Central nervous system manifestations are probably the most frequent extrapulmonary complications of infections due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, occur mostly in children. In this study, we attempted to isolate M. pneumoniae and to detect the organism by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from cerebrospinal fluid samples (CSF) of pediatric patients. Of the 244 CSF samples, no M. pneumoniae was isolated. Six (2.5%) of the CSF samples were positive by PCR amplification. More effort are necessary to isolate the organism from CSF samples in order to ascertain the role of M. pneumoniae in causing neurological complications.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is increasingly recognized as an important cause of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. We determined the importance of M. pneumoniae as a causative agent in 170 children aged 1 month to 15 years who were hospitalized with CAP over a 6-month period. The diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection was based on serological evidence obtained by a particle agglutination test (SERODIA-MYCO II). A positive serological diagnosis was made if the acute phase serum titer was more than 1:160 or paired samples taken 2-4 weeks apart showed a four-fold or greater rise in the serum titer. M. pneumoniae was identified as the causative agent in 40 (23.5%) children. Children with M. pneumoniae infection were more likely to be older than 3 years (OR 4.0 95%CI 1.8-9.1, p<0.001), Chinese (OR 4.3 95%CI 2.0-8.9, p<0.001), have a duration of illness longer than 7 days prior to admission (OR 6.0 95%CI 2.7-13.5, p<0.001) and have perihilar interstitial changes on chest X-ray (OR 4.6 95%CI 2.2-9.9, p<0.001). A significant number of hospital admissions for CAP in Malaysian children can be attributed to M. pneumoniae. It is important to identify these children so as to administer the most appropriate antibiotic treatment.
Isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae from respiratory tract specimens obtained from 200 adult and 200 pediatric patients. M. pneumoniae was isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of 1(0.5%) adult patient and 4(2.0%) tracheal aspirates of pediatric patients. PCR was positive for only one (0.5%) broncoalveolar lavage fluid of an adult patient and fifteen (7.5%) tracheal aspirates of pediatric patients. This study suggested that M. pneumoniae was more frequently detected in pediatric patients and PCR appears to have advantages over isolation, in terms of rapidity and sensitivity.
Although the idea of bacteria causing different types of cancer has exploded about century ago, the potential mechanisms of carcinogenesis is still not well established. Many reports showed the involvement of M. hominis in the development of prostate cancer, however, mechanistic approach for growth and development of prostate cancer has been poorly understood. In the current study, we predicted M. hominis proteins targeting in the mitochondria and cytoplasm of host cells and their implication in prostate cancer. A total of 77 and 320 proteins from M. hominis proteome were predicted to target in the mitochondria and cytoplasm of host cells respectively. In particular, various targeted proteins may interfere with normal growth behaviour of host cells, thereby altering the decision of programmed cell death. Furthermore, we investigated possible mechanisms of the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic targeted proteins of M. hominis in etiology of prostate cancer by screening the whole proteome.
Cancer has long been assumed to be a genetic disease. However, recent evidence supports the enigmatic connection of bacterial infection with the growth and development of various types of cancers. The cause and mechanism of the growth and development of prostate cancer due to Mycoplasma hominis remain unclear. Prostate cancer cells are infected and colonized by enteroinvasive M. hominis, which controls several factors that can affect prostate cancer growth in susceptible persons. We investigated M. hominis proteins targeting the nucleus of host cells and their implications in prostate cancer etiology. Many vital processes are controlled in the nucleus, where the proteins targeting M. hominis may have various potential implications. A total of 29/563 M. hominis proteins were predicted to target the nucleus of host cells. These include numerous proteins with the capability to alter normal growth activities. In conclusion, our results emphasize that various proteins of M. hominis targeted the nucleus of host cells and were involved in prostate cancer etiology through different mechanisms and strategies.
The in vivo action of the antimicrobial peptide melittin, expressed from a recombinant plasmid vector, on chickens experimentally infected with Mycoplasma gallisepticum was studied. The plasmid vector pBI/mel2/rtTA includes the melittin gene under the control of an inducible tetracycline-dependent human cytomegalovirus promoter and the gene coding for the trans-activation protein rtTA. Aerosol administration of the vector, followed by infecting the chickens with M. gallisepticum 1226, is shown to inhibit development of infection. The inhibitory action was confirmed by a complex of clinical, pathomorphological, histological and serological studies, and also by comparing the M. gallisepticum reisolation frequency from the respiratory tract and internal organs. The data suggest that plasmid vectors expressing genes of antimicrobial peptides can be considered as potential agents for the prevention and treatment of mycoplasma infections in poultry farming.
A plasmid construct was designed in which the gene of antimicrobial peptide melittin is controlled by the tetracycline-responsive promoter of human cytomegalovirus, aided by a constitutively expressed trans-activator protein gene. Its vaginal administration and induction of melittin gene transcription with doxycycline markedly suppressed subsequent genital tract infection of mice by Mycoplasma hominis and Chlamydia trachomatis. At least half of the melittin-protected animals proved free of either pathogen within 3-4 weeks. Recombinant plasmids expressing genes of antimicrobial peptides hold much promise as agents for prevention and control of urogenital latent infections.