Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted descending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| [study on the tcr vbeta binding sites in the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin d]. | to study tcr vbeta binding sites of staphylococcal enterotoxin d(sed). | 2004 | 15555455 |
| reduced content of lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol in the cytoplasmic membrane affects susceptibility to moenomycin, as well as vancomycin, gentamicin, and antimicrobial peptides, in staphylococcus aureus. | an association between moenomycin resistance and vancomycin intermediate resistance in staphylococcus aureus was demonstrated previously. thus, to elucidate the mechanism of vancomycin intermediate resistance, we searched for factors contributing to moenomycin resistance. random tn551 insertional mutagenesis of methicillin-resistant s. aureus strain col yielded three mutants with decreased susceptibilities to moenomycin. correspondingly, these mutants also exhibited slightly decreased susceptibi ... | 2004 | 15561859 |
| different staphylococcal strains elicit different levels of production of t-helper 1-inducing cytokines. | cytokine production has been implicated in the pathogenic mechanisms of infections caused by the staphylococci, since these bacteria may act as strong cytokine inducers. to gain deeper insight into the th1 immune response activated by these bacteria, we have analyzed the interferon (ifn), interleukin-12 (il-12) and il-18-inducing activities of different staphylococcus aureus (s. aureus), s. epidermidis and s. saprophyticus strains in human monocytes and murine bone marrow macrophages. a large ma ... | 2004 | 15571076 |
| in vivo comparison of dhvar-5 and gentamicin in an mrsa osteomyelitis prevention model. | the continued rise in drug-resistant pathogens has led to global research efforts into new antimicrobial agents. a promising class of new agents are the antimicrobial peptides. the aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of the antimicrobial peptide dhvar-5 in a prophylactic, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) osteomyelitis model. | 2004 | 15537700 |
| lack of association between toll-like receptor 2 polymorphisms and susceptibility to severe disease caused by staphylococcus aureus. | to investigate a putative link between genetically determined variations in toll-like receptor 2 (tlr2) and the occurrence of severe staphylococcus aureus infection, the functional arg753gln single-nucleotide polymorphism and the gt repeat microsatellite in the tlr2 gene were examined in a large case-control study. no associations with disease or mortality attributable to these features were found. | 2004 | 15539529 |
| pathogen-induced apoptotic neutrophils express heat shock proteins and elicit activation of human macrophages. | ingestion of aged or irradiated apoptotic neutrophils actively suppresses stimulation of macrophages (mphi). many bacterial pathogens can also provoke apoptosis in neutrophils, but little is known about how such apoptotic cells influence mphi activation. we found that neutrophils undergoing apoptosis induced by uv irradiation, escherichia coli, or staphylococcus aureus could either stimulate or inhibit mphi activation. in contrast to mphi that had ingested irradiated apoptotic neutrophils, mphi ... | 2004 | 15528371 |
| staphylococcus aureus and lipopolysaccharide induce homologous tolerance but heterologous priming: role of interferon-gamma. | lipopolysaccharide (lps), the gram-negative bacterial cell wall component, induces tolerance to a secondary challenge of lps in macrophages (mphi) as evidenced by reduced inflammatory mediator production. however, it is uncertain if heat-killed (hk) gram-positive bacteria staphylococcus aureus (sa) can induce a similar tolerance and alter responses to lps. we hypothesized that hksa induces homologous tolerance and cross tolerance to lps stimulation in human promonocytic thp-1 cells. we measured ... | 2004 | 14770039 |
| three-color flow cytometry detection of virus-specific cd4+ and cd8+ t cells in the cat. | we describe a three-color flow cytometry assay for the detection of virus-specific cd4+ and cd8+ t cells in the cat. the assay is based upon detection of intracellular tnfalpha using the cross-reactive mab 6401.1111, raised against the human cytokine. allophycocyanin-conjugated mab 6401.1111 specifically stained feline tnfalpha-producing murine cells and also staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin b-stimulated feline t cells, thus providing formal evidence for cross-reactivity. by using the anti-tnfa ... | 2004 | 14871533 |
| the effects of shortening lactoferrin derived peptides against tumour cells, bacteria and normal human cells. | a number of shortened derivatives of the lactoferrin model peptide l12, pawrkafrwakrmlkkaa, were designed in order to elucidate the structural basis for antitumour activity of lactoferrin derivatives. three tumour cell lines were included in the study and toxicity determined by measuring lysis of human red blood cells and fibroblasts. the results demonstrated a strong correlation between antitumour activity and net positive charge, in which a net charge close to +7 was essential for a high antit ... | 2004 | 14959890 |
| organ injury and cytokine release caused by peptidoglycan are dependent on the structural integrity of the glycan chain. | several studies have implicated a role of peptidoglycan (pepg) as a pathogenicity factor in sepsis and organ injury, in part by initiating the release of inflammatory mediators. we wanted to elucidate the structural requirements of pepg to trigger inflammatory responses and organ injury. injection of native pepg into anesthetized rats caused moderate but significant increases in the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and bilirubin (markers ... | 2004 | 14977933 |
| heterozygous toll-like receptor 2 polymorphism does not affect lipoteichoic acid-induced chemokine and inflammatory responses. | while transfection of tlr2 conveyed responsiveness to lipoteichoic acid (lta), the arg753gln polymorphic gene could not. lta induced a stronger chemokine and anti-inflammatory response than lipopolysaccharides did. blood from heterozygous polymorphic and wild-type donors reacted uniformly to lta and staphylococcus aureus. thus, one functional allele for toll-like receptor 2 suffices for full cytokine response. | 2004 | 14977997 |
| isda of staphylococcus aureus is a broad spectrum, iron-regulated adhesin. | as an important facet of host-pathogen interaction, staphylococcus aureus has the ability to adhere to human extracellular matrix (ecm) components via a range of surface proteins. here we have shown that isda has broad-spectrum ligand-binding activity, including fibrinogen and fibronectin. mapping studies revealed a distinct domain responsible for ligand binding. this domain is present in a number of iron-regulated proteins of s. aureus and in other gram-positive organisms. the isda gene is only ... | 2004 | 14982642 |
| chemotaxis inhibitory protein of staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial antiinflammatory agent. | leukocyte migration is a key event both in host defense against invading pathogens as well as in inflammation. bacteria generate chemoattractants primarily by excretion (formylated peptides), complement activation (c5a), and subsequently through activation of leukocytes (e.g., leukotriene b4, platelet-activating factor, and interleukin 8). here we describe a new protein secreted by staphylococcus aureus that specifically impairs the response of neutrophils and monocytes to formylated peptides an ... | 2004 | 14993252 |
| differences in potency of intravenous polyspecific immunoglobulin g against streptococcal and staphylococcal superantigens: implications for therapy of toxic shock syndrome. | administration of intravenous polyspecific immunoglobulin g (ivig) has been proposed as adjunctive therapy for toxic shock syndrome caused by streptococcus pyogenes or staphylococcus aureus. we investigated whether superantigen-containing culture supernatants prepared from streptococcal isolates (n=21) and staphylococcal isolates (n=20) from cases of severe sepsis were inhibited to an equal extent by ivig in proliferation experiments that used human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. all 3 ivig ... | 2004 | 14999628 |
| [antistaphylococcal activity of the complex of natural cytokines]. | the in vitro study of the action of the complex of natural cytokines (cnc), or preparation superlymph, on different microbial test strains (staphylococcus aureus, escherichia coli, yeast-like fungi of the genus candida) was carried out. cnc suppressed the growth of s. aureus test culture, depending on the concentration of the preparation. the inhibiting effect was observed in the presence of ca and mg bivalent cations in the medium. under the chosen conditions of the experiment cnc did not inhib ... | 2004 | 15024983 |
| effects of the macrolide antibiotic, midecamycin, on staphylococcus aureus product-induced th2 cytokine response in patients with atopic dermatitis. | in the present study, the effects of the macrolide antibiotic, midecamycin (mdm), on the th2 cytokine response induced by the staphylococcus aureus products, staphylococcal enterotoxin b (seb), lipoteichoic acid (lta), and peptidoglycan (peg), was investigated in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmcs) from patients with atopic dermatitis (ad). mdm inhibited seb-induced mrna expression of the th2 cytokines interleukin-4 (il-4) and il-5 in pbmcs from patients with ad. furthermore, mdm al ... | 2004 | 15035853 |
| inhibitory effects of caesalpinia sappan on growth and invasion of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. | in the present study, we investigated antimicrobial activity of caesalpinia sappan against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) and effect of caesalpinia sappan extract on the invasion of mrsa to human mucosal fibroblasts (hmfs). chloroform, n-butanol, methanol, and aqueous extracts of the caesalpinia sappan showed antimicrobial activity against standard methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus (mssa) as well as mrsa. methanol extract of caesalpinia sappan d ... | 2004 | 15036473 |
| potent and selective inhibitors of bacterial methionyl trna synthetase derived from an oxazolone-dipeptide scaffold. | the preparation and structure-activity relationships (sars) of potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of bacterial methionyl-trna synthetase (metrs) derived from an oxazolone-dipeptide scaffold are described. examples combine staphylococcus aureus metrs (sametrs) potency with selectivity over human metrs. as a result of the sar expansion compound 14a was identified, as a potent sametrs inhibitor (ic(50)=18 nm) having moderate inhibition of metrs derived from enterococci faecalis (ic(50)= ... | 2004 | 15050625 |
| the role of b cell cd22 expression in staphylococcus aureus arthritis and sepsis. | severe staphylococcus aureus infections give rise to a pronounced antigen-specific and polyclonal b cell response with elevated serum immunoglobulin levels. however, it has been difficult to correlate the antibody levels with the clinical outcome of sepsis and/or arthritis concerning both protection and pathogenic aspects. earlier studies have shown that macrophages and neutrophils are of great importance for bacterial clearance. however, deletion of the complete b cell compartment affected neit ... | 2004 | 15050965 |
| subdural empyema and cerebellar abscess due to chronic otitis media. | the infratentorial variety of the subdural empyema, with or without coexisting cerebellar abscess, is a rare clinical entity that carries a high mortality rate. we briefly describe the case of a 49-year-old man presented with severe debility, fever and an obviously neglected chronic otitis media. the patient had refused surgical treatment several months ago. after admission, his level of consciousness began to deteriorate, and the radiological studies showed infratentorial subdural suppuration e ... | 2004 | 15055872 |
| characterization of two proteins of staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine clinical mastitis with homology to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. | staphylococcus aureus is the most common causative agent of bovine mastitis and vaccines developed to control this disease showed limited protection due in part to the lack of common antigens among the mastitis isolates. we isolated and identified two genes encoding proteins with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh) activity from a s. aureus strain isolated from bovine clinical mastitis. the gapb and gapc proteins share considerable homology to the gapb and gapc products of human str ... | 2004 | 15066729 |
| in vitro studies on the impact of human serum on the antibacterial effect of faropenem. | the interaction between faropenem and serum in determining antibacterial effect was studied using three target pathogens and two different in vitro methodologies. strains of staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pneumoniae, capsulate and non capsulate haemophilus influenzae, all faropenem mic 0.12 mg/l, were tested in a range of pharmacologically realistic faropenem concentrations with various proportions of serum up to 75%. using simulated serum bactericidal titres the presence of human serum re ... | 2004 | 15077995 |
| tracking human antigen-specific memory b cells: a sensitive and generalized elispot system. | in the interest of better understanding the role of human memory b cells in protection against disease, we developed an assay to quantitate antigen-specific memory b cells in human blood. this assay utilizes a 6-day polyclonal stimulation of pbmc followed by an antigen-specific elispot for the detection of memory b cells that have differentiated into antibody secreting cells (asc) in vitro. we have used this assay to demonstrate that the anthrax vaccine (ava; biothrax) elicits a substantial popu ... | 2004 | 15087226 |
| [acute transverse myelopathy associated to s. aureus: a difficult differential diagnosis]. | acute myelopathy includes a group of diseases with an important associated morbidity, thus early diagnosis and treatment is important. the most frequent etiology is extramedullary compression. magnetic resonance (mr) is the most suitable procedure in this type of disease since it also offers information on extramedullar lesions and makes it possible to assess spine involvement. we present the case of a 57 year-old man who was admitted because of back pain for several weeks and systemic infection ... | 2004 | 15088163 |
| caspase-8 activation precedes alterations of mitochondrial membrane potential during monocyte apoptosis induced by phagocytosis and killing of staphylococcus aureus. | human peripheral blood monocytes become apoptotic following phagocytosis and killing of staphylococcus aureus. although this type of monocyte apoptosis is known to be initiated by fas-fas ligand (fasl) interactions, the downstream signaling pathway has not been determined. in this work the involvement of mitochondria and the kinetics of caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation after phagocytosis of s. aureus were studied. caspase-8 activity was measured in cell lysates by using the fluorogenic substra ... | 2004 | 15102767 |
| human alpha -defensins neutralize fibrinolytic activity exerted by staphylokinase. | defensins, cationic peptides with bacteriolytic properties, are abundantly found at inflammation sites and in human coronary vessels. vascular occlusive diseases, such as myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and peripheral arterial occlusion are presently treated by thrombolytic intervention using staphylokinase, a plasminogen activator of bacterial origin. in this study we assessed a possible interaction between defensins and staphylokinase, both molecules being present in an acutely ill ... | 2004 | 15116261 |
| gold nanoparticle-based detection of genomic dna targets on microarrays using a novel optical detection system. | the development of a nanoparticle-based detection methodology for sensitive and specific dna-based diagnostic applications is described. the technology utilizes gold nanoparticles derivatized with thiol modified oligonucleotides that are designed to bind complementary dna targets. a glass surface with arrays of immobilized oligonucleotide capture sequences is used to capture dna targets, which are then detected via hybridization to the gold nanoparticle probes. amplification with silver allows f ... | 2004 | 15128107 |
| inhibitory effect of furosemide on activation of human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes stimulated with n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. | the clinical efficacy of inhalatory furosemide (fu) has been extensively studied in bronchial asthma patients but there are only a few studies addressing its action on cells participating in the underlying inflammatory process. therefore, we investigated the effect of fu on human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (pmnl) at concentrations that can be achieved in the bronchial lining fluid by inhalation, i.e. 10(-5), 10(-4) and 10(-3) m. the influence of fu on the following pmnl parame ... | 2004 | 15135322 |
| the von willebrand factor-binding protein (vwbp) of staphylococcus aureus is a coagulase. | staphylococcus aureus encodes a secreted von willebrand factor-binding protein (vwbp) of 482 amino acids. the n-terminal part of this protein is homologous to staphylocoagulase and therefore we investigated whether vwbp has coagulating activity. recombinant vwbp was shown to coagulate human and porcine plasma efficiently, but was less active against plasma from other species. the coagulation efficiency was concentration dependent, and could be inhibited by specific antibodies against vwbp. furth ... | 2004 | 15135538 |
| cases from the osler medical service at johns hopkins university. | presenting features: a 70-year-old african american man was admitted with a history of fever, chills, and malaise of several days' duration. his past medical history was notable for end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis, coronary artery disease, and aortic stenosis requiring a bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. on the day of admission, the patient was noted to have a shaking chill while undergoing dialysis through his catheter and was admitted to the hospital. he complained of pain ... | 2004 | 15144915 |
| influence of protein binding under controlled conditions on the bactericidal activity of daptomycin in an in vitro pharmacodynamic model. | daptomycin exhibits bactericidal activity against clinically significant gram-positive bacteria despite being highly bound to human proteins. evaluations characterizing the effect of protein on daptomycin pharmacodynamics are warranted. | 2004 | 15150172 |
| chemotaxis inhibitory protein of staphylococcus aureus binds specifically to the c5a and formylated peptide receptor. | chemotaxis inhibitory protein of staphylococcus aureus (chips) is an exoprotein produced by several strains of s. aureus, and a potent inhibitor of neutrophil and monocyte chemotaxis toward c5a and formylated peptides like fmlp. these chemoattractants act on their target cells by binding and activating the c5ar and formylated peptide receptor (fpr), respectively. in the present report, we examined the mechanism by which chips affects both of these receptors. we showed that chips blocked binding ... | 2004 | 15153520 |
| differential regulation of cytokine and chemokine production in lipopolysaccharide-induced tolerance and priming. | lps pretreatment of human pro-monocytic thp-1 cells induces tolerance to secondary lps stimulation with reduced tnfalpha production. however, secondary stimulation with heat-killed staphylococcus aureus (hksa) induces priming as evidenced by augmented tnfalpha production. the pro-inflammatory cytokine, ifngamma, also abolishes suppression of tnfalpha in lps tolerance. the effect of lps tolerance on hksa and ifngamma-induced inflammatory mediator production is not well defined. we hypothesized th ... | 2004 | 15157897 |
| bacterial two-component and hetero-heptameric pore-forming cytolytic toxins: structures, pore-forming mechanism, and organization of the genes. | staphylococcal gamma-hemolysin (hlg), leukocidin (luk), and panton-valentine leukocidin (pvl) are two-component and hetero-oligomeric pore-forming cytolytic toxins (or cytolysin), that were first identified in bacteria. no information on the existence of hetero-oligomeric pore-forming cytolytic toxins in bacteria except for staphylococcal strains is available so far. hlg (hlg1 of 34 kda/hlg2 of 32 kda) effectively lyses erythrocytes from human and other mammalian species. luk (lukf of 34 kda/luk ... | 2004 | 15170101 |
| a novel carrier molecule for high-level expression of peptide antibiotics in escherichia coli. | peptide antibiotics are often hard to express in engineered bacteria at high level. according to the properties of peptide antibiotics, a heterologous protein pap3.30, encoded by orf30 of pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage pap3, was selected as a carrier molecule. the gene of the carrier molecule was constructed into the plasmid pqe-32 to give rise to the vector pqe-pap30 for expression of peptide antibiotics in escherichia coli. a his-tagged fusion protein was genetically constructed with a p ... | 2004 | 15177279 |
| in vitro modeling of dental water line contamination and decontamination. | the contamination of dental unit water lines (duwl) is an emerging concern in dentistry. the aim of this study was to use an in vitro duwl to model microbial contamination and evaluate the decontamination efficacy of tetraacetylethylenediamine (taed) solutions. a duwl biofilm model used to simulate clinical conditions was used to generate a range of biofilms in duwl. three distinct biofilms were generated: (1) biofilm from water, (2) biofilm from a mix of water + contaminating human commensal ba ... | 2004 | 15183886 |
| prevalence of and risk factors for nasal colonization with staphylococcus aureus among human immunodeficiency virus-positive outpatients in singapore. | we studied the prevalence of and risk factors for staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in hiv-positive outpatients in singapore. overall prevalence was 23% (45 of 195), with 3% (6 of 195) being mrsa. recent antibiotic use and hospitalization were independent predictors of mrsa colonization. isolates were genotypically identical to our hospital's inpatient circulating strain. | 2004 | 15188853 |
| [streptococcus salivarius meningitis after spinal anesthesia]. | streptococcus salivarius is a usual commensal of skin, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, oral cavity and paranasal sinuses. although it is usually considered to have low virulence, s. salivarius may cause life-threatening infections, particularly endocarditis. on the other hand, bacterial meningitis after spinal anesthesia is very rare, there being some reported cases caused by s. salivarius, s. mitis, staphylococcus aureus and enterococcus faecalis. we report a 57 year old man who de ... | 2004 | 15199424 |
| [probable toxic shock syndrome following pleural drainage]. | toxic shock syndrome (tss) is rare complication after minor surgical procedure. a 22-year-old man was admitted our hospital with spontaneous pneumothorax on the right side. few days after pleural drainage, he developed a high fever often over 40 degrees c and a rash, most demonstrating a truncal, "sunburn" pattern. initially, he was diagnosed as right pylothorax, but the clinical course was not typical and antibiotic treatment was not effective. two weeks later, desquamation of the hands and fee ... | 2004 | 15202275 |
| structural relationships and cellular tropism of staphylococcal superantigen-like proteins. | the staphylococcal superantigen-like proteins (ssls) are a family of polymorphic paralogs encoded in the staphylococcus aureus genome whose function is unknown. the crystal structure of ssl7 was determined and compared to that of ssl5 and that of a classical superantigen, streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin. although the overall architecture of the superantigen family is retained in both ssl7 and ssl5, there are significant differences in the structures which suggest that the characteristic major h ... | 2004 | 15213171 |
| twinned or not twinned, that is the question: crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the 2f1(3)f1 module pair of human fibronectin. | human fibronectin (fn) is a large multidomain protein found in the extracellular matrix and plasma. it is involved in many cellular processes, including cell adhesion and migration during embryogenesis and wound healing. the ability to bind fn is a characteristic that has been demonstrated for a number of pathogens. for staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus pyogenes in particular, fn-binding bacterial proteins (fnbps) have been shown to mediate not only bacterial adhesion to host cells but als ... | 2004 | 15213410 |
| absorption of ester prodrugs in caco-2 and rat intestine models. | the aim of this study was to elucidate the absorption mechanism in caco-2 and rat intestine models in order to improve the accuracy of prediction of oral absorption of ester prodrugs. pivampicillin and cefcapene pivoxil hydrochloride (cfpn-pi), ester-type oral antibiotics, were chosen as model ester prodrugs. the level of esterase activity in caco-2 cells was lower than that measured in the rat jejunum when p-nitrophenyl acetate was used as a substrate. almost complete ester hydrolysis occurred ... | 2004 | 15215116 |
| enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in galphai2-deficient mice on colitis prone and colitis resistant 129sv genetic backgrounds. | mice deficient in g-protein subunit alphai2 develop colitis closely resembling human ulcerative colitis when raised on 129svev background. when backcrossing the galphai2-deficiency into a 129svjbom genetic background, surprisingly, mice did not develop colitis. in vitro stimulation of splenocytes with formalin-killed staphylococcus aureus resulted in significantly increased production of interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-12p40 in galphai2(-/-) as compared to control mice. ... | 2004 | 15219458 |
| identification and characterization of bacterial-binding property in the type iii repeat domain of fibronectin. | to characterize fibronectin binding with granulicatella adiacens, a causative agent of infective endocarditis, monoclonal antibodies were generated against human fibronectin and selected for their capacity to inhibit the fibronectin binding of the organism. thermolysin and lysyl-endopeptidase digests of fibronectin were characterized by western blot. the epitope of inhibitory monoclonal antibody was found in the central portion of fibronectin known as the cell-binding domain, and not in the n-te ... | 2004 | 15219833 |
| epidemiology of community-acquired and nosocomial bloodstream infections in tropical australia: a 12-month prospective study. | to define the relative incidence of organisms causing blood stream infections in a tropical setting with a very low prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection (<1%). | 2004 | 15228489 |
| in vivo heme scavenging by staphylococcus aureus isdc and isde proteins. | we report the first characterization of the in vivo porphyrin scavenging abilities of two components of a newly discovered heme scavenging system involving iron-regulated surface determinant (isd) proteins. these proteins are present within the cell envelope of the gram-positive human pathogen staphylococcus aureus. isdc and isde, when expressed heterologously in escherichia coli, efficiently scavenged intracellular heme and resulted in de novo heme synthesis in excess of 100-fold above backgrou ... | 2004 | 15240116 |
| prophylactic strategies before solid-organ transplantation. | prophylactic measures prior to organ transplantation are evolving based on recent reports of emerging infectious diseases, as well as an expanded understanding of the epidemiology of familiar infections. this review will highlight developments with potential impact on donor and recipient screening and pretransplant management. | 2004 | 15241081 |
| widespread dissemination in the netherlands of the epidemic berlin methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus clone with low-level resistance to oxacillin. | methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) is an important human pathogen and represents a growing public health burden due to the emergence and spread of epidemic strains, particularly within the hospital environment. an epidemic mrsa clone, with characteristic low-level resistance to oxacillin, emerged in the year 2000 and became endemic in the netherlands. multilocus sequence typing characterized the strain as sequence type 45, which was previously designated the berlin epidemic mrsa ... | 2004 | 15243063 |
| lipoteichoic acid and toll-like receptor 2 internalization and targeting to the golgi are lipid raft-dependent. | lipoteichoic acid (lta), a key cell wall component of gram-positive bacteria, seems to function as an immune activator with characteristics very similar to lipopolysaccharide from gram-negative bacteria. it has been shown that lta binds cd14 and triggers activation via toll-like receptor 2, but whether the activation occurs at the cell surface or internalization is required to trigger signaling has yet to be demonstrated. in this work we have investigated lta binding and internalization and foun ... | 2004 | 15247273 |
| genome-wide operon prediction in staphylococcus aureus. | identification of operon structure is critical to understanding gene regulation and function, and pathogenesis, and for identifying targets towards the development of new antibiotics in bacteria. recently, the complete genome sequences of a large number of important human bacterial pathogens have become available for computational analysis, including the major human gram-positive pathogen staphylococcus aureus. by annotating the predicted operon structure of the s.aureus genome, we hope to facil ... | 2004 | 15252153 |
| antimicrobial-resistance and enterotoxin-encoding genes among staphylococci isolated from expressed human breast milk. | resistance traits and the presence of enterotoxin-encoding genes were investigated in staphylococcus isolates obtained from expressed human breast milk. a total of 54 staphylococcal isolates identified as staphylococcus epidermidis (53.6 %), staphylococcus warneri (20.4 %), staphylococcus haemolyticus (13 %) and staphylococcus aureus (13 %) were investigated. by using a disc-diffusion method, higher rates of resistance, including intermediate resistance, were observed for penicillin (87 %) and e ... | 2004 | 15272063 |
| swiss-2dpage, ten years later. | the swiss-2dpage database was established in 1993 and is maintained collaboratively by the swiss institute of bioinformatics (sib) and the biomedical proteomics research group (bprg) of the geneva university hospital. during these years, swiss-2dpage underwent constant modification and improvement. current content includes about 4000 identified spots corresponding to 1200 different protein entries in 36 reference maps from human, mouse, arabidopsis thaliana, dictyostelium discoideum, escherichia ... | 2004 | 15274128 |
| sternal osteomyelitis complicating percutaneous coronary artery stenting. | hematogenous sternal osteomyelitis is a rare infection that has been associated with i.v drug abuse and blunt thoracic trauma, but iatrogenic infections have also been described following resuscitation and in conjunction with hemodialysis catheters. staphylococcus aureus is the most common causative organism. stenting is the preferred treatment for isolated stenosis of the coronary artery and is associated with a low complication rate and high patency rate. such intravascular procedures are rare ... | 2004 | 15291295 |
| crystal structure of the s-adenosylmethionine-dependent enzyme moaa and its implications for molybdenum cofactor deficiency in humans. | the moaa and moac proteins catalyze the first step during molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis, the conversion of a guanosine derivative to precursor z. moaa belongs to the s-adenosylmethionine (sam)-dependent radical enzyme superfamily, members of which catalyze the formation of protein and/or substrate radicals by reductive cleavage of sam by a [4fe-4s] cluster. a defined in vitro system is described, which generates precursor z and led to the identification of 5'-gtp as the substrate. the structu ... | 2004 | 15317939 |
| persistent bacteremia due to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infection is associated with agr dysfunction and low-level in vitro resistance to thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal protein. | the causes of persistent bacteremia (pb) due to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) are poorly understood. this investigation examined potential associations between pb with key clinical features and several in vitro bacterial genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, in isolates from 1 institution. | 2004 | 15319865 |
| characteristics of breast milk and serology of women donating breast milk to a milk bank. | breast milk is the most important nutrient to all newborn babies. if the mother's milk production is insufficient, it is important to provide donor breast milk without reduction of its immunologic and antimicrobial properties. early use of breast milk to preterm infants has shown a reduced incidence of necrotising enterocolitis, a faster tolerance of enteral feeding, and a reduced need of parenteral nutrition. it is important to have milk from a cmv-igg negative donor to vlbw infants considered ... | 2004 | 15321966 |
| identification of a polyclonal b-cell activator in plasmodium falciparum. | polyclonal b-cell activation and hypergammaglobulinemia are prominent features of human malaria. we report here that plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes directly adhere to and activate peripheral blood b cells from nonimmune donors. the infected erythrocytes employ the cysteine-rich interdomain region 1alpha (cidr1alpha) of p. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (pfemp1) to interact with the b cells. stimulation with recombinant cidr1alpha induces proliferation, an increase in b-ce ... | 2004 | 15322039 |
| emerging gram-positive bacterial infections. | over the last several decades, a number of previously known or newly described species of gram-positive bacteria have emerged as important human pathogens, particularly in industrialized countries. these microbes have demonstrated an impressive ability to produce an array of striking infectious diseases never before seen or only infrequently encountered in the past. despite aggressive therapeutic intervention, many of these conditions portend significant morbidity and mortality. diseases caused ... | 2004 | 15325057 |
| [the effect of the extremely weak field on the cultures of bacteria escherichia coli and staphylococcus aureus]. | the effect of extremely weak human electromagnetic field on the suspensions of escherichia coli and staphylococcus aureus in a physiological solution at 25 degrees c was studied. the results obtained indicate that the human field induces changes in the physical properties of liquid water in physiological solution and the induced structural and dynamic rearrangements of extracellular water are tranferred to bacterial cells and change their functional activity. | 2004 | 15327212 |
| microbiological quality of terrestrial gastropods prepared for human consumption. | hygienic quality was investigated in 60 samples of ready-to-eat snails (helix lactea, helix nemoralis, and helix hortensis) obtained from 30 in-season street stalls and 30 catering establishments (bars) in córdoba. in accordance with spanish legislation regarding hygiene in the preparation, distribution, and sale of prepared foods, counts were obtained for total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, coliforms, total enterobacteriaceae, escherichia coli, salmonella, and staphylococcus aureus. the results ... | 2004 | 15330550 |
| identification of factor xiiia-reactive glutamine acceptor and lysine donor sites within fibronectin-binding protein (fnba) from staphylococcus aureus. | staphylococcal fibronectin-binding protein (fnba) is a surface-associated receptor responsible for the reversible binding of bacteria to human fibronectin and fibrin(ogen). recently we have shown that fnba serves as a substrate for coagulation factor xiiia and undergoes covalent cross-linking to its ligands, resulting in the formation of heteropolymers (matsuka, y. v., anderson, e. t., milner-fish, t., ooi, p., and baker, s. (2003) staphylococcus aureus fibronectin-binding protein serves as a su ... | 2004 | 15362870 |
| virulence regulation in staphylococcus aureus: the need for in vivo analysis of virulence factor regulation. | staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic microorganism that is responsible for a wide variety of clinical infections. these infections can be relatively mild, but serious, life-threatening infections may result from the expression of staphylococcal virulence factors that are coordinated by virulence regulators. much work has been done to characterize the actions of staphylococcal virulence regulators in broth culture. recently, several laboratories showed that transcriptional analyses of virulence ... | 2004 | 15364098 |
| staphylococcus aureus antigens induce iga-type glomerulonephritis in balb/c mice. | staphylococcus aureus (s. aureus) is a common, normal pathogenic flora that colonizes mucosal tissues. we previously reported that glomerulonephritis occurs during methicillin-resistant s. aureus infection, and demonstrated polyclonal elevation of serum immunoglobulin a (iga) and igg levels and various histological findings, such as mesangial extracapillary and endocapillary proliferation. to investigate the pathogenic roles of s. aureus antigens, we induced iga-type glomerulonephritis in mice b ... | 2004 | 15372411 |
| intestinal perforation after cadaveric renal transplantation. | we performed cadaveric renal transplantation on a 46-year-old man on long-term hemodialysis. methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) enterocolitis occurred on the fifth postoperative day and severe intestinal ulceration and perforation followed. subtotal abdominal colectomy and the simultaneous removal of the transplant were performed. postoperatively, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy with pancytopenia and cerebral hemorrhagic infarction developed and the patient died 40 days l ... | 2004 | 15379943 |
| "in vitro evaluation of the growth enhancing or cytotoxic effect of sticophus species (gamat) on established human fibroblast cell lines and antimicrobial activity. | 2004 | 15468835 | |
| pharmacological activities of some argyranthemum species growing in the canary islands. | methanolic extracts of eight subspecies of genus argyranthemum were evaluated against brine shrimps, human cancer cell lines, malarial parasites and microorganisms under in vitro conditions. in the shrimp assay, samples of a. adauctum ssp. adauctum, a. adauctum ssp. erythrocarpon and a. frutetescens ssp. succulentum were active with ed50 values in the range of around 300 to 360 microg/ml. in the caco-2, hepg2 and mcf-7 cell lines, the samples a. adauctum ssp. jacobaeifolium and a. adauctum ssp. ... | 2004 | 15478196 |
| neutrophils in the war against staphylococcus aureus: predator-prey models to the rescue. | to address the question of whether a minimum concentration of blood neutrophils is necessary to decrease staphylococcus aureus concentration in mastitic milk, literature was searched for studies in which neutrophils were incubated with staph. aureus. different mathematical models that describe the changes in staph. aureus population as a function of neutrophilic concentrations were applied to the collected data. the best fitted model established (1) that the rate of bacterial killing depended on ... | 2004 | 15483155 |
| effect of chronic systemic use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the conjunctival bacterial flora of patients with hiv infection. | to investigate the effect of orally administered trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (tmp-smz) on the prevalence, species distribution, and resistance of the conjunctival bacterial flora in adults with human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection. | 2004 | 15488812 |
| protein sequence analysis, cloning, and expression of flammutoxin, a pore-forming cytolysin from flammulina velutipes. maturation of dimeric precursor to monomeric active form by carboxyl-terminal truncation. | flammutoxin (ftx), a 31-kda pore-forming cytolysin from flammulina velutipes, is specifically expressed during the fruiting body formation. we cloned and expressed the cdna encoding a 272-residue protein with an identical n-terminal sequence with that of ftx but failed to obtain hemolytically active protein. this, together with the presence of multiple ftx family proteins in the mushroom, prompted us to determine the complete primary structure of ftx by protein sequence analysis. the n-terminal ... | 2004 | 15489231 |
| [bacterial communication: quorum-sensing]. | the interaction between the host and a pathogenic bacterium is mainly controlled by the bacterial population size. an individual bacterial cell is able to sense other members of the same species and in response, differentially expresses specific genes. such cell to cell communication is called quorum sensing (qs) and involves the direct or indirect activation of a response regulator by a signal molecule. the major qs signal molecules are n-acyl homoserine lactones in gram negative bacteria and p ... | 2004 | 15490849 |
| regulatory and genomic plasticity of staphylococcus aureus during persistent colonization and infection. | the major human pathogen staphylococcus aureus asymptomatically colonizes the anterior nares of humans, but also causes a wide spectrum of diseases including chronic infections such as device-related infections and lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (cf). successful adaptation of the pathogen to the human host is achieved by regulatory mechanisms in the short term and by inheritable shifts in the population over the long term. from direct transcript analysis during infection we ded ... | 2004 | 15493830 |
| a recombinant fragment of the fibronectin-binding protein of staphylococcus aureus inhibits keratinocyte migration. | staphylococcus aureus is a common wound-infecting organism which can interact with cells via the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin (fn). the aim of this study was to determine the effect of the fn-binding protein (fnbp) of s. aureus on the behaviour of a human skin keratinocytes cell line (up). fn-coated plates and transwell membranes were exposed to a recombinant protein encompassing the d1-d4 repeat region of s. aureus fnbpb (rfnbpbd1-d4) before cell adhesion and migration assays. the i ... | 2004 | 15503090 |
| cytotoxic and antimicrobial coumarins from mammea africana. | six coumarin derivatives [three 4-phenylcoumarins (mammea a/aa, mammea a/ba and mab 3), two 4-n-propylcoumarins (mammea b/bb and mammea b/ba) and one 4-n-pentylcoumarin (mammea c/ob)], 1,5-dihydroxyxanthone and 1-methoxy-5-hydroxyxanthone have been isolated from the stem bark of mammea africana sabine collected in cameroon. although known, the structures of the coumarin derivatives were confirmed by spectral analysis, including two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. all the coumarin compoun ... | 2004 | 15509427 |
| use of quinupristin/dalfopristin in a critical patient with a methicillin-resistant staphilococcus aureus infection. | the growing incidence of infections due to gram-positive multiresistant germs has stimulated research into new drugs endowed with broader activity, that are useful in case of infections unresponsive to common antibiotics. the case of a 28-year-old man infected with a methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus non responder to therapy with glycopeptide antibiotics is reported. at admission the patient presented a septic condition and required mechanical ventilation. antibiotic therapy was immedi ... | 2004 | 15516886 |
| methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in horses and horse personnel. | fortunately, mrsa infection and colonization are currently uncommon in veterinary medicine. nevertheless, the increasing reports of the occurrence of mrsa infection in horses, veterinarians, and equine personnel dictate that serious consideration be given to the control of this pathogen in veterinary hospitals as well as in the equine community. it is unclear whether extrapolation from human hospitals and people in the community is appropriate; however, given the rapid increase in nosocomial mrs ... | 2004 | 15519821 |
| accumulation of radiolabelled low molecular peptides and proteins in experimental inflammation. | this study focuses on evaluating accumulation of the low molecular peptides and proteins labelled with 99mtc in rat inflammatory/infection foci. peptides (human leukocyte dialysate, hld; thymosin fraction 5, tf5; aprotinin, apt), and proteins (human igg, hig) were labelled with 99mtc using redox polymer. the labelling efficiency was evaluated using paper, tlc and/or column chromatography. biodistribution of labelled substances was evaluated in rats with staphylococcus aureus infection or with st ... | 2004 | 15707738 |
| human-to-dog transmission of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. | methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) was cultured from the nose of a healthy dog whose owner was colonized with mrsa while she worked in a dutch nursing home. pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and typing of the staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (sccmec) region showed that both mrsa strains were identical. | 2004 | 15663871 |
| essential residues, w177 and r198, of lukf for phosphatidylcholine-binding and pore-formation by staphylococcal gamma-hemolysin on human erythrocyte membranes. | lukf and hlg2 of staphylococcal gamma-hemolysin assemble into hetero-oligomeric pores on human red blood cells (hrbc). here, we demonstrate, using a single-molecule imaging technique, that a w177t/r198t mutant of lukf, which exhibits no binding activity toward phosphatidylcholine, could form intermediate oligomers with hlg2, including dimers, tetramers, and hexamer/heptamers, on hrbc. but, the mutant neither caused k(+) efflux nor lysed hrbc, indicating that functional pores were not formed. hen ... | 2004 | 15625310 |
| [molecular microbiology and clinical features of staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins]. | the authors review the novel data available in the literature and their experimental results about the enterotoxins of staphylococcus aureus. their genetics, phylogenetics, biological characteristics, as well as mechanisms of action are dealt with. furthermore, pathogenesis, pathomechanism, immunology, major symptoms and signs, diagnostics, management, possible outcomes, and epidemiology of the staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin-associated human diseases are hereby reviewed. | 2004 | 15626166 |
| the susceptibility of prosthetic biomaterials to infection. | despite the use of a sterile technique and the administration of prophylactic antibiotics during surgical procedures, mesh infection continues to complicate the use of biomaterials. the purpose of this study was to compare the susceptibility to infection of prosthetic biomaterials in a live-animal model. | 2004 | 15580439 |
| lesional t cells and dermal dendrocytes in psoriasis plaque express increased levels of granulysin. | granulysin is a broad-spectrum potent antimicrobial peptide produced by the immunocytes. we determined granulysin levels in certain cutaneous inflammatory diseases and correlated expression of granulysin with the relative risks of secondary infections in these conditions. in immunohistochemistry stains a monoclonal antigranulysin antibody was used at 1:150 dilutions. compared with atopic dermatitis and nummular eczema lesions where secondary infection with staphylococcus aureus is very common, w ... | 2004 | 15583601 |
| live staphylococcus aureus and bacterial soluble factors induce different transcriptional responses in human airway cells. | to characterize the response of respiratory epithelium to infection by staphylococcus aureus (s. aureus), human airway cells were incubated for 1 to 24 h with a supernatant of a s. aureus culture (bacterial supernatant), then profiled with a pangenomic dna microarray. because an upregulation of many genes was noticed around 3 h, three independent approaches were then used to characterize the host response to a 3-h contact either with bacterial supernatant or with live bacteria: 1) a dna microarr ... | 2004 | 15598879 |
| [the history of the development and changes of quinolone antibacterial agents]. | the quinolones, especially the new quinolones (the 6-fluoroquinolones), are the synthetic antibacterial agents to rival the beta-lactam and the macrolide antibacterials for impact in clinical usage in the antibacterial therapeutic field. they have a broad antibacterial spectrum of activity against gram-positive, gram-negative and mycobacterial pathogens as well as anaerobes. further, they show good-to-moderate oral absorption and tissue penetration with favorable pharmacokinetics in humans resul ... | 2003 | 15143768 |
| morphostructural damage and the inhibition of bacterial adhesiveness of staphylococcus aureus and moraxella catarrhalis induced by moxifloxacin. | the aim of this study was to investigate the ability of moxifloxacin to interfere with the mechanism of bacterial adhesion and disrupt the morphological and structural integrity of bacteria. three staphylococcus aureus and three moraxella catarrhalis strains were grown in the presence of 1/2-1/128 minimum inhibitory concentration (mic) serial dilutions and incubated with human epithelial cells. a significant decrease in adhesion was observed from 1/2 mic to 1/64 mic for s. aureus, and from 1/2 m ... | 2003 | 14998077 |
| [evaluation of a colorimetric method for studying the interaction between microorganisms and intestinal epithelial cells]. | the aim of the present study was to gain further insight on the reliability of the colorimetric determination of the activity of bacterial nitrate reductase to evaluate bacterial concentrations and interaction between microorganisms and enterocyte-like cells. nitrite produced after incubation of the samples with a nitrate-formate solution was determined with a diazotization reaction with sulphanilic acid and n-naphthyl-ethylene-diamonium dichloride. cell association assays were performed with di ... | 2003 | 14976870 |
| isolation and biochemical characterization of mutacin vsm43 isolated from human oral streptococcus mutans vsm43. | bacteriocins produced by mutans streptococci are known as mutacins. streptococcus mutans vsm43 isolated from human clinical oral cavity was screened for the production of mutacin. it can inhibit the growth of other mutans streptococci, many other gram-positives and some gram-negative bacteria. average size of the inhibitory zone ranged between 12-20mm. the inhibitory activity could not be related to organic acids, bacteriophages and hydrogen peroxide. mutacin vsm43 was protease sensitive, remain ... | 2003 | 16414575 |
| [investigate of nasopharyngeal flora in infants and children with influenza]. | to clarify the bacteriological interpretation of nasopharyngeal flora from infants and children with influenza (n = 38), nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained. from 38 patients, 83 strains of bacterias were obtained. chief pathogenic bacteria isolated from infants and children with influenza were b. catarrhalis (28 strains), s. pneumoniae (22 strains), h. influenzae (19 strains), s. aureus (6 strains) and chief nonpathogenic bacteria isolated from infants and children with influenza were corynebact ... | 2003 | 14768342 |
| infectious endocarditis associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma and multiple brain abscesses. | hemorrhagic stroke is a complication of infectious endocarditis (ie), and severe hemorrhage accompanies staphylococcus aureus ie during early uncontrolled infection. however, subarachnoid hemorrhage (sah) or subdural hematoma is rare. a case of s. aureus ie associated with sah and subdural hematoma in the early stage is reported. a 54-year-old man with a history of mitral valve prolapse presented with fever. two days after the onset, he fell into a confused state with convulsion and left hemipar ... | 2003 | 14714968 |
| inclusion of a non-immunoglobulin binding protein in two-site elisa for quantification of human serum proteins without interference by heterophilic serum antibodies. | measurement of human serum molecules with two-site elisa can be biased by the presence of human heterophilic anti-animal immunoglobulin antibodies (haia) that cause false-positive signals by cross-linking the monoclonal (mab) and/or polyclonal antibodies (pab) used for the pre- (capture) and post-analyte steps (detection). to evaluate a novel elisa format designed to avoid interference by haia, a target-specific non-immunoglobulin (ig) affinity protein (affibody) was used to replace one of the a ... | 2003 | 14659914 |
| [microbiological quality of human milk from a brazilian milk bank]. | the objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms that indicate the hygienic and sanitary conditions of human milk samples collected at a human milk bank. | 2003 | 14666308 |
| acute bacterial skin infections in pediatric medicine: current issues in presentation and treatment. | bacterial skin and skin structure infections commonly encountered in children include impetigo, folliculitis, furunculosis, carbuncles, wound infections, abscesses, cellulitis, erysipelas, scarlet fever, acute paronychia, and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. if diagnosed early and treated appropriately, these infections are almost always curable, but some have the potential to cause serious complications such as septicemia, nephritis, carditis and arthritis if diagnosis is delayed and/or tr ... | 2003 | 14632104 |
| new polyoxygenated farnesylcyclohexenones, deacetoxyyanuthone a and its hydro derivative from the marine-derived fungus penicillium sp. | new polyoxygenated farnesylcyclohexenones, 7-deacetoxyyanuthone a (1) and its 2,3-hydro derivative (2), were isolated together with the known farnesylquinones (3, 4) from a marine isolate of the genus penicillium. the structures of the new deacetoxyyanuthone a (1) and its 2,3-hydro derivative (2) were assigned by spectroscopic methods, including 2d nmr and cd for the cotton effect of alpha-epoxyketone experiments. compounds 1 and 3 showed moderate in vitro cytotoxicity in a panel of five human t ... | 2003 | 14640527 |
| synergy of in vitro thrombolytic action of combinations of recombinant staphylokinase and single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator. | kinetics of lysis of human plasma clots immersed in plasma were studied in vitro at 37 degrees c under the influence of recombinant staphylokinase, single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scu-pa), and their simultaneous and consecutive combinations. staphylokinase and scu-pa caused concentration- and time-dependent lysis of the clots; 32 nm staphylokinase and 75 nm scu-pa separately caused 50% lysis in 4 h. at these equally effective concentrations staphylokinase in 4 h induced a sign ... | 2003 | 14640969 |
| prevention of staphylococcus aureus infections among surgical patients: beyond traditional perioperative prophylaxis. | health care-related infections cause significant patient morbidity and mortality rates and add excess costs that frequently are not reimbursed. staphylococcus aureus has long been recognized as an important pathogen in human disease and is the most common cause of nosocomial infections. | 2003 | 14647028 |
| constitutive expression of pcsb suppresses the requirement for the essential vicr (yycf) response regulator in streptococcus pneumoniae r6. | we report several new findings about the function of the essential vicrk two-component regulatory system (tcs) in the human pathogen streptococcus pneumoniae. the vicr-encoded response regulator, vick-encoded histidine kinase and the protein encoded by the downstream vicx gene are the homologues of the yycf, yycg and yycj proteins, respectively, studied previously in bacillus subtilis and staphylococcus aureus. using a regulatable promoter, we demonstrated that the vick histidine kinase is condi ... | 2003 | 14651645 |
| new antimicrobial cystatin c-based peptide active against gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and multiresistant coagulase-negative staphylococci. | we describe the synthesis and antibacterial properties of a novel antimicrobial peptidyl derivative, (2s)-2-(nalpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-arginyl-leucylamido-1-[(e)-cinnamoylamido]-3-methylbutane, structurally based upon the inhibitory centre of the human cysteine protease inhibitor, cystatin c. the derivative, here called cystapep 1, displayed antibacterial activity against several clinically important gram-positive bacteria. it displayed minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of about ... | 2003 | 14629266 |
| staphylococcus aureus pericardial abscess in a patient with liver cirrhosis: case report. | pericardial abscess is a rare complication of staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. we report the case of a 40-year-old man with hepatitis c and liver cirrhosis who presented with high-grade fever and chest pain. transthoracic echocardiography showed a pericardial mass and computed tomographic scanning and transesophageal echocardiography confirmed the presence of a loculated fluid collection. his illness persisted despite i.v. antibiotics and video-assisted thoracoscopic drainage. the patient was c ... | 2003 | 14513994 |
| phage conversion of exfoliative toxin a in staphylococcus aureus isolated from cows with mastitis. | an exfoliative toxin produced by staphylococcus aureus is the causative agent of staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome (ssss) in young children. recently, we reported that only few isolates of s. aureus from bovine mastitis contained the eta gene encoding exfoliative toxin a (eta) and produced eta in vitro. in this study, we isolated temperate phages from two eta-positive bovine isolates of s. aureus by treatment with mitomycin c. polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assay of the phage genomes suggest ... | 2003 | 14516710 |
| the effect of cyclosporine and tacrolimus on indigenous bacterial flora in human skin grafts. | allogeneic skin transplants require intensive immunosuppressive therapy. treatment protocols used for parenchymal organ grafts are not satisfactory to prevent skin graft rejection. another factor responsible for the destruction of allogeneic skin transplants is bacterial inflammation. temporary ischemia and the allogeneic reaction in transplanted skin cause increased permeability of the epidermis and the dermal capillaries, making skin grafts vulnerable to bacterial penetration. moreover, immuno ... | 2003 | 14529942 |
| negative regulation of interleukin-12 production by a rapamycin-sensitive signaling pathway: a brief communication. | interleukin-12 (il-12), an important cytokine in host defense against microbial pathogens, regulates natural killer and t-cell function(s) including the induction of gamma-interferon production. the major cellular sources of il-12 are monocytes/macrophages. bacteria, bacterial products, and intracellular parasites are the most efficient inducers of il-12 production. in the present study we show that a signal transduction pathway sensitive to rapamycin may have an important role in the regulation ... | 2003 | 14530510 |