AIM: In the inflammatory state, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) play a key role in promoting migration of immunological cells from the circulation to targe...AIM: In the inflammatory state, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) play a key role in promoting migration of immunological cells from the circulation to target site.Aim of our study was to investigate soluble forms of these molecules in patients with virus-related chronic liver diseases, to assess their behavior in different pathologies and correlation with severity of liver damage.METHODS: Circulating ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were assayed by EIA commercial kits (R&D System Co.,Abington, UK) in 23 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CH), 50 subjects affected by liver cirrhosis (LC) and 15 healthy controls comparable for sex and age. In patients, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were also detected by autoanalyzer.RESULTS: LC patients had significantly higher ICAM-1 values than CH patients (38.56±7.4 ng/mL vs 20.89±6.42 ng/mL; P＜0.001) and these ones had significantly higher values than controls (12.92±1.08 ng/mL; P＜0.001). In CH group, ICAM-1 levels were significantly related to inflammatory activity (P= 0.041) and ALT values (r= 0.77;P＜0.05). VCAM-1 values were significantly increased only in LC patients (P＜0.001) and related to severity of liver impairment.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the determination of serum ICAM-1 can be considered as an additional useful marker of hepatocellular necrosis and inflammatory activity in chronic hepatitis, while serum VCAM-1 is an indicator of liver fibrogenesis and severity of disease in cirrhosis.展开更多
Increasing evidence suggests that derangement of gut flora is of substantial dinical relevance to patients with cirrhosis. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth and increased bacterial translocation of gut flora from the in...Increasing evidence suggests that derangement of gut flora is of substantial dinical relevance to patients with cirrhosis. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth and increased bacterial translocation of gut flora from the intestinal lumen, in particular, predispose to an increased potential for bacterial infection in this group. Recent studies suggest that, in addition to their role in the pathogenesis of overt infective episodes and the clinical consequences of sepsis, gut flora contributes to the pro-inflammatory state of cirrhosis even in the absence of overt infection. Furthermore, manipulation of gut flora to augment the intestinal content of lactic acid-type bacteria at the expense of other gut flora species with more pathogenic potential may favourably influence liver function in cirrhotic patients. Here we review current concepts of the various inter-relationships between gut flora, bacterial translocation, bacterial infection, pro-inflammatory cytokine production and liver function in this group.展开更多
Epidemiologic studies have suggested a relation between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and diabetes mellitus. HCV infection is emerging as a metabolic disease, and diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for HCV infecti...Epidemiologic studies have suggested a relation between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and diabetes mellitus. HCV infection is emerging as a metabolic disease, and diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for HCV infection. However, some data on the prevalence of antibodies to HCV in patients with diabetes are conflicting. These seroprevalence data should be interpreted with caution. Some potential bias may occur in those clinic-based studies that target a specif ic disease group. In this letter we explain some reasons for these conflicting studies.展开更多
As is the case in all parts of gastroenterology and hepatology,there have been many advances in our knowledge and understanding of small intestinal diseases.Over 1000 publications were reviewed for 2008 and 2009,and t...As is the case in all parts of gastroenterology and hepatology,there have been many advances in our knowledge and understanding of small intestinal diseases.Over 1000 publications were reviewed for 2008 and 2009,and the important advances in basic science as well as clinical applications were considered.In Part Ⅰ of this Editorial Review,seven topics are considered:intestinal development;proliferation and repair;intestinal permeability;microbiotica,infectious diarrhea and probiotics;diarrhea;salt and water absorption;necrotizing enterocolitis;and immunology/allergy.These topics were chosen because of their importance to the practicing physician.展开更多
Viral infection begins with the entry of the virus into the host target cell and initiates replication. For this reason, the virus entry machinery is an excellent target for antiviral therapeutics. In general, a virus...Viral infection begins with the entry of the virus into the host target cell and initiates replication. For this reason, the virus entry machinery is an excellent target for antiviral therapeutics. In general, a virus life cycle includes several major steps: cell-surface attachment, entry, replication, assembly, and egress, while some viruses involve another stage called latency. The early steps of the virus life cycle include virus attachment, receptor binding, and entry. These steps involve the initial interactions between a virus and the host cell and thus are major determinants of the tropism of the virus infection, the nature of the virus replication, and the diseases resulting from the infection. Owing to the pathological importance of these early steps in the progress of viral infectious diseases, the development of inhibitors against these steps has been the focus of the pharmaceutical industry. In this review, Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Human Enterovirus 71 (EV71) were used as representatives of enveloped DNA, enveloped RNA, and non-enveloped viruses, respectively. The current mechanistic understanding of their attachment and entry, and the strategies for antagonist screenings are summarized herein.展开更多
A newly identified bacterial disease of kelp(Saccharina japonica) gametophytes was found in clone cultures.It is characterized by swollen gametophyte cells in the early period of infection followed by filamentous fadi...A newly identified bacterial disease of kelp(Saccharina japonica) gametophytes was found in clone cultures.It is characterized by swollen gametophyte cells in the early period of infection followed by filamentous fading.An alginolytic marine bacterium referred to as A-1 was isolated from the diseased gametophytes.On the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing and morphological,physiological and biochemical characteristics,the bacterium was identified as a strain of the genus Alteromonas.By testing Koch's postulates,Alteromonas sp.A-1 was further confirmed as the pathogen.The infection process was also investigated using both scanning electron and light microscopy.展开更多
Whipple's disease was initially described in 1907. Over the next century, the clinical and pathological features of this disorder have been better appreciated. Most often, weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal and join...Whipple's disease was initially described in 1907. Over the next century, the clinical and pathological features of this disorder have been better appreciated. Most often, weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal and joint pain occur. Occasionally, other sites of involvement have been documented, including isolated neurological disease, changes in the eyes and culture-negative endocarditis. In the past decade, the responsible organism Tropheryma whipplei has been cultivated, its genome sequenced and its antibiotic susceptibility defined. Although rare, it is a systemic infection that may mimic a wide spectrum of clinical disorders and may have a fatal outcome. If recognized, prolonged antibiotic therapy may be a very successful form of treatment.展开更多
Objective: To investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of panipenem/betamipron to common clinical isolates, determine its pharmacokinetics in patients with pulmonary infection and evaluate its effectiveness and...Objective: To investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of panipenem/betamipron to common clinical isolates, determine its pharmacokinetics in patients with pulmonary infection and evaluate its effectiveness and safety in treatment of pulmonary infection. Methods: (1) The minimal inhibition concentrations of panipenem/betamipron were determined in 247 clinical isolates by agar dilution method. The minimal bactericidal concentrations of panipenem/betamipron for some clinical isolates were also determined. (2) Twenty cases of pulmonary infection were treated with intravenous dripping of panipenem/betamipron at 500/500 mg every 12 h for 3-7 d. Panipenem/betamipron concentration in the plasma was consecutively measured, and bacterial culture was conducted and the efficacy was evaluated. Results: (1) The in vitro antimicrobial activity of panipenem/betamipron was almost the same as that of panipenem, indicating that panipenem played the major role in antimicrobial reaction. Panipenem/betamipron had a strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, β-Streptococcus hemolytic, Streptococcus pneumonia, micrococcus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiea pneumonia. The drug also showed a potent effect against Haemophilus influenzae,Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2) The peak value of panipenem/betamipron in plasma was (30.25±5.43) mg/L and the level decreased to (0.66±0.34) mg/L 6 h later. The half-life of distribution and elimination of panipenem in the plasma was (0.34±0.18) h and (1.42±0.31) h, respectively. (3) The eradication rate of bacteria was 77.8% and the effective healing rate was 75%. No adverse drug reaction was found. Conclusion: Panipenem/betamipron has a strong antimicrobial activity against clinical isolates and is effective and safe for treatment of pulmonary infection.展开更多
To study the role of natural killer (NK) cells in T cell recruitment in murine liver infected with virus, mice were intravenously injected daily with anti-NK1.1 + antibody to deplete NK cells. Lymphocytes in the liver...To study the role of natural killer (NK) cells in T cell recruitment in murine liver infected with virus, mice were intravenously injected daily with anti-NK1.1 + antibody to deplete NK cells. Lymphocytes in the liver tissue of mice infected with type 5 adenovirus depleted in the E1 and E3 regions were assessed by fluorometric activated cell sorting (FACS). Expression of chemokine IP-10 and its receptor CXCR3 mRNA in the liver, hepatic lymphocytes and spleen tissue were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was measured as an indicator of liver injury. It was found that infection of adenovirus and anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (mAb) into mice caused liver injury and high expression of interferon-γ inducible protein-10 (IP-10) mRNA in the liver. Anti-NK1.1 + mAb, which was intraperitoneally injected into the mice infected with adenovirus, suppresses T cell recruitment and expression of IP-10 mRNA in the liver. Slighter liver injury was also observed. After virus infection, expression of CXCR3 mRNA in spleen and liver tissue was observed at different time. The results suggested that T cell recruitment was initiated by NK cell dependent chemokine IP-10, which induced activated T cells priming in the spleen to the liver of the mouse. NK cells played a key role in T cell recruitment in the liver of mouse infected with adenovirus.展开更多
Clinical observations have demonstrated that excessive chronic alcohol use negatively affects human immuno- deficiency virus (HIV) infection and contributes to the liver manifestations of the disease, even in HIV mono...Clinical observations have demonstrated that excessive chronic alcohol use negatively affects human immuno- deficiency virus (HIV) infection and contributes to the liver manifestations of the disease, even in HIV mono- infection. HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection is as- sociated with increased progression of HVC liver disease compared to HCV infection alone, and both of these are negatively affected by alcohol use. Recent data suggest that alcohol use and HIV infection have common targets that contribute to progression of liver disease. Both HIV infection and chronic alcohol use are associated with increased gut permeability and elevated plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide; a central activator of inflammatory responses. Both alcoholic liver disease and HIV infec tionresult in non-specific activation of innate immunity, proinflammatory cytokine cascade upregulation, as well as impaired antigen presenting cell and dendritic cell functions. Finally, alcohol, HIV and antiretroviral therapyaffect hepatocyte functions, which contributes to liver damage. The common targets of alcohol and HIV infection in liver disease are discussed in this minireview.展开更多
Objectives: To evaluate the Vidas Chlamydia (CHL) assayfor detecting C.Trachomatis with swabs and first catch urine(FCU) specimens from STD patients and high riskpopulations. Methods: A total of 383 pahents were teste...Objectives: To evaluate the Vidas Chlamydia (CHL) assayfor detecting C.Trachomatis with swabs and first catch urine(FCU) specimens from STD patients and high riskpopulations. Methods: A total of 383 pahents were tested with tissueculture (TC), Vidas CHL and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)for C.trachomatis on male and female swabs, with Vidas CHLtesting male FCU specimens. CHL positive and equivocalresults were confirmed with a blocking assay (CHB). Truepositive were defined as either TC positive, or TC negtive butCHL and PCR positive. The performance of TC, CHL andPCR were evaluated according to this expanded goldstandard. Results: Compared with the expanded gold standard, 54 ofthe 232 male specimens were true positive results. For maleswabs, TC, CHL and PCR had sensitivities of 90.7%, 96.3%and 94.4%, and specificities of 100%, 98.3% and 97.2%,respectively. Differences were not statistically significant. Formale FCU specimens, CHL sensitivity and specificity were83.3% and 98.3%; there was little difference between theseresults and that of matched swabs. Compared with theexpanded gold standard, 28 of the 151 female swabs were truepositive; TC, CHL and PCR had sensitivities of 82.1%, 100%and 96.4%, and specificities of 100%, 98.4% and 97.6%,respectively. The difference was also not significant. Conclusions: Vidas CHL assay is very scnsitive and specificfor C.trachomatis detection with swab specimens of male andfemale STD patients. For male FCU specimens, the assay alsohad high sensitivity and specificity. CHB may not be needed inthe routine detection or Chlamydia infections. Populationswith higher incidence of C.trachomatis infection.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To summarized the antimicrobial-like effects of Radix Ginseng, which provide important information to the relevant researchers and clinicians, and will benefit the clinical treatment of infectious diseases....OBJECTIVE: To summarized the antimicrobial-like effects of Radix Ginseng, which provide important information to the relevant researchers and clinicians, and will benefit the clinical treatment of infectious diseases.METHODS: PubMed and Google were used to search for and collect scientific publications related to Radix Ginseng and microbial infections. The authors read, classified, and discussed the associated scientific results or evidences, and summarized the corresponding results.RESULTS: In this review, recent studies on the bene-ficial effects of Radix Ginseng extracts on microbial and biofilm infections were reviewed. The importance and significance of Radix Ginseng's beneficial effects are discussed. Evidence for the favorable effects of Radix Ginseng extracts on viral, bacterial,fungal, and parasitic infections and the possible underlying mechanisms are summarized.CONCLUSION: Radix Ginseng might be a promising supplemental remedy for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.展开更多
Infectious diseases result from the interactions of host, pathogens, and, in the case of vector-borne diseases, also vec- tors. The interactions involve physiological and ecological mechanisms and they have evolved un...Infectious diseases result from the interactions of host, pathogens, and, in the case of vector-borne diseases, also vec- tors. The interactions involve physiological and ecological mechanisms and they have evolved under a given set of environmental conditions. Environmental change, therefore, will alter host-pathogen-vector interactions and, consequently, the distribution, in- tensity, and dynamics of infectious diseases. Here, we review how climate change may impact infectious diseases of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Climate change can have direct impacts on distribution, life cycle, and physiological status of hosts, pathogens and vectors. While a change in either host, pathogen or vector does not necessarily translate into an alteration of the disease, it is the impact of climate change on the interactions between the disease components which is particularly critical for altered disease risks. Finally, climate factors can modulate disease through modifying the ecological networks host-pathogen-vector systems are belonging to, and climate change can combine with other environmental stressors to induce cumulative effects on infectious dis- eases. Overall, the influence of climate change on infectious diseases involves different mechanisms, it can be modulated by phenotypic acclimation and/or genotypic adaptation, it depends on the ecological context of the host-pathogen-vector interactions, and it can be modulated by impacts of other stressors. As a consequence of this complexity, non-linear responses of disease sys- tems under climate change are to be expected. To improve predictions on climate change impacts on infectious disease, we sug- gest that more emphasis should be given to the integration of biomedical and ecological research for studying both the physio- logical and ecological mechanisms which mediate climate change impacts on disease, and to the development of harmonized methods and approaches to obtain more comparable results, as this would support the discrimination of case-specific versus gen- eral mechanisms .展开更多
Artemisinin drugs are a family of sesquiterpene trioxane lactone agents originally derived from Artemisia annua L. Due to the big victory in the antimalarial battle,the 2015 Nobel Prize goes to the discoverer of artem...Artemisinin drugs are a family of sesquiterpene trioxane lactone agents originally derived from Artemisia annua L. Due to the big victory in the antimalarial battle,the 2015 Nobel Prize goes to the discoverer of artemisininbased therapy for malaria. Beyond antimalaria, artemisinin and its derivatives are also being investigated in diseases like schistosomiasis, viral infection, cancers and inflammation. Over the past decades, the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of artemisinin drugs have been comprehensively studied. In this article, we will briefly describe the development of artemisinin drugs, especially novel artemisinin derivatives, in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.展开更多
文摘AIM: In the inflammatory state, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) play a key role in promoting migration of immunological cells from the circulation to target site.Aim of our study was to investigate soluble forms of these molecules in patients with virus-related chronic liver diseases, to assess their behavior in different pathologies and correlation with severity of liver damage.METHODS: Circulating ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were assayed by EIA commercial kits (R&D System Co.,Abington, UK) in 23 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CH), 50 subjects affected by liver cirrhosis (LC) and 15 healthy controls comparable for sex and age. In patients, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were also detected by autoanalyzer.RESULTS: LC patients had significantly higher ICAM-1 values than CH patients (38.56±7.4 ng/mL vs 20.89±6.42 ng/mL; P＜0.001) and these ones had significantly higher values than controls (12.92±1.08 ng/mL; P＜0.001). In CH group, ICAM-1 levels were significantly related to inflammatory activity (P= 0.041) and ALT values (r= 0.77;P＜0.05). VCAM-1 values were significantly increased only in LC patients (P＜0.001) and related to severity of liver impairment.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the determination of serum ICAM-1 can be considered as an additional useful marker of hepatocellular necrosis and inflammatory activity in chronic hepatitis, while serum VCAM-1 is an indicator of liver fibrogenesis and severity of disease in cirrhosis.
文摘Increasing evidence suggests that derangement of gut flora is of substantial dinical relevance to patients with cirrhosis. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth and increased bacterial translocation of gut flora from the intestinal lumen, in particular, predispose to an increased potential for bacterial infection in this group. Recent studies suggest that, in addition to their role in the pathogenesis of overt infective episodes and the clinical consequences of sepsis, gut flora contributes to the pro-inflammatory state of cirrhosis even in the absence of overt infection. Furthermore, manipulation of gut flora to augment the intestinal content of lactic acid-type bacteria at the expense of other gut flora species with more pathogenic potential may favourably influence liver function in cirrhotic patients. Here we review current concepts of the various inter-relationships between gut flora, bacterial translocation, bacterial infection, pro-inflammatory cytokine production and liver function in this group.
文摘Epidemiologic studies have suggested a relation between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and diabetes mellitus. HCV infection is emerging as a metabolic disease, and diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for HCV infection. However, some data on the prevalence of antibodies to HCV in patients with diabetes are conflicting. These seroprevalence data should be interpreted with caution. Some potential bias may occur in those clinic-based studies that target a specif ic disease group. In this letter we explain some reasons for these conflicting studies.
文摘As is the case in all parts of gastroenterology and hepatology,there have been many advances in our knowledge and understanding of small intestinal diseases.Over 1000 publications were reviewed for 2008 and 2009,and the important advances in basic science as well as clinical applications were considered.In Part Ⅰ of this Editorial Review,seven topics are considered:intestinal development;proliferation and repair;intestinal permeability;microbiotica,infectious diarrhea and probiotics;diarrhea;salt and water absorption;necrotizing enterocolitis;and immunology/allergy.These topics were chosen because of their importance to the practicing physician.
基金National Basic Research Program (973) (2009CB522300,2010CB530100)Chinese Academy of Sciences (KSCX1-YW-10)Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou,China (2007Z1-E0111)
文摘Viral infection begins with the entry of the virus into the host target cell and initiates replication. For this reason, the virus entry machinery is an excellent target for antiviral therapeutics. In general, a virus life cycle includes several major steps: cell-surface attachment, entry, replication, assembly, and egress, while some viruses involve another stage called latency. The early steps of the virus life cycle include virus attachment, receptor binding, and entry. These steps involve the initial interactions between a virus and the host cell and thus are major determinants of the tropism of the virus infection, the nature of the virus replication, and the diseases resulting from the infection. Owing to the pathological importance of these early steps in the progress of viral infectious diseases, the development of inhibitors against these steps has been the focus of the pharmaceutical industry. In this review, Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Human Enterovirus 71 (EV71) were used as representatives of enveloped DNA, enveloped RNA, and non-enveloped viruses, respectively. The current mechanistic understanding of their attachment and entry, and the strategies for antagonist screenings are summarized herein.
基金Supported by the Shandong Postdoctoral Science Foundation Funded Project(No.2009003027)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31100010)+2 种基金the Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology of Institute of Oceanology,Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.Kf201017)the Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Project(No.09-1-3-13-jch)the Award Program for Outstanding Young Researchers of Shandong Province(No.BS2009NY018)
文摘A newly identified bacterial disease of kelp(Saccharina japonica) gametophytes was found in clone cultures.It is characterized by swollen gametophyte cells in the early period of infection followed by filamentous fading.An alginolytic marine bacterium referred to as A-1 was isolated from the diseased gametophytes.On the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing and morphological,physiological and biochemical characteristics,the bacterium was identified as a strain of the genus Alteromonas.By testing Koch's postulates,Alteromonas sp.A-1 was further confirmed as the pathogen.The infection process was also investigated using both scanning electron and light microscopy.
文摘Whipple's disease was initially described in 1907. Over the next century, the clinical and pathological features of this disorder have been better appreciated. Most often, weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal and joint pain occur. Occasionally, other sites of involvement have been documented, including isolated neurological disease, changes in the eyes and culture-negative endocarditis. In the past decade, the responsible organism Tropheryma whipplei has been cultivated, its genome sequenced and its antibiotic susceptibility defined. Although rare, it is a systemic infection that may mimic a wide spectrum of clinical disorders and may have a fatal outcome. If recognized, prolonged antibiotic therapy may be a very successful form of treatment.
文摘Objective: To investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of panipenem/betamipron to common clinical isolates, determine its pharmacokinetics in patients with pulmonary infection and evaluate its effectiveness and safety in treatment of pulmonary infection. Methods: (1) The minimal inhibition concentrations of panipenem/betamipron were determined in 247 clinical isolates by agar dilution method. The minimal bactericidal concentrations of panipenem/betamipron for some clinical isolates were also determined. (2) Twenty cases of pulmonary infection were treated with intravenous dripping of panipenem/betamipron at 500/500 mg every 12 h for 3-7 d. Panipenem/betamipron concentration in the plasma was consecutively measured, and bacterial culture was conducted and the efficacy was evaluated. Results: (1) The in vitro antimicrobial activity of panipenem/betamipron was almost the same as that of panipenem, indicating that panipenem played the major role in antimicrobial reaction. Panipenem/betamipron had a strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, β-Streptococcus hemolytic, Streptococcus pneumonia, micrococcus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiea pneumonia. The drug also showed a potent effect against Haemophilus influenzae,Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2) The peak value of panipenem/betamipron in plasma was (30.25±5.43) mg/L and the level decreased to (0.66±0.34) mg/L 6 h later. The half-life of distribution and elimination of panipenem in the plasma was (0.34±0.18) h and (1.42±0.31) h, respectively. (3) The eradication rate of bacteria was 77.8% and the effective healing rate was 75%. No adverse drug reaction was found. Conclusion: Panipenem/betamipron has a strong antimicrobial activity against clinical isolates and is effective and safe for treatment of pulmonary infection.
文摘To study the role of natural killer (NK) cells in T cell recruitment in murine liver infected with virus, mice were intravenously injected daily with anti-NK1.1 + antibody to deplete NK cells. Lymphocytes in the liver tissue of mice infected with type 5 adenovirus depleted in the E1 and E3 regions were assessed by fluorometric activated cell sorting (FACS). Expression of chemokine IP-10 and its receptor CXCR3 mRNA in the liver, hepatic lymphocytes and spleen tissue were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was measured as an indicator of liver injury. It was found that infection of adenovirus and anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (mAb) into mice caused liver injury and high expression of interferon-γ inducible protein-10 (IP-10) mRNA in the liver. Anti-NK1.1 + mAb, which was intraperitoneally injected into the mice infected with adenovirus, suppresses T cell recruitment and expression of IP-10 mRNA in the liver. Slighter liver injury was also observed. After virus infection, expression of CXCR3 mRNA in spleen and liver tissue was observed at different time. The results suggested that T cell recruitment was initiated by NK cell dependent chemokine IP-10, which induced activated T cells priming in the spleen to the liver of the mouse. NK cells played a key role in T cell recruitment in the liver of mouse infected with adenovirus.
文摘Clinical observations have demonstrated that excessive chronic alcohol use negatively affects human immuno- deficiency virus (HIV) infection and contributes to the liver manifestations of the disease, even in HIV mono- infection. HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection is as- sociated with increased progression of HVC liver disease compared to HCV infection alone, and both of these are negatively affected by alcohol use. Recent data suggest that alcohol use and HIV infection have common targets that contribute to progression of liver disease. Both HIV infection and chronic alcohol use are associated with increased gut permeability and elevated plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide; a central activator of inflammatory responses. Both alcoholic liver disease and HIV infec tionresult in non-specific activation of innate immunity, proinflammatory cytokine cascade upregulation, as well as impaired antigen presenting cell and dendritic cell functions. Finally, alcohol, HIV and antiretroviral therapyaffect hepatocyte functions, which contributes to liver damage. The common targets of alcohol and HIV infection in liver disease are discussed in this minireview.
文摘Objectives: To evaluate the Vidas Chlamydia (CHL) assayfor detecting C.Trachomatis with swabs and first catch urine(FCU) specimens from STD patients and high riskpopulations. Methods: A total of 383 pahents were tested with tissueculture (TC), Vidas CHL and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)for C.trachomatis on male and female swabs, with Vidas CHLtesting male FCU specimens. CHL positive and equivocalresults were confirmed with a blocking assay (CHB). Truepositive were defined as either TC positive, or TC negtive butCHL and PCR positive. The performance of TC, CHL andPCR were evaluated according to this expanded goldstandard. Results: Compared with the expanded gold standard, 54 ofthe 232 male specimens were true positive results. For maleswabs, TC, CHL and PCR had sensitivities of 90.7%, 96.3%and 94.4%, and specificities of 100%, 98.3% and 97.2%,respectively. Differences were not statistically significant. Formale FCU specimens, CHL sensitivity and specificity were83.3% and 98.3%; there was little difference between theseresults and that of matched swabs. Compared with theexpanded gold standard, 28 of the 151 female swabs were truepositive; TC, CHL and PCR had sensitivities of 82.1%, 100%and 96.4%, and specificities of 100%, 98.4% and 97.6%,respectively. The difference was also not significant. Conclusions: Vidas CHL assay is very scnsitive and specificfor C.trachomatis detection with swab specimens of male andfemale STD patients. For male FCU specimens, the assay alsohad high sensitivity and specificity. CHB may not be needed inthe routine detection or Chlamydia infections. Populationswith higher incidence of C.trachomatis infection.
文摘OBJECTIVE: To summarized the antimicrobial-like effects of Radix Ginseng, which provide important information to the relevant researchers and clinicians, and will benefit the clinical treatment of infectious diseases.METHODS: PubMed and Google were used to search for and collect scientific publications related to Radix Ginseng and microbial infections. The authors read, classified, and discussed the associated scientific results or evidences, and summarized the corresponding results.RESULTS: In this review, recent studies on the bene-ficial effects of Radix Ginseng extracts on microbial and biofilm infections were reviewed. The importance and significance of Radix Ginseng's beneficial effects are discussed. Evidence for the favorable effects of Radix Ginseng extracts on viral, bacterial,fungal, and parasitic infections and the possible underlying mechanisms are summarized.CONCLUSION: Radix Ginseng might be a promising supplemental remedy for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
文摘Infectious diseases result from the interactions of host, pathogens, and, in the case of vector-borne diseases, also vec- tors. The interactions involve physiological and ecological mechanisms and they have evolved under a given set of environmental conditions. Environmental change, therefore, will alter host-pathogen-vector interactions and, consequently, the distribution, in- tensity, and dynamics of infectious diseases. Here, we review how climate change may impact infectious diseases of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Climate change can have direct impacts on distribution, life cycle, and physiological status of hosts, pathogens and vectors. While a change in either host, pathogen or vector does not necessarily translate into an alteration of the disease, it is the impact of climate change on the interactions between the disease components which is particularly critical for altered disease risks. Finally, climate factors can modulate disease through modifying the ecological networks host-pathogen-vector systems are belonging to, and climate change can combine with other environmental stressors to induce cumulative effects on infectious dis- eases. Overall, the influence of climate change on infectious diseases involves different mechanisms, it can be modulated by phenotypic acclimation and/or genotypic adaptation, it depends on the ecological context of the host-pathogen-vector interactions, and it can be modulated by impacts of other stressors. As a consequence of this complexity, non-linear responses of disease sys- tems under climate change are to be expected. To improve predictions on climate change impacts on infectious disease, we sug- gest that more emphasis should be given to the integration of biomedical and ecological research for studying both the physio- logical and ecological mechanisms which mediate climate change impacts on disease, and to the development of harmonized methods and approaches to obtain more comparable results, as this would support the discrimination of case-specific versus gen- eral mechanisms .
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(812735248127352581322049)the National Basic Research Program of China(2014CB541906)
文摘Artemisinin drugs are a family of sesquiterpene trioxane lactone agents originally derived from Artemisia annua L. Due to the big victory in the antimalarial battle,the 2015 Nobel Prize goes to the discoverer of artemisininbased therapy for malaria. Beyond antimalaria, artemisinin and its derivatives are also being investigated in diseases like schistosomiasis, viral infection, cancers and inflammation. Over the past decades, the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of artemisinin drugs have been comprehensively studied. In this article, we will briefly describe the development of artemisinin drugs, especially novel artemisinin derivatives, in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
