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In recent years, the increasing number of studies on the relationship between the gut microbiota and atherosclerosis have led to significant interest in this subject. The gut microbiota, its metabolites (metabolome), such as TMAO, and gut dysbiosis play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, inflammation, originating from the intestinal tract, adds yet another mechanism by which the human ecosystem is disrupted, resulting in the manifestation of metabolic diseases and, by extension, cardiovascular diseases. The scientific community must understand and elucidate these mechanisms in depth, to gain a better understanding of the relationship between atherosclerosis and the gut microbiome and to promote the development of new therapeutic targets in the coming years. This review aims to present the knowledge acquired so far, to trigger others to further investigate this intriguing topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The female genital tract (FGT) performs several functions related to reproduction, but due to its direct exposure to the external environment, it may suffer microbial infections. Both the upper (uterus and cervix) and lower (vagina) FGT are covered by an epithelium, and contain immune cells (macrophages, dendritic cells, T and B lymphocytes) that afford a robust protection to the host. Its upper and the lower part differ in terms of Lactobacillus spp., which are dominant in the vagina. An alteration of the physiological equilibrium between the local microbiota and immune cells leads to a condition of dysbiosis which, in turn, may account for the outcome of FGT infection. Aerobic vaginitis, bacterial vaginosis, and Chlamydia trachomatis are the most frequent infections, and can lead to severe complications in reproduction and pregnancy. The use of natural products, such as probiotics, polyphenols, and lactoferrin in the course of FGT infections is an issue of current investigation. In spite of positive results, more research is needed to define the most appropriate administration, according to the type of patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been known about since ancient times. Today, however, STDs are on the rise in young people around the world. Interventions and sex education are being utilized in attempt to prevent STD spread in individuals who are the greatest risk of infection. Young people should be provided with easy and accessible health services. There should be anonymity as well as investigations into the reasoning behind unsafe behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In healthy conditions, blood was considered a sterile environment until the development of new analytical approaches that allowed for the detection of circulating bacterial ribosomal DNA. Currently, debate exists on the origin of the blood microbiota. According to advanced research using dark field microscopy, fluorescent in situ hybridization, flow cytometry, and electron microscopy, so-called microbiota have been detected in the blood. Conversely, others have reported no evidence of a common blood microbiota. Then, it was hypothesized that blood microbiota may derive from distant sites, e.g., the gut or external contamination of blood samples. Alteration of the blood microbiota's equilibrium may lead to dysbiosis and, in certain cases, disease. Cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic, kidney, neoplastic, and immune diseases have been associated with the presence of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and/or their products in the blood. For instance, lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) and endotoxins may contribute to tissue damage, fueling chronic inflammation. Blood bacteria can interact with immune cells, especially with monocytes that engulf microorganisms and T lymphocytes via spontaneous binding to their membranes. Moreover, LPSs, extracellular vesicles, and outer membrane vesicles interact with red blood cells and immune cells, reaching distant organs. This review aims to describe the composition of blood microbiota in healthy individuals and those with disease conditions. Furthermore, special emphasis is placed on the interaction of blood microbiota with host cells to better understand disease mechanisms.

We comment here on the article by Stefanolo et al entitled "Effect of Aspergillus niger prolyl endopeptidase in patients with celiac disease on a long-term gluten-free diet", published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology . Celiac disease is a well-recognized systemic autoimmune disorder. In genetically susceptible people, the most evident damage is located in the small intestine, and is caused and worsened by the ingestion of gluten. For that reason, celiac patients adopt a gluten-free diet (GFD), but it has some limitations, and it does not prevent re-exposure to gluten. Research aims to develop adjuvant therapies, and one of the most studied alternatives is supplementation with Aspergillus niger prolyl endopeptidase protease (AN-PEP), which is able to degrade gluten in the stomach, reducing its concentration in the small intestine. The study found a high adherence to the GFD, but did not address AN-PEP as a gluten immunogenic peptide reducer, as it was only tested in patients following a GFD and not in gluten-exposing conditions. This study opens up new research perspectives in this area and shows that further study is needed to clarify the points that are still in doubt., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare having no conflicts of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The emergence of the novel coronavirus and the pandemic resulting from its spread have led to significant negative impacts on health, economy, relationships, and others. Particularly in the field of hospital care, the need for a greater number of patients has led to a breakdown of the system. Gastrointestinal manifestations are common in SARS-COV 2 patients, while 10% of those who are sick exhibit symptoms only from gastrointestinal without any manifestation on the part of the respiratory tract. The main manifestations are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and anorexia. It is also interesting to note that biochemical liver disorder is a frequent finding and is associated with a worse prognosis and higher probability admission to intensive care. It was also observed that RNA from the virus was found in the stool several days after the tests came back negative pulmonary secretions, while rectal swab virus detection methods were used with a lower but comparable sensitivity to that of nasal swabs. Gastrointestinal symptoms in SARS-COV 2 infection are common and their search should be part of the initial diagnosis approach and have a connection with the gut microbiota dysbiosis and this can lead to an alteration of the gut/liver axis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The human intestine is a natural environment ecosystem of a complex of diversified and dynamic microorganisms, determined through a process of competition and natural selection during life. Those intestinal microorganisms called microbiota and are involved in a variety of mechanisms of the organism, they interact with the host and therefore are in contact with the organs of the various systems. However, they play a crucial role in maintaining host homeostasis, also influencing its behaviour. Thus, microorganisms perform a series of biological functions important for human well-being. The host provides the microorganisms with the environment and nutrients, simultaneously drawing many benefits such as their contribution to metabolic, trophic, immunological, and other functions. For these reasons it has been reported that its quantitative and qualitative composition can play a protective or harmful role on the host health. Therefore, a dysbiosis can lead to an association of unfavourable factors which lead to a dysregulation of the physiological processes of homeostasis. Thus, it has pre-viously noted that the gut microbiota can participate in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, chronic intestinal inflammation, diabetes mellitus, obesity and atherosclerosis, neurological disorders ( e.g., neurological diseases, autism, etc. ) colorectal cancer, and more., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)