Effectiveness of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on mortality in adults with tuberculosis in rural South Africa.

Background: Adults with dual tuberculosis (TB) and HIV infection have a poor outcome. Studies in West Africa suggest that cotrimoxazole prophylaxis may reduce this mortality.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of cotrimoxazole in reducing mortality in adults with active TB, irrespective of HIV status, in a high prevalence setting.

Patients with active inflammatory bowel disease lack immature peripheral blood plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cells.

Background: Breakdown of tolerance against the commensal microflora is believed to be a major factor in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dendritic cells (DC) have been implicated in this process in various animal models, but data on human DC in IBD are very limited.

Aim: To characterise plasmacytoid DC (PDC) and myeloid DC (MDC) in patients with active versus inactive IBD and healthy controls.

CXCL8 modulates human intestinal epithelial cells through a CXCR1 dependent pathway.

Background: CXCL8 (previously known as Interleukin-8), a member of the alpha-chemokine family of chemotactic cytokines, stimulates intestinal neutrophil activation and chemotaxis. As intestinal epithelial cells have been recently shown to produce CXCL8, the aim of this study was to identify functional activities of CXCL8 on intestinal epithelial cells.

Methods: The expression of CXCL8 receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2 was assessed by RT-PCR and FACS analysis in human Caco-2 and HT-29 cells.

Isolation, characterization, and regulation of the Candida albicans ERG27 gene encoding the sterol 3-keto reductase.

The Candida albicans ERG27 gene which encodes the 3-keto reductase enzyme required for sterol C-4 demethylation was isolated and found to encode a 349 amino acid protein that is 60% identical at the amino acid level to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Erg27p. A C. albicans erg27 null was created in a strain containing an integrated ERG27 rescue cassette under the control of the pMAL2 inducible promoter.

11-deoxycorticosterone is a potent agonist of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) mineralocorticoid receptor.

The teleost fish are thought to lack the mineralocorticoid hormone aldosterone but possess mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) homologs. Here we describe the characterization of two rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) MRs, called rtMRa and rtMRb. The open reading frame of rtMRa cDNA encoded a protein of 1041 amino acids.

Divergent cell cycle kinetics underlie the distinct functional capacity of mucosal T cells in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Background: Different abnormalities of T cell effector function distinguish Crohn's disease (CD) from ulcerative colitis (UC). Because cell cycling determines effector function, pathogenic events in CD and UC may depend on cell cycle changes unique to each condition.

Methods: Cell cycle kinetics, cycle regulatory molecule expression, apoptosis, caspase and telomerase activity, and cellular expansion were evaluated in CD2 and CD3 activated control, CD, and UC lamina propria T cells.

The case for customer loyalty.

How does customer loyalty grow? Through good customer experiences. Yet some organizations seem to genuinely fail to understand that they can keep or lose a customer in the proverbial blink of an eye. And in this era of increasing customer demands across all industries, it's important that healthcare financial managers understand the correlation between customer loyalty and customer experience.

Aetiology of male urethritis in patients recruited from a population with a high HIV prevalence.

The aetiology of urethritis, the significance of potential pathogens and the relation of urethritis to HIV infection were determined in 335 men (cases) with and 100 men (controls) without urethral symptoms. Urethral swab specimens were tested for different organisms by PCR or by culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The prevalence of N.

Management of vaginal discharge syndrome: how effective is our strategy?

Although syndromic management of sexually transmitted diseases in highly endemic areas provides a short-term benefit to the individuals treated, it has no impact on decreasing prevalence rates. The numerous factors that contribute to this are discussed. Rapid reinfection from a large pool of infected symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals as well as the non-specific nature of presenting symptoms in women with vaginal discharge syndrome are major causes.

Dual function of the extracellular matrix: stimulatory for cell cycle progression of naive T cells and antiapoptotic for tissue-derived memory T cells.

Tissue T cells encounter Ag in a distinct microenvironment, where they are embedded in the interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM). In contrast, while naive T cells are exposed to Ag in the lymph node, immediately after naive T cells are activated they must extravasate into the ECM to function effectively. Because integrin-mediated adhesion to the ECM modulates cell cycle progression and survival in adherent nonimmune cells, we hypothesize that blood and tissue-derived T cells have similarly adapted their behavior to their first or continued encounter with ECM.

Human galectin-2: novel inducer of T cell apoptosis with distinct profile of caspase activation.

Galectin-2 is structurally closely related to galectin-1, but has a distinct expression profile primarily confined to the gastrointestinal tract. Prominent differences in the proximal promoter regions between galectins-2 and -1 concern Sp1-, hepatocyte NF-3, and T cell-specific factor-1 binding sites. Of note, these sequence elements are positioned equally in the respective regions for human and rat galectins-2.

Review article: the aetiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease--immunology and repair mechanisms.

Although the aetiopathogenesis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, remains unsolved, current evidence indicates that defective T-cell apoptosis and impairment of intestinal epithelial barrier function play important roles in the pathogenesis of both conditions. Without appropriate control of T-cell proliferation and death during an immune response, an inappropriate accumulation of T cells and subsequent intestinal inflammation may occur. Differences in T-cell responses between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis have been identified, with mucosal T-cell apoptosis being defective in Crohn's disease, but not in ulcerative colitis.

Disruption of the Candida albicans CYB5 gene results in increased azole sensitivity.

Sterol synthesis in fungi is an aerobic process requiring molecular oxygen and, for several cytochrome-mediated reactions, aerobically synthesized heme. Cytochrome b(5) is required for sterol C5-6 desaturation and the encoding gene, CYB5, is nonessential in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cyb5p and Ncp1p (cytochrome P-450 reductase) appear to have overlapping functions in this organism, with disruptions of each alone being viable.

Candida glabrata erg1 mutant with increased sensitivity to azoles and to low oxygen tension.

A Candida glabrata erg1 (Cgerg1) mutant, CgTn201S, was identified by transposon mutagenesis and by increased fluconazole susceptibility. CgERG1 encodes a 489-amino-acid protein which, on the basis of its homology with Saccharomyces cerevisiae ERG1, is a squalene epoxidase essential for ergosterol synthesis. Interruption following codon 475 of CgErg1p decreased the ergosterol content by 50%; caused accumulation of the squalene precursor; increased the levels of susceptibility to fluconazole, itraconazole, and terbinafine; increased the level of resistance to amphotericin B; increased the levels of rhodamine 6G and [(3)H]-fluconazole uptake; reduced the level of growth; and blocked growth under conditions of low oxygen tension.

Disseminated nocardiosis masquerading as abdominal tuberculosis.

A 32-year-old patient was admitted with a community-acquired pneumonia. She had clinical evidence of AIDS and chest X-ray features consistent with pulmonary tuberculosis. While in the ward she developed an acute abdomen necessitating laparotomy, at which a diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis was made.

Vaginal tampons as specimen collection device for the molecular diagnosis of non-ulcerative sexually transmitted infections in antenatal clinic attendees.

Self-inserted vaginal tampons for the molecular diagnosis of non-ulcerative STIs were evaluated. Cervical and vaginal swabs, tampons and urines were collected from 185 first-time antenatal clinic attendees. Cultures and nucleic acid amplification assays (NAA) were performed.

Vertical transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in KwaZulu Natal: impact of HIV-1 co-infection.

Background: Increases in perinatal TB have paralleled the exacerbation of the TB epidemic in KwaZulu Natal. The exact risks for vertical transfer of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (VTRTB) to the baby are unknown, as is the impact of HIV-1 co-infection, which frequently accompanies maternal TB disease in the region.

Design: Prospective case series study of 82 HIV-1-infected and 25 non-infected pregnant mothers, King Edward VIII Hospital, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.