| role of connexin/pannexin containing channels in infectious diseases. | in recent years it has become evident that gap junctions and hemichannels, in concert with extracellular atp and purinergic receptors, play key roles in several physiological processes and pathological conditions. however, only recently has their importance in infectious diseases been explored, likely because early reports indicated that connexin containing channels were completely inactivated under inflammatory conditions, and therefore no further research was performed. however, recent evidenc ... | 2014 | 24486013 |
| attenuated bordetella pertussis vaccine protects against respiratory syncytial virus disease via an il-17-dependent mechanism. | we attenuated virulent bordetella pertussis by genetically eliminating or detoxifying three major toxins. this strain, named bpze1, is being developed as a possible live nasal vaccine for the prevention of whooping cough. it is immunogenic and safe when given intranasally in adult volunteers. | 2014 | 24261996 |
| phosphatidylethanolamine synthesis in the parasite mitochondrion is required for efficient growth but dispensable for survival of toxoplasma gondii. | toxoplasma gondii is a highly prevalent obligate intracellular parasite of the phylum apicomplexa, which also includes other parasites of clinical and/or veterinary importance, such as plasmodium, cryptosporidium, and eimeria. acute infection by toxoplasma is hallmarked by rapid proliferation in its host cells and requires a significant synthesis of parasite membranes. phosphatidylethanolamine (ptdetn) is the second major phospholipid class in t. gondii. here, we reveal that ptdetn is produced i ... | 2014 | 24429285 |
| age related differences in dynamics of specific memory b cell populations after clinical pertussis infection. | for a better understanding of the maintenance of immune mechanisms to bordetella pertussis (bp) in relation to age, we investigated the dynamic range of specific b cell responses in various age-groups at different time points after a laboratory confirmed pertussis infection. blood samples were obtained in a dutch cross sectional observational study from symptomatic pertussis cases. lymphocyte subpopulations were phenotyped by flowcytometry before and after culture. memory b (bmem) cells were dif ... | 2014 | 24454823 |
| vats bullectomy and apical pleurectomy for spontaneous pneumothorax in a young patient with swyer-james-mc leod syndrome: case report presentation and literature review focusing on surgically treated cases. | swyer-james-mcleod syndrome (sjms) is an uncommon, emphysematous disease characterized by radiologic hyperlucency of pulmonary parenchyma due to loss of the pulmonary vascular structure and to alveolar overdistension. | 2014 | 24410793 |
| blindcall: ultra-fast base-calling of high-throughput sequencing data by blind deconvolution. | base-calling of sequencing data produced by high-throughput sequencing platforms is a fundamental process in current bioinformatics analysis. however, existing third-party probabilistic or machine-learning methods that significantly improve the accuracy of base-calls on these platforms are impractical for production use due to their computational inefficiency. | 2014 | 24413520 |
| previous infection with staphylococcus aureus strains attenuated experimental encephalomyelitis. | bacterial superantigens are potent t cell activators that can activate t cells with specificity for antigens of the central nervous system (cns). in this study, we compared the effect of two s. aureus strains on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (eae) development. c57bl/6 female mice were infected with s. aureus atcc 51650, which produces toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (tsst-1+) or s. aureus atcc 43300, which does not produce toxins (tox-). three days later, the animals were subjected to e ... | 2014 | 24401094 |
| evaluation of a multitarget real-time pcr assay for detection of bordetella species during a pertussis outbreak in new hampshire in 2011. | a multitarget real-time pcr assay with three targets, including insertion sequence 481 (is481), is1001, and an is1001-like element, as well as pertussis toxin subunit s1 (ptxs1), for the detection of bordetella species was evaluated during a pertussis outbreak. the sensitivity and specificity were 77 and 88% (pcr) and 66 and 100% (culture), respectively. all patients with an is481 c(t) of <30 also tested positive by ptxs1 assay and were clinical pertussis cases. no patients with is481 c(t) value ... | 2014 | 24131698 |
| evaluation of the biofire filmarray respiratory panel and the genmark esensor respiratory viral panel on lower respiratory tract specimens. | we evaluated the performance characteristics of the filmarray respiratory panel and the esensor respiratory viral panel on clinical and spiked lower respiratory tract specimens (lrts). the overall agreement between the two methods was 89.5% (51/57). the lower limit of detection of both assays for all targets in lrts was comparable to that for nasopharyngeal swab specimens. | 2014 | 24131685 |
| potential autoepitope within the extracellular region of contactin-associated protein-like 2 in mice. | implicated in autoimmune encephalitis, neuromyotonia and genetic forms of autism, here we report that contactin-associated protein-like 2 (cntnap2) contains a potential autoepitope within the extracellular region. | 2014 | 24466509 |
| implications for directionality of nanoscale forces in bacterial attachment. | adhesion and friction are closely related and play a predominant role in many natural processes. from the wall-clinging feet of the gecko to bacteria forming a biofilm, in many cases adhesion is a necessity to survive. the direction in which forces are applied has shown to influence the bond strength of certain systems tremendously and can mean the difference between adhesion and detachment. the spatula present on the extension of the feet of the gecko can either attach or detach, based on the a ... | 2015 | 27340690 |
| implications for directionality of nanoscale forces in bacterial attachment. | adhesion and friction are closely related and play a predominant role in many natural processes. from the wall-clinging feet of the gecko to bacteria forming a biofilm, in many cases adhesion is a necessity to survive. the direction in which forces are applied has shown to influence the bond strength of certain systems tremendously and can mean the difference between adhesion and detachment. the spatula present on the extension of the feet of the gecko can either attach or detach, based on the a ... | 2015 | 27340690 |
| adult pertussis is unrecognized public health problem in thailand. | although pertussis has been considered a disease of childhood, it is also recognized as an important respiratory tract infection in adolescents and adults. however, in countries with routine vaccination against pertussis with high coverage, pertussis is not usually taken into consideration for the etiology of prolonged cough in adults. previous studies in a variety of populations in developed countries have documented that pertussis is quite common, ranging from 2.9 to 32% of adolescents and adu ... | 2015 | 26809648 |
| adult pertussis is unrecognized public health problem in thailand. | although pertussis has been considered a disease of childhood, it is also recognized as an important respiratory tract infection in adolescents and adults. however, in countries with routine vaccination against pertussis with high coverage, pertussis is not usually taken into consideration for the etiology of prolonged cough in adults. previous studies in a variety of populations in developed countries have documented that pertussis is quite common, ranging from 2.9 to 32% of adolescents and adu ... | 2015 | 26809648 |
| the korean cough guideline: recommendation and summary statement. | cough is one of the most common symptom of many respiratory diseases. the korean academy of tuberculosis and respiratory diseases organized cough guideline committee and cough guideline was developed by this committee. the purpose of this guideline is to help clinicians to diagnose correctly and treat efficiently patients with cough. in this article, we have stated recommendation and summary of korean cough guideline. we also provided algorithm for acute, subacute, and chronic cough. for chronic ... | 2015 | 26770230 |
| the korean cough guideline: recommendation and summary statement. | cough is one of the most common symptom of many respiratory diseases. the korean academy of tuberculosis and respiratory diseases organized cough guideline committee and cough guideline was developed by this committee. the purpose of this guideline is to help clinicians to diagnose correctly and treat efficiently patients with cough. in this article, we have stated recommendation and summary of korean cough guideline. we also provided algorithm for acute, subacute, and chronic cough. for chronic ... | 2015 | 26770230 |
| priming of the respiratory tract with immunobiotic lactobacillus plantarum limits infection of alveolar macrophages with recombinant pneumonia virus of mice (rk2-pvm). | pneumonia virus of mice (pvm) is a natural rodent pathogen that replicates in bronchial epithelial cells and reproduces many clinical and pathological features of the more severe forms of disease associated with human respiratory syncytial virus. in order to track virus-target cell interactions during acute infection in vivo, we developed rk2-pvm, bacterial artificial chromosome-based recombinant pvm strain j3666 that incorporates the fluorescent tag monomeric katushka 2 (mkate2). the rk2-pvm pa ... | 2015 | 26537680 |
| priming of the respiratory tract with immunobiotic lactobacillus plantarum limits infection of alveolar macrophages with recombinant pneumonia virus of mice (rk2-pvm). | pneumonia virus of mice (pvm) is a natural rodent pathogen that replicates in bronchial epithelial cells and reproduces many clinical and pathological features of the more severe forms of disease associated with human respiratory syncytial virus. in order to track virus-target cell interactions during acute infection in vivo, we developed rk2-pvm, bacterial artificial chromosome-based recombinant pvm strain j3666 that incorporates the fluorescent tag monomeric katushka 2 (mkate2). the rk2-pvm pa ... | 2015 | 26537680 |
| whooping cough dynamics in chile (1932-2010): disease temporal fluctuations across a north-south gradient. | the spatial-temporal dynamics of bordetella pertussis remains as a highly interesting case in infectious disease epidemiology. despite large-scale vaccination programs in place for over 50 years around the world, frequent outbreaks are still reported in many countries. | 2015 | 26714644 |
| chemokine interaction with synergy-inducing molecules: fine tuning modulation of cell trafficking. | directed migration and arrest of leukocytes during homeostasis, inflammation, and tumor development is mediated by the chemokine system, which governs leukocyte migration and activities. although we understand well the effects of different chemokines one by one, much less was known about the potential consequences of the concomitant expression of multiple chemokines or of their interaction with inflammatory molecules on leukocyte migration and functions. in the past 10 yr, several studies reveal ... | 2015 | 26715684 |
| chemokine interaction with synergy-inducing molecules: fine tuning modulation of cell trafficking. | directed migration and arrest of leukocytes during homeostasis, inflammation, and tumor development is mediated by the chemokine system, which governs leukocyte migration and activities. although we understand well the effects of different chemokines one by one, much less was known about the potential consequences of the concomitant expression of multiple chemokines or of their interaction with inflammatory molecules on leukocyte migration and functions. in the past 10 yr, several studies reveal ... | 2015 | 26715684 |
| an evidence synthesis approach to estimating the incidence of symptomatic pertussis infection in the netherlands, 2005-2011. | despite high vaccination coverage, infection with bordetella pertussis is a current public health concern in the netherlands and other european union member states. because surveillance data are subject to extensive under-ascertainment and under-reporting, incidence is difficult to determine. our objective was to estimate the age-group specific incidence of symptomatic pertussis infection in the netherlands over the period 2005-2011, using multi-parameter evidence synthesis. | 2015 | 26715486 |
| bispecific antibodies and their applications. | bispecific antibodies (bsabs) recognize two different epitopes. this dual specificity opens up a wide range of applications, including redirecting t cells to tumor cells, blocking two different signaling pathways simultaneously, dual targeting of different disease mediators, and delivering payloads to targeted sites. the approval of catumaxomab (anti-epcam and anti-cd3) and blinatumomab (anti-cd19 and anti-cd3) has become a major milestone in the development of bsabs. currently, more than 60 dif ... | 2015 | 26692321 |
| comparison of respiratory virus shedding by conventional and molecular testing methods in patients with haematological malignancy. | respiratory viruses (rv) are a leading cause of infection-related morbidity and mortality for patients undergoing treatment for cancer. this analysis compared duration of rv shedding as detected by culture and pcr among patients in a high-risk oncology setting (adult patients with haematological malignancy and/or stem cell transplant and all paediatric oncology patients) and determined risk factors for extended shedding. rv infections due to influenza virus, parainfluenza virus (piv), human meta ... | 2015 | 26711433 |
| comparison of respiratory virus shedding by conventional and molecular testing methods in patients with haematological malignancy. | respiratory viruses (rv) are a leading cause of infection-related morbidity and mortality for patients undergoing treatment for cancer. this analysis compared duration of rv shedding as detected by culture and pcr among patients in a high-risk oncology setting (adult patients with haematological malignancy and/or stem cell transplant and all paediatric oncology patients) and determined risk factors for extended shedding. rv infections due to influenza virus, parainfluenza virus (piv), human meta ... | 2015 | 26711433 |
| the immunogenicity, safety, and consistency of an indonesia combined dtp-hb-hib vaccine in expanded program on immunization schedule. | who recommended incorporation of haemophilus influenzae type b (hib) vaccination into immunization program. indonesia would adopt hib as a national immunization program in 2013. we aimed at analyzing immunogenicity, safety, and consistency of a new combined dtp-hb-hib (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis b-haemophilus influenza b) vaccine. | 2015 | 26686508 |
| epidemiology, co-infections, and outcomes of viral pneumonia in adults: an observational cohort study. | advanced technologies using polymerase-chain reaction have allowed for increased recognition of viral respiratory infections including pneumonia. co-infections have been described for several respiratory viruses, especially with influenza. outcomes of viral pneumonia, including cases with co-infections, have not been well described. this was observational cohort study conducted to describe hospitalized patients with viral pneumonia including co-infections, clinical outcomes, and predictors of mo ... | 2015 | 26683973 |
| a functional tricarboxylic acid cycle operates during growth of bordetella pertussis on amino acid mixtures as sole carbon substrates. | it has been claimed that citrate synthase, aconitase and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities are non-functional in bordetella pertussis and that this might explain why this bacterium's growth is sometimes associated with accumulation of polyhydroxybutyrate (phb) and/or free fatty acids. however, the sequenced genome includes the entire citric acid pathway genes. furthermore, these genes were expressed and the corresponding enzyme activities detected at high levels for the pathway when grown on a ... | 2015 | 26684737 |
| natural killer cells and innate interferon gamma participate in the host defense against respiratory vaccinia virus infection. | in establishing a respiratory infection, vaccinia virus (vacv) initially replicates in airway epithelial cells before spreading to secondary sites of infection, mainly the draining lymph nodes, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive organs. we recently reported that interferon gamma (ifn-γ) produced by cd8 t cells ultimately controls this disseminated infection, but the relative contribution of ifn-γ early in infection is unknown. investigating the role of innate immune cells, we found ... | 2015 | 26468539 |
| natural killer cells and innate interferon gamma participate in the host defense against respiratory vaccinia virus infection. | in establishing a respiratory infection, vaccinia virus (vacv) initially replicates in airway epithelial cells before spreading to secondary sites of infection, mainly the draining lymph nodes, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive organs. we recently reported that interferon gamma (ifn-γ) produced by cd8 t cells ultimately controls this disseminated infection, but the relative contribution of ifn-γ early in infection is unknown. investigating the role of innate immune cells, we found ... | 2015 | 26468539 |
| group a streptococcus intranasal infection promotes cns infiltration by streptococcal-specific th17 cells. | group a streptococcal (gas) infection induces the production of abs that cross-react with host neuronal proteins, and these anti-gas mimetic abs are associated with autoimmune diseases of the cns. however, the mechanisms that allow these abs to cross the blood-brain barrier (bbb) and induce neuropathology remain unresolved. we have previously shown that gas infection in mouse models induces a robust th17 response in nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (nalt). here, we identified gas-specific th17 c ... | 2015 | 26657857 |
| group a streptococcus intranasal infection promotes cns infiltration by streptococcal-specific th17 cells. | group a streptococcal (gas) infection induces the production of abs that cross-react with host neuronal proteins, and these anti-gas mimetic abs are associated with autoimmune diseases of the cns. however, the mechanisms that allow these abs to cross the blood-brain barrier (bbb) and induce neuropathology remain unresolved. we have previously shown that gas infection in mouse models induces a robust th17 response in nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (nalt). here, we identified gas-specific th17 c ... | 2015 | 26657857 |
| a new modified animal model of myosin-induced experimental autoimmune myositis enhanced by defibrase. | we investigated the effect of defibrase (a proteolytic enzyme extraction of agkistrodon halys venom) on experimental autoimmune myositis (eam) in guinea pigs and explored the option of using a modified pig model of eam to enhance the study of this disease. | 2015 | 26788090 |
| bordetella adenylate cyclase toxin is a unique ligand of the integrin complement receptor 3. | integrins are heterodimeric cell surface adhesion and signaling receptors that are essential for metazoan existence. some integrins contain an i-domain that is a major ligand binding site. the ligands preferentially engage the active forms of the integrins and trigger signaling cascades that alter numerous cell functions. here we found that the adenylate cyclase toxin (cyaa), a key virulence factor of the whooping cough agent bordetella pertussis, preferentially binds an inactive form of the int ... | 2015 | 26650353 |
| bordetella pertussis isolates from argentinean whooping cough patients display enhanced biofilm formation capacity compared to tohama i reference strain. | pertussis is a highly contagious disease mainly caused by bordetella pertussis. despite the massive use of vaccines, since the 1950s the disease has become re-emergent in 2000 with a shift in incidence from infants to adolescents and adults. clearly, the efficacy of current cellular or acellular vaccines, formulated from bacteria grown in stirred bioreactors is limited, presenting a challenge for future vaccine development. for gaining insights into the role of b. pertussis biofilm development f ... | 2015 | 26696973 |
| cutting edge: il-1 receptor signaling is critical for the development of autoimmune uveitis. | il-1β is a proinflammatory cytokine important for local and systemic immunity. however, aberrant production of this cytokine is implicated in pathogenic mechanisms of a number of inflammatory diseases, including behçet's disease and age-related macular degeneration. in this study, we report the increased secretion of il-1β in the retina by neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells during ocular inflammation and show that loss of il-1r signaling confers protection from experimental autoimmune ... | 2015 | 26643477 |
| cutting edge: il-1 receptor signaling is critical for the development of autoimmune uveitis. | il-1β is a proinflammatory cytokine important for local and systemic immunity. however, aberrant production of this cytokine is implicated in pathogenic mechanisms of a number of inflammatory diseases, including behçet's disease and age-related macular degeneration. in this study, we report the increased secretion of il-1β in the retina by neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells during ocular inflammation and show that loss of il-1r signaling confers protection from experimental autoimmune ... | 2015 | 26643477 |
| expression of micrornas in the eyes of lewis rats with experimental autoimmune anterior uveitis. | purpose. this study aimed to determine the dynamic changes of nf-κb-related micrornas (mirnas) and cytokines over the course of experimental autoimmune anterior uveitis (eaau) and elucidate the possible immunopathogenesis. materials and methods. uveitis was induced in lewis rats using bovine melanin-associated antigen. the inflammatory activity of the anterior chamber was clinically scored, and leukocytes in the aqueous humor were quantified. rna was extracted from the iris/ciliary bodies and po ... | 2015 | 26713004 |
| high prevalence of bordetella pertussis in children under 5 years old hospitalized with acute respiratory infections in lima, peru. | pertussis diagnosis may go unrecognized when other pathogens, such as respiratory syncytial virus (rsv) circulate. | 2015 | 26626910 |
| journal watch. | | 2015 | 26753049 |
| second international congress on chocolate and cocoa in medicine held in barcelona, spain, 25-26th september 2015. | | 2015 | 26633471 |
| comparison of the specificity of antibodies to var2csa in cameroonian multigravidae with and without placental malaria: a retrospective case-control study. | antibodies (ab) to var2csa prevent plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes from sequestrating in the placenta, i.e., prevent placental malaria (pm). the specificity of ab to var2csa associated with absence of pm is unknown. accordingly, differences in the specificity of ab to var2csa were compared between multigravidae with and without pm who had ab to var2csa. | 2015 | 26626275 |
| lipid requirements for the enzymatic activity of mray translocases and in vitro reconstitution of the lipid ii synthesis pathway. | screening of new compounds directed against key protein targets must continually keep pace with emerging antibiotic resistances. although periplasmic enzymes of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis have been among the first drug targets, compounds directed against the membrane-integrated catalysts are hardly available. a promising future target is the integral membrane protein mray catalyzing the first membrane associated step within the cytoplasmic pathway of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis. h ... | 2015 | 26620564 |
| lipid requirements for the enzymatic activity of mray translocases and in vitro reconstitution of the lipid ii synthesis pathway. | screening of new compounds directed against key protein targets must continually keep pace with emerging antibiotic resistances. although periplasmic enzymes of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis have been among the first drug targets, compounds directed against the membrane-integrated catalysts are hardly available. a promising future target is the integral membrane protein mray catalyzing the first membrane associated step within the cytoplasmic pathway of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis. h ... | 2015 | 26620564 |
| human genetic basis of interindividual variability in the course of infection. | the key problem in human infectious diseases was posed at the turn of the 20th century: their pathogenesis. for almost any given virus, bacterium, fungus, or parasite, life-threatening clinical disease develops in only a small minority of infected individuals. solving this infection enigma is important clinically, for diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and treatment. some microbes will inevitably remain refractory to, or escape vaccination, or chemotherapy, or both. the solution also is important ... | 2015 | 26621739 |
| complete genome sequences of 11 bordetella pertussis strains representing the pandemic ptxp3 lineage. | pathogen adaptation has contributed to the resurgence of pertussis. to facilitate our understanding of this adaptation we report here 11 completely closed and annotated bordetella pertussis genomes representing the pandemic ptxp3 lineage. our analyses included six strains which do not produce the vaccine components pertactin and/or filamentous hemagglutinin. | 2015 | 26607899 |
| a bacterial type iii secretion-based protein delivery tool for broad applications in cell biology. | methods enabling the delivery of proteins into eukaryotic cells are essential to address protein functions. here we propose broad applications to cell biology for a protein delivery tool based on bacterial type iii secretion (t3s). we show that bacterial, viral, and human proteins, fused to the n-terminal fragment of the yersinia enterocolitica t3s substrate yope, are effectively delivered into target cells in a fast and controllable manner via the injectisome of extracellular bacteria. this met ... | 2015 | 26598622 |
| interleukin-6-dependent influence of nociceptive sensory neurons on antigen-induced arthritis. | interleukin-6 (il-6) is an important mediator of inflammation. in addition to cells involved in inflammation, sensory nociceptive neurons express the il-6 signal-transducer glycoprotein 130 (gp130). these neurons are not only involved in pain generation but also produce neurogenic inflammation by release of neuropeptides such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (cgrp). whether il-6 activation of sensory neurons contributes to the induction of inflammation is unknown. this study explored whether t ... | 2015 | 26590032 |
| the estimated incidence of pertussis in people aged 50 years old in the united states, 2006-2010. | pertussis is believed to be widely underreported and under-recognized, particularly among adults. the aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of private practitioner-attended cough illness that could be attributed to bordetella pertussis in adults aged ≥50 years in the us. | 2015 | 26584525 |
| safety, immune lot-to-lot consistency and non-inferiority of a fully liquid pentavalent dtwp-hepb-hib vaccine in healthy indian toddlers and infants. | pentavalent combination vaccines are important tools to strengthen the immunization programs in numerous countries throughout the world. a large number of countries have recognized the value of combination vaccines and have introduced whole cell pentavalent vaccines into their immunization programs. a phase iii, multi-center, randomized, single blinded study of a fully liquid pentavalent dtwp-hepb-hib investigational vaccine (shan5™) was conducted across india in 2 cohorts: 15 toddlers were eval ... | 2015 | 26580093 |
| safety, immune lot-to-lot consistency and non-inferiority of a fully liquid pentavalent dtwp-hepb-hib vaccine in healthy indian toddlers and infants. | pentavalent combination vaccines are important tools to strengthen the immunization programs in numerous countries throughout the world. a large number of countries have recognized the value of combination vaccines and have introduced whole cell pentavalent vaccines into their immunization programs. a phase iii, multi-center, randomized, single blinded study of a fully liquid pentavalent dtwp-hepb-hib investigational vaccine (shan5™) was conducted across india in 2 cohorts: 15 toddlers were eval ... | 2015 | 26580093 |
| impact of antibacterials on subsequent resistance and clinical outcomes in adult patients with viral pneumonia: an opportunity for stewardship. | respiratory viruses are increasingly recognized as significant etiologies of pneumonia among hospitalized patients. advanced technologies using multiplex molecular assays and polymerase-chain reaction increase the ability to identify viral pathogens and may ultimately impact antibacterial use. | 2015 | 26577540 |
| vitamin d₃ and monomethyl fumarate enhance natural killer cell lysis of dendritic cells and ameliorate the clinical score in mice suffering from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. | experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (eae) is a cd4⁺ t cell mediated inflammatory demyelinating disease that is induced in mice by administration of peptides derived from myelin proteins. we developed eae in sjl mice by administration of plp139-151 peptide. the effect of treating these mice with 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin d₃ (vitamin d₃), or with monomethyl fumarate (mmf) was then examined. we observed that both vitamin d₃ and mmf inhibited and/or prevented eae in these mice. these findings wer ... | 2015 | 26580651 |
| identification and partial characterization of potential ftsl and ftsq homologs of chlamydia. | chlamydia is amongst the rare bacteria that lack the critical cell division protein ftsz. by annotation, chlamydia also lacks several other essential cell division proteins including the ftslbq complex that links the early (e.g., ftsz) and late (e.g., ftsi/pbp3) components of the division machinery. here, we report chlamydial ftsl and ftsq homologs. ct271 aligned well with escherichia coli ftsl and shared sequence homology with it, including a predicted leucine-zipper like motif. based on in sil ... | 2015 | 26617598 |
| live-attenuated bacterial vectors: tools for vaccine and therapeutic agent delivery. | genetically attenuated microorganisms, including pathogenic and commensal bacteria, can be engineered to carry and deliver heterologous antigens to elicit host immunity against both the vector as well as the pathogen from which the donor gene is derived. these live attenuated bacterial vectors have been given much attention due to their capacity to induce a broad range of immune responses including localized mucosal, as well as systemic humoral and/or cell-mediated immunity. in addition, the uni ... | 2015 | 26569321 |
| glatiramer acetate treatment negatively regulates type i interferon signaling. | glatiramer acetate (ga; copaxone), a disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis (ms), promotes development of anti-inflammatory (m2, type ii) monocytes that can direct differentiation of regulatory t cells. we investigated the innate immune signaling pathways that participate in ga-mediated m2 monocyte polarization. | 2015 | 26601118 |
| novel roles for chloride channels, exchangers, and regulators in chronic inflammatory airway diseases. | chloride transport proteins play critical roles in inflammatory airway diseases, contributing to the detrimental aspects of mucus overproduction, mucus secretion, and airway constriction. however, they also play crucial roles in contributing to the innate immune properties of mucus and mucociliary clearance. in this review, we focus on the emerging novel roles for a chloride channel regulator (clca1), a calcium-activated chloride channel (tmem16a), and two chloride exchangers (slc26a4/pendrin an ... | 2015 | 26612971 |
| of quirky channels and a fond farewell. | | 2015 | 26503717 |
| role of (p)ppgpp in viability and biofilm formation of actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae s8. | actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is a gram-negative bacterium and the cause of porcine pleuropneumonia. when the bacterium encounters nutritional starvation, the rela-dependent (p)ppgpp-mediated stringent response is activated. the modified nucleotides guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate (ppgpp) and guanosine 5'-triphosphate 3'-diphosphate (pppgpp) are known to be signaling molecules in other prokaryotes. here, to investigate the role of (p)ppgpp in a. pleuropneumoniae, we created a mutant a. ... | 2015 | 26509499 |
| development of high resolution melting analysis for the diagnosis of human malaria. | molecular detection has overcome limitations of microscopic examination by providing greater sensitivity and specificity in plasmodium species detection. the objective of the present study was to develop a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction coupled with high-resolution melting (qrt-pcr-hrm) assay for rapid, accurate and simultaneous detection of all five human plasmodium spp. a pair of primers targeted the 18s ssu rrna gene of the plasmodium spp. was designed for qrt-pcr-hrm assay ... | 2015 | 26507008 |
| changes in different parameters, lymphocyte proliferation and hematopoietic progenitor colony formation in eae mice treated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. | myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (mog) is an antigen of the myelin sheath, which may trigger immune cell responses and the production of auto-antibodies in multiple sclerosis (ms). in this study, we used mog(35-55) -induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (eae), a model of human ms, to assess the production of catalytically active immunoglobulin g (igg) antibodies or abzymes which have been shown to be present in sera of patients with several autoimmune diseases. here, we show that ... | 2015 | 26493273 |
| changes in different parameters, lymphocyte proliferation and hematopoietic progenitor colony formation in eae mice treated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. | myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (mog) is an antigen of the myelin sheath, which may trigger immune cell responses and the production of auto-antibodies in multiple sclerosis (ms). in this study, we used mog(35-55) -induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (eae), a model of human ms, to assess the production of catalytically active immunoglobulin g (igg) antibodies or abzymes which have been shown to be present in sera of patients with several autoimmune diseases. here, we show that ... | 2015 | 26493273 |
| hsp70 and hsp90 of e. coli directly interact for collaboration in protein remodeling. | hsp90 is a highly conserved molecular chaperone that remodels hundreds of client proteins, many involved in the progression of cancer and other diseases. it functions with the hsp70 chaperone and numerous cochaperones. the bacterial hsp90 functions with an hsp70 chaperone, dnak, but is independent of hsp90 cochaperones. we explored the collaboration between escherichia coli hsp90 and dnak and found that the two chaperones form a complex that is stabilized by client protein binding. a j-domain pr ... | 2015 | 26482100 |
| case report: human bocavirus associated pneumonia as cause of acute injury, cologne, germany. | although the human bocavirus (hbov) is known since a decade, limited information about its pathogenesis is available due to the lack of an animal model. thus, clinical cases and studies are the major source of novel information about the course of infection and the related pathophysiology.in this context, a clinical case of an adult patient suffering from severe hbov-pneumonia is described that was associated with loss of consciousness followed by acute rib fracture and subsequent neurological d ... | 2015 | 26496262 |
| increasing incidence of pertussis in brazil: a retrospective study using surveillance data. | many countries have reported an increase in the incidence of pertussis, which has become a global public health concern. | 2015 | 26498058 |
| editorial: pertussis: current problems, challenges and investigations of a re-emerging disease. | | 2015 | 26490977 |
| interleukin-27 inhibits ectopic lymphoid-like structure development in early inflammatory arthritis. | ectopic lymphoid-like structures (elss) reminiscent of secondary lymphoid organs often develop at sites of chronic inflammation where they contribute to immune-mediated pathology. through evaluation of synovial tissues from rheumatoid arthritis (ra) patients, we now show that low interleukin-27 (il-27) expression corresponds with an increased incidence of els and gene signatures associated with their development and activity. the presence of synovial els was also noted in mice deficient in the i ... | 2015 | 26417004 |
| lipopolysaccharide-induced pulmonary endothelial barrier disruption and lung edema: critical role for bicarbonate stimulation of ac10. | bacteria-induced sepsis is a common cause of pulmonary endothelial barrier dysfunction and can progress toward acute respiratory distress syndrome. elevations in intracellular camp tightly regulate pulmonary endothelial barrier integrity; however, camp signals are highly compartmentalized: whether camp is barrier-protective or -disruptive depends on the compartment (plasma membrane or cytosol, respectively) in which the signal is generated. the mammalian soluble adenylyl cyclase isoform 10 (ac10 ... | 2015 | 26475732 |
| under-recognized pertussis in adults from asian countries: a cross-sectional seroprevalence study in malaysia, taiwan and thailand. | surveillance data on the burden of pertussis in asian adults are limited. this cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of serologically confirmed pertussis in adults with prolonged cough in malaysia, taiwan and thailand. adults (⩾19 years) with cough lasting for ⩾14 days without other known underlying cause were enrolled from outpatient clinics of seven public and/or private hospitals. single blood samples for anti-pertussis toxin antibodies (anti-pt igg) were analysed and economic impact ... | 2015 | 26468043 |
| under-recognized pertussis in adults from asian countries: a cross-sectional seroprevalence study in malaysia, taiwan and thailand. | surveillance data on the burden of pertussis in asian adults are limited. this cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of serologically confirmed pertussis in adults with prolonged cough in malaysia, taiwan and thailand. adults (⩾19 years) with cough lasting for ⩾14 days without other known underlying cause were enrolled from outpatient clinics of seven public and/or private hospitals. single blood samples for anti-pertussis toxin antibodies (anti-pt igg) were analysed and economic impact ... | 2015 | 26468043 |
| martx toxins as effector delivery platforms. | bacteria frequently manipulate their host environment via delivery of microbial 'effector' proteins to the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. in the case of the multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in-toxins (martx) toxin, this phenomenon is accomplished by a single, >3500 amino acid polypeptide that carries information for secretion, translocation, autoprocessing and effector activity. martx toxins are secreted from bacteria by dedicated type i secretion systems. the released martx toxins form pore ... | 2015 | 26472741 |
| detection and characterization of respiratory viruses causing acute respiratory illness and asthma exacerbation in children during three different season (2011-2014) in mexico city. | viral infections play a significant role as cause of acute respiratory infections (aris) and exacerbations of chronic diseases. aris are now the leading cause of mortality in children worldwide, especially in developing countries. recently human rhinovirus (hrv) infection has been emerged as an important cause of pneumonia and asthma exacerbation. | 2015 | 26289993 |
| inhibition of ltxa toxicity by blocking cholesterol binding with peptides. | the leukotoxin (ltxa) produced by aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans kills host immune cells, allowing the bacterium to establish an ecological niche in the upper aerodigestive tract of its human host. the interaction of ltxa with human immune cells is both complex and multifaceted, involving membrane lipids as well as cell-surface proteins. in the initial encounter with the host cell, ltxa associates with lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1, a cell surface adhesion glycoprotein. however ... | 2015 | 26352738 |
| inhibition of ltxa toxicity by blocking cholesterol binding with peptides. | the leukotoxin (ltxa) produced by aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans kills host immune cells, allowing the bacterium to establish an ecological niche in the upper aerodigestive tract of its human host. the interaction of ltxa with human immune cells is both complex and multifaceted, involving membrane lipids as well as cell-surface proteins. in the initial encounter with the host cell, ltxa associates with lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1, a cell surface adhesion glycoprotein. however ... | 2015 | 26352738 |
| resistance to antibiotics and antifungal medicinal products: can complementary and alternative medicine help solve the problem in common infection diseases? the introduction of a dutch research consortium. | the increase of antibiotic resistance worldwide, rising numbers of deaths and costs associated with this, and the fact that hardly any new antimicrobial drugs have been developed during the last decade have increased the interest in complementary and alternative medicine (cam) therapeutic interventions, if proven safe and effective. observational studies on clinical cam practices demonstrate positive effects of treatment of infections with cam therapies (clinical effects, patient satisfaction) i ... | 2015 | 26539227 |
| aging diminishes the resistance of ao rats to eae: putative role of enhanced generation of gm-csf expressing cd4+ t cells in aged rats. | aging influences immune response and susceptibility to eae in a strain specific manner. the study was designed to examine influence of aging on eae induction in albino oxford (ao) rats. | 2015 | 26448779 |
| the bacterial divisome: ready for its close-up. | bacterial cells divide by targeting a transmembrane protein machine to the division site and regulating its assembly and disassembly so that cytokinesis occurs at the correct time in the cell cycle. the structure and dynamics of this machine (divisome) in bacterial model systems are coming more clearly into focus, thanks to incisive cell biology methods in combination with biochemical and genetic approaches. the main conserved structural element of the machine is the tubulin homologue ftsz, whic ... | 2015 | 26370940 |
| review of the neutrophil response to bordetella pertussis infection. | the nature and timing of the neutrophil response to infection with bordetella pertussis is influenced by multiple virulence factors expressed by the bacterium. after inoculation of the host airway, the recruitment of neutrophils signaled by b. pertussis lipooligosaccharide (los) is suppressed by pertussis toxin (ptx). over the next week, the combined activities of ptx, los and adenylate cyclase toxin (act) result in production of cytokines that generate an il-17 response, promoting neutrophil re ... | 2015 | 26432818 |
| motor activity as an unbiased variable to assess anaphylaxis in allergic rats. | the release of mediators by mast cells triggers allergic symptoms involving various physiological systems and, in the most severe cases, the development of anaphylactic shock compromising mainly the nervous and cardiovascular systems. we aimed to establish variables to objectively study the anaphylactic response (ar) after an oral challenge in an allergy model. brown norway rats were immunized by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin with alum and toxin from bordetella pertussis. specific immun ... | 2015 | 25716015 |
| cardiac camp: production, hydrolysis, modulation and detection. | cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (camp) modulates a broad range of biological processes including the regulation of cardiac myocyte contractile function where it constitutes the main second messenger for β-adrenergic receptors' signaling to fulfill positive chronotropic, inotropic and lusitropic effects. a growing number of studies pinpoint the role of spatial organization of the camp signaling as an essential mechanism to regulate camp outcomes in cardiac physiology. here, we will briefly d ... | 2015 | 26483685 |
| pertussis accompanying recent mycoplasma infection in a 10-year-old girl. | recently, the incidence of pertussis has been increasing; however, reports on mixed infection of pertussis with other respiratory pathogens are rare in highly immunized populations. we report the case of a 10-year-old girl who presented with cough, post-tussive emesis, and fever. she was subsequently diagnosed with bronchopneumonia. although she had received five doses of diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine, polymerase chain reaction of her nasopharyngeal aspirate confirmed bordetella ... | 2015 | 26483996 |
| gastrointestinal mucormycosis resulting in a catastrophic outcome in an immunocompetent patient. | we present a case of a middle-aged female who was admitted to the hospital with a respiratory infection and subsequently developed an acute surgical abdomen secondary to a perforated viscous. she was found to have mucormycosis of the intestinal tract and eventually succumbed to the sequelae of the infection. | 2015 | 26500741 |
| bordetella filamentous hemagglutinin and fimbriae: critical adhesins with unrealized vaccine potential. | pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease that is caused by the gram-negative bacterium bordetella pertussis, which is transmitted exclusively from human to human. while vaccination against b. pertussis has been successful, replacement of the whole cell vaccine with an acellular component vaccine has correlated with reemergence of the disease, especially in adolescents and infants. based on their presumed importance in mediating adherence to host tissues, filamento ... | 2015 | 26416077 |
| does working in hospital increases seroprevalence and carrier state against bordetella pertussis? | health care environments have been the setting for a number of pertussis outbreaks. immunity after vaccination wanes overtime leading to a growing population of susceptible adolescents and adults. a number of pertussis outbreaks have occurred in hospitals resulting in transmission to health care workers (hcws), and other patients. the aim of this study was to assess immunity status of a group of basic medical students and interns who worked in hospitals for about 4 years. | 2015 | 26605233 |
| prevalence, diagnosis, and disease course of pertussis in adults with acute cough: a prospective, observational study in primary care. | most cases of adult pertussis probably remain undiagnosed. | 2015 | 26412843 |
| variation in bordetella pertussis susceptibility to erythromycin and virulence-related genotype changes in china (1970-2014). | to investigate changes in virulence-related genotypes and in the antimicrobial susceptibility of bordetella pertussis isolates collected from the 1970s to 2014 in the northern part of china. | 2015 | 26406905 |
| rapid detection of acinetobacter baumannii and molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant a. baumannii in two comprehensive hospitals of beijing, china. | acinetobacter baumannii is an important opportunistic pathogen associated with a variety of nosocomial infections. a rapid and sensitive molecular detection in clinical isolates is quite needed for the appropriate therapy and outbreak control of a. baumannii. group 2 carbapenems have been considered the agents of choice for the treatment of multiple drug-resistant a. baumannii. but the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant a. baumannii (crab) has been steadily increasing in recent years. here, we d ... | 2015 | 26441924 |
| a limit to the divergent allele advantage model supported by variable pathogen recognition across hla-drb1 allele lineages. | genetic diversity in human leukocyte antigen (hla) molecules is thought to have arisen from the co-evolution between host and pathogen and maintained by balancing selection. heterozygote advantage is a common proposed scenario for maintaining high levels of diversity in hla genes, and extending from this, the divergent allele advantage (daa) model suggests that individuals with more divergent hla alleles bind and recognize a wider array of antigens. while the daa model seems biologically suitabl ... | 2015 | 26392055 |
| novel therapies for the treatment of pertussis disease. | whooping cough, or pertussis, incidence has reached levels not seen since the 1950s. previous studies have shown that antibiotics fail to improve the course of disease unless diagnosed early. early diagnosis is complicated by the non-diagnostic presentation of disease early in infection. this review focuses on previous attempts at developing novel host-directed therapies for the treatment of pertussis. in addition, two novel approaches from our group are discussed. manipulation of the signaling ... | 2015 | 26394802 |
| bordetella adenylate cyclase toxin: a unique combination of a pore-forming moiety with a cell-invading adenylate cyclase enzyme. | the adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (cyaa, act or ac-hly) is a key virulence factor of the whooping cough agent bordetella pertussis. cyaa targets myeloid phagocytes expressing the complement receptor 3 (cr3, known as αmβ2 integrin cd11b/cd18 or mac-1) and translocates by a poorly understood mechanism directly across the cytoplasmic membrane into cell cytosol of phagocytes an adenylyl cyclase(ac) enzyme. this binds intracellular calmodulin and catalyzes unregulated conversion of cytosolic atp ... | 2015 | 26391732 |
| nk-dc crosstalk controls the autopathogenic th17 response through an innate ifn-γ-il-27 axis. | ifn-γ is a pathogenic cytokine involved in inflammation. paradoxically, its deficiency exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, uveitis, and arthritis. here, we demonstrate using ifn-γ(-/-) mice repleted with ifn-γ +/+: nk cells that innate production of ifn-γ from nk cells is necessary and sufficient to trigger an endogenous regulatory circuit that limits autoimmunity. after immunization, dcs recruited ifn-γ-producing nk cells to the draining lymph node and interacted with them in ... | 2015 | 26347474 |
| heterogeneity of pulmonary endothelial cyclic nucleotide response to pseudomonas aeruginosa exoy infection. | here, we tested the hypothesis that a promiscuous bacterial cyclase synthesizes purine and pyrimidine cyclic nucleotides in the pulmonary endothelium. to test this hypothesis, pulmonary endothelial cells were infected with a strain of the gram-negative bacterium pseudomonas aeruginosa that introduces only exoenzyme y (pa103 δexouexot::tc pucpexoy; exoy(+)) via a type iii secretion system. purine and pyrimidine cyclic nucleotides were simultaneously detected using mass spectrometry. pulmonary art ... | 2015 | 26386118 |
| the bordetella adenylate cyclase repeat-in-toxin (rtx) domain is immunodominant and elicits neutralizing antibodies. | | 2015 | 26386047 |
| interdomain contacts and the stability of serralysin protease from serratia marcescens. | the serralysin family of bacterial metalloproteases is associated with virulence in multiple modes of infection. these extracellular proteases are members of the repeats-in-toxin (rtx) family of toxins and virulence factors, which mediated virulence in e. coli, b. pertussis, and p. aeruginosa, as well as other animal and plant pathogens. the serralysin proteases are structurally dynamic and their folding is regulated by calcium binding to a c-terminal domain that defines the rtx family of protei ... | 2015 | 26378460 |
| structural models of intrinsically disordered and calcium-bound folded states of a protein adapted for secretion. | many gram-negative bacteria use type i secretion systems, t1ss, to secrete virulence factors that contain calcium-binding repeat-in-toxin (rtx) motifs. here, we present structural models of an rtx protein, rd, in both its intrinsically disordered calcium-free apo-state and its folded calcium-bound holo-state. apo-rd behaves as a disordered polymer chain comprising several statistical elements that exhibit local rigidity with residual secondary structure. holo-rd is a folded multi-domain protein ... | 2015 | 26374675 |
| identification of a novel human papillomavirus, type hpv199, isolated from a nasopharynx and anal canal, and complete genomic characterization of papillomavirus species gamma-12. | the novel human papillomavirus type 199 (hpv199) was initially identified in a nasopharyngeal swab sample obtained from a 25 year-old immunocompetent male. the complete genome of hpv199 is 7,184 bp in length with a gc content of 36.5%. comparative genomic characterization of hpv199 and its closest relatives showed the classical genomic organization of gammapapillomaviruses (gamma-pvs). hpv199 has seven major open reading frames (orfs), encoding five early (e1, e2, e4, e6, and e7) and two late (l ... | 2015 | 26375679 |
| single amino acid polymorphisms of pertussis toxin subunit s2 (ptxb) affect protein function. | whooping cough due to bordetella pertussis is increasing in incidence, in part due to accumulation of mutations which increase bacterial fitness in highly vaccinated populations. polymorphisms in the pertussis toxin, ptxa and ptxb genes, and the pertactin, prn genes of clinical isolates of bordetella pertussis collected in cincinnati from 1989 through 2005 were examined. while the ptxa and prn genotypes were variable, all 48 strains had the ptxb2 genotype; ptxb1 encodes glycine at amino acid 18 ... | 2015 | 26375454 |
| waning and aging of cellular immunity to bordetella pertussis. | while it is clear that the maintenance of bordetella pertussis-specific immunity evoked both after vaccination and infection is insufficient, it is unknown at which pace waning occurs and which threshold levels of sustained functional memory b and t cells are required to provide long-term protection. longevity of human cellular immunity to b. pertussis has been studied less extensively than serology, but is suggested to be key for the observed differences between the duration of protection induc ... | 2015 | 26371178 |
| new data on vaccine antigen deficient bordetella pertussis isolates. | evolution of bordetella pertussis is driven by natural and vaccine pressures. isolates circulating in regions with high vaccination coverage present multiple allelic and antigenic variations as compared to isolates collected before introduction of vaccination. furthermore, during the last epidemics reported in regions using pertussis acellular vaccines, isolates deficient for vaccine antigens, such as pertactin (prn), were reported to reach high proportions of circulating isolates. more sporadic ... | 2015 | 26389958 |
| draft genome sequence of a bordetella pertussis strain with the virulence-associated allelic variant ptxp3, isolated in italy. | despite a universal immunization program, pertussis has persisted and resurged, and is of particular concern for infants in terms of morbidity and mortality. here, we report the genome sequence of a bordetella pertussis strain with the virulence-associated allelic variant ptxp3, isolated from a 45-day-old infant. | 2015 | 26358588 |