Prevention of alloimmune rejection using XBP1-deleted bone marrow-derived dendritic cells in heart transplantation

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Best Practices for the Analytic Phase of Anaerobic Bacteriology

The analytic process for identification of anaerobic bacteria involves direct specimen Gram stains and workup of growth in culture. Direct Gram stains help to develop the initial differential, aiding in guiding both the extent of laboratory workup and clinician decision making for patient management. Workup of anaerobic growth should involve an aerotolerance test to assess aerobic growth and to compare growth rates in anaerobic versus aerobic environments. While matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has become a routine means of anaerobe identification for many clinical laboratories, spot biochemical tests, such as indole and catalase, should be available in every laboratory that identifies anaerobes. If MALDI-TOF MS and biochemical methods are unsuccessful at providing an identification, 16S rRNA gene PCR and/or sequencing may be performed if the information impacts clinical care. The extent of culture workup to the level of presumptive identification versus definitive identification depends upon several factors, including the specimen source, direct Gram stain results, and the presence or absence of mixed microbiota. In addition to discussing the current best practices for anaerobic culture workup, commonly encountered anaerobic organism Gram stains and culture growth are detailed.     

Evidence of taxonomic bias in public databases: The example of the genus Borrelia

The taxon names used in public databases are of critical importance in all areas of biology because they are needed for linking organisms to sequence data and other information. Since most users of taxonomic classifications may be unprepared for dealing with synonyms, the names that are preferred in such databases are of high impact. Using the genus Borrelia as an example, we here show how simplistic approaches for determining the preferred synonym may lead to biases regarding the preferences for taxonomic opinions. We highlight that in this and other cases where genera were split, for reverting to the previous “merged” genus it is neither possible nor necessary to generate validly published and legitimate names that are newer than those that were proposed as new combinations when the genus was split. The policy to always prefer the latest validly published name in a public database may thus render this database oblivious to reversals in taxonomic opinion. We emphasize that users of public databases should be aware of such potential shortcomings, and that curators of databases which provide nomenclatural information should be open-minded about taxonomic views expressed in the literature.     

Management of calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease: A systematic review

ObjectiveCalcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease (CPPD) is a common cause of acute and chronic arthritis, especially in the elderly population. There is a paucity of data regarding the management of CPPD disease, which is currently based on expert opinion and evidence derived from the treatment of gout. We conducted a systematic literature review in order to identify the available treatment options for CPPD, and describe their efficacy and safety.Material and methodsOnline databases were searched from inception to May of 2020 using the search terms: (CPPD [Title/Abstract] OR CPDD [Title/Abstract] OR calcium pyrophosphate [Title/Abstract] OR chondrocalcinosis [Title/Abstract]) AND (treatment [Title/Abstract] OR management [Title/Abstract] OR therapy [Title/Abstract]). Articles evaluating the use of specific treatment agents for CPPD were eligible for inclusion. Case reports were excluded.ResultsA total of 22 eligible studies and 403 unique patients were selected. We identified only 3 randomized, double-blind, controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the use of methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and magnesium carbonate in CPPD, and these therapeutic options, with the exception of methotrexate, have shown efficacy and reduction of pain intensity. Further, 10 case series and 9 cohort studies were included. Intramuscular and intra-articular glucocorticoids, ACTH, as well as the biologic agents anakinra and tocilizumab appear to be efficacious in CPPD. Intra-articular injections of glycosaminoglycan polysulphate, hyaluronic acid and yttrium, as well as synovial membrane destruction by laser irradiation were associated with symptomatic improvement. Due to significant study heterogenicity, direct comparison between studies was not possible.ConclusionThere are a limited number of studies evaluating the treatment of CPPD. High quality evidence is rather limited, while commonly administered agents such as NSAIDs, colchicine and corticosteroids have not been evaluated by RCTs. The need for high quality evidence supporting specific treatment modalities is urgent for this common yet neglected form of arthritis.     

SARS-CoV-2 host diversity: An update of natural infections and experimental evidence

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now a pandemic threat. This virus is supposed to be spread by human to human transmission. Cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the receptor of SARS-CoV-2 which is identical or similar in different species of animals such as pigs, ferrets, cats, orangutans, monkeys, and humans. Moreover, a recent study predicted that dogs might be secondary hosts during the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 from bat to human. Therefore, there is a possibility of spreading SARS-CoV-2 through domestic pets. There are now many reports of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases in dogs, cats, tigers, lion, and minks. Experimental data showed ferrets and cats are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 as infected by virus inoculation and can transmit the virus directly or indirectly by droplets or airborne routes. Based on these natural infection reports and experimental data, whether the pets are responsible for SARS-CoV-2 spread to humans; needs to be deeply investigated. Humans showing clinical symptoms of respiratory infections have been undergoing for the COVID-19 diagnostic test but many infected people and few pets confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 remained asymptomatic. In this review, we summarize the natural cases of SARS-CoV-2 in animals with the latest researches conducted in this field. This review will be helpful to think insights of SARS-CoV-2 transmissions, spread, and demand for seroprevalence studies, especially in companion animals.