Targeted Antimicrobial Therapy Against Streptococcus mutans Establishes Protective Non-cariogenic Oral Biofilms and Reduces Subsequent Infection

Aim Dental biofilms are complex communities composed largely of harmless bacteria. Certain pathogenic species including Streptococcus mutans （S. mutans） can become predominant when host factors such as dietary sucrose intake imbalance the biofilm ecology. Current approaches to control S. mutans infection are not pathogen-specific and eliminate the entire oral community along with any protective benefits provided. Here, we tested the hypothesis that removal of S. mutans from the oral community through targeted antimicrobial therapy achieves protection against subsequent S. mutans colonization. Methodology Controlled amounts of S. mutans were mixed with S. mutans-free saliva, grown into biofilms and visualized by antibody staining and cfu quantization. Two specifically-targeted antimicrobial peptides （STAMPs） against S. mutans were tested for their ability to reduce S. mutans biofilm incorporation upon treatment of the inocula. The resulting biofilms were also evaluated for their ability to resist subsequent exogenous S. mutans colonization. Results S. mutans colonization was considerably reduced （9 ± 0.4 fold reduction, P=0.01） when the surface was preoccupied with saliva-derived biofilms. Furthermore, treatment with S. mutans-specific STAMPs yielded S. mutans-deficient biofilms with significant protection against further S. mutans colonization （5 minutes treatment： 38 ± 13 fold reduction P=0.01; 16 hours treatment： 96 ± 28 fold reduction P=0.07）. Conclusion S. mutans infection is reduced by the pre- sence of existing biofilms. Thus maintaining a healthy or ＂normal＂ biofilm through targeted antimicrobial therapy （such as the STAMPs） could represent an effective strategy for the treatment and prevention of S. mutans colonization in the oral cavity and caries progression.

Prognosis of Connective Tissue Disease Related Interstitial Lung Disease after Initiation of Long-Term Oxygen Therapy: Comparison with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Objective: The studies of long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) for patents with connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the prognosis of CTD-ILD patients following the initiation of LTOT, compared to those with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with CTD-ILD and IPF who were introduced to LTOT between January 2014 and December 2020. Results: The study included 24 patients with CTD-ILD and 55 patients with IPF. At the initiation of LTOT, female gender, never-smoking history, higher body mass index (BMI), higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, lower pulmonary Surfactant Protein-D (SP-D) level and lower Gender-Age-Physiology (GAP) scores were more common in the CTD-ILD group (all Conclusion: Although patients with CTD-ILD had longer overall survival than those with IPF, there was no significant difference in prognosis after the initiation of LTOT between the two groups. Early intervention including treatment and management will be needed in CTD-ILD as in IPF.

Antimicrobial therapy using sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim for Kawasaki disease patients unresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin

Our previous study suggested that the production of superantigens and heat-shock protein 60 by small intestinal bacteria might play a role in Kawasaki disease (KD). We demonstrated that they were all resistant to commonly used antibiotics, except for sulamethoxazole trimethoprim (SMX-TMP). We used SMX-TMP for 7 cases of KD that were unresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and studied the antipyretic potency of this treatment. In 6 out of the 7 cases, we demonstrated that antipyretic potency was observed without side effects within 2 days of the initial administration. Antimicrobial therapy using SMX-TMP might represent a novel strategy for cases of KD that are unresponsive to IVIG.

Navigating the Third Frontier of Antimicrobial Therapy to Support Women’s Health

This paper explores one of the underappreciated reasons for lack of efficacy in certain cases of antimicrobial therapy, namely the occurrence of a non-genetic resistance to antimicrobial drugs due to a metabolic quiescence of microorganisms. This review has centered on those microorganisms of particular importance in obstetrics and gynecology and accordingly has reviewed the nature and extent of the persister phenotype in relation to infectious agents affecting women’s health. We show how the quiescent persister microbial phenotype represents the next significant issue that could compromise successful antibiotic therapy. A brief history of antimicrobial therapy is provided as context for the problem posed by the persister phenotype. This review has been focused on the current literature having relevance for physicians concerned with women’s health. The study of this phenotype has led to increasing understanding of the molecular mechanisms for this state which also provides ideas for rational development of drug candidates to interdict these organisms in human disease and explores the possibility of developing specifically targeted molecules to address persisters, research on screening botanicals, existing drugs and chemicals to discover novel approaches to the clinical consequence of microbial persisters. Of interest in this review, is the return to naturally occurring botanical substances, first to be used as anti-infectives, now being considered as possible agents to address persister microorganisms. Overall this paper aims to provide information tailored especially to the obstetrics and gynecology specialists.

Development of Helicobacter pylori treatment: How do we manage antimicrobial resistance?

Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) antimicrobial resistance is an urgent, global issue. In2017, the World Health Organization designated clarithromycin-resistant H.pylori as a high priority bacterium for antibiotic research and development. In addition to clarithromycin, resistance to metronidazole and fluoroquinolones has also increased worldwide. Recent international guidelines for management of H.pylori infection recommend bismuth or non-bismuth quadruple therapy for 14 d as a first-line treatment for H. pylori in areas of high clarithromycin and/or metronidazole resistance. Although these treatment regimens provide acceptable H. pylori eradication rates, the regimens used should not contribute to future resistance of H. pylori to antimicrobials. Moreover, these regimens can promote resistance, due to prolonged therapy with multiple antibiotics. A new strategy that can eradicate H. pylori as well as reduce the antibiotics used is required to prevent future antimicrobial resistance in H. pylori. Dual-therapy with vonoprazan and amoxicillin could be a breakthrough for H. pylori eradication in an era of growing antimicrobial resistance. This regimen may provide a satisfactory eradication rate of H. pylori and also minimize antimicrobial resistance due to single antibiotic use and the strong inhibitory effect of vonoprazan on gastric acid secretion.

Importance of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for the management of eradication in Helicobacter pylori infection

The management of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection treatment differs from the common treatment protocol for other infectious diseases. Because culture-or molecular-guided approaches face several practical issues, such as the invasive procedures required to obtain gastric biopsy specimens and the lack of availability of routine laboratory testing in some places, H. pylori treatment includes the administration of two or three empirically selected antibiotics combined with a proton pump inhibitor rather than evidence-based eradication treatment. The efficacy of empirical therapy is decreasing, mostly due to increasing multiple resistance. Multiresistance to levofloxacin, clarithromycin, and metronidazole, which are commonly used in empirical treatments, appears to have increased in many countries. Mutations play a primary role in the antimicrobial resistance of H. pylori, but many different mechanisms can be involved in the development of antibiotic resistance. Determining and understanding these possible mechanisms might allow the development of new methods for the detection of H. pylori and the determination of antimicrobial resistance. A treatment based on the detection of antimicrobial resistance is usually more effective than empirical treatment. Nevertheless, such an approach before treatment is still not recommended in the Maastricht guidelines due to the difficulty associated with the routine application of available cultureor molecular-based susceptibility tests, which are usually administered in cases of treatment failure. The management of first and rescue treatments requires further research due to the steadily increase in antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing before first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with dual or triple antibiotic resistance

To evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial susceptibility-guided therapy before first-line treatment for infection in patients with dual or triple antibiotic resistance.METHODSA total of 1034 patients infected by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) during 2013-2014 were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. 157 of 1034 (15%) patients showed resistance to two (127/1034; 12%) and to three (30/1034; 3%) antibiotics. Sixty-eight patients with dual H. pylori-resistance (clarithromycin, metronidazole or levofloxacin) were treated for 10 d with triple therapies: OAL (omeprazole 20 mg b.i.d., amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d., and levofloxacin 500 mg b.i.d.) 43 cases, OAM (omeprazole 20 mg b.i.d., amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d., and metronidazole 500 mg b.i.d.) 12 cases and OAC (omeprazole 20 mg b.id., amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d., and clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d.) 13 cases based on the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Twelve patients showed triple H. pylori-resistance (clarithromycin, metronidazole and levofloxacin) and received for 10 d triple therapy with OAR (omeprazole 20 mg b.id., amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d., and rifabutin 150 mg b.i.d.). Eradication was confirmed by 13C-urea breath test. Adverse effects and compliance were assessed by a questionnaire.RESULTSIntention-to-treat eradication rates were: OAL (97.6%), OAM (91.6%), OAC (92.3%) and OAR (58.3%). Cure rate was significantly higher in naïve patients treated with OAR-10 compared to patients who had two or three previous treatment failures (83% vs 33%). Adverse events rates for OAL, OAM, OAC and OAR were 22%, 25%, 23% and 17%, respectively, all of them mild-moderate.CONCLUSIONAntimicrobial susceptibility-guided triple therapies during 10 d for first-line treatment leads to an eradication rate superior to 90% in patients with dual antibiotic H. pylori resistance.

Oncological results, functional outcomes and health-related quality-of-life in men who received a radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer： a study on long-term patient outcome with risk stratification

Health-related quality-of-life （HRQOL） after a radical prostatectomy （RP） or extemal beam radiation therapy （EBRT） has not been studied in conjunction with oncological outcomes in relation to disease risk stratification. Moreover, the long-term outcomes of these treatment approaches have not been studied. We retrospectively analyzed oncological outcomes between consecutive patients receiving RP （n = 86） and EBRT （n = 76） for localized prostate cancer. HRQOL and functional outcomes could be assessed in 62 RP （79%） and 54 EBRT （79%） patients over a 3-year follow-up period （median： 41 months） using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 （SF-36） and the University of Califomia Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index （UCLA PCI）. The 5-year biochemical progression-free survival did not differ between the RP and EBRT groups for low-risk （74.6% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.931） and intermediate-risk （61.3% vs. 71.1%, P = 0.691） patients. For high-risk patients, progression-free survival was lower in the RP group （45.1%） than in the EBRT group （79.7%） （P = 0.002）. The general HRQOL was comparable between the two groups. Regarding functional outcomes, the RP group reported lower scores on urinary function and less urinary bother and sexual bother than the EBRT group （P 〈 0.001, P 〈 0.05 and P 〈 0.001, respectively）. With risk stratification, the low- and intermediate-risk patients in the RP group reported poorer urinary function than patients in the EBRT group （P 〈 0.001 for each）. The sexual function of the high-risk patients in the EBRT group was better than that of the same risk RP patients （P 〈 0.001）. Biochemical recurrence was not associated with the UCLA PCI score in either group. In conclusion, low- to intermediate-risk patients treated with an RP may report relatively decreased urinary function during long-term follow-up. The patient＇s HRQOL after treatment did not depend on biochemical recurrence.

EVALUATION OF NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM LOW DOSE HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY ON POSTMENOPAUSAL WO-MEN BRAIN HIPPOCAMPUS USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE SCANNER

To investigate the effects of long-term low dose hormone replacement therapy （HRT） on postmenopaosal women in homone level, cognition score, hippocampus volume, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy （MRS） parameters. Methods A total of 182 postmenopausal women aged 50-87 years were chosen at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and assigned to HRT group and control group. The volunteers of HRT group had taken low dose hormone [ estradiol （E2 ） 0. 5-1.0 mg and progesterone 0.5-2.0 mg, once a day ] for 4-33 years. The concentrations of E2, progesterone, and testosterone were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The gene types of apolipoprotein E （ApoE） were measured by polymerase chain reaction, and the subjects with susceptible genes （ ApoE ε3/ε4） of Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） were screened. Their hippocampus volumes and MRS parameters were obtained through magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）, and results in two groups were analyzed by statistical method. Results Compared with control group, the concentrations of E2 at each age stage in HRT group were significantly higher （P 〈0. 05） except the 80-89 years old subgroup; yet, there were no statistical differences in the concentrations of progesterone and testosterone between the two groups. There was no obvious difference in ApoE subtypes distribution between the two groups The results of hippocampus MRI for the subjects with susceptible genes ApoE ε3/ε4 （HRT group 14 cases, control group 11 cases） showed that the ratio of bilateral hippocampus volume to whole brain volume in HRT group （0. 406 ± 0.028） was signiticantlyhigher than control gronp （0.369±0.031, P〈0.05）. Theresults of ^1H MRS for the subjects with susceptible genes ApoE ε3/ε4 （ HRT group 12 cases, control group 11 cases） showed that the N-acetylaspartate/total creatine at the area of hippocampus in HRT group （ 1.54±0. 08 ） were significantly higher than control group （ 1.45±0. 13, P 〈 0. 05）. Conclusions For postmenopausal women, long-term low dose HRT can maintain the physiological concentration of E2 in plasma. Furthermore, the hippocampus MRI performed on those with ApoE ε3/ε3 genes shows that long-term low dose HRT can prevent hippocampus atrophy, which is beneficial to maintain the brain function and prevent AD.

A study on sleep architecture in patients with chronic respiratory failure under long-term oxygen therapy—Focused on the influence of ventilatory failure (high CO₂) elements on the patient’s sleep architecture

Sleep disturbance related symptoms are common in patients with long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). Essentially, there were only few previous reports about the sleep architecture in patients with respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aims to clarify the objective sleep state and the elements that affect sleep architecture in Chronic Respiratory Failure (CRF) patients with focus on clinical cases of chronic hypercapnia. 13 subjects with chronic respiratory failure were enrolled in the study. All the subjects were pre-evaluated by pulmonary function test and Arterial blood gas analysis (ABG) including exercise testing. Polysomnography (PSG) test was performed in each subject with supplemental oxygen. The estimated base line PaCO2 value that reflects overall PaCO2 including sleep period was calculated using equation of PaCO2[2.4×(HCOˉ3)-22]from obtained ABG value just before PSG test. 6 subjects were classified as hypercapnic group (base line PaCO2 ≥ 45 mmHg) and 7 subjects were non-hypercapnic group (base line PaCO2 < 45 mmHg). Latency persistent sleep of PSG data was significant higher in patients with hypercapnic than non-hypercapnic (p < 0.01). Periodic Limb Movement was seen in 23.6% of the subjects, however there was no contribution for arousals. Other PSG data include mean SpO2 were no significant difference. This study suggests that patients with estimated hypercapnia had more disturbed sleep architecture especially significant loss of sleep latency than non-hypercapnic patient with chronic respiratory failure under LTOT. Nocturnal PaCO2 level or ventilatory function may contribute to sleep disturbance in patients with estimated hypercapnia during LTOT.

Long-term Therapeutic Outcome and Prognostic Factors of Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Receiving Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy: An Analysis of 608 Patients from Low-endemic Regions of China

Objective To evaluate the long-term outcome and prognostic factors of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)from low-endemic regions of China who received definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT).Methods The clinical data from 608 patients with newly-diagnosed non-metastatic NPC who have received initial treatment at our cancer center from January,2008 to December,2013 were retrospectively reviewed.All patients received definitive IMRT,and 87.7%received platinum-based chemotherapy.Results The median follow-up duration was 51 months(follow-up rate,98.5%;range,10–106 months)for the entire cohort.The 5-year overall survival rate was 79.7%.The 5-year local relapse-free survival rate,regional relapse-free survival rate,distant metastasis-free survival rate and progression-free survival rate were 92.4%,93.3%,79.2%and 74.3%,respectively.A total of 153 patients had experienced treatment failure,with distant metastasis as the primary cause in 77.1%(118/153).Patients with T4 or N3 diseases had a significantly poorer prognosis than other subcategories.Stage T4 and N3 were closely associated with distant metastasis,with the metastatic rate of 29.3%and 45.5%,respectively.Conclusion IMRT provides patients with non-metastatic NPC with satisfactory long-term survival.Both T stage and N stage are important prognostic factors for NPC patients.Patients with T4 or N3 diseases have significantly increased distant metastatic rates and poor survival time.

Network meta-analysis of long-term efficacy of acupuncture-related therapies and SSRIs in treating post-stroke depression

Objective:To evaluate the effect of existing acupuncture-related therapies on the longterm effects of post-stroke depression(PSD)by using a network meta-analysis with SSRIs as a common reference.Methods:The published randomized controlled clinical trials of acupuncture-related therapies and SSRIs for PSD in PubMed,The Cochrane Library,EMbase,CNKI,CBM,VIP and wan-fang databases were comprehensively searched.The literature retrieval period was from The database establishment to July 31,2020.Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 was used to assess the risk of bias in included studies.Data analysis is conducted through ADDIS,Review Manager 5.3,and STATA 13.1 software.Results:A total of 3115 patients with PSD were included in 30 RCTs,involving 10 therapeutic methods.Results of network meta-analysis showed that:in terms of total effective rate,body acupuncture+SSRIs was superior to body acupuncture[OR=2.85,95%CI(1.51,5.90)]and SSRIs[OR=5.37,95%CI(3.03,10.33)].In terms of HAMD score,body acupuncture+SSRIs was superior to body acupuncture[MD=1.69,95%CI(0.33,3.06)]and SSRIs[MD=3.87,95%CI(2.68,5.08)].The above ranking predicted that moxibustion+SSRIs was the best.In terms of NIHSS score,body acupuncture[MD=2.15,95%CI(1.10,3.26)]and body acupuncture+SSRIs[MD=1.77,95%CI(0.19,3.37)]were better than SSRIs.Conclusion:Moxibustion combined with SSRIs is the best for the long-term efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion on PSD.Body acupuncture combined with SSRIs is better than SSRIs alone.The other therapies have their own advantages and disadvantages.Based on the defects of existing studies,this conclusion still needs to be verified by more high-quality RCTs.

Long-term follow-up of Ta transitional cell carcinoma of bladder after treatment of TURBt plus intravesical therapy

To stduy the association between the prognosis of Ta transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder and risk-related factors.Methods A total of 88 cases (62 males and 26 females;mean age,61 years;age range,41-81 years) of initial T.TCC of the bladder treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBt) plus intravesical chemotherapy or immunotherapy were enrolled.Among them,there were 26 cases of G1,61 cases of G2 and 1 case of G3.For tumor site,62 cases (16 cases of G1,45 of G2,1 of G3) had single tumor and 26 cases (10 cases of G1,16 of G2) had multi-site tumors.The mean follow-up was 113 months (range,56-168 months).The tumor grade,original tumor number and their association with the recurrence and progression of this type of TCC were retrospectively analyzed.Results The overall recurrence rate (RR) was 60% (53/88).In single tumor group,RR of G1 cases was 25% (4/16);RR of G2 cases was 62% (28/45) and the total RR was 52% (32/62).In multi-site tumor group,RR of G1 cases was 80% (8/10),RR of G2 cases was 75% (12/16) and the total RR was 77% (20/26).The RR of multi-site tumor group was significantly higher than that of single tumor group (P<0.01).In single tumor group,RR of G2 cases was significantly higher than that of G1 cases (P<0.001).In multi-site tumor group,there was no association of RR with tumor grade.There was no progression in G1 tumor cases.The progression rate was 42.5% (17/40) in G2 tumor cases;among them,30% (12/40) progressed to T1G2 tumors and 12.5% (5/40) progressed to T2G2 tumors.The RR of cases who received thiotepa,mitomycin and BCG were 75% (12/16),68% (30/44) and 40% (11/27),respectively.Tumor specific mortality was 1.14% (1/88,a T2G3 case).Conclusion The multi-site Ta TCC of the bladder has relatively higher RR and greater chance of progression after the treatment of TURBt plus intravesical chemotherapy or immunotherapy,especially in the poor differentiated tumors,thus active treatment and close follow-up are essential in clinical practice.9 refs.

金属有机骨架材料光热/光动力联合治疗的策略及进展

背景:金属有机骨架(metal-organic frameworks,MOFs)是一种由金属节点和有机配体组成的新型多孔材料。部分MOFs自身即具备光热转化能力或光动力效应,亦可作为载体负载光热剂或光敏剂,在激光诱导下产生活性氧或升高温度发挥光疗作用,被广泛应用于抗菌及抗肿瘤等生物医学领域。当MOFs同时具有这两种光疗作用时,可发挥协同治疗的效应,以弥补单独使用一种光疗方法的不足。目的:按照不同的结构总结目前提出的MOFs光热/光动力联合治疗策略,以期为联合治疗材料MOFs的结构设计、功能负载及临床应用场景提供新的思路。方法:以“金属有机骨架/金属有机框架,光动力治疗,光热治疗”为中文检索词,“Metal-organic frameworks,photodynamic therapy,photothermal therapy,phototherapy”为英文检索词,检索了PubMed、Web of Science、ScienceDirect、中国知网和万方数据库的文献,最终纳入76篇进行综述分析。结果与结论:①光热/光动力联合治疗可发挥相互增强的协同作用。②现有光热/光动力联合治疗策略主要包括了改性MOFs骨架赋予其光热、光动力效应,将光疗剂封装于MOFs,光疗剂与MOFs形成核壳结构,光疗剂在MOFs内原位还原,将光疗剂附着于MOFs表面以及热解MOFs以形成MOFs衍生的碳材料等其他特殊改性方法。③要构建特定的光疗MOFs结构,必须综合考虑光疗剂和MOFs的种类、尺寸、结合方式,选择不同的合成策略。封装结构合成过程简单,但仅适用于小粒径光疗剂;核壳结构稳定,但合成过程繁复;原位还原对光疗剂尺寸无特殊限制,但难以精确控制光疗剂在MOFs内部的生长;表面附着结构的合成步骤简便,但不能避免光疗剂提前聚集猝灭;热解MOFs合成条件要求高,且只有特定的MOFs才能实现。④现有的光热/光动力联合治疗策略主要被应用于抗菌、抗肿瘤治疗并表现出优异性能,具体的应用领域与光疗剂和MOFs自身的性质有关,还有部分用于类风湿性关节炎、抗凝溶栓治疗,其潜在应用场景十分广阔。⑤光热剂和光敏剂的临床转化目前仍处于起步阶段,其面临的关键挑战包括生物安全性评估激光照射参数的优化以及高效大规模合成方法的开发。

抗菌压电材料:对细菌无选择性杀伤和不产生细菌耐药性

背景:压电材料可通过催化作用产生活性氧,通过多种途径来破坏细菌,而且不会导致细菌产生耐药性。这种不依赖抗生素的抗菌方式具有明显的优势,可以对细菌进行无差别的杀伤,为今后的抗菌策略提供了一种新思路。目的:文章主要总结了有关压电材料特性与抗菌机制,并讨论了部分压电材料在抗菌领域的研究现状。方法:在Pub Med、Web of Science、中国知网和万方数据库中,以“压电材料,压电催化,活性氧,抗菌,细菌感染,抗感染,耐药性”为中文检索词,以“piezoelectric materials,piezoelectricity,piezoelectric catalysis,piezocatalysis,reactive oxygen species,ROS,bacterial infection,antibacterial strategies,anti-infection,drug resistance,drug-resistant bacteria”为英文检索词。检索时间范围重点为2013年1月至2023年12月,通过阅读文题和摘要进行初步筛选;排除中英文重复性研究及内容不相关的文献,经文献质量评价后,最后纳入68篇文献进行综述。结果与结论:(1)压电材料是一类性质稳定的环境友好型材料,其大多数具有良好的生物相容性。(2)压电材料在压电效应过程中可催化产生大量活性氧,活性氧可通过细胞外氧化和细胞内氧化,破坏细菌的细胞膜、胞内蛋白质、酶以及核酸等物质,影响细菌的结构和功能,甚至导致细菌死亡从而实现抗菌。抗菌性能与催化生成活性氧速率相关,而催化速率与材料体系、形貌及外界条件等多种因素相关。(3)压电催化产生的活性氧对细菌不具备选择性,因此表现出广谱抗菌性,且这种抗菌方式不需要依赖抗菌药物,故不会引起细菌耐药性问题。(4)结合超声波无创、可控性与穿透性强等优点,未来压电材料作为耐药菌感染的辅助或替代治疗等具有重要价值和巨大潜力。(5)目前压电材料催化效率低下的难题限制了其在抗菌领域的应用,如何提高压电催化效率成为了学者们关注的焦点。

Harnessing antimicrobial peptide-coupled photosensitizer to combat drug-resistant biofilm infections through enhanced photodynamic therapy

Bacterial biofilm-associated infection was one of the most serious threats to human health. However, effective drugs for drug-resistance bacteria or biofilms remain rarely reported. Here, we propose an innovative strategy to develop a multifunctional antimicrobial agent with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity by coupling photosensitizers (PSs) with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This strategy capitalizes on the ability of PSs to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the membrane-targeting property of AMPs (KRWWKWIRW, a peptide screened by an artificial neural network), synergistically enhancing the antimicrobial activity. In addition, unlike conventional aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) photosensitizers, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) PSs show stronger fluorescence emission in the aggregated state to help visualize the antibacterial mechanism. In vitro antibacterial experiments demonstrated the excellent killing effects of the developed agent against both Gram-positive (G^(+)) and Gram-negative (G^(–)) bacteria. The bacterial-aggregations induced ability enhanced the photoactivatable antibacterial activity against G^(–) bacteria. Notably, it exhibited a significant effect on destroying MRSA biofilms. Moreover, it also showed remarkable efficacy in treating wound infections in mice in vivo. This multifunctional antimicrobial agent holds significant potential in addressing the challenges posed by bacterial biofilm-associated infections and drug-resistant bacteria.

Third-line rescue therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection

H pylori gastric infection is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide. The discovery that most upper gastrointestinal diseases are related to Hpylori infection and therefore can be treated with antibiotics is an important medical advance. Currently, a first-line triple therapy based on proton pump inhibitor （PPI） or ranitidine bismuth citrate （RBC） plus two antibiotics （darithromycin and amoxicillin or nitroimidazole） is recommended by all consensus conferences and guidelines. Even with the correct use of this drug combination, infection can not be eradicated in up to 23% of patients. Therefore, several second line therapies have been recommended. A 7 d quadruple therapy based on PPI, bismuth, tetracycline and metronidazole is the more frequently accepted. However, with second-line therapy, bacterial eradication may fail in up to 40% of cases. When Hpylori eradication is striclly indicated the choice of further treatment is controversial. Currently, a standard third-line therapy is lacking and various protocols have been proposed. Even after two consecutive failures, the most recent literature data have demonsbated that Hpylori eradication can be achieved in almost all patients, even when antibiotic susceptibility is not tested. Different possibilities of empirical treatment exist and the available third-line strategies are herein reviewed.

Generalized periodontitis treated with periodontal,orthodontic,and prosthodontic therapy:A case report

BACKGROUND Generalized periodontitis is a severe periodontal disease characterized by rapid periodontal destruction in healthy persons.This case report describes the treatment of a severe crowding,large overjet,and occlusal collapse due to the loss of anterior guidance with generalized periodontitis.CASE SUMMARY A 35-year-old female patient with a chief complaint of crowding and maxillary protrusion was diagnosed with generalized periodontitis by clinical and radiographic examinations.To improve crowding and overjet,orthodontic treatment was performed after basic periodontal therapy.Severely damaged upper right lateral incisor and left canine were extracted,and lower right first premolar and left second premolar were also removed to treat severe crowding.After orthodontic treatment,periodontal flap surgery for upper left molars and guided tissue regeneration for the lower left second molar was performed.Then,a dental implant was inserted in the upper left canine legion.The esthetics of the maxillary anterior tooth was improved by prosthetic restorations.The treatment result showed a well-improved occlusion with proper anterior guidance and healthy periodontal tissue after a retention period of 10 years.CONCLUSION Periodontal,orthodontic,and prosthodontic treatments are extremely useful to improve function and stable periodontal tissue for generalized periodontitis.

The Utility of Procalcitonin as a Biomarker to Limit the Duration of Antibiotic Therapy in Adult Sepsis Patients

Introduction: With rising global antibiotic resistance, stewardship programs aimed at controlling multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens have begun to gain acceptance. These programs stress appropriate antibiotic selection, dosage and duration. A growing literature suggests serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels may be useful in guiding antibiotic duration and de-escalation. This report sought to evaluate the evidence-based data available from prospective randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the role of PCT in guiding reductions in antibiotic duration in adult sepsis patients. Methods: A comprehensive search of all published prospective RCT(s) on the use of PCT as a tool for guiding antibiotic therapy in adult sepsis patients was conducted using PubMed, Medline Plus and Google Scholar (2007-2013). Keywords searched included, “procalcitonin”, “sepsis-therapy”, “sepsis biomarker”, “antibiotic duration”, “drug de-escalation”, and “antimicrobial stewardship”. Results:?Four RCT(s) involving 826 adult sepsis patients have evaluated the role of serum PCT levels to guide criteria for cessation of antibiotic therapy based either on specific PCT levels or PCT kinetics. Bouadma?et al.?(N = 621) stopped antibiotics when the PCT concentration was <80% of the peak PCT value, or the absolute PCT concentration was <0.5 μg/L. The PCT arm showed a 2.7-day reduction in antibiotics. Schroeder?et al.?(N = 27) discontinued antibiotics if clinical signs of infection improved and the PCT value decreased to <1 ng/mL or to <35% of the initial value within three days. The PCT arm had a 1.7-day reduction in antibiotics. Hochreiter?et al.?(N = 110) ceased antibiotics when the PCT decreased to <1 ng/mL, or to 25% - 35% of the initial value over three days if the value was >1 ng/mL. The PCT arm showed a 2-day reduction in antibiotics. Finally, Nobre?et al.?(N = 68) stopped antibiotics when PCT levels decreased by 90% or more from the initial value, but not prior to Day 3 (if baseline PCT measured <1 μg/L) or Day 5 (if baseline PCT measured ≥1 μg/L). The PCT arm showed a 4-day reduction in antibiotics. Overall, reduction of PCT levels to 10% - 35% of the initial concentration, to <80% of the peak PCT value, or to an absolute PCT value of <1 μg/L warranted antibiotic discontinuation 1.7 to 4 days earlier. No study reported a significant difference in mortality between the PCT arm and the control arm (p< 0.05). Conclusions: PCT-guided early cessation of antibiotic therapy in adult sepsis patients is associated with a significant decrease in antibiotic days, with no effect on overall mortality. Measurement of serum PCT levels may have a role in antimicrobial stewardship programs aimed at limiting antibiotic therapy duration, decreasing the selective pressure on drug-resistant bacterial strains and reducing hospital costs.

Effect of antibacterial photodynamic therapy on Streptococcus mutans plaque biofilm in vitro

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the antibacterial effect of antibacterial pho-todynamic therapy(aPDT)on Streptococcus mutans(S.mutans)biofilm model in vitro.The selection of photosensitizers is the key step for the efficacy of photodynamic therapy(PDT).However,no studies have been conducted in the oral field to compare the functional char-acteristics and application effects of PDT mediated by various photosensitizers.In this re-search,the antibacterial effect of Methylene blue(MB)/650 nm laser and Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether(HMME)/532 nm laser on S.mutans biofilm was compared under different energy densities to provide experimental reference for the clinical application of the two PDT.The yield of lactic acid was analyzed by Colony forming unit(CFU)and spectrophotometry,and the complete biofilm activity was measured by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy(CLSM)to evaluate the bactericidal effect on each group.Based on the results of CFU,the bacterial colonies formed by 30.4J/cm^(2)532nm MB-aPDT group and 30.4J/cm^(2)532nm HMME-aPDT group were significantly less than those in other groups,and the bacterial colonies in HMME-aPDT group were less than those in HMME-aPDT group.Lactic acid production in all treatment groups except the photosensitizer group was statistically lower than that in the normal saline control group.The activity of bacterial plaque biofilm was significantly decreased in the two groups treated with 30.4 J/cm^(2) aPDT.Therefore,aPDT suitable for energy measurement can kill S.mutans plaque biofilm,and MB-aPDT is better than HMME-aPDT.