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Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Mycobacterium xenopi pulmonary disease (Mxe-PD) is common among nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in Europe and Canada. Associations between radiological pattern and clinical features and outcomes are inadequately studied in Mxe-PD. We sought to investigate clinical characteristics and outcomes according to the dominant radiological pattern among patients with Mxe-PD. Read More

J Immunol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

The Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom;

Drug-resistant mycobacteria are a rising problem worldwide. There is an urgent need to understand the immune response to tuberculosis to identify host targets that, if targeted therapeutically, could be used to tackle these currently untreatable infections. In this study we use an Il-1β fluorescent transgenic line to show that there is an early innate immune proinflammatory response to well-established zebrafish models of inflammation and infection. Read More

Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Faculty of Chemistry, VNU University of Science, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Ha Noi, Viet Nam; Thai Nguyen College of Education, Quang Trung, Thinh Dan, Thai Nguyen, Viet Nam.

Some heterocycles, namely 2-amino-4H-pyran-3-carbonitriles, were synthesized in a three-component reaction from substituted benzaldehydes, malononitrile, and ethyl acetoacetate. These heterocycles have been converted subsequently into 4H-pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine ring by ring-closing reaction with acetic anhydride in the presence of the concentrated sulfuric acid as catalyst. The successive alkylation reaction of lactam NH bond on pyrimidine-4-one ring was carried out using propargylic bromide in dry acetone in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2019 Jan 29;109:2305-2308. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Neurogenic Inflammation Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address:

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase protein which can bind to and aggregate oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) particles, thereby enhancing the uptake of oxLDL by macrophages. This finally leads to the formation of foam cells that are a typical characteristic of atherosclerotic plaques. Serum CRP has been shown to bind to phospholipids such as phophatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylserine (PS). Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2019 Jan 27;109:2119-2127. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Scientific Research Center, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Jinshan District, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Background And Purpose: Tuberculosis is one of the most highly fatal diseases worldwide, and one-third of the world's population has been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). A previous study showed that M. Read More

Microb Pathog 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Conservation and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in the Western China, Yinchuan, 750021, Ningxia, China; College of Life Science, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, Ningxia, China. Electronic address:

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-induced autophagy of alveolar macrophages has been confirmed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Growing evidence indicates that excessive or uncontrolled autophagic activity, which results in type II programmed cell death, can be regulated by many factors, including Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Wnt/β-catenin signalling has been demonstrated to be involved in multiple diseases through the regulation of autophagy; however, its exact role in regulating autophagy induced by Mtb remains unclear. Read More

Prog Biophys Mol Biol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500046, India. Electronic address:

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death from bacterial infections. The multi-drugresistant strain has warranted the development of new drug molecules which can inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Most of the known drugs inhibit the enzymes in the cell wall biosynthesis. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0203177. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tower Road, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.

Chronic livestock diseases cause large financial loss and affect animal health and welfare. Controlling these diseases mostly requires precise information on both individual animal and population dynamics to inform the farmer's decisions, but even successful control programmes do by no means assure elimination. Mathematical models provide opportunities to test different control and elimination options rather than implementing them in real herds, but these models require robust parameter estimation and validation. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0208940. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America.

Rationale: HSP90B1, also known as gp96, is a chaperone for multiple Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and is necessary for TLR-mediated inflammatory responses in murine myeloid cells. The molecule is also expressed in T-cells though its specific role is unknown. We hypothesized that human HSP90B1 regulates monocyte and T-cell responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and that its variants are associated with susceptibility to TB disease. Read More

J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines.

Background: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) prophylaxis is recommended for patients with advanced HIV infection. With the decrease in incidence of disseminated MAC infection and the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the benefits of macrolide prophylaxis were investigated. This study examined the impact of macrolide prophylaxis on AIDS-defining conditions and HIV-associated mortality in a cohort of HIV-infected patients on ART. Read More

Pol J Microbiol 2018 ;67(4):487-492

Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences , Warsaw , Poland.

Mycobacterioses are a constant problem in backyard poultry, as well as pet birds. To date, no evidence of direct transmission of atypical bacilli between humans has been demonstrated, but it cannot be ruled out that sick animals can be a source of infection for people in their environment. The aim of the study was to identify mycobacteria isolated from birds with diagnosed mycobacteriosis and to determine the susceptibility of mycobacterial isolates from these animals to antituberculous drugs most commonly used in the treatment of mycobacterial infections in humans. Read More

Klin Lab Diagn 2018 ;63(1):55-59

DNA-Technology LLC, 115478, Moscow, Russia.

The purpose of study is to develop techniques of laboratory diagnostic of leprosy on the basis of polymerase chain reaction. The techniques were worked through such as extraction of DNA from various clinical material (bioptates and scarifcate of skin, scrapes from mucous surface of nose and trophic ulcers, blood serum). The systems of oligonucleotides were constructed to 16S pRNA and probe for identifcation of Mycobacterium leprae in real-time format for amplifer DT-96 ("The DNA-Technology", Russia). Read More

Scand J Immunol 2018 Dec 13:e12743. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Sección de Patología Experimental, Departamento de Patología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubiran, México.

High dose of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strain H37Rv administered by intratracheal injection in BALB/c mice induce progressive tuberculosis (TB). In this model during the first month there is a temporal control of bacillary growth, in co-existence with macrophage activation, granuloma formation and Th-1 response. Then, bacterial proliferation recommences, accompanied by progressive pneumonia and decreasing expression of protective cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α). Read More

J Cell Physiol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) is one of the leading causes of death among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The current study was aimed to determine the frequency of MAC infection in patients infected with HIV.

Methods: Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for relevant studies. Read More

Org Biomol Chem 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products, College of Pharmacy/Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, People's Republic of China.

A putative three-gene cluster for asperterpenoid A was identified. Step-wise reconstitution of this gene cluster in Aspergillus oryzae reveals that astC encodes a sesterterpene cyclase to synthesize preasperterpenoid A, which is dually oxidized by a P450 enzyme AstB to give asperterpenoid A along with a minor product asperterpenoid B, and asperterpenoid A is further oxidized by another P450 eznyme AstA to afford a new sesterterpenoid asperterpenoid C. Unexpectedly, asperterpenoids A and B, but not the final product asperterpenoid C, exhibit potent inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein tyrosine phosphatase B with IC50 values of 3-6 μM. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2018 Dec 14;18(1):658. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Beijing Key Laboratory on Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute/Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China.

Background: The most prevalent strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) in Beijing belong to the Beijing genotype family. The influence of Beijing genotype prevalence on the development of drug resistance, and the association of infection with Beijing genotype M. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2018 Dec 14;18(1):659. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Département des Maladies infectieuses et tropicales, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 103, Grande-Rue de la Croix-Rousse, 69317, cedex 04, Lyon, France.

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung diseases are increasingly recognized as chronic opportunistic infections, occurring in individuals with a wide variety of underlying conditions. In the absence of systemic immunodeficiency, decision of NTM lung disease treatment must relies on a careful risk/benefit assessment, given the requirement of long-term administration of multidrug therapies supported by limited evidence. The primary objective was to identify the factors associated with anti-NTM treatment initiation. Read More

Future Microbiol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.

Aim: Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses an intracellular tagging and degradation system, which has emerged as a target for development of anti-tuberculosis agents. In this system, PafA is the ligase that marks proteins for degradation by their covalent modification with a protein modifier. Here, we studied pafA transcriptional regulation, which remained elusive despite its importance for M. Read More

Data Brief 2018 Dec 23;21:2430-2434. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, A. Nevskogo St. 14, 236016 Kaliningrad, Russia.

This data article contains Raman experimental data, obtained with Horiba Jobin-Yvon LabRam HR800 spectrometer (Japan), which can be used for rapid identification of () bacteria (Beijing clade) . Data present analyzed Raman spectra of bacterial cells with various drug resistances obtained from pulmonary and extra pulmonary samples. Data can provide information about characteristic maxima of different structures in biological cell. Read More

Front Med (Lausanne) 2018 28;5:332. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Aix-Marseille Université, IRD 198, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a nucleic acid method which has been used to identify mycobacteria including in clinical microbiology laboratory and point of care settings. Previously published LAMP protocols for detection of mycobacterial species used conventional specific primer and targeted the 16S rRNA, , and insertion sequence genes. We developed and evaluated a LAMP assay targeting a mycobacterial gene conserved sequence and incorporating degenerate primers. Read More

Clin Med Insights Gastroenterol 2018 3;11:1179552218815169. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Infectious Diseases Inc., Bellevue, NE, USA.

For more than a decade, the therapeutic focus for Crohn's disease has remained fixed at temporary arrestment of symptomology. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists Crohn's disease as a disease entity without current cure. Biologics in combination with antibiotics can frequently achieve remissions. Read More

Emerg Microbes Infect 2018 Dec 13;7(1):212. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Division of Chemical & System Biology, Department of Integrative Biomedical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Mycobacterium manages to evade the host cell immune system, partially owing to its ability to survive redox stress after macrophage engulfment. Exposure to redox stress has been linked to later replication, persistence, and latent infection. In this work, mass spectrometry was used to elucidate the cell-wide changes that occur in response to sublethal doses of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide over time, with Mycobacterium smegmatis being used as a model organism. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 13;8(1):17826. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

The clinical significance of a single Mycobacterium kansasii (MK) isolation in multiple sputum samples remains unknown. We conducted this study to evaluate the outcome and predictors of developing MK-pulmonary disease (PD) within 1 year among these patients. Patients with a single MK isolation from ≥3 sputum samples collected within 3 months and ≥2 follow-up sputum samples and chest radiography in the subsequent 9 months between 2008 and 2016 were included. Read More

Biosensors (Basel) 2018 Dec 12;8(4). Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Global Alliance for Rapid Diagnostics. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.

A new method using a magnetic nanoparticle-based colorimetric biosensing assay (NCBA) was compared with sputum smear microscopy (SSM) for the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in sputum samples. Studies were made to compare the NCBA against SSM using sputum samples collected from PTB patients prior to receiving treatment. Experiments were also conducted to determine the appropriate concentration of glycan-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (GMNP) used in the NCBA and to evaluate the optimal digestion/decontamination solution to increase the extraction, concentration and detection of acid-fast bacilli (AFB). Read More

Microorganisms 2018 Dec 11;6(4). Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Ruminant Diseases Immunology Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA 50010, USA.

Monoclonal antibodies against subspecies proteins are important tools in Johne's disease research and diagnostics. Johne's disease is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disease of cattle, sheep, and other ruminant animals. We have previously generated multiple sets of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in different studies; however, because many were generated and screened against a whole-cell extract of , the antigens that bind to these antibodies remained unknown. Read More

J Clin Med 2018 Dec 7;7(12). Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.

Local synthesis of antibodies and presence of oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated the frequency of antibodies against mycobacterial and relevant human epitopes in the CSF of patients with MS or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and whether these antibodies differed from those present in the serum. Matched serum and CSF samples from 46 patients with MS, 42 patients with NMOSD, and 29 age-matched and sex-matched control subjects were screened retrospectively for the presence of antibodies against subsp. Read More

Infect Genet Evol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, Clinic and Research Center of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infections rely on continued growth and division. Despite the substantial global burden of tuberculosis, the underlying mechanism governing growth is incompletely understood. Bifunctional penicillin-binding protein (PBP1), encoded by Rv0050 (ponA1) of MTB, is a key peptidoglycan synthase and plays a central role in mycobacterial growth and division by its interaction with Rpf-interacting protein A (RipA, peptidoglycan endopeptidase). Read More

Infect Genet Evol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Institut Pasteur, Unit for Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics, CNRS UMR3525, Paris 75015, France. Electronic address:

Over the long course of evolution from a probable environmental reservoir, the pathogen that we know today as Mycobacterium tuberculosis has become fully capable of adapting to the life inside host cells by evading and modifying their responses to infection. Factors contributing to the success of this pathogen are numerous and thanks to a large body of work accumulated over the past decades, we are closer to understanding the remarkable complexity of tuberculosis pathogenesis. The unique type VII secretion systems and various complex lipids of the cell envelope have emerged as some of the most important and most studied factors in this regard. Read More

Anal Biochem 2018 Dec 10;567:30-37. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Department Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, USA.

Tuberculosis affects about 100 million people worldwide and causes nearly 2 million deaths annually. It has been estimated that one third of all humans is infected with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Moreover, Mtb has become increasingly resistant to available antibiotics. Read More

N Z Med J 2018 Dec 14;131(1487):15-22. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Medical Laboratory Scientist, Microbiology, LabPLUS, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland.

New Zealand has a low burden of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB), but with increased mobility within the population, rapid detection and treatment of MDR-TB is a priority from the public health point of view. Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory in LabPLUS, Auckland City Hospital receives referred Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates from all over New Zealand for second-line drug susceptibility testing (DST) and 24-loci MIRU VNTR genotyping. Between 2002 and 2013, 38 multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) isolates were recorded by culture-based DST. Read More

Turk J Med Sci 2018 12 12;48(6):1351-1357. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Acıbadem University, İstanbul, Turkey

Background/aim: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is an alternative way of identifying mycobacteria via the analysis of biomolecules. It is being increasingly used in routine microbiology practice since it permits early, rapid, and cost-effective identification of pathogens of clinical importance. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of phenotypic identification of mycobacteria by the MALDI-TOF MS MBT Mycobacteria Library (ML) 4. Read More

J Comput Aided Mol Des 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15701, Athens, Greece.

Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Proteins are a family of transmembrane divalent metal ion transporters, with important implications in life of both bacteria and mammals. Among them, the Solute Carrier family 11 member A1 (SLC11A1) has been implicated with susceptibility to infection by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), potentially causing Crohn's disease in humans and paratuberculosis (PTB) in ruminants. Our previous research had focused on sequencing the mRNA of the caprine slc11a1 gene and pinpointed polymorphisms that contribute to caprine SLC11A1's susceptibility to infection by MAP in PTB. Read More

Front Vet Sci 2018 27;5:298. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.

() remains one of the most globally serious infectious agents for human morbidity and mortality, but with significant differences in prevalence across the globe. In many countries, the incidence is now low and declining, but control and eradication remain a distant view. Similarly, the prevalence of bovine TB caused by , varies significantly across regions, although unlike for , data are sparse. Read More

Chem Sci 2018 Nov 23;9(41):7948-7957. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

Department of Chemistry , University of Adelaide , SA 5005 , Australia . Email:

The proteins responsible for controlling electron transfer in bacterial secondary metabolism are not always known or characterised. Here we demonstrate that many bacteria contain a set of unfamiliar ferredoxin encoding genes which are associated with those of cytochrome P450 (CYP) monooxygenases and as such are involved in anabolic and catabolic metabolism. The model organism M contains eleven of these genes which encode [3Fe-4S] or [4Fe-4S] single cluster containing ferredoxins but which have unusual iron-sulfur cluster binding motif sequences, XXXX(X) P, where '' indicates a variable amino acid residue. Read More

Mucosal Immunol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town Component, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa.

Basic leucine zipper transcription factor 2 (Batf2) activation is detrimental in Type 1-controlled infectious diseases, demonstrated during infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Listeria monocytogenes Lm. In Batf2-deficient mice (Batf2), infected with Mtb or Lm, mice survived and displayed reduced tissue pathology compared to infected control mice. Indeed, pulmonary inflammatory macrophage recruitment, pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune effectors were also decreased during tuberculosis. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) for direct molecular detection of and rifampicin resistance from clinical specimens has dramatically improved the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra) is proposed as a substitute of Xpert with increased sensitivity and improved rifampicin resistance detection. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of Ultra and Xpert for pulmonary TB diagnosis in a low TB burden setting. Read More

J Virol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Service of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland

HIV infection is the major risk factor predisposing for () progression from latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to tuberculosis disease (TB). Since long-term treated aviremic HIV-infected individuals remained at higher risk of developing TB as compared to HIV-uninfected individuals, we hypothesized that progression from LTBI to pulmonary TB (PTB) might not only be due to CD4 T-cell depletion but also to -specific CD4 T-cell functional impairment. To test this hypothesis, -specific T-cell frequencies and cytokine profiles were investigated in untreated Tanzanian individuals suffering from LTBI (n=20) or PTB (n=67) and compared to those of untreated /HIV co-infected individuals suffering from LTBI (n=15) or PTB (n=10). Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2018 Dec 12;18(1):646. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Service Universitaire des Maladies Infectieuses et du voyageur, Centre Hospitalier Dron, 135 avenue du Président Coty, 59200, Tourcoing, France.

Introduction: Mycobacterium mucogenicum is a rare but emerging cause of infections, especially in immunocompromised patients.

Case Presentation: We describe a new case of M. mucogenicum catheter-related bloodstream infection in a 34-year-old woman with ovarian cancer. Read More

Perfusion 2018 Dec 12:267659118814691. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

2 Department of Cardiac Surgery, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.

Mycobacterium chimaera infections have mainly been associated with the heater-cooler unit (HCU) and, ultimately, linked to contaminated aerosols in the operation room. The contamination status of HCUs seems to be influenced by the maintenance, therefore, according to the manufacturer's recommendations, peracetic acid (Puristeril) was introduced to increase HCU cleaning and disinfection protocol maintenance. Aerosol dispersion from Puristeril during maintenance can cause adverse effects to nearby workers. Read More

Front Microbiol 2018 20;9:2710. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Applied Microbial Ecology Laboratory, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.

Acidic ash derived volcanic soils (Andisols) support 50% of cereal production in Chile. Nitrogen (N) is essential for cereal crops and commonly added as urea with consequent environmental concerns due to leaching. Despite the relevance of N to plant growth, few studies have focused on understanding the application, management and ecological role of N-fixing bacterial populations as tool for improve the N nutrition of cereal crops in Chile. Read More

Mol Divers 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia.

Here, we describe design and synthesis of twelve novel compounds bearing primaquine motif and hydroxy- or halogenamine linked by an urea or bis-urea spacer. Preparation of ureas 3a-f started with the conversion of primaquine to benzotriazolide 2 and aminolysis of the later compound by 4-(2-aminoethyl)phenol or amino alcohols bearing fluorine atom, cycloalkyl or trifluoromethyl group under microwave irradiation. The four-step sequence leading to bis-ureas 6a-f included preparation of benzotriazolide 2 and two intermediates, semicarbazide 4 and benzotriazole bis-urea 5, which upon aminolysis with the same aminophenol or amino alcohols gave the title compounds. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 6;8(1):17206. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

School Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

The role of badgers in the geographic expansion of the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) epidemic in England is unknown: indeed there have been few published studies of bTB in badgers outside of the Southwest of England where the infection is now endemic in cattle. Cheshire is now on the edge of the expanding area of England in which bTB is considered endemic in cattle. Previous studies, over a decade ago when bovine infection was rare in Cheshire, found no or only few infected badgers in the south eastern area of the county. Read More

Clin Chem 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL;

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species are a rising threat, especially to patients living with pulmonary comorbidities. Current point-of-care diagnostics fail to adequately identify and differentiate NTM species from (). Definitive culture- and molecular-based testing can take weeks to months and requires sending samples out to specialized diagnostic laboratories. Read More

Bioorg Med Chem 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Institute of Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry of Chongqing Municipality, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. Electronic address:

Based on the advantages of azole molecules and fluoroquinolone drugs, we designed and synthesized 34 clinafloxacin-azole conjugates using fragment-based drug design and drug combination principles. The in vitro activities of the synthesized conjugates against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv), Hela cell as well as Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were assayed. The bioassay results revealed that most of the target molecules had anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) activity, of which 14 compounds had very strong anti-TB activity [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) < 2 μM]. Read More

Indian J Tuberc 2018 Oct 28;65(4):350-355. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Professor and Head, Department of Orthopaedics, Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi 110002, India.

A 23-year-old female on anti-tubercular therapy for tuberculous sacroiliitis presented with right sided gluteal and thigh abscess. Suspecting treatment failure, surgical evacuation of purulent material was done. The bacteriological isolation showed positivity for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Read More

Indian J Tuberc 2018 Oct 11;65(4):345-349. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Airlangga/ Dr. Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia.

IFN-γ elevation is one of the indicators of successful treatment in active tuberculosis (TB) infection due to macrophage and Th-1 activation in inducing autophagy process. However, IL-10 also inhibits interferon-mediated mycobactericid activities by blocking IFN-γ; signaling pathways in autophagy. Therefore, ratio IFN-γ/IL-10 has to be greater than 1 (>1) then IFN-γ remains has anti-mycobacterium. Read More

Indian J Tuberc 2018 Oct 6;65(4):335-344. Epub 2018 Sep 6.

Former Secretary, Department of Health Research, Govt of India and Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India. Electronic address:

Introduction: The need to shorten the treatment duration in tuberculosis has always been felt. Immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy has been considered a promising approach for this purpose into tuberculosis. We studied the adjuvant immunotherapeutic activity of Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP or Mw) in combination with conventional chemotherapy using guinea pig of pulmonary tuberculosis infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv via aerosol. Read More

Indian J Tuberc 2018 Oct 11;65(4):329-334. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India.

Introduction: Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) causing clinical disease have become increasingly common and more diverse. The development of fast, inexpensive, and reliable tests to identify nontuberculous mycobacteria is need of the hour especially under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP). The Aim of the study was to check the Diagnostic efficacy of the GenoType Mycobacterium CM/AS assay compared with HPLC and Biochemical Test for Identification of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria under the Revised Tuberculosis Control Programme. Read More

Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi 2018 Dec;41(12):954-958

Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.

To explore the signal pathway of M2-type polarization induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-specific peptide E7. Monocyte-macrophages were divided into blank control group, M1 positive stimulus group [co-stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and gamma interferon (IFN-γ)], M2 positive group(co-stimulated with IL-4 and IL-13), and E7 experimental group (with MTB-specificity polypeptide E7 stimulated). The expression of M1 type markers CD(16), IL-6, TNF-α and M2 type markers CD(163), CD(206), IL-10 were detected at 12, 18, 24 and 36 h. Read More

J Infect Dis 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Radboud university medical center, Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center of Infectious Diseases, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Background: Rewiring cellular metabolism is important for activation of immune cells during host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Glutamine has been implicated as an immunomodulatory nutrient, but its role in response to M. tuberculosis is unknown. Read More