Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from pets and horses in Switzerland: molecular characterization and clinical data

Objectives We investigated whether Acinetobacter baumannii isolates of veterinary origin shared common molecular characteristics with those described in humans. Methods Nineteen A. baumannii isolates collected in pets and horses were analysed. Clonality was studied using repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (rep-PCR) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). PCR and DNA sequencing for various β-lactamase, aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme, gyrA and parC, ISAba1 and IS1133, adeR and adeS of the AdeABC efflux pump, carO porin and class 1/2/3 integron genes were performed. Results Two main clones [A (n = 8) and B (n = 9)] were observed by rep-PCR. MLST indicated that clone A contained isolates of sequence type (ST) ST12 (international clone II) and clone B contained isolates of ST15 (international clone I). Two isolates of ST10 and ST20 were also noted. Seventeen isolates were resistant to gentamicin, 12 to ciprofloxacin and 3 to carbapenems. Isolates of ST12 carried blaOXA-66, blaADC-25, blaTEM-1, aacC2 and IS1133. Strains of ST15 possessed blaOXA-69, blaADC-11, blaTEM-1 and a class 1 integron carrying aacC1 and aadA1. ISAba1 was found upstream of blaADC (one ST10 and one ST12) and/or blaOXA-66 (seven ST12). Twelve isolates of different STs contained the substitutions Ser83Leu in GyrA and Ser80Leu or Glu84Lys in ParC. Significant disruptions of CarO porin and overexpressed efflux pumps were not observed. The majority of infections were hospital acquired and in animals with predisposing conditions for infection. Conclusions STs and the molecular background of resistance observed in our collection have been frequently described in A. baumannii detected in human patients. Animals should be considered as a potential reservoir of multidrug-resistant A. baumanni

Hypovitaminosis D is associated with depression and anxiety in schizophrenia: results from the national FACE-SZ cohort. Running title: hypovitaminosis D, depression and anxiety in schizophrenia

International audienceBackground. Guidelines have been edited for the treatment of schizophrenia (SZ) and bipola

Immuno-metabolic profile of patients with psychotic disorders and metabolic syndrome. Results from the FACE-SZ cohort

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a highly prevalent and harmful medical disorder often comorbid with psychosis where it can contribute to cardiovascular complications. As immune dysfunction is a key shared component of both MetS and schizophrenia (SZ), this study investigated the relationship between immune alterations and MetS in patients with SZ, whilst controlling the impact of confounding clinical characteristics including psychiatric symptoms and comorbidities, history of childhood maltreatment and psychotropic treatments. Method: A total of 310 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for SZ or schizoaffective disorders (SZA), with or without MetS, were systematically assessed and included in the FondaMental Advanced Centers of Expertise for Schizophrenia (FACE-SZ) cohort. Detailed clinical characteristics of patients, including psychotic symptomatology, psychiatric comorbidities and history of childhood maltreatment were recorded and the serum levels of 18 cytokines were measured. A penalized regression method was performed to analyze associations between inflammation and MetS, whilst controlling for confounding factors. Results: Of the total sample, 25% of patients had MetS. Eight cytokines were above the lower limit of detection (LLOD) in more than 90% of the samples and retained in downstream analysis. Using a conservative Variable Inclusion Probability (VIP) of 75%, we found that elevated levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-7, IL-12/23 p40 and IL-16 and lower levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were associated with MetS. As for clinical variables, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), diagnosis of SZ (not SZA), age at the first episode of psychosis (FEP), alcohol abuse, current tobacco smoking, and treatment with antidepressants and anxiolytics were all associated with MetS. Conclusion: We have identified five cytokines associated with MetS in SZ suggesting that patients with psychotic disorders and MetS are characterized by a specific “immuno-metabolic” profile. This may help to design tailored treatments for this subgroup of patients with both psychotic disorders and MetS, taking one more step towards precision medicine in psychiatry. © 2022 The AuthorsImmuno-Génétique, Inflammation, retro-Virus, Environnement : de l'étiopathogénie des troubles psychotiques aux modèles animauxRéseau d'Innovation sur les Voies de Signalisation en Sciences de la Vi

Escherichia coli producing CMY-2 β-lactamase in bovine mastitis milk

An Escherichia coli isolate producing the CMY-2 β-lactamase was found in the milk of a cow with recurrent subclinical mastitis. The isolate was resistant to the antibiotics commonly used for intramammary mastitis treatment, such as penicillins, cephalosporins, β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides. This is the first report of a plasmid-mediated AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae in bovine milk

Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from pets and horses in Switzerland: molecular characterization and clinical data

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether Acinetobacter baumannii isolates of veterinary origin shared common molecular characteristics with those described in humans. METHODS: Nineteen A. baumannii isolates collected in pets and horses were analysed. Clonality was studied using repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (rep-PCR) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). PCR and DNA sequencing for various beta-lactamase, aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme, gyrA and parC, ISAba1 and IS1133, adeR and adeS of the AdeABC efflux pump, carO porin and class 1/2/3 integron genes were performed. RESULTS: Two main clones [A (n = 8) and B (n = 9)] were observed by rep-PCR. MLST indicated that clone A contained isolates of sequence type (ST) ST12 (international clone II) and clone B contained isolates of ST15 (international clone I). Two isolates of ST10 and ST20 were also noted. Seventeen isolates were resistant to gentamicin, 12 to ciprofloxacin and 3 to carbapenems. Isolates of ST12 carried bla(OXA-66), bla(ADC-25), bla(TEM-1), aacC2 and IS1133. Strains of ST15 possessed bla(OXA-69), bla(ADC-11), bla(TEM-1) and a class 1 integron carrying aacC1 and aadA1. ISAba1 was found upstream of bla(ADC) (one ST10 and one ST12) and/or bla(OXA-66) (seven ST12). Twelve isolates of different STs contained the substitutions Ser83Leu in GyrA and Ser80Leu or Glu84Lys in ParC. Significant disruptions of CarO porin and overexpressed efflux pumps were not observed. The majority of infections were hospital acquired and in animals with predisposing conditions for infection. CONCLUSIONS: STs and the molecular background of resistance observed in our collection have been frequently described in A. baumannii detected in human patients. Animals should be considered as a potential reservoir of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii

Reproduction Function in Male Patients With Bardet Biedl Syndrome

International audiencePurpose: Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a ciliopathy with a wide spectrum of symptoms due to primary cilia dysfunction, including genitourinary developmental anomalies as well as impaired reproduction, particularly in males. Primary cilia are known to be required at the following steps of reproduction function: (i) genitourinary organogenesis, (ii) in fetal firing of hypothalamo-pituitary axe, (iii) sperm flagellum structure, and (iv) first zygotic mitosis conducted by proximal sperm centriole. BBS phenotype is not fully understood.Methods: This study explored all steps of reproduction in 11 French male patients with identified BBS mutations.Results: BBS patients frequently presented with genitourinary malformations, such as cryptorchidism (5/11), short scrotum (5/8), and micropenis (5/8), but unexpectedly, with normal testis size (7/8). Ultrasonography highlighted epididymal cysts or agenesis of one seminal vesicle in some cases. Sexual hormones levels were normal in all patients except one. Sperm numeration was normal in 8 out of the 10 obtained samples. Five to 45% of sperm presented a progressive motility. Electron microscopy analysis of spermatozoa did not reveal any homogeneous abnormality. Moreover, a psychological approach pointed to a decreased self-confidence linked to blindness and obesity explaining why so few BBS patients express a child wish.Conclusions: Primary cilia dysfunction in BBS impacts the embryology of the male genital tract, especially epididymis, penis, and scrotum through an insufficient fetal androgen production. However, in adults, sperm structure does not seem to be impacted. These results should be confirmed in a greater BBS patient cohort, focusing on fertility

Temporal Changes of Human Breast Milk Lipids of Chinese Mothers

Fatty acids (FA), phospholipids (PL), and gangliosides (GD) play a central role in infant growth, immune and inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to determine FA, PL, and GD compositional changes in human milk (HM) during lactation in a large group of Chinese lactating mothers (540 volunteers) residing in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Suzhou. HM samples were collected after full expression from one breast and while the baby was fed on the other breast. FA were assessed by direct methylation followed by gas chromatography (GC) analysis. PL and GD were extracted using chloroform and methanol. A methodology employing liquid chromatography coupled with an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) and with time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry was used to quantify PL and GD classes in HM, respectively. Saturated FA (SFA), mono-unsaturated FA (MUFA), and PL content decreased during lactation, while polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and GD content increased. Among different cities, over the lactation time, HM from Beijing showed the highest SFA content, HM from Guangzhou the highest MUFA content and HM from Suzhou the highest n-3PUFA content. The highest total PL and GD contents were observed in HM from Suzhou. In order to investigate the influence of the diet on maternal milk composition, a careful analyses of dietary habits of these population needs to be performed in the future

Psychiatric disability as mediator of the neurocognition-functioning link in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: SEM analysis using the Evaluation of Cognitive Processes involved in Disability in Schizophrenia (ECPDS) scale

International audienceThe functional outcome in schizophrenia spectrum disorders is affected by multiple factors such as cognitive performance and clinical symptoms. Psychiatric disability may be another important determinant of functional outcome. The purpose of this study was to test whether schizophrenia symptoms and psychiatric disability mediated the association between cognition and functioning. Between April 2013 and July 2017, we included 108 community-dwelling adults with stable schizophrenia spectrum disorder in a multicenter study. Psychiatric disability was assessed with the Evaluation of Cognitive Processes involved in Disability in Schizophrenia (ECPDS) scale by relatives of patients. ECPDS focused on the broad array of motivational, neurocognitive, sociocognitive, and metacognitive impairments that result in activity restrictions. We used a battery of tests to assess seven cognition domains (processing speed, attention/vigilance, working, verbal and visual memory, reasoning and problem solving, and executive functioning) and cross-sectional structural equation modeling (SEM) for the mediation analyses. We estimated the one-year temporal stability of ECPDS scores in 45 participants. The model provided showed good fit and explained 43.9% of the variance in functioning. The effect of neurocognition on functioning was fully mediated by symptoms (proportion mediated: 36.5%) and psychiatric disability (proportion mediated: 31.3%). The ECPDS score had acceptable one-year temporal stability. The ECPDS scale has satisfactory psychometric properties, and shows significant convergence with neurocognition and functioning, suggesting a role for this tool in the routine evaluation of cognitive remediation needs. Our model validates psychiatric disability as a crucial step from cognitive impairment to restricted participation in life situations

Relationships between neuropsychological performance, insight, medication adherence, and social metacognition in schizophrenia

International audienceBackground: Social metacognition is still poorly understood in schizophrenia, particularly its neuropsychological basis and its impact on insight and medication adherence. We therefore quantified social metacognition as the agreement between objective and subjective mentalization and assessed its correlates in a sample of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Methods: Participants consisted of 143 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders who underwent a metacognitive version of a mentalization task, an extensive neuropsychological battery, and a clinical evaluation to assess their insight into illness and medication adherence. We studied potential interactions between confidence judgments and several neuropsychological and clinical variables on mentalization accuracy with mixed-effects multiple logistic regressions.Results:Confidence judgments were closely associated with mentalization accuracy, indicative of good social metacognition in this task. Working memory, visual memory, and reasoning and problem-solving were the three neuropsychological dimensions positively associated with metacognition. By contrast, the two measures of medication adherence were associated with poorer metacognition, whereas no association was found between metacognition and clinical insight. The multiple regression model showed a significant positive impact of better working memory, older age at onset, longer duration of hospitalization, and worse medication adherence on social metacognition.Conclusions: We discuss possible mechanisms underlying the apparent association between social metacognition and working memory. Adherence should be monitored when remediating social metacognition, and psychoeducation should be given to patients with a high level of awareness of their capacity to mentalize