Recent journal publications

(Source: British Journal of Ophthalmology)

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Conclusion There is a significant correlation between the CMV viral load and corneal endothelial cell loss in both CMV-associated iridocyclitis and corneal endotheliitis. (Source: British Journal of Ophthalmology)

Clin Microbiol Infect To analyse current data on transmission of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) via breast milk with subsequent symptomatic HCMV infection of the preterm infant and to report on long-term follow-up, a systematic literature review was performed using EMBASE, MEDLINE and CINAHL (January 1966 to December 2008) Studies were included for analysis if congenital HCMV infection was excluded and transmission via breast milk was either confirmed or strongly suspected. Twenty-six studies were included for analysis. Maternal HCMV-IgG-positivity was reported to be in the range 51.6[ndash]100% (median 81.6%), HCMV-IgG detection in breast milk in the range 67[ndash]97.2% (median 80%) and HCMV-positivity of the infants in the range 5.7[ndash]58.6%. Symptomatic HCMV disease occurred in 0[ndas...

BioVex Inc, a private biotechnology company developing new generation biologics for the treatment of cancer and prevention of infectious disease, announced that the first subject had been dosed in the Phase 1 study of its live attenuated genital herpes vaccine, ImmunoVEXHSV2. The Phase 1 study is an open label ascending dose trial, assessing safety and immune response in healthy volunteers. The study is taking place in the UK at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London and will involve up to 42 already identified subjects. The principle investigator is Dr. Simon Barton... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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BioVex Inc, a private biotechnology company developing new generation biologics for the treatment of cancer and prevention of infectious disease, announced that the first subject had been dosed in the Phase 1 study of its live attenuated genital herpes vaccine, ImmunoVEXHSV2. The Phase 1 study is an open label ascending dose trial, assessing safety and immune response in healthy volunteers... (Source: Immune System / Vaccines News From Medical News Today)

This study was in HIV-1 discordant couples, and the primary objective was to directly assess the efficacy of suppressive therapy with aciclovir in reduction of onward transmission of HIV-1 from partners co-infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). In the past few years, other placebo-controlled trials have studied the effects of aciclovir or valaciclovir on HIV-1 transmissibility, with genital shedding of HIV-1 RNA as a proxy of transmissibility. In these trials, suppressive therapy of HSV-2 reduced genital shedding of HIV-1 RNA. However, the Partners in Prevention Study showed that suppressive therapy with aciclovir did not reduce onward transmission of HIV-1. (Source: LANCET)

The objective of this study was to determine the immune responses to candidate viral triggers of multiple sclerosis in patients and healthy siblings raised in the same family household. Virus antigen-specific IgG responses to Epstein—Barr virus-derived gene products as well as to human herpersvirus-6, human cytomegalovirus, and measles virus were evaluated in 25 multiple sclerosis patients and compared with 49 healthy full-siblings. IgG responses to the latent Epstein—Barr virus-encoded nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) were selectively increased in individuals with multiple sclerosis compared with their unaffected siblings. We conclude that elevated IgG responses towards EBNA1 are associated with the development of multiple sclerosis. (Source: Multiple Sclerosis)

Having a shingles infection that affects the eyes may increase the risk of stroke, according to new research published in the March 3, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the study, researchers identified 658 people diagnosed with ocular shingles and 1974 without the infection. None of these people had a history of stroke at the beginning of the study. Ocular shingles is an infection of the eye and the skin around the eye caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Source: Vaccine Update Area: News The dosage and schedule for the use of the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine in children have been altered. Children aged 13 years or older and adults previously received two doses, four to eight weeks apart. The Summaries of Product Characteristics have since been amended to reflect two doses in those individuals one year to under 13 years of age, given 4-8 weeks apart. The schedule for the older age group remains unchanged. (Source: NeLM - News)

Authors: Monsiváis-Urenda A, Noyola-Cherpitel D, Hernández-Salinas A, García-Sepúlveda C, Romo N, Baranda L, López-Botet M, González-Amaro R Human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) infection is usually asymptomatic but may cause disease in immunocompromised hosts. It has been reported that hCMV infection may shape the NK cell receptor (NKR) repertoire in adult individuals, promoting a variable expansion of the CD94/NKG2C+NK cell subset. We explored the possible relationship between this viral infection and the expression pattern of different NKR including: CD94/NKG2C, CD94/NKG2A, ILT2 (CD85j), KIR2DL1/2DS1, KIR3DL1 and CD161 in peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy children, seropositive (n=21) and seronegative (n=20) for hCMV. Consistent with previous observatio...

A baby girl was delivered prematurely, at 30 weeks' gestation, by emergency cesarean section owing to deceleration and no acceleration on fetal heart-rate monitoring. In addition, she had severe intrauterine ... (Source: New England Journal of Medicine)

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Background: Viral encephalitis is a medical emergency. The prognosis depends mainly on the pathogen and host immunologic state. Correct immediate diagnosis and introduction of symptomatic and specific therapy has a dramatic influence upon survival and reduces the extent of permanent brain injury.Methods: We searched the literature from 1966 to 2009. Recommendations were reached by consensus. Where there was lack of evidence but consensus was clear, we have stated our opinion as good practice points.Recommendations: Diagnosis should be based on medical history and examination followed by CSF analysis for protein and glucose levels, cellular analysis, and identification of the pathogen by polymerase chain reaction amplification (recommendation level A) and serology (level B). Neuroimaging, p...

Biochemistry, Volume 0, Issue 0, Articles ASAP (As Soon As Publishable). (Source: Biochemistry)

Future Virology , March 2010, Vol. 5, No. 2, Pages 207-217. (Source: Future Virology)

(Source: Reactions)

Authors: Loregian A, Mercorelli B, Muratore G, Sinigalia E, Pagni S, Massari S, Gribaudo G, Gatto B, Palumbo M, Tabarrini O, Cecchetti V, Palù G WC5 is a 6-aminoquinolone that inhibits potently the replication of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) but has no or significantly less activity against other herpesviruses. Here we investigated the nature of its specific anti-HCMV activity. Structure-activity relationship studies on a small series of analogues showed that WC5 possesses the most suitable substitutions pattern around the quinolone scaffold to give potent and selective anti-HCMV activity. Studies performed to identify the possible target of WC5 indicated that it prevents viral DNA synthesis but does not significantly affect DNA polymerase activity. In yield reduction experiments ...

We report a case of CMV enteritis causing ileal perforation in a physically active elderly man. An 88-year-old healthy man presented with abdominal pain and diarrhea. After initial conservative treatment, emergency laparotomy was performed for ileal perforation. The diagnosis of CMV enteritis was based on histological findings revealing many large cells with CMV inclusion bodies in the surgical specimen. In elderly individuals, even though they are immunocompetent, CMV enteritis may result in major complications such as bowel perforation, and it should be included in the differential diagnosis of diarrhea if it is resistant to conventional treatment. PMID: 20191024 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Yonsei Medical Journal)

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Conclusion: These results indicate that suppression of DDAH2 expression contributes to hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction, which can be improved by DDAH2 overexpression. This study suggests that targeted modulation of DDAH2 gene in vascular endothelium may be a novel approach for the treatment of endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus. (Source: Atherosclerosis)

Abstract  Although pneumonia has been a hallmark of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, it has been revealed that this infection can cause a number of extrapulmonary manifestations in the absence of pneumonia. While the host immune response has been implicated in the pathomechanism of pneumonia, the pathomechanisms of extrapulmonary manifestations remain largely unknown. It is proposed in this review that extrapulmonary manifestations due to M. pneumoniae infection can be classified into three categories; the first is a direct type in which inflammatory cytokines locally induced by lipoproteins contained in the bacterial cell membrane must play a role, the second is an indirect type in which immune modulation such as autoimmunity through cross-reaction between the bacterial...

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We describe a case of severe CMV mononucleosis that was acquired naturally decades after splenectomy. Together with the 2 similar cases that we reported recently, these cases all presented as initial diagnostic challenge because of a remote history of splenectomy, a prolonged febrile illness ( approximately 4 weeks), marked lymphocytosis (peak 27.9 x 10/L), and undetectable or weakened anti-CMV IgM antibody response. The diagnosis was eventually established through detection of circulating CMV antigen or DNA and a year or longer follow-up with serial determination of IgM and IgG antibodies. Two similar cases were also identified in the literature and reviewed. Although the impaired IgM response may confuse the diagnosis, it correlates well with recent studies showing that human blood IgM m...