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antigen-specific t cells and cytokines detection as useful tool for understanding immunity against zoonotic infections.zoonoses include a broad range of diseases, that are becoming of great interest, due to the climate changing, that cause the adaptation of vectors to new niches and environments. host immune responses play a crucial role in determining the outcome of infections, as documented by expansion of antigen-specific t cells during several zoonotic infections. thus, understanding of the contribution of antigen-specific t-cell subsets in the host immune response is a powerful tool to evaluate the differen ...201222400039
leptospirosis in american samoa 2010: epidemiology, environmental drivers, and the management of emergence.leptospirosis has recently been reported as an emerging disease worldwide, and a seroprevalence study was undertaken in american samoa to better understand the drivers of transmission. antibodies indicative of previous exposure to leptospirosis were found in 15.5% of 807 participants, predominantly against three serovars that were not previously known to occur in american samoa. questionnaires and geographic information systems data were used to assess behavioral factors and environmental determ ...201222302868
the role of nuclear technologies in the diagnosis and control of livestock diseases--a review.nuclear and nuclear-related technologies have played an important role in animal health, particularly in relation to disease diagnosis and characterization of pathogenic organisms. this review focuses primarily on how and where nuclear technologies, both non-isotopic and isotopic methods, have made their impact in the past and where it might be expected they could have an impact in the future. the review outlines the extensive use of radiation attenuation in attempts to create vaccines for a mul ...201222286376
translational research in infectious disease: current paradigms and challenges ahead.in recent years, the biomedical community has witnessed a rapid scientific and technologic evolution after the development and refinement of high-throughput methodologies. concurrently and consequentially, the scientific perspective has changed from the reductionist approach of meticulously analyzing the fine details of a single component of biology to the "holistic" approach of broadmindedly examining the globally interacting elements of biological systems. the emergence of this new way of thin ...201222633095
a survey of zoonotic diseases in trade cattle slaughtered at tanga city abattoir: a cause of public health concern.to estimate the prevalence of hydatidosis, cysticercosis, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, brucellosis and toxoplasmosis in slaughtered bovine stock (aged ±3 years) at tanga city abattoir, tanzania.201223569835
commentary. 201222865993
the major facilitator superfamily (mfs) revisited.the major facilitator superfamily (mfs) is the largest known superfamily of secondary carriers found in the biosphere. it is ubiquitously distributed throughout virtually all currently recognized organismal phyla. this superfamily currently (2012) consists of 74 families, each of which is usually concerned with the transport of a certain type of substrate. many of these families, defined phylogenetically, do not include even a single member that is functionally characterized. in this article, we ...201222458847
structure, function and inhibition of the two- and three-domain 4fe-4s ispg proteins.ispg is a 4fe4s protein involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis. most bacterial ispgs contain two domains: a tim barrel (a) and a 4fe4s domain (b), but in plants and malaria parasites, there is a large insert domain (a*) whose structure and function are unknown. we show that bacterial ispgs function in solution as (ab)(2) dimers and that mutations in either both a or both b domains block activity. chimeras harboring an a-mutation in one chain and a b-mutation in the other have 50% of the activity se ...201222586085
fatal co-infection--melioidosis and leptospirosis.co-infection of melioidosis and leptospirosis is uncommon. we report here four such cases, confirmed by blood culture for melioidosis and blood polymerase-chain reaction for leptospirosis, which occurred among rescuers involved in a search and rescue operation for a young man who was suspected to have drowned in lubuk yu, a recreational forest in pahang, malaysia. despite treatment, three of the patients died from the co-infection.201222826499
evolutionary analyses of non-genealogical bonds produced by introgressive descent.all evolutionary biologists are familiar with evolutionary units that evolve by vertical descent in a tree-like fashion in single lineages. however, many other kinds of processes contribute to evolutionary diversity. in vertical descent, the genetic material of a particular evolutionary unit is propagated by replication inside its own lineage. in what we call introgressive descent, the genetic material of a particular evolutionary unit propagates into different host structures and is replicated ...201223090996
leptospira and inflammation.leptospirosis is an important zoonosis and has a worldwide impact on public health. this paper will discuss both the role of immunogenic and pathogenic molecules during leptospirosis infection and possible new targets for immunotherapy against leptospira components. leptospira, possess a wide variety of mechanisms that allow them to evade the host immune system and cause infection. many molecules contribute to the ability of leptospira to adhere, invade, and colonize. the recent sequencing of th ...201223132959
leptospirosis outbreaks in nicaragua: identifying critical areas and exploring drivers for evidence-based planning.leptospirosis is an epidemic-prone zoonotic disease that occurs worldwide. in central america, leptospirosis outbreaks have been reported in almost all countries; nicaragua in particular has faced several outbreaks. the objective of this study was to stratify the risk and identify "critical areas" for leptospirosis outbreaks in nicaragua, and to perform an exploratory analysis of potential "drivers". this ecological study includes the entire country (153 municipalities). cases from 2004 to 2010 ...201223202822
the future of human dna vaccines.dna vaccines have evolved greatly over the last 20 years since their invention, but have yet to become a competitive alternative to conventional protein or carbohydrate based human vaccines. whilst safety concerns were an initial barrier, the achilles heel of dna vaccines remains their poor immunogenicity when compared to protein vaccines. a wide variety of strategies have been developed to optimize dna vaccine immunogenicity, including codon optimization, genetic adjuvants, electroporation and ...201222981627
health assessment and seroepidemiologic survey of potential pathogens in wild antillean manatees (trichechus manatus manatus).the antillean manatee (trichechus manatus manatus), a subspecies of the west indian manatee, inhabits fresh, brackish, and warm coastal waters distributed along the eastern border of central america, the northern coast of south america, and throughout the wider caribbean region. threatened primarily by human encroachment, poaching, and habitat degradation, antillean manatees are listed as endangered by the international union for the conservation of nature. the impact of disease on population vi ...201222984521
genome signature difference between deinococcus radiodurans and thermus thermophilus.the extremely radioresistant bacteria of the genus deinococcus and the extremely thermophilic bacteria of the genus thermus belong to a common taxonomic group. considering the distinct living environments of deinococcus and thermus, different genes would have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer after their divergence from a common ancestor. their guanine-cytosine (gc) contents are similar; however, we hypothesized that their genomic signatures would be different. our findings indicate ...201222500246
structural analysis of the leptospiral sphingomyelinases: in silico and experimental evaluation of sph2 as an mg-dependent sphingomyelinase.leptospiral sphingomyelinases are candidate virulence factors present only in pathogenic leptospira spp. leptospira interrogans serovar lai encodes sph1, sph2, sph3, sph4 and sphh. except for sph4, they all possess the exo-endo-phosphatase domain that groups them under the dnase i superfamily.201222441407
efficacy of vaccination of cattle with the leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo type hardjoprajitno component of a pentavalent leptospira bacterin against experimental challenge with leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis.to evaluate the efficacy of vaccination with the leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo type hardjoprajitno component of a pentavalent leptospira bacterin against a virulent experimental challenge with leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis strain 203 in cattle.201222533408
exposure to selected pathogens in to selected pathogens in geoffroy's cats and domestic carnivores from central argentina.wild carnivores share a high percentage of parasites and viruses with closely related domestic carnivores. because of increased overlap and potential contact with domestic species, we conducted a retrospective serosurvey for 11 common carnivore pathogens in 40 geoffroy's cats (leopardus geoffroyi) sampled between 2000 and 2008 within or near two protected areas in central argentina (lihué calel national park, la pampa, and campos del tuyú national park, buenos aires), as well as five domestic ca ...201223060491
lsa30, a novel adhesin of leptospira interrogans binds human plasminogen and the complement regulator c4bp.pathogenic leptospira is the etiological agent of leptospirosis, a life-threatening disease that affects populations worldwide. surface proteins have the potential to promote several activities, including adhesion. this work aimed to study the leptospiral coding sequence (cds) lic11087, genome annotated as hypothetical outer membrane protein. the lic11087 gene was cloned and expressed in escherichia coli bl21 (de3) strain by using the expression vector pae. the recombinant protein tagged with n- ...201222732096
characterization of acetyl-coa and propionyl-coa carboxylases encoded by leptospira interrogans serovar lai: an initial biochemical study for leptospiral gluconeogenesis via anaplerotic co(2) assimilation.leptospira interrogans is the causative agent of leptospirosis. the in vitro growth of l. interrogans requires co(2) and a partial 3-hydroxypropionate pathway involving two acyl-coa carboxylases was suggested by genomic analysis to assimilate co(2). either set of the candidate genes heterologously co-expressed in escherichia coli was able to demonstrate both acetyl-coa carboxylase (acc) and propionyl-coa carboxylase (pcc) activities. the tri-subunit holoenzyme (la_2736-la_2735 and la_3803), alth ...201222710261
longitudinal serological survey and herd-level risk factors for leptospira spp. serovars hardjo-bovis and pomona on deer farms with sheep and/or beef cattle.to investigate the seroprevalence of leptospira spp. serovars hardjo-bovis and pomona on deer and mixed deer, sheep and/or beef cattle farms in the lower north island of new zealand and to examine associations between putative risk factors for seropositive deer herds.201222506918
prevalence of antibody to six leptospira servovars in swedish wild boars.zoonotic leptospira bacteria are pathogens that may increase in importance with climate change. we investigated the prevalence of antibody to six leptospira serovars (sv) in the swedish wild boar (sus scrofa) population, which is increasing in number and geographic distribution. the serovars we selected cause disease in pigs or may be of use as sentinel serovars to measure the potential spread in swedish fauna. in total, 386 serum samples from wild boars collected between 2005 and 2007 were inve ...201222493129
a comparative analysis of the attachment of leptospira interrogans and l. borgpetersenii to mammalian cells.leptospirosis, the world's most ubiquitous zoonosis, is caused by pathogenic leptospira. as microbe-host interactions are specific in pathogenesis, it is likely that there are several molecules mediating the attachment of the leptospira to mammalian cells. in this study, we analysed the attachment of leptospira interrogans serovar portlandvere and leptospira borgpetersenii serovar jules to untreated hep-2 cells or hep-2 cells treated with the various enzymes, lectins or sugars and to integrins α ...201222409511
rapid maldi-tof mass spectrometry identification of leptospira organisms.leptospirosis is a worldwide deadly zoonotic disease. accurate identification of the causative leptospira spp. spirochetes ascertains the pathogenic status of the isolates, identifies potential source of infection and recognises outbreaks. species identification is currently based on technically demanding, time and resources consuming serological and molecular methods. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (maldi-tof-ms) recently emerged as a first-line met ...201222386673
molecular characterization by lssp-pcr and dna sequencing of a pathogenic isolate of leptospira interrogans from brazil.we report the initial characterization of a leptospiral isolate, leptospira interrogans, serogroup sejroe, serovar hardjo, genotype hardjoprajitno, strain norma, and its relatedness with l. interrogans, serogroup sejroe, serovar hardjo, genotype hardjoprajitno, strain hardjo and leptospira borgpetersenii, serogroup sejroe, serovar hardjo, genotype hardjobovis, strain sponselee. the norma strain singled out during a leptospirosis outbreak in cattle immunized with antigens from the reference strai ...201223057087
molecular typing of leptospira interrogans strains isolated from rattus tanezumi in guizhou province, southwest of china.to identify and type three leptospires isolated from rattus tanezumi in guizhou province by using three molecular techniques (pfge, mlva, and mlst), reveal the molecular characteristic of causative agents of local leptospirosis and evaluate these three molecular methods based on their detection resolution and efficiency.201223122311
in vivo cell aggregations of a recent swine biofilm-forming isolate of leptospira interrogans strain from argentina.leptospirosis is a zoonosis of ubiquitous distribution caused by spirochetes. leptospires exist either as saprophytic water-associated organisms or as animal pathogens that can survive in water. previous works have demonstrated that both saprophytic and pathogenic leptospires are able to produce functional biofilms, which consist of a community of bacteria embedded in an extracellular matrix attached to a surface. this structure is believed to provide protection from environmental aggressiveness ...201223102459
leptospira interrogans shotgun phage display identified ligb as a heparin-binding protein.ligb is an adhesin from pathogenic leptospira that is able to bind to extracellular matrix and is considered a virulence factor. a shotgun phage display genomic library was constructed and used for panning against heparan sulfate proteoglycan (hspg). a phage clone encoding part of ligb protein was selected in panning experiments and showed specific binding to heparin. to validate the selected clone, fragments of ligb were produced as recombinant proteins and showed affinity to heparin and to mam ...201223044419
coiled to diffuse: brownian motion of a helical bacterium.we employ real-time three-dimensional confocal microscopy to follow the brownian motion of a fixed helically shaped leptospira interrogans (li) bacterium. we extract from our measurements the translational and the rotational diffusion coefficients of this bacterium. a simple theoretical model is suggested, perfectly reproducing the experimental diffusion coefficients, with no tunable parameters. an older theoretical model, where edge effects are neglected, dramatically underestimates the observe ...201222891749
a combined approach of vntr and mlst analysis: improving molecular typing of argentinean isolates of leptospira interrogans.leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease that has been identified as both a human and animal health problem worldwide. regular outbreaks associated with specific risk factors have been reported in argentina. however, there are no available data concerning the genetic population level for this pathogen. therefore, the aim of this work was to describe the genetic diversity of leptospira interrogans through the application of two molecular typing strategies: variable number of tandem repeats ...201222850955
reactivity of heat-stable leptospira antigenic preparation used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies in swine serum.serology plays an important role in laboratory diagnosis of leptospirosis. apart from the most often used microscopic agglutination test (mat), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) seems to be useful especially in screenings of animal herds. the elisa used for detection of antibodies against selected leptospira serogroups in swine serum samples was investigated during the study. an essential element of this test is heat-stable antigenic preparation from cultures of leptospira interrogans se ...201222708354
recovery of leptospires from miniature pigs experimentally infected with leptospira interrogans serovar manilae strain up-mmc under immunosuppressive conditions by dexamethasone.leptospira interrogans serovar manilae strain up-mmc was inoculated into miniature pigs to assess its pathogenicity. leptospires were recovered from the whole blood, kidneys, and livers in the acute phase without showing any clinical signs. under immunosuppressive conditions by dexamethasone, leptospires were recovered from the kidneys and their genes were detected from the urine in the chronic phase. these results indicate that leptospires persisted in the kidneys until the chronic phase, and e ...201222446397
induction of tnf-alfa and cxcl-2 mrnas in different organs of mice infected with pathogenic leptospira.the role of innate immune response in protection against leptospirosis is poorly understood. we examined the expression of the chemokine cxcl2/mip-2 and the cytokine tnf-α in experimental resistant and susceptible mice models, c3h/hej, c3h/hepas and balb/c strains, using a virulent strain of leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni. animals were infected intraperitoneally with 10(7) cells and the development of the disease was followed. mortality of c3h/hej mice was observed whereas c3h/hepas ...201222342618
the mammalian cell entry (mce) protein of pathogenic leptospira species is responsible for rgd motif-dependent infection of cells and animals.mammalian cell entry proteins (mces) contribute to mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence. a mce homologue has been identified in the leptospira interrogans genome, but its function was unknown. we showed that the mce gene is expressed only by pathogenic leptospira strains tested. leptospiral mce mrna and mce protein levels increased during infection of macrophages. the ability to infect macrophages was significantly lower in a strain with the mce gene deleted (mce(-) ). complementation of the mce ...201222329803
downregulation of the na/k-atpase pump by leptospiral glycolipoprotein activates the nlrp3 inflammasome.leptospira interrogans is responsible for a zoonotic disease known to induce severe kidney dysfunction and inflammation. in this work, we demonstrate that l. interrogans induces nlrp3 inflammasome-dependent secretion of il-1β through the alteration of potassium transport in bone marrow-derived macrophages. lysosome destabilization also contributed to the il-1β production upon stimulation with live, but not dead, bacteria. using bone marrow-derived macrophages from various tlrs and nucleotide-bin ...201222323544
comparison of two pcr methods for detection of leptospira interrogans in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues.in this study we compared two polymerase chain reaction (pcr) methods using either 16s ribosomal rna (rrna) or 23s rrna gene primers for the detection of different leptospira interrogans serovars. the performance of these two methods was assessed using dna extracted from bovine tissues previously inoculated with several bacterial suspensions. pcr was performed on the same tissues before and after the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedding procedure (ffpe tissues). the 23s rdna pcr detected all fresh ...201222310540
[preservation for vaccinal strains of leptospira at liquid nitrogen].leptospira interrogans strains of cuban vaccine vax-spiral are preserved in fletcher's semi-solid medium, which guarantees the preservation of the cell viability for a few months.201323431625
molecular and serological characterization of leptospira interrogans serovar canicola isolated from dogs, swine, and bovine in brazil.the identification of leptospira clinical isolates through genotyping and serotyping, besides the recognition of its reservoirs, are important tools for understanding the epidemiology of leptospirosis, and they are also keys for identifying new species and serovars. fourteen clinical isolates from animals were characterized by means of single enzyme amplified length polymorphism, variable number of tandem repeat analysis, pulsed field gel electrophoresis, and serotyping. all isolates were identi ...201322610538
synthesis, leptospirocidal activity and qsar analysis of novel quinoxaline derivatives.a simple and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of series of n-mannich bases of (e)-3- (phenylimino/4-chlorophenylimino)-2,3-dihydro-1-[(n-substituted piperazinyl) methyl]quinoxaline-2-(1h)-one 3a-f and 4a-f. the requisite 2a and 2b were obtained by reaction between quinoxaline-2,3-dione 1 and aniline/p-chloroaniline. these compounds underwent nmannich reaction with various substituted piperazines to yield (title compounds 3a-f and 4a-f respectively. structures of synthesized ...201322779788
temporal trends in bulk milk antibodies to salmonella, neospora caninum, and leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo in irish dairy herds.bulk milk samples were collected from 309 irish dairy herds at four time points during 2009 and tested for antibodies to salmonella spp., n. caninum, and l. hardjo, three abortifacient agents in irish dairy herds. of the 312 study herds, 49% vaccinated against salmonella and 76% vaccinated against l. hardjo. in unvaccinated herds, the overall prevalence of antibody positive herds was 49% for salmonella, 19% for n. caninum and 86% for l. hardjo. there was no association between both testing posit ...201323117041
molecular characterization, serotyping, and antibiotic susceptibility profile of leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni isolates from brazil.leptospira interrogans serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae is the major serogroup infecting humans worldwide, and rodents and dogs are the most significant transmission sources in urban environments. knowledge of the prevalent serovars and their maintenance hosts is essential to understand the epidemiology of leptospirosis. in this study, 20 leptospira isolates were evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge), variable number tandem-repeat analysis (vntr), serotyping, and determination of ant ...201324054736
molecular serovar characterization of leptospira isolates from animals and water in colombia.leptospirosis is a bacterial disease transmitted directly or indirectly from animals to humans that may result in severe hemorrhagic, hepatic/renal and pulmonary disease. there are 20 known leptospira species and hundreds of serovars, some of which belong to different species. it is essential to identify pathogenic leptospira serovars and their potential reservoirs to prepare adequate control strategies.201324652261
usefulness of real-time pcr assay targeting lipl32 gene for diagnosis of human leptospirosis in uruguay.assays based on dna amplification can provide information that contributes to the initial management of patients with leptospirosis. however, these have not been adopted in uruguay. our aim was to evaluate the performance of the lipl32 real-time pcr (qpcr) for diagnosis of leptospirosis.201324334940
evaluation of the elastinolytic activity and protective effect of leptallo i, a protein composed by metalloprotease and fa5/8c domains, from leptospira interrogans copenhageni.leptospirosis is a re-emergent zoonosis, caused by pathogenic spirochetes from the genus lepstospira. to date, there is no protein described to be involved in leptospiral hemorrhagic manifestations, although several proteases have been reported for other bacterial infections. in this study we identified 12 putative metalloproteases from the genome of leptospira interrogans, and characterized for the first time a putative metalloprotease, here named leptallo i, as a potential zn(2+) dependent gly ...201323665291
[prokaryotic expression of leptospira interrogans groel gene and immunoprotection of its products in hamsters].to construct a prokaryotic expression system of groel gene of leptospira interrogans serogroup icterohaemorrhagia serovar lai strain lai, and to determine the immunoprotective effect of recombinant groel protein (rgroel) in lvg hamsters.201323585002
[expression changes of major outer membrane protein antigens in leptospira interrogans during infection and its mechanism].to determine expression changes of major outer membrane protein(omp) antigens of leptospira interrogans serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae serovar lai strain lai during infection of human macrophages and its mechanism.201323585001
detection of reactive canines to leptospira in campeche city, mexico.leptospira reactivity in stray and household dogs in campeche as well as associated risk factors to the seropositivity in household dogs have been herein determined. the survey included 323 dogs, 142 of which were stray dogs and 181 household dogs. nine leptospira interrogans serovars were tested by the microagglutination test. reactivity was 21.3 % (69/323), 17.2 % corresponded to household dogs and 26.7 % to stray dogs. leptospira canicola (29 %), leptospira hardjo (22.58 %), and leptospira ic ...201323560786
p53 signalling controls cell cycle arrest and caspase-independent apoptosis in macrophages infected with pathogenic leptospira species.pathogenic leptospira species, the causative agents of leptospirosis, have been shown to induce macrophage apoptosis through caspase-independent, mitochondrion-related apoptosis inducing factor (aif) and endonuclease g (endog), but the signalling pathway leading to aif/endog-based macrophage apoptosis remains unknown. here we show that infection of leptospira interrogans caused a rapid increase in reactive oxygen species (ros), dna damage, and intranuclear foci of 53bp1 and phosphorylation of h2 ...201323521874
molecular characterization of virulent leptospira interrogans serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae isolated from cavia aperea.leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic infection caused by pathogenic leptospira. synanthropic rodents are recognized carriers of leptospires; however, the role of wild rodents in the epidemiology of the disease is still incipient. in this work, we describe leptospira strain isolated from cavia aperea (brazilian guinea pig). the isolated strain was characterized by partial rpob gene sequencing, variable-number tandem-repeats and histopathological analysis. the strain was identified as leptospira ...201323435256
asymptomatic and chronic carriage of leptospira interrogans serovar pomona in california sea lions (zalophus californianus).since 1970, periodic outbreaks of leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic spirochetes in the genus leptospira, have caused morbidity and mortality of california sea lions (zalophus californianus) along the pacific coast of north america. yearly seasonal epizootics of varying magnitude occur between the months of july and december, with major epizootics occurring every 3-5 years. genetic and serological data suggest that leptospira interrogans serovar pomona is the infecting serovar and is enzootic i ...201323419822
[renal manifestations of leptospirosis: 88 cases].this prospective study analyzes 173 patients, hospitalized between january 1, 2005, and december 31, 2008, for serologically confirmed leptospirosis. it describes the renal, clinical and laboratory manifestations in 88 (50.8%) of these cases. acute kidney failure was frequent in this group (68 cases = 77.3%). kidney damage was one of the multiple organs affected, with infection and hepatic and hemorrhagic signs predominant.201324001652
[leptospirosis epidemic: 48 cases].the epidemic reported here took place from november 30, 2006, through january 3, 2007, in a rural area of tala-athmane and led to the hospitalization of 48 patients with leptospirosis. it was due to the proximity of homes to two uncontrolled garbage dumps invaded by rodents. all 48 hospitalized cases were confirmed serologically, and more than 60% were serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae. more than 14.5% of the patients were contaminated during occupational exposure. the authors describe the clinical ...201324001651
development of leptospira in vitro potency assays: eu/industry experience and perspectives.nobivac® lepto (msd animal health) is a non-adjuvanted canine leptospirosis vaccine containing inactivated whole cells of leptospira interrogans serogroup canicola serovar portlandvere and l. interrogans serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae serovar copenhageni. the current standard in vivo potency test is a hamster challenge test associated with major drawbacks such as animal suffering and poor reproducibility. here, the quantification of antigenic mass by elisa as a new in vitro potency test is descri ...201323867758
leptospirosis in fox squirrels (sciurus niger) of larimer county, colorado, usa.leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium leptospira interrogans. the organism is typically maintained within a geographic region by colonizing renal tubules of carrier animals and shed into the environment in urine. we assessed whether l. interrogans was present in fox squirrels (sciurus niger) in larimer county, colorado, usa, and whether it is associated with disease. twenty-two squirrels were trapped from 29 november 2011 to 15 december 2011 for use in an unrelated study. t ...201323778614
haemoglobin and red cell counts in leptospirosis patients infected with different serovars.the aim of the study was to compare haemoglobin and red cell counts between patients known to be infected with a range of leptospiral serovars.201323740067
chemogenomics profiling of drug targets of peptidoglycan biosynthesis pathway in leptospira interrogans by virtual screening approaches.leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis of global concern caused by leptospira interrogans. the availability of ligand libraries has facilitated the search for novel drug targets using chemogenomics approaches, compared with the traditional method of drug discovery, which is time consuming and yields few leads with little intracellular information for guiding target selection. recent subtractive genomics studies have revealed the putative drug targets in peptidoglycan biosynthesis pathways in lept ...201323676922
first isolation of leptospira interrogans from lycalopex griseus (south american gray fox) in argentina shows new mlva genotype.to identify carriers of leptospira spp. in argentina, wild animals were trapped in buenos aires province during three nights, capturing 12 didelphis albiventris (white-eared opossum), six chaetophractus villosus (big hairy armadillo), five lycalopex griseus (south american gray fox), and two conepatus chinga (molina's hog-nosed skunk). all were tested by microscopic agglutination test, and five (two gray foxes, two armadillos, and one skunk) were positive for leptospira interrogans serovars cani ...201323307384
in vivo gene expression and immunoreactivity of leptospira collagenase.pulmonary hemorrhage is an increasing cause of death of leptospirosis patients. bacterial collagenase has been shown to be involved in lung hemorrhage induced by various infectious agents. according to leptospira whole genome study, cola, a gene suggested to code for bacterial collagenase has been identified. we investigated cola gene expression in lung tissues of leptospira infected hamsters. golden syrian hamsters were injected intraperitoneally with leptospira interrogans serovar pyrogenes. t ...201323305770
effect of osmolarity and viscosity on the motility of pathogenic and saprophytic leptospira.the motility of bacteria is an important factor in their infectivity. in this study, the motility of leptospira, a member of the spirochete family that causes a zoonotic disease known as leptospirosis, was analyzed in different viscous or osmotic conditions. motility assays revealed that both pathogenic and saprophytic strains increase their swimming speeds with increasing viscosity. however, only pathogenic leptospira interrogans maintained vigorous motility near physiological osmotic condition ...201323278547
cluster of leptospirosis cases among military personnel in rio de janeiro, brazil.we report two cases of leptospirosis in military personnel in southeastern brazil. the cases were hospitalized following field training exercises, and presented with acute meningoencephalitis, respiratory illnesses, and skin rash. leptospira interrogans serovars icterohaemorrhagiae, hebdomadis, patoc, and cynopteri were identified in the cases by microscopic agglutination test and pcr.201323195639
leptospira interrogans survey by pcr in wild rodents coming from different urban areas of palermo, italy.dna extracted from the kidneys of rodents captured in different urban areas of palermo, italy, had been analysed for the presence of pathogenic l. interrogans sensu latu dna. pcr analysis had shown that in rodents captured close to green areas and small river up to 40 % animals give positive pcr results. not many cases of human leptospirosis are reported in sicilian island in which hot season is usually dry. but considering climate change toward subtropical aspect in sicily, with hot humid summe ...201323427420
a serological survey of leptospiral antibodies in dogs in new zealand.to investigate the prevalence of titres to four endemic leptospiral serovars in dog sera from the lower half of the north island, and the south island of new zealand submitted to diagnostic laboratories, and to explore the association between the prevalence of seropositive samples to leptospirosis and breed group, age group and sex.201323013160
expansion of the in vitro assay for leptospira potency testing to other serovars: case study with leptospira hardjo.evaluation of leptospiral vaccines for potency against leptospira interrogans serovars pomona, icterohaemorrhagiae, canicola, and grippotyphosa is accomplished using the hamster potency test method described in 9 cfr 113.101-104. applicability of this method to evaluation of bacterins developed for immunization against infection with l. interrogans serovar hardjo or leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo is complicated by several issues. information from research on target host animal efficacy ...201323838569
identification of epitopes in leptospira borgpetersenii leucine-rich repeat proteins.leptospirosis is considered to be a re-emerging disease that has impacts on public health both globally and in and thailand. the leptospires outbreak in thailand during 1999 was largely due to the etiologic agent leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup sejroe. this had a related immunity profile in cows from thailand, which serovars tarassovi and sejroe were prevalent. development of a vaccine protecting against leptospiral infection in livestock has been considered. one family of proteins being tar ...201323201041
characterization of a bifunctional enzyme with (p)ppgpp-hydrolase/synthase activity in leptospira interrogans.alarmone guanosine 5'-diphosphate (or 5'-triphosphate) 3'-diphosphate [(p)ppgpp] is the key component that globally regulates stringent control in bacteria. there are two homologous enzymes, rela and spot in escherichia coli, which are responsible for fluctuations in (p)ppgpp concentration inside the cell, whereas there exists only a single rela/spot enzyme in gram-positive bacteria. we have identified a bifunctional enzyme with (p)ppgpp-hydrolase/synthase activity in leptospira interrogans. we ...201324111633
genetic and molecular biological characterization of two homologous cher genes from leptospira interrogans.the leptospira interrogans genome encodes two copies of cher genes and each of them is able to complement for the swarming defective phenotype of escherichia coli cher null mutant rp1254 to certain extent, while over-expression of either of them inhibits the swarming of the chemotactic wild-type e. coli strain, rp437. therefore, both cher1 and cher2 ought to bear the methyltransferase activities, although cher1 has only one instead of two conserved basic amino acid residues located on the positi ...201323934012
adhesin activity of leptospira interrogans lipoprotein identified by in vivo and in vitro shotgun phage display.leptospira interrogans causes leptospirosis, one of the most common zoonotic diseases in the world. this pathogenic spirochete is able to bind to extracellular matrix, to express virulent factors and to cause host death. until now, there is no effective human vaccine for the disease. shotgun phage display genomic libraries of l. interrogans were constructed and used for in vivo biopanning in hamsters and screened for ligands able to bind to llc-pk1 epithelial cells. in both panning procedures, c ...201323291183
characterization of lic11207, a novel leptospiral protein that is recognized by human convalescent sera and prevents apoptosis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.we report the study of a predicted outer-membrane leptospiral protein encoded by the gene lic11207. this protein is conserved in several pathogenic leptospiral strains but is absent in the saprophyte leptospira biflexa. this putative outer-membrane protein has a domain of unknown function (duf) 1565 found in several phylogenetically diverse bacteria and in the archaeon methanosarcina acetivorans. the gene was cloned and expressed in escherichia coli bl21 (si) strain using the expression vector p ...201323092690
a survey of rodent-borne pathogens carried by wild rattus spp. in northern vietnam.to examine the prevalence of human pathogens carried by rats in urban areas in hanoi and hai phong, vietnam, we live-trapped 100 rats in january 2011 and screened them for a panel of bacteria and viruses. antibodies against leptospira interrogans (22·0%), seoul virus (14·0%) and rat hepatitis e virus (23·0%) were detected in rats, but antibodies against yersinia pestis were not detected. antibodies against l. interrogans and seoul virus were found only in adult rats. in contrast, antibodies to r ...201323114204
the ompa family of proteins: roles in bacterial pathogenesis and immunity.the ompa family of outer membrane proteins is a group of genetically related, heat-modifiable, surface-exposed, porin proteins that are in high-copy number in the outer membrane of mainly gram-negative bacteria. ompa proteins are characterized by an n-terminal domain that forms an eight-stranded, anti-parallel β barrel, which is embedded in the outer membrane. the c-terminal domain is globular and located in the periplasmic space. escherichia coli ompa is the best characterized of the proteins. ...201322986056
in vitro assessment of functional properties of lactic acid bacteria isolated from faecal microbiota of healthy dogs for potential use as probiotics.lactic acid bacteria were isolated and identified in the faeces of chinese crested and yorkshire terrier pups and their probiotic features were investigated in vitro. thirty seven isolates were identified as lactobacillus or enterococcus. out of these isolates, 31 were lactic acid bacteria (lab) and belonged to the species lactobacillus reuteri (16/37; 43.3%), lactobacillus animalis (7/37; 18.9%), lactobacillus acidophilus (3/37; 8.1%), lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (2/37; 5.4%), lactobacillus ...201323538205
contribution of leptospira, neospora caninum and bovine viral diarrhea virus to fetal loss of beef cattle in new zealand.the profitability of beef breeding farms in new zealand depends principally on optimal reproductive performance. the aim of this study was to estimate the impact of four major pathogens, bovine viral diarrhea virus (bvdv), neospora caninum (n. caninum), leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo (hardjo), and leptospira interrogans serovar pomona (pomona), on rates of fetal loss in commercial beef breeding herds. farms reporting fetal loss were recruited, and a blood sample from aborting cows (cas ...201323932894
rats, cities, people, and pathogens: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of literature regarding the ecology of rat-associated zoonoses in urban centers.urban norway and black rats (rattus norvegicus and rattus rattus) are the source of a number of pathogens responsible for significant human morbidity and mortality in cities around the world. these pathogens include zoonotic bacteria (leptospira interrogans, yersina pestis, rickettsia typhi, bartonella spp., streptobacillus moniliformis), viruses (seoul hantavirus), and parasites (angiostrongylus cantonensis). a more complete understanding of the ecology of these pathogens in people and rats is ...201323590323
a review of pig pathology in tanzania.the approximately 1.58 million pigs in tanzania represent 3.7% of the national population of quadruped meat-producing animals. pigs are kept mainly by small producers who own 99.5% of the national stock in units that average 3.04 animals (range 2-48). government policy has had little practical application. african swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and cysticercosis are important diseases. the first two are notifiable diseases under tanzania legislation; the last has widespread distribution and ...201323733144
evolutionary history of the plant pathogenic bacterium xanthomonas axonopodis.deciphering mechanisms shaping bacterial diversity should help to build tools to predict the emergence of infectious diseases. xanthomonads are plant pathogenic bacteria found worldwide. xanthomonas axonopodis is a genetically heterogeneous species clustering, into six groups, strains that are collectively pathogenic on a large number of plants. however, each strain displays a narrow host range. we address the question of the nature of the evolutionary processes--geographical and ecological spec ...201323505513
toll-like receptors as therapeutic targets for autoimmune connective tissue diseases.autoimmune connective tissue diseases (actds) are a family of consistent systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus (sle), rheumatoid arthritis (ra), systemic sclerosis (ssc) and sjögren's syndrome (ss). il-1r-like receptors (tlrs) are located on various cellular membranes and sense exogenous and endogenous danger-associated molecular patterns (damps) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (pamps), playing a critical role in innate immune responses. du ...201323531543
automated target segmentation and real space fast alignment methods for high-throughput classification and averaging of crowded cryo-electron subtomograms.cryo-electron tomography allows the imaging of macromolecular complexes in near living conditions. to enhance the nominal resolution of a structure it is necessary to align and average individual subtomograms each containing identical complexes. however, if the sample of complexes is heterogeneous, it is necessary to first classify subtomograms into groups of identical complexes. this task becomes challenging when tomograms contain mixtures of unknown complexes extracted from a crowded environme ...201323812994
ecology of leptospira interrogans in norway rats (rattus norvegicus) in an inner-city neighborhood of vancouver, canada.leptospira interrogans is a bacterial zoonosis with a worldwide distribution for which rats (rattus spp.) are the primary reservoir in urban settings. in order to assess, monitor, and mitigate the risk to humans, it is important to understand the ecology of this pathogen in rats. the objective of this study was to characterize the ecology of l. interrogans in norway rats (rattus norvegicus) in an impoverished inner-city neighborhood of vancouver, canada.201323818996
leptospirosis in the republic of korea: historical perspectives, current status and future challenges.leptospirosis is an important public health problem in the republic of korea (rok), occurring sporadically or in outbreaks during the autumn season. wild rodents, apodemus agrarius, have been mainly involved in human leptospirosis. the majority of carrier animals are infected with leptospira interrogans serovar lai. the characteristic pulmonary involvement or hemorrhage may increase the clinical severity or result in fatal outcomes, and these aspects continue to be a threat to people in endemic ...201324265962
comparative analysis of leptospira strains isolated from environmental soil and water in the philippines and japan.there have been few reports on the epidemiological analysis of environmental leptospira isolates. this is probably because the isolation of leptospires from the environment was usually unsuccessful due to the overgrowth of contaminants and the slow growth of leptospira. in this study, we collected a total of 88 samples of soil and water from three sites: metro manila and nueva ecija, philippines (an area where leptospira is now endemic), and fukuoka, japan (an area where leptospira was once ende ...201323144130
risk factors and predictors of severe leptospirosis in new caledonia.leptospirosis is a major public health concern in new caledonia (nc) and in other tropical countries. severe manifestations of the disease are estimated to occur in 5-15% of all human infections worldwide and factors associated with these forms are poorly understood. our objectives were to identify risk factors and predictors of severe forms of leptospirosis in adults.201323326614
solution structure of the big domain from streptococcus pneumoniae reveals a novel ca2+-binding module.streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogen causing acute respiratory infection, otitis media and some other severe diseases in human. in this study, the solution structure of a bacterial immunoglobulin-like (big) domain from a putative s. pneumoniae surface protein sp0498 was determined by nmr spectroscopy. sp0498 big domain adopts an eight-β-strand barrel-like fold, which is different in some aspects from the two-sheet sandwich-like fold of the canonical ig-like domains. intriguingly, we identified ...201323326635
statistical approach to protein quantification.a major goal in proteomics is the comprehensive and accurate description of a proteome. this task includes not only the identification of proteins in a sample, but also the accurate quantification of their abundance. although mass spectrometry typically provides information on peptide identity and abundance in a sample, it does not directly measure the concentration of the corresponding proteins. specifically, most mass-spectrometry-based approaches (e.g. shotgun proteomics or selected reaction ...201324255132
statistical approach to protein quantification.a major goal in proteomics is the comprehensive and accurate description of a proteome. this task includes not only the identification of proteins in a sample, but also the accurate quantification of their abundance. although mass spectrometry typically provides information on peptide identity and abundance in a sample, it does not directly measure the concentration of the corresponding proteins. specifically, most mass-spectrometry-based approaches (e.g. shotgun proteomics or selected reaction ...201324255132
targeting toll-like receptors: promising therapeutic strategies for the management of sepsis-associated pathology and infectious diseases.toll-like receptors (tlrs) are pattern recognition receptors playing a fundamental role in sensing microbial invasion and initiating innate and adaptive immune responses. tlrs are also triggered by danger signals released by injured or stressed cells during sepsis. here we focus on studies developing tlr agonists and antagonists for the treatment of infectious diseases and sepsis. positioned at the cell surface, tlr4 is essential for sensing lipopolysaccharide of gram-negative bacteria, tlr2 is ...201324302927
ceg: a database of essential gene clusters.essential genes are indispensable for the survival of living entities. they are the cornerstones of synthetic biology, and are potential candidate targets for antimicrobial and vaccine design.201324209780
cloning and sequence analysis of lipl32, a surface-exposed lipoprotein of pathogenic leptospira spp.leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by pathogenic leptospira species. a major challenge of this disease is the application of basic research to improve diagnostic methods and related vaccine development. outer membrane proteins of leptospira are potential candidates that may be useful as diagnostic or immunogenic factors in treatment and analysis of the disease.201324719688
identification of seroreactive proteins of leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni using a high-density protein microarray approach.leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease worldwide. the lack of an adequate laboratory test is a major barrier for diagnosis, especially during the early stages of illness, when antibiotic therapy is most effective. therefore, there is a critical need for an efficient diagnostic test for this life threatening disease.201324147173
discovery of a camp deaminase that quenches cyclic amp-dependent regulation.an enzyme of unknown function within the amidohydrolase superfamily was discovered to catalyze the hydrolysis of the universal second messenger, cyclic-3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (camp). the enzyme, which we have named cadd, is encoded by the human pathogenic bacterium leptospira interrogans. although cadd is annotated as an adenosine deaminase, the protein specifically deaminates camp to cyclic-3',5'-inosine monophosphate (cimp) with a kcat/km of 2.7 ± 0.4 × 10(5) m(-1) s(-1) and has no acti ...201324074367
identification of leptospira interrogans phospholipase c as a novel virulence factor responsible for intracellular free calcium ion elevation during macrophage death.leptospira-induced macrophage death has been confirmed to play a crucial role in pathogenesis of leptospirosis, a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease. intracellular free ca(2+) concentration ([ca(2+)]i) elevation induced by infection can cause cell death, but [ca(2+)]i changes and high [ca(2+)]i-induced death of macrophages due to infection of leptospira have not been previously reported.201324124502
androgenic anabolic steroid, cocaine and amphetamine abuse and adverse cardiovascular effects.anabolic-androgenic steroids (aas), a synthetic derivate of testosterone, have become a popular drug among athletes and bodybuilders to enhance muscle mass and improve the athletic performance. many pathological effects such as hepatic and endocrine dysfunction, behavioural changes and cardiovascular complications have been reported.201324719633
leptospiral lrua is required for virulence and modulates an interaction with mammalian apolipoprotein ai.leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by spirochetes of the genus leptospira. while understanding of pathogenesis remains limited, the development of mutagenesis in leptospira has provided a powerful tool for identifying novel virulence factors. lrua is a lipoprotein that has been implicated in leptospiral uveitis as a target of the immune response. in this study, two lrua mutants, m754 and m765, generated by transposon mutagenesis from leptospira interrogans serovar manilae, were charact ...201323918777
extracellular proteome analysis of leptospira interrogans serovar lai.abstract leptospirosis is one of the most important zoonoses. leptospira interrogans serovar lai is a pathogenic spirochete that is responsible for leptospirosis. extracellular proteins play an important role in the pathogenicity of this bacterium. in this study, l. interrogans serovar lai was grown in protein-free medium; the supernatant was collected and subsequently analyzed as the extracellular proteome. a total of 66 proteins with more than two unique peptides were detected by ms/ms, and 33 ...201323895271
a 26-year-old man with a blind spot in his left eye. 201324453936
cytokine response signatures in disease progression and development of severe clinical outcomes for leptospirosis.the role of the immune response in influencing leptospirosis clinical outcomes is not yet well understood. we hypothesized that acute-phase serum cytokine responses may play a role in disease progression, risk for death, and severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome (sphs).201324069500
haemorrhagic pneumonia in sled dogs caused by streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus - one fatality and two full recoveries: a case report.in spite of yearly vaccination, outbreaks of canine infectious respiratory disease are periodically seen amongst domestic dogs. these infections compromise host defense mechanisms, and, when combined with other stressful events, allow opportunistic pathogens like streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus to create serious disease. early recognition and treatment are tremendously important for a successful outcome in these cases. a polyvalent vaccine was given to 22 racing dogs three days after a c ...201324020788
prevalence of antibodies against leptospira sp. in snakes, lizards and turtles in slovenia.leptospiral infections in poikilothermic (cold blooded) animals have received very little attention and the literature concerning natural infections of these animals is limited. the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of leptospiral antibodies in reptiles, imported into slovenia and intended to be pets in close contact with humans. a total of 297 reptiles (22 snakes, 210 lizards and 65 turtles) were tested for specific antibodies against serovars of leptospira interrogans sensu str ...201324020619
use of staged molecular analysis to determine causes of unexplained central nervous system infections.no agent is implicated in most central nervous system (cns) infections. to investigate cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with cns infections of unknown cause in 1 hospital in taiwan, we used a staged molecular approach, incorporating techniques including multiplex masstag pcr, 16s rrna pcr, dna microarray, and high-throughput pyrosequencing. we determined the infectious agent for 31 (24%) of 131 previously negative samples. candidate pathogens were identified for 25 (27%) of 94 unexplain ...201323965845
characterization of streptococcal platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase variants that are involved in innate immune evasion.human pathogen group a streptococcus (gas) has developed mechanisms to subvert innate immunity. we recently reported that the secreted esterase produced by serotype m1 gas (sse(m1)) reduces neutrophil recruitment by targeting platelet-activating factor (paf). sse(m1) and sse produced by serotype m28 gas (sse(m28)) have a 37% sequence difference. this study aims at determining whether sse(m28) is also a paf acetylhydrolase and participates in innate immune evasion. we also examined whether sse ev ...201323774595
bench-to-bedside review: platelets and active immune functions - new clues for immunopathology?platelets display a number of properties besides the crucial function of repairing damaged vascular endothelium and stopping bleeding; these are exploited to benefit patients receiving platelet component transfusions, which might categorize them as innate immune cells. for example, platelets specialize in pro-inflammatory activities, and can secrete a large number of molecules, many of which display biological response modifier functions. platelets also express receptors for non-self-infectious ...201323998653
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