Bactofencin YH, a novel bacteriocin with high inhibitory activity against clinical Streptococcus species.

Strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum D1 with bacteriocin producing ability was found in the intestine of Gambusia affinis. The bacteriocin was found to have high inhibitory activity against multiple Streptococcus species and several other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteriocin was purified from culture supernatant by ion-exchange chromatography, Sep-Pak C cartridge, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC).

Streptococcus taoyuanensis sp. nov., a Novel Species Isolated from a Patient with Bacteremia.

Streptococcus spp. are important opportunistic pathogen of bacteremia in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients. A streptococcal strain, designated ST2, was isolated from the blood specimen of a bacteremic patient.

Streptococcus taonis sp. nov., a novel bacterial species isolated from a blood culture of a patient.

One Gram stain-positive, catalase-negative, α-hemolytic, chain-forming or paired cocci, designated ST22-14, was isolated from a blood culture of a child with suspected infection. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequences analyses showed that the most closely related species to strain ST22-14 were "Streptococcus vulneris" DM3B3 (99.2%), Streptococcus mitis NCTC 12261 (99.

High Induction of IL-6 Secretion From hUCMSCs Optimize the Potential of hUCMSCs and TCZ as Therapy for COVID-19-Related ARDS.

Biological and cellular interleukin-6 (IL-6)-related therapies have been used to treat severe COVID-19 pneumonia with hyperinflammatory syndrome and acute respiratory failure, which prompted further exploration of the role of IL-6 in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUCMSC) therapy. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were responders cocultured with hUCMSCs or exogenous IL-6. A PBMC suppression assay was used to analyze the anti-inflammatory effects via MTT assay.

Decline in hospitalization for childhood asthma in different air pollution regions in Taiwan, 2001-2012.

This study aimed to investigate the trends in childhood asthma hospitalization in regions with differing levels of air pollution in Taiwan, 2001-2012. Joinpoint regression was used to identify significant trend changes. The hospitalization rate varied according to gender, geographic region, and age.

Therapeutic effects of a single injection of human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells on acute and chronic colitis in mice.

Multiple injections of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) have been used for treatment of chronic colitis in mice. We aimed to report the therapeutic effects of a single injection of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) on acute and chronic colitis. Male C57BL/6JNarl mice were divided into control, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and hUCMSCs treated groups, respectively.

The Short-Term Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Childhood Asthma Hospitalization in Taiwan: A National Study.

This investigation determined the effects of air pollution on childhood asthma hospitalization in regions with differing air pollution levels in Taiwan over a long time period. Data of childhood hospital admissions for asthma in patients aged 0⁻18 years and air quality in eight regions for the period 2001⁻2012 in Taiwan were collected. Poisson generalized linear regression analysis was employed to identify the relative risks of hospitalization due to asthma in children associated with exposure to varying levels of air pollutants with a change in the interquartile range after adjusting for temperature and relative humidity.

Application of a Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Design to Explore the Effects of Air Pollution and Season on Childhood Asthma Hospitalization in Cities of Differing Urban Patterns: Big Data Analytics of Government Open Data.

Few studies have assessed the lagged effects of levels of different urban city air pollutants and seasons on asthma hospitalization in children. This study used big data analysis to explore the effects of daily changes in air pollution and season on childhood asthma hospitalization from 2001 to 2010 in Taipei and Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. A time-stratified case-crossover study and conditional logistic regression analysis were employed to identify associations between the risk of hospitalization due to asthma in children and the levels of air pollutants (PM, PM, O₃, SO₂, and NO₂) in the days preceding hospitalization.

The modulation of Th2 immune pathway in the immunosuppressive effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in a murine asthmatic model.

Background: Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease that has a high prevalence nowadays, and seeking the means of relieving asthmatic symptoms is now an issue with increased importance. While mesenchymal stem cells have been demonstrated to display immunomodulatory effects, the effect of fetus-type mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on asthmatic symptoms in vivo have not been reported to date.

Methods: Female BALB/c mice at 8 weeks of age were sensitized by ovalbumin, and MSCs derived from Wharton's jelly of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) were injected into the asthmatic mice.

Downregulated CXCL12 expression in mesenchymal stem cells associated with severe aplastic anemia in children.

The mechanisms of idiopathic severe aplastic anemia (SAA) in children are not completely understood. Insufficiency of the bone marrow microenvironment, in which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an important element, can be a potential factor associated with hematopoietic impairment. In the current study, we studied whether aberrant gene expression could be found in MSCs from children with SAA.

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is becoming an effective therapeutic modality for a variety of diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used to enhance hematopoietic engraftment, accelerate lymphocyte recovery, reduce the risk of graft failure, prevent and treat graft-versus-host disease, and repair tissue damage in patients receiving HSCT. Till now, most MSCs for human clinical application have been derived from bone marrow.

The role of mesenchymal stem cells in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: from bench to bedsides.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to be effective in the management of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) due to their immunomodulatory effects. In addition to prevention and treatment of GVHD, many studies have demonstrated that MSCs can promote hematopoietic engraftment, accelerate lymphocyte recovery, reduce the risk of graft failure, and repair tissue damage in patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Bone marrow (BM) has been considered as the traditional source of MSCs, and most of the knowledge concerning MSCs comes from BM studies.

The comparison of interleukin 6-associated immunosuppressive effects of human ESCs, fetal-type MSCs, and adult-type MSCs.

Background: Although human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from various sources display immunomodulatory effects, direct comparisons among these classes of stem cells have not been reported.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell suppression assays and carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester assays were used to assess the immunosuppressive effects of stem cells. Gene expression was measured using DNA microarrays.

Effective treatment of severe steroid-resistant acute graft-versus-host disease with umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Background: Severe steroid-resistant acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is associated with high mortality. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) have been found to be immunosuppressive, and intravenous infusion of BMMSC is an effective therapy for steroid-resistant aGVHD. However, acquiring BMMSC requires an invasive procedure.

Poor potential of proliferation and differentiation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells derived from children with severe aplastic anemia.

The pathogenesis of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) has not been completely understood, and insufficiency of the hematopoietic microenvironment can be an important factor. Here, we compared the basic properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a major component of bone marrow microenvironment, from five SAA children with those of MSCs from five controls. Although MSCs from SAA children and controls were similar in morphology and immunophenotypic profile, SAA MSCs had slower expansion rate and smaller cumulative population doubling (1.

Sequential evaluation of serum monocyte chemotactic protein 1 among asymptomatic state and acute exacerbation and remission of asthma in children.

Background: Monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) plays an important role in various immune and allergic disorders since it is a potent chemo-attractant for inflammatory cells, such as eosinophils, memory T cells, and monocytes.

Objective: To investigate serum MCP-1 during asymptomatic state and acute attacks of bronchial asthma.

Methods: In this longitudinal cohort design study, sequential serum levels of MCP-1 were measured by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Septic arthritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: salmonella and nonsalmonella infections compared.

Objectives: To assess the clinical characteristics and outcome of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with septic arthritis.

Methods: In this 20-year retrospective study, we reviewed the charts of SLE patients with septic arthritis confirmed by synovial fluid analysis and culture. To identify risk factors for septic arthritis, data of SLE patients with septic arthritis were compared with data of 100 hospitalized SLE patients without septic arthritis.

RANTES and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 as sensitive markers of disease activity in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: a six-year longitudinal study.

Objective: To longitudinally investigate serum and synovial fluid (SF) levels of RANTES and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) as well as in vitro migration of mononuclear cells toward SF in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).

Methods: Serum and SF levels of RANTES and MCP-1 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Chemotaxis was performed using the modified Boyden chamber method.

Ding Chuan Tang, a Chinese herb decoction, could improve airway hyper-responsiveness in stabilized asthmatic children: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of application in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Solid scientific evidence, however, is not available despite its widespread use among patients worldwide and in Taiwan. To assess the effect of Ding Chuan Tang (DCT) in airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) on asthmatic children via randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Cutaneous lymphocytic vasculitis as the presenting feature of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The authors describe a patient with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who presented with a 3-week history of indurated or ulcerative, purpuric lesions distributed mainly on her legs. A skin biopsy demonstrated a T-cell-mediated lymphocytic vasculitis. After the patient started chemotherapy, the skin lesions abated but she became febrile and a blood culture revealed cryptococci.