Coadministered pneumococcal conjugate vaccine decreases immune response to hepatitis A vaccine: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: We explored the influence of coadministration on safety and immunogenicity of the most common travellers' vaccine hepatitis A (HepA) and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) increasingly used both at home and before travel.

Methods: Volunteers aged ≥18 years (n = 305) were randomly assigned 1:1:1 into three groups receiving: 13-valent PCV (PCV13) + HepA, PCV13, or HepA. Anti-pneumococcal IgG concentrations, opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) titres, and total hepatitis A antibody (anti-HAV) concentrations were measured before and 28 ± 3 days after vaccination.

Superspreading of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.23 among vaccinated Finnish adults: symptomatic COVID-19 only contracted by those without recent infection.

An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed after an academic party in Helsinki, Finland, in 2022. All 70 guests were requested to fill in follow-up questionnaires; serologic analyses and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) were conducted when possible.Of those participating - all but one with ≥3 vaccine doses - 21/53 (40%) had test-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19: 7% of those with earlier episodes and 76% of those without.

Safety and immunogenicity of ETVAX®, an oral inactivated vaccine against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli diarrhoea: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial amongst Finnish travellers to Benin, West Africa.

Background: No licensed human vaccines are available against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a major diarrhoeal pathogen affecting children in low- and middle-income countries and foreign travellers alike. ETVAX®, a multivalent oral whole-cell vaccine containing four inactivated ETEC strains and the heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB), has proved promising in Phase 1 and Phase 1/ 2 studies.

Methods: We conducted a Phase 2b double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial amongst Finnish travellers to Benin, West Africa.

Kinetics of Neutralizing Antibodies of COVID-19 Patients Tested Using Clinical D614G, B.1.1.7, and B 1.351 Isolates in Microneutralization Assays.

Increasing evidence suggests that some newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoCs) resist neutralization by antibodies elicited by the early-pandemic wild-type virus. We applied neutralization tests to paired recoveree sera ( = 38) using clinical isolates representing the first wave (D614G), VoC1, and VoC2 lineages (B.1.

Post-transcriptional regulatory element boosts baculovirus-mediated gene expression in vertebrate cells.

Baculoviruses can express transgenes in a wide range of vertebrate cells. However, in some cells transgene expression is weak. To enhance transgene expression, we studied the effect of the Woodchuck hepatitis virus post-transcriptional regulatory element (WPRE) on baculovirus (BV)-mediated gene expression of several transgenes.

Analysis of gene and protein expression during monocyte-macrophage differentiation and cholesterol loading--cDNA and protein array study.

Background: To better understand the role of macrophages in atherogenesis and to find new strategies to prevent their harmful effects, more information is needed about their gene and protein expression patterns in atherogenic conditions.

Methods: We analyzed gene and protein expression changes during monocyte-macrophage differentiation and lipid-loading by cDNA arrays and antibody-based protein arrays, respectively.

Results: It was found that early response genes, such as transcription factors, were upregulated early during monocyte-macrophage differentiation, while genes functioning in cell proliferation, migration, inflammation and lipid metabolism were activated later during macrophage differentiation.

Fetal membranes act as a barrier for adenoviruses: gene transfer into exocoelomic cavity of rat fetuses does not affect cells in the fetus.

Objectives: In utero gene therapy has a potential to correct genetic disorders before the first clinical symptoms appear. Our aim was to examine whether the exocoelomic cavity between amniotic and chorionic membranes offers a minimally invasive route for gene transfer to the fetus during early pregnancy.

Study Design: We injected lacZ-adenovirus (4 x 10(9) pfu) during open surgery into the exocoelomic cavity of rat fetuses (n=50) and analyzed the fetuses and rat dams for transgene expression with X-gal staining and polymerase chain reaction.

Gene expression in macrophage-rich inflammatory cell infiltrates in human atherosclerotic lesions as studied by laser microdissection and DNA array: overexpression of HMG-CoA reductase, colony stimulating factor receptors, CD11A/CD18 integrins, and interleukin receptors.

Objective: Inflammatory cells play an important role in atherogenesis. However, more information is needed about their gene expression profiles in human lesions.

Methods And Results: We used laser microdissection (LMD) to isolate macrophage-rich shoulder areas from human lesions.

Overexpression of alpha2C-adrenoceptors impairs water maze navigation.

We investigated the role of overexpression of alpha2C-adrenoceptors in water maze navigation in mice transgenically manipulated to have a threefold overexpression of the alpha2C-adrenoreceptors. Alpha2C-adrenoreceptors overexpressing mice swam more in the peripheral annulus of the pool and did not find the hidden escape platform as well as the wild type control mice. A subtype-nonselective alpha2-adrenoreceptor antagonist, atipamezole (ATI, 1000 microg/kg, s.

Alpha2-adrenergic agonist clonidine for improving spatial working memory in Parkinson's disease.

The loss of dopaminergic cells during Parkinson's disease (PD) produces "frontal"-like impairment in spatial working memory (SWM) and planning functions. This study investigated whether an alpha2-adrenergic agonist, clonidine (0.5 or 2 microg/kg, orally), improves SWM, spatial short-term or spatial recognition memory, and planning functions in PD patients.

Clonidine, but not guanfacine, impairs choice reaction time performance in young healthy volunteers.

The present study compares the effects of two alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists, clonidine (0.5, 2, and 5 micrograms/kg, p.o.

The alpha2 agonist, clonidine, improves spatial working performance in Parkinson's disease.

Previous work has shown that the dopaminergic defect in Parkinson's disease is involved, to some extent, in the "frontal"-like impairment in spatial working memory and attentional set-shifting functions. We investigated whether an alpha2 agonist, clonidine (0.5 and 2 microg/kg, per os), could alleviate spatial working memory and attentional set-shifting defect in Parkinson's disease patients.

Clonidine impairs sustained attention and memory in Alzheimer's disease.

We investigated the effect of the alpha2-agonist, clonidine (orally: 0.5 and 2 microg/kg), administration on parameters assessing attention and short-term recognition memory in Alzheimer's disease patients. Clonidine 2 microg/kg, but not 0.

Guanfacine, but not clonidine, improves planning and working memory performance in humans.

The present study compares, using a double-blind, placebo controlled design the effects of two alpha 2-agonists, clonidine (0.5, 2, and 5 micrograms/kg) and guanfacine (7 and 29 micrograms/kg) on spatial working memory, planning and attentional set-shifting, functions thought to be dependent on the "central executive" of the prefrontal cortex. Blood pressure and the subjective feeling of sedation were affected equally by clonidine and guanfacine.

THA improves word priming and clonidine enhances fluency and working memory in Alzheimer's disease.

We investigated the effects of a single administration of a cholinesterase inhibitor, tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA, 25 and 50 mg, orally), and an alpha 2-agonist, clonidine (0.5 and 2 micrograms/kg, orally), on neuropsychologic performance in two groups of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clonidine enhanced a spatial working memory and verbal fluency, but had no effect on spatial span or word priming.

Tetrahydroaminoacridine and D-cycloserine fail to alleviate the water maze spatial navigation defect induced by hippocampal inactivation.

The present study examined the efficacy of single and combined treatment with an anticholinesterase, tetrahydroaminoacridine (i.p.), and a glycine-B site partial agonist, D-cycloserine (i.

Guanfacine and clonidine, alpha 2-agonists, improve paired associates learning, but not delayed matching to sample, in humans.

The present study compares the effects of two alpha 2-agonists, clonidine (0.5, 2, and 5 micrograms/kg, p.o.

D-cycloserine, a partial NMDA receptor-associated glycine-B site agonist, enhances reversal learning, but a cholinesterase inhibitor and nicotine has no effect.

The present study examined the efficacy of single and combined treatments with an anticholinesterase, tetrahydroaminoacridine, nicotine and a glycine-B site partial agonist, D-cycloserine, in alleviating the water maze reversal learning defect induced by a medial septal lesion. D-cycloserine (3 and 10 mg/kg) improved reversal learning. Tetrahydroaminoacridine (1 and 3 mg/kg) and nicotine (0.

Reduction of noradrenaline impairs attention and dopamine depletion slows responses in Parkinson's disease.

We investigated the role dopamine and noradrenaline in the modulation of attention in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We observed that PD patients with mild and moderate motor disability did not differ in their attentional accuracy in easy tests, but the severe PD group was slightly disrupted in a more arduous test of attention. Attentional accuracy was not affected by withdrawal of dopaminergic drugs in mild or severe PD patients.

Tetrahydroaminoacridine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, and D-cycloserine, a partial NMDA receptor-associated glycine site agonist, enhances acquisition of spatial navigation.

The present study examines the efficacy of single and combined treatments with an antiocholinesterase, tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA, i.p.), and a glycine-B site partial agonist, D-cycloserine (DCS, i.

Hippocampal atrophy is related to impaired memory, but not frontal functions in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients.

We investigated the neuropsychological correlates of hippocampal atrophy in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The memory impaired PD patients had smaller hippocampi than other PD patients. The performance of PD patients in spatial working memory and attentional set-shifting correlated with the severity of motor defect, and not with hippocampal atrophy.

Tetrahydroaminoacridine and D-cycloserine stimulate acquisition of water maze spatial navigation in aged rats.

We investigated the effect of tetrahydroaminoacridine, a cholinesterase inhibitor and D-cycloserine (a partial glycine-B agonist of the NMDA receptor complex) on the defect of water maze spatial navigation in rats induced by aging. Tetrahydroaminoacridine (3 mg/kg, i.p.

The role of the dorsal raphe-serotonergic system and cholinergic receptors in the modulation of working memory.

The present study investigated the role of the dorsal raphe-serotonergic system and its interaction with muscarinic or nicotinic receptors in the modulation of working memory and motor activity by assessing the effects of serotonin lesion with pCA and cholinergic receptor blockade on the performance of rats in a working memory (delayed non-matching to position, DNMTP) task. The pCA lesion did not impair the choice accuracy or motor activity of rats in the DNMTP-task. The lower dose of scopolamine (0.