The potential modulation of gut microbiota and oxidative stress by dietary carotenoid pigments.

Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating the response to immune checkpoint therapy, therefore modulation of the microbiome with bioactive molecules like carotenoids might be a very effective strategy to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This review highlights the bio-functional effect of carotenoids on Gut Microbiota modulation based on a bibliographic search of the different databases. The methodology given in the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) has been employed for developing this review using papers published over two decades considering keywords related to carotenoids and gut microbiota. Moreover, studies related to the health-promoting properties of carotenoids and their utilization in the modulation of gut microbiota have been presented. Results showed that there can be quantitative changes in intestinal bacteria as a function of the type of carotenoid. Due to the dependency on several factors, gut microbiota continues to be a broad and complex study subject. Carotenoids are promising in the modulation of Gut Microbiota, which favored the appearance of beneficial bacteria, resulting in the protection of villi and intestinal permeability. In conclusion, it can be stated that carotenoids may help to protect the integrity of the intestinal epithelium from pathogens and activate immune cells.

Gut microbiota plays an essential role in regulating the immune checkpoint therapyCarotenoids are promising molecules in the alteration of gut microbiotaCarotenoids activate the immune cells resulting in a low incidence of oxidative stress.

Plasma-induced nanostructured metallic silver surfaces: study of bacteriophobic effect to avoid bacterial adhesion on medical devices.

Biofilm formation in medical devices represents one of the major problems for the healthcare system, especially those that occur on implantable silicone-based devices. To provide a general solution to avoid biofilm formation in the first stages of development, this work studied how nanostructured metallic silver coatings hinder bacteria-surface interaction by preventing bacteria adhesion. The three studied silver nanostructures ("Sharp blades", "Thick blades" and "Leaves") combined superhydrophobic behavior with a physical impediment of the coating nanostructure that produced a bacteriophobic effect avoiding the adhesion mechanism of different bacterial strains. These silver nanostructures are immobilized on stretchable substrates through a polymeric thin film of plasma-polymerized penta-fluorophenyl methacrylate. The control over the nanostructures and therefore its bacteriophobic-bactericidal effect depends on the plasma polymerization conditions of the polymer. The characterization of this bacteriophobic effect through FE-SEM microscopy, live/dead cell staining, and direct bacterial adhesion counts, provided a complete mapping of how bacteria interact with the surface in each scenario. Results revealed that the bacterial adhesion was reduced by up to six orders of magnitude in comparison with uncoated surfaces thereby constituting an effective strategy to avoid the formation of biofilm on medical materials.

Study of the Human Albumin Role in the Formation of a Bacterial Biofilm on Urinary Devices Using QCM-D.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the most common health care-associated infections due to rapid bacterial colonization+ and biofilm formation in urinary catheters. This behavior has been extensively documented in medical devices. However, there is a few literature works on CAUTI providing a model that allows the exhaustive study of biofilm formation in a urinary environment. The development of an effective model would be helpful to identify the factors that promote the biofilm formation and identify strategies to avoid it. In this work, we have developed a model to test biofilm formation on urinary medical device surfaces by simulating environmental and physical conditions using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) module with an uropathogenic strain. Moreover, we used the developed model to study the role of human albumin present in artificial urine at high concentrations because of renal failure or heart-diseases in patients. Despite model limitations using artificial urine, these tests show that human albumin can be considered as a promoter of biofilm formation on hydrophobic surfaces, being a possible risk factor to developing a CAUTI.

Estrategias para optimizar el uso de antibióticos en los hospitales / No disponible

El uso inadecuado de antibióticos es una realidad clínica a la que nos enfrentamos día a día. La gran peculiaridad de este grupo de fármacos es su influencia no solo en el paciente que ratamos y en el momento de su uso sino también en futuras infecciones del enfermo y de la población en general, en cuanto que favorecen alteraciones en los patrones de resistencia de la flora microbiana que coloniza a las personas. Es nuestra obligación como especialistas en patología infecciosa trabajar por la mejora en el uso de antibióticos (AU)

The inadequate use of antibiotics is a clinical reality we are faced with day by day. The great peculiarity of this group of drugs is the influence they have not only on the patients and at the time of their use, but also of future infections and the general population, by favoring alterations in the resistance patterns of the bacterial microflora that colonize people. It is our obligation as experts in infectious diseases to work on improving the use of antimicrobials (AU)

Use of antibiotics at a University Clinic Hospital: effect of protocolized antibiotic treatment in the evolution of hospital patients with infections.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse factors associated to "failure" in patients under antibiotic (AB) treatment at a third level hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients receiving an AB treatment along April 2012 were prospectively observed and factors associated to failure were analyzed. Failure was defined as clinical or microbiological failure, relapse or death. Statistically significance was established as p<0.05. RESULTS: 602 of 1,265 admitted patients during the study month included an AB in their medical prescriptions, being 178 considered as prophylactic AB prescriptions, 342 empirical treatments and 82 directed treatments as empiric treatments. Ceftriaxone and levofloxacin were the most used AB; choice of empirical and directed treatments were in line with protocols in 71% (242 of 342 cases) and 67% (55 of 82), respectively. Of all the patients receiving antibiotics for therapy (n=424), 402 had infection criteria (in 22 cases antibiotic treatment was deemed unnecessary since the patient showed no infectious process). Of these, 292 (72%) showed a good evolution, while the others were considered as failed therapies, either because of microbiological persistence in 49 (12.8%), relapse in 31 (7.71%) and death in en 30 (7.46%). Factors associated to "failure" were Charlson score ≥3 (OR 3.35; 95%CI 1.602-7.009); empirical and/or directed treatment not in keeping with the protocol (OR 5.68; 95%CI 2.898-11.217); and infection by ESBL and/or ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli (OR 4.43; 95%CI 1.492-13.184). CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of AB prescriptions in admitted patients correspond to empirical infection treatment, being ceftriaxone and levofloxacin the most used AB. Inadequate empirical and/or directed treatment is associated to clinical or microbiological failure and death.

Use of antibiotics at a University Clinic Hospital: effect of protocolized antibiotic treatment in the evolution of hospital patients with infections / Uso de antibióticos en un hospital clínico universitario: efecto del tratamiento antibiótico protocolizado en la evolución de pacientes hospitalizados con infección

Objectives. To analyse factors associated to 'failure' in patients under antibiotic (AB) treatment at a third level hospital. Patients and methods. All patients receiving an AB treatment along April 2012 were prospectively observed and factors associated to failure were analyzed. Failure was defined as clinical or microbiological failure, relapse or death. Statistically significance was established as p<0.05 Results. 602 of 1,265 admitted patients during the study month included an AB in their medical prescriptions, being 178 considered as prophylactic AB prescriptions, 342 empirical treatments and 82 directed treatments as empiric treatments. Ceftriaxone and levofloxacin were the most used AB; choice of empirical and directed treatments were in line with protocols in 71% (242 of 342 cases) and 67% (55 of 82), respectively. Of all the patients receiving antibiotics for therapy (n=424), 402 had infection criteria (in 22 cases antibiotic treatment was deemed unnecessary since the patient showed no infectious process). Of these, 292 (72%) showed a good evolution, while the others were considered as failed therapies, either because of microbiological persistence in 49 (12.8%), relapse in 31 (7.71%) and death in en 30 (7.46%). Factors associated to 'failure' were Charlson score ≥3 (OR 3.35; 95%CI 1.602-7.009); empirical and/or directed treatment not in keeping with the protocol (OR 5.68; 95%CI 2.898-11.217); and infection by ESBL and/or ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli (OR 4.43; 95%CI 1.492-13.184). Conclusions. A high rate of AB prescriptions in admitted patients correspond to empirical infection treatment, being ceftriaxone and levofloxacin the most used AB. Inadequate empirical and/or directed treatment is associated to clinical or microbiological failure and death (AU)

Objetivos. Analizar los factores asociados a fracaso en los pacientes que están recibiendo tratamiento antibiótico en un hospital de tercer nivel. Pacientes y métodos. Todos los pacientes que recibieron algún tratamiento antibiótico durante el mes de Abril de 2012 se siguieron de forma prospectiva y se analizaron los factores asociados a fracaso. El fracaso fue definido como clínico o microbiológico, recaída o muerte. La significación estadística fue establecida con una p<0,05. Resultados. 602 de los 1.265 pacientes ingresados durante el mes de estudio llevaban al menos un antibiótico entre sus prescripciones médicas, correspondiendo en 178 de los casos a profilaxis antibiótica, 342 a tratamientos antibióticos empíricos y 82 a tratamientos dirigidos. Los antibióticos más utilizados fueron ceftriaxona y levofloxacino; la elección del tratamiento antibiótico tanto empírico como dirigido se hizo de acuerdo a los protocolos correspondientes en el 71% (242 de 342 casos) y el 67% (55 de 82 casos), respectivamente. De todos los pacientes que recibieron antibióticos como tratamiento (n=424), 402 tenían criterios de infección (en 22 casos el tratamiento se consideró innecesario dado que el paciente no presentaba proceso infeccioso alguno). De estos, 292 (72%) evolucionaron favorablemente, mientras los otros fueron considerados fallos terapéuticos, bien por persistencia microbiológica en 49 casos (12,8%), recaída en 31 casos (7,71%) y muerte en 30 (7,46%). Los factores asociados a 'fracaso' fueron un índice de Charlson ≥3 (OR 3,35; 95%CI 1,602-7,009); el tratamiento antibiótico empírico o dirigido no ajustado a protocolo (OR 5,68; 95%CI 2,898-11,217); y la infección por E. coli BLEE y/o resistente a ciprofloxacino (OR 4,43; 95%CI 1,492-13,184). Conclusiones. Un alto porcentaje de los antibióticos prescritos en pacientes hospitalizados corresponde a tratamientos empíricos, siendo ceftriaxona y levofloxacino los antibióticos más usados. El tratamiento inadecuado, tanto empírico como dirigido, se asocia con fracaso clínico o microbiológico y con un mayor riesgo de muerte (AU)