15038 studies
BACKGROUND: Foot ulcers are one of the main diabetes complications due to its high frequency and difficulty of complete healing. There are several factors that participate in diabetic ulcers development and limited information exists about the role o…
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is expressed in periodontal tissue, and variations in LL-37 levels have been associated with periodontal disease. The effects of LL-37 on periodontal ligament cell function have not been descr…
Human cathelicidin LL-37 is a critical cationic antimicrobial peptide for host defense against infection, immune modulation, and wound healing. This article elucidates the functional roles of the cationic side chains of the major antimicrobial region…
The enteric protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica is the cause of potentially fatal amebic colitis and liver abscesses. E. histolytica trophozoites colonize the colon, where they induce inflammation, penetrate the mucosa, and disrupt the host immu…
Antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs) are important components of the host innate defense mechanisms. Here we demonstrate that the outer membrane lipoprotein, Lpp, of Enterobacteriaceae interacts with and promotes susceptibility to the bactericidal…
LL-37 is the only cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptide found in humans and it has a multifunctional role in host defense. The peptide has been shown to possess immunomodulatory functions in addition to antimicrobial activity. To provide suffici…
BACKGROUND: Vitamin D may play important roles in regulating immune responses and in defence against infectious diseases by effects on both innate and adaptive immune responses. Little is known regarding activation of vitamin D within airway tissues…
BACKGROUND: Patients with rosacea demonstrate a higher density of Demodex mites in their skin than do controls. A bacterium isolated from a Demodex mite from a patient with papulopustular rosacea (PPR) was previously shown to provoke an immune respon…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as the linear amphipathic cathelicidins, are produced widely in the natural world and are active against a broad range of pathogenic microorganisms. Their potential as a new range of antibiotics has prompted numero…
Genetically engineered cells with mutations of relevance to electroporation, cell membrane permeabilization by electric pulses, can become a promising new tool for fundamental research on this important biotechnology. Listeria monocytogenes mutants l…
A novel cathelicidin-like antimicrobial peptide was identified by mining genome of panda. This peptide (cathelicidin-AM) was synthesized. It showed potential antimicrobial activities against wide spectrum of microorganisms including Gram-negative and…
Vitamin D insufficiency is a global issue that has significant implications for health. The classical role of vitamin D in bone mineralisation is well known; vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets, osteomalacia or osteoporosis. The role of vitamin D i…
The increased emergence of drug resistant microbes creates a major challenge to the scientific community for successful development of effective therapeutics. The antimicrobial activities of silver ions are well known, but limited information is avai…
We studied an ampicillin- and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) isolate from a patient with endocarditis and bacteremia refractory to treatment with daptomycin (6 mg/kg of body weight) plus linezolid. Blood cultures cleared within 24 h…
BACKGROUND: The cause of follicular occlusion, a key early event in the pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To identify changes, if any, in the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) and cyto…
Yersinia pestis is able to survive and replicate within murine macrophages. However, the mechanism by which Y. pestis promotes its intracellular survival is not well understood. To identify genes that are important for Y. pestis survival in macrophag…
Mast cells (MCs) are well-known effectors of allergic reactions and are considered sentinels in the skin and mucosa. In addition, through their production of cathelicidin, MCs have the capacity to oppose invading pathogens. We therefore hypothesized…
The development of oral biofilms and the host response to biofilm bacteria and their toxins are important factors in the development of periodontal disease. An early component of the host response is the secretion of antimicrobial proteins and peptid…
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) are food-borne pathogens that cause serious diarrheal diseases. To colonize the human intestine, these pathogens must overcome innate immune defenses such as antimicrobial…
BACKGROUND: Oral ulcer is the cardinal clinical sign and increased neutrophilic activity is a part of the pathogenesis in Behcet's disease (BD). Saliva, as a part of the innate immune response, contains antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are derived…