Search results for "immunology and allergy"
showing 10 items of 2868 documents
CD3ε Expression Defines Functionally Distinct Subsets of Vδ1 T Cells in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
2018
Human γδ T cells expressing the Vδ1 T cell receptor (TCR) recognize self and microbial antigens and stress-inducible molecules in a major histocompatibility complex -unrestricted manner and are an important source of innate interleukin-17. Vδ1 T cells are expanded in the circulation and intestines of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In the present study, we show that patients with HIV have elevated frequencies, but not absolute numbers, of circulating Vδ1 T cells compared to control subjects. This increase was most striking in the patients with Candida albicans co-infection. Using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, we identify two populations of Vδ1 T cells, …
Retrospective Analysis of Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy-Associated Cases of Bullous Pemphigoid From Six German Dermatology Centers
2021
Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are a class-effect of checkpoint inhibitors (CIs). The development of a Bullous pemphigoid (BP)-like blistering disease, driven by autoantibodies against the hemidesmosomal protein BP180, is a potentially serious irAE whose incidence seems to be increasing. We therefore set out to characterize the clinical and (immuno)histopathological features and treatment responses of cases of BP which developed during or after CI therapy collated in six German tertiary referral centers between 2014 and 2018. We identified twelve cases of BP which emerged during and/or after CI therapy. The time interval between the initiation of CI therapy and the diagnosis of BP wa…
Fate-Mapping of GM-CSF Expression Identifies a Discrete Subset of Inflammation-Driving T Helper Cells Regulated by Cytokines IL-23 and IL-1β.
2019
Summary Pathogenic lymphocytes initiate the development of chronic inflammatory diseases. The cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (encoded by Csf2) is a key communicator between pathogenic lymphocytes and tissue-invading inflammatory phagocytes. However, the molecular properties of GM-CSF-producing cells and the mode of Csf2 regulation in vivo remain unclear. To systematically study and manipulate GM-CSF+ cells and their progeny in vivo, we generated a fate-map and reporter of GM-CSF expression mouse strain (FROG). We mapped the phenotypic and functional profile of auto-aggressive T helper (Th) cells during neuroinflammation and identified the signature and pa…
Safety and efficacy of intra-articular anti-tumor necrosis factor α agents compared to corticosteroids in a treat-to-target strategy in patients with…
2015
The aim of this study was to assess safety and efficacy of ultrasonography (US)-guided intra-articular injections using tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers compared to corticosteroids in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients, experiencing refractory monoarthritis despite the current systemic therapy. Eighty-two patients were randomized to receive three intra-articular injections monthly of either corticosteroid or TNF blockers. Primary endpoints were the safety and an improvement greater than 20% for visual analogic scales of involved joint pain in patients injected with anti-TNFα. Further clinical, US, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluations were consid…
Bioconjugation of Small Molecules to RNA Impedes Its Recognition by Toll-Like Receptor 7
2017
A fundamental mechanism of the innate immune system is the recognition, via extra- and intracellular pattern recognition receptors, of pathogen-associated molecular patterns. A prominent example is represented by foreign nucleic acids, triggering the activation of several signaling pathways. Among these, the endosomal toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is known to be activated by single stranded RNA (ssRNA), which can be specifically influenced through elements of sequence structure and posttranscriptional modifications. Furthermore, small molecules TLR7 agonists (smTLRa) are applied as boosting adjuvants in vaccination processes. In this context, covalent conjugations between adjuvant and vaccine…
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…
Italian young doctors’ knowledge, attitudes and practices on antibiotic use and resistance: A national cross-sectional survey
2020
Abstract Objectives Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major health issues worldwide. Clinicians should play a central role to fight AMR, and medical training is a pivotal issue to combat it; therefore, assessing levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices among young doctors is essential for future antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes. Methods A nationwide, cross-sectional, multicentre survey was conducted in Italy. A descriptive analysis of knowledge and attitudes was performed, along with a univariate and multivariate analysis of their determinants. Results Overall, 1179 young doctors accessed the survey and 1055 (89.5%) completed all sections. Regarding the knowledge se…
Molecular epidemiology and drug-resistance mechanisms in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated in patients from a tertiary hospital in …
2020
Abstract Objectives The aim of this study has been to characterize carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates and to determine the resistance mechanisms involved, the clonal relationship between strains and clinical and demographical data of the infected patients. Methods Clinical and demographical data from patients were collected and statistically analysed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed and resistance genes were detected both phenotypically and genotypically. Conjugation assays were performed to show horizontal transferability of resistance genes. Clonal relationship was also studied. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to obtain information regard…
The clinical impact of PCR‐based point‐of‐care diagnostic in respiratory tract infections in children
2020
Abstract Background Children are commonly affected by respiratory tract infections. Based on clinical symptoms, laboratory evaluation, and imaging, the causative pathogen often cannot be delineated. Point‐of‐care‐testing systems that provide an opportunity for fast detection of common viruses and some bacteria can therefore influence treatment's options. We aimed to examine whether the Biofire® FilmArray® has an effect on antibiotic treatment, duration of antibiotic therapy, and length of hospital stay within a pediatric cohort. Methods We included children who were admitted to inpatient treatment with an acute respiratory tract infection from 02/2017 to 04/2018 using the FA respiratory pan…
Molecular characterisation of quinolone-resistant Shigella strains isolated in Tehran, Iran.
2016
Over the past few years, the number of Shigella strains resistant to nalidixic acid has increased and has made the selection of effective antimicrobial therapy more difficult. The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of quinolone resistance in Shigella strains. Shigella strains isolated from 1100 diarrhoeal patients in Tehran, Iran, were assessed for their susceptibility to nalidixic acid prior to PCR-RFLP and sequence analysis of their quinolone resistance genes. Among 73 Shigella strains isolated, 23 (31.5%) were resistant to nalidixic acid. The most common Shigella spp. was Shigella sonnei (54; 74.0%). Of the 23 quinolone-resistant isolates, 4 (17.4%) (includi…