Pediatr Infect Dis J
September 2022
Background: Pityriasis rosea Gibert (PRG) has features similar to those of common infectious childhood diseases, suggesting a viral cause, but no agent has been identified to date. We describe 4 children with PRG and 2 with recurrent varicella who were studied using photochronography, virology and immunology.
Methods: The 6 patients with skin rashes visited our pediatric clinic from April 2012 to May 2016.
The mucosal immune system is the largest component of the entire immune system, having evolved to provide protection at the main sites of infectious threat: the mucosae. As SARS-CoV-2 initially infects the upper respiratory tract, its first interactions with the immune system must occur predominantly at the respiratory mucosal surfaces, during both inductive and effector phases of the response. However, almost all studies of the immune response in COVID-19 have focused exclusively on serum antibodies and systemic cell-mediated immunity including innate responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser
October 2021
The development of the mammary glands and the process of lactation is an integral component of mammalian evolution, and suckling has been essential for the survival of the neonates of most mammalian species. The colostrum and milk, the major products of lactation, contain a wealth of biologically active products derived from the immunologic and microbiological experiences in the maternal circulation and in the maternal mucosal surfaces. These include major immunoglobulin isotypes in the maternal circulation, secretory IgA, a variety of soluble proteins, casein, nutritional components, hormones, a large number of cellular elements and their secreted functional products (cytokines and chemokines), several peptides, lipids, polysaccharides and oligosaccharides, and a diverse spectrum of microorganisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) currently based on use of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) has identified suboptimal immunogenicity of this vaccine as a major impediment to eradication, with a failure to induce protection against paralytic poliomyelitis in certain population segments in some parts of the world. The Mucosal Immunity and Poliovirus Vaccines: Impact on Wild Poliovirus Infection, Transmission and Vaccine Failure conference was organized to obtain a better understanding of the current status of global control of poliomyelitis and identify approaches to improve the immune responsiveness and effectiveness of the orally administered poliovirus vaccines in order to accelerate the global eradication of paralytic poliomyelitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSince the resolution of the World Assembly in 1988 to eradicate polio globally, substantial progress toward this target has been achieved, but the final goal remains elusive. India and other tropical developing countries present a unique challenge because of the much lower oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) immunogenicity compared to industrialized countries, both in terms of humoral and mucosal immunity. To overcome this challenge, further research is needed to elucidate the causes for the suboptimal OPV immunogenicity, better defining the optimal vaccine schedules and delivery strategies, developing and evaluating adjuvants to boost OPV immunogenicity, and improving the methods for directly measuring mucosal immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development, structural diversification, and functional maturation of mammalian immunologic repertoire at mucosal surfaces and the systemic lymphoid tissue is a remarkably dynamic and continuous process, which begins in early fetal life and eventually culminates in variable degree of senescence or cellular death with advancing age. This brief overview will highlight the status of our current understanding of the ontogeny of mucosal immunologic response. The role of mucosal microflora and other environmental macromolecules in the regulation of mucosal immunity relative to the process of ageing will also be reviewed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe beautiful city of Porto on the Portuguese Atlantic coast was the venue for 'Modern Mucosal Vaccines, Adjuvants and Microbicides' which was held from October 22-24, 2008. The presence of a diverse audience from academia, industry and public bodies indicated a growing interest in this field and on the basis of the data presented and the energy displayed, this discipline is in good shape and has the potential to deliver significant advances over the coming decade.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe first conference on 'Modern Mucosal Vaccines, Adjuvants and Microbicides' took place on 22-24 October 2008 in Oporto, Portugal. The scientific program was wide-ranging and covered many diverse aspects of progress in human mucosal vaccines, including development, considerations of vaccine administration routes and mucosal adjuvants. Befiting the theme of the conference, there were also several presentations devoted to the development of mucosal microbicides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNestle Nutr Workshop Ser Pediatr Program
April 2008
This symposium focused on the window of opportunity for nutritional interventions to prevent chronic disease. Following a recommendation by the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition, 2006, the window of opportunity was defined as the period from conception to 2 years after birth. We discussed what is known and what needs to be known about (a) growth during this window, (b) critical periods of development, (c) the effects of nutrition, and (d) possible interventions to improve nutrition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNestle Nutr Workshop Ser Pediatr Program
April 2008
During the neonatal period, the mammalian host is exposed through mucosal surfaces for the first time to a plethora of environmental macromolecules and microbial agents. The neonatal mucosa is endowed with all major elements of innate and adaptive immunologic repertoire. Rudimentary Peyer's patches and mucosal lymphoid follicles expressing HLA-DR+ and CD4+ cells can be observed as early as 10-11 weeks of gestation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus are common causes of infantile lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). It is widely believed that both viral replication and inappropriately enhanced immune responses contribute to disease severity. In infants, RSV LRTI is known to be more severe than influenza virus LRTI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Otol Rhinol Laryngol Suppl
January 2005
We studied epidemiologic and immunologic factors in infants with bronchiolitis caused by influenza virus. The proportion of these infants who were male and who had an immediate family member with a history of asthma was similar to that of a control group of infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. In subjects with influenza virus infection, concentrations of the beta chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), but not other beta chemokines, in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) were greater among infants with more severe, hypoxic bronchiolitis than in subjects with mild, nonhypoxic bronchiolitis, or upper respiratory tract infection alone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the present study was to examine the effects of oral supplementation of newborn Balb/c mice with bifidobacteria (B. infantis, B. bifidum) and iron-free apo-lactoferrin (bovine, human) on gut endotoxin concentration and mucosal immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn order to understand early events in the immune response to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, we studied the presence of various chemokines and cytokines in respiratory secretions of human infants with RSV infection. Interferon gamma (IFNgamma) was present in 30/39 (76.9%) subjects tested, but the IFNgamma-inducing cytokines interleukin (IL)12 and IL18 were detectable in 6/40 (15%) and 11/38 (28.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPaediatr Respir Rev
May 2004
RSV is the primary cause of hospitalisation in the first year of life for children in most parts of the world, and nearly 100% of children in the USA are infected with the virus by 2 to 3 years of age. The agent is an enveloped RNA virus with a non-segmented single-stranded negative-sense genome. The viral genome encodes 8 structural and 2 non-structural proteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfluenza virus is a globally important respiratory pathogen which causes a high degree of morbidity and mortality annually. The virus is continuously undergoing antigenic change and thus bypasses the host's acquired immunity to influenza. Despite the improvement in antiviral therapy during the last decade, vaccination is still the most effective method of prophylaxis.
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