Study results published today in the New-England-Journal of Medicine show that 3-year graft survival is significantly greater in all transplanted kidneys machine perfused in the LifePort(R) Kidney Transporter compared to those stored in a traditional box of ice (static cold storage) (91% vs. 87%, p=0.04).[1] The graft survival difference at three years was most pronounced for kidneys from expanded criteria donors (86% vs. 76%, p=0.01). Expanded criteria donors are those over the age of 60 or those over 50 with health conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke or poor kidney function. Over the past decade, kidney donations from expanded criteria donors have increased considerably and today comprise nearly half of the deceased donor kidneys transplanted in the US and EU.
When the results are analysed by donor type, they show that 3-year graft survival after machine perfusion compared to static cold storage was also significantly superior for kidneys donated after brain death (91% vs. 86%, p=0.02).
Machine-perfused kidneys with delayed graft function (DGF) - a delay in the recovery of renal function that requires dialysis within the first week after transplantation - had better 3-year graft survival (77%) than cold stored kidneys with DGF (62%).
"It is very interesting to see that the benefits in graft survival seen in this landmark study at 1 year with machine perfusion persist after 3 years compared to traditional cold storage methods," said lead author Cyril Moers, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands. "Since a growing number of organs available for transplantation come from older donors or from people with more complex medical conditions, it is particularly welcome that machine perfusion offers significant improvements for 3-year graft survival in kidneys from these donors and is a real step forward in kidney transplantation."
23 February 2012
Catalunya tiene una deuda sanitaria pública de 779 millones de euros
La deuda sanitaria pública de Catalunya a 31 de diciembre del 2011 ascendía a 779 millones de euros: 257 por el suministro de medicamentos de uso hospitalario, 276 a las oficinas de farmacia y 246 en tecnología sanitaria. Los datos forman parte de un informe realizado por el Instituto para el Desarrollo e Integración de la Sanidad (IDIS), que cifra en 13.530 millones la deuda de todas las comunidades.
Además, el estudio calcula que estas deben otros 4.100 millones en deuda "no visible" (conciertos con hospitales privados, servicios externalizados y no asistenciales o farmacias) y que no desglosa por autonomías. Los datos de IDIS, entidad que representa al sector sanitario privado y proveedor, calcula que las comunidades deberían pagar por esta demora unos 930 millones más en concepto de intereses anuales, según lo establecido en la actual ley de morosidad.
-Las más morosas
Las comunidades más morosas en los pagos a proveedores sanitarios son Cantabria, la Comunidad Valenciana y Castilla y León. En cambio, las que deben menos y pagan antes son Navarra y el País Vasco. Catalunya ocupa un lugar intermedio.
En el caso de la deuda con las empresas de tecnología sanitaria, los mayores retrasos los protagonizan la Comunidad Valenciana (841 días), Cantabria (742), Andalucía (713), Castilla-La Mancha (707) y Murcia (693). Ante esta situación, el IDIS insiste en la necesidad de establecer un plan de pagos para deuda vencida y mecanismos que permitan la financiación de estas empresas hasta el momento del cobro, y cara a este año, normalizar el pago y asegurar unos periodos de pago comunes para todos los proveedores.
**Publicado en "EL PERIODICO DE CATALUNYA"
Además, el estudio calcula que estas deben otros 4.100 millones en deuda "no visible" (conciertos con hospitales privados, servicios externalizados y no asistenciales o farmacias) y que no desglosa por autonomías. Los datos de IDIS, entidad que representa al sector sanitario privado y proveedor, calcula que las comunidades deberían pagar por esta demora unos 930 millones más en concepto de intereses anuales, según lo establecido en la actual ley de morosidad.
-Las más morosas
Las comunidades más morosas en los pagos a proveedores sanitarios son Cantabria, la Comunidad Valenciana y Castilla y León. En cambio, las que deben menos y pagan antes son Navarra y el País Vasco. Catalunya ocupa un lugar intermedio.
En el caso de la deuda con las empresas de tecnología sanitaria, los mayores retrasos los protagonizan la Comunidad Valenciana (841 días), Cantabria (742), Andalucía (713), Castilla-La Mancha (707) y Murcia (693). Ante esta situación, el IDIS insiste en la necesidad de establecer un plan de pagos para deuda vencida y mecanismos que permitan la financiación de estas empresas hasta el momento del cobro, y cara a este año, normalizar el pago y asegurar unos periodos de pago comunes para todos los proveedores.
**Publicado en "EL PERIODICO DE CATALUNYA"
New combo of chemo and well-known malaria drug delivers double punch to tumors
Blocking autophagy -- the process of "self-eating" within cells -- is turning out to be a viable way to enhance the effectiveness of a wide variety of cancer treatments. Specifically, blocking the action of an acidic inner cell part, which acts like a stomach and chews up proteins for recycling, is the main attack strategy, says Ravi K. Amaravadi, MD, an assistant professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Amaravadi will give a presentation on the role of autophagy in fighting cancer at the annual American Association for Advancement of Science meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
His lab and others have demonstrated that adding hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) -- an FDA-approved drug used commonly for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis -- to many cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, can enhance the antitumor activity of these drugs in laboratory models of treatment-resistant cancers, and ongoing clinical trials.
Autophagy is increased in cancer cells. Normally, it is a survival pathway allowing a cell to recycle damaged proteins when it's under stress and reuse the damaged parts to fuel further growth.
Cancer cells might be addicted to autophagy, since this innate response may be a critical means by which the cells survive nutrient limitation and lack of oxygen commonly found within tumors. And, it is likely to explain how some cancer cells evade chemotherapies by using, essentially, a work around.
Nearly 30 phase I and Phase II clinical trials involving HCQ have been launched or are in planning stages in many different malignancies, including melanoma, multiple myeloma, renal cell carcinoma, colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and others.
Preliminary results for most of the trials are encouraging. "Our assays performed on human blood and tissue samples indicate that high doses of HCQ are required to block autophagy in patients, and in some cases, such as in a brain tumor trial, these high doses, in combination with specific anticancer agents, can lead to toxicity for the tumor," says Amaravadi. "As the first phase I trials of HCQ are being completed, it is clear that in most cases the high-dose HCQ, in combination with existing cancer therapy, is well tolerated."
Randomized controlled trials using HCQ combinations to truly determine the effectiveness of the approach are planned. While these are being considered, the team will conduct additional laboratory experiments to identify more potent and specific inhibitors of autophagy and to identify biomarkers that can predict which patients are most likely to respond to this approach. To that end, the Amaravadi lab has identified a compound called Lys05, which is 10-fold more potent than HCQ at blocking the cell from giving the cancer cell a source of raw energy.
"While our knowledge of the role of autophagy in cancer is still in its infancy, the opportunity to learn about autophagy, both at the bench and the bedside, could accelerate the translation of basic advances in this field into clinical benefit for patients with cancer," says Amaravadi.
**Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
His lab and others have demonstrated that adding hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) -- an FDA-approved drug used commonly for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis -- to many cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, can enhance the antitumor activity of these drugs in laboratory models of treatment-resistant cancers, and ongoing clinical trials.
Autophagy is increased in cancer cells. Normally, it is a survival pathway allowing a cell to recycle damaged proteins when it's under stress and reuse the damaged parts to fuel further growth.
Cancer cells might be addicted to autophagy, since this innate response may be a critical means by which the cells survive nutrient limitation and lack of oxygen commonly found within tumors. And, it is likely to explain how some cancer cells evade chemotherapies by using, essentially, a work around.
Nearly 30 phase I and Phase II clinical trials involving HCQ have been launched or are in planning stages in many different malignancies, including melanoma, multiple myeloma, renal cell carcinoma, colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and others.
Preliminary results for most of the trials are encouraging. "Our assays performed on human blood and tissue samples indicate that high doses of HCQ are required to block autophagy in patients, and in some cases, such as in a brain tumor trial, these high doses, in combination with specific anticancer agents, can lead to toxicity for the tumor," says Amaravadi. "As the first phase I trials of HCQ are being completed, it is clear that in most cases the high-dose HCQ, in combination with existing cancer therapy, is well tolerated."
Randomized controlled trials using HCQ combinations to truly determine the effectiveness of the approach are planned. While these are being considered, the team will conduct additional laboratory experiments to identify more potent and specific inhibitors of autophagy and to identify biomarkers that can predict which patients are most likely to respond to this approach. To that end, the Amaravadi lab has identified a compound called Lys05, which is 10-fold more potent than HCQ at blocking the cell from giving the cancer cell a source of raw energy.
"While our knowledge of the role of autophagy in cancer is still in its infancy, the opportunity to learn about autophagy, both at the bench and the bedside, could accelerate the translation of basic advances in this field into clinical benefit for patients with cancer," says Amaravadi.
**Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
La Agencia Europea de los Alimentos avala que el café aumenta el rendimiento cognitivo, el físico y la alerta
La industria cafetera también quiere poder anunciar los beneficios de su producto. Más allá de cuestiones como el sabor y el aroma, ha conseguido que la Agencia Europea de los Alimentos (EFSA por sus siglas en inglés) avale tres alegaciones nutricionales: que ayuda a mejorar el rendimiento cognitivo, el físico y el nivel de alerta.
Claro que, para conseguir esas propiedades, no basta cualquier cantidad. En el consumo de este producto, hay tres niveles: baja (menos de 200 miligramos de cafeína al día), moderada (entre 220 y 400) y excesiva (por encima de los 400), ha indicado Ana Adán, profesora del profesora del Instituto de Investigación en Cerebro, Cognición y Conducta de la Universidad de Barcelona. Como nadie pesa la cafeína (para empezar, porque está disuelta en la infusión), el equivalente vendría a ser aproximadamente de 100 miligramos por taza.
Adán ha estado en Madrid invitada por el sector cafetero para explicar sus trabajos sobre la relación entre cafeína y rendimiento cognitivo. Y sus conclusiones son claras: dos tazas de café (200 miligramos de cafeína, aproximadamente), mejoran la capacidad de reacción y la atención. “El efecto es dosis dependiente”, dice la investigadora. Esto quiere decir que, en teoría, a más café, mejores resultados.
Claro que el consumo de este producto tiene un límite. En su empleo farmacológico (en pastillas), este se cifra en 1.200 miligramos (unas 12 tazas). Pero las personas normales y sanas no tienen por qué llegar tan lejos. En los trabajos de Adán se comparaban los resultados con dos tazas.
Pasarse con el café no es bueno. El mayor riesgo es el de una sobredosis, que produce insomnio –“sobre todo en personas de riesgo”, dice Adán-, ansiedad y taquicardias. Y luego están las personas para las que no está recomendado, que incluyen una amplia lista: las embarazadas no deben tomar más de 600 miligramos de cafeína al día, y las personas con graves dolencias cardiovasculares, gastrointestinales, epilepsia, insomnio, insuficiencia hepática y ansiedad, lo mejor es que no lo tomen.
Ahora, la investigadora está estudiando su efecto sobre la memoria (muy útil para estudiantes), o sobre la sensación –subjetiva- de somnolencia. Los ensayos demuestran que a los 30 minutos, más o menos, empieza a haber una mejoría. Esto es coherente con el tiempo que se supone que tarda la cafeína en llegar al cerebro, donde actúa saturando unos neurorreceptores que están relacionados la alerta, la capacidad de aprender, la somnolencia y el estado de ánimo. Luego su efecto, que depende de la dosis y la persona, puede durar entre tres y seis horas. Curiosamente, en las pruebas subjetivas 8donde lo que se mide es lo que responden los voluntarios), los hombres parecen más sensibles a los efectos del café que las mujeres, aunque no hay una explicación.
Uno de los temas que más preocupan a los productores es la idea de que el café puede ser adictivo. De momento, no hay evidencia al respeto, y el manual de la Asociación Americana de Psiquiatría, que es la referencia mundial, no lo considera como tal. Pero Adán admite que hay aspectos (que produce una ligerísima habituación o algo parecido al síndrome de abstinencia en los grandes consumidores) que recuerdan a lo que sucede con otras sustancias. Quizá la causa estriba en que está relacionado con el circuito dopaminérgico, con un efecto similar –aunque inmensamente inferior- al de la cocaína. Pero, de momento, este aspecto está sin demostrar.
**Publicado en "EL PAIS"
Claro que, para conseguir esas propiedades, no basta cualquier cantidad. En el consumo de este producto, hay tres niveles: baja (menos de 200 miligramos de cafeína al día), moderada (entre 220 y 400) y excesiva (por encima de los 400), ha indicado Ana Adán, profesora del profesora del Instituto de Investigación en Cerebro, Cognición y Conducta de la Universidad de Barcelona. Como nadie pesa la cafeína (para empezar, porque está disuelta en la infusión), el equivalente vendría a ser aproximadamente de 100 miligramos por taza.
Adán ha estado en Madrid invitada por el sector cafetero para explicar sus trabajos sobre la relación entre cafeína y rendimiento cognitivo. Y sus conclusiones son claras: dos tazas de café (200 miligramos de cafeína, aproximadamente), mejoran la capacidad de reacción y la atención. “El efecto es dosis dependiente”, dice la investigadora. Esto quiere decir que, en teoría, a más café, mejores resultados.
Claro que el consumo de este producto tiene un límite. En su empleo farmacológico (en pastillas), este se cifra en 1.200 miligramos (unas 12 tazas). Pero las personas normales y sanas no tienen por qué llegar tan lejos. En los trabajos de Adán se comparaban los resultados con dos tazas.
Pasarse con el café no es bueno. El mayor riesgo es el de una sobredosis, que produce insomnio –“sobre todo en personas de riesgo”, dice Adán-, ansiedad y taquicardias. Y luego están las personas para las que no está recomendado, que incluyen una amplia lista: las embarazadas no deben tomar más de 600 miligramos de cafeína al día, y las personas con graves dolencias cardiovasculares, gastrointestinales, epilepsia, insomnio, insuficiencia hepática y ansiedad, lo mejor es que no lo tomen.
Ahora, la investigadora está estudiando su efecto sobre la memoria (muy útil para estudiantes), o sobre la sensación –subjetiva- de somnolencia. Los ensayos demuestran que a los 30 minutos, más o menos, empieza a haber una mejoría. Esto es coherente con el tiempo que se supone que tarda la cafeína en llegar al cerebro, donde actúa saturando unos neurorreceptores que están relacionados la alerta, la capacidad de aprender, la somnolencia y el estado de ánimo. Luego su efecto, que depende de la dosis y la persona, puede durar entre tres y seis horas. Curiosamente, en las pruebas subjetivas 8donde lo que se mide es lo que responden los voluntarios), los hombres parecen más sensibles a los efectos del café que las mujeres, aunque no hay una explicación.
Uno de los temas que más preocupan a los productores es la idea de que el café puede ser adictivo. De momento, no hay evidencia al respeto, y el manual de la Asociación Americana de Psiquiatría, que es la referencia mundial, no lo considera como tal. Pero Adán admite que hay aspectos (que produce una ligerísima habituación o algo parecido al síndrome de abstinencia en los grandes consumidores) que recuerdan a lo que sucede con otras sustancias. Quizá la causa estriba en que está relacionado con el circuito dopaminérgico, con un efecto similar –aunque inmensamente inferior- al de la cocaína. Pero, de momento, este aspecto está sin demostrar.
**Publicado en "EL PAIS"
A step forward in effort to regenerate damaged nerves
The carnage evident in disasters like car wrecks or wartime battles is oftentimes mirrored within the bodies of the people involved. A severe wound can leave blood vessels and nerves severed, bones broken, and cellular wreckage strewn throughout the body -- a debris field within the body itself. It's scenes like this that neurosurgeon Jason Huang, M.D., confronts every day. Severe damage to nerves is one of the most challenging wounds to treat for Huang and colleagues. It's a type of wound suffered by people who are the victims of gunshots or stabbings, by those who have been involved in car accidents -- or by soldiers injured on the battlefield, like those whom Huang treated in Iraq.
Now, back in his university laboratory, Huang and his team have taken a step forward toward the goal of repairing nerves in such patients more effectively. In a paper published in the journal PLoS ONE, Huang and colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center report that a surprising set of cells may hold potential for nerve transplants.
In a study in rats, Huang's group found that dorsal root ganglion neurons, or DRG cells, help create thick, healthy nerves, without provoking unwanted attention from the immune system.
The finding is one step toward better treatment for the more than 350,000 patients each year in the United States who have serious injuries to their peripheral nerves. Huang's laboratory is one of a handful developing new technologies to treat such wounds.
"These are very serious injuries, and patients really suffer, many for a very long time," said Huang, associate professor of Neurosurgery and chief of Neurosurgery at Highland Hospital, an affiliate of the University of Rochester Medical Center. "There are a variety of options, but none of them is ideal.
"Our long-term goal is to grow living nerves in the laboratory, then transplant them into patients and cut down the amount of time it takes for those nerves to work," added Huang, whose project was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and by the University of Rochester Medical Center.
For a damaged nerve to repair itself, the two disconnected but healthy portions of the nerve must somehow find each other through a maze of tissue and connect together. This happens naturally for a very small wound -- much like our skin grows back over a small cut -- but for some nerve injuries, the gap is simply too large, and the nerve won't grow back without intervention.
For surgeons like Huang, the preferred option is to transplant nerve tissue from elsewhere in the patient's own body -- for instance, a section of a nerve in the leg -- into the wounded area. The transplanted nerve serves as scaffolding, a guide of sorts for a new nerve to grow and bridge the gap. Since the tissue comes from the patient, the body accepts the new nerve and doesn't attack it.
But for many patients, this treatment isn't an option. They might have severe wounds to other parts of the body, so that extra nerve tissue isn't available. Alternatives can include a nerve transplant from a cadaver or an animal, but those bring other challenges, such as the lifelong need for powerful immunosuppressant drugs, and are rarely used.
One technology used by Huang and other neurosurgeons is the NeuraGen Nerve Guide, a hollow, absorbable collagen tube through which nerve fibers can grow and find each other. The technology is often used to repair nerve damage over short distances less than half an inch long.
In the PLoS One study, Huang's team compared several methods to try to bridge a nerve gap of about half an inch in rats. The team transplanted nerve cells from a different type of rat into the wound site and compared results when the NeuraGen technology was was used alone or when it was paired with DRG cells or with other cells known as Schwann cells.
After four months, the team found that the tubes equipped with either DRG or Schwann cells helped bring about healthier nerves. In addition, the DRG cells provoked less unwanted attention from the immune system than the Schwann cells, which attracted twice as many macrophages and more of the immune compound interferon gamma.
While both Schwann and DRG cells are known players in nerve regeneration, Schwann cells have been considered more often as potential partners in the nerve transplantation process, even though they pose considerable challenges because of the immune system's response to them.
"The conventional wisdom has been that Schwann cells play a critical role in the regenerative process," said Huang, who is a scientist in the Center for Neural Development and Disease. "While we know this is true, we have shown that DRG cells can play an important role also. We think DRG cells could be a rich resource for nerve regeneration."
*Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Now, back in his university laboratory, Huang and his team have taken a step forward toward the goal of repairing nerves in such patients more effectively. In a paper published in the journal PLoS ONE, Huang and colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center report that a surprising set of cells may hold potential for nerve transplants.
In a study in rats, Huang's group found that dorsal root ganglion neurons, or DRG cells, help create thick, healthy nerves, without provoking unwanted attention from the immune system.
The finding is one step toward better treatment for the more than 350,000 patients each year in the United States who have serious injuries to their peripheral nerves. Huang's laboratory is one of a handful developing new technologies to treat such wounds.
"These are very serious injuries, and patients really suffer, many for a very long time," said Huang, associate professor of Neurosurgery and chief of Neurosurgery at Highland Hospital, an affiliate of the University of Rochester Medical Center. "There are a variety of options, but none of them is ideal.
"Our long-term goal is to grow living nerves in the laboratory, then transplant them into patients and cut down the amount of time it takes for those nerves to work," added Huang, whose project was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and by the University of Rochester Medical Center.
For a damaged nerve to repair itself, the two disconnected but healthy portions of the nerve must somehow find each other through a maze of tissue and connect together. This happens naturally for a very small wound -- much like our skin grows back over a small cut -- but for some nerve injuries, the gap is simply too large, and the nerve won't grow back without intervention.
For surgeons like Huang, the preferred option is to transplant nerve tissue from elsewhere in the patient's own body -- for instance, a section of a nerve in the leg -- into the wounded area. The transplanted nerve serves as scaffolding, a guide of sorts for a new nerve to grow and bridge the gap. Since the tissue comes from the patient, the body accepts the new nerve and doesn't attack it.
But for many patients, this treatment isn't an option. They might have severe wounds to other parts of the body, so that extra nerve tissue isn't available. Alternatives can include a nerve transplant from a cadaver or an animal, but those bring other challenges, such as the lifelong need for powerful immunosuppressant drugs, and are rarely used.
One technology used by Huang and other neurosurgeons is the NeuraGen Nerve Guide, a hollow, absorbable collagen tube through which nerve fibers can grow and find each other. The technology is often used to repair nerve damage over short distances less than half an inch long.
In the PLoS One study, Huang's team compared several methods to try to bridge a nerve gap of about half an inch in rats. The team transplanted nerve cells from a different type of rat into the wound site and compared results when the NeuraGen technology was was used alone or when it was paired with DRG cells or with other cells known as Schwann cells.
After four months, the team found that the tubes equipped with either DRG or Schwann cells helped bring about healthier nerves. In addition, the DRG cells provoked less unwanted attention from the immune system than the Schwann cells, which attracted twice as many macrophages and more of the immune compound interferon gamma.
While both Schwann and DRG cells are known players in nerve regeneration, Schwann cells have been considered more often as potential partners in the nerve transplantation process, even though they pose considerable challenges because of the immune system's response to them.
"The conventional wisdom has been that Schwann cells play a critical role in the regenerative process," said Huang, who is a scientist in the Center for Neural Development and Disease. "While we know this is true, we have shown that DRG cells can play an important role also. We think DRG cells could be a rich resource for nerve regeneration."
*Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Can consuming caffeine while breastfeeding harm your baby?
Babies are not able to metabolize or excrete caffeine very well, so a breastfeeding mother's consumption of caffeine may lead to caffeine accumulation and symptoms such as wakefulness and irritability, according to an interview with expert Ruth Lawrence, MD, published in Journal of Caffeine Research, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Caffeine is found in a wide range of products in addition to coffee, tea, and chocolate, including soft drinks, sports drinks, and some over-the-counter medications. In a provocative discussion with Dr. Ruth Lawrence, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Jack E. James, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Caffeine Research, asks a variety of probing questions. Is there a safe level of caffeine intake while breastfeeding? Are there potential long-term effects of caffeine exposure on development and intellect? Can a baby whose mother consumed caffeine during pregnancy experience withdrawal if she then abstains from caffeine while breastfeeding? Dr. Lawrence bases her responses on the scientific and medical evidence related to caffeine exposure in breastfed babies, and distinguishes between what is and what is not well understood in this developing field of study.
"Usually a mother, particularly if she is breastfeeding, is cautioned to limit her caffeine intake," says Dr. Lawrence, who is Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine. After giving birth, mothers "should consume all things in moderation and try to avoid the excesses that might really add up to a lot of caffeine."
"Usually a mother, particularly if she is breastfeeding, is cautioned to limit her caffeine intake," says Dr. Lawrence, who is Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine. After giving birth, mothers "should consume all things in moderation and try to avoid the excesses that might really add up to a lot of caffeine."
Newly identified oral bacterium linked to heart disease and meningitis
A novel bacterium, thought to be a common inhabitant of the oral cavity, has the potential to cause serious disease if it enters the bloodstream, according to a study in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Its identification will allow scientists to work out how it causes disease and evaluate the risk that it poses. The bacterium was identified by researchers at the Institute of Medical Microbiology of the University of Zurich and has been named Streptococcus tigurinus after the region of Zurich where it was first recognised. S. tigurinus was isolated from blood of patients suffering from endocarditis, meningitis and spondylodiscitis (inflammation of the spine). It bears a close resemblance to other Streptococcus strains that colonise the mouth. Bleeding gums represent a possible route of entry for oral bacteria into the bloodstream.
The similarity of S. tigurinus to other related bacteria has meant that it has existed up until now without being identified. Its recent identification is clinically important, explained Dr Andrea Zbinden who led the study. "Accurate identification of this bacterium is essential to be able to track its spread. Further research must now be done to understand the strategies S. tigurinus uses to successfully cause disease. This will allow infected patients to be treated quickly and with the right drug."
Dr Zbinden said that while the discovery of the bacterium is no cause for alarm, it is important that it is recognised and the risk is quantified. "This bacterium seems to have a natural potential to cause severe disease and so it's important that clinicians and microbiologists are aware of it," she said. "The next step is to work out exactly how common this bacterium is in the oral cavity and what risk it poses. Immunosuppression, abnormal heart valves, dental surgeries or chronic diseases are common predisposing factors for blood infections by this group of bacteria. However, the specific risk factors for S. tigurinus remain to be determined."
The similarity of S. tigurinus to other related bacteria has meant that it has existed up until now without being identified. Its recent identification is clinically important, explained Dr Andrea Zbinden who led the study. "Accurate identification of this bacterium is essential to be able to track its spread. Further research must now be done to understand the strategies S. tigurinus uses to successfully cause disease. This will allow infected patients to be treated quickly and with the right drug."
Dr Zbinden said that while the discovery of the bacterium is no cause for alarm, it is important that it is recognised and the risk is quantified. "This bacterium seems to have a natural potential to cause severe disease and so it's important that clinicians and microbiologists are aware of it," she said. "The next step is to work out exactly how common this bacterium is in the oral cavity and what risk it poses. Immunosuppression, abnormal heart valves, dental surgeries or chronic diseases are common predisposing factors for blood infections by this group of bacteria. However, the specific risk factors for S. tigurinus remain to be determined."
*Source: Society for General Microbiology
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