The aim of this study was to investigate differences between the gut microbiota composition in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and those with osteoarthritis (OA). Stool samples from nine RA patients and nine OA patients were collected, and DNA was extracted. The gut microbiome was assessed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The structures and differences in the gut microbiome between RA and OA were analyzed. The analysis of diversity revealed no differences in the complexity of samples. The RA group had a lower Bacteroidetes: Firmicutes ratio than did the OA group. Lactobacilli and Prevotella, particularly Prevotella copri, were more abundant in the RA than in the OA group, although these differences were not statistically significant. The relative abundance of Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium was lower in the RA group. At the species level, the abundance of certain bacterial species was significantly lower in the RA group, such as Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans, Dialister invisus, Clostridium leptum, Ruthenibacterium lactatiformans, Anaerotruncus colihominis, Bacteroides faecichinchillae, Harryflintia acetispora, Bacteroides acidifaciens, and Christensenella minuta. The microbial properties of the gut differed between RA and OA patients, and the RA dysbiosis revealed results similar to those of other autoimmune diseases, suggesting that a specific gut microbiota pattern is related to autoimmunity.

Jeon M, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2021 Apr;36(17):e114. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e114

Wall shear stress (WSS) is critically important in both vascular remodeling and atherosclerosis. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and deformation parameters have been used as relevant indicators of carotid atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between hemodynamic parameters in the common carotid artery (CCA) and the severity of carotid atherosclerosis in untreated hypertensive patients.

Carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPO) have been identified as an urgent healthcare threat. Various methods have been used for the detection of CPO using rectal swabs. Recently, an on-demand polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, namely, the Xpert Carba-R assay, that requires less than an hour of turnaround time, had been developed for CPO detection in clinical samples. This study focused on the use of this assay to determine the intestinal colonization rate of CPO in patients admitted to emergency rooms (ERs). A retrospective review of medical records was conducted at a tertiary hospital between July 2017 and June 2018. CPO screening using rectal swabs was performed for patients transferred from other hospitals or for those who tested positive in CPO culture tests in the previous three months. The Xpert Carba-R assay and culture tests were used as the CPO screening methods, and the results of both tests were compared. Medical records of 705 patients admitted to our hospital during the study period were reviewed. Of these, 31 (4.4%) showed positive results for CPO using the Xpert Carba-R assay, and these patients were then transferred from the ERs to isolation rooms. Fifteen of the Xpert Carba-R assay-positive patients were also positive for the culture test; hence, early detection enabled the rapid isolation of CPO-infected patients and prevented the spread of the CPO. The Xpert Carba-R assay is a rapid test to identify and guide infection control programs to contain the spread of the rectal colonization of CPO within a hospital.

Major Compound Analysis and Assessment of Natural Essential Oil on Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Microbial Effects Natural essential oil;anti-oxidative;anti-microbial;compound analysis; We studied the physical, chemical, biological, and antimicrobial effects of eight types of essential oils used in the cosmetics industry: lavender, tea tree, rosemary, juniper berry, Chamaecyparis obtusa, cypress, cedar wood, and pine. Lavender oil had a linalyl acetate (an ester chemical compound) content of 48% and radical scavenging activity of 22.36% at 5,000 ppm. Tea tree oil had radical scavenging activity of 43.94% at 5,000 ppm and antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. mutans, and C. albicans in each 6, 3.5, 6.5, and 5 mm, respectively. Chamaecyparis obtusa oil had the highest acidity (pH 2.64) compared with the other oils, and sesquiterpene compounds were found to have 19.20%. Cedar wood oil had the highest specific gravity and refractive index compared to the other oils and had a sesquiterpene content of 99.73%. The radical scavenging activity of cedar wood essential oil exceeded 39.68% at 5,000 ppm. The clear zone, indicating antimicrobial activity against P. acnes, P. ovale, and C. albicans, was 3.5, 6, and 6 mm, respectively, at a concentration of 1% cedar wood oil. Results showed that with a high sesquiterpene content, the antioxidant effect was generally, but not always, high, suggesting that this is determined according to composition of the compound rather than presence of each antioxidant. The results indicate that antimicrobial activity is determined by the existence of each antimicrobial ingredient rather than terpene composition.