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Peno C, Lin TY, Hislop MS, Yolda-Carr D, Farjado K, York A, Pitzer VE, Weinberger DM, Bei AK, Allicock OM, Wyllie AL. A low-cost culture- and DNA extraction-free method for the molecular detection of pneumococcal carriage in saliva. Microbiol Spectr 2024:e0059124. [PMID: 39028185 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00591-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecular methods have improved the sensitivity of the detection of pneumococcal carriage in saliva. However, they typically require sample culture enrichment and nucleic acid extraction prior to performing the detection assay and may limit scalability for extensive surveillance of pneumococcus, particularly in low-resource settings. We evaluated the performance of a DNA-extraction-free method for the detection of pneumococcus in saliva. We developed a streamlined qPCR-based protocol for the detection of pneumococcus, omitting culture enrichment and DNA extraction. Using saliva samples collected from children attending childcare centers (New Haven, CT, USA), we evaluated the detection of pneumococcus using saliva lysates as compared to purified DNA extracted from culture-enriched aliquots of the paired samples using qPCR targeting the pneumococcal piaB gene. Of the 759 saliva samples tested from 92 children [median age 3.65 years; IQR (2.46-4.78)], pneumococcus was detected in 358 (47.2%) saliva lysates prepared using the extraction-free protocol and in 369 (48.6%) DNA extracted from culture-enriched samples. We observed near-perfect agreement between the two protocols (Cohen's kappa: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.90-0.95). Despite a high correlation between CT values generated by the two methods (r = 0.93, P < 0.0001), the CT values generated from saliva lysates were higher (lower concentration) than those from culture-enriched samples (ΔCT = 6.69, P < 0.00001). The cost of detecting pneumococcus using saliva lysates was at least fivefold lower (US$2.53) compared to the cost of the culture-enriched method (range: US$13.60-US$19.46). For pneumococcal carriage surveillance in children, our findings suggest that a DNA extraction-free approach may offer a cost-effective alternative to the resource-intensive culture-enrichment method.IMPORTANCESurveillance for carriage of pneumococcus is a key component of evaluating the performance of pneumococcal vaccines and informing new vaccination strategies. To improve the scalability of pneumococcal carriage surveillance, we show that molecular detection of pneumococcus in saliva from children can be performed without culture enrichment and DNA extraction. Our findings show that using the extraction-free method can improve surveillance efforts for pneumococcal carriage in children, overcoming the resource-intensive hurdle that comes with the use of molecular methods, particularly in low-resource settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chikondi Peno
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Tzu-Yi Lin
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Maikel S Hislop
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Devyn Yolda-Carr
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Katherine Farjado
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anna York
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Virginia E Pitzer
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Daniel M Weinberger
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Amy K Bei
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Orchid M Allicock
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anne L Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Savage N. Saliva-based tests offer an alternative to nasal swabbing. Nature 2024:10.1038/d41586-024-02165-3. [PMID: 38992269 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-02165-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
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3
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Brar NK, Dhariwal A, Åmdal HA, Junges R, Salvadori G, Baker JL, Edlund A, Petersen FC. Exploring ex vivo biofilm dynamics: consequences of low ampicillin concentrations on the human oral microbiome. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2024; 10:37. [PMID: 38565843 PMCID: PMC10987642 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00507-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Prolonged exposure to antibiotics at low concentration can promote processes associated with bacterial biofilm formation, virulence and antibiotic resistance. This can be of high relevance in microbial communities like the oral microbiome, where commensals and pathogens share a common habitat and where the total abundance of antibiotic resistance genes surpasses the abundance in the gut. Here, we used an ex vivo model of human oral biofilms to investigate the impact of ampicillin on biofilm viability. The ecological impact on the microbiome and resistome was investigated using shotgun metagenomics. The results showed that low concentrations promoted significant shifts in microbial taxonomic profile and could enhance biofilm viability by up to 1 to 2-log. For the resistome, low concentrations had no significant impact on antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) diversity, while ARG abundance decreased by up to 84%. A positive correlation was observed between reduced microbial diversity and reduced ARG abundance. The WHO priority pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus were identified in some of the samples, but their abundance was not significantly altered by ampicillin. Most of the antibiotic resistance genes that increased in abundance in the ampicillin group were associated with streptococci, including Streptococcus mitis, a well-known potential donor of ARGs to S. pneumoniae. Overall, the results highlight the potential of using the model to further our understanding of ecological and evolutionary forces driving antimicrobial resistance in oral microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- N K Brar
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - A Dhariwal
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - H A Åmdal
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - R Junges
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - G Salvadori
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - J L Baker
- Department of Oral Rehabilitation & Biosciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - A Edlund
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - F C Petersen
- Institute of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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German EL, Nabwera HM, Robinson R, Shiham F, Liatsikos K, Parry CM, McNamara C, Kattera S, Carter K, Howard A, Pojar S, Hamilton J, Matope A, Read JM, Allen SJ, Hill H, Hawcutt DB, Urban BC, Collins AM, Ferreira DM, Nikolaou E. Participant perceptions and experiences of a novel community-based respiratory longitudinal sampling method in Liverpool, UK: A mixed methods feasibility study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294133. [PMID: 37943741 PMCID: PMC10635470 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal, community-based sampling is important for understanding prevalence and transmission of respiratory pathogens. Using a minimally invasive sampling method, the FAMILY Micro study monitored the oral, nasal and hand microbiota of families for 6 months. Here, we explore participant experiences and opinions. A mixed methods approach was utilised. A quantitative questionnaire was completed after every sampling timepoint to report levels of discomfort and pain, as well as time taken to collect samples. Participants were also invited to discuss their experiences in a qualitative structured exit interview. We received questionnaires from 36 families. Most adults and children >5y experienced no pain (94% and 70%) and little discomfort (73% and 47% no discomfort) regardless of sample type, whereas children ≤5y experienced variable levels of pain and discomfort (48% no pain but 14% hurts even more, whole lot or worst; 38% no discomfort but 33% moderate, severe, or extreme discomfort). The time taken for saliva and hand sampling decreased over the study. We conducted interviews with 24 families. Families found the sampling method straightforward, and adults and children >5y preferred nasal sampling using a synthetic absorptive matrix over nasopharyngeal swabs. It remained challenging for families to fit sampling into their busy schedules. Adequate fridge/freezer space and regular sample pick-ups were found to be important factors for feasibility. Messaging apps proved extremely effective for engaging with participants. Our findings provide key information to inform the design of future studies, specifically that self-sampling at home using minimally invasive procedures is feasible in a family context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther L. German
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Helen M. Nabwera
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan Robinson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Farah Shiham
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Kostas Liatsikos
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Katie Carter
- Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ashleigh Howard
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Sherin Pojar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Joshua Hamilton
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Agnes Matope
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan M. Read
- Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J. Allen
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Helen Hill
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel B. Hawcutt
- Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Britta C. Urban
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea M. Collins
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Daniela M. Ferreira
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elissavet Nikolaou
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Nikolaou E, German EL, Howard A, Nabwera HM, Matope A, Robinson R, Shiham F, Liatsikos K, McNamara C, Kattera S, Carter K, Parry CM, Read JM, Allen SJ, Urban BC, Hawcutt DB, Hill H, Collins AM, Ferreira DM. Assessing the use of minimally invasive self-sampling at home for long-term monitoring of the microbiota within UK families. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18201. [PMID: 37875557 PMCID: PMC10598218 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45574-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Monitoring the presence of commensal and pathogenic respiratory microorganisms is of critical global importance. However, community-based surveillance is difficult because nasopharyngeal swabs are uncomfortable and painful for a wide age range of participants. We designed a methodology for minimally invasive self-sampling at home and assessed its use for longitudinal monitoring of the oral, nasal and hand microbiota of adults and children within families. Healthy families with two adults and up to three children, living in and near Liverpool, United Kingdom, self-collected saliva, nasal lining fluid using synthetic absorptive matrices and hand swabs at home every two weeks for six months. Questionnaires were used to collect demographic and epidemiological data and assess feasibility and acceptability. Participants were invited to take part in an exit interview. Thirty-three families completed the study. Sampling using our approach was acceptable to 25/33 (76%) families, as sampling was fast (76%), easy (76%) and painless (60%). Saliva and hand sampling was acceptable to all participants of any age, whereas nasal sampling was accepted mostly by adults and children older than 5 years. Multi-niche self-sampling at home can be used by adults and children for longitudinal surveillance of respiratory microorganisms, providing key data for design of future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Nikolaou
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
- Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3050, Australia.
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - E L German
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - A Howard
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - H M Nabwera
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
- Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - A Matope
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - R Robinson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - F Shiham
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - K Liatsikos
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - C McNamara
- Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - S Kattera
- Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - K Carter
- Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - C M Parry
- Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - J M Read
- Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - S J Allen
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - B C Urban
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - D B Hawcutt
- Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
- University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - H Hill
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - A M Collins
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - D M Ferreira
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK.
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6
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Laxton CS, Peno C, Hahn AM, Allicock OM, Perniciaro S, Wyllie AL. The potential of saliva as an accessible and sensitive sample type for the detection of respiratory pathogens and host immunity. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2023; 4:e837-e850. [PMID: 37516121 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00135-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite its prominence in early scientific records, the usefulness of saliva as a respiratory specimen has been de-emphasised over the past century. However, due to its low cost and reliance on specific supply chains and the non-invasive nature of its collection, its benefits over swab-based specimens are again becoming increasingly recognised. These benefits were highlighted over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, where saliva emerged as a more practical, clinically non-inferior sample type for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and saw numerous saliva-based diagnostic tests approved for clinical use. Looking forward, as saliva uniquely contains both respiratory secretions and immunological components, it has potentially wide applications, ranging from clinical diagnostics to post-vaccine disease burden and immunity surveillance. This Personal View seeks to summarise the existing evidence for the use of saliva in detecting respiratory pathogens, beyond SARS-CoV-2, as well as detailing methodological factors that can influence sample quality and thus, clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S Laxton
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chikondi Peno
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Anne M Hahn
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Orchid M Allicock
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stephanie Perniciaro
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Anne L Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Wyllie AL, Rots NY, Wijmenga-Monsuur AJ, van Houten MA, Sanders EAM, Trzciński K. Saliva as an alternative sample type for detection of pneumococcal carriage in young children. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001394. [PMID: 37819029 PMCID: PMC10634364 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
For children, the gold standard for the detection of pneumococcal carriage is conventional culture of a nasopharyngeal swab. Saliva, however, has a history as one of the most sensitive methods for surveillance of pneumococcal colonization and has recently been shown to improve carriage detection in older age groups. Here, we compared the sensitivity of paired nasopharyngeal and saliva samples from PCV7-vaccinated 24-month-old children for pneumococcal carriage detection using conventional and molecular detection methods. Nasopharyngeal and saliva samples were collected from 288 24-month-old children during the autumn/winter, 2012/2013. All samples were first processed by conventional diagnostic culture. Next, DNA extracted from all plate growth was tested by qPCR for the presence of the pneumococcal genes piaB and lytA and a subset of serotypes. By culture, 161/288 (60 %) nasopharyngeal swabs tested positive for pneumococcus, but detection was not possible from saliva due to abundant polymicrobial growth on culture plates. By qPCR, 155/288 (54 %) culture-enriched saliva samples and 187/288 (65 %) nasopharyngeal swabs tested positive. Altogether, 219/288 (76 %) infants tested positive for pneumococcus, with qPCR-based carriage detection of culture-enriched nasopharyngeal swabs detecting significantly more carriers compared to either conventional culture (P<0.001) or qPCR detection of saliva (P=0.002). However, 32/219 (15 %) carriers were only positive in saliva, contributing significantly to the overall number of carriers detected (P=0.002). While testing nasopharyngeal swabs by qPCR proved most sensitive for pneumococcal detection in infants, saliva sampling could be considered as complementary to provide additional information on carriage and serotypes that may not be detected in the nasopharynx and may be particularly useful in longitudinal studies, requiring repeated sampling of study participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L. Wyllie
- Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nynke Y. Rots
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Alienke J. Wijmenga-Monsuur
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Elisabeth A. M. Sanders
- Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Krzysztof Trzciński
- Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Howard LM, Huang X, Chen W, Liu Y, Edwards KM, Griffin MR, Zhu Y, Vidal JE, Klugman KP, Gil AI, Soper NR, Thomsen IP, Gould K, Hinds J, Lanata CF, Grijalva CG. Association between nasopharyngeal colonization with multiple pneumococcal serotypes and total pneumococcal colonization density in young Peruvian children. Int J Infect Dis 2023; 134:248-255. [PMID: 37451394 PMCID: PMC10804940 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We examined the association of nasopharyngeal (NP) pneumococcal co-colonization (>1 pneumococcal serotype) and pneumococcal density in young Peruvian children enrolled in a prospective cohort study. METHODS NP swabs collected monthly from children aged <3 years during both asymptomatic and acute respiratory illness (ARI) periods underwent culture-enriched microarray for pneumococcal detection and serotyping and lytA polymerase chain reaction for density assessment. We examined the serotypes commonly associated with co-colonization and the distribution of densities by co-colonization, age, current ARI, and other covariates. The association of co-colonization and pneumococcal density was assessed using a multivariable mixed-effects linear regression model, accounting for repeated measures and relevant covariates. RESULTS A total of 27 children contributed 575 monthly NP samples. Pneumococcus was detected in 302 of 575 (53%) samples, and co-colonization was detected in 61 of these 302 (20%). The total densities were higher during ARI than non-ARI periods and lowest among the youngest children, increasing with age. In the multivariable analysis, there was no significant association between pneumococcal density and co-colonization (coefficient estimate 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.55; reference: single-serotype detections). Serotypes 23B and 19F were detected significantly more frequently as single isolates. CONCLUSION Pneumococcal co-colonization was common and not associated with increased pneumococcal density. Differential propensity for co-colonization was observed among individual serotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh M Howard
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA.
| | - Xiang Huang
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Wencong Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Yuhan Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Kathryn M Edwards
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Marie R Griffin
- Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Yuwei Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Jorge E Vidal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, USA
| | - Keith P Klugman
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University; Atlanta, USA
| | - Ana I Gil
- Instituto de Investigacion Nutricional; Lima, Peru
| | - Nicole R Soper
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Isaac P Thomsen
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Katherine Gould
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, UK; BUGS Bioscience, London Bioscience Innovation Centre, London, UK
| | - Jason Hinds
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, UK; BUGS Bioscience, London Bioscience Innovation Centre, London, UK
| | - Claudio F Lanata
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA; Instituto de Investigacion Nutricional; Lima, Peru
| | - Carlos G Grijalva
- Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
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Jonker L, Linde KJ, de Boer AR, Ding E, Zhang D, de Hoog MLA, Herfst S, Heederik DJJ, Fraaij PLA, Bluyssen PM, Wouters IM, Bruijning-Verhagen PCJL. SARS-CoV-2 incidence in secondary schools; the role of national and school-initiated COVID-19 measures. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1243. [PMID: 37370045 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Our aim was to gain insight into the effect of COVID-19 measures on SARS-CoV-2 incidence in secondary schools and the association with classroom CO2 concentration and airborne contamination. METHODS Between October 2020-June 2021, 18 schools weekly reported SARS-CoV-2 incidence and completed surveys on school-initiated COVID-19 measures (e.g. improving hygiene or minimizing contacts). CO2 was measured in occupied classrooms twice, and SARS-CoV-2 air contamination longitudinally using electrostatic dust collectors (EDC) and analyzed using RT-qPCR. National COVID-19 policy measures varied during pre-lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown periods. During the entire study, schools were recommended to improve ventilation. SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate ratios (IRR) were estimated by Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models. RESULTS During 18 weeks follow-up (range: 10-22) SARS-CoV-2 school-incidence decreased during national lockdown (adjusted IRR: 0.41, 95%CI: 0.21-0.80) and post-lockdown (IRR: 0.60, 0.39-0.93) compared to pre-lockdown. School-initiated COVID-19 measures had no additional effect. Pre-lockdown, IRRs per 10% increase in time CO2 exceeded 400, 550 and 800 ppm above outdoor level respectively, were 1.08 (1.00-1.16), 1.10 (1.02-1.19), and 1.08 (0.95-1.22). Post-lockdown, CO2-concentrations were considerably lower and not associated with SARS-CoV-2 incidence. No SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in any of the EDC samples. CONCLUSION During a period with low SARS-CoV-2 population immunity and increased attention to ventilation, with CO2 levels most of the time below acceptable thresholds, only the national policy during and post-lockdown of reduced class-occupancy, stringent quarantine, and contact testing reduced SARS-CoV-2 incidence in Dutch secondary schools. Widespread SARS-CoV-2 air contamination could not be demonstrated in schools under the prevailing conditions during the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Jonker
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - K J Linde
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - A R de Boer
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - E Ding
- Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 134, 2628 BL, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - D Zhang
- Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 134, 2628 BL, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - M L A de Hoog
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - S Herfst
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - D J J Heederik
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - P L A Fraaij
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - P M Bluyssen
- Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 134, 2628 BL, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - I M Wouters
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - P C J L Bruijning-Verhagen
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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10
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Hislop MS, Allicock OM, Thammavongsa DA, Mbodj S, Nelson A, Shaw AC, Weinberger DM, Wyllie AL. High Levels of Detection of Nonpneumococcal Species of Streptococcus in Saliva from Adults in the United States. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0520722. [PMID: 37067447 PMCID: PMC10269540 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05207-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
While the sensitivity of detection of pneumococcal carriage can be improved by testing respiratory tract samples with quantitative PCR (qPCR), concerns have been raised regarding the specificity of this approach. We therefore investigated the reliability of the widely used lytA qPCR assay when applied to saliva samples from older adults in relation to a more specific qPCR assay (piaB). During the autumn/winter seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, saliva was collected at multiple time points from 103 healthy adults aged 21 to 39 (n = 34) and >64 (n = 69) years (n = 344 total samples). Following culture enrichment, extracted DNA was tested using qPCR for piaB and lytA. By sequencing the variable region of rpsB (S2 typing), we identified the species of bacteria isolated from samples testing lytA-positive only. While 30 of 344 (8.7%) saliva samples (16.5% individuals) tested qPCR-positive for both piaB and lytA, 52 (15.1%) samples tested lytA-positive only. No samples tested piaB-positive only. Through extensive reculture attempts of the lytA-positive samples collected in 2018/2019, we isolated 23 strains (in 8 samples from 5 individuals) that were also qPCR-positive for only lytA. Sequencing determined that Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus infantis were predominantly responsible for this lytA-positive qPCR signal. We identified a comparatively large proportion of samples generating positive signals with the widely used lytA qPCR and identified nonpneumococcal Streptococcus species responsible for this signal. This highlights the importance of testing for the presence of multiple gene targets in tandem for reliable and specific detection of pneumococcus in polymicrobial respiratory tract samples. IMPORTANCE Testing saliva samples with quantitative PCR (qPCR) improves the sensitivity of detection of pneumococcal carriage. The qPCR assay targeting lytA, the gene encoding the major pneumococcal autolysin, has become widely accepted for the identification of pneumococcus and is even considered the "gold standard" by many. However, when applying this approach to investigate the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage in adults in New Haven, CT, USA, we identified nonpneumococcal Streptococcus spp. that generate positive signals in this widely used assay. By testing also for piaB (encoding the iron acquisition ABC transporter lipoprotein, PiaB), our findings demonstrate the importance of testing for the presence of multiple gene targets in tandem for reliable molecular detection of pneumococcus in respiratory tract samples; targeting only lytA may lead to an overestimation of true carriage rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maikel S. Hislop
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Orchid M. Allicock
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Darani A. Thammavongsa
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sidiya Mbodj
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Allison Nelson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Albert C. Shaw
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Daniel M. Weinberger
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anne L. Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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11
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Wyllie AL, Mbodj S, Thammavongsa DA, Hislop MS, Yolda-Carr D, Waghela P, Nakahata M, Stahlfeld AE, Vega NJ, York A, Allicock OM, Wilkins G, Ouyang A, Siqueiros L, Strong Y, Anastasio K, Alexander-Parrish R, Arguedas A, Gessner BD, Weinberger DM. Persistence of Pneumococcal Carriage among Older Adults in the Community despite COVID-19 Mitigation Measures. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0487922. [PMID: 37036377 PMCID: PMC10269788 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04879-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Reported rates of invasive pneumococcal disease were markedly lower than normal during the 2020/2021 winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the first year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about rates of carriage of pneumococcus among adults during this period. Between October 2020-August 2021, couples in the Greater New Haven Area, USA, were enrolled if both individuals were aged 60 years and above and did not have any individuals under the age of 60 years living in the household. Saliva samples and questionnaires regarding social activities and contacts and medical history were obtained every 2 weeks for a period of 10 weeks. Following culture-enrichment, extracted DNA was tested using qPCR for pneumococcus-specific sequences piaB and lytA. Individuals were considered positive for pneumococcal carriage when Ct values for piaB were ≤40. Results. We collected 567 saliva samples from 95 individuals (47 household pairs and 1 singleton). Of those, 7.1% of samples tested positive for pneumococcus, representing 22/95 (23.2%) individuals and 16/48 (33.3%) households. Study participants attended few social events during this period. However, many participants continued to have regular contact with children. Individuals who had regular contact with preschool and school-aged children (i.e., 2 to 9 year olds) had a higher prevalence of carriage (15.9% versus 5.4%). Despite COVID-19-related disruptions, a large proportion of older adults continued to carry pneumococcus. Prevalence was particularly high among those who had contact with school-aged children, but carriage was not limited to this group. IMPORTANCE Carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) in the upper respiratory tract is considered a prerequisite to invasive pneumococcal disease. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, markedly lower rates of invasive pneumococcal disease were reported worldwide. Despite this, by testing saliva samples with PCR, we found that older adults continued to carry pneumococcus at pre-pandemic levels. Importantly, this study was conducted during a period when transmission mitigation measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic were in place. However, our observations are in line with reports from Israel and Belgium where carriage was also found to persist in children. In line with this, we observed that carriage prevalence was particularly high among the older adults in our study who maintained contact with school-aged children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L. Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sidiya Mbodj
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Darani A. Thammavongsa
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Maikel S. Hislop
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Devyn Yolda-Carr
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Pari Waghela
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Maura Nakahata
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anne E. Stahlfeld
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Noel J. Vega
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anna York
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Orchid M. Allicock
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Geisa Wilkins
- Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Andrea Ouyang
- Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Laura Siqueiros
- Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yvette Strong
- Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kelly Anastasio
- Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Adriano Arguedas
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Pfizer Inc, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Daniel M. Weinberger
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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12
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Echlin H, Iverson A, Sardo U, Rosch JW. Airway proteolytic control of pneumococcal competence. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011421. [PMID: 37256908 PMCID: PMC10259803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen that colonizes the upper respiratory tract asymptomatically and, upon invasion, can lead to severe diseases including otitis media, sinusitis, meningitis, bacteremia, and pneumonia. One of the first lines of defense against pneumococcal invasive disease is inflammation, including the recruitment of neutrophils to the site of infection. The invasive pneumococcus can be cleared through the action of serine proteases generated by neutrophils. It is less clear how serine proteases impact non-invasive pneumococcal colonization, which is the key first step to invasion and transmission. One significant aspect of pneumococcal biology and adaptation in the respiratory tract is its natural competence, which is triggered by a small peptide CSP. In this study, we investigate if serine proteases are capable of degrading CSP and the impact this has on pneumococcal competence. We found that CSP has several potential sites for trypsin-like serine protease degradation and that there were preferential cleavage sites recognized by the proteases. Digestion of CSP with two different trypsin-like serine proteases dramatically reduced competence in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation of CSP with mouse lung homogenate also reduced recombination frequency of the pneumococcus. These ex vivo experiments suggested that serine proteases in the lower respiratory tract reduce pneumococcal competence. This was subsequently confirmed measuring in vivo recombination frequencies after induction of protease production via poly (I:C) stimulation and via co-infection with influenza A virus, which dramatically lowered recombination events. These data shed light on a new mechanism by which the host can modulate pneumococcal behavior and genetic exchange via direct degradation of the competence signaling peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Echlin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Amy Iverson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Ugo Sardo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Jason W. Rosch
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
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13
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Antezana BS, Lohsen S, Wu X, Vidal JE, Tzeng YL, Stephens DS. Dissemination of Tn 916-Related Integrative and Conjugative Elements in Streptococcus pneumoniae Occurs by Transformation and Homologous Recombination in Nasopharyngeal Biofilms. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0375922. [PMID: 36912669 PMCID: PMC10101023 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03759-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae (or pneumococcus) continues to be a global challenge. An important class of antibiotic resistance determinants disseminating in S. pneumoniae are >20-kb Tn916-related integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs), such as Tn2009, Tn6002, and Tn2010. Although conjugation has been implicated as the transfer mechanism for ICEs in several bacteria, including S. pneumoniae, the molecular basis for widespread dissemination of pneumococcal Tn916-related ICEs remains to be fully elucidated. We found that Tn2009 acquisition was not detectable via in vitro transformation nor conjugative mating with donor GA16833, yielding a transfer frequency of <10-7. GA16833 Tn2009 conjugative gene expression was not significantly induced, and ICE circular intermediate formation was not detected in biofilms. Consistently, Tn2009 transfer efficiency in biofilms was not affected by deletion of the ICE conjugative gene ftsK. However, GA16833 Tn2009 transfer occurred efficiently at a recombination frequency (rF) of 10-4 in dual-strain biofilms formed in a human nasopharyngeal cell bioreactor. DNase I addition and deletions of the early competence gene comE or transformation apparatus genes comEA and comEC in the D39 recipient strain prevented Tn2009 acquisition (rF of <10-7). Genome sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism analyses of independent recombinants of recipient genotype identified ~33- to ~55-kb donor DNAs containing intact Tn2009, supporting homologous recombination. Additional pneumococcal donor and recipient combinations were demonstrated to efficiently transfer Tn916-related ICEs at a rF of 10-4 in the biofilms. Tn916-related ICEs horizontally disseminate at high frequency in human nasopharyngeal S. pneumoniae biofilms by transformation and homologous recombination of >30-kb DNA fragments into the pneumococcal genome. IMPORTANCE The World Health Organization has designated Streptococcus pneumoniae as a priority pathogen for research and development of new drug treatments due to extensive multidrug resistance. Multiple strains of S. pneumoniae colonize and form mixed biofilms in the human nasopharynx, which could enable exchange of antibiotic resistance determinants. Tn916-related integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are largely responsible for the widespread presence of macrolide and tetracycline resistance in S. pneumoniae. Utilizing a system that simulates colonization of donor and recipient S. pneumoniae strains in the human nasopharynx, efficient transfer of Tn916-related ICEs occurred in human nasopharyngeal biofilms, in contrast to in vitro conditions of planktonic cells with exogenous DNA. This high-frequency Tn916-related ICE transfer between S. pneumoniae strains in biofilms was due to transformation and homologous recombination, not conjugation. Understanding the molecular mechanism for dissemination of Tn916-related ICEs can facilitate the design of new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda S. Antezana
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University Laney Graduate School, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sarah Lohsen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Xueqing Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jorge E. Vidal
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Yih-Ling Tzeng
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - David S. Stephens
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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14
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York A, Huynh E, Mbodj S, Yolda-Carr D, Hislop MS, Echlin H, Rosch JW, Weinberger DM, Wyllie AL. Magnetic bead-based separation of pneumococcal serotypes. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100410. [PMID: 36936076 PMCID: PMC10014298 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
The separation of pneumococcal serotypes from a complex polymicrobial mixture may be required for different applications. For instance, a minority strain could be present at a low frequency in a clinical sample, making it difficult to identify and isolate by traditional culture-based methods. We therefore developed an assay to separate mixed pneumococcal samples using serotype-specific antiserum and a magnetic bead-based separation method. Using qPCR and colony counting methods, we first show that serotypes (12F, 23F, 3, 14, 19A, and 15A) present at ∼0.1% of a dual serotype mixture can be enriched to between 10% and 90% of the final sample. We demonstrate two applications for this method: extraction of known pneumococcal serotypes from saliva samples and efficient purification of capsule switch variants from experimental transformation experiments. This method may have further laboratory or clinical applications when the selection of specific serotypes is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna York
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Emily Huynh
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sidiya Mbodj
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Devyn Yolda-Carr
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Maikel S. Hislop
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Haley Echlin
- Department of Infectious Disease, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jason W. Rosch
- Department of Infectious Disease, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Daniel M. Weinberger
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Anne L. Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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15
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Miellet WR, Almeida ST, Trzciński K, Sá-Leão R. Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage studies in adults: Importance, challenges, and key issues to consider when using quantitative PCR-based approaches. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1122276. [PMID: 36910231 PMCID: PMC9994646 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1122276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae causes significant morbidity and mortality among older adults. Detection of pneumococcal carriage is an accepted endpoint in pneumococcal conjugate vaccine studies. However, low sensitivity of culture-based approaches and nasopharyngeal samples have hampered adult S. pneumoniae carriage studies in the past. In contrast, detection of adult S. pneumoniae carriers with qPCR-based approaches can achieve high sensitivity and specificity and qPCR-based testing of oral samples improves accuracy of adult carriage detection. In this Viewpoint we outline a strategy for accurate qPCR-based testing. We recommend a dual-target approach for S. pneumoniae qPCR detection as no genetic target is universally present among or solely unique to it. Furthermore, we advise the evaluation of concordance among quantified qPCR targets to improve the accuracy of S. pneumoniae testing and qPCR-based serotyping. We do not recommend omission of qPCR-based oral sample testing as it will likely result in an underestimation of true adult carrier rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem R Miellet
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Sónia T Almeida
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Krzysztof Trzciński
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Raquel Sá-Leão
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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16
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Miellet WR, van Veldhuizen J, Litt D, Mariman R, Wijmenga-Monsuur AJ, Nieuwenhuijsen T, Christopher J, Thombre R, Eletu S, Bosch T, Rots NY, van Houten MA, Miller E, Fry NK, Sanders EAM, Trzciński K. A spitting image: molecular diagnostics applied to saliva enhance detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae and pneumococcal serotype carriage. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1156695. [PMID: 37138599 PMCID: PMC10149683 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1156695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite strong historical records on the accuracy of saliva testing, oral fluids are considered poorly suited for pneumococcal carriage detection. We evaluated an approach for carriage surveillance and vaccine studies that increases the sensitivity and specificity of pneumococcus and pneumococcal serotype detection in saliva samples. Methods Quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based methods were applied to detect pneumococcus and pneumococcal serotypes in 971 saliva samples collected from 653 toddlers and 318 adults. Results were compared with culture-based and qPCR-based detection in nasopharyngeal samples collected from children and in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples collected from adults. Optimal C q cut-offs for positivity in qPCRs were determined via receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and accuracy of different approaches was assessed using a composite reference for pneumococcal and for serotype carriage based on isolation of live pneumococcus from the person or positivity of saliva samples determined with qPCR. To evaluate the inter-laboratory reproducibility of the method, 229 culture-enriched samples were tested independently in the second center. Results In total, 51.5% of saliva samples from children and 31.8% of saliva samples from adults were positive for pneumococcus. Detection of pneumococcus by qPCR in culture-enriched saliva exhibited enhanced sensitivity and higher agreement with a composite reference compared to diagnostic culture of nasopharyngeal samples in children (Cohen's κ: 0.69-0.79 vs. 0.61-0.73) and in adults (κ: 0.84-0.95 vs. 0.04-0.33) and culture of oropharyngeal samples in adults (κ: 0.84-0.95 vs. -0.12-0.19). Similarly, detection of serotypes with qPCR in culture-enriched saliva exhibited enhanced sensitivity and higher agreement with a composite reference compared to nasopharyngeal culture in children (κ: 0.73-0.82 vs. 0.61-0.73) and adults (κ: 0.90-0.96 vs. 0.00-0.30) and oropharyngeal culture in adults (κ: 0.90-0.96 vs. -0.13 to 0.30). However, results of qPCRs targeting serotype 4, 5, and 17F and serogroups 9, 12, and 35 were excluded due to assays' lack of specificity. We observed excellent quantitative agreement for qPCR-based detection of pneumococcus between laboratories. After exclusion of serotype/serogroup-specific assays with insufficient specificity, moderate agreement (κ 0.68, 95% CI 0.58-0.77) was observed. Conclusion Molecular testing of culture-enriched saliva samples improves the sensitivity of overall surveillance of pneumococcal carriage in children and adults, but limitations of qPCR-based approaches for pneumococcal serotypes carriage detection should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem R. Miellet
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
- Willem R. Miellet,
| | - Janieke van Veldhuizen
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - David Litt
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Mariman
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Alienke J. Wijmenga-Monsuur
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Tessa Nieuwenhuijsen
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Christopher
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Thombre
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Seyi Eletu
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thijs Bosch
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Nynke Y. Rots
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | | | - Elizabeth Miller
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Norman K. Fry
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
- Immunisation and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth A. M. Sanders
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Krzysztof Trzciński
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Krzysztof Trzciński,
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17
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Allicock OM, York A, Waghela P, Yolda-Carr D, Weinberger DM, Wyllie AL. Impact of Temporary Storage Conditions on the Viability of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Saliva. mSphere 2022; 7:e0033122. [PMID: 36409104 PMCID: PMC9769876 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00331-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal swabs are considered the gold-standard sample type for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage, but recent studies have demonstrated the utility of saliva in improving the detection of carriage in adults. Saliva is generally collected in its raw, unsupplemented state, unlike nasopharyngeal swabs, which are collected into stabilizing transport media. Few data exist regarding the stability of pneumococci in unsupplemented saliva during transport and laboratory storage. We therefore evaluated the effect of storage conditions on the detection of pneumococci in saliva samples using strains representing eight pneumococcal serotypes. The bacteria were spiked into raw saliva from asymptomatic individuals, and we assessed sample viability after storage at 4°C, room temperature, and 30°C for up to 72 h; at 40°C for 24 h; and following three freeze-thaw cycles. We observed little decrease in pneumococcal detection following culture enrichment and quantitative PCR (qPCR) detection of the piaB and lytA genes compared to testing fresh samples, indicating the prolonged viability of pneumococci in neat saliva samples. This sample stability makes saliva a viable sample type for pneumococcal carriage studies conducted in remote or low-resource settings and provides insight into the effect of the storage of saliva samples in the laboratory. IMPORTANCE For pneumococcal carriage studies, saliva is a sample type that can overcome some of the issues typically seen with nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs. Understanding the limitations of saliva as a sample type is important for maximizing its use. This study sought to better understand how different storage conditions and freeze-thaw cycles affect pneumococcal survival over time. These findings support the use of saliva as an alternative sample type for pneumococcal carriage studies, particularly in remote or low-resource settings with reduced access to health care facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orchid M. Allicock
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anna York
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Pari Waghela
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Devyn Yolda-Carr
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Daniel M. Weinberger
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anne L. Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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18
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van Kersen W, Bossers A, de Steenhuijsen Piters WAA, de Rooij MMT, Bonten M, Fluit AC, Heederik D, Paganelli FL, Rogers M, Viveen M, Bogaert D, Leavis HL, Smit LAM. Air pollution from livestock farms and the oropharyngeal microbiome of COPD patients and controls. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 169:107497. [PMID: 36088872 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution from livestock farms is known to affect respiratory health of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The mechanisms behind this relationship, however, remain poorly understood. We hypothesise that air pollutants could influence respiratory health through modulation of the airway microbiome. Therefore, we studied associations between air pollution exposure and the oropharyngeal microbiota (OPM) composition of COPD patients and controls in a livestock-dense area. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from 99 community-based (mostly mild) COPD cases and 184 controls (baseline), and after 6 and 12 weeks. Participants were non-smokers or former smokers. Annual average livestock-related outdoor air pollution at the home address was predicted using dispersion modelling. OPM composition was analysed using 16S rRNA-based sequencing in all baseline samples and 6-week and 12-week repeated samples of 20 randomly selected subjects (n = 323 samples). A random selection of negative control swabs, taken every sampling day, were also included in the downstream analysis. Both farm-emitted endotoxin and PM10 levels were associated with increased OPM richness in COPD patients (p < 0.05) but not in controls. COPD case-control status was not associated with community structure, while correcting for known confounders (multivariate PERMANOVA p > 0.05). However, members of the genus Streptococcus were more abundant in COPD patients (Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p < 0.01). Moderate correlation was found between ordinations of 20 subjects analysed at 0, 6, and 12 weeks (Procrustes r = 0.52 to 0.66; p < 0.05; Principal coordinate analysis of Bray-Curtis dissimilarity), indicating that the OPM is relatively stable over a 12 week period and that a single sample sufficiently represents the OPM. Air pollution from livestock farms is associated with OPM richness of COPD patients, suggesting that the OPM of COPD patients is susceptible to alterations induced by exposure to air pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warner van Kersen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Alex Bossers
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Wouter A A de Steenhuijsen Piters
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Myrna M T de Rooij
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marc Bonten
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ad C Fluit
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dick Heederik
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Malbert Rogers
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marco Viveen
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Debby Bogaert
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Helen L Leavis
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lidwien A M Smit
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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19
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Stahlfeld A, Glick LR, Ott IM, Craft SB, Yolda-Carr D, Harden CA, Nakahata M, Farhadian SF, Grant LR, Alexander-Parrish R, Arguedas A, Gessner BD, Weinberger DM, Wyllie AL. Detection of pneumococcus during hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2. FEMS MICROBES 2022; 3:xtac026. [PMID: 37332510 PMCID: PMC10117745 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtac026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Infections with respiratory viruses [e.g. influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)] can increase the risk of severe pneumococcal infections. Likewise, pneumococcal coinfection is associated with poorer outcomes in viral respiratory infection. However, there are limited data describing the frequency of pneumococcus and SARS-CoV-2 coinfection and the role of coinfection in influencing COVID-19 severity. We, therefore, investigated the detection of pneumococcus in COVID-19 inpatients during the early pandemic period. Methods The study included patients aged 18 years and older, admitted to the Yale-New Haven Hospital who were symptomatic for respiratory infection and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during March-August 2020. Patients were tested for pneumococcus through culture-enrichment of saliva followed by RT-qPCR (to identify carriage) and serotype-specific urine antigen detection (UAD) assays (to identify presumed lower respiratory tract pneumococcal disease). Results Among 148 subjects, the median age was 65 years; 54.7% were male; 50.7% had an ICU stay; 64.9% received antibiotics; and 14.9% died while admitted. Pneumococcal carriage was detected in 3/96 (3.1%) individuals tested by saliva RT-qPCR. Additionally, pneumococcus was detected in 14/127 (11.0%) individuals tested by UAD, and more commonly in severe than moderate COVID-19 [OR: 2.20; 95% CI: (0.72, 7.48)]; however, the numbers were small with a high degree of uncertainty. None of the UAD-positive individuals died. Conclusions Pneumococcal lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), as detected by positive UAD, occurred in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Moreover, pneumococcal LRTI was more common in those with more serious COVID-19 outcomes. Future studies should assess how pneumococcus and SARS-CoV-2 interact to influence COVID-19 severity in hospitalized patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Stahlfeld
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, LEPH823, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Laura R Glick
- Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
| | - Isabel M Ott
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, LEPH823, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Samuel B Craft
- Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
| | - Devyn Yolda-Carr
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, LEPH823, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Christina A Harden
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, LEPH823, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Maura Nakahata
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, LEPH823, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Shelli F Farhadian
- Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
| | - Lindsay R Grant
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Pfizer Inc, 500 Arcola Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
| | - Ronika Alexander-Parrish
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Pfizer Inc, 500 Arcola Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
| | - Adriano Arguedas
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Pfizer Inc, 500 Arcola Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
| | - Bradford D Gessner
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, Pfizer Inc, 500 Arcola Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
| | - Daniel M Weinberger
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, LEPH823, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Anne L Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, LEPH823, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
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20
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Parker AM, Jackson N, Awasthi S, Kim H, Alwan T, Wyllie AL, Baldwin AB, Brennick NB, Moehle EA, Giannikopoulos P, Kogut K, Holland N, Mora-Wyrobek A, Eskenazi B, Riley LW, Lewnard JA. Association of upper respiratory Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization with SARS-CoV-2 infection among adults. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2022:2022.10.04.22280709. [PMID: 36238718 PMCID: PMC9558443 DOI: 10.1101/2022.10.04.22280709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Background Streptococcus pneumoniae interacts with numerous viral respiratory pathogens in the upper airway. It is unclear whether similar interactions occur with SARS-CoV-2. Methods We collected saliva specimens from working-age adults receiving SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing at outpatient clinics and via mobile community-outreach testing between July and November 2020 in Monterey County, California. Following bacterial culture enrichment, we tested for pneumococci by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting the lytA and piaB genes, and measured associations with SARS-CoV-2 infection via conditional logistic regression. Results Analyses included 1,278 participants, with 564 enrolled in clinics and 714 enrolled through outreach-based testing. Prevalence of pneumococcal carriage was 9.2% (117/1,278) among all participants (11.2% [63/564] clinic-based testing; 7.6% [54/714] outreach testing). Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 27.4% (32/117) among pneumococcal carriers and 9.6% (112/1,161) among non-carriers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.73; 95% confidence interval: 1.58-4.69). Associations between SARS-CoV-2 infection and pneumococcal carriage were enhanced in the clinic-based sample (aOR=4.01 [2.08-7.75]) and among symptomatic participants (aOR=3.38 [1.35-8.40]), when compared to findings within the outreach-based sample and among asymptomatic participants. Adjusted odds of SARS-CoV-2 co-infection increased 1.24 (1.00-1.55)-fold for each 1-unit decrease in piaB qPCR C T value among pneumococcal carriers. Last, pneumococcal carriage modified the association of SARS-CoV-2 infection with recent exposure to a suspected COVID-19 case (aOR=7.64 [1.91-30.7] and 3.29 [1.94-5.59]) among pneumococcal carriers and non-carriers, respectively). Conclusions Associations of pneumococcal carriage detection and density with SARS-CoV-2 suggest a synergistic relationship in the upper airway. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine interaction mechanisms between pneumococci and SARS-CoV-2. Key points In an adult ambulatory and community sample, SARS-CoV-2 infection was more prevalent among pneumococcal carriers than non-carriers.Associations between pneumococcal carriage and SARS-CoV-2 infection were strongest among adults reporting acute symptoms and receiving SARS-CoV-2 testing in a clinical setting.
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21
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Steurer LM, Hetzmannseder M, Willinger B, Starzengruber P, Mikula-Pratschke C, Kormann-Klement A, Weber M, Berger A, Grill A. Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization in health care professionals at a tertiary university pediatric hospital. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2022; 41:971-976. [PMID: 35469365 PMCID: PMC9135860 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-022-04446-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a commensal of the human upper respiratory tract. In certain cases, it can lead to serious invasive infections peaking in very young children and the elderly. Especially young children are frequent carriers and are thus regarded as the reservoir for horizontal transmission of pneumococci. This is the first study evaluating pneumococcal colonization patterns in healthcare professionals working in a tertiary care pediatric hospital, including carriage prevalence, serotype distribution, and risk factors for carriage. One oropharyngeal and one nasal swab per individual were directly plated onto appropriate agar plates and conventional culture was used for bacterial identification. Pneumococcal isolates underwent serotyping using Neufeld's Quellung reaction with type-specific antisera. Additional nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were taken for qPCR analysis targeting lytA. In total, 437 individuals were enrolled. S. pneumoniae was isolated in 4.8% (21/437) of the study cohort using conventional culture and in 20.1% (88/437) of subjects using qPCR. Independent risk factors for pneumococcal carriage were living in the same household with children under 8 years of age and being aged 36-45 years with a carriage prevalence reaching 11.6% (vs. 2.9%, p = 0.002) and 6.7% (vs. 4.3%, p = 0.029), respectively. The most common serotypes were 6C and 3. A total of 71.4% (15/21) of the detected serotypes are not included in any currently available pneumococcal vaccine; 28.6% (6/21) of the carried serotypes are included in the PCV13 vaccine. We found a relevant amount of pneumococcal carriage bearing the potential risk of horizontal in-hospital transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Maria Steurer
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währingergürtel 18-20, Vienna, 1090, Austria.
| | - Mathias Hetzmannseder
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währingergürtel 18-20, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Birgit Willinger
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Starzengruber
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Mikula-Pratschke
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Graz, Austria
| | - Andrea Kormann-Klement
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Graz, Austria
| | - Michael Weber
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Berger
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währingergürtel 18-20, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Agnes Grill
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währingergürtel 18-20, Vienna, 1090, Austria
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22
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Miellet WR, van Veldhuizen J, Litt D, Mariman R, Wijmenga-Monsuur AJ, Badoux P, Nieuwenhuijsen T, Thombre R, Mayet S, Eletu S, Sheppard C, van Houten MA, Rots NY, Miller E, Fry NK, Sanders EAM, Trzciński K. It Takes Two to Tango: Combining Conventional Culture With Molecular Diagnostics Enhances Accuracy of Streptococcus pneumoniae Detection and Pneumococcal Serogroup/Serotype Determination in Carriage. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:859736. [PMID: 35509314 PMCID: PMC9060910 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.859736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The specificity of molecular methods for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage is under debate. We propose a procedure for carriage surveillance and vaccine impact studies that increases the accuracy of molecular detection of live pneumococci in polymicrobial respiratory samples. Methods Culture and qPCR methods were applied to detect pneumococcus and pneumococcal serotypes in 1,549 nasopharyngeal samples collected in the Netherlands (n = 972) and England (n = 577) from 946 toddlers and 603 adults, and in paired oropharyngeal samples collected exclusively from 319 Dutch adults. Samples with no live pneumococci isolated at primary diagnostic culture yet generating signal specific for pneumococcus in qPCRs were re-examined with a second, qPCR-guided culture. Optimal Cq cut-offs for positivity in qPCRs were determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis using isolation of live pneumococci from the primary and qPCR-guided cultures as reference. Results Detection of pneumococcus and pneumococcal serotypes with qPCRs in cultured (culture-enriched) nasopharyngeal samples exhibited near-perfect agreement with conventional culture (Cohen’s kappa: 0.95). Molecular methods displayed increased sensitivity of detection for multiple serotype carriage, and implementation of qPCR-guided culturing significantly increased the proportion of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples from which live pneumococcus was recovered (p < 0.0001). For paired nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples from adults none of the methods applied to a single sample type exhibited good agreement with results for primary and qPCR-guided nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cultures combined (Cohens kappa; 0.13–0.55). However, molecular detection of pneumococcus displayed increased sensitivity with culture-enriched oropharyngeal samples when compared with either nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal primary cultures (p < 0.05). Conclusion The accuracy of pneumococcal carriage surveillance can be greatly improved by complementing conventional culture with qPCR and vice versa, by using results of conventional and qPCR-guided cultures to interpret qPCR data. The specificity of molecular methods for the detection of live pneumococci can be enhanced by incorporating statistical procedures based on ROC curve analysis. The procedure we propose for future carriage surveillance and vaccine impact studies improves detection of pneumococcal carriage in adults in particular and enhances the specificity of serotype carriage detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem R Miellet
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Janieke van Veldhuizen
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - David Litt
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Reference Unit (RVPBRU), Public Health England - National Infection Service, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Mariman
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Alienke J Wijmenga-Monsuur
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Paul Badoux
- Regional Laboratory of Public Health (Streeklab) Haarlem, Haarlem, Netherlands
| | - Tessa Nieuwenhuijsen
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rebecca Thombre
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Reference Unit (RVPBRU), Public Health England - National Infection Service, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sanaa Mayet
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Reference Unit (RVPBRU), Public Health England - National Infection Service, London, United Kingdom
| | - Seyi Eletu
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Reference Unit (RVPBRU), Public Health England - National Infection Service, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carmen Sheppard
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Reference Unit (RVPBRU), Public Health England - National Infection Service, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nynke Y Rots
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Elizabeth Miller
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, Public Health England (PHE) - National Infection Service, London, United Kingdom
| | - Norman K Fry
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Reference Unit (RVPBRU), Public Health England - National Infection Service, London, United Kingdom.,Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, Public Health England (PHE) - National Infection Service, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth A M Sanders
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Krzysztof Trzciński
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, Netherlands
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23
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Pneumococcal carriage in unvaccinated children at the time of vaccine implementation into the national immunization program in Poland. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5858. [PMID: 35393439 PMCID: PMC8991213 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09488-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated pneumococcal carriage among unvaccinated children under five years of age at a time when the conjugate polysaccharide vaccine (PCV) was introduced in Poland into the national immunization program (NIP). Paired nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) and saliva samples collected between 2016 and 2020 from n = 394 children were tested with conventional culture and using qPCR. The carriage rate detected by culture was 25.4% (97 of 394), by qPCR 39.1% (155 of 394), and 40.1% (158 of 394) overall. The risk of carriage was significantly elevated among day care center attendees, and during autumn/winter months. Among isolates cultured, the most common serotypes were: 23A, 6B, 15BC, 10A, 11A. The coverage of PCV10 and PCV13 was 23.2% (23 of 99) and 26.3% (26 of 99), respectively. Application of qPCR lead to detection of 168 serotype carriage events, with serogroups 15, 6, 9 and serotype 23A most commonly detected. Although the highest number of carriers was identified by testing NPS with qPCR, saliva significantly contributed to the overall number of detected carriers. Co-carriage of multiple serotypes was detected in 25.3% (40 of 158) of carriers. The results of this study represent a baseline for the future surveillance of effects of pneumococcal vaccines in NIP in Poland.
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24
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Allicock OM, Petrone ME, Yolda-Carr D, Breban M, Walsh H, Watkins AE, Rothman JE, Farhadian SF, Grubaugh ND, Wyllie AL. Evaluation of saliva self-collection devices for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:284. [PMID: 35337266 PMCID: PMC8953967 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07285-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is an urgent need to expand testing for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens as the global community struggles to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Current diagnostic methods can be affected by supply chain bottlenecks and require the assistance of medical professionals, impeding the implementation of large-scale testing. Self-collection of saliva may solve these problems, as it can be completed without specialized training and uses generic materials. METHODS We observed 30 individuals who self-collected saliva using four different collection devices and analyzed their feedback. Two of these devices, a funnel and bulb pipette, were used to evaluate at-home saliva collection by 60 individuals. SARS-CoV-2-spiked saliva samples were subjected to temperature cycles designed to simulate the conditions the samples might be exposed to during the summer and winter seasons and sensitivity of detection was evaluated. RESULTS All devices enabled the safe, unsupervised self-collection of saliva. The quantity and quality of the samples received were acceptable for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing, as determined by human RNase P detection. There was no significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid gene (N1) detection between the freshly spiked samples and those incubated with the summer and winter profiles. CONCLUSION We demonstrate inexpensive, generic, buffer free collection devices suitable for unsupervised and home saliva self-collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orchid M Allicock
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Mary E Petrone
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Devyn Yolda-Carr
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Mallery Breban
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Hannah Walsh
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Anne E Watkins
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Jessica E Rothman
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Shelli F Farhadian
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Nathan D Grubaugh
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Anne L Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
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25
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de Steenhuijsen Piters WAA, Watson RL, de Koff EM, Hasrat R, Arp K, Chu MLJN, de Groot PCM, van Houten MA, Sanders EAM, Bogaert D. Early-life viral infections are associated with disadvantageous immune and microbiota profiles and recurrent respiratory infections. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:224-237. [PMID: 35058634 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-01043-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The respiratory tract is populated by a specialized microbial ecosystem, which is seeded during and directly following birth. Perturbed development of the respiratory microbial community in early-life has been associated with higher susceptibility to respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Given a consistent gap in time between first signs of aberrant microbial maturation and the observation of the first RTIs, we hypothesized that early-life host-microbe cross-talk plays a role in this process. We therefore investigated viral presence, gene expression profiles and nasopharyngeal microbiota from birth until 12 months of age in 114 healthy infants. We show that the strongest dynamics in gene expression profiles occurred within the first days of life, mostly involving Toll-like receptor (TLR) and inflammasome signalling. These gene expression dynamics coincided with rapid microbial niche differentiation. Early asymptomatic viral infection co-occurred with stronger interferon activity, which was related to specific microbiota dynamics following, including early enrichment of Moraxella and Haemophilus spp. These microbial trajectories were in turn related to a higher number of subsequent (viral) RTIs over the first year of life. Using a multi-omic approach, we found evidence for species-specific host-microbe interactions related to consecutive susceptibility to RTIs. Although further work will be needed to confirm causality of our findings, together these data indicate that early-life viral encounters could impact subsequent host-microbe cross-talk, which is linked to later-life infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter A A de Steenhuijsen Piters
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Rebecca L Watson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Emma M de Koff
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
- Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Raiza Hasrat
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Kayleigh Arp
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Mei Ling J N Chu
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Pieter C M de Groot
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Spaarne Gasthuis, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Marlies A van Houten
- Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, the Netherlands
- Department of Paediatrics, Spaarne Gasthuis, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth A M Sanders
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Debby Bogaert
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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26
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Valente C, Cruz AR, Henriques AO, Sá-Leão R. Intra-Species Interactions in Streptococcus pneumoniae Biofilms. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:803286. [PMID: 35071049 PMCID: PMC8767070 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.803286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a human pathogen responsible for high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Disease is incidental and is preceded by asymptomatic nasopharyngeal colonization in the form of biofilms. Simultaneous colonization by multiple pneumococcal strains is frequent but remains poorly characterized. Previous studies, using mostly laboratory strains, showed that pneumococcal strains can reciprocally affect each other's colonization ability. Here, we aimed at developing a strategy to investigate pneumococcal intra-species interactions occurring in biofilms. A 72h abiotic biofilm model mimicking long-term colonization was applied to study eight pneumococcal strains encompassing 6 capsular types and 7 multilocus sequence types. Strains were labeled with GFP or RFP, generating two fluorescent variants for each. Intra-species interactions were evaluated in dual-strain biofilms (1:1 ratio) using flow cytometry. Confocal microscopy was used to image representative biofilms. Twenty-eight dual-strain combinations were tested. Interactions of commensalism, competition, amensalism and neutralism were identified. The outcome of an interaction was independent of the capsular and sequence type of the strains involved. Confocal imaging of biofilms confirmed the positive, negative and neutral effects that pneumococci can exert on each other. In conclusion, we developed an experimental approach that successfully discriminates pneumococcal strains growing in mixed biofilms, which enables the identification of intra-species interactions. Several types of interactions occur among pneumococci. These observations are a starting point to study the mechanisms underlying those interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Valente
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana R Cruz
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Adriano O Henriques
- Laboratory of Microbial Development, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Raquel Sá-Leão
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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27
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Molecular surveillance of pneumococcal carriage following completion of immunization with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine administered in a 3 + 1 schedule. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24534. [PMID: 34969968 PMCID: PMC8718523 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03720-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In a cross-sectional study, with the use of molecular methods, we aimed to gain insight into oropharyngeal pneumococcal colonization over time in 1212 Greek children recruited in general pediatric settings throughout the country; they were fully vaccinated with PCV13 (3 + 1 schedule). A single sample was obtained from each child at a time interval of 26 days to 70 months after administration of the 4th (booster) PCV13 dose; sampling time was divided into six time intervals. Carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae was detected by real-time PCR targeting the lytA gene and isolates were serotyped by singleplex real-time PCR assays. Multiple control procedures to avoid false-positive results were applied. We showed an overall S. pneumoniae carriage rate of 48.6%. Serotyping identified typeable isolates in 82% of the total lytA-positive samples. Non-PCV13 serotypes represented 83.8% of total isolates when excluding serogroups with mixed PCV13 and non-PCV13 serotypes. In multivariate analysis daycare/school attendance emerged as the main contributing factor. Notably, serotypes 19A and 3 were the only two PCV13 serotypes the colonization rate of which increased over time (χ2 for trend P < 0.001 and P = 0.012, respectively). The application of the SP2020 gene on lytA-positive serotyped samples showed pneumococcal colonization in 97% of cases, and the overall colonization profile over time closely resembled that of the lytA gene. With the provisions of the methodological approach and age group of our study, the use of the oropharynx emerges as a reliable alternative to the nasopharynx in estimating pneumococcal carriage in epidemiological studies.
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28
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Hasrat R, Kool J, de Steenhuijsen Piters WAA, Chu MLJN, Kuiling S, Groot JA, van Logchem EM, Fuentes S, Franz E, Bogaert D, Bosch T. Benchmarking laboratory processes to characterise low-biomass respiratory microbiota. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17148. [PMID: 34433845 PMCID: PMC8387476 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96556-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The low biomass of respiratory samples makes it difficult to accurately characterise the microbial community composition. PCR conditions and contaminating microbial DNA can alter the biological profile. The objective of this study was to benchmark the currently available laboratory protocols to accurately analyse the microbial community of low biomass samples. To study the effect of PCR conditions on the microbial community profile, we amplified the 16S rRNA gene of respiratory samples using various bacterial loads and different number of PCR cycles. Libraries were purified by gel electrophoresis or AMPure XP and sequenced by V2 or V3 MiSeq reagent kits by Illumina sequencing. The positive control was diluted in different solvents. PCR conditions had no significant influence on the microbial community profile of low biomass samples. Purification methods and MiSeq reagent kits provided nearly similar microbiota profiles (paired Bray–Curtis dissimilarity median: 0.03 and 0.05, respectively). While profiles of positive controls were significantly influenced by the type of dilution solvent, the theoretical profile of the Zymo mock was most accurately analysed when the Zymo mock was diluted in elution buffer (difference compared to the theoretical Zymo mock: 21.6% for elution buffer, 29.2% for Milli-Q, and 79.6% for DNA/RNA shield). Microbiota profiles of DNA blanks formed a distinct cluster compared to low biomass samples, demonstrating that low biomass samples can accurately be distinguished from DNA blanks. In summary, to accurately characterise the microbial community composition we recommend 1. amplification of the obtained microbial DNA with 30 PCR cycles, 2. purifying amplicon pools by two consecutive AMPure XP steps and 3. sequence the pooled amplicons by V3 MiSeq reagent kit. The benchmarked standardized laboratory workflow presented here ensures comparability of results within and between low biomass microbiome studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raiza Hasrat
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 AB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jolanda Kool
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter A A de Steenhuijsen Piters
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 AB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mei Ling J N Chu
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 AB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd Kuiling
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - James A Groot
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Elske M van Logchem
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Susana Fuentes
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Eelco Franz
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Debby Bogaert
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 AB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.,University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Thijs Bosch
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
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29
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Differential Analysis of Longitudinal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in Relation to Microbial Shifts in the Nasal Microbiome of Neonatal Piglets. mSystems 2021; 6:e0015221. [PMID: 34282937 PMCID: PMC8407314 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00152-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important human pathogen and often colonizes pigs. To lower the risk of MRSA transmission to humans, a reduction of MRSA prevalence and/or load in pig farms is needed. The nasal microbiome contains commensal species that may protect against MRSA colonization and may be used to develop competitive exclusion strategies. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the species that compete with MRSA in the developing porcine nasal microbiome, and the moment of MRSA colonization, we analyzed nasal swabs from piglets in two litters. The swabs were taken longitudinally, starting directly after birth until 6 weeks. Both 16S rRNA and tuf gene sequencing data with different phylogenetic resolutions and complementary culture-based and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)-based MRSA quantification data were collected. We employed a compositionally aware bioinformatics approach (CoDaSeq + rmcorr) for analysis of longitudinal measurements of the nasal microbiota. The richness and diversity in the developing nasal microbiota increased over time, albeit with a reduction of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and an increase of Proteobacteria. Coabundant groups (CAGs) of species showing strong positive and negative correlation with colonization of MRSA and S. aureus were identified. Combining 16S rRNA and tuf gene sequencing provided greater Staphylococcus species resolution, which is necessary to inform strategies with potential protective effects against MRSA colonization in pigs. IMPORTANCE The large reservoir of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in pig farms imposes a significant zoonotic risk. An effective strategy to reduce MRSA colonization in pig farms is competitive exclusion whereby MRSA colonization can be reduced by the action of competing bacterial species. We complemented 16S rRNA gene sequencing with Staphylococcus-specific tuf gene sequencing to identify species anticorrelating with MRSA colonization. This approach allowed us to elucidate microbiome dynamics and identify species that are negatively and positively associated with MRSA, potentially suggesting a route for its competitive exclusion.
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30
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Allicock OM, Petrone ME, Yolda-Carr D, Breban M, Walsh H, Watkins AE, Rothman JE, Farhadian SF, Grubaugh ND, Wyllie AL. Evaluation of saliva self-collection devices for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021. [PMID: 33564787 PMCID: PMC7872382 DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.01.21250946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to expand testing for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens as the global community struggles to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Current diagnostic methods can be affected by supply chain bottlenecks and require the assistance of medical professionals, impeding the implementation of large-scale testing. Self-collection of saliva may solve these problems, as it can be completed without specialized training and uses generic materials. In this study, we observed thirty individuals who self-collected saliva using four different collection devices and analyzed their feedback. Two of these devices, a funnel and bulb pipette, were used to evaluate at-home saliva collection by 60 individuals. All devices enabled the safe, unsupervised self-collection of saliva. The quantity and quality of the samples received were acceptable for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing, as determined by RNase P detection. Here, we demonstrate inexpensive, generic, buffer free collection devices suitable for unsupervised and home saliva self-collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orchid M Allicock
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Mary E Petrone
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Devyn Yolda-Carr
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Mallery Breban
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Hannah Walsh
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Anne E Watkins
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Jessica E Rothman
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Shelli F Farhadian
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Nathan D Grubaugh
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Anne L Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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31
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de Koff EM, Man WH, van Houten MA, Vlieger AM, Chu MLJN, Sanders EAM, Bogaert D. Microbial and clinical factors are related to recurrence of symptoms after childhood lower respiratory tract infection. ERJ Open Res 2021; 7:00939-2020. [PMID: 34195257 PMCID: PMC8236756 DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00939-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are associated with dysbiosis of the nasopharyngeal microbiota, and persistent dysbiosis following the LRTI may in turn be related to recurrent or chronic respiratory problems. Therefore, we aimed to investigate microbial and clinical predictors of early recurrence of respiratory symptoms as well as recovery of the microbial community following hospital admission for LRTI in children. To this end, we collected clinical data and characterised the nasopharyngeal microbiota of 154 children (4 weeks–5 years old) hospitalised for a LRTI (bronchiolitis, pneumonia, wheezing illness or mixed infection) at admission and 4–8 weeks later. Data were compared to 307 age-, sex- and time-matched healthy controls. During follow-up, 66% of cases experienced recurrence of (mild) respiratory symptoms. In cases with recurrence of symptoms during follow-up, we found distinct nasopharyngeal microbiota at hospital admission, with higher levels of Haemophilus influenzae/haemolyticus, Prevotella oris and other gram-negatives and lower levels of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum/propinquum and Dolosigranulum pigrum compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, in cases with recurrence of respiratory symptoms, recovery of the microbiota was also diminished. Especially in cases with wheezing illness, we observed a high rate of recurrence of respiratory symptoms, as well as diminished microbiota recovery at follow-up. Together, our results suggest a link between the nasopharyngeal microbiota composition during LRTI and early recurrence of respiratory symptoms, as well as diminished microbiota recovery after 4–8 weeks. Future studies should investigate whether (speed of) ecological recovery following childhood LRTI is associated with long-term respiratory problems. Composition of nasopharyngeal microbiota during LRTI in children is related to recurring respiratory symptoms in the following months, and to incomplete microbiota recovery. Future research may pinpoint host and microbial predictors of clinical outcomes.https://bit.ly/3aInAwN
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M de Koff
- Spaarne Academy, Spaarne Gasthuis, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, The Netherlands.,Dept of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wing Ho Man
- Spaarne Academy, Spaarne Gasthuis, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, The Netherlands.,Dept of Paediatrics, Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital and Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marlies A van Houten
- Spaarne Academy, Spaarne Gasthuis, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, The Netherlands.,Dept of Paediatrics, Spaarne Gasthuis, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, The Netherlands
| | - Arine M Vlieger
- Dept of Paediatrics, St Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | - Mei Ling J N Chu
- Dept of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth A M Sanders
- Dept of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Debby Bogaert
- Dept of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Medical Research Council and University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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32
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Malik TM, Mohammed-Awel J, Gumel AB, Elbasha EH. Mathematical assessment of the impact of cohort vaccination on pneumococcal carriage and serotype replacement. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DYNAMICS 2021; 15:S214-S247. [PMID: 33594952 DOI: 10.1080/17513758.2021.1884760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although pneumococcal vaccines are quite effective in reducing disease burden, factors such as imperfect vaccine efficacy and serotype replacement present an important challenge against realizing direct and herd protection benefits of the vaccines. In this study, a novel mathematical model is designed and used to describe the dynamics of two Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) serotypes, in response to the introduction of a cohort vaccination program which targets one of the two serotypes. The model is fitted to a pediatric SP carriage prevalence data from Atlanta, GA. The model, which is rigorously analysed to investigate the existence and asymptotic stability properties of the associated equilibria (in addition to exploring conditions for competitive exclusion), is simulated to assess the impact of vaccination under different levels of serotype-specific competition and illustrate the phenomenon of serotype replacement. The calibrated model is used to forecast the carriage prevalence in the pediatric cohort over 30 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tufail M Malik
- Merck & Co. Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | | | - Abba B Gumel
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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33
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Kristensen MI, de Winter-de Groot KM, Berkers G, Chu MLJN, Arp K, Ghijsen S, Heijerman HGM, Arets HGM, Majoor CJ, Janssens HM, van der Meer R, Bogaert D, van der Ent CK. Individual and Group Response of Treatment with Ivacaftor on Airway and Gut Microbiota in People with CF and a S1251N Mutation. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11050350. [PMID: 33925519 PMCID: PMC8146888 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11050350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ivacaftor has been shown to restore the functionality of the S1251N (also known as c.3752G>A) mutated CFTR, which may cause alterations in both airway and gut physiology and micro-environment, resulting in a change of microbiota in these organs. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of ivacaftor on the microbial community composition of both airway and gut in subjects with CF carrying one S1251N mutation, using a 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing approach. In 16 subjects with CF, repetitive samples from airways and gut were collected just before, and 2 months after, and, for 8 patients, also 9 and 12 months after, start of ivacaftor. 16S rRNA based sequencing identified 344 operational taxonomical units (OTUs) in a total of 139 samples (35 nasopharyngeal, 39 oropharyngeal, 29 sputum, and 36 fecal samples). Ivacaftor significantly enhanced bacterial diversity and overall microbiota composition in the gut (p < 0.01). There were no significant changes in the overall microbial composition and alpha diversity in upper and lower airways of these patients after ivacaftor treatment. Treatment with ivacaftor induces changes in gut microbiota whereas airway microbiota do not change significantly over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maartje I. Kristensen
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.I.K.); (K.M.d.W.-d.G.); (G.B.); (S.G.); (H.G.M.A.); (C.K.v.d.E.)
| | - Karin M. de Winter-de Groot
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.I.K.); (K.M.d.W.-d.G.); (G.B.); (S.G.); (H.G.M.A.); (C.K.v.d.E.)
| | - Gitte Berkers
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.I.K.); (K.M.d.W.-d.G.); (G.B.); (S.G.); (H.G.M.A.); (C.K.v.d.E.)
| | - Mei Ling J. N. Chu
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.L.J.N.C.); (K.A.)
| | - Kayleigh Arp
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.L.J.N.C.); (K.A.)
| | - Sophie Ghijsen
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.I.K.); (K.M.d.W.-d.G.); (G.B.); (S.G.); (H.G.M.A.); (C.K.v.d.E.)
| | - Harry G. M. Heijerman
- Department of Pulmonology, University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Hubertus G. M. Arets
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.I.K.); (K.M.d.W.-d.G.); (G.B.); (S.G.); (H.G.M.A.); (C.K.v.d.E.)
| | - Christof J. Majoor
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Hettie M. Janssens
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children’s Hospital, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Renske van der Meer
- Department of Pulmonology, Haga Teaching Hospital, 2545 AA The Hague, The Netherlands;
| | - Debby Bogaert
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.L.J.N.C.); (K.A.)
- The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Cornelis K. van der Ent
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital—University Medical Center, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.I.K.); (K.M.d.W.-d.G.); (G.B.); (S.G.); (H.G.M.A.); (C.K.v.d.E.)
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34
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Ott IM, Strine MS, Watkins AE, Boot M, Kalinich CC, Harden CA, Vogels CBF, Casanovas-Massana A, Moore AJ, Muenker MC, Nakahata M, Tokuyama M, Nelson A, Fournier J, Bermejo S, Campbell M, Datta R, Dela Cruz CS, Farhadian SF, Ko AI, Iwasaki A, Grubaugh ND, Wilen CB, Wyllie AL. Stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Nonsupplemented Saliva. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:1146-1150. [PMID: 33754989 PMCID: PMC8007305 DOI: 10.3201/eid2704.204199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The expense of saliva collection devices designed to stabilize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA is prohibitive to mass testing. However, virus RNA in nonsupplemented saliva is stable for extended periods and at elevated temperatures. Simple plastic tubes for saliva collection will make large-scale testing and continued surveillance easier.
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35
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Miellet WR, van Veldhuizen J, Nicolaie MA, Mariman R, Bootsma HJ, Bosch T, Rots NY, Sanders EAM, van Beek J, Trzciński K. Influenza-like Illness Exacerbates Pneumococcal Carriage in Older Adults. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 73:e2680-e2689. [PMID: 33124669 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In older adults pneumococcal disease is strongly associated with respiratory viral infections, but the impact of viruses on Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage prevalence and load remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of influenza-like illness (ILI) on pneumococcal carriage in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS We investigated the presence of pneumococcal DNA in saliva samples collected in the 2014/2015 influenza season from 232 individuals aged ≥60 years at ILI-onset, followed by sampling 2-3 weeks and 7-9 weeks after the first sample. We also sampled 194 age-matched controls twice 2-3 weeks apart. Pneumococcal DNA was detected with quantitative-PCRs targeting piaB and lytA genes in raw and in culture-enriched saliva. Bacterial and pneumococcal abundances were determined in raw saliva with 16S and piaB quantification. RESULTS The prevalence of pneumococcus-positive samples was highest at onset of ILI (18% or 42/232) and lowest among controls (13% or 26/194, and 11% or 22/194, at the first and second sampling moment, respectively), though these differences were not significant. Pneumococcal carriage was associated with exposure to young children (OR:2.71, 95%CI 1.51-5.02, p<0.001), and among asymptomatic controls with presence of rhinovirus infection (OR:4.23; 95%CI 1.16-14.22, p<0.05). When compared with carriers among controls, pneumococcal absolute abundances were significantly higher at onset of ILI (p<0.01), and remained elevated beyond recovery from ILI (p<0.05). Finally, pneumococcal abundances were highest in carriage events newly-detected after ILI-onset (estimated geometric mean 1.21E -5, 95%CI 2.48E -7-2.41E -5, compared with pre-existing carriage). CONCLUSIONS ILI exacerbates pneumococcal colonization of the airways in older adults, and this effect persists beyond recovery from ILI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem R Miellet
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.,Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Janieke van Veldhuizen
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mioara A Nicolaie
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.,Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Care, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Mariman
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Hester J Bootsma
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs Bosch
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Nynke Y Rots
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth A M Sanders
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.,Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Josine van Beek
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Krzysztof Trzciński
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Niche- and Gender-Dependent Immune Reactions in Relation to the Microbiota Profile in Pediatric Patients with Otitis Media with Effusion. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00147-20. [PMID: 32661126 PMCID: PMC7504947 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00147-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common inflammatory disease that primarily affects children. OME is defined as a chronic low-grade inflammation of the middle ear (ME), without any signs of infection and with effusion persisting in the ME for more than 3 months. The precise pathogenesis is, however, not fully understood. Here, we comprehensively characterized and compared the host immune responses (inflammatory cells and mediators) and the overall microbial community composition (microbiota) present in matched middle ear effusion (MEE) samples, external ear canal (EEC) lavages, and nasopharynx (NPH) samples from children with OME. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common inflammatory disease that primarily affects children. OME is defined as a chronic low-grade inflammation of the middle ear (ME), without any signs of infection and with effusion persisting in the ME for more than 3 months. The precise pathogenesis is, however, not fully understood. Here, we comprehensively characterized and compared the host immune responses (inflammatory cells and mediators) and the overall microbial community composition (microbiota) present in matched middle ear effusion (MEE) samples, external ear canal (EEC) lavages, and nasopharynx (NPH) samples from children with OME. Female patients had significantly increased percentages of T lymphocytes and higher levels of a wide array of inflammatory mediators in their MEE compared to that of male patients, which were unrelated to microbiota composition. The relative abundances of identified microorganisms were strongly associated with their niche of origin. Furthermore, specific inflammatory mediators were highly correlated with certain bacterial species. Interestingly, some organisms displayed a niche-driven inflammation pattern in which presence of Haemophilus spp. and Corynebacterium propinquum in MEE was accompanied by proinflammatory mediators, whereas their presence in NPH was accompanied by anti-inflammatory mediators. For Turicella and Alloiococcus, we found exactly the opposite results, i.e., an anti-inflammatory profile when present in MEE, whereas their presence in the the NPH was accompanied by a proinflammatory profile. Together, our results indicate that immune responses in children with OME are highly niche- and microbiota-driven, but gender-based differences were also observed, providing novel insight into potential pathogenic mechanisms behind OME.
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Almeida ST, Paulo AC, Froes F, de Lencastre H, Sá-Leão R. Dynamics of Pneumococcal Carriage in Adults: A New Look at an Old Paradigm. J Infect Dis 2020; 223:1590-1600. [PMID: 32877517 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited information is available on pneumococcal colonization among adults. We studied pneumococcal carriage dynamics in healthy adults using high-sensitivity approaches. METHODS Eighty-seven adults (25-50 years old) were followed for 6 months in Portugal. Nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and saliva samples were obtained monthly; pneumococcal carriers were also sampled weekly. Carriage was investigated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (targeting lytA and piaB) and culture. Positive samples were serotyped. RESULTS Approximately 20% of the adults were intermittent carriers; 10% were persistent carriers (>4 months). Pneumococcal acquisition and clearance rates were 16.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.2-24.2) and 95.9 (95% CI, 62.3-145.0) cases/1000 person-weeks, respectively. Living with children increased pneumococcal acquisition (hazard ratio, 9.7 [95% CI, 2.6-20.5]; P < .001). Median duration of carriage was 7 weeks and did not depend on regular contact with children. CONCLUSIONS The pneumococcal carrier state in healthy adults is more dynamic than generally assumed: Acquisition is frequent and duration of carriage is often long. This suggests that some adults may act as reservoirs of pneumococci and hence, depending on the social structure of a community, the magnitude of herd effects potentially attainable through children vaccination may vary. These findings are important when designing strategies to prevent pneumococcal disease in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sónia T Almeida
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana Cristina Paulo
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Filipe Froes
- Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos Médico-Cirúrgicos, Departamento do Tórax, Hospital Pulido Valente Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Hermínia de Lencastre
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.,Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Raquel Sá-Leão
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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38
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Ott IM, Strine MS, Watkins AE, Boot M, Kalinich CC, Harden CA, Vogels CB, Casanovas-Massana A, Moore AJ, Muenker MC, Nakahata M, Tokuyama M, Nelson A, Fournier J, Bermejo S, Campbell M, Datta R, Dela Cruz CS, Farhadian SF, Ko AI, Iwasaki A, Grubaugh ND, Wilen CB, Wyllie AL. Simply saliva: stability of SARS-CoV-2 detection negates the need for expensive collection devices. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2020:2020.08.03.20165233. [PMID: 32793924 PMCID: PMC7418742 DOI: 10.1101/2020.08.03.20165233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Most currently approved strategies for the collection of saliva for COVID-19 diagnostics require specialized tubes containing buffers promoted for the stabilization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and virus inactivation. Yet many of these are expensive, in limited supply, and not necessarily validated specifically for viral RNA. While saliva is a promising sample type as it can be reliably self-collected for the sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2, the expense and availability of these collection tubes are prohibitive to mass testing efforts. Therefore, we investigated the stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and infectious virus detection from saliva without supplementation. We tested RNA stability over extended periods of time (2-25 days) and at temperatures representing at-home storage and elevated temperatures which might be experienced when cold chain transport may be unavailable. We found SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva from infected individuals is stable at 4°C, room temperature (~19°C), and 30°C for prolonged periods and found limited evidence for viral replication in saliva. This work demonstrates that expensive saliva collection options involving RNA stabilization and virus inactivation buffers are not always needed, permitting the use of cheaper collection options. Affordable testing methods are urgently needed to meet current testing demands and for continued surveillance in reopening strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel M. Ott
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Madison S. Strine
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Anne E. Watkins
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Maikel Boot
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Chaney C. Kalinich
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Christina A. Harden
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Chantal B.F. Vogels
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Arnau Casanovas-Massana
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Adam J. Moore
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - M. Catherine Muenker
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Maura Nakahata
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Maria Tokuyama
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Allison Nelson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - John Fournier
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Santos Bermejo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Melissa Campbell
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Rupak Datta
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | | | - Charles S. Dela Cruz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Shelli F. Farhadian
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Albert I. Ko
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Akiko Iwasaki
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Nathan D. Grubaugh
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Craig B. Wilen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Anne L. Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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Berbers RM, Mohamed Hoesein FAA, Ellerbroek PM, van Montfrans JM, Dalm VASH, van Hagen PM, Paganelli FL, Viveen MC, Rogers MRC, de Jong PA, Uh HW, Willems RJL, Leavis HL. Low IgA Associated With Oropharyngeal Microbiota Changes and Lung Disease in Primary Antibody Deficiency. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1245. [PMID: 32636843 PMCID: PMC7318304 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) and X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) are primary antibody deficiencies characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and recurrent infections, which can lead to structural airway disease (AD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). We investigated associations between serum IgA, oropharyngeal microbiota composition and severity of lung disease in these patients. In this cross-sectional multicentre study we analyzed oropharyngeal microbiota composition of 86 CVID patients, 12 XLA patients and 49 healthy controls (HC) using next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. qPCR was used to estimate bacterial load. IgA was measured in serum. High resolution CT scans were scored for severity of AD and ILD. Oropharyngeal bacterial load was increased in CVID patients with low IgA (p = 0.013) and XLA (p = 0.029) compared to HC. IgA status was associated with distinct beta (between-sample) diversity (p = 0.039), enrichment of (Allo)prevotella, and more severe radiographic lung disease (p = 0.003), independently of recent antibiotic use. AD scores were positively associated with Prevotella, Alloprevotella, and Selenomonas, and ILD scores with Streptococcus and negatively with Rothia. In clinically stable patients with CVID and XLA, radiographic lung disease was associated with IgA deficiency and expansion of distinct oropharyngeal bacterial taxa. Our findings highlight IgA as a potential driver of upper respiratory tract microbiota homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roos-Marijn Berbers
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Pauline M Ellerbroek
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Joris M van Montfrans
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Virgil A S H Dalm
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Academic Center for Rare Immunological Diseases (RIDC), Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - P Martin van Hagen
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Academic Center for Rare Immunological Diseases (RIDC), Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Fernanda L Paganelli
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marco C Viveen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Malbert R C Rogers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Pim A de Jong
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Hae-Won Uh
- Department of Biostatistics and Research Support, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rob J L Willems
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Helen L Leavis
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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40
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Almeida ST, Pedro T, Paulo AC, de Lencastre H, Sá-Leão R. Re-evaluation of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage in Portuguese elderly by qPCR increases carriage estimates and unveils an expanded pool of serotypes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8373. [PMID: 32433504 PMCID: PMC7239868 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65399-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a leading cause of infections worldwide. Disease is preceded by asymptomatic colonization of the upper respiratory tract. Classical culture-based methods (CCBM) suggest that colonization in the elderly is <5%. Recently, use of qPCR has challenged these observations. We estimated pneumococcal carriage prevalence and serotypes among Portuguese elderly using qPCR and compared results with those obtained by CCBM. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal paired samples (599 each) of individuals over 60 years living in nursing (n = 299) or family (n = 300) homes were screened for the presence of pneumococci by qPCR targeting lytA and piaB. Positive samples were molecular serotyped. Use of qPCR improved detection of pneumococci in oropharyngeal samples compared to CCBM: from 0.7% to 10.4% (p < 0.001) in the nursing home collection, and from 0.3% to 5.0% (p < 0.001) in the family home collection. No significant differences were observed between both methods in nasopharyngeal samples (5.4% vs. 5.4% in the nursing homes; and 4.3% vs. 4.7% in the family homes). Twenty-one serotypes/serogroups were detected by qPCR compared to 14 by CCBM. In conclusion, use of qPCR suggests that pneumococcal carriage in Portuguese elderly is approximately 10%, and unveiled a large pool of serotypes. These results are important to understand progression to disease and impact of pneumococcal vaccines in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sónia T Almeida
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Tânia Pedro
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - A Cristina Paulo
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Hermínia de Lencastre
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.,Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Raquel Sá-Leão
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
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Arguedas A, Trzciński K, O'Brien KL, Ferreira DM, Wyllie AL, Weinberger D, Danon L, Pelton SI, Azzari C, Hammitt LL, Sá-Leão R, Brandileone MCC, Saha S, Suaya J, Isturiz R, Jodar L, Gessner BD. Upper respiratory tract colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults. Expert Rev Vaccines 2020; 19:353-366. [PMID: 32237926 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2020.1750378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Most of the current evidence regarding pneumococcal upper respiratory colonization in adults suggests that despite high disease burden, carriage prevalence is low. Contemporary studies on adult pneumococcal colonization have largely followed the pediatric approach by which samples are obtained mostly from the nasopharynx and bacterial detection is evaluated by routine culture alone. Recent evidence suggests that the 'pediatric approach' may be insufficient in adults and pneumococcal detection in this population may be improved by longitudinal studies that include samples from additional respiratory sites combined with more extensive laboratory testing. AREAS COVERED In this article, relevant literature published in peer review journals on adult pneumococcal colonization, epidemiology, detection methods, and recommendations were reviewed. EXPERT OPINION Respiratory carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been underestimated in adults. Contemporary pneumococcal carriage studies in adults that collect samples from alternative respiratory sites such as the oropharynx, saliva, or nasal wash; are culture-enriched for pneumococcus; and use molecular diagnostic methods designed to target two pneumococcal DNA sequences should enhance pneumococcal detection in the adult respiratory tract. This finding may have implications for the interpretation of dynamics of pneumococcal transmission and vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Arguedas
- Vaccines Medical Development & Scientific/Clinical Affairs, Pfizer Inc , Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Krzysztof Trzciński
- Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina's Children Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht , Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Katherine L O'Brien
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Anne L Wyllie
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health , New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daniel Weinberger
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health , New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Stephen I Pelton
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Maxwell Finland Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Boston Medical Center , Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chiara Azzari
- Meyer Children's Hospital and University of Florence , Florence, Italy
| | - Laura L Hammitt
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Raquel Sá-Leão
- Instituto De Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa , Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Samir Saha
- Child Health Research Foundation , Matuail, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jose Suaya
- Vaccines Medical Development & Scientific/Clinical Affairs, Pfizer Inc , New York, NY, USA
| | - Raul Isturiz
- Vaccines Medical Development & Scientific/Clinical Affairs, Pfizer Inc , Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Luis Jodar
- Vaccines Medical Development & Scientific/Clinical Affairs, Pfizer Inc , Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Bradford D Gessner
- Vaccines Medical Development & Scientific/Clinical Affairs, Pfizer Inc , Collegeville, PA, USA
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Efficacy of a Protein Vaccine and a Conjugate Vaccine Against Co-colonization with Vaccine-type and Non-vaccine Type Pneumococci in Mice. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9040278. [PMID: 32290340 PMCID: PMC7238145 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9040278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Widespread use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has led to substitution of vaccine-type (VT) strains by non-vaccine type (NVT) strains in nasopharyngeal carriage. We compared the efficacy of PCV13 and a nasal protein formulation containing pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) adjuvanted with the whole-cell pertussis vaccine (wP) in the protection against co-colonization challenge models in mice with VT and NVT strains expressing different PspAs. Immunized mice were challenged with two different mixtures: i. VT4 (PspA3) + NVT33 (PspA1) and ii. VT23F (PspA2) + NVT15B/C (PspA4). Results from the first mixture showed a reduction in loads of VT4 strain in the nasopharynx of mice immunized with PCV13. A statistical difference between the loads of the VT and NVT strains was observed, indicating a competitive advantage for the NVT strain in PCV13-immunized animals. In the second mixture, no reduction was observed for the VT23F strain, probably due to low levels of anti-23F polysaccharide IgG induced by PCV13. Interestingly, a combination of the PspA formulation containing wP with PCV13 led to a reduction in colonization with both strains of the two mixtures tested, similar to the groups immunized nasally with wP or PspA plus wP. These results indicate that a combination of vaccines may be a useful strategy to overcome pneumococcal serotype replacement.
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Yasuda I, Suzuki M, Dhoubhadel BG, Terada M, Satoh A, Sando E, Hiraoka T, Kurihara M, Matsusaka N, Kawahara F, Ariyoshi K, Morimoto K. The low carriage prevalence of pneumococcus among community-dwelling older people: A cross-sectional study in Japan. Vaccine 2020; 38:3752-3758. [PMID: 32265047 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The carriage prevalence of pneumococcus among community-dwelling older adults is not fully understood, especially in superaged societies. Our purpose was to elucidate the carriage prevalence of pneumococcus in the upper respiratory tract among Japanese community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of generally healthy community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years in Nagasaki city, Japan. Demographic and clinical data and nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and saliva samples were collected from February 21st, 2018, to December 17th, 2018. The specimens were tested by culture and molecular methods. RESULTS Among a total of 504 enrolled participants, none were positive for pneumococcus by culture, and 22 were positive by PCR. The overall carriage prevalence was 4.4% (95% CI: 2.8-6.5%). The prevalence was highest in saliva samples, followed by oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal samples. No demographic characteristics were associated with carriage prevalence, including age (4.7% among participants aged 65-74 years and 4.1% among those 75 years and older). Among the pneumococcal-positive participants, 18.2% were PCV13-covered serotypes. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest a low carriage prevalence of S. pneumoniae among community-dwelling older people in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikkoh Yasuda
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan; Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Motoi Suzuki
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan; Infectious Disease Surveillance Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Mayumi Terada
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan; Nijigaoka Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | | | - Eiichiro Sando
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tomoko Hiraoka
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan; Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Koya Ariyoshi
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan; Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Konosuke Morimoto
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan; Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan; Nijigaoka Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
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van Deursen AMM, van Houten MA, Webber C, Patton M, Scott D, Patterson S, Jiang Q, Gruber WC, Schmoele-Thoma B, Grobbee DE, Bonten MJM, Sanders EAM. The Impact of the 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on Pneumococcal Carriage in the Community Acquired Pneumonia Immunization Trial in Adults (CAPiTA) Study. Clin Infect Dis 2019; 67:42-49. [PMID: 29324986 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on the prevalence of nasopharyngeal carriage with pneumococci and other bacteria in adults is unknown. The direct effects of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in community dwelling older adults was investigated as part of the randomized controlled Community Acquired Pneumonia immunization Trial in Adults (CAPiTA). Methods We determined the carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis before and 6, 12, and 24 months after vaccination using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods and conventional cultures of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples in 1006 PCV13 recipients and 1005 controls. Serotyping of the 13 vaccine-type (VT) pneumococci was performed by PCR targeting capsular synthesis genes and Quellung reaction of isolates. Results Before randomization and based on PCR, 339 of 1891 subjects had nasopharyngeal carriage with any pneumococci (17.9%), and 114 of 1891 (6.0%) carried VT pneumococci. At 6 months after vaccination, VT pneumococcal carriage was significantly lower in PCV13 recipients than in the placebo group (relative risk, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, .35-.80; P = .04). There was no difference between the groups at 12 and 24 months after vaccination. Carriage of non-VT pneumococci, S. aureus, H. influenzae, and M. catarrhalis did not change between groups. Conclusions In community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years, a single dose of PCV13 seems to elicit a small and temporary reduction in VT carriage 6 months after vaccination. Neither replacement by non-VT serotypes nor impact on other nasopharyngeal bacteria was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M M van Deursen
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Department of Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, Hoofddorp
| | | | - Chris Webber
- Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research & Development, Pearl River, New York
| | - Michael Patton
- Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research & Development, Hurley, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Scott
- Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research & Development, Pearl River, New York
| | - Scott Patterson
- Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research & Development, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
| | - Qin Jiang
- Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research & Development, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
| | - William C Gruber
- Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research & Development, Pearl River, New York
| | | | - Diederick E Grobbee
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Julius Clinical, Zeist, the Netherlands
| | - Marc J M Bonten
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth A M Sanders
- Department of Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
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45
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Man WH, Clerc M, de Steenhuijsen Piters WAA, van Houten MA, Chu MLJN, Kool J, Keijser BJF, Sanders EAM, Bogaert D. Loss of Microbial Topography between Oral and Nasopharyngeal Microbiota and Development of Respiratory Infections Early in Life. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2019; 200:760-770. [DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201810-1993oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wing Ho Man
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, and
- Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Melanie Clerc
- Medical Research Council, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Wouter A. A. de Steenhuijsen Piters
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, and
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Medical Research Council, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mei Ling J. N. Chu
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, and
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jolanda Kool
- Microbiology and Systems Biology Group, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Zeist, the Netherlands; and
| | - Bart J. F. Keijser
- Microbiology and Systems Biology Group, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Zeist, the Netherlands; and
- Department of Preventive Dentistry, Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth A. M. Sanders
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, and
| | - Debby Bogaert
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, and
- Medical Research Council, Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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46
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de Steenhuijsen Piters WAA, Jochems SP, Mitsi E, Rylance J, Pojar S, Nikolaou E, German EL, Holloway M, Carniel BF, Chu MLJN, Arp K, Sanders EAM, Ferreira DM, Bogaert D. Interaction between the nasal microbiota and S. pneumoniae in the context of live-attenuated influenza vaccine. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2981. [PMID: 31278315 PMCID: PMC6611866 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10814-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main bacterial pathogen involved in pneumonia. Pneumococcal acquisition and colonization density is probably affected by viral co-infections, the local microbiome composition and mucosal immunity. Here, we report the interactions between live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), successive pneumococcal challenge, and the healthy adult nasal microbiota and mucosal immunity using an experimental human challenge model. Nasal microbiota profiles at baseline are associated with consecutive pneumococcal carriage outcome (non-carrier, low-dense and high-dense pneumococcal carriage), independent of LAIV co-administration. Corynebacterium/Dolosigranulum-dominated profiles are associated with low-density colonization. Lowest rates of natural viral co-infection at baseline and post-LAIV influenza replication are detected in the low-density carriers. Also, we detected the fewest microbiota perturbations and mucosal cytokine responses in the low-density carriers compared to non-carriers or high-density carriers. These results indicate that the complete respiratory ecosystem affects pneumococcal behaviour following challenge, with low-density carriage representing the most stable ecological state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter A A de Steenhuijsen Piters
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
- Medical Research Council/University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Simon P Jochems
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Mitsi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Rylance
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Sherin Pojar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Elissavet Nikolaou
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Esther L German
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Holloway
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Beatriz F Carniel
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Mei Ling J N Chu
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Kayleigh Arp
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth A M Sanders
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands
| | - Daniela M Ferreira
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Debby Bogaert
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584 EA, The Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands.
- Medical Research Council/University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom.
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47
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Kostić M, Bedeković V, Bastijančić-Kokić B, Lauc T. Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics to healthy/asymptomatic school-age carriers of potentially pathogenic bacteria. Saudi Med J 2019; 40:405-408. [PMID: 30957137 PMCID: PMC6506651 DOI: 10.15537/smj.2019.4.24004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To re-draw attention to the unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics. METHODS We monitored nasopharyngeal colonization by 3 potentially pathogenic bacteria, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type b in 81 children between the ages of 6 and 7 years who attended the same primary school. The children's health status was also monitored, without using antimicrobial treatment for healthy/asymptomatic carriers. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected on 6 occasions during autumn months, from mid-September to mid-December 2016. The children who fell ill during the study were treated at the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Sisters of Mercy University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia. RESULTS Four hundred and sixty-three nasopharyngeal swabs were collected. Each child had at least one positive swab result. Bacterial colonization with Streptococcus pyogenes had the highest colonization rate. During the study, 83% of the children were healthy/asymptomatic carriers with no clinical signs of disease, while 17% became ill. The statistical results showed that the increase in all examined bacteria was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our study results showed that positive bacterial findings in nasopharyngeal swabs from clinically healthy carriers were not an indication for antibiotic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Kostić
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatian Health Insurance Fund, Zagreb, Croatia. E-mail.
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48
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Identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae by a real-time PCR assay targeting SP2020. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3285. [PMID: 30824850 PMCID: PMC6397248 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39791-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Real-time PCR targeting lytA (the major autolysin gene) and piaB (permease gene of the pia ABC transporter) are currently used as the gold-standard culture-independent assays for Streptococcus pneumoniae identification. We evaluated the performance of a new real-time PCR assay – targeting SP2020 (putative transcriptional regulator gene) – and compared its performance with the assays previously described. A collection of 150 pneumococci, 433 non-pneumococci and 240 polymicrobial samples (obtained from nasopharynx, oropharynx, and saliva; 80 from each site) was tested. SP2020 and lytA-CDC assays had the best performance (sensitivity of 100% for each compared to 95.3% for piaB). The specificity for lytA and piaB was 99.5% and for SP2020 was 99.8%. Misidentifications occurred for the three genes: lytA, piaB and SP2020 were found in non-pneumococcal strains; piaB was absent in some pneumococci including a serotype 6B strain. Combining lytA and SP2020 assays resulted in no misidentifications. Most polymicrobial samples (88.8%) yielded concordant results for the three molecular targets. The remaining samples seemed to contain non-typeable pneumococci (0.8%), and non-pneumococci positive for lytA (1.7%) or SP2020 (8.7%). We propose that combined detection of both lytA-CDC and SP2020 is a powerful strategy for the identification of pneumococcus either in pure cultures or in polymicrobial samples.
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49
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Rodrigues F, Christensen H, Morales-Aza B, Sikora P, Oliver E, Oliver J, Lucidarme J, Marlow R, Januário L, Finn A. Viable Neisseria meningitidis is commonly present in saliva in healthy young adults: Non-invasive sampling and enhanced sensitivity of detection in a follow-up carriage study in Portuguese students. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0209905. [PMID: 30742640 PMCID: PMC6370198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction and aims Improved sensitivity and efficiency of detection and quantification of carriage of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) in young people is important for evaluation of the impact of vaccines upon transmission and associated population-wide effects. Saliva collection is quick, non-invasive and facilitates frequent sampling, but has been reported to yield low sensitivity by culture. We re-evaluated this approach in a follow-up cross sectional study using direct and culture-amplified PCR. Material/Methods In April 2016 we collected paired oropharyngeal swabs (OPS) and saliva samples from 1005 healthy students in Portugal into STGG broth and stored them at -80°C until DNA extraction and batched qPCR analysis. Samples were also cultured on GC agar plates for 72h and PCR done on DNA extracts from overall growth. Nm isolates were also sought from a selection of 50 samples. qPCR amplification targets were superoxide dismutase sodC and capsular locus/genogroup-specific genes (B, C, W, X and Y) and, for cultured isolates only, porA. Cycle threshold values of ≤36 were considered positive. Results 556 tests (460 samples, 363 subjects, 36.1%) were positive for Nm (sodC) and 65 (45, 36, 3.6%) for MenB. More salivas were positive by direct sodC qPCR (211, 21.0%) than OPS (126, 12.5%) but fewer were positive by culture-amplified qPCR (94 vs. 125). For both sample types, many that were negative on direct qPCR came positive on culture-amplification and Nm was consistently isolated from salivas in which culture amplified the PCR signal. Using both methods on both samples yielded 36.1% Nm and 5.5% encapsulated Nm carriage rates while direct qPCR on OPS alone detected 12.5% and 2.2%. Conclusions Detectable MenB carriage rates (2.9%) were lower than 4 years earlier (6.8%) in this population (p = 0.0003). Viable meningococci were often present in saliva. Although evidence of encapsulated Nm was less frequent in saliva than OPS, collection is more acceptable to subjects allowing more frequent sampling. Use of culture-amplification increases detection sensitivity in both sample types, especially when combined with direct PCR. Combining these samples and/or methodologies could greatly enhance the power of carriage studies to detect the impact of vaccines upon carriage and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Rodrigues
- Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| | - Hannah Christensen
- School of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Begonia Morales-Aza
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Paulina Sikora
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Oliver
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Oliver
- School of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jay Lucidarme
- Meningococcal Reference Unit, Public Health England, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Marlow
- School of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Luís Januário
- Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Adam Finn
- School of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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50
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Cai FY, Fussell T, Cobey S, Lipsitch M. Use of an individual-based model of pneumococcal carriage for planning a randomized trial of a whole-cell vaccine. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006333. [PMID: 30273332 PMCID: PMC6181404 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
For encapsulated bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, asymptomatic carriage is more common and longer in duration than disease, and hence is often a more convenient endpoint for clinical trials of vaccines against these bacteria. However, using a carriage endpoint entails specific challenges. Carriage is almost always measured as prevalence, whereas the vaccine may act by reducing incidence or duration. Thus, to determine sample size requirements, its impact on prevalence must first be estimated. The relationship between incidence and prevalence (or duration and prevalence) is convex, saturating at 100% prevalence. For this reason, the proportional effect of a vaccine on prevalence is typically less than its proportional effect on incidence or duration. This relationship is further complicated in the presence of multiple pathogen strains. In addition, host immunity to carriage accumulates rapidly with frequent exposures in early years of life, creating potentially complex interactions with the vaccine’s effect. We conducted a simulation study to predict the impact of an inactivated whole cell pneumococcal vaccine—believed to reduce carriage duration—on carriage prevalence in different age groups and trial settings. We used an individual-based model of pneumococcal carriage that incorporates relevant immunological processes, both vaccine-induced and naturally acquired. Our simulations showed that for a wide range of vaccine efficacies, sampling time and age at vaccination are important determinants of sample size. There is a window of favorable sampling times during which the required sample size is relatively low, and this window is prolonged with a younger age at vaccination, and in a trial setting with lower transmission intensity. These results illustrate the ability of simulation studies to inform the planning of vaccine trials with carriage endpoints, and the methods we present here can be applied to trials evaluating other pneumococcal vaccine candidates or comparing alternative dosing schedules for the existing conjugate vaccines. Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium carried in the nasopharynx of many healthy people, is also a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and ear infections in children aged five years and younger. Vaccines targeting select strains of S. pneumoniae have been effective, and the development of new vaccines, particularly those that target all strains, can further lower disease burden. For clinical trials of these vaccines, the number of study participants needed depends on the expected effect of the vaccine on a conveniently measured outcome: asymptomatic carriage. The most economical way to test a vaccine for its effect on carriage is by measuring prevalence at a specific time, and comparing vaccinated to unvaccinated participants. The relationship between incidence (or duration) and prevalence is complex, and changes with time as children develop natural immunity. We explored this relationship using a mathematical model. Given a vaccine efficacy, our computer simulations predict that fewer study participants are needed if they are vaccinated at a younger age, taken from a population with intermediate levels of transmission, and sampled for carriage at a certain time window: 9 to 18 months after vaccination. Our study illustrates how simulation studies can help plan more efficient vaccine trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Y. Cai
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Thomas Fussell
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sarah Cobey
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Marc Lipsitch
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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