Search results for " infections"
showing 10 items of 2592 documents
ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTISTAPHYLOCOCCAL BIOFILM ACTIVITY FROM THE SEA URCHIN PARACENTROTUS LIVIDUS
2009
Aims: Staphylococcal biofilm-associated infections are resistant to conventional antibiotics. Consequently, new agents are needed to treat them. With this aim, we focused on the effector cells (coelomocytes) of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus immune system. Methods and Results: We tested the activity of the 5-kDa peptide fraction of the cytosol from coelomocytes (5-CC) against a group of Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. We determined minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 253.7 to 15.8 mg ml(-1). We observed an inhibitory activity and antibiofilm properties of 5-CC against staphylococcal biofilms of reference strains Staphylococcus epidermidis DSM 3269 an…
Novel pathogenic mechanism of microbial metalloproteinases: liberation of membrane-anchored molecules in biologically active form exemplified by stud…
1996
Certain membrane-anchored proteins, including several cytokines and cytokine receptors, can be released into cell supernatants through the action of endogenous membrane-bound metalloproteinases. The shed molecules are then able to fulfill various biological functions; for example, soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) can bind to bystander cells, rendering these cells sensitive to the action of IL-6. Using IL-6R as a model substrate, we report that the metalloproteinase from Serratia marcescens mimics the action of the endogenous shedding proteinase. Treatment of human monocytes with the bacterial protease led to a rapid release of sIL-6R into the supernatant. This effect was inhibitable …
Antibacterial Activity of Flavonoids Against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains
2000
An experimental and theoretical study was performed on the anti-staphylococcal activity of 18 natural and synthetic flavonoids against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. The analysed flavonoids belong to three well-differentiated structural patterns: chalcones, flavanones and flavones. The quantitative analysis of the anti-staphylococcal activity of the compounds was carried out by determining their percent inhibition degree. The hierarchical cluster analysis method was used to analyse the anti-MRSA activity of the compounds. With this methodology, the flavonoids were classified into four groups according to their anti-staphylococcal activity (high, sufficient, intermediat…
Activity of lupane triterpenoids from Maytenus species as inhibitors of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2
2005
In the present study, we report that three new lupane triterpenes (1-3), in addition to 16 known ones (4-19), were isolated from the root bark of Maytenus cuzcoina and the leaves of Maytenus chiapensis. Their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis, including homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation NMR experiments (COSY, ROESY, HSQC, and HMBC). The natural compounds and derivatives 6a, 6b, 9a, and 9b have been tested for potential anti-inflammatory activity, and several compounds including 3-epicalenduladiol (2), 11alpha-hydroxy-glochidone (3), rigidenol (6), acetoxy-rigidenol (6a), 11alpha-acetoxy-30-chloro-3-oxo-lup-20(29)-ene (6b), betulin (9), 28-acetoxy-betulin (9a), epibetul…
Association of Urogenital Symptoms with History of Water Contact in Young Women in Areas Endemic for S. haematobium. A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural…
2016
Female genital schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Schistosoma haematobium. Infected females may suffer from symptoms mimicking sexually transmitted infections. We explored if self-reported history of unsafe water contact could be used as a simple predictor of genital schistosomiasis. In a cross-sectional study in rural South Africa, 883 sexually active women aged 16–22 years were included. Questions were asked about urogenital symptoms and water contact history. Urine samples were tested for S. haematobium ova. A score based on self-reported water contact was calculated and the association with symptoms was explored while adjusting for other genital infections using m…
Evidence against a key role for transforming growth factor-beta1 in cytomegalovirus-induced bone marrow aplasia.
1998
During immunodeficiency after sublethal haematoablative treatment, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection interferes with haematopoietic reconstitution and can cause lethal bone marrow (BM) aplasia. The in vivo model of murine CMV infection has identified the BM stroma as the principal target site of CMV in the haematopoietic cord. The infected cell type is the reticular stromal cell which forms the stromal network and produces essential haemopoietins, such as stem-cell factor (SCF). The expression of SCF was found to be reduced in the infected stroma, but the stromal network was not disrupted and the number of infected stromal cells was too low to explain the functional deficiency. These facts ca…
Quantifying the limits of transition state theory in enzymatic catalysis
2017
Significance Transition state theory (TST) is the most popular theory to calculate the rates of enzymatic reactions. However, in some cases TST could fail due to the violation of the nonrecrossing hypothesis at the transition state. In the present work we show that even for one of the most controversial enzymatic reactions—the hydride transfer catalyzed by dihydrofolate reductase—the error associated to TST represents only a minor correction to the reaction rate. Moreover, this error is actually larger for the reaction in solution than in the enzymatic active site. Based on this finding and on previous studies we propose an “enzymatic shielding” hypothesis which encompasses various aspects …
SEVERE STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES SURGICAL SITE INFECTION AFTER INGUINAL LIPOMA REMOVAL
2019
Surgical site infections (SSI) are a common cause of health care-associated infections. They are localized in the surgical incision site and can lead to deep tissues spreading. Among the wide spectrum of SSIs , we will consider specifically group A streptococcus cellulitis. This kind of infection can have a negative evolution and result in necrotizing fasciitis (NF), previously known as streptococcal gangrene. The term NF indicates a rare necrotizing infection involving any of the soft tissue layers that still have a high mortality rate from 7% to 76%. An early diagnosis and urgent treatment are key to ensuring the safety of the patients’ life. A 64-year-old man underwent a complete surgica…
Pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus in a swine farm house in Sicily, Italy.
2012
This report describes a pandemic A/H1N1 (H1N1 pdm) virus outbreak occurred in December, 2009 in a swine farm used as research facility (Istituto Mediterraneo Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione) for preclinical studies, located in Sicily, Italy. All the 13 pigs of the farm, showed cough, fever, inappetence and weakness. At the same time, an unvaccinated worker of the stabling showed influenza-like symptoms. RNAv extracted from two swabs collected from infected pigs resulted positive by Real Time RT-PCR for Influenza A virus. Furthermore, after growth on embryonated eggs, viral isolates were identified by Real Time RT-PCR specific for H1N1 pdm virus and characterized antigenically. …
Molecules and morphology reveal cryptic variation among digeneans infecting sympatric mullets in the Mediterranean.
2009
SUMMARYWe applied a combined molecular and morphological approach to resolve the taxonomic status of Saccocoelium spp. parasitizing sympatric mullets (Mugilidae) in the Mediterranean. Eight morphotypes of Saccocoelium were distinguished by means of multivariate statistical analyses: 2 of Saccocoelium obesum ex Liza spp.; 4 of S. tensum ex Liza spp.; and 2 (S. cephali and Saccocoelium sp.) ex Mugil cephalus. Sequences of the 28S and ITS2 rRNA gene regions were obtained for a total of 21 isolates of these morphotypes. Combining sequence data analysis with a detailed morphological and multivariate morphometric study of the specimens allowed the demonstration of cryptic diversity thus rejecting…