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Cutarelli A, Carella F, De Falco F, Cuccaro B, Di Nocera F, Nava D, De Vico G, Roperto S. Detection and Quantification of Nocardia crassostreae, an Emerging Pathogen, in Mytilus galloprovincialis in the Mediterranean Sea Using Droplet Digital PCR. Pathogens 2023; 12:994. [PMID: 37623954 PMCID: PMC10458358 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12080994] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Nocardia crassostreae is a novel pathogen responsible for infections in oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). N. crassostreae is also responsible for nocardiosis both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. We investigated N. crassostreae DNA in mussels grown in marine sites of the Mediterranean Sea in the Campania Region. We examined 185 mussel pooled samples by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), each pool composed of 10 mussels and 149 individual mussels. ddPCR detected N. crassostreae DNA in 48 mussel pooled samples and in 23 individual mussel samples. qPCR detected N. crassostreae DNA in six pooled samples and six individual mussel samples. The two molecular assays for the detection of N. crassostreae DNA showed significant differences both in the pooled and in individual samples. Our study demonstrated that ddPCR outperformed real-time qPCR for N. crassostreae DNA detection, thus confirming that ddPCR technology can identify the pathogens in many infectious diseases with high sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, in individual mussels showing histological lesions due to N. crassostreae, the lowest copy number/microliter detected by ddPCR of this pathogen was 0.3, which suggests that this dose could be enough to cause infections of N. crassostreae in mussels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cutarelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Francesca Carella
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesca De Falco
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Produzioni Animali, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80137 Napoli, Italy
| | - Bianca Cuccaro
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Produzioni Animali, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80137 Napoli, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Nocera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Donatella Nava
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Gionata De Vico
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Sante Roperto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Produzioni Animali, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80137 Napoli, Italy
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Kijewska A, Koroza A, Grudlewska-Buda K, Kijewski T, Wiktorczyk-Kapischke N, Zorena K, Skowron K. Molluscs-A ticking microbial bomb. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1061223. [PMID: 36699600 PMCID: PMC9868776 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1061223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Bivalve shellfish consumption (ark shells, clams, cockles, and oysters) has increased over the last decades. Following this trend, infectious disease outbreaks associated with their consumption have been reported more frequently. Molluscs are a diverse group of organisms found wild and farmed. They are common on our tables, but unfortunately, despite their great taste, they can also pose a threat as a potential vector for numerous species of pathogenic microorganisms. Clams, in particular, might be filled with pathogens because of their filter-feeding diet. This specific way of feeding favors the accumulation of excessive amounts of pathogenic microorganisms like Vibrio spp., including Vibrio cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Arcobacter spp., and fecal coliforms, and intestinal enterococci. The problems of pathogen dissemination and disease outbreaks caused by exogenous bacteria in many geographical regions quickly became an unwanted effect of globalized food supply chains, global climate change, and natural pathogen transmission dynamics. Moreover, some pathogens like Shewanella spp., with high zoonotic potential, are spreading worldwide along with food transport. These bacteria, contained in food, are also responsible for the potential transmission of antibiotic-resistance genes to species belonging to the human microbiota. Finally, they end up in wastewater, thus colonizing new areas, which enables them to introduce new antibiotic-resistance genes (ARG) into the environment and extend the existing spectrum of ARGs already present in local biomes. Foodborne pathogens require modern methods of detection. Similarly, detecting ARGs is necessary to prevent resistance dissemination in new environments, thus preventing future outbreaks, which could threaten associated consumers and workers in the food processing industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Kijewska
- Department of Immunobiology and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Koroza
- Department of Climate and Ocean Research and Education Laboratory, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Science, Sopot, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Grudlewska-Buda
- Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kijewski
- Department of Climate and Ocean Research and Education Laboratory, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Science, Sopot, Poland
| | - Natalia Wiktorczyk-Kapischke
- Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Zorena
- Department of Immunobiology and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Skowron
- Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz, Poland,*Correspondence: Krzysztof Skowron,
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Cai Q, Huang Y, Zhou L, Hu N, Liu Y, Guo F, Liu Q, Huang X, Zhang Y, Zeng L. A Complete Genome of Nocardia terpenica NC_YFY_NT001 and Pan-Genomic Analysis Based on Different Sources of Nocardia spp. Isolates Reveal Possibly Host-Related Virulence Factors. Infect Drug Resist 2022; 15:7259-7270. [PMID: 36536862 PMCID: PMC9758982 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s384673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify the possible virulence genes associated with Nocardia NC_YFY_NT001 isolated by ourselves and other Nocardia spp. METHODS The genome of Nocardia terpenica NC_YFY_NT001 was completed by using PacBio and Illumina platforms. A pan-genomic analysis was applied to selected complete Nocardia genomes. RESULTS Nocardia terpenica NC_YFY_NT001 can cause healthy mice death by tail intravenous injection. The genome of NT001 has one circular chromosome 8,850,000 bp and one circular plasmid 70,000 bp with ~68% GC content. The chromosome and plasmid encode 7914 and 80 proteins, respectively. Furthermore, a pan-genomic analysis showed a total of 45,825 gene clusters, then 304 core, 21,045 shell and 24,476 cloud gene clusters were classified using specific parameters. In addition, we found that catalases were more abundant in human isolates. Furthermore, we also found no significant differences in the MCE proteins between different strains from different sources. The pan-genomic analysis also showed that 67 genes could only be found in humoral isolates. ReX3 and DUF853 domain protein were found in all eight human isolates. The composition of unique genes in humoral isolate genomes indicated that the transcriptional regulators may be important when Nocardia invades the host, which allows them to survive in the new ecological system. CONCLUSION In this study, we confirmed that NT001 could cause infected animal death, and identified many possible virulence factors for our future studies. This study also provides new insight for our further study on Nocardia virulence mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinming Cai
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yongcheng Huang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Zhou
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Niya Hu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanling Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fujia Guo
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiong Liu
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaotian Huang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunyi Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310051, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lingbing Zeng
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
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Zhong C, Huang P, Zhan Y, Yao Y, Ye J, Zhou H. Clinical Features of Pulmonary Nocardiosis in Patients with Different Underlying Diseases: A Case Series Study. Infect Drug Resist 2022; 15:1167-1174. [PMID: 35340670 PMCID: PMC8956243 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s359596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the clinical features of pulmonary nocardiosis (PN) in patients with different underlying diseases. Methods Clinical, imaging, treatment and prognosis data from patients diagnosed with PN from July 2011 to June 2021 at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine were collected and analyzed. According to different underlying diseases, patients were grouped into immunocompromised host (ICH) group and immunocompetent host (ICO) group, and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups. Results There were 64 patients with PN, including 42 males, aged from 21 to 86 (57.1 ± 15.7) years. The most common clinical manifestations were cough, expectoration, fever. There were 41 cases in the ICH group and 23 cases in the ICO group. There were 11 cases with underlying pulmonary diseases in the ICH group, including 2 cases of bronchiectasis, 4 cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), etc. There were 11 cases of underlying pulmonary basic diseases in ICO group, including 7 cases of bronchiectasis and COPD, 1 case of bronchiectasis, 1 case of COPD, etc. The proportion of patients with bronchiectasis and COPD in the ICO group was significantly higher (P < 0.05). Extrapulmonary nocardiosis infection occurred in 6 patients of the ICH group. During the period of hospitalization, 87.0% patients in ICO group received SMZ/TMP therapy, 73.2% of patients in ICH group received two drug combination therapy. In the ICH group, mortality at 28 days was 14.6% and 8.7% in the ICO group. Conclusion PN mainly occurred in ICH patients, but also occurred in the ICO cases to a lesser extent, especially in patients with bronchiectasis and/or COPD. Complicated with extrapulmonary infections mainly occurred in ICH population and combination of two antibiotics was often used in ICH group. The case fatality rates were 14.6% in ICH and 8.7% in ICO cases, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhong
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou Chest Hospital, Hangzhou, 310003, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pingping Huang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Sanmen Bay Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Taizhou, 317200, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yasheng Zhan
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinhua People’s Hospital, Jinhua, 321000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yake Yao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, People’s Republic of China
| | - Junhui Ye
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Sanmen Bay Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Taizhou, 317200, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Hua Zhou; Junhui Ye, Email ;
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Martínez-Barricarte R. Isolated Nocardiosis, an Unrecognized Primary Immunodeficiency? Front Immunol 2020; 11:590239. [PMID: 33193422 PMCID: PMC7606290 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.590239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Nocardiosis is an infectious disease caused by the gram-positive bacterium Nocardia spp. Although it is commonly accepted that exposure to Nocardia is almost universal, only a small fraction of exposed individuals develop the disease, while the vast majority remain healthy. Nocardiosis has been described as an "opportunistic" disease of immunocompromised patients, suggesting that exposure to the pathogen is necessary, but a host predisposition is also required. Interestingly, increasing numbers of nocardiosis cases in individuals without any detected risk factors, i.e., without overt immunodeficiency, are being reported. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence have shown that selective susceptibility to a specific pathogen can be caused by a primary immunodeficiency (PID). This raises the question of whether an undiagnosed PID may cause nocardiosis affecting otherwise healthy individuals. This review summarizes the specific clinical and microbiological characteristics of patients with isolated nocardiosis published during the past 30 years. Furthermore, it gives an overview of the known human immune mechanisms to fend off Nocardia spp. obtained from the study of PIDs and patients under immunomodulatory therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Martínez-Barricarte
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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Carella F, Aceto S, Mangoni O, Mollica MP, Cavaliere G, Trinchese G, Aniello F, De Vico G. Assessment of the Health Status of Mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis Along the Campania Coastal Areas: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Front Physiol 2018; 9:683. [PMID: 29946265 PMCID: PMC6005891 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis has a broad geographic distribution, represent an important species for the ecology of coastal waters, also constituting a major aquaculture species. In the present work, molecular and tissue biomarkers were examined in mussel populations (M. galloprovincialis) located in four different areas of the coastal water of the Campania Region. During an annual life cycle, we analyzed the expression patterns of several genes commonly used to estimate cellular stress response and damage, namely p53, p63, HSP70, MT-10, and MT-20, related tissue lesions (pathogens, inflammations, digestive tubules damage), oxidative stress indicators (H2O2, SOD specific activity) and associated environmental data. The computed Principal Component Analysis showed that the areas were discernible based on the environmental data and biomarker results. About animal health status, mussels from Gulf of Pozzuoli and Naples's harbor did show a thinnest epithelial cell of digestive tubules compared to mussels sampled from other sampling sites; moreover, high prevalence of cases of intersex in three of the examinated areas were observed. The presence of a potential zoonotic pathogen (Nocardia crassostreae) was identified, appearing as an important possible emerging disease. We also reported the OIE notifiable protozoa Marteilia refringens in three areas out of four. The likely impact of both observed pathogens on the mussel health and shellfish aquaculture needs to be urgently addressed. Results are discussed considering animal histopathological health parameters and biological effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Carella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Fatahi-Bafghi M. Nocardiosis from 1888 to 2017. Microb Pathog 2017; 114:369-384. [PMID: 29146497 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2017.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The genus Nocardia is an aerobic bacterium, Gram-positive and catalase positive that is in Nocardiaceae family. This bacterium first described by Edmond Nocard in 1888 and is not in human commensal bacteria. To date, nocardiosis incidence is increasing due to increase population growth rate, increase in patients with immune disorder diseases and immunocompromised patients. We surveyed taxonomic position, isolation methods, phenotypic and molecular identification at the genus and species levels, antibiogram, treatment and epidemiology in the world from 1888 to 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Fatahi-Bafghi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
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