Expression of intra- and extracellular granzymes in patients with typhoid fever.

Background: Typhoid fever, caused by the intracellular pathogen Salmonella (S.) enterica serovar Typhi, remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Granzymes are serine proteases promoting cytotoxic lymphocytes mediated eradication of intracellular pathogens via the induction of cell death and which can also play a role in inflammation.

Clinical and immunogenetic factors associated with pneumonia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case-control study.

Objective: To determine the incidence of pneumonia and associated factors in a single-center systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort.

Methods: We included all our SLE patients [1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria] with ≥ 1 pneumonia event, and 196 age and sex-matched SLE controls with no pneumonia events. Cumulative clinical data, weighted Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR damage index (wSLICC/ACR-DI), comorbidities, and risk factors for pneumonia were retrospectively collected.

Surfactant protein A genetic variants associate with severe respiratory insufficiency in pandemic influenza A virus infection.

Introduction: Inherited variability in host immune responses influences susceptibility and outcome of Influenza A virus (IAV) infection, but these factors remain largely unknown. Components of the innate immune response may be crucial in the first days of the infection. The collectins surfactant protein (SP)-A1, -A2, and -D and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) neutralize IAV infectivity, although only SP-A2 can establish an efficient neutralization of poorly glycosylated pandemic IAV strains.

Survey of emm-like gene sequences from pharyngeal isolates of group C and group G streptococci collected in Spain.

We conducted a nationwide surveillance of the variable 5' emm-like (M-like protein gene) sequences from 214 pharyngeal group C and group G streptococci. Almost 75% of the isolates exhibited emm or emm-like sequences previously described. We identified six new 5' emm-like regions, and almost 23% of the isolates were nontypeable.