Up-regulation of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 in allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND: Toll-like receptors enable the host to recognize a large number of pathogen-associated molecular patterns such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide, viral RNA, CpG-containing DNA and flagellin. Toll-like receptors have also been shown to play a pivotal role in both innate and adaptive immune responses. The role of Toll-like receptors as a primary part of our microbe defense system has been shown in several studies, but their possible function as mediators in allergy and asthma remains to be established. The present study was designed to examine the expression of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 in the nasal mucosa of patients with intermittent allergic rhinitis, focusing on changes induced by exposure to pollen. METHODS: 27 healthy controls and 42 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis volunteered for the study. Nasal biopsies were obtained before and during pollen season as well as before and after allergen challenge. The seasonal material was used for mRNA quantification of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 with real-time polymerase chain reaction, whereas specimens achieved in conjunction with allergen challenge were used for immunohistochemical localization and quantification of corresponding proteins. RESULTS: mRNA and protein representing Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 could be demonstrated in all specimens. An increase in protein expression for all three receptors could be seen following allergen challenge, whereas a significant increase of mRNA only could be obtained for Toll-like receptor 3 during pollen season. CONCLUSION: The up-regulation of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 in the nasal mucosa of patients with symptomatic allergic rhinitis supports the idea of a role for Toll-like receptors in allergic airway inflammation

Incidence, risk factors and treatment of diarrhoea among Dutch travellers: reasons not to routinely prescribe antibiotics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Travellers' diarrhoea (TD) is the most common infectious disease among travellers. In the Netherlands, stand-by or prophylactic antibiotics are not routinely prescribed to travellers. This study prospectively assessed the incidence rate, risk factors, and treatment of TD among immunocompetent travellers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Persons who attended the travel clinic of the Public Health Service Amsterdam in 2006-2007 before short-term travel to tropical and subtropical countries were invited to answer a questionnaire regarding sociodemographics and travel purpose; they were also asked to keep a daily structured travel diary, recording their itinerary, symptoms, and self-medication or consultation with a doctor. Diarrhoea episodes containing blood or mucous were considered severe.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 1202 travellers, the median age was 38 years, and the median travel duration 3 weeks. Of all episodes, 96% were mild. The median duration of TD was 2 days and significantly shorter in subsequent episodes compared to first episodes (p < 0.0005). Of first episodes 38% started in the first travel week. The incidence rate (IR) for first episodes was 2.49 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.30-2.70) per 100 travel days, with the highest IR among travellers to South-Central and West Asia. The IR for first and subsequent episodes was comparable. Risk factors for first episodes included female sex, a Western country of birth, and tourism as the purpose of travel. The lowest risk was in travellers to South America. An independent risk factor for subsequent episodes was female sex. In total, 5% of travellers used antibiotics; of those, 92% had mild diarrhoea, and 53% received antibiotics over the counter.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>TD is common among travellers, but the overall course is mild, not requiring treatment. The incidence rates for first and second episodes are comparable. Female sex is a risk factor for the first episode, as well as subsequent ones. Prescription antibiotics are not needed in short-term healthy travellers.</p

Radiative collisional quenching of the metastable muonic-helium ion mu He/sup +/(2S)

The calculations, based on the distorted wave approximation, demonstrate that the most important effect leading to destruction of the metastable ion is the formation of a bound molecule ( mu He/sup + /(2P)He); once this molecule is formed, the muon undergoes an electromagnetic transition to the ground state in a very short time ( approximately 5*10/sup -13/ s). The results of the calculation are strongly dependent upon the form of the short-range interaction between the muonic ion and the He atoms, suggesting that precision measurements of the lifetime of the metastable 2S-level in muonic helium could yield useful information about the form of this interaction. (27 refs)

Lack of influence of body exhaust gowns on aerobic bacterial surface counts in a mixed-ventilation operating theatre. A study of 62 hip arthroplasties

Aerobic bacterial surface contamination was studied with and without the use of body exhaust gowns in an operating room equipped with mixed/turbulent ventilation and separate operating and anaesthetic areas during 62 hip joint arthroplasties. In 31 operations conventional gowns were used, and 31 were performed with body exhaust gowns. Bacterial surface contamination was monitored in the operating and anaesthetic area using 9 cm diameter settle plates (1+1) and nitrocellulose membranes (2+2) transferred after sampling to nutrient pads. Compared with conventional clothing, the use of body exhaust gowns did not significantly reduce the microbial contamination (P=0.1-0.7). On the settle plates 1 m from the patient 279±326 cfu/m2/h were observed with conventional clothing compared with 142±227 cfu/m2/h with body exhaust gowns. The first membrane located on the patient in the sterile area detected 250±590 cfu/m2/h with conventional clothing and 210±320 cfu/m2/h with exhaust gowns. For the second membrane on the floor, the counts were 1790±2700 and 1590±1590 cfu/m2/h. For all operations the settle plates yielded 210±287 cfu/m2/h in the operating area and 720±564 cfu/m2/h in the anaesthetic area (P=0.01). Compared with the membrane placed on the anaesthetic equipment the counts on the membrane placed on patient were also significantly lower (P=0.01) while the membranes placed on the floor in each area showed no difference in counts. In conclusion, compared with conventional clothing, the use of body exhaust gowns could not be proven to provide more protection against microbial contamination. The low number of colony forming units found in the operating area was similar to that expected from an ultraclean laminar airflow unit, although achieved with a cheaper and more energy saving system

Tetanus toxin-sensitive VAMP-related proteins are present in murine macrophages

The light chain of tetanus neurotoxin (TeTx) is a zinc endopeptidase specific for VAMP/synaptobrevin (VAMP), a 120-amino-acid integral protein previously described in the small synaptic vesicles of neuronal cells. TeTx has been shown to be active also on nonneuronal cells. By SDS-PAGE and quantitative immunoblotting on proteins derived from murine macrophages (M phi) exposed to TeTx, we have shown that: (1) VAMP-related proteins are also present in M phi and (2) such proteins are sensitive to TeTx proteolytic cleavage. The demonstration that TeTx acts on VAMP-related proteins also in M phi offers a new and useful tool for molecular studies on M phi exocytosis