MPO (myeloperoxidase) catalyses the oxidation of chloride, bromide and thiocyanate to their respective hypohalous acids. We have investigated the generation of HOBr by human neutrophils in the presence of physiological concentrations of chloride and bromide. HOBr was trapped with taurine and detected by monitoring the bromination of 4-HPAA (4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). With 100 microM bromide a...

Helicobacter (H.) suis has been associated with chronic gastritis and ulcers of the pars oesophagea in pigs, and with gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in humans. In order to obtain better insight into the genes involved in pathogenicity and in the specific adaptation to the gastric environment of H. suis, a genome analysis was performed of t...

The use of bifunctional catalysts in organic synthesis finds inspiration in the selectivity of enzymatic catalysis which arises from the specific interactions between basic and acidic amino acid residues and the substrate itself in order to stabilize developing charges in the transition state. Many enzymes act as bifunctional catalysts using amino acid residues at the active site as Lewis acids...

Even though half of the world’s population is infected with Helicobacter pylori, which causes gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, the transmission routes of these bacteria remain unknown despite extensive epidemiological studies. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and Vibrio cholerae are two of the most common causes of acute watery diarrhea in developing countries. The main aim of...

In this study we analyzed whether infection with Helicobacter pylori gives rise to specific B-cell responses against a number of putative virulence factors of H. pylori, e.g., urease, flagellin, and different bacterial surface antigens, locally in the gastric mucosa. This was studied in antrum and corpus biopsies collected from 11 H. pylori-infected patients with duodenal ulcers, 11 asymptomati...

BACKGROUND Xanthomonas is a large genus of plant-associated and plant-pathogenic bacteria. Collectively, members cause diseases on over 392 plant species. Individually, they exhibit marked host- and tissue-specificity. The determinants of this specificity are unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS To assess potential contributions to host- and tissue-specificity, pathogenesis-associated gene...

It has recently been postulated that cytokines may cause depressive illness in man. This hypothesis is based on the following observations: 1. Treatment of patients with cytokines can produce symptoms of depression; 2. Activation of the immune system is observed in many depressed patients; 3. Depression occurs more frequently in those with medical disorders associated with immune dysfunction; 4...

Background. The improved prognosis of early preterm birth has created a generation of surviving small preterm infants whose health needs in adulthood are poorly known. Epidemiological studies in subjects born at term have repeatedly shown an association between small size at birth and increased risk of adult cardiovascular disease. While considerable variation in this risk is already related to...

Working in the cell membrane milieu, phosphatidylserine (PS) is a nutrient that supports membrane proteins crucial for homeostasis, maintenance, and specialized cell functions. PS is found most concentrated in the brain, where its relative abundance reflects its involvement in specialized nerve cell functions such as chemical transmitter production and release, receptor action, and synaptic act...