Localization of Staphylococcus aureus in tissue from the nasal vestibule in healthy carriers.

Background: Colonization of the body is an important step in Staphylococcus aureus infection. S. aureus colonizes skin and mucous membranes in humans and several animal species.

CD4 regulatory T cells in gastric cancer mucosa are proliferating and express high levels of IL-10 but little TGF-β.

Background: An increase of regulatory T cells, defined as CD25- and/or FOXP3-expressing CD4 T cells, within tumors has been reported in several studies. Tregs promote tumor growth by modulating the antitumor immune response, mainly through inhibition of T-cell-mediated tumor cell killing: this has been suggested to be dependent on IL-10 and/or TGF-β. In stomach cancer, the mechanisms behind the accumulation of Tregs in tumor tissue has not been fully elucidated, and neither has Treg gene expression in situ.

TLR5, a novel mediator of innate immunity-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone loss.

Accumulating evidence points to the importance of the innate immune system in inflammation-induced bone loss in infectious and autoimmune diseases. TLRs are well known for being activated by ligands expressed by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Recent findings indicate that also endogenous ligands in inflammatory processes are important, one being a TLR5 agonist present in synovial fluid from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Osteoblast-derived WNT16 represses osteoclastogenesis and prevents cortical bone fragility fractures.

The WNT16 locus is a major determinant of cortical bone thickness and nonvertebral fracture risk in humans. The disability, mortality and costs caused by osteoporosis-induced nonvertebral fractures are enormous. We demonstrate here that Wnt16-deficient mice develop spontaneous fractures as a result of low cortical thickness and high cortical porosity.

Cysteine proteinase inhibitors regulate human and mouse osteoclastogenesis by interfering with RANK signaling.

The cysteine proteinase inhibitor cystatin C inhibited RANKL-stimulated osteoclast formation in mouse bone marrow macrophage cultures, an effect associated with decreased mRNA expression of Acp5, Calcr, Ctsk, Mmp9, Itgb3, and Atp6i, without effect on proliferation or apoptosis. The effects were concentration dependent with half-maximal inhibition at 0.3 μM.

FOXP3-expressing CD4(+) T-cell numbers increase in areas of duodenal gastric metaplasia and are associated to CD4(+) T-cell aggregates in the duodenum of Helicobacter pylori-infected duodenal ulcer patients.

Background: We have previously demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with an increased number of CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells in the gastric and duodenal mucosa. In this study, we determined the number and localization of CD4(+) cells expressing the regulatory T-cell-specific transcription factor FOXP3 in the antrum and duodenum of duodenal ulcer patients, asymptomatic carriers, and uninfected individuals. We also determined gene expression levels of FOXP3 as well as anti- and proinflammatory cytokines before and after H.

Comparison of mucosal B- and T-cell responses in Helicobacter pylori-infected subjects in a developing and a developed country.

Helicobacter pylori is highly endemic in developing countries, but comparatively little is known about mucosal immune responses to H. pylori in these settings. Therefore, we have compared B- and T-cell responses, with a focus on the gastrointestinal mucosa, in H.

The local and systemic T-cell response to Helicobacter pylori in gastric cancer patients is characterised by production of interleukin-10.

Helicobacter pylori causes a life-long infection that may lead to development of gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) and thereby cause major worldwide health problems. The present study was designed to study whether those that develop GC have an altered immune response to H. pylori compared to individuals that remain asymptomatic.

Function and recruitment of mucosal regulatory T cells in human chronic Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric adenocarcinoma.

CD4(+)CD25(high) FOXP3-expressing regulatory T cells (Treg) can suppress immune responses to infections and tumors, thereby promoting microbial persistence and tumor progression. However, little is known about the phenotype and function of human mucosal Treg. Therefore, we analyzed the suppressive activity and homing phenotype of Treg in gastric mucosa of Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric adenocarcinoma patients.

Cross-linking of transmembrane helices in proton-translocating nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from Escherichia coli: implications for the structure and function of the membrane domain.

Proton-pumping nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from Escherichia coli contains an alpha and a beta subunit of 54 and 49 kDa, respectively, and is made up of three domains. Domain I (dI) and III (dIII) are hydrophilic and contain the NAD(H)- and NADP(H)-binding sites, respectively, whereas the hydrophobic domain II (dII) contains 13 transmembrane alpha-helices and harbours the proton channel. Using a cysteine-free transhydrogenase, the organization of dII and helix-helix distances were investigated by the introduction of one or two cysteines in helix-helix loops on the periplasmic side.