Impact of H37Rv Infection on Extracellular Vesicle Cargo in Macrophages: Implications for Host-Pathogen Interaction.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common respiratory infections worldwide, and it is caused by (). employs immune evasion mechanisms that allow the disease to become chronic. Despite extensive research, the host-pathogen interaction remains incompletely understood.

COVID-19 extracellular vesicles display heterogeneity based on viral and host RNA expression: implications for host immune response.

Viral RNA and miRNAs released by immune cells contribute to inflammation in COVID-19 patients. Here, we investigated the role of SARS-CoV2 RNA and host miRNAs carried within extracellular vesicles (EVs) in modulating inflammation. EVs were classified as positive or negative depending on their viral RNA cargo.

Reduced IL-8 Secretion by NOD-like and Toll-like Receptors in Blood Cells from COVID-19 Patients.

Severe inflammatory responses are associated with the misbalance of innate and adaptive immunity. TLRs, NLRs, and cytokine receptors play an important role in pathogen sensing and intracellular control, which remains unclear in COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate IL-8 production in blood cells from COVID-19 patients in a two-week follow-up evaluation.

Human Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Understanding the Immune Response in the Bronchoalveolar System.

, the causal agent of one of the most devastating infectious diseases worldwide, can evade or modulate the host immune response and remain dormant for many years. In this review, we focus on identifying the local immune response induced in vivo by in the lungs of patients with active tuberculosis by analyzing data from untouched cells from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) or exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples. The most abundant resident cells in patients with active tuberculosis are macrophages and lymphocytes, which facilitate the recruitment of neutrophils.

Low Concentration of the Neutrophil Proteases Cathepsin G, Cathepsin B, Proteinase-3 and Metalloproteinase-9 Induce Biofilm Formation in Non-Biofilm-Forming Isolates.

Neutrophils play a crucial role in eliminating bacteria that invade the human body; however, cathepsin G can induce biofilm formation in a non-biofilm-forming Staphylococcus epidermidis 1457 strain, suggesting that neutrophil proteases may be involved in biofilm formation. Cathepsin G, cathepsin B, proteinase-3, and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) from neutrophils were tested on the biofilm induction in commensal (skin isolated) and clinical non-biofilm-forming S. epidermidis isolates.

High Vitamin D Concentrations Restore the Ability to Express LL37 by -Infected Human Macrophages.

Vitamin D has an immunomodulatory function and is involved in eliminating pathogens. Vitamin D deficiencies reported in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients make them more susceptible to developing tuberculosis (TB). The macrophages are the immune cells that control intracellular pathogens by producing the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin-LL37.

CD33 is downregulated by influenza virus H1N1pdm09 and induces ROS and the TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 cytokines in human mononuclear cells.

The influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1pdm09 induces exacerbated inflammation, contributing to disease complications. Inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), favor an inflammatory response that aids viral replication and survival. A pathway by which spontaneous TNF-α production occurs involves either the reduction of Siglec-3 (CD33) levels or the absence of its ligand, sialic acid.

A Dual Marker for Monitoring MDR-TB Treatment: Host-Derived miRNAs and -Derived RNA Sequences in Serum.

Background: In the absence of a late marker of treatment failure or relapse in MDR-TB patients, biomarkers based on host-miRNAs coupled with -RNAs evaluated in extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an alternative follow-up for MDR-TB disease. Characterization of EVs cargo to identify differentially expressed miRNAs before and after treatment, and to identify -derived RNA in serum EVs from resistant TB patients.

Methods: EVs were isolated from serum of 26 drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patients and 16 healthy subjects.

Children's environmental health and disaster resilience in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The environment plays a significant role in the global burden of disease for children. Climate-related disasters such as the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season are increasingly contributing to this burden. United Nations designated Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Puerto Rico and the U.

High ambient temperature and child emergency and hospital visits in New York City.

Background: Emerging literature has documented heat-related impacts on child health, yet few studies have evaluated the effects of heat among children of different age groups and comparing emergency department (ED) and hospitalisation risks.

Objectives: To examine the differing associations between high ambient temperatures and risk of ED visits and hospitalisations among children by age group in New York City (NYC).

Methods: We used New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data on children aged 0-18 years admitted to NYC EDs (n = 2,252,550) and hospitals (n = 228,006) during the warm months (May-September) between 2005 and 2011.

Immunological Evaluation for Personalized Interventions in Children with Tuberculosis: Should It Be Routinely Performed?

Childhood tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health problem and the ninth leading cause of death worldwide. Progression of infection to active disease depends on mycobacterial virulence, environmental diversity, and host susceptibility and immune response. In children, malnutrition and immaturity of the immune system contribute to an inadequate immune response.

Expression of USP18 and IL2RA Is Increased in Individuals Receiving Latent Tuberculosis Treatment with Isoniazid.

Background: The treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in individuals at risk of reactivation is essential for tuberculosis control. However, blood biomarkers associated with LTBI treatment have not been identified.

Methods: Blood samples from tuberculin skin test (TST) reactive individuals were collected before and after one and six months of isoniazid (INH) therapy.

The Intracellular Growth of Is More Associated with High Glucose Levels Than with Impaired Responses of Monocytes from T2D Patients.

Diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia and poor glucose control, is a risk factor for () infection and the development of active tuberculosis. To evaluate whether infection susceptibility is associated with an intrinsic factor in monocytes from type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients or it is associated with hyperglycemia , we analyzed TLR-2 and TLR-4 expression by flow cytometry and the cytokines IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF- by cytometric bead array assays, either stimulated with TLR-2 and TLR-4 ligands or infected with in the whole blood from T2D patients ( = 43) and healthy subjects ( = 26) or in CD14+ monocytes from healthy subjects cultured in high glucose (HG) (30 mM). The intracellular growth of was evaluated by CFU counts at 0, 1, and 3 days in both monocytes from T2D patients and monocytes from healthy subjects cultured in HG.

Alveolar microbiota profile in patients with human pulmonary tuberculosis and interstitial pneumonia.

Background: The presence of the human lung microbiota has been demonstrated in patients with different lung diseases, mainly in sputum samples. However, for study of the alveolar microbiota, a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) sample represents the lower respiratory tract (LRT) environment. It is currently unknown whether there is a specific alveolar microbiota profile in human lung diseases, such as pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and interstitial pneumonia (IP).

Oral Administration of Human Polyvalent IgG by Mouthwash as an Adjunctive Treatment of Chronic Oral Candidiasis.

is a commensal fungus that can cause disease ranging in severity from moderate to severe mucosal infections to more serious life-threating disseminated infections in severely immunocompromised hosts. Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) occurs in patients with mutations in genes affecting IL-17-mediated immunity, such as , and , or gain of function (GOF) mutations in . New strategies for the treatment of candidiasis are needed because of the increased burden of infections and the emergence of drug-resistant strains.

Low serum vitamin D levels in type 2 diabetes patients are associated with decreased mycobacterial activity.

Background: Concurrent diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis represent a significant health problem worldwide. Patients with diabetes mellitus have a high risk of tuberculosis, which may be mediated by an abnormal innate immune response due to hyperglycaemia or low vitamin D levels.

Methods: In the present study, we evaluated inactive vitamin D serum levels and the monocyte response to infection with M.

High glucose induces O-GlcNAc glycosylation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in THP1 cells and in human macrophages derived from monocytes.

Chronic hyperglycemia increases the carbon flux through the hexosamine pathway, allowing the accumulation of UDP-GlcNAc. UDP-GlcNAc is the sugar donor for the enzyme-mediated protein glycosylation event known as OGlcNAcylation. This posttranslational modification targets several transcription factors implicated in glucose toxicity, insulin resistance, and diabetes.

CD161 Expression Defines a Th1/Th17 Polyfunctional Subset of Resident Memory T Lymphocytes in Bronchoalveolar Cells.

Alveolar resident memory T cells (T(RM)) comprise a currently uncharacterized mixture of cell subpopulations. The CD3(+)CD161(+) T cell subpopulation resides in the liver, intestine and skin, but it has the capacity for tissue migration; however, the presence of resident CD3(+)CD161(+) T cells in the bronchoalveolar space under normal conditions has not been reported. Bronchoalveolar cells (BACs) from healthy volunteers were evaluated and found that 8.

Wildervanck's syndrome with severe inner ear dysplasia and agenesis of the right internal carotid artery.

We describe a case with Wildervanck syndrome (cervico-oculo-acoustic syndrome) comprising Klippel-Feil anomaly, retractio bulbi (Duane syndrome), and congenital sensorineural deafness. An 18-month male baby had a severe inner ear dysplasia, and MRI also showed a complex vascular carotid malformation associated.

Regulation of secondary wall synthesis and cell death by NAC transcription factors in the monocot Brachypodium distachyon.

In several dicotyledonous species, NAC transcription factors act as master switches capable of turning on programmes of secondary cell-wall synthesis and cell death. This work used an oestradiol-inducible system to overexpress the NAC transcription factor BdSWN5 in the monocot model Brachypodium distachyon. This resulted in ectopic secondary cell-wall formation in both roots and shoots.

The overexpression of AtPrx37, an apoplastic peroxidase, reduces growth in Arabidopsis.

Understanding peroxidase function in plants is difficult because of the lack of substrate specificity, the high number of genes and their diversity in structure. In the present study, the relative expression of 22 genes coding putative peroxidases (E.C 1.

Clinical disease caused by Klebsiella in 2 unrelated patients with interleukin 12 receptor beta1 deficiency.

Patients with interleukin 12 (IL-12)p40 or IL-12 receptor β1 (IL12Rβ1) deficiencies are prone to develop infections caused by mycobacteria and salmonella; other infections have only been rarely observed. In this report we describe 2 unrelated patients with complete autosomal recessive IL12Rβ1 deficiency who suffered from sepsis attributable to Klebsiella pneumoniae. A Mexican boy suffered from disseminated bacille Calmette-Guérin disease and infections caused by K pneumoniae and Candida albicans and had a fatal outcome.