Microbiology and Immunology最新文献

Cover photograph: Supersulfides play various roles in biological systems. Microbiol Immunol: 69:191-202. Article link here

Silicosis is a lung disease that is very harmful. This makes the disease worse. This study looks at how the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene affects macrophage M1/M2 polarisation and pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis. Macrophages were isolated from alveolar lavage fluid in silicosis and bronchiectasis (BE) patients. Gene expression was detected by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Pulmonary fibrosis was assessed by CT_FLV/TLV% using 3D CT and Masson staining assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to assess inflammatory factor level. The macrophage M1/M2 polarization characteristics (iNOS, CD206) was quantified by Immunofluorescence and Flow cytometry assays. Silicosis patients alveolar lavage macrophages polarized towards M1 type, and the expression level of M1 polarization-related chemokines also increased. More importantly, FTO gene downregulation promotes macrophage polarization to M1 type and the secretion of pro-inflammatory factor TNF-α and IL-6. And FTO knockdown can strengthen the glycolysis of macrophages, especially anaerobic glycolysis, thus inducing macrophages M1 polarization. Moreover, downregulation of FTO ameliorates silicosis pulmonary fibrosis. And FTO upregulation is associated with the M2 polarization of macrophage and the deterioration of pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis patients. FTO downregulation facilitates the infiltration of inflammatory cells by promoting M1 polarization of macrophages in silicosis.

Retraction: Y. Hiramatsu, K. Suzuki, D. Motooka, S. Nakamura, Y. Horiguchi, "Expression of Small RNAs of Bordetella Pertussis Colonizing Murine Tracheas," Microbiology and Immunology 64, no. 6 (2020): 469-475, https://doi.org/10.1111/1348-0421.12791. The above article, published online on 30 March, 2020 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors; the journal Editors-in-Chief, Chikara Kaito, Tomoyuki Honda, and Tomohiro Sawa; the Japanese Society for Bacteriology, the Japanese Society for Virology, and the Japanese Society for Host Defense Research; and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to the request from the last author and the mutual agreement among all authors, after an institutional investigation was conducted by Osaka University that recommended retraction. The institutional investigation revealed that the first author was responsible for data fabrication and falsification within Figure 1(b), Figure 1(c) and data fabrication in Figure 2 for the Bpr4, 8 panels. Therefore, the conclusions of the paper are substantially compromised.

Retraction: Y. Hiramatsu, "Current Understanding of Bordetella-Induced Cough," Microbiology and Immunology 68, no. 4 (2024): 123-129, https://doi.org/10.1111/1348-0421.13119. The above article, published online on 6 February, 2024 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the author; the journal Editors-in-Chief, Chikara Kaito, Tomoyuki Honda and Tomohiro Sawa; the Japanese Society for Bacteriology, the Japanese Society for Virology, and the Japanese Society for Host Defense Research; and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to the author's request for retraction. After publication of this Review, some manuscripts that represent the basis for the discussion were found to be unreliable following an institutional investigation conducted by Osaka University. These manuscripts are retracted, and as a result, the conclusions of this article are considered invalid as well.

Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) poses a severe threat to patients' lives and health, making early predictions, intervention, and treatment crucial. This study aims to preliminarily explore the clinical role of miR-577 and miR-494-3p in sepsis-associated AKI. The study included 70 sepsis patients with AKI, 65 sepsis patients without AKI, and a healthy control group (HC, n = 67) to set baseline miRNA levels. Urinary miR-577 and miR-494-3p levels were measured using qRT-PCR. ROC curves evaluated their diagnostic value for sepsis-associated AKI. Logistic regression analyzed AKI risk factors, while Pearson correlation explored miRNA-clinical indicator links. Cox regression models and KM curves assessed the prognostic value of miRNAs in sepsis-associated AKI patients. Sepsis-associated AKI patients showed heightened inflammatory markers, renal indicators, and APACHE II scores compared to those without AKI. However, their urinary miR-577 and miR-494-3p levels were notably lower, distinguishing them with high diagnostic value. These miRNAs inversely correlated with inflammatory markers, renal indicators, and severity scores. Logistic regression showed lactate, PCT, BUN, Scr, Cys-C, NGAL, KIM-1, and APACHE II, as risk factors, while miR-577 and miR-494-3p were protective. In deceased sepsis-associated AKI patients, these miRNAs were lower, with higher inflammatory markers, renal indicators, and severity scores. miR-577 and miR-494-3p independently predicted mortality, with lower expressions linked to higher death rates. miR-577 and miR-494-3p are closely related to sepsis-associated AKI and can serve as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognostic assessment.

C-type lectins are calcium-dependent glycan-binding proteins that play key roles in the innate immune response by recognizing pathogens. Soluble C-type lectins agglutinate and neutralize pathogens, activate the complement system, and promote pathogen clearance via opsonization. Membrane-bound C-type lectins, also known as C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), internalize pathogens and induce their degradation in lysosomes, presenting pathogen-derived antigens to MHC-II molecules to activate adaptive immunity. CLRs also have signaling capabilities. Some contain the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM), which induces inflammatory responses by activating transcription factors, such as NF-κB and NFAT. Others contain the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM), which suppresses activating signals by activating phosphatases, such as SHP-1. This creates a balance between activation and inhibition. C-type lectins are classified into 17 groups based on their structural domains, with Groups II and V members being particularly important for pathogen recognition. In this review, we present the accumulated and recent information on pathogen recognition by C-type lectins, along with their classification and basic functions.

Ambient humidity, temperature, and ozone influence the viability of airborne viruses, but their synergistic effects are poorly understood, particularly regarding ozone with humidity/temperature changes. Therefore, we examined the inactivation of airborne influenza viruses and coronaviruses under combinations of low ambient ozone concentrations, relative humidity (RH) levels, and temperatures typical of daily life. Viral fluid was atomized in a closed chamber conditioned with different combinations of these factors. The atomized aerosol particles containing the virus were exposed to ambient air and then sampled for titration. Active virus levels in ambient air at 50%-85% RH with 15, 35, and 55 ppb ozone significantly decreased compared with those in ambient air with 0 ppb ozone, whereas those in ambient air at < 40% RH decreased only slightly, even with 100 ppb ozone. Viral gene copy numbers, assayed via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, remained similar across all conditions. Inactivation increased with higher temperatures, although not at 15°C. These findings suggest that low concentrations of ambient ozone, when combined with high humidity and temperature, effectively inactivate airborne viruses, potentially influencing viral transmission in real-world environments.