Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound

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Query: EC:6.2.1.7 (BAL)
1,977 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Scintigraphy with 99mTc labelled human polyclonal immunoglobulin was performed in 16 patients with ascertained or suspected AIDS-related infections. 99mTc-HIG lung scanning was compared, in 11 patients, with 67Ga scintigraphy, chest X-ray and high resolution lung CT. 67Ga and 99mTc-HIG were concordantly positive in five cases of BAL-ascertained Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), while one of them was Rx and CT negative. X-ray, 67Ga and 99mTc were concordantly negative in 5 cases. 99mTc-HIG yielded negative results in two cases of Mycobacterium infection, both of which were 67Ga and Rx positive: Mycobacterium avium in diffuse lung involvement and Mycobacterium TBC in excavated infiltrate. 99mTc-HIG was also positive in other 3 AIDS patients: 1 case of intestinal cryptosporidiosis, 1 pulmonary abscess (Staphylococcus and Candida), and 1 sacral abscess; it was negative in 1 case of Kaposi sarcoma (also 201Tl negative). In conclusion, 99mTc-HIG scintigraphy in AIDS patients is feasible, and offers some practical advantages (continuous availability, fast response time, etc.). The initial results seem similar to those of 67Ga in lung scanning (and perhaps more specific for PCP).
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PMID:99mTc-human immunoglobulin (HIG) in AIDS patients: first results. 193 71

Acute ingestion of alcohol [ethanol (ETOH)] adversely affects the immunocompetence of both naive individuals as well as chronic alcohol abusers. An increased incidence and severity of tuberculosis is found in chronic alcohol abusers. Nitric oxide (NO) produced by alveolar macrophages (AMs) may play a role in the in vitro killing of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Moreover, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is believed to be a primary cytokine mediator of NO production by AMs. Recent studies from our laboratory demonstrated that ETOH suppressed endotoxin-induced increases in both TNF-alpha and NO in AMs, in vivo. We tested the postulate that acute ingestion of ETOH can interfere with mycobacteria-induced upregulation of the NO system in AMs, in vivo. We show that heat-killed M. avium complex (MAC) and human virulent MTB instilled into rat lungs rapidly increased mRNA for inducible NO synthase II (iNOS) of AMs in fluid obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL fluid). This was associated with production of reactive nitrogen intermediates [(RNIs); NO2- and NO3-] in BAL fluid, lung homogenate, and AMs in the absence of a significant increase in BAL fluid TNF-alpha. A single dose of ETOH (5.5 g/kg, ip) administered 30 min before intratracheal administration of MAC or MTB attenuated both MAC and MTB-induced increases in RNI in BAL fluid, lung, and AMs, and the increase in mRNA for iNOS. Thus, mycobacteria upregulate iNOS mRNA and enhance RNI production by AMs without any increase in the production of TNF-alpha. Moreover, ETOH attenuates mycobacteria-induced upregulation of mRNA for iNOS and RNI production in the absence of ETOH-mediated suppression of TNF. Speculatively, ETOH-mediated inhibition of the AM NO system may offer an explanation for the increased severity of mycobacterial infections in alcoholics.
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PMID:Ethanol suppresses Mycobacteria tuberculosis-induced mRNA for nitric oxide synthase in alveolar macrophages, in vivo. 754 49

A mycobacterial expression-secretion vector was constructed in which the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (phoA) reporter gene was placed under the control of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis 85A promoter and secretion signal sequences. In recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG, PhoA activity could readily be detected on the mycobacterial cell surface and in the culture supernatant, indicating that the 85A signals can drive heterologous expression and secretion in both species. In contrast to the mycobacteria, the 85A promoter did not function in E. coli. We mapped the promoter region by progressive deletions using BAL 31 exonuclease and by primer extension analysis. Insertion and deletion mutations within the promoter region indicated that, unlike most E. coli promoters but similar to Streptomyces promoters, the position of the putative -35 region was not critical for efficient promoter activity. In addition, we investigated the ability of the identified signals to drive the production and secretion in BCG of recombinant Schistosoma mansoni glutathione S-transferase (Sm28GST), a protective antigen against schistosomiasis. BALB/c mice immunized with the recombinant BCG by a single dose exhibited a weak but specific T-cell response to Sm28GST.
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PMID:Analysis of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis 85A antigen promoter region. 783 98

Mycobacterium-specific human helper T-cell clones produce a Th1 pattern of cytokines in vitro: interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-2 (IL-2), but little or no IL-4 or IL-5. To test the hypothesis that a similar Th1-like pattern of cytokine gene expression occurs in vivo in pulmonary tuberculosis we used in situ hybridization to detect cytokine mRNA expression by bronchoalveolar lavage cells from nine patients with microbiologically confirmed tuberculosis and nine control subjects. Because IFN-gamma may also originate from alveolar macrophages, simultaneous immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization was applied to determine whether cytokine mRNA was localized to bronchoalveolar macrophages in addition to T-lymphocytes. When samples from patients with tuberculosis and control subjects were compared, there was a significant increase in numbers of IFN-gamma mRNA-positive BAL cells per 1,000 among patients with tuberculosis (p < 0.01). Differences between the two groups in the proportions of cells expressing IL-2, IL-4, or IL-5 mRNA were not significant. Expression of IFN-gamma mRNA by macrophages was detected (median, 14.3% of IFN-gamma mRNA-positive BAL cells). However, the majority of IFN-gamma mRNA expressing BAL cells were T-lymphocytes (median, 80.7%). Activation of Th1-like bronchoalveolar T-lymphocytes, together with production of IFN-gamma by alveolar macrophages, may contribute to the local cellular immune response in pulmonary tuberculosis.
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PMID:Evidence for a Th1-like bronchoalveolar T-cell subset and predominance of interferon-gamma gene activation in pulmonary tuberculosis. 814 65

A 54-year-old woman with pulmonary tuberculosis developed pneumonia caused by Scedosporium apiospermum, the asexual stage of the fungus Pseudallescheria boydii. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and P boydii were cultured in BAL fluid. The patient cleaned swimming pools in a spa health resort and was highly exposed to fungal conidia. She was successfully treated with antituberculosis drugs, miconazole nitrate and ketoconazole, leading to remission of her pulmonary infection. Invasive pulmonary pseudallescheriasis associated with tuberculosis is an unusual finding, especially in an immunocompetent individual.
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PMID:Pulmonary tuberculosis associated with invasive pseudallescheriasis. 904 7

An Escherichia coli-mycobacterial shuttle vector, pJCluc, containing a luciferase reporter gene, was constructed and used to analyse the Mycobacterium tuberculosis katG promoter. A 1.9 kb region immediately upstream of katG promoted expression of the luciferase gene in E. coli and Mycobacterium smegmatis. A smaller promoter fragment (559 bp) promoted expression with equal efficiency, and was used in all further studies. Two transcription start sites were mapped by primer extension analysis to 47 and 56 bp upstream of the GTG initiation codon. Putative promoters associated with these show similarity to previously identified mycobacterial promoters. Deletions in the promoter fragment, introduced with BAL-31 nuclease and restriction endonucleases, revealed that a region between 559 and 448 bp upstream of the translation initiation codon, designated the upstream activator region (UAR), is essential for promoter activity in E. coli, and is required for optimal activity in M. smegmatis. The katG UAR was also able to increase expression from the Mycobacterium paratuberculosis P(AN) promoter 15-fold in E. coli and 12-fold in M. smegmatis. An alternative promoter is active in deletion constructs in which either the UAR or the katG promoters identified here are absent. Expression from the katG promoter peaks during late exponential phase, and declines during stationary phase. The promoter is induced by ascorbic acid, and is repressed by oxygen limitation and growth at elevated temperatures. The promoter constructs exhibited similar activities in Mycobacterium bovis BCG as they did in M. smegmatis.
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PMID:The Mycobacterium tuberculosis katG promoter region contains a novel upstream activator. 1051 3

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a serious, but rare infectious complication after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. We describe a case of fatal sepsis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL. The diagnosis was made after BAL. Although broad-spectrum antituberculous therapy was started immediately after diagnosis, blood cultures became positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient developed severe pyrexias and finally died of multi-organ failure. Rapid progression of mycobacterial infection should be considered in patients post BMT with unexplained fever, particularly in patients from endemic areas.
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PMID:Fatal sepsis due to mycobacterium tuberculosis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. 1128 94

Occupants in moisture-damaged buildings suffer frequently from respiratory symptoms. This may be partly due to the presence of abnormal microbial growth or the altered microbial flora in the damaged buildings. However, the specific effects of the microbes on respiratory health and the way they provoke clinical manifestations are poorly understood. In the present study, we exposed mice via intratracheal instillation to a single dose of Mycobacterium terrae isolated from the indoor air of a moisture-damaged building (1 X 10(7), 5 X 10(7), or 1 X 10(8) microbes). Inflammation and toxicity in lungs were evaluated 2 hr later. The time course of the effects was assessed with the dose of 1 X 10(8) bacterial cells for up to 28 days. M. terrae caused a sustained biphasic inflammation in mouse lungs. The characteristic features for the first phase, which lasted from 6 hr to 3 days, were elevated proinflammatory cytokine [i.e., tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). TNF-alpha was produced in the lungs more intensively than was IL-6. Neutrophils were the most abundant cells in the airways during the first phase, although their numbers in BALF remained elevated up to 21 days. The characteristics of the second phase, which lasted from 7 to 28 days, were elevated TNF-alpha levels in BALF, expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in BAL cells, and recruitment of mononuclear cells such as lymphocytes and macrophages into the airways. Moreover, total protein, albumin, and lactate dehydrogenase concentrations were elevated in both phases in BALF. The bacteria were detected in lungs up to 28 days. In summary, these observations indicate that M. terrae is capable of provoking a sustained, biphasic inflammation in mouse lungs and can cause a moderate degree of cytotoxicity. Thus, M. terrae can be considered a species with potential to adversely affect the health of the occupants of moisture-damaged buildings.
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PMID:Mycobacterium terrae isolated from indoor air of a moisture-damaged building induces sustained biphasic inflammatory response in mouse lungs. 1241 83

The guinea pig has been utilized as a model for studying infectious diseases because its reactions closely resemble those of humans biologically and immunologically. However, the cytokine responses in this animal remain to be studied. Initially, we established a quantitative assay using a real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) to measure guinea pig gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) mRNA. By preparing primer-fluorogenic probe sets for these cytokines and standard RNA templates corresponding to the target sequence of each cytokine, we obtained linear standard curves essential for quantitative determination. In guinea pigs immunized by intradermal (i.d.) vaccination with the Tokyo strain of Mycobacterium bovis BCG (0.1 mg) or else hyperimmunized with the same vaccine (10 mg) given intravenously (i.v.), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at 4 weeks showed an increase in IFN-gamma mRNA expression in the latter but not the former animals. However, at week 10, IFN-gamma mRNA expression was markedly elevated in PBMCs, spleen cells, and cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in both the i.d.- and the i.v.-immunized animals, the level of expression being 10 times higher in the latter. In contrast, the expression levels of IL-12 mRNA in PBMCs, spleen cells, and BAL cells were not enhanced in either group at 10 weeks postimmunization. The expression of IL-10 and TGF-beta increased slightly only in PBMCs. Regardless of differences in the levels of cytokine responses, the magnitudes of the purified protein derivative of tuberculin-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin reactions for the two groups did not differ significantly at 8 weeks postvaccination. In this study, we quantitatively measured IL-10, IL-12, TGF-beta, and IFN-gamma mRNA in BCG-immunized guinea pigs and showed that the level of IFN-gamma mRNA expression does not necessarily reflect the magnitude of the DTH response, suggesting that there may be an intricate relationship between protective immunity, the level of IFN-gamma, and the DTH response. Thus, our quantitative assay would be of use for the development of vaccines using guinea pig models.
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PMID:Dynamics of gamma interferon, interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta mRNA expression in primary Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection in guinea pigs measured by a real-time fluorogenic reverse transcription-PCR assay. 1243 33

Forty-seven HIV-infected adults had broncho-alveolar lavage stimulated with purified protein derivate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Eighteen of 19 (95%) with tuberculosis co-infection had interferon-gamma synthetic CD4 lymphocyte responses > 1% versus three of 28 (11%) without (P < 0.0001). Lung response was unrelated to blood CD4 cell count. BAL HIV tuberculosis responses were similar in 25 HIV-uninfected tuberculosis patients. Responses in matched blood samples were often undetectable. Therefore, immunological tuberculosis assays seem less affected by HIV co-infection when lung-based.
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PMID:Detection of mycobacterial antigen responses in lung but not blood in HIV-tuberculosis co-infected subjects. 1681 64


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