• Title/Summary/Keyword: Infectious agents

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Regulatory T Cells in B Cell Follicles

  • Chang, Jae-Hoon;Chung, Yeonseok
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
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    • v.14 no.5
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    • pp.227-236
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    • 2014
  • Understanding germinal center reactions is crucial not only for the design of effective vaccines against infectious agents and malignant cells but also for the development of therapeutic intervention for the treatment of antibody-mediated immune disorders. Recent advances in this field have revealed specialized subsets of T cells necessary for the control of B cell responses in the follicle. These cells include follicular regulatory T cells and Qa-1-restricted cluster of differentiation $(CD)8^+$ regulatory T cells. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge related to the role of regulatory T cells in the B cell follicle.

Induced Systemic Resistance and the Rhizosphere Microbiome

  • Bakker, Peter A.H.M.;Doornbos, Rogier F.;Zamioudis, Christos;Berendsen, Roeland L.;Pieterse, Corne M.J.
    • The Plant Pathology Journal
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.136-143
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    • 2013
  • Microbial communities that are associated with plant roots are highly diverse and harbor tens of thousands of species. This so-called microbiome controls plant health through several mechanisms including the suppression of infectious diseases, which is especially prominent in disease suppressive soils. The mechanisms implicated in disease suppression include competition for nutrients, antibiosis, and induced systemic resistance (ISR). For many biological control agents ISR has been recognized as the mechanism that at least partly explains disease suppression. Implications of ISR on recruitment and functioning of the rhizosphere microbiome are discussed.

Evaluation of Rapid Immunochromatographic Assay Kit for HBsAg-Screening Using Whole Blood

  • Shin, Hyeong-Soon;Heo, Tae-Ryeon
    • Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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    • v.5 no.5
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    • pp.362-365
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    • 2000
  • A rapid immunochromatographic assay kit using whole blood to screen hepatitis B surface antigen was developed and evaluated by using sera from 240 patients. The reference diagnosis was based on the results obtained with GENEDIA Anti-HBs Rapid kit which is very similar to the above kit except for the use of serum. The test demonstrated a good correlation with the reference immunochromatographic assay kit, that is, the sensitivity and the specificity of the kit was 100%, respectively. The rapid test kit using whole blood should be more convenient and useful for the diagnosis of hepatitis B virus because the kit does not need machines and time to prepare serum. In addition, this kit is safe from inadvertent infection during sample treatment because the blood is sterilized with hydrogen peroxide, eliminates the procedure required to prepare serum and reduces the possibility of exposure to infectious agents.

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Comparison of Three Antibiotic Susceptibility Tests for Viridans Group Streptococci

  • Kim, Yeon-Hee;Lee, Si-Young
    • International Journal of Oral Biology
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    • v.36 no.4
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    • pp.163-166
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    • 2011
  • Oral viridans streptococci are recognized as one of the etiological agents of a variety of infectious diseases such as dental caries and infective endocarditis. Although antimicrobial susceptibility tests for these fastidious bacterial species are now established and standardized, a comparison between the broth microdilution and broth macrodilution tests has not previously been performed. This comparison was performed in the present study using the tests adopted by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and seven clinical isolates of oral viridans streptococcal strains. A modified broth macrodilution susceptibility test method was also included in this analysis, in which the media was not supplemented with horse blood. The susceptibility interpretation category agreements were measured at 83% (broth microdilution versus broth macrodilution) and 71% (broth microdilution versus modified broth macrodilution). The interpretation category agreement between the broth macrodilution and modified broth macrodilution tests was also 83%. These data indicate that the interpretation of antibiotic susceptibility test results for oral viridans streptococci are influenced by the methods used.

Clinical Manifestation and Treatment of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Children (소아 메티실린내성 황색포도알균 감염증의 임상양상과 치료)

  • Choi, Eun Hwa
    • Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.1-5
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    • 2009
  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a leading cause of nosocomial infections, has been increasingly recognized in communities of the United States. This article will review the clinical spectrum and treatment of MRSA infections in children in the context of recent epidemiological changes of MRSA infections. In general, community-associated (CA) MRSA most frequently causes skin and soft tissue infections and has an increased association with invasive infections, particularly pneumonia and musculoskeletal infections. Hospital-associated (HA) MRSA strains tend to be associated with bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and surgical site infections. Different from the United States, CA-MRSA infections are not common in Korea (only 5.9%); however, there are some CA-MRSA clones that are different from HA-MRSA clones in Korea and from CA-MRSA clones in other countries. The treatment of MRSA infections should be guided by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the site of infection, and the infection severity. Vancomycin is the treatment of choice for invasive MRSA infections. Other agents such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, linezolid, quinupristin-dalfopristin, and daptomycin have been used for some conditions.

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Abrupt Hard Mass Caused by the Push of an Ice Cream Stick after Gastric Perforation in a Dog

  • Ko, Gyeong-Bin;Suh, Guk-Hyun;Lee, Chang-Min;Kim, Ha-Jung
    • Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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    • v.35 no.6
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    • pp.276-278
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    • 2018
  • A neutered male Maltese, 11-year-old, presented for hard mass at right flank suddenly. Patient vomited and had anorexia before the presentation, but it is improved after. On blood tests, there were no remarkable findings. On physical examination, firm mass ($2.9{\times}2.6cm$, firm) was detected. No remarkable finding was shown in radiography except for right upper-medial abdominal subcutaneous soft tissue mass. Punch biopsy was performed for histopathologic examination. During the punch biopsy, ice-cream stick ($11.5{\times}1.2cm$) appeared from the hole on right flank. Additionally gastric perforation was detected on ultrasonography. Emergency surgery was performed for the perforation. On histiopathologic examination of the mass, marked, diffuse, neutrophilic and mild eosinophilic dermatitis/cellulitis with no infectious agents was observed.

PCR-based detection of feline vector-borne pathogens in Daejeon

  • Kim, Tae-Hyung;Seo, Kyoung-Won;Song, Kun-Ho
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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    • v.41 no.4
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    • pp.287-289
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    • 2018
  • This study was conducted to investigate the detection of various vector-borne pathogens in such cats. A total of 48 stray cats collected in Daejeon were included in this study. The total positive rate of hemotropic mycoplasmas and Babesia spp. was 25% and 4%, respectively. It is recommended that species-level classification of hemotropic mycoplasmas and Babesia spp. is needed and that a large-scale prevalence study of infectious agents in all the regions of South Korea be conducted.

Future Management Strategies for Zoonoses Based on One Health (원헬스 기반 인수공통감염병의 미래 관리 전략)

  • Lee, Kwan
    • Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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    • v.44 no.1
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    • pp.39-42
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    • 2019
  • Zoonoses are the diseases that are transmitted to human being from vertebrate animals either from livestock animals or from wildlife. Recently, zoonoses are increasingly common as a result of incremental human-animal contact. Propagative infections in wild animals and livestock are transmitted to human beings who are encountered with them. In general, wild animals can transmit infectious agents to livestock, and then livestock further transmit them to human being is a simple model of on how zoonotic diseases get transmitted to human being. This model emphasizes the importance of early detection of zoonoses by surveillance at its incipient stage. Cooperation between the respective ministries plays an important role in the identification of zoonoses and planning for the formulation of better preventive and control policy and strategy. We will be able to predict the occurrence of zoonotic diseases in human on the basis of disease trends in wildlife and livestock once when we obtain the surveillance data and data generated by respective ministries through sound cooperation and collaboration.

Triboelectric Energy Harvesting for Self-powered Antibacterial Applications

  • In-Yong Suh;Sang-Woo Kim
    • Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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    • v.32 no.4
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    • pp.213-218
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    • 2023
  • Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as a highly promising energy harvesting technology capable of harnessing mechanical energy from various environmental vibrations. Their versatility in material selection and efficient conversion of mechanical energy into electric energy make them particularly attractive. TENGs can serve as a valuable technology for self-powered sensor operation in preparation for the IoT era. Additionally, they demonstrate potential for diverse applications, including energy sources for implanted medical devices (IMDs), neural therapy, and wound healing. In this review, we summarize the potential use of this universally applicable triboelectric energy harvesting technology in the disinfection and blocking of pathogens. By integrating triboelectric energy harvesting technology into human clothing, masks, and other accessories, we propose the possibility of blocking pathogens, along with technologies for removing airborne or waterborne infectious agents. Through this, we suggest that triboelectric energy harvesting technology could be an efficient alternative to existing pathogen removal technologies in the future.

Development of Drug Candidates based on Natural Products Against COVID-19 (천연식물자원 활용 코로나19 억제 치료제 개발)

  • Se Chan Kang
    • Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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    • 2021.04a
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    • pp.3-3
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    • 2021
  • The ongoing global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has not only influenced over 1.26 billion people but also caused 2.77 million deaths worldwide (as of March 28, 2021). The vaccination could be the most efficient strategy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the continuous emergence of novel variants such as VUI-202012/01 (United Kingdom) and 501.V2 (South Africa) raises huge concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccine designed to target the original virus strain. Since ancient times regardless of the East and West, the plants which refered in this presentation have been consumed not only as food but also as a natural medicine to treat diverse diseases including infectious diseases. Importantly, these plants contain secondary metabolites that display antiviral activity involved in the inhibition of viral adsorption, penetration, and replication. Also, plant-derived natural medicines are expected to have a wider range of efficacy and fewer side effects than synthetic medicine, discovering novel plant-based viral agents would be a promising strategy to fight against SARS-CoV-2.

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