Adipose Tissue Serves as a Reservoir for Recrudescent Rickettsia prowazekii Infection in a Mouse Model

Brill-Zinsser disease, the relapsing form of epidemic typhus, typically occurs in a susceptible host years or decades after the primary infection; however, the mechanisms of reactivation and the cellular reservoir during latency are poorly understood. Herein we describe a murine model for Brill-Zinsser disease, and use PCR and cell culture to show transient rickettsemia in mice treated with dexamethasone >3 months after clinical recovery from the primary infection. Treatment of similarly infected mice with cyclosporine failed to produce recrudescent bacteremia. Therapy with doxycycline for the primary infection prevented recrudescent bacteremia in most of these mice following treatment with dexamethasone. Rickettsia prowazekii (the etiologic agent of epidemic typhus) was detected by PCR, cell culture, and immunostaining methods in murine adipose tissue, but not in liver, spleen, lung, or central nervous system tissues of mice 4 months after recovery from the primary infection. The lungs of dexamethasone-treated mice showed impaired expression of β-defensin transcripts that may be involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary lesions. In vitro, R. prowazekii rickettsiae infected and replicated in the murine adipocyte cell line 3T3-L1. Collectively these data suggest a role for adipose tissue as a potential reservoir for dormant infections with R. prowazekii

Assessment of splenic function

Hyposplenic patients are at risk of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI), which carries mortality of up to 70%. Therefore, preventive measures are warranted. However, patients with diminished splenic function are difficult to identify. In this review we discuss immunological, haematological and scintigraphic parameters that can be used to measure splenic function. IgM memory B cells are a potential parameter for assessing splenic function; however, more studies are necessary for its validation. Detection of Howell–Jolly bodies does not reflect splenic function accurately, whereas determining the percentage of pitted erythrocytes is a well-evaluated method and seems a good first-line investigation for assessing splenic function. When assessing spleen function, 99mTc-labelled, heat-altered, autologous erythrocyte scintigraphy with multimodality single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-CT technology is the best approach, as all facets of splenic function are evaluated. In conclusion, although scintigraphic methods are most reliable, they are not suitable for screening large populations. We therefore recommend using the percentage of pitted erythrocytes, albeit suboptimal, as a first-line investigation and subsequently confirming abnormal readings by means of scintigraphy. More studies evaluating the value of potentially new markers are needed

Syntheses and biological activities of new hybrid molecules containing different heterocyclic moieties

Alpay Karaoglu, Sengul/0000-0003-1047-8350WOS: 000325497500006PubMed: 240385194-Aryl-5-(pyridin-3-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-(thi)oles 5-7, obtained starting from nicotinic acid hydrazide were converted to the corresponding Mannich bases 12-24 by the reaction with several heterocyclic amines in the presence of formaldehyde. The synthesis of S-alkylated compounds 8-11 was performed from the reaction of the corresponding triazol-5-thioles with various alkyl halides. The condensation of carbo(thio)amides 2-4 with 4-chlorophenacyl bromide afforded the corresponding 1,3-thia(oxa)zol-2(3H)-ylidene]pyridine-3-carbohydrazides 25-27. 1,3-Thia(oxa)zolidine derivatives 28-30 were obtained from the cyclization reaction between compounds 2-4 and ethyl bromoacetate. All newly synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial, antiurease, and antilipase activities. The biological activity studies revealed that all the compounds screened showed good or moderate antimicrobial, antiurease, and/or antilipase activity.Karadeniz Technical University, BAP, TurkeyKaradeniz Teknik University [8623, 8663]The support provided by Karadeniz Technical University, BAP, Turkey (Ref. No. 8623 and 8663), is gratefully acknowledged