Tolerogenic dendritic cells show gene expression profiles that are different from those of immunogenic dendritic cells in DBA/1 mice.

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDCs) play an important role in inducing peripheral tolerance; however, few tDC-specific markers have been identified. The aims of this study were to examine whether tDCs show a different gene expression profile from that of immunogenic DCs and identify specific gene markers of each cell type, in DBA/1 mice. tDCs were generated by treating immature DCs (imDCs) with TNF-α and type II collagen.

Myosin-primed tolerogenic dendritic cells ameliorate experimental autoimmune myocarditis.

Aims: Autoimmunity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis and giant cell myocarditis. Experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) is a mouse model of myocarditis that is induced by cardiac myosin. Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDCs) are used as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive targets in a number of autoimmune disease models, but their effect on EAM has not been addressed.

Rapid, high-throughput detection of rifampin resistance and heteroresistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis by use of sloppy molecular beacon melting temperature coding.

Rifampin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is largely determined by mutations in an 80-bp rifampin resistance determining region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene. We developed a rapid single-well PCR assay to identify RRDR mutations. The assay uses sloppy molecular beacons to probe an asymmetric PCR of the M.

Rapid detection of fluoroquinolone-resistant and heteroresistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis by use of sloppy molecular beacons and dual melting-temperature codes in a real-time PCR assay.

Fluoroquinolones (FQ) are important second-line drugs to treat tuberculosis; however, FQ resistance is an emerging problem. Resistance has been mainly attributed to mutations in a 21-bp region of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis gyrA gene, often called the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR). We have developed a simple, rapid, and specific assay to detect FQ resistance-determining QRDR mutations.

Genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from a tertiary care tuberculosis hospital in South Korea.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains an immense public health problem in the Republic of Korea despite a more than fivefold decrease in the prevalence of the disease over the last 3 decades. The rise in drug-resistant TB has compounded the situation. We analyzed 208 clinical isolates of M.

Variable number tandem repeat analysis of Mycobacterium bovis isolates from Gyeonggi-do, Korea.

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a major zoonosis that's caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). Being able to detect M.

Tuberculous granulomas are hypoxic in guinea pigs, rabbits, and nonhuman primates.

Understanding the physical characteristics of the local microenvironment in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis resides is an important goal that may allow the targeting of metabolic processes to shorten drug regimens. Pimonidazole hydrochloride (Hypoxyprobe) is an imaging agent that is bioreductively activated only under hypoxic conditions in mammalian tissue. We employed this probe to evaluate the oxygen tension in tuberculous granulomas in four animal models of disease: mouse, guinea pig, rabbit, and nonhuman primate.

Use of PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism for the identification of zoonotic mycobacteriosis in zebrafish caused by Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium chelonae.

Skin ulcers, scoliosis, and dropsy-like scale edema were observed in laboratory-maintained zebrafish. Affected fish had multifocal granulomas not only in internal organs such as the liver, intestine, genital organs, kidney, muscle, and spleen but also in the fin, epithelium, gills, and sclera of the eyes. Large numbers of acid-fast-rod-shaped bacteria were observed within the necrotic centers of well-demarcated, multifocal granulomas with Gram's stain and Ziehl-Neelson's stain.

Optimization of codon usage enhances the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine encoding mycobacterial antigen Ag85B.

In spite of its many other benefits, DNA vaccine is limited in its application by its insufficient immunogenicity. One promising approach for enhancing its immunogenicity is to maximize its expression in the immunized host. In the current study, we investigated whether codon optimization of the mycobacterial antigen Ag85B gene could enhance the expression and immunogenicity of the Ag85B DNA vaccine.