Feline Adenovirus Isolate Shows Silent Nucleotide Alterations, Alternative Receptor/Coreceptor Binding, High Resistance to Disinfectants and Antiviral Drugs, as Well as Immunomodulation.

Adenovirus (AdV) infection has been rarely documented in cats and other felids. Partial sequences of the hexon and fiber genes of a Hungarian feline adenovirus isolate (FeAdV isolate) showed a close relationship to human AdV (HAdV) type C1. Further molecular and biological characterization is reported here.

The effects of Avemar treatment on feline immunodeficiency virus infected cell cultures.

Introduction: In addition to standard highly active antiretroviral therapy protocols, complementary therapies using natural compounds are widely used by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected human patients. One such compound is the fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE), named Avemar.

Materials And Methods: In this study, we investigate the effects of Avemar in a feline-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome model.

Adenovirus Isolated From a Cat Is Related to Human Adenovirus 1.

An adenovirus (AdV) has been isolated from the rectal swab of a domestic cat () and named feline adenovirus (FeAdV) isolate. It replicates and causes cytopathological effects in many human, feline, other mammalian cell lines that have both Coxsackie-adenovirus-receptor and integrins. Its antigens cross-react with anti-human adenovirus antibodies in immunofluorescence and immunocytochemistry assays.

Human Herpesvirus 6 and Malignancy: A Review.

In order to determine the role of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in human disease, several confounding factors, including methods of detection, types of controls, and the ubiquitous nature of the virus, must be considered. This is particularly problematic in the case of cancer, in which rates of detection vary greatly among studies. To determine what part, if any, HHV-6 plays in oncogenesis, a review of the literature was performed.

Roseolovirus-associated encephalitis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals.

The roseoloviruses, human herpesvirus (HHV)-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7, can cause severe encephalitis or encephalopathy. In immunocompetent children, primary HHV-6B infection is occasionally accompanied by diverse clinical forms of encephalitis. Roseolovirus coinfections with heterologous viruses and delayed primary HHV-7 infection in immunocompetent adults result in very severe neurological and generalized symptoms.

Kurthia gibsonii as a sexually transmitted zoonosis: From a neglected condition during World War II to a recent warning for sexually transmitted disease units.

Context: Zoonotic sexual transmission.

Aims: Identification of unknown microorganisms causing sexually transmitted zoonotic infection was a common effort of clinicians and the laboratory.

Settings And Design: A male patient had recurring urethritis and balanitis after having repeated unprotected penetrative sexual intercourse with female piglets.

New Approach for Inhibition of HIV Entry: Modifying CD4 Binding Sites by Thiolated Pyrimidine Derivatives.

Thiolated pyrimidine derivatives have been synthetized and their antiretroviral effect against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1IIIB) and HIV-1 chimeric pseudovirions have been quantitatively determined in cell-based viral infectivity assays including syncytium inhibition assay as well as a single-cycle viral infection assay on HeLaCD4-LTR/ß-gal cells. Pseudotype virions prepared bearing HIV-1 envelope preference for CCR5 coreceptor, CXCR4 coreceptor or for both, respectively, with a HIV-1 core containing luciferase reporter gene were able to infect susceptible cells but are replication defective so unable to replicate in the cells . Data indicate that thiolated pyrimidine derivatives inhibited effectively virally induced cell fusion in vitro as well as infectivity of primary HIV-1IIIB strain and HIV-1 pseudovirions using chemokine receptors CCR5 or CXCR4 or both for virus entry a dose dependent manner.

Thiolated pyrimidine nucleotides may interfere thiol groups concentrated at lipid rafts of HIV-1 infected cells.

Upon HIV infection, cells become activated and cell surface thiols are present in increased number. Earlier we demonstrated in vitro anti-HIV effect of thiolated pyrimidine nucleotide UD29, which interferes thiol function. To further analyse the redox processes required for HIV-1 entry and infection, toxicity assays were performed using HIV-1 infected monolayer HeLaCD4-LTR/ β-gal cells and suspension H9 T cells treated with several thiolated nucleotide derivatives of UD29.

Isolation of Kurthia gibsonii from non-gonorrheal urethritis: implications for the pathomechanism upon surveying the literature.

The incidence and number of species involved in the spectrum of sexually transmitted infections continue to increase. Laboratories have to be prepared for identification of unusual microbes. In our practice, a male patient had recurring urethritis and balanitis after having repeated unprotected insertive sexual intercourse with female piglets.

Immunochemistry of adenoviruses: limitations and new horizons of gene therapy.

Adenoviruses have increasingly been recognized as significant viral pathogens causing high morbidity and mortality especially among immunocompromised individuals such as transplant recipients and AIDS patients. Through the infection process, after the adenovirus fiber and penton are bonded to cell surface receptors through special amino acid moieties, secondary messengers activate protein kinases, pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Serotype and species specific antibodies also are induced.

Antiretroviral effect of 4-thio-uridylate against human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Antiretroviral effect of thiolated nucleotide 4-thio-uridylate (S4UMP, designated as UD29) against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) have been quantitatively determined in cell-based viral infectivity assays. In syntitium inhibition assay on MT-2 human T-cell line UD29 prevented cell fusion and formation of syntitia induced by HIV-1IIIB with IC50 values of 11.7 μg/ml.

[Adenovirus infections in immunocompromised patients].

Human adenoviruses function as genetic models and vectors for gene therapy. Upper respiratory, gastrointestinal or ocular infections usually have mild course without any major complication in immunocompetent individuals. However, reactivation from latency in immunocompromised patients may lead to death.

Numerical alterations of ageing B lymphocyte subsets.

The global population is ageing. Elderly people suffer from more severe infections than younger persons. The major reason for the increased susceptibility to infections in the elderly is the deregulated functions of the immune system.

Factors that may impact on immunosenescence: an appraisal.

The increasing ratio of ageing population poses new challenges to healthcare systems. The elderly frequently suffer from severe infections. Vaccination could protect them against several infectious diseases, but it can be effective only if cells that are capable of responding are still present in the repertoire.

[Human herpesvirus 7].

Human herpesvirus 7 known since 1990 is closely related to herpesvirus 6B. It replicates in human cells only after binding CD4 receptor. It establishes lifelong latency in infected cells, and its frequent reactivations result in asymptomatic virus shedding through saliva.

[Human herpesvirus 6].

Human herpesvirus 6 discovered in 1986 is the most ancient human herpesvirus shown by molecular characteristics. Variant B infects children under the age of 2 years by droplets from asymptomatic virus shedding adults occasionally causing exanthema subitum. The virus infects CD4+ macrophages and lymphocytes; subsequently establishes lifelong latency and persistence with occasional shedding through the saliva.

Immunosenescence and vaccination of the elderly II. New strategies to restore age-related immune impairment.

One of the greatest health-care challenges in the elderly is to ensure that vaccination against infections are optimally effective, but vaccination can only be effective if cells that are capable of responding are still present in the repertoire. The reversing of immunosenescence could be achieved by improving immune responses or altering vaccine formulation. Recent vaccination strategies in the elderly exert low effectiveness.

Immunosenescence and vaccination of the elderly, I. Age-related immune impairment.

The sharp increase of life expectancy and the increasing ratio of ageing population pose new challenges for the public health system. The elderly suffer from more frequent and severe infections than young people. Theoretically, vaccination could protect the elderly against several infectious diseases, but due to their age-related immune impairment, vaccination might fail in many cases.

[Studies on the novel association of human herpesvirus-7 with skin diseases].

Introduction And Aim: Human herpesvirus 7 in pityriasis rosea, this and other viruses in papular-purpuric gloves-and-socks syndrome have been implicated, but their primary or recurrent infections are still in question.

Patient And Methods: In one available blood sample, therefore, IgM, IgG and its high avidity fraction characteristic for recurrent infections were quantitated by indirect immunofluorescence. Peripheral lymphocytes were subjected to nested polymerase chain reaction to detect viral DNA, or cocultivated with several cell cultures.

[Microbial warfare and bioterrorism].

Infectious diseases have been used as warfares since ancient times. Since the 1920s military organizations have studied bacteria of anthrax, plague, tularemia, botulism, brucelloses, glander, Q-fever, and smallpox virus, Filo-, Arena-, Bunyaviruses causing hemorrhagic fever or Alphaviruses eliciting encephalitis. These can be dispersed by aerosol.

Sexual and enteric bacterial infections eliciting reactive arthritis.

In this review synonymous definitions of reactive arthritis are discussed first. Major clinical symptoms, their infectious etiology and epidemiology define post-dysenteric and post-veneral forms of reactive arthritis. Classical (smear, culture, biochemistry, antigen detection) and molecular (DNA and RNA detections) techniques are used in the routine microbial diagnosis that is retrospective in the majority of cases.