In 1999, two independent groups identified plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) as major type I interferon- (IFN-) producing cells in the blood. Since then, evidence is accumulating that PDC are a multifunctional cell population effectively coordinating innate and adaptive immune responses. This paper focuses on the role of different immune cells and their interactions in the surveillance of alph...

Anal lesions affect up to 34% of patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and are more frequent in males who have sex with males (MSM). The most common anal infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). It is suggested that the appearance of this illness is related to the conversion of HIV into AIDS. Even with the intr...

PURPOSE We looked for herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively), varicella zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in Malawian adults with clinically suspected meningitis. METHODS We collected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from consecutive adults admitted with clinically suspected meningitis to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), Bl...

BACKGROUND We sought to assess whether GFS, a proprietary preparation of Tasmanian Undaria pinnatifida, has effects on healing or re-emergence of Herpetic infections, and additionally, to assess effects of GFS in vitro. Undaria is the most commonly eaten seaweed in Japan, and contains sulphated polyanions and other components with potential anti-viral activity. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-...

Human Herpes Virus (HHV) is a DNA virus and is the most important viral pathogen causing intraocular inflammation. HHV is classified into types 1-8. Among these types, HHV-1, HHV-2, HHV-3 Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) and HHV-5 Cytomegalovirus (CMV) are known to cause herpetic viral retinitis, including acute retinal necrosis and CMV retinitis. Herpes viral retinitis can be diagnosed from charac...

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Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), also known as Human herpesvirus 1, is a highly prevalent human neurotropic pathogen that causes a variety of diseases, including lethal encephalitis. Here, we report the genome sequence of the HSV-1 strain SC16.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with uncertain etiology. for many years, viruses have been suspected as causative agents. there are conflicting reports about the possible role of viruses such as human herpes virus 8 (hhv8) and retroviruses in the pathogenesis of the sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. we conducted a prospective case-control study to ...