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Evaluation of two rapid antigen tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 in a hospital setting Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2021-01-16 Andreas Osterman, Hanna-Mari Baldauf, Marwa Eletreby, Jochen M. Wettengel, Suliman Q. Afridi, Thimo Fuchs, Elena Holzmann, Anton Maier, Johanna Döring, Natascha Grzimek-Koschewa, Maximilian Muenchhoff, Ulrike Protzer, Lars Kaderali, Oliver T. Keppler
Successful 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
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Differential Wnt-β- catenin pathway activation in HPV positive and negative oral epithelium is transmitted during head and neck tumorigenesis: clinical implications Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-11-23 Balarko Chakraborty, Debalina Mukhopadhyay, Anirban Roychowdhury, Mukta Basu, Neyaz Alam, Kabita Chatterjee, Jayanta Chakrabarti, Chinmay Kumar Panda
The 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 positive/negative oral epithelium
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Early changes in laboratory parameters are predictors of mortality and ICU admission in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-11-21 Szabolcs Kiss, Noémi Gede, Péter Hegyi, Dávid Németh, Mária Földi, Fanni Dembrovszky, Bettina Nagy, Márk Félix Juhász, Klementina Ocskay, Noémi Zádori, Zsolt Molnár, Andrea Párniczky, Péter Jenő Hegyi, Zsolt Szakács, Gabriella Pár, Bálint Erőss, Hussain Alizadeh
Despite the growing knowledge of the clinicopathological features of COVID-19, the correlation between early changes in the laboratory parameters and the clinical outcomes of patients is not entirely understood. 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
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Analysis of complement deposition and processing on Chlamydia trachomatis Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-11-18 Mads Lausen, Mikkel Eggert Thomsen, Gunna Christiansen, Nichlas Karred, Allan Stensballe, Tue Bjerg Bennike, Svend Birkelund
Chlamydia 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
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Elevated plasma phage load as a marker for intestinal permeability in leukemic patients Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-09-29 Xue-rui Yin, Ping Liu, Xi Xu, Ying Xia, Kai-zhao Huang, Qiong-dan Wang, Mei-mei Lai, Qi-gui Yu, Xiao-qun Zheng
Microbial 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
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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. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-09-12 Lea Patasic,Janna Seifried,Valerie Bezler,Marcell Kaljanac,Irene C Schneider,Heike Schmitz,Christiane Tondera,Jessica Hartmann,Andreas Hombach,Christian J Buchholz,Hinrich Abken,Renate König,Klaus Cichutek
Chimeric 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.
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Bacterial aggregate size determines phagocytosis efficiency of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-09-02 Maria Alhede,Melanie Lorenz,Blaine Gabriel Fritz,Peter Østrup Jensen,Hans Christian Ring,Lene Bay,Thomas Bjarnsholt
The 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 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus
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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. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-08-28 Mingfeng Han,Mengyuan Xu,Yafei Zhang,Zhongping Liu,Shasha Li,Tengfei He,Jinsong Li,Yong Gao,Wanjun Liu,Tuantuan Li,Zixiang Chen,Xin Huang,Guoling Cheng,Jun Wang,Ulf Dittmer,Oliver Witzke,Guizhou Zou,Xiuyong Li,Mengji Lu,Zhenhua Zhang
The 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
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Recent advancements in the understanding of tetraspanin functions. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-08-01 Luise Florin,Charlotte M de Winde
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Association of serum C-reactive protein level and polymorphisms with susceptibility to dengue infection and severe clinical outcome among eastern Indian patients. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-07-27 Saikat Mukherjee,Anusri Tripathi
Dengue virus (DENV) infection is a major public health concern in India ranging from simple febrile illness to severe outcome. 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
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Retraction Note: Infection of great apes and a zoo keeper with the same Mycobacterium tuberculosis spoligotype. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-07-09 Onno W Akkerman,Tjip S van der Werf,Frank Rietkerk,Tony Eger,Dick van Soolingen,Kees van der Loo,Adri G M van der Zanden
The original article can be found online.
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Outer inflammatory protein of Helicobacter pylori impacts IL-8 expression, adherence, cell apoptosis and cell cycle of gastric cells independent of its copy number. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-06-30 Qiaoyun Zhao,Wenzhu Yin,Rulin Zhao,Youhua Wang,Conghua Song,Huan Wang,Jianfang Rong,Fangfei Wang,Yong Xie
Outer inflammatory protein (OipA) is an important virulence factor of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), but the correlation between oipA copy number and its virulence remains unknown. The study was designed to investigate whether the duplicate oipA gene loci showed more virulent than one oipA gene in vitro. H. pylori strain CCS9803 (China Chongqing Strain 9803) that carries duplicate oipA loci was used
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Correction to: Tetraspanins in mammalian reproduction: spermatozoa, oocytes and embryos. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-06-20 Jana Jankovičová,Zdeňka Neuerová,Petra Sečová,Michaela Bartóková,Filipa Bubeníčková,Kateřina Komrsková,Pavla Postlerová,Jana Antalíková
The original article can be found online.
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HPV caught in the tetraspanin web? Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-06-13 Jérôme Finke,Lisa Hitschler,Klaus Boller,Luise Florin,Thorsten Lang
Tetraspanins 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
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The effect of KIR and HLA polymorphisms on dengue infection and disease severity in northeastern Thais. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-06-10 Suwit Chaisri,Amonrat Jumnainsong,Amornrat Romphruk,Chanvit Leelayuwat
Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are cell surface receptors on natural killer (NK) cells and subsets of T cells. The interaction between KIRs and their cognate ligands (Human leukocyte antigen class I molecules, HLA class I) modulates the immune response of NK cells, in particular through clearance of virus-infected cells. Here, we investigated the effect of KIRs and HLA ligands on
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Tetraspanins in the regulation of mast cell function. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-06-07 Zane Orinska,Philipp M Hagemann,Ivana Halova,Petr Draber
Mast cells (MCs) are long-living immune cells highly specialized in the storage and release of different biologically active compounds and are involved in the regulation of innate and adaptive immunity. MC degranulation and replacement of MC granules are accompanied by active membrane remodelling. Tetraspanins represent an evolutionary conserved family of transmembrane proteins. By interacting with
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Tetraspanin CD81 regulates HSV-1 infection. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-06-04 Beatriz Benayas,Isabel Sastre,Soraya López-Martín,Adrian Oo,Baek Kim,Maria J Bullido,Jesús Aldudo,María Yáñez-Mó
Different members of the tetraspanin superfamily have been described to regulate different virus infectious cycles at several stages: viral entry, viral replication or virion exit or infectivity. In addition, tetraspanin CD81 regulates HIV reverse transcription through its association with the dNTP hydrolase SAMHD1. Here we aimed at analysing the role of CD81 in Herpes simplex virus 1 infectivity using
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Correction to: A role for tetraspanin proteins in regulating fusion induced by Burkholderia thailandensis. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-06-03 Atiga Elgawidi,Muslim Idan Mohsin,Fawwaz Ali,Amyleigh Watts,Peter N Monk,Mark S Thomas,Lynda J Partridge
In the original article, incorrect figures were published with incorrect captions. The correct figures and captions are given below.
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Tetraspanin 7 and its closest paralog tetraspanin 6: membrane organizers with key functions in brain development, viral infection, innate immunity, diabetes and cancer. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-05-28 Brieuc P Perot,Mickaël M Ménager
Tetraspanin (TSPAN) protein family forms a family of transmembrane proteins that act as organizers/scaffold for other proteins. TSPANs are primarily present on plasma membranes although they are also found in other biological membranes. They are organized in tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TEMs), which allow spatiotemporal tuning of protein functions through the control of their membrane localization
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Molecular mechanisms of dendritic cell migration in immunity and cancer. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-05-25 Charlotte M de Winde,Clare Munday,Sophie E Acton
Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogeneous population of antigen-presenting cells that act to bridge innate and adaptive immunity. DCs are critical in mounting effective immune responses to tissue damage, pathogens and cancer. Immature DCs continuously sample tissues and engulf antigens via endocytic pathways such as phagocytosis or macropinocytosis, which result in DC activation. Activated DCs undergo
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Tspan18 is a novel regulator of thrombo-inflammation. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-05-23 Rebecca L Gavin,Chek Ziu Koo,Michael G Tomlinson
The interplay between thrombosis and inflammation, termed thrombo-inflammation, causes acute organ damage in diseases such as ischaemic stroke and venous thrombosis. We have recently identified tetraspanin Tspan18 as a novel regulator of thrombo-inflammation. The tetraspanins are a family of 33 membrane proteins in humans that regulate the trafficking, clustering, and membrane diffusion of specific
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Tetraspanin CD53: an overlooked regulator of immune cell function. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-05-21 V E Dunlock
Tetraspanins are membrane organizing proteins that play a role in organizing the cell surface through the formation of subcellular domains consisting of tetraspanins and their partner proteins. These complexes are referred to as tetraspanin enriched microdomains (TEMs) or the tetraspanin web. The formation of TEMs allows for the regulation of a variety of cellular processes such as adhesion, migration
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Tetraspanins in mammalian reproduction: spermatozoa, oocytes and embryos. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-05-18 Jana Jankovičová,Zdeňka Neuerová,Petra Sečová,Michaela Bartóková,Filipa Bubeníčková,Kateřina Komrsková,Pavla Postlerová,Jana Antalíková
It is known that tetraspanin proteins are involved in many physiological somatic cell mechanisms. Additionally, research has indicated they also have a role in various infectious diseases and cancers. This review focuses on the molecular interactions underlying the tetraspanin web formation in gametes. Primarily, tetraspanins act in the reproductive tract as organizers of membrane complexes, which
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Tetraspanin CD9 affects HPV16 infection by modulating ADAM17 activity and the ERK signalling pathway. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-05-08 Snježana Mikuličić,Anna Fritzen,Konstanze Scheffer,Johannes Strunk,Carlos Cabañas,Maria Sperrhacke,Karina Reiss,Luise Florin
Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are causative agents of various tumours such as cervical cancer. HPV binding to the cell surface of keratinocytes leads to virus endocytosis at tetraspanin enriched microdomains. Complex interactions of the capsid proteins with host proteins as well as ADAM17-dependent ERK1/2 signal transduction enable the entry platform assembly of the oncogenic HPV type 16. Here, we studied
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Correction to: Multiresistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a new threat in second decade of the XXI century. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-05-07 Beata Młynarczyk-Bonikowska,Anna Majewska,Magdalena Malejczyk,Grażyna Młynarczyk,Sławomir Majewski
The article "Multiresistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a new threat in second decade of the XXI century", written by Beata Młynarczyk‑Bonikowska, Anna Majewska, Magdalena Malejczyk, Grażyna Młynarczyk, Sławomir Majewski was originally published electronically on the publisher's internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on December 04, 2019 without open access.
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Single-nucleotide variants in human CD81 influence hepatitis C virus infection of hepatoma cells. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-04-22 María Pía Alberione,Rebecca Moeller,Jared Kirui,Corinne Ginkel,Mandy Doepke,Luisa J Ströh,Jan-Philipp Machtens,Thomas Pietschmann,Gisa Gerold
An estimated number of 71 million people are living with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection worldwide and 400,000 annual deaths are related to the infection. HCV entry into the hepatocytes is complex and involves several host factors. The tetraspanin human CD81 (hCD81) is one of the four essential entry factors and is composed of one large extracellular loop, one small extracellular loop, four
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Autoimmunity to tetraspanin-7 in type 1 diabetes. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-04-20 Kerry A McLaughlin,Melissa A Tombs,Michael R Christie
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease whereby components of insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cells are targeted by the adaptive immune system leading to the destruction of these cells and insulin deficiency. There is much interest in the development of antigen-specific immune intervention as an approach to prevent disease development in individuals identified as being at risk of disease. It is
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Tetraspanins: integrating cell surface receptors to functional microdomains in homeostasis and disease. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-04-09 Daniel Kummer,Tim Steinbacher,Mariel Flavia Schwietzer,Sonja Thölmann,Klaus Ebnet
Tetraspanins comprise a family of proteins embedded in the membrane through four transmembrane domains. One of the most distinctive features of tetraspanins is their ability to interact with other proteins in the membrane using their extracellular, transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, allowing them to incorporate several proteins into clusters called tetraspanin-enriched microdomains. The spatial
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Luliconazole, a highly effective imidazole, against Fusarium species complexes. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-04-06 Maral Gharaghani,Sahar Hivary,Simin Taghipour,Ali Zarei-Mahmoudabadi
Luliconazole is a new antifungal that was primarily used for the treatment of dermatophytosis. However, some studies have shown that it has excellent efficacy against Aspergillus and Candida species in vitro. The present study aimed to evaluate of luliconazole activity against some Fusarium species complex isolates. In this study, 47 isolates of Fusarium were tested against several antifungals including
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A role for tetraspanin proteins in regulating fusion induced by Burkholderia thailandensis. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-04-06 Atiga Elgawidi,Muslim Idan Mohsin,Fawwaz Ali,Amyleigh Watts,Peter N Monk,Mark S Thomas,Lynda J Partridge
Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease with high morbidity that is endemic in South East Asia and northern Australia. An unusual feature of the bacterium is its ability to induce multinucleated giant cell formation (MNGC), which appears to be related to bacterial pathogenicity. The mechanism of MNGC formation is not fully understood, but host cell factors as well
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Evaluation of Salmonella Typhi antigen YncE alongside HlyE for the detection of typhoid fever and its carriers. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-04-03 Freddy Franklin,Chun Wie Chong,Leong Huat Chua,Amy Amilda Anthony,Mervyn W O Liew,Ismail Aziah,Eugene Boon Beng Ong
Typhoid fever is a disease caused by Salmonella Typhi that was implicated in millions of illnesses worldwide annually. Individuals that do not recover fully from typhoid fever can become asymptomatic carriers of the disease. Host antibodies against the S. Typhi antigens, HlyE (for acute typhoid) and YncE (for carriers) were previously reported to be useful biomarkers for the disease. Here, we expressed
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A review on impedimetric immunosensors for pathogen and biomarker detection. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-04-03 J Leva-Bueno,Sally A Peyman,P A Millner
Since the discovery of antibiotics in the first quarter of the twentieth century, their use has been the principal approach to treat bacterial infection. Modernized medicine such as cancer therapy, organ transplantation or advanced major surgeries require effective antibiotics to manage bacterial infections. However, the irresponsible use of antibiotics along with the lack of development has led to
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Impact of immunosuppressive and antifungal drugs on PBMC- and whole blood-based flow cytometric CD154+ Aspergillus fumigatus specific T-cell quantification. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-03-31 Lukas Page,Chris D Lauruschkat,Johanna Helm,Philipp Weis,Maria Lazariotou,Hermann Einsele,Andrew J Ullmann,Juergen Loeffler,Sebastian Wurster
Flow cytometric quantification of CD154+ mould specific T-cells in antigen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or whole blood has been described as a supportive biomarker to diagnose invasive mould infections and to monitor therapeutic outcomes. As patients at risk frequently receive immunosuppressive and antifungal medication, this study compared the matrix-dependent impact of representative
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Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori babA, oipA, sabA, and homB genes in isolates from Chinese patients with different gastroduodenal diseases. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-03-26 Qiaoyun Zhao,Conghua Song,Ke Wang,Donghong Li,Yang Yang,Dongsheng Liu,Le Wang,Nanjin Zhou,Yong Xie
Disease outcome is associated with virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which are partially attributed to the outer membrane protein (OMP). This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the four OMP genes (babA, oipA, sabA, and homB) and gastroduodenal diseases. One hundred and seventy-seven H. pylori strains were isolated from Chinese patients with different gastroduodenal
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Leptospira interrogans Bat proteins impair host hemostasis by fibrinogen cleavage and platelet aggregation inhibition. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-20 Felipe José Passalia,Marcos Bryan Heinemann,Sonia Aparecida de Andrade,Ana Lucia T O Nascimento,Mônica Larucci Vieira
Leptospirosis is a worldwide spread zoonosis, caused by pathogenic Leptospira. Evidences suggest that compromised hemostasis might be involved in the leptospirosis pathophysiology. In the genome of L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni, we found two genes coding for proteins which comprise von Willebrand factor (VWF) A domains (BatA and BatB). As VWF A domains exhibit multiple binding sites which contributes
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The effects of Japanese encephalitis virus antibodies on Zika virus infection. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-20 Xiaoen He,Xinyue Lang,Jianhai Yu,Li Zhu,Zhiran Qin,Xuling Liu,Pei Chen,Chengguqiu Dai,Tingting Chen,Xujuan Li,Yangyang Chen,Dongrui Zhou,Wanyi Fang,Weiwei Xiao,Bao Zhang,Qian Xie,Qinghua Wu,Wei Zhao
Recently, Zika virus (ZIKV) has become more widespread, thus attracting global attention. The vaccine against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is currently used in China, being included in planned immunisation regimes. Although ZIKV and JEV are closely related mosquito-borne Flaviviruses, and a complex cross-immune response within flaviviruses has been demonstrated, the effect of JEV vaccination on
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Structural proteomics, electron cryo-microscopy and structural modeling approaches in bacteria-human protein interactions. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-19 Sounak Chowdhury,Lotta Happonen,Hamed Khakzad,Lars Malmström,Johan Malmström
A central challenge in infection medicine is to determine the structure and function of host–pathogen protein–protein interactions to understand how these interactions facilitate bacterial adhesion, dissemination and survival. In this review, we focus on proteomics, electron cryo-microscopy and structural modeling to showcase instances where affinity-purification (AP) and cross-linking (XL) mass spectrometry
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A good career start can open doors: the plusses and minuses of an international graduate student program-a student's perspective. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-13 Anchal Malik
There are many Ph.D. programs from various funding agencies that provide excellent starts to a scientific career. Multinational Ph.D. positions attract students because they provide students with much-required exposure to the international scientific community at an early stage of the career. For this reason, multinational Ph.D. positions can be considered as a better career opportunity over Ph.D.
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Human endogenous retroviruses env gene expression and long terminal repeat methylation in colorectal cancer patients. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-10 Maria Dolci,Chiara Favero,Letizia Tarantini,Sonia Villani,Marco Bregni,Lucia Signorini,Alberto Della Valle,Filippo Crivelli,Sarah D'Alessandro,Pasquale Ferrante,Valentina Bollati,Serena Delbue
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) are remnants of exogenous retroviral infections, representing 8% of the human genome. Their regulation is based on the DNA methylation of promoters, the long terminal repeats (LTRs). Transcripts from HERV have been associated with cancers, but reports concerning HERV expression in colorectal cancer remain sporadic. Sixty-three patients with advanced stages of colorectal
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Exploring the potential of polyethylene terephthalate in the design of antibacterial surfaces. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-09 Tugçe Çaykara,Maria G Sande,Nuno Azoia,Ligia R Rodrigues,Carla Joana Silva
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most used polymeric materials in the health care sector mainly due to its advantages that include biocompatibility, high uniformity, mechanical strength and resistance against chemicals and/or abrasion. However, avoiding bacterial contamination on PET is still an unsolved challenge and two main strategies are being explored to overcome this drawback: the
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Comparative multi-assay evaluation of Determine™ HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo rapid diagnostic tests in acute and chronic HIV infection. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-08 Paul R Wratil,Holger F Rabenau,Josef Eberle,Marcel Stern,Maximilian Münchhoff,Imke Friedrichs,Martin Stürmer,Annemarie Berger,Susanne Kuttner-May,Dieter Münstermann,Andreas Lucht,Karolin Meixenberger,Norbert Bannert,Oliver T Keppler
In resource-limited or point-of-care settings, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), that aim to simultaneously detect HIV antibodies and p24 capsid (p24CA) antigen with high sensitivity, can pose important alternatives to screen for early infections. We evaluated the performance of the antibody and antigen components of the old and novel version of the Determine™ HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo RDTs in parallel to quantifications
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New solutions to capture and enrich bacteria from complex samples. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-05 Maria G Sande,Tugçe Çaykara,Carla Joana Silva,Ligia R Rodrigues
Current solutions to diagnose bacterial infections though reliable are often time-consuming, laborious and need a specific laboratory setting. There is an unmet need for bedside accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases with a short turnaround time. Moreover, low-cost diagnostics will greatly benefit regions with poor resources. Immunoassays and molecular techniques have been used to develop highly
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Toll like-receptor agonist Pam3Cys modulates the immunogenicity of liposomes containing the tuberculosis vaccine candidate H56. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-02-04 Kathrin Kennerknecht,Reiner Noschka,Florian Löffler,Stephanie Wehrstedt,Gabriel Kristian Pedersen,Daniel Mayer,Mark Grieshober,Dennis Christensen,Steffen Stenger
A major roadblock in the development of novel vaccines is the formulation and delivery of the antigen. Liposomes composed of a dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) backbone and the adjuvant trehalose-6-6-dibehenate (TDB, termed “cationic adjuvant formulation (CAF01)”, promote immunogenicity and protective efficacy of vaccines, most notably against infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Specifically
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Mouse adaptation of the H9N2 avian influenza virus causes the downregulation of genes related to innate immune responses and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis in mice. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-01-25 Jing Guo,Xinxin Gao,Baotao Liu,Yubao Li,Wenqiang Liu,Jianbiao Lu,Cheng Liu,Rui Xue,Xuyong Li
H9N2 avian influenza viruses sporadically infect humans worldwide. These viruses have also contributed internal genes to H5N1, H5N6, H7N9, and H10N8 viruses, which have been isolated from humans with infections and are a substantial public health threat. To investigate the potential pathogenic mechanism of the H9N2 virus, we performed serial lung-to-lung passage of an avirulent H9N2 avian influenza
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FISH and chips: a review of microfluidic platforms for FISH analysis. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2020-01-21 Pablo Rodriguez-Mateos,Nuno Filipe Azevedo,Carina Almeida,Nicole Pamme
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) allows visualization of specific nucleic acid sequences within an intact cell or a tissue section. It is based on molecular recognition between a fluorescently labeled probe that penetrates the cell membrane of a fixed but intact sample and hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequence of interest within the cell, rendering a measurable signal. FISH has been applied
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Recent advances in the understanding of trimeric autotransporter adhesins. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-12-21 Andreas R Kiessling,Anchal Malik,Adrian Goldman
Adhesion is the initial step in the infection process of gram-negative bacteria. It is usually followed by the formation of biofilms that serve as a hub for further spread of the infection. Type V secretion systems engage in this process by binding to components of the extracellular matrix, which is the first step in the infection process. At the same time they provide protection from the immune system
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Advances in high-throughput methods for the identification of virus receptors. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-12-21 Sarah V Barrass,Sarah J Butcher
Viruses have evolved many mechanisms to invade host cells and establish successful infections. The interaction between viral attachment proteins and host cell receptors is the first and decisive step in establishing such infections, initiating virus entry into the host cells. Therefore, the identification of host receptors is fundamental in understanding pathogenesis and tissue tropism. Furthermore
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Functional characterization and evaluation of protective efficacy of EA752-862 monoclonal antibody against B. anthracis vegetative cell and spores. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-12-06 Saugata Majumder,Shreya Das,Joseph Kingston,M S Shivakiran,H V Batra,Vikas Kumar Somani,Rakesh Bhatnagar
The most promising means of controlling anthrax, a lethal zoonotic disease during the early infection stages, entail restricting the resilient infectious form, i.e., the spores from proliferating to replicating bacilli in the host. The extractible antigen (EA1), a major S-layer protein present on the vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus anthracis, is highly immunogenic and protects mice against
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Multiresistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a new threat in second decade of the XXI century. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-12-04 Beata Młynarczyk-Bonikowska,Anna Majewska,Magdalena Malejczyk,Grażyna Młynarczyk,Sławomir Majewski
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an etiologic agent of gonorrhoea, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases caused by bacteria. For many years, infections caused by N. gonorrhoeae were considered to be relatively easy to treat; however, resistance has emerged successively to all therapeutic agents used in treatment of the disease, e.g., penicillin, ciprofloxacin or azithromycin. Currently, the
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Immunogenicity of trimeric autotransporter adhesins and their potential as vaccine targets. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-12-01 Arno Thibau,Alexander A Dichter,Diana J Vaca,Dirk Linke,Adrian Goldman,Volkhard A J Kempf
The current problem of increasing antibiotic resistance and the resurgence of numerous infections indicate the need for novel vaccination strategies more than ever. In vaccine development, the search for and the selection of adequate vaccine antigens is the first important step. In recent years, bacterial outer membrane proteins have become of major interest, as they are the main proteins interacting
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Interaction with the host: the role of fibronectin and extracellular matrix proteins in the adhesion of Gram-negative bacteria. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-11-29 Diana J Vaca,Arno Thibau,Monika Schütz,Peter Kraiczy,Lotta Happonen,Johan Malmström,Volkhard A J Kempf
The capacity of pathogenic microorganisms to adhere to host cells and avoid clearance by the host immune system is the initial and most decisive step leading to infections. Bacteria have developed different strategies to attach to diverse host surface structures. One important strategy is the adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins (e.g., collagen, fibronectin, laminin) that are highly abundant
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Human adenovirus binding to host cell receptors: a structural view. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-11-29 Aleksandra Cecylia Stasiak,Thilo Stehle
Human Adenoviruses (HAdVs) are a family of clinically and therapeutically relevant viruses. A precise understanding of their host cell attachment and entry mechanisms can be applied in inhibitor design and the construction of targeted gene delivery vectors. In this article, structural data on adenovirus attachment and entry are reviewed. HAdVs engage two types of receptors: first, an attachment receptor
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Structure and function of minor pilins of type IV pili. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-11-29 Theis Jacobsen,Benjamin Bardiaux,Olivera Francetic,Nadia Izadi-Pruneyre,Michael Nilges
Type IV pili are versatile and highly flexible fibers formed on the surface of many Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Virulence and infection rate of several pathogenic bacteria, such as Neisseria meningitidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are strongly dependent on the presence of pili as they facilitate the adhesion of the bacteria to the host cell. Disruption of the interactions between the
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Differences and overlaps between Phd studies in diagnostic microbiology in industrial and academic settings. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-11-29 Alex van Belkum,Andreu Coello Pelegrin,Rucha Datar,Manisha Goyal,Mattia Palmieri,Caroline Mirande,Valérie Chalansonnet,Sylvain Orenga
Industrial and academic needs for innovation and fundamental research are essential and not widely different. Depending on the industrial setting, research and development (R&D) activities may be more focused on the developmental aspects given the need to ultimately sell useful products. However, one of the biggest differences between academic and industrial R&D will usually be the funding model applied
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Alternative pathway of complement activation has a beneficial role against Chandipura virus infection. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-11-28 Pooja Gupta,Anuradha S Tripathy
The complement system is a critical component of both innate and adaptive immune responses. It has both protective and pathogenic roles in viral infections. There are no studies regarding the role of complement system in Chandipura virus (CHPV) infection. The current study has investigated the role of complement pathways in the in vitro neutralization of CHPV in Vero E6 cells. Using normal human serum
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Alternative complement pathway is activated in the brains of scrapie-infected rodents. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-11-12 Cao Chen,Yan Lv,Chao Hu,Xiao-Feng Xu,Ren-Qing Zhang,Kang Xiao,Yue Ma,Li-Ping Gao,Jian-Le Li,Qiang Shi,Jing Wang,Qi Shi,Xiao-Ping Dong
Activation of complement system in central nervous system (CNS) of the patients suffering from prion diseases or animal models infected with prion agents experimentally is reported repeatedly, but which pathways are involved in the complement system during prion infection is not well documented. Here, we evaluated the level of complement factor B (CFB), which is the key factor that triggers alterative
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A new multi-epitope peptide vaccine induces immune responses and protection against Leishmania infantum in BALB/c mice. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-11-06 Bahareh Vakili,Navid Nezafat,Bijan Zare,Nasrollah Erfani,Maryam Akbari,Younes Ghasemi,Mohammad Reza Rahbar,Gholam Reza Hatam
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a tropical and subtropical disease which is endemic in more than eighty countries around the world. Leishmania infantum is one of the main causative agents of VL disease. Currently, there is no approved-to-market vaccine for VL therapy. In this study, we evaluated cellular and humoral immune responses induced by our newly designed multi-epitope vaccine in BALB/c mice
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Correction to: T-cell aging in end-stage renal disease: an evolving story with CMV. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-12-01 TienYu Owen Yang,Yi-Fang Chuang,Yen-Ling Chiu
Unfortunately in the original article the first author name incorrectly published as TienYu Yang. The correct name is TienYu Owen Yang.
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Brexit in the channel: Europe cut off: a young German scientist's perspective. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (IF 1.961) Pub Date : 2019-11-29 Andreas R Kiessling