Medical Microbiology and Immunology This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Quadruplex real-time PCR for rapid detection of human alphaherpesviruses
AbstractInfections with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) as well as with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) may take a serious course. Thus, rapid and reliable detection of these alphaherpesviruses is urgently needed. For this, we established a qualitative quadruplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) covering HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV and endogenous human glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). The PCR was validated with quality assessment samples and pre-characterized clinical samples including swabs, blood and cerebrospinal as well as respiratory fluids. For comparison, nucleic acids (NA...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - January 24, 2019 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Development of a novel multiepitope chimeric vaccine against anthrax
AbstractBacillus anthracis (BA), the etiological agent of anthrax, secretes protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF) as major virulence mediators. Amongst these, PA-based vaccines are most effective for providing immunity againstBA, but their low shelf life limits their usage. Previous studies showed that B-cell epitopes, ID II and ID III present in PA domain IV possess higher toxin neutralization activity and elicit higher antibody titer than ID I. Moreover, N-terminal region of both LF and EF harbors PA-binding sites which share 100% identity with each other. Here, in this study, we have develop...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - January 22, 2019 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Diagnostic performance in active TB of QFT-Plus assay and co-expression of CD25/CD134 in response to new antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
AbstractThe new QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus employs modified peptides optimized to elicit an IFN γ response from CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes in addition to CD4+ T cells. With a view to improve the difficult identification of TB cases, we assessed the combination of two specific immunological markers comprising IFN γ secretion and T cells co-expression of CD25 and CD134 in response toMycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens. A total of 34 subjects with suspected TB and 10 age-matched HD were prospectively enrolled. Assessing the performance of QFT-Plus in terms of the TB1 and TB2 results, we found that in TB patients, t...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - January 8, 2019 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Increased SAMHD1 transcript expression correlates with interferon-related genes in HIV-1-infected patients
ConclusionsSAMHD1 is more strongly expressed than the classical IFN-related genes, increased during antiretroviral therapy and correlated with ISGs and IRF3 in HIV-1-infected patients. (Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology)
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - December 18, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

The monocytosis during human leptospirosis is associated with modest immune cell activation states
Abstract Leptospirosis is a life-threatening zoonotic disease and it has been hypothesized that the innate immune system fails to control the infection through ill-characterized mechanisms. The aim of this observational study was to better evaluate the activation processes of monocytes at the early stage of the disease. Blood samples were taken from healthy donors (n = 37) and patients hospitalized for either non-severe (n = 25) or severe (n = 32) leptospirosis. Monocyte cell counts and phenotypes were assessed by flow cytometry. We analysed the expression of several cell activation markers: CD14, CD16, HLA-...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - December 12, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Interaction of host and Staphylococcus aureus protease-system regulates virulence and pathogenicity
AbstractStaphylococcus aureus causes various health care- and community-associated infections as well as certain chronic TH2 driven inflammatory diseases. It is a potent pathogen with serious virulence and associated high morbidity. Severe pathogenicity is accredited to theS. aureus secreted virulence factors such as proteases and host protease modulators. These virulence factors promote adhesion and invasion of bacteria through damage of tight junction barrier and keratinocytes. They inhibit activation and transmigration of various immune cells such as neutrophils (and neutrophil proteases) to evade opsono-phagocytosis an...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - November 27, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Immune response triggered by Trypanosoma cruzi infection strikes adipose tissue homeostasis altering lipid storage, enzyme profile and adipokine expression
AbstractAdipose tissue is a target ofTrypanosoma cruzi infection being a parasite reservoir during the chronic phase in mice and humans. Previously, we reported that acuteTrypanosoma cruzi infection in mice is linked to a severe adipose tissue loss, probably triggered by inflammation, as well as by the parasite itself. Here, we evaluated how infection affects adipose tissue homeostasis, considering adipocyte anabolic and catabolic pathways, the immune –endocrine pattern and the possible repercussion upon adipogenesis. During in vivo infection, both lipolytic and lipogenic pathways are profoundly affected, since the expre...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - November 9, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Molecular mechanisms of EBV-driven cell cycle progression and oncogenesis
AbstractThe early stage of oncogenesis is linked to the disorder of the cell cycle. Abnormal gene expression often leads to cell cycle disorders, resulting in malignant transformation of human cells. Epstein –Barr virus (EBV) is associated with a diverse range of human neoplasms, such as malignant lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric cancer. EBV mainly infects human lymphocytes and oropharyngeal epithelial cells. EBV is latent in lymphocytes for a long period of time, is detached from the cy toplasm by circular DNA, and can integrate into the chromosome of cells. EBV expresses a variety of latent genes during l...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - November 1, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Legionella feeleii : pneumonia or Pontiac fever? Bacterial virulence traits and host immune response
AbstractGram-negative bacteriumLegionella is able to proliferate intracellularly in mammalian host cells and amoeba, which became known in 1976 since they caused a large outbreak of pneumonia. It had been reported that different strains ofLegionella pneumophila, Legionella micdadei, Legionella longbeachae, andLegionella feeleii caused human respiratory diseases, which were known as Pontiac fever or Legionnaires ’ disease. However, the differences of the virulence traits among the strains of the single species and the pathogenesis of the two diseases that were due to the bacterial virulence factors had not been well eluci...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - November 1, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Different roles of CXCR1 and CXCR2 in HTLV-1 carriers and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) patients
In conclusion, the high frequency of CXCR2 CD8+ T cells and the high levels of CXCR2 mRNA expression in HAM/TSP patients are associated with disease pathogenesis, while the high frequencies of CXCR1 T cells in ACs might suggest that these cells act as effector CD8 T cells and are involved in controlling the viral spread and modulation of the immune response. (Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology)
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - October 20, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

From basic molecular biology to curative antiviral therapy: the success story of Hepatitis C virology
(Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology)
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - October 17, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Identification of complement-related host genetic risk factors associated with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 outcome: challenges ahead
AbstractInfluenza remains an important threat for human health, despite the extensive study of influenza viruses and the production of effective vaccines. In contrast to virus genetics determinants, host genetic factors with clinical impact remained unexplored until recently. The association between three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and influenza outcome in a European population was investigated in the present study. All samples were collected during the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 post-pandemic period 2010 –11 and a sufficient number of severe and fatal cases was included. Host genomic DNA was isolated from pharyn...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - October 10, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Hepatitis C virus cell culture models: an encomium on basic research paving the road to therapy development
AbstractChronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections affect 71  million people worldwide, often resulting in severe liver damage. Since 2014 highly efficient therapies based on directly acting antivirals (DAAs) are available, offering cure rates of almost 100%, if the infection is diagnosed in time. It took more than a decade to discover HCV in 1989 and anothe r decade to establish a cell culture model. This review provides a personal view on the importance of HCV cell culture models, particularly the replicon system, in the process of therapy development, from drug screening to understanding of mode of action and resistanc...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - October 8, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Biogenic Au@ZnO core –shell nanocomposites kill Staphylococcus aureus without provoking nuclear damage and cytotoxicity in mouse fibroblasts cells under hyperglycemic condition with enhanced wound healing proficiency
AbstractThe aim of the present study is focused on the synthesis of Au@ZnO core –shell nanocomposites, where zinc oxide is overlaid on biogenic gold nanoparticles obtained fromHibiscus Sabdariffa plant extract. Optical property of nanocomposites is investigated using UV –visible spectroscopy and crystal structure has been determined using X-ray crystallography (XRD) technique. The presence of functional groups on the surface of Au@ZnO core–shell nanocomposites has been observed by Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Electron microscopy studies reve aled the morphology of the above core–shell nanocompos...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - October 5, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Macaca arctoides gammaherpesvirus 1 (strain herpesvirus Macaca arctoides): virus sequence, phylogeny and characterisation of virus-transformed macaque and rabbit cell lines
In this study, the HVMA genome sequence (approx. 167 kbp), its organisation, and novel aspects of virus latency are presented. Ninety-one open reading frames were identified, of which 86 were non-repetitive. HVMA was identified as aLymphocryptovirus closely related to Epstein –Barr virus, suggesting the designation as ‘Macaca arctoides gammaherpesvirus 1’ (MarcGHV-1). In situ lysis gel and Southern blot hybridisation experiments revealed that the MAL-1 cell line contains episomal and linear DNA, whereas episomal DNA is predominantly present in HTRL. Integration of viral DNA into macaque and rabbit host cell genomes w...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - October 5, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research