Cytokine expression in subjects with ssp. positive blood cultures and a meta-analysis of cytokine expression in Crohn's disease.

Objectives: 1) Culture ssp. (MAP)from blood, 2) assess infection persistence, 3) determine Crohn's disease (CD) cytokine expression, 4) compare CD cytokine expression to tuberculosis, and 5) perform a meta-analysis of cytokine expression in CD.

Methods: The Temple University/Abilene Christian University (TU/ACU) study had a prospective case control design with 201 subjects including 61 CD patients and 140 non-CD controls.

Serological Testing for Mycobacterial Heat Shock Protein Antibody in Health and Diseases.

Mycobacterial heat shock protein 65 gene () has been widely used for classification of Mycobacterial species, and detection of Mycobacterial genes by molecular methods and has proven useful in identification of Mycobacterial infection in various clinical conditions. Circulating antibody against Mycobacterial has been found in many clinical diseases including autoimmune diseases (Crohn's disease, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, etc.), atherosclerosis and cancers.

Anti-microbial Antibodies, Host Immunity, and Autoimmune Disease.

Autoimmune diseases are a spectrum of clinical inflammatory syndromes with circulating autoantibodies. Autoimmune diseases affect millions of patients worldwide with enormous costs to patients and society. The diagnosis of autoimmune diseases relies on the presence of autoantibodies and the treatment strategy is to suppress the immune system using specific or non-specific immunosuppressive agents.

Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis in Crohn's disease: a case report.

We have cultured Mycobacteria avium subspecies hominissuis (MAH) from the blood of a patient with Crohn's disease. The patient is a 21 year-old-female with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease for two years. She had been treated with corticosteroids and Humira for six months.