Beneficial effects of killed Tsukamurella inchonensis on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) growth, intestinal histology, immunological, and biochemical parameters.

Present study was conducted to investigate the effects of heat-killed Tsukamurella inchonensis on growth performance, gastrointestinal structure, immune response, and biochemical parameters in rainbow trout. Fish (mean weight 25 g) were fed basal diet (control), diets containing 2.48 × 10 colony-forming units (low-dose group) or 1.

Therapeutic vaccines for tuberculosis--a systematic review.

For eradication of tuberculosis (TB) by 2050, the declared aim of the Stop TB Partnership, novel treatment strategies are indispensable. The emerging epidemic of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB has fuelled the debate about TB vaccines, as increasing numbers of patients can no longer be cured by pharmacotherapy. Of several proposed modalities, TB vaccines administered in therapeutic manner represents a promising alternative, despite the controversial history due to the occurrence of exacerbated immune response.

Polygenic dissection of diagnosis and clinical dimensions of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are two often severe disorders with high heritabilities. Recent studies have demonstrated a large overlap of genetic risk loci between these disorders but diagnostic and molecular distinctions still remain. Here, we perform a combined genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 19 779 bipolar disorder (BP) and schizophrenia (SCZ) cases versus 19 423 controls, in addition to a direct comparison GWAS of 7129 SCZ cases versus 9252 BP cases.

Down-regulation of NF-κB signaling by Gordonia bronchialis prevents the activation of gut epithelial cells.

The immunomodulatory power of heat-killed Gordonia bronchialis was studied on gut epithelial cells activated with pro-inflammatory stimuli (flagellin, TNF-α or IL-1β). Light emission of luciferase-transfected epithelial cells and mRNA expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL20, IL-8 and MCP-1 were measured. NF-κB activation was assessed by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting, and induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated.

Effectiveness of low-temperature domestic laundry on the decontamination of healthcare workers' uniforms.

Objective: Most professionals in the healthcare environment wear uniforms. For the purpose of this study, we concentrated on nurses' uniforms. In the United Kingdom, many nurses are expected to launder their uniforms at home by using a domestic washing machine that frequently has low-temperature wash cycles.

PD-L1 co-stimulation contributes to ligand-induced T cell receptor down-modulation on CD8+ T cells.

T cell receptor (TCR) down-modulation after antigen presentation is a fundamental process that regulates TCR signal transduction. Current understanding of this process is that intrinsic TCR/CD28 signal transduction leads to TCR down-modulation. Here, we show that the interaction between programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) on dendritic cells (DCs) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) on CD8 T cells contributes to ligand-induced TCR down-modulation.

Selective activation of intracellular signalling pathways in dendritic cells for cancer immunotherapy.

One of the major challenges in achieving effective anti-cancer immunotherapy is to counteract immunological tolerance. Most tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are sensed as self. Hence, naturally occurring tolerance towards them has to be overcome.

Herpes simplex serious neurological disease in young children: incidence and long-term outcome.

Objective: To determine the contribution of herpes simplex virus (HSV) to serious neurological disease.

Setting And Patients: A 3-year prospective survey of children aged 2-23 months in Britain and Ireland.

Results: 19 children had HSV central nervous system (CNS) infection; 13 aged 2-11 months had focal neuroimaging abnormalities and 11 long-term neurological sequelae.

Genetic association study of GABRA2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and electroencephalography in alcohol dependence.

The gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) system has been implicated in the susceptibility to develop alcohol dependence and in determining electroencephalogram (EEG) beta activity. The role of the GABA receptor alpha-2 gene (GABRA2) in human alcohol dependence was determined in a genetic and electrophysiological study. The study population comprised 586 white UK individuals with alcohol dependence but a very low prevalence of co-morbid drug dependence, and 603 ancestrally matched healthy controls.

New and improved diagnostics for detection of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis.

Purpose Of Review: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global emergency and continues to kill 1.7 million people globally each year. Drug-resistant TB is now well established throughout the world and most TB patients are not being screened for drug resistance due to lack of laboratory resources and rapid accurate point-of-care tests.

Genetic association and sequencing of the insulin-like growth factor 1 gene in bipolar affective disorder.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) has been shown to have an important role in brain development and function. Studies of IGF1 administration in rodents have shown that it has an anxiolytic and antidepressant effect. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the first University College London (UCL) cohort of 506 bipolar affective disorder subjects and 510 controls was carried out.

Analysis of genetic deletions and duplications in the University College London bipolar disorder case control sample.

Genetic deletions and duplications known as copy number variants have been strongly implicated in genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy. The overall rate of copy number variants in the University College London (UCL) bipolar disorder sample was found to be slightly lower than the rate in controls. This finding confirms the results from other studies that have also shown no increased rate of copy number variants in bipolar disorder.

Is the eradication of tuberculosis 'yesterday's ambition' or 'tomorrow's triumph'?

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious infectious disease continuing to cause around 1.8 million deaths annually. The great paradox is that despite the availability of effective treatment for the past 60 years, it continues to spread relentlessly, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa due to the fuelling effect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Potential for immunotherapy with heat-killed Mycobacterium vaccae in respiratory medicine.

Immunotherapy with Mycobacterium vaccae has been shown to be beneficial as part of the treatment for a wide range of diseases. In the respiratory system, the late airway response in bronchial asthma is modified by a single dose and bronchial aspects of hayfever are reduced allowing a major reduction in the use of bronchial dilators. In studies of advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung survival is increased by an average of 4 months when up to five doses of M.

Two cases of tropical pyomyositis of the sternocleidomastoid muscle occurring in the UK.

We describe two patients with tropical pyomyositis that affected the sternocleidomastoid muscle. As far as we are aware, these are the first cases that involved neck muscles to be described in the UK. Given the increase in foreign travel and the greater prevalence of patients with immunosuppression, clinicians should be aware of this diagnosis.

Conventional protein kinase C plays a critical role in negative regulation of CD98-induced homotypic aggregation.

CD98, a heterodimeric type II transmembrane protein, is involved in many different cellular events, ranging from amino acid transport to cell-cell adhesion. Little is known about the positive and negative signalling pathways involved in these responses. Therefore, we examined the role of conventional protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms during CD98-induced intracellular signalling and homotypic aggregation of U937 cells.

Genetics of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous syndrome which is comorbid with childhood conduct disorder, alcoholism, substance abuse, dis-social personality disorder, and affective disorders. A small but consistent overlap with autistic symptoms has also been established. Twin and family studies of ADHD show a substantial genetic heritability with little or no family environmental effect.

Rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis through the detection of mycobacterial DNA in urine by nucleic acid amplification methods.

Tuberculosis kills over 1.7 million people worldwide every year and nearly 40% of patients with active tuberculosis remain undiagnosed because of the poor sensitivity of the current, century old diagnostic method: sputum microscopy. Sputum microscopy is not able to easily detect paediatric, extrapulmonary, or HIV-associated tuberculosis, which are now important causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries.

Evidence for the association of the DAOA (G72) gene with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but not for the association of the DAO gene with schizophrenia.

Background: Previous linkage and association studies have implicated the D-amino acid oxidase activator gene (DAOA)/G30 locus or neighbouring region of chromosome 13q33.2 in the genetic susceptibility to both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) gene located at 12q24.

The common mycobacterial antigens and their importance in the treatment of disease.

The mycobacteria are one of a number of genera making up the aerobic Actinomycetales. Their antigens demonstrable by immuno-precipitation methods can be divided into four groups. The group i antigens, common to all mycobacterial species, cross-react with their counterparts in animal cells, largely derived from mitochondria.

Reflections on the white plague.

Tuberculosis continues to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality from infectious disease worldwide. When WHO declared tuberculosis a global emergency in 1993, the initial response from the international community was sluggish and inadequate. A resurgence of the disease, the emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains, and the detrimental effect of the concurrent tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS epidemics on national control programmes in sub-Saharan Africa have all occurred despite the availability of effective combination treatment regimens.

Review series on helminths, immune modulation and the hygiene hypothesis: the broader implications of the hygiene hypothesis.

Man has moved rapidly from the hunter-gatherer environment to the living conditions of the rich industrialized countries. The hygiene hypothesis suggests that the resulting changed and reduced pattern of exposure to microorganisms has led to disordered regulation of the immune system, and hence to increases in certain inflammatory disorders. The concept began with the allergic disorders, but there are now good reasons for extending it to autoimmunity, inflammatory bowel disease, neuroinflammatory disorders, atherosclerosis, depression associated with raised inflammatory cytokines, and some cancers.