In 1996, psychologists Ray Blanchard and Anthony Bogaert found evidence that gay men have a greater number of older brothers than do heterosexual men. This "fraternal birth order" (FBO) effect has been replicated numerous times, including in non-Western samples. More recently, strong evidence has been found that the FBO effect ...

The Syrian Golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a valuable but under-utilized animal model for studies of human viral pathogens such as bunyaviruses, arenaviruses, flaviviruses, henipaviruses, and SARS-coronavirus. A lack of suitable reagents and specific assays for monitoring host responses has limited the use of this animal model to clinical observations, ...

The airway epithelium represents the first point of contact for inhaled foreign organisms. The protective arsenal of the airway epithelium is provided in the form of physical barriers and a vast array of receptors and antimicrobial compounds that constitute the innate immune system. Many of the known innate immune receptors, ...

There has been an explosion in our knowledge of the pathways and mechanisms by which the immune system can influence the brain and behavior. In the context of inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokines can access the central nervous system and interact with a cytokine network in the brain to influence virtually every ...

BAFF (BLyS) and APRIL are TNF-like cytokines that support survival and differentiation of B cells. Recent studies have discovered a role for BAFF in augmenting both innate and adaptive immune responses as well as in collaborating with other inflammatory cytokines to promote the activation and differentiation of effector immune cells. ...

The uses of drug-delivery systems in allergen specific immunotherapy appear to be a promising approach due to their ability to act as adjuvants, transport the allergens to immune-competent cells and tissues and reduce the number of administrations. The aim of this work was to evaluate the carbohydrate modified ultrafine ceramic ...

We have developed three nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) adhesin-derived immunogens that are significantly efficacious against experimental otitis media (OM) due to NTHI when delivered parenterally. We now expanded our preventative immunization strategies to include transcutaneous immunization (TCI) as a less invasive, but potentially equally efficacious, regimen to prevent OM due ...

The T helper type 2 (Th2) immune response, characterized by the production of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5 and IL-13, is a critical immune response against helminths invading cutaneous or mucosal sites. It also plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic diarrhoea. The Th2 ...

Much experimental and clinical evidence has been accumulated indicating the complexity of regulatory processes associated with autoimmune demyelination. Even slight disbalance of immunoregulatory circuits may result in the loss of proper control of self antigen specific immune reaction. Here, we discuss the immunoregulatory potential of several immune (dendritic cells and ...

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are first-line molecules for initiating the innate immune responses and mediating functional activation in immune effector cells. A family of 10 functional human TLRs altogether can recognize the ligands that do not exist in the host and initiate the inflammatory cascades. This triggers the production of inflammatory ...

During antigen-specific T-cell activation, mitochondria mobilize towards the vicinity of the immune synapse. We show here that the mitochondrial fission factor dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) docks at mitochondria, regulating their positioning and activity near the actin-rich ring of the peripheral supramolecular activation cluster (pSMAC) of the immune synapse. Mitochondrial redistribution ...

Muramyl peptides are the building blocks of bacterial peptidoglycan, and their biological functions in mammals have been extensively studied. In particular, muramyl peptides trigger inflammation, contribute to host defense against microbial infections, and modulate the adaptive immune response to antigens. These bacterial molecules are detected by Nod1 and Nod2, and ...

During infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) has a dominant role leading to fulminant pro-inflammatory reactions in the host. As there is no LPS in Gram-positive bacteria, other microbial cell wall components have been identified to be the causative agent for the pro-inflammatory activity since also Gram-positive bacterial ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review will consider the reasons why the inhibition of leucocyte recruitment after traumatic brain injury has not been demonstrated but should remain an area of active interest. RECENT FINDINGS: Focal lesions to the brain display a characteristic inflammatory response with infiltration of peripheral immune cells after ...

Although the causative agent of Johne's disease, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, is well known, the etiology of disease and the immune responses generated in response to infection are still poorly understood. Knowledge of definitive markers of protective immunity, infection, and the establishment of chronic granulomatous Johne's disease is necessary to ...

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin is a novel IL-7-like cytokine that exerts immunomodulatory effects and is constitutively expressed by intestinal epithelial cells in response to commensal bacteria colonization. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin can directly or indirectly promote Th2 and Treg responses, and is believed to inhibit Th1 and Th17 responses and limit the ...

Pneumococcal pneumonia is a leading cause of death and a major source of human morbidity. The initial immune response plays a central role in determining the course and outcome of pneumococcal disease. We combine bacterial titer measurements from mice infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae with mathematical modeling to investigate the coordination ...

Any given pathogenic microbial species typically colonizes a limited number of plant species. Plant species outside of this host range mount nonhost disease resistance to attempted colonization by the, in this case, non-adapted pathogen. The underlying mechanism of nonhost immunity and host immunity involves the same non-self detection systems, the ...

Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by infections with intracellular parasites of the Leishmania Viannia subgenus, including Leishmania guyanensis. The pathology develops after parasite dissemination to nasopharyngeal tissues, where destructive metastatic lesions form with chronic inflammation. Currently, the mechanisms involved in lesion development are poorly understood. Here we show that metastasizing parasites ...

Antiviral responses are successively induced in virus-infected animals, and include primary innate immune responses such as type I interferon (IFN) and cytokine production, secondary natural killer (NK) cell responses, and final cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses and antibody production. The endosomal Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytoplasmic RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), which ...

Aging is accompanied by a disturbance in the homeostasis of the immune system. However, research into the behavior of macrophages in aging has shown disagreements about the functional status of these cells in aged mice. In this work, we studied the influence of aging on macrophage functions by evaluating the ...

To the Editor: In his editorial, George (Nov. 11 issue)(1) suggests that the recent international consensus report on immune thrombocytopenia(2) was influenced by conflict of interest. We strenuously reject this criticism. Given the lack of interest in updating existing guidelines on immune thrombocytopenia,(3),(4) many specialists, with patient advocates, collaborated to ...

Gram-negative bacterial pathogens have evolved a number of virulence-promoting strategies including the production of extracellular polysaccharides such as alginate and the injection of effector proteins into host cells. The induction of these virulence mechanisms can be associated with concomitant downregulation of the abundance of proteins that trigger the host immune ...

Phagocytes, including neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages, play a crucial role in host defense by recognition and elimination of invading pathogens. Phagocytic cells produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines, leading to bacterial killing and to recruitment and activation of additional immune cells. However, inflammatory mediators are potentially harmful ...

CpG motifs in an A/U context have been preferentially eliminated from classical H1N1 influenza virus genomes during virus evolution in humans. The hypothesis of the current work is that CpG motifs in a uracil context represent sequence patterns with the capacity to induce an immune response, and the avoidance of ...

Herpesviruses stand out for their capacity to establish lifelong infections of immunocompetent hosts, generally without causing overt symptoms. Herpesviruses are equipped with sophisticated immune evasion strategies, allowing these viruses to persist for life despite the presence of a strong antiviral immune response. Although viral evasion tactics appear to target virtually ...

Behavioural robustness at antibody and immune network level is discussed. The robustness of the immune response that drives an autonomous mobile robot is examined with two computational experiments in the autonomous mobile robots trajectory generation context in unknown environments. The immune response is met based on the immune network metaphor ...

Many pathogens relevant to human disease do not infect other animal species. Therefore, animal models that reconstitute or harbor human tissues are explored as hosts for these. In this review, we will summarize recent advances to utilize mice with human immune system components, reconstituted from hematopoietic progenitor cells in vivo. ...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) arises from disruption of immune tolerance to the gut commensal microbiota, leading to chronic intestinal inflammation and mucosal damage in genetically predisposed hosts. In healthy individuals the intestinal microbiota have a symbiotic relationship with the host organism and possess important and unique functions, including a metabolic ...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are complex and chronic disabling conditions resulting from a dysregulated dialogue between intestinal microbiota and components of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Cytokines are essential mediators between activated immune and non-immune cells, including epithelial and mesenchymal cells. They are immunomodulatory peptides released by numerous ...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a complex group of diseases involving alterations in mucosal immunity and gastrointestinal physiology during both initiation and progressive phases of the disease. At the core of these alterations are endothelial cells, whose continual adjustments in structure and function coordinate vascular supply, immune cell emigration, and ...

Septic infections in patients treated in intensive care units show the highest mortality rates. Despite advances in treatment methods, there is still no therapy available to efficiently reduce the excessive inflammatory response, which can increase the risk of multiple organ failure. One of the ways to discover new, more efficient ...

We have previously shown that bovine lactoferrin (bLF) supplementation can have a beneficial effect on postmenopausal bone loss by modulating bone formation and resorption. A direct effect of bLF on bone metabolism is support by its presence in mice blood. Moreover we know that LF plays a key role in ...

Aims:  To determine the capacity of secondary metabolite of strain SX-4, to enhance the non-specific immunity and survival of carp (Cyprinus carpio), and to identify the constituents that are responsible. Methods and results:  A thermophilic strain SX-4 which is able to produce immunostimulatory metabolite was isolated from sludge sample of ...

Novel liposomes prepared from total polar lipids of non-pathogenic bacteria, viz. Leptospira biflexa serovar Potac (designated leptosomes) and Mycobacterium smegmatis (designated smegmosomes) were evaluated for their adjuvant effects with various antigen presenting cells (APCs), viz. murine macrophage cell line, J774A.1 and bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). These liposomes induced ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review will analyze contemporary information concerning the possible pathogenetic mechanisms involved in IgA nephropathy, emphasizing studies in humans rather than experimental animals. RECENT FINDINGS: Deposition of IgA in the glomeruli, the hallmark of IgA nephropathy, may be a quite common phenomenon. Aberrant O-linked galactosylation of IgA ...

Abstract Space flight conditions within the protection of Earth's gravitational field have been shown to alter immune responses, which could lead to potentially detrimental pathology. An additional risk of extended space travel outside the Earth's gravitational field is the effect of solar particle event (SPE) radiation exposure on the immune ...

In order to grow within an immunocompetent host, tumour cells have evolved various strategies to cope with the host's immune system. These strategies include the downregulation of surface molecules and the secretion of immunosuppressive factors like IL-10 and PGE2 that impair the maturation of immune effector cells, among other mechanisms. ...

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is crucial for successful pregnancy. Its many functions include angiogenesis and immune regulation. Despite years of research, the etiology of preeclampsia remains unknown. Marked by insufficient trophoblast invasion and poor spiral artery remodeling, preeclampsia has also been linked to immune dysregulation. Here we discuss the roles ...

Immune signalling pathways need to be tightly regulated as overactivation of these pathways can result in chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. NF-κB signalling and associated innate immune pathways are crucial in the first line of defense against infection in all animals. In a genome-wide RNAi screen for modulators of Drosophila ...

Mice that were intranasally vaccinated with live or dead Chlamydia muridarum with or without CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotide 1862 elicited widely disparate levels of protective immunity to genital tract challenge. We found that the frequency of multifunctional T cells coexpressing IFN-γ and TNF-α with or without IL-2 induced by live C. muridarum ...

Helicobacter pylori infection persists for the life of the host due to the failure of the immune response to eradicate the bacterium. Determining how H. pylori escapes the immune response in its gastric niche is clinically important. We have demonstrated in vitro that macrophage NO production can kill H. pylori, ...

Innate immunity is the front line of self-defense against infectious microorganisms. In mammals, innate immunity interacts with adaptive immunity and plays a key role in regulating the immune response. Therefore, innate immunity is a good pharmaceutical target for the development of immune regulators. After searching for natural substances that regulate ...

Outcome in melanoma patients with advanced disease is poor and systemic treatment seems to benefit only a subset of patients. Predictive markers identifying these patients are currently not available. Early studies showed an association of immune-related side effects such as vitiligo and autoimmune thyroiditis with response to IL-2 or IFNα ...

The differences in the immune response between body lice, Pediculus humanus humanus, and head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, were investigated initially by measuring the proliferation rates of two model bacteria, a Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and a Gram-negative Escherichia coli, following challenge by injection. Body lice showed a significantly reduced immune ...

In spite of their central role in orchestrating immunity, dendritic cells (DCs) can also limit harmful reactions and promote immune tolerance by inducing T cell anergy or favoring the differentiation of T regulatory (T(reg)) cells. Several factors may influence the 'decision' of DCs to become immunogenic or tolerogenic including the ...

Dysregulated wound healing leads to fibrosis, whereby fibroblasts synthesize excess extracellular matrix and scarring impairs proper organ function. Although fibrotic diseases arise from diverse causes and display heterogeneous features, fibrosis commonly associates with chronic inflammation. Recent discoveries reinforce the idea that communication between fibroblasts, macrophages, and CD4 T cells integrates ...

Embelin has been used to treat fever, inflammatory diseases, and a variety of gastrointestinal ailments for thousands of years. Although reports indicate that embelin has anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects, its effects on ulcerative colitis have not been previously explored. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory ...

The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) Forefronts Symposium 'Induction and Resolution of Renal Inflammation' took place in May 2010 on the Island of Sylt, Germany. The program included basic and clinical aspects of inflammation with a special focus on human and experimental glomerulonephritis. Distinguished scientists from different fields of inflammation ...

MS14 is an Iranian natural preparation of herbal?marine source with no obvious toxicity in oral administration, which possesses anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, the effect of oral administration of MS14 on nitric oxide (NO) production of peritoneal macrophages and lymphocyte Th1 cytokines and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) test in ...