Association between Toxoplasma gondii and gestational diabetes with regard to serum leptin and tumor necrosis factor alpha, a preliminary study

Gestational diabetes (GDM), the onset of any degree of glucose intolerance during pregnancy, increases a wide range of adverse health outcomes for both the mother and the fetus. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of Toxoplasma gondii infection with GDM in a case-control study with regard to the levels of leptin and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) as two inflammatory biomarkers. Fifty-one pregnant diabetic cases and 109 controls were selected from a prenatal care clinic of a general hospital in Shiraz, southern Iran during July-November 2020. Cases and controls were similar in age, gestational age and number of parturitions. The presence of IgG antibodies against T. gondii, and serum concentrations of leptin and TNF-α were determined by ELISA. Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were detected in 25 subjects (15.6 %, 95 % CI: 9.9-21.3). Nine (18 %) diabetic cases were infected with Toxoplasma compared to 16 (15 %) healthy controls (P = 0.63). Level of leptin was higher (P = 0.07) while TNF-α was lower in diabetic cases compared to healthy controls (P = 0.08). When subjects were classified according to the combination of GDM and T. gondii, leptin was significantly lower in healthy (non-diabetic, non-infected) subjects compared to diabetics (P = 0.026), and TNF-α was higher in healthy subjects compared to Toxoplasma-infected diabetics (P = 0.032). These findings can be interpreted as both comorbidities being individually associated with increasing serum leptin and decreasing TNF-α concentrations, with modifying effects on each other. The present study opens a new perspective on GDM and its complex pathophysiological mechanism. Future research in this area is needed to better understand the underlying pathway for the development of GDM and the role of T. gondii and inflammatory biomarkers.

Evaluation of delaying effects of different short-term dosage regimens of topical ciprofloxacin on corneal ulcer healing in an avian model

BACKGROUND

Knowledge on possible delaying effects of topical ciprofloxacin on corneal ulcer healing is scarce in avian patients.

OBJECTIVES

The study evaluates effects of different dosage regimens of topical ciprofloxacin on healing of corneal ulcer in an avian model.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty adult layers were randomly allocated into two equal categories each consisted of 5 groups (n = 15): 1, negative control (NC, normal cornea); 2, positive control (PC) (birds with experimental corneal ulcer); and 3, 4 and 5, birds with corneal injury that received ciprofloxacin 0.3% topically q6h, q8h and q12h, respectively for 3 (category 1) or 5 days (category 2). Corneas were excised for histopathological evaluation and determination of MMP-9 expression.

RESULTS

While no significant difference was observed in daily-measured fluorescein-stained ulcer size among ciprofloxacin-treated birds and PC group in category 1, birds in PC group of category 2 had significantly smaller ulcers as compared to antibiotic-treated birds at the end of experiment (p < 0.01 for all cases). Histopathological evaluations at the end of the experiment showed no significant difference among PC and ciprofloxacin-treated birds of both categories for almost all of the assayed parameters. Over expression of MMP-9 mRNA was observed in PC group after 3 and 5 days of ulcer induction compared to NC groups. Its expression in ciprofloxacin-treated birds of both categories remained close to PC groups.

CONCLUSIONS

While ciprofloxacin administration for 3 days does not affect ulcer healing, it delays healing process at the end of 5 days of treatments in an avian model of corneal ulcer injury. This delaying effect is not associated with a drastic change in MMP-9 expression.

Molecular detection of Chlamydophila abortus, Coxiella burnetii, and Mycoplasma agalactiae in small ruminants' aborted fetuses in southern Iran

Abortion in sheep and goats has become increasingly important worldwide because of the significant economic losses and potential zoonotic implication of commonly involved pathogens. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was conducted in southern Iran to detect the Chlamydophila abortus and Coxiella burnetii, as zoonotic pathogens, and Mycoplasma agalactiae, as a neglected abortifacient agent in small ruminants' aborted fetuses, by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). From a total of 300 aborted fetuses (183 sheep and 117 goats), 46 samples (15.5%) were positive by PCR, 11% for C. abortus, 2% for C. burnetii, and 3% for M. agalactiae. Also, the association of suggested risk factors with abortion due to these bacterial agents was investigated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results of the statistical analysis showed significant association of C. abortus with flock size (OR = 2.82, P = 0.014), season (P < 0.05), and the number of pregnancy in the aborted dam (OR = 2.5, P = 0.05). Our results indicated that C. abortus has a relatively substantial role in small ruminant abortions, and C. burnetii and M. agalactiae are likely important abortifacient agents in our region, too. Regarding veterinary and/or public health importance of these bacterial agents, more attention from veterinary and/or human health services and, maybe, a surveillance system for control and prevention of them are recommended.

Association of Neospora caninum with reproductive performance in dairy cows: A prospective study from Iran

There is no prospective study from Iran to estimate the direct risk of Neospora caninum for pregnancy loss or reproductive factors. In addition, there is no report in the literature concerning the association of N. caninum with dystocia and sex of calves. Therefore, this study was conducted on a group of dairy cows in a large intensive production system during 2011 to 2013 in southern Iran to evaluate the impact of neosporosis on reproductive performance. A total of 253 cows which were diagnosed as pregnant during the first six months of the study were followed until calving or abortion. Reproductive data were collected and N. caninum serostatus was determined using ELISA. To investigate the association of abortion with N. caninum, survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard model. The N. caninum seroprevalence in the study group was 30.40% (95% CI: 27.40, 36.10). The overall abortion rate was 12.25%, significantly higher in seropositive animals (20.80%) than seronegative ones (8.50%). Results of Cox model showed that serostatus of animal for N. caninum and season had significant associations with abortion (p < 0.01). Neospora caninum did not show significant association with other factors such as dystocia and sex of calves. In conclusion, neosporosis is responsible for 12.00% excess abortion risk in infected group and more than 30.00% of abortions could be preventable by control of Neospora in study population. Therefore, control of N. caninum would reduce the economic losses caused by parasite mainly due to pregnancy loss.

Brucella melitensis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis depict overlapping gene expression patterns induced in infected THP-1 macrophages

Pathogens infecting mammalian cells have developed various strategies to suppress and evade their hosts' defensive mechanisms. In this line, the intracellular bacteria that are able to survive and propagate within their host cells must have developed strategies to avert their host's killing attitude. Studying the interface of host-pathogen confrontation can provide valuable information for defining therapeutic approaches. Brucellosis, caused by the Brucella strains, is a zoonotic bacterial disease that affects thousands of humans and animals around the world inflicting discomfort and huge economic losses. Similar to many other intracellular dwelling bacteria, infections caused by Brucella are difficult to treat, and hence any attempt at identifying new and common therapeutic targets would prove beneficial for the purpose of curing infections caused by the intracellular bacteria. In THP-1 macrophage infected with Brucella melitensis we studied the expression levels of four host's genes, i.e. EMP2, ST8SIA4, HCP5 and FRMD5 known to be involved in pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Our data showed that at this molecular level, except for FRMD5 that was downregulated, the other three genes were upregulated by B. melitensis. Brucella melitensis and M. tuberculosis go through similar intracellular processes and interestingly two of the investigated genes, i.e. EMP2 and ST4SIA8 were upregulated in THP-1 cell infected with B. melitensis similar to that reported for THP-1 cells infected with M. tuberculosis. At the host-pathogen interaction interface, this study depicts overlapping changes for different bacteria with common survival strategies; a fact that implies designing therapeutic approaches based on common targets may be possible.