Introduction: The stringent response is a bacterial adaptation mechanism triggered by stress conditions, including nutrient limitation. This response helps bacteria survive under harsh conditions, such as those encountered during infection. A key feature of the stringent response is the synthesis of the alarmone (p)ppGpp, which influences various bacterial phenotypes. In several bacterial species, stringent response activation significantly affects biofilm formation and maintenance. Methods: Clinical specimens were collected from multiple hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq. Staphylococcus aureus was identified using conventional biochemical tests. The PCR technique was applied to detect mecA, icaA, and icaD genes, while the Vitek 2 compact system confirmed Methicillin sensitivity in mecA-negative isolates. Biofilm intensity of all S. aureus isolates was assessed under normal and starved conditions. Additionally, the gene expression levels of icaA and icaD were measured in five MRSA and five MSSA strains under both conditions. Results: The mecA, icaA, and icaD genes were detected in 94%, 96.3%, and 100% of S. aureus isolates, respectively. Biofilm production analysis showed that 24% of isolates were strong producers, 49% were moderate producers, and 9% were weak producers. Statistical analysis indicated that biofilm intensity significantly decreased under nutrient limitation (p < 0.0001) compared to normal conditions across all isolates. Furthermore, icaA and icaD genes were upregulated under stringent response conditions, regardless of Methicillin resistance status. Conclusion: The stringent response influences S. aureus biofilm formation, with biofilm intensity decreasing under nutrient-limited conditions. However, the upregulation of icaA and icaD genes suggests a regulatory role of the stringent response in biofilm-related gene expression. These findings highlight the potential impact of stress adaptation mechanisms on bacterial persistence and pathogenicity.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive disorder that affects cognitive brain functions and starts many years before its clinical manifestations. A biomarker that provides a quantitative measure of changes in the brain due to AD in the early stages would be useful for early diagnosis of AD, but this would involve dealing with large numbers of people because up to 50% of dementia sufferers do not receive formal diagnosis. Thus, there is a need for accurate, low-cost, and easy to use biomarkers that could be used to detect AD in its early stages. Potentially, electroencephalogram (EEG) based biomarkers can play a vital role in early diagnosis of AD as they can fulfill these needs. This is a cross-sectional study that aims to demon
... Show MorePseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen and a model bacterium for studying virulence and bacterial social traits. While it can be isolated in low numbers from a wide variety of environments including soil and water, it can readily be found in almost any human/animal-impacted environment. It is a major cause of illness and death in humans with immunosuppressive and chronic conditions, and infections in these patients are difficult to treat due to a number of antibiotic resistance mechanisms and the organism’s propensity to form multicellular biofilms. One hundred twenty clinical samples and forty hospital environmental samples (various sources) were collected from hospitals in Baghdad city during the period from Oc
... Show MorePancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the major causes of cancer death in the world. Alterations in p53 tumor suppressor gene
Acromegaly is a rare disease produce generalize and serious alteration in the patient with active disease. Many of these patients are also diabetic. Many analytes, hormones, markers are change in these disease. The objective of study is to assess the modification in a number of parameters that changed during the acromegaly as a result of excess in GH and IGF1 levels. The study included 36 patients and 38 healthy controls, paired by sex and age and BMI. Serum concentration of GH and the other parameters including (insulin, glucose, lipid profile, uric acid ) were determined by biochemical method .Compared to controls, acromegalic patients had increased levels of GH, insulin, glucose, triglyceride, very low density lipoprotein(VLDL) (p<0.05)
... Show MorePolycystic syndrome (PCOS) is a considerable infertility disorder in adolescents and adult women in reproductive age. Obesity is a vigorous risk factor related to POCS. This study aims to evaluate the association of obesity and PCOS by investigating several parameters including: anthropological, biochemical (lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, glucose tolerance test, and hormone levels (LH, FSH, LH/FSH ratio, Estradiol2 and Testosterone),and genetic parameters (Fat mass and Obesity associated gene (FTO) polymorphism at rs17817449) in 63 obese and non-obese PCOS women. The biochemical tests were investigated by colorimetric methods while FTO gene polymorphism was detected by PCR–RFLP. Lipid profile, F
... Show MorePolycystic syndrome (PCOS) is a considerable infertility disorder in adolescents and adult women in reproductive age. Obesity is a vigorous risk factor related to POCS. This study aims to evaluate the association of obesity and PCOS by investigating several parameters including: anthropological, biochemical (lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, glucose tolerance test, and hormone levels (LH, FSH, LH/FSH ratio, Estradiol2 and Testosterone),and genetic parameters (Fat mass and Obesity associated gene (FTO) polymorphism at rs17817449) in 63 obese and non-obese PCOS women. The biochemical tests were investigated by colorimetric methods while FTO gene polymorphism was detected by PCR–RFLP. Lipid profile, F
... Show MorePolycystic syndrome (PCOS) is a considerable infertility disorder in adolescents and adult women in reproductive age. Obesity is a vigorous risk factor related to POCS. This study aims to evaluate the association of obesity and PCOS by investigating several parameters including: anthropological, biochemical (lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, glucose tolerance test, and hormone levels (LH, FSH, LH/FSH ratio, Estradiol2 and Testosterone),and genetic parameters (Fat mass and Obesity associated gene (FTO) polymorphism at rs17817449) in 63 obese and non-obese PCOS women. The biochemical tests were investigated by colorimetric methods while FTO gene polymorp
... Show MorePluripotent stem cells (PSC) possess unlimited proliferation, self-renewal, and a differentiation capacity spanning all germ layers. Appropriate culture conditions are important for the maintenance of self-renewal, pluripotency, proliferation, differentiation, and epigenetic states. Oxygen concentrations vary across different human tissues depending on precise cell location and proximity to vascularisation. The bulk of PSC culture-based research is performed in a physiologically hyperoxic, air oxygen (21% O2) environment, with numerous reports now detailing the impact of a physiologic normoxia (physoxia), low oxygen culture in the maintenance of stemness, survival, morphology, proliferation, differentiation potential, and epigenetic
... Show MoreThe Inhbititory effect of cocentrated and non-cocentrated supernatant of the probiotic Lactobacillus salivarius against growth of some potential pathogenic microorganisms which included Pseudomonas eruginosa, Klebsiella spp, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. The results were diffusion assay revealed that concentrated and non-concentrated supernatant had inhitory effect against pathogenic bacteria with inhibition zone renged between 13-17mm while inhibition effect of concentrated supernatant against C.albicans was inhibition zone 8mm. On the other hand, the effect of these suprnatant against biofilm formation of the tested microorganisms was studied. The result showed that the concentrated supernatant had inhibitory effect on biofil
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