• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.142-145
• /
• 2001

Changes in the Activities of several antioxidant enzymes in transformed human dermal microvascular endothelial Cells (HMEC-1) by infection with the obligate intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus, were investigated. The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were significantly decreased in HMEC-1 cells infected with Ο. tsutsugamushi. However, the level of superoxide dismutase increased slightly. Furthermore, Increased levels of intracellular peroxide was observed in HMEC-1 during infection. These results support the hypothesis that cells infected by this intracellular bacterium experience oxidant-mediated injury that may eventually contribute to cell death.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.3137-3140
• /
• 2015

Objective: To explore the immune reconstitution of $CD4^+T$ cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT) and its relationship with invasive fungal infection (IFI) in patients with hematological malignancies. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven patients with hematological malignancies undergoing Allo-HSCT in Binzhou Medical University Hospital from February, 2010 to October, 2014 were selected. At 1, 2 and 3 months after transplantation, the immune subpopulations and concentration of cytokines were assessed respectively using flow cytometry (FCM) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The incidence of IFI after transplantation and its correlation with immune reconstitution of $CD4^+T$ cells were investigated. Results: The number of $CD4^+T$ cells and immune subpopulations increased progressively after transplantation as time went on, but the subpopulation cell count 3 months after transplantation was still significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.01). In comparison to the control group, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 after transplantation rose evidently (p<0.01), while that of transforming growth factor-${beta}$ (TGF-${beta}$) was decreased (p<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference level of interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$) (p>0.05). The incidence of IFI was 19.2% (9/47), and multivariate logistic regression revealed that IFI might be related to Th17 cell count (p<0.05), instead of Th1, Th2 and Treg cell counts as well as IL-6, IL-10, TGF-${beta}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$ levels (p>0.05). Conclusions: After Allo-HSCT, the immune reconstitution of $CD4^+T$ cells is delayed and Th17 cell count decreases obviously, which may be related to occurrence of IFI.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.17-30
• /
• 2013

Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) induces massive actin filament thickening at the infection front of infected Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. To determine the mechanisms leading to actin remodeling, fluorescent protein fusions of the BSMV triple gene block (TGB) proteins were coexpressed in cells with the actin marker DsRed: Talin. TGB ectopic expression experiments revealed that TGB3 is a major elicitor of filament thickening, that TGB2 resulted in formation of intermediate DsRed:Talin filaments, and that TGB1 alone had no obvious effects on actin filament structure. Latrunculin B (LatB) treat-ments retarded BSMV cell-to-cell movement, disrupted actin filament organization, and dramatically decreased the proportion of paired TGB3 foci appearing at the cell wall (CW). BSMV infection of transgenic plants tagged with GFP-KDEL exhibited membrane proliferation and vesicle formation that were especially evident around the nucleus. Similar membrane proliferation occurred in plants expressing TGB2 and/or TGB3, and DsRed: Talin fluorescence in these plants colocalized with the ER vesicles. TGB3 also associated with the Golgi apparatus and overlapped with cortical vesicles appearing at the cell periphery. Brefeldin A treatments disrupted Golgi and also altered vesicles at the CW, but failed to interfere with TGB CW localization. Our results indicate that actin cytoskeleton interactions are important in BSMV cell-to-cell movement and for CW localization of TGB3.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.56 no.11
• /
• pp.482-489
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences in lower airway inflammatory immune responses, including cellular responses and responses in terms of inflammatory mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the airway, to rhinovirus (RV) infection on asthma exacerbation by comparing a control and a murine asthma model, with or without RV infection. Methods: BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with a crude extract of Dermatophagoides farinae (Df ) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and were subsequently intranasally treated with a crude extract of Df or PBS. Airway responsiveness and cell infiltration, differential cell counts in BALF, and cytokine and chemokine concentrations in BALF were measured 24 hours after intranasal RV1B infection. Results: RV infection increased the enhanced pause (Penh) in both the Df sensitized and challenged mice (Df mice) and PBS-treated mice (PBS mice) (P<0.05). Airway eosinophil infiltration increased in Df mice after RV infection (P<0.05). The levels of interleukin (IL) 13, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and regulated on activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES) increased in response to RV infection in Df mice, but not in PBS mice (P<0.05). The level of IL-10 significantly decreased following RV infection in Df mice (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the augmented induction of proinflammatory cytokines, Th2 cytokines, and chemokines that mediate an eosinophil response and the decreased induction of regulatory cytokines after RV infection may be important manifestations leading to airway inflammation with eosinophil infiltration and changes in airway responsiveness in the asthma model.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.62 no.1
• /
• pp.53-63
• /
• 2024

The intracellular parasite Babesia microti is among the most significant species causing human babesiosis and is an emerging threat to human health worldwide. Unravelling the pathogenic molecular mechanisms of babesiosis is crucial in developing new diagnostic and preventive methods. This study assessed how priming with B. microti surface antigen 1 (BHSA 1) and seroreactive antigen 5-1-1 (BHSA 5-1-1) mediate protection against B. microti infection. The results showed that 500 ㎍/ml rBMSA1 and rBMSA5-1-1 partially inhibited the invasion of B. microti in vitro by 42.0±3.0%, and 48.0±2.1%, respectively. Blood smears revealed that peak infection at 7 days post-infection (dpi) was 19.6%, 24.7%, and 46.7% in the rBMSA1, rBmSA5-1-1, compared to the control groups (healthy mice infected with B. microti only), respectively. Routine blood tests showed higher white blood cell, red blood cell counts, and haemoglobin levels in the 2 groups (BMSA1 and BMSA5 5-1-1) than in the infection control group at 0-28 dpi. Moreover, the 2 groups had higher serum interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α and Interleukin-17A levels, and lower IL-10 levels than the infection control group throughout the study. These 2 potential vaccine candidate proteins partially inhibit in vitro and in vivo B. microti infection and enhance host immunological response against B. microti infection.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.267-273
• /
• 2002

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common domiciliary and nosocomial bacterial infections prevalent in both males and females. UTI is diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms, microscopy and culture of urine. In order to evaluate the efficacy of microscopic detection for presumptive diagnosis of UTI we analyzed urine samples of Nepalese patients. We have conducted Gram staining and counting of pus cells, red blood cells (RBC) and epithelial cells. We observed that RBC and epithelial cell counts were not sensitive enough to be used for presumptive diagnosis of UTI. However, pus cell counts as well as Gram stain are sensitive and significant enough to presume UTI. When the Gram stain result was compared with the culture result, it was statistically significant. From this, we suggest that Gram stain of centrifuged urine is a very sensitive screening method to detect bacteriuria. In addition, we found that E. coli was the most predominant microorganism causing UTI and nitrofurantoin was the most effective antibiotic against the isolated urinary pathogens.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
• /
• v.50 no.12
• /
• pp.727-731
• /
• 2012

An ulcer is defined as loss of epithelium. Although many oral ulcers have similar clinical appearances, their etiologies encompass many disorders, including trauma, infection, immunologic disease, and malignant oral cancer. Oral squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) occupying about 90% of oral cancer, usually manifests as unhealed ulcer over 2 weeks. Oral SCC can metastasize to the cervical neck lymph node, and therefore the surgical therapeutic modality for oral SCC could encompass the neck node dissection as well as wide excision for primary lesions, which should leave the post-operative complication of functional damage like dysphagia and facial deformity. Therefore, it is important to discriminate oral SCC from other ulcerative conditions to make a prompt management. The knowledge for the pathogenesis of the ulcerative lesions could help the clinicians to understand the differences of clinical features and to practice an appropriate therapeutics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.429-438
• /
• 2011

Mastitis is characterized by physical, chemical and bacteriological changes in the milk and pathological changes in the glandular tissue of the udder and affects the quality and quantity of milk. The bacterial contamination of milk from the affected cows render it unfit for human consumption and provides a mechanism of spread of diseases like tuberculosis, sore-throat, Q-fever, brucellosis, leptospirosis etc. and has zoonotic importance. Somatic cell count (SCC) is a useful predictor of intramammary infection (IMI) that includes leucocytes (75%) i.e. neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, erythrocytes and epithelial cells (25%). Leucocytes increase in response to bacterial infection, tissue injury and stress. Somatic cells are protective for the animal body and fight infectious organisms. An elevated SCC in milk has a negative influence on the quality of raw milk. Subclinical mastitis is always related to low milk production, changes to milk consistency (density), reduced possibility of adequate milk processing, low protein and high risk for milk hygiene since it may even contain pathogenic organisms. This review collects and collates relevant publications on the subject.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1716-1722
• /
• 2018

Immunosuppressive drugs are used to make the body less likely to reject transplanted organs or to treat autoimmune diseases. In this study, five immunosuppressive drugs including two glucocorticoids (dexamethasone and prednisolone), one calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporin A), one non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (aspirin), and one antimetabolite (methotrexate) were tested for their effects on viral proliferation using feline foamy virus (FFV). The five drugs had different cytotoxic effects on the Crandell-Ress feline kidney (CRFK) cells, the natural host cell of FFV. Dexamethasone-pretreated CRFK cells were susceptible to FFV infection, but pretreatment with prednisolone, cyclosporin A, aspirin, and methotrexate showed obvious inhibitory effects on FFV proliferation, by reducing viral production to 29.8-83.8% of that of an untreated control. These results were supported by western blot, which detected viral Gag structural protein in the infected cell lysate. As our results showed a correlation between immunosuppressive drugs and susceptibility to viral infections, it is proposed that immune-compromised individuals who are using immune-suppressive drugs may be especially vulnerable to viral infection originated from pets.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.63-67
• /
• 2005

Adaptive responses to diverse microbial pathogens might be limited in relatively few types. Host cell responses to pathogens are believed to be patterned or stereotyped along with species or class. We tried to compose the host response to Mycoplasma in terms of cellular gene expression. Although gene expression profile of two host HeLa and 293 cells were quite different each other, 30 genes were differentially expressed by mycoplasma infection in both of HeLa and 293 cells. Six of them (PR48, MADH4, MKPX, CRK, RBM7, NEK3) were related to cell cycle or proliferation. Another category of genes like IL1 HY1, KLRF1, TNFSF14, GBP1 were host defense to elicit immune responses. With this set of genes, we establish the prediction model for mycoplasma contamination.