Exploring Potential COPD Immunosuppression Pathways Causing Increased Susceptibility for MAC Infections among COPD Patients.

Although there has been a drastic decline in the cases of Tuberculosis in the United States, the prevalence of infections caused by Complex (MAC) has steadily increased in the past decades. () is one of the most abundant microorganisms in the MAC species. The mycobacterium genus is divided into two major groups: tuberculosis causing mycobacteria and non-tuberculous mycobacteria.

Elucidating the Efficacy of the Bacille Calmette-Guérin Vaccination in Conjunction with First Line Antibiotics and Liposomal Glutathione.

() is the etiological agent that is responsible for causing tuberculosis (TB). Although every year infection affects millions of people worldwide, the only vaccine that is currently available is the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. However, the BCG vaccine has varying efficacy.

Flavonoid Mixture Inhibits Survival and Infectivity.

Background: Flavonoids have been shown to exert anti-pathogenic potential, but few studies have investigated their effects on () infectivity. We hypothesized that a flavonoid mixture would have a favorable influence on cell death and the resolution of infection in THP-1 macrophages and in granulomas derived from both healthy participants and those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: THP-1 macrophages, and in vitro granulomas from healthy participants ( = 8) and individuals with T2DM ( = 5) were infected with .

Characterizing the Effects of Glutathione as an Immunoadjuvant in the Treatment of Tuberculosis.

is the etiological agent that is responsible for causing tuberculosis (TB), which continues to affect millions of people worldwide, and the rate of resistance of to antibiotics is ever increasing. We tested the synergistic effects of -acetyl cysteine (NAC; the precursor molecule for the synthesis of glutathione [GSH]) and individual first-line antibiotics typically given for the treatment of TB, such as isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), ethambutol (EMB), and pyrazinamide (PZA), to improve the ability of macrophages to control intracellular infection. GSH, a pleiotropic antioxidant molecule, has previously been shown to display both antimycobacterial and immune-enhancing effects.