Publications by authors named "Steven W Edwards"

Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a common, multifaceted skin condition, but its undefined etiology hampers the development of effective therapeutic strategies. In this review, we describe the intricate relationship between the skin microbiome and the pathogenesis of SD, focusing on the complex interplay between three major groups of organisms that can either induce inflammation (Malassezia spp., Staphylococcus aureus) or else promote healthy skin (Propionibacterium spp.

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Article Synopsis
  • Adult-onset immunodeficiency (AOID) is linked to anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies (auAbs), which may increase susceptibility to disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial (dNTM) infections, alongside other molecular factors.
  • A study involving dNTM patients assessed plasma anti-IFN-γ auAb levels through ELISA and whole-blood RNA sequencing, showing significantly higher auAb levels in active cases compared to inactive patients and healthy controls.
  • The research found that active infection was marked by over-expressed inflammatory pathways, under-expressed type-2 immunity pathways, and elevated plasma IL-8 levels, suggesting IL-8 could potentially serve as a key mediator in
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Dengue is a global health concern, and the host-viral interactions that regulate disease severity are largely unknown. Detrimental effects of neutrophils in this disease have been reported, but the precise mechanisms and functional properties of dengue-activated neutrophils are not fully characterised. Here, we measured the effects of dengue virus serotype 3 (DV3) on neutrophil lifespan and functions.

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Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are associated with rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis and severity. Since homeostatic NET-forming neutrophils [NET+Ns] have beneficial roles in defense against pathogens, their distinction from pro-injury [NET+N] subtypes is important, especially if they are to be therapeutically targeted. Having identified circulating, pro-injury DEspR+CD11b+[NET+Ns] in patients with neutrophilic secondary tissue injury, we determined whether DEspR+[NET+Ns] are present in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) flares.

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Background: The immune system comprises many different types of cells, each with different functions and properties during immune defence. The numbers and types of immune cells in the circulation is highly dynamic and regulated by infections, ageing and certain types of cancers. It is recognised that immune function decreases during ageing, but the biological age at which these functional changes occur is variable, and how ageing affects the different sub-types of lymphocytes, monocytes and NK cells in the circulation is not fully defined.

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Several vaccine programs were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included inactivated virus, DNA viral vectors and mRNA vaccines. Booster programs are recommended, especially for those in high-risk groups. However, many of these booster programs involve heterologous vaccines.

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  • * Researchers found that neutrophils only produced ROS in response to these bacterial extracts when plasma was present, indicating that plasma contains components that enhance neutrophil activity.
  • * The findings suggest a new pathway through which activation of neutrophils by the bacterial antigens can lead to inflammatory damage, highlighting the complex interactions between pathogens and the immune system.
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Canine oral melanoma (COM) is an aggressive oral malignancy in dogs, mostly with metastasis. However, the understanding of total gene expression of oral melanoma (OM) at different clinical stages has been limited. The objective of this study was to identify novel mRNA biomarkers of early-stage OM (EOM) and late-stage OM (LOM).

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Human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) can induce cell proliferation and activation so their growth promoting activities may have potential clinical benefit. This study investigated the effects of HNPs on human dermal fibroblasts. Differential gene expression in HNP-treated cells and genes involved in regulating intracellular pathways were explored.

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Introduction: Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) infection can lead to several disease manifestations of the bile duct including advanced periductal fibrosis (APF) and the most severe complication, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Monocytes migrate to the infection site and differentiate into tissue macrophages to express and release molecules such as cytokines, reactive oxygen species, and growth factors. TLR4+ monocytes are classified as having a pro-tumor phenotype and secrete tumor-promoting factors.

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Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) infection can cause several disease conditions of the bile duct including hepatobiliary abnormalities (HBAs) and the most severe, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Fibrosis occurs when tissues are damaged and normal wound-healing responses are dysregulated. Neutrophils are the first cells to migrate to an infection site to protect the host from intruding extracellular pathogens through a wide range of effector mechanisms such as phagocytosis, production of reactive oxygen species, proteases, or release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).

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Objectives: Platelets and low-density neutrophils (LDNs) are major players in the immunopathogenesis of SLE. Despite evidence showing the importance of platelet-neutrophil complexes (PNCs) in inflammation, little is known about the relationship between LDNs and platelets in SLE. We sought to characterize the role of LDNs and Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) in clinical disease.

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Objectives: Identifying that dysfunction of the IL-23/17 axis underlies PsA has led to the development of effective targeted therapies such as the IL-17A inhibitor secukinumab. As IL-17A stimulates the secretion of neutrophil chemoattractants, such as CXCL8 (IL-8), we examined the effect of secukinumab on neutrophil function in PsA.

Methods: Nineteen patients with active PsA were treated with secukinumab.

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Objective: Screening of colorectal cancer (CRC) is important for the early detection. CRC is relating to aging and immuno-senescence. One such senescent marker is p16INK4A expression in immune cells.

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Background: The pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major global public health concern and several protective vaccines, or preventive/therapeutic approaches have been developed. Sinovac-CoronaVac, an inactivated whole virus vaccine, can protect against severe COVID-19 disease and hospitalization, but less is known whether it elicits long-term T cell responses and provides prolonged protection.

Methods: This is a longitudinal surveillance study of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD)-specific IgG levels, neutralizing antibody levels (NAb), T cell subsets and activation, and memory B cells of 335 participants who received two doses of CoronaVac.

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Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) are a contributing factor of vascular thrombosis and alveolar damage in COVID-19 patients. As enoxaparin is currently used to inhibit vascular thrombosis, this study aimed to investigate whether enoxaparin also reduced inflammation and NETs in COVID-19 patients. Patients with COVID-19 infection were classified into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe (n = 10 for all groups).

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Background: Liver fluke infection caused by Opisthorchis viverrini is associated with several hepatobiliary diseases including advanced periductal fibrosis (APF) and cholangiocarcinoma. Recently, we demonstrated a persistent APF in over one-third of opisthorchiasis patients after worm removal by praziquantel (PZQ) treatment. However, the underlying mechanism(s) of this phenomena is unclear.

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Neutrophil-derived microvesicles (NDMVs) are liberated by neutrophils upon cell activation by molecules. Once activated, neutrophils are primarily involved in acute inflammation; however, the microvesicles they produce are largely anti-inflammatory. NDMVs have been shown to protect cartilage during inflammatory arthritis.

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Host defense peptides (HDPs) or antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short cationic amphipathic peptides of divergent sequences, which are part of the innate immune system and produced by various types of cells and tissues. The predominant role of HDPs is to respond to and protect humans against infection and inflammation. Common human HDPs include defensins, cathelicidin, psoriasin, dermcidin, and ribonucleases, but these peptides may be dysregulated in the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

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Neutrophil-derived microvesicles (NDMVs) have the potential to exert anti-inflammatory effects. Our study aimed to explore the effects of NDMVs on proinflammatory cytokines expressed by tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-stimulated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). FLS were isolated from the synovium of knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients undergoing surgery.

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Article Synopsis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-lasting inflammatory disease that primarily affects the joints, with activated neutrophils playing a key role in its initiation and progression.
  • A study comparing neutrophils from blood and synovial fluid (SF) in severe RA patients found significant differences in gene expression, indicating that SF neutrophils become more activated and promote inflammation.
  • These activated neutrophils, once they enter the joints, contribute to chronic inflammation and joint damage instead of effectively migrating away, leading to further complications in RA patients.
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is one of the most common isolates from patients with fungal infections. infection is usually treated with antifungal agents, but side effects of these agents are common. Trehalase is an essential enzyme involved in fungal metabolism, and the trehalase inhibitor, validamycin A, has been used to prevent fungal infections in agricultural products.

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Background: Neutrophil function is essential for effective defence against bacterial infections but is defective in patients with sepsis. Ascorbate or vitamin C, which is low in the plasma of patients with sepsis, is stored inside human neutrophils and is essential for their normal function.

Objective: This study aimed to determine if ascorbate treatment ex vivo improved neutrophil function in patients with sepsis.

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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases and is caused by multiple factors including genetic factors, skin barrier defects, host immune responses, allergen sensitivity, environmental effects, and infections. Commonly, bacterial and viral infections are present in the eczematous lesions of AD patients and clearly aggravate the symptoms. However, studies of fungal infections in AD are limited in spite of the fact that there are reports showing that Malassezia, Candida, and some dermatophytes can affect the symptoms of AD.

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is a common non- species found in patients with candidiasis and it sometimes develops antifungal resistance. Human beta-defensin-3 (hBD-3) is an antimicrobial peptide of immune system active against various types of microbes including . This study investigated antifungal activity of hBD-3 and its synergistic effect with a first-line antifungal agent on clinical isolates.

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