| cleavage of von willebrand factor by granzyme m destroys its factor viii binding capacity. | von willebrand factor (vwf) is a pro-hemostatic multimeric plasma protein that promotes platelet aggregation and stabilizes coagulation factor viii (fviii) in plasma. the metalloproteinase adamts13 regulates the platelet aggregation function of vwf via proteolysis. severe deficiency of adamts13 is associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, but does not always correlate with its clinical course. therefore, other proteases could also be important in regulating vwf activity. in the presen ... | 2011 | 21909423 |
| Comparison of in vivo bioluminescence imaging and lavage biomarkers to assess pulmonary inflammation. | Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin triggers innate immunity via TLR-4 and NF-kB signal activation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of transgenic mice expressing luciferase as a marker of NF-kB activation for exploring innate immune responses to pulmonary endotoxin exposure over time thus obviating the need for serial necropsies. Transgenic rNF-kB-Luc BALB/c mice were exposed to two different types of endotoxin (Neisseria meningitidis lipooligosaccharide, and Escherichia coli lipopol ... | 2012 | 22133556 |
| pasteurella multocida cmp-sialic acid synthetase and mutants of neisseria meningitidis cmp-sialic acid synthetase with improved substrate promiscuity. | cytidine 5'-monophosphate (cmp)-sialic acid synthetases (csss) catalyze the formation of cmp-sialic acid from ctp and sialic acid, a key step for sialyltransferase-catalyzed biosynthesis of sialic acid-containing oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. more than 50 different sialic acid forms have been identified in nature. to facilitate the enzymatic synthesis of sialosides with diverse naturally occurring sialic acid forms and their non-natural derivatives, cmp-sialic acid synthetases with promi ... | 2011 | 21968653 |
| mining virulence genes using metagenomics. | when a bacterial genome is compared to the metagenome of an environment it inhabits, most genes recruit at high sequence identity. in free-living bacteria (for instance marine bacteria compared against the ocean metagenome) certain genomic regions are totally absent in recruitment plots, representing therefore genes unique to individual bacterial isolates. we show that these metagenomic islands (mis) are also visible in bacteria living in human hosts when their genomes are compared to sequences ... | 2011 | 22039404 |
| a bacterial prib with weak single-stranded dna binding activity can stimulate the dna unwinding activity of its cognate pria helicase. | bacterial dna replication restart pathways facilitate reinitiation of dna replication following disruptive encounters of a replisome with dna damage, thereby allowing complete and faithful duplication of the genome. in neisseria gonorrhoeae, the primosome proteins that catalyze dna replication restart differ from the well-studied primosome proteins of e. coli with respect to the number of proteins involved and the affinities of their physical interactions: the pria:prib interaction is weak in e. ... | 2011 | 21861872 |
| influence of substrate modification and c-terminal truncation on the active site structure of substrate-bound heme oxygenase from neisseriae meningitidis. a 1h nmr study. | heme oxygenase (ho), from the pathogenic bacterium n. meningitidis(nmho), which secures host iron, shares many properties with mammalian hos but also exhibits some key differences. the crystal structure appears more compact, and the crystal-undetected c-terminus interacts with substrate in solution. the unique nature of substrate-protein, specifically pyrrole-i/ii-helix-2, peripheral interactions in nmho are probed by 2d (1)h nmr to reveal unique structural features controlling substrate orienta ... | 2011 | 21870860 |
| the epidemiology of human papillomavirus infection in hiv-positive and hiv-negative high-risk women in kigali, rwanda. | abstract: | 2011 | 22136570 |
| phenotypic and molecular characterization of serogroup c neisseria meningitidis associated with an outbreak in bahia, brazil. | objective: to characterize meningococcal strains isolated from five cases of meningococcal disease (md) associated with an outbreak in trancoso - ba, occurred in october 2009. all cases, with the exception of a 39-year-old male, attended a dance party with approximately 1000 youngsters in a rural site. materials and methods: the epidemiological investigation was conducted by the epidemiological surveillance service of bahia state. meningococcal strains were characterized at adolfo lutz institute ... | 2011 | 22078548 |
| characterization of profile of multidrug-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae using old and new definitions in india over a decade: 2000-2009. | the burden of "multidrug-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae" (mdr-ng) was high considering the old definition (26.0%). according to the new definitions, no strain was mdr or extensively drug-resistant. the emergence of resistance to ceftriaxone and cefixime will lead to detection of mdr-ng and may be extensively drug-resistant ng, even according to the new definition. | 2011 | 21992984 |
| characterization of a large genomic deletion in four irish families with c7 deficiency. | inherited deficiency of the seventh complement component (c7) is associated with increased susceptibility to neisseria meningitidis infections. the disease is rare in most western countries. here we report new investigations of a large, but incompletely characterized genomic deletion of exons 8 and 9 [c.739-?_1093+?del], previously identified in three unrelated irish families with c7 deficiency. we have analysed dna from one individual, who is homozygous for the deletion, by pcr using primers pr ... | 2011 | 22206826 |
| In vivo imaging of meningococcal disease dynamics. | Neisseria meningitidis is a human specific organism that causes severe sepsis and/or meningitis with high mortality. The disease scenario is rapid and much remains unknown about the disease process and host-pathogen interaction. In this chapter, we describe a protocol for generating a bioluminescently labeled N. meningitidis strain in order to advance our understanding of meningococcal disease progression. We also describe how in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) can be used to observe novel fe ... | 2012 | 21993645 |
| carriage of neisseria meningitidis in europe: a review of studies undertaken in the region. | meningococcal conjugate vaccines induce herd protection by preventing nasopharyngeal meningococcal acquisition, which is a prerequisite for invasive disease. thus, meningococcal carriage epidemiology is important in understanding relationships between carriage and disease. a literature search traced information on meningococcal carriage in 27 eu countries. meningococcal carriage prevalence differed within and between countries, varying across age groups, serogroup distribution and over time. car ... | 2011 | 21905785 |
| implementation and impact of a meningococcal c conjugate vaccination program in 13- to 25-year-old individuals in galicia, spain. | background: in response to increased case numbers of meningococcal group c disease, catch-up vaccination strategies have been shown to be successful. this paper describes the results of a repeat vaccination program in galicia, spain, and the strategy used for it. methods and results: three vaccination waves were performed: first, in 1996/1997 with a meningococcal group a and c polysaccharide vaccine in individuals aged 18 months to 19 years; second, in 2000 with a conjugate serogroup c polysacc ... | 2011 | 21957332 |
| effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (mwcnt) under neisseria meningitidis transformation process. | this study aimed at verifying the action of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (mwcnt) under the naturally transformable neisseria meningitidis against two different dna obtained from isogenic mutants of this microorganism, an important pathogen implicated in the genetic horizontal transfer of dna, causing the escape of the principal vaccination measured worldwide by the capsular switching process. | 2011 | 22088149 |
| identification of a conserved protein involved in anaerobic unsaturated fatty acid synthesis in neiserria gonorrhoeae: implications for facultative and obligate anaerobes that lack faba. | transcriptome analysis of the facultative anaerobe, neisseria gonorrhoeae, revealed that many genes of unknown function were induced under anaerobic conditions. mutation of one such gene, ngo1024, encoding a protein belonging to the 2-nitropropane dioxygenase-like superfamily of proteins, was found to result in an inability of gonococci to grow anaerobically. anaerobic growth of an ng1024 mutant was restored upon supplementation with unsaturated fatty acids (ufa), but not with the saturated fatt ... | 2011 | 21895795 |
| the prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae infections among men with urethritis in kuwait. | chlamydial non-gonococcal urethritis and gonorrhoea are the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infections worldwide. data on these infections are scanty in the islamic world, especially kuwait. the objective of this study was to establish the prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae among men with symptomatic urethritis in kuwait. | 2011 | 22000844 |
| hiv/std pattern and its associated risk factors among male std clinic attendees in china: a foci for hiv intervention. | abstract: | 2011 | 22200257 |
| a novel mechanism of high-level, broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance caused by a single base pair change in neisseria gonorrhoeae. | the mtrc-mtrd-mtre multidrug efflux pump of neisseria gonorrhoeae confers resistance to a diverse array of antimicrobial agents by transporting these toxic compounds out of the gonococcus. frequently in gonococcal strains, the expression of the mtrcde operon is differentially regulated by both a repressor, mtrr, and an activator, mtra. the mtrr gene lies 250 bp upstream of and is transcribed divergently from the mtrcde operon. previous research has shown that mutations in the mtrr coding region ... | 2011 | 21933917 |
| Defining the Roles of Human Carcinoembryonic Antigen-Related Cellular Adhesion Molecules during Neutrophil Responses to Neisseria gonorrhoeae. | Symptomatic infection of humans with Neisseria gonorrhoeae is characterized by a neutrophil-rich cervical or urethral exudate, suggesting that neutrophils are important both for the clearance of these bacteria and for the pathogenesis of gonorrhea. Neisseria interacts with neutrophils through ligation of human carcinoembryonic antigen related-cellular adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) by their surface-expressed Opa proteins, resulting in bacterial binding, engulfment, and neutrophil activation. Multi ... | 2012 | 22064717 |
| cutaneous gonococcal abscess of the abdomen in a child. | virtually all pediatric cases of neisseria gonorrhoeae originate from contact with an infected adult. a cutaneous abscess caused by n. gonorrhoeae in a child is extremely rare, especially outside the genital area. we report a case of a 22-month-old boy with a gonococcal cutaneous abscess on the abdominal wall and suggest that n. gonorrhoeae should be included in the differential diagnosis of skin and soft tissue infections in children. | 2011 | 21926887 |
| a snapshot of a pathogenic bacterium mid-evolution: neisseria meningitidis is becoming a nitric oxide-tolerant aerobe. | members of the neisseria genus typically display the ability to carry out denitrification of nitrite to nitrous oxide as an alternative to oxygen respiration when oxygen is depleted. the key enzymes nitrite and nitric oxide reductase are found across the neisseria genus. within neisseria meningitidis, however, a number of research groups have found that a significant proportion of strains lack a functional nitrite reductase. it appears that n. meningitidis is on an evolutionary trajectory toward ... | 2011 | 22103546 |
| neisseria base: a comparative genomics database for neisseria meningitidis. | neisseria meningitidis is an important pathogen, causing life-threatening diseases including meningitis, septicemia and in some cases pneumonia. genomic studies hold great promise for n. meningitidis research, but substantial database resources are needed to deal with the wealth of information that comes with completely sequenced and annotated genomes. to address this need, we developed neisseria base (nbase), a comparative genomics database and genome browser that houses and displays publicly a ... | 2011 | 21930505 |
| vaccine-preventable diseases and their impact on latin american children. | a joint meeting of the latin american society of pediatric infectious diseases, the dominican society of pediatrics and the dominican society of vaccinology was held in the dominican republic. this report highlights the most relevant issues that were presented and discussed about vaccine-preventable diseases, their epidemiology and impact in latin american children, the need to move forward and expand national immunization programs and the economical and political obstacles to introduce ?new? va ... | 2011 | 22085169 |
| genotyping of two neisseria gonorrhoeae fluroquinolone-resistant strains in the brazilian amazon region. | we report two ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae strains that were isolated from the urethral discharge of male patients at the sexually transmitted diseases outpatient clinic of the alfredo da matta foundation (manaus, state of amazonas, brazil). the gonococci displayed minimal inhibitory concentrations (> 32.00 µg/ml) and three mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region (s91f and d95g in gyra and s87r in parc). both isolates were genotyped using n. gonorr ... | 2011 | 21894387 |
| molecular analyses of tem genes and their corresponding penicillinase-producing neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in bangkok, thailand. | neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major public health problem globally, especially because the bacterium has developed resistance to most antimicrobials introduced for first-line treatment of gonorrhea. in the present study, 96 n. gonorrhoeae isolates with high-level resistance to penicillin from 121 clinical isolates in thailand were examined to investigate changes related to their plasmid-mediated penicillin resistance and their molecular epidemiological relationships. a β-lactamase (tem) gene varian ... | 2011 | 22143532 |
| lower genital tract infections in hiv-seropositive women in india. | the presence of std facilitates shedding of hiv and increases hiv-1 disease progression, possibly by increasing plasma viremia. our aim was to study the presence of various associated sexually transmitted disease/reproductory tract infections in hiv-seropositive women in india. | 2011 | 22021972 |
| meningococcal purpura fulminans in children: i. initial orthopedic management. | purpura fulminans is a rare and extremely severe infection, mostly due to neisseria meningitidis frequently causing early orthopedic lesions. few studies have reported on the initial surgical management of acute purpura fulminans. the aim of this study is to look at the predictive factors in orthopedic outcome in light of the initial surgical management in children surviving initial resuscitation. | 2010 | 21966303 |
| biofouling characteristics and identification of preponderant bacteria at different nutrient levels in batch tests of a recirculating cooling water system. | understanding the influence of nutrient levels on biofouling control is an important requirement for management strategies in a recirculating cooling water system. nutrient limitation may be one way to control biofouling development without increasing biocide dosing. therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of nutrient levels on biofouling characteristics and to identify the preponderant bacteria in the batch tests with a simulated cooling water system. the biofouling cha ... | 2011 | 21879565 |
| Analysis of parameters associated with prevention of cellular apoptosis by pathogenic neisseriae and purified porins. | The process of cellular apoptosis is mediated by a number of microbial pathogens to modulate host defense mechanisms. Inhibition of apoptosis is thought to favor microbial survival, replication or immune evasion, while induction of apoptosis is likely to promote escape of the organisms from host cells. Several studies have reported that infection with Neisseria spp. can inhibit or reduce apoptotic cell death, thus allowing adaptation, intracellular replication, and immune evasion, events that ar ... | 2012 | 21993654 |
| Protective role of Toll-like receptor 4 in experimental gonococcal infection of female mice. | Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Like all Gram-negative bacteria, the outer membrane of the gonococcus is rich in endotoxin, a known ligand for Toll-like receptor (TLR)4. However, the role of endotoxin and that of its cognate receptor TLR4 in the mucosal response to acute gonococcal infection in the genital tract of women is unclear. To test this, we examined the course of infection after vaginal inoculation of N. gonorrhoeae in mice carrying the Lps(d) ... | 2012 | 21937985 |
| the utility and cost of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae screening of a male infertility population. | objective: to determine the utility and cost of chlamydia trachomatis (ct) and neisseria gonorrhoeae (ng) screening in infertile males. design: cohort study. setting: canadian tertiary-level male infertility clinic and university-affiliated laboratories. patient(s): 5,588 male infertility patients. intervention(s): ct and ng testing on 8,972 urine and semen samples. main outcome measure(s): prevalence of ct and ng infection in infertile males versus general male population in canada over 8 years ... | 2011 | 22192351 |
| Novel Protein Substrates of the Phospho-Form Modification System in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Their Connection to O-Linked Protein Glycosylation. | The zwitterionic phospho-form moieties phosphoethanolamine (PE) and phosphocholine (PC) are important components of bacterial membranes and cell surfaces. The major type IV pilus subunit protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, PilE, undergoes posttranslational modifications with these moieties via the activity of the pilin phospho-form transferase PptA. A number of observations relating to colocalization of phospho-form and O-linked glycan attachment sites in PilE suggested that these modifications mi ... | 2012 | 22083701 |
| [meningitis and encephalitis in poland in 2009]. | in poland, 2 517 cases of neuroinfections were reported in 2009, of which 865 had bacterial aetiology, 1 244--viral aetiology, and 408-- other or unknown origin. the etiological agent was determined in 493 (57%) cases of bacterial neuroinfections. among them neisseria meningitidis was found in 190 cases, haemophilus influenzae type b (hib) in 13 cases and streptococcus pneumoniae in 163 cases. an increasing trend in pneumococcal infections incidence has been observed since 2005, and a substantia ... | 2011 | 21913462 |
| elevated soluble urokinase receptor values in csf, age and bacterial meningitis infection are independent and additive risk factors of fatal outcome. | the aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential role of cerebrospinal fluid soluble urokinase receptor (supar) level, infection and age as risk factors for fatal outcome in patients suspected of having meningitis and/or bacteraemia on admission to hospital. a total of 545 cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with clinically suspected meningitis were sent to the hellenic national meningitis reference laboratory. ten of 545 (1.83%) patients died. analysis by receiver operating char ... | 2011 | 21971819 |
| [severe bacterial infections and sudden death in children less than 4-years-old: 3 case reports.] | infectious factors contribute to sudden infant death in about 1 case out of 3. we report 3 children less than 4-years-old who died suddenly of bacterial infection due to neisseria meningitidis, streptococcus pneumoniae, and staphylococcus aureus. the bacteria were isolated from central and peripheral samples. a bacterial origin should be sought in all cases of sudden death in children. when a bacterial origin is confirmed, the question of immunodeficiency should be raised. | 2011 | 22209380 |
| evaluation of the subgingival microbiota of alcoholic and non-alcoholic individuals. | the aim of this study was to evaluate the composition of the subgingival microbiota of alcoholic and non-alcoholic individuals. | 2011 | 21864643 |
| evaluation of predominant neisseria gonorrhoeae strain types and its correlation with fluoroquinolone resistance in pakistan. | to study the predominant neisseria gonorrhoeae strain types in pakistan and to evaluate their correlation with fluoroquinolone resistance. | 2011 | 22204176 |
| Techniques to measure pilus retraction forces. | The importance of physical forces in biology is becoming more appreciated. Neisseria gonorrhoeaehas become a paradigm for the study of physical forces in the bacterial world. Cycles of elongations and retractions of Type IV pili enables N. gonorrhoeaebacteria to exert forces on its environment, forces that play major roles in the life cycle of this pathogen. In order to better understand the role of these forces, there is a need to fully characterize them. Here, we present two different techniqu ... | 2012 | 21993648 |
| phenotypic characterisation of a copa mutant of neisseria gonorrhoeae identifies a link between copper and nitrosative stress. | ngo0579 is annotated as copa in the neisseria gonorrhoeae chromosome, suggesting that it encodes for a cation-transporting atpase specific for copper ions. when compared to wild type cells, a copa mutant was more sensitive to killing by copper ions, but not to other transition metals. the mutant also accumulated a greater amount of copper, which is consistent with the predicted role of copa as a copper efflux pump. the copa mutant showed a reduced ability to invade and survive within human cervi ... | 2011 | 22184419 |
| Prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infections Among Men and Women Entering the National Job Training Program-United States, 2004-2009. | : National notifiable disease data indicate that there were 99 cases of gonorrhea for every 100,000 persons in the United States in 2009, the lowest recorded gonorrhea rate in US history. However, the extent to which declining case reports signify a reduction in prevalence is unknown. | 2012 | 22183847 |
| sexually transmitted infections and risk behaviors among african american women who have sex with women: does sex with men make a difference? | we sought to determine the prevalence of infection with chlamydia trachomatis, neisseria gonorrhoeae, trichomonas vaginalis, mycoplasma genitalium, syphilis, and hiv among african american women who have sex with women (aawsw), and compare sociodemographics, sexual risk behavior characteristics, and sti diagnoses among women reporting sex exclusively with women (exclusive aawsw) to women reporting sex with both women and men (aawswm) during the past 12 months. | 2011 | 22082722 |
| a case of meningitis due to neisseria subflava after ventriculostomy. | surgical site infection (ssi) is an emerging problem in all fields of surgery, as well as in neurosurgery, with numerous strategies against ssi initiated in many countries. in this report, we describe a case of ssi caused by neisseria subflava a month after ventriculostomy placement for acute hydrocephalus. a 53-year old man was referred to our hospital, and was diagnosed with a thalamic hemorrhage with ventricular rupture. bilateral ventriculostomies were performed on the day of presentation. a ... | 2011 | 21894453 |
| neisseria gonorrhoeae with high-level resistance to azithromycin: case report of the first isolate identified in the united states. | we report on the first neisseria gonorrhoeae isolate in the united states identified with high-level resistance to azithromycin. this report discusses the epidemiologic case investigation, the molecular studies of resistance-associated mutations and n. gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing, and challenges posed by emerging gonococcal antimicrobial resistance. | 2011 | 22184617 |
| classification and pathogenesis of meningococcal infections. | the clinical symptoms induced by neisseria meningitidis reflect compartmentalized intravascular and intracranial bacterial growth and inflammation. in this chapter, we describe a classification system for meningococcal disease based on the nature of the clinical symptoms. meningococci invade the subarachnoid space and cause meningitis in as many as 50-70% of patients. the bacteremic phase is moderate in patients with meningitis and mild systemic meningococcemia but graded high in patients with s ... | 2012 | 21993637 |
| antimicrobial resistance in neisseria gonorrhoeae in the uk: surveillance and management. | successful antimicrobial therapy is fundamental to the public health control of gonorrhea, in the absence of a protective immune response. neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent, has presented a constant challenge for the provision of such therapy as it has demonstrated the ability to become resistant to successive highly active agents chosen for first-line treatment. acquisition of plasmids from other bacteria and long-term use of a single agent has selected both single step high-level and ... | 2011 | 21973299 |
| crystal structures of two solute receptors for l-cystine and l-cysteine, respectively, of the human pathogen neisseria gonorrhoeae. | atp-binding cassette (abc) transporters are integral membrane proteins that carry a variety of substrates across biological membranes at the expense of atp. the here considered prokaryotic canonical importers consist of three entities: an extracellular solute receptor, two membrane-intrinsic proteins forming a translocation pathway, and two cytoplasmic atp-binding subunits. the ngo0372-74 and ngo2011-14 gene clusters from the human pathogen neisseria gonorrhoeae were predicted by sequence homolo ... | 2011 | 22138345 |
| substrate specificity of low-molecular mass bacterial dd-peptidases. | the bacterial dd-peptidases or penicillin-binding proteins (pbps) catalyze the formation and regulation of cross-links in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. they are classified into two groups, the high-molecular mass (hmm) and low-molecular mass (lmm) enzymes. the latter group, which is subdivided into classes a-c (lmma, -b, and -c, respectively), is believed to catalyze dd-carboxypeptidase and endopeptidase reactions in vivo. to date, the specificity of their reactions with particular elements of pep ... | 2011 | 22029692 |
| a dna vaccine strategy for effective antibody induction to pathogen-derived antigens. | dna-based vaccines are currently being developed for treating a diversity of human diseases including cancers, autoimmune conditions, allergies, and microbial infections. in this chapter, we present a general protocol that can be used as a starting point for developing dna vaccines to pathogen-derived antigens, using neisseria meningitidis as an example. in addition, we describe a fusion gene-based vaccine protocol for increasing the potency of dna vaccines that are based on poorly immunogenic a ... | 2012 | 21993657 |
| human heat shock protein (hsp) 90 interferes with neisseria meningitidis adhesin a (nada)-mediated adhesion and invasion. | nada (n eisseria meningitidisadhesin a), a meningococcal surface protein, mediates adhesion to and invasion of human cells, an activity in which host membrane proteins have been implicated. while investigating these host factors in human epithelial cells by affinity chromatography, we discovered an unanticipated interaction of nada with heat shock protein (hsp) 90, a molecular chaperone. the specific in vitro interaction of recombinant soluble nada and hsp90 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitati ... | 2011 | 22066472 |
| Determinants of the cytotoxicity of PrrC anticodon nuclease and its amelioration by tRNA repair. | Breakage of tRNA(Lys(UUU)) by the Escherichia coli anticodon nuclease PrrC (EcoPrrC) underlies a host antiviral response to phage T4 infection that is ultimately thwarted by a virus-encoded RNA repair system. PrrC homologs are prevalent in other bacteria, but their activities and substrates are not defined. We find that induced expression of EcoPrrC is toxic in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and E. coli, whereas the Neisseria meningitidis PrrC (NmePrrC) is not. PrrCs consist of an N-terminal NTPase mo ... | 2012 | 22101242 |
| conjugate meningococcal vaccines development: gsk biologicals experience. | meningococcal diseases are serious threats to global health, and new vaccines specifically tailored to meet the age-related needs of various geographical areas are required. this paper focuses on the meningococcal conjugate vaccines developed by gsk biologicals. two combined conjugate vaccines were developed to help protect infants and young children in countries where the incidence of meningococcal serogroup c or serogroup c and y disease is important: hib-menc-tt vaccine, which offers protecti ... | 2011 | 21991444 |
| Comparing Cerebrospinal Fluid Values in newbornsand infants until two months old with or without meningitis." | Background/Objective: To evaluate the characteristics and accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) values of neonatal meningitis, we compared CSF values in newborns and infants until 2 months old with or without meningitis. Methods. This case-control study was performed on 120 newborns and infants until 2 months old. 60 patients with meningitis were considered as case group and 60 suspected meningitis were as control group. Each of two groups was divided into 0-1 months and 1- 2 months old. CSF* ... | 2011 | 22192569 |
| Porphyromonas gingivalis: a clonal pathogen?: Diversities in housekeeping genes and the major fimbriae gene. | The introduction of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) in infectious disease research has allowed standardized typing of bacterial clones. Through multiple markers around the genome, it is possible to determine the sequence type (ST) of bacterial isolates to establish the population structure of a species. For the periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis, the MLST scheme has been established at www.pubmlst.org/pgingivalis, and data from the database indicate a high degree of genetic diversi ... | 2011 | 22125739 |
| Structure of the C-terminal Domain of Neisseria Heparin Binding Antigen (NHBA), One of the Main Antigens of a Novel Vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis. | Neisseria heparin binding antigen (NHBA), also known as GNA2132 (genome-derived Neisseria antigen 2132), is a surface-exposed lipoprotein from Neisseria meningitidis that was originally identified by reverse vaccinology. It is one the three main antigens of a multicomponent vaccine against serogroup B meningitis (4CMenB), which has just completed phase III clinical trials in infants. In contrast to the other two main vaccine components, little is known about the origin of the immunogenicity of t ... | 2011 | 21965688 |
| pre-hospital antibiotics for meningococcal disease remains low. | | 2011 | 21964019 |
| From agonist to antagonist: structure and dynamics of innate immune glycoprotein MD-2 upon recognition of variably acylated bacterial endotoxins. | The human immune response to an infection by Gram-negative bacteria involves detection of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), also known as endotoxins, which comprise the bacterial outer cell wall. Distinct from mammalian glycolipid structures, LPS have a conserved chemical pattern that is recognized by the pattern recognition receptor complex formed by myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). A remarkable immune-mediated structure-toxicity relationship has been defined t ... | 2011 | 21924775 |
| safety, immunogenicity and preliminary efficacy of multiple-site vaccination with an epidermal growth factor (egf) based cancer vaccine in advanced non small cell lung cancer (nsclc) patients. | abstract: the prognosis of patients with advanced non small cell lung (nsclc) cancer remains dismal. epidermal growth factor receptor is over-expressed in many epithelial derived tumors and its role in the development and progression of nsclc is widely documented. cimavax-egf is a therapeutic cancer vaccine composed by human recombinant epidermal growth factor (egf) conjugated to a carrier protein, p64k from neisseria meningitides. the vaccine is intended to induce antibodies against self egf th ... | 2011 | 22024351 |
| post-genomics of neisseria meningitidis: an update. | neisseria meningitidis infection still remains a major life-threatening bacterial disease worldwide. the availability of bacterial genomic sequences generated a paradigm shift in microbiological and vaccines sciences, and post-genomics (comparative genomics, functional genomics, proteomics and a combination/evolution of these techniques) played important roles in elucidating bacterial biological complexity and pathogenic traits, at the same time accelerating the development of therapeutic drugs ... | 2011 | 22087663 |
| Acute bacterial meningitis in infants and children: epidemiology and management. | Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) continues to be associated with high mortality and morbidity, despite advances in antimicrobial therapy. The causative organism varies with age, immune function, immunization status, and geographic region, and empiric therapy for meningitis is based on these factors. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitidis cause the majority of cases of ABM. Disease epidemiology is changing rapidly due to immunization practices an ... | 2011 | 21999651 |
| [Early diagnosis and correlations of sexually transmitted infections among women in primary care health services]. | Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in women remain a public health challenge due to high prevalence, difficulties to implement early diagnosis strategies and high rates of complications. | 2011 | 22069014 |
| Factors associated with HIV among female sex workers in a high HIV prevalent state of India. | Abstract The study was carried out to assess the factors associated with HIV seropositivity among female sex workers (FSWs) in Dimapur, Nagaland, a high HIV prevalence state of India. A total of 426 FSWs were recruited into the study using respondent driven sampling (RDS). Data on demographic characteristics, sexual and injecting risk behaviours were collected from them and were tested for HIV, Syphilis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. RDS-weighted univariate and multivariate lo ... | 2011 | 21902571 |
| Meningococcal vaccines: WHO position paper, November 2011. | | 2011 | 22128384 |
| Cloning, expression and purification of outer membrane protein PorA of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B. | Neisseria meningitidis is a major causative agent of bacterial septicemia and meningitis in humans. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent disease caused by strains of N. meningitidis serogroup B. PorA is a major component of the outer membrane of N. meningitidis and functions as a cationic porin. This study aimed to clone and determine the expression of PorA. | 2011 | 22169784 |
| Sustainable antimicrobial surveillance programs essential for controlling Neisseria gonorrhoeae superbug. | | 2011 | 21934559 |
| Are we satisfied with the tools for the diagnosis of gonococcal infection in females? | Gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) is a common sexually transmitted infection in women, with a heavy burden on female and neonatal health, because sequelae occur, such as female infertility, ectopic pregnancy, neonatal ophthalmitis and infection, and chronic pelvic pain. Prompt and appropriate antibiotic treatment can cure infection and avoid complications. However, adequate treatment is not easy, because early and rapid identification of gonorrhea is interfered with by many factors, including th ... | 2011 | 22036133 |
| core groups, antimicrobial resistance and rebound in gonorrhoea in north america. | backgroundgenital tract infections caused by neisseria gonorrhoeae are a major cause of sexually transmitted disease worldwide. surveillance data suggest that incidence has increased in recent years after initially falling in the face of intensified control efforts.objectivesthe authors sought to evaluate the potential contribution of antimicrobial resistance to such rebound and to identify optimal treatment strategies in the face of resistance using a mathematical model of gonorrhoea.methodsthe ... | 2011 | 22169277 |
| isolation and identification of microbes associated with mobile phones in dammam in eastern saudi arabia. | this study was conducted to determine microbial contamination of mobile phones in the city of dammam, in the eastern region of saudi arabia, and identify the most important microbial species associated with these phones in order to take the necessary remedial measures. | 2010 | 22022665 |
| novel non-specific dna adenine methyltransferases. | the mom gene of bacteriophage mu encodes an enzyme that converts adenine to n(6)-(1-acetamido)-adenine in the phage dna and thereby protects the viral genome from cleavage by a wide variety of restriction endonucleases. mu-like prophage sequences present in haemophilus influenzae rd (flumu), neisseria meningitidis type a strain z2491 (pnme1) and h. influenzae biotype aegyptius atcc 11116 do not possess a mom-encoding gene. instead, at the position occupied by mom in mu they carry an unrelated ge ... | 2011 | 22102579 |
| molecular pathogenesis of neisseria gonorrhoeae. | | 2011 | 22110468 |
| Prevalence and Correlates of Mycoplasma genitalium Infection Among Female Sex Workers in Kampala, Uganda. | Background. The importance of Mycoplasma genitalium in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-burdened sub-Saharan Africa is relatively unknown. We assessed the prevalence and explored determinants of this emerging sexually transmitted infection (STI) in high-risk women in Uganda. Methods. Endocervical swabs from 1025 female sex workers in Kampala were tested for Mycoplasma genitalium using a commercial Real-TM polymerase chain reaction assay. Factors associated with prevalent Mycoplasma genitalium, ... | 2012 | 22102734 |
| Phasevarion Mediated Epigenetic Gene Regulation in Helicobacter pylori. | Many host-adapted bacterial pathogens contain DNA methyltransferases (mod genes) that are subject to phase-variable expression (high-frequency reversible ON/OFF switching of gene expression). In Haemophilus influenzae and pathogenic Neisseria, the random switching of the modA gene, associated with a phase-variable type III restriction modification (R-M) system, controls expression of a phase-variable regulon of genes (a "phasevarion"), via differential methylation of the genome in the modA ON an ... | 2011 | 22162751 |
| phase i study of a neisseria meningitidis liposomal vaccine containing purified outer membrane proteins and detoxified lipooligosaccharide. | purified outer membrane proteins and purified deacylated lipooligosaccharide (dlos) were formulated for use as a vaccine in three formulations for clinical use. the three vaccine formulations included (1) purified outer membrane proteins (omps) and l8-5 dlos adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide; (2) purified omps and l8-5 dlos incorporated into liposomes; and (3) purified omps and l7 dlos incorporated into proteoliposomes. the vaccines were compared for immunogenicity and safety in a phase 1clinical s ... | 2011 | 22138211 |
| Efficacy of a capsule conjugate vaccine against inhalational anthrax in rabbits and monkeys. | Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is recognized as one of the most serious bioterrorism threats. The current human vaccines are based on the protective antigen component of the anthrax toxins. Concern about possible vaccine resistant strains and reliance on a single antigen has prompted the search for additional immunogens. Bacterial capsules, as surface-expressed virulence factors, are well-established components of several licensed vaccines. In a previous study we showed that ... | 2011 | 22172509 |
| Targeting of Neisserial PorB to the mitochondrial outer membrane: an insight on the evolution of ß-barrel protein assembly machines. | Mitochondria originated from Gram-negative bacteria through endosymbiosis. In modern day mitochondria, the Sorting and Assembly Machinery (SAM) is responsible for eukaryotic ß-barrel protein assembly in the mitochondrial outer membrane. The SAM is the functional equivalent of the ß-barrel assembly machinery found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. In this study we examined the import pathway of a pathogenic bacterial protein, PorB, which is targeted from pathogenic Neisseria to the ... | 2011 | 22032638 |
| A novel metal transporter mediating manganese export (MntX) regulates the Mn to Fe intracellular ratio and Neisseria meningitidis virulence. | Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) and N. gonorrhoeae (Ng) are adapted to different environments within their human host. If the basis of this difference has not yet been fully understood, previous studies (including our own data) have reported that, unlike Ng, Nm tolerates high manganese concentrations. As transition metals are essential regulators of cell growth and host pathogen interactions, we aimed to address mechanisms of Nm Mn²? tolerance and its pathogenic consequences. Using bioinformatics, g ... | 2011 | 21980287 |
| Differing Neisseria gonorrhoeae Bacterial Loads in the Pharynx and Rectum in Men Who Have Sex with Men: Implications for Gonococcal Detection, Transmission, and Control. | The bacterial loads for gonococcal infections of the pharynx and rectum were determined among men with male sexual partners. The median bacterial load for rectal infections (18,960 copies/swab) was significantly higher than the load for pharyngeal infections (2,100 copies/swab; P = 0.001). Bacterial loads among men with symptomatic proctitis were strikingly high (median, 278,000 copies/swab). | 2011 | 21956992 |
| scent recognition of infected status in humans. | introduction. there is a body of experimental evidence that mice and rats use chemical signals to avoid sexual contact with infected conspecifics. in contrast to animals, body scent of sick humans is employed only in medical diagnostics. a modification of human body odor, due to an infection, has not been studied as a potential signal for choice of a sexual partner. it might, however, be especially important for sexually transmitted infections (sti) because many such infections have no obvious ... | 2011 | 22145868 |
| changes in serogroup and genotype prevalence among carried meningococci in the united kingdom during vaccine implementation. | herd immunity is important in the effectiveness of conjugate polysaccharide vaccines against encapsulated bacteria. a large multicenter study investigated the effect of meningococcal serogroup c conjugate vaccine introduction on the meningococcal population. | 2011 | 21881120 |
| lps from neisseria meningitidis is crucial for inducing monocyte- and microparticle-associated tissue factor activity but not for tissue factor expression. | neisseria meningitidis causes sepsis with coagulopathy. the present study evaluated the tissue factor (tf)-inducing capacity of bacterial lps in different presentation forms, i.e. membrane-bound lps versus purified lps, and of non-lps components of n. meningitidis. by using a wild-type n. meningitidis, a mutant n. meningitidis lacking lps (lps-deficient n. meningitidis), purified lps from n. meningitidis and escherichia coli, we measured tf-expression and tf-activity on human monocytes and micro ... | 2011 | 22180561 |
| Distribution of serogroups and sequence types in disease-associated and carrier strains of Neisseria meningitidis isolated in China between 2003 and 2008. | SUMMARYGiven the unpredictability of Neisseria meningitidis outbreaks and the increased prevalence of serogroup C strains following the introduction of serogroup A-based vaccines, we conducted an analysis of serogroups and sequence types (STs) in disease-associated and carrier N. meningitidis isolates that have emerged in China since 2003. We used multilocus sequence-typing techniques to investigate 371 N. meningitidis strains isolated from patients with meningitis and healthy carriers. Two line ... | 2011 | 21929839 |
| adolescent female with urinary symptoms: a diagnostic challenge for the pediatrician. | the objective of this study was to determine the accuracy with which physicians diagnose sexually transmitted infections (stis) and urinary tract infections (utis) in adolescent females with urinary symptoms. secondary aims were to determine the prevalence of stis and utis in this subset of patients and to identify variables associated with a physician diagnosis of sti or uti. | 2011 | 21878833 |
| viewpoint: gentamicin for treatment of gonococcal urethritis in malawi. | | 2010 | 21977848 |
| the first use of an investigational multicomponent meningococcal serogroup b vaccine (4cmenb) in humans. | neisseria meningitidis serogroup b is a well-recognized cause of bacterial meningitis and sepsis for which no broadly protective vaccine exists. whole genome sequencing was used to identify three antigens: factor h binding protein (fhbp), neisserial adhesin a (nada), and neisseria heparin binding antigen (nhba) for an investigational vaccine candidate (rmenb). this was the first trial of an investigational multicomponent meningococcal serogroup b vaccine (4cmenb), containing rmenb and outer memb ... | 2011 | 21904120 |
| characterization of the piln, pilo and pilp type iva pilus subcomplex. | type iva pili are bacterial nanomachines required for colonization of surfaces, but little is known about the organization of proteins in this system. the pseudomonas aeruginosa pilmnopq operon encodes five key members of the transenvelope complex facilitating pilus function. while pilq forms the outer membrane secretin pore, the functions of the inner membrane-associated proteins pilm/n/o/p are less well defined. structural characterization of a stable c-terminal fragment of pilp (pilp(δ71)) by ... | 2011 | 22053789 |
| strategies for partner management when treating sexually transmitted infection. | chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhea are the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted infections (stis) in the united states, and reinfection accounts for 14% to 30% of all reported cases of these stis. treatment of both the woman and her partner is imperative to prevent long-term sequelae. this report examines the clinical course of a woman diagnosed with chlamydia during pregnancy, and reviews various approaches to treating partners, including patient referral, provider r ... | 2011 | 22060221 |
| [determination of causative agents in ocular infection of external adnexa and anterior segments--multicenter study of causative agents and drug sensitivity of ocular infection by the japanese association for ocular infection part i]. | to determine the causative agents of ocular infection of external adnexa and anterior segments due to selected criteria. | 2011 | 22073597 |
| a randomized trial to assess safety and immunogenicity of alternative formulations of a quadrivalent meningococcal (a, c, y, and w-135) tetanus protein conjugate vaccine in toddlers. | background:: neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of meningitis and septicemia globally. recent shifts in serogroup dominance in some settings highlight the desirability of polysaccharide-conjugate vaccines with broader meningococcal coverage than serogroup c vaccines in widespread use. methods:: we assessed the safety and immunogenicity of a single dose of meningococcal quadrivalent (a, c, w-135, y) tetanus conjugate vaccine (tetramen-t), administered at 1 year of age. a total of 378 child ... | 2011 | 22094636 |
| establishment of a human ceacam1 transgenic mouse model for the study of gonococcal infections. | neisseria gonorrhoeae is the causative microorganism for the sexually transmitted disease (std) gonorrhea and humans are its only natural host. an animal model would be a useful tool for gonorrhea research, therefore we developed the hceacam1 transgenic mice, using an eukaryotic expression vector, pcdpcam1-gi. this construct was microinjected into the zygotes of c57bl/6 mice and 22 f0 generation transgenic mice were obtained. four (lines 50, 53, 54, and 59) of the f0 generation were found to car ... | 2011 | 21986029 |
| The Nature of an In Vivo Anti-Capsular Polysaccharide Response Is Markedly Influenced by the Composition and/or Architecture of the Bacterial Subcapsular Domain. | In vivo anti-polysaccharide Ig responses to isolated polysaccharide (PS) are T cell independent, rapid, and fail to generate memory. However, little is known regarding PS-specific Ig responses to intact Gram-positive and Gram-negative extracellular bacteria. We previously demonstrated that intact heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae, a Gram-positive bacterium, elicited a rapid primary pneumococcal capsular PS (PPS) response in mice that was dependent on CD4(+) T cells, B7-dependent costimulation ... | 2011 | 22156342 |
| acoustic wave immunosensing of a meningococcal antigen using gold nanoparticle-enhanced mass sensitivity. | bacterial meningitis is an infection of the thin membranes covering the brain and spinal cord by a number of microorganisms including neisseria meningitidis, which can lead to permanent neurological damage in the event of late diagnosis. given the quick onset and severity of the disease, there is a clear need for a rapid, sensitive and specific diagnostic technique. here, we describe the development and evaluation of an acoustic wave sensor, the quartz crystal microbalance (qcm), as a rapid immu ... | 2012 | 22104649 |
| Neisseria gonorrhoeae and humans perform an evolutionary LINE dance. | Horizontal gene transfer is an important mechanism for generating genetic diversity. As the number of sequenced genomes continues to increase, so do the examples of horizontal genetic exchange between both related and divergent organisms. Here we discuss the recent finding that certain strains of the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae have incorporated a small fragment of human DNA sequence into their genomes. The horizontally acquired sequence exhibits 98-100% nucleotide identity to a 685 bp ... | 2011 | 22016852 |
| molecular characterization of quinolone-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from brazil. | despite the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance among gonococci worldwide, limited reports are available from brazilian locations. in the present study, 25 quinolone-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae (qrng) strains isolated in rio de janeiro, brazil, were characterized by phenotypic and molecular methods, including analysis of mutations in the gyra and parc genes. they represented 16.5% of the n. gonorrhoeae isolates obtained during a survey performed from 2006 to 2010. a trend for increasing re ... | 2011 | 21976763 |
| methods for studying neisseria meningitidis biofilms. | neisseria meningitidisis an organism whose environmental niche is limited to the human host. it can frequently colonize the human nasopharynx and has the ability to cause severe systemic infections. these infections can be sporadic, endemic or occur in outbreaks associated with more virulent meningococcal strains. studies have demonstrated that the meningococcus can form biofilms both in vivo and ex vivo. in this chapter, we discuss methods to establish biofilms in the laboratory for in-depth bi ... | 2012 | 21993646 |
| successful treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis in hiv-infected patients with single-dose oral cefpodoxime. | fluoroquinolones are no longer recommended for the treatment of gonococcal infections in the united states. cephalosporins - ceftriaxone and cefixime - are the treatment of choice, as suggested by the centers for disease control and prevention (usa). there are limited data on the efficacy of cefpodoxime for the treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal infections. two cases of hiv-infected homosexual men who were successfully treated with cefpodoxime for urethritis caused by neisseria gonorrhoeae ar ... | 2010 | 21886642 |
| evaluation of screening tests for detecting chlamydia trachomatis: bias associated with the patient-infected-status algorithm. | in recent years, the evaluation of nucleic acid amplification tests (naats) for detecting chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhea is based on a methodology called the patient-infected-status algorithm (pisa). in the simplest version of pisa, 4 test-specimen combinations (comparator tests) are used to define the gold standard. if a person shows a positive result by any 2 or more of these 4 comparator tests, the person is classified as infected; otherwise, the person is considered to be unin ... | 2012 | 22157304 |
| the challenge of developing universal vaccines. | antigenic variability of immunodominant antigens is a common mechanism used by pathogens to escape the immune response. frequently, the proposed solution is a universal vaccine based on conserved antigens present on all strains of the pathogen. indeed, a lot of progress has been made in the development of vaccines that induce broad immune responses. however, truly universal vaccines are not easy to produce and still face many challenges, mostly because in those pathogens that use antigenic varia ... | 2011 | 21904572 |
| comparative genomics of neisseria weaveri clarifies the taxonomy of this species and identifies genetic determinants that may be associated with virulence. | a group of bacterial strains formerly known as cdc group m-5 are opportunistic pathogens to humans. in 1993, a name, neisseria weaveri, was proposed by two independent studies to harbor cdc group m-5 strains, namely n. weaveri holmes et al. 1993 and n. weaveri andersen et al. 1993, with two different 'type' strains. however, no study has been conducted on to the relatedness of the two 'type' strains, although the close relationship of the two taxa has long been accepted unofficially. formally, t ... | 2011 | 22188430 |
| [A case of disseminated gonococcal infection without typical skin rash]. | Few case reports have been published on disseminated gonococcal infection in Japan. We report such a non-HIV case without typical skin rash. A 49-year-old Japanese man living in Thailand on business was seen for fever and multiple arthralgia after returning to Japan. Given the travel history, differential diagnoses included endemic viral infection such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), dengue fever, and chikungunya. Diagnosis was based on right-knee arthrocentesis, and synovial fluid cultur ... | 2011 | 21861441 |
| tmt labelling for the quantitative analysis of adaptive responses in the meningococcal proteome. | in addition to standard gel-based proteomic approaches, gel-free approaches using isobaric label reagents, such as tandem mass tags (tmt), provide a straightforward method for studying adaptations in microbial proteomes to changing environmental conditions. this approach does not have the known difficulties of 2-d gel electrophoresis with proteins of extreme biochemical properties. the workflow described here was designed to study adaptive responses in bacteria and has been applied to study the ... | 2012 | 21993643 |
| A new era in supraglottitis? An isolated UK case of supraglottitis secondary to Neisseria meningitidis. | We report the first UK case of supraglottitis secondary to Neisseria meningitidis. | 2011 | 21846416 |