Background and Objective: The outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may be influenced by host factors like Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA). We have investigated HLA-A and DRB1 alleles in patients with persistent hepatitis B infection compared to subjects who had spontaneously recovered from HBV infection. To complete the findings of this study we performed another survey in certain HLA ...

The report of Oakley, Warrack, and Clarke (1947) on the toxins of the Clostridium novyi (oedematiens) group and of Clostridium hemolyticum indicates the complexity of this topic and presents the pertinent historical data. It is known that the toxins C. novyi and C. hemolyticum involve a lecithinase catalyzing the hydrolysis of lecithin to phosphorylcholine and a diglyceride. In view of the exis...

Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) colonizes the large intestine causing a spectrum of disorders, including watery diarrhea, bloody diarrhea (hemorrhagic colitis), and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. It is estimated that hemolytic-uremic syndrome is the most common cause of acute renal failure in infants in Argentina. Stx is a multimeric toxin composed of one A subunit and five B su...

background: it is not yet known which types of toll-like receptors (tlrs) are most effective in helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) recognition. it is also not known which gastric zones have the most prominent roles in tlr-mediated bacterial recognition. the aim of this work was to analyze the expression of tlr2 and tlr4 in biopsy specimens from h. pylori-infected patients. methods: thirty-eight pa...

INTRODUCTION The most common pathogen in bacteria lpharyngotonsillitis is group A β-hemolytic streptococcus, although groups B, C, F,and G have also been associated with pharyngotonsillitis. OBJECTIVE To assess the levels of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-6,IL-4, and IL-10 in bacterial pharyngotonsillitis caused by group A and non-A (groups B, C, F and G) β-hemolytic streptococcus. METHODS The stu...

A new selective medium (CNA-P) that reduces or eliminates the inhibitory activity of bacteriocin-producing Streptococcus salivarius against beta-hemolytic streptococci has been developed and compared with sheep blood agar (SBA) for the sensitive detection of small numbers of beta-hemolytic streptococci in clinical specimens. CNA-P has as its basis a commercial medium (Difco Columbia CNA agar) s...

The taxonomy of streptococci has undergone major changes during the last two decades. The present classification is based on both phenotypic and genotypic data. Phylogenetic classification of streptococci is based on 16S rRNA sequences [1], and it forms the backbone of the overall classification system of streptococci. Phenotypic properties are also important, especially for clinical microbiolo...

About a half of the antierythrocyte autoantibody transgenic (autoAb Tg) mice, in which almost all B cells are detected in the spleen, lymph nodes, and Peyer's patches, but not in the peritoneal cavity, suffer from autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The occurrence of this disease is strongly linked to production of autoAb by activated peritoneal B-1 cells in the Tg mice. In this study, we have shown t...