Trichomonas vaginalis is the etiological agent of trichomoniasis, the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Trichomoniasis is a widespread, global health concern, and occurring at an increasing rate. Infections of the female genital tract can cause a range of symptoms, including vaginitis and cervicitis, whilst infections in males are generally asymptomatic. The relatively mild symptoms, and lack of evidence for any serious sequelae, have historically led to this disease being under diagnosed, and under researched. However, growing evidence that T. vaginalis infection is associated with disease states with high morbidity in both men and women has increased the efforts to diagnose and treat patients harbouring this parasite. The pathology of trichomoniasis results from damage to the host epithelia, caused by a variety of processes during infection, and recent work has highlighted the complex interactions between the parasite and host, commensal microbiome, and accompanying symbionts. The commercial release of a number of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) has added to the available diagnostic options. Immunoassay based Point of Care testing is currently available, and a recent initial evaluation of a NAAT Point of Care system has given promising results, which would enable testing and treatment in a single visit.
bA loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for open reading frame 1 (ORF1) of the glutamine synthetase gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was able to tolerate urea concentrations of <1.8 M, compared with a PCR assay that was functional at concentrations of <100 mM. The LAMP assay was as sensitive as the PCR assay while being faster and simpler to perform.
The screening of recently patented derivatives of the standard phenothiazinium agents methylene blue and toluidine blue was carried out against Propionibacterium acnes, the main bacterium associated with acne vulgaris. Comparative tests were made using the topical agent benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and standard tetracyclines. Each of the photosensitizers employed, including the lead compounds, was photobactericidal at lower concentrations than BPO, and produced a much more rapid kill than the tetracyclines. In addition, the tetracyclic and pentacyclic phenothiazinium derivatives exhibited high light:dark kill ratios, suggesting that these examples might be particularly useful in practice.
Infective endocarditis (IE) is an evolving disease resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Despite medical and diagnostic advances, the incidence of the disease has remained unchanged, reflecting the changing epidemiological and microbiological profile of IE. Classical risk factors such as rheumatic heart disease have now been overtaken by new risk factors including an ageing population, degenerative valve disease and intravenous drug use. The routine use of invasive procedures, implantable cardiac devices and prosthetic heart valves has served to increase the number of at-risk patients. The microbiology of IE mirrors the changing risk factors, with staphylococcal infections predominating over viridans streptococci. An overview of this rare disease is given describing current understanding, investigation and changing epidemiology and microbiology of IE.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.