respiratory tract infections/protease

OBJECTIVE To explore the significance of plasma levels of mannan-binding lectin (MBL)-associated serine protease 2 (MASP2) in children with upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). METHODS A total of 103 children with URTI and 35 healthy children were examined for plasma levels of MASP2 and

The electrophoretic mobility of uncomplexed alpha 1-antitrypsin was studied in the sol phase of sputum from 14 patients with chronic bronchitis. The mobility of alpha 1-antitrypsin in the sputum of each subject was reduced compared to the mobility in serum (mean sputum value = 71.1% of albumin

Hamster tracheal organ culture has been used to study the role of exotoxin A and proteases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in infections of the respiratory tract. Tracheal explants infected with a toxin producing, protease producing strain or a toxin deficient, protease producing strain displayed evidence

Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) remain a significant public health problem as they are the major cause of both upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Unfortunately, to date no vaccine or antiviral against these pathogens is available. Here, using a high-throughput yeast two-hybrid screening, we

It was analysed the fascinating and metabolic phagocytic activity of neutrophilis (cationic-protein, myeloperoxidase and latex tests, NST-test: spontaneous and stimulated, stimulation index) in patients with often recurrent acute respiratory infections on the base of immunodeficiency disorders who

BACKGROUND Several different IgA-proteases exist in Haemophilus influenzae. The variants have been suggested to play differential roles in pathogenesis, but there is limited information on their distribution in clinical isolates. The objective of this study was to investigate the distribution of

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae is an important respiratory pathogen, causing otitis media in children and lower respiratory tract infection in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) protease is a well-described protein and potential virulence factor in

We examined the effect of a serratial exoprotease on the pathogenesis of influenza virus infection in mice as a model of complicated respiratory infection by bacteria and virus in humans. The 56-kilodalton (56-kDa) protease from Serratia marcescens was administrated intranasally to mice at a dose of

SpyCEP is a Streptococcus pyogenes protease that cleaves CXCL8/IL-8 and its activity is associated with human invasive disease severity. We investigated the role of SpyCEP in S. pyogenes necrotizing fasciitis and respiratory tract infection in mice using isogenic strains differing only in SpyCEP

Many viruses invade mucosal surfaces to establish infection in the host. Some viruses are restricted to mucosal surfaces, whereas others disseminate to sites of secondary replication. Studies of strain-specific differences in reovirus mucosal infection and systemic dissemination have enhanced an

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a causative agent for many respiratory infections and has been associated with cardiovascular diseases in humans. The pathogenicity of C. pneumoniae is thought to depend on its ability to cause persistent infection and to evade host defense. Genome sequence analysis indicates

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the etiological agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, a highly contagious respiratory infection in pigs. AasP, a putative subtilisin-like serine protease autotransporter, has recently been identified in A. pleuropneumoniae. We hypothesized that, similarly to other

Recent advances in the chemotherapeutic agents against HIV enabled us to conduct combination therapies using two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and a protease inhibitor. The three-drug combination chemotherapies have been shown to be very potent in inhibiting HIV replication; they

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) has multiple functions, including inhibition of protease activity, microbial growth, and inflammatory responses. In this study, we demonstrate that mouse SLPI is critically involved in innate host defense against pulmonary mycobacterial infection. During