The Journal of infectious diseases
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Alveolar macrophages in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have fundamental impairment of phagocytosis for nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI). However, relative selectivity of dysfunctional phagocytosis among diverse respiratory pathogens: NTHI, Moraxella catarrhalis (MC), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP), and nonbacterial particles, as well as the contribution of impaired phagocytosis to severity of COPD, has not been explored. ⋯ These studies delineate pathogen- and host-specific differences in defective alveolar macrophages phagocytosis of respiratory bacteria in COPD, further elucidating the immunologic basis for bacterial persistence in COPD and provide the first demonstration of association of impaired phagocytosis to severity of disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Safety and immunogenicity of an AS01-adjuvanted varicella-zoster virus subunit candidate vaccine against herpes zoster in adults >=50 years of age.
An adjuvanted varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E (gE) subunit vaccine candidate for herpes zoster is in development. In this trial we compared the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of the vaccine antigen combined with different adjuvant doses. ⋯ NCT00802464.
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There are limited data on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among children in settings with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We studied the epidemiology of RSV-associated acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) hospitalizations among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children in South Africa. ⋯ HIV-infected children have a higher risk of hospitalization with RSV-associated ALRTI and a poorer outcome than HIV-uninfected children. These children should be targeted for interventions aimed at preventing severe RSV disease.
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Information on the epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in Africa is limited for crowded urban areas and for rural areas where the prevalence of malaria is high. ⋯ An effective RSV vaccine would likely substantially reduce the burden of respiratory illness among children in rural and urban areas in Africa.
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H7N9 avian influenza is an emerging viral disease in China caused by avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. We investigated host cytokine and chemokine profiles in serum samples of H7N9 patients by multiplex-microbead immunoassays. ⋯ Furthermore, IL-6 and the chemokine IP-10 were significantly higher in severe H7N9 patients compared to nonsevere H7N9 cases. We suggest that proinflammatory cytokine responses, characterized by a combined Th1/Th17 cytokine induction, are partially responsible for the disease progression of patients with H7N9 infection.