Comprehensive infectious disease screening in a cohort of unaccompanied refugee minors in Germany from 2016 to 2017: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Information regarding the prevalence of infectious diseases (IDs) in child and adolescent refugees in Europe is scarce. Here, we evaluate a standardized ID screening protocol in a cohort of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) in a municipal region of southwest Germany.

Methods And Findings: From January 2016 to December 2017, we employed a structured questionnaire to screen a cohort of 890 URMs.

T cells are required for the production of blister-inducing autoantibodies in experimental epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita is a prototypical organ-specific autoimmune disease caused by autoantibodies against type VII collagen of the dermal-epidermal junction. Although mechanisms of autoantibody-induced blister formation were extensively characterized, the initiation of autoantibody production in autoimmune blistering diseases is still poorly defined. In the current study, we addressed the role of T cells for the production of blister-inducing autoantibodies in mice immunized with type VII collagen.

Neonatal Fc receptor deficiency protects from tissue injury in experimental epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune blistering disease caused by autoantibodies against type VII collagen. The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) regulates immunoglobulin G (IgG) homeostasis and thus controls serum levels of antibodies. In this study, we investigated the effects of FcRn deficiency on the levels of autoantibodies against type VII collagen and blistering in EBA.

Decreased platelet reactivity identified by whole blood flow cytometry in Fanconi anaemia patients.

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare inherited chromosome instability disorder characterized by congenital anomalies and a high risk for bone marrow failure and cancer. Bleeding is a frequent complication in FA, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. Thrombocytopenia is a major factor leading to this complication, but the bleeding tendency of FA patients often exceeds what one might expect based on their platelet counts.

Chorioamnionitis is associated with increased CD40L expression on cord blood platelets.

Chorioamnionitis (CA) is a severe infection responsible not only for premature birth but also for many severe neonatal diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of CD40L and P-selectin on platelets and the plasma levels of their soluble forms in the umbilical cord blood in infants with documented chorioamnionitis. Umbilical cord blood samples were obtained from 10 healthy term newborns, 10 non-infected preterm infants, 10 preterm infants with premature rupture of membranes and 9 preterm infants with clinical and histological CA.

Allogeneic core amino acids of an immunodominant allopeptide are important for MHC binding and TCR recognition.

The indirect alloimmune response seems to be restricted to a few dominant major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-derived peptides responsible for T-cell activation in allograft rejection. The molecular mechanisms of indirect T-cell activation have been studied using peptide analogues derived from the dominant allopeptide in vitro, whereas the in vivo effects of peptide analogues have not been well characterized yet. In the present study, we generated allochimeric peptide analogues by replacing the three allogeneic amino acids 5L, 9L, and 10T in the sequence of the dominant MHC class I allopeptide P1.

Hierarchical immunogenicity of donor MHC class I peptides in allotransplantation.

The recognition of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) allopeptides by recipient MHC class II-restricted CD4(+) T cells via indirect pathway is a prerequisite for the generation of an immune response to the allograft. We tested 13-mer to 24-mer peptides from the MHC class I molecule for their possible immunogenicity in a fully MHC-mismatched rat strain combination. Our results confirm the hierarchical distribution of the immunogenicity of donor MHC class I peptides in the T cell alloactivation via indirect pathway.