Contribution of GATA6 to homeostasis of the human upper pilosebaceous unit and acne pathogenesis.

Although acne is the most common human inflammatory skin disease, its pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here we show that GATA6, which is expressed in the upper pilosebaceous unit of normal human skin, is down-regulated in acne. GATA6 controls keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation to prevent hyperkeratinisation of the infundibulum, which is the primary pathological event in acne.

Long-term fatigue and quality of life among epithelial ovarian cancer survivors: a GINECO case/control VIVROVAIRE I study.

Background: Few data are available on long-term fatigue (LTF) and quality of life (QoL) among epithelial ovarian cancer survivors (EOCS). In this case-control study, we compared LTF, symptoms and several QoL domains in EOCS relapse-free ≥3 years after first-line treatment and age-matched healthy women.

Patients And Methods: EOCS were recruited from 25 cooperative GINECO centers in France.

[Not Available].

Bradykinin mediated angioedema (BK-AE) can be associated either with C1Inhibitor deficiency (hereditary and acquired forms), either with normal C1Inh (hereditary form and drug induced AE as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors…). In case of high clinical suspicion of BK-AE, C1Inh exploration must be done at first: C1Inh function and antigenemy as well as C4 concentration. C1Inh deficiency is significant if the tests are below 50 % of the normal values and controlled a second time.

Intrapartum group B Streptococcus screening in the labor ward by Xpert® GBS real-time PCR.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal infections in industrialized countries. Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) given to colonized parturients is a key step for the prevention of neonatal early-onset infection. We compared the performances of Xpert® GBS polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) as a point-of-care system in labor wards to standard culture for intrapartum GBS detection.

Environmental fatty acids enable emergence of infectious Staphylococcus aureus resistant to FASII-targeted antimicrobials.

The bacterial pathway for fatty acid biosynthesis, FASII, is a target for development of new anti-staphylococcal drugs. This strategy is based on previous reports indicating that self-synthesized fatty acids appear to be indispensable for Staphylococcus aureus growth and virulence, although other bacteria can use exogenous fatty acids to compensate FASII inhibition. Here we report that staphylococci can become resistant to the FASII-targeted inhibitor triclosan via high frequency mutations in fabD, one of the FASII genes.

Highly virulent M1 Streptococcus pyogenes isolates resistant to clindamycin.

Context: Emm1-type group A Streptococcus (GAS), or Streptococcus pyogenes, is mostly responsible for invasive infections such as necrotizing fasciitis (NF) and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). The recommended treatment of severe invasive GAS infections is a combination of clindamycin and penicillin. Until 2012, almost all emm1 isolates were susceptible to clindamycin.

Molecular Characterization of Nonhemolytic and Nonpigmented Group B Streptococci Responsible for Human Invasive Infections.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a common commensal bacterium in adults, but is also the leading cause of invasive bacterial infections in neonates in developed countries. The β-hemolysin/cytolysin (β-h/c), which is always associated with the production of an orange-to-red pigment, is a major virulence factor that is also used for GBS diagnosis. A collection of 1,776 independent clinical GBS strains isolated in France between 2006 and 2013 was evaluated on specific medium for β-h/c activity and pigment production.

Srr2, a multifaceted adhesin expressed by ST-17 hypervirulent Group B Streptococcus involved in binding to both fibrinogen and plasminogen.

The Group B Streptococcus (GBS) 'hypervirulent' ST-17 clone is strongly associated with invasive neonatal meningitis. Comparative genome analyses revealed that the serine-rich repeat (Srr) glycoprotein Srr2 is a cell wall-anchored protein specific for ST-17 strains, the non-ST-17 isolates expressing Srr1. Here, we unravel the binding capacity of GBS Srr proteins to relevant components of the host fibrinolysis pathway.

Neurotensin (NTS) and its receptor (NTSR1) causes EGFR, HER2 and HER3 over-expression and their autocrine/paracrine activation in lung tumors, confirming responsiveness to erlotinib.

Alterations in the signaling pathways of epidermal growth factor receptors (HERs) are associated with tumor aggressiveness. Neurotensin (NTS) and its high affinity receptor (NTSR1) are up regulated in 60% of lung cancers. In a previous clinical study, NTSR1 overexpression was shown to predict a poor prognosis for 5 year overall survival in a selected population of stage I lung adenocarcinomas treated by surgery alone.

Activation of EGFR, HER2 and HER3 by neurotensin/neurotensin receptor 1 renders breast tumors aggressive yet highly responsive to lapatinib and metformin in mice.

A present challenge in breast oncology research is to identify therapeutical targets which could impact tumor progression. Neurotensin (NTS) and its high affinity receptor (NTSR1) are up regulated in 20% of breast cancers, and NTSR1 overexpression was shown to predict a poor prognosis for 5 year overall survival in invasive breast carcinomas. Interactions between NTS and NTSR1 induce pro-oncogenic biological effects associated with neoplastic processes and tumor progression.

Streptococcus agalactiae clones infecting humans were selected and fixed through the extensive use of tetracycline.

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a commensal of the digestive and genitourinary tracts of humans that emerged as the leading cause of bacterial neonatal infections in Europe and North America during the 1960s. Due to the lack of epidemiological and genomic data, the reasons for this emergence are unknown. Here we show by comparative genome analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction of 229 isolates that the rise of human GBS infections corresponds to the selection and worldwide dissemination of only a few clones.

Genome-wide association study identifies variants associated with progression of liver fibrosis from HCV infection.

Background & Aims: Polymorphisms in IL28B were shown to affect clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in genome-wide association (GWA) studies. Only a fraction of patients with chronic HCV infection develop liver fibrosis, a process that might also be affected by genetic factors. We performed a 2-stage GWA study of liver fibrosis progression related to HCV infection.