Virulence characteristics of translocating Escherichia coli and the interleukin-8 response to infection.

Four efficiently translocating Escherichia coli (TEC) strains isolated from the blood of humans (HMLN-1), pigs (PC-1) and rats (KIC-1 and KIC-2) were tested for their ability to adhere and translocate across human gut epithelial Caco-2 and HT-29 cells, to elicit a proinflammatory response and for the presence of 47 pathogenic E. coli virulence genes. HMLN-1 and PC-1 were more efficient in adhesion and translocation than rat strains, had identical biochemical phenotype (BPT) and serotype (O77:H18) and phylogenetic group (D).

Contribution of adjuvant to adaptive immune responses in mice against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

The authors have previously demonstrated that adjuvant-mediated differences in early cellular responses to antigens significantly affect subsequent adaptive immune responses. To investigate further the contribution of adjuvant to adaptive immune responses, outer-membrane proteins (OMP) purified from the respiratory pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, given either alone (antigen group) or complexed with SAMA4 (vaccine group), were injected intradermally into groups of mice. Controls were given PBS.

Identification of novel species-specific antigens of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae by preparative SDS-PAGE ELISA profiling.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, M. hyorhinis and M. flocculare are commonly isolated from the respiratory tract of pigs and are phylogenetically related.