ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Following Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread around the world. As of the end of June 2021, there were approximately 181 million confirmed cases and more than 3.9 million deaths across the globe.

COVID-19-induced granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

COVID-19 and granulomatosis with polyangiitis share many clinical and radiological features, making it challenging for clinicians to distinguish between the two. In this case report, we describe a patient who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in October 2020. One month later, she presented with persistent fatigue, shortness of breath and anaemia with worsening renal functions, found to have elevated antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and antiproteinase 3 antibodies, and diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Hyperammonemia syndrome due to Ureaplasma urealyticum in a kidney transplant recipient: A case of disseminated disease from a fluoroquinolone-resistant isolate.

Ureaplasma species (spp.) are common colonizers of the urogenital tract but may cause systemic infection in immunocompromised patients. They release significant amounts of ammonia via urea hydrolysis and have been recently implicated in the pathogenesis of hyperammonemia syndrome after organ transplantation.

Chronic kidney disease alters vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype.

Vascular access dysfunction associated with arteriovenous grafts and fistulas contributes to the morbidity and mortality of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients receiving hemodialysis. We hypothesized that the uremic conditions associated with CKD promote a pathophysiological vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype that contributes to neointimal hyperplasia. We analyzed the effect of culturing human VSMC with uremic serum.

Expression of WSX1 in tumors sensitizes IL-27 signaling-independent natural killer cell surveillance.

It is well known that the interleukin (IL)-27 receptor WSX1 is expressed in immune cells and induces an IL-27-dependent immune response. Opposing this conventional dogma, this study reveals a much higher level of WSX1 expression in multiple types of epithelial tumor cells when compared with normal epithelial cells. Expression of exogenous WSX1 in epithelial tumor cells suppresses tumorigenicity in vitro and inhibits tumor growth in vivo.

Colocalization of MCM8 and MCM7 with proteins involved in distinct aspects of DNA replication.

Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins are essential for DNA replication in eukaryotes. A subcomplex of the MCM2-7 family members, initially characterized in yeast, is thought to serve as a eukaryotic DNA replicative helicase. MCM8 is a new family member, not present in yeast, which may function alone or with other family members in aspects of DNA metabolism, including replication initiation and elongation.

Expression of Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 and other interleukin-12-related molecules by human intestinal epithelium.

Antigen-presenting cells, including dendritic cells, monocytes and macrophages, produce members of the interleukin-12 (IL-12) family that are important in initiating and maintaining cell-mediated immune responses. These include IL-12p35 and p19 that dimerize with IL-12p40 to form IL-12 (also termed IL-12p75) and IL-23, respectively, and Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) protein (a protein related to IL-12p40), that forms a dimer with p28, termed IL-27. Intestinal epithelial cells, which are the initial site of contact between the host and enteric pathogens, can act as antigen-presenting cells, and are known to express mediators important in inflammatory and immune responses.

Vigorous innate and virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses to murine cytomegalovirus in the submaxillary salivary gland.

To better understand the immunological mechanisms that permit prolonged shedding of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) from the salivary gland, the phenotypic and functional characteristics of leukocytes infiltrating the submaxillary gland (SMG) were analyzed in infected BALB/c mice. A robust innate immune response, comprised of CD11c+ major histocompatibility complex class II+ CD11b- CD8alpha+ dendritic cells and gamma/delta T-cell receptor-bearing CD3+ T cells was prominent through at least 28 days postinfection. Concurrently, a dramatic increase in pan-NK (DX5+) CD3+ and CD8+ T cells was observed, while CD4+ T cells, known to be essential for viral clearance from this tissue, increased slightly.