Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic, spore-forming, Gram-positive pathogenic bacterium. This study aimed to analyze the effect of two samples of healthy fecal microbiota on C. difficile gene expression and growth using an in vitro coculture model. The inner compartment was cocultured with spore …

Riboswitches are 5' RNA regulatory elements that are capable of binding to various ligands, such as small metabolites, ions and tRNAs, leading to conformational changes and affecting gene transcription or translation. They are widespread in bacteria and frequently control genes that are essential fo …

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder that impacts both the endocrine and metabolic systems, often resulting in infertility, obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of intestinal flora and its metabolites, parti …

Patients who have CD and subsequent ocular involvement have an increased risk of local intestinal complications, extraintestinal morbidity, and cardiovascular complications when compared to patients with CD without ocular involvement.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a predominant cause of intestinal infections. The intrinsic enteric nervous system (ENS) occupies the intestinal tissue in large numbers and intricately regulates various aspects of intestinal function. Nonetheless, the specific effects of CDI on the intri …

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) represent a cornerstone of gut health, serving as critical mediators of immune modulation and overall host homeostasis. Patients with dysbiosis caused by Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) typically exhibit lower SCFAs levels compared to healthy stool don …

The portion of our nervous systems responsible for the 'fight or flight' response can shape the severity of potentially deadly C.

Researchers found the nervous system is a driving factor for C. Difficile cases.

The portion of our nervous systems responsible for the "fight or flight" response can shape the severity of potentially deadly C. difficile infections, new research from the University of Virginia School ...

Peptidoglycan synthesis is an essential driver of bacterial growth and division. The final steps of this crucial process involve the activity of SEDS family glycosyltransferases that polymerize glycan strands and class B penicillin-binding protein (bPBP) transpeptidases that cross-link them. While m …

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated infections worldwide. Within the host, C. difficile can transition from a sessile to a motile state by secreting PPEP-1, which releases the cells from the intestinal epithelium by cleaving adhesion proteins. PPEP-1 …

Clostridioides difficile RT027 strains cause infections that vary in severity from asymptomatic to lethal, but the molecular basis for this variability is poorly understood. Through comparative analyses of RT027 clinical isolates, we determined that isolates that exhibit greater variability i …

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated infections worldwide. Within the host, C. difficile can transition from a sessile to a motile state by secreting PPEP-1, which releases the cells from the intestinal epithelium by cleaving adhesion proteins. PPEP-1 …

We investigated the effects of Clostridioides difficile toxin B (TcdB), a major virulence factor in C. difficile infection (CDI), on human neutrophils. TcdB inhibits neutrophil migration via loss of polarity of F-actin polymerization in response to interleukin-8. TcdB facilitates CDI by allowing C. …

We investigated the effects of Clostridioides difficile toxin B (TcdB), a major virulence factor in C. difficile infection (CDI), on human neutrophils. TcdB inhibits neutrophil migration via loss of polarity of F-actin polymerization in response to interleukin-8. TcdB facilitates CDI by allowing C. …

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections in the United States, known for triggering severe disease by hyperactivation of the host response. In this study, we determine the impact of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) on CDI disease severity. Mouse …

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-024-04102-7.

By Tiffany Whitfield and Isaiah Hudson   Curiosity is the engine that drives research amongst faculty in the College of Sciences, and uncovering new ways to fight one of the world’s most antibiotic-resistant pathogens is what drives Associate Professor Erin Purcell. At Old Dominion University, Purcell's area of research focuses on signal transduction pathways in Clostridoides difficile (C. difficile) which is a human pathogen that causes damage to the colon and can be fatal.

Clostridioides difficile may constitute a small part of normal gut microbiota in humans without causing any symptoms, but an uncontrolled growth common to hospitalized patients can cause Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) leading to severe colonic symptoms. As the bacteria are attaining resist …

HA-CDI is associated with a higher risk of anastomotic leak after oncological colorectal surgery, while asymptomatic CDC do not have higher morbidity and may be operated electively, under standard CD treatment.

• One hundred seven patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and 54 other patients with risk factors for Clostridium difficile–associated disease were entered into a bacteriologic study to compare the rate of recovery of C difficile and cytotoxin in feces with occurrence of diarrhea and to investigate...

Our study suggests that the differing gut microbiota profiles in pediatric CDI patients may contribute to disease recurrence by modulating SCFA concentrations and bile acid profiles. The gut microbiota and metabolite signatures may be used to predict disease recurrence in children with CDI.

Cross-regional strains may spread more effectively in the community, highlighting the need for ongoing molecular surveillance to monitor their prevalence and detect potential changes.

Objective: To understand molecular characteristics and antibiotic resistance of Clostridioides (C.) difficile isolated from children in China, and provide data support the development of disease risk assessment and burden studies. Methods: A total of 155 strains of …

We encountered toxigenic C. difficile strains with various toxin expression levels, ribotypes, and rep types based on the findings of this study. This indicated that various clones from various sources circulate in the hospitals and among patients.

Clostridioides difficile sequence type (ST) 35 has been found in humans and animals worldwide. However, its genomic epidemiology and clonal transmission have not been explored in detail. In this study, 176 C. difficile ST35 isolates from six countries were sequenced. Genomic diversity, …

Objective: To understand molecular characteristics and antibiotic resistance of Clostridioides (C.) difficile isolated from children in China, and provide data support the development of disease risk assessment and burden studies. Methods: A total of 155 strains of …

Clostridioides difficile sequence type (ST) 35 has been found in humans and animals worldwide. However, its genomic epidemiology and clonal transmission have not been explored in detail. In this study, 176 C. difficile ST35 isolates from six countries were sequenced. Genomic diversity, …

Clostridium scindens is a commensal gut bacterium capable of forming the secondary bile acids deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid from the primary bile acids cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid, respectively, as well as converting glucocorticoids to androgens. Historically, only two strai …

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a Gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic bacterium emerged as a leading cause of diarrhea globally. CDI's (Clostridioides difficile infection) impact on healthcare systems is concerning due to high treatment cost and increased hospitalisation …