Recovery of Indigenous probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum Mut-7 on healthy Indonesian adults after consumption of fermented milk containing these bacteria.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits on the host when administered in adequate amounts, such as to support the balance of gut microbiota. In this study, the selected indigenous probiotic strain, Lactobacillus plantarum Mut-7, was used as a starter culture to produce fermented milk. A total of 28 healthy Indonesian youngsters and adults (male/female: 16/12; age 19.4-22.9 years old; normal BMI range 18.6-22.7 kg/m2) were supplemented with the fermented milk. This study aimed to determine the recovery of L. plantarum Mut-7 through molecular analysis from the subjects feces after ingestion of 140 mL fermented milk containing 7.0 log10 CFU/ml of L. plantarum Mut-7 for 15 days. Molecular detection was performed using the rep-PCR technique and sequencing of DNA 16S rRNA. Consumption of fermented milk containing L. plantarum Mut-7 enabled reduction of total E. coli and Coliform non-E. coli in several subjects. It was able to increase the total LAB and total L. plantarum in subjects' feces. The number of L. plantarum and mesophilic LAB increased by 5.5 ± 1.6 log10 CFU/g, 1.8 ± 0.8 log10. On the other side, thermophilic LAB increased by 2.8 ± 3.0 log10 CFU/g in 23 out of 28 subjects. These findings proved that L. plantarum survived in the human gastrointestinal tract. Based on the molecular identification technique using rep-PCR technique and sequencing of gene 16S rRNA, two isolates had similarity to L. plantarum Mut-7 by a coefficient value of 100%. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-021-05046-z.

Kinetics of dengue virus-specific serum immunoglobulin classes and subclasses correlate with clinical outcome of infection.

The kinetics of dengue virus (DEN)-specific serum immunoglobulin classes (immunoglobulin M [IgM] and IgA) and subclasses (IgG1 to IgG4) were studied in patients suffering from dengue fever (DF), dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Serum samples from non-DEN febrile patients were included as controls. IgM, IgG1, and IgG3 serum antibodies were the predominant immunoglobulins throughout the course of illness in all three patient groups. In contrast, IgA antibodies were significantly higher in the acute phase in DSS patients compared to those in DF patients (P < 0.05). The levels of IgG1 differed significantly between patients with DF and those with DHF and DSS (P < 0.05). A significant difference was also found in IgG3 levels between DF patients and DHF patients (P < 0.05) but not between DF patients and DSS patients. Finally, levels of IgG4 antibodies differed significantly between DF patients and DSS patients (P < 0.05). Collectively, these data show that increased levels of DEN-specific IgA, IgG1, and IgG4 serum antibodies are risk markers for the development of DHF and DSS and that their measurement may provide valuable guidance for early therapeutic intervention.

Inflammatory mediators in dengue virus infection in children: interleukin-6 and its relation to C-reactive protein and secretory phospholipase A2.

To assess the potential role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the pathogenesis of dengue virus infection, levels of this cytokine were measured in children with dengue virus infection on admission to the hospital. As presumed surrogate markers of IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP) and secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) were measured. Three groups were studied: 33 apparently healthy children as negative controls, 11 children with bacterial infections as positive controls, and 186 children with serologically documented dengue virus infection. One-hundred and fifteen patients had dengue fever (DF) and 71 had dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Compared with healthy controls, dengue shock syndrome (DSS) patients had significantly higher levels of IL-6 on admission (P < 0.05), comparable with those in positive controls. Dengue patients with shock had significantly higher levels of IL-6 than normotensive patients (P < 0.001) and higher levels of IL-6 were associated with a higher incidence of ascites. C-reactive protein concentrations in dengue patients and in healthy children were not different, but lower than in children with bacterial infections (P = 0.008). Secretory phospholipase A2 levels were higher in dengue patients than in apparently healthy children (P < or = 0.05) and similar to those in children with bacterial infection. Dengue shock syndrome patients had significantly higher sPLA2 concentrations than normotensive patients (P = 0.02). These data indicate that IL-6 and sPLA2 may have a pathogenetic role only in the most severe forms of dengue virus infection.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus and varicella zoster antibodies in a Javanese community (Yogyakarta, Indonesia).

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) cause an acute inflammation of the liver. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) cause chickenpox (varicella) and herpes zoster. Effective vaccines against hepatitis A and varicella are available for children, adolescents and adults. In order to implement an appropriate vaccination policy, a baseline to assess the potential benefits and sections of the population who would benefit most are required. We investigated seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus and varicella zoster antibodies in a Javanese community. A total of 1,103 subjects were studied. The 600 subjects aged 4 to 9 years were sampled between 23 October and 2 November, 1995. The other subjects were sampled between 12 October and 1 November, 1996. The overall prevalence of anti-HAV in cohort was 28.7%. Anti-HAV seroprevalence rates were below 30% until the age of 15 and below 40% until the age of 25. The anti-varicella seroprevalence showed only in two thirds of seropositive population at the age of 15. The results of the study have implications for vaccination strategies for both hepatitis A and varicella zoster.

Inflammatory mediators in dengue virus infection in children: interleukin-8 and its relationship to neutrophil degranulation.

The chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) has chemoattractant activity for neutrophils and is able to activate and degranulate these cells. We investigated whether IL-8 may exert these effects in children with dengue virus infection. Circulating levels of IL-8, neutrophilic elastase (a constituent of the azurophilic granula of neutrophils), and lactoferrin, released from specific granula, were measured in 186 children with dengue virus infection, 33 healthy children as negative controls and 11 children with bacterial infections as positive controls. Levels of IL-8 on admission were elevated in 71% of the dengue patients, while the elastase and lactoferrin levels were increased in 68 and 17% of patients, respectively. These levels were significantly higher than in healthy children (P < 0.05) for IL-8 and elastase but not for lactoferrin (by the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney [WMW] U test). Similar levels of IL-8 were found in patients with bacterial infections. Levels of IL-8 and elastase in patients with shock were significantly higher than in patients without shock (P = 0.02; WMW), but those of lactoferrin were not. IL-8 correlated with elastase and lactoferrin (r = 0.19 and P = 0.009 versus r = 0.24 and P = 0.001, respectively; two-tailed Spearman rank correlation). Thus, IL-8 levels are increased in most patients with dengue virus infection and correlate with degranulation of neutrophils as well as with some clinical and hemodynamic variables. These findings suggest a role for IL-8 in the pathogenesis of dengue virus infection.

A prospective seroepidemiologic study on dengue in children four to nine years of age in Yogyakarta, Indonesia I. studies in 1995-1996.

A prospective study on dengue (DEN) viruses was initiated in October 1995 in Gondokusuman kecamatan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This report presents data from the first year of the study. The studied cohort included all children 4-9 years of age living in the kecamatan. Blood samples for serology were collected from 1,837 children in October 1995 and again in October 1996. Blood samples for virus isolation and serology were collected from cohort children who were seen in municipal health clinics with febrile syndromes or admitted to hospitals with a provisional diagnosis of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Dengue serotype antibody prevalence and 1995-1996 infection rates were calculated using a single dilution (1:60) 70% plaque reduction endpoint neutralization test. Prevalence of dengue antibody at the beginning of the study was DEN 1 = 12%, DEN 2 = 16%, DEN 3 = 2%, DEN 4 = 4%, and two or more dengue infections = 22%. Total dengue antibody prevalence increased from 38% in 4-year-old children to 69% in 9-year-old children. During the observation period, primary dengue infection rates were DEN 1 = 4.8%, DEN 2 = 7.7%, DEN 3 = 4.2%, and DEN 4 = 3.4%, while two or more dengue infections occurred in 6.7% of the study population. The secondary dengue infection rate was 19.0%. From febrile cases, all four dengue viruses were isolated with DEN 3 predominating. Seven children were hospitalized, including one fatal case with a hospital diagnosis of dengue shock syndrome. Based upon presence of antibody in the initial cohort bleeding and the serologic response both weeks and several months following illness, all had secondary dengue infections. Neutralizing antibody patterns in the initial cohort bleeding and in late convalescent serum samples permitted recognition of dengue infection sequence in five patients: DEN 2-DEN 1 (3), DEN 2-DEN 4 (1), DEN 1-DEN 3 (1), and none in the sequence DEN 1-DEN 2. In the total cohort 6.5% of the observed secondary infections were of the sequence DEN 2-DEN 1, while 4.9% were DEN 1-DEN 2, a highly pathogenic sequence in previous studies. Reduced pathogenic expression of secondary DEN 2 with enhanced pathogenic expression of secondary DEN 1 infections was an unexpected finding. Further studies will be required to understand the respective contributions to pathogenicity of antibody from initial dengue infections versus the biological attributes of the second infecting dengue viruses.