Search results for " infections"

Evolutionary plasticity of SH3 domain binding by Nef proteins of the HIV-1/SIVcpz lentiviral lineage

2021

The accessory protein Nef of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV) is an important pathogenicity factor known to interact with cellular protein kinases and other signaling proteins. A canonical SH3 domain binding motif in Nef is required for most of these interactions. For example, HIV-1 Nef activates the tyrosine kinase Hck by tightly binding to its SH3 domain. An archetypal contact between a negatively charged SH3 residue and a highly conserved arginine in Nef (Arg77) plays a key role here. Combining structural analyses with functional assays, we here show that Nef proteins have also developed a distinct structural strategy—termed the "R-clamp”—that favors the formation …

The multicenter Italian birth cohort study on incidence and determinants of lower respiratory tract infection hospitalization in infants at 33 weeks …

2011

Receiver-operating characteristic curves for somatic cell scores and California mastitis test in Valle del Belice dairy sheep.

2013

Using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve methodology this study was designed to assess the diagnostic effectiveness of somatic cell count (SCC) and the California mastitis test (CMT) in Valle del Belice sheep, and to propose and evaluate threshold values for those tests that would optimally discriminate between healthy and infected udders. Milk samples (n = 1357) were collected from 684 sheep in four flocks. The prevalence of infection, as determined by positive bacterial culture was 0.36, 87.7% of which were minor and 12.3% major pathogens. Of the culture negative samples, 83.7% had an SCC < 500,000/mL and 97.4% had <1,000,000 cells/mL. When the associations between SC score (SC…

Regulatory T cells selectively preserve immune privilege of self-antigens during viral central nervous system infection.

2012

Abstract Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important for the attenuation of immune reactions. During viral CNS infections, however, an indiscriminate maintenance of CNS immune privilege through Treg-mediated negative regulation could prevent autoimmune sequelae but impair the control of viral replication. We analyzed in this study the impact of Tregs on the development of acute viral encephalomyelitis, T cell-mediated antiviral protection, and prevention of CNS autoimmunity following intranasal infection with the gliatropic mouse hepatitis virus strain A59. To assess the contribution of Tregs in vivo, we specifically depleted CD4+Foxp3+ T cells in a diphtheria toxin-dependent manner. We found …

Exogenous introduction of an immunodominant peptide from the non-structural IE1 protein of human cytomegalovirus into the MHC class I presentation pa…

2008

Exogenous introduction of particle-associated proteins of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) into the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I presentation pathway by subviral dense bodies (DB) is an effective way to sensitize cells against CD8 T-cell (CTL) recognition and killing. Consequently, these particles have been proposed as a platform for vaccine development. We have developed a strategy to refine the antigenic composition of DB. For proof of principle, an HCMV recombinant (RV-VM3) was generated that encoded the immunodominant CTL determinant IE1TMY from the IE1 protein in fusion with the major constituent of DB, the tegument protein pp65. To generate RV-VM3, a bacterial artificial…

Bronchiektasen und Infekthäufigkeit bei Alpha-1-Antitrypsin-Mangel

1995

UNLABELLED PURPOSE of this study was to determine the prevalence of bronchiectasis in patients suffering from alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency and to compare its extent with the frequency of infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS High-resolution CT examinations (HRCT) of 23 patients with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency were retrospectively assessed for extent, severity and localisation of bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening and extent of emphysema. Chest radiographs and clinical records were available for correlation. RESULTS HRCT scans showed bronchiectasis in 14 of 23 patients, bronchial wall thickening in 3/14, and panlobular emphysema in 23/23. Chest radiographs showed bronchiectasis in 4/…

Antibiotic use and associated factors in a large sample of hospitalised older people

2019

Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess (i) the prevalence of antibiotic use, (ii) factors associated with their use and (iii) the association with in-hospital mortality in a large sample of hospitalised older people in Italy.Methods: Data were obtained from the 2010-2017 REPOSI register held in more than 100 internal medicine and geriatric wards in Italy. Patients aged &gt;= 65 years with at least one antibiotic prescription during their hospitalisation were selected. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with antibiotic use.Results: A total of 5442 older patients were included in the analysis, of whom 2786 (51.2%) were prescribed anti…

Latent tubercolosis infection in patients with cronic plaque psoriasis: evidence from the Italian Psocare Registry

2015

SummaryBackground The nationwide prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in Italian patients with psoriasis has never been investigated. Objectives To estimate the nationwide prevalence of LTBI in Italian patients with psoriasis who are candidates for systemic treatment. Methods Data were obtained from the Psocare Registry on those patients (n = 4946) with age > 18 years, systemic treatment at entry specified and tuberculin skin test (TST) performed according to the Mantoux method. LTBI diagnosis was based on a positive TST result in the absence of any clinical, radiological or microbiological evidence of active tuberculosis. Results Latent tuberculosis infection was diagnosed in…

Bacterial and viral infections and related inflammatory responses in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

2021

Abstract In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, bacterial and viral infections play a relevant role in worsening lung function and, therefore, favour disease progression. The inflammatory response to lung infections may become a specific indication of the bacterial and viral infections. We here review data on the bacterial–viral infections and related airways and lung parenchyma inflammation in stable and exacerbated COPD, focussing our attention on the prevalent molecular pathways in these different clinical conditions. The roles of macrophages, autophagy and NETosis are also briefly discussed in the context of lung infections in COPD. Controlling their combined response…

IFN-gamma-induced protein 10 is a novel biomarker of rhinovirus-induced asthma exacerbations

2007

BACKGROUND: Rhinovirus-induced acute asthma is the most frequent trigger for asthma exacerbations. OBJECTIVE: We assessed which inflammatory mediators were released from bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) after infection with rhinovirus and then determined whether they were also present in subjects with acute virus-induced asthma, with the aim to identify a biomarker or biomarkers for acute virus-induced asthma. METHODS: BECs were obtained from bronchial brushings of steroid-naive asthmatic subjects and healthy nonatopic control subjects. Cells were infected with rhinovirus 16. Inflammatory mediators were measured by means of flow cytometry with a cytometric bead array. Subjects with acute a…