Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) viral protein 1 (VP1) is the capsid protein that mediates virus attachment to host cell receptors and is the major immune target. Given the limited data on MCPyV VP1 mutations, the VP1 genetic variability was examined in 100 plasma and 100 urine samples from 100 HIV+ individuals. Sequencing of VP1 DNA in 17 urine and 17 plasma specimens, simultaneously MCPyV DNA ...

Anti-HPA-1a-antibodies are the main cause of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) which may result in intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and death among fetuses and newborns. Advances in understanding the pathogenesis of FNAIT and proof of concept for prophylaxis to prevent immunization suggest that development of hyperimmune anti-HPA-1a IgG aimed at preventing immunization against ...

The heat shock response (HSR) regulates induction of stress/heat shock proteins (HSPs) to preserve proteostasis during cellular stress. Earlier, our group established that the plasma membrane (PM) acts as a sensor and regulator of HSR through changes in its microdomain organization. PM microdomains such as lipid rafts, dynamic nanoscale assemblies enriched in cholesterol and sphingomyelin, and ...

One cannot discuss anti-dsDNA antibodies and lupus nephritis without discussing the nature of Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE is insistently described as a prototype autoimmune syndrome, with anti-dsDNA antibodies as a central biomarker and a pathogenic factor. The two entities, “SLE” and “The Anti-dsDNA Antibody,” have been linked in previous and contemporary studies although serious criticism ...

<i>Background</i> - Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and Kupffer cells (KCs; liver resident macrophages) form the body’s most effective scavenger cell system for the removal of harmful blood-borne substances, ranging from modified self-proteins to pathogens and xenobiotics. Controversies in the literature regarding the LSEC phenotype pose a challenge when determining distinct functionalities ...

<i>Background</i> - Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common form of oral ulcerative disease, whose cause is still unknown. Researchers have found the association of many factors with the occurrence of RAS, and proposed oral bacterial infection could be a cause for this disease.<p> <p><i>Methods</i> - To investigate whether the occurrence of RAS is associated with oral bacterial ...

<i>Background</i> - The majority of oral cavity cancers arise in the oral tongue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of tumor budding in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma, both as a separate variable and in combination with depth of invasion. We also assessed the prognostic impact of the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer’s TNM classification (TNM8), where ...

<p><i>Purpose:</i> The goal was to investigate potential roles played by vitamin D in the regulation of joint cartilage biology. We studied the expression of two central elements of vitamin D metabolism, namely the vitamin D receptor and its converting enzyme 1­α­hydroxylase in human knee cartilage and chondrocytes. <p><i>Methods and Materials:</i> Expression of receptor and enzyme was determined ...

The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type B receptor (GABA<sub>B</sub-R) belongs to class C of the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Together with the GABA_A receptor, the receptor mediates the neurotransmission of GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). In recent decades, the receptor has been extensively studied with the intention being to understand ...

Increased knowledge about the role of horizontal gene transfer is key to improve our understanding of the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in human populations. We therefore studied the dissemination of the <i>bla</i>_CTX-M-15 extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) gene in <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> isolates obtained from stool samples from hospitalized children and healthy controls ...