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The human scalp harbors a vast community of microbial mutualists, the composition of which is difficult to elucidate as many of the microorganisms are not culturable using current culture techniques. Dandruff, a common scalp disorder, is known as a causative factor of a mild seborrheic dermatitis as well as pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis. Lipophilic yeast Malassezia is widely accepted to play a role in dandruff, but relatively few comprehensive studies have been reported. In order to investigate fungal biota and genetic resources of dandruff, we amplified the 26S rRNA gene from samples of healthy scalps and dandruff-afflicted scalps. The sequences were analyzed by a high throughput method using a GS-FLX 454 pyrosequencer. Of the 74,811 total sequence reads, Basidiomycota (Filobasidium spp.) was the most common phylum associated with dandruff. In contrast, Ascomycota (Acremonium spp.) was common in the healthy scalps. Our results elucidate the distribution of fungal communities associated with dandruff and provide new avenues for the potential prevention and treatment of dandruff.

The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of artemisinin derived from water, methanol, ethanol, or acetone extracts of Artemisia annua L. were evaluated. All 4 artemisinin-containing extracts had anti-inflammatory effects. Of these, the acetone extract had the greatest inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1β , IL-6, and IL-10) production. Antioxidant activity evaluations revealed that the ethanol extract had the highest free radical scavenging activity, (91.0±3.2%), similar to α-tocopherol (99.9%). The extracts had antimicrobial activity against the periodontopathic microorganisms Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. polymorphum, and Prevotella intermedia. This study shows that Artemisia annua L. extracts contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial substances and should be considered for use in pharmaceutical products for the treatment of dental diseases.

Respiratory infections are well-known triggers of chronic respiratory diseases. Recently, culture-independent tools have indicated that lower airway microbiota may contribute to pathophysiologic processes associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the relationship between upper airway microbiota and chronic respiratory diseases remains unclear. This study was undertaken to define differences of microbiota in the oropharynx of asthma and COPD patients relative to those in healthy individuals. To account for the qualitative and quantitative diversity of the 16S rRNA gene in the oropharynx, the microbiomes of 18 asthma patients, 17 COPD patients, and 12 normal individuals were assessed using a high-throughput next-generation sequencing analysis. In the 259,572 total sequence reads, α and β diversity measurements and a generalized linear model revealed that the oropharynx microbiota are diverse, but no significant differences were observed between asthma and COPD patients. Pseudomonas spp. of Proteobacteria and Lactobacillus spp. of Firmicutes were highly abundant in asthma and COPD. By contrast, Streptococcus, Veillonella, Prevotella, and Neisseria of Bacteroidetes dominated in the healthy oropharynx. These findings are consistent with previous studies conducted in the lower airways and suggest that oropharyngeal airway microbiota are important for understanding the relationships between the various parts of the respiratory tract with regard to bacterial colonization and comprehensive assessment of asthma and COPD.

The virulence gene repertoire was different in the UPEC of UTI and ABU. The papEF, feoB, and fyuA genes showed meaningful differences between the two groups and may have an important role in the pathogenesis of overt UTI.

The population structure of the Bacillus cereus group (52 strains of B. anthracis, B. cereus, and B. thuringiensis) was investigated by sequencing seven gene fragments (rpoB, gyrB, pycA, mdh, mbl, mutS, and plcR). Most of the strains were classifiable into two large subgroups in six housekeeping gene trees but not in the plcR tree. In addition, several consistent clusters were identified, which were unrelated to species distinction. Moreover, interrelationships among these clusters were incongruent in each gene tree. The incongruence length difference test and split decomposition analyses also showed incongruences between genes, suggesting horizontal gene transfer. The plcR gene was observed to have characteristics that differed from those of the other genes in terms of phylogenetic topology and pattern of sequence diversity. Thus, we suggest that the evolutionary history of the PlcR regulon differs from those of the other chromosomal genes and that recombination of the plcR gene may be frequent. The homogeneity of B. anthracis, which is depicted as an independent lineage in phylogenetic trees, is suggested to be of recent origin or to be due to the narrow taxonomic definition of species.The Bacillus cereus group, which is a subdivision of the genus Bacillus, includes the closely related species Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis (22). However, their pathogenic potentials and disease spectrums are quite different despite their genetic relatedness. B. cereus is an opportunistic pathogen and causes several types of infections in humans. It is frequently isolated as a contaminant of milk, cereals, and various other foods, and it produces an emetic toxin and one or several enterotoxins. On the other hand, B. thuringiensis is primarily an insect pathogen, and it produces intracellularly insecticidal crystal toxins of different specificities during sporulation or in the stationary phase, which is the only established difference between it and B. cereus (7). B. anthracis causes the potentially lethal disease anthrax, and it has been identified as a nonhemolytic, nonmotile, penicillin-sensitive, encapsulated bacterium. B. anthracis is important in that it is considered a potential biological weapon (26). The genes causing the lethal effect of anthrax are located on two large virulence plasmids, pXO1 and pXO2 (26).The genomes of these three species show high levels of similarity; for example, they share almost identical 16S ribosomal DNA sequences (2), although an association of a distinct type of 16S ribosomal DNA sequence with B. anthracis was recently reported (30). Although several phenotypes (such as capsule, lack of hemolysis, lack of motility, and susceptibility to gamma phage) and biochemical tests can differentiate B. anthracis from B. cereus and B. thuringiensis (38), species delimitation is unclear. In fact, they were suggested to be one species based on a multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) result (14) and by the presence of an S-layer on the cell surface (24). Therefore, an ...

Five hundred four fecal specimens, collected between 2004 and 2006 from young children with acute diarrhea, were screened for rotavirus by ELISA with VP6-specific antibody. Of these samples, 394 (78.2%) were confirmed as group A rotavirus and they underwent G-and P typing using a combination of ELISA, RT-PCR, and sequence analysis methods. The dominant circulating G serotype was G1 (35.6%) followed by G3 (26.4%), G4 (14.7%), and G2 (11.9%). There was a low prevalence of G9 (1.0%) and of unusual G type rotavirus, in particular, G12 (0.5%) and G8 (0.3%). Of the P genotype rotavirus in circulation, P[8] (53.0%) was most common followed by P and G8P[8] were also found. Owing to the recent emergence of G8 and G12 rotavirus, the findings from this study are important since they provide new information concerning the local and global spread of rotavirus genotypes.

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? We found that resistin, a member of adipokine family, is expressed in human prostate cancers and induces prostate cancer cell proliferation through PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. We are studying the effect of resistin on other urogenital tract diseases besides prostate cancer, and the relationship between other adipokines and the urogenital tract diseases. OBJECTIVES • To determine whether resistin, a novel adipokine, induces prostate cancer cell proliferation. • To identify the mechanisms underlying the activation of prostate cancer cells by resistin. MATERIALS AND METHODS • Semi‐quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining were performed to investigate the intensity of prostate epithelial resistin expression. • Human full‐length resistin gene (RETN) was transfected into the PC‐3 cells using the pEGFP‐N1 vector to assess the effect of overexpression of resistin in prostate cancer cell line PC‐3. • Various concentrations of human recombinant protein resistin were added to the hormone‐insensitive prostate cancer cell lines PC‐3 and DU‐145 for 48 h, and cell proliferation was assessed by a water‐soluble tetrazolium salt assay. RESULTS • Human prostate cancer cell lines PC‐3 and DU‐145 were found to express the human resistin mRNA. • Resistin protein was strongly detected in high‐grade prostate cancer tissue, whereas BPH or low‐grade prostate cancer tissue revealed fainter expression of resistin. • Cell proliferation was stimulated by both the full‐length resistin gene overexpression and resistin treatment. • Akt phosphorylation occurred after addition of resistin to PC‐3 and DU‐145 cells. LY294002, a pharmacological inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K), significantly inhibited PC‐3 and DU‐145 cell proliferation after resistin treatment. CONCLUSIONS • Resistin is expressed in human prostate cancers. • Resistin induces prostate cancer cell proliferation through PI3K/Akt signalling pathways. • The proliferative effect of resistin on prostate cancer cells may account in part for prostate cancer progression.