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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Insights into Microbial Infections, Co-Infections, and Comorbidities
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Insights into Microbial Infections, Co-Infections, and Comorbidities

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 2045

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zilungile Mkhize-Kwitshana

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Science Campus, University of South Africa, 28 Pioneer Avenue, Florida Park, Roodepoort 1709, South Africa
2. Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
Interests: immunology; antimicrobial resistance; co-infections
Dr. Veron Ramsuran

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa
Interests: human genetics; infectious diseases; epigenetics; polymorphisms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microbial infections and co-infections are major global health concerns, significantly contributing to disease burden and mortality worldwide. Co-infections—the simultaneous occurrence of two or more infections within a host—introduce unique challenges in understanding disease dynamics, progression, and management due to intricate pathogen–pathogen and pathogen–host interactions. These interactions often overlap with, impact on, or are impacted by comorbidities, particularly noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, as well as biological factors such as dysbiosis and genetics. These NCDs alter host susceptibility, immune responses, and treatment outcomes, further complicating the management of microbial infections.

This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted relationships between microbial infections, co-infections, and comorbidities, emphasizing biological and mechanistic insights, along with real-world applications. Topics of interest include the molecular, cellular, and immunological basis of pathogenesis; pathogen–pathogen and host–pathogen interactions during co-infections; and the role of comorbidities/biological factors and antimicrobial resistance in complicating treatment strategies. Research addressing the diagnostic challenges of detecting multiple infections and their interplay with NCDs is also highly relevant. Furthermore, the Special Issue welcomes studies on the ecological and biophysical, including exposomic and physiological, impacts of microbial communities in the context of these diseases, including their role in modulating host immune responses and influencing therapeutic outcomes.

We particularly encourage submissions that address the confluence of co-infections with comorbidities and that highlight innovative approaches to combating these health challenges, including novel diagnostic tools, therapeutic strategies, and public health interventions. Interdisciplinary studies that integrate microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, and clinical perspectives are strongly encouraged. The findings presented in this Special Issue aim to contribute to global efforts to reduce the burden of infectious diseases and improve health outcomes for patients with complex disease profiles.

Dr. Zilungile Mkhize-Kwitshana
Dr. Veron Ramsuran
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antimicrobial resistance
  • cancer
  • cardiovascular diseases
  • co-infections
  • comorbidities
  • complex disease profiles
  • diabetes
  • infection pathogenesis
  • immune modulation
  • microbiome and co-infections
  • noncommunicable diseases
  • pathogen interactions
  • pneumonia
  • pulmonary infections
  • sepsis
  • stress tolerance
  • therapeutics
  • vaccine development

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 2482 KB  
Article
Characterization of microRNA Expression Profiles of Murine Female Genital Tracts Following Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Co-Infection
by Roxanne Pillay, Pragalathan Naidoo and Zilungile L. Mkhize-Kwitshana
Microorganisms 2025, 13(8), 1734; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081734 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 534
Abstract
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 (HSV-2) are highly prevalent infections with overlapping distribution, particularly in resource-poor regions. STH/HSV-2 co-infections may impact female reproductive health. However, many aspects of STH/HSV-2 co-infections, including the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating female [...] Read more.
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 (HSV-2) are highly prevalent infections with overlapping distribution, particularly in resource-poor regions. STH/HSV-2 co-infections may impact female reproductive health. However, many aspects of STH/HSV-2 co-infections, including the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating female genital tract (FGT) immunity and their potential contribution to pathologies such as chronic inflammation, impaired mucosal defense, and reproductive tract cancers remain unclear. In this study we investigated the miRNA expression profiles in murine FGT tissues following single or co-infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb) and HSV-2 and explored predicted miRNA-mRNA targets and pathways. An analysis of miRNA sequencing data was conducted to determine differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs between infected FGT tissues and uninfected controls. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was conducted to predict the immune-related target genes of the DE miRNAs and reveal enriched canonical pathways, top diseases, and biological functions. Selected representative DE miRNAs were validated using RT-qPCR. Our results showed a total of eight DE miRNAs (mmu-miR-218-5p, mmu-miR-449a-5p, mmu-miR-497a-3p, mmu-miR-144-3p, mmu-miR-33-5p, mmu-miR-451a, mmu-miR-194-5p, and mmu-miR-192-5p) in the comparison of Nb-infected versus uninfected controls; nine DE miRNAs (mmu-miR-451a, mmu-miR-449a-5p, mmu-miR-144-3p, mmu-miR-376a-3p, mmu-miR-192-5p, mmu-miR-218-5p, mmu-miR-205-3p, mmu-miR-103-3p, and mmu-miR-200b-3p) in the comparison of HSV-2-infected versus uninfected controls; and one DE miRNA (mmu-miR-199a-5p) in the comparison of Nb/HSV-2 co-infected versus uninfected controls (p-value < 0.05, |logFC| ≥ 1). Core expression analysis showed that, among other canonical pathways, the DE miRNAs and their predicted mRNA targets were involved in neutrophil degranulation, interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 signaling, natural killer cell signaling, interferon alpha/beta signaling, and ISGylation. Additionally, cancer was predicted as one of the significantly enriched diseases, particularly in the co-infected group. This is the first study to provide insights into the FGT miRNA profiles following Nb and HSV-2 single and co-infection, as well as the predicted genes and pathways they regulate, which may influence host immunity and pathology. This study highlights the role of miRNAs in regulating FGT immunity and pathology in the context of STH/HSV-2 co-infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insights into Microbial Infections, Co-Infections, and Comorbidities)
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15 pages, 5904 KB  
Article
The Vaginally Exposed Extracellular Vesicle of Gardnerella vaginalis Induces RANK/RANKL-Involved Systemic Inflammation in Mice
by Yoon-Jung Shin, Xiaoyang Ma, Ji-Su Baek and Dong-Hyun Kim
Microorganisms 2025, 13(4), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13040955 - 21 Apr 2025
Viewed by 736
Abstract
Gardnerella vaginalis (GV), an opportunistic pathogen excessively proliferated in vaginal dysbiosis, causes systemic inflammation including vaginitis, neuroinflammation, and osteitis. To understand its systemic inflammation-triggering factor, we purified extracellular vesicles isolated from GV (gEVs) and examined their effect on the occurrence of vaginitis, osteitis, [...] Read more.
Gardnerella vaginalis (GV), an opportunistic pathogen excessively proliferated in vaginal dysbiosis, causes systemic inflammation including vaginitis, neuroinflammation, and osteitis. To understand its systemic inflammation-triggering factor, we purified extracellular vesicles isolated from GV (gEVs) and examined their effect on the occurrence of vaginitis, osteitis, and neuroinflammation in mice with and without ovariectomy (Ov). The gEVs consisted of lipopolysaccharide, proteins, and nucleic acid and induced TNF-α and RANKL expression in macrophage cells. When the gEVs were vaginally exposed in mice without Ov, they significantly induced RANK, RANKL, and TNF-α expression and NF-κB+ cell numbers in the vagina, femur, hypothalamus, and hippocampus, as observed in GV infection. The gEVs decreased time spent in the open field (OT) in the elevated plus maze test by 47.3%, as well as the distance traveled in the central area (DC) by 28.6%. In the open field test, they also decreased the time spent in the central area (TC) by 39.3%. Additionally, gEVs decreased spontaneous alteration (SA) in the Y-maze test by 33.8% and the recognition index (RI) in the novel object recognition test by 26.5%, while increasing the immobility time (IT) in the tail suspension test by 36.7%. In mice with OV (Ov), the gEVs also induced RANK, RANKL, and TNF-α expression and increased NF-κB+ cell numbers in the vagina, femur, hypothalamus, and hippocampus compared to vehicle-treated mice. When gEVs were exposed to mice with Ov, gEVs also reduced the DC, TC, OT, SA, and RI to 62.1%, 62.7%, 28.2%, 90.7%, and 85.4% of mice with Ov, respectively, and increased IT to 122.9% of mice with Ov. Vaginally exposed fluorescein-isothiocyanate-tagged gEVs were detected in the blood, femur, and hippocampus. These findings indicate that GV-derived gEVs may induce systemic inflammation through the activation of RANK/RANKL-involved NF-κB signaling, leading to systemic disorders including vaginitis, osteoporosis, depression, and cognitive impairment. Therefore, gEVs may be an important risk factor for vaginitis, osteoporosis, depression, and cognitive impairment in women. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insights into Microbial Infections, Co-Infections, and Comorbidities)
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