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.

Identification and selection of immunodominant B and T cell epitopes for dengue multi-epitope-based vaccine
AbstractDengue virus (DENV) comprises four serotypes (DENV1 –4) which cause 390 million global infections with 500,000 hospitalizations and 25,000 fatalities annually. Currently, the only FDA approved DENV vaccine is the chimeric live-attenuated vaccine, Dengvaxia®, which is based on the yellow fever virus (YFV) genome that carries the prM and E genes of the respective DENV 1, 2, 3, and 4 serotypes. However, it has lower efficacies against serotypes DENV1 (51%) and DENV2 (34%) when compared with DENV3 (75%) and DENV4 (77%). The absence of T cell epitopes from non-structural (NS) and capsid (C) proteins of the yellow fev...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - January 30, 2021 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Evaluation of two rapid antigen tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 in a hospital setting
AbstractSuccessful containment strategies for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will depend on reliable diagnostic assays. Point-of-care antigen tests (POCT) may provide an alternative to time-consuming PCR tests to rapidly screen for acute infections on site. Here, we evaluated two SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests: the STANDARD ™ F COVID-19 Ag FIA (FIA) and the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). For diagnostic assessment, we used a large set of PCR-positive and PCR-negative respiratory swabs from asymptomatic and symptomatic patients and health care workers in the setting of two University Hospitals in Munich, Germany, i.e. emergency r...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - January 16, 2021 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Differential Wnt- β- catenin pathway activation in HPV positive and negative oral epithelium is transmitted during head and neck tumorigenesis: clinical implications
AbstractThe aim of this study is to understand the association of HPV infection and wnt- β-catenin self-renewal pathway in development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). For this reason, the molecular profiles (methylation/deletion/expression) of antagonists (SFRP1/2 and DKK1), agonists (FZD7 and LRP6) and effector protein β-catenin of the pathway were analyzed in HPV p ositive/negative oral epithelium at first, followed by its changes during development of the tumor along with correlations with different clinico-pathological parameters. HPV infection alone or in combination with tobacco habit could activa...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - November 23, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Early changes in laboratory parameters are predictors of mortality and ICU admission in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
In this study, we aimed to assess the prognostic value of early laboratory parameters in COVID-19. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the available literature in five databases. The last search was on July 26, 2020, with key terms related to COVID-19. Eligible studies contained original data of at least ten infected patients and reported on baseline laboratory parameters of patients. We calculated weighted mean differences (WMDs) for continuous outcomes and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals. 93 and 78 studies were included in quantitative and qualitative syntheses, respectively. Highe...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - November 21, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Analysis of complement deposition and processing on Chlamydia trachomatis
AbstractChlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is the leading cause of sexually transmitted bacterial infections worldwide, with over 120 million annual cases.C. trachomatis infections are associated with severe reproductive complications in women such as extrauterine pregnancy and tubal infertility. The infections are often long lasting, associated with immunopathology, and fail to elicit protective immunity which makes recurrent infections common. The immunological mechanisms involved inC. trachomatis infections are only partially understood. Murine infection models suggest that the complement system plays a significant ...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - November 18, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Elevated plasma phage load as a marker for intestinal permeability in leukemic patients
AbstractMicrobial translocation (MT) and altered gut microbiota have been described in acute leukemic patients and contribute to immune activation and inflammation. However, phage translocation has not been investigated in leukemia patients yet. We recruited 44 leukemic patients and 52 healthy adults and quantified the levels of 3 phages in peripheral blood, which were the most positive phages screened from fecal samples. The content of 16S rRNA in plasma was detected by qPCR to assess the intestinal mucosa of these patients. Spearman ’s rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship between phage load and the rel...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - September 28, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein (DARPin) to target chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected T cells towards CD4 + T cells to reduce the latent HIV + cell reservoir
AbstractChimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-redirected T cells show great efficacy in the patient-specific therapy of hematologic malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that a DARPin with specificity for CD4 specifically redirects and triggers the activation of CAR engineered T cells resulting in the depletion of CD4+ target cells aiming for elimination of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoir. (Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology)
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - September 11, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Bacterial aggregate size determines phagocytosis efficiency of polymorphonuclear leukocytes
AbstractThe ability of bacteria to aggregate and form biofilms impairs phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). The aim of this study was to examine if the size of aggregates is critical for successful phagocytosis and how bacterial biofilms evade phagocytosis. We investigated the live interaction between PMNs andPseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli andStaphylococcus epidermidis using confocal scanning laser microscopy. Aggregate size significantly affected phagocytosis outcome and larger aggregates were less likely to be phagocytized. Aggregates ofS. epidermidis were also less likely t...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - September 1, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Assessing SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels and lymphocyte/T cell counts in COVID-19 patients revealed initial immune status as a major determinant of disease severity
AbstractThe magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the dynamic changes of immune parameters in patients with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and their correlation with the disease severity remain unclear. The clinical and laboratory results from 154 confirmed COVID-19 patients were collected. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in patients were estimated using the Ct values of specific RT-PCR tests. The lymphocyte subsets and cytokine profiles in the peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry and specific immunoassays. 154 confirmed COVID-19 patients were clinically examined up to 4  weeks after admission. The initial SA...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - August 27, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Association of serum C-reactive protein level and polymorphisms with susceptibility to dengue infection and severe clinical outcome among eastern Indian patients
This study aimed to investigate association of serum CRP level and CRP gene polymorphisms towards development of dengue disease susceptibility and severity among eastern Indian patients. Blood was collected from 348 symptomatic patients. Sera was subjected to serological diagnosis for the presence of anti-dengue IgM, anti-dengue IgG antibodies and dengue NS1 antigen by ELISA. Viral RNA was extracted and the presence of DENV genome, viral load, serotypes was determined by qRT-PCR. CRP level and polymorphisms were determined by immunoturbidimetry and polymerase chain reaction –restriction fragment length polymorphism, resp...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - July 26, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Recent advancements in the understanding of tetraspanin functions
(Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology)
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - July 22, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Retraction Note: Infection of great apes and a zoo keeper with the same Mycobacterium tuberculosis spoligotype
The original article can be found online. (Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology)
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - July 8, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Outer inflammatory protein of Helicobacter pylori impacts IL-8 expression, adherence, cell apoptosis and cell cycle of gastric cells independent of its copy number
In conclusion, our study demonstrated thatoipA impacts IL-8 expression, adherence, cell apoptosis and cell cycle of gastric cells independent of its gene copy number. (Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology)
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - June 29, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Correction to: Tetraspanins in mammalian reproduction: spermatozoa, oocytes and embryos
The original article can be found online. (Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology)
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - June 19, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

HPV caught in the tetraspanin web?
AbstractTetraspanins are master organizers of the cell membrane. Recent evidence suggests that tetraspanins themselves may become crowded by virus particles and that these crowds/aggregates co-internalize with the viral particles. Using microscopy, we studied human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16-dependent aggregates on the cell surface of tetraspanin overexpressing keratinocytes. We find that aggregates are (1) rich in at least two different tetraspanins, (2) three-dimensional architectures extending up to several micrometers into the cell, and (3) decorated intracellularly by filamentous actin. Moreover, in cells not overex...
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - June 12, 2020 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research