Zinc Metalloprotease ProA from Inhibits the Pro-Inflammatory Host Response by Degradation of Bacterial Flagellin.

The environmental bacterium is an intracellular pathogen of various protozoan hosts and able to cause Legionnaires' disease, a severe pneumonia in humans. By encoding a wide selection of virulence factors, the infectious agent possesses several strategies to manipulate its host cells and evade immune detection. In the present study, we demonstrate that the zinc metalloprotease ProA functions as a modulator of flagellin-mediated TLR5 stimulation and subsequent activation of the pro-inflammatory NF-κB pathway.

Evaluation of Integrated HPV DNA as Individualized Biomarkers for the Detection of Recurrent CIN2/3 during Post-Treatment Surveillance.

Purpose: Post-treatment follow-up in women with cervical pre-cancers (CIN3) is mandatory due to relapse in up to 10% of patients. Standard follow-up based on hrHPV-DNA/cytology co-testing has high sensitivity but limited specificity. The aim of our prospective, multicenter, observational study was to test the hypothesis that an individualized viral-cellular-junction test (vcj-PCR) combined with cytology has a lower false positive rate for the prediction of recurrence compared to standard co-testing.

Zinc metalloprotease ProA of Legionella pneumophila increases alveolar septal thickness in human lung tissue explants by collagen IV degradation.

ProA is a secreted zinc metalloprotease of Legionella pneumophila causing lung damage in animal models of Legionnaires' disease. Here we demonstrate that ProA promotes infection of human lung tissue explants (HLTEs) and dissect the contribution to cell type specific replication and extracellular virulence mechanisms. For the first time, we reveal that co-incubation of HLTEs with purified ProA causes a significant increase of the alveolar septal thickness.

The immune response to crosslinked tissue is reduced in decellularized xenogeneic and absent in decellularized allogeneic heart valves.

Background: The degeneration and failure of xenogeneic heart valves, such as the Matrix P Plus valve (MP-V) consisting of decellularized porcine valves (dec-pV) and equine glutaraldehyde-fixed conduits (ga-eC) have been linked to tissue immunogenicity accompanied by antibody formation. In contrast, decellularized allograft valves (dec-aV) are well-tolerated. Here, we determined tissue-specific antibody levels in patients after implantation of MP-V or dec-aV and related them to valve failure or time period after implantation.

Prostate Biopsy Core Handling: Comparison of Contemporary Preembedding Methods.

Introduction: The probability of prostate cancer detection is related to the amount of tissue represented. For optimal tissue representation, the specimens should preserve their regular cylindrical shape and avoid artefacts and deformation caused by fixation and preembedding. The aim of our study was to compare contemporary preembedding methods including a new method of using thick cardboard.

Destructive tumours of the larynx mimicking osteosarcoma: two cases of osteoblastoma with organ-saving resection and follow-up.

Osteoblastoma of the larynx is an extremely rare type of locally progressive and destructive tumour which is mimicking osteosarcoma radiologically and histologically. Since prognostic and therapeutic strategies for benign osteoblastoma differ from the more common osteosarcoma of the larynx, a meticulous pre-operative histological diagnosis is required to avoid over-therapy. We report about two patients with osteoblastoma of the larynx with organ-saving resection and long-period follow-up without tumour recurrence.