Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:4.2.3.23 (GAS)
 957 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

During recent years there have been several cases of death due to severe infection caused by GAS. Here we report two cases treated at our hospital, one of a patient presenting with preshock (case 1), the other of a patient with septic shock (case 2), in both of whom the concentrations of various coagulation factors and platelet counts were low. Other clinical findings common to both cases were scarlet coloured maculopapular exanthema, relative bradycardia, excessive tendency to develop oedema, and impaired function both in the lungs, kidneys and brain; and both patients were devoid of antibodies against the most predominant toxins (B and C) of the GAS strains isolated. Initial treatment comprised extensive administration of fluids, antibiotics, antithrombin, and low dose hydrocortisone. Plasma exchange by continuous centrifugation (CS 3000 Travenol Baxter) was given twice in case 1 and five times in case 2. In case 2, besides human immunoglobulin with a high anti-GAS (toxins A, B and C) antibody content given at admission, the patient received respiratory support, infusion of inotropic drugs and CAVH. Both patients recovered. The risk of death is high in cases of progressive multiple organ failure during the course of septic shock; and where conventional treatment combinations fail to remedy the condition, adjuvant treatment components may prove successful.
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PMID:[2 cases of severe Streptococcus group A infection]. 268 89

In a porcine model of Gram-positive sepsis, 28 juvenile pigs were studied to evaluate the effect of a continuous infusion of live serogroup A streptococci (GAS) on the activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis. Plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activities were measured using commercially available kits. The continuous infusion of GAS [(3-5) x 10(8) colony-forming units/kg per h] caused early signs of severe septicaemia in the pigs, with pulmonary hypertension, systemic hypotension, reduced cardiac output and liver hypoperfusion, ultimately leading to shock with a high mortality. There was a sequential and ordered activation of the coagulation, fibrinolytic and antifibrinolytic systems. GAS infusion induced a gradual, maximally 2.5-fold increase in plasma TAT levels. Plasma t-PA activity levels peaked at 2 h (nine-fold increase), whereas the peak of PAI-1 activity was delayed (eight-fold increase at 4 h). These findings are similar to changes observed during endotoxin infusion. This procoagulant state favours disseminated intravascular coagulation and microthrombus formation, ultimately threatening tissue viability.
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PMID:Systemic activation of coagulation and fibrynolysis in a porcine model of serogroup A streptococcal shock. 1093 4

Cynara cardunculus: L. represents a natural source of terpenic compounds, with the predominant molecule being cynaropicrin. Cynaropicrin is gaining interest since it has been correlated to anti-hyperlipidaemia, antispasmodic and cytotoxicity activity against leukocyte cancer cells. The objective of this work was to screen a collection of C. cardunculus, from different origins, for new allelic variants in germacrene A synthase (GAS) gene involved in the cynaropicrin biosynthesis and correlate them with improved cynaropicrin content and biological activities. Using high-resolution melting, nine haplotypes were identified. The putative impact of the identified allelic variants in GAS protein was evaluated by bioinformatic tools and polymorphisms that putatively lead to protein conformational changes were described. Additionally, cynaropicrin and main pentacyclic triterpenes contents, and antithrombin, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities were also determined in C. cardunculus leaf lipophilic-derived extracts. In this work we identified allelic variants with putative impact on GAS protein, which are significantly associated with cynaropicrin content and antiproliferative activity. The results obtained suggest that the identified polymorphisms should be explored as putative genetic markers correlated with biological properties in Cynara cardunculus.
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PMID:Haplotype analysis of the germacrene A synthase gene and association with cynaropicrin content and biological activities in Cynara cardunculus. 2914 66