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IDCases 2022 6;29:e01529. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.

Background: () is the part of the HACEK group ( that accounts for the majority of the Gram-negative infective endocarditis cases. Historically, the fastidious characteristics of these microorganisms proved challenging to many clinicians. Advances in microbiological identification of culture-negative endocarditis; however, may be the reason for the rising incidence of these infections. Read More

IDCases 2022 21;29:e01506. Epub 2022 May 21.

Laboratoire Bactériologie Hygiène, CHU Lille, Univ Lille, 59037 Lille, France.

is a member of the HACEK group of bacteria, responsible for infective endocarditis, mainly in patients with damaged or prosthetic valves. The low virulence of this organism can explain the insidious presentation and subacute or chronic progression of infective endocarditis. Here, a 41-year-old man with a past history of surgery for a Waldhausen type aortic coarctation was hospitalised with dyspnea and chest pains revealing an acute pulmonary oedema, without fever. Read More

Cureus 2022 Mar 12;14(3):e23107. Epub 2022 Mar 12.

Infectious Disease, Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital, West Covina, USA.

, formerly known as , is one member of a group of bacteria referred to as HACEK (, , , , ) organisms. Infections from any of the HACEK organisms typically lead to very poor outcomes and can be difficult to manage, especially when complicated by intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). HACEK organisms can also be difficult to grow on blood cultures, and is rarely seen, if at all. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2022 Mar 9;25(3):149-152. Epub 2021 Sep 9.

Department of Medicine, Yale-New Haven Health Greenwich Hospital, Greenwich, CT, USA.

Mural endocarditis is a rare subclass of infective endocarditis (IE) associated with intra-cardiac tumors, prosthesis, valvular vegetation's, or structural abnormalities such as ventricular septal defects. Bacteria classified as HACEK ( species, , and ) are rare causes of IE found in only 1.3% to 10% of cases. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Dec;100(52):e28028

Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Wujin Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Changzhou, China.

Abstract: Generally, intestinal microbiota can be classified into intestinal cavity microbiota and mucosal microbiota, among which, the former is the default type. This study aimed to identify the differences between fecal microbiota and intestinal fluid microbiota in colon polys.This study enrolled patients with colon polys who met the Rome-III criteria to carry out 16s rDNA gene sequencing. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Dec 1;14(12). Epub 2021 Dec 1.

Infectious Disease, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC, USA.

We present a case of polymicrobial subacute bacterial endocarditis and bacteremia with and in a 72-year-old man with pre-existing mitral valve disease and prior mitral valve repair who presented with renal failure and glomerulonephritis. is often a contaminant in blood cultures but has been rarely implicated in patients with invasive infections such as endocarditis. Intravenous drug use, prosthetic heart valves, valvular heart disease and venous catheters are the most frequently described risk factors for bacteremia and endocarditis in the medical literature. Read More

Scand J Gastroenterol 2022 Mar 24;57(3):266-273. Epub 2021 Nov 24.

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.

Objectives: Helicobacter pylori infection causes atrophic gastritis, which affects the gut microbiome; the gastric acid concentration depends on the degree of atrophic gastritis. Helicobacter pylori eradication also affects gastric acidity. Here, we determined the differences in the post-eradication changes in the gut microbiome in relation to the progression of gastric atrophy. Read More

IDCases 2021 5;26:e01329. Epub 2021 Nov 5.

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease, 1542 Tulane Avenue Suite 331A, Box T4M-2, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.

is a rare cause of infective endocarditis due to its lack of traditional virulence factors that promote endocardial adherence. Previous case reports of infective endocarditis demonstrate specific risk factors to include advanced age over 70, female sex, diabetes, immunosuppression, and intravascular or cardiac devices. Antecedent genitourinary infection is the most common source. Read More

Curr Opin Infect Dis 2021 12;34(6):672-680

Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón.

Purpose Of Review: Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) cause between 1% and 10% of infective endocarditis (IE). Most episodes are caused by microorganisms of the Haemophilus spp., Aggregatibacter spp. Read More

Clin Exp Dent Res 2022 02 10;8(1):449-456. Epub 2021 Sep 10.

Department of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka, Japan.

Objectives: It has been suggested that smoking affects the oral microbiome, but its effects on sites other than the subgingival microbiome remain unclear. This study investigated the composition of the salivary and tongue bacterial communities of smokers and nonsmokers in periodontally healthy adults.

Methods: The study population included 50 healthy adults. Read More

JACC Case Rep 2020 Oct 9;2(12):1988-1991. Epub 2020 Sep 9.

Mount Sinai Heart, New York, New York.

Distinguishing Libman-Sacks endocarditis from other valvular heart disease etiologies has important implications for management. We present a case of a 23-year-old man who presented in extremis with fever and cardiogenic shock caused by Libman-Sacks endocarditis with associated mitral valve chord rupture. (). Read More

Front Pediatr 2021 5;9:707760. Epub 2021 Jul 5.

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

is a gram-negative coccobacillus belonging to the HACEK group ( species, , and species) and is a common oropharyngeal colonizer of healthy young children. Osteoarticular infection is the most commonly reported invasive infection in children, usually presenting a mild clinical picture. However, it can also cause severe invasive infections, especially infective endocarditis, with a high complication rate. Read More

Caries Res 2021 9;55(4):310-321. Epub 2021 Jul 9.

Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology & Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Beijing, China.

Extrinsic black tooth stain (BS) is a common oral disease associated with lower caries experience in preschool children, although the microbiotic features contributing to the low risk of caries in this group remain elusive. In this study, we aimed at identifying the dominant bacteria in dental plaque to indicate the incidence of caries in the primary dentition. Subjects were divided into 3 groups based on the clinical examination: group CF, children without pigment who had no caries lesions or restorations (n = 18); group CS, children who were diagnosed with severe early childhood caries (n = 17); and group BS, children with pigment (black extrinsic stain) without caries or restorations (n = 15). Read More

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021 Jul;71(7)

Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, PR China.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, short rod-shaped, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-gliding, oxidase-positive and catalase-negative bacterium, designated ML27, was isolated from oyster homogenate in Rushan, Weihai, PR China. Growth occurred at 20-33 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 7.0-9. Read More

Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue 2021 Apr;30(2):156-161

Stomatological Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital. Shenzhen 518000, China.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between oral Candida albicans and flora in children with severe infant caries.

Methods: Forty-two children with severe infant caries (experimental group) and 40 caries-free children (control group) treated in Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from March 2018 to June 2019 were enrolled. The samples of saliva and plaque were collected and cultured. Read More

Arch Oral Biol 2021 Aug 27;128:105171. Epub 2021 May 27.

Marmara University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Istanbul, Turkey.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the aetiologic agent responsible for black staining of permanent dentition using next-generation sequencing and determine the relationship between caries and black stains.

Materials And Methods: A total of 52 systemically healthy patients with black-stained and caries-free (n = 13), black-stained and carious (n = 13), black stain-free and caries-free (n = 13), and black stain-free and carious (n = 13) teeth were enrolled in the study. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II) was used for caries classification. Read More

Front Microbiol 2021 14;12:630345. Epub 2021 May 14.

Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China.

Similar to those in the upper respiratory tract, there are microbes present in the healthy human lower respiratory tract (LRT), including the lungs and bronchus. To evaluate the relationship between LRT microbiome and allergic respiratory diseases in children, we enrolled 68 children who underwent bronchoscopy from January 2018 to December 2018 in the affiliated hospital of the Capital Institute of Pediatrics. Using the total IgE (TIgE) values, children were divided into two groups: allergy sensitivity (AS) group and non-allergy sensitivity (NAS) group. Read More

IDCases 2021 7;24:e01149. Epub 2021 May 7.

Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Florida COM-Jacksonville, 655 8th W 8th Street, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

An 80-year-old patient was admitted for fever, chills, and chest wall pain. He had a past medical history significant for heart failure with a cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker implantation. Extensive workup revealed endocarditis of the pacemaker leads and the mitral valve, a rare etiology with an unidentified source in our patient. Read More

Intern Med 2021 Nov 22;60(21):3489-3495. Epub 2021 May 22.

Department of General Internal Medicine, Akashi Medical Center, Japan.

Hemolytic anemia is a rarely occurring manifestation of native valve infective endocarditis. We herein report an afebrile patient with hemolytic anemia caused by Cardiobacterium hominis endocarditis. A 60-year-old Japanese man had a history of aortic root replacement and the gradual onset of general fatigue. Read More

Eur J Intern Med 2021 10 9;92:71-78. Epub 2021 May 9.

Infectious Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Puerta de Hierro, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) due to non-HACEK bacilli (Haemophilus species, Actinobacillus, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, or Kingella) is uncommon and poorly described. The objectives of this study were to describe non-HACEK Gram-Negative Bacilli (GNB) IE cases and compare characteristic of IE produced by Enterobacterales and non-fermenting (NF) GNB.

Methods: From January 2008 to December 2018, 3910 consecutive patients with definitive IE diagnosis, defined with Modified Duke criteria, either clinical or pathological criteria (e. Read More

J Pediatr 2021 Aug 8;235:284-287. Epub 2021 May 8.

Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

HACEK organisms (Haemophilus, Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, and Kingella species) are rare causes of endocarditis. HACEK organisms are fastidious and may escape detection by culture techniques, but the use of molecular studies may aid diagnosis. A 10-year review of pediatric HACEK endocarditis cases at Texas Children's Hospital identified 10 patients, with 2 cases recognized by next-generation sequencing, highlighting potential benefits of these assays. Read More

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2021 Sep 14;40(9):1919-1924. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Division of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, BMC B14, SE-221 84, Lund, Sweden.

Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by bacteria within Haemophilus (excluding Haemophilus influenzae), Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella and Kingella (HACEK) is rare. This study aimed to describe clinical features of IE caused by HACEK genera in comparison with IE due to other pathogens. Cases of IE due to HACEK were identified through the Swedish Registry of Infective Endocarditis (SRIE). Read More

Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2021 Feb 27;20(1):14. Epub 2021 Feb 27.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.

Background: HACEK (Haemophilus spp., Aggregatibacter spp., Cardiobacterium spp. Read More

J Oral Microbiol 2020 Dec 30;13(1):1865690. Epub 2020 Dec 30.

Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.

: The oral cavity harbors an abundant and diverse microbial community (i.e. the microbiome), whose composition and roles in health and disease have been the focus of intense research. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2021 May 2;27(5):747-750. Epub 2021 Jan 2.

Department of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Aichi Medical University Hospital, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan; Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Aichi Medical University Hospital, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan.

We report a case of prosthetic arthritis caused by Cardiobacterium valvarum, which has been exclusively reported to cause intravascular infections. A 81-year-old Japanese female complained prosthetic knee joint pain. Arthrocentesis cultured no pathogen, and surgical replacement of the implant surface was performed. Read More

Cureus 2020 Nov 17;12(11):e11527. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

Cardiology, Mohammed I University/Mohammed VI University Hospital, Oujda, MAR.

Infective endocarditis caused by Acinetobacter (A.) baumannii is a rare but severe complication that affects seriously ill, hospitalized patients undergoing invasive procedures. It is associated with an increased mortality rate than that of endocarditis due to the HACEK group (Haemophilus species, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, Kingella kingae) gram-negative bacteria. Read More

Intern Med 2021 May 15;60(10):1621-1625. Epub 2020 Dec 15.

Division of General Medicine, Department of Comprehensive Medicine 1, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Japan.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, an etiological agent associated with periodontitis, endocarditis, and other infections, has rarely been implicated in spondylitis. A 70-year-old man with aortic valve replacement presented with a 4-month history of lower back pain and was diagnosed with spondylitis. Prolonged incubation of blood cultures and a biopsy yielded A. Read More

Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2020 Dec 24;76(Pt 12):1233-1243. Epub 2020 Nov 24.

Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic.

Solution and crystal data are reported for DNA 18-mers with sequences related to those of bacterial noncoding single-stranded DNA segments called repetitive extragenic palindromes (REPs). Solution CD and melting data showed that the CG-rich, near-palindromic REPs from various bacterial species exhibit dynamic temperature-dependent and concentration-dependent equilibria, including architectures compatible with not only hairpins, which are expected to be biologically relevant, but also antiparallel duplexes and bimolecular tetraplexes. Three 18-mer oligonucleotides named Hpar-18 (PDB entry 6rou), Chom-18 (PDB entry 6ros) and its brominated variant Chom-18Br (PDB entry 6ror) crystallized as isomorphic right-handed A-like duplexes. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2021 02 18;59(3). Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Timely diagnosis of microorganisms in blood cultures is necessary to optimize therapy. Although blood culture media and systems have evolved for decades, the standard interval for incubation prior to being discarded as negative has remained 5 days. Here, we evaluated the optimal incubation time for the BacT/Alert Virtuo blood culture detection system (bioMérieux) using FA Plus (aerobic) and FN Plus (anaerobic) resin culture bottles in routine clinical use. Read More

Vascular 2021 Aug 11;29(4):606-609. Epub 2020 Nov 11.

Department of Surgery, John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, USA.

Objective: Mycotic aneurysms of the infrapopliteal vessels are rare, with few cases reported in the literature. Management strategies are diverse and should be tailored to the patient's presentation.

Methods: We describe the case of a 40-year-old male who presented with a painful left leg mass in the setting of bacteremia and infective endocarditis. Read More