Search results for "IMM"
showing 10 items of 18201 documents
A Naturally Occurring Antibody Fragment Neutralizes Infectivity of Diverse Infectious Agents
2016
AbstractA phosphorylated peptide, named K40H, derived from the constant region of IgMs was detected in human serum by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. Synthetic K40H proved to exert a potent in vitro activity against fungal pathogens, and to inhibit HIV-1 replication in vitro and ex vivo. It also showed a therapeutic effect against an experimental infection by Candida albicans in the invertebrate model Galleria mellonella. K40H represents the proof of concept of the innate role that naturally occurring antibody fragments may exert against infectious agents, shedding a new light upon the posthumous role of antibodies and opening a new scenario on the multif…
Origin of modern syphilis and emergence of a pandemic Treponema pallidum cluster
2016
The abrupt onslaught of the syphilis pandemic that started in the late fifteenth century established this devastating infectious disease as one of the most feared in human history1 . Surprisingly, despite the availability of effective antibiotic treatment since the mid-twentieth century, this bacterial infection, which is caused by Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (TPA), has been re-emerging globally in the last few decades with an estimated 10.6 million cases in 2008 (ref. 2). Although resistance to penicillin has not yet been identified, an increasing number of strains fail to respond to the secondline antibiotic azithromycin3. Little is known about the genetic patterns in current infec…
Factors influencing cytomegalovirus DNA load measurements in whole blood and plasma specimens from allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant reci…
2019
We assessed the impact of several parameters, including the nature of the episode of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNAemia, the use of preemptive antiviral therapy, and the blood cell content in CMV DNA loads measured in whole blood (WB) and plasma (PL). CMV DNA load was quantified in 245 paired specimens collected within 43 postengraftment episodes of CMV DNAemia by using the CMV RealTime CMV PCR (Abbott Molecular). Concordant categorical results were obtained for 78.4% of paired specimens (Kappa index, 0.385; P = 0.001). Overall, CMV DNA loads in PL were higher than those in WB (mean bias, +0.115 log IU/mL) in both initial and recurrent episodes; this was so in post-antiviral treatment but not in…
miR-1207-5p Can Contribute to Dysregulation of Inflammatory Response in COVID-19 via Targeting SARS-CoV-2 RNA
2020
The present study focuses on the role of human miRNAs in SARS-CoV-2 infection. An extensive analysis of human miRNA binding sites on the viral genome led to the identification of miR-1207-5p as potential regulator of the viral Spike protein. It is known that exogenous RNA can compete for miRNA targets of endogenous mRNAs leading to their overexpression. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 virus can act as an exogenous competing RNA, facilitating the over-expression of its endogenous targets. Transcriptomic analysis of human alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells confirmed that the CSF1 gene, a known target of miR-1207-5p, is over-expressed following SARS-CoV-2 infection. CSF1 enhances macr…
H89 Treatment Reduces Intestinal Inflammation and Candida albicans Overgrowth in Mice
2020
Deregulation of the dynamic crosstalk between the gut microbiota, intestinal epithelial cells, and immune cells is critically involved in the development of inflammatory bowel disease and the overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens, including the human opportunistic fungus Candida albicans. In the present study, we assessed the effect of N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H89), a protein kinase A inhibitor, on the migration of macrophages to C. albicans through dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-challenged Caco-2 cells. We also investigated the impact of H89 on intestinal inflammation and C. albicans clearance from the gut, and determined the diversity of the gut microbio…
Validate or falsify: Lessons learned from a microscopy method claimed to be useful for detecting Borrelia and Babesia organisms in human blood.
2016
A modified microscopy protocol (the LM-method) was used to demonstrate what was interpreted as Borrelia spirochetes and later also Babesia sp., in peripheral blood from patients. The method gained much publicity, but was not validated prior to publication, which became the purpose of this study using appropriate scientific methodology, including a control group.Blood from 21 patients previously interpreted as positive for Borrelia and/or Babesia infection by the LM-method and 41 healthy controls without known history of tick bite were collected, blinded and analysed for these pathogens by microscopy in two laboratories by the LM-method and conventional method, respectively, by PCR methods i…
Evaluation of a rapid antigen test (Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag rapid test device) for SARS-CoV-2 detection in asymptomatic close contacts of COVID-19 patien…
2021
Objectives There is limited information on the performance of rapid antigen detection (RAD) tests to identify SARS-CoV-2-infected asymptomatic individuals. In this field study, we evaluated the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device (Abbott Diagnostics, Jena, Germany) for this purpose. Methods A total of 634 individuals (355 female; median age, 37 years; range, 9–87) were enrolled. Two nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from household (n = 338) and non-household contacts (n = 296) of COVID-19 cases. RAD testing was carried out at the point of care. The RT-PCR test used was the TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, MA, USA). Results Household contacts were tested at a median …
Genome-wide Association Study Identifies Genetic Variants Associated With Early and Sustained Response to (Pegylated) Interferon in Chronic Hepatitis…
2019
Wong, Grace LH/0000-0002-2863-9389; Wong, Vincent WS/0000-0003-2215-9410; Mangia, A/0000-0002-2600-3555; Brahmania, Mayur/0000-0002-4671-1479; Chan, Henry Lik-Yuen/0000-0002-7790-1611; Brouwer, Willem Pieter/0000-0001-8713-1481; Feld, Jordan/0000-0003-2640-2211; Tanwandee, Tawesak/0000-0001-7634-0843; Jaroszewicz, Jerzy/0000-0003-0139-4753; Chuaypen, Natthaya/0000-0002-5415-510X
Invasive candida infections in neonates after major surgery: Current evidence and new directions
2021
Infections represent a serious health problem in neonates. Invasive Candida infections (ICIs) are still a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Infants hospitalized in NICUs are at high risk of ICIs, because of several risk factors: broad spectrum antibiotic treatments, central catheters and other invasive devices, fungal colonization, and impaired immune responses. In this review we summarize 19 published studies which provide the prevalence of previous surgery in neonates with invasive Candida infections. We also provide an overview of risk factors for ICIs after major surgery, fungal colonization, and innate defense mechanisms against fungi, a…
Positive Role of the MHC Class-I Antigen Presentation Regulator m04/gp34 of Murine Cytomegalovirus in Antiviral Protection by CD8 T Cells
2020
Murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) codes for MHC class-I trafficking modulators m04/gp34, m06/gp48, and m152/gp40. By interacting with the MHC class-Iα chain, these proteins disconnect peptide-loaded MHC class-I (pMHC-I) complexes from the constitutive vesicular flow to the cell surface. Based on the assumption that all three inhibit antigen presentation, and thus the recognition of infected cells by CD8 T cells, they were referred to as “immunoevasins.” Improved antigen presentation mediated by m04 in the presence of m152 after infection with deletion mutant mCMV-Δm06W, compared to mCMV-Δm04m06 expressing only m152, led us to propose renaming these molecules “viral regulators of antigen present…