IL-27 regulates the differentiation of follicular helper NKT cells via metabolic adaptation of mitochondria.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes that express an invariant T cell receptor α chain and contribute to bridging innate and acquired immunity with rapid production of large amounts of cytokines after stimulation. Among effecter subsets of iNKT cells, follicular helper NKT (NKT) cells are specialized to help B cells. However, the mechanisms of NKT cell differentiation remain to be elucidated.

Staphylococcus aureus utilizes environmental RNA as a building material in specific polysaccharide-dependent biofilms.

Biofilms are surface-bound microbial communities that are typically embedded in a matrix of self-produced extracellular polymeric substances and can cause chronic infections. Extracellular DNA is known to play a crucial role in biofilm development in diverse bacteria; however, the existence and function of RNA are poorly understood. Here, we show that RNA contributes to the structural integrity of biofilms formed by the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus.

Redundant and Distinct Roles of Secreted Protein Eap and Cell Wall-Anchored Protein SasG in Biofilm Formation and Pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus.

Chronic and fatal infections caused by are sometimes associated with biofilm formation. Secreted proteins and cell wall-anchored proteins (CWAPs) are important for the development of polysaccharide-independent biofilms, but functional relationships between these proteins are unclear. In the present study, we report the roles of the extracellular adherence protein Eap and the surface CWAP SasG in MR23, a clinical methicillin-resistant isolate that forms a robust protein-dependent biofilm and accumulates a large amount of Eap in the extracellular matrix.

Detection of bacterial DNA from central venous catheter removed from patients by next generation sequencing: a preliminary clinical study.

Background: Catheter-related infection (CRI) is one of the serious challenges in clinical practice. This preliminary clinical study aimed to examine whether next-generation sequencing (NGS) targeting 16S rDNA, which was PCR-amplified directly from the tip of a central venous catheter (CVC), can be used to identify causative pathogens in CRI, compared to the culture method.

Methods: Hospitalized patients, from whom a CVC had just been removed, were prospectively enrolled and divided into the CRI-suspected and routine removal groups.

Broad impact of extracellular DNA on biofilm formation by clinically isolated Methicillin-resistant and -sensitive strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major causative agent for biofilm-associated infections. Inside biofilms, S. aureus cells are embedded in an extracellular matrix (ECM) composed of polysaccharide-intercellular adhesins (PIA), proteins, and/or extracellular DNA (eDNA).

Imaging of bacterial multicellular behaviour in biofilms in liquid by atmospheric scanning electron microscopy.

Biofilms are complex communities of microbes that attach to biotic or abiotic surfaces causing chronic infectious diseases. Within a biofilm, microbes are embedded in a self-produced soft extracellular matrix (ECM), which protects them from the host immune system and antibiotics. The nanoscale visualisation of delicate biofilms in liquid is challenging.

A refined technique for extraction of extracellular matrices from bacterial biofilms and its applicability.

Biofilm-forming bacteria embedded in polymeric extracellular matrices (ECMs) that consist of polysaccharides, proteins and/or extracellular DNAs (eDNAs) acquire high resistance to antimicrobial agents and host immune systems. To understand molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and maintenance and to develop therapeutic countermeasures against chronic biofilm-associated infections, reliable methods to isolate ECMs are inevitable. In this study, we refined the ECM extraction method recently reported and evaluated its applicability.

Comparison of free and anonymous testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections between the University Hospital and Health Center.

We gathered data regarding age, sex, and positivity rates for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis, gonococcus, and chlamydia from individuals who underwent free and anonymous sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing conducted at the Jikei University School of Medicine Hospital (our hospital). These data were compared to results of subjects who underwent similar testing at the Minato Health Center and several private facilities of urologists and gynecologists belonging to the Minato Ward Medical Association. The positivity rate of chlamydia was found to be high in female subjects, particularly at the Minato Health Center, with 15 of 194 subjects (7.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality in patients with bacteremia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objective: The mortality rates for bacteremia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa remain high. In our hospital, we performed retrospective analyses to determine risk factors for mortality among patients with bacteremia caused by P. aeruginosa.