The Journal of infectious diseases
-
The objective was to investigate the association of Helicobacter pylori and serum pepsinogen (PG) levels with gastric adenocarcinoma. ⋯ The results suggest that persons with both H. pylori or CagA seropositivity and a low PG I level or PG I/II ratio are highly susceptible to development of noncardia gastric cancer.
-
Cross-reactivity between antibodies to different human coronaviruses (HCoVs) has not been systematically studied. By use of Western blot analysis, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), antigenic cross-reactivity between severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and 2 HCoVs (229E and OC43) was demonstrated in immunized animals and human serum. ⋯ Overall, serum samples from convalescent patients who had SARS had a 1-way cross-reactivity with the 2 known HCoVs. Antigens of SARS-CoV and HCoV-OC43 were more cross-reactive than were those of SARS-CoV and HCoV-229E.
-
Louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF), caused by Borrelia recurrentis, is 1 of the most dangerous arthropod-borne diseases. Infection is thought to occur through louse crushing. Lice feces have not been shown to contain living borreliae. ⋯ In hemolymph, B. recurrentis formed clumps of aggregated borreliae. Using immunofluorescence assay, transmission electron microscopy, and culture, we detected borreliae excreted in lice feces beginning on day 14 after infection. We conclude that, similar to epidemic typhus and trench fever, transmission of LBRF may be caused by lice feces.