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Papers by marco pane

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

The human oral pathobionts Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus mitis and Strepto... more The human oral pathobionts Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus mutans, in dysbiosis-promoting conditions, lead to oral infections, which also represent a threat to human systemic health. This scenario may be worsened by antibiotic misuse, which favours multi-drug resistance, making the research on pathogen containment strategies more than crucial. Therefore, we aimed to in vitro select the most promising probiotic strains against oral pathogen growth, viability, biofilm formation, and co-aggregation capacity, employing both the viable probiotics and their cell-free supernatants (CFSs). Interestingly, we also assessed probiotic efficacy against the three-pathogen co-culture, mimicking an environment similar to that in vivo. Overall, the results showed that Lactobacillus CFSs performed better than the Bifidobacterium, highlighting Limosilactobacillus reuteri LRE11, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR04, Lacticaseibacillus casei LC04, and Limosilact...

Frontiers in Microbiology

Probiotic bacteria, capable of conferring benefits to the host, can present challenges in design,... more Probiotic bacteria, capable of conferring benefits to the host, can present challenges in design, development, scale-up, manufacturing, commercialization, and life cycle management. Strain identification is one of the main quality parameters; nevertheless, this task can be challenging since established methodologies can lack resolution at the strain level for some microorganisms and\or are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) has been largely used for the investigation of pathogenic species in the clinical field, whereas only recently has been proposed for the identification of probiotic strains. Within the probiotic industrial production, bacterial strains can be subjected to stressful conditions that may affect genomic and phenotypic characteristics; therefore, real-time monitoring of all the sequential growth steps is requested. Considering the fast, low-cost, and high-throughput features, FTIRS is an innovative and functional techno...

Frontiers in Microbiology

The number of live bacterial cells is the most used parameter to assess the quality of finished p... more The number of live bacterial cells is the most used parameter to assess the quality of finished probiotic products. Plate counting (PC) is the standard method in industry to enumerate cells. Application of PC implies critical aspects related to the selection of optimal nutrient media and growth conditions and underestimation of viable but not cultivable (VBNC) cells. Flow-cytometry (FC) is a culture-independent methodology having the potential to selectively enumerate live, damaged, and dead cells representing a powerful tool for in-depth monitoring of probiotic products. We monitored the shelf life of a clinical batch of a synbiotic composition PDS-08 targeting the pediatric population by means of PC and FC according to International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) pharma guidelines testing the Arrhenius model as predictive tool; PC enumeration revealed higher destruction rate than FC suggesting a faster reduction in cultivability than membrane integrity and thus a possible shift...

Pediatric Research

Background Oral microbial therapy has been studied as an intervention for a range of gastrointest... more Background Oral microbial therapy has been studied as an intervention for a range of gastrointestinal disorders. Though research suggests that microbial exposure may affect the gastrointestinal system, motility, and host immunity in a pediatric population, data have been inconsistent, with most prior studies being in neither a randomized nor placebo-controlled setting. The aim of this randomized, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy of a synbiotic on increasing weekly bowel movements (WBMs) in constipated children. Methods Sixty-four children (3–17 years of age) were randomized to receive a synbiotic (n = 33) comprising mixed-chain length oligosaccharides and nine microbial strains, or placebo (n = 31) for 84 days. Stool microbiota was analyzed on samples collected at baseline and completion. The primary outcome was a change from baseline of WBMs in the treatment group compared to placebo. Results Treatment increased (p < 0.05) the number of WBMs in children with...

Biology

Background: IBD is a spectrum of pathologies characterized by dysregulated immune activation lead... more Background: IBD is a spectrum of pathologies characterized by dysregulated immune activation leading to uncontrolled response against the intestine, thus resulting in chronic gut inflammation and tissue damage. Due to its complexity, the molecular mechanisms responsible for disease onset and progression are still elusive, thus requiring intense research effort. In this context, the development of models replicating the etiopathology of IBD and allowing the testing of new potential therapies is critical. Methods: Colon from C57BL/6 or BALB/c mice was cultivated in a Gut-Ex-Vivo System (GEVS), exposed for 5 h to DNBS 1.5 or 2.5 mg/mL, in presence or absence of two probiotic formulations (P1 = Bifidobacterium breve BR03 (DSM16604) and B632 (DSM24706); P2 = Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR04 (DSM16605), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP14 (DSM33401) and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LPC09), and the main hallmarks of IBD were evaluated. Results: Gene expression analysis revealed the followi...

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a diagnostic challenge with a still partially uncertai... more Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a diagnostic challenge with a still partially uncertain etiology, in which genetic and environmental factors have now been assessed. Among the hypotheses underlying the involvement of biological and environmental factors, the gut–brain axis is of particular interest in autism spectrum disorders. Several studies have highlighted the related incidence of particular gastrointestinal symptoms (GISs) in children suffering from ASDs. Probiotics have shown success in treating several gastrointestinal dysbiotic disorders; therefore, it is plausible to investigate whether they can alleviate behavioral symptoms as well. On these bases, a randomized double-blind crossover study with a placebo was conducted, evaluating the effects of a mixture of probiotics in a group of 61 subjects aged between 24 months and 16 years old with a diagnosis of ASD. Behavioral evaluation was performed through the administration of a questionnaire including a Parenting Str...

Scientific Reports

The spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as the skin commensal Staphylococcus aureus, is ... more The spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as the skin commensal Staphylococcus aureus, is a worldwide health challenge; new methods to counteract opportunistic pathogen growth and virulence are urgent. We compared the activity of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR06 (DSM 21981) and Lactobacillus johnsonii LJO02 (DSM 33828) cell-free supernatants (CFSs) produced in the conventional animal derivative-based MRS medium and an innovative animal derivative-free broth (TIL) versus the MDR S. aureus (ATCC 43300). CFS influence was assessed towards the viability, metabolic activity, and ability to form biofilm of the MDR strain through optical density, alamarBlue assay, and crystal violet staining; their content in short-chain fatty acids, lactic acid, and proteins was analysed via high-resolution mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. All CFSs reduce viable and metabolically active S. aureus, being TIL more efficient compared to MRS in stimulating lactic acid bacteria metabolism and ...

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Nutrients

The probiotics-supplemented low-protein diet in chronic kidney disease (ProLowCKD) was a single-c... more The probiotics-supplemented low-protein diet in chronic kidney disease (ProLowCKD) was a single-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial that was conducted to investigate whether the association between a low protein diet (LPD) and a new formulation of probiotics (Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus reuteri) was effective at reducing traditional uremic, microbiota-derived, and proatherogenic toxins in sixty patients affected by advanced CKD. After 2 months of a LPD—a reduction in blood urea nitrogen (52 ± 17 vs. 46 ± 15 mg/dL, p = 0.003), total cholesterol (185 ± 41 vs. 171 ± 34 mg/dL, p = 0.001), and triglycerides (194 ± 148 vs. 161 ± 70 mg/dL, p = 0.03) was observed; 57 subjects were then randomized to receive probiotics or a placebo for the subsequent 3 months. A total of 27 patients in the placebo group showed increased serum values of total cholesterol (169 ± 36 vs. 185 ± 40 mg/dL, p = 0.01), LDL cholesterol (169 ± 36 vs. 185 ± 40 mg/dL, p = 0.02), lipopr...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Mar 23, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Pediatric Pulmonology, 2022

Wheezing, such as the sound consequent to lower airways obstruction, is a common medical conditio... more Wheezing, such as the sound consequent to lower airways obstruction, is a common medical condition in preschoolers This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Frontiers in Microbiology, 2021

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host when administered in ... more Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host when administered in adequate amounts. This definition links probiotic efficacy to microbial viability. The current gold standard assay for probiotic potency is enumeration using classical microbiology plating-based procedures, yielding results in colony-forming units (CFU). One drawback to plating-based procedures is high variability due to intrinsic and extrinsic uncertainties. These uncertainties make comparison between analytical procedures challenging. In this article, we provide tools to reduce measurement uncertainty and strengthen the reliability of probiotic enumerations by using analytical procedure lifecycle management (APLM). APLM is a tool that uses a step-by-step process to define procedure performance based on the concept that the reportable value (final CFU result) must be fit for its intended use. Once the procedure performance is defined, the information gathered through APLM can be used to...

International Journal of Ophthalmology, 2022

AIM: To define the possible beneficial impact of probiotics oral supplementation on patients affe... more AIM: To define the possible beneficial impact of probiotics oral supplementation on patients affected by chalazion. METHODS: Prospective comparative pilot study on 20 adults suffering from chalazion randomly divided into two groups. The first group (n=10) received conservative treatment with lid hygiene, warm compression, and dexamethasone/tobramycin ointment for at least 20d. The second group (n=10), in addition to the conservative treatment, received a mixture of probiotic microorganisms of Streptococcus thermophilus ST10 (DSM 25246), Lactococcus lactis LLC02 (DSM 29536) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii (DSM 16606) once a day up to 3mo. Chalazia were classified according to their size into three groups: small (<2 mm), medium (≥2 to <4 mm), or large (≥4 mm). When conservative treatment with and without probiotics supplementation failed to resolve the lesion, invasive methods were used, intralesional steroid injection in medium size chalazion and surgical incision and curettage f...

Microorganisms, 2021

Propionic Acidemia (PA) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder caused by the enzymatic block of p... more Propionic Acidemia (PA) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder caused by the enzymatic block of propionyl-CoA carboxylase with the consequent accumulation of propionic acid, which is toxic for the brain and cardiac cells. Since a considerable amount of propionate is produced by intestinal bacteria, interest arose in the attempt to reduce propionate-producing bacteria through a monthly antibiotic treatment of metronidazole. In the present study, we investigated the gut microbiota structure of an infant diagnosed at 4 days of life through Expanded Newborn Screening (NBS) and treated the child following international guidelines with a special low-protein diet, specific medications and strict biochemical monitoring. Microbiota composition was assessed during the first month of life, and the presence of Bacteroides fragilis, known to be associated with propionate production, was effectively decreased by metronidazole treatment. After five antibiotic therapy cycles, at 4 months of age, th...

Celiac disease (CD) is a permanent intolerance to dietary protein, gluten, from wheat rye and bar... more Celiac disease (CD) is a permanent intolerance to dietary protein, gluten, from wheat rye and barley. It occurs in about 1% worldwide population, in genetically predisposed individuals bearing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/DQ8. Gut epithelial cell stress and innate immune activation are responsible for breaking oral tolerance to gliadin, the gluten component. To date, the only treatment available for CD is a long-term gluten-free diet. Several evidences show that an altered composition of the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) could play a key role in the pathogenesis of CD, through the modulation of intestinal permeability and the regulation of the immune system. Here we show that gliadin induces a chronic ER stress condition in the small intestine of a CD mouse model and that the co-administration of probiotics efficiently attenuates both UPR and gut inflammation. Moreover, the composition of probiotics formulations might differ in their activity at molecular level, especially ...

Journal of Probiotics & Health, 2020

Haemolysis is the lysis of red blood cells (RBCs) and the subsequent release of their contents in... more Haemolysis is the lysis of red blood cells (RBCs) and the subsequent release of their contents into surrounding fluid. Several pathogens, including Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are able to cause haemolysis in vitro and in vivo. A vast body of scientific literature has demonstrated the ability of certain probiotic bacteria to antagonize grampositive and gram-negative strains by secreting soluble molecules named bacteriocins. Anyway, insufficient data is currently available in relation to haemolytic bacteria. Ten lactobacilli were selected for this in vitro study. The agar spot assay was employed to quantify any possible inhibition. The diameters of inhibition zones around the spots were measured. Our results showed that selected probiotics could exert a focused protective effect against pathogenic bacteria responsible for RBCs lysis at various extent. Further investigations will be needed to study th...

Neurology, 2018

Objective: Our aim was to study the main human gut microbial groups and the overall microbial div... more Objective: Our aim was to study the main human gut microbial groups and the overall microbial diversity in ALS and healthy subjects. Moreover we have examined the influence of a treatment with a specific bacteriotherapy composed of Lactobacillus strains ( L.fermentum, L.delbrueckii, L.plantarum, L.salivarius) acting on the gastrointestinal barrier. Background: Recent pre-clinical studies suggest that dysfunction of gastrointestinal tract may play a role in ALS pathogenesis through a modification of the gut microbiota brain axis. Our study is the first focused on microbiota analysis in ALS patients. Design/Methods: We enrolled 50 ALS patients and 50 healthy controls, matched for sex, age and origin. Faecal samples were used for total genomic DNA extraction. Enterobacteria, Bifidobacterium spp. , Lactobacillus spp. , Clostridium sensu stricto , E. coli and yeast were quantified using qPCR approach. DGGE analyses were performed to investigate total eubacteria and yeasts populations. Pa...

Journal of Probiotics & Health, 2019

The human intestinal microbiota may be considered as a post-natally acquired organ composed of a ... more The human intestinal microbiota may be considered as a post-natally acquired organ composed of a large diversity of bacteria with different functions on human health. Probiotics are widely used to improve gut functionality and immune system responses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of the bacterial strains Bifidobacterium breve BR03 (DSM 16604) and Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 (LMG P-21021) to induce an in vitro immune response in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy adult volunteers and to modify the state of oxidative stress and intestinal permeability of in vitro cell models. Specifically, the analysis was conducted on PBMCs after different stimulation times in order to analyze both cells involved in innate immunity and those responsible for acquired immunity and to evaluate the oxidative stress, and on Caco-2 cell line as an intestinal epithelium model.

Nutrients, 2021

Exposure to gluten, a protein present in wheat rye and barley, is the major inducer for human Cel... more Exposure to gluten, a protein present in wheat rye and barley, is the major inducer for human Celiac Disease (CD), a chronic autoimmune enteropathy. CD occurs in about 1% worldwide population, in genetically predisposed individuals bearing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/DQ8. Gut epithelial cell stress and the innate immune activation are responsible for the breaking oral tolerance to gliadin, a gluten component. To date, the only treatment available for CD is a long-term gluten-free diet. Several studies have shown that an altered composition of the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) could play a key role in the pathogenesis of CD through the modulation of intestinal permeability and the regulation of the immune system. Here, we show that gliadin induces a chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress condition in the small intestine of a gluten-sensitive mouse model and that the coadministration of probiotics efficiently attenuates both the unfolded protein response (UPR) and gut inf...

Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 2021

BACKGROUNDS & AIMS Strains belonging to bifidobacteria have been documented as being helpful ... more BACKGROUNDS & AIMS Strains belonging to bifidobacteria have been documented as being helpful in adults with intestinal dysbiosis conditions, like those related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This review aims to present the most relevant evidence regarding the efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum W11, a Bifidobacterium used in clinical settings for conditions such as IBS and inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS The following electronic databases were systematically searched up to August 2020: MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Database of Controlled Trials (via CENTRAL), Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov. RESULTS Data arising from pooled analysis, 7 in vitro/pharmacological studies, 7 clinical trials including 1 randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled, showed that the probiotic strain B. longum W11 has been extensively studied for its efficacy in subjects with IBS with constipation, leading to a significant reduction in symptoms. In particular, its role in alleviating constipation was also confirmed in subjects for whom a low-calorie weight-loss diet led to the slowing down of gut motility. The probiotic characteristics of B. longum W11 were further demonstrated in the treatment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy and hepatic disease. The most remarkable trait of B. longum W11 is its non-transmissible antibiotic resistance, due to a nucleotide polymorphism mutation in the rpoB gene, making it resistant to antibiotics of the rifampicin group, including rifaximin. The co-administration of B. longum W11 and rifaximin in patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease brought about a further significant improvement in the clinical condition compared to patients treated with rifaximin alone. B. longum W11 is a probiotic which could synergize with rifaximin as an adjuvant to antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS Taken altogether these findings demonstrate the clinical role of the strain W11 both in some functional and in some inflammatory bowel diseases.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

The human oral pathobionts Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus mitis and Strepto... more The human oral pathobionts Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus mutans, in dysbiosis-promoting conditions, lead to oral infections, which also represent a threat to human systemic health. This scenario may be worsened by antibiotic misuse, which favours multi-drug resistance, making the research on pathogen containment strategies more than crucial. Therefore, we aimed to in vitro select the most promising probiotic strains against oral pathogen growth, viability, biofilm formation, and co-aggregation capacity, employing both the viable probiotics and their cell-free supernatants (CFSs). Interestingly, we also assessed probiotic efficacy against the three-pathogen co-culture, mimicking an environment similar to that in vivo. Overall, the results showed that Lactobacillus CFSs performed better than the Bifidobacterium, highlighting Limosilactobacillus reuteri LRE11, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR04, Lacticaseibacillus casei LC04, and Limosilact...

Frontiers in Microbiology

Probiotic bacteria, capable of conferring benefits to the host, can present challenges in design,... more Probiotic bacteria, capable of conferring benefits to the host, can present challenges in design, development, scale-up, manufacturing, commercialization, and life cycle management. Strain identification is one of the main quality parameters; nevertheless, this task can be challenging since established methodologies can lack resolution at the strain level for some microorganisms and\or are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) has been largely used for the investigation of pathogenic species in the clinical field, whereas only recently has been proposed for the identification of probiotic strains. Within the probiotic industrial production, bacterial strains can be subjected to stressful conditions that may affect genomic and phenotypic characteristics; therefore, real-time monitoring of all the sequential growth steps is requested. Considering the fast, low-cost, and high-throughput features, FTIRS is an innovative and functional techno...

Frontiers in Microbiology

The number of live bacterial cells is the most used parameter to assess the quality of finished p... more The number of live bacterial cells is the most used parameter to assess the quality of finished probiotic products. Plate counting (PC) is the standard method in industry to enumerate cells. Application of PC implies critical aspects related to the selection of optimal nutrient media and growth conditions and underestimation of viable but not cultivable (VBNC) cells. Flow-cytometry (FC) is a culture-independent methodology having the potential to selectively enumerate live, damaged, and dead cells representing a powerful tool for in-depth monitoring of probiotic products. We monitored the shelf life of a clinical batch of a synbiotic composition PDS-08 targeting the pediatric population by means of PC and FC according to International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) pharma guidelines testing the Arrhenius model as predictive tool; PC enumeration revealed higher destruction rate than FC suggesting a faster reduction in cultivability than membrane integrity and thus a possible shift...

Pediatric Research

Background Oral microbial therapy has been studied as an intervention for a range of gastrointest... more Background Oral microbial therapy has been studied as an intervention for a range of gastrointestinal disorders. Though research suggests that microbial exposure may affect the gastrointestinal system, motility, and host immunity in a pediatric population, data have been inconsistent, with most prior studies being in neither a randomized nor placebo-controlled setting. The aim of this randomized, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy of a synbiotic on increasing weekly bowel movements (WBMs) in constipated children. Methods Sixty-four children (3–17 years of age) were randomized to receive a synbiotic (n = 33) comprising mixed-chain length oligosaccharides and nine microbial strains, or placebo (n = 31) for 84 days. Stool microbiota was analyzed on samples collected at baseline and completion. The primary outcome was a change from baseline of WBMs in the treatment group compared to placebo. Results Treatment increased (p < 0.05) the number of WBMs in children with...

Biology

Background: IBD is a spectrum of pathologies characterized by dysregulated immune activation lead... more Background: IBD is a spectrum of pathologies characterized by dysregulated immune activation leading to uncontrolled response against the intestine, thus resulting in chronic gut inflammation and tissue damage. Due to its complexity, the molecular mechanisms responsible for disease onset and progression are still elusive, thus requiring intense research effort. In this context, the development of models replicating the etiopathology of IBD and allowing the testing of new potential therapies is critical. Methods: Colon from C57BL/6 or BALB/c mice was cultivated in a Gut-Ex-Vivo System (GEVS), exposed for 5 h to DNBS 1.5 or 2.5 mg/mL, in presence or absence of two probiotic formulations (P1 = Bifidobacterium breve BR03 (DSM16604) and B632 (DSM24706); P2 = Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR04 (DSM16605), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP14 (DSM33401) and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LPC09), and the main hallmarks of IBD were evaluated. Results: Gene expression analysis revealed the followi...

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a diagnostic challenge with a still partially uncertai... more Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a diagnostic challenge with a still partially uncertain etiology, in which genetic and environmental factors have now been assessed. Among the hypotheses underlying the involvement of biological and environmental factors, the gut–brain axis is of particular interest in autism spectrum disorders. Several studies have highlighted the related incidence of particular gastrointestinal symptoms (GISs) in children suffering from ASDs. Probiotics have shown success in treating several gastrointestinal dysbiotic disorders; therefore, it is plausible to investigate whether they can alleviate behavioral symptoms as well. On these bases, a randomized double-blind crossover study with a placebo was conducted, evaluating the effects of a mixture of probiotics in a group of 61 subjects aged between 24 months and 16 years old with a diagnosis of ASD. Behavioral evaluation was performed through the administration of a questionnaire including a Parenting Str...

Scientific Reports

The spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as the skin commensal Staphylococcus aureus, is ... more The spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as the skin commensal Staphylococcus aureus, is a worldwide health challenge; new methods to counteract opportunistic pathogen growth and virulence are urgent. We compared the activity of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR06 (DSM 21981) and Lactobacillus johnsonii LJO02 (DSM 33828) cell-free supernatants (CFSs) produced in the conventional animal derivative-based MRS medium and an innovative animal derivative-free broth (TIL) versus the MDR S. aureus (ATCC 43300). CFS influence was assessed towards the viability, metabolic activity, and ability to form biofilm of the MDR strain through optical density, alamarBlue assay, and crystal violet staining; their content in short-chain fatty acids, lactic acid, and proteins was analysed via high-resolution mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. All CFSs reduce viable and metabolically active S. aureus, being TIL more efficient compared to MRS in stimulating lactic acid bacteria metabolism and ...

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Nutrients

The probiotics-supplemented low-protein diet in chronic kidney disease (ProLowCKD) was a single-c... more The probiotics-supplemented low-protein diet in chronic kidney disease (ProLowCKD) was a single-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial that was conducted to investigate whether the association between a low protein diet (LPD) and a new formulation of probiotics (Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus reuteri) was effective at reducing traditional uremic, microbiota-derived, and proatherogenic toxins in sixty patients affected by advanced CKD. After 2 months of a LPD—a reduction in blood urea nitrogen (52 ± 17 vs. 46 ± 15 mg/dL, p = 0.003), total cholesterol (185 ± 41 vs. 171 ± 34 mg/dL, p = 0.001), and triglycerides (194 ± 148 vs. 161 ± 70 mg/dL, p = 0.03) was observed; 57 subjects were then randomized to receive probiotics or a placebo for the subsequent 3 months. A total of 27 patients in the placebo group showed increased serum values of total cholesterol (169 ± 36 vs. 185 ± 40 mg/dL, p = 0.01), LDL cholesterol (169 ± 36 vs. 185 ± 40 mg/dL, p = 0.02), lipopr...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Mar 23, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Pediatric Pulmonology, 2022

Wheezing, such as the sound consequent to lower airways obstruction, is a common medical conditio... more Wheezing, such as the sound consequent to lower airways obstruction, is a common medical condition in preschoolers This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Frontiers in Microbiology, 2021

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host when administered in ... more Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host when administered in adequate amounts. This definition links probiotic efficacy to microbial viability. The current gold standard assay for probiotic potency is enumeration using classical microbiology plating-based procedures, yielding results in colony-forming units (CFU). One drawback to plating-based procedures is high variability due to intrinsic and extrinsic uncertainties. These uncertainties make comparison between analytical procedures challenging. In this article, we provide tools to reduce measurement uncertainty and strengthen the reliability of probiotic enumerations by using analytical procedure lifecycle management (APLM). APLM is a tool that uses a step-by-step process to define procedure performance based on the concept that the reportable value (final CFU result) must be fit for its intended use. Once the procedure performance is defined, the information gathered through APLM can be used to...

International Journal of Ophthalmology, 2022

AIM: To define the possible beneficial impact of probiotics oral supplementation on patients affe... more AIM: To define the possible beneficial impact of probiotics oral supplementation on patients affected by chalazion. METHODS: Prospective comparative pilot study on 20 adults suffering from chalazion randomly divided into two groups. The first group (n=10) received conservative treatment with lid hygiene, warm compression, and dexamethasone/tobramycin ointment for at least 20d. The second group (n=10), in addition to the conservative treatment, received a mixture of probiotic microorganisms of Streptococcus thermophilus ST10 (DSM 25246), Lactococcus lactis LLC02 (DSM 29536) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii (DSM 16606) once a day up to 3mo. Chalazia were classified according to their size into three groups: small (<2 mm), medium (≥2 to <4 mm), or large (≥4 mm). When conservative treatment with and without probiotics supplementation failed to resolve the lesion, invasive methods were used, intralesional steroid injection in medium size chalazion and surgical incision and curettage f...

Microorganisms, 2021

Propionic Acidemia (PA) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder caused by the enzymatic block of p... more Propionic Acidemia (PA) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder caused by the enzymatic block of propionyl-CoA carboxylase with the consequent accumulation of propionic acid, which is toxic for the brain and cardiac cells. Since a considerable amount of propionate is produced by intestinal bacteria, interest arose in the attempt to reduce propionate-producing bacteria through a monthly antibiotic treatment of metronidazole. In the present study, we investigated the gut microbiota structure of an infant diagnosed at 4 days of life through Expanded Newborn Screening (NBS) and treated the child following international guidelines with a special low-protein diet, specific medications and strict biochemical monitoring. Microbiota composition was assessed during the first month of life, and the presence of Bacteroides fragilis, known to be associated with propionate production, was effectively decreased by metronidazole treatment. After five antibiotic therapy cycles, at 4 months of age, th...

Celiac disease (CD) is a permanent intolerance to dietary protein, gluten, from wheat rye and bar... more Celiac disease (CD) is a permanent intolerance to dietary protein, gluten, from wheat rye and barley. It occurs in about 1% worldwide population, in genetically predisposed individuals bearing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/DQ8. Gut epithelial cell stress and innate immune activation are responsible for breaking oral tolerance to gliadin, the gluten component. To date, the only treatment available for CD is a long-term gluten-free diet. Several evidences show that an altered composition of the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) could play a key role in the pathogenesis of CD, through the modulation of intestinal permeability and the regulation of the immune system. Here we show that gliadin induces a chronic ER stress condition in the small intestine of a CD mouse model and that the co-administration of probiotics efficiently attenuates both UPR and gut inflammation. Moreover, the composition of probiotics formulations might differ in their activity at molecular level, especially ...

Journal of Probiotics & Health, 2020

Haemolysis is the lysis of red blood cells (RBCs) and the subsequent release of their contents in... more Haemolysis is the lysis of red blood cells (RBCs) and the subsequent release of their contents into surrounding fluid. Several pathogens, including Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are able to cause haemolysis in vitro and in vivo. A vast body of scientific literature has demonstrated the ability of certain probiotic bacteria to antagonize grampositive and gram-negative strains by secreting soluble molecules named bacteriocins. Anyway, insufficient data is currently available in relation to haemolytic bacteria. Ten lactobacilli were selected for this in vitro study. The agar spot assay was employed to quantify any possible inhibition. The diameters of inhibition zones around the spots were measured. Our results showed that selected probiotics could exert a focused protective effect against pathogenic bacteria responsible for RBCs lysis at various extent. Further investigations will be needed to study th...

Neurology, 2018

Objective: Our aim was to study the main human gut microbial groups and the overall microbial div... more Objective: Our aim was to study the main human gut microbial groups and the overall microbial diversity in ALS and healthy subjects. Moreover we have examined the influence of a treatment with a specific bacteriotherapy composed of Lactobacillus strains ( L.fermentum, L.delbrueckii, L.plantarum, L.salivarius) acting on the gastrointestinal barrier. Background: Recent pre-clinical studies suggest that dysfunction of gastrointestinal tract may play a role in ALS pathogenesis through a modification of the gut microbiota brain axis. Our study is the first focused on microbiota analysis in ALS patients. Design/Methods: We enrolled 50 ALS patients and 50 healthy controls, matched for sex, age and origin. Faecal samples were used for total genomic DNA extraction. Enterobacteria, Bifidobacterium spp. , Lactobacillus spp. , Clostridium sensu stricto , E. coli and yeast were quantified using qPCR approach. DGGE analyses were performed to investigate total eubacteria and yeasts populations. Pa...

Journal of Probiotics & Health, 2019

The human intestinal microbiota may be considered as a post-natally acquired organ composed of a ... more The human intestinal microbiota may be considered as a post-natally acquired organ composed of a large diversity of bacteria with different functions on human health. Probiotics are widely used to improve gut functionality and immune system responses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of the bacterial strains Bifidobacterium breve BR03 (DSM 16604) and Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 (LMG P-21021) to induce an in vitro immune response in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy adult volunteers and to modify the state of oxidative stress and intestinal permeability of in vitro cell models. Specifically, the analysis was conducted on PBMCs after different stimulation times in order to analyze both cells involved in innate immunity and those responsible for acquired immunity and to evaluate the oxidative stress, and on Caco-2 cell line as an intestinal epithelium model.

Nutrients, 2021

Exposure to gluten, a protein present in wheat rye and barley, is the major inducer for human Cel... more Exposure to gluten, a protein present in wheat rye and barley, is the major inducer for human Celiac Disease (CD), a chronic autoimmune enteropathy. CD occurs in about 1% worldwide population, in genetically predisposed individuals bearing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/DQ8. Gut epithelial cell stress and the innate immune activation are responsible for the breaking oral tolerance to gliadin, a gluten component. To date, the only treatment available for CD is a long-term gluten-free diet. Several studies have shown that an altered composition of the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) could play a key role in the pathogenesis of CD through the modulation of intestinal permeability and the regulation of the immune system. Here, we show that gliadin induces a chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress condition in the small intestine of a gluten-sensitive mouse model and that the coadministration of probiotics efficiently attenuates both the unfolded protein response (UPR) and gut inf...

Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 2021

BACKGROUNDS & AIMS Strains belonging to bifidobacteria have been documented as being helpful ... more BACKGROUNDS & AIMS Strains belonging to bifidobacteria have been documented as being helpful in adults with intestinal dysbiosis conditions, like those related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This review aims to present the most relevant evidence regarding the efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum W11, a Bifidobacterium used in clinical settings for conditions such as IBS and inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS The following electronic databases were systematically searched up to August 2020: MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Database of Controlled Trials (via CENTRAL), Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov. RESULTS Data arising from pooled analysis, 7 in vitro/pharmacological studies, 7 clinical trials including 1 randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled, showed that the probiotic strain B. longum W11 has been extensively studied for its efficacy in subjects with IBS with constipation, leading to a significant reduction in symptoms. In particular, its role in alleviating constipation was also confirmed in subjects for whom a low-calorie weight-loss diet led to the slowing down of gut motility. The probiotic characteristics of B. longum W11 were further demonstrated in the treatment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy and hepatic disease. The most remarkable trait of B. longum W11 is its non-transmissible antibiotic resistance, due to a nucleotide polymorphism mutation in the rpoB gene, making it resistant to antibiotics of the rifampicin group, including rifaximin. The co-administration of B. longum W11 and rifaximin in patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease brought about a further significant improvement in the clinical condition compared to patients treated with rifaximin alone. B. longum W11 is a probiotic which could synergize with rifaximin as an adjuvant to antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS Taken altogether these findings demonstrate the clinical role of the strain W11 both in some functional and in some inflammatory bowel diseases.