Search results for "HOG"

COVID-19 severity associates with pulmonary redistribution of CD1c+ DCs and inflammatory transitional and nonclassical monocytes

2020

SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the development of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in infected individuals, who can either exhibit mild symptoms or progress toward a life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Exacerbated inflammation and dysregulated immune responses involving T and myeloid cells occur in COVID-19 patients with severe clinical progression. However, the differential contribution of specific subsets of dendritic cells and monocytes to ARDS is still poorly understood. In addition, the role of CD8+ T cells present in the lung of COVID-19 patients and relevant for viral control has not been characterized. Here, we have studied the frequencies and activation p…

Genome-Wide Estimation of the Spontaneous Mutation Rate of Human Adenovirus 5 by High-Fidelity Deep Sequencing

2016

Rates of spontaneous mutation determine the ability of viruses to evolve, infect new hosts, evade immunity and undergo drug resistance. Contrarily to RNA viruses, few mutation rate estimates have been obtained for DNA viruses, because their high replication fidelity implies that new mutations typically fall below the detection limits of Sanger and standard next-generation sequencing. Here, we have used a recently developed high-fidelity deep sequencing technique (Duplex Sequencing) to score spontaneous mutations in human adenovirus 5 under conditions of minimal selection. Based on >200 single-base spontaneous mutations detected throughout the entire viral genome, we infer an average mutatio…

2020

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by chronic, relapsing, pruritic skin inflammation and does not have a well-understood pathogenesis. In this study, we addressed the contribution of adipokines to AD eczema based on the assessment of blood levels of adiponectin, resistin, leptin, lipocalin-2, and vaspin in adult non-obese patients suffering from chronic extrinsic childhood-onset AD. We investigated 49 AD patients with a median age of 37 years. The control group consisted of 30 age-matched healthy subjects. Adipokines were assessed in the serum by ELISA assays and the severity of AD with the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. We found that adiponectin and resistin decreased and l…

Early effects of fluoro-edenite: correlation between IL-18 serum levels and pleural and parenchymal abnormalities.

2016

Fluoro-edenite (FE) is a natural mineral asbestos-like fibrous species first isolated in Biancavilla, Sicily. In order to clarify potential involvement of IL-18 in the pathogenesis of FE-induced chest abnormalities, we analyzed IL-18 serum levels in FE-exposed workers (FEEW) and correlated them with pleural and parenchymal abnormalities. A total of 21 FEEWs, residing in Biancavilla for >30 years, with a working seniority of 17 ± 6.1 years were examined. High-resolution computed tomography scans revealed low grade of fibrosis in 8 (38%) FEEWs, and pleural plaques (PPs) in 13 (62%) FEEWs. The mean IL-18 level was 203.13 ± 90.43 pg/ml. Pearson correlation showed a significant association (…

Antibodies against Lewis antigens inhibit the binding of human norovirus GII.4 virus-like particles to saliva but not to intestinal Caco-2 cells.

2016

BACKGROUND: Human noroviruses (NoVs) are the main cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. The most commonly detected NoV strains belong to the genetically diverse GII.4 genotype, with new pandemic variants emerging periodically. Despite extensive efforts, NoV investigation has been hampered by the lack of an effective in vitro cell culture system. However, NoV-derived recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) resembling empty capsids are good surrogates for analysing NoV antigenicity and virus-ligand interactions. NoV VLPs have been reported to bind to histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs). We have analysed the ability of NoV VLPs derived from GI.1 genotype and from three GII.4 genotype variants, GI…

Relevance of secretor status genotype and microbiota composition in susceptibility to rotavirus and norovirus infections in humans

2017

Host genetic factors, such as histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs), are associated with susceptibility to norovirus (NoV) and rotavirus (RV) infections. Recent advances point to the gut microbiome as a key player necessary for a viral pathogen to cause infection. In vitro NoV attachment to host cells and resulting infections have been linked to interactions with certain bacterial types in the gut microbiota. We investigated the relationship between host genotype, gut microbiota, and viral infections. Saliva and fecal samples from 35 adult volunteers were analysed for secretor status genotype, the gut microbiota composition by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and salivary IgA titers to NoV and RV. Hi…

Urinary levels of sirtuin-1 associated with disease activity in lupus nephritis.

2017

Identifying new markers of disease flares in lupus nephritis (LN) that facilitate patient stratification and prognosis is important. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze whether urinary SIRT1 expression was altered in LN and whether SIRT1 values in urine could be valuable biomarker of disease activity. In a cohort study, urinary pellets from 40 patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were analyzed. Clinical measures of lupus activity were assessed. The expression of SIRT1 was quantified by quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunoblot, then compared between patients with active lupus nephritis, in remission and healthy controls. Association with lupus activi…

Role of Haptoglobin as a Marker of Muscular Improvement in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis after Administration of Epigallocatechin Gallate and Incr…

2021

Here, we report on the role of haptoglobin (Hp), whose expression depends on the synthesis of interleukin 6 (IL-6), related to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), as a possible marker of muscle improvement achieved after treatment with the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and an increase in the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in the blood. After 4 months of intervention with 27 MS patients, we observed that Hp does not significantly increase, alongside a significant decrease in IL-6 and a significant increase in muscle percentage. At the same time, Hp synthesis is considerably and positively correlated with IL-6 both before and after treatment

Therapeutic Opportunities in Intestinal Microbiota–Virus Interactions

2018

The host microbiota has emerged a third player in interactions between hosts and viral pathogens. This opens new possibilities to use different tools to modulate the intestinal microbial composition, aimed at reducing the risk of or treating viral enteric infections.

Diabetic thoracic radiculopathy: a case of a young woman with clinical improvement following immunotherapy.

2020

Thoracic radiculopathy is a rare cause of thoracic-abdominal or abdominal pain in subjects with poorly controlled diabetes. We present a case of a young woman with type I diabetes and a severe abdominal pain in both lower quadrants. An extensive diagnostic gastroenterological and gynaecological workup did not disclose abnormalities. Electromyography revealed an initial polyneuropathy and significant neurogenic abnormalities in the T10-T12 paravertebral muscles. Following the hypothesis that the radiculopathy-related abdominal pain might have an immuno-mediated pathogenesis, the patient underwent a complex trial of immunotherapy, which was accompanied by a sustained improvement over months t…