Alveolar epithelial cells shape lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses and reprogramming of alveolar macrophages.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are sentinels in the airways, where they sense and respond to invading microbes and other stimuli. Unlike macrophages in other locations, AMs can remain responsive to Gram-negative lipopolysaccharides (LPS) after they have responded to LPS in vivo (they do not develop "endotoxin tolerance"), suggesting that the alveolar microenvironment may influence their responses. Although alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) normally limit AMs' innate responses, preventing inflammation induced by harmless antigens in the lung, how AECs influence the innate responses of AMs to infectious agents has been uncertain.

Identification of drug resistance-related virulence gene mutations in 667 clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates.

Introduction: Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a severe global public health threat. Virulence factors and antibiotic resistance are generally considered to play a significant role in bacterial pathogenesis. However, the interaction between resistance and virulence in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains unclear.

Epidemiological Insights into Autoimmune Bullous Diseases in China: A Comprehensive Analysis.

Objective: This study aims to conduct an extensive analysis of autoimmune bullous diseases, particularly pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid, in Shanghai, China, from 2016 to 2023. It seeks to understand the demographic profiles, comorbidities, mortality rates, risk factors, and socioeconomic impacts associated with autoimmune bullous disease.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, enrolling 1,072 patients.

A rare missense p.C125Y mutation in the gene identified in a Chinese family with tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic fever syndrome.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder with a low incidence in Asia. The most frequent clinical manifestations include fever, rash, myalgia, joint pain and abdominal pain. Misdiagnosis rates are high because of the clinical and genetic variability of the disease.

[Synthesis of fluorinated nitrogen-rich porous organic polymers and removal of perfluorooctanoic acid from water].

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a persistent contaminant with detrimental effects on the natural environment. This persistence leads to potential enrichment and osmotic transfer, which can affect normal circulation in the environment. PFOA poses significant threats to both the natural environment and human health.

Novel plasma microRNA expression features in diagnostic use for Epstein-Barr virus-associated febrile diseases.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is widely infected in humans and causes various diseases. Among them, microRNAs of EBV play a key role in the progression of EBV-associated febrile diseases. There're few specific indicators for rapid differential diagnosis of various febrile diseases associated with EBV, and the lack of more reliable screening methods with high diagnostic utility has led to spaces for improvement in the accurate diagnosis and efficient treatment of relevant patients, making EBV infection a complicated clinical problem.

Transcriptional profiling of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients provides insights into mechanisms of control and elimination.

Household contacts (HHCs) of patients with active tuberculosis (ATB) are at higher risk of () infection. However, the immune factors responsible for different defense responses in HHCs are unknown. Hence, we aimed to evaluate transcriptome signatures in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HHCs to aid risk stratification.

Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Co-Infections in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Study.

Background: is one of the most common pathogens leading to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) co-infection, but the data of co-infections is scarce. This research aimed to study the clinical and microbiological characteristics of co-infections in pulmonary tuberculosis cases.

Methods: Clinical manifestations and examination results of PTB cases co-infected by were retrospectively collected from the medical record database of a tertiary teaching hospital in China between November 2019 and October 2021.

B21 DNA vaccine expressing ag85b, rv2029c, and rv1738 confers a robust therapeutic effect against latent infection.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) treatment is known to accelerate the decline in TB incidence, especially in high-risk populations. () expression profiles differ at different growth periods, and vaccines protective and therapeutic effects may increase when they include antigenic compositions from different periods. To develop a post-exposure vaccine that targets LTBI, we constructed four therapeutic DNA vaccines (, , , and ) using different combinations of antigens from the proliferation phase (Ag85A, Ag85B), PE/PPE family (Rv3425), and latent phase (Rv2029c, Rv1813c, Rv1738).

Infection among 1,659 Silicosis Patients in Zhejiang Province, China.

Silicosis is a well-established risk factor for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This study aimed to estimate the burden and risk factors of M. tuberculosis infection.

nCD64 index as a novel inflammatory indicator for the early prediction of prognosis in infectious and non-infectious inflammatory diseases: An observational study of febrile patients.

Background: Generally, febrile patients admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Fudan University Affiliated Huashan Hospital, China may eventually be diagnosed as infectious (ID) or non-infectious inflammatory diseases (NIID). Furthermore, mortality from sepsis remains incredibly high. Thus, early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of sepsis is necessary.

In vitro assessment of 17 antimicrobial agents against clinical Mycobacterium avium complex isolates.

Background: Recently, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections have been increasing, especially in immunocompromised and older adults. The rapid increase has triggered a global health concern due to limited therapeutic strategies and adverse effects caused by long-term medication. To provide more evidence for the treatment of MAC, we studied the in vitro inhibitory activities of 17 antimicrobial agents against clinical MAC isolates.

Characterization of multiple soluble immune checkpoints in individuals with different Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection status and dynamic changes during anti-tuberculosis treatment.

Background: Immune checkpoints are crucial for the maintenance of subtle balance between self-tolerance and effector immune responses, but the role of soluble immune checkpoints (sICs) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) infection remains unknown. We assessed the levels of multiple sICs in individuals with distinct M.

Cerebral Infarction and Evan's Ratio on MRI Affect the Severity and Prognosis of Tuberculosis Meningitis Patients.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and its complications. We aimed to explore the relationship between MRI features and neurological deficits and TBM patients’ prognosis. Methods: patients diagnosed with TBM were subjected to a neurological evaluation on admission and divided into groups based on the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale.

Disseminated coccidioidomycosis in immunocompetent patients in non-endemic areas: a case series and literature review.

Coccidioidomycosis is caused by the dimorphic fungi Coccidioides species which is endemic in the Western hemisphere. Reports on the characteristics of travel-related disseminated coccidioidomycosis in immunocompetent patients are rare, especially in non-endemic regions. The multifaceted symptoms of this condition present a diagnostic challenge to clinicians.

Genome-wide SNPs reveal the fine-scale population structure of Laodelphax striatellus in China using double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing.

The small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) is one of the most destructive rice pests and has caused serious economic losses in China. To clarify the genetic differentiation and population genetic structure of this insect pest, we investigated the genomic polymorphisms, genetic differentiation, and phylogeography of 31 SBPH populations from 28 sampling sites from three climatic zones of China using double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq). In total, 2,813,221,369 high-quality paired-end reads from 306 individuals and 1925 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained.

Comparison of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and QuantiFERON-TB Gold-Plus in the Diagnosis of Infections in Immunocompromised Patients: a Real-World Study.

QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) is an emerging QuantiFERON test after QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) for tuberculosis infection detection; it is an IFN-γ release assay. We compared QFTPlus, which has an additional TB antigen 2 (TB2) tube to induce cell-mediated (CD8 T cell) immune responses, with QFT-GIT. We conducted this study to assess the agreement of the QFT-GIT and QFT-Plus assays in immunocompromised patients in a clinical setting.

Gene expression analysis reveals immune and metabolic candidate pathways in the pathogenesis of chronic otitis media.

Objectives: Chronic otitis media (COM) is a common disease and causes significant hearing impairment in many adults. Our study aimed to investigate the immune response in COM adult patients through RNA sequencing.

Methods: In this study, we enrolled four adult COM patients and five healthy controls (HCs) to analyze and compare the mRNA signatures in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Establishment of a Risk Score Model for Early Prediction of Severe H1N1 Influenza.

H1N1 is the most common subtype of influenza virus circulating worldwide and can cause severe disease in some populations. Early prediction and intervention for patients who develop severe influenza will greatly reduce their mortality. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of 180 PBMC samples from three published datasets from the GEO DataSets.

Effect of adjusted cut-offs of interferon-γ release assays on diagnosis of tuberculosis in patients with fever of unknown origin.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of fever of unknown origin (FUO). In recent years, interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) have been widely utilized and the cut-off values given by the manufacturers are set in countries where rates of TB are not as high.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in a Chinese general hospital to evaluate the diagnostic performance of T-SPOT.

Immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in people living with HIV-1: a non-randomized cohort study.

Background: Inactivated COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in the general population with intact immunity. However, their safety and immunogenicity have not been demonstrated in people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: 42 HIV-1 infected individuals who were stable on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and 28 healthy individuals were enrolled in this open-label two-arm non-randomized study at Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China.

Recurrent pulmonary tuberculosis after treatment success: a population-based retrospective study in China.

Objectives: Post-treatment recurrence remains a challenge for the global control of tuberculosis (TB). This study investigated longitudinal data on pulmonary TB recurrence rates and risk factors for recurrence among successfully treated smear-positive tuberculosis cases in China.

Methods: Between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2016 we evaluated 33 441 treatment-naïve patients diagnosed with sputum-smear-positive, non-multidrug-resistant TB in Hangzhou, China.