased in amoebas starved of iron, or grown in hololactoferrin. Internalization of hololactoferrin was inhibited by filipin. Endocytosed hololactoferrin colocalized with an anti-chick embryo caveolin mAb in amoebic vesicles, and lactoferrin was further detected in acidic vesicles; amoebic caveolin of 22 kDa was detected by Western blotting using this antibody. Cysteine proteases from amoebic extracts were able to cleave hololactoferrin. Together, these data indicate that E. histolytica trophozoites bind to hololactoferrin through specific membrane lactoferrin-binding proteins. This ferric protein might be internalized via caveolae-like microdomains, then used as an iron source, and degraded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidia León-Sicairos
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo. 14-740, México, D F 07000, Mexico
| | - Magda Reyes-López
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo. 14-740, México, D F 07000, Mexico
| | - Adrián Canizalez-Román
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo. 14-740, México, D F 07000, Mexico
| | - Rosa María Bermúdez-Cruz
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo. 14-740, México, D F 07000, Mexico
| | - Jesús Serrano-Luna
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo. 14-740, México, D F 07000, Mexico
| | - Rossana Arroyo
- Departamento de Patología Experimental, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo. 14-740, México, D F 07000, Mexico
| | - Mireya de la Garza
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo. 14-740, México, D F 07000, Mexico
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Parsons KT, Kwok WW. Linear B-cell epitopes in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome defined by cell-free synthetic peptide binding. J Neuroimmunol 2002; 126:190-5. [PMID: 12020970 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-5728(02)00063-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by autoantibodies that bind to P/Q voltage-gated calcium channels at the neuromuscular junction. Using cell-free direct peptide binding in 12 LEMS patients, we find linear B-cell epitopes that reside on the extracellular peptide linkers between the S5-S6 transmembrane peptides of Domains II and IV. A major epitope is located within the S5-S6 linker peptide of Domain IV defined by the acidic amino acid sequence EDEDSDEDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin T Parsons
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
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Abstract
It has been previously demonstrated that Gardnerella vaginalis could acquire iron from a number of different iron-containing compounds, including heme. In this study, the direct binding of heme by G. vaginalis strains was demonstrated utilizing a liquid broth heme-binding assay. Competition studies demonstrated that pretreatment of G. vaginalis cells with other iron sources such as hemoglobin, catalase, and lactoferrin did not affect heme binding. Also, heme binding was not inhibited by preincubation of G. vaginalis cells with protoporphyrin IX. Two potential heme-binding proteins with estimated molecular weights of 30 and 70 kDa were isolated using heme-agarose batch affinity chromatography.
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Affiliation(s)
- G P Jarosik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA.
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Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated that Gardnerella vaginalis can utilize catalase as a sole source of iron. In this study, the interaction between G. vaginalis cells and catalase was investigated. G. vaginalis cells were shown to bind digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled catalase using a solid phase dot blot assay. An increase in catalase binding was observed from cells grown under iron-restrictive conditions. Western blot analysis of G. vaginalis proteins resulted in the detection of a putative catalase-binding protein with an estimated molecular mass of 128 kDa. The 128-kDa catalase-binding protein was not detected from intact G. vaginalis cells treated with trypsin prior to Western blot analysis suggesting this protein may be surface-exposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- G P Jarosik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA.
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