Monocyte transcriptome signatures of inflammation and enhanced neutrophil recruitment characterize immunopathology in the blood of tuberculosis patients.

Tuberculosis (TB) is characterized by immunopathology in the blood and monocytes have been shown to be highly sensitive to plasma environment changes in TB patients. Here, we investigated TB plasma effects on 'reference monocytes' using RNA sequencing to characterize a potential immunomodulatory role of monocytes in TB. Candidate pathways induced by plasma samples from TB patients (n=99) compared to healthy controls (n=62) were analyzed for changes in signal transduction, phenotype and secreted cytokines by flow cytometry.

Concomitant parasite infections influence tuberculosis immunopathology and favor rapid sputum conversion of pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

Immunopathology of human tuberculosis (TB) in a subgroup of patients is characterized by aberrantly high concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, for example Interleukin (IL)-6. Concomitant (co-)infections by parasites can affect host immunity, but the impact on immunopathology in TB patients is poorly defined. Here we characterized a group of patients with TB ( n = 76) from Ghana with different protozoan and helminth co-infections.

Systematic review of variables that moderate and/or mediate the relationship between child maltreatment and adverse outcomes: a study protocol.

Introduction: Child maltreatment (CM) is associated with adverse cognitive, behavioural, physical and social outcomes that often continue until adulthood. Systematic reviews on mediators and moderators of this relationship mostly investigate childhood adversities in general or only with regard to an adult population, single outcomes or single forms of maltreatment. The purpose of this review is to synthesise the evidence of variables that mediate and/or moderate the relationship between CM and diverse outcomes.

Hepatic bile acid accretion correlates with cholestatic liver injury and therapeutic response in knockout mice with a humanized bile acid composition.

knockout (KO) mice lack the liver enzyme responsible for synthesis of 6-hydroxylated muricholate bile acid species and possess a more hydrophobic human-like bile acid composition. KO mice develop cholestatic liver injury that can be prevented by the administration of an ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitor. In this study, we investigated the potential of an ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitor (SC-435) and steroidal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist (cilofexor) to modulate established hepatobiliary injury and the consequent relationship of intrahepatic bile acid content and hydrophobicity to the cholestatic liver injury phenotype.