Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
A rapid and specific high-performance liquid chromatography method with UV detection (HPLC-UV) for the simultaneous determination of 12 beta-lactam antibiotics (amoxicillin, cefepime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cloxacillin, imipenem, meropenem, oxacillin, penicillin G, piperacillin, and ticarcillin) in small samples of human plasma is described. Extraction consisted of protein precipitation by acetonitrile. An Atlantis T3 analytical column with a linear gradient of acetonitrile and a pH 2 phosphoric acid solution was used for separation. Wavelength photodiode array detection was set either at 210 nm, 230 nm, or 298 nm according to the compound. This method is accurate and reproducible (coefficient of variation [CV] < 8%), allowing quantification of beta-lactam plasma levels from 5 to 250 μg/ml without interference with other common drugs. This technique is easy to use in routine therapeutic drug monitoring of beta-lactam antibiotics.
ISSN: 0066-4804

hal-00875271
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00875271
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00875271/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00875271/file/Simultaneous_Determination-accepted.pdf
PUBMED : 21788467

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
ISSN: 0066-4804

pasteur-00590987
https://hal-riip.archives-ouvertes.fr/pasteur-00590987
DOI : 10.1128/AAC.01532-06
PUBMED : 17438062

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
This study aimed to evaluate the repeated sequence REP-529 compared to the B1 gene for the molecular diagnosis of toxoplasmosis by quantitative PCR (qPCR) in routine diagnosis.Over a ten-year period (2003-2013), all patients prospectively diagnosed with a positive REP-529 qPCR result for toxoplasmosis were included. All DNA samples (76 samples from 56 patients) were simultaneously tested using the two qPCR methods (REP-529 and B1).The mean Ct obtained with the B1 qPCR was significantly higher (+4.71 cycles) than that obtained with REP-529 qPCR (p<0.0001). Thirty-one out of 69 extracts (45.6%) positive with REP-529 qPCR were not amplified with the B1 qPCR (relative sensitivity 54.4%, compared to REP-529), yielding false negative results on 15/28 placentas, 5 cord blood, 2 amniotic fluids, 4 cerebrospinal fluids, 1 aqueous humor, 2 lymph node punctures and 1 abortion product. This defect in sensitivity would have left 20/56 patients undiagnosed, distributed as follows: 12/40 congenital toxoplasmosis, 4/5 cerebral toxoplasmosis, 2/8 patients with retinochoroiditis, and both patients with chronic lymphadenopathy. This poor performance of B1 qPCR could be related to low parasite loads, since the mean Toxoplasma quantification in extracts with B1 false negative results was 0.4 parasite/reaction.These results clearly show the superiority of the REP-529 sequence in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis by PCR suggest that this target should be adopted as part of standardization of the PCR assay.
ISSN: 0095-1137

hal-01118293
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01118293
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01118293/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01118293/file/A%2010-Year%20Retrospective%20Comparison%20of%20Two%20Target%20Sequences-belaz2015.pdf
PUBMEDCENTRAL : PMC4365238

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Under physiological conditions, the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) mediate hepatic immune tolerance toward self or foreign antigens through constitutive expression of anti-inflammatory mediators. However, upon viral infection or Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) activation, LSECs can achieve proinflammatory functions, but their role in hepatic inflammation during acute viral hepatitis is unknown. Using the highly virulent mouse hepatitis virus type 3 (MHV3) and the attenuated variants 51.6-MHV3 and YAC-MHV3, exhibiting lower tropism for LSECs, we investigated in vivo and in vitro the consequence of LSEC infection on their proinflammatory profiles and the aggravation of acute hepatitis process. In vivo infection with virulent MHV3, in comparison to attenuated strains, resulted in fulminant hepatitis associated with higher hepatic viral load, tissue necrosis, and levels of inflammatory mediators and earlier recruitment of inflammatory cells. Such hepatic inflammatory disorders correlated with disturbed production of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and vascular factors by LSECs. We next showed in vitro that infection of LSECs by the virulent MHV3 strain altered their production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and promoted higher release of proinflammatory and procoagulant factors and earlier cell damage than infection by attenuated strains. This higher replication and proinflammatory activation in LSECs by the virulent MHV3 strain was associated with a specific activation of TLR2 signaling by the virus. We provide evidence that TLR2 activation of LSCEs by MHV3 is an aggravating factor of hepatic inflammation and correlates with the severity of hepatitis. Taken together, these results indicate that preservation of the immunotolerant properties of LSECs during acute viral hepatitis is imperative in order to limit hepatic inflammation and damage. IMPORTANCE Viral hepatitis B and C infections are serious health problems affecting over 350 million and 170 million people worldwide, respectively. It has been suggested that a balance between protection and liver damage mediated by the host's immune response during the acute phase of infection would be determinant in hepatitis outcome. Thus, it appears crucial to identify the factors that predispose in exacerbating liver inflammation to limit hepatocyte injury. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) can express both anti- and proinflammatory functions, but their role in acute viral hepatitis has never been investigated. Using mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infections as animal models of viral hepatitis, we report for the first time that in vitro and in vivo infection of LSECs by the pathogenic MHV3 serotype leads to a reversion of their intrinsic anti-inflammatory phenotype toward a proinflammatory profile as well to as disorders in vascular factors, correlating with the severity of hepatitis. These results highlight a new virus-promoted mechanism of exacerbation of liver inflammatory response during acute hepatitis.
ISSN: 0022-538X

hal-01390974
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01390974
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01390974/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01390974/file/Mouse%20Hepatitis%20Virus%20Infection_accepted.pdf
DOI : 10.1128/JVI.01069-16

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé :  
We report the isolation and identification of a new quassinoid named simalikalactone E (SkE), extracted from a widely used Amazonian antimalarial remedy made out of Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae) leaves. This new molecule inhibited the growth of Plasmodium falciparum cultured in vitro by 50%, in the concentration range from 24 to 68 nM, independently of the strain sensitivity to chloroquine. We also showed that this compound was able to decrease gametocytemia with a 50% inhibitory concentration sevenfold lower than that of primaquine. SkE was found to be less toxic than simalikalactone D (SkD), another antimalarial quassinoid from Q. amara, and its cytotoxicity on mammalian cells was dependent on the cell line, displaying a good selectivity index when tested on nontumorogenic cells. In vivo, SkE inhibited murine malaria growth of Plasmodium vinckei petteri by 50% at 1 and 0.5 mg/kg of body weight/day, by the oral or intraperitoneal routes, respectively. The contribution of quassinoids as a source of antimalarial molecules needs therefore to be reconsidered.
ISSN: 0066-4804

hal-01032126
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032126
DOI : 10.1128/AAC.00951-09

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
The bivalve Codakia orbicularis, hosting sulfur-oxidizing gill endosymbionts, was starved (in artificial seawater filtered through a 0.22- m-pore-size membrane) for a long-term experiment (4 months). The effects of starvation were observed using transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence in situ hybridization and catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD-FISH), and flow cytometry to monitor the anatomical and physiological modifications in the gill organization of the host and in the symbiotic population housed in bacteriocytes. The abundance of the symbiotic population decreased through starvation, with a loss of one-third of the bacterial population each month, as shown by CARD-FISH. At the same time, flow cytometry revealed significant changes in the physiology of symbiotic cells, with a decrease in cell size and modifications to the nucleic acid content, while most of the symbionts maintained a high respiratory activity (measured using the 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride method). Progressively, the number of symbiont subpopulations was reduced, and the subsequent multigenomic state, characteristic of this symbiont in freshly collected clams, turned into one and five equivalent genome copies for the two remaining subpopulations after 3 months. Concomitant structural modifications appeared in the gill organization. Lysosymes became visible in the bacteriocytes, while large symbionts disappeared, and bacteriocytes were gradually replaced by granule cells throughout the entire lateral zone. Those data suggested that host survival under these starvation conditions was linked to symbiont digestion as the main nutritional source.
ISSN: 0099-2240

hal-00750419
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00750419
DOI : 10.1128/AEM.02659-08

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
ISSN: 0019-9567

hal-01123833
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01123833
DOI : 10.1128/IAI.02908-14
PUBMED : 25712928

Éditeur(s) : American society for microbiology
Résumé : Vibrio nigripulchritudo, the etiological agent of Litopenaeus stylirostris summer syndrome, is responsible for mass mortalities of shrimp in New Caledonia. Epidemiological studies led to the suggestion that this disease is caused by an emergent group of pathogenic strains. Genomic subtractive hybridization was carried out between two isolates exhibiting low and high virulence. Our subtraction library was constituted of 521 specific fragments; 55 of these were detected in all virulent isolates from our collection (n = 32), and 13 were detected only in the isolates demonstrating the highest pathogenicity (n = 19), suggesting that they could be used as genetic markers for high virulence capacity. Interestingly, 10 of these markers are carried by a replicon of 11.2 kbp that contains sequences highly similar to those of a plasmid detected in Vibrio shilonii, a coral pathogen. The detection of this plasmid was correlated with the highest pathogenicity status of the isolates from our collection. The origin and consequence of this plasmid acquisition are discussed.
Applied and environmental microbiology (depuis 1953) (0099-2240) (American society for microbiology), 2008-05 , Vol. 74 , N. 10 , P. 3038-3047

Droits : 2008 American Society for Microbiology
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-4523.pdf
DOI:10.1128/AEM.02680-07
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4523/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
UNLABELLED: During visceral leishmaniasis, the control of hepatic parasite burden is mainly due to granuloma assembly in a microenvironment consisting of both Th1 and Th2 components. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) dosages, quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry, we studied the role of interleukin-33 (IL-33), a recently described cytokine signaling through the ST2 receptor, during visceral leishmaniasis. We showed that a higher level of IL-33 was detected in the serum of patients with visceral leishmaniasis than in that from healthy donors and demonstrated the presence of IL-33(+) cells in a liver biopsy specimen from a patient. Similarly, in BALB/c mice experimentally infected with L. donovani, a higher level of IL-33 was detected in the serum, as well as the presence of IL-33(+) cells and ST2(+) cells in the mouse liver. In ST2(-/-) BALB/c mice, better control of the hepatic parasite burden and reduced hepatomegaly were observed. This was associated with strong induction of Th1 cytokines (gamma interferon [IFN-γ] and IL-12) compared to the level in wild-type (WT) mice and better recruitment of myeloid cells associated with strongly induced chemokines (CCL2 and CXCL2) and receptors (CCR2 and CXCR2). Conversely, BALB/c mice treated twice weekly with recombinant IL-33 showed a dramatically reduced induction of Th1 cytokines and delayed inhibition of monocyte and neutrophil recruitment in the liver, which was associated with reduced KC/CXCL1 and CXCR2 expression. Taken together, our results suggest that IL-33 could be a new deleterious regulator of the hepatic immune response against Leishmania donovani, via the repression of the Th1 response and myeloid cell recruitment. IMPORTANCE: Visceral leishmaniasis is a life-threatening systemic disease due to the Leishmania protozoa L. infantum and L. donovani and is ranked by the World Health Organization as the second most important protozoan parasitic disease after malaria for its grave morbidity, high mortality, and global distribution. Leishmania parasites subvert the host's immune response to propagate to target organs, including the spleen, the bone marrow, and the liver. Control of hepatic parasite burdens depends on a delicate and poorly understood Th1/Th2 immune balance. To better understand this complex immune response, new cytokines are interesting targets for research studies. IL-33 is a newly described cytokine usually associated with Th2 response and involved in different diseases, including infectious diseases and hepatitis. Our results suggest that IL-33 could be a new factor of susceptibility and a potential prognostic marker during visceral leishmaniasis.
ISSN: 2150-7511

inserm-00871493
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00871493
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00871493/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00871493/file/mBio.00383-13.pdf
DOI : 10.1128/mBio.00383-13

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Here we report in a human, a renal transplant patient, the first disseminated infection with Nocardia cerradoensis, isolated after a brain biopsy. Species identification was based on 16S rRNA, gyrB, and hsp65 gene analyses. Antibiotic treatment was successful by combining carbapenems and aminoglycosides and then switching to oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
ISSN: 0095-1137

hal-01130428
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01130428
DOI : 10.1128/JCM.02979-14
PUBMED : 25568436

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
: We investigated the in vitro effects of four alkyl-galactofuranoside derivatives, i.e. octyl-β-D-galactofuranoside (1), 6-amino-β-D-galactofuranoside (2), 6-N-acetamido-β-D-galactofuranoside (3), and 6-azido-β-D-galactofuranoside (4) on Leishmania donovani. Their mechanism of action was explored using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and ultrastructural alterations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Compound 1 showed the most promising effects by inhibiting promastigote growth at IC50 8.96 ± 2.5 μM. All compounds exhibit low toxicity towards human macrophages. Compound 1 had a higher selectivity index than the comparative molecule used, i.e. miltefosine (159.7 versus 37.9, respectively). EPR showed that compound 1 significantly reduced membrane fluidity, compared to control promastigotes and to compound 3. The furanose ring was shown to support this effect since the isomer galactopyranose had no effect on parasite membrane fluidity or growth. NMR showed a direct interaction of all compounds (1>2>3>4) with the promastigote membrane, as well as with octyl-galactopyranose and octanol, providing evidence that the n-octyl chain was primarily involved in the anchoring with the parasite membrane, followed by the putative crucial role of furanose ring in the anti-leishmanial activity. A morphologic analysis of compound 1-treated promastigotes by TEM revealed profound alterations on parasite membrane and organelles, but not with compound 3. Quantification of annexinV binding by flow cytometry confirmed that compound 1 induced apoptosis in >90% promastigotes. The effect of compound 1 was also assessed on intra-macrophagic amastigotes, and showed a reduction in amastigote growth associated with an increase of ROS production, thus validating its promising effect.
ISSN: 0066-4804

hal-00941772
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00941772
PUBMED : 24468785
DOI : 10.1128/AAC.01350-13

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Human leishmaniasis are widely spread diseases with different clinical forms caused by about 20 species within the Leishmania genus. Leishmania species identification is relevant for therapeutic management and prognosis, especially for cutaneous and muco-cutaneous forms. Several methods are available to identify Leishmania species from culture, but they have not been standardized for the majority of the currently described species, with the exception of MultiLocus Enzyme Electrophoresis. Moreover, these techniques are expensive, time-consuming and not available in all laboratories. Within the last decade, mass spectrometry (MS) has been adapted for microorganism identification, including Leishmania However, no commercial reference mass spectral database is available. In this study, a reference mass spectral library (MSL) for Leishmania isolates, accessible through a free web-based application (mass spectral identification, MSI), was constructed and tested. It includes mass spectral data for 33 different Leishmania species, including species that infect humans, animals and phlebotomine vectors. Four laboratories on two continents evaluated MSI performance using 268 samples of which 231 were Leishmania strains. All Leishmania strains, but one, were correctly identified at least at the complex level. A risk of species misidentification within the L. donovani, L. guyanensis and L. braziliensis complexes was observed, as already reported with other techniques. The tested application was reliable, with identification results comparable to those obtained with reference methods, but with a more favorable cost-efficiency ratio. This free online identification system relies on a scalable database and can be implemented directly in the user's computers.
ISSN: 0095-1137

hal-01571305
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01571305
DOI : 10.1128/JCM.00845-17
PUBMED : 28724559

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Anti-Aspergillus IgG antibodies are important biomarkers for the diagnosis of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). We compared the performance of a new commercial EIA (Bordier Affinity Products) with those of the Bio-Rad and VirionSerion EIAs. This assay is novel in the association of two recombinant antigens with somatic and metabolic antigens of A. fumigatus. In a prospective multicentre study, 436 serum samples from 147 patients diagnosed with CPA (136 sera/104 patients) or ABPA (94 sera/43 patients) and from 205 controls (206 sera) were tested. We obtained sensitivities of 97%, 91.7%, and 86.1%, and specificities of 90.3%, 91.3%, and 81.5% for the Bordier, Bio-Rad and VirionSerion tests, respectively. The Bordier kit was more sensitive than the Bio-Rad kit (p < 0.01), which was itself more sensitive than the VirionSerion kit (p=0.04). The Bordier and Bio-Rad kits had similar specificities (p=0.8), both higher than that of the VirionSerion kit (p=0.02). The areas under the ROC curves confirmed the superiority of the Bordier kit over the Bio-Rad and the VirionSerion kits (0.977, 0.951 and 0.897, respectively; p < 0.01 for each comparison). In a subset analysis of 279 sera tested with the Bordier and Bio-Rad kits and an in-house immunoprecipitin assay (IPD), the Bordier kit had the highest sensitivity (97.7%), but the IPD tended to be more specific (71.2 and 84.7%, respectively; p=0.10).The use of recombinant, somatic and metabolic antigens in a single EIA improved the balance between sensitivity and specificity, resulting in an assay highly suitable for use in the diagnosis of chronic and allergic aspergillosis.
ISSN: 0095-1137

hal-01282328
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01282328
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01282328/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01282328/file/Prospective%20evaluation%20of%20a%20new%20Aspergillus.pdf
DOI : 10.1128/JCM.03261-15

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
A number of men receiving prolonged suppressive HAART still shed HIV in semen. To investigate whether this seminal shedding may be due to poor drug penetration and/or viral production by long-lived cells within male genital tissues, we analyzed semen and reproductive tissues from macaques chronically infected with SIVmac251 submitted to HAART for 4 months, intensified over the last seven weeks with an integrase inhibitor. We showed that a subset of treated animals continued shedding SIV in semen despite efficient HAART. This shedding was not associated with low antiretroviral drug concentrations in semen, or in testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate. HAART had no significant impact on SIV RNA in the urethra, whereas it drastically reduced SIV RNA levels in the prostate and vas deferens, and to a lesser extent in the epididymis and seminal vesicle. The only detectable SIV RNA positive cells within the male genital tract after HAART were urethral macrophages. SIV DNA levels in genital tissues were not decreased by HAART, suggesting the presence throughout the male genital tract of non-productively infected cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that 4 months of HAART induced variable and limited control of viral infection in the male reproductive organs, particularly the urethra, and suggest that infected long-lived cells in the male genital tract may be involved in persistent seminal shedding during HAART. These results pave the way for further investigations of male genital organs infection in long term treated infected individuals. A substantial subset of men receiving prolonged suppressive HAART in the blood still harbor HIV in semen, and cases of sexual transmission have been reported. To understand the origin of this persistence, we analyzed the semen and male reproductive tissues from SIV-infected macaques treated by HAART. We demonstrated that persistent seminal shedding was not linked to poor drug penetration in semen or semen-producing prostate, seminal vesicle, epididymis and testis. We revealed that HAART decreased SIV RNA to various extents in all male genital organs, with the exception of the urethra, in which SIV RNA+ macrophages were observed despite HAART. Importantly also, HAART did not impact SIV DNA levels in the male genital organs. These results suggest that infection of male genital organs, and particularly the urethra, could be involved in the release of virus in semen during HAART.
ISSN: 0022-538X

hal-01139816
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01139816
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01139816/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01139816/file/Detection%20of%20SIV%20in%20Semen%2C%20Urethra%2C%20and%20Male%20Reproductive%20Organs%20during%20Efficient%20Highly%20Active%20Antiretroviral%20Therapy.pdf
PUBMEDCENTRAL : PMC4442442

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
We investigated the characteristics of the sulfur-oxidizing symbiont hosted in the gills of Codakia orbicularis, a bivalve living in shallow marine tropical environments. Special attention was paid to describing the heterogeneity of the population by using single-cell approaches including flow cytometry (FCM) and different microscopic techniques and by analyzing a cell size fractionation experiment. Up to seven different subpopulations were distinguished by FCM based on nucleic acid content and light side scattering of the cells. The cell size analysis of symbionts showed that the symbiotic population was very heterogeneous in size, i.e., ranging from 0.5 to 5 _m in length, with variable amounts of intracellular sulfur. The side-scatter signal analyzed by FCM, which is often taken as a proxy of cell size, was greatly influenced by the sulfur content of the symbionts. FCM revealed an important heterogeneity in the relative nucleic acid content among the subclasses. The larger cells contained exceptionally high levels of nucleic acids, suggesting that these cells contained multiple copies of their genome, i.e., ranging from one copy for the smaller cells to more than four copies for the larger cells. The proportion of respiring symbionts (5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl-terazolium chloride positive) in the bacteriocytes of Codakia revealed that around 80% of the symbionts hosted by Codakia maintain respiratory activity throughout the year. These data allowed us to gain insight into the functioning of the symbionts within the host and to propose some hypotheses on how the growth of the symbionts is controlled by the host.
ISSN: 0099-2240

hal-00716079
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00716079
DOI : 10.1128/AEM.01683-06

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Molecular diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis or disseminated toxoplasmosis is based mainly on PCR. The repeated DNA element rep529 has become the main DNA target used in most PCR methods, whether laboratory developed or commercial. In this multicenter study, we evaluated the Toxoplasma ELITe MGB (Elitech) commercial kit by comparison with three reference quantitative PCR assays (RAs) used routinely in three proficient laboratories of the French National Reference Center for Toxoplasmosis network, using Toxoplasma calibrated suspensions diluted to obtain a range of concentrations from 0.1 to 10,000 parasites/ml. These suspensions were extracted with either the DNA extraction kit (EXTRAblood; Elitech) recommended by the manufacturer or the QIAamp DNA minikit (Qiagen). The Toxoplasma ELITe MGB assay was also evaluated on a panel of 128 clinical samples, including 56 amniotic fluid samples, 55 placenta samples, and various other samples, of which 95 originated from patients with proven toxoplasmosis. The ELITe MGB assay amplified low-concentration replicates (<10 parasites/ml) of calibrated suspensions less frequently than the RAs of 2/3 laboratories. Additionally, the combination of EXTRAblood and Toxoplasma ELITe MGB yielded poorer sensitivity than the combination of QIAamp DNA minikit and ELITe MGB for low parasite concentrations (P < 0.001 for 1 parasite/ml). On clinical samples, the sensitivity and the specificity of the commercial assay were 89% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity ranged from 79% (placenta samples) to 100% (amniotic fluid samples). Overall, this study shows that the Toxoplasma ELITe MGB assay is suitable for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis from non-cell-rich or non-hemoglobin-rich samples and that the EXTRAblood kit is not optimal.
ISSN: 0095-1137

hal-01526432
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01526432
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01526432/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01526432/file/Evaluation%20of%20the%20Toxoplasma.pdf
DOI : 10.1128/JCM.02379-16

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Summary: The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii was discovered a little over 100 years ago, but knowledge of its biological life cycle and its medical importance has grown in the last 40 years. This obligate intracellular parasite was identified early as a pathogen responsible for congenital infection, but its clinical expression and the importance of reactivations of infections in immunocompromised patients were recognized later, in the era of organ transplantation and HIV infection. Recent knowledge of host cell-parasite interactions and of parasite virulence has brought new insights into the comprehension of the pathophysiology of infection. In this review, we focus on epidemiological and diagnostic aspects, putting them in perspective with current knowledge of parasite genotypes. In particular, we provide critical information on diagnostic methods according to the patient's background and discuss the implementation of screening tools for congenital toxoplasmosis according to health policies.
ISSN: 0893-8512

hal-00696903
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00696903
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00696903/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00696903/file/Epidemiologysur and_Diagnostic-accepted.pdf
DOI : 10.1128/CMR.05013-11

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients (ICPs). The definite diagnosis relies on parasite DNA detection, but the incidence and burden of disease are ill-known in HIV-negative patients. A three-year retrospective study was conducted in 15 reference laboratories from the network of the French National Reference Center for Toxoplasmosis, to record the frequency of Toxoplasma DNA detection in ICPs, to review the molecular methods used for diagnosis and the prevention measures implemented in transplant patients. During the study period, out of 31,640 PCR performed in ICPs, 610 were positive (323 patients). Blood (n=337), cerebrospinal fluid (n=101) and aqueous humor (n=100) samples were more frequently positive. Chemoprophylaxis schemes in transplant patients differed between centers. PCR follow-up of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (allo-HSCT) patients was implemented in 8/15 centers. Data from 180 patients (13 centers) were further analyzed regarding clinical setting and outcome. Only 68/180 (38%) patients were HIV+; the remaining 62% consisted in 72 HSCT, 14 solid-organ transplants, and 26 miscellaneous immunodeficiencies. Cerebral toxoplasmosis and disseminated toxoplasmosis were most frequently observed in HIV and transplant patients, respectively. Of 72 allo-HSCT patients with a positive PCR, 23 were asymptomatic; all were diagnosed in centers performing systematic blood PCR follow-up, and received specific treatment. Overall survival of allo-HSCT patients at two months was better in centers with PCR follow-up than in other centers (p<0.01). This study provides updated data on the frequency of toxoplasmosis in HIV-negative ICPs and suggests that regular PCR follow-up of allo-HSCT patients could guide pre-emptive treatment and improve outcome.
ISSN: 0095-1137

hal-01134189
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01134189
DOI : 10.1128/JCM.03282-14
PUBMED : 25762774

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is more sensitive than microscopic examination for the detection of P. jirovecii but also detects colonized patients. Hence, its positive predictive value (PPV) needs evaluation. In this 4-year prospective observational study, all immunocompromised patients with acute respiratory symptoms who were investigated for PCP were included, totaling 659 patients (814 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples). Patients with negative microscopy but positive qPCR were classified through medical chart review as having retained PCP, possible PCP, or colonization, and their clinical outcomes were compared to those of patients with microscopically proven PCP. Overall, 119 patients were included for analysis, of whom 35, 41, and 43 were classified as having retained PCP, possible PCP, and colonization, respectively. The 35 patients with retained PCP had clinical findings similar to those with microscopically proven PCP but lower fungal loads (P extless 0.001) and were mainly non-HIV-infected patients (P extless 0.05). Although the mean amplification threshold was higher in colonized patients, it was not possible to determine a discriminant qPCR cutoff. The PPV of qPCR in patients with negative microscopy were 29.4% and 63.8% when considering retained PCP and retained plus possible PCP, respectively. Patients with possible PCP had a higher mortality rate than patients with retained PCP or colonization (63% versus 3% and 16%, respectively); patients who died had not received co-trimoxazole. In conclusion, qPCR is a useful tool to diagnose PCP in non-HIV patients, and treatment might be better targeted through a multicomponent algorithm including both clinical/radiological parameters and qPCR results.
ISSN: 0095-1137

hal-01063906
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01063906
DOI : 10.1128/JCM.01480-14
PUBMED : 25009050

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Society for Microbiology
Résumé : International audience
Coronaviruses (CoVs) have shown neuroinvasive properties in human and animal secondary to replication in peripheral organ but the mechanism of neuroinvasion is unknown. The major aim of our work was to evaluate the ability of CoVs to enter the central nervous system (CNS) through the blood brain barrier (BBB). Using the high hepatotropic mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) type 3, its attenuated variant 51.6-MHV3, showing low tropism for endothelial cells, and the low hepatotropic MHV-A59 strains from murine coronavirus group, we investigated the viral-induced dysfunctions of BBB in vivo and in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) in vitro. We report here a MHV strain-specific ability to cross the BBB during acute infection according to their virulence for liver. Brain invasion was only observed in MHV3-infected mice and correlated with enhanced BBB permeability associated with decreased expression of ZO-1, VE-cadherin and occludin but not claudin-5 in the brain or in cultured BMECs. BBB breakdown in MHV3 infection was not related to production of barrier-dysregulating inflammatory cytokines or chemokines by infected BMECs but rather to a downregulation of barrier protective IFN-β production. Our findings highlight the importance of IFN-β production by infected BMECs in preserving BBB function and preventing access of blood-borne infectious viruses to the brain. IMPORTANCE: Coronaviruses (CoVs) infect several mammals including humans and are associated with respiratory, gastrointestinal and/or neurological diseases. Some evidences suggest that human respiratory CoVs may show neuroinvasive properties. Indeed, the SARS-CoV, causing severe acute respiratory syndrome, and the CoVs OC43 and 229E were found in the brains of SARS and multiple sclerosis patients respectively. These finding suggest that hematogenous spread CoVs may gain access to CNS at the BBB level. Herein we report for the first time that CoVs exhibit ability to cross the BBB according to strain virulence. BBB invasion by CoVs correlates with viral-induced disruption of tight junctions on BMECs, leading to BBB dysfunction and enhanced permeability. We provide evidence that production of IFN-β by BMECs during CoV infection may prevent BBB breakdown and brain viral invasion
ISSN: 0022-538X

hal-01187308
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01187308
DOI : 10.1128/JVI.01501-15
PUBMED : 26202229