Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen that causes healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) worldwide. It is unclear whether P. aeruginosa isolated from the natural environment has the same pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance potential as clinical strains. In this study, virulence- and resistance-associated genes were compared in 14 genomic sequences of clinical and environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa using the VFDB, PATRIC, and CARD databases. All isolates were found to share 62% of virulence genes related to adhesion, motility, secretion systems, and quorum sensing and 72.9% of resistance genes related to efflux pumps and membrane permeability. Our results indicate that both types of isolates possess conserved genetic information associated with virulence and resistance mechanisms regardless of the source. However, none of the environmental isolates were associated with high-risk clones (HRCs). These clones (ST235 and ST111) were found only in clinical isolates, which have an impact on human medical epidemiology due to their ability to spread and persist, indicating a correlation between the clinical environment and increased virulence. The genomic variation and antibiotic susceptibility of environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa suggest potential biotechnological applications if obtained from sources that are under surveillance and investigation to limit the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistant strains

Periodontitis has significant public health implications, affecting individuals’ overall health, well-being, and quality of life. This study aimed to assess the risk factors associated with the extent of clinical attachment loss (CAL) in a population diagnosed with periodontitis. Six hundred and sixty-seven patients with different degrees of CAL (mild, n = 223; moderate, n = 256; and advanced, n = 188) were enrolled. Socio-demographics, lifestyle, microbiological profiles, specific immune response, obesity, and single-nucleotide polymorphism of the IL1 gene were determined. Unconditional logistic regression models were conducted to determine the factors associated with the extent of CAL. Aging, smoking, microbial factors, plaque index, and IgG2 antibodies against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were associated with advanced CAL. IgG2 antibodies against A. actinomycetemcomitans (OR 1.50; CI 95% 1.23–1.81), plaque accumulation (OR 2.69; CI 95% 2.20–3.29), Porphyromonas gingivalis (OR 1.93; CI 95% 1.35–2.76), Tanerella forsythia (OR 1.88; CI 95%1.30–2.70), and current smoking (OR 1.94; CI 95% 1.31–2.87) were associated with advanced CAL. Gene IL polymorphisms, obesity, and stress were not associated with the extent of CAL. Aging, plaque accumulation, smoking, and having antibodies against A. actinomycetemcomitans were the most critical factors associated with advanced CAL. In contrast, obesity, stress, and gene polymorphisms were not associated with the extent of CAL.

The global spread of high-risk clo1nes (HRCs) of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa has hindered infection control and treatment strategies worldwide. In Colombia, globally relevant HRCs such as ST235 and ST111 have been widely reported. In this study, we evaluated phenotypic and metabolic variations associated with intracellular survival and dissemination in P. aeruginosa. A total of 100 clinical isolates were collected from 22 hospitals in Colombia. The isolates had been previously characterized and classified as MDR or susceptible strains (SSs), and their sequence types (STs) had been earlier determined. Based on this prior characterization, isolates were grouped in this study as multidrug-resistant high-risk clones (HRC, n = 50; corresponding to sequence types ST235 and ST111), multidrug-resistant non-high-risk clones (NHRCs, n = 27; non-ST235/ST111), and susceptible strains (SS, n = 23; also, non-ST235/ST111). Phenotypic traits, including motility, spontaneous mutation frequency, biofilm formation, and pigment production, were evaluated. In addition, a subset of 30 isolates was assessed for intracellular survival in vitro and metabolomic profiling using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. HRC isolates exhibited significantly reduced motility compared with NHRC and SS isolates (swarming: HRC vs. NHRC, p = 0.0032; HRC vs. SS, p = 0.010; swimming: HRC vs. NHRC and SS, p < 0.0001; twitching: HRC vs. SS, p = 0.0004), as well as lower pigment production (pyocyanin: HRC vs. NHRC and SS, p < 0.0001; pyoverdine: HRC vs. NHRC, p < 0.0001). Metabolomic analysis revealed increased concentrations of metabolites associated with iron acquisition and siderophore-related pathways in HRC isolates. Overall, these findings suggest that P. aeruginosa HRCs display distinct phenotypic and metabolic patterns that may contribute to persistence and dissemination in clinical settings, contributing to their epidemiological success.