Aim: Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) are the most important source for TB infection, being the risk of infection determined by the source case infectiousness and the contact closeness. Currently, the administration of isoniazid is used to prevent the infection to some extent in household contacts. At experimental level, defensins are efficient molecules for the treatment of TB and other infectious diseases.

Materials & Methods: In this work, we used a model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission by long cohabitation of infected and noninfected mice, and treated the latter group with antimicrobial peptides in order to determine the potential capacity of defensins to prevent the infection.

Results: Our results showed that the intratracheal administration of human neutrophil peptide-1, human β-defensin-2 alone or in combination and the use of L-isoleucine significantly prevents bacterial transmission, diminishing pulmonary lesions and bacterial loads.

Conclusion: Data suggest the potential use of L-isoleucine as prophylactic for TB household contacts.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/imt.14.119DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

household contacts
12
contacts experimental
8
prophylactic potential
4
potential defensins
4
defensins l-isoleucine
4
l-isoleucine tuberculosis
4
tuberculosis household
4
experimental model
4
model aim
4
aim patients
4

Similar Publications

Astroviruses and caliciviruses are important causative agents of gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. They have been detected in a variety of animal species, including dogs, but their role in the induction of disease in animals remains uncertain. In a molecular study that was conducted in Greece, including healthy and gastroenteritis-affected dogs of different ages, astrovirus (AstV) and sapovirus (SaV) were detected in 15% and 26% of the examined animals, respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Textronic Sensors of Hazardous Gaseous Substances.

Materials (Basel)

January 2025

Faculty of Electrical, Electronic, Computer and Control Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, 18. Stefanowskiego Str., 90-924 Lodz, Poland.

Toxic materials are a threat in workplaces and the environment, as well as households. In them, gaseous substances are included, especially ones without any colour or fragrance, due to their non-detectability with the human senses. In this article, an attempt was made to find a solution for its detection in various conditions with the use of intelligent textiles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection can lead to various outcomes, including active tuberculosis or latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Household contacts of TB cases have a high risk of acquiring LTBI.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

SUMMARYNumerous questions persist regarding the role of companion animals as potential reservoirs of antimicrobial-resistant organisms that can infect humans. While relative antimicrobial usage in companion animals is lower than that in humans, certain antimicrobial-resistant pathogens have comparable colonization rates in companion animals and their human counterparts, which inevitably raises questions regarding potential antimicrobial resistance (AMR) transmission. Furthermore, the close contact between pets and their owners, as well as pets, veterinary professionals, and the veterinary clinic environment, provides ample opportunity for zoonotic transmission of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: People with life-limiting diseases, who are no longer receiving active or curable treatment, often state their preferred place of care and death as the home. This requires coordinating a multidisciplinary approach, using available health and social care services to synchronize care. Family caregivers are key to enabling home-based end-of-life support; however, the 2 elements that facilitate success - coordination and family caregiver - are not necessarily associated as being intertwined or one and the same.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!