Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.6 (RNA polymerase)
 34,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The aim of this study was to generate urgently needed data on respiratory pathogens in German children using an economical and efficient tool. Nasopharyngeal aspirates of hospitalized children 0-16 years of age with an acute respiratory tract infection were tested by a nine-valent multiplex reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Of 1281 children, 449 (35%) had an acute respiratory tract infection caused by at least one of the organisms studied; there were 29 cases of dual infection. At least 34-42% of severe acute respiratory tract infections in children under 5 years of age were caused by viruses. In children over 5 years of age, this proportion was 23% (P<0.001). Infection during the first 2 years of life was most frequently due to respiratory syncytial virus (n = 162 cases). Parainfluenza virus type 3 (n = 22) and type 1 (n = 14) were detected almost exclusively in children under 5 years of age. Influenza A (n = 90) and adenoviruses (n = 98) were prevalent in all age groups. The frequency of influenza B virus isolation (n = 17) rose significantly after the age of 5 years. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (n = 24 cases, 5.2%) was most frequent in 5- to 16-year-old patients. Only one case of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection was found. Since the distribution of pathogens within the different types of lower respiratory tract infections is very similar, it seems that host factors determine which form of lower respiratory tract infection develops in an individual patient. The multiplex reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction may, in the future, become an important tool for epidemiological studies as well as for individual diagnosis.
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PMID:Epidemiological investigation of nine respiratory pathogens in hospitalized children in Germany using multiplex reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. 1089 33

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In this study, an oligonucleotide microarray was utilized to examine the transcriptional response of human aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMC) to C. pneumoniae infection. Alteration of mRNA expression in 71 out of 780 genes was detected at 24 h after infection. Among the down-regulated genes, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFR-beta) was identified as a target for further analysis because the PDGF system is involved in the fibroproliferative response of SMC in atherogenesis. Reverse transcriptase PCR analysis demonstrated that C. pneumoniae inhibits the up-regulation of PDGFR-beta mRNA occurring in AoSMC after mock infection. PDGFR-beta protein synthesis was examined by immunoblotting and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Compared with mock-infected cells, the amount of receptor protein was reduced at 24, 48, and 72 h after infection. Diminished PDGFR-beta synthesis in infected cultures was accompanied by the suppression of AoSMC growth following PDGF-BB stimulation. The interference of C. pneumoniae with PDGFR-beta expression may result in decreased SMC proliferation in atherosclerotic plaques, thereby affecting the development and stability of advanced lesions.
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PMID:Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of aortic smooth muscle cells reduces platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta expression. 1772 56