inflammation
Host Response and Inflammation | SpotlightRegulatory T Cells Contribute to Resistance against Lyme ArthritisThe symptoms of Lyme disease are caused by inflammation induced by species of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. The various presentations of Lyme disease in the population suggest that differences exist in the intensity and regulation of the host response to the spirochete. Previous work has described correlations between the presence of regulatory...
Microbial Immunity and VaccinesVaccination with Secreted Aspartyl Proteinase 2 Protein from Candida parapsilosis Can Enhance Survival of Mice during C. tropicalis-Mediated Systemic CandidiasisThe rising incidence of non-albicans Candida species globally, along with the emergence of drug resistance, is a cause for concern. This study investigated the protective efficacy of secreted aspartyl proteinase 2 (Sap2) in systemic C. tropicalis infection. Vaccination with recombinant Sap2 (rSap2) protein from...
Host Response and Inflammation | SpotlightGroup A Streptococcus Infection of the Nasopharynx Requires Proinflammatory Signaling through the Interleukin-1 ReceptorGroup A Streptococcus (GAS) is the etiologic agent of numerous high-morbidity and high-mortality diseases. Infections are typically highly proinflammatory. During the invasive infection necrotizing fasciitis, this is in part due to the GAS protease SpeB directly activating interleukin-1β (IL-1β) independent of the canonical inflammasome pathway. The upper respiratory tract is the primary site for GAS colonization, infection,...
Host Response and InflammationEndocervical miRNA Expression Profiles in Women Positive for Chlamydia trachomatis with Clinical Signs and/or Symptoms Are Distinct from Those in Women Positive for Chlamydia trachomatis without Signs and SymptomsChlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause of sexually transmitted infections that may progress to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. No effective vaccine exists for Chlamydia, nor are there biomarkers available that readily predict disease progression. In this cross-sectional pilot study, we recruited symptomatic and asymptomatic women with...
Molecular PathogenesisRab5a Promotes Cytolethal Distending Toxin B-Induced Cytotoxicity and InflammationThe cytolethal distending toxin B subunit (CdtB) induces significant cytotoxicity and inflammation in many cell types that are involved in the pathogenesis of postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study tested the potential role of Rab small GTPase 5a (Rab5a) in the process. We tested mRNA and protein expression of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β [IL-1β] and...
Host Response and InflammationActivation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome by Particles from the Echinococcus granulosus Laminated LayerThe interaction of dendritic cells and macrophages with a variety of rigid noncellular particles triggers activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and consequent secretion of interleukin 1β (IL-1β). Noncellular particles can also be generated in the context of helminth infection, since these large pathogens often shed their outermost structures during growth and/or molting. One such structure is the massive, mucin-based, soft, flexible...
Host Response and Inflammationmcr-1 Gene Expression Modulates the Inflammatory Response of Human Macrophages to Escherichia coliMCR-1 is a plasmid-encoded phosphoethanolamine transferase able to modify the lipid A structure. It confers resistance to colistin and was isolated from human, animal, and environmental strains of Enterobacteriaceae, raising serious global health concerns. In this paper, we used recombinant mcr-1-expressing Escherichia coli to study the impact of MCR...
Host Response and InflammationDepletion of Alveolar Macrophages Increases Pulmonary Neutrophil Infiltration, Tissue Damage, and Sepsis in a Murine Model of Acinetobacter baumannii PneumoniaAcinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important etiological agent of hospital-related infections, especially nosocomial pneumonia. The virulence factors of this bacterium and their interactions with the cells and molecules of the immune system just recently began to be extensively studied. Here, we investigated the impact of alveolar macrophages on...
MinireviewOuter Membrane Lipid Secretion and the Innate Immune Response to Gram-Negative BacteriaThe outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is an asymmetric lipid bilayer that consists of inner leaflet phospholipids and outer leaflet lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The asymmetric character and unique biochemistry of LPS molecules contribute to the OM’s ability to function as a molecular permeability barrier that protects the bacterium against hazards in the environment. Assembly and regulation of the OM have been extensively...
Bacterial Infections | SpotlightUrsodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) Mitigates the Host Inflammatory Response during Clostridioides difficile Infection by Altering Gut Bile AcidsClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is associated with increasing morbidity and mortality posing an urgent threat to public health. Recurrence of CDI after successful treatment with antibiotics is high, thus necessitating discovery of novel therapeutics against this enteric pathogen. Administration of the secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA; ursodiol)...