All Posts Tagged With: "microbiology"

Excerpt:

Results

We demonstrate that B. garinii OspA serotype 4 (ST4) PBi resist complement-mediated killing by binding of FHL-1. To identify the primary ligands of FHL-1 four CspA orthologs from B. garinii ST4 PBi were cloned and tested for binding to human CFH and FHL-1. Orthologs BGA66 and BGA71 were found to be able to bind both complement regulators but with different intensities. In addition, all CspA orthologs were tested for binding to mammalian and avian CFH. Distinct orthologs were able to bind to CFH of different animal origins.

Conclusions

B. garinii ST4 PBi is able to evade complement killing and it can bind FHL-1 to membrane expressed proteins. Recombinant proteins BGA66 can bind FHL-1 and human CFH, while BGA71 can bind only FHL-1. All recombinant CspA orthologs from B. garinii ST4 PBi can bind CFH from different animal origins. This partly explains the wide variety of animals that can be infected by B. garinii

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20513551&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

Human ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are acute febrile tick-borne
diseases caused by various members of the genera Ehrlichia and
Anaplasma (Anaplasmataceae).
Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis has become one of the most
prevalent life-threatening tick-borne disease in the United
States. Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are becoming more
frequently diagnosed as the cause of human infections, as animal
reservoirs and tick vectors have increased in number and humans
have inhabited areas where reservoir and tick populations are
high.
Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the etiologic agent of human
monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (HME), is an emerging zoonosis that
causes clinical manifestations ranging from a mild febrile
illness to a fulminant disease characterized by multiorgan system
failure. Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes human granulocytotropic
anaplasmosis (HGA), previously known as human granulocytotropic
ehrlichiosis. This article reviews recent advances in the
understanding of ehrlichial diseases related to microbiology,
epidemiology, diagnosis, pathogenesis, immunity, and treatment of
the 2 prevalent tick-borne diseases found in the United States,
HME and HGA.

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20514140&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

This study was undertaken to determine which rodent species serve
as primary reservoirs for the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia
burgdorferi in commonly occurring woodland types in inland areas
of northwestern California, and to examine whether chaparral or
grassland serve as source habitats for dispersal of B.
burgdorferi- or B. bissettii-infected rodents into adjacent
woodlands. The western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) was
commonly infected with B.
burgdorferi in oak woodlands, whereas examination of 30
dusky-footed woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes) and 280 Peromyscus spp.
mice from 13 widely spaced Mendocino County woodlands during 2002
and 2003 yielded only one infected woodrat and one infected deer
mouse (P. maniculatus). These data suggest that western gray
squirrels account for the majority of production by rodents of
fed Ixodes pacificus larvae infected with B. burgdorferi in the
woodlands sampled.

Excerpt:

We previously identified ebpR, encoding a potential member of the AtxA/Mga transcriptional regulator family, and showed that it is important for transcriptional activation of the Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis and biofilm associated pilus operon, ebpABC. Although ebpR is not absolutely essential for ebpABC expression (100-fold reduction), its deletion led to phenotypes similar to those of an ebpABC mutant such as absence of pili at the cell surface and, consequently, reduced biofilm formation. A non-piliated ebpABC mutant has been shown to be attenuated in a rat model of endocarditis and in a murine urinary tract infection model, indicating an important participation of the ebpRABC locus in virulence. However, there is no report relating to the environmental conditions that affect expression of the ebpRABC locus.

 

 The Lyme borreliosis agent Borrelia burgdorferi and the relapsing fever group
species Borrelia miyamotoi co-occur in the United States. We used
species-specific, quantitative polymerase chain reaction to study both species
in the blood and skin of Peromyscus leucopus mice and host-seeking Ixodes
scapularis nymphs at a Connecticut site. Bacteremias with B. burgdorferi or B.
miyamotoi were most prevalent during periods of greatest activity for nymphs or
larvae, respectively. Continued

Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology Department, Cerrahpasa Medical
Faculty, Istanbul University, Kocamustafapasa, 34303, Istanbul, Turkey.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a disease that was prominent with
increased inflammation response in immune system, appeared mostly with
peripheral arthritis and endogenous and exogenous antigens play a role
in the pathogenesis of disease. Two major reasons were thinking to be
considerably important. First of them is immunological predisposition
and the second one is environmental factors. Continued

Genetic control of the innate immune response to Borrelia hermsii influences the course of relapsing fever in inbred strains of mice.

Benoit VM, Petrich A, Alugupalli KR, Marty-Roix R, Moter A, Leong JM, Boyartchuk VL.

Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Program in Gene Function and Expression, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605; Institut für Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Continued

Background.Standard 2‐tiered immunoglobulin G (IgG) testing has performed well in late Lyme disease (LD), but IgM testing early in the illness has been problematic. IgG VlsE antibody testing, by itself, improves early sensitivity, but may lower specificity. We studied whether elements of the 2 approaches could be combined to produce a second‐tier IgG blot that performs well throughout the infection. Continued

Two separate analyses presented here at the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) 47th Annual Meeting revealed that most of the society’s treatment guidelines are based on expert opinion, controlled trials, and case studies. Only about 15% of the guidelines are supported by randomized controlled trials (RCTs), considered the highest level of evidence. Nonetheless, more than 40% of the guidelines’ recommendations were classified as class A, the strongest level of treatment recommendation, according to Dong Lee, MD, and colleagues from the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Continued

Linda’s comment:  FINALLY, they are acknowledging that Almonds may boost your immune function and reduce inflammation.  The alternative arena has known this for years.  Almond milk is delicious.  Buddy Butter, which is an Almond butter that tastes like Jiff peanut butter.

From Reuters Health Information http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/703037

By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 19 – Almonds have the potential to boost immune health and reduce inflammation, according to research reported Tuesday at the 109th annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Philadelphia. Continued