Ionizing air affects influenza virus infectivity and prevents airborne-transmission.

By the use of a modified ionizer device we describe effective prevention of airborne transmitted influenza A (strain Panama 99) virus infection between animals and inactivation of virus (>97%). Active ionizer prevented 100% (4/4) of guinea pigs from infection. Moreover, the device effectively captured airborne transmitted calicivirus, rotavirus and influenza virus, with recovery rates up to 21% after 40 min in a 19 m(3) room.

CD4+ cell-dependent granuloma formation in humanized mice infected with mycobacteria.

We have used humanized mice, in which human immune cells differentiate de novo from transplanted cord blood progenitor cells, to study the human immune responses to infection with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Granulomas with a core containing giant cells, human CD68(+) macrophages, and high bacilli numbers surrounded by a layer of CD3(+) T cells and a fibrotic response encapsulating the lesions were observed in livers and lungs from bacillus Calmette-Guérin-infected humanized mice but not in nonhumanized infected controls. Paradoxically, humanized mice contained higher mycobacterial numbers in organs than nonhumanized controls.

Safety and efficacy of HIV hyperimmune globulin for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in HIV-1-infected pregnant women and their infants in Kampala, Uganda (HIVIGLOB/NVP STUDY).

Background: This phase III, randomized, clinical trial compared single-dose nevirapine (sdNVP) plus HIV hyperimmune globulin (HIVIGLOB) with sdNVP alone for preventing maternal-to-child transmission of HIV. Primary objectives were to determine rates of HIV infection among infants and to assess the safety of HIVIGLOB in combination with sdNVP in HIV-infected Ugandan pregnant women and their infants.

Methods: Mother-infant pairs were randomized to receive 200 mg of nevirapine to women in labor and 2 mg/kg NVP to newborns within 72 hours after birth (sdNVP arm) or to receive sdNVP plus a single intravenous 240-mL dose of HIVIGLOB given to women at 36- to 38-week gestation and a single intravenous 24-mL dose to newborns within 18 hours of birth (HIVIGLOB/sdNVP arm).

Silencing suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS1) in macrophages improves Mycobacterium tuberculosis control in an interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-dependent manner.

Protection against infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis demands IFN-γ. SOCS1 has been shown to inhibit responses to IFN-γ and might thereby play a central role in the outcome of infection. We found that M.

Feasibility study on the treatment of small breast carcinoma using percutaneous US-guided preferential radiofrequency ablation (PRFA).

The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of percutaneous ultrasound (US) guided preferential radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) of unifocal human invasive breast carcinoma with largest radiological diameters of up to 16 mm. Thirty-three patients were enrolled in a study to be treated prior to scheduled partial mastectomy. A needle-shaped treatment electrode, successively developed in two different sizes, was placed into the center of the lesions using ultrasound guidance.

Use of non-invasive bioluminescent imaging to assess mycobacterial dissemination in mice, treatment with bactericidal drugs and protective immunity.

Monitoring the spread of mycobacterium in vivo using biophotonic imaging provides a fast, reliable and sensitive method to evaluate the distribution of the infection. Moreover, this technique allows for a significant reduction in the number of animals required in comparison to conventional anatomopathological studies. Here, we describe for the first time and validate the use of a luciferase-tagged recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG for non-invasive bioluminescent imaging of 1) bacterial dissemination in tissues, 2) the efficacy of treatment with anti-mycobacterial drugs and 3) the role of adaptive immune responses in controlling mycobacterial infection in vivo.

Preclinical assessment of the treatment of second-stage African trypanosomiasis with cordycepin and deoxycoformycin.

Background: There is an urgent need to substitute the highly toxic compounds still in use for treatment of the encephalitic stage of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). We here assessed the treatment with the doublet cordycepin and the deaminase inhibitor deoxycoformycin for this stage of infection with Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.

Nonhematopoietic cells control the outcome of infection with Listeria monocytogenes in a nucleotide oligomerization domain 1-dependent manner.

We analyzed the defensive role of the cytosolic innate recognition receptor nucleotide oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) during infection with Listeria monocytogenes. Mice lacking NOD1 showed increased susceptibility to systemic intraperitoneal and intravenous infection with high or low doses of L. monocytogenes, as measured by the bacterial load and survival.

Combination of KIR 2DL2 and HLA-C1 (Asn 80) confers susceptibility to type 1 diabetes in Latvians.

Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are known to modulate natural killer (NK) and NK T-cell function by interacting with human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands on target cells. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of KIR2D genes with their HLA-C ligands in susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. A total of 98 type 1 diabetes patients and 70 healthy subjects from Latvia were typed for KIR genes and HLA-C ligands using polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping.

SOCS-1 protects against Chlamydia pneumoniae-induced lethal inflammation but hampers effective bacterial clearance.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) plays a major role in the inhibition of STAT1-mediated responses. STAT1-dependent responses are critical for resistance against infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae. We studied the regulation of expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3, and the role of SOCS1 during infection with C.

Loss of a child and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Between 1987 and 2005, the authors conducted a case-control study nested within the entire Swedish population to investigate whether loss of a child due to death is associated with the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study comprised 2,694 incident ALS cases and five controls per case individually matched by year of birth, gender, and parity. Odds ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals for ALS were estimated by using conditional logistic regression models.

Role of IRAK4 and IRF3 in the control of intracellular infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae.

TLR signal transduction involves a MyD88-mediated pathway, which leads to recruitment of the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R)-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) and Toll/IL-1R translation initiation region domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-beta-mediated pathway, resulting in the activation of IFN regulatory factor (IRF)3. Both pathways can lead to expression of IFN-beta. TLR-dependent and -independent signals converge in the TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) adaptor, which mediates the activation of NF-kappaBeta.

STAT1 regulates IFN-alpha beta- and IFN-gamma-dependent control of infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae by nonhemopoietic cells.

STAT1 mediates signaling in response to IFN-alpha, -beta, and -gamma, cytokines required for protective immunity against several viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic pathogens. The protective role of STAT1 in the control of intranasal infection with the obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae was analyzed. IFN-gamma-/- or IFN-gamma receptor (R)-/- mice were highly susceptible to infection with C.

Treatment of African trypanosomiasis with cordycepin and adenosine deaminase inhibitors in a mouse model.

There is an urgent need to discontinue the use of highly toxic compounds still in use for treatment of the encephalitic stage of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). We show here that intraperitoneal injection of the adenosine analogue cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), together with an adenosine deaminase (ADA) inhibitor (coformycin or deoxycoformycin), cures Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in mice. Treatment was also effective at a stage when the trypanosomes had penetrated into the brain parenchyma, as determined by double immunolabeling of parasites and cerebral vessel endothelial cells in brain sections.

T cell receptor V gene usage by CD4+ and CD8+ peripheral blood T lymphocytes in immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Aim: To identify T cell expansions, i.e. increased frequencies of T cells using a particular T cell receptor (TCR) V alpha or V beta gene segment, in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

Intracellular bacterial infection-induced IFN-gamma is critically but not solely dependent on Toll-like receptor 4-myeloid differentiation factor 88-IFN-alpha beta-STAT1 signaling.

Infection of murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMphi) with Chlamydia pneumoniae induces IFN-alphabeta-dependent IFN-gamma secretion that leads to control of the intracellular bacterial growth. Enhanced growth of C. pneumoniae in Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4(-/-) and myeloid differentiation factor (MyD) 88(-/-) (but not TLR2(-/-), TLR6(-/-), or TLR9(-/-)) BMMphi is shown in this study.

Functional characterization of human natural killer cells responding to Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin.

The kinetics of activation and induction of several effector functions of human natural killer (NK) cells in response to Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) were investigated. Owing to the central role of monocytes/macrophages (MM) in the initiation and maintenance of the immune response to pathogens, two different experimental culture conditions were analysed. In the first, monocyte-depleted nylon wool non-adherent (NW) cells from healthy donors were stimulated with autologous MM preinfected with BCG (intracellular BCG).

Macrophages, CD4+ or CD8+ cells are each sufficient for protection against Chlamydia pneumoniae infection through their ability to secrete IFN-gamma.

By using a T, B, or NK cell-deficient mouse strain (recombinase-activating gene (RAG)-1(-/-)/common cytokine receptor gamma-chain (gamma(C)R)), and T and B cell and IFN-gamma-deficient (RAG-1(-/-)/IFN-gamma(-/-)) mice, we have studied the generation of immunity against infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae. We found that IFN-gamma secreted by innate-cell populations protect against C. pneumoniae infection.

CD44-regulated intracellular proliferation of Listeria monocytogenes.

CD44 has been implicated in immune and inflammatory processes. We have analyzed the role of CD44 in the outcome of Listeria monocytogenes infection in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM). Surprisingly, a dramatically decreased intracellular survival of L.

Hsp90 binds CpG oligonucleotides directly: implications for hsp90 as a missing link in CpG signaling and recognition.

CpG motifs originating from bacterial DNA (CpG DNA) can act as danger signals for the mammalian immune system. These CpG DNA motifs like many other pathogen-associated molecular patterns are believed to be recognized by a member of the toll-like receptor family, TLR-9. Here we show results suggesting that heat shock protein 90 (hsp90) is also implicated in the recognition of CpG DNA.

Suppressive DNA vaccination in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis involves a T1-biased immune response.

Vaccination with DNA encoding a myelin basic protein peptide suppresses Lewis rat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced with the same peptide. Additional myelin proteins, such as myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), may be important in multiple sclerosis. Here we demonstrate that DNA vaccination also suppresses MOG peptide-induced EAE.