Will there soon be an anti-Covid pill?

a microbiology newsletter - october, 2021

Did you know that Hardy Diagnostics was the first to introduce Chromogenic Media to America in 1996?

Chromogenic media allows the microbiologist to make identifications based on colony color. The principle involves a carbohydrate molecule in the media that is bound to a colorless chromogen. When a specific bacterial enzyme cleaves the bond, the chromogen turns color, thus creating color throughout the bacterial colony.

Want to see the complete list? Just type "HardyCHROM" in the search bar here.

Interested in trying out any of our HardyCHROM plates? Contact your account rep here for evaluation samples.

HardyCHROM Plates

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Can you control Rheumatoid Arthritis by diet and gut microbes?

The discovery of a cause, as well as treatment, for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) may involve our commensal gut bacteria.

Millions of adults suffering from RA experience chronic pain, chronic inflammation, and often severe functional disability of the joints. Onset in older populations is a well-known risk factor, and RA is three times as likely in women.(1)

Many anecdotes of restrictive diets alleviating the severity of arthritic symptoms inspired scientific inquiry. A 13-month long study evaluating clinical variables such as pain, swelling, and grip strength after switching to a plant-based diet was performed on RA patients. The controlled, single-blind trial demonstrated some patients placed on a plant-based diet had positive effects on clinical variables.(2)

A particularly interesting factor is the genetic component of RA. The disease occurs predominantly in individuals expressing HLA-DR1 or HLA-DR4, proteins related to immune function. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system or complex is a composite of genes on chromosome 6 in humans which encode cell-surface proteins responsible for the regulation of the immune system. These proteins found on the surface of the HLA system are also known as the human version of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) found in many animals. These HLA proteins are found on the surface of dendritic cells, mononuclear phagocytes, some endothelial cells, thymic epithelial cells, and B cells, and are instrumental in initiating an immune response. Researchers discovered a common amino acid sequence found in both HLA-DR1/4, thus named the "shared epitope."

Investigations into the ‘shared epitope’ demonstrated potential cross-reactivity with Proteus hemolysin. Serological studies showed rabbits injected with Human HLA-DR4 lymphocytes produced sera with specificity against Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris.(3) Another sequence from type XI collagen found in joints was shown to resemble the urease enzyme produced by Proteus. In the diagram above you can see the similarity in protein structure between joint collagen and Proteus urease, which presumably confuses the immune system.

The evidence paints RA as a case of molecular mimicry; Proteus inducing an autoimmune response in at-risk individuals.

Bacterial molecular mimicry is not uncommon. It is infamous for its role in rheumatic fever, where anti-Streptococcal antibodies target antigens in the heart.(4) It is likely that the immune response to Proteus, particularly in HLA-DR1/4-positive individuals, is behaving in a similar way. This answer can also explain the female susceptibility to RA, as women are more likely to acquire Proteus mirabilis-related UTIs than men.

One question remains: How could diet alleviate arthritic symptoms?

In the plant-based diet study, antibody activity measured in the RA patients showed a significant drop in anti-Proteus mirabilis IgG for those who switched to the plant-based diet. The decline was more noticeable in patients who responded to the diet, and it was present just a few months after the plant-based diet began. From this we can infer that the plant-based diet quickly lowers the population of Proteus in the gut of RA patients, therefore reducing the autoimmune attack.

Take some time to evaluate your diet; the wrong one could take a toll on your health!

By Manuel Escalera

Performance Studies Technician, Hardy Diagnostics

References: 1, 2, 3, 4

Phraseology

"Ponzi Scheme"

A Ponzi scheme is one that fraudulently lures investors by paying profits to earlier investors with funds gathered from more recent investors.

In the 1920s, Charles Po nzi, a Boston businessman, carried out such a scheme and became well-known throughout the United States because of the huge amount of money that he took in due to his fraudulent postage stamp investment scam. This notoriety eventually led to this type of scheme being named after him.

This type of scheme was also previously described in two novels by Charles Dickens; his 1844 novel Martin Chuzzlewit and his 1857 novel Little Dorrit.

More deadly than Lyme Disease...

The Tick-Borne

Powassan Virus

The often fatal

Powassan virus

In 1958, a five-year-old boy from Powassan, Ontario, Canada presented to a children’s hospital complaining of dizziness; his parents also described tremors of his left arm. Electroencephalogram readings showed a widespread disturbance in the patient’s brain. The patient’s condition began to rapidly decline, and within six days he died.

Portions of the patient’s brain were prepared into suspensions and inoculated into mice. A new virus was isolated from the brains of the inoculated mice and was designated as the Powassan Virus, after the patient’s hometown.(1)

Today, we know Powassan virus is a rare Flavivirus that utilizes multiple species of ticks as vectors. In the United States, Powassan virus is endemic to the northeastern states and the Great Lakes region.(2) The true geographic distribution of Powassan virus is not well known due to underdiagnoses of human cases. However, cases have been reported as far west as California.

According to the CDC, approximately one in ten cases of severe Powassan virus infection are fatal. Infection with Powassan virus has been shown to occur in as little as 15 minutes after a tick bite.(3) The virus can cause severe symptoms including confusion, loss of coordination, and seizures.(4) Although some infections are asymptomatic, the disease often progresses rapidly into encephalitis or meningitis that is far worse than Lyme Disease.

From 1999 to 2016, only 98 cases of Powassan virus were reported—however, some experts believe the virus may be encountered with higher frequency due to ecological changes.(3) In the past, Powassan virus typically infected a species of tick that was not widely reported to bite humans. Recently, the virus infects the deer tick, which more commonly bites humans. The deer tick has a wide geographic distribution, increasing the chance of infection for much of the population.

“The Powassan virus is rarely diagnosed as a cause of encephalitis, however when it is, Powassan encephalitis is severe, and neurologic sequelae are common. Powassan encephalitis has symptoms that are compatible with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, oftentimes making it difficult to diagnose. Powassan virus encephalitis is a challenge to diagnose because there are only a few laboratories that offer testing, the most effective being serologic testing.(6)

Prevention of Powassan virus is crucial because no treatment exists, and availability of testing is scarce.(3) The CDC recommends using common insecticides such as DEET and checking for tick bites after exploring potentially infested areas.(5) Next time you take a trip outdoors, remember to factor in protection from tick bites; these vectors for disease can be much more than just a nuisance.

By Manuel Escalera

Performance Studies Technician, Hardy Diagnostics

References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Covid Supplies and Test Kits

Rapid Covid Antibody Test Kit

Hardy announces a rapid test kit for the detection of Covid antibodies (both IgM for current infection and IgG for long term immunity) from any blood specimen. Read out in only 10 minutes. No equipment required.