Correlation of plasma C-reactive protein levels to sialic acid and lipid concentrations in the normal population

Aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sialic acid component and C-reactive protein and lipids in the plasma of 80 healthy subjects. Levels of sialic acid, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and plasma lipids were measured in a normal population consisting of 80 subjects. The possible correlation between sialic acid and CRP was also studied. The total sialic acid concentration was 2.61±0.61 mM L-1, CRP (2.52±2.32 mmole L-1), total cholesterol (5.504±1.28 mM L-1), triglycerides (1.31±0.87 mM L-1), low density lipoprotein (3.51±1.11 mM L-1) and high density lipoprotein (1.40±0.37 mM L-1). There was a positive correlation between sialic acid and CRP (r = 0.283, p<0.05). However, there was no correlation between CRP and the plasma lipids

Functions of Burkholderia virulence factors: input from proteomics and DNA microarray analyses

Burkholderia spp. consists of organisms that are extremely diverse and versatile with a natural habitat in the soil. Members of this genus, which include B. pseudomallei, B. mallei, B. thailandensis and B. cepacia, are capable of causing severe, life threatening opportunistic infection in patients who are immunocompromised. The underlying virulence mechanisms of the bacteria, their interactions with the host and the host defense mechanisms may be reflected by changes of the expression of proteins of both the pathogen as well as the host. In this article, we reviewed the current knowledge on interactions of Burkholderia spp. pathogens with their host mainly from the perspective of data that was generated from recent proteomics and DNA microarray investigations

Identification of immunoreactive secretory proteins from the stationary phase culture of Burkholderia pseudomallei

Bacterial secreted proteins are known to be involved in virulence and may mediate important host-pathogen interactions. In this study, when the stationary phase culture supernatant of Burkholderia pseudomallei was subjected to 2-DE, 113 protein spots were detected. Fifty-four of the secreted proteins, which included metabolic enzymes, transcription/translation regulators, potential virulence factors, chaperones, transport regulators, and hypothetical proteins, were identified using MS and database search. Twelve of these proteins were apparently reactive to antisera of mice that were immunised with B. pseudomallei secreted proteins. These proteins might be excellent candidates to be used as diagnostic markers or putative candidate vaccines against B. pseudomallei infections

Identification of immunogenic proteins from Burkholderia cepacia secretome using proteomic analysis

Burkholderia cepacia is an opportunistic human pathogen associated with lung infections. Secretory proteins of B. cepacia are known to be involved in virulence and may mediate important host-pathogen interactions. In the present study, secretory proteins isolated from B. cepacia culture supernatant were separated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, followed by Western blot analysis to identify the immunogenic proteins. Mice antibodies raised to B. cepacia inactivated whole bacteria, outer membrane protein and culture filtrate antigen detected 74,104 and 32 immunogenic proteins, respectively. Eighteen of these immunogenic proteins which reacted with all three antibodies were identified and might be potential molecules as a diagnostic marker or a putative candidate vaccine against B. cepacia infections. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Infection of burkholderia cepacia induces homeostatic responses in the host for their prolonged survival: the microarray perspective

Burkholderia cepacia is an opportunistic human pathogen associated with life-threatening pulmonary infections in immunocompromised individuals. Pathogenesis of B. cepacia infection involves adherence, colonisation, invasion, survival and persistence in the host. In addition, B. cepacia are also known to secrete factors, which are associated with virulence in the pathogenesis of the infection. In this study, the host factor that may be the cause of the infection was elucidated in human epithelial cell line, A549, that was exposed to live B. cepacia (mid-log phase) and its secretory proteins (mid-log and early-stationary phases) using the Illumina Human Ref-8 microarray platform. The non-infection A549 cells were used as a control. Expression of the host genes that are related to apoptosis, inflammation and cell cycle as well as metabolic pathways were differentially regulated during the infection. Apoptosis of the host cells and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines were found to be inhibited by both live B. cepacia and its secretory proteins. In contrast, the host cell cycle and metabolic processes, particularly glycolysis/glycogenesis and fatty acid metabolism were transcriptionally up-regulated during the infection. Our microarray analysis provided preliminary insights into mechanisms of B. cepacia pathogenesis. The understanding of host response to an infection would provide novel therapeutic targets both for enhancing the host's defences and repressing detrimental responses induced by the invading pathogen

Sialic acid and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 as early markers in the first degree relatives of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Levels of sialic acid and Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the first degree relatives of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and their possible role as an early marker of the prediabetic stage were studied in 74 controls and 150 first degree relatives. The total sialic acid concentration was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the first degree relatives compared to the control subjects. Amongst the offsprings, the total sialic acid concentration was significantly higher in the offspring with Normal Glucose Tolerance (NGT) than those with Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT). However the level of VCAM-1 did not differ amongst the controls and the first degree relatives. The total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the offspring with IGT when compared to the control subjects and the offspring with NGT. The above data suggests that desialylation of the vascular endothelium is an early event that precedes the expression of IGT or any lipid changes in asymptomatic offspring of one type 2 diabetic parent