| modulation of chemokine responses: synergy and cooperativity. | chemokine biology is mediated by more complex interactions than simple monomolecular ligand-receptor interactions, as chemokines can form higher order quaternary structures, which can also be formed after binding to glycosaminoglycans (gags) on endothelial cells, and their receptors are found as dimers and/or oligomers at the cell surface. due to the complexity of the chemokine binding and signaling system, several mechanisms have been proposed to provide an explanation for the synergy observed ... | 2016 | 27242790 |
| experimental priming of encephalitogenic th1/th17 cells requires pertussis toxin-driven il-1β production by myeloid cells. | cd4(+) th17 are heterogeneous in terms of cytokine production and capacity to initiate autoimmune diseases, such as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (eae). here we demonstrate that experimental priming of encephalitogenic th cells expressing rorγt and t-bet and producing il-17a, ifn-γ and gm-csf but not il-10 (th1/th17), is dependent on the presence of pertussis toxin (ptx) at the time of immunization. ptx induces early production of il-1β by cd11b(+)ccr2(+)gr1(+) myeloid cells, which a ... | 2016 | 27189410 |
| the regulatory networks that control clostridium difficile toxin synthesis. | the pathogenic clostridia cause many human and animal diseases, which typically arise as a consequence of the production of potent exotoxins. among the enterotoxic clostridia, clostridium difficile is the main causative agent of nosocomial intestinal infections in adults with a compromised gut microbiota caused by antibiotic treatment. the symptoms of c. difficile infection are essentially caused by the production of two exotoxins: tcda and tcdb. moreover, for severe forms of disease, the spectr ... | 2016 | 27187475 |
| carbon nanospheres mediated delivery of nuclear matrix protein smar1 to direct experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice. | owing to the suppression of immune responses and associated side effects, steroid based treatments for inflammatory encephalitis disease can be detrimental. here, we demonstrate a novel carbon nanosphere (cnp) based treatment regime for encephalomyelitis in mice by exploiting the functional property of the nuclear matrix binding protein smar1. a truncated part of smar1 ie, the dna binding domain was conjugated with hydrothermally synthesized cnps. when administered intravenously, the conjugate s ... | 2016 | 27274234 |
| cytokine profiles in human metapneumovirus infected children: identification of genes involved in the antiviral response and pathogenesis. | human metapneumovirus (hmpv) causes severe airway infection in children that may be caused by an unfavorable immune response. the nature of the innate immune response to hmpv in naturally occurring infections in children is largely undescribed, and it is unknown if inflammasome activation is implicated in disease pathogenesis. we examined nasopharynx aspirates and blood samples from hmpv-infected children without detectable co-infections. the expression of inflammatory and antiviral genes were m ... | 2016 | 27171557 |
| genome structural diversity among 31 bordetella pertussis isolates from two recent u.s. whooping cough statewide epidemics. | during 2010 and 2012, california and vermont, respectively, experienced statewide epidemics of pertussis with differences seen in the demographic affected, case clinical presentation, and molecular epidemiology of the circulating strains. to overcome limitations of the current molecular typing methods for pertussis, we utilized whole-genome sequencing to gain a broader understanding of how current circulating strains are causing large epidemics. through the use of combined next-generation sequen ... | 2016 | 27303739 |
| identification and characterization of putative translocated effector proteins of the edwardsiella ictaluri type iii secretion system. | edwardsiella ictaluri, a major pathogen in channel catfish aquaculture, encodes a type iii secretion system (t3ss) that is essential for intracellular replication and virulence. previous work identified three putative t3ss effectors in e. ictaluri, and in silico analysis of the e. ictaluri genome identified six additional putative effectors, all located on the chromosome outside the t3ss pathogenicity island. to establish active translocation by the t3ss, we constructed translational fusions of ... | 2016 | 27303737 |
| the role of interleukin-22 and its receptor in the development and pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune uveitis. | il-22 is a pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine that is mainly produced by t cells and nk cells. recent studies have reported the increased number of il-22 producing t cells in patients with autoimmune noninfectious uveitis; however, the correlation between il-22 and uveitis remains unclear. in this study, we aimed to determine the specific role of il-22 and its receptor in the pathogenesis of uveitis. serum concentration of il-22 was significantly increased in uveitis patients. il-22rα was expre ... | 2016 | 27166675 |
| a belgian serosurveillance/seroprevalence study of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis using a luminex xmap technology-based pentaplex. | serosurveillance and seroprevalence studies are an essential tool to monitor vaccine-preventable diseases. we have developed a magnetic bead-based pentaplex immunoassay (mia) for the simultaneous detection of igg antibodies against diphtheria toxin (dt), tetanus toxin (tt), pertussis toxin (pt), filamentous hemagglutinin (fha) and pertactin (prn). the in-house pentaplex mia showed a good correlation with commercial elisas with correlation coefficients between 0.89 for pt and 0.98 for tt. intra- ... | 2016 | 27171114 |
| a large family of anti-activators accompanying xyls/arac family regulatory proteins. | arac negative regulators (anr) suppress virulence genes by directly down-regulating arac/xyls members in gram-negative bacteria. in this study, we sought to investigate the distribution and molecular mechanisms of regulatory function for anrs among different bacterial pathogens. we identified more than 200 anrs distributed in diverse clinically important gram negative pathogens, including vibrio spp., salmonella spp., shigella spp., yersinia spp., citrobacter spp., enterotoxigenic (etec) and ent ... | 2016 | 27038276 |
| molecular cloning, phylogenetic analysis and heat shock response of babesia gibsoni heat shock protein 90. | the babesia gibsoni heat shock protein 90 (bghsp90) gene was cloned and sequenced. the length of the gene was 2,610 bp with two introns. this gene was amplified from cdna corresponding to full length coding sequence (cds) with an open reading frame of 2,148 bp. a phylogenetic analysis of the cds of hsp90 gene showed that b. gibsoni was most closely related to b. bovis and babesia sp. bq1/lintan and lies within a phylogenetic cluster of protozoa. moreover, mrna transcription profile for bghsp90 e ... | 2016 | 27149891 |
| factors associated with time to appropriate treatment in pertussis cases in georgia, 2009 to 2013. | pertussis is endemic in the united states, with periodic epidemics that continue to highlight its importance as a public health issue. the clinical presentation of pertussis can vary by age and vaccination status. however, little is known about the factors that affect time to antibiotic treatment of pertussis cases. we analyzed 5 years of data from the georgia department of public health to understand how factors such as age, symptoms, and vaccination status can alter the clinical picture of per ... | 2016 | 26953196 |
| new cysteine-rich ice-binding protein secreted from antarctic microalga, chloromonas sp. | many microorganisms in antarctica survive in the cold environment there by producing ice-binding proteins (ibps) to control the growth of ice around them. an ibp from the antarctic freshwater microalga, chloromonas sp., was identified and characterized. the length of the chloromonas sp. ibp (chloroibp) gene was 3.2 kb with 12 exons, and the molecular weight of the protein deduced from the chloroibp cdna was 34.0 kda. expression of the chloroibp gene was up- and down-regulated by freezing and war ... | 2016 | 27097164 |
| adaptation by deletogenic replication slippage in a nascent symbiont. | as a consequence of population level constraints in the obligate, host-associated lifestyle, intracellular symbiotic bacteria typically exhibit high rates of molecular sequence evolution and extensive genome degeneration over the course of their host association. while the rationale for genome degeneration is well understood, little is known about the molecular mechanisms driving this change. to understand these mechanisms we compared the genome of sodalis praecaptivus, a nonhost associated bact ... | 2016 | 27189544 |
| drivers: a biologically contextualized, cross-inferential view of the epidemiology of neurodegenerative disorders. | sutherland et al. (2011) suggested that, instead of risk factors for single neurodegenerative disorders (ndds), there was a need to identify specific "drivers", i.e., risk factors with impact on specific deposits, such as amyloid-β, tau, or α-synuclein, acting across entities. | 2016 | 26923014 |
| a compendium for mycoplasma pneumoniae. | historically, atypical pneumonia was a term used to describe an unusual presentation of pneumonia. currently, it is used to describe the multitude of symptoms juxtaposing the classic symptoms found in cases of pneumococcal pneumonia. specifically, atypical pneumonia is a syndrome resulting from a relatively common group of pathogens including chlamydophila sp., and mycoplasma pneumoniae. the incidence of m. pneumoniae pneumonia in adults is less than the burden experienced by children. transmiss ... | 2016 | 27148202 |
| myelin-specific th17 cells induce severe relapsing optic neuritis with irreversible loss of retinal ganglion cells in c57bl/6 mice. | optic neuritis affects most patients with multiple sclerosis (ms), and current treatments are unreliable. the purpose of this study was to characterize the contribution of th1 and th17 cells to the development of optic neuritis. | 2016 | 27122964 |
| impact of infection prevention and control initiatives on acute respiratory infections in a pediatric long-term care facility. | we evaluated the collective impact of several infection prevention and control initiatives aimed at reducing acute respiratory infections (aris) in a pediatric long-term care facility. aris did not decrease overall, though the proportion of infections associated with outbreaks and average number of cases per outbreak decreased. influenza rates decreased significantly. infect control hosp epidemiol 2016;37:859-862. | 2016 | 27053088 |
| epidemiology of pertussis-related paediatric intensive care unit (icu) admissions in australia, 1997-2013: an observational study. | to review the epidemiology of pertussis-related intensive care unit (icu) admissions across australia, over a 17-year period. | 2016 | 27053270 |
| structural characterization of humanized nanobodies with neutralizing activity against the bordetella pertussis cyaa-hemolysin: implications for a potential epitope of toxin-protective antigen. | previously, the 126-kda cyaa-hemolysin (cyaa-hly) fragment cloned from bordetella pertussis--the causative agent of whooping cough--and functionally expressed in escherichia coli was revealed as a key determinant for cyaa-mediated hemolysis against target erythrocytes. here, phagemid-transfected e. coli clones producing nanobodies capable of binding to cyaa-hly were selected from a humanized-camel vh/vhh phage-display library. subsequently verified for binding activities by indirect elisa and we ... | 2016 | 27043627 |
| quadracel: vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and poliomyelitis in children. | vaccinations in school-aged children are required by state and local law to maintain high vaccination coverage rates, as well as low rates of vaccine-preventable diseases. diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis are childhood diseases that can be life threatening; poliomyelitis, another childhood disease, can be disabling. in turn, vaccinations were developed to provide protection against these diseases. today, several vaccinations are recommended for children, including but not limited to diphtheria ... | 2016 | 27069343 |
| the camp pathway as therapeutic target in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. | nucleotide signaling molecules contribute to the regulation of cellular pathways. in the immune system, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (camp) is well established as a potent regulator of innate and adaptive immune cell functions. therapeutic strategies to interrupt or enhance camp generation or effects have immunoregulatory potential in autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. here, we provide an overview of the cyclic amp axis and its role as a regulator of immune functions and discuss the clinic ... | 2016 | 27065076 |
| comparative genomic analysis reveals a diverse repertoire of genes involved in prokaryote-eukaryote interactions within the pseudovibrio genus. | strains of the pseudovibrio genus have been detected worldwide, mainly as part of bacterial communities associated with marine invertebrates, particularly sponges. this recurrent association has been considered as an indication of a symbiotic relationship between these microbes and their host. until recently, the availability of only two genomes, belonging to closely related strains, has limited the knowledge on the genomic and physiological features of the genus to a single phylogenetic lineage ... | 2016 | 27065959 |
| interaction of bacterial exotoxins with neutrophil extracellular traps: impact for the infected host. | since their discovery in 2004, neutrophil extracellular traps (nets) have been characterized as a fundamental host innate immune defense against various pathogens. released in response to infectious and pro-inflammatory stimuli, nets can immobilize invading pathogens within a fibrous matrix consisting of dna, histones, and antimicrobial peptides. conversely, excessive or dysregulated net release may hold a variety of detrimental consequences for the host. a fine balance between net formation and ... | 2016 | 27064864 |
| bacillus bombysepticus α-toxin binding to g protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 regulates camp/pka signaling pathway to induce host death. | bacterial pathogens and their toxins target host receptors, leading to aberrant behavior or host death by changing signaling events through subversion of host intracellular camp level. this is an efficient and widespread mechanism of microbial pathogenesis. previous studies describe toxins that increase camp in host cells, resulting in death through g protein-coupled receptor (gpcr) signaling pathways by influencing adenylyl cyclase or g protein activity. g protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (grk ... | 2016 | 27022742 |
| community -and hospital laboratory-based surveillance for respiratory viruses. | traditional surveillance for respiratory viruses relies on symptom detection and laboratory detection during medically attended encounters for acute respiratory infection/influenza-like illness (ari/ili). ecological momentary reporting using text messages is a novel method for surveillance. this study compares respiratory viral activity detected through longitudinal community-based surveillance using text message responses for sample acquisition and testing to respiratory viral activity obtained ... | 2016 | 26987664 |
| vrah is the third component of the staphylococcus aureus vradeh system involved in gallidermin and daptomycin resistance and pathogenicity. | in bacteria, extracellular signals are transduced into the cell predominantly by two-component systems (tcss) comprising a regulatory unit triggered by a specific signal. some of the tcss control executing units such as abc transporters involved in antibiotic resistance. for instance, instaphylococcus aureus, activation of brasr leads to the upregulation ofvradeexpression that encodes an abc transporter playing a role in bacitracin and nisin resistance. in this study, we show that the small stap ... | 2016 | 26856834 |
| integrin-alpha iib identifies murine lymph node lymphatic endothelial cells responsive to rankl. | microenvironment and activation signals likely imprint heterogeneity in the lymphatic endothelial cell (lec) population. particularly lecs of secondary lymphoid organs are exposed to different cell types and immune stimuli. however, our understanding of the nature of lec activation signals and their cell source within the secondary lymphoid organ in the steady state remains incomplete. here we show that integrin alpha 2b (itga2b), known to be carried by platelets, megakaryocytes and hematopoieti ... | 2016 | 27010197 |
| the conformational signature of β-arrestin2 predicts its trafficking and signalling functions. | arrestins are cytosolic proteins that regulate g-protein-coupled receptor (gpcr) desensitization, internalization, trafficking and signalling. arrestin recruitment uncouples gpcrs from heterotrimeric g proteins, and targets the proteins for internalization via clathrin-coated pits. arrestins also function as ligand-regulated scaffolds that recruit multiple non-g-protein effectors into gpcr-based 'signalsomes'. although the dominant function(s) of arrestins vary between receptors, the mechanism w ... | 2016 | 27007854 |
| live and inactivated salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium stimulate similar but distinct transcriptome profiles in bovine macrophages and dendritic cells. | salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium (s. typhimurium) is a major cause of gastroenteritis in cattle and humans. dendritic cells (dc) and macrophages (mø) are major players in early immunity to salmonella, and their response could influence the course of infection. therefore, the global transcriptional response of bovine monocyte-derived dc and mø to stimulation with live and inactivated s. typhimurium was compared. both cell types mount a major response 2 h post infection, with a core common ... | 2016 | 27000047 |
| transcriptional analysis and subcellular protein localization reveal specific features of the essential walkr system in staphylococcus aureus. | the walkr two-component system, controlling cell wall metabolism, is highly conserved among bacilli and essential for cell viability. in staphylococcus aureus, walr and walk are followed by three genes of unknown function: walh, wali and walj. sequence analysis and transcript mapping revealed a unique genetic structure for this locus in s. aureus: the last gene of the locus, walj, is transcribed independently, whereas transcription of the tetra-cistronic walrkhi operon occurred from two independ ... | 2016 | 26999783 |
| restrained th17 response and myeloid cell infiltration into the central nervous system by human decidua-derived mesenchymal stem cells during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. | multiple sclerosis is a widespread inflammatory demyelinating disease. several immunomodulatory therapies are available, including interferon-β, glatiramer acetate, natalizumab, fingolimod, and mitoxantrone. although useful to delay disease progression, they do not provide a definitive cure and are associated with some undesirable side-effects. accordingly, the search for new therapeutic methods constitutes an active investigation field. the use of mesenchymal stem cells (mscs) to modify the dis ... | 2016 | 26987803 |
| sequestration of host metabolism by an intracellular pathogen. | for intracellular pathogens, residence in a vacuole provides a shelter against cytosolic host defense to the cost of limited access to nutrients. the human pathogen chlamydia trachomatis grows in a glycogen-rich vacuole. how this large polymer accumulates there is unknown. we reveal that host glycogen stores shift to the vacuole through two pathways: bulk uptake from the cytoplasmic pool, and de novo synthesis. we provide evidence that bacterial glycogen metabolism enzymes are secreted into the ... | 2016 | 26981769 |
| targeting staphylococcus aureus toxins: a potential form of anti-virulence therapy. | staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen and the leading cause of a wide range of severe clinical infections. the range of diseases reflects the diversity of virulence factors produced by this pathogen. to establish an infection in the host, s. aureus expresses an inclusive set of virulence factors such as toxins, enzymes, adhesins, and other surface proteins that allow the pathogen to survive under extreme conditions and are essential for the bacteria's ability to spread through tissu ... | 2016 | 26999200 |
| effect of infant formula containing a low dose of the probiotic bifidobacterium lactis cncm i-3446 on immune and gut functions in c-section delivered babies: a pilot study. | in the absence of breast-feeding and its immunomodulatory factors, supplementation of starter infant formula (if) with probiotics is currently used to support immune functions and gut development. | 2016 | 26997881 |
| viruses as sole causative agents of severe acute respiratory tract infections in children. | respiratory syncytial virus (rsv) and influenza a viruses are known to cause severe acute respiratory tract infections (saris) in children. for other viruses like human rhinoviruses (hrvs) this is less well established. viral or bacterial co-infections are often considered essential for severe manifestations of these virus infections. | 2016 | 26964038 |
| cns accumulation of regulatory b cells is vla-4-dependent. | to investigate the role of very late antigen-4 (vla-4) on regulatory b cells (breg) in cns autoimmune disease. | 2016 | 27027096 |
| effectiveness of n95 respirators versus surgical masks in protecting health care workers from acute respiratory infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. | conflicting recommendations exist related to which facial protection should be used by health care workers to prevent transmission of acute respiratory infections, including pandemic influenza. we performed a systematic review of both clinical and surrogate exposure data comparing n95 respirators and surgical masks for the prevention of transmissible acute respiratory infections. | 2016 | 26952529 |
| changes in predominance of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles of bordetella pertussis isolates, united states, 2000-2012. | to clarify the characteristics of circulating bordetella pertussis isolates, we used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge) to analyze 5,262 isolates collected in the united states during 2000-2012. we found 199 pfge profiles; 5 profiles accounted for 72% of isolates. the most common profile, cdc013, accounted for 35%-46% of isolates tested from 2000-2009; however, the proportion of isolates of this profile rapidly decreased in 2010. profile cdc237, first seen in 2009, increased rapidly and acc ... | 2016 | 26886905 |
| regulation of th2 cell immunity by dendritic cells. | th2 cell immunity is required for host defense against helminths, but it is detrimental in allergic diseases in humans. unlike th1 cell and th17 cell subsets, the mechanism by which dendritic cells modulate th2 cell responses has been obscure, in part because of the inability of dendritic cells to provide il-4, which is indispensable for th2 cell lineage commitment. in this regard, immune cells other than dendritic cells, such as basophils and innate lymphoid cells, have been suggested as th2 ce ... | 2016 | 26937227 |
| potential molecular targets for narrow-spectrum agents to combat mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and disease. | as mycoplasma pneumoniae macrolide resistance grows and spreads worldwide, it is becoming more important to develop new drugs to prevent infection or limit disease. because other mycoplasma species have acquired resistance to other classes of antibiotics, it is reasonable to presume that m. pneumoniae can do the same, so switching to commonly used antibiotics like fluoroquinolones will not result in forms of therapy with long-term utility. moreover, broad-spectrum antibiotics can have serious co ... | 2016 | 26941728 |
| characterization of new virulence factors involved in the intracellular growth and survival of burkholderia pseudomallei. | burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, has complex and poorly understood extracellular and intracellular lifestyles. we used transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (tradis) to retrospectively analyze a transposon library that had previously been screened through a balb/c mouse model to identify genes important for growth and survival in vivo. this allowed us to identify the insertion sites and phenotypes of negatively selected mutants that were previously overlooke ... | 2016 | 26712202 |
| comparing seasonal pattern of laboratory confirmed cases of pertussis with clinically suspected cases. | during recent decades, there has been limited attention on the seasonal pattern of pertussis within a high vaccine coverage population. this study aimed to compare the seasonal patterns of clinical suspected pertussis cases with those of laboratory confirmed cases in iran. | 2016 | 27169013 |
| imbalance of th17/tregs in rats with smoke inhalation-induced acute lung injury. | t helper (th) 17 cells and cd4(+) cd25(+) regulatory t (treg) cells are supposed to be critically involved in regulating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. the aim of this study was to investigate the th17/treg pattern in rats with gunpowder smog-induced acute lung injury. wistar rats were equally randomized to three groups: normal control group, ali 6 h group (smoke inhalation for 6 h) and ali 24 h group (smoke inhalation for 24 h). we observed changes in cell counting in bronchoalveolar lav ... | 2016 | 26884314 |
| pendrin, an anion exchanger on lung epithelial cells, could be a novel target for lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury mice. | the aim of this study is to evaluate the role of pendrin in acute lung injury (ali)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ards) and to explore whether pendrin expression existing on alveolar cells. | 2016 | 27158384 |
| disulfide-bond-forming pathways in gram-positive bacteria. | disulfide bonds are important for the stability and function of many secreted proteins. in gram-negative bacteria, these linkages are catalyzed by thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases (dsb) in the periplasm. protein oxidation has been well studied in these organisms, but it has not fully been explored in gram-positive bacteria, which lack traditional periplasmic compartments. recent bioinformatics analyses have suggested that the high-gc-content bacteria (i.e., actinobacteria) rely on disulfide-bond- ... | 2016 | 26644434 |
| expression of caga, virb/d complex and/or vaca genes in helicobacter pylori strains originating from patients with gastric diseases. | in order to better understand pathogenicity of helicobacter pylori, particularly in the context of its carcinogenic activity, we analysed expression of virulence genes: caga, virb/d complex (virb4, virb7, virb8, virb9, virb10, virb11, vird4) and vaca in strains of the pathogen originating from persons with gastric diseases. the studies were conducted on 42 strains of h. pylori isolated from patients with histological diagnosis of non-atrophic gastritis-nag (group 1, including subgroup 1 containi ... | 2016 | 26866365 |
| histophilus somni stimulates expression of antiviral proteins and inhibits brsv replication in bovine respiratory epithelial cells. | our previous studies showed that bovine respiratory syncytial virus (brsv) followed by histophilus somni causes more severe bovine respiratory disease and a more permeable alveolar barrier in vitro than either agent alone. however, microarray analysis revealed the treatment of bovine alveolar type 2 (bat2) epithelial cells with h. somni concentrated culture supernatant (ccs) stimulated up-regulation of four antiviral protein genes as compared with brsv infection or dual treatment. this suggested ... | 2016 | 26859677 |
| il-1-induced bhlhe40 identifies pathogenic t helper cells in a model of autoimmune neuroinflammation. | the features that define autoreactive t helper (th) cell pathogenicity remain obscure. we have previously shown that th cells require the transcription factor bhlhe40 to mediate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (eae), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. here, using bhlhe40 reporter mice and analyzing both polyclonal and tcr transgenic th cells, we found that bhlhe40 expression was heterogeneous after eae induction, with bhlhe40-expressing cells displaying marked production of ifn-γ, il ... | 2016 | 26834156 |
| multi-tissue transcriptomics for construction of a comprehensive gene resource for the terrestrial snail theba pisana. | the land snail theba pisana is native to the mediterranean region but has become one of the most abundant invasive species worldwide. here, we present three transcriptomes of this agriculture pest derived from three tissues: the central nervous system, hepatopancreas (digestive gland), and foot muscle. sequencing of the three tissues produced 339,479,092 high quality reads and a global de novo assembly generated a total of 250,848 unique transcripts (unigenes). blast analysis mapped 52,590 unige ... | 2016 | 26852673 |
| childhood febrile illness and the risk of myopia in uk biobank participants. | historical reports suggest febrile illness during childhood is a risk factor for myopia. the establishment of the uk biobank provided a unique opportunity to investigate this relationship. | 2016 | 26846593 |
| involvement of b cells in non-infectious uveitis. | non-infectious uveitis-or intraocular inflammatory disease-causes substantial visual morbidity and reduced quality of life amongst affected individuals. to date, research of pathogenic mechanisms has largely been focused on processes involving t lymphocyte and/or myeloid leukocyte populations. involvement of b lymphocytes has received relatively little attention. in contrast, b-cell pathobiology is a major field within general immunological research, and large clinical trials have showed that tr ... | 2016 | 26962453 |
| the use of innovative two-component cluster analysis and serodiagnostic cut-off methods to estimate prevalence of pertussis reinfections. | bordetella pertussis circulates even in highly vaccinated countries affecting all age groups. insight into the scale of concealed reinfections is important as they may contribute to transmission. we therefore investigated whether current single-point serodiagnostic methods are suitable to estimate the prevalence of pertussis reinfection. two methods based on igg-ptx plasma levels alone were used to evaluate the proportion of renewed seroconversions in the past year in a cohort of retrospective p ... | 2016 | 26848833 |
| current therapeutic vaccination and immunotherapy strategies for hpv-related diseases. | carcinomas of the anogenital tract, in particular cervical cancer, remains one of the most common cancers in women, and represent the most frequent gynecological malignancies and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. human papillomavirus (hpv)-induced lesions are immunologically distinct in that they express viral antigens, which are necessary to maintain the cancerous phenotype. the causal relationship between hpv infection and anogenital cancer has prompted substantial i ... | 2016 | 26835746 |
| seroprevalence of antibodies to pertussis toxin among different age groups in thailand after 37 years of universal whole-cell pertussis vaccination. | despite the high coverage of prophylactic vaccine against bordetella pertussis infection in many countries for more than three decades, pertussis remains a common vaccine-preventable disease. infections have been detected more commonly in countries using acellular pertussis vaccine in their expanded program of immunization. thailand implemented a routine infant immunization program with whole-cell pertussis vaccine in 1977, and since 1992, the national vaccine policy has offered a five-dose whol ... | 2016 | 26837004 |
| targeting autophagy to sensitive glioma to temozolomide treatment. | temozolomide (tmz), an alkylating agent, is widely used for treating primary and recurrent high-grade gliomas. however, the efficacy of tmz is often limited by the development of resistance. recently, studies have found that tmz treatment could induce autophagy, which contributes to therapy resistance in glioma. to enhance the benefit of tmz in the treatment of glioblastomas, effective combination strategies are needed to sensitize glioblastoma cells to tmz. in this regard, as autophagy could pr ... | 2016 | 26830677 |
| iron acquisition in the cystic fibrosis lung and potential for novel therapeutic strategies. | iron acquisition is vital to microbial survival and is implicated in the virulence of many of the pathogens that reside in the cystic fibrosis (cf) lung. the multifaceted nature of iron acquisition by both bacterial and fungal pathogens encompasses a range of conserved and species-specific mechanisms, including secretion of iron-binding siderophores, utilization of siderophores from other species, release of iron from host iron-binding proteins and haemoproteins, and ferrous iron uptake. pathoge ... | 2016 | 26643057 |
| loss of function of intestinal il-17 and il-22 producing cells contributes to inflammation and viral persistence in siv-infected rhesus macaques. | in hiv/siv-infected humans and rhesus macaques (rms), a severe depletion of intestinal cd4(+) t-cells producing interleukin il-17 and il-22 associates with loss of mucosal integrity and chronic immune activation. however, little is known about the function of il-17 and il-22 producing cells during lentiviral infections. here, we longitudinally determined the levels and functions of il-17, il-22 and il-17/il-22 producing cd4(+) t-cells in blood, lymph node and colorectum of siv-infected rms, as w ... | 2016 | 26829644 |
| validation of cis and trans modes in multistep phosphotransfer signaling of bacterial tripartite sensor kinases by using phos-tag sds-page. | tripartite sensor kinases (tsks) have three phosphorylation sites on his, asp, and his residues, which are conserved in a histidine kinase (hk) domain, a receiver domain, and a histidine-containing phosphotransmitter (hpt) domain, respectively. by means of a three-step phosphorelay, tsks convey a phosphoryl group from the γ-phosphate group of atp to the first his residue in the hk domain, then to the asp residue in the receiver domain, and finally to the second his residue in the hpt domain. alt ... | 2016 | 26828204 |
| bordetella pertussis strain lacking pertactin and pertussis toxin. | a bordetella pertussis strain lacking 2 acellular vaccine immunogens, pertussis toxin and pertactin, was isolated from an unvaccinated infant in new york state in 2013. comparison with a french strain that was pertussis toxin-deficient, pertactin wild-type showed that the strains carry the same 28-kb deletion in similar genomes. | 2016 | 26812174 |
| sustained transmission of pertussis in vaccinated, 1-5-year-old children in a preschool, florida, usa. | | 2016 | 26814429 |
| bacterial toxins as pathogen weapons against phagocytes. | bacterial toxins are virulence factors that manipulate host cell functions and take over the control of vital processes of living organisms to favor microbial infection. some toxins directly target innate immune cells, thereby annihilating a major branch of the host immune response. in this review we will focus on bacterial toxins that act from the extracellular milieu and hinder the function of macrophages and neutrophils. in particular, we will concentrate on toxins from gram-positive and gram ... | 2016 | 26870008 |
| mit1 transcription factor mediates methanol signaling and regulates the alcohol oxidase 1 (aox1) promoter in pichia pastoris. | the alcohol oxidase 1 (aox1) promoter (p aox1) of pichia pastoris is the most powerful and commonly used promoter for driving protein expression. however, mechanisms regulating its transcriptional activity are unclear. here, we identified a zn(ii)2cys6-type methanol-induced transcription factor 1 (mit1) and elucidated its roles in regulating paox1 activity in response to glycerol and methanol. mit1 regulated the expression of many genes involved in methanol utilization pathway, including aox1, b ... | 2016 | 26828066 |
| chao yuanfang: imperial physician of the sui dynasty and an early pertussis observer? | early chinese texts contain extensive disease descriptions, including various texts that contain descriptions of modern-day conditions. during the sui dynasty, a leading scholar, chao yuanfang, may have authored a leading treatise 1400 years ago. although these texts are the subject of ongoing research, evidence suggests that a clinical syndrome consistent with pertussis was observed in ancient china. | 2016 | 26977422 |
| efforts to improve immunization coverage during pregnancy among ob-gyns. | influenza and tdap vaccines are vital factors for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes. | 2016 | 26924918 |
| deciphering parameter sensitivity in the bvgas signal transduction. | to understand the switching of different phenotypic phases of bordetella pertussis, we propose an optimized mathematical framework for signal transduction through bvgas two-component system. the response of the network output to the sensory input has been demonstrated in steady state. an analysis in terms of local sensitivity amplification characterizes the nature of the molecular switch. the sensitivity analysis of the model parameters within the framework of various correlation coefficients he ... | 2016 | 26812153 |
| nonredundant roles of iron acquisition systems in vibrio cholerae. | vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera, thrives in both marine environments and the human host. to do so, it must encode the tools necessary to acquire essential nutrients, including iron, under these vastly different conditions. a number of v. cholerae iron acquisition systems have been identified; however, the precise role of each system is not fully understood. to test the roles of individual systems, we generated a series of mutants in which only one of ... | 2016 | 26644383 |
| lung infection by human bocavirus induces the release of profibrotic mediator cytokines in vivo and in vitro. | human bocavirus subtype 1 (hbov1) is associated with respiratory diseases and may contribute to chronic lung diseases by persisting in the infected host. here the question was addressed if hbov infections could contribute to fibrogenesis processes as suggested by previously published clinical observations. cytokine profiles induced by hbov infection in cufi-8 air-liquid interphase cell cultures and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (balf) of 20 hbov-positive and 12 hbov-negative patients were anal ... | 2016 | 26807786 |
| vaccines directed against microorganisms or their products present during biofilm lifestyle: can we make a translation as a broad biological model to tuberculosis? | tuberculosis (tb) remains as a global public health problem. in recent years, experimental evidence suggesting the relevance of in vitro pellicle (a type of biofilm formed at the air-liquid interface) production as a phenotype mimicking aspects found by mycobacterium tuberculosis-complex bacteria during in vivo infection has started to accumulate. there are still opportunities for better diagnostic tools, therapeutic molecules as well as new vaccine candidates to assist in tb control programs wo ... | 2016 | 26834732 |
| detection of clostridium perfringens alpha toxin gene in lambs by loop mediated isothermal amplification. | the loop mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) was standardized for rapid detection of clostridium perfringens. | 2016 | 27051186 |
| maternal immunization earlier in pregnancy maximizes antibody transfer and expected infant seropositivity against pertussis. | maternal immunization against pertussis is currently recommended after the 26th gestational week (gw). data on the optimal timing of maternal immunization are inconsistent. | 2016 | 26797213 |
| overexpression of rorγt enhances pulmonary inflammation after infection with mycobacterium avium. | mycobacterium avium complex (mac) is the most common cause of nontuberculous mycobacterial disease in humans. the role of th17 immunity in the pathogenesis of intracellular bacteria, such as mac, is not currently understood. transcription factor rar-related orphan receptor gamma t (rorγt) is known as the master regulator for th17 cell development. here, we investigated the role of rorγt in host responses against mac infection. wild-type (wt) mice and rorγt-overexpressing mice were infected with ... | 2016 | 26784959 |
| phenotypes associated with the essential diadenylate cyclase cdaa and its potential regulator cdar in the human pathogen listeria monocytogenes. | cyclic diadenylate monophosphate (c-di-amp) is a second messenger utilized by diverse bacteria. in many species, including the gram-positive human pathogen listeria monocytogenes, c-di-amp is essential for growth. here we show that the single diadenylate cyclase of l. monocytogenes, cdaa, is an integral membrane protein that interacts with its potential regulatory protein, cdar, via the transmembrane protein domain. the presence of the cdar protein is not required for the membrane localization a ... | 2016 | 26527648 |
| helicobacter pylori infection and gastric carcinoma: not all the strains and patients are alike. | gastric carcinoma (gc) develops in only 1%-3% of helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) infected people. the role in gc formation of the bacterial genotypes, gene polymorphisms and host's factors may therefore be important. the risk of gc is enhanced when individuals are infected by strains expressing the oncoprotein caga, in particular if caga has a high number of repeats containing the epiya sequence in its c'-terminal variable region or particular amino acid sequences flank the epiya motifs. h. pylo ... | 2016 | 26798436 |
| the pertussis enigma: reconciling epidemiology, immunology and evolution. | pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory infection, remains a public health priority despite the availability of vaccines for 70 years. still a leading cause of mortality in developing countries, pertussis has re-emerged in several developed countries with high vaccination coverage. resurgence of pertussis in these countries has routinely been attributed to increased awareness of the disease, imperfect vaccinal protection or high infection rates in adults. in this review, we first present 1980 ... | 2016 | 26763701 |
| the resurgence of mumps and pertussis. | vaccines and extended vaccination programs have had an extensive impact on morbidity and mortality rates due to infectious diseases. because of the continuous and extensive use of vaccines in industrialized countries, many infectious diseases such as poliomyelitis, diphtheria and measles have been reduced to near-extinction. however, in recent years, many countries including the united states of america, the united kingdom and belgium, have been confronted with a resurgence of mumps and pertussi ... | 2016 | 26751186 |
| use of a probabilistic motif search to identify histidine phosphotransfer domain-containing proteins. | the wealth of newly obtained proteomic information affords researchers the possibility of searching for proteins of a given structure or function. here we describe a general method for the detection of a protein domain of interest in any species for which a complete proteome exists. in particular, we apply this approach to identify histidine phosphotransfer (hpt) domain-containing proteins across a range of eukaryotic species. from the sequences of known hpt domains, we created an amino acid occ ... | 2016 | 26751210 |
| quantitation of polymyxin-lipopolysaccharide interactions using an image-based fluorescent probe. | the frequency of polymyxin-resistant pathogenic gram-negative bacteria appearing in the clinic is increasing, and the consequences are largely mediated by modification of lipopolysaccharide (lps) in the outer membrane. as polymyxins exert their antibacterial effect by binding to lps, understanding their mode of binding will prove highly valuable for new antibiotic discovery. in this study, we assess the potential of mips-9451, a fluorescent polymyxin analogue designed for imaging studies, as a f ... | 2016 | 26869441 |
| comparison of three whole-cell pertussis vaccines in the baboon model of pertussis. | pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacterial pathogen bordetella pertussis. pertussis rates in the united states have escalated since the 1990s and reached a 50-year high of 48,000 cases in 2012. while this pertussis resurgence is not completely understood, we previously showed that the current acellular pertussis vaccines do not prevent colonization or transmission following challenge. in contrast, a whole-cell pertussis vaccine accelerated the rate of clearance ... | 2016 | 26561389 |
| cxcl14 as an emerging immune and inflammatory modulator. | cxcl14, a relatively novel chemokine, is a non-elr (glutamic acid-leucine-arginine) chemokine with a broad spectrum of biological activities. cxcl14 mainly contributes to the regulation of immune cell migration, also executes antimicrobial immunity. the identity of the receptor for cxcl14 still remains obscure and therefore the intracellular signaling pathway is not entirely delineated. the present review summarizes the contribution of cxcl14 in these two aspects and discusses the biological mec ... | 2016 | 26733763 |
| alternatives to hist for acellular pertussis vaccines: progress and challenges in replacement. | the 'international workshop on alternatives to the murine histamine sensitization test for acellular pertussis vaccines: progress and challenges in the replacement of hist' was held on 24 august 2014, in prague, czech republic, as a satellite meeting to the 9th world congress on alternatives and animal use in the life sciences. participants discussed the progress and challenges associated with the development, validation, and implementation of in vitro assays as replacements for the histamine se ... | 2016 | 27506225 |
| acute ischemic optic neuropathy with extended prone position ventilation in a lung transplant recipient. | prone position ventilation (ppv) improves mortality in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ards), but outcomes following its use in lung transplant recipients are not known. we report the case of a 42-year-old caucasian man who presented with severe ards from bordetella pertussis, 5 years after bilateral sequential lung transplant for cystic fibrosis. he was managed with ppv for 22 days and had a prolonged icu stay complicated by hypoxic ischemic optic neuropathy leading to blindness. si ... | 2016 | 27051622 |
| interdicting gq activation in airway disease by receptor-dependent and receptor-independent mechanisms. | gαqβγ heterotrimer (gq), an important mediator in the pathology of airway disease, plays a central role in bronchoconstriction and airway remodeling, including airway smooth muscle growth and inflammation. current therapeutic strategies to treat airway disease include the use of muscarinic and leukotriene receptor antagonists; however, these pharmaceuticals demonstrate a limited clinical efficacy as multiple gq-coupled receptor subtypes contribute to these pathologies. thus, broadly inhibiting t ... | 2016 | 26464325 |
| legionnaires' disease in south africa, 2012-2014. | during june 2012-september 2014, we tested patients with severe respiratory illness for legionella spp. infection and conducted a retrospective epidemiologic investigation. of 1,805 patients tested, legionella was detected in samples of 21 (1.2%); most were adults who had hiv or tuberculosis infections and were inappropriately treated for legionella. | 2016 | 26692504 |
| immunogenicity in dogs and protection against visceral leishmaniasis induced by a 14kda leishmania infantum recombinant polypeptide. | in areas were human visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is endemic, the domestic dog is the main parasite reservoir in the infectious cycle of leishmania infantum. development of prophylactic strategies to lower the parasite burden in dogs would reduce sand fly transmission thus lowering the incidence of zoonotic vl. here we demonstrate that vaccination of dogs with a recombinant 14kda polypeptide of l. infantum nuclear transport factor 2 (li-ntf2) mixed with adjuvant bpmpla-se resulted in the productio ... | 2016 | 26640609 |
| interaction of bacteroides fragilis toxin with outer membrane vesicles reveals new mechanism of its secretion and delivery. | the only recognized virulence factor of enterotoxigenic bacteroides fragilis (etbf) that accompanies bloodstream infections is the zinc-dependent non-lethal metalloprotease b. fragilis toxin (bft). the isolated toxin stimulates intestinal secretion, resulting in epithelial damage and necrosis. numerous publications have focused on the interrelation of bft with intestinal inflammation and colorectal neoplasia, but nothing is known about the mechanism of its secretion and delivery to host cells. h ... | 2017 | 28144586 |
| a unilateral hyperlucent lung - swyer-james syndrome: a case report and literature review. | swyer-james-macleod syndrome (sjms) is a rare etiology of a unilateral hyperlucent hemithorax but an important one, which should be considered in any individual with such findings. presentation usually occurs in adulthood with an asymptomatic history in many cases or with a history of childhood infections. clinically, symptomatic patients may present with productive cough, dyspnea on exertion, hemoptysis, decreased exercise tolerance and recurrent pulmonary infections. many individuals are asymp ... | 2017 | 28138424 |
| pseudomonas aeruginosa pore-forming exolysin and type iv pili cooperate to induce host cell lysis. | clinical strains of pseudomonas aeruginosa lacking the type iii secretion system genes employ a toxin, exolysin (exla), for host cell membrane disruption. here, we demonstrated that exla export requires a predicted outer membrane protein, exlb, showing that exla and exlb define a new active two-partner secretion (tps) system of p. aeruginosa in addition to the tps signals, exla harbors several distinct domains, which include one hemagglutinin domain, five arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (rgd) mot ... | 2017 | 28119472 |
| impact of age and vaccination history on long-term serological responses after symptomatic b. pertussis infection, a high dimensional data analysis. | capturing the complexity and waning patterns of co-occurring immunoglobulin (ig) responses after clinical b. pertussis infection may help understand how the human host gradually loses protection against whooping cough. we applied bi-exponential modelling to characterise and compare b. pertussis specific serological dynamics in a comprehensive database of igg, igg subclass and iga responses to ptx, fha, prn, fim2/3 and omv antigens of (ex-) symptomatic pertussis cases across all age groups. the d ... | 2017 | 28091579 |
| single- and multiple viral respiratory infections in children: disease and management cannot be related to a specific pathogen. | the number of viral pathogens associated with pediatric acute respiratory tract infection (ari) has grown since the introduction of reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) assays. multiple viruses are detected during a single ari episode in approximately a quarter of all cases. the clinical relevance of these multiple detections is unclear, as is the role of the individual virus. we therefore investigated the correlation between clinical data and rt-pcr results in chil ... | 2017 | 28077074 |
| broad-range detection of microorganisms directly from bronchoalveolar lavage specimens by pcr/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. | the clinical demand on rapid microbiological diagnostic is constantly increasing. pcr coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, pcr/esi-ms, offers detection and identification of over 750 bacteria and candida species directly from clinical specimens within 6 hours. in this study, we investigated the clinical performance of the iridica bac lrt assay for detection of bacterial pathogens in 121 bronchoalveolar lavage (bal) samples that were received consecutively at our bacterial labora ... | 2017 | 28085931 |
| characterization of two achromobacter xylosoxidans isolates from patients with pertussis-like symptoms. | to characterize two achromobacter xylosoxidans recovered from 2 patients diagnosed with pertussis during a bordetella pertussis surveillance program. | 2015 | 26194831 |
| functional contributions of positive charges in the pore-lining helix 3 of the bordetella pertussis cyaa-hemolysin to hemolytic activity and ion-channel opening. | the bordetella pertussis cyaa-hemolysin (cyaa-hly) domain was previously demonstrated to be an important determinant for hemolysis against target erythrocytes and ion-channel formation in planar lipid bilayers (plbs). here, net-charge variations in the pore-lining helix of thirteen related rtx cytolysins including cyaa-hly were revealed by amino acid sequence alignments, reflecting their different degrees of hemolytic activity. to analyze possible functional effects of net-charge alterations on ... | 2017 | 28300777 |
| channel formation by rtx-toxins of pathogenic bacteria: basis of their biological activity. | the pore-forming cytolysins of the rtx-toxin (repeats in toxin) family are a relatively small fraction of a steadily increasing family of proteins that contain several functionally important glycine-rich and aspartate containing nonapeptide repeats. these cytolysins produced by a variety of gram-negative bacteria form ion-permeable channels in erythrocytes and other eukaryotic cells. hemolytic and cytolytic rtx-toxins represent pathogenicity factors of the toxin-producing bacteria and are very o ... | 2016 | 26523409 |
| inhibition of bacterial toxin activity by the nuclear stain, draq5™. | the repeats-in-toxin family of toxins includes proteins produced by gram negative bacteria such as escherichia coli (α-hemolysin), bordetella pertussis (adenylate cyclase toxin), and aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (ltxa), which contribute to the pathogenesis of these organisms by killing host cells. in the case of ltxa produced by a. actinomycetemcomitans, white blood cells are targeted, allowing the bacteria to avoid clearance by the host immune system. in its association with target cel ... | 2016 | 27039399 |
| evasion of neutrophil extracellular traps by respiratory pathogens. | the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (nets) is a major immune mechanism intended to capture pathogens. these histone- and protease-coated dna structures are released by neutrophils in response to a variety of stimuli, including respiratory pathogens, and have been identified in the airways of patients with respiratory infection, cystic fibrosis, acute lung injury, primary graft dysfunction, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. net production has been demonstrated in the lungs of m ... | 2017 | 27854516 |
| design and synthesis of fluorescent acyclic nucleoside phosphonates as potent inhibitors of bacterial adenylate cyclases. | bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin (act) and bacillus anthracis edema factor (ef) are key virulence factors with adenylate cyclase (ac) activity that substantially contribute to the pathogenesis of whooping cough and anthrax, respectively. there is an urgent need to develop potent and selective inhibitors of bacterial acs with prospects for the development of potential antibacterial therapeutics and to study their molecular interactions with the target enzymes. novel fluorescent 5-chlo ... | 2016 | 27775243 |
| prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial pathogens in long-term manured greenhouse soils as revealed by metagenomic survey. | antibiotic resistance genes (args), human pathogenic bacteria (hpb), and hpb carrying args pose a high risk to soil ecology and public health. here, we used a metagenomic approach to investigate their diversity and abundance in chicken manures and greenhouse soils collected from guli, pulangke, and hushu vegetable bases with different greenhouse planting years in nanjing, eastern china. there was a positive correlation between the levels of antibiotics, args, hpb, and hpb carrying args in manure ... | 2015 | 25514174 |
| bacteria and their toxins tamed for immunotherapy. | bacterial toxins share the ability to enter host cells to target various intracellular proteins and to modulate host immune responses. over the last 20 years, toxins and their mutated variants, as well as live attenuated bacteria, have been exploited for vaccination and immunotherapy of various infectious, malignant and autoimmune diseases. the ability of bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin to translocate its adenylate cyclase domain across the host cell membrane, as well as the pathway ... | 2012 | 22339216 |
| modeling diversity in structures of bacterial outer membrane lipids. | lipopolysaccharides (lpss) are vital components of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, and they act as extremely strong stimulators of innate immunity in diverse eukaryotic species. the primary immunostimulatory center of the lps molecule is lipid a, a disaccharide-bound lipophilic domain. considering the broad diversity in bacterial species, there are variations in the lipid a structures and their immunogenic potencies. in this work, we model the lipid a structures of eight commensal ... | 2017 | 28080049 |