Lactase persistence, NOD2 status and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection associations to Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Human antibodies against Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis combined with cytokine levels for the diagnosis and selection of Crohn's disease patients for anti-mycobacterial therapy-A pilot study

Increasing evidence links a worldwide bacterial infection of cattle and other animal species by Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) to Crohn's disease (CD). A large, FDA phase 2/3 controlled clinical trial of combination antimycobacterial antibiotic therapy for CD has been completed, and the report describing the trial is pending publication. The identification of MAP infection in CD patients will become increasingly important. Thus, it is desirable to develop MAP-based tests that accurately predict which CD patients have a MAP infection. A prospective, case-control laboratory test study of 199 subjects (61 CD patients and 138 non-CD controls) was performed using a panel of MAP antigens, including Hsp65, PknG, PtpA, CL1, and MAP IDEXX, which were measured under blind conditions in the plasma of the 199 subjects. Results showed that compared to any individual MAP antigen, combinations of antigens showed improved CD classification performance. For the Hsp65 antigen, the sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), correct classification (CC), and area under the curve (AUC) were 59.02%, 58.70%, 38.71%, 76.42%, 59.3% and 0.606, respectively. For the best combination of MAP antibodies (Hsp65 and PknG), the SEN, SPE, PPV, NPV, CC, and AUC were 59.02%, 60.87%, 40.00%, 77.06%, 60.30%, and 0.631, respectively. Further improvement of the CD classification performance was achieved by combining IFN-γ, IL-8, and IL-17 cytokines with antibodies against MAP antigens, yielding SEN, SPE, PPV, NPV, CC, and AUC of 62.3%, 62.32%, 42.22%, 78.9%, 62.31% and 0.708, respectively. Thus, combinations of antibodies against MAP antigens and cytokine levels yield better CD diagnostic predictive performance than any individual antibodies against MAP antigens.

Cross talk between bacterial and human gene networks enriched using ncRNAs in IBD disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a long-term inflammatory immune-mediated gut illness with several extra-intestinal complications. The aims of this study were to identify a novel network-based meta-analysis approach on the basis of the combinations of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from microarray data, to enrich the functional modules from human protein-protein interaction (PPI) and gene ontology (GO) data, and to profile the ncRNAs on the genes involved in IBD. The gene expression profiles of GSE126124, GSE87473, GSE75214, and GSE95095 are obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database based on the study criteria between 2017 and 2022. The DEGs were screened by the R software. DEGs were then used to examine gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The ncRNAs including the miRNAs and ceRNAs were predicted on the PPIs visualized using Cytoscape. Enrichment analysis of genes with differential expression (n = 342) using KEGG and GO showed that the signaling pathways related with staphylococcus aureus and pertussis bacterial infections may stimulate the immune system and exacerbate IBD via the interaction with human proteins including Fibrinogen gamma chain (FGG), Keratin 10 (KRT10), and Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4). By building a ceRNA network, lncRNA XIST and NEAT1 were determined by affecting common miRNAs, hsa-miR-6875-5p, hsa-miR-1908-5p, hsa-miR-186-5p, hsa-miR-6763-5p, hsa-miR-4436a, and hsa-miR-520a-5p. Additionally, the chromosome regions including NM_001039703 and NM_006267, which produce the most potent circRNAs play a significant role in the ceRNA network of IBD. Also, we predicted the siRNAs that would be most effective against the bacterial genes in staphylococcus aureus and pertussis infections. These findings suggested that three genes (FGG, KRT10, and TLR4), six miRNAs (hsa-miR-6875-5p, hsa-miR-1908-5p, hsa-miR-186-5p, hsa-miR-4436a, hsa-miR-520a-5p, and hsa-miR-6763-5p), two lncRNAs (XIST and NEAT1), and chromosomal regions including NM_001039703 and NM_006267 with the production of the most effective circRNAs are involved in the ncRNA-associated ceRNA network of IBD. These ncRNA profiles are related to the described gene functions and may play therapeutic targets in controlling inflammatory bowel disease.

Dysbiosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Pathogenic Role and Potential Therapeutic Targets

Microbe-host communication is essential to maintain vital functions of a healthy host, and its disruption has been associated with several diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although individual members of the intestinal microbiota have been associated with experimental IBD, identifying microorganisms that affect disease susceptibility and phenotypes in humans remains a considerable challenge. Currently, the lack of a definition between what is healthy and what is a dysbiotic gut microbiome limits research. Nevertheless, although clear proof-of-concept of causality is still lacking, there is an increasingly evident need to understand the microbial basis of IBD at the microbial strain, genomic, epigenomic, and functional levels and in specific clinical contexts. Recent information on the role of diet and novel environmental risk factors affecting the gut microbiome has direct implications for the immune response that impacts the development of IBD. The complexity of IBD pathogenesis, involving multiple distinct elements, suggests the need for an integrative approach, likely utilizing computational modeling of molecular datasets to identify more specific therapeutic targets.

The Irish Johne's Control Programme

The Irish Johne's Control Programme (IJCP) provides a long-term approach to the voluntary control of Johne's disease (JD) in Ireland, strongly supported by Irish cattle industry leadership. It leverages the establishment of Animal Health Ireland for control of animal diseases not regulated by the European Union. The IJCP has four objectives: facilitate protection against spread of JD to uninfected farms; reduce the level of infection when present; assure markets of JD control in Ireland; and improve calf health and farm biosecurity. Key IJCP elements are an annual veterinary risk assessment and management plan (VRAMP), annual whole herd test (WHT) by ELISA on blood or milk samples with ancillary faecal PCR testing of ELISA reactors, and Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) investigations of infected herds. There are pathways for assurance of herds with continuing negative tests and for management of test-positive herds. Herdowners are responsible for on-farm activities, and specifically-trained (approved) veterinary practitioners have a pivotal role as technical advisors and service providers. The programme is supported by training of veterinarians, performance of testing in designated laboratories, documentation of policies and procedures, innovative data management for herd and test activities and for programme administration, training, and broad communication and awareness activities. Tools and systems are refined to address emerging issues and enhance the value of the programme. An Implementation Group comprising industry, government and technical leaders sets strategic direction and policy, advised by a Technical Working Group. Shared funding responsibilities are agreed by key stakeholders until 2022 to support herds in the programme to complete requirements. Herd registrations have increased steadily to exceed 1,800. National bulk tank milk surveillance is also being deployed to identify and recruit test-positive herds with the expectation that they have a relatively high proportion of seropositive animals. The programme will continue to innovate and improve to meet farmer and industry needs.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: The Role of Gut Microbiota

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic multifactorial diseases characterized by partially unclear pathogenic mechanisms including changes in intestinal microbiota. Despite the microbiota, alteration is well established in IBD patients, as reported by 16RNA sequencing analysis, an important goal is to define if it is just a consequence of the disease progression or a trigger factor of the disease itself. To date, gut microbiota composition and gut microbiota-related metabolites seem to affect the host healthy state both by modulating metabolic pathways or acting on the expression of different genes through epigenetic effects. Because of this, it has been suggested that intestinal microbiota might represent a promising therapeutic target for IBD patients. The aim of this review is to summarize both the most recent acquisitions in the field of gut microbiota and its involvement in intestinal inflammation together with the available strategies for the modulation of microbiota, such as prebiotics and/or probiotics administration or fecal microbiota transplantation.

Systematic Assessment of Mycobacterium avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis Infections from 1911-2019: A Growth Analysis of Association with Human Autoimmune Diseases

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is an understudied pathogen worldwide with continuous implications in human autoimmune diseases (ADs). The awareness of MAP appears to be low in many places and its research is at infant stage in many countries. The lack of worldwide coverage of the MAP research landscape calls for urgent research attention and prioritization. This present study aimed to assess MAP global research productivity with an emphasis on its implications in ADs via bibliometric and growth analytic frameworks from authors, countries, institutions, international, disciplines and collaboration network perspectives. MAP primary articles were retrieved from the Scopus database and the Web of Science from 1911 to 2019 via title-specific algorithm. Analytic results of dataset yielded a total of 3889 articles from 581 journals and 20.65 average citations per documents. The annual growth rate of MAP research for the period was 6.31%. Based on a country’s productivity (articles (%), freq. of publication (%)), the USA (887 (22.81%), 26.72%), and Australia (236 (6.07%), 6.07%) ranked the top 2 countries but Egypt and Germany had the highest average growth rate (AGR, 170%) in the last 3 years. MAP studies are generally limited to Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and few nations in Africa. It had positive growth rate (30%–100%) in relation to type 1 diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis ADs; food science and technology, immunology, agriculture, pathology, and research and experimental medicine, wildlife, environments, virulence, disease resistance, meat and meat products, osteopontin, waste milk and slurry/sludge digestion subjects; but negative growth (−130% to −30%) in ulcerative colitis and Parkinson’s disease and no growth in multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, thyroid disorders, psoriasis, and lupus. The mapping revealed a gross lack of collaboration networking in terms of authorship, (intra- and inter-) nationally and institutionally with a generalized collaboration index of 1.82. In conclusion, inadequate resources-, knowledge- and scientific-networking hampered growth and awareness of MAP research globally. The study recommends further research to strengthen evidence of MAP’s epidemiologic prevalence in ADs and proffer practical solution(s) for drug development and point-of-care diagnostics amongst other extended themes.

Lactose Malabsorption and Lactose Intolerance in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Background

Insufficient vitamin D and calcium intake associated with the restricted intake of milk and dairy products can lead to poor health outcomes like malnutrition and abnormal bone mineralization. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of primary and secondary lactose intolerance in children with IBD.

Methods

The study included 107 patients (mean age 14.07 ± 3.58 years; 46.7% boys) which includes 43 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), 31 with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 33 children with functional abdominal pain (AP-FGID). We analysed the result of the hydrogen breath test with lactose loading, two single nucleotide polymorphisms of the LCT gene (LCT-13910CC and LCT-22018GG). The results were analysed with MedCalc Statistical Software.

Results

Adult-type hypolactasia (ATH) was found in 31% of patients with IBD and 42.4% of AP-FGID (p = 0.2). Lactose malabsorption (LM) was found in 27.9% of patients with CD, in 22.6% with UC, and in 24.2% with AP-FGID (p = 0.8). Lactose intolerance (LI) was diagnosed in a similar percentage of patients in each group (p = 0.9). Secondary LI in IBD patients does not depend on the location, duration, and activity of the disease and the number of relapses (p > 0.05). The median time of lactose-free diet in CD was 10 months and in CU 24 months.

Conclusions

The incidence of LI, LM, and ATH does not differ among children with IBD from the population.

Models of the Gut for Analyzing the Impact of Food and Drugs

Models of the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) can be powerful tools for examining the biological interactions of food products and pharmaceuticals. This can be done under normal healthy conditions or using models of disease-many of which have no curative therapy. This report outlines the field of gastrointestinal modeling, with a particular focus on the intestine. Traditional in vivo animal models are compared to a range of in vitro models. In vitro systems are elaborated over time, recently culminating with microfluidic intestines-on-chips (IsOC) and 3D bioengineered models. Macroscale models are also reviewed for their important contribution in the microbiota studies. Lastly, it is discussed how in silico approaches may have utility in predicting and interpreting experimental data. The various advantages and limitations of the different systems are contrasted. It is posited that only through complementary use of these models will salient research questions be able to be addressed.

Alteration of Gut Microbiota in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Cause or Consequence? IBD Treatment Targeting the Gut Microbiome

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic complex inflammatory gut pathological condition, examples of which include Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), which is associated with significant morbidity. Although the etiology of IBD is unknown, gut microbiota alteration (dysbiosis) is considered a novel factor involved in the pathogenesis of IBD. The gut microbiota acts as a metabolic organ and contributes to human health by performing various physiological functions; deviation in the gut flora composition is involved in various disease pathologies, including IBD. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of gut microbiota alteration in IBD and how this contributes to intestinal inflammation, as well as explore the potential role of gut microbiota-based treatment approaches for the prevention and treatment of IBD. The current literature has clearly demonstrated a perturbation of the gut microbiota in IBD patients and mice colitis models, but a clear causal link of cause and effect has not yet been presented. In addition, gut microbiota-based therapeutic approaches have also shown good evidence of their effects in the amelioration of colitis in animal models (mice) and IBD patients, which indicates that gut flora might be a new promising therapeutic target for the treatment of IBD. However, insufficient data and confusing results from previous studies have led to a failure to define a core microbiome associated with IBD and the hidden mechanism of pathogenesis, which suggests that well-designed randomized control trials and mouse models are required for further research. In addition, a better understanding of this ecosystem will also determine the role of prebiotics and probiotics as therapeutic agents in the management of IBD.

Chronic regional intestinal inflammatory disease: A trans-species slow infection?

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in humans and paratuberculosis in domestic and wild ruminants can be defined as chronic regional intestinal inflammatory diseases (CRIID). This review is a literature overview on these diseases in humans, non-human primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, equids and ruminants with a focus on pathological and microbiological features aimed identifying common characteristics that could lead to a unified pathological classification for a better understanding of their mechanisms and causes. The result is a framework of inflammatory forms throughout the different species indicative of common mechanisms of the slow infection type characterized by a time course varying from weeks to months or even years, and where the inflammatory component would be more prominent in the intestinal interphase between host and environment and be morphologically characterized by an infiltrate ranging from lymphoplasmacytic to histiocytic. This should provide new insights for causation demonstration and therapeutic approaches in human IBD.

Diversity of intestinal bacterial lactase gene in antibiotics-induced diarrhea mice treated with Chinese herbs compound Qi Wei Bai Zhu San

The current investigation is trying to study the impact of the mixture of Chinese herbs Qi Wei Bai Zhu San (QWBZS) on bacterial lactase gene from antibiotics-induced diarrhea (AAD) mice, as the good curative effect of QWBZS on diarrhea. Mice (6 mice per group) were randomly selected as control, model and treatment groups. To induce diarrhea, mice in both model and treatment groups were intragastrically injected with mixture of gentamycin sulfate and cefradine (23.33 mL kg^-1 day^-1) twice per day and continuously for totally 5 days. After the success of establishing diarrhea model, the mice in treatment group were gavaged with QWBZS for 3 days. Intestinal contents in all three groups were then collected and DNA was extracted in aseptic environment for the following sequencing. The results showed that mice from QWBZS treatment group had obviously detectable levels of intestinal bacteria, such as Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, which produce phyla lactase specifically. In comparison with other groups, the mice in treatment group had more abundant expression of lactase gene from Acidovorax sp. KKs102, Stenotrophomonas sp. LMG11000, Pseudomonas oleovorans, Eggerthella and Burkholderia. Interestingly, the Shannon index decreased significantly after the treatment with QWBZS (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). 63.1% of lactase genes detected in the mice in treatment group were unclassified, and 32.8% of them were non-homologous to any fragments in the gene bank, which means that most of lactase-producing bacteria are novel. Our results indicate that treatment with QWBZS did not increase the diversity of bacterial lactase gene. Its curative effect on diarrhea may be relevant to its role in facilitating the growth of novel or some key lactase-producing strains.

Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Action of Cinnamon and Oregano Oils, Cinnamaldehyde, Carvacrol, 2,5-Dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and 2-Hydroxy-5-Methoxybenzaldehyde against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map)

The antimicrobial modes of action of six naturally occurring compounds, cinnamon oil, cinnamaldehyde, oregano oil, carvacrol, 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and 2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde, previously found to inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) reported to infect food animals and humans and to be present in milk, cheese, and meat, were investigated. The incubation of Map cultures in the presence of all six compounds caused phosphate ions to leak into the extracellular environment in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Cinnamon oil and cinnamaldehyde decreased the intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration of Map cells, whereas oregano oil and carvacrol caused an initial decrease of intracellular ATP concentration that was restored gradually after incubation at 37 °C for 2 h. Neither 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde nor 2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde had a significant effect on intracellular ATP concentration. None of the compounds tested were found to cause leakage of ATP to the extracellular environment. Monolayer studies involving a Langmuir trough apparatus revealed that all anti-Map compounds, especially the essential oil compounds, altered the molecular packing characteristics of phospholipid molecules of model membranes, causing fluidization. The results of the physicochemical model microbial membrane studies suggest that the destruction of the pathogenic bacteria might be associated with the disruption of the bacterial cell membrane.

Tuberculosis Detection in Paratuberculosis Vaccinated Calves: New Alternatives against Interference

Paratuberculosis vaccination in cattle has been restricted due to its possible interference with the official diagnostic methods used in tuberculosis eradication programs. To overcome this drawback, new possibilities to detect Mycobacterium bovis infected cattle in paratuberculosis vaccinated animals were studied under experimental conditions. Three groups of 5 calves each were included in the experiment: one paratuberculosis vaccinated group, one paratuberculosis vaccinated and M. bovis infected group and one M. bovis infected group. The performance of the IFN-gamma release assay (IGRA) and the skin test using conventional avian and bovine tuberculins (A- and B-PPD) but also other more specific antigens (ESAT-6/CFP10 and Rv3615c) was studied under official and new diagnostic criteria. Regarding the IGRA of vaccinated groups, when A- and B-PPD were used the sensitivity reached 100% at the first post-challenge sampling, dropping down to 40–80% in subsequent samplings. The sensitivity for the specific antigens was 80–100% and the specificity was also improved. After adapting the diagnostic criteria for the conventional antigens in the skin test, the ability to differentiate between M. bovis infected and non-infected animals included in paratuberculosis vaccinated groups was enhanced. Taking for positive a relative skin thickness increase of at least 100%, the single intradermal test specificity and sensitivity yielded 100%. The comparative intradermal test was equally accurate considering a B-PPD relative skin increase of at least 100% and greater than or equal to that produced by A-PPD. Using the specific antigens as a proteic cocktail, the specificity and sensitivity reached 100% considering the new relative and absolute cut-offs in all experimental groups (Δ≥30% and Δmm ≥ 2, respectively). Results suggest that the interference caused by paratuberculosis vaccination in cattle could be completely overcome by applying new approaches to the official tuberculosis diagnostic tests.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of lactose digestion, its impact on intolerance and nutritional effects of dairy food restriction in inflammatory bowel diseases

BACKGROUND

Relationships between inflammatory bowel disease and lactose containing foods remain controversial and poorly defined regarding symptoms, nutritional outcomes, and epidemiologic associations for lactose maldigestion.

METHODS

A literature review was performed using Pub Med, Cochrane library and individual references, to extract data on lactose maldigestion prevalence in inflammatory bowel diseases. A meta-analysis was done using selected articles, to determine odds ratios of maldigestion. Information was collected about symptoms, impact on pattern of dairy food consumption, as well as the effects of dairy foods on the course of inflammatory bowel diseases.

RESULTS

A total of 1022 articles were evaluated, 35 articles were retained and 5 studies were added from review articles. Of these 17 were included in meta-analysis which showed overall increased lactose maldigestion in both diseases. However increased risk on sub analysis was only found in Crohn's in patients with small bowel involvement. Nine additional studies were reviewed for symptoms, with variable outcomes due to confounding between lactose intolerance and lactose maldigestion. Fourteen studies were evaluated for dairy food effects. There was a suggestion that dairy foods may protect against inflammatory bowel disease. Nutritional consequences of dairy restrictions might impact adversely on bone and colonic complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Lactose maldigestion in inflammatory bowel disease is dependent on ethnic makeup of the population and usually not disease. No bias of increased disease prevalence was noted between lactase genotypes. Intolerance symptoms depend on several parameters besides lactose maldigestion. Dairy foods may decrease risks of inflammatory bowel disease. Dairy restrictions may adversely affect disease outcome.

The Intestinal Microbiota in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The intestinal microbiota has important metabolic and host-protective functions. Conversely to these beneficial functions, the intestinal microbiota is thought to play a central role in the etiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), a chronic inflammation of the gut mucosa. Genetic screens and studies in experimental mouse models have clearly demonstrated that IBD can develop due to excessive translocation of bacteria into the bowel wall or dysregulated handling of bacteria in genetically susceptible hosts. In healthy individuals, the microbiota is efficiently separated from the mucosal immune system of the gut by the gut barrier, a single layer of highly specialized epithelial cells, some of which are equipped with innate immune functions to prevent or control access of bacterial antigens to the mucosal immune cells. It is currently unclear whether the composition of the microbial flora or individual bacterial strains or pathogens induces or supports the pathogenesis of IBD. Further research will be necessary to carefully dissect the contribution of individual bacterial species to this disease and to ascertain whether specific modulation of the intestinal microbiome may represent a valuable further option for future therapeutic strategies.

Animal models to study acute and chronic intestinal inflammation in mammals

Acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the intestine impart a significant and negative impact on the health and well-being of human and non-human mammalian animals. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of inflammatory disease is mandatory to develop effective treatment and prevention strategies. As inflammatory disease etiologies are multifactorial, the use of appropriate animal models and associated metrics of disease are essential. In this regard, animal models used alone or in combination to study acute and chronic inflammatory disease of the mammalian intestine paired with commonly used inflammation-inducing agents are reviewed. This includes both chemical and biological incitants of inflammation, and both non-mammalian (i.e. nematodes, insects, and fish) and mammalian (i.e. rodents, rabbits, pigs, ruminants, dogs, and non-human primates) models of intestinal inflammation including germ-free, gnotobiotic, as well as surgical, and genetically modified animals. Importantly, chemical and biological incitants induce inflammation via a multitude of mechanisms, and intestinal inflammation and injury can vary greatly according to the incitant and animal model used, allowing studies to ascertain both long-term and short-term effects of inflammation. Thus, researchers and clinicians should be aware of the relative strengths and limitations of the various animal models used to study acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the mammalian intestine, and the scope and relevance of outcomes achievable based on this knowledge. The ability to induce inflammation to mimic common human diseases is an important factor of a successful animal model, however other mechanisms of disease such as the amount of infective agent to induce disease, invasion mechanisms, and the effect various physiologic changes can have on inducing damage are also important features. In many cases, the use of multiple animal models in combination with both chemical and biological incitants is necessary to answer the specific question being addressed regarding intestinal disease. Some incitants can induce acute responses in certain animal models while others can be used to induce chronic responses; this review aims to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses in each animal model and to guide the choice of an appropriate acute or chronic incitant to facilitate intestinal disease.

Screening, Isolation and Identification of Probiotic Producing Lactobacillus acidophilus Strains EMBS081 & EMBS082 by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing

16S rDNA sequencing which has gained wide popularity amongst microbiologists for the molecular characterization and identification of newly discovered isolates provides accurate identification of isolates down to the level of sub-species (strain). Its most important advantage over the traditional biochemical characterization methods is that it can provide an accurate identification of strains with atypical phenotypic characters as well. The following work is an application of 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach to identify a novel species of Probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus. The sample was collected from pond water samples of rural and urban areas of Krishna district, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Subsequently, the sample was serially diluted and the aliquots were incubated for a suitable time period following which the suspected colony was subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing. The sequence aligned against other species was concluded to be a novel, Probiotic L. acidophilus bacteria, further which were named L. acidophilus strain EMBS081 & EMBS082. After the sequence characterization, the isolate was deposited in GenBank Database, maintained by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information NCBI. The sequence can also be retrieve from EMBL and DDBJ repositories with accession numbers JX255677 and KC150145.

Crohn's disease-specific anti-CUZD1 pancreatic antibodies are absent in ruminants with paratuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic autoantibodies (PABs) specifically recognizing GP2 and/or CUZD1 are present in more than 35% of patients with Crohn's disease (CrD). We have recently provided evidence of the presence of GP2-specific PABs in ruminants with paratuberculosis (ptb), a Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP)-induced disease resembling CrD.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether anti-CUZD1 antibodies are also present in ruminants with ptb.

METHODS

A total of 110 samples (73 cattle/37 sheep) were studied including 40 with ptb (24 cattle/16 sheep; 20 anti-GP2 antibody pos) and 70 without ptb (49 cattle/21 sheep; 10 anti-GP2 antibody pos). The samples were pre-characterized for anti-MAP and anti-GP2 antibodies by ELISA. Evidence of MAP was confirmed by PCR. Anti-CUZD1 antibody testing was performed by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) based on transfected HEK293 cells expressing CUZD1. Anti-sheep or anti-cattle specific antisera were used as revealing antibodies.

RESULTS

None of the ruminant sera had anti-CUZD1 antibodies by IIF testing at dilutions varying from 1/10 to 1/160. Methodological flaws were prevented by a series of tests. Control sera from anti-CUZD1 positive CrD samples have shown anti-CUZD1 antibody reactivity at various concentrations. Antibody reactivity to GP2-expressing HEK293 cells has confirmed the reactivity to GP2 in ruminant sera found positive for anti-GP2 antibodies by ELISA.

CONCLUSION

The present study has found no evidence of anti-CUZD1 PABs in MAP-induced ptb. Our findings indicate that the induction of CUZD1-specific PABs is unrelated to MAP infection and that the mechanisms responsible for the loss of tolerance to GP2 and CUZD1 are probably quite distinct.

Pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease: Bug or no bug

The possibility of an infectious origin in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been postulated since the first description of Crohn’s disease (CD). Many observations implicate bacteria as a trigger for the development of CD: lesions occur in regions with higher bacterial concentrations; aphthous ulcers occur in Peyer’s patches; inflammation resolves when the fecal stream is diverted and is reactivated following reinfusion of bowel contents; severity of the disease is correlated with bacterial density in the mucosa; granulomas can contain bacteria; and susceptible mice raised in germ-free conditions develop inflammation when bacteria are introduced in the 1990’s, several studies sought to establish a relationship with viral infections and the onset of IBD, finally concluding that no direct link had been demonstrated. In the past fifteen years, evidence relating IBD pathogenesis to Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis, salmonella, campylobacter, etc., has been found. The tendency now under discussion to regard microbiota as the primary catalyst has led to the latest studies on microbiota as pathogens, focusing on Escherichia coli, mainly in ileal CD. The present review discusses the literature available on these “bugs”.

Screening, isolation and identification of Probiotic producing lactobacillus acidophilus strains EMBS081 & EMBS082 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing

16S rDNA sequencing which has gained wide popularity amongst microbiologists for the molecular characterization and identification of newly discovered isolates provides accurate identification of isolates down to the level of sub-species (strain). It's most important advantage over the traditional biochemical characterization methods are that it can provide an accurate identification of strains with atypical phenotypic characters as well. The following work is an application of 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach to identify a novel species of Probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus. The sample was collected from pond water samples of rural and urban areas of Krishna District, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Subsequently the sample was serially diluted and the aliquots were incubated for a suitable time period following which the suspected colony was subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing. The sequence aligned against other species were concluded to be a novel, Probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria, further which were named Lactobacillus acidophilus strain EMBS081 & EMBS082. After the sequence characterization, the isolate was deposited in GenBank Database, maintained by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information NCBI. The sequence can also be retrieve from EMBL and DDBJ repositories with accession numbers JX255677 and KC150145.

Latitude, sunshine, and human lactase phenotype distributions may contribute to geographic patterns of modern disease: the inflammatory bowel disease model

Countries with high lactase nonpersistence (LNP) or low lactase persistence (LP) populations have lower rates of some "western" diseases, mimicking the effects of sunshine and latitude. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ie, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is putatively also influenced by sunshine. Recent availability of worldwide IBD rates and lactase distributions allows more extensive comparisons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which modern day lactase distributions interact with latitude, sunshine exposure, and IBD rates. National IBD rates, national distributions of LP/LNP, and population-weighted average national annual ultraviolet B exposure were obtained, estimated, or calculated from the literature. Negative binomial analysis was used to assess the relationship between the three parameters and IBD rates. Analyses for 55 countries were grouped in three geographic domains, ie, global, Europe, and non-Europe. In Europe, both latitude and ultraviolet B exposure correlate well with LP/LNP and IBD. In non-Europe, latitude and ultraviolet B exposure correlate weakly with LP/LNP, but the latter retains a more robust correlation with IBD. In univariate analysis, latitude, ultraviolet B exposure, and LP/LNP all had significant relationships with IBD. Multivariate analysis showed that lactase distributions provided the best model of fit for IBD. The model of IBD reveals the evolutionary effects of the human lactase divide, and suggests that latitude, ultraviolet B exposure, and LP/LNP mimic each other because LP/LNP follows latitudinal directions toward the equator. However, on a large scale, lactase patterns also follow lateral polarity. The effects of LP/LNP in disease are likely to involve complex interactions.