Recent journal publications

Abstract (Source: Journal of Medical Virology)

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(Source: Acta Paediatrica)

(Source: Acta Paediatrica)

(Source: Acta Paediatrica)

The DNA hypomethylating drug decitabine (DAC) reactivates silenced gene expression in cancer and is approved for the treatment of the myelodysplastic syndrome. Gene reactivation after DAC is variable and incompletely understood. Here, we established a cell line system (YB5) derived from the SW48 colon cancer cell line to study DAC-induced reactivation. YB5 contains a hypermethylated cytomegalovirus promoter driving green fluorescent protein (GFP), and the locus is transcriptionally silent. GFP reexpression can be achieved by DAC treatment, but the expression level of individual cells is heterogeneous. DAC-treated YB5 cells were separated into GFP-positive and GFP-negative subpopulations. By comparing DAC-treated sorted GFP-positive and GFP-negative cells, we found that their methylation le...

series:Current Topics in Microbiology and ImmunologyVaricella-zoster virus is a common human pathogen that causes varicella (chickenpox), establishes latency in sensory nerve ganglia and can reactivate many years later as herpes zoster. Although the VZV genome is the smallest of the human herpesviruses, VZV genes encode at least 70 proteins. Molecular epidemiologic approaches based on genomic sequencing have documented the global distribution ... (Source: Springer Biomedical Sciences titles)

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Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident transmembrane glycoprotein, US10, expressed early in the replicative cycle of HCMV as part of the same cluster that encodes the known immunoevasins US2, US3, US6, and US11. We show that US10 down-regulates cell surface expression of HLA-G, but not that of classical class I MHC molecules. The unique and short cytoplasmic tail of HLA-G (RKKSSD) is essential in its role as a US10 substrate, and a tri-leucine motif in the cytoplasmic tail of US10 is responsible for down-regulation of HLA-G. Both the kinetics of HLA-G degradation and the mechanisms responsible appear to be distinct from those used by the US2 and US11 pathways, suggesting the existence of a third route of protein dislocation from the ER. We show that US1...

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Conclusions: Our results suggest that a standard immunosuppressive regimen of TAC and MMF orally administered and introduced prior to skin incision for LTX surgery and maintained long-term might reduce the incidence of acute and chronic rejection. Viral infections and not BOS seemed to be the limiting factor of long-term survival. (Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)

CONCLUSION: Potentially curable forms of myocarditis, like M pneumoniae and CMV, for example, can have an initial disproportionate aggression to the myocardium, by the acute inflammatory reaction, that can by itself make worse the damage to the LV function. In our opinion, the blockade of this process by pulsotherapy with steroids can help in the treatment of these patients. We understand that the different scenario of immunosuppressive treatments for the possible auto immunity of the more chronic forms of the presumably post viral cardiomyopathy has been in dispute in the literature, and has stolen the focus from the truly acute cases.OBJETIVO: Doença sistêmica por citomegalovírus (CMV) com miocardite em pessoas saudáveis é raramente referida na literatura, apesar de em maior número...

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CONCLUSION: Potentially curable forms of myocarditis, like M pneumoniae and CMV, for example, can have an initial disproportionate aggression to the myocardium, by the acute inflammatory reaction, that can by itself make worse the damage to the LV function. In our opinion, the blockade of this process by pulsotherapy with steroids can help in the treatment of these patients. We understand that the different scenario of immunosuppressive treatments for the possible auto immunity of the more chronic forms of the presumably post viral cardiomyopathy has been in dispute in the literature, and has stolen the focus from the truly acute cases.OBJETIVO: Doença sistêmica por citomegalovírus (CMV) com miocardite em pessoas saudáveis é raramente referida na literatura, apesar de em maior número...

This study was to evaluate the frequency of colorectal neoplasia in renal transplant recipients and to investigate the association with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. We compared the frequency of colorectal neoplasia among renal transplant recipients with that of the healthy subjects. Specimens of colorectal neoplasia were examined for EBV and CMV using in situ (Source: American Journal of Transplantation)

Prolonging cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis in CMV seronegative recipients of a kidney from CMV seropositive donor (D+/R–) may reduce the incidence of late infections. We analyzed late‐onset primary CMV infections after 6 months valganciclovir prophylaxis. (Source: American Journal of Transplantation)

We report on a boy with a sudden onset of unilateral skin lesions following tonsillar infection with fever 2 weeks before. The lesions consisted of erythematous macules with scaling affecting trunk, axillar, as well as inguinal region. CRP, blood differential, serum IgG and IgM antibodies (coxsackievirus, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus, herpes virus, varicella zoster virus, human herpesvirus-6/-7), and lesional swabs (bacteria, dermatophytes, yeasts) were uneventful. Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00431-010-1277-5Authors Matthias Möhrenschlager, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Allergieklinik, Hochgebirgsklinik, Davos, SwitzerlandJohannes Ring, ZAUM—Zentrum Allergie und Umwelt, Helmholtz Center Munich/Department of Dermatology and Allergy Biederstein, Technisc...

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Dr. Peter Leone explores the implications of a positive herpes test. (Source: NYT Health)

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ABSTRACT (Source: Microbiology and Immunology)

THE number of people in the Lothians suffering from genital herpes has more than doubled in the past ten years. (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)

This study determined whether CMV also impairs microvascular homeostasis and synergizes with hypercholesterolemia to exaggerate these responses. Intravital microscopy was used to assess endothelium-dependent and -independent arteriolar vasodilation and venular leukocyte and platelet adhesion in mice after injection with either mock inoculum or murine CMV (mCMV). Mice were fed a normal (ND) or high-cholesterol (HC) diet beginning at 5 weeks postinfection (p.i.), or a HC diet for the final 4 weeks of infection. mCMV-ND mice exhibited impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation versus mock-ND at 9 and 12 weeks and endothelium-independent arteriolar dysfunction by 24 weeks. Transient mild leukocyte adhesion occurred in mCMV-ND venules at 7 and 21 weeks p.i. HC alone caused temporary arteriolar...

CONCLUSION: The effect of Treg on T cell-mediated immunocompetence against mCMV early after BMT depends on the relative contribution of peripheral expansion and thymopoiesis to T cell regenration. PMID: 20801217 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Transplant Immunology)

In this study, we investigated whether ADAMTS1 promoter-driven reporter signal is detectable by acute hypoxia. We constructed the GFP-expression vector (AHR-GFP) under the control of ADAMTS1 promoter and compared it with the constitutive GFP-expressing vector under the control of cytomegalovirus promoter (CMV-GFP). We transduced AHR-GFP and examined whether GFP signals can be detected under the acute hypoxia. When the human umbilical vein (HUVEC) was transduced under normoxia, there were few GFP signals, while CMV-GFP showed considerable GFP signals. When HUVEC was stimulated with hypoxia, GFP signals from AHR-GFP gene were induced under hypoxic conditions. Notably, the GFP signals peaked at 3h under hypoxia. In ischemic hind limb model, transduced AHR-GFP showed hypoxic induction of GFP s...

Source: Health Protection Agency (HPA) Area: News According to UK figures released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), a total of 482,696 new sexually transmitted infection diagnoses were reported to the agency from sexual health clinics across the UK and community based chlamydia testing in 2009. This is almost 12,000 more cases than were reported in 2008 when there were 470,701 new diagnoses, continuing the steady upward trend seen over the past decade.   Figures released include the following:     . Chlamydia diagnoses increased by 7% (from 203,773 in 2008 to 217,570 in 2009).   . Gonorrhoea diagnoses increased by 6% (from 16,451 in 2008 to 17,385 in 2009).   . Genital herpes diagnoses increased by 5% (from 28,807 in 2008 to ...