Repairing for death he targets of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) determine their own mode of death, say Dennis Keefe, Judy Lieberman, and colleagues (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA). The dying cells patch themselves up so that rapid and messy necrosis is avoided in favor of a more lengthy and controlled apoptosis. The CTLs deliver their insult in the form of perforin, a pore-forming protein...

avicennia marina (avicenniaceae) is a species of mangrove tree used for treatment of small pox lesions in persian folk medicine. the antiviral activity of methanol, ethanol, water, chloroform and n-hexane extracts was evaluated against hiv-1 and hsv. methanol extract had the highest antiviral activity and the most polar fraction of this extract (fraction d) inhibited hsv with ti and si values o...

conclusions to date, a large number of viruses are proved to trigger innate immunity via tlrs, suggesting that these receptors are likely to be important in the outcome of viral infection. this suggestion is supported by the observation that many viruses have evolved mechanisms not only to evade the innate immune system, but also to subvert it for the benefit of the virus. materials and methods...

BACKGROUND AND AIM Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication happens in patients who receive transarterial chemoembolization or systemic chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The incidence and risk factors of HBV reactivation during the perioperative period in HCC patients receiving hepatic resection is unknown. METHODS Between May 2009 and November 2010, 164 consecutive ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Antiviral medications cost-effectively reduce influenza-related morbidity and potentially mortality. We sought to assess the appropriateness of antiviral prescribing for influenza. METHOD We performed a retrospective analysis of visits by adults to primary care clinics during influenza seasons from 1 October 2000 to 31 May 2004 with a claims diagnosis of influenza (n=...

Resistance of cytomegalovirus (CMV) to antiviral agents is a well-recognized phenomenon that has been observed in the laboratory and in the clinical setting. Infections caused by antiviral-resistant CMV have been found exclusively among immunocompromised individuals, including patients with AIDS, bone marrow and solid-organ transplant recipients, and patients with hematologic malignancies, and ...

Innate antiviral substances occur in vertebrates and may function as host defenses. Virus infections are common among invertebrates, but little is known about the ability of invertebrates to control viral infections. Pre-existing antiviral substances may be particularly important, since invertebrates lack the antiviral defense conferred by specific immunity. In our study, we found that tissue e...