Effects of second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs on the intestinal microbiota of patients with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis.

Objective: To determine the effects of second-line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs on the composition and functions of intestinal microbiota in patients with rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, stool samples and relevant clinical information were collected from patients with RR-TB admitted to the Drug-resistant Specialty Department at Hunan Chest Hospital (Hunan Institute For Tuberculosis Control). The composition and functions of intestinal microbiota were analyzed using metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatics methods.

Circ-WDR27 regulates mycobacterial vitality and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages via the miR-370-3p/FSTL1 signal network.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection. Our study was to explore the function and mechanism of circular RNA WD repeat domain 27 (circ-WDR27) in TB progression.

Knockdown of long non‑coding RNA DLEU2 suppresses idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by regulating the microRNA‑369‑3p/TRIM2 axis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common form of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia with an increasing incidence. In the present study, Genome Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE10667, GSE24206 and GSE32537) were applied to identify lncRNA DLEU2 in IPF. Through prediction using starBase, TargetScan, miRTarBase and miRDB, tripartite motif containing 2 (TRIM2) and prostaglandin F2 receptor inhibitor (PTGFRN) were found to be upregulated in IPF.

Allergic airway sensitization impairs antibacterial IgG antibody responses during bacterial respiratory tract infections.

Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae, an atypical human pathogen, has been associated with asthma initiation and exacerbation. Asthmatic patients have been reported to have higher carriage rates of M pneumoniae compared with nonasthmatic subjects and are at greater risk for invasive respiratory infections.

Objective: We sought to study whether prior allergen sensitization affects the host response to chronic bacterial infection.

Inhibition of message for FcepsilonRI alpha chain blocks mast cell IL-4 production induced by co-culture with Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

We have previously described the activation of RBL-2H3 mast cells for IL-4 production by Mycoplasma pneumoniae but the mechanism remains unclear. M. pneumoniae binds eukaryotic cells primarily through sialoglycoproteins on the target cell surface.

An exposed domain in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike protein induces neutralizing antibodies.

Exposed epitopes of the spike protein may be recognized by neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV). A protein fragment (S-II) containing predicted epitopes of the spike protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. The properly refolded protein fragment specifically bound to the surface of Vero cells.

Purification, nanocrystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a C-terminal part of tropomodulin protein 1, isoform A, from Caenorhabditis elegans.

The C-terminal part of tropomodulin protein 1, isoform A, from Caenorhabditis elegans was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Optimized from the initial nanoscreen, crystals grew to dimensions of 0.25 x 0.