Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) is a human pathogen that causes pharyngitis and invasive diseases such as toxic shock syndrome and sepsis. The upper respiratory tract is the primary reservoir from which GAS can infect new hosts and cause disease. The factors involved in colonisation are incompletely known however. Previous evidence in oral streptococci has shown that the AgI/II family proteins are...

BACKGROUND In 2005 northern parts of Pakistan were hit by an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 on rector scale. Fatima Memorial Hospital established a Primary Health care centre in village of Jared in Kaghan valley. The objective of the study was to find the pattern of different diseases presetting to health centre. METHODS All cases between August 2006 and December 2008 were included from the dail...

The respiratory tract contains numerous peptides secreted from special pulmonary epithelial cells whichare called endocrine cells. The function of neuroendocrine cells is modulated by amines. Serotonin has strong vasomotor and bronchomotor effects in the airway mucosa. The objective of this study was to determine presence and distribution of serotonin-positive endocrine cells in respiratory tra...

Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are inherited disorders in which one or several components of immune system are decreased, missing, or of non-appropriate function. These diseases affect the development, function, or morphology of the immune system. The group of PID comprises more than 200 different disorders and syndromes and the number of newly recognized and revealed deficiencies is still i...

In troduc tion For a better understanding of the pathogenic mechanismof infectious diseases it is important to know the molecular basis of how the host responds to microbial pathogens and eliminates them. Recent advances in immunology and molecular biology have led to the discovery of a large number of cytokines and cell surface molecules, which allows us to understand such pathogenic mechanism...

The lining of the nose and paranasal sinuses is continuous and it would be rare for inflammation to affect one without the other. In addition, the symptoms of sinusitis, particularly chronic sinusitis, and rhinitis overlap to a large extent and it is therefore convenient to consider the two together as rhinosinusitis. Similarly, the upper respiratory tract (nose and paranasal passages) and lowe...

OBJECTIVE To explore whether different forms of violence against women were associated with increased incidence rates of diarrhea and respiratory tract infections among infants. DESIGN A 12-month follow-up study embedded in a food and micronutrient supplementation trial. SETTING Rural Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS Pregnant women and their 3132 live-born children. MAIN EXPOSURE Maternal expos...

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the main cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in children under 2 years, its distribution is worldwide and even in very different climatic conditions, it appears to have similar features, certainly knowing it will produce a significant amount of infections each year. We present the results of a retrospective review of positive cases for RSV dete...

Thirty preschool children presenting with recurrent respiratory infections and their unaffected siblings were observed prospectively for a year. The index children experienced more episodes of acute respiratory infection than their siblings. Respiratory viruses were the major cause of respiratory infections. The index children had lower respiratory tract disease, predominantly wheeze, during 34...

OBJECTIVES To identify the occurrence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), diarrheal diseases and trauma during the Haji season, and the practice of some preventive measures by pilgrims. METHODS A cohort study during November and December 2009 among hajjis registered while visiting Primary Health Care Centers of Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to get mandatory meningococcal meningiti...