1,721,016 research outputs found
Issues and efforts to detect and to genotype Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, the main accountable bacterium for spoilage of fruit juices.
No full textHuman polyomavirus JC: sequencing analysis of cellular factors binding sites involved in viral transcription
No full textGenotypic and Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris: A Contribution to Species Characterization.
Full text linkAlicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is the main cause of most spoilage problems in fruit juices
and acidic products. Since soil borne species often contaminate fruit juices and do not need
strict extreme requirements for survival, it is a great concern to investigate whether and how
soil species could evolve from their ecological niches in microbial community to new environments as fruit juices. In this study, 23 isolates of thermo-acidophilic, spore-forming bacteria from soil were characterized by cultural and molecular methods. In addition, 2 strains
isolated from a spoilage incident in pear juice were typed. Strains phenotyping showed that
they could be grouped into 3 different clusters, and some isolates showed identical or quite
similar patterns. Analyzing pH and temperature ranges for growth, the majority of strains
were able to grow at values described for many species of Alicyclobacillus. Qualitative utilization of lysine, arginine and indole production from tryptophan revealed, for the first time,
deamination of lysine and decarboxylation of arginine. Resistance to 5% NaCl as well as
the ability to hydrolyze starch and gelatin, nitrate reduction, catalase and oxidase activities
confirmed literature evidences. Examining of 16S rRNA, showed that isolates were divided
into three blocks represented by effectively soil species and strains that are moving from
soil to other possible growing source characterized by parameters that could strongly influence bacterial survival. RAPD PCR technique evidenced a great variability in banding patterns and, although it was not possible to obtain genotypically well-distinguished groups, it
was feasible to appreciate genetic similarity between some strains. In conclusion, the investigation of a microbial community entails a combination of metagenomic and classic culturedependent approaches to expand our knowledge about Alicyclobacillus and to look for new
subspecies
Possibile ruolo delle infezioni virali nell’eziopatogenesi della sclerosi multipla: indagine su un gruppo di pazienti con SM remittente
No full textRiarrangiamenti della regione di controllo della trascrizione di virus JC isolato da campioni di liquor
No full textOnset or development of PML: role of cellular transcriptional factor Sp1 and HIV-1 Tat protein
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Biological agents therapy in crohn's disease
No full textCrohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with significant morbidity and health care costs. The disease seems to occur when the intestinal immune cascade is triggered by microbial antigens in genetically susceptible individuals. Over-activation of the enteric immune and inflammatory pathways causes mucosal damage resulting in the clinical signs and symptoms. Various medications, including 5-aminosalicylates, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and immune-modulators have traditionally been used to control inflammation. Their use is intended to prevent surgery and improve the patient's quality of life, but none cure the disease. Unfortunately, many patients require steroids to control their symptoms and a wide range of dose-related adverse effects makes this an unappealing strategy. Immune-modulators are effective maintenance drugs, but have a slow onset of action with clinical remission rates of approximately 40%. Recently, biological therapy has brought a paradigm shift in the management of CD and other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS), resulting in marked decrease of disability and improvement in quality of life. Biologic therapies encompass agents with diverse modes of action, including the tumor necrosis factor a (TNFa) inhibitors, such as infliximab and adalimumab, that are the monoclonal antibody-based therapy of choice in CD. Natalizumab, an adhesion molecule inhibitor, is also used in refractory CD. Although the remarkable efficacy of biological therapy has resulted in significant success in CD management, serious side effects do occur, necessitating careful monitoring of therapy. In addition to other well documented neurologic, hematologic, immunologic, cardiovascular and malignant adverse effects, biological agents therapy has been associated with the development of serious life-threatening infections. In particular, the human polyomavirus JC (JCV) reactivation in CD after biological therapy and its association with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) has been found in one patient treated with natalizumab. After this case of PML and other two cases in MS patients, commercial and investigational use of natalizumab was suspended in February 2005 but was subsequently resumed for MS and for CD, only through a special restricted distribution program to patients who had refractory disease and who have failed both immune-suppressants and anti-TNFa agents and who have careful screening and subsequent monitoring for JCV infection. Therefore, this chapter will address an immunological overview of CD physiopathology, followed by the focusing on the use of infliximab, adalimumab and natalizumab in CD, and on their side effects, with particular attention to the issue of JCV reactivation. © 2013 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved
Rearrangement patterns of JC virus non coding control region from different biological samples.
No full textThe JC virus (JCV) is generally considered the etiological agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a demyelinating brain illness, often associated with immunosuppression and significantly frequent in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. The primary infection by JCV is usually asymptomatic and the virus can remain in a latent status in the kidney. As a consequence of immunological alterations of the host, the virus can show a genetic variability in the noncoding control region (NCCR) due to deletions, duplications, and insertions as compared with the archetype. The NCCR of the archetype strain can be divided into six regions, named boxes A to F. In this study, the authors evaluated the presence of the JCV genome in different biological samples, such as urine, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After sequencing of the PCR fragments, the NCCR structure of isolated JCV strains was analyzed in order to verify the presence of different viral variants. An analysis of the homology and of the multiple alignment of the obtained sequences in comparison with the archetype strain has been carried out. The results indicated the presence of different rearrangements among the analyzed samples. Whereas in the urine, the NCCR structure always appeared very similar to that of the archetype, in the PBMCs and CSF, the NCCR sequences showed specific and characteristic rearrangements as compared to the archetype. These different rearrangements could be correlated with the emerging of an NCCR organization more suitable for the development of PML
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