| Comparative performance of culture using swabs transported in Amies medium and the Aptima Combo 2 nucleic acid amplification test in detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from genital and extra-genital sites: a retrospective study. | BackgroundNucleic acid amplification tests are being increasingly used for the routine diagnosis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC), although culture remains essential for monitoring antimicrobial resistance. The authors investigated how symptoms and infection site influenced test sensitivity.MethodsThis was a retrospective study at two centres of patients diagnosed as having GC by Aptima Combo 2 (AC2) confirmed with Aptima GC and/or culture.ResultsThe study included 251 men (71%) and 105 women (29%) ... | 2011 | 22034496 |
| meningococcal purpura fulminans in children. ii: late orthopedic sequelae management. | purpura fulminans is a rare and extremely severe infection, mostly due to neisseria meningitidis. nineteen patients were followed up immediately after the initial multivisceral failure in order to diagnose late-onset orthopedic sequelae. we report our experience with these 19 patients, in light of our medical follow-up protocol and surgical management. | 2010 | 21966304 |
| Innate immune mediator profiles and their regulation in a novel polarized immortalized epithelial cell model derived from human endocervix. | The endocervix in the female reproductive tract (FRT) is susceptible to sexually transmitted pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Endocervical epithelial cells in vivo make innate immune mediators that likely aid in the protection from these pathogens. In vitro studies to investigate the innate epithelial cell immune response to endocervical pathogens have been hindered by the paucity of human endocervix-derived epithelial cell lines that display the differentiation ... | 2011 | 21943934 |
| gonococcal infection in symptomatic and asymptomatic persons seeking medical clinics in sofia--a 3-year study 2008-2010. | the aim was to determine the prevalence of gonococcal infection and to compare the results with those received by other researchers, because in bulgaria a good medical practice for the laboratory confirmation, report and therapy is lacking. a total of 617 specimens from symptomatic and asymptomatic persons attending clinics in sofia from january 2008 to december 2010 were tested by culture and in-house pcr. using pcr neisseria gonorrhoeae was identified in six urethral (6.25%) and eight (1.54%) ... | 2011 | 22085362 |
| Microbiota in the oral subgingival biofilm is associated with obesity in adolescence. | To test the hypothesis whether microbiota in oral biofilm is linked with obesity in adolescents we designed this cross-sectional study. Obese adolescents (n = 29) with a mean age of 14.7 years and normal weight subjects (n = 58) matched by age and gender were examined with respect to visible plaque index (VPI%) and gingival inflammation (bleeding on probing (BOP%)). Stimulated saliva was collected. They answered a questionnaire concerning medical history, medication, oral hygiene habits, smoking ... | 2012 | 21996660 |
| A Novel N-Acetylglutamate Synthase Architecture Revealed by the Crystal Structure of the Bifunctional Enzyme from Maricaulis maris. | Novel bifunctional N-acetylglutamate synthase/kinases (NAGS/K) that catalyze the first two steps of arginine biosynthesis and are homologous to vertebrate N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS), an essential cofactor-producing enzyme in the urea cycle, were identified in Maricaulis maris and several other bacteria. Arginine is an allosteric inhibitor of NAGS but not NAGK activity. The crystal structure of M. maris NAGS/K (mmNAGS/K) at 2.7 Å resolution indicates that it is a tetramer, in contrast to t ... | 2011 | 22174908 |
| empiric treatment of sexually transmitted infections in a pediatric emergency department: are we making the right decisions? | objective: limited recommendations address empiric versus delayed treatment of pediatric patients for sexually transmitted infections (stis). this study investigates how frequently empiric sti treatment correlated with subsequent positive test results in an urban, high-risk pediatric emergency department (ped). methods: a retrospective chart review was performed on patients 18 years and younger who presented to an urban ped and had testing for neisseria gonorrhea (gc) and chlamydia trachomatis ( ... | 2011 | 22169584 |
| deep sequencing whole transcriptome exploration of the σ regulon in neisseria meningitidis. | bacteria live in an ever-changing environment and must alter protein expression promptly to adapt to these changes and survive. specific response genes that are regulated by a subset of alternative σ(70)-like transcription factors have evolved in order to respond to this changing environment. recently, we have described the existence of a σ(e) regulon including the anti-σ-factor mser in the obligate human bacterial pathogen neisseria meningitidis. to unravel the complete σ(e) regulon in n. menin ... | 2011 | 22194974 |
| induction of immune responses by purified outer membrane protein complexes from neisseria meningitidis. | a broad-spectrum vaccine against disease caused by serogroup b of neisseria meningitidis is still a challenge due to antigenic variability. in the present study outer membrane protein complexes and their components were analysed using non-denaturing 2d electrophoresis and identified using lc/ms-ms and maldi-tof. outer membrane protein complexes were purified from both the wild-type strain h44/76 and their knock-out mutants lacking pora, porb, rmpm or feta. the immune responses elicited by the wh ... | 2011 | 21911024 |
| tied down: tethering redox proteins to the outer membrane in neisseria and other genera. | typically, the redox proteins of respiratory chains in gram-negative bacteria are localized in the cytoplasmic membrane or in the periplasm. an alternative arrangement appears to be widespread within the betaproteobacterial genus neisseria, wherein several redox proteins are covalently associated with the outer membrane. in the present paper, we discuss the structural properties of these outer membrane redox proteins and the functional consequences of this attachment. several tethered outer memb ... | 2011 | 22103547 |
| human dendritic cell culture and bacterial infection. | dendritic cells (dc) play a key role in the development of natural immunity to microbes. the dc form a bridge between the innate and adaptive immune system by providing key instructions particularly to antigen naïve t-cells. the interaction of dc with t lymphocytes involves three signals: (1) antigen processing and presentation in context of mhc class i and/or ii, (2) expression of t cell co-stimulatory molecules, and (3) cytokine production. studying the interactions of dcs with specific pathog ... | 2012 | 21993649 |
| the role of bradykinin and the effect of the bradykinin receptor antagonist icatibant in porcine sepsis. | bradykinin (bk) is regarded as an important mediator of edema, shock, and inflammation during sepsis. in this study, we evaluated the contribution of bk in porcine sepsis by blocking bk and by measuring the stable bk metabolite, bk1-5, using anesthetized pigs. the effect of bk alone, the efficacy of icatibant to block this effect, and the recovery of bk measured as plasma bk1-5 were first investigated. purified bk injected intravenously induced an abrupt fall in blood pressure, which was complet ... | 2011 | 21921836 |
| neisseria-avoiding the jump to conclusions. | neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in a prepubertal child is virtually diagnostic of sexual abuse, provided perinatal infection has been excluded. therefore, it is imperative that neisseria gonorrhoeae be correctly identified. we present two cases of false positive neisseria gonorrhoeae meningitis encountered at two different children's hospitals. both cases were evaluated by the child protection teams prior to establishing the correct diagnosis. | 2011 | 22126106 |
| variations of oral microbiota are associated with pancreatic diseases including pancreatic cancer. | objectivethe associations between oral diseases and increased risk of pancreatic cancer have been reported in several prospective cohort studies. in this study, we measured variations of salivary microbiota and evaluated their potential associations with pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis.methodsthis study was divided into three phases: (1) microbial profiling using the human oral microbe identification microarray to investigate salivary microbiota variation between 10 resectable patient ... | 2011 | 21994333 |
| immunogenicity and safety of a haemophilus influenzae b (hib)-hepatitis b vaccine with a modified process hepatitis b component administered with concomitant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to infants. | a hepatitis b vaccine was manufactured with a modified process (mphbv) that incorporated double the usual amount of phosphate. following a study in young adults, the mphbv was evaluated in infants in a combination hepatitis b and haemophilus influenzae b vaccine (mphbv-hib). | 2011 | 21875633 |
| a clonal group of nontypeable haemophilus influenzae with two iga proteases is adapted to infection in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. | strains of nontypeable haemophilus influenzae show enormous genetic heterogeneity and display differential virulence potential in different clinical settings. the igab gene, which encodes a newly identified iga protease, is more likely to be present in the genome of copd strains of h. influenzae than in otitis media strains. analysis of igab and surrounding sequences in the present study showed that h. influenzae likely acquired igab from neisseria meningitidis and that the acquisition was accom ... | 2011 | 21998721 |
| ongoing sexually transmitted disease acquisition and risk-taking behavior among us hiv-infected patients in primary care: implications for prevention interventions. | to better understand the factors associated with hiv- and sexually transmitted disease (std)-transmitting behavior among hiv-infected persons, we estimated std prevalence and incidence and associated risk factors among a diverse sample of hiv-infected patients in primary care. | 2012 | 22183836 |
| polyclonal antibody against conserved sequences of mce1a protein blocks mtb infection in macrophages. | the pathogenesis of mycobacterium tuberculosis is largely due to its ability to enter and survive within human macrophages. it is suggested that a specific protein namely mammalian cell entry protein is involved in the pathogenesis and the specific gene for this protein mce1a has been identified in several pathogenic organisms such as rickettsia, shigella, escherichia coli, helicobacter, streptomyces, klebsiella, vibrio, neisseria, rhodococcus, nocardioides, saccharopolyspora erthyrae, and pseud ... | 2011 | 22159737 |
| The soluble recombinant Neisseria meningitidis adhesin NadA(?351-405) stimulates human monocytes by binding to extracellular Hsp90. | The adhesin NadA favors cell adhesion/invasion by hypervirulent Neisseria meningitidis B (MenB). Its recombinant form NadA(?351-405,) devoid of the outer membrane domain, is an immunogenic candidate for an anti-MenB vaccine able to stimulate monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells. In this study we investigated the molecular mechanism of NadA(?351-405) cellular effects in monocytes. We show that NadA(?351-405) (against which we obtained polyclonal antibodies in rabbits), binds to hsp90, but n ... | 2011 | 21949862 |
| specialization of an exonuclease iii family enzyme in the repair of 3' dna lesions during base excision repair in the human pathogen neisseria meningitidis. | we have previously demonstrated that the two exonuclease iii (xth) family members present within the obligate human pathogen neisseria meningitidis, nape and nexo, are important for survival under conditions of oxidative stress. of these, only nape possesses ap endonuclease activity, while the primary function of nexo remained unclear. we now reveal further functional specialization at the level of 3'-po(4) processing for nexo. we demonstrate that the bi-functional meningococcal glycosylases nth ... | 2011 | 22067446 |
| sexual assault and abuse of children. | testing for sexually transmitted infections (stis) in children presents a number of problems for the practitioner that are not usually faced when testing adults for the same infections. the identification of an sti in a child can have, in addition to medical implications, serious legal implications. the presence of an sti is often used to support the presence or allegations, or, in some cases, may prompt an investigation of possible abuse. the purpose of this paper is to review the recent data o ... | 2011 | 22080264 |
| fbpa - a bacterial transferrin with more to offer. | background: gram negative bacteria require iron for growth and virulence. it has been shown that certain pathogenic bacteria such as neisseria gonorrhoeae possess a periplasmic protein called ferric binding protein (fbpa), which is a node in the transport of iron from the cell exterior to the cytosol. scope of review: the relevant literature is reviewed which establishes the molecular mechanism of fbpa mediated iron transport across the periplasm to the inner membrane. major conclusions: here we ... | 2011 | 21933698 |
| Study of a localized meningococcal meningitis epidemic in Burkina Faso: incidence, carriage, and immunity. | To better understand localized meningococcal meningitis epidemics, we evaluated a serogroup A (NmA) epidemic in Burkina Faso by surveillance, carriage, and seroprevalence studies. | 2011 | 21998478 |
| crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of the bile acid sodium symporter asbt. | high cholesterol levels greatly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. about 50 per cent of cholesterol is eliminated from the body by its conversion into bile acids. however, bile acids released from the bile duct are constantly recycled, being reabsorbed in the intestine by the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (asbt, also known as slc10a2). it has been shown in animal models that plasma cholesterol levels are considerably lowered by specific inhibitors of asbt, and asbt is t ... | 2011 | 21976025 |
| Transcriptome analyses in the interaction of Neisseria meningitidis with mammalian host cells. | Infectious disease research has been revolutionized by two recent developments in the field of genome biology: (1) the sequencing of the human genome as well as many pathogen genomes and (2) the development of high-throughput technologies including microarray technology, proteomics, and metabolomics. Microarray studies enable a deeper understanding of the genetic evolution of pathogens and investigation of the determinants of pathogenicity on a whole-genome scale. Host studies, in turn, allow fo ... | 2012 | 21993652 |
| high-level cefixime- and ceftriaxone-resistant n. gonorrhoeae in europe (france): novel pena mosaic allele in a successful international clone causes treatment failure. | recently, the first neisseria gonorrhoeae strain (h041) highly resistant to the extended-spectrum cephalosporins (esc) ceftriaxone and cefixime, which are the last remaining options for first-line gonorrhoea treatment, was isolated in japan. here, we confirm and characterize a second strain (f89) with high-level cefixime and ceftriaxone resistance, which was isolated in france and most likely caused a treatment failure with cefixime. f89 was examined using six species-confirmatory tests, antibio ... | 2011 | 22155830 |
| evaluation of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae detection in urine, endocervical, and vaginal specimens by a multiplexed isothermal thermophilic helicase-dependent amplification (thda) assay. | we have developed a new research assay that combines sequence-specific sample preparation and isothermal amplification for the detection of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. the assay targets both the omp gene and the cryptic plasmid of c. trachomatis and the multicopy opa gene of n. gonorrhoeae, which are amplified and detected in a single reaction. we evaluated the ability of the assay to detect c. trachomatis and n. gonorrhoeae infections in first-catch urine, swab, ... | 2011 | 21956990 |
| A functional microsatellite of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene associated with meningococcal disease. | Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an abundantly expressed proinflammatory cytokine playing a critical role in innate immunity and sepsis and other inflammatory diseases. We examined whether functional MIF gene polymorphisms (-794 CATT(5-8) microsatellite and -173 G/C SNP) were associated with the occurrence and outcome of meningococcal disease in children. The CATT(5) allele was associated with the probability of death predicted by the Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 (P=0.001), whic ... | 2011 | 21990375 |
| Meningococcal ligands and molecular targets of the host. | Meningococcal mechanisms of adhesion are complex, involving multiple adhesins and their respective target receptors on host cells. Three major surface structures--pili, Opa, and Opc--have been known for some time to mediate meningococcal adhesion to target human cells. More recently, several other relatively minor adhesins have also come to light. The literature on bacterial adhesion mechanisms provides numerous examples of various adhesins acting cooperatively in an apparently hierarchical and ... | 2012 | 21993644 |
| Introduction to the special section: medical advances in child sexual abuse, part 2. | This volume is the second of a two-part special issue detailing state of the art practice in medical issues around child sexual abuse. The four articles in this special section discuss topics such as estimating the sexual maturity of a child from computer or photographic images; how several cases of supposed Neisseria gonorrhoeae meningitis actually were a different, but related, organism, thereby removing sexual abuse as a consideration as to etiology; what current laboratory methods are availa ... | 2011 | 22126104 |
| Adherence to preventive measures after splenectomy in the hospital setting and in the community. | Overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI) remains a long-term risk in asplenic patients, which may be reduced by appropriate preventive measures. Specific guidelines have been developed to lower its incidence. | 2011 | 22000846 |
| Neisseria sicca endocarditis requiring mitral valve replacement in a previously healthy adolescent. | Infective endocarditis due to Neisseria sicca, a normal inhabitant of the upper respiratory tract, is rarely reported but associated with embolic phenomena and large vegetations often requiring surgical intervention. We report a previously healthy 12-year-old girl who presented with prolonged fever and altered mental status. The patient developed rapidly progressive respiratory insufficiency and cardiovascular instability, and echocardiography demonstrated a large vegetation on the mitral valve. ... | 2011 | 21975499 |
| genome wide expression profiling reveals suppression of host defence responses during colonisation by neisseria meningitides but not n. lactamica. | both neisseria meningitidis and the closely related bacterium neisseria lactamica colonise human nasopharyngeal mucosal surface, but only n. meningitidis invades the bloodstream to cause potentially life-threatening meningitis and septicaemia. we have hypothesised that the two neisserial species differentially modulate host respiratory epithelial cell gene expression reflecting their disease potential. confluent monolayers of 16hbe14 human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to live and/or d ... | 2011 | 22028815 |
| multiplex isothermal helicase-dependent amplification assay for detection of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae. | thermophilic helicase dependent amplification (thda), which employs helicase to unwind double-stranded dna at constant temperature, is a relatively new isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology. in this study, the development and optimization of a 4-plex thda assay for detection of chlamydia trachomatis (ct) and neisseria gonorrhoeae (ng) are described. thda is combined with sequence-specific sample preparation on magnetic beads and homogeneous endpoint fluorescence detection using dual-l ... | 2011 | 22000085 |
| infectious proctitis: when to suspect it is not inflammatory bowel disease. | background: proctitis is a common problem and is most frequently associated with inflammatory bowel diseases. however, the incidence of infectious proctitis appears to be rising, especially in men who have sex with men. this may be due to the rise of people participating in receptive anal sex as well as the increase in sexually transmitted infections. the most frequently reported pathogens include neisseria gonorrhoeae, chlamydia trachomatis, treponema pallidum, and herp ... | 2011 | 21994137 |
| Emergence of a Neisseria gonorrhoeae clone showing decreased susceptibility to cefixime in England and Wales. | The third-generation cephalosporins recommended in national guidelines are amongst the last remaining effective agents for treatment of gonorrhoea. This study characterizes gonococcal isolates with decreased cefixime susceptibility from England and Wales. | 2011 | 21846672 |
| Cost Savings and Increased Efficiency Using a Stratified Specimen Pooling Strategy for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. | Idaho Chlamydia trachomatis-Neisseria gonorrhoeae specimens from July 2009 were pooled by stratified specimen pooling, an approach that removes high-risk specimens from the pooling population and pools low-risk specimens to maximize pooling efficiency. This approach reduced pool positivity rates by 8%, repeated tests by 9%, and saved 47.4% in direct costs. | 2012 | 22183846 |
| Two Strikingly Different Signaling Pathways Are Induced by Meningococcal Type IV Pili on Endothelial and Epithelial Cells. | Following adhesion on brain microvasculature, Neisseria meningitidis is able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by recruiting the polarity complex and the cell junction proteins, thus allowing the opening of the paracellular route. This feature is the consequence of the activation by the type IV pili of the ß(2)-adrenergic receptor/ß-arrestin signaling pathway. Here, we have extended this observation to primary peripheral endothelial cells, and we report that the interaction of N. meningitid ... | 2012 | 22064711 |
| Genetic Manipulation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. | The sexually transmitted pathogen, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, undergoes natural transformation at high frequency. This property has led to the rapid dissemination of antibiotic resistance markers and to the panmictic structure of the gonococcal population. However, high-frequency transformation also makes N. gonorrhoeae one of the easiest bacterial species to manipulate genetically in the laboratory. Techniques have been developed that result in transformation frequencies >50%, allowing the identifi ... | 2011 | 22045584 |
| development of a vaccine against staphylococcus aureus. | a vaccine to prevent infections caused by staphylococcus aureus would have a tremendously beneficial impact on public health. in contrast to typical encapsulated bacterial pathogens, such as streptococcus pneumoniae, h. influenzae, and neisseria meningitides, the capsule of s. aureus is not clearly linked to strain virulence in vivo. furthermore, it is not clear that natural infection caused by s. aureus induces a protective humoral immune response, as does infection caused by typical encapsulat ... | 2011 | 22080194 |
| phenotypic and genotypic properties of neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in norway in 2009: antimicrobial resistance warrants an immediate change in national management guidelines. | despite rapidly diminishing treatment options for neisseria gonorrhoeae and high levels of ciprofloxacin resistance worldwide, norwegian guidelines still recommend ciprofloxacin as empirical treatment for gonorrhea. the present study aimed to characterize phenotypical and genotypical properties of n. gonorrhoeae isolates in norway in 2009. all viable n. gonorrhoeae isolates (n = 114) from six university hospitals in norway (2009) were collected, representing 42% of all notified gonorrhea cases. ... | 2011 | 21960034 |
| crystal structure of outer membrane protein nmb0315 from neisseria meningitidis. | nmb0315 is an outer membrane protein of neisseria meningitidis serogroup b (nmb) and a potential candidate for a broad-spectrum vaccine against meningococcal disease. the crystal structure of nmb0315 was solved by single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (sad) at a resolution of 2.4 å and revealed to be a lysostaphin-type peptidase of the m23 metallopeptidase family. the overall structure consists of three well-separated domains and has no similarity to any previously published structure. however, ... | 2011 | 22046377 |
| enhanced gonococcal antimicrobial surveillance in the era of ceftriaxone resistance: a real-time pcr assay for direct detection of the neisseria gonorrhoeae h041 strain. | objectives: recent emergence of the extensively drug-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae h041 strain in japan raises concerns that gonorrhoea may soon become untreatable and emphasizes the need for enhanced surveillance. in this study we developed a real-time pcr assay for direct detection of the h041 strain. methods: two real-time pcr assays for detection of the pena gene of the h041 strain, h041-pcr1 and h041-pcr2, were developed and evaluated in parallel. assay performance was assessed using a pa ... | 2011 | 22207596 |
| Neisseria meningitidis B vaccines. | Invasive infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis are a serious public health problem worldwide and have a heavy economic impact. The incidence of invasive disease due to Neisseria meningitidis is highly variable according to geographical area and serogroup distribution. Since the introduction of vaccination programs with conjugated vaccine C in children and adolescents, most cases of invasive meningococcal disease in developed countries have been caused by meningococcus B. It is important to ... | 2011 | 21919622 |
| cephalosporin-resistant gonorrhea: it's just a matter of time. | | 2011 | 22096785 |
| Septic arthritis caused by Neisseria pharyngis in an elderly patient with knee prosthesis. | | 2011 | 22101554 |
| Reply to "Routine Confirmation of Positive Nucleic Acid Amplification Test Results for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Is Not Necessary". | | 2012 | 22203752 |
| [the outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease in the municipalities of goleniów and przybiernów in march 2009. control measures taken in the outbreak area]. | the paper discusses the organisation of epidemiologic surveillance covering people who suffered from invasive meningococcal disease in the municipalities of goleniów and przybiernów from 10.03.2009 to 31.03.2009. infections were caused by type c neisseria meningitidis, a strain belonging to the hyperinvasive clonal complex st-11. the attack rate was 14.71 per 100,000 inhabitants in the town and municipality of goleniów and 19.26 per 100,000 inhabitants in the municipality of przybiernów. because ... | 2011 | 22184943 |
| Fatal Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X sepsis in immunocompromised patients in Spain. Virulence of clinical isolates. | BACKGROUND: Neisseria meningitidis X (NmX) is a minority meningococcus serogroup for which no vaccine is available. Huge meningococcus X outbreaks occurred in West Africa but developed countries have reported only sporadic cases. Two invasive fatal cases are presented. METHODS: Isolates were characterized by serogrouping (latex agglutination and genogroup X-specific polymerase-chain-reaction), PorA and FetA typing, multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Immunocompetent ... | 2011 | 22108049 |
| gonorrhea: what goes around comes around. | | 2011 | 21930743 |
| Comparative analysis of salivary bacterial microbiome diversity in edentulous infants and their mothers or primary care givers using pyrosequencing. | Bacterial contribution to oral disease has been studied in young children, but there is a lack of data addressing the developmental perspective in edentulous infants. Our primary objectives were to use pyrosequencing to phylogenetically characterize the salivary bacterial microbiome of edentulous infants and to make comparisons against their mothers. Saliva samples were collected from 5 edentulous infants (mean age?=?4.6±1.2 mo old) and their mothers or primary care givers (mean age?=?30.8±9.5 y ... | 2011 | 21853142 |
| Liquid-based urine cytology as a tool for detection of human papillomavirus, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma in men. | Background: Liquid-based urine cytology (LB-URC) was evaluated for cytological diagnosis and detection of human papillomavirus (HPV), Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma.Methods: Midstream urine samples were collected from 141 male patients with urethritis and 154 controls without urethritis, and sediment cells were preserved in liquid-based cytology solution. Urethral swabs from urethritis patients were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. Papanicolaou tests were performed for cyt ... | 2011 | 22135257 |
| identification and functional characterization of srnas in neisseria meningitidis. | a riboregulated network, in which small rnas (srnas) regulate the stability and thus translation of transcripts (mrna), has only recently been discovered in prokaryotes. yet, during the last 5 years, hundreds of srnas have been identified in various bacterial species by using a wide variety of both computational and experimental approaches. the majority of the srnas interact with the 5'-untranslated region (utr) of target mrnas, thereby influencing the stability of target mrnas, or by either sup ... | 2012 | 21993640 |
| Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles associated with bacterial meningitis among children: A referral hospital-based study in Iran. | Bacterial meningitis continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality rate worldwide, especially in the pediatric age group. This study was performed to identify the microbial etiologies of meningitis among 31 children, who were admitted in the Emergency Ward of a referral pediatric hospital in Iran. Culture identification showed that Streptococcus pneumoniae (12 subjects), Haemophilus influenzae (11 subjects) were the most common bacteria, followed by Escherichia coli (7 cases) and ... | 2011 | 22207285 |
| meningococcal factor h binding proteins in epidemic strains from africa: implications for vaccine development. | factor h binding protein (fhbp) is an important antigen for vaccines against meningococcal serogroup b disease. the protein binds human factor h (fh), which enables the bacteria to resist serum bactericidal activity. little is known about the vaccine-potential of fhbp for control of meningococcal epidemics in africa, which typically are caused by non-group b strains. | 2011 | 21909444 |
| the neisseria meningitidis znud zinc receptor contributes to interactions with epithelial cells and supports heme utilization when expressed in escherichia coli. | neisseria meningitidis employs redundant heme acquisition mechanisms, including tonb receptor-dependent and receptor-independent uptakes. the tonb-dependent zinc receptor znud shares significant sequence similarity to huma, a heme receptor of moraxella catarrhalis, and contains conserved motifs found in many heme utilization proteins. we present data showing that, when expressed in escherichia coli, znud allowed heme capture on the cell surface and supported the heme-dependent growth of an e. co ... | 2011 | 22083713 |
| An extended ß7a7 substrate-binding loop is essential for efficient catalysis by 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate 8-phosphate synthase. | The enzyme 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate 8-phosphate (KDO8P) synthase catalyzes the reaction between phosphoenolpyruvate and arabinose 5-phosphate (A5P) in the first committed step in the biosynthetic pathway for the formation of 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate, an important component in the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. KDO8P synthase is evolutionarily related to the first enzyme of the shikimate pathway, 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAH7P) synthase, which uses erythrose 4-ph ... | 2011 | 21942786 |
| self-screening for neisseria gonorrhoeae and chlamydia trachomatis in the human immunodeficiency virus clinic--high yields and high acceptability. | despite antiretroviral therapy (art), incident human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) continues to rise, and sexually transmitted infections (sti) are well known for their part in hiv transmission. national guidelines recommend routine sti screening in hiv-positive individuals, but despite this, reported uptake remains low. | 2011 | 22082720 |
| Carbohydrate-Monophosphoryl Lipid A Conjugates Are Fully Synthetic Self-Adjuvanting Cancer Vaccines Eliciting Robust Immune Responses in the Mouse. | Tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) are useful targets in the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines. However, a serious problem with them is the poor immunogenicity. To overcome the problem, a monophosphorylated derivative of Neisseria meningitidis lipid A was explored as a potential carrier molecule and built-in adjuvant for the construction of structurally defined fully synthetic glycoconjugate vaccines. Some paradigm-shifting discoveries about the monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) ... | 2011 | 22013921 |
| recalibrating the gram stain diagnosis of male urethritis in the era of nucleic acid amplification testing. | criteria for diagnosis of male urethritis based on a gram-stained smear (gss) of urethral discharge were developed before the era of nucleic acid amplification testing (naat) for neisseria gonorrhoeae (ng) and chlamydia trachomatis (ct) and may be too stringent when considering the higher sensitivity of naat. | 2012 | 22183839 |
| Quantification of polyphenols during retting and characterization of bacteria from the Kadinamkulam Backwaters, Kerala. | The retting environment which provides a competitive niche for specialized microbes is speculated to harbour a variety of microbes with high biodegradation potential. In this context, an effort has been made to isolate and identify bacterial species having high tolerance to phenol In vitro. Maximum polyphenol (1.897 mg l(-1)) as observed during the initial period of retting, which decreased as retting proceeded. Based on biochemical characterization, the isolated bacterial strains were identifie ... | 2011 | 21888245 |
| access to health services and sexually transmitted infections in a cohort of relocating african american public housing residents: an association between travel time and infection. | background:: high incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted infection (sti) in blacks have been attributed to multiple factors. however, few articles have discussed spatial access to healthcare as a driver of disparities. the objective of this analysis was to evaluate the relationship between travel time to a healthcare provider and the likelihood of testing positive for 1 of 3 stis in a sample of adults living in public housing. methods:: one hundred and eight black adults in atlanta, ga ... | 2012 | 22249300 |
| first cases of neisseria gonorrhoeae resistant to ceftriaxone in catalonia, spain, may 2011. | | 2012 | 22244992 |
| adenylylation control by intra- or intermolecular active-site obstruction in fic proteins. | fic proteins that are defined by the ubiquitous fic (filamentation induced by cyclic amp) domain are known to catalyse adenylylation (also called ampylation); that is, the transfer of amp onto a target protein. in mammalian cells, adenylylation of small gtpases through fic proteins injected by pathogenic bacteria can cause collapse of the actin cytoskeleton and cell death. it is unknown how this potentially deleterious adenylylation activity is regulated in the widespread fic proteins that are f ... | 2012 | 22266942 |
| meningococcal outer membrane protein nhha triggers apoptosis in macrophages. | phagocytotic cells play a fundamental role in the defense against bacterial pathogens. one mechanism whereby bacteria evade phagocytosis is to produce factors that trigger apoptosis. here we identify for the first time a meningococcal protein capable of inducing macrophage apoptosis. the conserved meningococcal outer membrane protein nhha (neisseria hia/hsf homologue a, also known as hsf) mediates bacterial adhesion and interacts with extracellular matrix components heparan sulphate and laminin. ... | 2012 | 22238624 |
| inhibition of bacterial carbonic anhydrases and zinc proteases: from orphantargets to innovative new antibiotic drugs. | zinc-containing enzymes, such as carbonic anhydrases (cas) and metalloproteases (mps) play critical functions in bacteria, being involved in various steps of their life cycle, which are important for survival, colonization, acquisition of nutrients for growth and proliferation, facilitation of dissemination, invasion and pathogenicity. the development of resistance to many classes of clinically used antibiotics emphasizes the need of new antibacterial drug targets to be explored. there is a weal ... | 2012 | 22214451 |
| mper regulates the mtr efflux locus in neisseria gonorrhoeae and modulates antimicrobial resistance by an iron-responsive mechanism. | previous studies have shown that the mper transcriptional regulator produced by neisseria gonorrhoeae represses expression of mtrf, which encodes a putative inner membrane protein (mtrf). mtrf works as an accessory protein with the mtr efflux pump helping gonococci to resist high levels of diverse hydrophobic antimicrobials. regulation of mper has been reported to occur by an iron-dependent mechanism involving fur (ferric uptake regulator). collectively, these observations suggest the presence o ... | 2012 | 22214775 |
| comparison of three assays for the detection of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae in surepath pap samples and the role of pre and post-cytology testing. | chlamydia trachomatis (ct) and neisseria gonorrhoeae (ng) are common sexually transmitted infections and, there is interest in screening surepath liquid-based pap (l-pap) samples with aptima combo 2 (ac2), amplicor (amp) and probetec et (pt) assays. surepath l-pap samples and a cervical swab (cs) were collected from 394 women attending health clinics in hamilton and toronto, on. l-pap samples were tested in the three assays prior to processing for cytology and the cs sample was tested by ac2. th ... | 2012 | 22259215 |
| new statistical technique for analyzing mic-based susceptibility data. | seventeen laboratories participated in a cooperative study to validate the regional susceptibility testing of neisseria gonorrhoeae in the netherlands. international reference strains were distributed. each laboratory determined the mic of ciprofloxacin, penicillin and tetracycline, for each strain by e-test. to explore a more transparent assessment of quality and comparability, a statistical regression model was fitted to the data that accounted for the censoring of the mics. the mean mic as fo ... | 2012 | 22232288 |
| epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections, hiv, and related high-risk behaviors among female sex workers in guangxi autonomous region, china. | this study assessed the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (stis), hiv, and associated risk factors among female sex workers (fsws) in guangxi autonomous region, china. a cross-sectional study of 488 fsws was conducted using a structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and behavioral information. biological specimens from subjects were sampled to detect various stis and hiv infection. among fsws, the prevalence rates of syphilis, neisseria gonorrhoeae, chlamydia trach ... | 2012 | 22274163 |
| clinical evaluation of the bd probetec™ neisseria gonorrhoeae qx amplified dna assay on the bd viper™ system with xtr™ technology. | background:: the excellent sensitivity and specificity of commercially available nucleic acid amplification tests (naats) for the identification of neisseria gonorrhoeae have been demonstrated. this study evaluated the performance of the bd probetec™ n. gonorrhoeae q (gcq) amplified dna assay on the bd viper™ system with xtr™ technology in a multicenter study. methods:: specimens were collected at 7 geographically diverse clinical sites from 1846 women and men attending sexually transmitted dise ... | 2012 | 22249304 |
| treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory disease. | pelvic inflammatory disease (pid), one of the most common infections in nonpregnant women of reproductive age, remains an important public health problem. it is associated with major long-term sequelae, including tubal factor infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. in addition, treatment of acute pid and its complications incurs substantial health care costs. prevention of these long-term sequelae is dependent upon development of treatment strategies based on knowledge of the mi ... | 2011 | 22228985 |
| transactional sexual relationships, sexually transmitted infection risk, and condom use among young black women in peri-urban areas of the western cape province of south africa. | background: transactional sexual behavior has been demonstrated as an important factor underlying the hiv epidemic in sub-saharan africa. the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between having a history of transactional sexual relationships with condom use and sti risk. methods: participants completed a behavioral questionnaire in isixhosa and provided self-collected vaginal swabs which were tested for chlamydia trachomatis, neisseria gonorrhea, and trichomonas vaginalis. multinom ... | 2012 | 22265179 |