Publications by authors named "S Villari"

Tick-transmitted pathogens cause infectious diseases in both humans and animals. Different types of adaptive immune mechanisms could be induced in hosts by these microorganisms, triggered either directly by pathogen antigens or indirectly through soluble factors, such as cytokines and/or chemokines, secreted by host cells as response. Adaptive immunity effectors, such as antibody secretion and cytotoxic and/or T helper cell responses, are mainly involved in the late and long-lasting protective immune response.

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species are an important cause of emerging infectious diseases in people and animals, and rickettsiosis is one of the oldest known vector-borne diseases. Laboratory diagnosis of is complex and time-consuming. This study was aimed at developing two quantitative real-time PCRs targeting and genes for the detection, respectively, of spp.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tick bites can transmit various pathogens, leading to infectious diseases in both animals and humans, with the body's immune response playing a crucial role in defense.
  • The innate immune system responds quickly through components like natural killer cells and macrophages, setting off a pro-inflammatory response via the inflammasome, which regulates important cytokines involved in inflammation and immunity.
  • Ongoing research into inflammasome biology aims to uncover the mechanisms of innate immunity, potentially paving the way for improved diagnosis and prevention methods for tick-borne infections.
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Q fever is a widespread zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular bacterium with a wide range of hosts. The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of C. burnetii infection in cattle in Sicilian farms.

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One of the major constraints in the diagnosis of animal brucellosis is the cross-reactivity that occurs between Brucella and Yersinia surface antigens. With the aim to find a method to distinguish Brucella from Yersinia infection, the expansion of interferon gamma producing (IFN-γ+) T cell subsets obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from cattle either infected by Brucella abortus or experimentally immunized with Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 were compared. The lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry after PBMC were in vitro re-exposed to Yersinia or Brucella antigens.

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