In recent years methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has posed a challenge in treating skin and soft tissue infections. Finding new antimicrobial agents has therefore become imperative. We evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial activity of a synthetic peptide, P6, against multidrug resistant clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from skin and soft tissue infections. The P6 antimicrobial effect was evaluated in vitro by determining MIC/MBC, the ratio of live/dead cells and the effects induced at membrane level. The therapeutic efficiency was determined against human skin cells. P6 inhibited growth for all strains between 8 and 16 mg/L and killed all bacterial strains at 16 mg/L. The therapeutic potential was found to be 30 and 15 in the presence of BSA. We showed that P6 localizes at membrane level, where it acts slowly, by depolarizing it and affecting its integrity. P6 can be considered a good candidate for use as an antimicrobial agent in topical applications.
A prolonged outbreak of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAIs) evolved since December 2013, in a Newborns Unit from Hospital A, sited in the North-Eastern development region, Romania. A first cluster consisted of 19 cases, of which 18 infections in newborns and 1 labour infectious complication in a mother. Except for five cases declared and treated in the Neonatology Unit as hospital-acquired infections, the other cases were discharged and further required rehospitalisation and treatment. Eight of these innitialy discharged cases were readmitted to the Pediatric Surgery Unit and two others to the Pediatrics Unit of Hospital B, while three others were readmitted to three hospitals: one to the Pediatrics Unit of Hospital C, and other two to Hospital A and Hospital D, respectively. The mother with the labour infectious complication was readmitted to the Gynecology Unit of the Hospital A. A number of fifteen Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains isolated from the HCAI first episode and 8 strains from 7 HCWs were received by „Cantacuzino” Institute, Nosocomial Infections and Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory from the County Public Health Directorate, for confirmation and molecular typing. After a first round of interventions for infection control, a second episode bursted in Hospital A and our laboratory received six other S. aureus isolates from newborns, hospital environment, and HCWs. Public Health interventions based on epidemiologic data and molecular microbiology results were finally successful. The evolution of all cases was favorable. An important factor favoring the outbreak was the moving of the Birth Unit of Hospital A to an innapropriate location for an 18-month interval, more than innitially estimated, in relation to rehabilitation of the ward. We considered to report this episode taking into account the unusual evolution, the risk of multiresistant bacterial strains spreading, and multiple unwanted consequences caused by shortcomings in providing appropriate hygiene conditions.
The aim of this study was to characterise S. aureus strains from community onset Skin and Soft Tissues Infections (SSTIs) in two locations: Cantacuzino Institute (A strains) and Elias University Emergency Hospital (B strains), in the January 2014-August 2015 interval. All strains from the A location, and three strains from the B location have been isolated from recurrent staphylococcal infections. Materials. Seventy-one S. aureus strains (A-42; B-29) have been collected from different types of SSTIs. Methods: PCR was used to identify virulence factors and AMR genes, disc diffusion and broth microdilution for AST, SCCmec and spa typing. Results and Discussions. MRSA rate of 59.52% and 17.24% among A and B strains, respectively. Twenty of A strains and one of B strains were positive for lukS/F-PV genes; two A strains and four B strains were positive for tst1 gene. Panton-Valentine Leukocidin was present in all t008 and t044 strains. Four strains from A location and seven strains from B location were positive for Staphylococcal Enterotoxins. Three new spa-types were discovered. Conclusions. The most prevalent S. aureus clone in community onset SSTIs was spa type t127, followed by spa types t044, t008. Molecular characterisation of S. aureus strains may predict the tendency to recurrence of stapylococcal SSTIs.
Nowadays, thanks to nanotechnological progress, which itself guides us more and more closely toward not only the efficient design of innovative nanomaterials or nanostructures, but to the improvement of their functionality, we benefit from an important asset in the battle against pathogenic illnesses. Herein, we report a versatile biocompatible plasmonic nanoplatform based on a Whatman paper incorporating positively-charged gold nanospherical particles via the immersion approach. The morphological characterization of the as-engineered-plasmonic paper was examined by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and HRTEM (high-resolution transmission electron microscopy) investigations, while its surface chemical modification with a synthetic polypeptide, specifically RRWHRWWRR-NH2 (P2), was proved by monitoring the plasmonic response of loaded gold nanospheres and the emission signal of P2 via fluorescence spectroscopy. The as-functionalized plasmonic paper is non-cytotoxic towards BJ fibroblast human cells at bactericidal concentrations. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of the P2-functionalized plasmonic paper on both planktonic bacteria and biofilms was tested against two reference strains: Gram-positive Bacteria, i.e., Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative Bacteria, i.e., Escherichia coli, determining microbial inhibition of up to 100% for planktonic bacteria. In line with the above presented nanoplatform’s proper design, followed by their functionalization with active antimicrobial peptides, new roads can be open for determining antibiotic-free treatments against different relevant pathogens.
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