Search results for "Infectious"

Specific Recognition of the 5′-Untranslated Region of West Nile Virus Genome by Human Innate Immune System

2022

In the last few years, the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 proved the crucial importance of understanding how emerging viruses work and proliferate, in order to avoid the repetition of such a dramatic sanitary situation with unprecedented social and economic costs. West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen that can spread to humans and induce severe neurological problems. This RNA virus caused recent remarkable outbreaks, notably in Europe, highlighting the need to investigate the molecular mechanisms of its infection process in order to design and propose efficient antivirals. Here, we resort to all-atom Molecular Dynamics simulations to characterize the structure of th…

SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Screening in Healthcare Workers in Non-Infectious Hospitals in Two Different Regions of Southern Poland (Upper Silesia and Opole …

2021

(1) Background: Detection of asymptomatic or subclinical human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers (HCWs) is crucial for understanding the overall prevalence of the new coronavirus and its infection potential in public (non-infectious) healthcare units with emergency wards. (2) Methods: We evaluated the host serologic responses, measured with semi-quantitative ELISA tests (IgA, IgG, IgM abs) in sera of 90 individuals in Hospital no. 4 in Bytom, 84 HCWs in the University Hospital in Opole and 25 in a Miasteczko Śląskie local surgery. All volunteers had negative RT-PCR test results or had not had the RT-PCR test performed within 30 days before sampling. The ELISA test was m…

Neutralizing Antibodies Response against SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern Elicited by Prior Infection or mRNA BNT162b2 Vaccination.

2022

In order to determine the humoral protective response against SARS-CoV-2, the vaccine-induced and naturally induced neutralizing antibodies (NtAbs) responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Italy through in vitro live virus neutralization assay were evaluated. A total of 39 SARS-CoV-2 recovered subjects (COVID-19+) and 63 subjects with a two-dose cycle of the BNT16262 vaccine were enrolled. A single serum sample was tested for COVID-19+ at 35–52 days post-positive swab, while vaccinees blood samples were taken at one (V1) and at three months (V3) after administration of the second vaccine dose. Significantly higher NtAb titers were found against B.1 and Alpha in both COVID-19+ an…

Outside-host phage therapy as a biological control against environmental infectious diseases

2018

Background Environmentally growing pathogens present an increasing threat for human health, wildlife and food production. Treating the hosts with antibiotics or parasitic bacteriophages fail to eliminate diseases that grow also in the outside-host environment. However, bacteriophages could be utilized to suppress the pathogen population sizes in the outside-host environment in order to prevent disease outbreaks. Here, we introduce a novel epidemiological model to assess how the phage infections of the bacterial pathogens affect epidemiological dynamics of the environmentally growing pathogens. We assess whether the phage therapy in the outside-host environment could be utilized as a biologi…

Generation of T Follicular Helper Cells Is Mediated by Interleukin-21 but Independent of T Helper 1, 2, or 17 Cell Lineages

2008

After activation, CD4(+) helper T (Th) cells differentiate into distinct effector subsets. Although chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 5-expressing T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are important in humoral immunity, their developmental regulation is unclear. Here we show that Tfh cells had a distinct gene expression profile and developed in vivo independently of the Th1 or Th2 cell lineages. Tfh cell generation was regulated by ICOS ligand (ICOSL) expressed on B cells and was dependent on interleukin-21 (IL-21), IL-6, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). However, unlike Th17 cells, differentiation of Tfh cells did not require transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta…

Blockage of cell wall receptors for yeast killer toxin KT28 with antimannoprotein antibodies.

1990

Binding of yeast killer toxin KT28 to its primary cell wall receptor was specifically blocked with polyclonal antimannoprotein antibodies which masked all toxin-binding sites on the surface of sensitive yeast cells. By indirect immunofluorescence, it was shown that KT28 binds to the cell wall mannoprotein and that the toxin resistance of mannoprotein mutants (mnn) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was due to a lack of killer toxin-binding sites within the yeast cell wall. Structural analysis of acetylated mannoprotein from KT28-resistant mutant strains identified the outer mannotriose side chains as the actual killer toxin-binding domains.

Erratum to “A combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine (Priorix-Tetra™): Immunogenicity and safety profile” by Czajka et al. [Vaccine 2…

2012

Corrigendum to “A combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine (Priorix-Tetra 〈trade〉): Immunogenicity and safety profile” Vaccine 27 (2009…

2010

Looking for biological factors to predict the risk of active cytomegalovirus infection in non-immunosuppressed critically ill patients

2013

The identification of non-immunosuppressed critically ill patients most at risk for developing cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is potentially of great clinical relevance. The current study was aimed at determining (i) whether single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes coding for chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), interleukin-10 IL-10), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) have an impact on the incidence rate of active CMV infection, (ii) whether serum levels of CMV-specific IgGs are associated with the risk of CMV reactivation, and (iii) whether detection of CMV DNA in saliva precedes that in the lower respiratory tract or the blood compartment. A total of 36 out of 78 patients (46…

Pathogenic microorganisms carried by migratorybirds passing through the territory of the island ofUstica, Sicily (Italy)

2011

Several studies have shown that migratory birds play an important role in the ecology, circulation and dissemination of pathogenic organisms. In October 2006, a health status evaluation was performed on a large population of migratory birds passing through the territory of Ustica (Italy), an island located on the migration route of many species of birds to Africa, and various laboratory tests were conducted. In total, 218 faecal swabs and the internal organs of 21 subjects found dead in nets were collected for bacteriological and virological examination, including avian influenza and Newcastle disease. In addition, 19 pooled fresh faecal samples were collected for mycological examination. T…