C Diff Molecular

“A tour de force presentation by @joeyzacks on how #Enterococcus fecaelis uses L-arginine which stimulates #pathogen #cdiff to produce toxins and generates ornithine which enhances #cdiff fitness! #ASMicrobe”

Clostridioides difficile infections begin when its metabolically dormant spores germinate in response to sensing bile acid germinants alongside amino acid and divalent cation co-germinants in the small intestine. While bile acid germinants are essential for C. difficile spore germinati …

The Brief Case: a White-Colony-Producing Clostridioides difficile Ribotype 020 Strain

O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase is one of the key enzymes in biosynthesis of methionine in Clostridioides difficile. The mechanism of γ-substitution reaction of O-acetyl-L-homoserine catalyzed by this enzyme is the least studied among the pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes involved in metabol …

In the search for a novel therapeutic that targets C. difficile , bile acids have become a viable solution. Epimers of bile acids are particularly attractive as they may provide protection against C. difficile while leaving the indigenous gut microbiota largely unaltered. This study sh …

Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive, obligate anaerobic, toxin-producing bacillus that is linked to antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Here, we report the whole-genome sequence of a C. difficile strain isolated from stool from a patient, using next-generation sequencing (MGISEG-2000). De nov …

Scientific Reports - Identification of novel p-cresol inhibitors that reduce Clostridioides difficile’s ability to compete with species of the gut microbiome

Clostridioides difficile (CD) is a sporulating and toxin-producing nosocomial pathogen that opportunistically infects the gut, particularly in patients with depleted microbiota after antibiotic exposure. Metabolically, CD rapidly generates energy and substrates for growth from Stickland ferme …

Clostridioides difficile is easily spread through the production of highly resistant spores. Understanding how spores are formed could yield valuable insight into how the sporulation process can be halted to render spores that are sensitive to cleaning methods. Here, we identify another prote …

Mucins are glycoproteins which can be found in host cell membranes and as a gelatinous surface formed from secreted mucins. Mucosal surfaces in mammals form a barrier to invasive microbes, particularly bacteria, but are a point of attachment for others. Clostridioides difficile is anaerobic b …

Treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is expensive and complex, with a high proportion of patients suffering infection relapse (20-35%), and some having multiple relapses. A healthy, unperturbed gut microbiome provides colonisation resistance against CDI through competition for nutri …

Discerning the effect of pharmacological exposures on intestinal bacterial communities in cancer patients is challenging. Here, we deconvoluted the relationship between drug exposures and changes in microbial composition by developing and applying a new computational method, PARADIGM (parameters ass …

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a procedure used to treat diseases related to microbiome imbalances. We discuss how ecological principles can inform the design of FMT clinical trials and contribute to data interpretation. This effort will promote a better understanding of microbiome engraf …

The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) is a promising chassis to deliver therapeutic proteins to the gut due to Sb's innate therapeutic properties, resistance to phage and antibiotics, and high protein secretion capacity. To maintain therapeutic efficacy in the context of challenges such a …

Clinical nutrition and the number of antibiotics used during an episode of diarrhea are independent risk factors for the death of a patient with CDI. Infection with a hypervirulent strain increases the risk for relapse.

Of patients who have had a #Cdiff recurrence, up to 65% will experience subsequent recurrence. #guthealth #GITwitter #IDTwitter pic.twitter.com/wpl2yHevo3— Microbiome Science (@MbiomeScience) June 5, 2023

After an initial episode of #Cdiff infection, up to 25% of patients experience a recurrence. #GITwitter #IDTwitter #guthealth pic.twitter.com/JJIg2ccGpJ— Microbiome Science (@MbiomeScience) June 4, 2023

Clinical manifestations of the infection caused by #Cdiff can vary. #GITwitter #IDTwitter #guthealth pic.twitter.com/fLYURwSRCD— Microbiome Science (@MbiomeScience) May 31, 2023

Introduction: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most common healthcare-associated infection in the US. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, nausea, and anorexia and it can present with leukocytosis on laboratory evaluation. Treatment is based on disease severity and recurrence. Despite antibiotic usage being the highest risk factor for infection, they are also the first-line treatment for initial CDI. Prevention of CDI mostly involves good hand hygiene, antibiotic stewardship, and appropriate precautions when interacting with infected individuals. Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) has been linked to CDI, however, there is limited insight into the correlation between both states. Our aim was to further investigate the potential link between VDD and CDI. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2016 to 2019. Patients with CDI were identified and stratified based on a diagnosis of VDD. Primary outcomes were mortality, CDI recurrence, ileus, toxic megacolon, perforation, and colectomy. Chi-squared and independent t-tests were performed to assess categorical and continuous data, respectively. Multiple logistic regression was used to control for confounders. Results: Patients with VDD had higher rates of CDI recurrence (17.4% versus 14.7%, p<0.05), but lower rates of mortality (3.1% versus 6.1%, p<0.05). Differences in rates of ileus, toxic megacolon, perforation, and colectomy were statistically insignificant. Length of stay was higher in the VDD group (10.38 days versus 9.83 days). Total charges were lower in the VDD group ($93,935.85 versus $102,527.9). Discussion: CDI patients with comorbid VDD are at higher risk for the recurrence of CDI. This is likely due to the role of vitamin D in the expression of intestinal epithelial antimicrobial peptides, macrophage activation, and maintenance of tight junctions between gut epithelial cells. Furthermore, vitamin D plays a role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Alternatively, deficiency results in poor gut health and detrimental changes to the gut microbiome. In effect, VDD promotes the proliferation of C. difficile within the large colon, resulting in an increased predisposition for CDI.

Scientific Reports - The impact of vitamin D3 supplementation on the faecal and oral microbiome of dairy calves indoors or at pasture

Introduction: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most common healthcare-associated infection in the US. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, nausea, and anorexia and it can present wit...

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile)and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections can have overlapping symptoms. Recently, the association and outcomes of coinfection have been studied. We present the case of an 83-year-old lady with Parkinson's disease (PD) who was admitted wi …

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile)and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections can have overlapping symptoms. Recently, the association and outcomes of coinfection have been studied. We present the case of an 83-year-old lady with Parkinson's disease (PD) who was admitted wi …

Make sure to join the IBD update including the link between #cdiff and #IBD on 7th June 2023 @ Crowne Plaza Sheffield with @ThoufeeqMo Dr Phil Smith and @anjan_dhar6 Looking forward to it! pic.twitter.com/drNz6bBW5Y— Sheffield Gastro (@shefgastro) May 31, 2023

Interactions between medical interventions, pediatric hosts and microbial communities may be responsible for these consistent microbiota signatures that predict infections. A future multi-center investigation will be needed to demonstrate whether these ratios can be generalized to other pediatric co …

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common chronic liver disease, had no approved pharmacological agents yet. Obeticholic acid (OCA), a novel bile acid derivative, was demonstrated to ameliorate NAFLD-related manifestations. Regarding the role of gut-liver axis in liver disease devel …

Experts provide an overview of the gut microbiome and its importance to nutrition and overall health.

This study aimed to research the involvement of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and C. difficile or C. perfringens type C in the aetiology of neonatal piglet diarrhoea in Greece and to identify preventive factors for them. A total of 78 pooled faecal samples were collected random …

A new study published in the peer-reviewed OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology identified genes for virulence and antimicrobial resistance in two bacteria that co-occur with C. difficile, suggesting these pathogens as emerging potential threats in planetary health.