Kelly T. Goldsmith

Transforming growth factor β within fibrotic scleroderma lungs

Abstract purpose, patients, and methods: Since transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) has been implicated as an important mediator of pulmonary fibrosis, we measured TGFβ protein and gene expression in alveolar epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of fibrotic scleroderma lungs sampled by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). TGFβ protein was qualitatively examined by Western blot analysis, and quantitatively by radioreceptor assays. Gene expression was evaluated in BAL mononuclear cells by Northern blot analysis with quantification of relative gene expression by densitometric analysis of the autoradiograms. results: Normal and scleroderma subjects had a 24-kd protein that comigrated with defined human TGFβ and immunoreacted with anti-TGFβ antibody. The normal population had a significantly higher average TGFβ concentration (705 pM) compared with the scleroderma subjects (177 pM). The TGFβ gene was expressed in amounts that did not significantly differ between the scleroderma and normal groups. On an individual subject basis, the TGFβ concentration variability did not correlate with variations in BAL cellularity or TGFβ gene expression within the recovered mononuclear cells. conclusions: It is concluded that both normal and fibrotic lungs have TGFβ present at the alveolar epithelial surface. However, in the fibrotic scleroderma lungs, TGFβ protein content and gene expression were not increased at the alveolar epithelial surface. The simultaneous analysis of TGFβ protein content, gene expression, and cellular constituents within individual ELF specimens showed that the cellular components of the ELF do not appear to be major determinants of TGFβ protein concentration at the alveolar epithelial surface.

Identification of donor microbe species that colonize and persist long term in the recipient after fecal transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile

Fecal microbiota transplantation has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients with recurrent C. difficile colitis. Although fecal microbiota transplantation helps to re-establish a normal gut function in patients, the extent of the repopulation of the recipient microbial community varies. To further understand this variation, it is important to determine the fate of donor microbes in the patients following fecal microbiota transplantation. We have developed a new method that utilizes the unique single nucleotide variants of gut microbes to accurately identify microbes in paired fecal samples from the same individual taken at different times. Using this method, we identified transplant donor microbes in seven recipients 3–6 months after fecal microbiota transplantation; in two of these fecal microbiota transplantation, we were able to identify donor microbes that persist in recipients up to 2 years post-fecal microbiota transplantation. Our study provides new insights into the dynamics of the reconstitution of the gastrointestinal microbe community structure following fecal microbiota transplantation.

Author Correction: Identification of donor microbe species that colonize and persist long term in the recipient after fecal transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile

The affiliation details are incorrect in this article. The correct affiliation details are given below: 1Biomedical Informatics, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; 2Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; 3Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; 4Department of Genetics and Heflin Center for Genomic Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; 5Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA and 6Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.In addition, this article was originally published without the accompanying supplementary tables. This file is now available in the HTML version of the article; the PDF was correct from the time of publication.