Chronic infection: as an ecological model for emergence of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic infections; emerging as complications of some primary diseases, can hardly be considered as classical infectious processes. Such infections may be caused by the non- traditional pathogenic bacteria; as in the cases of cystic fibrosis; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), inflammatory bowel diseases, etc. Emergence of these complications is caused by several disorders in the ecosystem; constituting the human body and its microbiota. It is reasonable to extrapolate some ecological principles of the bacterial community's assembly in the humans; as there is a wide variety of factors affecting this, which can be considered as ecological ones. The human microbiota is formed during changes of the different bacterial succession types; under the influence of stochastic and deterministic ecological processes, in addition to different types of the selection pressure. During certain diseases, such as COPD, the normal course of the bacterial community's formation is disrupted. It is associated with anatomical and physiological defects, which cause changes in the properties of the ecological niche; occupied by the communities (i.e., airways in the case of COPD). Altered niches can be occupied by the virulent microorganisms, which get resource advantage and form new stable community. The severity of such chronic infections is correlated with biological diversity in the communities, which tends to decrease in the more severe cases and in the exacerbations. The aim of this study was to create an ecological model of the chronic infections; through synthesizing the ecological and medical knowledge. This model, such as the COPD; may establish new approach to the chronic infections etiopathogenesis, which enables to get better understanding of the clinical course in these diseases and to propose more effective therapies in the future

Complex ecological approach to cystic fibrosis respiratory infections

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common genetic disorders; resulting in a wide variety of complications, including respiratory infections. Such infections are often ineffectively treated within the framework of a classical paradigm of the infectious process. However, little attention is paid to the unique microecological conditions that are formed in CF respiratory tract. This study aimed to exploring the microecological conditions and to finding out how they may influence the pathogenesis of CF infections. These conditions emerge under the influence of local disruptions in the respiratory functions; inflammatory processes, and complicated relations of the individual microorganisms between each other and between the human bodies as their ecological substrates. As a result, microorganisms that are usually safe for the healthy people become extremely dangerous for CF patients; having adapted to a new ecological niche and having got definite resource advantage, which is attributed to the respiratory tract tissue destruction. Additionally, it is still unknown; how do the anaerobic microbes contribute to CF infections, and whether they collaborate with the traditional CF pathogens or compete with them. In this article, we are analyzing CF respiratory infections from the ecological perspective and proposing in our opinion a more comprehensive picture of their pathogenesis

Experience of inulin use for correcting intestinal microbiota in patients suffering from recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: A prospective cohort comparative study

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of inulin for the adjustment of intestinal microflora in patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Materials and methods. A prospective cohort comparative study included 79 women aged 18 to 50 years. They were divided into three groups: the main group included 32 patients receiving complex treatment with a dietary supplement containing inulin derived from the "Extra" variety of Jerusalem artichoke root in combination with fluconazole; the comparison group included 27 patients receiving fluconazole only; and the control group included 20 healthy women. The patients were followed up for 12 months. Examination included stool culture for dysbiosis, complete blood count, urinalysis, blood chemistry (glucose, bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total protein, urea, creatinine), examination of the vulva and vaginal mucosa, vaginal smear microscopy for microflora, Gram staining, real-time polymerase chain reaction for Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma parvum, Trihomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia traсhomatis, Candida albicans. Subsequently, all subjects every three months underwent a bimanual examination, speculum examination of the cervical mucosa and vagina, Gram staining of vaginal mucosa and cervix swabs, a thorough interview, and history taking. At 12 months, stool was cultured for dysbiosis again, and the data were analyzed. Results. The VVC therapy in the group of inulin-containing dietary supplement was more effective: the recurrence rate was 3 times lower than with the standard treatment regimen. Conclusion. The use of dietary supplement containing inulin derived from the "Extra" variety of Jerusalem artichoke root in complex therapy for recurrent VVC can significantly improve the gut and vagina microflora condition and prevent the recurrence and normalization of stool in patients