Fatal complications in a patient with severe multi-space infections in the oral and maxillofacial head and neck regions: A case report

BACKGROUND Odontogenic infection is one of the common infectious diseases in oral and maxillofacial head and neck regions.Clinically,if early odontogenic infections such as acute periapical periodontitis,alveolar abscess,and pericoronitis of wisdom teeth are not treated timely,effectively and correctly,the infected tissue may spread up to the skull and brain,down to the thoracic cavity,abdominal cavity and other areas through the natural potential fascial space in the oral and maxillofacial head and neck.Severe multi-space infections are formed and can eventually lead to life-threatening complications(LTCs),such as intracranial infection,pleural effusion,empyema,sepsis and even death.CASE SUMMARY We report a rare case of death in a 41-year-old man with severe odontogenic multi-space infections in the oral and maxillofacial head and neck regions.One week before admission,due to pain in the right lower posterior teeth,the patient placed a cigarette butt dipped in the pesticide"Miehailin"into the"dental cavity"to relieve the pain.Within a week,the infection gradually spread bilaterally to the floor of the mouth,submandibular space,neck,chest,waist,back,temporal and other areas.The patient had difficulty breathing,swallowing and eating,and was transferred to our hospital as an emergency admission.Following admission,oral and maxillofacial surgeons immediately organized consultations with doctors in otolaryngology,thoracic surgery,general surgery,hematology,anesthesia and the intensive care unit to assist with treatment.The patient was treated with the highest level of antibiotics(vancomycin)and extensive abscess incision and drainage in the oral,maxillofacial,head and neck,chest and back regions.Unfortunately,the patient died of septic shock and multiple organ failure on the third day after admission.CONCLUSION Odontogenic infection can cause serious multi-space infections in the oral and maxillofacial head and neck regions,which can result in multiple LTCs.The management and treatment of LTCs such as multi-space infections should be multidisciplinary led by oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

Qingfei oral liquid downregulates TRPV1 expression to reduce airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion injury caused by respiratory syncytial virus infection and asthma in mice

Objective:Qingfei oral liquid(QF),an experimental Chinese medicine prescription developed from the ancient priscription of traditional Chinese medicines Ma Xin Shi Gan decoction and Tingli Dazao Xie Fei decoction,has been effectively used since decades to treat patients with viral pneumonia and asthma.In our previous study,we had demonstrated that QF can significantly reduce airway hyperresponsiveness,hyperemia,lung tissue edema,inflammatory lung tissue infiltration in mice,airway mucus secretion,and peripheral airway collagen hyperplasia;however,its mechanism of action is unknown.Methods:Fifty 6–8-week-old male BALB/c mice were equally and randomly divided into five groups:the control,ovalbumin(OVA),OVA+respiratory syncytial virus(RSV),QF,and dexamethasone(Dxms)groups.The QF group was administered QF at 1.17 g·kg−1·d−1,the Dxms group received dexamethasone injections at 0.2 mg·kg−1·d−1,and the remaining groups were administered PBS.Inflammation in the lung tissue was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin(HE),periodic acid–Schiff(PAS),and Van Gieson staining.ELISA was used to evaluate the IL-13,IL-25,and IL-33 in the mice.Western blotting was used to examine changes in the proteins levels of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1(TRPV1)and mucin 5AC(MUC5AC)in the lung tissues of mice.Results:Histopathological evaluation revealed that the OVA and OVA+RSV groups exhibited lung tissue edema and inflammatory lung tissue infiltration in the HE staining and airway secretions in the PAS staining;collagen hyperplasia around the airway was increased in these two groups compared with the control group.The QF group exhibited significantly reduced lung tissue edema,inflammatory lung tissue infiltration,airway secretions,and collagen hyperplasia around the airway compared with the OVA+RSV group.We analyzed the serum levels of IL-13,IL-25,and IL-33 in the mice and found that these levels were higher in the OVA and OVA+RSV groups than in the control group(P<0.05 in the OVA group,P<0.01 in the OVA+RSV group).The QF group exhibited significantly decreased serum levels of IL-13,IL-25,and IL-33 compared with the OVA+RSV group(all P<0.05).The Dxms group also exhibited significant decreases in the serum levels of IL-13 and IL-33(all P<0.05)but no significant decrease in the serum levels of IL-25 compared with the RSV+OVA group.Finally,we examined the protein levels of TRPV1 and MUC5AC in the lung tissues of mice using Western blotting.After identifying RSV infection in the mice with asthma,the protein levels of TRPV1 and MUC5AC in the lung tissues of mice were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01).We found that compared with RSV+OVA,QF can significantly downregulate the protein level of TRPV1;further,the protein level of MUC5AC was also significantly reduced(all P<0.001).Conclusion:QF can inhibit RSV replication and reduce airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion injury caused by RSV infection and asthma,and its mechanism of action may be associated with the downregulation of TRPV1 expression and a decrease in airway mucus hypersecretion injury.

Effect and Significance of Comprehensive Training in Infection Prevention and Control on the Psychological Health of Oral Health Staff

Background:Oral health staff have close contact with patients in the process of diagnosis and treatment,and it is inevitable for them to come into contact with patients’secretions.Therefore,oral health staff are at greater risk of infectious diseases in their daily work,and their psychological health is also greatly challenged.Objective:To study the effect and significance of comprehensive training in infection prevention and control on the psychological health of oral health staff.Methods:We selected 400 oral health staff from a tertiary stomatological hospital in Guangzhou,China in this study.The respondents were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group.After the first round of investigation,the intervention group received comprehensive training in prevention and control of infection for three months,while the control group received no intervention.Results:The comprehensive training in infection prevention and control improved the respondents’psychological health and job satisfaction.Further strengthening infection prevention and control training for oral health staff will increase their self-confidence,improve their mental health,and increase their job satisfaction.Conclusion:For oral health staff,it is particularly important to formulate an effective and operable preventive and control training program and then implement it in a standardized manner.

Helicobacter pylori and oral pathology:Relationship with the gastric infection

Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)has been found in the oral cavity and stomach,and its infection is one of the most frequent worldwide.We reviewed the literature and conducted a Topic Highlight,which identified studies reporting an association between H.pylori-infection in the oral cavity and H.pylori-positive stomach bacterium.This work was designed to determine whether H.pylori is the etiologic agent in periodontal disease,recurrent aphthous stomatitis(RAS),squamous cell carcinoma,burning and halitosis.Record selection focused on the highest quality studies and meta-analyses.We selected 48 articles reporting on the association between saliva and plaque and H.pylori-infection.In order to assess periodontal disease data,we included 12 clinical trials and 1 meta-analysis.We evaluated 13 published articles that addressed the potential association with RAS,and 6 with squamous cell carcinoma.Fourteen publications focused on our questions on burning and halitosis.There is a close relation between H.pylori infection in the oral cavity and the stomach.The mouth is the first extra-gastric reservoir.Regarding the role of H.pylori in the etiology of squamous cell carcinoma,no evidence is still available.

Studying host genetic background effects on multimorbidity of intestinal cancer development,type 2 diabetes and obesity in response to oral bacterial infection and high-fat diet using the collaborative cross(CC)lines

Background:Multimorbidity of intestinal cancer(IC),type 2 diabetes(T2D)and obesity is a complex set of diseases,affected by environmental and genetic risk factors.High-fat diet(HFD)and oral bacterial infection play important roles in the etiology of these diseases through inflammation and various biological mechanisms.Methods:To study the complexity of this multimorbidity,we used the collaborative cross(CC)mouse genetics reference population.We aimed to study the multimorbidity of IC,T2D,and obesity using CC lines,measuring their responses to HFD and oral bacterial infection.The study used 63 mice of both sexes generated from two CC lines(IL557 and IL711).For 12 weeks,experimental mice were maintained on specific dietary regimes combined with co-infection with oral bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum,while control groups were not infected.Body weight(BW)and results of a intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test(IPGTT)were recorded at the end of 12 weeks,after which length and size of the intestines were assessed for polyp counts.Results:Polyp counts ranged between 2 and 10 per CC line.The combination of HFD and infection significantly reduced(P<.01)the colon polyp size of IL557 females to 2.5 cm 2,compared to the other groups.Comparing BW gain,IL557 males on HFD gained 18 g,while the females gained 10 g under the same conditions and showed the highest area under curve(AUC)values of 40000-45000(min mg/dL)in the IPGTT.Conclusion:The results show that mice from different genetic backgrounds respond differently to a high fat diet and oral infection in terms of polyp development and glucose tolerance,and this effect is gender related.

Impact of different types of herpesviral infections in the oral cavity

The herpesviruses are ubiquitous, doubled-strandedDNA viruses that can reactivate under conditions such as immunosuppressive therapy, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, malnutrition, and immunosenescence. There are eight types of herpesviruses: Human herpesvirus simplex(HSV) type I(HSV-1) and HSV type II(HSV-2), varicella-zoster virus(VZV), epstein-Barr virus(EBV), cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus(HHV)-6, HHV-7, and HHV-8 or Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus. Some of these viruses can infect the oral cavity, leading to different types of lesions. Specifically, labial herpes(HSV-1 and less frequently HSV-2), zoster(VZV), infectious mononucleosis and oral hairy leukoplakia(EBV), and Kaposi's Sarcoma(HHV-8) are the most common viruses infecting the oral cavity. Some of these viruses can act in synergy with other herpesviruses or as distinct infectious agents. Other herpesviruses may have indirect effects in periodontal disease. The diagnosis is frequently based on signs and symptoms and depends on the experience of the examiner. Cytopathologic and/or histopathologic examination as well as immunological methods such as ELISA could help to elucidate cases. In addition, molecular techniques which can be sensitive and specific have been reported in the literature. These methods require low amounts of sample and could offer results faster than other traditional methods.

Treatment of systemic diseases and oral focal infection

Oral lesions are highly correlated with the occurrence and development of many diseases. In addition, the treatment of systemic diseases may aggravate oral focal infections, affect the life quality of patients, interfere with the treatment of systemic diseases, and even cause systemic infection in serious cases. Treatment strategies for systemic diseases may induce or aggravate oral local lesion infections. In specific, administration of oral anti-epileptic drugs and immunosuppressive drugs may induce gingivitis, radiotherapy or chemotherapy for malignant tumors may cause oral mucositis, long-term use of bisphosphonates for inhibition of tumor bone metastasis or prevention of osteoporosis may cause osteonecrosis of the jaw, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation that may cause oral rejection reactions.

Holistic paradigm in carcinogenesis:Genetics,epigenetics,immunity,inflammation and oral infections

Recent debate among the experts of cancer research regarding the main causes of carcinogenesis encouraged us to review the etiology of cancer pathogenesis. The somatic mutation theory attributes carcinogenesis to random errors in DNA multiplication while the tissue organization field theory ascribes causation to environmental factors. We recognize complexity in cancer pathogenesis and accept the premise of both DNA multiplication errors and environmental factors in cancer development. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the combination of these factors and the relative importance of the each differ in various types of cancers. For example, in some cancers, genetics plays a prominent role while in others environment such as obesity plays a much stronger role. Additionally, the cancer mitigating factors should also be considered. The balance of cancer-enhancing and cancer-suppressing forces determines the cancer incidence. Ultimately, identifying the lifestyle factors that revise somatic mutations or epigenetic alterations will lead to a clear understanding of pathogenic mechanisms of cancer and to the optimal preventive strategies. This narrative review evaluates the published evidence on carcinogenesis pertaining to the whole organism(thus, holistic) incorporating genetics, epigenetics, immunology, inflammation and infections with emphasis on oral infections.

Fosfomycin—A Promising Oral Antibiotic for the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Background: Among the common morbid causes that are prevalent among all age groups, urinary tract infections top the list. In our country, most of the UTI patients visiting hospitals (OPD or IPD) are already on empirical antibiotics even before getting the sensitivity report in their hand. The purpose of this research was to examine the susceptibility patterns of commonly used antibiotics, particularly fosfomycin, against common uropathogens. Methodology: This was a prospective observational study conducted between January and March 2021 in four private tertiary hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. All the urine samples referred to these four laboratories, obtained from patients of all ages and both genders, clinically diagnosed to have UTI, were included. Urine culture was performed by a semiquantitative method on blood agar media and MacConkey agar media. Following identification, antimicrobial sensitivity testing was performed using the modified Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method in accordance with CLSI standards. The data was put into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software version 25 for the analysis. Results: A total of 5389 urine samples were received from four private hospitals in Dhaka over three months, and of these, 934 (17.33%) isolates were obtained from culture. About 95% of the isolates were gram-negative bacilli (GNBs). The most common isolate was Escherichia coli 615 (65.85%), followed by Klebsiella spp. 154 (16.49%), Pseudomonas spp. 64 (6.85%) and 51 (5.46%) isolates of Enterobacter. Among the gram-positive cocci, the most common were Enterococci fecalis 18 (1.93%) and Staphylococcus aureus 17 (1.82%). Of all the antibiotics tested, fosfomycin sensitivity was 98.4%, 88.88%, and 100% for Escherichia coli, Enterococci fecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. All the isolates tested were susceptible to Meropenem (77% - 100%), Amoxiclav (78% - 100%) and Nitrofurantoin (45% - 94%). Sensitivity amongst all the uropathogens for ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, and cotrimoxazole was nearly 50% - 77%. Conclusion: The positivity of urinary isolates is 17.33%, with the most common pathogen being Escherichia coli. Common uropathogens show the highest in vitro susceptibility to fosfomycin. So, fosfomycin should be considered as a highly potent and promising alternative oral antibiotic treatment for UTI.

Effect of adjuvant therapy of transfer factor oral solution on the infection process of children with Mycoplasma pneumonia

Objective:To explore the effect of adjuvant transfer factor oral solution therapy on the infection process of children with mycoplasma pneumonia.Methods:A total of 164 children with mycoplasma pneumonia who were treated in our hospital between January 2017 and January 2018 were selected as the research subjects and divided into control group (n=82) and transfer factor oral solution group (n=82) by random number table method. Control group received clinical routine therapy for children with mycoplasma pneumonia, transfer factor oral solution group received both routine therapy and transfer factor oral solution therapy, and both groups were treated for consecutive 1 week. The differences in infection-related index levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Results:Before treatment, the differences in serum levels of inflammatory factors, coagulation indexes and immunoglobulins were not statistically significant between the two groups. After 1 week of treatment, serum inflammatory factors IL-2, IL-13 and IL-18 contents of transfer factor oral solution group were lower than those of control group;serum coagulation index FIB level was lower than that of control group whereas PT and APTT levels were higher than those of control group;serum immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM contents were lower than those of control group.Conclusion: Adjuvant transfer factor oral solution therapy can effectively relieve the systemic inflammatory response and reduce the coagulation system and humoral immune system function damage in children with mycoplasma pneumonia.

Postpartum Infection in Morbidly Obese Women after Caesarean Section: Does Early Prophylactic Oral Antibiotic Use Make a Difference?

The rising prevalence of morbid obesity particularly in women coupled with a higher likelihood of having a caesarean section (C-section) birth and an increased risk of surgical site infection (SSI) places wound management among priority areas in maternity care. There is ambiguity about the efficacy of routine preventative care pathways particularly in morbid obese women with regards to SSI after caesarean section. A pilot study was therefore undertaken to explore the number of women with a C-section infection in a cohort of morbidly obese women during six weeks postpartum against a protocol of standard care of early antibiotic prophylaxis and skin closure practice. A short questionnaire was sent to 59 women with an early pregnancy BMI ≥ 40 who gave birth?via?C-section in a large maternity unit in Sheffield, UK. Data were collated from 39 women with 20 (51%) developing a post-operative wound infection within 6 weeks postpartum. Infections were higher in the women who had emergency C-section births (14/24, 60%). There was no significant difference in wound infection risk with respect to wound closure material (Chi-square = 0.298, p-value = 0.86) or the use of oral prophylactic antibiotic after birth (Chi-square = 0.2053, p-value = 0.650). Although all the women received routine intravenous (IV) antibiotics before C-section, only 26/39 received the 5-day oral antibiotic prophylaxis after birth. Six of 13 women who did not receive postpartum oral antibiotics (46%) developed a SSI. In summary, over half of morbidly obese women who delivered by C-section developed a wound infection, despite receiving prophylactic antibiotics. We acknowledge the limitations of these results from?a small-sample retrospective observational study. However,?this may indicate that post operative antibiotic prophylaxis confers no additional benefit in this group of patients and thus requires further investigation.

Preliminary study on Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection of human oral epithelial cell in vitro

Objective： To explore the functions and mechanisms of herpes simplex virus type I（HSV-1） while infecting human oral epithelial cells in vitro（being similar to the infection in vivo）. Methods：An abundance of HSV-1 strains amplified in Vero cells were used to infect human oral epithelial cells. The culture supernatant was collected to infect Vero cells again. Morphology of HSV-1 was identified by inverted microscope and transmission electron microscope. Nucleic acid of the virus was detected by PCR. Results：The infected human oral epithelial cells didn＇ t display an obvious cytopathic effect（CPE） under inverted microscope（while Vero cells which were infected by the culture supernatant showed typical（CPE）. The virus particles were not observed in the cytoplasm nor in nucleus of human oral epithelial cells, however under transmission electron microscope in the cytoplasm of Vero cells, the nucleic acid of HSV-1 could be detected in infected human oral epithelial cells, by PCR. Conclusion-HSV-1 can successfully infect human oral epithelial cells. This model may provide a useful approach for studying the pathogenesis of herpes virus-associated periodontal disease.

Effectiveness of Disinfection of Anesthetics Tubes in Oral Surgery -An in Vitro Study

Context： Anesthetic tubes are always on the surgical table, for this reason, it＇s necessary to perform its disinfection, generally by chemicals. Aim： Was to analyze the effectiveness of tubes decontamination made by disinfectant substances used in a clinical setting and to identify the microorganisms found on their surface. Materials and Methods： 14 anesthetic tubes were collected from dental clinic, on 5 groups. 01 plastic and 01 glass tubes that were not submitted to any disinfection process composed the control group and they had been sown in Agar Blood. Experimental groups underwent immersion and fixation with the proposed chemicals for 1 minute, laminar flow hood was used to seed it in Agar Blood and then it was transferred to incubator for 24 hours at 37℃. Tests were used to identify the main Gram positive pathogenic genera. Gram-negative pathogenic colonies isolated were seeded in biochemical means of identification. Results： It was possible to identify the presence of Staphylococcus coagulase negative, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus viridans, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter spp, as well as the effectiveness of chemical solutions proposed in this study. Conclusions： All chemical solutions proposed in this study were effective for the surface disinfection process of anesthetic tubes.

The Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Oral Lichen Planus in an Ethnic Chinese Cohort of 232 Patients

Aim Oral lichen planush （OLP） is a chronic inflammatory disease, and has been reported to have a correlation with hepatitis Cvirus （HCV） infection in some regional investigations. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of HCV in patients with oral lichen planus in an ethnic Chinese cohort. Methodology The antibody of HCV infection was detected by using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, the clinical characteristics of whole the cohort have also been studied, such as the gender, age, clinical type, habits and social factors. Results Of all 232 patients, the antibody of HCV infection was detected positive in 4 patients （1.72%） using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. It was lower than that in control group of 2.5%, but not significant （P=0.309）. The positive rate of HCV antibody in the erosive type ones （4.2%） was higher than that in the reticular type ones （1.0%）, but this difference was proved to be not significant （P=0.389）. The clinical characteristics of whole cohort, such as the gender, age, clinical type, habits and social factors, showed the outcome obtained in the present study were similar to thao of our previous study. Conclusion HCV may play no etiological role in oral lichen planus in ethnic Chinese OLP patients.

Reviews of Research on the Relationship between Oral Helicobacter pylori and H. pylori Infection

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common pathogens among humans, and it is also closely related to stomach diseases. Spread of its diseases must be understood to properly control H. pylori. Oral H. pylori may also play an important role in the spread of the bacterium. This study provides an overview on the role of oral H. pylori in spread, diagnosis,and prevention of this organism. The present work also determines difficulties encountered in current studies and progress of research on the relationship between oral H. pylori and oral diseases.

The analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-infection effects of Chai Ge fever relief oral liquid

Backgroud:To explore the analgesic,anti-inflammatory,and anti-infective effects of Chai Ge fever relief oral liquid and provide evidence for clinical application of Chai Ge fever relief oral liquid.Methods:In this study,four groups of experiments were designed:analgesic,anti-inflammatory,antiviral,and antibacterial.In the mouse pain model,the analgesic effect of Chai Ge fever relief oral liquid was studied by the writhing method and pain threshold;the anti-inflammatory effect by measuring the level of capillary permeability in the abdominal cavity of mice in different dose groups and the weight of cotton ball granuloma formation in rats;the antiviral effect by measuring the lung index of a pneumonia model of mouse infected with influenza virus;and the antibacterial effect by comparing the difference in the death protection ratio between each dose group and the model group result.Results:In the analgesic experiment,the high and medium dose of Chai Ge fever relief oral liquid could significantly reduce the number of writhing in mice caused by acetic acid,and the pain threshold of mice in the high-and medium-dose groups was significantly increased for 1–3 hours.In the anti-inflammatory experiment,the medium-dose group could significantly inhibit the increase of capillary permeability in the abdominal cavity of mice caused by acetic acid,and the low-dose group could significantly reduce the weight of rat cotton ball granuloma.In the antiviral experiment,the high-and medium-doses of Chai Ge fever relief oral liquid could significantly reduce the lung index of normal mouse pneumonia model of influenza virus infection and achieve a higher inhibition rate.In the anti-infective experiment,the death protection rate of the high-dose group was significantly different from that of the model control group.All three dose groups could significantly prolong the survival days of infected mice.Conclusion:These experimental results prove that in addition to its antipyretic effect,Chai Ge fever relief oral liquid also has analgesic,anti-inflammatory,antiviral,and antibacterial effects.

Research progress in thecorrelation between oral and stomach Hpinfections

Helicobacter pylori(Hp) is one of the most common human pathogens. The infection caused by this bacterium is closely related to various clinical diseases. However, the eradication rate of conventional quadruple therapy has decreased, but the recurrence rate of infections has increased. The oral cavity is another major storage of Hp in addition to the stomach, and a certain homology exists between Hp in the oral cavity and Hp in the stomach. Periodontal treatment has a certain role in the killing of oral Hp, which can increase the eradication rate and reduce the recurrence rate of Hp in the stomach. This article summarizes the influence of oral Hp on the eradication rate and recurrence rate of gastric Hp.

Urgent call for attention to diabetes-associated hospital infections

In this editorial,we discuss the recent article by Zhao et al published in the World Journal of Diabetes,which highlights the importance of recognizing the risk indicators associated with diabetes mellitus(DM).Given the severe implications of healthcare-associated infections(HAIs)in hospitalized individuals-such as heightened mortality rates,prolonged hospitalizations,and increased costs-we focus on elucidating the connection between DM and nosocomial infections.Diabetic patients are susceptible to pathogenic bacterial invasion and subsequent infection,with some already harboring co-infections upon admission.Notably,DM is an important risk factor for nosocomial urinary tract infections and surgical site infections,which may indirectly affect the occurrence of nosocomial bloodstream infections,especially in patients with DM with poor glycemic control.Although evidence regarding the impact of DM on healthcare-associated pneumonias remains inconclusive,attention to this potential association is warranted.Hospitalized patients with DM should prioritize meticulous blood glucose management,adherence to standard operating procedures,hand hygiene practices,environmental disinfection,and rational use of drugs during hospitalization.Further studies are imperative to explore the main risk factors of HAIs in patients with DM,enabling the development of preventative measures and mitigating the occurrence of HAIs in these patients.

Role of nutrition in diabetes mellitus and infections

In this editorial,we have commented on the article that has been published in the recent issue of World Journal of Clinical Cases.The authors have described a case of unilateral thyroid cyst and have opined that the acute onset of infection may be linked to diabetes mellitus(DM).We have focused on the role of nutrition in the association between DM and infection.Patients with DM are at a high risk of infection,which could also be attributed to nutrition-related factors.Nutritional interventions for patients with diabetes are mainly based on a low-calorie diet,which can be achieved by adhering to a low-carbohydrate diet.However,dietary fiber supplementation is recommended to maintain the diversity of the gut microbiota.Furthermore,high-quality protein can prevent the increased risk of infection due to malnutrition.Supplementation of vitamins C,vitamins A,vitamins D,and folic acid improves blood sugar control and facilitates immune regulation.Mineral deficiencies augment the risk of infection,but the relationship with diabetes is mostly U-shaped and a good intake should be maintained.

Unraveling brain aging through the lens of oral microbiota

The oral cavity is a complex physiological community encompassing a wide range of microorganisms.Dysbiosis of oral microbiota can lead to various oral infectious diseases,such as periodontitis and tooth decay,and even affect systemic health,including brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases.Recent studies have highlighted how oral microbes might be involved in brain aging and neurodegeneration,indicating potential avenues for intervention strategies.In this review,we summarize clinical evidence demonstrating a link between oral microbes/oral infectious diseases and brain aging/neurodegenerative diseases,and dissect potential mechanisms by which oral microbes contribute to brain aging and neurodegeneration.We also highlight advances in therapeutic development grounded in the realm of oral microbes,with the goal of advancing brain health and promoting healthy aging.