Since E. coli is the most prevalent sepsis bacterium, studying its pathogenic molecular pathways may help with its early diagnosis and individualized treatment. However, few studies have investigated the molecular characterization of E. coli infection only. We extracted E. coli infection-specific genes and indicators from published data and clinical laboratory results in this study. GSE65088 showed 277, 377, and 408 DEGs for E. coli and other bacteria, E. coli and healthy groups, and other bacteria and healthy groups, respectively. DEGs, the MEgreen module with the highest relevance in WGCNA, and the first three MCODE subnetworks were used to find E. coli infection-specific hub genes. HSPA1B and TNF were verified in GSE6269 with ROC-AUCs of 0.7038 and 0.7116, respectively. CIBERSORT showed increased B-cell naive and T-cell CD4 naive infiltration in E. coli infectious sepsis. Patients infected with E. coli were younger than those infected with other pathogens. Compared to the other bacterially infectious sepsis patients, the E. coli patients had low globulin, prealbumin, creatine kinase, and high bilirubin levels. The clinically significant difference indicator IL-2, in combination with hub genes, better differentiated the healthy and E. coli groups, with an ROC-AUC of 0.8793. The study suggested that HSPA1B and TNF may be E.-coli-infection-specific genes, which may help explain the molecular mechanism of infectious sepsis.

Background: Due to the widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, the problem of antibiotic resistance has become an increasingly serious global threat. One of the key mechanisms of Escherichia coli resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics is the production of beta-lactamase enzymes, which poses a dilemma for clinicians in selecting antibiotics when faced with resistant bacterial infections. However, research on the reversal of bacterial resistance is limited. Methods: This study involved the preparation of Iris tectorum extract and detection of its effects on antibiotics sensitivity, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) gene expression, and histidine kinase phosphorylation levels in β-lactam antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli. Additionally, analyses of the active ingredients of Iris tectorum extract were conducted with a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometer, and the binding sites were predicted by molecular docking. Results: Iris tectorum extract could restore the sensitivity of Escherichia coli to beta-lactam antibiotics and reduce the expression levels of ESBL genes and histidine phosphorylation levels. The active ingredients of Iris tectorum extract may be irigenin and tectorigenin, and these two small molecules could bind to histidine kinase to inhibit phosphorylation. Conclusions: Iris tectorum extract may serve as an antibiotic adjuvant, restoring the sensitivity of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by inhibiting histidine kinase phosphorylation, thereby alleviating the problem of Escherichia coli resistance to β-lactam antibiotics.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of COVID-19 restrictions on the prevalence of allergen sensitivity in children. This study included patients who underwent allergen testing at our hospital before deregulation, after deregulation, and during the corresponding period in 2021. Changes in allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) positivity, IgE levels, and polysensitization were analyzed to to evaluate the impact of lifting COVID-19 restrictions on allergic diseases. Compared with those in the prederegulation period and the same period in 2021, the number of children with allergies visiting the hospital decreased following deregulation. The rate of allergen positivity was lower after deregulation than before but higher than that during the same period in 2021. After deregulation, allergen sIgE levels were lower than those before deregulation but higher than those in the same period in 2021. The correlation between milk and beef sensitivity was weaker after deregulation than before but stronger than that in 2021 (R values: 0.814, 0.854, and 0.104, respectively). During the period of COVID-19 restrictions, lower levels of allergic disease activity were observed compared to the pre-deregulation period. However, following the deregulation and the subsequent surge in COVID-19 infections, levels of allergic disease activity appeared to increase relative to the same observation period in 2021.