Unravelling the interaction of human cytomegalovirus with dendritic cells by using SuperSAGE.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous pathogen with a predilection for dendritic cells (DCs). Latently infected myeloid progenitor cells develop into actively infected DCs with impaired functionality, allowing dissemination and transfer of virus throughout the body. However, the viral genes expressed in DCs and their effect on the cellular transcriptome are currently unknown.

Molecular analysis of restriction endonuclease EcoRII from Escherichia coli reveals precise regulation of its enzymatic activity by autoinhibition.

Bacterial restriction endonuclease EcoRII requires two recognition sites to cleave DNA. Proteolysis of EcoRII revealed the existence of two stable domains, EcoRII-N and EcoRII-C. Reduction of the enzyme to its C-terminal domain, EcoRII-C, unleashed the enzyme activity; this truncated form no longer needed two recognition sites and cleaved DNA much more efficiently than EcoRII wild-type.

A proposal for new criteria for the classification of hantaviruses, based on S and M segment protein sequences.

Hantaviruses, members of the family Bunyaviridae, are the causative agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Hantaviruses are currently demarcated into species based on the guidelines provided by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). These guidelines however, are often ignored by the descriptors of novel hantaviruses.

Insulin pump therapy: guidelines for successful outcomes.

Purpose: Current forms of insulin delivery used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus (diabetes) include syringes, pens, and insulin pumps. Technical advantages of insulin pump therapy, or continuous subcutaneous insulin delivery (CSII), include precise and flexible insulin dosing. In the context of intensive diabetes management, insulin pumps can facilitate improved long-term glycemic control and reduce the risk for diabetes complications, with improved lifestyle flexibility for patients and their families.

A novel cardiotropic murine adenovirus representing a distinct species of mastadenoviruses.

During cell culture isolation experiments to recover Dobrava hantavirus from a suspension of liver from a striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), an unknown virus was coisolated. Atypically for hantaviruses, it had extensive cytopathic effects. Using a random PCR approach, it was identified as a novel murine adenovirus, MAdV-3 (for MAdV type 3).

Functional characterization and modulation of the DNA cleavage efficiency of type III restriction endonuclease EcoP15I in its interaction with two sites in the DNA target.

EcoP15I is a Type III restriction endonuclease requiring the interaction with two inversely oriented 5'-CAGCAG recognition sites for efficient DNA cleavage. Diverse models have been developed to explain how enzyme complexes bound to both sites move toward each other, DNA translocation, DNA looping and simple diffusion along the DNA. Conflicting data also exist about the impact of cofactor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet), the AdoMet analogue sinefungin and the bases flanking the DNA recognition sequence on EcoP15I enzyme activity.

Hantaan virus triggers TLR3-dependent innate immune responses.

Immediately after viral infection, innate responses including expression of IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) are elicited ubiquitously by recruitment of specific pathogen recognition receptors. The velocity to induce IFN-alpha/beta and ISGs in response to an infection is often decisive for virulence. Interestingly, in primary endothelial cells ISGs are induced later by hantaviruses pathogenic to humans than those considered to be nonpathogenic or of low virulence.

Mapping a message for faith leaders: encouraging community health promotion with local health data.

This study reports the use of a community-based health survey to share local health information with faith leaders. Geographical information systems software identified survey respondents within 2 km (1.25 miles) of places of worship.

The association of incarceration with community health and racial health disparities.

Background: Bureau of Justice Statistics data indicate that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and substantial disparities exist between incarceration rates for Whites and minorities. Research on the impact of incarceration usually focuses on the sentenced individual and occasionally on the children of incarcerated parents. The health consequences of incarceration may also extend to other family members and friends left behind in the community, exacerbating racial disparities in physical and mental health.

Developing a cross-site evaluation tool for diverse health interventions.

The Prevention Research Center of Michigan provided technical assistance for the evaluation of 10 projects funded by the Michigan Department of Community Health's (MDCH) Health Disparities Reduction Program. These projects varied considerably in focus, methodology, geographical coverage, and populations served. The authors developed a cross-site evaluation tool to complement the internal evaluations of the projects.

Using a community-based health survey as a tool for informing local health policy.

Background: The Speak to Your Health! community survey is a biennial community-based survey designed and implemented by the Prevention Research Center of Michigan whose central mission is to strengthen the capacity of the community to improve health.

Method: The survey was developed collaboratively by the university and community partners that comprise the Prevention Research Center of Michigan and focuses on health and social issues at the heart of the community of Genesee County, Michigan.

Findings: The results of this survey have been used to shape policy changes and strategic planning at the county health department and in local health intervention programs.

Nephropathia epidemica with a 6-week incubation period after occupational exposure to Puumala hantavirus.

Serological and molecular evidence showed that a German female student became infected by Puumala hantavirus during mice trapping efforts in Finland. The incubation period before exhibiting clinical signs of nephropathia epidemica was as long as 6 weeks. Phylogenetic analysis of PUUV nucleic acid sequences amplified from the patient demonstrate that she was infected by the PUUV strain circulating at the place of her occupational exposure in Finland.

Noninfectious transfusion of platelets donated before detection of human immunodeficiency virus RNA in plasma.

Background: It is unknown whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be transmitted via blood products donated after primary HIV-1 infection before the detection of viral RNA in plasma.

Case Report: From a 39-year-old repeat donor, double plateletpheresis donations were collected on Days 4 and 18 after the presumptive date of primary HIV-1 infection. The former apheresis donations tested negative for the presence of HIV and were transfused to two patients, whereas the latter donation tested positive by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) but not in antibody screening and was not released for transfusion.

SuperSAGE: a modern platform for genome-wide quantitative transcript profiling.

SuperSAGE is a variant of SAGE (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression) technology, which allows making transcript profiling by 26-bp tags extracted from cDNA employing the typeIII restriction enzyme EcoP15I. Its tag length is the longest among all the versions of SAGE, and is advantageous in tag-to-gene annotation, thereby allowing the technique to applicable to any eukaryotic life organisms. For model organisms with genome or cDNA sequences available, genes corresponding to 26-bp tags are uniquely defined by simple BLAST search.

Faecal shedding, alimentary clearance and intestinal spread of prions in hamsters fed with scrapie.

Shedding of prions via faeces may be involved in the transmission of contagious prion diseases. Here, we fed hamsters 10mg of 263K scrapie brain homogenate and examined the faecal excretion of disease-associated prion protein (PrP(TSE)) during the course of infection. The intestinal fate of ingested PrP(TSE) was further investigated by monitoring the deposition of the protein in components of the gut wall using immunohistochemistry and paraffin-embedded tissue (PET) blotting.

Fatal outcome of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in a traveler with incomplete HAV vaccination and evidence of Rift Valley Fever virus infection.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is rarely fatal except in patients with chronic liver disease. In the case reported here, an elderly women died of HAV infection 12 years after incomplete HAV vaccination. The possible role of a concordant Rift Valley fever virus infection acquired in Kenya is discussed.

[First case of nephropathia epidemica acquired in Switzerland].

A 43 year healthy old man complains of fever with abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, followed by the development of thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure. The laboratory tests show the presence of Hantavirus specific IgM and IgG which is confirmed by a specific test revealing Puumala serotype as responsible. The patient received a symptomatic treatment with a favourable evolution allowing discharge about ten days after the beginning of symptoms.

Exploring the pharmacotherapeutic options for treating type 2 diabetes.

There has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of the most common form of diabetes, with approximately 14.6 million diagnosed and 6.2 million undiagnosed cases of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes in the United States since 2005.

Progenitor cell therapy in a porcine acute myocardial infarction model induces cardiac hypertrophy, mediated by paracrine secretion of cardiotrophic factors including TGFbeta1.

Administration of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) is a promising therapy for post-infarction cardiac repair. However, the mechanisms that underlie apparent beneficial effects on myocardial remodeling are unclear. In a porcine model of acute myocardial infarction, we investigated the therapeutic effects of a mixed population of culture modified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (termed hereafter porcine EPC).

Evidence of pathological coronary flow patterns in patients with isolated coronary artery aneurysms.

Objectives: Aim of our study was to evaluate the coronary flow patterns and therapeutic effects of nitroglycerin (NTG) in patients with isolated large coronary artery aneurysms (CA). CA are defined as nonobstructive lesions of the epicardial coronary arteries with a luminal dilation >or=two-fold of the normal diameters. The pathophysiology of a potential coronary insufficiency in this entity is still unknown.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by 2 lineages of Dobrava hantavirus, Russia.

Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) is a European hantavirus that causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS); case-fatality rates in Balkan countries are as high as 12%. To determine causative agents, we examined 126 cases of DOBV-associated HFRS in central and southern European Russia. In central Russia (Lipetsk, Voronezh, Orel regions), outbreaks were caused by a DOBV variant (DOBV-Aa) carried by Apodemus agrarius.

[Discovery, clinical and etiological characteristic of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the subtropical zone of Krasnodar region].

Twenty-six patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) were revealed as a result of serological examination of 582 patients with fever living around Sochi town. Etiologic role of Dobrava virus subtype as the cause of HFRS was assessed by immunofluorescent and ELISA assays, and neutralization test. The principal host of this virus and source of infection for humans is Caucasian forest mouse Apodemus ponticus.