Inflammation, immunity, and vaccines for Helicobacter pylori infection.

The tight control of the innate and adaptive immune responses in the stomach mucosa during chronic Helicobacter pylori infection is of prime importance for the bacteria to persist and for the host to prevent inflammation-driven diseases. This review summarizes recent data on the roles of innate and adaptive immune responses during H. pylori/host interactions.

Maternal immune response to helminth infection during pregnancy determines offspring susceptibility to allergic airway inflammation.

Background: Schistosomiasis, a chronic helminth infection, elicits distinct immune responses within the host, ranging from an initial TH1 and subsequent TH2 phase to a regulatory state, and is associated with dampened allergic reactions within the host.

Objective: We sought to evaluate whether non-transplacental helminth infection during pregnancy alters the offspring's susceptibility to allergy.

Methods: Ovalbumin-induced allergic airway inflammation was analyzed in offspring from Schistosoma mansoni-infected mothers mated during the TH1, TH2, or regulatory phase of infection.

Schistosoma mansoni-mediated suppression of allergic airway inflammation requires patency and Foxp3+ Treg cells.

The continual rise of asthma in industrialised countries stands in strong contrast to the situation in developing lands. According to the modified Hygiene Hypothesis, helminths play a major role in suppressing bystander immune responses to allergens, and both epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that the tropical parasitic trematode Schistosoma mansoni elicits such effects. The focus of this study was to investigate which developmental stages of schistosome infection confer suppression of allergic airway inflammation (AAI) using ovalbumin (OVA) as a model allergen.

The Luebeck interview for psychosocial screening in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Psychosocial factors play an important role in the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, a simple, valid psychosocial screening instrument that is suitable for short patient-physician contacts does not exist. Therefore, the Luebeck semistructured Interview for Psychosocial Screening was developed as a rating tool for psychosocial stress in IBD patients (LIPS-IBD).

Influence of pulse angle variations on stimulated echo acquisition mode proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of AB spin systems: theory and experiments with citrate.

The influence of pulse angle variations in the localization sequence stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) on the signal of strongly coupled AB spin systems has been examined. Experimental 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of citrate were recorded on a 1.5 T whole-body imager.

Sequence parameters of double spin-echo sequences affect quantification of citrate.

Quantification of citrate by localized 1H spectroscopy is usually performed using the water signal as reference, but the signal behavior of the J-coupled AB spin system of citrate after multipulse excitation is not as trivial as for uncoupled substances. The influence of the timing scheme of double spin-echo sequences and of the spatial flip angle distribution of (nonideal) refocusing pulses was analyzed systematically for the citrate resonances. Both single echo times of the double spin-echo sequence were varied between 20 ms and 250 ms in theoretical and experimental approaches.

Phosphorus J coupling constants of ATP in human myocardium and calf muscle.

Proton-decoupled 31P NMR spectroscopy of the heart and calf muscle of healthy volunteers was performed with a 1.5 T whole-body imager. By use of two-dimensional chemical-shift imaging in combination with slice-selective excitation, well-resolved localized spectra (elements of 38 ml) were obtained within 20 to 35 min from which the homonuclear J coupling constants of ATP could be determined.

Computer-algebra calculations and measurements on AB spin systems for double-spin-echo sequences.

The time evolution of the density operator of an AB spin system during a double-spin-echo pulse sequence is evaluated analytically by a computer-algebra system. The computer-algebra system allows one to generate the extensive formulas describing the density operator and yields an expression for the integral of the spectral signals. The simulation of spectra for arbitrary sequence timings can be easily performed by this new tool without risking errors that might occur in conventional calculations.

Spin-echo methods for the determination of 31P transverse relaxation times of the ATP NMR signals in vivo.

31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) examinations of the calf muscles of healthy volunteers were performed to determine T2 of the coupled ATP signals by use of the Hahn spin-echo and the frequency-selective spin-echo method. Additional measurements with the J-coupling refocused double echo are presented. The most reliable determination of T2 relaxation times is possible with the frequency-selective spin echo.

31P transverse relaxation times of ATP in human brain in vivo.

31P MRS examinations of the brain of 10 healthy volunteers were performed to determine T2 of the coupled ATP signals by use of the localized 90 degrees-TE/2-2662-TE/2-acq frequency selective spin echo sequence for elimination of phase and intensity distortions. The T2 relaxation times obtained are much longer than usually assumed: gamma-ATP: 89 +/- 9 ms; alpha-ATP: 84 +/- 6 ms; beta-ATP: 62 +/- 3 ms.

A pitfall associated with determination of transverse relaxation times of the 31P NMR signals of ATP using the Hahn spin-echo.

T2 measurements of 31P NMR signals of ATP using the Hahn 90 degrees-180 degrees spin-echo sequence imply difficulties whenever the 180 degrees pulse angle is not completely perfect. The reason for this finding is the crucial influence of the J-couplings of the ATP signals which result in intensity modulations and consequently in false T2 values even when the echo times are chosen to TE = n/J. Examinations on the calf muscles of healthy volunteers were performed to demonstrate this effect and its influence on in vivo T2 determinations.

31P transverse relaxation times of the ATP NMR signals of human skeletal muscle in vivo.

31P MRS examinations of the calf muscles of 12 healthy volunteers were performed to determine T2 of the coupled ATP signals by using the 90 degrees-TE/2-2662-TE/2-acq selective spin-echo sequence for elimination of phase and intensity distortions. The T2 relaxation times obtained are much longer than those usually assumed: gamma-ATP, 93 ms; alpha-ATP, 74 ms; beta-ATP, 75 ms.