In the March 2012 issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology a study was published comparing the Plasma Septin 9 test with a stool DNA (sDNA) test for the detection of Colorectal Neoplasia in patients with large adenomas or colorectal cancer (CRC).  Based on the data from the study completed by the Gastroenterology and Hepatology group at Mayo Clinic of Rochester, “the sDNA test detects nonmetastatic CRC with significantly higher levels of sensitivity.”  This is another promising and encouraging result for molecular diagnostics and is another way in which stool samples can be used to reach a diagnosis in a non-invasive way.

“Several noninvasive tests have been developed for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We compared the sensitivities of a multimarker test for stool DNA (sDNA) and a plasma test for methylated septin 9 (SEPT9) in identifying patients with large adenomas or CRC.” Read More…

In the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) March 2012 Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Journal there was a study reported about testing for Campylobacter spp.   The study, Culturing Stool Specimens for Campylobacter spp., Pennsylvania, USA, was conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  The study consisted of surveying the stool testing practices of 176 clinical laboratories. The results suggest that standardized guidelines for enteric pathogens and stool testing will increase accuracy of diagnosis and surveillance of outbreaks.  This is most likely the case with any disease, if testing practices are not standardized; it is hard to reach a fair comparison of results.

“This study suggests that variation in laboratory practices is a potential problem in surveillance for Campylobacter spp. in Pennsylvania. Yet, the differences in laboratory practices for Campylobacter spp. are unlikely to be unique to Pennsylvania. These factors need to be considered when surveillance data are interpreted and laboratory training programs are devised. Our study also suggests that laboratory practice guidelines for Campylobacter testing should be developed.” Read More…

In this months issue of Medical Laboratory Observer (MLO), Phthisis President and CSO, Dr. Icenhour has an article featured under “Future Buzz” titled, At the crossroads? Molecular diagnostics and stool testing. In her article Dr. Icenhour writes about stool testing in the clinical laboratories.  The path of molecular diagnostics and stool testing is growing, and we have learned that testing stool samples is no longer just for infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; it has the potential for a wide range of molecular diagnostics and will have an enormous impact on patient care, even including early treatment of heart disease.

“Blood tests have long been a staple of medical diagnostics and laboratory analysis, but the day may be coming when patients are more routinely asked for stool samples to test for certain infectious diseases and perhaps even to identify their risk of heart attack, stomach ulcers, or cancers such as colon cancer. Coupled with the growing trend toward molecular diagnostics, the use of stool testing could mean an exciting new chapter for clinical laboratories. Why stool testing, and why molecular diagnostics?” Read More… 

There have been many advances in modern medicine, many due to the better understanding of how humans and microorganisms interact.  Something that is particularly interesting is how many infectious agents could be to blame for chronic illness.  Often times a chronic illness could be caused by a harmful immune response to parasites or bacteria. An overview written by Bennett Lorber in this months Microbe Magazine, reminds us that there is a link between parasites and central nervous system disorders, as well as, other infections tied to things from heart and kidney disease to obesity.

“During the past few decades, a fundamental change has taken place in our understanding of human-microorganism interactions. We are learning that transmissible agents might cause chronic illnesses that were not thought to have anything to do with infectious processes. In some instances, becoming infected is a sine qua non for developing a chronic illness. In others, illness can occur without infection, but infection increases the risk of that illness. In still other cases, an immune response that continues after a short-lived infection produces chronic health problems.” Read More…

Laura Sahnow and Dr. Icenhour finishing up evaluations. Thanks to Linh Nguyen for taking the picture.

The Phthisis Team attended the Charlottesville Catholic School Science Night last Friday.  We were asked to participate and evaluate 37, 8th grade student projects.  Everyone did an amazing job, and we were glad to see so many students interested in science.  The projects could be on anything the students wanted to identify or understand. They were supposed to use techniques they had learned to eliminate variables, establish controls, and test their hypothesis. There were a wide variety of topics from polarization of everyday objects to your sense of smell when it comes to jelly beans.  Different activities were present for all students such as making slime and a discussion on microscopes.  Job well done to the 8^th graders on their presentations and thanks to CCS for a fun night of science!

Well, I bet you never thought that using a color chart and your poop could reach a quick diagnosis.  Again we are surprised by amazing advances in science.  In the Mad Science section of io9.com “a designer color coded bacteria made from E. coli” was featured. The possibilities for the use of E. chromi could span from testing groundwater to having a red stool sample showing an infection of Rotavirus.

“The idea is that, someday soon, you’ll be able to drink a probiotic shake filled with E. chromi. The modified E. coli contain genes capable of producing color. When the bacteria react with certain enzymes, proteins, and chemicals in your gastrointestinal tract, they will produce certain colors, making diagnosis as simple as reading a color chart.” Read More…

Recently in Microbe magazine, Carol Potera wrote an article about squalamine which is a compound, found in sharks, that has been found to have anticancer activity, but Michael Zasloff of Georgetown University Medical Center conducted studies that have found squalamine may also have antiviral properties.

“Squalamine prevents both DNA and RNA viruses from entering host cells in vitro, and shows promising activity protecting several species of mammals against viral infections, according to Zasloff and his collaborators. For instance, the compound protects human endothelial cells against infection by dengue virus, and it blocks the hepatitis B virus in human primary hepatocytes.” Read More…

A new and possibly life changing discovery was made through a study of gut bacteria and the possible role it has in predicting a heart attack.  Medical Xpress published an article and summarized the study. This new research is suggesting that different types and levels of gut bacteria could be used to treat or diagnose heart conditions.  This study was published online in the FASEB journal, “Intestinal microbiota determine severity of myocardial infarction in rats.” The research was a collaborative effort by many groups and disciplines at The Medical College of Wisconsin.

“New research published online in the FASEB Journal suggests that the types and levels of bacteria in the intestines may be used to predict a person’s likelihood of having a heart attack, and that manipulating these organisms may help reduce heart attack risk. This discovery may lead to new diagnostic tests and therapies that physicians use to prevent and treat heart attacks. In addition, this research suggests that probiotics may be able to protect the heart in patients undergoing heart surgery and angioplasty.“ Read more…

In the January issue of the Microbe, J. Michael Miller and Patricia M. Griffin wrote an article on the need for collaboration of many scientific disciplines to give us all a better understanding of infectious diseases.  “One Health throught the Eyes of Clinical and Public Health Microbiology,” is about the benefits of bringing together different people with varying specialties, scientific backgrounds, and skills to find ways to combat infectious disease, both human and veterinary. The concept, One Health, was summarized below by the authors, it offers a variety of different collaborations and investigations into understanding and preventing infectious diseases.

Summary
● The One Health concept integrates human, animal, and environmental health to provide valuable insights when dealing with infectious agents.
● Investigating emerging pathogens benefits when the skills and knowledge of those specializing in human and animal infectious diseases are brought together, thus increasing the likelihood of identifying ways to prevent such illnesses.
● The One Health concept is illustrated well by approaches to dealing with foodborne diseases because many agents have zoonotic sources.
● Recognizing that fluoroquinolone use in poultry led to fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infections in humans, officials at the FDA in 2005 withdrew approval for the use of these antimicrobial agents in the drinking water of poultry.
● Several case studies trace how investigations of bacterial isolates from patient specimens, when sent from clinical laboratories to public health laboratories for serotyping and subtyping, can provide critical insights for those analyzing public health problems. Read More…

According to a study by J.H. Lee and colleagues, “Apple flavonoid phloretin inhibits Escherichia coli O157:H7 biofilm formation and ameliorates colon inflammation in rats”, there is a compound that inhibits E. coli O157:H7 but does not effect the beneficial E. coli found in the gut. The American Society for Microbiology(ASM) has a synopsis of the study that was released in December 2011. The full study was published in Infection and Immunity.

“E. coli O157:H7 causes hemorrhages in the intestine. To date, no effective therapy for O157:H7 biofilms has been found. Biofilms generally are notoriously resistant to antimicrobial therapy. So in the study, Lee screened a dozen flavonoids, including phloretin, for their ability to inhibit these biofilms. “We found that phloretin markedly reduced E. coliO157:H7 biofilm formation on abiotic surface and human colon epithelial cells, while phloretin did not harm commensal E. coli K-12 biofilms,” says Lee. Commensal E. coli can actually fortify the human immune system, he says.” Read more…