Viral infections in hospitalized children in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic: Association with non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Background: Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) during the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission also influenced transmission of viruses other than SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the burden of common viral respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in children admitted to Berlin University Children's Hospital (BCH) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic at different levels of public NPI measures.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the frequency of detection of common human respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses from January 2016 through January 2022 in all patients admitted to BCH.

Monitoring for COVID-19 by universal testing in a homeless shelter in Germany: a prospective feasibility cohort study.

Background: Living conditions in homeless shelters facilitate the transmission of COVID-19. Social determinants and pre-existing health conditions place homeless people at increased risk of severe disease. Described outbreaks in homeless shelters resulted in high proportions of infected residents and staff members.

A single dose of the Biontech/Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine protected elderly residents from severe COVID-19 during a SARS-coronavirus-2 outbreak in a senior citizen home in Germany.

Background: A total of 62/66 (93.9%) residents in a senior citizen home in Bremen, Germany, received the first dose of the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine BNT162b2 on December 27th 2020. After routine severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen tests showed positive results on January 5th, all residents and staff were tested by RT-PCR.

Predictive value of C-reactive protein for radiographic spinal progression in axial spondyloarthritis in dependence on genetic determinants of fibrin clot formation and fibrinolysis.

Objective: Genetic determinants of fibrin clot formation and fibrinolysis have an impact on local and systemic inflammatory response. The aim of the present study was to assess whether coagulation-related genotypes affect the predictive value of C-reactive protein (CRP) in regards of radiographic spinal progression in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Methods: Two hundred and eight patients with axSpA from the German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort were characterised for genotypes of α-fibrinogen, β-fibrinogen (FGB) and γ-fibrinogen, factor XIII A-subunit (F13A) and α-antiplasmin (A2AP).

Estimating infectiousness throughout SARS-CoV-2 infection course.

Two elementary parameters for quantifying viral infection and shedding are viral load and whether samples yield a replicating virus isolate in cell culture. We examined 25,381 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Germany, including 6110 from test centers attended by presymptomatic, asymptomatic, and mildly symptomatic (PAMS) subjects, 9519 who were hospitalized, and 1533 B.1.

Early Diagnosis of HIV-1 and HIV-2 Using Cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 Qualitative Test: A Novel Qualitative Nucleic Acid Amplification Test for Plasma, Serum, and Dried Blood Spot Specimens.

Background: Nucleic acid amplification tests (NATs) minimize the time from HIV infection to diagnosis, reducing transmission during acute HIV. NATs are especially useful for diagnosing HIV in children younger than 18 months and discriminating between HIV-1 and HIV-2.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of the cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 qualitative (cobas HIV-1/2 Qual) test for use on cobas 6800/8800 Systems.

Dysbiosis and Enhanced Beta-Defensin Production in Hair Follicles of Patients with Lichen Planopilaris and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia.

Despite their distinct clinical manifestation, frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) and lichen planopilaris (LPP) display similar histopathologic features. Aberrant innate immune responses to endogenous or exogenous triggers have been discussed as factors that could drive inflammatory cascades and the collapse of the stem cell niche. In this exploratory study, we investigate the bacterial composition of scalp skin and plucked hair follicles (HF) of patients with FFA, LPP and alopecia areata circumscripta (AAc), as well as healthy individuals, in relation to cellular infiltrates and the expression of defense mediators.

Identification of anti-microbial peptides and traces of microbial DNA in infrainfundibular compartments of human scalp terminal hair follicles.

Background: The upper follicular compartment, a well-known reservoir of cutaneous microbiota, constitutes a space for intensive cross-barrier dialogue. The lower follicle comprises the bulb and bulge, structures with relative immune-privileged status, crucial for physiological cycling, and widely considered to be microbial-free.

Objectives: Following our initial immunohistochemical screening for regulatory cytokines and defensin expression in anagen hair follicles, we aimed to confirm our results with a follow-up ELISA investigation.

Relation of α-Antiplasmin Genotype and Genetic Determinants of Fibrinogen Synthesis and Fibrin Clot Formation with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Level in Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objective: Coagulation and fibrinolysis are interrelated with the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which frequently is increased in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). We tested whether (i) α-antiplasmin (A2AP) Arg6Trp, (ii) fibrinogen, factor XIII A-subunit or B-subunit genotypes are associated with VEGF levels and assessed whether the known association between elevated VEGF and radiographic spinal progression in axSpA depends on genetic background.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-six axSpA patients from the German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort were genotyped, characterized for VEGF levels, and statistically analyzed.

Fibrinogen, factor XIII and α-antiplasmin genotypes are associated with inflammatory activity and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies.

Background: Fibrin(ogen) derivatives, crosslinked fibrin and fibrinolysis play important roles in inflammation and are involved in pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). About 2/3 of RA patients exhibit anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) that target deiminated fibrinogen. Genetic variants of β-fibrinogen (FGB) (rs1800790G>A) and factor XIII A-subunit (F13A) Val34Leu (rs5985) are known to influence interactively inflammatory processes.

Persistent pure red cell aplasia in dicygotic twins with persistent congenital parvovirus B19 infection-remission following high dose intravenous immunoglobulin.

Unlabelled: We report the course of dicygotic twins born preterm after 29 (4)/7 weeks of gestation due to congenital Parvovirus B19 infection causing fetal hydrops with severe anemia in one infant in whom intrauterine transfusion was impossible to perform and high levels of viremia in both infants. After being discharged, they were readmitted at 3 months of age with critical aplastic crisis. Therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin infusion resulted in decreasing viremia followed by stable hemoglobin levels in both infants.

Serum hepatitis B virus RNA levels as an early predictor of hepatitis B envelope antigen seroconversion during treatment with polymerase inhibitors.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion represents an endpoint of treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. We have studied whether levels of serum HBV RNA during polymerase inhibitor treatment might be helpful for predicting HBeAg seroconversion. HBV RNA levels were determined in serial serum samples from 62 patients with chronic HBV infection (50 HBeAg positive).

Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) outbreak among 15 school-aged HIV-1-infected children.

Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are considered to be at increased risk for 2009 H1N1 influenza-related complications. We performed an observational study after an outbreak of 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection among a group of 15 HIV-1-infected school-aged children in Germany in October 2009. Clinical course, kinetics of viral shedding, and antibody response among children with CD4 cell counts >350 cells/μL and 2009 H1N1 influenza virus coinfection did not appear to differ from that among healthy children.

Quantitative detection and typing of hepatitis D virus in human serum by real-time polymerase chain reaction and melting curve analysis.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is an important etiologic agent of fulminant hepatitis and may aggravate the clinical course of chronic hepatitis B infection resulting in cirrhosis and liver failure. This report describes the establishment of a real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method that allows the quantitative detection of HDV-1 and HDV-3 with a sensitivity in a linear range of 2 x 10(3) to 10(8) copies/mL. Additionally, the new assay provides the opportunity to distinguish HDV-1 from HDV-3 by a subsequent melting curve analysis, an important option because these HDV types are highly associated with severe clinical outcome.

Improvement of an ultrasensitive human immunodeficiency virus type 1 real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction targeting the long terminal repeat region.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) assays applying nucleic acid testing (NAT) rely on HIV-1 sequence-specific primers and probes. Their hybridization can be limited or abolished by genetic polymorphisms occurring in the target sequence.

Study Design And Methods: Blood donations are routinely tested for HIV-1/2 antibodies and for HIV-1 RNA in our blood transfusion unit.

3D structure of phosphofructokinase from Pichia pastoris: Localization of the novel gamma-subunits.

The largest and one of the most complex ATP-dependent allosteric phosphofructokinase (Pfk) has been found in the methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris. The enzyme is a hetero-oligomer ( approximately 1MDa) composed of three distinct subunits (alpha, beta and gamma) with molecular masses of 109, 104 and 41kDa, respectively. While the alpha- and beta-subunits show sequence similarities to other phosphofructokinase subunits, the gamma-subunit does not show high homology to any known protein in the databases.

Noninfectious transfusion of platelets donated before detection of human immunodeficiency virus RNA in plasma.

Background: It is unknown whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be transmitted via blood products donated after primary HIV-1 infection before the detection of viral RNA in plasma.

Case Report: From a 39-year-old repeat donor, double plateletpheresis donations were collected on Days 4 and 18 after the presumptive date of primary HIV-1 infection. The former apheresis donations tested negative for the presence of HIV and were transfused to two patients, whereas the latter donation tested positive by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) but not in antibody screening and was not released for transfusion.

Structures of S. pombe phosphofructokinase in the F6P-bound and ATP-bound states.

Phosphofructokinase (Pfk1; EC 2.7.1.

A novel form of 6-phosphofructokinase. Identification and functional relevance of a third type of subunit in Pichia pastoris.

Classically, 6-phosphofructokinases are homo- and hetero-oligomeric enzymes consisting of alpha subunits and alpha/beta subunits, respectively. Herein, we describe a new form of 6-phosphofructokinase (Pfk) present in several Pichia species, which is composed of three different types of subunit, alpha, beta, and gamma. The sequence of the gamma subunit shows no similarity to classic Pfk subunits or to other known protein sequences.

Genetic relationship between human and animal isolates of Candida albicans.

Analyzing Candida albicans isolates from different human and animal individuals by Ca3 fingerprinting, we obtained no evidence for host-specific genotypes and for the existence of species-specific lineages, even though a certain degree of separation between human and animal isolates was found. Therefore, animals could potentially serve as reservoirs for human Candida infection.

Interaction of 6-phosphofructokinase with cytosolic proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Hetero-octameric 6-phosphofructokinase (Pfk-1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is composed of two types of subunits, alpha and beta, which are encoded by the unlinked genes PFK1 and PFK2. Pfk single deletion mutants expressing only one type of subunit exhibit Pfk-1 activity in vivo which, however, is completely lost immediately after cell disruption. In order to elucidate the preconditions of the in vivo activity of the mutant enzymes composed of either alpha- or beta-subunits, we have investigated their potential interaction with selected heat shock and cytoskeletal proteins, employing co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence microscopy.

C-terminal modification of 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its influence on enzyme structure and activity.

Studies on limited proteolysis of 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase (Pfk-1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae led to the suggestion that the C-terminal part of the alpha-subunit must contribute to the stabilisation of the octameric enzyme structure. To analyse the role of the C-terminus in vivo, the respective terminus of one of both types of subunits of Pfk-1 was sequentially truncated or extended. These modifications resulted in a decrease of the protein level of the mutated subunit and of the specific enzyme activity in the cell-free extract as well as in changes of the kinetic properties.

Molecular genetics of 6-phosphofructokinase in Pichia pastoris.

Previously, studies on glucose-induced microautophagy in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris provided evidence that the glucose-induced selective autophagy-1-protein is the alpha-subunit of 6-phosphofructokinase (Pfk), a key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway. In our work, we could clearly demonstrate that two types of subunits of Pfk exist in P. pastoris.