Context-dependent change in the fitness effect of (in)organic phosphate antiporter glpT during Salmonella Typhimurium infection.

Salmonella enterica is a frequent cause of foodborne diseases, which is attributed to its adaptability. Even within a single host, expressing a gene can be beneficial in certain infection stages but neutral or even detrimental in others as previously shown for flagellins. Mutants deficient for the conserved glycerol-3-phosphate and phosphate antiporter glpT have been shown to be positively selected in nature, clinical, and laboratory settings.

Clinical versus Histological Assessment of Basal Cell Carcinoma Subtype and Thickness of Tumours Selected for Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy is an approved treatment for primary, superficial, and small nodular basal cell carcinomas with a thickness of < 2 mm located on low-risk sites. Histologically verified basal cell carcinomas clinically assessed as suited for photodynamic therapy were included. The study aimed to investigate the agreement between clinical and histological assessments of basal cell carcinoma subtypes and thickness of tumours selected for photodynamic therapy with histopathological evaluation as a reference.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early infant diagnosis of HIV in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: In South Africa, infants who are HIV-exposed are tested for HIV at birth and 10 weeks of age. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions resulted in reduced access to healthcare services and uncertain impact on early infant HIV testing.

Objectives: To describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions on early infant HIV testing and diagnosis in Cape Town, South Africa.

New, simplified versus standard photodynamic therapy (PDT) regimen for superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma (BCC): A single-blind, non-inferiority, randomised controlled multicentre study.

Background: Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an approved and widely used treatment for low-risk basal cell carcinoma (BCC), comprising two sessions with an interval of 1 week. Simplification of the treatment course can be cost-effective, easier to organize, and cause less discomfort for the patients.

Methods And Findings: We performed an investigator-initiated, single-blind, non-inferiority, randomized controlled multicentre study with the objective of investigating whether a simpler and more flexible PDT regimen was not >10% less effective than the standard double PDT in the treatment of primary, superficial, and nodular ≤2 mm-thick BCC and evaluate the cosmetic outcome.

Gasdermin D is the only Gasdermin that provides protection against acute gut infection in mice.

Gasdermins (GSDMs) share a common functional domain structure and are best known for their capacity to form membrane pores. These pores are hallmarks of a specific form of cell death called pyroptosis and mediate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL1β) and interleukin 18 (IL18). Thereby, Gasdermins have been implicated in various immune responses against cancer and infectious diseases such as acute Typhimurium (Tm) gut infection.