Factors related to the composition and diversity of wound microbiota investigated using culture-independent molecular methods: a scoping review.

All open wounds are often colonized by commensal microbes as a loss of skin can provide a ready portal of entry for microorganisms. Although the wound microbiota is known to be associated with wound infection and with delayed healing, the factors related to the formations of wound microbiota contributing to such poor clinical outcomes are not clear and have not led to effective infection prevention interventions. This review aimed to scope the factors related to the composition and diversity of wound microbiota that have been investigated using culture-independent molecular methods. Original articles on wound microbiota published from January 1986 to February 2020 were included in this review. Thirty-one articles met the inclusion criteria and were grouped according to wound types: chronic, acute, and animal model wounds. The factors identified were categorized according to patient characteristics, wound characteristics, treatment, and sampling. Although some studies reported the effect size of the factors, the values were small. No studies elucidated the mechanism of wound microbiota formation. The results of this scoping review highlight that the factors associated with the diversity of wound microbiota are poorly understood and that further studies are needed.

Risk scoring tool for forearm skin tears in Japanese older adults: A prospective cohort study.

[Aim] Because painful skin tears frequently occur in older patients, the prevention of skin tears is fundamental to improve their quality of life. However, a risk assessment tool for skin tears has not been established yet in Japan. Therefore, we aimed to propose a risk scoring tool for skin tears in Japanese older adult. [Methods] We conducted a prospective cohort study with 6-month follow-up in two long-term care hospitals in Japan. A total of 257 inpatients were recruited. Patient and skin characteristics were collected at baseline, and the occurrence of forearm skin tears were examined during follow-up. To develop a risk scoring tool, we identified risk factors, and converted their coefficients estimated in the multiple logistic regression analysis into simplified scores. The predictive accuracy of the total score was evaluated. [Results] Of 244 participants, 29 developed forearm skin tears during the follow-up period, a cumulative incidence of 13.5%. Senile purpura, pseudoscar, contracture, and dry skin were identified as risk factors for skin tears. Their weighted scores were 6, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the total score was 0.806. At a cut-off score of 12, the sensitivity was 0.86, and the specificity was 0.67. [Conclusion] Our forearm skin tear risk scoring tool showed high accuracy, whereas specificity was low. This tool can contribute to prevent forearm skin tears in Japanese older adults.

Effectiveness of ultrasonic debridement on reduction of bacteria and biofilm in patients with chronic wounds: A scoping review.

Chronic wounds are defined as "hard-to-heal" wounds that are caused by disordered mechanisms of wound healing. Chronic wounds have a high risk of infection and can form biofilms, leading to the release of planktonic bacteria, which causes persistent infections locally or remotely. Therefore, infection control and removal of the biofilm in chronic wounds are essential. Recently, ultrasonic debridement was introduced as a new method to reduce infection and promote the healing of chronic wounds. This scoping review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasonic debridement on the changes in bacteria and biofilms, and consequently the wound healing rate of chronic wounds. A total of 1021 articles were identified through the database search, and nine papers were eligible for inclusion. Findings suggest that non-contact devices are useful for wound healing as they reduce the inflammatory response, although the bacterial load is not significantly changed. Ultrasonic debridement devices that require direct contact with the wound promote wound healing through reduction of biofilm or bacterial load. The optimum settings for ultrasonic debridement using a non-contact device are relatively consistent, but the settings for devices that require direct contact are diverse. Further studies on ultrasonic debridement in chronic wounds are required.

Identification of 20 novel SNPs in the guanine nucleotide binding protein alpha 12 gene locus.

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) regulate various signals from transmembrane receptors to intracellular effectors thereby mediating cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. We have been publishing a series of genetic variations detected in the genomic regions corresponding to the potential drug target genes. As an addition to genetic information reported earlier, we provide here 20 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the region corresponding to a gene encoding alpha subunits of G(12) protein, GNA12, in the Japanese population: 16 in introns, two in the coding region, and two in the 3' flanking region. We also identified 12 genetic variations of other types from this locus. The collection of genetic variations reported here will serve as a useful resource for analyzing potential associations between genotypes and susceptibility to common diseases as well as efficacy and/or adverse reactions to drugs.

Catalog of 300 SNPs in 23 genes encoding G-protein coupled receptors.

We previously published a series of detailed maps of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genomic regions of 209 gene loci encoding drug metabolizing enzymes, transporters, receptors, and other potential drug targets. In addition to the maps reported earlier, we provide here high-resolution SNP maps of 23 genes encoding G-protein coupled receptors in the Japanese population. A total of 300 SNPs were identified through screening of these loci; 83 in four adenosine receptor family genes, 45 in three adrenergic receptor family genes, 22 in three EDG receptor family genes, 29 in three melanocortin receptor family genes, 22 in two somatostatin receptor family genes, 21 in five anonymous G protein-coupled receptor family genes, and 78 in the others (AVPR1B, OXTR, and TNFRSF1A). We also discovered a total of 33 genetic variations of other types. Of the 300 SNPs, 132 (44%) appeared to be novel on the basis of comparisons with the dbSNP database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (US) or with previous publications. The maps constructed in this study will serve as an additional resource for studies of complex genetic diseases and drug-response phenotypes to be mapped by linkage-disequilibrium association analyses.