Publications

legionnaires' disease: clinical differentiation from typical and other atypical pneumonias.	this article describes the clinical differentiation of legionnaires' disease from typical and other atypical pneumonias, with reference to the history, microbiology, epidemiology, clinical presentation (including radiologic manifestations, clinical extrapulmonary features, nonspecific laboratory findings, clinical syndromic diagnosis, and differential diagnosis), therapy, complications, and prognosis of the disease.	2010	20171547
[urinary pneumococcal or legionella antigen detection tests and low-spectrum antibiotic therapy for community-acquired pneumonia].	we performed urinary antigen tests for pneumococcus and legionella for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (cap), to prescribe a documented antibiotic therapy. we report the efficiency of low-spectrum antibiotic treatment, illustrating the inappropriateness of bacteriological respiratory sampling.	2010	20172672
analysis of the legionella longbeachae genome and transcriptome uncovers unique strategies to cause legionnaires' disease.	legionella pneumophila and l. longbeachae are two species of a large genus of bacteria that are ubiquitous in nature. l. pneumophila is mainly found in natural and artificial water circuits while l. longbeachae is mainly present in soil. under the appropriate conditions both species are human pathogens, capable of causing a severe form of pneumonia termed legionnaires' disease. here we report the sequencing and analysis of four l. longbeachae genomes, one complete genome sequence of l. longbeach ...	2010	20174605
host-mediated post-translational prenylation of novel dot/icm-translocated effectors of legionella pneumophila.	the dot/icm type iv translocated ankyrin b (ankb) effector of legionella pneumophila is modified by the host prenylation machinery that anchors it into the outer leaflet of the legionella-containing vacuole (lcv), which is essential for biological function of the effector in vitro and in vivo. prenylation involves the covalent linkage of an isoprenoid lipid moiety to a c-terminal caax motif in eukaryotic proteins enabling their anchoring into membranes. we show here that the lcv harboring an ank ...	2010	21687755
molecular detection of legionella: moving on from mip.	the detection of legionella pneumophila in environmental and clinical samples is frequently performed by pcr amplification of the mip and/or 16s rrna genes. combined with dna sequencing, these two genetic loci can be used to distinguish different species of legionella and identify l. pneumophila. however, the recent legionella genome sequences have opened up hundreds of possibilities for the development of new molecular targets for detection and diagnosis. ongoing comparative genomics has the po ...	2010	21687766
replication of legionella pneumophila in human cells: why are we susceptible?	legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of legionnaires' disease, a serious and often fatal form of pneumonia. the susceptibility to l. pneumophila arises from the ability of this intracellular pathogen to multiply in human alveolar macrophages and monocytes. l. pneumophila also replicates in several professional and non-professional phagocytic human-derived cell lines. with the exception of the a/j mouse strain, most mice strains are restrictive, thus they do not support l. pneumophila re ...	2010	21687775
circadian clock proteins in prokaryotes: hidden rhythms?	circadian clock genes are vital features of eukaryotes that have evolved such that organisms can adapt to our planet's rotation in order to anticipate the coming day or night as well as unfavorable seasons. this circadian clock uses oscillation as a timekeeping element. however, circadian clock mechanisms exist also in prokaryotes. the circadian clock of cyanobacteria is well studied. it is regulated by a cluster of three genes: kaia, kaib, and kaic. in this review, we will discuss the circadian ...	2010	21687756
[evaluation of biological indicators of hygienic quality in modern dental clinics with a high perceived quality in catania (italy)].	a study was performed to evaluate safety and hygienic quality levels in dental clinics in catania (sicily, italy). microbiological checks of air samples, surfaces and water were performed in seven modern dental clinics with a high perceived quality of care. in total, 16 active dental units were present in the clinics included in the study. water samples were obtained from dental air-water syringes and directly from the water supply and analyzed to determine aerobic mesophilic bacteria counts, co ...	2010	21358774
[methodic bases for providing the population and potentially dangerous water objects with biosafety against the pathogens of legionellosis].	the paper considers the key aspects of the ecology of legionella determining the increasing role of the pathogen in the emergence of human infectious diseases in postinduatrial society. formation of legionella biofilms on potentially dangerous water objects with possible further aerosol or aspiration transmission of the pathogen may lead to large epidemic outbreaks and sporadic cases of the infection. based on international experience and the results of their studies, the authors propose a curre ...	2010	21344701
efficiency of water disinfectants against legionella pneumophila and acanthamoeba.	free-living amoebae might be pathogenic by themselves and be a reservoir for bacterial pathogens, such as legionella pneumophila. not only could amoebae protect intra-cellular legionella but legionella grown within amoebae could undergo physiological modifications and become more resistant and more virulent. therefore, it is important to study the efficiency of treatments on amoebae and legionella grown within these amoebae to improve their application and to limit their impact on the environmen ...	2010	21093012
exploitation of host polyubiquitination machinery through molecular mimicry by eukaryotic-like bacterial f-box effectors.	microbial pathogens have evolved exquisite mechanisms to interfere and intercept host biological processes, often through molecular mimicry of specific host proteins. ubiquitination is a highly conserved eukaryotic post-translational modification essential in determining protein fate, and is often hijacked by pathogenic bacteria. the conserved skp1/cul1/f-box (scf) e3 ubiquitin ligase complex plays a key role in ubiquitination of proteins in eukaryotic cells. the f-box protein component of the s ...	2010	21687758
spontaneous rupture of the spleen associated with legionella pneumonia.	spontaneous rupture of the spleen associated with legionella pneumonia is a rare and life-threatening complication; only three cases have been reported to date. the authors describe a case of a 47-year-old man who presented with pneumonia and abdominal pain. he underwent a splenectomy, and was successfully treated with clarithromycin and levofloxacin.	2010	21886641
diversity and impact of prokaryotic toxins on aquatic environments: a review.	microorganisms are ubiquitous in all habitats and are recognized by their metabolic versatility and ability to produce many bioactive compounds, including toxins. some of the most common toxins present in water are produced by several cyanobacterial species. as a result, their blooms create major threats to animal and human health, tourism, recreation and aquaculture. quite a few cyanobacterial toxins have been described, including hepatotoxins, neurotoxins, cytotoxins and dermatotoxins. these t ...	2010	22069558
[acting in pulmonary infections in ambulatory practice at adult].	the clinical manifestations (both symptoms and signs) of infections of respiratory tract disease are limited and not specific to the cause. however, there is no universal approach, and good clinical judgment is often essential. most people have approximately three colds per year, of which 70% result from viral origin. it should be stressed that a confident diagnosis of pneumonia is difficult outside the hospital. very often the most important clinical questions are whether an antibiotic should b ...	2010	21612048
detection of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the drinking water distribution system of a hospital in hungary.	the drinking water distribution system of a hospital was investigated using standard cultivation techniques, taxon-specific pcrs targeting pathogenic bacteria, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, cloning and sequencing. the results obtained verify the higher sensitivity of pcr compared to cultivation for detecting legionella and pseudomonas aeruginosa. moreover, several other opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, such as escherichia albertii, acinetobacter lwoffi and corynebacterium tuberculos ...	2010	19519854
computed tomographic features of 23 sporadic cases with legionella pneumophila pneumonia.	to describe the chest computed tomographic (ct) findings of legionella pneumophila pneumonia.	2010	19423258
dual detection of legionella pneumophila and legionella species by real-time pcr targeting the 23s-5s rrna gene spacer region.	although the majority of cases of legionnaires' disease (ld) are caused by legionella pneumophila, an increasing number of other legionella species have been reported to cause human disease. there are no clinical presentations unique to ld and hence accurate laboratory tests are required for early diagnosis. therefore, we designed a real-time pcr assay that targets the 23s-5s rrna intergenic spacer region (23s-5s pcr) and allows for detection of all legionella species and discrimination of l. pn ...	2010	19438641
serum-derived mhc class ii molecules: potent regulators of the cellular and humoral immune response.	soluble mhc antigens are detected in body fluids but their role and origin are still unclear. this study examined whether serum ia antigens, isolated from balb/c mice (sia(d)), could modulate the immune response. specific purification procedures isolated intact ia molecules, which were thereafter applied to functional assays. thus, sia(d) were shown to stimulate spleen cell proliferation and the major target was identified to be the cd4(+) cell population. inhibition of the cd4 co-receptor using ...	2010	19457570
epidemiological investigation of a case of nosocomial legionnaires' disease in taiwan: implications for routine environmental surveillance.	an epidemiological investigation with legionella and molecular subtyping was conducted to determine the source of a case of nosocomial legionnaires' disease (ld) who was hospitalized in three hospitals within a month. legionella pneumophila serogroup 3, an uncommon serogroup for infection, was isolated from the patient's sputum. environmental surveillance revealed legionella colonization in all three hospitals; the patient isolate matched the isolate from the first hospital by molecular typing. ...	2010	19624501
quantitative real-time pcr tests for diagnostic and prognostic purposes in cases of legionellosis.	the usefulness of two quantitative real-time pcr assays (qrt-pcrmip targeting legionella pneumophila, and qrt-pcr16s targeting all legionella species) performed on lower respiratory tract (lrt) samples for diagnostic and prognostic purposes in 311 patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia (cap) in rhône-alpes (france) was evaluated. the now legionella urinary antigen test (uat) from binax (portland, me, usa) was used as a reference test. samples were divided into two groups. group a ...	2010	19519843
compost facilities as a reservoir of legionella pneumophila and other legionella species.	data on the presence of legionellae outside the aquatic environment are scarce. alternative ecosystems that could act as a reservoir for legionella spp. have been investigated to identify unconventional contaminated substrates that are able to produce bioaerosols. we considered eight green waste collection sites including three composting facilities. legionella pneumophila sg 1-15, legionella bozemanii, legionella cincinnatiensis, legionella jamestowniensis, legionella micdadei and l. oakridgens ...	2010	19645762
legionella species colonization in cooling towers: risk factors and assessment of control measures.	cooling towers can be colonized by legionella spp, and inhalation of aerosols generated by their operation may cause legionnaires' disease in susceptible hosts. environmental investigations of legionnaires' disease outbreaks linked with cooling towers have revealed poorly maintained systems, lack of control measures, and failure of system equipment. the purpose of this study was to identify legionella-contaminated cooling towers, identify risk factors for contamination, and assess the effectiven ...	2010	19699013
mediators of lipid a modification, rna degradation, and central intermediary metabolism facilitate the growth of legionella pneumophila at low temperatures.	legionella pneumophila is an aquatic bacterium that is also the agent of legionnaires' disease pneumonia. since l. pneumophila is transmitted directly from the environment to the lung, it is important to understand how legionellae survive at low temperatures. to identify genes that are needed for l. pneumophila growth at low temperature, we screened a population of mutagenized legionellae for strains that are specifically impaired for growth at 17 degrees c. from the 7,400 mutants tested, 11 dis ...	2010	19768502
an outbreak of pontiac fever due to legionella longbeachae serogroup 2 found in potting mix in a horticultural nursery in new zealand.	previous outbreaks of pontiac fever have invariably been associated with water droplet spread of legionella spp. in january 2007 three workers from a horticultural nursery were admitted to hospital with non-pneumonic legionellosis. investigations showed that a working party of ten people had been exposed to aerosolized potting mix; nine of these workers met the case definition for pontiac fever. the presence of genetically indistinguishable legionella longbeachae serogroup 2 was demonstrated in ...	2010	19781115
resistance of legionella pneumophila serotype 1 biofilms to chlorine-based disinfection.	the presence of legionella spp. in potable water systems is a major concern to municipal water providers and consumers alike. despite the inclusion of chlorine in potable supplies and frequent chlorination cycles, the bacterium is a recalcitrant human pathogen capable of causing incidents of legionnaires' disease, pontiac fever and community-acquired pneumonia in humans. using two materials routinely employed for the delivery of potable water as a substratum, copper and stainless steel, the deve ...	2010	19783074
bacterial toxin and effector glycosyltransferases.	clostridial glucosylating cytotoxins, including clostridium difficile toxins a and b, clostridium novyi alpha-toxin, and clostridium sordellii lethal toxin, are major virulence factors and causative agents of human diseases. these toxins mono-o-glucosylate (or mono-o-glcnacylate) a specific threonine residue of rho/ras-proteins, which is essential for the function of the molecular switches. recently, a related group of glucosyltransferases from legionella pneumophila has been identified. these l ...	2010	19647041
evaluation of legionella pneumophila contamination in italian hotel water systems by quantitative real-time pcr and culture methods.	this study was designed to define the extent of water contamination by legionella pneumophila of certain italian hotels and to compare quantitative real-time pcr with the conventional culture method.	2010	19796090
development of a pilot-scale 1 for legionella elimination in biofilm in hot water network: heat shock treatment evaluation.	(i) to develop an analytical tool in order to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-legionella treatment in biofilm and (ii) study the fate of legionella populations in water and biofilm after applying a heat shock treatment.	2010	19796094
biofilms: the environmental playground of legionella pneumophila.	legionella pneumophila, the aetiological agent of 90% of legionellosis cases, is a common inhabitant of natural and anthropogenic freshwater environments, where it resides in biofilms. biofilms are defined as complex, natural assemblages of microorganisms that involve a multitude of trophic interactions. a thorough knowledge and understanding of legionella ecology in relation to biofilm communities is of primary importance in the search for innovative and effective control strategies to prevent ...	2010	19678829
prospective, randomised study to compare empirical treatment versus targeted treatment on the basis of the urine antigen results in hospitalised patients with community-acquired pneumonia.	recommendations for diagnostic testing in hospitalised patients with community-acquired pneumonia remain controversial. the aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of a therapeutic strategy based on the microbiological results provided by urinary antigen tests for streptococcus pneumoniae and legionella pneumophila.	2010	19703825
mouse macrophages are permissive to motile legionella species that fail to trigger pyroptosis.	legionella pneumophila, a motile opportunistic pathogen of humans, is restricted from replicating in the lungs of c57bl/6 mice. resistance of mouse macrophages to l. pneumophila depends on recognition of cytosolic flagellin. once detected by the nod-like receptors naip5 and ipaf (nlrc4), flagellin triggers pyroptosis, a proinflammatory cell death. in contrast, motile strains of l. parisiensis and l. tucsonensis replicate profusely within c57bl/6 macrophages, similar to flagellin-deficient l. pne ...	2010	19841075
evaluation of power ultrasound for disinfection of both legionella pneumophila and its environmental host acanthamoeba castellanii.	the objectives of this study were to (1) examine the effect of power ultrasound on the viability of both legionella pneumophila and acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites and cysts, (2) investigate if intracellular legionella replication in trophozoites positively affects bacterial resistance to ultrasound and (3) study if legionella renders viable but non-culturable (vbnc) due to ultrasound treatments. using laboratory scale experiments, microorganisms were exposed for various time periods to po ...	2010	19854466
caenorhabditis is a metazoan host for legionella.	we investigated whether nematodes contribute to the persistence, differentiation and amplification of legionella species in soil, an emerging source for legionnaires' disease. here we show that legionella spp. colonize the intestinal tracts of caenorhabditis nematodes leading to worm death. susceptibility to legionella is influenced by innate immune responses governed by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and insulin/insulin growth factor-1 receptor signalling pathways. we also show that l ...	2010	19863556
legionella in industrial cooling towers: monitoring and control strategies.	legionella contamination of industrial cooling towers has been identified as the cause of sporadic cases and outbreaks of legionellosis among people living nearby. to evaluate and control legionella contamination in industrial cooling tower water, microbiological monitoring was carried out to determine the effectiveness of the following different disinfection treatments: (i) continuous chlorine concentration of 0.01 ppm and monthly chlorine shock dosing (5 ppm) on a single cooling tower; (ii) co ...	2010	19874487
uv-a photocatalytic treatment of legionella pneumophila bacteria contaminated airflows through three-dimensional solid foam structured photocatalytic reactors.	a 3d-structured photocatalytic media was designed for allowing a tubular reactor to work in a traversing-flow mode at low pressure drops with a strong increase in the surface area-to-volume ratio inside the reactor. a protective polysiloxane coating was performed for protecting a structured polyurethane foam and anchoring the active tio(2) particles. filled with the 3d-structured solid foam supporting tio(2) photocatalyst, the reactor could thus take advantages from the static mixer effect and f ...	2010	19892463
disseminated legionella pneumophila infection in an immunocompromised patient treated with tigecycline.	we describe an immunocompromised patient with disseminated legionella pneumophila infection. a chronic leg ulcer was probably the port of entry for the infection. treatment required several operations and prolonged antimicrobial treatment. to our knowledge, this is the first case report of legionella soft tissue infection and pneumonia treated with tigecycline.	2010	19916901
diagnostic and typing methods for investigating legionella infection.	legionella infection is an important cause of community-acquired pneumonia in australia. morbidity and mortality is significant. diagnosis remains a challenge with infection often unrecognised, particularly early in the course of illness. an understanding of available diagnostic methods and their limitations is important to public health practitioners and clinicians alike.	2009	19917208
the purified and recombinant legionella pneumophila chaperonin alters mitochondrial trafficking and microfilament organization.	a portion of the total cellular pool of the legionella pneumophila chaperonin, htpb, is found on the bacterial cell surface, where it can mediate invasion of nonphagocytic cells. htpb continues to be abundantly produced and released by internalized l. pneumophila and may thus have postinvasion functions. we used here two functional models (protein-coated beads and expression of recombinant proteins in cho cells) to investigate the competence of htpb in mimicking early intracellular trafficking e ...	2009	19687203
[low mortality rate in an outbreak of legionnaires' disease: correlation with the cytopathogenity study].	in 2001 an outbreak of legionnaires' diseases occurred in murcia, spain, with one of the lowest known rates of associated mortality. we describe the clinical data of a subgroup of patients, and present the results from molecular and virulence studies to correlate the lower mortality of the overall series with the strain virulence.	2009	19595380
legionella prevalence in wastewater treatment plants of taiwan.	legionella is a bacterium that is ubiquitous in natural and artificial aquatic environments. some species of legionella are recognized as opportunistic potential human pathogens. we investigated the distribution of legionella at seventeen wwtps throughout taiwan. legionella were detected in 10 of the 17 wwtps (58.8%) and 25 of 41 samples (61.0%). in the integrated, hospital, industrial and domestic wastewater systems were 13/18 (72.2%), 7/12 (58.3%), 2/7 (28.6%) and 3/4 (75.0%) of the samples we ...	2009	19717918
identification of host cytosolic sensors and bacterial factors regulating the type i interferon response to legionella pneumophila.	legionella pneumophila is a gram-negative bacterial pathogen that replicates in host macrophages and causes a severe pneumonia called legionnaires' disease. the innate immune response to l. pneumophila remains poorly understood. here we focused on identifying host and bacterial factors involved in the production of type i interferons (ifn) in response to l. pneumophila. it was previously suggested that the delivery of l. pneumophila dna to the host cell cytosol is the primary signal that induces ...	2009	19936053
the metal efflux island of legionella pneumophila is not required for survival in macrophages and amoebas.	legionella pneumophila is an intracellular pathogen causing pneumonia-like disease in humans. a 43-kb putative heavy metal efflux gene island was found on the l. pneumophila genome. large legionella deletion strains of the metal efflux genes were tested in human thp-1-derived macrophages and amoebal acanthamoeba castellanii cells and were able to survive and replicate similar to the wild type, suggesting that they do not play a significant role within the intracellular environment. examination o ...	2009	19895645
the gene history of zebrafish tlr4a and tlr4b is predictive of their divergent functions.	mammalian immune responses to lps exposure are typified by the robust induction of nf-kappab and ifn-beta responses largely mediated by tlr4 signal transduction pathways. in contrast to mammals, tlr4 signal transduction pathways in nontetrapods are not well understood. comprehensive syntenic and phylogenetic analyses support our hypothesis that zebrafish tlr4a and tlr4b genes are paralogous rather than orthologous to human tlr4. furthermore, we provide evidence to support our assertion that the ...	2009	19812203
prevalence of antibodies against legionella spp. in hiv-infected subjects and blood donors.		2009	19819257
endosomal and secretory markers of the legionella-containing vacuole.	the gram-negative opportunistic pathogen legionella pneumophila replicates in phagocytes within a specific compartment, the legionella-containing vacuole (lcv). formation of lcvs is a complex process requiring the bacterial icm/dot type iv secretion system and more than 100 translocated effector proteins, which putatively subvert cellular signaling and vesicle trafficking pathways. phosphoinositide (pi) glycerolipids are pivotal regulators of signal transduction and membrane dynamics in eukaryot ...	2009	19704903
the tolc protein of legionella pneumophila plays a major role in multi-drug resistance and the early steps of host invasion.	pneumonia associated with iegionnaires's disease is initiated in humans after inhalation of contaminated aerosols. in the environment, legionella pneumophila is thought to survive and multiply as an intracellular parasite within free-living amoeba. in the genome of l. pneumophila lens, we identified a unique gene, tolc, encoding a protein that is highly homologous to the outer membrane protein tolc of escherichia coli. deletion of tolc by allelic exchange in l. pneumophila caused increased sensi ...	2009	19888467
[nosocomial infections--ecological niches].	knowledge of ecological niches of nosocomial pathogens is used in treatment and prevention of nosocomial infections. this article offers an analysis of the ecological niches of three important nosocomial pathogens: clostridium difficile, staphylococcus aureus and legionella pneumophila. relevant terms are explained and examples of deliberate and non-deliberate manipulation of the niches and the following consequences are given. finally, the consequences of climate changes on the pattern of nosoc ...	2009	19857394
a legionella type iv effector activates the nf-kappab pathway by phosphorylating the ikappab family of inhibitors.	nf-kappab is critical in innate immune defense responses against invading microbial pathogens. legionella pneumophila infection of lung macrophages causes legionnaire's disease with pneumonia symptoms. a set of nf-kappab-controlled genes involved in inflammation and anti-apoptosis are up-regulated in macrophages upon l. pneumophila infection in a legionella dot/icm type iv secretion system-dependent manner. among approximately 100 dot/icm substrates screened, we identified legk1 as the sole legi ...	2009	19666608
[control of intracellular legionella pneumophila growth--with special reference to the lgn1/naip5/birc1e gene--].		2009	19628930
legionella pneumophila secretes an endoglucanase that belongs to the family-5 of glycosyl hydrolases and is dependent upon type ii secretion.	examination of cell-free culture supernatants revealed that legionella pneumophila strains secrete an endoglucanase activity. legionella pneumophila lspf mutants were deficient for this activity, indicating that the endoglucanase is secreted by the bacterium's type ii protein secretion (t2s) system. inactivation of cela, encoding a member of the family-5 of glycosyl hydrolases, abolished the endoglucanase activity in l. pneumophila culture supernatants. the cloned cela gene conferred activity up ...	2009	19817866
role of 'atypical pathogens' among adult hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia.	agents such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, chlamydophila pneumoniae and legionella pneumophila are recognized as important causes of community-acquired pneumonia (cap) worldwide. this study examined the role of these 'atypical pathogens' (ap) among adult hospitalized patients with cap.	2009	19818051
nosocomial legionellosis: prevention and management.	legionnaires' disease (ld) can be nosocomial, community acquired or travel related. the source of legionella infection is potable water systems that become colonized by the microorganism. prevention studies involved mainly hospital water systems. different strategies have been suggested but none are fully successful: engineering modifications, heating of water to temperatures above 59 degrees c, heating and flushing the plumbing with hot water (80 degrees c), water chlorination, silver-copper io ...	2009	19622057
legionnaires' disease cluster linked to a metal product aqueous pre-treatment process, staffordshire, england, may 2008.	in may 2008, a report of two workers from the same construction equipment manufacturing plant who were admitted to hospital with legionnaires disease confirmed by urine antigen prompted an outbreak investigation. both cases were middle aged men, smokers, and with no travel, leisure or other common community exposure to legionella sources. there were no wet cooling towers at the plant or in the surrounding area. no increase in respiratory disease or worker absenteeism occurred at the plant during ...	2009	19822119
intracellular bacteria encode inhibitory snare-like proteins.	pathogens use diverse molecular machines to penetrate host cells and manipulate intracellular vesicular trafficking. viruses employ glycoproteins, functionally and structurally similar to the snare proteins, to induce eukaryotic membrane fusion. intracellular pathogens, on the other hand, need to block fusion of their infectious phagosomes with various endocytic compartments to escape from the degradative pathway. the molecular details concerning the mechanisms underlying this process are lackin ...	2009	19823575
[severe complications and their outcomes in 65 patients with legionella pneumonia].	the aim of the current study was to investigate the lethal complications of legionella pneumonia. severe complications and their outcomes in 65 patients with legionella pneumonia were studied. all patients who eventually had a fatal outcome or who had severe complications received antimicrobial agents active against legionella on the admission day. many patients in the severe complication category had multiple severe complications. six deaths occurred (mortality rate 9.2%), 4 of which were due t ...	2009	19637795
[interpretation of diagnostic tests: comparison of five commercial tests for the diagnosis of legionella pneumophila in urine].		2009	19664860
[establishment and application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for rapid detection].	to develop a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) method for rapid diagnosing of legionella pneumophila in the pathogen detection department(pdd) or in small-scale laboratory.	2009	19799145
[legionellosis in poland in 2007].	in 2007 the 28 cases oflegionellosis were reported in poland, the incidence rate was 0.073/100,000, while 86 cases (incidence rate 0.23/100,000) in 2006. the decrease in number and in incidence rate was due to lower number of examined specimens from patients as the financial support from polish committee of research activity has expired. all the cases were laboratory diagnosed in national institute of hygiene, the only place where laboratory tests are performed. most of them were diagnosed with ...	2009	19799246
molecular mimicry: an important virulence strategy employed by legionella pneumophila to subvert host functions.	it is 32 years since legionella pneumophila was identified and recognized as a human pathogen, causing the severe form of pneumonia termed legionnaires' disease, or legionellosis. this bacterium is found in freshwater reservoirs where it replicates in aquatic protozoa and can invade man-made water distribution systems. although the disease can be treated by antibiotherapy and prevented through surveillance and control measures, reported cases of legionnaires' disease continue to rise across euro ...	2009	19659425
evidence of horizontal gene transfer between amoeba and bacteria.		2009	19793120
aetiology of, and risk factors for, recurrent community-acquired pneumonia.	recurrent community-acquired pneumonia (cap) requiring hospitalization is a matter of particular concern. however, current information on its prevalence, aetiology and risk factors is lacking. to address these issues, we performed an observational analysis of a prospective cohort of hospitalized adults with cap. recurrence was defined as two or more episodes of cap 1 month apart within 3 years. patients with severe immunosuppression or local predisposing factors were excluded. of the 1556 patien ...	2009	19673961
severe q fever community-acquired pneumonia (cap) mimicking legionnaires' disease: clinical significance of cold agglutinins, anti-smooth muscle antibodies and thrombocytosis.	atypical community-acquired pneumonia (cap) may be caused by zoonotic or nonpulmonary pathogens. however, atypical pathogens are systemic infectious disease accompanied by pneumonia in contrast with typical bacterial pathogens with infection limited to the lungs and absent extrapulmonary findings. clinically and radiologically, the atypical cap pathogens that most closely resemble each other are psittacosis, q fever, and legionnaires' disease. psittacosis can usually be readily suspected or elim ...	2009	19577708
[a case of legionella pneumonia with diabetic ketoacidosis rescued despite the development of acute renal failure and ards].	a 57-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of general fatigue and appetite loss. the initial chest radiograph showed infiltration in the left upper lung field. cefozopran was administered. concomitant diabetic ketoacidosis was treated with hydration and rapid-acting insulin. however he was intubated and ventilated because of deteriorated respiratory condition and ketoacidosis on the 3rd hospital day. urinary legionella antigen was detected the same day, therefore ciprofloxacin an ...	2009	19601525
direct sequencing of legionella pneumophila from respiratory samples for sequence-based typing analysis.	we have developed a procedure to test the efficiency and reliability of sequencing of legionella pneumophila genes directly from respiratory samples and have compared the results with those derived from cultured isolates. we tried to obtain the nucleotide sequences of six protein-coding loci included in the sequence-based typing scheme for legionella pneumophila and three intergenic regions from 132 samples corresponding to 106 patients positive for urine antigen. a seminested pcr approach was u ...	2009	19605573
a cluster of cases of nosocomial legionnaires disease linked to a contaminated hospital decorative water fountain.	nosocomial outbreaks of legionnaires disease have been linked to contaminated water in hospitals. immunocompromised patients are particularly vulnerable and, when infected, have a high mortality rate. we report the investigation of a cluster of cases of nosocomial pneumonia attributable to legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 that occurred among patients on our stem cell transplantation unit.	2009	19580436
many substrates and functions of type ii secretion: lessons learned from legionella pneumophila.	type ii secretion is one of six systems that exist in gram-negative bacteria for the purpose of secreting proteins into the extracellular milieu and/or into host cells. this article will review the various recent studies of legionella pneumophila that have increased our appreciation of the numbers, types and novelties of proteins that can be secreted via the type ii system, as well as the many ways in which type ii secretion can promote bacterial physiology, growth, ecology, intracellular infect ...	2009	19722835
[evaluation of seeplex pneumobacter multiplex pcr kit for the detection of respiratory bacterial pathogens in pediatric patients].	rapid identification of the causative agent among potential bacterial and viral pathogens is important for the management of acute respiratory disease. in this study, we evaluated the analytical performance and clinical usefulness of a recently-introduced multiplex pcr assay, seeplex pneumobacter detection kit (seegene inc., korea) for the identification of respiratory bacterial pathogens.	2009	19726892
innate immune response during yersinia infection: critical modulation of cell death mechanisms through phagocyte activation.	yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of plague, is one of the most deadly pathogens on our planet. this organism shares important attributes with its ancestral progenitor, yersinia pseudotuberculosis, including a 70-kb virulence plasmid, lymphotropism during growth in the mammalian host, and killing of host macrophages. infections with both organisms are biphasic, where bacterial replication occurs initially with little inflammation, followed by phagocyte influx, inflammatory cytokine producti ...	2009	19734471
sequence-based and monoclonal antibody typing of legionella pneumophila isolated from patients in portugal during 1987-2008.	the monoclonal antibodies and the sequence-based typing (sbt) are two methodologies widely used to characterise legionella pneumophila strains serogroup 1 (sg1). in this study, we analysed the clinical strains received in two portuguese laboratories since 1987, including the strains isolated in portugal during the four years of the surveillance scheme for legionnaires' disease implemented in 2004. in total, 63 clinical isolates of l. pneumophila sg1 were differentiated by sbt into 19 different s ...	2009	19607780
first reported united states case of legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 pneumonia in a patient receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha therapy.	legionellosis has been reported to be an extremely rare disease in hawai'i. the authors report a case of a 67-year-old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis treated with long-term adalimumab who developed severe right-sided community-acquired pneumonia and a parapneumonic effusion. legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was confirmed as the microbiologic cause based on a positive urine legionella antigen as well as direct fluorescent antibody and legionella culture of bronchoalveolar lavage. ...	2009	19583105
an unusual case of hospital-acquired infection: legionella longbeachae.		2009	19585301
the clinical efficacy of fluoroquinolone and macrolide combination therapy compared with single-agent therapy against community-acquired pneumonia caused by legionella pneumophila.		2009	19592113
legionella-induced sudden hearing loss: a rare complication.		2009	19629381
rna polymerase iii detects cytosolic dna and induces type i interferons through the rig-i pathway.	type i interferons (ifns) are important for antiviral and autoimmune responses. retinoic acid-induced gene i (rig-i) and mitochondrial antiviral signaling (mavs) proteins mediate ifn production in response to cytosolic double-stranded rna or single-stranded rna containing 5'-triphosphate (5'-ppp). cytosolic b form double-stranded dna, such as poly(da-dt)*poly(da-dt) [poly(da-dt)], can also induce ifn-beta, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. here, we show that the cytosolic poly(da-dt) dna ...	2009	19631370
[successful treatment of legionella pneumonia with moxifloxacin in a hemodialysis patient].	moxifloxacin, a recent, new quinolone agent, has superior pharmacokinetics and appears to be safe for patients with renal failure, as it is mainly excreted in the bile. the case of a hemodialysis patient with legionella pneumonia who was successfully treated with moxifloxacin is reported. a 76-year-old woman, who had been on hemodialysis for chronic renal failure secondary to diabetic nephropathy, visited her hospital with a cough and fever. pneumonia was diagnosed, and intravenous administratio ...	2009	19637806
clinico-pathological study of atypical pathogens in community-acquired pneumonia: a prospective study.	atypical respiratory pathogens such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, legionella species, and chlamydia pneumoniae are isolated with increasing frequency from community-acquired pneumonia (cap). this study highlights the importance of organisms responsible for cap.	2009	19759475
detection of igm antibodies against legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in malaysian blood donors and patients with respiratory illnesses: evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescence assay.		2009	19762997
phospholipase plab of legionella pneumophila represents a novel lipase family: protein residues essential for lipolytic activity, substrate specificity, and hemolysis.	legionella pneumophila possesses several phospholipases capable of host cell manipulation and lung damage. recently, we discovered that the major cell-associated hemolytic phospholipase a (plab) shares no homology to described phospholipases and is dispensable for intracellular replication in vitro. nevertheless, here we show that plab is the major lipolytic activity in l. pneumophila cell infections and that plab utilizes a typical catalytic triad of ser-asp-his for effective hydrolysis of phos ...	2009	19640837
rapid pathogen-induced apoptosis: a mechanism used by dendritic cells to limit intracellular replication of legionella pneumophila.	dendritic cells (dcs) are specialized phagocytes that internalize exogenous antigens and microbes at peripheral sites, and then migrate to lymphatic organs to display foreign peptides to naïve t cells. there are several examples where dcs have been shown to be more efficient at restricting the intracellular replication of pathogens compared to macrophages, a property that could prevent dcs from enhancing pathogen dissemination. to understand dc responses to pathogens, we investigated the mechani ...	2009	19521510
legionella lipoprotein activates toll-like receptor 2 and induces cytokine production and expression of costimulatory molecules in peritoneal macrophages.	legionella bacterium, an intracellular pathogen of mononuclear phagocytes, causes acute fatal pneumonia, especially in patients with impaired cellular immune responses. until recently, however, the toll-like receptor (tlr) engagement of bacterial proteins derived from legionella is uncertain. we previously showed that a 19-kda highly conserved peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (pal) of legionella pneumophila induced the pal-specific b cell and t cell responses in mice. in this study, we obser ...	2009	19561404
microbial characterization of water and biofilms in drinking water distribution systems at sport facilities.	the present study investigated the in situ microbial indicators' occurrence in water and biofilm in drinking water distribution systems of sport facilities such as gyms. the presence of legionella, such as a potential pathogen, was also verified. water and biofilm were contemporaneously collected and microbiologically analyzed. few colonies of coliforms were detected in biofilm but not in the corresponding water samples. conversely, some colonies of heterotrophs were counted at 22 degrees c in b ...	2009	19662828
cellular accumulation and pharmacodynamic evaluation of the intracellular activity of cem-101, a novel fluoroketolide, against staphylococcus aureus, listeria monocytogenes, and legionella pneumophila in human thp-1 macrophages.	cem-101 is a novel fluoroketolide with lower mics than those of telithromycin and macrolides. our aim was to assess the cellular accumulation and intracellular activity of cem-101 using models developed for analyzing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacological properties of antibiotics against phagocytized bacteria. we used thp-1 macrophages and staphylococcus aureus (atcc 25923 [methicillin (meticillin) sensitive]), listeria monocytogenes (strain egd), and legionella pneumophila (atcc 33153). cem- ...	2009	19564365
extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for 59 days without changing the ecmo circuit: a case of legionella pneumonia.	we report the successful use of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ecmo) in a 53-year-old patient with legionella pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ards) with severe barotraumas. the patient was supported for 59 days without any changes in the ecmo circuit. this is probably the longest support ever reported using the same oxygenator.	2009	19567548
the colonization of hot water systems by legionella.	this study surveyed legionella in 805 samples taken from 18 hot water systems under operating conditions. the results were analyzed and discussed in relation to water temperature, legislative requirements and optimization of the systems. the temperature of most samples (71%) ranged from 45-60 degrees c. the highest levels of colonization by l. pneumophila were found at water temperatures from 30-35 degrees c. at temperatures above 50 degrees c there was a large decrease in the number of positive ...	2009	19572483
development of a multichannel flow-through chemiluminescence microarray chip for parallel calibration and detection of pathogenic bacteria.	pathogen detection is important for health and safety reasons. several outbreaks all over the world have shown the need for rapid, qualitative, quantitative, and, particularly, multianalyte detection systems. hence, a multichannel flow-through chemiluminescence microarray chip for parallel detection of pathogenic bacteria was developed. the disposable chip made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (abs) copolymer was devised as a support for a multiplexed sandwich immunoassay. calibration and meas ...	2009	19575190
pseudo-outbreak of legionnaires disease among patients undergoing bronchoscopy - arizona, 2008.	legionnaires disease (ld) is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia acquired by inhalation of aerosolized water containing legionella bacteria. legionella is a common cause of health-care--associated pneumonia, particularly in settings with hematopoietic stem-cell or solid-organ transplant recipients. on july 25, 2008, the arizona department of health services (adhs) notified cdc of four patients who had legionella cultured from specimens obtained during bronchoscopies performed at a medical cent ...	2009	19680220
temporal resolution of two-tracked nf-kappab activation by legionella pneumophila.	the intracellular pathogen legionella pneumophila activates the transcription factor nf-kappab in macrophages and human epithelial cells, contributing to cytokine production and anti-apoptosis. the former is important for the innate immune response to infection, the latter for intracellular replication by securing host cell survival. here, we demonstrate biphasic activation of nf-kappab by l. pneumophila in human epithelial cells, using a p65-gfp expressing variant of a549 cells. early in infect ...	2009	19573161
legionella pneumophila - host interactions: insights gained from comparative genomics and cell biology.	legionella pneumophila is the etiological agent of legionnaires' disease and of the less acute disease pontiac fever. it is a gram-negative bacterium present in fresh and artificial water environments that replicates in protozoan hosts and is also found in biofilms. replication within protozoa is essential for the survival of the bacterium. the last years have seen a giant step forward in the genomics of l. pneumophila. the establishment and publication of the complete genome sequences of three ...	2009	19696501
the antibacterial activity of fragrance ingredients against legionella pneumophila.	in the current study we investigated the antibacterial activity of fragrance ingredients against legionella pneumophila, a causative agent of severe pneumonia. among the 41 different fragrance ingredients tested, we found that the natural fragrance ingredients oakmoss (om) and birch tar oil (bt), which contain many components, exhibit potent antibacterial activity. the minimum inhibitory concentration (mic, % (v/v)) of om and bt were 0.0020 and 0.0024, respectively and were lower than that of ci ...	2009	19483326
contribution of phosphatidylserine to membrane surface charge and protein targeting during phagosome maturation.	during phagocytosis, the phosphoinositide content of the activated membrane decreases sharply, as does the associated surface charge, which attracts polycationic proteins. the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane is enriched in phosphatidylserine (ps); however, a lack of suitable probes has precluded investigation of the fate of this phospholipid during phagocytosis. we used a recently developed fluorescent biosensor to monitor the distribution and dynamics of ps during phagosome formation a ...	2009	19487458
severe concurrent lung infection caused by legionella and mycoplasma in a 3-year-old patient with down syndrome and tuberous sclerosis.		2009	19500283
modulation of membrane traffic between endoplasmic reticulum, ergic and golgi to generate compartments for the replication of bacteria and viruses.	several bacteria and viruses remodel cellular membranes to form compartments specialised for replication. bacteria replicate within inclusions which recruit membrane vesicles from the secretory pathway to provide nutrients for microbial growth and division. viruses generate densely packed membrane vesicles called viroplasm which provide a platform to recruit host and viral proteins necessary for replication. this review describes examples where both intracellular bacteria (salmonella, chlamydia ...	2009	19508853
[topical aspects of hot water supply to the population].	the aspects of hot water supply, which determine the safety of hot water delivered to the population, are considered. the authors underline the antiepidemic value of hot water temperature maintenance at the water pumping points of not below 60 degrees c as only this measure liably prevents water multiplication of legionella pneumophila that induces legionellosis, a severe disease, as well as other high temperature-resistant microorganisms. the results of estimating the residential use of hot wat ...	2009	19517595
chemical structure and biological significance of lipopolysaccharide from legionella.	legionella are aerobic, gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped bacteria, which form a distinct taxonomic unit within the gamma - 2 subdivision of the proteobacteria. the reservoirs of legionella are natural or man-made water systems where the bacteria survive and disseminate as obligate intracellular parasites of free living protozoa. in the human lung, the bacteria invade alveolar macrophages inducing the potentially lethal pneumonia commonly known as legionnaires' disease. although all legionella s ...	2009	19519544
factors influencing the case-fatality rate of legionnaires' disease.	the extent of the public health problem posed by legionnaires' disease (ld) is not always well- appreciated.	2009	19275805
an anomalous type iv secretion system in rickettsia is evolutionarily conserved.	bacterial type iv secretion systems (t4sss) comprise a diverse transporter family functioning in conjugation, competence, and effector molecule (dna and/or protein) translocation. thirteen genome sequences from rickettsia, obligate intracellular symbionts/pathogens of a wide range of eukaryotes, have revealed a reduced t4ss relative to the agrobacterium tumefaciens archetype (vir). however, the rickettsia t4ss has not been functionally characterized for its role in symbiosis/virulence, and none ...	2009	19279686
the cmp-legionaminic acid pathway in campylobacter: biosynthesis involving novel gdp-linked precursors.	the sialic acid-like sugar 5,7-diacetamido-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-d-glycero-d-galacto-nonulosonic acid, or legion-aminic acid, is found as a virulence-associated cell-surface glycoconjugate in the gram-negative bacteria legionella pneumophila and campylobacter coli. l. pneumophila serogroup 1 strains, causative agents of legionnaire's disease, contain an alpha2,4-linked homopolymer of legionaminic acid within their lipopolysaccharide o-chains, whereas the gastrointestinal pathogen c. coli modifies i ...	2009	19282391
comparison of clinical and environmental samples of legionella pneumophila at the nucleotide sequence level.	legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is the most common etiological agent of legionellosis. we have used clinical and environmental isolates from different sources to compare their genetic variability. we have obtained the nucleotide sequence for six protein-coding loci, included in the sbt scheme for l. pneumophila, and three intergenic regions from 127 samples, 47 of environmental origin and 80 from clinical samples. levels of genetic variability were found to be higher in the environmental than ...	2009	19465160
chemical genetics reveals bacterial and host cell functions critical for type iv effector translocation by legionella pneumophila.	delivery of effector proteins is a process widely used by bacterial pathogens to subvert host cell functions and cause disease. effector delivery is achieved by elaborate injection devices and can often be triggered by environmental stimuli. however, effector export by the l. pneumophila icm/dot type ivb secretion system cannot be detected until the bacterium encounters a target host cell. we used chemical genetics, a perturbation strategy that utilizes small molecule inhibitors, to determine th ...	2009	19578436
pathogenicity of the family legionellaceae.	the legionellae are gram-negative bacteria able to survive and replicate in a wide range of protozoan hosts in natural environments, but they also occur in man-made aquatic systems, which are the major source of infection. after transmission to humans via aerosols, legionella spp. can cause pneumonia (legionnaires' disease) or influenza-like respiratory infections (pontiac fever). in children, legionnaires' disease is uncommon and is mainly diagnosed in children with immunosuppression. the clini ...	2009	19578813