Proteus mirabilis isolates have been intensively researched for their capacity to cause urinary tract infections (UTIs) and their swarming motility, although little is known about this phenomenon. Probiotic Lactobacillus species, which are beneficial bacteria, are being studied worldwide as therapeutic and preventative agents against bacterial infections. This study investigated Lactobacillus supernatants as a potential new treatment against Proteus mirabilis. In addition to testing their antimicrobial and anti-swarming activities, the research also aimed to understand the genetic mechanisms behind the observed phenotypic changes. Methods. A total of 150 urine specimens were collected from UTI patients at various hospitals in Baghdad. Direct culture was performed by streaking the specimens on differential media. RNA was extracted and purified from the bacterial isolates, and then reverse transcription and quantitative PCR were used to evaluate swarming-related gene expression. Gene expression was assessed relative to a reference gene to reveal how probiotics regulate swarming behavior at the genetic level. Gene expression patterns varied, indicating complex genomic responses to Lactobacillus exposure. Results. UTIs affected 50 males (33.33%) and 100 females (66.66%) of various ages. Proteus mirabilis was identified in 30 (20%) of the 150 samples. Resistance was observed in 25 (83.33%) isolates for azithromycin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and in 22 (73.33%) isolates for meropenem. Real-time PCR showed significant alterations in the expression of four swarming-related genes (rsbA, umoD, ZapA, and FliL). The rsbA gene showed a notable increase in expression, while another sample displayed a decrease. The umoD gene exhibited the largest change, with expression doubling in some cases. ZapA showed the greatest increase, nearly tripling in expression in one sample. FliL expression also rose in multiple isolates. Swarming activity was positively correlated with gene expression levels for rsbA (r = 0.8, p = 0.009), umoD (r = 0.635, p = 0.045), ZapA (r = 0.942, p = 0.001), and FliL (r = 0.894, p = 0.001). Conclusions. The study reveals a complex gene network regulating the swarming motility of Proteus mirabilis. It suggests that Lactobacillus acidophilus supernatants can modify gene expression and bacterial motility, potentially aiding in the treatment of UTIs.
Background: Dental calculus is mineralized dental plaque formed on teeth and dental prosthesis surfaces in the oral cavity. Urinary stone is a crystal aggregation formed in urinary system due to minerals saturation present in urine. The structure of dental calculus is similar to that of urinary stone. Objective: To assess oral hygiene and gingival status in patients with urinary stone. And compared with healthy subjects. Patients and Methods: Sixty participants, 25-40 years, were involved in this study who were divided into study and control group. The study group involved patients with urinary stone while the control group involved healthy subjects. Clinical parameters including plaque, calculus and gingival indices were recorded for al
... Show MoreObjective: To determine the ability of uVDBP to discern SRNS from steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) in Iraqi children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled children with SRNS (n=31) and SSNS (n=32) from the pediatric nephrology clinic of Babylon Hospital for Maternity and Pediatrics over three months. Patients' characteristics in terms of demographics, clinical data, and urinary investigations were collected. Quantitative analysis of uVDBP levels was undertaken via a commercially available ELISA kit. Results: The median uVDBP values were significantly higher (p-value<0.001) in the SRNS group (median=10.26, IQR=5.91 μg/mL) than in the SSNS group (median=0.953, IQR=4.12 μg/mL). A negative correlati
... Show MoreP. aeruginosa is a famous bacterium that causes several diseases and has a high ability to be a multidrug resistant organism that is linked with the formation of biofilm. This study aimed to investigate tssC1 gene role in the resistance of different antibiotics in the presence of biofilm. We constructed biofilm for the isolates under the study and showed the effect of different antibiotics on biofilm formation and maturation. The presence of the gene was detected through achieving PCR reaction. Finally, tssC1 gene variation was determined through sequencing and aligning the sequencing products. The results showed that most of the isolates (80%) formed biofilm that played a role in the resistance of different antibiotics which could
... Show MoreIn the present research, the chemical washing method has been selected using three chelating agents: citric acid, acetic acid and Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA) to remove 137Cs from two different contaminated soil samples were classified as fine and coarse grained. The factors that affecting removal efficiency such as type of soil, mixing ratio and molarity have been investigated. The results revealed that no correlation relation was found between removal efficiency and the studied factors. The results also showed that conventional chemical washing method was not effective in removing 137Cs and that there are further studies still need to achieve this objective.
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is resulted from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which initiated in China in December 2019. Parasites are efficient immune modulators because their ability to stimulate an immune response in infected persons. AIM: This study aims to detect if there is a probable relationship between intestinal parasitic infections and COVID-19. METHODS: Ninety patients consulted at Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital (Al-Shifa center) from October 2020 till April 2021, confirmed infection with COVID-19 by PCR. Stool examination was done for detecting intestinal parasites. RESULTS: From 90 patients, males were 63 (70%), with median age 32 years, while females were 27 (30%), with age 24–44 years. Asymptomatic pati
... Show MorePurpose: To identify the risk factors of urinary incontinency for menopausal women.
Methodology: A descriptive analytic study was conducted to identify the risk factor for urinary incontinency
and selected non-probability sample (purposive sample) from (200) menopausal women (45-65) who have
urinary incontinence as visitors and caregiver women who attend at Hila surgical teaching hospital during the
period 1/11/2010-30/3/2011. Questionnaire format used for data collection was designed and constructed
after reviewing related literatures and previous studies and consists of the following variables: Demographic
and reproductive characteristics of menopausal women who suffers from urinary incontinence
Results: The study
Isolation of fungi was performed from February to July, 2019. One hundred clinical specimens were collected from King Abdullah Hospital (KAH) Bisha, Saudi Arabia. Samples were collected from twenty patients of different ages (30 - 70 years old) ten males and ten females. The samples were collected from patients with the two types of diabetics. Specimens included blood, hair, nail, oral swabs and skin. Specimens were inoculated on Sabourauds Dextrose agar containing chloramphenicol. Thirteen fungal species were isolated and identified. The isolated species were: Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, A. terrus, A. nidulans, A. fumigatus, Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, C. Tropicalis, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium solani, Penicill
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to isolate and identify killer yeast Hanseniaspora uvarum from dates vinegar and measurement the ability of this yeast to produce killer toxin. The antimicrobial activity of the concentrated supernatant containing partially purified concentrated killer toxin was also detected against several pathogenic bacteria and yeast species, which includes two types of yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Candida tropicalis and four human pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeurginosa. In addition, the antagonistic activity of examined yeast have been studied toward four types of fungi, where two are pathogenic
... Show MoreKlebsiella pneumoniae is among the most frequent microorganisms isolated from infections of burn wounds. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the distribution of multi-drug resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae in two burn hospitals and the antibiotic resistance profile in different burn regions of the same patient. It was performed in two hospitals (Al-Zahraa and Al-Karama) in Al-Kut, Iraq, between January and May 2022. Totally, 100 burn swabs were collected from 40 patients of both genders suffering from burn wound infections, with ages ranging between 3 and 50 years. Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated and identified using conventional methods followed by VITEK®2 system and confirmed via polymerase chain reaction targeting t
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